AnnouncementDC5m United States criminal in english 270 articles, created at 2016-12-15 16:05 articles setmostly negative rate -6.1

(11.99/12)

1 8.2 Evacuation of Rebels, Civilians from Aleppo SputtersOne person is killed and four others wounded when a convoy carrying civilians fromthe last opposition-controlled areas of the northern Syrian city comes under fire.2016-12-15 09:17 1KB www.wsj.com

(8.99/12)

2 1.2 China sent weapons to contested islands, U. S. reportsaysChina built the seven man-made islands in recent years in contested waters, andChina says the islands are intended to boost maritime safety 2016-12-15 05:48 1KB

www.cbsnews.com

(8.99/12)

3 1.7 Dollar makes fresh charge after Fed hikes ratesBy Marc Jones LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The dollar charged to an almost 14-yearhigh and government bond yields rose sharply on Thursday, after the Federal...2016-12-15 05:41 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(7.56/12)

4 0.5 California, Uber in legal showdown over self-drivingcarsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Uber is riding its self-driving cars into a legal showdown withCalifornia regulators. The ride-hailing company is refusing to obey demands by thestate's Department of Motor Vehicles that it immediately stop picking up SanFrancisco... 2016-12-15 09:20 5KB www.mlive.com

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5 0.4 China Installs Weapons in South China Sea, SatellitesShowA U. S. think-tank report that China has installed weapons on islands it has built in theSouth China Sea is raising the stakes in a regional dispute as U. S. President-electDonald Trump signals he is ready to confront Beijing on territorial issues.2016-12-15 09:07 1KB www.wsj.com

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6 0.8 Yahoo announced that at least 1 billion accountswere hacked in 2013Yahoo reported Wednesday that a different attack compromised more than 1 billionaccounts in 2013. This involved sensitive user information, including 2016-12-15 02:28

1KB www.roundnews.com

(5.99/12)

7 1.0 First convoy leaves eastern Aleppo - Reuters witnessALEPPO, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A convoy of 10 ambulances and at least 20 buses droveout of the rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo on Thursday, a Reuters witness sa...2016-12-15 08:57 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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8 2.1 10-year Treasury yield breaks above 2.6% after Fedraises rates, signals 3 hikes next yearU. S. government debt prices were lower Thursday morning after the Fed raised itsbenchmark rate by 25 basis points. 2016-12-15 08:58 1KB www.cnbc.com

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9 6.0 5 things for Thursday, December 15Yahoo hack, Trump deposition and TN fires 2016-12-15 07:34 3KB rss.cnn.com

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10 1.9 Officials: Putin was directly involved with hack thathelped TrumpOfficials believe Vladimir Putin was personally involved in an espionage scheme thathelped put Donald Trump in the White House. 2016-12-15 09:00 5KB www.msnbc.com

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11 2.1 Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox has reached anagreement to take over broadcaster Sky for £11.7 billionThe mogul made a controversial bid for the British broadcaster Sky five years ago butwas forced to abandon a takeover at the height of the phone hacking scandal.2016-12-15 09:25 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(4.19/12)

12 11.5 1 dead, 9 missing in Azerbaijan offshore oil rigaccidentOne oil worker has been reported killed and nine more are missing in Azerbaijan afterpart of their offshore oil platform broke off in strong winds. Oil industry workers' rights...2016-12-15 06:52 788Bytes article.wn.com

(3.27/12)

13 97.2 Germany: Afghan suspect in slaying assaultedwoman in GreeceThe 17-year-old suspect is in custody for the killing of medical student Maria L. inOctober. 2016-12-15 07:57 1KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com

(3.19/12) 14 1.4 Colorado school district to allow teachers to armthemselvesA rural Colorado school district decided to allow its teachers and other school staff tocarry guns on campus to protect students. 2016-12-15 05:37 3KB www.cbs46.com

(3.19/12)

15 94.4 Philippine senators call for Duterte to be impeachedover killing confessionSenator Leila de Lima says ‘mass murder’ is grounds for ousting, but justice ministerdefends president’s admission of extrajudicial executions 2016-12-15 03:03 4KB

www.theguardian.com

(3.18/12)

16 0.0 Trump knew that Russia meddled in US election:White HouseWashington: There are indications that President-elect Donald Trump knew about theRussian involvement in hacking of the servers of the rival Clinton Campaign and theDemocratic party, the White House has said. "There's ample evidence that was knownlong before the election and,... 2016-12-15 01:56 1KB article.wn.com

(3.17/12)

17 1.9 'Affluenza' teen's dad convicted of pretending to beofficerFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The father of a Texas teenager who used an2016-12-15 08:33 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(3.16/12)

18 3.4 Targeting U. S. automaker signals possible Chinaretaliation over Trump talkBy Arshad Mohammed, Matt Spetalnick and Benjamin Kang LimWASHINGTON/BEIJING, Dec 14 (Reuters) - China's plan to punish a U. S. automakeraccused of price-fix... 2016-12-15 00:13 7KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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19 18.4 Lawyer: Man charged in officer death incompetentfor trialA lawyer for a man accused of shooting a Detroit officer during a chase says apsychiatric review has found his client incompetent to stand trial. 2016-12-15 09:19 1KB

www.heraldonline.com

(3.12/12)

20 5.6 Trump Islam: Muslim woman arrested over 'fake hateattack' in New YorkA young Muslim woman is arrested in New York for falsely accusing Trump supportersof attacking her. 2016-12-15 15:24 2KB www.bbc.co.uk

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21 1.4 SEE IT: New Jersey man arrested for driving backhoedrunk after 'swerving all over the road'An officer reportedly found bottles of Jack Daniels and vodka in the backhoe.2016-12-15 08:51 1KB feeds.nydailynews.com

(3.12/12)

22 2.7 Thai fishing fleets shift to distant waters to avoidcrackdown: GreenpeaceThai fishing fleets have shifted to remote and ecologically vulnerable waters off the eastAfrican coast to evade a regional crackdown on illegal fishing and... 2016-12-15 08:10 3KB

www.dailymail.co.uk

(3.08/12)

23 0.9 Greek markets drop as European creditors suspenddebt reliefATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek stocks fell sharply Wednesday while thegovernment's borrowing rates jumped higher after the country's European creditorspulled a debt relief package announced only last week in protest at subsequent budgetspending measures by Athens. ... 2016-12-15 07:43 906Bytes article.wn.com

(2.21/12)

24 2.8 Former FSU QB Jameis Winston and accuser todismiss casesFormer Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and his accuser, Erica Kinsman,have come to an agreement to drop both civil lawsuits, according to court documentsfiled Wednesday. 2016-12-15 01:01 2KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com

(2.12/12)

25 3.1 ‘Russian Hacking’ a “Disinformation Campaign”Against Trump, Says CongressmanIntelligence agencies REFUSE to brief Congress Intelligence agencies REFUSE tobrief Congress. 2016-12-15 09:09 3KB www.infowars.com

(2.12/12)

26 1.5 Austria MPs vote to seize Hitler birth houseAustrian MPs voted late Wednesday to expropriate the home where Adolf Hitler wasborn, ending years of bitter legal wrangling with the current owner over the infamousbuilding's future. 2016-12-15 05:40 3KB www.digitaljournal.com

(2.11/12)

27 2.6 Corpus Christi, Texas, tells residents not to use tapwaterThe city of Corpus Christi, Texas, is warning its residents not to use tap water asofficials investigate an unknown chemical. 2016-12-15 03:34 1KB

www.charlotteobserver.com

(2.10/12)

28 0.0 President-Elect Donald Trump Breaks With LongHistory Of Press Conferences : NPRTrump hasn't held a press conference since July, opting instead for frequent tweetsand the occasional interview. Presidents elect typically take questions from reporterswithin days. 2016-12-15 06:05 6KB www.npr.org

(2.09/12)

29 0.4 US Muslim teen 'made up' story of being harassed byDonald Trump supportersNEW DELHI: A Muslim American teenager in New York "made up" a story about beingharassed by Donald Trump supporters earlier this month, said the New York PoliceDepartment who arrested her yesterday, the Daily News reported. The teen, 18-year-old Yasmin... 2016-12-15 06:53 907Bytes article.wn.com

(2.08/12)

30 2.2 Project examines opioid industry's politicalinfluenceThis is another installment in an investigation by The Associated Press and the Centerfor Public Integrity examining the politics behind the nation's opioid epidemic. The storyexamines how drug... 2016-12-15 06:52 737Bytes article.wn.com

(2.08/12)

31 15.1 Bill Cosby's lawyers attack "bandwagon" sexualassault accusersBill Cosby's lawyers attack "bandwagon" sexual assault accusers 2016-12-15 01:44 5KB

www.cbsnews.com

(2.07/12)

32 0.9 Electors’ lawyer: Founding Fathers ‘anticipated’TrumpThere may be more than a few dissenters when the Electoral College meets Monday— though not enough to deny Donald Trump the presidency. 2016-12-15 07:47 7KB

rssfeeds.usatoday.com

(2.07/12)

33 1.1 South Korean presidential contender says SeoulSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A possible South Korean presidential contender says thecountry should reconsider its plans to deploy an advanced U. S. missile defensesystem to cope with North Korean threats. ... 2016-12-15 06:37 706Bytes article.wn.com

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34 3.2 To combat Trump, Democrats ready a Republicantactic: lawsuitsOne attorney general is already investigating Donald Trump over possible violations ofNew York state law at his foundation... 2016-12-15 06:00 9KB lasvegassun.com

(2.06/12)

35 4.8 Closings expected in S. Carolina church shootingtrialClosing arguments are expected Thursday in Dylann Roof’s trial, with jurors likelybeing asked to deliberate 33 charges 2016-12-15 07:51 3KB rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

(2.06/12)

36 0.0 Carter confident US will remain key to anti-IScoalitionU. S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter expressed confidence Thursday that under theTrump administration the U. S. will remain central to the international coalition fightingthe Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. ... 2016-12-15 07:46 785Bytes article.wn.com

(2.06/12)

37 9.5 Rebels kill 4 Indian policemen near border withMyanmarGAUHATI, India (AP) - Heavily armed rebels on Thursday killed four Indian policeofficers in an ambush on a highway they were guarding hours before 2016-12-15 07:46

724Bytes article.wn.com

(2.06/12)

38 10.6 Driver in court for school bus crash that killed 6childrenThe 24-year-old driver in a school bus crash that killed six children last month inTennessee is appearing in court... 2016-12-15 05:02 2KB lasvegassun.com

(2.06/12)

39 1.2 Mother of Reno Teen Shot by School Police WantsExplanationThe mother of a 14-year-old Reno boy who was shot and wounded by a school districtpolice officer wants the superintendent to explain why campus officers aren't betterequipped with non-lethal weapons. Cheryl Pitchford was among the group of 100classmates, friends and family of the... 2016-12-15 04:33 4KB abcnews.go.com

(2.05/12)

40 0.8 Nazi-era stolen art hoard to go to Swiss museum,court saysA German court Thursday threw out a challenge to the will of collector Cornelius Gurlitt,clearing the way for a spectacular Nazi-era art hoard found in his home to go to aSwiss museum. 2016-12-15 08:20 2KB www.digitaljournal.com

(2.04/12)

41 2.5 Russia says it foiled IS-linked attacks aimed atMoscowThe Russian intelligence agency says it has arrested four people and foiled extremistattacks allegedly orchestrated out of Turkey. The FSB said in a statement quoted byRussian news agencies... 2016-12-15 07:52 731Bytes article.wn.com

(2.04/12)

42 9.6 Somalia suicide bomber sets off blast in capital; 3injuredMOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A suicide car bomber detonated an explosives-ladenvehicle near a restaurant in the Somali capital Thursday, killing himself and injuringthree others, a Somali police officer said. ... 2016-12-15 07:49 770Bytes article.wn.com

(2.04/12)

43 2.9 Arrested again: Legendary 86-year-old jewel thiefcaught during attempt in AtlantaPolice arrested notorious jewel thief Doris Payne, who is 86, in Atlanta Wednesday fortrying to steal a $2,000 diamond necklace from a mall store in Atlanta. 2016-12-15 06:31

2KB www.upi.com

(1.36/12)

44 2.0 Aleppo cease-fire unravels, raising specter of bloodyendBEIRUT — A cease-fire to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians from the remainingopposition-held neighborhoods of Aleppo unraveled Wednesday, once again raising thespecter of a bloody end to the battle for Syria’s largest city as residents reported theresumption of shelling and brutal bombing runs. ... 2016-12-15 01:49 1000Bytes

article.wn.com

(1.30/12)

45 0.0 The Latest: Arab TV Shows Ambulances, BusWaiting in AleppoThe Latest on the conflict in Syria where a cease-fire deal to allow evacuation of rebelsand tens of thousands of civilians from eastern Aleppo is back on (all times local): 9:40a.m. A Pan-Arab TV station is broadcasting live from a... 2016-12-15 03:47 4KB

abcnews.go.com

(1.19/12)

46 1.3 Red Cross to take part in evacuation of woundedmilitants from Aleppo – Reconciliation Center — RT NewsThe International Red Cross will be involved in the Russian Reconciliation Center’soperation to evacuate wounded rebels from eastern Aleppo. Twenty buses and tenambulances will be dispatched to transport the wounded, the center said in astatement. 2016-12-15 05:06 2KB www.rt.com

(1.06/12)

47 96.6 1 Killed, 2 Wounded In Wednesday ShootingsAcross ChicagoThe fatal shooting happened at 10:10 p.m. in the West Chatham neighborhood on theSouth Side. 2016-12-15 08:29 2KB chicago.cbslocal.com

(1.06/12)

48 1.0 Georgia slips to 41st in ranking of states by healthGeorgia fell one notch to 41 among all 50 states in the annual “America’s HealthRanking” for 2016 released Thursday by the United Health Foundation, a nonprofit armof insurer... 2016-12-15 07:52 709Bytes article.wn.com

(1.06/12)

49 97.8 19-year-old charged with murder, arson inconnection with fatal Indian Trail fireA 19-year-old woman has been charged with murder and arson in connection with afatal Union County fire. One woman was killed in the blaze. 2016-12-15 07:27 2KB

www.charlotteobserver.com

(1.06/12)

50 0.5 Indonesia minister says government not losing toradicalsJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A senior Indonesian cabinet minister on Thursday saidthe government is not losing the fight against radicalism despite the success of hardlineIslamic groups in attracting hundreds of thousands of people to protests against thecapital's... 2016-12-15 03:31 848Bytes article.wn.com

(1.06/12)

51 2.4 Syrian leader Assad's Shi'ite allies helped him win inAleppoBy Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom MilesBEIRUT/AMMAN/GENEVA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - When rebel fighters launched a lastdesperate attempt t... 2016-12-15 03:30 8KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.06/12)

52 0.7 Rodney Hood leads Utah Jazz's chippy, emotionallycharged blowout of OKCHood shreds the nets for 25 points in his return from a strained hamstring to help Jazztake sole possession of the Northwest Division lead. 2016-12-15 01:55 5KB

www.deseretnews.com

(1.05/12)

53 2.6 Nintendo releases ‘Super Mario Run’ in high stakesmoment for the Japanese gaming giantNintendo shares closed lower on Thursday as investors struck a note of cautionahead of the release of "Super Mario Run" on Apple's iOS. 2016-12-15 04:51 4KB

www.cnbc.com

(1.05/12)

54 94.6 Not enough evidence yet to impeach Duterte formass murder—solonsLawmakers from the 2016-12-15 00:00 5KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

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55 96.1 Great-grandfather, 78, sentenced to prison in fatalshootingDonald Clayton Miller was convicted in death of the father of his great-grandchildren.2016-12-15 03:48 2KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com

(1.04/12)

56 0.7 S. Korea presidential hopeful: U. S. missile defenseshould waitBy Christine Kim and James Pearson SEOUL, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The former leader ofSouth Korea's main opposition party, who is leading polls of candidates to...2016-12-15 04:22 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.04/12)

57 4.2 'Fear is palpable' among US climate scientists overTrump movesClimate scientists tend to be a hardy bunch, accustomed to hate mail, vicious onlineattacks, lawmakers who deny that global warming is real, and for some, even deaththreats. 2016-12-15 03:17 5KB www.timeslive.co.za

(1.03/12)

58 47.1 Egypt executes militant convicted in 2013 attack onpoliceCAIRO (AP) — Egypt's official MENA news agency says a top militant who wasconvicted and sentenced to death for the killing of 25 policemen in 2013 has been...2016-12-15 08:12 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.03/12)

59 1.4 Yahoo's big breach helps usher in an age of hackeranxietySAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Yahoo has become the worst-case example of an unnervingbut increasingly common phenomenon " massive hacks that steal secrets and otherpotentially revealing information from our personal digital accounts, or from bigorganizations that hold sensitive data on our behalf... 2016-12-15 06:44 1KB article.wn.com

(1.03/12)

60 0.0 'Iron lady' Ip runs for Hong Kong leaderA former Hong Kong security chief who stepped down after mass protests and isloathed by the city's pro-democracy camp said Thursday she will run for leader,...2016-12-15 06:30 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.03/12)

61 11.6 Man, 32, slain in Manhattan shootingA gunman fatally shot a 32-year-old man in the stomach on a Harlem streetWednesday night, cops said. 2016-12-15 01:19 914Bytes feeds.nydailynews.com

(1.02/12)

62 0.0 Standard Bank in bid to block Zuma's GuptainterventionThe bank has asked the North Gauteng High Court to prevent President Zuma andany of his ministers from intervening in its decision to close company accountsassociated with Oakbay. 2016-12-15 09:21 2KB www.fin24.com

(1.02/12)

63 3.3 Thief steals officer's uniform from PhiladelphiacourthousePolice in Philadelphia are searching for the thief who stole parts of an officer's uniformfrom a bench outside a courtroom at the city's Criminal Justice Center. 2016-12-15 09:16

1KB www.heraldonline.com

(1.02/12)

64 1.7 Swedish island rejects renting pipe storage space toRussiaSweden's militarily strategic Baltic Sea island of Gotland has turned down a Russianrequest to rent harbor space after the government warned it could harm theScandinavian country's defense and political interests. 2016-12-15 09:09 1KB

www.heraldonline.com

(1.02/12)

65 1.1 Grandmother of children who ate heroin gets jailsentenceWARREN, Ohio (AP) — The grandmother of two small children who swallowed heroinat her northeast Ohio home has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. The Warren T...2016-12-15 09:09 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.02/12)

66 4.3 Police investigating pedestrian accident in WestlandWestland police are investigating after a pedestrian was struck at Michigan Avenueand Merriman Road Thursday morning. 2016-12-15 08:50 888Bytes www.wxyz.com

(1.02/12)

67 0.4 Greece's Tsipras eyes 'breakthrough withoutblackmail' in debt rowGreek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called Thursday for a "breakthrough withoutblackmail" in a row over the eurozone's decision to suspend debt relief over a pensionspending hike by Athens. 2016-12-15 08:50 3KB www.digitaljournal.com

(1.02/12)

68 2.1 NJ Court rejects bid to dismiss same-sexdiscrimination suitAn appeals court in New Jersey turned down a bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by aformer employee who claims she was fired by a Catholic school because she'smarried to a woman. 2016-12-15 08:50 1KB www.thenewstribune.com

(1.02/12)

69 2.2 Belgian police move on Libya arms smuggling ringBRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authorities have detained four people after a series of raidsto break up a weapons smuggling ring trying to send guns into Libya in defiance of a U.N. arms embargo. ... 2016-12-15 08:50 684Bytes article.wn.com

(1.02/12)

70 4.4 Bodies of woman and boy, seven, found in house inRuislipPolice do not believe the deaths involved a third party, and are trying to establishwhether pair were mother and son 2016-12-15 08:43 1KB www.theguardian.com

(1.02/12)

71 1.0 Aleppo children beg to be rescued in heartbreakingvideo from bombed out Syrian cityA videoed message from children who say they live in an orphanage in one of the lastpockets of rebel resistance 2016-12-15 08:41 700Bytes article.wn.com

(1.02/12)

72 1.5 Michael Floyd's Arizona Cardinals career ends afterDUITEMPE, Fla. -- Michael Floyd's turbulent season was compounded earlier this weekwhen he was arrested on suspicion of DUI and it only got worse on Wednesday whenthe wide receiver was waived by the Arizona Cardinals with his head coach offeringnext to no comments whatsoever. 2016-12-15 08:39 5KB www.upi.com

(1.02/12)

73 0.7 Canadian officials meet detained Canadian in NorthKoreaSEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Canadian officials visited North Korea and met withCanadian detainee Hyeon Soo Lim, who was sentenced to life in prison last ye2016-12-15 08:30 2KB mynorthwest.com

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74 3.8 Man Robs Stickney BankThe suspect did not show a weapon at 5:23 p.m. when he robbed the TCF Bankbranch at 7122 W. 40th St., according to the FBI. No injuries were reported.2016-12-15 08:23 1KB chicago.cbslocal.com

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75 8.6 Minivan Hits 3 Men Changing Tire In The Bronx, 1KilledIt happened around 2 a.m. Thursday between exits 10 and 11 on the New EnglandThruway near Bartow Avenue in Baychester. 2016-12-15 08:13 1KB newyork.cbslocal.com

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76 5.5 2 juveniles could receive life in prison after allegedlystarting Tennessee fires that killed 14GATLINBURG, Tenn. -- The toll of the wildfires that ravaged Gatlinburg, Tennessee, inrecent weeks is staggering: 14 people dead, another 175 injured, and more than 2,400houses, businesses and other structures destroyed. Sevier County Mayor LarryWaters... 2016-12-15 07:48 5KB myfox8.com

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77 4.1 Kuwait convicts 16 of repeating speech critical ofemirKUWAIT CITY (AP) - A Kuwait court has convicted and sentenced 16 people to twoyears 2016-12-15 07:46 606Bytes article.wn.com

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78 22.9 Businesswoman daughter of Mozambique'sGuebuza murderedMAPUTO, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Valentina Guebuza, the influential businesswomandaughter of former Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, was shot dead by herhus... 2016-12-15 07:33 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.02/12)

79 0.7 Massachusetts tiptoes into pot legalization; OK tosmoke, not to sellBy Scott Malone BOSTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Massachusetts on Thursday becamethe first state in the densely populated U. S. Northeast to legalize marijuana for...2016-12-15 07:06 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.02/12)

80 2.4 Presidential campaign of Putin critic LindseyGraham 'was hacked by Russia after criminals broke into itsemail account'Senator Lindsey Graham called for 'crippling sanctions' against Moscow, that inactionagainst Putin would mean China and Iran would follow suit. 2016-12-15 06:47 2KB

www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.02/12)

81 6.4 Suspect arrested in shooting of man at a TucsonrestaurantAuthorities say a suspect is in custody in connection with a shooting at a restaurant onTucson’s northwest side. 2016-12-15 06:05 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

(1.02/12)

82 6.3 Trump’s conflicts con will failFor those worried about corruption and cronyism, Donald Trump’s coming for-profitpresidency will hardly “drain the swamp.” 2016-12-15 06:00 5KB feeds.nydailynews.com

(1.02/12)

83 1.5 Yellen signals caution about Trump’s economicstimulus planPresident-elect Donald Trump has pledged deep tax cuts and increased infrastructurespending to restore lost jobs, accelerat... 2016-12-15 05:02 5KB lasvegassun.com

(1.02/12)

84 2.7 Rubber farmer shot dead in Muslim-majority ThaisouthBANGKOK (AP) — Police say a rubber farmer has been shot dead in the southernThai province of Sonkhla, in the latest attack in a region that has been in the grip of anethnic Malay Muslim insurgency for over... 2016-12-15 03:31 725Bytes article.wn.com

(1.02/12)

85 1.8 For Guantanamo prisoners, questions loom asTrump era beginsGUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — As journalists passed along adarkened corridor at the Guantanamo Bay lockup, a detainee displayed a hand-paintedsign through the one-way glass of his cellblock: A white question mark against a bluebackground,... 2016-12-15 02:58 854Bytes article.wn.com

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86 0.7 Amazon makes first drone delivery; huge Yahoo databreach (10 Things to Know for Thursday)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will betalked about Thursday. 2016-12-15 02:19 2KB www.nola.com

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87 3.2 Prison lifers tell teens: This is what is facing youProgram brings troubled teens to prison for heart-to-heart talks with men who will neverleave. 2016-12-15 01:01 11KB rssfeeds.freep.com

(0.08/12)

88 0.3 Young Afghans deported from Germany CELEBRATEas the 34 men - including convicted killers and rapists -arrive back at Kabul, saying: ‘I love my country!’The move to deport the men - a third of whom had committed criminal offences - wasmade possible after a recent Afghan-Germany deal to stem the influx into the Europeancountry. 2016-12-15 09:04 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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89 3.7 Duterte says he personally killed criminal suspectsAFP-Jiji MANILA (AFP-Jiji) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said hepersonally killed suspected criminals when he was mayor of a southern city to set anexample for police. Duterte made the comments in a speech late on Monday night tobusinessmen as 2016-12-15 07:53 796Bytes article.wn.com

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90 0.0 Pakistan grab two late wickets to stall AustraliaMELBOURNE, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Pakistan's bowlers took two quick wickets to slowAustralia's charge after the home side's openers dominated the opening sessio...2016-12-15 01:14 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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91 3.3 Russia to appeal Dutch ruling to return Crimeantreasures to UkraineMOSCOW, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Russia will appeal a Dutch court ruling that said apriceless collection of gold artefacts from Crimea on loan to a Dutch museum m...2016-12-15 04:38 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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92 0.9 Hong Kong faces new rules on illegal timberflooding ChinaBy Farah Master HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Campaigners say new globalrules to protect endangered tree species will be a test for Hong Kong, already grapp...2016-12-15 01:37 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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93 2.6 Karen Danczuk´s rapist brother jailed for 15 yearsMichael Burke denied 15 counts of rape, one attempted rape and one indecent assaultagainst his sister and two other women, spanning a period from 1992 to 2010.2016-12-15 09:12 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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94 1.1 West Brom and Watford fined by FADec 15 (Reuters) - West Bromwich Albion and Watford have been fined 45,000 pounds($56,100) apiece by the FA after admitting to a misconduct charge for faili...2016-12-15 09:04 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

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95 1.4 What Castro's death and Trump's election mean forCuba's economic awakeningBrian Gendreau, director of UF's Latin American Business Environment program,speculates about the future of US-Cuba relations in the wake of Fidel Castro's deathand the dawning of the Trump administration. Before his death on Nov. 25 at the age of90,... 2016-12-15 09:02 1KB article.wn.com

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96 3.0 'Extremely Dangerous' Inmate Escapes PoliceCustody VideoNorth Carolina officials say Edward Moore, Jr., escaped a hospital ER after assaultingan officer, taking his Taser, and carjacking a vehicle. 2016-12-15 16:01 868Bytes

abcnews.go.com

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97 4.3 Shots fired as jewellery shop robbed at East RandMallA man and two women were injured on Thursday after robbers struck a jewellery shopat the East Rand Mall in Boksburg. 2016-12-15 06:20 1KB www.timeslive.co.za

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98 3.7 Arizona woman indicted in 2014 pleads guilty in afraud caseAn Arizona woman who once ran a California-based charity organization has pleadedguilty in a fraud case. 2016-12-15 06:06 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

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99 0.7 Fed's moves, strong dollar will bring turbulence,disorder - XinhuaSHANGHAI, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The U. S. Federal Reserve's decision to raise interestrates will stoke fresh financial turbulence, and global 2016-12-15 05:43 2KB

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100 2.6 China announces extension to tax cut for small-engine vehiclesBEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters) - China will extend a tax cut on small-engine vehicles to2017, keeping the purchase tax below its normal 10 percent as Beijing con...2016-12-15 04:37 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

101 1.3 Organic cafe bans children under five because'prams the size of Essex' and youngsters 'running riot' spoilit for other customersHilary Penning runs the Organic Kitchen in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, and placed acontroversial sign on the front door which informed customers that the cafe hasbanned children aged under five. 2016-12-15 09:23 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

102 8.3 Sweden to send notorious "laser man" killer toGermanySTOCKHOLM, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Sweden has agreed to temporarily send one of itsmost notorious criminals to Germany where he is suspected of killing a woman i...2016-12-15 09:22 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

103 2.5 Scolari to face young female coach in AsianChampions LeagueHistory-making coach Chan Yuen-ting says it will be her honor to match wits withWorld Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Their first meeting is scheduled for Feb.22 in the Asian Champions League. It will… 2016-12-15 09:18 4KB wtop.com

104 1.4 Taylor Sheridan delves into personal and socialthemes with 'Hell or High Water'In 2005, I visited my home state of Texas, spending time on a ranch outside the townof Post. Then spending some time on a large ranch outside Archer City. I was taken byjust how few young people I saw anywhere. Driving through one... 2016-12-15 09:15 7KB

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105 1.7 Federal agency: 'Premature' to determine if Trumpin violation of hotel leaseA federal agency said it would be "premature" to say Donald Trump is in violation of thelease of a hotel if he does not divest his interests before Jan. 20. 2016-12-15 09:07 2KB

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106 2.9 Mexican immigrant married American woman so hecould get a Green Card then 'murdered her with the help ofhis real wife'The body of Cecelia Bravo, from California, has yet to be found, but investigators saythey have evidence implicating Mexican couple Francisco Valdivia and Rosalina Lopez.2016-12-15 09:04 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

107 0.5 Freed from Mosul, Iraqi brothers carry scars ofIslamic State ruleBy Patrick Markey AL-DHIBANIYAH, Iraq, Dec 15 (Reuters) - His right arm strappedwith a tourniquet and numbed by anaesthetic, Azad Hassan sat before the crow...2016-12-15 09:03 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

108 10.4 Essentials to the Heeringa murder case againstJeffrey Willis in 580 secondsJeffrey Thomas Willis was bound over to the 14th Circuit Court for trial. 2016-12-15 09:00

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109 0.0 Court dismissed: District Court Judge M. CathyDowd retires from the benchLooking back at her eight-year career as a 67th District Court judge, Dowd, whoofficially retires Dec. 31, says it's the positive change she's seen in the lives of thepeople she served that motivated her throughout her time on the bench. 2016-12-15 09:00

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110 1.5 Local polystyrene bans are good; a statewideCalifornia ban would be betterNow that a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags is in place, polystyrene is the nextfront in the battle against ubiquitous and harmful plastic waste. 2016-12-15 09:00 5KB

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111 29.8 Assad victory won't stabilize Middle East: ColumnHis killing machine is the principal recruiter of Sunnis to the cause of radical Islam.2016-12-15 08:59 5KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com

112 3.6 Ex-accused in Dacer-Corbito case is new PNP anti-kidnapping chiefSenior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, the officer who were among those charged for the killing ofpublicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, in 2001, is the newhead of the 2016-12-15 00:00 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

113 1.6 Death of a giant: Eerie images show the inside of500ft cargo ship which has now been left to rot away as itfloats on a Canadian riverEerie images by photographer Keven Lavoie have revealed the rusting insides of theabandoned Kathryn Spirit, which has been moored in the Saint Lawrence River inCanada for five years. 2016-12-15 08:57 8KB www.dailymail.co.uk

114 5.6 Larry Nance Jr. dunks all over Brook Lopez: VIDEOThis is Brook Lopez’s reward for trying to playing defense. 2016-12-15 08:49 1KB

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115 0.0 Faryal Makhdoom Khan says husband Amir's familymade plastic surgery jibesSpeaking from Toronto on ITV's This Morning, Faryal Makhdoom Khan, 25, said it was‘not in my nature to ever go public about personal matters’ but she suffered a campaignof abuse from his relatives. 2016-12-15 08:48 8KB www.dailymail.co.uk

116 4.9 Post-mortem photographs of dead children helpedparents recover from bereavementWARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - These chilling photographs show dead childrenfrom all over the United States who were photographed after death, often with theirparents or even with their siblings. 2016-12-15 08:48 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

117 1.5 Lawmakers make late push on energy legislationThe latest compromise could remove a "capacity charge" required from alternativeenergy suppliers, said Sen. Mike Nofs 2016-12-15 08:47 4KB rssfeeds.freep.com

118 1.5 Cardiff Winter Wonderland branded 'strict' afterwheelchair users banned from ice rinkParents are angry with Cardiff's Winter Wonderland amid claims it is discriminatingagainst wheelchair users (shown) as rule means helpers can only skate at a walkingpace. 2016-12-15 08:45 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

119 2.6 Military targets handling of misconduct casesWASHINGTON (AP) -- Military leaders are trying to fix the lengthy, inconsistentprocess for investigating senior officers accused of misconduct, The Associ2016-12-15 08:45 5KB mynorthwest.com

120 1.1 Man Framed By Crooked Chicago Cop HasConviction VacatedCook County prosecutors agreed Wednesday to vacate the conviction of a man whowas arrested by corrupt Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts and his officers — the thirdtime this year that someone arrested by Watts’ team has been exonerated.2016-12-15 08:43 3KB chicago.cbslocal.com

121 0.0 Oklahoma court tosses abortion law on hospitalprivilegesOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lawrequiring abortion clinics to have doctors with admitting privileges at nearby2016-12-15 08:41 5KB mynorthwest.com

122 0.6 6 in NC agree to pleas in court scheme to strong-arm debtorsFive Charlotte residents and a Concord man have plea deals to charges that theycollected $6 million from people around the country by strong-arming debtors to pay.2016-12-15 08:37 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

123 6.2 Tasers, ballistic vests added to courthousesecurity"I'd rather be proactive than reactive," says Circuit Court Administrator Lance Dexter.2016-12-15 08:35 5KB www.mlive.com

124 86.2 Person Questioned In Englewood Infant’s HomicideTimothy Harmon was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he died at 2:39 p.m.,authorities said. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide by child abuse. 2016-12-15 08:33

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125 1.2 Justice Department won't send officers to pipelineprotestBISMARCK, N. D. (AP) -- The federal government won't send 100 federal officers tohelp police protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakot2016-12-15 08:33 5KB mynorthwest.com

126 6.3 Michala Pyke drugged daughter so she could havesex with boyfriend, court hearsMichala Pyke, from Hull, denies cruelty and causing her four-year-old child Poppyunnecessary suffering before she died in 2013. 2016-12-15 08:30 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

127 1.9 EU court dismisses Nestle's Kit Kat trade markBy Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A European Union court hasdismissed Nestle's attempt to register the Kit Kat shape as a trade mark for its ch...2016-12-15 08:28 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

128 9.6 Hibbing man sentenced for killing roommate,burning bodyA Hibbing man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for killing his formerroommate and burning the man’s body in an Iron Range mine pit. 2016-12-15 08:22 1KB

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129 3.3 MLB bans ritual of rookies dressing up as women— RT SportMajor League Baseball (MLB) has introduced a new policy which will end the ritual ofrookie players dressing up as women. 2016-12-15 08:21 3KB www.rt.com

130 2.9 Jury convicts dog owner of abusing bullmastiffnamed MeatballA jury on Wednesday found an Eastpointe man guilty of abusing his pet dog, a 3-year-old bullmastiff named Meatball. 2016-12-15 08:20 1KB www.mlive.com

131 4.8 Fire at Missouri S&T's Emerson Hall ruledaccidentalInvestigators have declared a building fire at the Missouri University of Science andTechnology accidental. 2016-12-15 08:18 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

132 48.8 Grandfather dies of injuries following fatal MonroeTownship house fireThe Monroe County Sheriff's Office says the grandfather injured in the fatal house fireearlier this week has died. Monroe Twp. fire officials say his 18-year-old grandson wasalso killed in the fire. 2016-12-15 08:13 2KB www.wxyz.com

133 5.1 Man injured after mailbox explosion in DetroitDetroit police are investigating after a man was injured following an explosion in hismailbox. 2016-12-15 08:12 1KB www.wxyz.com

134 4.3 Sheriff's Office: Deltona woman attackschurchgoersA Deltona woman is facing charges after authorities say she threatened and attackedchurchgoers. 2016-12-15 08:10 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

135 24.2 Truckers from NY, Missouri die in crash on upstateNY roadNew York State Police are investigating what caused two trucks to collide on a HudsonValley road, killing the drivers of both vehicles. 2016-12-15 08:09 1KB

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136 3.4 Santa carries a mallet and busts naughty drugtraffickers in PeruNot a jolly sight for these drug traffickers. Anti-drug units in Lima, Peru dressed asSanta Claus, raided a suspected drug house and arrested four alleged traffickers.2016-12-15 08:00 3KB nypost.com

137 3.0 Cops shoot and kill someone about 1,000 times ayear. Few are prosecuted. What can be done?Millions of people have seen the video from North Charleston, S. C. Walter Scott wasrunning away from police Officer Michael Slager when the officer shot him in the back,killing him instantly. Yet after watching the video many times, a jury was unable...2016-12-15 08:00 6KB www.latimes.com

138 2.0 Report: There Were No Russians – WikileaksOperative Claims Clinton Emails Handed Over By“Disgusted” Democrat WhistleblowersAnd just like that, any and all claims of Russian hacking have just been utterlydiscredited And just like that, any and all claims of Russian hacking have just beenutterly discredited. 2016-12-15 07:59 4KB www.infowars.com

139 1.9 German court dismisses claims by Peruvian farmeragainst RWEESSEN, Germany, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A regional court in Germany on Thursdaydismissed damage claims brought against RWE by a Peruvian farmer, in which heaccu... 2016-12-15 07:49 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

140 0.7 Race‚ rants and barbs: 2016 at the Equality CourtMany South Africans will remember the Equality Court for the fine imposed this year onretired estate agent Penny Sparrow for making racist comments. 2016-12-15 07:48 4KB

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141 2.6 Co-founder of Tanzania whistleblowing websitearrestedDAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzanian police have searched the home andoffice of the co-founder of a whistleblowing website after he was arrested for notdisclosing the identities of people who posted there. ... 2016-12-15 07:44 735Bytes

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142 1.0 Iran authorities break up party, arrest 120TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency is reporting that thecountry's authorities have detained 120 people in a private party in a coffee shop inTehran. ... 2016-12-15 07:44 637Bytes article.wn.com

143 2.1 Cheating website settles with government afterdata breachTORONTO (AP) — The Toronto-based parent company of the adultery dating siteAshley Madison will pay $1.6 million in settlements following an investigation led by theU. S. Federal Trade Commission into a massive breach of the company's computersystems and…... 2016-12-15 07:44 869Bytes article.wn.com

144 3.4 Louisiana governor's LGBT rights order thrown outby judgeBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- An executive order issued by Louisiana's governor thatwas aimed at protecting the rights of LGBT people in state government was t2016-12-15 07:41 4KB mynorthwest.com

145 3.3 Inmate protests execution drugs as worse than afiring squadRICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A Virginia inmate asked a federal court Wednesday to blockthe state's plans to execute him next month with lethal injection drugs fr 2016-12-15 07:39

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146 3.2 Top Abbas rival sentenced to jail on corruptionchargesThe ruling comes two days after Abbas lifted five Palestinian parliamentarians’ immunityincluding Muhammed Dahlan. 2016-12-15 07:38 2KB www.jpost.com

147 4.1 Bell Potter 'cheated dying man with Alzheimer's andhis wife out of $1m'Stockbroker Bell Potter has been accused of cheating a dying Sydney man withAlzheimer's disease out of $1million by using his pension fund to make a series ofunauthorised trades. 2016-12-15 07:36 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

148 19.2 Fire officials: Woman killed, 4 critically injured inPosen crashA woman was killed and four other people were critically injured in a crash earlyThursday in south suburban Posen, fire officials said. 2016-12-15 07:31 1KB

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149 3.4 Assad’s Choice: Fight Rebels but Give Way to ISISSyria’s Bashar al-Assad’s alliance has chosen to fight moderate Sunni rebels in Alepporather than the Sunni extremists of Islamic State in Palmyra. 2016-12-15 07:23 1KB

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150 0.9 Hard-line rabbis call on security services todisobey orders over Amona evacuation“We call on the personnel of the security forces to act in accordance with justice andrighteousness and not to blindly carry out any order,” the rabbis declared.2016-12-15 07:22 2KB www.jpost.com

151 1.7 McConnell cautions replacement to health law totake timeLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The next Congress will begin work immediately next yeartoward repealing President Barack Obama's health care law but delay the cha2016-12-15 07:12 4KB mynorthwest.com

152 5.2 Swedish volunteer visitor mowed down by motoristin Table ViewA speeding motorist who ploughed into six foreign nationals – killing a man fromSweden – on Wednesday night will appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court onMonday. 2016-12-15 07:12 2KB www.timeslive.co.za

153 2.2 EU court upholds Monsanto GM soybean approvalA top EU court on Thursday upheld the European Commission's approval of geneticallymodified soybeans made by US agri-chemicals giant Monsanto whichenvironmentalists claim may harm human health. 2016-12-15 07:10 1KB

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154 93.5 Bangladesh police investigate death of teenagetextile workerDHAKA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh are investigating the death of ateenager at a textile mill who was killed after a co-worker reportedly pumped...2016-12-15 07:07 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

155 1.7 Casey Batchelor strips off her sexy red lingerie togo TOPLESS for calendarCasey Batchelor gives Mrs Claus a run for her money in some very sexy new shotsfrom her official 2017 calendar. 2016-12-15 07:01 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

156 1.4 British Muslims attend protest at Syrian Embassy tohear CAGE's Asim Qureshi speakThose at the protest outside the Syrian Embassy in London, chanted 'Allahu Akbar' -translated as 'God is the greatest' - while a number of people talked through amegaphone. 2016-12-15 06:56 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

157 4.2 SABC8’s Calata says he won’t be swayed deaththreats but ‘hopefully‚ I don’t get killed’SABC journalist Lukhanyo Calata says death threats will not stop him and hiscolleagues from speaking about the rot within the state broadcaster. 2016-12-15 06:55

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158 0.0 Race complaint lodged over 'comfort women' statuein Australian churchA Japanese community group in Australia has lodged a legal complaint under racialvilification laws objecting to a statue commemorating Korean 2016-12-15 06:40 2KB

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159 3.2 Cowardly Mastiff is petrified of squeaky toys, cars,the dark and even RAINKenny the Pakistani Mastiff, was found by rescue workers in Manchester when he wasclose to death and so weak he could barely stand. The huge hound has a long list offears. 2016-12-15 06:35 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

160 0.4 The Project's Waleed Aly says he wouldn't enterpolitics because he would be 'terrible'The 38-year-old Australian TV personality, who is notable for his editorials on socialjustice and political issues, said if he were world leader, his first act would be to resignas he would be 'terrible' at it. 2016-12-15 06:29 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

161 1.7 AS IT HAPPENED: SABC inquiry wraps up for 2016After hearing the testimony of several high-profile witnesses, the ongoing Parliamentaryinquiry into the SABC wrapped up with the ad hoc committee's final take beforeadjourning until next year. 2016-12-15 06:29 850Bytes www.news24.com

162 5.4 Amiel Tittums who went home leaving people toburn to death after crash is jailedAmiel Tittums, 36, was driving up to 165km/h in a 90km/h zone in Geraldton, north ofPerth, when he collided into the back of a Holden Commodore killing those inside thevehicle in August 2015. 2016-12-15 06:28 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

163 0.0 Crews working on water main breaks in PlymouthCrews are dealing with two water main breaks in the city of Plymouth. 2016-12-15 06:27

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164 2.1 Discipline vs punishment: what is the difference?Who are you to comment on how your child is disciplined at school when you, as aparent, fail to do it at home? 2016-12-15 06:19 4KB www.news24.com

165 0.0 SEE IT: Missouri high school students flash DonaldTrump sign, turn their backs on black basketball teamA Facebook video shows a group of at least two dozen students with their backsturned to the court. 2016-12-15 06:19 2KB feeds.nydailynews.com

166 1.2 It was bizarre to watch Samantha Power at the UNconveniently forget to mention all the massacres done inAmerica's nameSo there was Samantha Power doing her “shame” bit in the UN. “Is there no act ofbarbarism against civilians, no execution of a child that gets under your skin, that justcreeps you out a little bit?” America’s ambassador to the UN asked the Russians...2016-12-15 06:19 1KB article.wn.com

167 3.0 Game2: Winter organiser Yevgeny Pyatkovsky saysrape and murder is allowedThe participants of Game2: Winter will be deposited in the Russian outback which isteeming with bears and wolves for a nine-month survival test in temperatures sinking tocolder than minus 40C. 2016-12-15 06:18 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

168 24.2 Female MP received death threats for calling forban on Britain FirstLouise Haigh said internet troll told her he ‘would not rest until I was murdered’ after sheproposed debate on far-right group 2016-12-15 06:16 5KB www.theguardian.com

169 3.2 Roosevelt County deputy wrongfully terminationsuit tossedA federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former Roosevelt County sheriff’sdeputy who claimed he was wrongfully terminated. 2016-12-15 06:07 1KB

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170 1.6 Phoenix immigration court to temporarily closeThe federal immigration court in Phoenix will be closed through Dec. 20 as it moves toa new location. 2016-12-15 06:06 948Bytes www.washingtontimes.com

171 2.1 How a dagga conviction crushed law career hopesRastafarian Garreth Prince has said he is not bitter because a conviction for daggapossession as a student stopped him from becoming a lawyer. 2016-12-15 06:03 3KB

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172 1.9 Bearing Agonizing Witness to the Dylann Roof TrialFamily members and friends of the nine victims of the massacre at Emanuel A. M. E.Church have endured the defendant’s trial with stoicism and grace. 2016-12-15 06:00 8KB

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173 2.3 Democrats at Crossroads: Win Back Working-ClassWhites, or Let Them Go?The party is at odds over whether it should tailor its message to the young andnonwhite constituencies that propelled President Obama, or make an effort to courtmoderate voters. 2016-12-15 06:00 8KB www.nytimes.com

174 0.6 Las Vegas Bowl: Former UNLV coach Hauck back atRebel Park for SDSU practiceAs former UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck walked through the palm tree-ladenentrance and under the arching red sign, it conjured up memories of a football programhe once led. Wednesday morning, for the first time in two years, Hauck...2016-12-15 06:00 3KB lasvegassun.com

175 0.8 Scarcer Christmas trees mean higher prices for LasVegansSteve Phillips and his family venture up to Oregon every year in August to walk hisfavorite Christmas tree plantation. This year, he discovered early in the process thattree prices would shoot upward, as growers in Oregon and Washington charge morefor... 2016-12-15 06:00 4KB lasvegassun.com

176 3.6 State taps unemployment insurance fund tobalance booksState is taking $10M from account that could be needed to compensate Michiganresidents wrongly accused of UI fraud. 2016-12-15 05:56 8KB rssfeeds.freep.com

177 0.6 Prescription Act does not apply to arbitrationawards‚ ConCourt rulesMetrobus has to re-employ a driver it fired more than six years ago as it had failed toreview an arbitration award in his favour‚ the Constitutional Court said on Thursday.2016-12-15 05:52 4KB www.timeslive.co.za

178 1.6 Patient bled to death after trying to cut a huge cystoff his arm with a KNIFE after he was released from hospitalAndrew Robinson, 47, was found lying in a pool of blood in his flat in Newton Abbot,Devon, by his neighbour Matthew Bardsley who had heard his screams for help afterhe tried to cut off the cyst. 2016-12-15 05:49 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

179 2.8 Court dismisses Kentex fire raps vs MayorGatchalianThe Sandiganbayan Second Division dismissed for lack of probable cause the criminalcharges of graft and reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and injuriesagainst Valenzuela City Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian for his alleged negligence over theKentex fire tragedy. 2016-12-15 00:00 7KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

180 4.2 David Beckham shows off new ring on weddingfinger at 70th annual UNICEF anniversaryThe UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, 41, sported an unmistakably new ring, promptingspeculation that wife Victoria Beckham has purchased the former footballer a newwedding band. 2016-12-15 05:40 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

181 3.7 Cause of 1952 deadly London fog determinedFor an outsider it seems like a charming adjective to a great city, however that wasn’talways the case. 2016-12-15 05:32 1KB www.aol.com

182 4.2 The cause of your death can be determined bywhere you liveNew data analysis of U. S. mortality reveals what are the causes of death in each statefrom 1980 to 2014. 2016-12-15 05:27 2KB www.aol.com

183 0.0 Volkswagen takes stake in e-mobility service groupHubjectFRANKFURT, Dec 15 (Reuters) - German carmaker Volkswagen has taken a stake inHubject, which is developing a standard method to map and pay at electric charg...2016-12-15 05:19 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

184 2.4 US Lawmakers, Citing Activist's Death, Want Aid toHonduras HeldA woman places flowers on an altar set up in honor of Berta Caceres during ademonstration outside Honduras' embassy in Mexico City, June 15, 2016. A group ofU. S. lawmakers is making a year-end push to suspend millions of dollars in...2016-12-15 05:16 975Bytes article.wn.com

185 1.2 Bid protest could delay Golden Gate Bridge suicidenetThe long-planned suicide net for the Golden Gate Bridge could face more delays aftera protest filed by one of the two project bidders may result in both bids being … Thelong-planned suicide net for the Golden Gate Bridge could face more delays after aprotest filed... 2016-12-15 05:00 2KB www.sfexaminer.com

186 1.6 Marijuana holdout shows ignorance“Marijuana legalization may be put on hold in San Mateo,” Peninsula, Dec. 7 Marijuanaholdout shows ignorance I had to uproot from my city three years ago and move to …“Marijuana legalization may be put on hold in San Mateo,” Peninsula, Dec. 7...2016-12-15 05:00 1KB www.sfexaminer.com

187 3.3 Trump to unveil Supreme Court pick close toinauguration: aidePresident-elect Donald Trump plans to unveil his choice to fill the lingering U. S.Supreme Court vacancy around the time of his Jan. 20 inauguration. 2016-12-15 05:00

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188 2.1 Iraqi refugee who raped 10yo boy at Austrianswimming pool due to ‘sexual emergency’ given 7 years —RT NewsAn Iraqi refugee convicted of raping a 10-year-old boy at a Vienna swimming pool hashad his sentence increased from six to seven years in prison as the result of a retrial.2016-12-15 04:56 2KB www.rt.com

189 0.9 No charges against ex-director after child left onbusRhode Island State Police say no charges will be filed against the former transportationdirector for Westerly Public Schools after a 5-year-old girl was left unattended inside aschool bus. 2016-12-15 04:47 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

190 2.9 Sickening CCTV footage shows thug draggingwoman back to his house by her HAIRJames Davies set upon his victim, punching kicking and spitting on her, after theyargued as he drove her to his home in Gravesend, Kent following a night out.2016-12-15 04:41 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

191 15.7 Notable deaths of 2016From legendary British singer David Bowie to Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Americanboxer Muhammad Ali, here are some of the notable figures who died in 2016.2016-12-15 04:41 4KB www.timeslive.co.za

192 7.1 Nkandla police hunt woman killerDumped under a bridge. Stabbed twice. Her killer on the run. 2016-12-15 04:41 818Bytes

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193 0.0 SHOWCASE-Soccer-Puel urges Saints to keepthings simple in front of goalDec 15 (Reuters) - Southampton manager Claude Puel has urged his players to keepthings simple in front of goal after they failed to break down 10-man Stoke...2016-12-15 04:38 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

194 0.8 Trump Supporter, Protester Hug in CourtA man accused of hitting a protester at Donald Trump rally in North Carolina in Marchpleaded no contest. John Franklin McGraw got a 30-day suspended sentence and afine. He was accused of hitting Rakeem Jones. The two hugged and spoke in court.(Dec. 15) 2016-12-15 04:37 944Bytes rssfeeds.usatoday.com

195 3.1 Properties evacuated as blaze breaks out at papermill siteAround 70 firefighters and 15 vehicles are tackling the fire at the Oldham paper mill site.2016-12-15 04:31 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

196 1.6 India top court bans all liquor shops alonghighwaysIndia's top court Thursday ordered the shutdown of all liquor shops along state andnational highways, in a bid to reduce drunk driving in a country where ro...2016-12-15 04:30 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

197 1.2 Always use protection when dealing with anerection spider: German firefighters don HAZMAT suits todeal with arachnid whose venom can cause severe sexualarousalThe alarm was raised by customs officials in Bremerhaven, Germany, as tenfirefighters were called in to deal with the Brazilian wandering spider whose bites cancause deadly four-hour erections. 2016-12-15 04:30 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

198 9.3 Mataio Aleluia who paused to smoke as he bashedgirlfriend Brittany Harvie to death in Melbourne found guiltyJealous Mataio Aleluia, 20, has been found guilty of murdering mother-of-two BrittanyHarvie, 22, in Melbourne in June last year after he suspected she was cheating on him.2016-12-15 04:27 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

199 7.6 Utah man pleads guilty to torturing kitten,possessing drugsPolice told CBS affiliate KUTV that Spencer Pedersen may have killed as many 11cats, but he was charged with just two charges of torturing a companion2016-12-15 04:26 2KB www.cbsnews.com

200 0.0 The Pirate Bay to be blocked in Australia via courtorderThe resiliency of The Pirate Bay is nothing short of admirable to say the least. Howeverthe walls are once again closing in on the infamous torrenting site as the Federal Courtis ordering Australian internet companies to ban The Pirate Bay and four other sites.2016-12-15 00:00 2KB technology.inquirer.net

201 0.8 American Who'd Been Living in Moscow Surrendersto Feds in Largest Financial Hack in US HistoryA man who authorities say was the face of the largest theft of financial data in U. S.history surrendered Wednesday in New York, officials said, NBC News reports.2016-12-15 04:13 4KB www.cnbc.com

202 1.6 Dylan Hartley has let Northampton down after six-week ban for sending off, says Jim MallinderNorthampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder insists Dylan Hartley has let the club downafter receiving a six-week ban after being sent off against Leinster. 2016-12-15 04:12 2KB

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203 3.0 US citizen surrenders to face cyberattack chargesin NYCNEW YORK (AP) -- A U. S. citizen living in Moscow was arrested Wednesday after heflew to the United States to surrender to face charges he stole contact in2016-12-15 04:07 3KB mynorthwest.com

204 0.0 Losing party-list asks SC to probe gaps inComelec, PPCRV countsThe Confederation of Non-Stocks Savings and Loan Associations Inc. (Consla) soughtthe intervention of the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, to compel the Commission onElections (Comelec) to look into the discrepancy between its official count and theparallel quick count conducted by... 2016-12-15 00:00 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

205 2.6 Court rejects Venda princess' challenge to throneThe Thohoyandou High Court has dismissed VhaVenda Princess Masindi Mphephuâsbid to prevent her uncle from becoming king. 2016-12-15 03:57 1KB www.news24.com

206 3.4 Police investigate double homicide at East Oaklandgas stationPolice are investigating a double-homicide at a gas station in East OaklandWednesday, according to a patrol officer. 2016-12-15 03:55 1KB abc7news.com

207 0.2 The 10 snacks that will make you a morningperson: The foods that are guaranteed to put you in a bettermood first thing (and CHOCOLATE is one of them)Nutritionist Rob Hobson says you can eat your way to a better mood. He suggestseating raw cacao - the purest form of chocolate - as it's a rich source of magnesium,which can ease PMS. 2016-12-15 03:54 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

208 1.0 China says deployment of military equipment onSpratlys is legitimateBEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters) - China's deployment of necessary defensive militaryequipment on the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea was legitimat...2016-12-15 03:52 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

209 0.6 Michelle Bridges and Commando enjoy date nightat Keith Urban concert in SydneyThey fell in love on reality TV series The Biggest Loser, and welcomed their first childtogether last year. 2016-12-15 03:51 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

210 1.2 Former AWB head did not know of $223mkickbacks to Saddam Hussein, judge rulesAfter nine years, Trevor Flugge cleared of knowing about payments contravening UNsanctions, but found guilty of breach of duties 2016-12-15 03:49 4KB www.theguardian.com

211 0.9 Former New Age stripper known for New York Citypublic access TV show under investigation for 'spewingracist rant at her building superintendent'Linda Pendergraft is accused of making the racist remarks on December 8 in NewYork City. She appeared on Our Soul: Journey to Know Thyself and Love.2016-12-15 03:48 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

212 3.7 Fire breaks out at White City power plantOfficials are investigating a blaze at a wood debris-fired power plant in White City thatforced an evacuation of the facility. 2016-12-15 03:47 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

213 1.4 Trump Critics Praise Him After Trump Tower Visits[VIDEO]Carly Fiorina called him a "serial philanderer. " Ted Cruz called him a "narcissist" and a"sniveling coward. " Mitt Romney called him a "con man" and a "phony. " But after theyactually met with 2016-12-15 03:44 898Bytes dailycaller.com

214 8.3 Sydney journalist who forced mistrial found guiltyof contempt of courtSydney journalist Krystal Johnson and her employer Yahoo7 face a hefty penalty forpublishing a story that resulted in a Melbourne murder jury being discharged.2016-12-15 03:40 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

215 3.4 New deal: Florida wants judge to change blackjackrulingThe state of Florida is asking a judge to reconsider his decision to let the SeminoleTribe of Florida keep blackjack at its casinos. 2016-12-15 03:40 1KB

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216 1.4 Michael Flynn Is On Board Of Florida DroneCompanyEarlier this month, shareholders for an upstart defense contractor that sells drones tothe U. S. Defense Department --- as well as to more controversial clients like thekingdom of Saudi Arabia and t 2016-12-15 03:36 6KB dailycaller.com

217 5.9 WATCH: Male lion attacks and kills baby hyena in'rare sighting'A field guide has captured an 'rare sighting' of a male lion attacking a baby hyena in aterritorial takeover at Kings Camp, northern Kruger National Park. 2016-12-15 03:35

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218 0.8 Ronaldo a rare breed, says Zidane before JapanclashYOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) — Cristiano Ronaldo is itching to prove just why hedeserved the Ballon d’Or by leading Real Madrid to another Club World Cup title,Zinedine Zidane said yesterday. The Portuguese superstar, voted the world’s bestplayer for a fourth time earlier... 2016-12-15 03:34 969Bytes article.wn.com

219 1.5 Jury selection begins in retrial in counselor rapecaseJury selection is beginning in the retrial of a female substance abuse counselorcharged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old male client. 2016-12-15 03:32 1KB

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220 1.8 SSS eyes approval of P2,000 pension hike beforeyear endsSocial Security System (SSS) expects the proposed pension increase to be signedbefore the Christmas break to make way for the release of the initial P1,000 benefit atthe start of 2017. 2016-12-15 00:00 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

221 5.4 Baggage handlers at Heathrow detained over drugsmuggling suspicionsThree baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport have been arrested over a suspecteddrug smuggling ring. 2016-12-15 03:29 1KB www.independent.ie

222 4.4 LGBT-friendly sperm donation bill rejectedA government bill also being composed "discriminates against populations" such ashomosexuals, opposition MK Aliza Lavie charges. 2016-12-15 03:21 1KB www.jpost.com

223 0.6 New survey reveals the reasons married womencheatA survey of 11,000 married women has revealed the majority who cheated would do sowith a younger man. The survey revealed the reasons they would cheat, includingbetter sex and as an ego boost. 2016-12-15 03:21 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

224 10.2 Twenty Islamic State militants killed in Turkish-backed Syria operation - armyANKARA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes killed 20 Islamic State fighters anddestroyed seven buildings and one defensive position used by the militants...2016-12-15 03:15 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

225 4.3 Football sex abuse hotline receives more than1,700 calls in three weeksThe line was set up by the NSPCC and the Football Association. 2016-12-15 03:12 2KB

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226 2.6 Casper doctor, wife waive preliminary hearings indrug caseA Casper doctor and his wife have waived their preliminary hearings in federal court oncharges alleging they sold prescriptions for painkillers. 2016-12-15 03:11 1KB

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227 2.1 Bills let landlords ban medical pot smoking,growingThe bill specifies that landlords can use a written lease to ban tenants from growing orsmoking marijuana on site 2016-12-15 02:59 2KB rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

228 3.1 Nurse aunt and man accused of manslaughter forneglect of boy who died of pneumoniaA senior private hospital nurse in Australia is facing a manslaughter charge amidallegations she failed to seek medical help for her 10-year-old nephew before he diedfrom pneumonia. In the latest case to rock the Child Safety Department,... ...2016-12-15 02:58 858Bytes article.wn.com

229 0.9 Judge: Closings in big Chicago gang trial to startThursdayA federal judge in a major Chicago street-gang case says closing arguments in thethree-month-old Hobos trial are about to begin. He told jurors before they went homeWednesday there... 2016-12-15 02:58 726Bytes article.wn.com

230 2.4 Bill to raise salaries, allow Christie book gets ahearingTRENTON, N. J. (AP) " Republican Gov. Chris Christie could profit from a book dealbefore he leaves office, while legislative staff and judges' salaries would rise under a billbeing considered in the Assembly and Senate. Both chambers... ... 2016-12-15 02:58

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231 2.6 Casino operators ready to stake money on Japanas ban is liftedPotentially lucrative market opens up as parliament approves ‘integrated resorts’ thatinclude gambling houses – but Japanese public have mixed feelings 2016-12-15 02:56

6KB www.theguardian.com

232 0.5 Chinese ambassador to US: Sovereignty not a'bargaining chip'Ambassador, Cui Tiankai's remarks were in line with recent protests from China'sForeign Ministry, which regards the "one China" principle as the "political basis" for US-China ties. In a veiled warning to United States (US) President-elect Donald...2016-12-15 02:50 799Bytes article.wn.com

233 1.1 Chicago Bears DC Vic Fangio takes shot at grouphe 'inherited'Former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, general manager Phil Emeryand coach Marc Trestman might not be sending holiday greetings. 2016-12-15 02:47 5KB

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234 1.9 Metro goes ‘Rogue One’ with anti-speeding PSAChewbacca was pulled over and cited for driving a little too fast in Las Vegas, ateachable moment intended to remind valley drivers to be safe... 2016-12-15 02:45 1KB

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235 1.7 Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery expressesremorse over PED banAlshon Jeffery normally catches passes. Now, he's catching blame, and he's standingup to take it. 2016-12-15 02:44 5KB www.upi.com

236 2.2 Muriel Stevens, longtime Sun columnist andculinary expert, dies at 90As the Las Vegas Sun's veteran restaurant critic, Muriel Stevens blended years ofexpertise in the culinary arts with a liberal measure of grit, a dollop of determination andtwo cups of chutzpah to help readers choose... 2016-12-15 02:15 11KB lasvegassun.com

237 9.5 Family of unarmed grandfather who was fatallyshot by police while carrying a crucifix is calling the 73-year-old's death a murder and want the Justice Department toinvestigateThe family of a 73-year-old grandfather with dementia who was fatally shot by police iscalling his death a murder and want the U. S. Justice Department to investigate.2016-12-15 02:14 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

238 12.0 Twin blasts near Istanbul soccer stadium kill 29 ,wound 166ISTANBUL (AP) -- Twin attacks by a suicide bomber and a car bomber near anIstanbul soccer stadium Saturday night killed 29 people and wounded 166 others i2016-12-15 02:01 5KB mynorthwest.com

239 6.2 Suspected JP Morgan hacker arrested afterreturning from MoscowJoshua Samuel Aaron, U. S. citizen suspected in JP Morgan hack, arrested in NYC2016-12-15 02:00 2KB www.cbsnews.com

240 0.3 The Lone Peak story: What you didn't know aboutaffluence and teen suicideMost youths who take their lives display mental health, behavioral or substance abuseproblems, but a small percentage are high achievers whose suicides come as asurprise. Here's what one high school 2016-12-15 02:00 26KB www.deseretnews.com

241 76.2 The neo-Nazi murder trial revealing Germany'sdarkest secretsThe Long Read: The only known survivor of a far-right group accused of a series ofracist killings is now on trial. But the case has put the nation itself in the dock2016-12-15 01:59 37KB www.theguardian.com

242 1.0 Apex gang leaves abandoned Geelong factorycovered in graffiti as vandals target it ‘every other night’Abandoned metal factory in Geelong covered in Apex gang graffiti and $300,000 worthof copper wiring stolen, less than five months after a pregnant woman was hauled fromher car in the same city. 2016-12-15 01:58 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

243 1.8 2 Cebu police chiefs lose postsTwo more police chiefs in the province of Cebu have been stripped of their posts.2016-12-15 00:00 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net

244 3.9 Suicides reported in India after death ofJayalalithaa JayaramNEW DELHI — The governing party of the southern state of Tamil Nadu said last weekthat nearly 300 of its followers had committed suicide or died of shock and despairupon learning of the death of the party’s leader, Jayalalithaa Jayaram. ...2016-12-15 01:49 858Bytes article.wn.com

245 3.3 How to watch tonight's Detroit Red Wings-LosAngeles Kings game7:30 p.m., FSD, 97.1 FM; Wings try to break losing streak 2016-12-15 01:41 1KB

rssfeeds.freep.com

246 1.5 Shorthanded Rebels play big in win over IncarnateWordLeading up to Wednesday's home game against Incarnate Word, UNLV coach MarvinMenzies said he wasn't sure how his team would bounce back from a 49-point loss toDuke just days earlier. As it turned out, it was... 2016-12-15 01:30 4KB lasvegassun.com

247 0.7 In New York, attacks on women with head scarvesraise alarmsOne woman is a decorated officer of the New York Police Department, commendedtwo years ago for running into a burning building to save a baby. 2016-12-15 01:15 7KB

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248 3.3 Charges: Man broke 12-year-old boy's jaw afterconfronting him for throwing rocksA man was charged Wednesday with confronting two boys who were throwing rocks,then punching an 12-year-old and breaking his jaw. 2016-12-15 01:10 2KB

www.deseretnews.com

249 2.2 Oklahoma girl, 13, accused of plotting mass attackon school Contact WND(Oklahoman) A 13-year-old girl was arrested and weapons seized from her home afterauthorities learned she had made threats against students at Tonkawa High School.On Sunday, the Tonkawa Police Department received a tip regarding a “possible massshooting plot against the Tonkawa High... 2016-12-15 01:08 1KB www.wnd.com

250 3.7 Neighbors upset that prison time unlikely for Provoman who tortured catUTAH COUNTY -- A Provo man who admitted to torturing and killing one kitten, andwho was accused of torturing and killing several more, may not spend any time inprison, according to the Utah County Attorney’s Office. The torture took place inNovember... 2016-12-15 01:06 3KB fox13now.com

251 4.8 ‘Claws are out for police killers‚’ says Hawks headafter suspects nabbed for Table Bay cop’s murderThree suspects allegedly linked to Monday’s murder of Sea Border Unit constableMziwonke Siwisa will spend the long weekend behind bars after being arrested onWednesday night. 2016-12-15 01:00 1KB www.timeslive.co.za

252 2.3 World briefs: Italy lawmakers approve newgovernmentROME — A week after Matteo Renzi resigned as prime minister of Italy, ForeignMinister Paolo Gentiloni took his place, winning the support of both chambers ofParliament in back-to-back confidence votes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mr.Gentiloni said his government — described by... 2016-12-15 01:00 3KB www.post-

gazette.com

253 1.8 Boat captain convicted in wreck that left 700migrants deadBefore it sank, the fishing boat was crammed with more than 700 migrants, who hadfled conflict and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa in the hopes of reaching Europe.Firefighters who later recovered the bodies from the decaying ship said they had been“packed in like on... 2016-12-15 01:00 10KB www.post-gazette.com

254 0.0 Most expensive Texas high school indoor practicefacilitiesTexas is well-known for its love of big, expensive football stadiums. But according toThe Dallas Morning News, there is another high school football "arms race" brewing.2016-12-15 01:00 1KB www.chron.com

255 2.5 Victims' families, leaders speak out over juvenileoffender problemFrom families of victims of violent juvenile offenders, to elected leaders throughoutFulton County, hundreds packed at town hall at Cascade United Methodist Church toaddress how to keep teenage criminals off the streets. 2016-12-15 00:57 2KB

www.fox5atlanta.com

256 4.0 Newspaper delivery man thwarts armed robber'sattemps to fleeCarrollton police are crediting a newspaper delivery man with helping them to nab anapparent armed robber. 2016-12-15 00:55 2KB www.fox5atlanta.com

257 2.7 Bronx NYPD deputy inspector says subordinate heallegedly groped came on to himAn NYPD Bronx precinct boss pleaded not guilty Wednesday to sexually abusing anofficer he supervised. 2016-12-15 00:45 3KB feeds.nydailynews.com

258 1.6 Tainted peanut butter leads to $11.2M penalty adecade laterALBANY, Ga. — A decade after hundreds of Americans got sick from eating Peter Panpeanut butter contaminated with salmonella, the company that sold it made anembarrassing courtroom guilty plea and agreed to pay the largest criminal fine ever in aU. S. food... 2016-12-15 00:44 5KB www.post-gazette.com

259 10.2 One arrest, one on the run after shooting at nailsalonA suspected armed robber was shot by a store employee in Douglasville.2016-12-15 00:43 907Bytes www.fox5atlanta.com

260 2.0 FBI agent tells Baca jury of being threatened witharrest by sheriff’s deputiesLOS ANGELES >> An FBI agent told a jury hearing evidence against Los AngelesCounty’s former sheriff Wednesday how she was illegally threatened with arrest by twosheriff’s sergeants who appeared to be acting as part of a plan set 2016-12-15 00:31 5KB

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261 2.4 West Valley couple charged with abusing 3 youngsisters in their careThree children told police they were made to stand with their faces against a wall for"three days straight" as punishment for misbehavior, according to child abuse chargesfiled Wednesday against a W 2016-12-15 00:31 2KB www.deseretnews.com

262 1.0 New Zealand woman speaks on violence sheendured while married to a former top athleteAn unnamed New Zealand woman thought no-one would believe she was beingabused by her ex-husband because he was a former top athlete. (stock image)2016-12-15 00:23 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

263 0.0 Billabong boss Matthew Perrin regularly 'faked' hiswife's signature on legal documentsFormer Billabong boss Matthew Perrin admitted he regularly signed ex-wife's name onlegal documents. He is on trial in the Brisbane District Court of fraud and forgery.2016-12-15 00:22 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

264 0.9 Ronan Farrow stis in cubicle behind MSNBCanchor's desk after his show was axedRonan Farrow, who used to host the Ronan Farrow Daily show until it was canceled inFebruary 2015, now files stories for the Today Show and works as an investigativecorrespondent. 2016-12-15 00:10 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

265 1.5 ‘Younger’ Season 3 Finale: Do Liza & Josh BreakUp? — Hilary Duff Q&ASPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you haven’t watched the back-to-back“Younger” Season 3 finale, which aired on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The secret’s finallyout. On “Yo… 2016-12-15 00:07 7KB variety.com

266 3.1 Limpopo teen raped repeatedly in abandonedhouseA 15-year-old girl was abducted and held for four days,during which she wasrepeatedly raped, Limpopo police have said. 2016-12-15 00:05 1KB www.news24.com

267 0.0 That 'holiday gift exchange' Facebook post istechnically an illegal scamSorry to be a grinch, but that viral Facebook post going around about a gift exchange isagainst the law. 2016-12-15 00:05 3KB www.latimes.com

268 1.5 Porch pirates are searching for loot at your housePlundered treasure isn’t the only thing pirates are after these days – they also wantyour packages. 2016-12-15 00:03 5KB www.ocregister.com

269 4.4 Queens jogger Karina Vetrano's killer may havebeen regular at park where she was murderedThe NYPD is hoping for new leads from the public to help them find the killer of a 30-year-old jogger in Queens. 2016-12-15 00:01 1KB feeds.nydailynews.com

270 0.0 The Phrase Has Gone From Wisdom To WeaponThrough the decades, "politically correct" has been regarded as shield and club; ascowardly and courageous. But it's meant one thing above them all: Confusion.2016-12-15 00:00 11KB www.npr.org

ArticlesDC5m United States criminal in english 270 articles, created at 2016-12-15 16:05

1 /270 8.2 Evacuation of Rebels, Civilians from Aleppo Sputters

(11.99/12)

Gunfire struck a civilian convoyattempting to leave eastern Aleppoon Thursday, killing one person,wounding four others and againcasting doubt a cease-fire deal thatincludes the evacuation of rebelsand civilians from their laststronghold in the city.

It wasn’t immediately clear whoattacked the convoy. Rescueworkers and rebels blamed theshooting on regime snipers. Syrianstate media had no immediatecomment.

The...

Gunmen in Aleppo, Firing atAmbulances, Stall Latest

Evacuation Effortnytimes.com

Reuters witness: evacuationbegins from rebel-held

Aleppo areadailymail.co.uk

The Latest: Arab TV showsambulances, bus waiting in

Aleppocbs46.com

AP NewsAlertarticle.wn.com

First evacuation underwayfrom last rebel part of

Aleppocbs46.com

First Evacuation UnderwayFrom Last Rebel Part of

Aleppoabcnews.go.com

The Latest: UN says Syrialocked it out of Aleppo

evacuationcbs46.com

First evacuees leave rebelAleppo

dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 09:17 Raja Abdulrahim www.wsj.com

2 /270 1.2 China sent weapons to contested islands, U. S. report

says (8.99/12)

BEIJING -- A U. S. think tank says recent images appear to show that China has installed anti-

aircraft and anti-missileweapons on its man-madeislands in the South ChinaSea. The Center forStrategic and InternationalStudies said in a report lateWednesday that the anti-aircraft guns and close-inweapons systemsdesigned to guard againstmissile attack have beenplaced on all seven ofChina’s newly created

islands. The outposts were built in recent years by piling sand on top of coral reefs followed bythe construction of airstrips, barracks, lighthouses and radar stations and other infrastructure.China says the islands are intended to boost maritime safety in the region. They also mark itsclaim to ownership of practically the entire South China Sea, its islands, reefs and othermaritime features.

China Installs WeaponsSystems on Artificial

Islands: US Think Tankarticle.wn.com

China puts new weapons onSouth China Sea islands,

report saysarticle.wn.com

Miss World contestantchallenges China on organ-

harvestingcbs46.com

Report: Beijing addsweapons to South China

Sea islandslasvegassun.com

Report: China put weaponson disputed islands

rssfeeds.usatoday.com

China installs weaponssystems on artificial islands

- U.S. think tankdailymail.co.uk

Beijing Adds Weapons toDisputed South China Sea

Islands, Report Saysarticle.wn.com

US report says China addsweapons to South China

Sea islandsarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 05:48 AP www.cbsnews.com

3 /270 1.7 Dollar makes fresh charge after Fed hikes rates (8.99/12)

By Marc Jones LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The dollar charged to analmost 14-year high and government bond yields rose sharply onThursday, after the Federal Reserve hiked U. S. interest rates andsignalled more would follow at a faster pace next year. European sharesgot off to a solid start with banks up almost 2 percent, cheered by theprospect of a boost from higher rates to their lending profits, but the mainaction was elsewhere. Bond markets saw yields on short-term U. S. debt surge to the highestsince 2009, sending the dollar to peaks last seen in early 2003, which in turn prompted China's

central bank to set the yuan at its weakest level against the greenback since 2008. The Fed'santicipated policy path, and expectations U. S. President-elect Donald Trump will get growthmotoring, are keeping emerging markets on edge as capital gets sucked from more fragile,export-dependent economies toward dollar-based assets. The Fed's rate rise of 25 basis pointsto 0.5-0.75 percent was well flagged but investors were spooked when the "dot plots" ofmembers' projections showed a median of three hikes next year, up from two previously. "Youhad the Fed come in and be a bit more hawkish that many people, including us, wereexpecting," said TD Securities head of global strategy Richard Kelly. "It wasn't just the move inthe dots, it was the language that was used. There was an acknowledgement that if Trump getshis plans moving through congress you could see the economy pushing higher. " The change intone came even as the Fed's economic projections have hardly been upgraded, suggesting theFed could accelerate tightening even further if policymakers see firmer evidence of highergrowth or inflation. Fed fund futures slid to imply an almost 50 percent chance that the Fed willraise rates three times, with two hikes fully priced in already. The dollar was still moving up inEuropean trading. It hit a 10-month high against the Japanese yen of 117.87 yen while thedifference in yields on 10-year U. S. government bonds compared and German ones balloonedto the widest since at least 1990. U. S. Treasuries yields rose as far as 2.61 percent , havingalready risen more than 0.7 percentage point since Trump was elected last month. The jump in2-year Treasury paper was the biggest daily rise since early 2015. "One of the reasons why abond market sell-off this time around looks more sustainable is because it can be accompaniedby higher equity markets," Peter Schaffrik, chief European macro strategist at RBC CapitalMarkets said. **************************************************************** For Reuters Graphicon the Fed, click on http://tmsnrt.rs/2gsUVwB**************************************************************** EMERGING PRESSURE The allureof higher U. S. yields raises risks for emerging markets, as funds look to take advantage of risingU. S. rates rather than put their money in traditionally riskier economies. China's central bankreacted to the Fed's move by setting the yuan mid-point at 6.9289 to the dollar, its weakest sinceJune 2008, though market players noted that the yuan has been firmer against many othercurrencies and rose on trade-weighted basis. Low-yielding currencies such as the Singaporedollar and Korean won came under pressure, and analysts anticipate the low-yielders will be onthe back foot in an environment of a rising dollar, higher yields and weaker yuan. Mexico, whosemarkets and currency have been battered hardest by Trump's threats to tear up trade deals,holds a central bank meeting later where it is expected to hike its own interest rates in responseto the Fed. The Bank of Korea gave a taste of the challenges many EM economies face. It heldits key rate at a record low of 1.25 percent despite flagging the growing risks on its export-relianteconomy. Majors are at the dollar's mercy too. The euro dropped to as low as $1.0468. A breakbelow its March 2015 low of $1.0457 could open the way for a test of $1, or parity against thedollar, which last happened in late 2002. Wall Street suffered its biggest percentage declinesince before the Nov. 8 U. S. election on Wednesday, though the loss was slight compared withthe strong gains of the last month. Among commodities, Oil prices stabilised as a tighter marketlooms in 2017 due to planned output cuts led by OPEC and Russia, after sharp declines earlierfollowing the Fed's action. Brent crude futures traded up a shade at $54.33 per barrel, havinglost some of the ground overnight made earlier in the week that had taken it a 1 1/2-year high.Gold dropped to its lowest in more than 10 months around $1,135.1 an ounce and last stood at$1,138. "The outlook for gold is not particularly great," said ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes. "Themore hawkish comments from the Fed are clearly a headwind in the short-term... The sellingseen this morning is just the start of things to come. " For Reuters new Live Markets blog onEuropean and UK stock markets seereuters://realtime/verb=Open/url=http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageId=livemarkets (Additional reporting by Wayne Cole and Hideyuki Sano)

Dollar charges higher afterFed hikes ratesdailymail.co.uk

US STOCKS-Futures flatafter Fed sees faster pace

of rate hikesdailymail.co.uk

Global shares meander afterFed rate hike, dollar steady

rssfeeds.usatoday.com

FOREX-Dollar surges to 14-year high after Fed flags

more rate hikesdailymail.co.uk

Dollar surges, most marketssink on Fed rate calldigitaljournal.com

Asian shares extend lossesafter Fed rate hike

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China stocks at fresh one-month lows after Fed rate

decisiondailymail.co.uk

Asian shares extend lossesafter Fed rate hike, dollar

easesarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 05:41 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

4 /270 0.5 California, Uber in legal showdown over self-driving

cars (7.56/12)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Uber isriding its self-driving cars into a legalshowdown with Californiaregulators.

The ride-hailing company is refusingto obey demands by the state'sDepartment of Motor Vehicles that itimmediately stop picking up SanFrancisco passengers in self-drivingcars.

Hours after Uber launched a self-driving service Wednesday morningwith a handful of Volvo luxury SUVs,

the DMV sent the company a letter saying the move was illegal because the cars did not have aspecial permit the department requires for putting autonomous vehicles on public roads.

As of Wednesday night, the Volvos -- distinctive in look with sensors protruding from their tops --were still roaming San Francisco's streets. The company did not respond to a request forcomment about the state's legal threat.

"If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, DMVwill initiate legal action," DMV Chief Counsel Brian Soublet wrote the company. He referencedthe possibility of taking Uber to court.

Uber knew about the DMV's permit requirement but argues that its cars do not meet the state's

definition of an "autonomous vehicle" because they need a person behind the wheel to monitorand intervene if needed.

Parsing the definition of an autonomous vehicle is in line with Uber's history of testing legalboundaries. During its meteoric rise into a multibillion dollar company, Uber has argued withauthorities in California and around the world about issues including driver criminal backgroundchecks and whether those drivers should be treated as contractors ineligible for employeebenefits.

As the two sides planned to meet Thursday, both seemed dug into opposing positions.

The argument centers around whether the cars -- tricked out with sensors so they can steer,accelerate and brake, and even decide to change lanes -- are, legally speaking, "autonomousvehicles. "

The company argues that its cars aren't covered by the permit requirement, which says an"autonomous vehicle" requires a permit if it can drive itself "without the active physical control ormonitoring of a natural person. "

According to Anthony Levandowski, the leader of Uber's self-driving program, Uber's cars aren'tadvanced enough to drive themselves without human monitoring. Therefore, he said, the Volvosare not autonomous -- and do not require a permit.

California has issued permits to 20 companies for tests of autonomous vehicles on public roads,mostly traditional automakers and tech companies.

Getting a permit for prototype testing is part of legal language negotiated between the state andindustry, and DMV lawyer Soublet argued in an interview that the permit process helps maintainpublic confidence that the technology is safe.

"Don't start doing this stuff. Apply for the permit. Follow the rules," Soublet said of Uber.

To receive a permit, a company must show proof of insurance, pay a $150 fee and agree that ahuman driver can take control of the vehicle.

Operating without a permit arguably gives Uber a competitive advantage. Companies with onemust report to the state all crashes and every instance in which a person takes control duringtesting. All that information is public.

Uber is sending another message to California: Other places want us if you don't.

In a blog post Tuesday, Levandowski warned that "complex rules and requirements could havethe unintended consequence of slowing innovation" and named several places outsideCalifornia he characterized as being "pro technology. "

The launch in San Francisco, the city where Uber is headquartered, expanded a deployment ofself-driving cars the company started in Pittsburgh in September. The testing lets everydaypeople experience the cars as Uber works to identify glitches before expanding the technology'suse in San Francisco and elsewhere. The company wouldn't say the exact number of cars,calling it a "handful. "

The cars have an Uber employee behind the wheel to take over should the technology fail.

Users of the app may be matched with a self-driving car but can opt out if they prefer a humandriver. Self-driven rides cost the same as ordinary ones.

Uber's fleet of Volvo XC90s aren't the first self-driving cars on San Francisco streets -- severalother companies visit regularly with test prototypes, though none offers public rides.

Once testing is complete, the ultimate vision is to sell to the public technology that supportersargue will save thousands of lives because it doesn't drink, text, fall asleep or take dangerousrisks.

California, Uber in legalshowdown over self-driving

cars :: WRAL.comwral.com

California, Uber inshowdown over self-driving

carsrssfeeds.detroitnews.com

Self-driving Uber car caughtjumping red light during firstday of San Francisco trial

dailymail.co.uk

California tells Uber to stoprides in self-driving cars

lasvegassun.com

Uber self-driving car drivesthrough red light in San

Francisco – videotheguardian.com

California tells Uber to putthe brakes on rides in self-

driving carscbsnews.com

Uber warned of legal actionif permit for self-driving cars

not acquiredabc7news.com

2016-12-15 09:20 The Associated www.mlive.com

5 /270 0.4 China Installs Weapons in South China Sea, Satellites

Show (6.99/12)

BEIJING—A U. S. think-tank reportthat China has installed antiaircraftand other weapons on all sevenislands it has built in the South ChinaSea is raising the stakes in aregional dispute as U. S. President-elect Donald Trump signals he isready to confront Beijing on territorialissues.

The Asia Maritime TransparencyInitiative said late Wednesday thatsatellite imagery showed China hadinstalled the weapons in recentmonths, despite President Xi Jinping’s pledge not to militarize the islands in the Spratly...

Vietnam starts dredging onSouth China Sea reef

article.wn.com

China defends its right to'ready slingshot' in South

China Seaarticle.wn.com

China puts new weapons onSouth China Sea islands,

report saysarticle.wn.com

China Installs WeaponsSystems on Artificial

Islands: US Think Tankarticle.wn.com

Report: Beijing addsweapons to South China

Sea islandslasvegassun.com

China installs weaponssystems on artificial islands

- U.S. think tankdailymail.co.uk

Beijing Adds Weapons toDisputed South China Sea

Islands, Report Saysarticle.wn.com

US report says China addsweapons to South China

Sea islandsarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 09:07 Jeremy Page www.wsj.com

6 /270 0.8 Yahoo announced that at least 1 billion accounts were

hacked in 2013 (6.99/12)

Yahoo reported Wednesday that adifferent attack compromised morethan 1 billion accounts in 2013. Thisinvolved sensitive user information,including names, telephonenumbers, dates of birth, encryptedpasswords, and unencryptedsecurity questions that could beused to reset a password.

“We have not been able to identifythe intrusion associated with thistheft. We believe this incident is

likTely distinct from the incident we disclosed on September 22, 2016,” the company said. Thestolen information did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank accountinformation. It’s believed that an unauthorized third party accessed the proprietary code to learnhow to forge cookies. “We have connected some of this activity to the same state-sponsoredactor believed to be responsible for the data theft the company disclosed on September 22,2016.” Yahoo is forcing now all of the affected users to change their passwords and invalidatingunencrypted security questions as a requested action to security. They also hardened theirsystems to secure them against similar attacks. On the Yahoo Safety Center Page are presentedrecommendations on how to stay secure online.

Yahoo reveals new hack,this time a billion-plus users

timeslive.co.za

Yahoo suffers world'sbiggest hack affecting 1

billion usersarticle.wn.com

Got a hacked Yahooaccount? Here's what you

should dorss.cnn.com

Yahoo hacked; Fed reaction;Venezuela's new cash

rss.cnn.com

One billion accountstargeted in Yahoo cyber

attackindependent.ie

Yahoo's new hack affected1 billion users

video.cnbc.com

One billion Yahoo useraccounts targeted following

cyber attack on systemsindependent.ie

Yahoo suffers world’sbiggest hack affecting 1

billion userstechnology.inquirer.net

2016-12-15 02:28 Written by www.roundnews.com

7 /270 1.0 First convoy leaves eastern Aleppo - Reuters witness

(5.99/12)

ALEPPO, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A convoy of 10 ambulances and at least 20buses drove out of the rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo on Thursday, aReuters witness said, the first to leave the city under an agreement bywhich the rebels will surrender the area to the government. The busesstopped briefly at a road junction, and representatives of the Red Crosswere seen boarding each one, before they moved on again, the Reuterswitness said. The convoy drove out of the rebel enclave proceeded by army and police vehicles.(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Reuters witness: evacuationbegins from rebel-held

Aleppo areadailymail.co.uk

Green buses enter Aleppoarea for evacuation Syrian

rebels-Reuters witnessdailymail.co.uk

Syrian rebel group sayAleppo deal came after

overcoming Iran attempt todisrupt it

dailymail.co.uk

Guns fall silent in Aleppowith evacuation due to start

dailymail.co.uk

First evacuees leave rebelAleppo

dailymail.co.uk

The Latest: Residents ineastern Aleppo start loading

busesarticle.wn.com

Evacuation of residents ineastern Aleppo begins

article.wn.com

The Latest: Danishvolunteer in Aleppo on

convoy heading outarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 08:57 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

8 /270 2.1 10-year Treasury yield breaks above 2.6% after Fed

raises rates, signals 3 hikes next year (5.50/12)

U. S. government debtprices were lowerThursday, continuing theirpath lower after the FederalReserve raised itsbenchmark rate by 25 basispoints Wednesday andsignaled a faster-than-expected tightening cyclefor next year.

The yield on thebenchmark 10-year

Treasury note was higher at around 2.60 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bondwas also higher at 3.19 percent. Yields move inversely to prices.

The gap between U. S. and German 10-year bond yields reached its widest since at least 1990,according to Reuters data on Thursday morning.

Wednesday saw the Fed surprise markets with a forecast that showed it could raise rates threetimes next year, instead of two.

On the data front initial claims, CPI, the Empire State survey and Philly Fed survey will all bereleased at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Markit manufacturing PMI is due at 9:45 a.m. ET, with a NAHB (National Association of HomeBuilders) sentiment survey set to come out at 10 a.m. ET. TIC (Treasury International Capital)data will be released at 4 p.m. ET.

Dollar charges higher afterFed hikes ratesdailymail.co.uk

Fed’s forecast after raisingkey rate: 3 more hikes in

2017article.wn.com

Fed raises rates and hints ofthree rate hikes in 2017

rssfeeds.freep.com

Fed's forecast after raisingkey rate: 3 more hikes in

2017cbs46.com

Fed's Forecast After RaisingKey Rate: 3 More Hikes in

2017abcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 08:58 Anmar Frangoul www.cnbc.com

9 /270 6.0 5 things for Thursday, December 15 (5.29/12)

1. Trump transition

Before Trump takes office,he's going to have to take aseat for a deposition. A DCSuperior Court Judge ruledTrump must answerquestions in an ongoinglawsuit between him and acelebrity chef. Trump suedJose Andres for breach ofcontract after Andres pulledout of a restaurant deal atTrump's new DC hotelbecause of disparaging comments Trump made during his campaign.

2. Tennessee fires

Two juveniles have been charged with arson in the recent Tennessee wildfires that killed 14and ravaged the resort town of Gatlinburg. Everything is "on the table" according to a prosecutor,including possible charges of 1st degree murder. If convicted, the youths could face life inprison.

3. Aleppo

After some false starts and broken promises, evacuations and an even newer ceasefire plan arefinally underway in Aleppo. There are still snags: According to activists, an evacuation convoycame under fire from Syrian forces as it was trying to leave the falling city. A resident gave CNNa horrifying account of the scene in eastern Aleppo, saying it looked like a "slaughterhouse. "

4. Yahoo

Yahoo announced Wednesday that a security breach may have compromised more than oneBILLION accounts. No, it's not deja vu. A similar thing happened in September, and Yahoothinks this new breach is completely different than the previous one. What a mess. Here's whatto do if you think your account got hacked.

5. China

China has reportedly installed weapons on some islands in contested waters in the South Chinasea. This is worrisome to China's neighbors and to the US. If you'll recall, President-Elect Trumpisn't exactly cozy with China at the moment, and has made it clear he's open to challenging ourrelationship with the country.

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Hundreds of commercial airline pilots could be depressed, study says

NOT the thing to read before jetting off on that business trip.

Legendary 86-year-old jewel thief at it again

And she honestly doesn't care that she got caught .

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Could it have been too good (or sad) to be true ?

Trump protester and supporter make up after clash at rally

What the world needs now is love, sweet love...

Conjoined twins leave hospital for recovery

The baby boys were joined at the skull and have touched the world with their story of survival .

And finally ...

This baby just wants to hear Biggie!

This is an oldie but a goodie. Who can resist a cranky baby with an ear for good rap? ( Click toview )

Yahoo's new hack affected1 billion users

video.cnbc.com

Yahoo hacked; Fed reaction;Venezuela's new cash

rss.cnn.com

Got a hacked Yahooaccount? Here's what you

should dorss.cnn.com

10 Things to Know forToday - 15 December 2016

dailymail.co.uk

AP Top Stories December15 A

article.wn.com

Through Wednesday,December 14, 2016

wtop.com

Thursday sports on TV/radiorssfeeds.detroitnews.com

2016-12-15 07:34 AJ Willingham rss.cnn.com

10 /270 1.9 Officials: Putin was directly involved with hack that

helped Trump (4.63/12)

There’s still some debateamong officials about whyRussians intervened in theAmerican presidentialelection – the CIA believesit was intended to help putDonald Trump in the WhiteHouse – but as thingsstand 17 U. S. intelligenceagencies agree thatVladimir Putin’sgovernment wasresponsible for the cyber-

attacks.

Close video

The Rachel Maddow Show, 12/14/16, 9:00 PM ET

Putin directly involved in US election hacking: NBC News

Michael McFaul, former U. S. ambassador to Russia, talks with Joy-Ann Reid about the newrevelations reported by NBC News that Vladimir Putin was personally involved in the hacking ofthe U. S. election.

share tweet email save Embed But what about Putin himself? NBC News had this striking reportlast night:

U. S. intelligence officials now believe with “a high level of confidence” that Russian PresidentVladimir Putin became personally involved in the covert Russian campaign to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, senior U. S. intelligence officials told NBC News. Two senior officialswith direct access to the information say new intelligence shows that Putin personally directedhow hacked material from Democrats was leaked and otherwise used. The intelligence camefrom diplomatic sources and spies working for U. S. allies, the officials said…. [T]he U. S. hassolid information tying Putin to the operation, the intelligence officials say. Their use of the term“high confidence” implies that the intelligence is nearly incontrovertible.

Michael McFaul, the former U. S. ambassador to Russia, noted on the show last night that whilethe news is important, it shouldn’t necessarily be seen as surprising: “To run this kind ofoperation would have required presidential approval, and in Russia, a country run by one man,there’s just no question in my mind that he would’ve been involved.” A revelation like this oneonly intensifies the scope of the controversy: U. S. intelligence officials believe Vladimir Putin, aformer KGB agent, was personally involved in an espionage scheme, intervening in theAmerican presidential election, and leaking stolen materials that helped put Donald Trump inthe White House. When Michael Morell described this as “ the political equivalent of 9/11 ,” don’tbe too quick to dismiss the assessment as hyperbolic. That said, there’s always a question

surrounding public reaction to revelations such as these, and new data from the Economist-YouGov poll suggests rank-and-file Republican voters have started to change their minds aboutRussia’s autocratic president. The Washington Post reported yesterday:

In the summer of 2014, both Democrats and Republicans held negative views of the Russianpresident. His net negative rating with Democrats was 54 points; with Republicans, it was 66points. At the time, the mainstream Republican foreign policy opinion was that a wily, aggressivePutin was rolling over U. S. interests in Europe. There was some punditry about Putin as agreater leader than President Obama, but it did not shift views of Putin himself. Trump’scampaign did so. There’s been a 56-point positive shift among Republicans in their views ofPutin; his net negative rating is now just 10 points. While Clinton voters view Putin negatively by72 points, Trump voters do so by a slim 16-point margin.

When it comes to favorability ratings, the survey found that Republican voters think far higher ofPutin than they do President Obama or Democratic leaders in Congress. Some of this is likelythe result of raw partisanship and gratitude among Trump followers for Russia’s role in helpingelect their candidate, but a separate Washington Post report also fleshed out Putin’s popularityamong right-wing Americans for the Russian leader’s ethno-nationalism. Indeed, StephenBannon, Trump’s senior advisor, delivered a speech a couple of years ago in which he told agroup of European conservatives that “we, the Judeo-Christian West, really have to look at what[Putin]’s talking about as far as traditionalism goes – particularly the sense of where it supportsthe underpinnings of nationalism.” In the meantime, former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), aprominent Trump surrogate, was in Moscow this week, signaling to business leaders that theincoming Republican administration may soon lift economic sanctions against Moscow,extending Russia with the reward it seeks. For decades, Republican skepticism of Russia was apillar of GOP foreign policy. Watching that orthodoxy unravel is a sight to behold.

Terror expert: Russia usescyberwarfare like they butter

their...msnbc.com

Kremlin denies report thatPutin was involved in DNC

hacksarticle.wn.com

Kremlin denies Putin wasinvolved in DNC hacks

rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

US Accuses Vladimir PutinOf “Personal Involvement” In

Election Hackinfowars.com

NBC News: Intelligenceofficials say Putin personally

involved in election hackrssfeeds.freep.com

Putin 'personally involved' inhacking US presidential

election, say two intelligencesources

article.wn.com

Putin 'personally involved' inUS election hack, NBC

News claimsarticle.wn.com

Team Trump on Putin'sreported involvement in

election hackmsnbc.com

2016-12-15 09:00 Steve Benen www.msnbc.com

11 /270

11 /270 2.1 Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox has reached an

agreement to take over broadcaster Sky for £11.7 billion (4.51/12)

Rupert Murdoch's 21st CenturyFox has reached anagreement to take overbroadcaster Sky for£11.7billion. The mogul madea controversial bid for theBritish broadcaster Sky fiveyears ago but was forced toabandon a takeover at theheight of the phone hackingscandal. Now, the Australianmedia tycoon’s 21st CenturyFox has agreed a price withthe directors of the pay TVgiant, who will now recommend the deal to shareholders. Murdoch is said to want the deal doneby the end of 2017. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley could choose to refer the deal toregulators, who have a duty to rule on whether broadcast owners pass a 'fit and proper persontest'. Announcing its bid, 21st Century Fox said in a statement: 'The strategic rationale for thiscombination is clear. 'It creates a global leader in content creation and distribution, enhancesour sports and entertainment scale, and gives us unique and leading direct-to-consumercapabilities and technologies. 'It adds the strength of the Sky brand to our portfolio, including theFox, National Geographic and Star brands.' Under the £10.75-per-share offer on the table, chiefexecutive Jeremy Darroch, 54, could receive £24.5million for the 2.2million shares he has rightsto under his contract. Chief operating officer Andrew Griffith, 44, could earn £13.7million from the1.2million shares to which he has rights. Both totals are less tax and other deductions. MPs haveurged the Prime Minister to block Rupert Murdoch's bid to buy Sky - in a move which would seehim have control over a TV network spanning 22million homes. Ex PM Gordon Brown has leddemands for intervention, writing to Ms Bradley urging her to block the deal. Former businessminister Vince Cable, who led opposition to the original bid, warned it posed a ‘genuine threat tomedia plurality’ but questioned whether Theresa May’s Government will ‘stand up to theMurdochs’. Mr Murdoch controls 21st Century Fox, which already owns a 39.1 per cent stake inSky. The offer of around £10.75 per share – 36 per cent more than the closing price on Thursdaynight – values the broadcaster at £18.5 billion. Sky revealed the tentative agreement to the stockmarket last week, prompting its share price to soar almost 27 per cent to just under £10. Thebroadcaster warned that some ‘material’ terms were yet to be decided and there was nocertainty a formal offer will be made. Mr Murdoch’s son, Fox chief executive James Murdoch,was named chairman of Sky earlier this year, fuelling speculation the US media company wouldmake a bid. The recent slump in Sky’s share price due to strong competition from rivals such asAmazon and Netflix has also led to predictions Rupert Murdoch might try to pick up theremainder of the broadcaster on the cheap. But the second attempt by the Murdoch dynasty towrest control of Sky is likely to face fierce opposition from MPs, and will be scrutinised closely byregulators and ministers. Mr Murdoch is already a dominant force in the media, owning The Sunand The Times in the UK. Dr Cable, who referred the original takeover bid to Ofcom in 2010,said last night the Government had a duty to vet big media takeovers to ensure they were in thepublic interest. He said: ‘The way Theresa May’s Government deals with this is a test of theirindependence from the influence of large proprietors. The consultation that has been launched

on the implementation of Leveson would suggest there is a tendency for some to bow to thepower of media giants – this must not be the case.’ Mr Murdoch’s original bid for Sky wasabandoned in the summer of 2011 in the wake of widespread opposition from MPs of all parties.They said sole ownership of the broadcaster combined with his newspaper interests would giveMr Murdoch too much power and influence. The deal was also affected by fallout from the phonehacking scandal at Mr Murdoch’s News of the World paper. Mr Murdoch’s News Corporationwas split into two divisions in June 2013. The entertainment arm became 21st Century Fox,while the newspaper publishing arm in Britain became News UK.

21st Century Foxannounces $14.8 bn deal to

take over Skydailymail.co.uk

Rupert Murdoch´s Foxmakes £11.7bn takeover bid

for Skydailymail.co.uk

21st Century Fox to takeover European broadcaster

Skycbs46.com

Murdoch's Fox agrees dealto buy Sky for $14.6 bln

dailymail.co.uk

21st Century Fox to TakeOver European Broadcaster

Skyabcnews.go.com

Twenty-First Century FoxAgrees to Take Over Sky in11.7 Billion Pounds ($14.6

Billion) Dealabcnews.go.com

Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox

announces firm offer forbroadcaster Sky

cnbc.com

21st Century Fox MakesFormal Offer for European

Pay TV Operator Skyvariety.com

2016-12-15 09:25 Martin Robinson www.dailymail.co.uk

12 /270 11.5 1 dead, 9 missing in Azerbaijan offshore oil rigaccident (4.19/12)

One oil worker has been reported killedand nine more are missing in Azerbaijanafter part of their offshore oil platform brokeoff in strong winds. Oil industry workers'rights...

1 dead, 9 missing inAzerbaijan offshore oil

accidentarticle.wn.com

Offshore oil disaster inAzerbaijan leaves one dead

and nine missingindependent.ie

Offshore oil disaster inAzerbaijan leaves 1 dead, 9

missingcbs46.com

1 Dead, 9 Missing inAzerbaijan Offshore Oil Rig

Accidentabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 06:52 system article.wn.com

13 /270 97.2 Germany: Afghan suspect in slaying assaulted womanin Greece (3.27/12)

BERLIN - An Afghan asylum-seekersuspected of raping and killing a 19-year-old university student in Freiburg was alsoconvicted of attempting to kill anotherwoman in Greece but was released earlyfrom prison, Germany’s top security officialsaid Thursday.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere saidfingerprints taken from Hussein K. matchedprints from the 2013 crime on the Greekisland of Corfu.

K., who gave his age as 17, is in custodyfor the killing of medical student Maria L. inOctober.

A Greek court sentenced K. to 10 years in prison for attempted murder in 2013, but released himon probation 1 ½ years later on condition he regularly report to a local police station. After hefailed to do so, Greek authorities issued a nationwide warrant for his arrest but didn’t alert otherEuropean countries.

De Maiziere said had Greece done so, K. would have been arrested in Germany when heapplied for asylum there.

“This is a very troublesome incident,” he told reporters in Berlin. “We will certainly take this upwith the Greek side.”

De Maiziere said the case highlighted the need to combine different European databases usedto store information on migration and crime.

34 deported Afghan asylumseekers return from

Germanyarticle.wn.com

Germany: Afghan Suspect inSlaying Assaulted Woman in

Greecearticle.wn.com

34 Deported Afghan AsylumSeekers Return From

Germanyabcnews.go.com

Dozens of Afghans deportedfrom Germany arrive in

Kabuldailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 07:57 Associated Press rssfeeds.usatoday.com

14 /270 1.4 Colorado school district to allow teachers to arm

themselves (3.19/12)

DENVER (AP) - A ruralColorado school districtdecided to allow itsteachers and other school

staff to carry guns on campus to protect students. The Hanover School District 28 board voted 3-2 Wednesday night to allow school employees to volunteer to be armed on the job afterundergoing training. The district's two schools serve about 270 students about 30 milessoutheast of Colorado Springs, and it takes law enforcement an average of 20 minutes to getthere. The district currently shares an armed school resource officer with four other schooldistricts. Board member Michael Lawson backed the idea not only as way to protect studentsfrom a mass shooting, but also as protection against possible violence connected with nearbymarijuana grows, which he believes are connected with foreign cartels, the Gazette of ColoradoSprings reported ( ). He said it will take months to work out the details and to train employees.School board President Mark McPherson said a survey showed the community was split on theissue. While staffers would get some training, the retired Army officer said he didn't think it wouldbe enough to help them respond effectively to an active shooter. He worries what would happenif they fired and missed in a classroom. "Our rooms are supposed to be locked and secure. Wehave cameras. We have a very vigilant staff," he said. "We are authorizing teachers to pull aweapon and kill a human being, and I cannot support that. " He said he is only aware of onemarijuana growing operation within about 5 miles of the schools, and he thinks comments aboutcartel involvement in the area are just rumors at this point. Some other school districts inColorado as well as in Texas, Oklahoma and California have also backed allowing teachers tocarry weapons following the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.An undisclosed number of teachers and other employees at a one-school district in Colorado'ssparsely populated Eastern Plains are currently being trained after the school board approvedthe move in July largely out of concern for how long it would take law enforcement to respond.All had concealed weapons permits and volunteered for the duty, Fleming Schoolsuperintendent Steve McCracken said. They all must undergo an initial 46 hours of training,including live fire training, plus yearly training and undergo a psychological examination. Thefirearm training costs a total of $3,000, and the district will also have to spend an unknownamount of money to buy firearms and ammunition. But McCracken said that it still makes morefinancial sense than trying to hire an outside security officer to protect the school. The latestColorado vote came on the fourth anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre. McPherson saidthe proposal has been in the works since June and the timing of the final vote was coincidental.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Colorado School District toAllow Teachers to Arm

Themselvesabcnews.go.com

The Latest: Colorado districtallows teachers to carry

gunsarticle.wn.com

Colorado school district willallow teachers to carry guns

nypost.com

The Latest: ColoradoDistrict Allows Teachers to

Carry Gunsabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 05:37 www.cbs46.com

15 /270 94.4 Philippine senators call for Duterte to be impeachedover killing confession (3.19/12)

Two Philippine senatorshave said PresidentRodrigo Duterte’sadmission that he used topersonally kill suspectedcriminals when mayor ofDavao city is grounds forimpeachment.

Senator Leila de Lima,Duterte’s foremostdomestic critic , andSenator Richard Gordon,who heads the senate justice committee, said the president’s comments provided a legalavenue for his ousting.

“That is betrayal of public trust and that constitutes high crimes because mass murders certainlyfall into the category of high crimes. And high crimes is a ground for impeachment under theconstitution,” de Lima told CNN.

Speaking to reporters, Gordon said: “When he says that, he’s opening himself up, so what’s thelegal way, then go ahead and impeach him.”

But justice minister Vitaliano Aguirre waved away Duterte’s comments as “hyperbole”.

“He always exaggerates just to put his message across,” Aguirre said, adding that even ifDuterte had killed, he did not necessarily break the law.

“It could be done with a justifiable cause and justified circumstances as a public officer in orderto arrest but if they resisted. He must have been forced,” he said.

Any move to impeach Duterte is unlikely to succeed. Not only does he command huge domesticsupport for his bloody war on drugs, the firebrand nicknamed “the Punisher” also has allies inthe lower and upper house of congress.

Although only a one-thirds vote in the house of representatives is needed to start the process of

impeachment , conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the senate.

De Lima, a former justice minister in a previous administration, had led an inquiry into the waron drugs, and has been the target of hatred for speaking out against Duterte. Allies of thepresident filed a criminal complaint against her this week.

Senators loyal to Duterte ousted her from the leadership of the inquiry in September, allegingshe had disrespected the house of representatives – a complaint that could result in jail time.

The president’s anti-drug campaign has seen around 5,000 people killed during his first fivemonths in office. Alleged drug dealers and drug addicts have been shot dead in extrajudicialkillings.

This week, Duterte said that during his two decades as mayor of Davao he used to “personally”attack suspects “just to show to the guys [police officers] that if I can do it, why can’t you?”

He went on: “I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would justpatrol the streets, looking for trouble also.

“I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.”

Peter Wallace, who organised the business forum at which Duterte spoke on Monday, said thestatement was the leader’s “usual bravado”.

“He talked as he often does about drugs and killings and criminality. And we had expected thathe would, but we were there not to listen to that,” Wallace told Reuters by phone.

“We were there to talk to him or listen to him about business issues and I was pleased that … hemoved on to those subjects,” he said.

Since Duterte’s election, police have reported killing 2,086 people in anti-drug operations.

More than 3,000 others have been killed in unexplained circumstances, according to officialfigures, which human rights groups blame on state-sponsored vigilantism and gangs exploitingan atmosphere of impunity.

Reuters contributed to this report

Philippines' Duterte's keeps'very good' rating after six

months - polldailymail.co.uk

Philippines' Duterte Keeps'Very Good' Rating After Six

Months: Pollarticle.wn.com

Philippine Duterte’sadmission he killed criminals

an impeachable offense:senators

article.wn.com

Duterte should beimpeached for 'mass

murder': Senator De Limacnn.com

Philippine senators sayRodrigo Duterte's admission

he killed criminals animpeachable offence

article.wn.com

2016-12-15 03:03 Oliver Holmes www.theguardian.com

16 /270 0.0 Trump knew that Russia meddled in US election: White

House (3.18/12)

Washington : There are indications thatPresident-elect Donald Trump knew aboutthe Russian involvement in hacking of theservers of the rival Clinton Campaign andthe Democratic party , the White House hassaid.

Russia and EU to uniteagainst Donald Trump?

article.wn.com

Trump spokeswomanresponds to reports of

Ivanka getting first lady'sWhite House office

aol.com

Donald Trump's books offerclues on how he'll lead from

White Houserss.cnn.com

Analysis: As Aleppo falls,Trump faces test on Russiarssfeeds.detroitnews.com

2016-12-15 01:56 priyab article.wn.com

17 /270 1.9 'Affluenza' teen's dad convicted of pretending to be

officer (3.17/12)

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The father of a Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defensein a fatal drunken-driving wreck has been found guilty of falsely identifying himself as a peaceofficer two years ago. A Tarrant County jury on Wednesday sentenced 51-year-old Fred Couchto a year's probation. If he violates the terms, he could be jailed for up to 120 days. In a dashcam

video shown to jurors, Couch tells North Richland Hills police officersresponding to a disturbance that he is a reserve officer. Defense attorneyScott Brown says Couch, who carried a "Lakeside Police" badge, neverasserted authority with it. Couch's son, Ethan Couch was 16 when hekilled four people in a drunken-driving wreck. A defense expert argued attrial that Couch's wealthy parents coddled him into a sense ofirresponsibility.

‘Affluenza’ teen’s dadconvicted of posing as

officerrssfeeds.detroitnews.com

'Affluenza' Teen's DadConvicted of Pretending to

Be Officerabcnews.go.com

Fred Couch, 'Affluenza'teen's dad, convicted ofpretending to be officerwashingtontimes.com

'Affluenza' Teen's FatherGuilty of Identifying Himself

as Officerabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 08:33 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

18 /270 3.4 Targeting U. S. automaker signals possible China

retaliation over Trump talk (3.16/12)

By Arshad Mohammed, Matt Spetalnick and Benjamin Kang LimWASHINGTON/BEIJING, Dec 14 (Reuters) - China's plan to punish a U. S.automaker accused of price-fixing is a sign of how Beijing could retaliate ifPresident-elect Donald Trump upends decades of relations between thetwo nations. Trump's assertion that the United States need not be boundby the policy that Taiwan is part of "one China" would erode a bedrock of

U. S.-China ties that has underpinned the vast increase in trade and cooperation between whatare now the world's two largest economies. Few expect the disagreement will lead to outrightmilitary confrontation, nor even the kind of economic war that many feared could be launched byTrump's threat during the U. S. presidential campaign to slap tariffs of up to 45 percent onChinese imports. However, a rising China has plenty of other ways to push back hard if Trumppresses on the Taiwan question, which most analysts see as the most sensitive part of the U. S.-China relationship. In what might be a shot across the bow of the Trump administration, due totake office on Jan. 20, the official China Daily newspaper quoted a state planning official sayingChina will soon penalize an unnamed U. S. automaker for monopolistic behavior. While theofficial said no one should read "anything improper" into this, shares of General Motors Co andFord Motor Co skidded. Auto industry sources have told Reuters this specific investigation wasalready underway before Trump's recent comments. However, the manner in which it wasannounced, by saying only that it was a U. S. automaker before a formal announcement of fines,has raised questions around whether officials might be seizing on the case to send a shotacross the bow of the incoming Trump administration. Jason Miller, a spokesman for Trump,said on Wednesday Trump's team was aware of the report but it would be premature tocomment. In Washington, a Democratic congressional aide said China's threat to fine theautomaker was a "good sharp reminder" to Trump that "they have cards to play too and that if heis thinking that he can enter into negotiations - be it on Taiwan, trade, North Korea, whatever - asif the United States is the sole global superpower... then he is going to need to think again. "China's state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, did not responded toReuters requests for comment on the China Daily story. China's Foreign Ministry said it did not

know any details about the case. "China welcomes foreign companies, including Americanones, to invest in and operate in China. At the same time they must respect China's laws andrules. This point is very clear," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said when asked if this wasChina sending a message to Trump. Pressure on other U. S. companies, such as Boeing Coand General Electric Co, with large interests in China could be one of the most tangible tools ofretaliation, together with new limits on access to the country's huge markets. U. S. businessinterests in China are estimated at more than $500 billion. Wider economic steps - such asChina, America's biggest creditor, selling a significant part of its $1.16 trillion of U. S. Treasuries,or weakening its currency - seem unlikely, the first because it would slash the value of China'sU. S. bond portfolio and the second because it could accelerate capital flight, experts said.Beijing could speed up a military build-up that had begun to slow along with Chinese economicgrowth, carry out naval exercises close to Taiwan - which it regards as a renegade province -and withhold diplomatic cooperation on issues such as Iran and North Korea's nuclearprograms. "Taiwan policy is what China considers a core interest... and it's prepared to go togreat lengths to defend it," said Eric Altbach, senior vice president at the Albright StonebridgeGroup consultancy in Washington and a former deputy assistant U. S. trade representative forChina affairs. A ROCKY FIRST YEAR? The consensus within the Obama administration is thatTrump, who irked China by taking a phone call from Taiwan's president, was not fully aware ofthe potential backlash from Beijing over his questioning of the "one China" policy, a U. S. officialsaid, speaking on condition of anonymity. The hope is that by the time Trump takes over fromPresident Barack Obama, he will recognize that China has advanced so far economically,diplomatically and militarily that it is unwise to pick fights with Beijing over such a bedrockprinciple, he added. A former senior U. S. official took a more pessimistic view. "Trump hasbasically guaranteed that the first year in the China relationship will be a combative, competitiveone, and the question is how bad it will get," he said. "The Chinese now are basically puttingtogether their list on how to retaliate. " There are at least three ways in which the matter couldplay out, U. S. China experts said. Trump could backtrack over time, much as former U. S.President George W. Bush did. A second track would be if Trump goes on questioning the "oneChina" policy without taking concrete action. The third, considered unlikely by U. S. officials pastand present, would be a drift toward military confrontation. 'JUST CAUSE TO DISPATCHTROOPS'? Asked if Trump's "one China" stance could lead to this, a source with ties to theChinese leadership told Reuters: "We will see what Trump says and does after he becomespresident. " A second source with leadership ties said they expected tensions with the UnitedStates over Taiwan. But the source said Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has sounded a morenationalistic line than his recent predecessors, could also use the issue to further cement hisgrip on power. "If (Taiwan) is emboldened by the U. S. support and does something drastic, itcould be an opportunity for us. There will be just cause to dispatch troops," the second sourcesaid. While the possibility of Taiwan declaring independence and hence triggering a Chineseinvasion seems low, the mere softening in the U. S. commitment to the policy would likely playout in China's defense posture. "It will alter Chinese defense priorities. I think that's inevitablenow," said Dennis Wilder, a former CIA China analyst. He said Xi may increase Chinese militaryspending for 2017 and place new emphasis, over time, on gaining the amphibious capabilitiesnecessary to actually invade Taiwan. "Xi Jinping has to respond to this internally, domestically,and while he doesn't want an open fight with Trump, he will have to show... resolve," he said,citing higher military spending, more defense exercises and tougher rhetoric on Taiwan. "Wecan anticipate that unless this issue is taken off the table. " (Additional reporting by BenBlanchard in Beijing and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller and LincolnFeast)

Taiwan Is Both Exhilaratedand Unnerved by Trump’s

China Remarksnytimes.com

China's Richest Man Has AMessage For President-

Elect Trumparticle.wn.com

Trump and China: What's atstake?

cnn.com

2016-12-15 00:13 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

19 /270 18.4 Lawyer: Man charged in officer death incompetent fortrial (3.12/12)

A lawyer for a man accusedof shooting a Detroit officerduring a chase says apsychiatric review hasfound his clientincompetent to stand trial.

Twenty-one-year-oldMarquise Cromer ischarged with first-degreemurder in the death of Sgt.Ken Steil. Steil diedunexpectedly Sept. 17 of ablood clot, five days after being shot in the shoulder.

Cromer's lawyer Sanford Schulman tells the Detroit Free Press (http://on.freep.com/2gOJXEL )that he met with prosecutors Tuesday to discuss the state forensic center's report. The WayneCounty prosecutor's office has requested an independent competency evaluation.

A competency hearing was initially scheduled for Thursday in Detroit, but records say the casenow is due back in court Jan. 9.

Cromer also has been accused of shooting two other people, including his father.

Lawyer: Man Charged inOfficer Death Incompetent

for Trialabcnews.go.com

Lawyer wants chargeagainst officer dismissed

mynorthwest.com

Attorneys want chargesagainst officer in death of

Philando Castile dismissedupi.com

2016-12-15 09:19 The Associated www.heraldonline.com

20 /270

20 /270 5.6 Trump Islam: Muslim woman arrested over 'fake hate

attack' in New York (3.12/12)

A young Muslim woman whoreported being harassed on theNew York subway by supportersof US President-elect DonaldTrump has been arrested forfabricating the story, officials say.Yasmin Seweid, 18, said threemen had called her a "terrorist".

She has been charged with filinga false report and obstructinggovernmental administration.

She reportedly later admitted to police she had been out drinking and had made up the story asan excuse.

The student originally told police the men had told her to "get out of this country" and to "get thef****** hijab off your head! ", NBC reports.

She said they had tried to tear off her headscarf and that no bystanders had intervened duringthe alleged incident on 1 December. She also said that one of the men had grabbed her bag,breaking the strap.

"It breaks my heart that so many individuals chose to be bystanders while watching me getharassed verbally and physically by these disgusting pigs," she said on Facebook one day later,according to NBC.

But officials reportedly got suspicious when they could not find witnesses or any significantvideo.

Then, last Friday, the woman was reported missing, in a case that was widely reported on USmedia. She was found one day later.

She was arrested on Wednesday and admitted fabricating the story to avoid getting into troublewith her parents.

Ms Seweid was arraigned at Manhattan Criminal Court, where she appeared without a veil andwith her hair shaved. Unnamed sources told the NY Daily News her parents had forced her tocut her hair over the incident.

Released on Thursday, she faces up to a year in jail for each charge.

In the days after the election of Mr Trump in November, hundreds of alleged cases ofintimidation and abuse were reported in the US. Many of the cases were linked to Trumpsupporters, a monitoring group said.

Woman arrested forfabricating anti-Muslim

Trump attack story — RTAmericart.com

NYPD: Muslim teenagerwho reported harassment byTrump supporters made the

story upaol.com

NYPD arrest Muslim womanwho claimed attack by

Trump supportersrssfeeds.usatoday.com

2016-12-15 15:24 www.bbc.co.uk

21 /270 1.4 SEE IT: New Jersey man arrested for driving backhoe

drunk after 'swerving all over the road' (3.12/12)

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N. J.— A New Jersey man whopolice say was drivingdrunk while behind thewheel of a backhoe isfacing charges.

Fifty-six-year-old WilliamCampbell was chargedTuesday with driving whileintoxicated, carelessdriving and failing tomaintain a lane amongother offenses.

Police say a South Brunswick officer stopped Campbell Monday after observing him “drinkingbeer and swerving all over the road.”

The officer reportedly smelled alcohol on Campbell’s breath and found bottles of Jack Danielsand vodka in the backhoe.

N. J. state trooper pulled over women to ask them out

Police say Campbell failed a field sobriety test and admitted to the officer that he didn’t have avalid license.

Campbell has seven prior DWI convictions. It’s unclear if he has an attorney who can commenton the charges.

New Jersey man arrestedfor driving backhoe drunk

cbs46.com

Man with 7 DWIs arrestedfor driving backhoe while

drunknypost.com

New Jersey Man Arrestedfor Driving Backhoe Drunk

abcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 08:51 feeds.nydailynews.com

22 /270 2.7 Thai fishing fleets shift to distant waters to avoid

crackdown: Greenpeace (3.12/12)

Thai fishing fleets have shiftedto remote and ecologicallyvulnerable waters off the eastAfrican coast to evade aregional crackdown on illegalfishing and human trafficking,environmental watchdogGreenpeace said Thursday.Thailand is the world's fourth-largest seafood exporter but itsmulti-billion dollar industry islargely unregulated and rifewith rights abuses. "Without amuch-needed monitoring

system in such distant high seas, there is no control over what happens there," said AnchaleePipattanawattanakul, from Greenpeace Southeast Asia. The kingdom came under heavyinternational pressure to clean up the scandal-hit sector after the European Union threatened toban all Thai seafood products last year. But despite government efforts to rein in illegal practisesand clamp down on human traffickers, violations remain rampant onboard vessels that havemoved to faraway and poorly policed waters, according to a new report by Greenpeace.According to the watchdog, up to 76 Thai-flagged vessels shifted their operations to the Saya deMalha Bank, an area off the coast of Africa, after crackdowns last year in Indonesia and PapuaNew Guinea -- common fishing grounds for Thai ships that long ago depleted stocks off theirown coastline. The bio-diverse and environmentally fragile bank, which lies more than 7,000kmaway from Thailand, has become a "haven for rogue Thai fishing operations over the last 18months", the report said. Many of the ships transport their catches back to Thailand throughrefrigerated reefer vessels, allowing captains to keep their crews at sea -- and out of the purviewof authorities -- for extended periods of time. This practise, known as transshipment, has givenunscrupulous fishing operators a free hand to continue to exploit their labour and degrade theenvironment, the watchdog said. "These Thai fleets remain as ruthless as ever,"Pipattanawattanakul said, calling on Thailand to consider banning transshipment altogether.Thailand's fishing department, which did not respond to requests for comment, has won somecautious plaudits over the past year for rolling out new regulations and moving to register shipsand workers. The US upgraded Thailand in its annual human trafficking report in July, citingsignificant efforts to eliminate forced labour in the seafood industry. But it stressed thatcorruption continues to undermine reforms and that trafficking and other labour abuses in the

fishing sector remain a "significant concern".

Greenpeace: Thai fishingboats sail far to avoid

regulationsarticle.wn.com

Greenpeace: Abuse persistsin Thai fishing industry

rss.cnn.com

Greenpeace: Thai FishingBoats Sail Far to Avoid

Regulationsabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 08:10 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk

23 /270 0.9 Greek markets drop as European creditors suspend

debt relief (3.08/12)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek stocks fellsharply Wednesday while thegovernment's borrowing rates jumpedhigher after the country's Europeancreditors pulled a debt relief packageannounced only last week in protest atsubsequent budget spending measures byAthens. ...

Eurozone suspends Greekdebt relief over Christmas

bonus for pensioners — RTBusinessrt.com

EU Commission opposessuspension of Greek debt

relief- Moscovicidailymail.co.uk

Greece's European creditorssuspend debt relief

measuresmynorthwest.com

2016-12-15 07:43 system article.wn.com

24 /270 2.8 Former FSU QB Jameis Winston and accuser to

dismiss cases (2.21/12)

Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and his accuser, Erica Kinsman, have cometo an agreement to drop both civil lawsuits,according to court documents filedWednesday.

Kinsman accused Winston of rape in 2013following a 2012 incident. No chargeswere filed against Winston by the stateattorney's office after an investigation.

FSU brought in a former supreme courtjudge to conduct the student code ofconduct hearing against Winston in 2013,but the judge could not find sufficientevidence to support either Kinsman's or

Winston's claims

Kinsman then filed a civil suit , and Winston responded with a countersuit for defamation.

The two parties filed motions of dismissal for each of their cases within 20 days on Dec. 14,according to the court documents.

"Counsel Boudet states all counsel report the parties have reached a compromise withcontingencies and anticipate filing a joint motions for dismissal within 20 days,” the report read.

Details of the settlement were not disclosed in the court filing.

Winston started at quarterback for the Seminoles for two seasons, and finished his FSU careerwith a 26-1 record. He led the Seminoles to the 2013 National Championship, and won theHeisman Trophy that season.

He was taken with the first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

► FSU reaches settlement with Winston's accuser

► FSU hires first full-time Title IX director

► Winston, woman's account contradict, transcripts say

► 'Hunting Ground' takes aim at rape on campus, plus FSU

Jameis Winston, rapeaccuser settle civil suit

nypost.com

Tampa Bay QB Winston,rape accuser settle civil

lawsuitcbs46.com

2016-12-15 01:01 Wayne E rssfeeds.usatoday.com

25 /270

25 /270 3.1 ‘Russian Hacking’ a “Disinformation Campaign”

Against Trump, Says Congressman (2.12/12)

Intelligence agencies arerefusing to brief membersof Congress on claims thatRussia hacked the U. S.presidential election, asRep. Peter King chargedthat false information isbeing leaked to the mediaas part of a disinformationcampaign to discreditDonald Trump.

Labeling the move“absolutely disgraceful,” Congressman Peter King told Megyn Kelly there was no evidence thatRussia directly intervened to help Trump and no proof that this has changed since DNI directorJames Clapper’s conclusion on November 17th that Russia had no role in the release of theDNC or Podesta emails before the election.

“There is no consensus opinion, and yet we find it in the New York Times and the WashingtonPost and yet the House Committee on Intelligence was told nothing about this,” said King.

“This violates all protocols and it’s almost as if people in the intelligence community are carryingout a disinformation campaign against the president elect of the United States,” added King,noting that someone in the House or Senate could also be leaking false information.

“Somebody has the time to leak it to the New York Times and the Washington Post but they don’thave the time to come to Congress and it’s the House Committee on Intelligence that has theabsolute jurisdiction over the CIA and the intelligence community,” said King, emphasizing thathe had seen no evidence for that claim that Russia hacked anything and that it was more likelyan attempt to discredit Trump’s administration.

“Why didn’t they tell the House Intelligence Committee?” asked King. “If something so dramatichappened between November 17th and this week to change their assessment, didn’t they havethe obligation to come before the Congress and tell us that.”

Nobody at the CIA is speaking, no one’s on the record, if it is true they’re leaking it and that’s acrime,” added King, concluding that the whole thing “stinks”.

After members of the intelligence community declined a request to brief the House IntelligenceCommittee on the issue, Chairman Devin Nunes shot back , asserting that, “The Committee isdeeply concerned that intransigence in sharing intelligence with Congress can enable themanipulation of intelligence for political purposes.”

“The fact that both agency heads would refuse to brief congress on the issue is further evidencethe entire construct is demonstrably false, intended solely to create an anti-Trump narrative andundermine the incoming presidency,” comments the Conservative Treehouse blog .

Meanwhile, NBC News is reporting that, “U. S. intelligence officials now believe with “a high

level of confidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin became personally involved in thecovert Russian campaign to interfere in the U. S. presidential election.”

Once again, no evidence whatsoever is presented to validate this claim, only anonymous“diplomatic sources and spies working for U. S. allies.” The report also admits that “the FBI andother agencies don’t fully endorse that view”.

SUBSCRIBE on YouTube:

Follow on Twitter: Follow @PrisonPlanet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71

*********************

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com .

Russian PM says Trumpteam has no 'anti-Russian

stereotypes'article.wn.com

Syria’s Assad says Trump’scampaign rhetoric was

‘positive’article.wn.com

Syria's Assad says Trump'scampaign rhetoric was

'positive'article.wn.com

Leahy wants commission toprobe alleged Russian

hackingwashingtontimes.com

2016-12-15 09:09 | Infowars.com - www.infowars.com

26 /270 1.5 Austria MPs vote to seize Hitler birth house (2.12/12)

Austrian MPs voted late Wednesday toexpropriate the home where Adolf Hitlerwas born, ending years of bitter legalwrangling with the current owner overthe infamous building's future.

A large majority approved the new law,which was submitted by thegovernment earlier this year in a bid tostop the dilapidated house in thenorthern town of Braunau am Inn frombecoming a neo-Nazi shrine.

Local resident Gerlinde Pommer -- whohas been renting the premises to the

Austrian state since 1972 -- will receive compensation under the legislation.

It is not yet clear what will happen with the yellow corner house at Number 15 SalzburgerVorstadt Street, located right in Braunau's historic centre.

In October, Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka announced it would be "torn down" to make place

for a new building to be used by a charity.

He said the decision was based on recommendations from an expert committee.

But several of the 13-member panel were quick to deny that the commission had backedSobotka's push to bulldoze the place where Hitler was born on April 20, 1889.

"A demolition would amount to negating Austria's Nazi past," the experts said in a joint statementin October.

Although Hitler only spent the first few weeks of his life there, the address has been a thorn inAustria's side for decades, drawing Nazi sympathisers from around the world.

Every year on Hitler's birthday, anti-fascist protesters organise a rally outside the building, nextto a memorial stone reading: "For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism,Millions of Dead Warn. "

The property has been empty since 2011 when Austria became embroiled in a dispute withPommer.

Her family has owned the 800-square-metre (8,600-feet) building for nearly a century.

Since the early 1970s, the government had been renting the premises for around 4,800 euros($5,000) a month and used it as a centre for people with disabilities.

But the arrangement came to an abrupt end five years ago when Pommer refused to allowmuch-needed renovation works.

The famously elusive owner also rejected a purchase offer made by the increasinglyexasperated interior ministry.

The issue has also sparked debate among Braunau's 17,000 residents.

Some want the building to become a refugee centre, others a museum dedicated to Austria'sliberation from Nazi rule.

Austrian lawmakers okay billto seize Hitler's birth house

jpost.com

Adolf Hitler's birthplace to beseized by Austria to stopneo-Nazis flocking there

dailymail.co.uk

Austrian lawmakers pass billto seize house Hitler was

born indailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 05:40 www.digitaljournal.com

27 /270 2.6 Corpus Christi, Texas, tells residents not to use tap

water (2.11/12)

The city of Corpus Christi, Texas, is warning its residents not to use tap water as officials

investigate an unknownchemical.

The Caller-Times(http://bit.ly/2gNBrWS )reported early Thursdaythat a city news releaseblames a recent back-flowincident in the industrialdistrict. Officials are tellingresidents to use onlybottled water until thesafety of the tap water canbe confirmed.

According to the city's release, "boiling, freezing, filtering, adding chlorine or other disinfectants,or letting the water stand will not make the water safe. "

Corpus Christi, Texas TellsResidents Not to Use Tap

Waterabcnews.go.com

Officials in Corpus Christi,Texas: Don't drink or use

tap waterrssfeeds.usatoday.com

Corpus Christi, Texas, TellsResidents Not to Use Tap

Waterabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 03:34 The Associated www.charlotteobserver.com

28 /270 0.0 President-Elect Donald Trump Breaks With Long

History Of Press Conferences : NPR (2.10/12)

Tamara Keith

Donald Trump speaksduring a news conferenceat Trump National Doral onJuly 27 in Doral, Fla. Thatwas his last pressconference.

Evan Vucci/AP

hide caption

Donald Trump speaksduring a news conference

at Trump National Doral on July 27 in Doral, Fla. That was his last press conference.

This was to be the day President-elect Donald Trump would hold his first press conference sincewinning the presidency last month. It was supposed to be about how he would address his

potential business conflicts of interests as president. It isn't happening, postponed, his teamsays, until January.

Already, no president-elect (dating back to at least Carter) has waited longer to hold a pressconference. One irony of Trump's extended run without a press conference is, just how criticalhe and his campaign were of rival Hillary Clinton's choice to go an extended period (276 days intotal) without holding a press conference. His campaign sent out daily press releases countingthe days since her last press conference, headlined, "Hiding Hillary Watch" — and, at one point,Trump even tweeted about it:

I am getting great credit for my press conference today. Crooked Hillary should be admonishedfor not having a press conference in 179 days.

Unless Trump holds a press conference by Jan. 21st, one day after his inauguration, he will hitthe very mark for which he ridiculed Clinton on Twitter. We've created this handy widget to trackhow long it has been since Trump held a formal press conference, and how many times he'stweeted in that time. It will keep counting up until he holds one:

Why does this matter?

Unlike other ways of getting messages out, press conferences hold public officials moreaccountable to the American people because they have to answer questions in an uncontrolledenvironment.

"The public expects that a president isn't just going to announce something, that he's going toexplain it, and be able to answer questions about it," said Martha Joynt Kumar, a politicalscientist at Towson University and director of the White House Transition Project.

Two days after the Supreme Court decision that made George W. Bush president-elect in 2000,he held a press conference in Austin. He took questions from reporters about his potentialcabinet picks, whether he would call for tax cuts and when the weight of being the next presidentof the United States hit him.

The next day, Bush introduced his choice for secretary of state and took more questions. Theday after that, he answered yet more questions during a press conference to introduce hisnational security adviser and White House counselors.

President-elect Barack Obama followed a similar pattern, regularly fielding questions fromreporters, as he made choices about who would serve in his administration. In all, Obamafielded questions from the White House press corps on 18 different occasions as president-elect. George W. Bush, who had a shorter transition period held 11.

As with so many other things, President-elect Trump is flouting this tradition. He hasn't held apress conference since July 27 , when he called on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton's emails. "Iwill tell you this, Russia: If you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that aremissing," Trump said at his resort in Doral, Fla. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily byour press. "

Instead Trump has opted for rallies, press releases, photo ops, a handful of interviews andtweeting. Lots of tweeting.

President-elect Donald Trump and Kanye West pose for a picture in the lobby of Trump Tower in

New York, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016.

Seth Wenig/AP

hide caption

President-elect Donald Trump and Kanye West pose for a picture in the lobby of Trump Tower inNew York, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016.

On the day he announced his choice for secretary of state, Trump tweeted praise for his pickRex Tillerson, the chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, but didn't appear with him publicly. Trumpdid come down to the lobby of Trump Tower, so he could be photographed with rapper KanyeWest.

"Life," Trump said when asked what they talked about. "We discussed life. "

Later, he held a victory rally in Wisconsin.

The first presidential press conference happened by accident

When an aide to President Wilson invited newspapermen to meet the new president, thepresidential press conference was born.

He wasn't expecting so many to show up. But since then, it has become a tradition, a fixture ofthe relationship between the president, the press and by extension, the American public.

Based on an NPR analysis of data from the American Presidency Project at the University ofCalifornia, Santa Barbara, over the past three administrations, the president has fieldedquestions from reporters on average about every 15 days.

CBS News producer Mark Knoller, who meticulously tracks the activities of the president, saysthe longest drought between press conferences for President George W. Bush was 82 days,while the longest President Obama went without a press conference was 86.

But the traditions of the relationship between the president and the press don't appear to be adriving motivator for Trump and his transition team.

Appearing on the Hugh Hewitt radio show , Trump's future White House Chief of Staff ReincePriebus said things like the weekly radio address, or even the daily briefing by the presssecretary, where members of the media are allowed to question the administration on policy andtopics of the day, could change under Trump.

"The traditions, while some of them are great," Priebus said, "I think it's time to revisit a lot ofthese things that have been done in the White House, and I can assure you that change is goingto happen. "

China's Richest Man Has AMessage For President-

Elect Trumparticle.wn.com

Poll: Americans BackingPresident-Elect Donald

Trump Just Weeks AfterBitter Campaigninfowars.com

6 Questions We WouldHave Asked Donald Trump

At His Press Conference OnHis Businesses

npr.org

2016-12-15 06:05 Tamara Keith www.npr.org

29 /270 0.4 US Muslim teen 'made up' story of being harassed by

Donald Trump supporters (2.09/12)

NEW DELHI : A Muslim American teenagerin New York "made up" a story about beingharassed by Donald Trump supportersearlier this month, said the New YorkPolice Department who arrested heryesterday, the Daily News reported.

NYPD: Muslim teenagerwho reported harassment byTrump supporters made the

story upaol.com

NYPD arrest Muslim womanwho claimed attack by

Trump supportersrssfeeds.usatoday.com

2016-12-15 06:53 system article.wn.com

30 /270 2.2 Project examines opioid industry's political influence

(2.08/12)

This is another installment in an investigation by The Associated Press and the Center for PublicIntegrity examining the politics behind the nation's opioid epidemic. The story examines howdrug...

Key findings of investigationinto harder-to-abuse opioids

article.wn.com

Key Findings ofInvestigation Into Harder-to-

Abuse Opioidsabcnews.go.com

Project Examines OpioidIndustry's Political Influence

abcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 06:52 system article.wn.com

31 /270 15.1 Bill Cosby's lawyers attack "bandwagon" sexualassault accusers (2.08/12)

NORRISTOWN, Pa. -- BillCosby’s lawyers onWednesday attacked whatthey called “vague, remoteand often inconsistent”allegations from a slew ofwomen whom prosecutorsare seeking to call aswitnesses at his sexualassault trial next year.Lawyers for the 79-year-oldactor and comedian askeda judge to block 13accusers from taking the stand, saying uncertainty about where and when some of the sexualencounters took place made them impossible to defend against. Cosby, who was known asAmerica’s Dad for his top-rated family sitcom, “The Cosby Show,” which ran from 1984 to 1992,is charged with molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. Prosecutors areseeking testimony from the other accusers to show that Cosby had a long history of knocking outwomen with drugs and drinks and sexually assaulting them. Cosby has pleaded not guilty.

Bill Cosby had some choice words for the courthouse security guard as he arrived for a hearingin his sexual assault case in a Philadelphia subur...

At a hearing outside Philadelphia, the defense portrayed the potential prosecution witnesses as“bandwagon” accusers who came forward because they sought to cash in on Cosby’s fame andwealth. The women went public at the urging of “clever, cunning lawyers who had the agenda ofbringing down an American icon,” Cosby lawyer Brian McMonagle told Montgomery CountyJudge Steven O’Neill, who must determine whether some or all of the accusers will be permittedto take the witness stand. The two-day hearing closed without a decision, with O’Neill sayinghe’d take some time before ruling. McMonagle argued prosecutors dredged up unsubstantiatedassault allegations dating to the 1960s to try to breathe life into a weak case, and urged O’Neillto “follow the money” when examining the motives of the accusers. “There’s no good reason inthis world for these uncorroborated, unconfirmed, unreported, ancient allegations to be broughtinto this courtroom or any courtroom in this country,” he said afterward. Cosby is charged withassaulting Andrea Constand, then a Temple University employee. She filed a police complaintagainst Cosby, a long-married father of five and her friend and mentor, but a prosecutor at thetime declined to file charges. Authorities reopened the investigation last year after scores ofwomen raised similar accusations and after Cosby’s damaging deposition testimony fromConstand’s lawsuit became public.

Dozens of women have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault, and some of drugging them, withthe incidents dating back decades

O’Neill ruled last week that the deposition may be used at Cosby’s criminal trial, armingprosecutors with Cosby’s testimony about his affairs with young women, his use of quaaludes asa seduction tool and his version of the sexual encounter with Constand. Cosby’s attorney saidWednesday that Constand has offered shifting accounts of the encounter, making comparisonswith the other accusers impossible. Under state law, prosecutors must demonstrate substantialsimilarities in the accusers’ accounts to be able to call them to the witness stand. Prosecutorshave argued that sexual assault victims often recall more details in subsequent interviews, andthey say the discrepancies in Constand’s accounts are not material to the case. The otherwomen should be allowed to testify, District Attorney Kevin Steele argued earlier Wednesday,because their stories are so similar they show the “handiwork of the same perpetrator.” Cosbybefriended women who saw him as a mentor, incapacitated them out with pills and drinks andmolested them, he said. “This is a lifetime of sexual assault on young women,” Steele toldO’Neill.

Comedian Bill Cosby was back in court Tuesday. A judge set a tentative trial date for June 5,2017. CBSN's Elaine Quijano has more.

Cosby’s lawyers said the women’s stories aren’t similar enough to warrant their testimony. Theypointed to differences in the location and manner of the alleged assaults, as well as theaccusers’ level of education and line of work. “You cannot ignore the differences,” said anotherdefense lawyer, Angela Agrusa. She said most of the potential prosecution witnesses arerepresented by famed civil lawyer Gloria Allred and have held news conferences and givendozens of interviews. Agrusa said one accuser shopped a book deal for her life story a fewyears ago. Allred “duped” the district attorney’s office, Agrusa argued. “She executed a plan, andshe got the DA’s office to be her bag man,” Agrusa said. Allred, who attended Wednesday’shearing, has argued her clients have a duty to testify if the court wants to hear from them. “Wesay as lawyers that when you have the law on your side, you argue the law. If you don’t have thelaw, you argue facts. If you don’t have the facts, then you attack the victim or other lawyers, or

both. Today there was a full-scale attack on victims,” Allred said. The Associated Press doesn’ttypically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they have comeforward publicly, as Constand has done.

Bill Cosby's lawyers attack'vague, remote and

inconsistent' accusationsagainst him as they seek to

block 13 of the star's'victims' from the stand

dailymail.co.uk

Cosby’s Lawyers Argue toBlock Accounts of Other

Accusersnytimes.com

2016-12-15 01:44 AP www.cbsnews.com

32 /270 0.9 Electors’ lawyer: Founding Fathers ‘anticipated’ Trump

(2.07/12)

There may be more than a few dissenterswhen the Electoral College meets Monday— though not enough to deny DonaldTrump the presidency.

That’s according to R. J. Lyman, the lawyerquietly advising a couple dozenRepublican electors — all deliberatingindividually — about their right to breakwith their states’ majority vote to opposeTrump.

It’s the last gasp of the never-Trumpmovement, and it faces long odds. The 538members of the Electoral College meet in

their state capitals on Dec. 19 to cast their votes for president.

Trump dismisses the effort as sour grapes and insists he won according to the rules.

Yet a central purpose of Electoral College is to serve as a check on an electorate that could beduped by an unqualified or ethically compromised candidate, says Lyman. If the foundingfathers wanted a simple points system, they wouldn’t have given the final say to a jury of“qualified” human beings, Lyman said in his first newspaper interview since beginning theconsultations shortly after the Nov. 8 election.

“Spoiler alert: in 1789 they anticipated 2016,” said Lyman, a longtime friend and supporter offormer GOP Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, who was the vice presidential nominee of theLibertarian Party. “They (electors) have to decide whether, in Hamilton’s words, the candidate towhom you are pledged is fit for office,” he said. Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig is alsoproviding legal assistance to potential “faithless electors. " He estimates up to 20 electors could

flip.

It’s the final hours of a broad effort to appeal to GOP electors that includes a separate web ofDemocrat-leaning activist groups pressuring electors.

Lyman is seeking to inform electors about their constitutional role at a historically critical momentin the nation’s history: the blessing of the nation’s first president-elect with no government ormilitary experience who may face significant conflicts of interest in the White House due to hisbusiness empire.

Adding to the swirl of considerations are reports about Russian interference in the U. S. election.“I’m not trying to undermine the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency. Iam trying to make sure our institutions function the way they are supposed to,” Lyman said.

The framers of the Constitution created a pause of more than a month between the election andthe Dec. 19 meeting of electors to give the “men most capable of analyzing the qualities” of theincoming president time to deliberate outside the hyper partisan rancor of a campaign, he said.

“They hold a constitutionally important obligation and every single one I’ve spoken with hasunderstood that issue and that there’s reason for them not simply to follow the majority vote,”said Lyman.

The effort faces long odds.

Trump won with 306 electoral votes, with 270 needed, so 37 Republican electors would need toflip their votes. Just one GOP elector, Chris Suprun of Texas, has publicly said he’d vote againstTrump. The one alternative to Trump, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has told electors not to vote forhim. Even if there were a mass defection, the matter would kick to the Republican-led House ofRepresentatives, which is unlikely to override their own party’s president.

Further, the Republican National Committee has been conducting a parallel whip effort to makesure electors stick to the plan to vote for Trump — as opposed to Lyman, who describes his effortas educational and says it does not include regular contact with and pressure on the electors.

In his private conversations, many have expressed a major concern, said Lyman: fear of legalretribution.

According to the Constitution, states are free to allocate electoral votes as they see fit. It was onlyduring the 19th century that states acted — on their own — to grant their votes on a winner-take-all system. Of the 29 states with “faithless electors’ laws,” only four of them has a specifiedpenalty, said Lyman.

“A number of them are concerned about lawsuits, suing them personally, whether it’s the stateparty or the presumptive president elect or his team. These aren’t rich people,” said Lyman, whois coordinating a legal defense fund.

“It’s a material amount of money” in the fund to cover legal expenses, he assured.

Trump will have lost the national popular vote by a larger margin of votes than anybody in U. S.history. Further, the real estate billionaire is facing questions about potential conflicts of interestrelating to his global business holdings that could violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauseif he fails to divest.

Trump rescheduled until January a news conference originally scheduled for Thursday to clarifyhis plans for separating himself from his company.

A separate effort to pressure electors will include thousands of protesters who plan to descendon all 50 state capitals. Eighteen celebrities, including Martin Sheen and Debra Messing, aprominent Hillary Clinton supporter, also cut a video trying to rally the Electoral College.

More than 4.8 million people have signed a change.org petition calling on “ConscientiousElectors” to vote Clinton into office. Websites have compiled electors’ email addresses, andmore than 193,750 people have used the site asktheelectors.org to contact delegates.

If a couple dozen electors defect, that would be a “historic” revolt, said Ryan Clayton ofAmericans Take Action, among the progressive groups organizing the effort. It’s “why the RNC isdoing a whip count of Electors and it’s why Donald Trump is threatening electors for using theirConstitutional right to vote their conscience.”

In “The Federalist Papers,” Alexander Hamilton wrote the Constitution is designed to ensure“that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degreeendowed with the requisite qualifications.”

Since the founding of the nation, there have been 23,449 votes for a future president of the U. S.In that time, just one of them — a protest vote for a philosophy professor in 1972 — has been forsomeone with no prior government or military experience, says Lyman.

Still, in a few random calls by USA TODAY to Ohio electors who might be most disposed tovoting against Trump, there was no indication of dissent.

Mary Anne Christie, an elector from Cincinnati who supported Kasich, said she believes Russiawas trying to help Trump. “I’ve been in this political arena for years,” she said. “You had to haveknown just watching the things coming out” since “all the emails were only about Hillary,” shesaid. That said, Christie said Trump hurt himself a lot, including his prior comments aboutwomen, and the voters chose him anyway.

“He was creating his own problems, but yet he won,” said Christie, who plans to cast her vote forTrump.

Celebrities beg electors tobe ‘heroes’ and vote against

Trumpnypost.com

Celebrities Call For ElectoralCollege Coup Against Trump

dailycaller.com

2016-12-15 07:47 Heidi M rssfeeds.usatoday.com

33 /270 1.1 South Korean presidential contender says Seoul (2.07/12)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A possible South Korean presidential contender says the country

should reconsider its plans to deploy anadvanced U. S. missile defense system tocope with North Korean threats. ...

S. Korean presidentialhopeful casts doubt over US

missilesheraldonline.com

South Korean PresidentialContender Says Seoul

abcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 06:37 system article.wn.com

34 /270 3.2 To combat Trump, Democrats ready a Republican

tactic: lawsuits (2.07/12)

Sam Hodgson / The New York Times

New York State Attorney GeneralEric Schneiderman, who isinvestigating Donald Trump overpossible violations of New YorkState law at his charity foundation,during a news conference in NewYork, Oct. 13, 2015. As Democratssteel themselves for the day Trumptakes office, some of the country’smore liberal state attorneys generalhave vowed to use their power tocheck and balance Trump’s

Washington.

By Vivian Yee, New York Times News Service

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 | 2 a.m.

One attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, is already investigating Donald Trump overpossible violations of New York state law at his charity foundation.

Another, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, has joined Schneiderman in an investigation into

whether Exxon Mobil — whose chief executive, Rex W. Tillerson, is Trump’s choice for secretaryof state — lied to investors and the public about the threat of climate change.

Healey also has a new fundraising pitch: “I won’t hesitate to take Donald Trump to court if hecarries out his unconstitutional campaign promises,” she recently wrote to supporters.

A third, Rep. Xavier Becerra, who was chosen this month to become California’s attorneygeneral, has dared the Trump administration to “come at us” over issues including immigration,climate change and health care.

As Democrats steel themselves for the day next month when the White House door will slam ontheir backs, some of the country’s more liberal state attorneys general have vowed to use theirpower to check and balance Trump’s Washington.

If the Trump administration withdraws from environmental, antitrust or financial regulations, theattorneys general say they will plug regulatory holes that may gape wide open, deploying statelaws like New York’s Martin Act, which allows the state attorney general to pursue wide-ranginginvestigations on Wall Street.

They have pledged to defend undocumented immigrants, and to combat hate crimes that manybelieve were unleashed by Trump’s polarizing campaign.

And if Trump’s policies veer toward the unconstitutional, several of the 10 current and incomingDemocratic attorneys general interviewed recently said they would apply a remedy favored byTrump himself: a lawsuit.

The strategy could be as simple as mirroring the blueprint laid out by their Republicancolleagues, who made something of a legal specialty of tormenting Obama. Conservativeattorneys general in states including Texas, Virginia and Florida have sued the Obamaadministration dozens of times, systematically battering Obama’s signature health care,environmental and immigration policies in the courts.

One of them, Scott Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, who used his office tobayonetObama’s clean-energy regulations, was just chosen by Trump to become the new headof the Environmental Protection Agency.

Schneiderman — who established himself early as a nuisance to Trump when he sued him overTrump University, negotiating a $25 million settlement — pounced on the Pruitt selection, callinghim “an agent of the oil and gas industry” and promising to push an EPA under Pruitt to upholdenvironmental laws. Healey has also expressed concern about the nominations of Pruitt andTillerson.

The jockeying to begin hostilities with the Trump administration is a measure of how thecountry’s widening political divide has transformed the offices of state attorneys general intolegal laboratories and sharpened them into political scalpels.

They were once primarily local law enforcement figures who rarely pursued issues beyond stateborders. But with the growth of their clout and ambition over the last three decades, they havebecome magnets for lobbyists, campaign donors and other corporate representatives looking tointervene in regulatory policy and tip investigations, a New York Times investigation found in2014.

Under President Bill Clinton, attorneys general pioneered the major multistate lawsuit that hasserved as a model for interstate collaboration since, with nearly all the states joining together towin a groundbreaking settlement with the tobacco industry. Liberal states later collaborated toforce the EPA under President George W. Bush to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, winninga Supreme Court decision that made it easier for the states to sue the federal government.

It was under Obama that states came into their own as political activists. One group ofRepublican attorneys general began holding weekly conference calls to strategize ways toweaken the Affordable Care Act months before it became law in March 2010, filing their lawsuitminutes after Obama signed the bill.

For the moment, the precise shape of Trump-branded targets is hard to make out. At the annualmeeting of the National Association of Attorneys General in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, two weeksago, bipartisan bewilderment about the president-elect’s true intentions abounded.(Republicanstate attorneys general will slightly outnumber Democrats in 2017.)

“People are coming up to me and saying, ‘What’s going to happen?'” said James E. Tierney, aformer attorney general of Maine, who ran a program studying attorneys general at ColumbiaLaw School. Tierney, a Democrat, now lectures at Harvard Law School. “There’s a lot of eye-rolling down here, in both parties, like, ‘Oh my God.'”

Even as attorneys general from blue strongholds like California, Massachusetts and New Yorkhasten to brand themselves as leaders of the opposition, many of their Democratic colleaguesare striking a less antagonistic note as they wait to see how Trump will govern.

One incoming attorney general, T. J. Donovan of Vermont, said he was ready to collaborate withthe federal government to tackle the heroin epidemic in his state, among other issues — and todissent when necessary.

“Let’s be patient and wait and see what happens,” he said. “But at the same time, let’s beprepared.”

Schneiderman, it seems, is not straining to give Trump the benefit of the doubt. Since ElectionDay, he said in an interview, he has spoken to several attorneys general about teaming up, asDemocratic attorneys general have already done to defend Obama’s clean-power plan againstRepublican legal challenges.

“Life just got a lot more exciting for those of us at the state level who are now the first line ofdefense,” said Schneiderman, adapting a favorite catchphrase of Republican attorneys general.

Their litigiousness turned attorneys general like Greg Abbott, now the governor of Texas, intoright-wing luminaries. He often rallied crowds by saying, “I go to the office in the morning, I sueBarack Obama, and then I go home.”

Next year, there is likely to be no shortage of Democrats who can say the same about Trump.

The states’ rights arguments that Republicans have made gospel for nearly eight years — thatstates must serve as a check against federal overreach — are likely to become convenient forDemocrats. So are the legal tactics that Republican attorneys general used to stifle Obamaadministration programs, including filing lawsuits in front of friendly local judges to winnationwide injunctions against policies they hoped to stop, said Amanda Frost, a professor atAmerican University’s Washington College of Law.

With Trump’s ascension, attorneys general of both parties may shuck any remaining veneer ofnonpartisanship, even as they continue to wade across party boundaries on investigationsinvolving consumer protection or pharmaceutical pricing.

According to Paul Nolette, a political-science professor at Marquette University, who studiesattorneys general, Republican attorneys general filed partisan legal briefs in only five SupremeCourt cases during the Clinton administration, a figure that rose to 97 in the first seven years ofthe Obama administration.

“Things are being driven more by partisan politics,” Nolette said. “On virtually every hot-buttonissue you can imagine, AGs are signaling where they stand.”

As Abbott and Pruitt found, there are certain advantages to occupying a high-profile lawenforcement office with an anti-Washington megaphone.

Josh Shapiro, the incoming Democratic attorney general of Pennsylvania, said he had turneddown a run for the Senate this year in favor of the attorney general race. “I believe it to be themost impactful job in government today,” he said.

Other Democrats said they were watching how Trump would treat the Consumer FinancialProtection Board and the Federal Trade Commission.

Under Obama, attorneys general have grown used to working closely with both agencies onconsumer and antitrust issues — “It’s been the golden years,” said Tom Miller, the longtimeDemocratic attorney general of Iowa — and several said they feared federal regulatory mightwould shrivel under the new administration, leaving states to try to hold the line with far fewerresources.

“I don’t want to pick fights before there are fights,” said Brian Frosh, the Democratic attorneygeneral of Maryland. “But based on the campaign, there’s cause for concern.”

Electoral college expected toresist pressure to abandon

Donald Trumpindependent.ie

Democrats try to stop HeidiHeitkamp taking job in

Trump's Republicanadministration

dailymail.co.uk

Trump could findDemocratic allies on tax

reform -lawmakerdailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 06:00 By Vivian lasvegassun.com

35 /270 4.8 Closings expected in S. Carolina church shooting trial

(2.06/12)

Charleston, S. C. — In the days after nine black worshippers were killed in their Charlestonchurch at the end of Bible study, President Barack Obama called Dylann Roof blinded by hateand Charleston’s mayor said he was “pure, pure concentrated evil.”

Now some 18 months later, the people asked by the government to judge Roof will gather at the

federal courthouse lessthan a mile from the churchwhere the June 2015massacre happened anddecide whether to hold himresponsible for thosedeaths.

Closing arguments areexpected Thursdaymorning in Roof’s trial, withjurors likely being asked todeliberate the 33 charges— including hate crimes — before lunch. If they come back with guilty verdicts, the same jury willdecide if the 22-year-old white man gets the death penalty or life in prison without parole inanother phase of the trial starting Jan. 3.

Defense attorney David Bruck put up no witnesses. The first words in his opening statement lastweek were to tell jurors everything the prosecution had just accused Roof of doing were true.

Roof’s own two-hour confession was played in its entirety for the jury, in which he confessedbarely a minute after waving his rights and seemed so far from grasping the reality of the killingsat Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church that he was stunned when FBI agents told himnine were dead.

But Roof never confessed any regrets, sticking to his assertion that the killings had to happenafter he researched “black on white crime” on the internet and accepted as fact dozens of liesabout white superiority, leading him to believe he needed to kill black people. He said he chosea church because that setting posed little danger to him.

Roof said in his confession, a journal found in his car and a statement he posted online that hewanted his killings to lead to a return of segregation or perhaps a race war. Instead, the singlebiggest change to come from the June 17, 2015, killings was the removal of the Confederateflag from in front of the South Carolina Statehouse after it spent 50 years flying over the capitolor on its grounds.

Also placed into evidence were dozens of photographs of Roof — a strange travelogue of himalone at South Carolina sites important to the Civil War or African-American history. There alsowere photos of him holding the Confederate flag, which ended more than a decade of inactionon the rebel banner at the Statehouse.

Closings expected in SouthCarolina church shooting

trialarticle.wn.com

Closings Expected in SouthCarolina Church Shooting

Trialabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 07:51 Jeffrey Collins rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

36 /270 0.0 Carter confident US will remain key to anti-IS coalition

(2.06/12)

U. S. Defense Secretary Ash Carterexpressed confidence Thursday that underthe Trump administration the U. S. willremain central to the international coalitionfighting the Islamic State group in Iraq andSyria. ...

Carter leads his final anti-ISconference amid uncertainty

dailymail.co.uk

Carter Leads His Final Anti-IS Conference Amid

Uncertaintyabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 07:46 system article.wn.com

37 /270 9.5 Rebels kill 4 Indian policemen near border with

Myanmar (2.06/12)

GAUHATI, India (AP) - Heavily armedrebels on Thursday killed four Indian policeofficers in an ambush on a highway theywere guarding hours before the visit of thetop elected official of an insurgency-wracked northeastern state, police

Rebels kill 2 Indianpolicemen near border with

Myanmarmynorthwest.com

Rebels Kill 2 IndianPolicemen Near Border With

Myanmarabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 07:46 system article.wn.com

38 /270 10.6 Driver in court for school bus crash that killed 6children (2.06/12)

Bruce Garner / Chattanooga FireDepartment via Chattanooga Times FreePress via AP

In this photo, Chattanooga FireDepartment personnel work the scene of afatal elementary school bus crash inChattanooga, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 21,2016. In a news conference Monday,Assistant Chief Tracy Arnold said therewere multiple fatalities in the crash.

By Johnathan Mattise, Associated Press

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 | 1:02 a.m.

Chattanooga Police Department / AP

This undated photo released by the Chattanooga Police Department shows Johnthony Walker,24. Walker, the driver of a school bus that was filled with elementary students when it crashed,Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, in Chattanooga has been arrested and faces charges includingvehicular homicide.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The 24-year-old driver in a school bus crash that killed six childrenlast month in Tennessee is appearing in court.

Johnthony Walker's preliminary hearing will take place Thursday morning in Hamilton Countycourt. He's charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and recklessendangerment. Police say a sixth charge of vehicular homicide will be added.

Thursday's hearing will determine whether Walker's case will head to a grand jury.

Federal authorities say Walker left the designated bus route Nov. 21 when he wrecked on acurvy road while carrying 37 children. Authorities suspect Walker was speeding.

Walker's attorney, Amanda Dunn, has said she expects him to plead not guilty if he's indicted.

Driver in Court for SchoolBus Crash That Killed 6

Childrenabcnews.go.com

Chattanooga bus crash:Driver back in court

rss.cnn.com

2016-12-15 05:02 By Johnathan lasvegassun.com

39 /270 1.2 Mother of Reno Teen Shot by School Police Wants

Explanation (2.06/12)

The mother of a 14-year-old Reno boy who was shot and wounded by aschool district police officer wants the superintendent to explain whycampus officers aren't better equipped with non-lethal weapons.

Cheryl Pitchford was among the group of 100 classmates, friends andfamily of the hospitalized teen who marched to the school districtheadquarters on the edge of downtown Wednesday afternoon to deliver a petition demandingall campus police carry Tasers and pepper spray .

Reno police say the boy was threatening others with knives when a campus officer shot him inthe chest Dec. 7 while surrounded by dozens of students in a school courtyard.

He last was reported in critical but stable condition. His lawyer, David Houston, said earlier hewas in a medically induced coma after undergoing surgery for a stroke on Friday.

District officials have refused to say if campus officers typically carry non-lethal weapons. Theysay they can't comment while an investigation continues into the officer-involved shooting thatmany Hug High students captured on cellphone video and posted on social media.

Demick La Flamme, the father of a friend of the teen who was shot, organized the march. Hesaid he's gathered more than 1,000 signatures on the petition that says "lethal force shouldalways be a last resort. "

"Nothing is worse than shooting into a crowd of children," La Flamme told The Associated Pressbefore they began the 2-mile trek escorted by Reno police cruisers and a half-dozen officers onbicycles along city streets north of U. S. Interstate 80.

Pitchford later joined La Flamme and more than a dozen others who jammed into the receptionarea at the school district headquarters to demand someone formally accept the petition. Sheshowed school officials a cellphone photo of her son with an oxygen mask and other tubes in ahospital bed while pleading for Washoe County School District Superintendent Traci Davis tocome forward and better explain what had happened.

Davis said at a news conference a day after the shooting that the school's emergency responseplans worked "flawlessly" and praised the officers' "who acted swiftly to protect the safety of ourstudents. " She's had no comment since she said in a statement Friday that she still believes "theofficer's judgment saved other students from deadly force. "

Pitchford, whose last name is different than that of her son, said Wednesday she was notseeking an apology from the superintendent.

"She wasn't there. It's not her fault," Pitchford said. "It's her fault for not coming out and sayingmaybe that there was another way, or maybe it was not flawless — like she said in her newsconference or whatever she had. Because she wasn't there. She didn't know. "

Irene Payne, the school district's chief of communications who accepted the petition from LaFlamme and Pitchford, told AP she couldn't immediately comment on the equipment campusofficers typically carry.

Mother of Reno teen shot byschool police

wants explanationlasvegassun.com

100 march to protest schoolpolice shooting of Reno teen

article.wn.com

2016-12-15 04:33 By abcnews.go.com

40 /270 0.8 Nazi-era stolen art hoard to go to Swiss museum,

court says (2.05/12)

A German court Thursday threw outa challenge to the will of collectorCornelius Gurlitt, clearing the way fora spectacular Nazi-era art hoardfound in his home to go to a Swissmuseum.

The superior regional court in thesouthern city of Munich ruled thatcollection, including pieces byCezanne, Beckmann, Holbein,Delacroix and Munch, could beinherited by the Museum of Fine Artsin Bern.

Gurlitt died in May 2014 aged 81 and named the museum as the sole heir of the hundreds ofworks, found in his cluttered Munich apartment and valued at millions of euros.

But a cousin, Uta Werner, challenged the will and staked a claim to the collection, arguing thatGurlitt was not mentally fit to stipulate what would happen with the art.

The Munich tribunal rejected her argument.

"An incapacity to make a will on the part of the deceased person at the time it was written hasnot been proved in the opinion of the court," it said in a statement.

Gurlitt, described in media reports as an eccentric recluse, hid the paintings, drawings andsketches in his Munich home for decades and another 239 works at a house he owned inSalzburg, Austria.

His father was one of four art dealers during the Third Reich tasked by the Nazis with selling artstolen from Jews or confiscated as "degenerate" works.

Although German authorities discovered the collection during a tax probe in 2012, they kept itunder wraps for more than a year until it came to light in a magazine article.

Gurlitt struck an agreement with the German government in April 2014 stipulating that any worksthat were plundered by the Nazis would be returned to their rightful owners and the Bernmuseum said it would honour that wish.

But the heirs of collectors stripped of their assets by the Nazis, many of whom would later bekilled in the death camps, have complained that restitution has been woefully slow in coming.

German Culture Minister Monika Gruetters welcomed the court's ruling, saying it providedneeded "clarity" on the fate of the collection and would allow a planned joint exhibition of theworks by the Bern museum and the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn next year to take place.

"This decision will help us to continue to clarify the provenance of the trove quickly andtransparently," she added.

German court rules Gurlitt’sart collection can go to Bern

wtop.com

German court rules Gurlitt'sart collection can go to Bern

article.wn.com

2016-12-15 08:20 www.digitaljournal.com

41 /270 2.5 Russia says it foiled IS-linked attacks aimed at

Moscow (2.04/12)

The Russian intelligence agency says it has arrested four people and foiled extremist attacksallegedly orchestrated out of Turkey. The FSB said in a statement quoted by Russian newsagencies...

ISIS terrorist attacksthwarted in Moscow, 4

arrested – FSB — RT Newsrt.com

Russia Says It Foiled ISIS-Linked Attacks Aimed at

Moscowabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 07:52 system article.wn.com

42 /270 9.6 Somalia suicide

bomber sets off blastin capital; 3 injured

(2.04/12)

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A suicidecar bomber detonated an explosives-ladenvehicle near a restaurant in the Somalicapital Thursday, killing himself andinjuring three others, a Somali policeofficer said. ...

Suicide car bomb explodesat checkpoint in Mogadishu

dailymail.co.uk

Somalia Suicide BomberSets off Blast in Capital; 3

Injuredabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 07:49 system article.wn.com

43 /270 2.9 Arrested again: Legendary 86-year-old jewel thief

caught during attempt in Atlanta (2.04/12)

ATLANTA, Dec. 15 (UPI) --Doris Payne is near-legendary for her attemptsat stealing jewelry duringthe last 60 years, andalmost as legendary forhow often she gets caught -- with her latest theft andarrest coming Wednesdayin Atlanta.

Police arrested Payne

Wednesday after she was caught with a $2,000 diamond necklace in her back pocket whiletrying to leave a department store in a suburban Atlanta mall.

Payne, the subject of the 2013 film "The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne," has swiped about $2million worth of jewelry since she was in her 20s and estimates she's been arrested about 20times while attempting to run the jewels.

"I don't have any regrets about stealing jewelry," she said in the documentary. "I regret gettingcaught. "

Dunwoody Police said they received a call from the store around 5:15 p.m. that Payne allegedlyput a diamond necklace in her back pocket and tried to leave Von Maur department store at thePerimeter Mall.

Payne was arrested last October at another Atlanta mall after allegedly trying to steal a pair of$690 Christian Dior earrings from Saks Fifth Avenue. At the time, she was wanted in NorthCarolina on charges she took a $33,000 David Yurman engagement ring from another mallstore but has not been arrested for it yet.

"The documentary we made about her focused on a crime she was accused of in San Diegoand, during her sentencing, as sad as he was to have to send her to prison, the judge said,'She's the Terminator. She won't stop,'" Matthew Pond, co-director of the documentary, told NBCNews. "And now I'm thinking of her, 86 years old and arrested again, and I'm thinking he wasright. She won't stop. "

Doris Payne, unapologeticjewel thief, arrested again

rss.cnn.com

Cops: Notorious 86-year-oldjewel thief, "career criminal,"

strikes againcbsnews.com

2016-12-15 06:31 Stephen Feller www.upi.com

44 /270 2.0 Aleppo cease-fire unravels, raising specter of bloody

end (1.36/12)

BEIRUT — A cease-fire to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians from the remaining opposition-held neighborhoods of Aleppo unraveled Wednesday, once again raising the specter of abloody end to the battle for Syria’s largest city as residents reported the resumption of shellingand brutal bombing runs. ...

Hezbollah media say cease-fire deal on track to allow

rebels to leave Aleppoarticle.wn.com

Evacuation Of AleppoUnderway As Cease-Fire

Takes Hold : The Two-Way: NPR

npr.org

Cease-fire Collapses WhileEvacuations Stall in Aleppo

article.wn.com

2016-12-15 01:49 system article.wn.com

45 /270 0.0 The Latest: Arab TV Shows Ambulances, Bus Waiting

in Aleppo (1.30/12)

The Latest on the conflict in Syria where a cease-fire deal to allowevacuation of rebels and tens of thousands of civilians from easternAleppo is back on (all times local):

9:40 a.m.

A Pan-Arab TV station is broadcasting live from a crossing point in eastern Aleppo, whereambulances are on hand to evacuate the wounded and sick Syrians out of remaining rebel areaof the city.

The Al-Mayadeen TV footage shows the Ramouseh crossing point on the southern edge of therebel enclave and ambulances belonging to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent parked and waitingon Thursday. A green-colored government bus is also seen in the footage.

The evacuation is part of an agreement between rebels and the Syrian government for thepullout from opposition-held neighborhoods of fighters and civilians in what is effectivelyAleppo's surrender to the government.

The rebels have held to the eastern part of the city for four years but their enclave rapidly

evaporated in the past days in the face of a fierce Syrian government onslaught.

———

9:20 a.m.

The Russian military says it's preparing for the rebels' withdrawal from Aleppo.

The military's Center for Reconciliation in Syria says that 20 buses and 10 ambulances areprepared to carry the rebels to Idlib on Thursday.

The center says it's preparing for the rebels' exit together with the Syrian government. It saysSyrian authorities have given security guarantees to all rebels willing to leave Aleppo.

The Russian military also says it's monitoring the situation using drones.

A previous attempt to arrange a rebel withdrawal failed Wednesday when a cease-fire dealbetween the rebels and the Syrian government collapsed, with the government and the rebelsblaming each other for its failure.

———

8:55 a.m.

A Syrian army official confirms that all is ready for rebels and civilians to start leaving Aleppo "atany moment. "

The army official, who spoke by telephone to The Associated Press on condition of anonymitybecause he was not authorized to speak to the media, said all preparations are ready for theoperation to begin on Thursday.

His comments came after the cease-fire deal, mediated by Ankara and Moscow, unraveled amidfighting the previous day.

An opposition monitoring group says the operation has already begun but that could notimmediately be independently confirmed. —Bassem Mroue in Beirut

———

8:25 a.m.

The media arm of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group says overnight negotiations havereinforced a cease-fire deal to allow Syrian rebels and tens of thousands of civilians to leave thebesieged eastern city of Aleppo.

It says Syrian rebels will likely begin leaving their last holdout in Aleppo "in the coming hours. "

Thursday's announcement by Hezbollah's Military Media came after the cease-fire deal,mediated by Ankara and Moscow, unraveled amid fighting the previous day. Shiite Hezbollahmilitiamen are fighting in the Syrian civil war on the side of President Bashar Assad's forces.

Damascus and its allies have not commented on the cease-fire being back on. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the fighting stopped in the city around 4 a.m.

The Latest: Arab TV showsambulances, bus waiting in

Aleppocbs46.com

Syrian TV Shows Convoy ofAmbulances With Wounded

Civilians Starting toEvacuate From Eastern

Aleppoabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 03:47 By abcnews.go.com

46 /270 1.3 Red Cross to take part in evacuation of wounded

militants from Aleppo – Reconciliation Center — RT News(1.19/12)

“ICRC personnel will escortambulances transportingwounded militants all theway from Aleppo underguidance of officers fromthe Russian ReconciliationCenter,” the Center said,adding that the operationhad been ordered byRussian President VladimirPutin.

The wounded militants willbe taken on 20 buses and

10 ambulances through a humanitarian corridor leading to the Syrian city of Idlib.

The Syrian government will ensure the security of all members of militant groups who are willingto leave eastern Aleppo, the statement noted.

The evacuation operation will be monitored by web cameras that the Russian Defense Ministryhas installed along the corridors, as well as surveillance drones. Livestream footage will beavailable at the ministry’s website.

On Wednesday morning, the Syrian army was attacked in eastern Aleppo when buses sent toevacuate the militants entered the area, violating a previously reached ceasefire agreement, theRussian Reconciliation Center said, adding that the army had repelled the attackers.

The Syrian Army has liberated most of the neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city held byAl-Nusra terrorists and other militant groups over the past weeks. At present, the militants controljust 2.5 square kilometers of Aleppo, according to the Reconciliation Center.

A large-scale humanitarian operation is going on in the area. On Monday, the Russian DefenseMinistry said that up to 100,000 people, including 40,000 children, have been evacuated from

eastern Aleppo.

Russia says Red Cross tohelp with Aleppo evacuation

dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 05:06 www.rt.com

47 /270 96.6 1 Killed, 2 Wounded In Wednesday Shootings AcrossChicago (1.06/12)

CHICAGO (CBS) — A man was killed andtwo others were wounded in shootingsWednesday across the city, according toChicago Police.

The fatal shooting happened at 10:10 p.m.in the West Chatham neighborhood on theSouth Side. A 47-year-old man was on thesidewalk in the 8200 block of South Perrywhen a male with a gun walked up andannounced a robbery, police said. Thesuspect then fired shots, striking the man inthe head, before getting into a silvervehicle and leaving the scene. The manwas pronounced dead at the scene. The Cook County medical examiner’s office could notimmediately provide information on the fatality.

More than two hours earlier, another man was shot during a robbery in the East Garfield Parkneighborhood on the West Side. The 21-year-old was sitting inside a vehicle at 7:56 p.m. in the500 block of North Spaulding when a person approached, showed a handgun and announceda robbery, according to police. During the robbery, the man was shot in the arm and torso. Hewas taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition.

The day’s first shooting happened just after 9 a.m. during a drive-by attack in the Pilsenneighborhood on the South Side. A 24-year-old man was walking in the 1700 block of SouthLaflin when a white vehicle drove by and someone inside fired shots, police said. He was shotin the buttocks and thigh, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition stabilized.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This materialmay not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Police: Man shot to death inWest Chatham

chicago.suntimes.com

Police: Man killed, 2wounded in Wednesday

shootingschicago.suntimes.com

2016-12-15 08:29 chicago.cbslocal.com

48 /270 1.0 Georgia slips to 41st in ranking of states by health

(1.06/12)

Georgia fell one notch to 41 among all 50states in the annual “America’s HealthRanking” for 2016 released Thursday bythe United Health Foundation, a nonprofitarm of insurer...

Florida slips to 36th onannual list of most healthy

statesarticle.wn.com

Mississippi finishes last –again – among all states in

annual health rankingthenewstribune.com

2016-12-15 07:52 system article.wn.com

49 /270 97.8 19-year-old charged with murder, arson in connectionwith fatal Indian Trail fire (1.06/12)

A 19-year-old woman has been charged with first-degree murder and arson in connection with afatal Indian Trail house fire Wednesday, Union County authorities said Thursday.

Monica Kimberly Rivera was charged in the case, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said. She,her sister and the female victim were the only three people at the home in the 8000 block of MillGrove Road at the time of the fire.

The victim was in her 60s,authorities said.

At 4:32 p.m. Wednesday,deputies were dispatched to thesite for a call about a disturbanceregarding a person with a knife.When they got there, they foundsmoke coming from the roof andtried to get the people in thehouse to safety.

They got two of the people outbut were unable to rescue thethird because of the heat from the fire, the sheriff’s office said. The third occupant eventually wasremoved from the burning home and airlifted to a Winston-Salem hospital but died on the flight.

Three deputies were taken to a local hospital for treatment related to smoke inhalation, andhave been released.

Rivera and her sister had been living in the home with the victim, authorities said. The victim’sname is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The fire happened two days after Rivera’s birthday. In July, she was arrested in Union Countyon a charge of assaulting a government officer/employee; that case is pending.

The cause and origin of the fire remains under investigation. The fire is being investigated by thecounty fire marshal, the sheriff’s office and the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms andExplosives.

The State Bureau of Investigation is aiding the sheriff’s office in its work to determine whathappened at the home before the fire.

Rivera remains in Union County Jail without bond, and has a first court appearance set forFriday.

Could juveniles in Gatlinburgfire face murder charges?

rss.cnn.com

2016-12-15 07:27 By Adam www.charlotteobserver.com

50 /270 0.5 Indonesia minister says government not losing to

radicals (1.06/12)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A senior Indonesian cabinet minister on Thursday said the

government is not losing the fight againstradicalism despite the success of hardlineIslamic groups in attracting hundreds ofthousands of people to protests against thecapital's...

Indonesia minister saysgovernment not swayed by

radicalsarticle.wn.com

Indonesia Minister SaysGovernment Not Losing to

Radicalsabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 03:31 system article.wn.com

51 /270 2.4 Syrian leader Assad's Shi'ite allies helped him win in

Aleppo (1.06/12)

By Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom MilesBEIRUT/AMMAN/GENEVA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - When rebel fighterslaunched a last desperate attempt to break the siege of Aleppo inOctober, they were beaten back - not by the Syrian army but by theLebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah fighting on its behalf, a senior official inthe pro-government alliance said. In the build-up to the final battle forSyria's second city, scores of fighters from a single Iraqi Shi'ite militia were killed in just two daysof combat this summer, said a commander of another group fighting for President Bashar al-Assad. Even in the last hours of fighting in Aleppo, allied Iraqi militia were at the vanguard. TheU. N. human rights office said it had reports that the Syrian army and an allied Iraqi militia hadkilled at least 82 civilians in captured city districts - allegations denied by the army and militia inquestion. These episodes show how in the decisive battle of Syria's nearly six-year-old civil war,Assad drew heavily on foreign Shi'ite militias sponsored by Iran for his most important victory todate. Rebel sources say that among fighters taken prisoner by insurgents in the last months ofAssad's campaign to retake Aleppo, there was not a single Syrian soldier. To be sure, Russianair strikes were the most important factor in Assad's triumph. They enabled his forces to pressthe siege of rebel-held eastern Aleppo to devastating effect and regain full control of what wasSyria's biggest city and economic hub before the war. But on the ground, Shi'ite militias from asfar afield as Afghanistan played an important role for Assad, a member of the minority Alawitesect which is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. Among these militias, which fought in and aroundAleppo alongside the Tiger Force, an elite Syrian army unit lavishly backed by Russia, was the

Ansar Allah al-Awfiya group. The rebels inflicted big losses on the militia's fighters by hittingthem with a barrage of guided anti-tank missiles as they retreated in an area outside Aleppo,according to the militia commander, also an Iraqi. Reuters was unable to confirm the accountwith the group itself. But Hezbollah, battle-hardened by years of conflict with Israel, played aneven more important role. It ensured the siege was not broken by helping thwart a series ofsuicide attacks, according to the official in the pro-Assad military alliance. "If they (the suicideattacks) had succeeded we would have been the ones under siege," he said. Asked about therole of Shi'ite militias in the battle for Aleppo, a Syrian military source said army statementsalways referred to the "allied forces" working with the army. Last year Assad publicly creditedHezbollah for its role. SUICIDE ATTACKS Victory in Aleppo leaves Assad virtually unassailableby the rebels but he still faces great challenges in restoring the power of his state. While hecontrols the most important cities in western Syria and the coast, armed groups including IslamicState control swathes of territory elsewhere in Syria. Assad could face prolonged guerrillawarfare from forces including the Nusra Front, until recently affiliated with al Qaeda, the globaljihadist network founded by Osama bin Laden. But victory in Aleppo shows how the direction ofthe civil war has shifted with the support of his allies. "The course of events in Aleppo in the lastfew months... has turned the tide in Syria's war in favour of the Syrian government andresistance movement," said Hossein Salami, the deputy head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard,which has also deployed forces in the protracted campaign for Aleppo. He was referring to aregional alliance grouping Hezbollah, Iran and Syria defined by hostility to Israel. Less than 18months ago, Assad's forces had been losing ground across Syria and he had acknowledgedthere was a manpower problem in his army. Russia's decision to intervene militarily inSeptember 2015 helped prop up Assad, while protecting its own interests in the region. Russianwarplanes played a key role in imposing the siege, and in August launched some of their mostpowerful sorties yet to thwart a rebel attempt to break the siege from the south. The rebels' lastattempt to break the siege came in late October, and was spearheaded by suicide car and truckbomb attacks on the western flank of government-held west Aleppo. Syrian army soldiers fledwhen the first trucks, protected by makeshift armour, careered towards their positions. ButHezbollah sharp shooters stood their ground and opened fire, blowing up the trucks before theycould hit their targets. One Hezbollah fighter who destroyed one of the suicide truck bombs byhitting it from a distance of 200 metres (220 yards) was killed by the pressure of the blast."Hezbollah took a decision to halt the weapon of the car bomb regardless of how many martyrs itlost," said the senior official in the pro-Damascus alliance. The siege continued unbroken, andproved Assad's most effective weapon in the campaign for Aleppo. Applied steadily over severalmonths, it culminated with the full encirclement of eastern Aleppo this summer. From then on,rebel fighters faced a daily struggle to find food and fuel for their families, sapping morale."WEIGHT" BEHIND PRO-GOVERNMENT FORCES Hezbollah fighters have been in Syria sincethe early days of the civil war which grew out of protests against Assad and his government in2011. Their role in the battle of Qusair in Homs province in 2013 was critical to stopping rebelssplitting the Assad-held west in two. Other Shi'ite militia groups arrived steadily, their level oforganisation growing under Iranian leadership. The Iraqi commander described foreign fightersas the "weight" behind the pro-government forces. "The Iranians manage all the factions, butHezbollah is independent," he said. Like other sources interviewed for this story, he declined tobe named as he was talking about military affairs which he was not formally allowed to discusswith the media. Shi'ite militias generally took on the role of holding frontlines after advances ledby Hezbollah or the Tiger Force, said Rolf Holmboe, a research fellow at the Canadian GlobalAffairs Institute and a former Danish ambassador to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan who has deepknowledge of the battlefield. Iran sees the Syrian government's survival as vital to its regionalinterests. With their support, pro-Assad forces consolidated their positions around Aleppo and inFebruary severed the most direct supply route from Turkey. By June, air and artillerybombardment made what had been the only way into the rebel-held areas, the Castello Road,

impassable. The Tiger Force would finally capture the road in July. Eastern Aleppo then had apopulation estimated at 275,000 by the U. N. and some 7,000 rebels. Opposition groups hadstockpiled months of food. Yet rebel resistance collapsed more rapidly than expected."COMPLETE FAILURE" Warplanes unleashed bunker-busting bombs that left craters metreswide and brought down buildings. Hospitals were bombed out of service. Helicopters alsodropped chlorine bombs, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-basedmonitoring group, though the government denied this and other reported atrocities. Some rebelssaid cooperation on the battlefield was weakened by a lack of trust between groups in easternAleppo. Others said government spies has sewn discord among the rebels. Above all, rebelofficials complain that their main allies -- the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar --did not offer more military assistance when Russia began air strikes. Some rebel groups werearmed with weapons including guided anti-tank missiles under a military aid programmeoverseen by the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency. But Washington has ignored their pleas foranti-aircraft systems because of fears that they fall into the hands of more militant groups. "It'slike you are fighting modern warfare with a sword. Bravery can only take you so far," a Syrianopposition figure said. "It's a complete failure of whoever is interested in seeing us win. "(Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in Beirut,Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Syrian mayor appeals to EUleaders for Aleppo monitors

article.wn.com

2016-12-15 03:30 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

52 /270 0.7 Rodney Hood leads Utah Jazz's chippy, emotionally

charged blowout of OKC (1.06/12)

SALT LAKE CITY — It was chippy, emotionally charged andentertaining. It included the much-anticipated return of DerrickFavors and Rodney Hood. It ended in a blowout for the hometeam.

And, yes, it gave Utah Jazz fans a chance to boo the heck out ofhero-turned-heel Enes Kanter.

In other words, Wednesday was a pretty dang good night in Utah.As a bonus, the Jazz took over sole possession of the NorthwestDivision lead after trouncing Oklahoma City 109-89 at VivintArena.

“It’s huge. OKC is playing well, even though they lost (Tuesday inPortland),” Jazz guard Rodney Hood said. “ Russell Westbrook is

playing at an MVP level. To get a big win like that means a lot to us.”

Though he hadn’t played in three games because of strained right hamstring, it was Hood who

looked like the MVP candidate in this game.

Hood opened the game with a 3-pointer and that seemed to set the tone for him and the Jazz.The shooting guard finished with a team-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

“I felt good. I was a little winded at times, but for the most part I felt good out there,” Hood said. “Iplayed in flow, just played within the flow of the game. I didn’t force too much.”

Westbrook led all scorers, but he didn’t add to his impressive triple-double tally unless you count27 points, 18 missed shots and 13 free-throw attempts.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder liked how his well-rested team played Westbrook, but he also admittedUtah was fortunate to catch the MVP candidate on an off night.

“The guys that were guarding him worked hard. That’s all you can ask,” Snyder said. “It’s toughwhen you’re that dynamic like him on a back-to-back.”

The Jazz, who had three days off coming into this matchup, didn’t make it easy on Westbrook orthe Thunder for that matter. Utah matched Oklahoma City’s physicality and played a stiflingdefensive brand of basketball, limiting the visitors to 36.6 percent shooting.

Meanwhile, the Hood-led Jazz shot the lights out (58.3 percent) and got nice outings from thereturned shooting guard Gordon Hayward (17 points), as well as Shelvin Mack (15 points, fiveassists), Rudy Gobert (12 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks) and Joe Ingles (11 points on 4-of-5shooting).

Utah jumped out to a 7-0 start and led by as many as 19 points in the first half.

The Thunder made it interesting by clawing back to within six points in the third quarter, but theJazz didn’t relent en route to winning for the ninth time in 11 games.

Utah, which didn’t beat OKC last year in four tries, improved to 16-10 to take a one-game leadover the Thunder (15-11) in the division.

“That was a big win for us, especially with all of the injuries that we had, the adversity we’vebeen through,” said Favors, who had four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes while playingfor the first time in a month because of a bone contusion in his left knee. “That was a good winfor us. Hopefully we keep it up and keep that spot.”

If they keep shooting like they did from 3-point range (13-for-23) and contain superstars likeWestbrook (7-for-25), they probably will.

“Give Utah credit,” Thunder coach Billy Donavan said. “I thought they made a lot of timely three-point shots.”

Hood sank five from deep, while Ingles and Mack each had three. Mack’s buzzer-beating tripleat the end of the second quarter gave the Jazz a 55-41 halftime lead.

Hood’s luck was even better than his accuracy in this one.

On a night when Kanter (19 points) was booed every time his name was announced and witheach touch of the ball, Hood got into a brief altercation with the Turkish big man.

Kanter walked through a group of Jazz players after a bucket and nudged Hood, whoresponded by shoving the 6-foot-11 Utah mountain lover. Kanter then turned around andexchanged words with Hood.

Referees called a technical and fans briefly went berserk when it was announced that No. 11was the recipient. Instead of Kanter ending up with his second T and being tossed, though,Dante Exum somehow ended up with the costly foul.

Hood smiled when asked what happened with Kanter.

“That was Dante. That wasn’t me,” Hood joked. “Nah, we just ran into each other. It got chippy.That’s what happens in a game. It wasn’t nothing personal or anything like that.”

Hood walked over and hugged Kanter on OKC’s side of the court after the game. Favors andRudy Gobert also gave Kanter a quick hug, although Kanter kept walking as Gobert talked intohis ear.

“Just checking each other’s temperature,” Hood said of the friendly postgame exchange. “It wasjust one incident. It wasn’t nothing malicious. We’re not trying to kill each other; nothing like that.That was the end of it.”

That might be true for the Hood-Kanter brouhaha. But judging how emotional the team and thecrowd was for this one, that probably isn’t accurate overall.

EMAIL: jody@desnews.com

TWITTER: DJJazzyJody

Hood scores 25, Jazz beatThunder 109-89 to lead

divisionrssfeeds.usatoday.com

Rodney Hood scores 25points as Jazz beat the

Thunder, 109-89deseretnews.com

2016-12-15 01:55 Jody Genessy www.deseretnews.com

53 /270 2.6 Nintendo releases ‘Super Mario Run’ in high stakes

moment for the Japanese gaming giant (1.05/12)

Nintendo shares closed lower on Thursday as investors struck a note of caution ahead of therelease of "Super Mario Run" on Apple's iOS, a game which is seen as risky but crucial for theJapanese company.

"'Super Mario Run's' positive news already priced into the current stock price ... I'm a bitcautious," Eiji Maeda, analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities, told CNBC by phone on Thursday.

Maeda has a price target of 22,000 yen ($186.92) on Nintendo's stock, representing a 20percent decline from Thursday's close. Year-to-date, Nintendo's share price is up over 64

percent. The gaming giant'sstock closed at 27,575 yenThursday, down 1.43percent for the session.

"Super Mario Run" is set tobe released globally acrossthe world on Thursday andis free to download butcosts $9.99 to unlock thefull game. It is forecast toearn more than $71 millionin worldwide gross revenueduring its first month, less than half that achieved by "Pokemon Go" in the same time period,according to SensorTower research.

The release of the game is seen as risky for Nintendo as it is charging a premium price. Mostmobile games today are free to download and work on a model of selling items within the gameto earn revenues.

Maeda expects that the game will get around 150 million to 200 million downloads betweennow and the end of March 2017, with around 15 to 20 percent of users paying for the game. Theanalyst said that this would convert to 30 billion to 40 billion yen of revenues betweenDecember and the end of March.

But if "Super Mario Run" fails to hit expectations of users paying, the stock will fall, Maeda said.

"If the pay rate is over our expectation, it's a positive surprise. If it's lower it will be adisappointment for our consensus and stock price," Maeda told CNBC.

Nintendo's entrance to the mobile game market earlier this year has so far been successful. Itssocial media app "Miitomo" did well, while "Pokemon Go" –developed by Niantic, whichNintendo has a stake in – went viral. "Super Mario Run" was developed by Nintendo and DeNAhowever, which should help Nintendo see more of the revenue from the game.

Analysts are focusing on the $9.99 price to see if users spend the money, and some feel thatwith Nintendo's strong brand, the gaming giant will be able to make "Super Mario Run" asuccess.

"After a long period of having no clearly defined mobile strategy, Nintendo is entering the mobilegames market at an opportune time. Right as the market is cluttered by an abundant offering, theJapanese giant enters with a highly-visible franchise. Beyond the success for Nintendo, otherpublishers will be watching to see if a $10 premium model will work on mobile from here on out,"Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData Research, wrote in a note Wednesday.

"The nostalgia factor plays a key role here, as an entire generation of gamers suddenly, andfinally, finds itself able to play one of their childhood franchises on their phone, two weeksbefore the holidays. "

Another reason "Super Mario Run" is so crucial for Nintendo is the effect it could have on itsconsole business. If the mobile game does well, it could create a halo effect around thecompany which will help it when it comes to selling its upcoming console called Nintendo

Switch next year. Its recent handheld console the Wii U has been unsuccessful, so the Switch isan important console for Nintendo.

"The console business is more important than the smartphone business for Nintendo," Maedatold CNBC, who said that success for the Switch will be a "catalyst" for the company's stock if itdoes well next year.

Nintendo to release SuperMario Run in mobile game

testtimeslive.co.za

2016-12-15 04:51 Arjun Kharpal www.cnbc.com

54 /270 94.6 Not enough evidence yet to impeach Duterte for massmurder—solons (1.05/12)

Lawmakers from the“Magnificent Seven” blocon Thursday said thereneeds to be more solidevidence for animpeachment proceedingagainst President RodrigoDuterte to prosper inCongress, a bodydominated by a“supermajority” ofadministration allies.

In a press conference, theopposition solons admitted that an impeachment proceeding against Duterte at this time wouldprove to be difficult, even though the President had admitted himself that he personally killeddrug suspects when he was Davao City mayor.

READ: Duterte: I personally killed drug suspects

“I think there should be more warranted evidence to initiate a credible proceeding,” Albay Rep.Edcel Lagman from the Liberal Party said.

Another Liberal lawmaker, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, the leader of the independent minoritybloc, said mass murder is a basis for impeachment.

But with a supermajority of allies supportive of Duterte, as well as his high public ratings, itwould be difficult to impeach him for mass murder, Baguilat admitted.

“Crimes and murder can be a basis for impeachment move but the President can easily say that

he said it in jest so in terms of really material evidence, maybe we can move the impeachmentmove, (but) right now there’s not enough basis,” Baguilat said.

READ: Duterte admission he did killing just hyperbole?

“Impeachment is a political move. It’s always predicated on whether the person beingimpeached has lost trust and confidence. That’s something that is difficult right now to contestbecause of strong public support that President is having. But right now impeachment isdifficult,” he added.

Duterte made the admission during the Wallace Business Forum in Malacañang on Monday.

He said he would ride his bike and go around Davao city seeking an encounter to kill.

“I know it because—I am not trying to pull my own chair—in Davao I used to do it personally.Just to show to the [policemen] that if I can do it, why can’t you?” Duterte said.

“I go around in Davao (on) a big bike and I would just patrol the streets and looking for trouble. Iwas really looking for an encounter to kill,” he added.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the President’s admission was only a “hyperbole.”

It was Senator Leila De Lima in an interview with CNN International who said Duterte may beimpeached for mass murder, noting betrayal of public trust as a ground for impeachment.

READ: De Lima: Duterte may face impeachment for extrajudicial killings

“I should say that is an impeachable offense. That is a culpable violation of the Constitution. Thatis betrayal of public trust and that constitutes high crimes because these are mass murders,” DeLima said.

“Mass murders certainly fall under the category of high crimes and high crimes is a ground forimpeachment under our Constitution,” she added.

She added that she also feared for her life, after having initiated a Senate inquiry into the spateof extrajudicial killings of suspected drug pushers and users at the height of the administration’swar on drugs that has claimed over 6,000 lives.

“I’m not at all safe. I don’t feel safe because of what I’m doing. I have been warned by somefriends within the Philippine National Police, that there is a serious security threat against mebecause of my vocal criticism of what the President is doing,” De Lima said.

READ: AI slams Duterte over claims on killing criminals

“We do have an unfit President. He just confessed to doing the killing of people in Davao andwe know that he’s the one encouraging, promoting, and I know that he is the one promoting andencouraging and tolerating these killings and therefore, that is an impeachable offense. Whatwe have is mass murder,” De Lima said.

De Lima, who is abroad, said she does not plan to flee the accusations against her that shecollected payoffs from drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison to finance her senatorial campaignbid when she was justice secretary.

“The President himself has been branding me as the queen of the drug trade in the Philippines.What a preposterous and ridiculous and absurd accusation. It’s all false. These are fabricatedaccusations. That’s why I’m not afraid to face those charges. I’m innocent, so why should I flee?”De Lima said.

READ: House justice body: Bilibid drugs flourished under De Lima’s watch

House leaders dared De Lima to prove that Duterte’s kill claim was backed with solid evidenceand was not just empty rhetoric.

“Hindi lang siya sinungaling, tanga din pala (She’s not just a liar, she’s stupid as well). Youcannot just impeach an official for mere words. You have to prove the offense,” SpeakerPantaleon Alvarez said.

“What if the President will say, ‘I was only joking’?” he added.

Majority leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Fariñas said the President could only be impeached foran act he committed as Chief Executive.

“What? The President said that such happened when he was a mayor patrolling the streets ofDavao to keep them drug or crime free… The President could only be impeached by acts oromissions committed as President!” Fariñas said. JE/rga

READ: Alvarez twits ‘stupid’ De Lima for saying Duterte could be impeached

Duterte should beimpeached for 'mass

murder': Senator De Limacnn.com

2016-12-15 00:00 Marc Jayson newsinfo.inquirer.net

55 /270 96.1 Great-grandfather, 78, sentenced to prison in fatalshooting (1.05/12)

DETROIT — A 78-year-old great-grandfather was sentenced to four to 15 years in prisonWednesday after he was convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting the father of his great-grandchildren outside his Michigan home last year.

Donald Clayton Miller also was sentenced to two years in prison on a felony firearms conviction,with the counts to be consecutive, according to Macomb County Circuit Court records.

Miller was charged in the Feb. 16, 2015, death of Bondaryl McCall, 31, of Pontiac, Mich., whowas found shot multiple times in the driveway outside Miller’s home, the Macomb CountySheriff’s Office said. Macomb authorities said he was shot in the back, then shot three times inthe back of the head while he was unconscious.

McCall had three childrenwith his ex-girlfriend, wholived at the MacombTownship home with theirchildren and Miller, thehomeowner.

Sheriff AnthonyWickersham said themother and children wereinside the house when theshooting occurred outsidethe residence. The gunfirebroke out as McCall and Miller spoke. Miller fired a total of six shots from his handgun at McCall.The prosecution argued Miller created a conflict to murder McCall so Miller's great-grandsonwouldn't have to be afraid of his father anymore. McCall and Miller had been in a lengthycustody battle over one of the three children, according to the prosecution. Miller claimed self-defense. The prosecution said McCall was unarmed.

The three children are living with their mother, according to the prosecution.

Follow Christina Hall on Twitter: @challreporter

Drivers sentenced for dragrace that ended in fatal

crashwashingtontimes.com

Hudson Valley womansentenced for fatal hit-and-

runwashingtontimes.com

2016-12-15 03:48 Christina Hall rssfeeds.usatoday.com

56 /270 0.7 S. Korea presidential hopeful: U. S. missile defense

should wait (1.04/12)

By Christine Kim and James Pearson SEOUL, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Theformer leader of South Korea's main opposition party, who is leading pollsof candidates to be the next president, said on Thursday deployment of aU. S. anti-missile system that has antagonised China should be decidedby the next administration. Moon Jae-in, 63, who lost the last presidentialelection to Park Geun-hye by 3 percentage points, confirmed he would

run in the next election, which is scheduled for the end of 2017 but could be much sooner if aConstitutional Court upholds an impeachment vote against Park and she has to leave office.South Korea and the United States agreed this year to deploy a Terminal High Altitude AreaDefence (THAAD) anti-missile system in response to North Korean nuclear and ballistic missiletests. But China vehemently opposes the system's deployment in South Korea, fearing its radarwould be able to penetrate its territory. Russia also opposes it. The missile system has alsoraised opposition in South Korea, particularly in the area where it is due to be based.

Uncertainty surrounding Park following a vote in parliament to impeach her last week, the timingof the next election and the change of administration in the United States have contributed toquestions about the timing of the deployment of the system. Moon told a news conference inSeoul it should await a new president in South Korea. "It is inappropriate for the THAADdeployment process to go on under the current political circumstances," he said. Thecommander of U. S. Forces Korea said last month the THAAD battery would be deployed toSouth Korea within eight to 10 months. Moon held out the possibility of renegotiating theagreement to deploy the system, saying doing so would not damage relations with the UnitedStates. He said if elected, he would work to maintain strong ties with the United States, whichhas 28,500 troops in South Korea. Moon came top in a poll of possible presidential candidatesreleased on Thursday by Realmeter, with 24 percent, compared with 19.5 percent for outgoingU. N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is widely expected to enter the race though he hasyet to declare his intention to do so. Moon, who is a liberal, criticised the conservative Park'spolicy on North Korea for failing to end its nuclear programme. He said a two-track approachinvolving more talks would be more effective, adding he would be willing to meet North Koreanleader Kim Jong Un, if certain conditions were met. This month, South Korea said it wouldpursue further unilateral sanctions against the North after its fifth and largest nuclear test inSeptember. New United Nations Security Council sanctions, designed to cut North Korea'sannual export revenue by a quarter, were imposed after the test. The Constitutional Court hasup to 180 days to uphold or overturn parliament's vote to impeach Park, who has been strippedof her powers while she awaits the court's decision. If she leaves office early, an election wouldbe held in 60 days. (Reporting by Christine Kim and James Pearson; Editing by Robert Birseland Tony Munroe)

S. Korean presidentialhopeful casts doubt over US

missilesheraldonline.com

2016-12-15 04:22 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

57 /270 4.2 'Fear is palpable' among US climate scientists over

Trump moves (1.04/12)

But their mood darkened in recent days as President-elect Donald Trump tapped a series ofclimate change deniers and fossil fuel supporters for key posts in his administration.

That gloom turned to panic when Trump's transition team sought the names of Department ofEnergy scientists who have worked on climate programs, raising concerns of a political witchhunt.

"The thing that is palpable among scientists is fear," said John Abraham, a professor at theUniversity of St. Thomas in Minnesota who works on thermal science, ocean warming andrenewable energy.

"Fear that there will be either funding cuts to really critical climate science work, or retribution for

their work on climate change," he toldAFP.

On Saturday, meteorologist EricHolthaus issued an appeal on Twitter,asking if any scientists had a USgovernment database that "you don'twant to see disappear. "

He linked to a Google spreadsheetwhere scientists could add links todatasets on sea level rise, snow andice, carbon emissions, and more.

Soon, it turned into a massive effort toarchive key datasets on non-government servers. By midweek, the endeavor was taken over bystaff at the University of Pennsylvania.

Climate scientists admit they have no evidence that Trump is planning any moves to erasescientific data.

But scientists -- even in western democracies -- have encountered hostile actions bygovernment leaders before, including in Canada under former prime minister Stephen Harper,who cut thousands of government science positions, set strict rules for scientists engaging withthe media, burned books and eliminated certain research programs.

The Soviet Union's Joseph Stalin and Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler led purges of scientists, andin the United States in the 1940s and 50s, scientists were often targeted or suspended as part ofSenator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade.

When Trump takes office, he will be the only world leader to believe that climate change isn'treal, the Sierra Club has pointed out.

"Assaults on science are characteristic of non-democratic, authoritarian, fascist governments,"said Peter Gleick, a hydroclimatologist and co-founder of the Pacific Institute, a non-partisanthink tank.

"We worry it is going to get worse. "

Trump's transition team appeared to distance itself on Wednesday from the controversial emailseeking names of scientists who worked on President Barack Obama's climate changeinitiatives.

"The questionnaire was not authorized or part of our standard protocol," a Trump transitionofficial said in an email to AFP.

"The person who sent it has been properly counseled. "

A day earlier, the Department of Energy said the questions "left many in our work forceunsettled" and vowed not to provide "any individual names to the transition team. "

The Union of Concerned Scientists' Andrew Rosenberg said it was "great to see that the Trump

transition team is admitting that demanding a list of employees was a mistake. "

However, the Trump team must do more, by clearly committing "to respect the independence ofgovernment scientists (and) refrain from targeting civil servants for working on climate issues,"he added.

Meanwhile, the rising vitriol online has made plenty of scientists jittery.

For Gleick, one such moment came this week when he saw a tweet from the far-right BreitbartNews site, adapting a Nazi-era expression and referencing a firearm.

"When you hear a scientist talk about peer-review, you should reach for your Browning," it said.

Gleick tweeted about it, and soon a Twitter user sent him a picture of a Browning pistol.

Gleick retweeted the picture, and commented, "#climate scientists start getting pictures of gunsin their Twitter feed. "

Then, the man who sent the picture claimed he meant "no hostility," and said he was merelytrying to show Gleick the kind of gun mentioned.

"I don't know what their intent was. I don't know how seriously to take any of it," said Gleick,recalling that an armed man recently showed up at a Washington pizza parlor to "self-investigate" fake news reports that a child porn ring was run there by a top aide of HillaryClinton.

For Michael Mann, a well-known author on climate change who has received plenty of deaththreats for his work in recent years, including suspicious powder sent in the mail, "the currentpolitical climate in Washington is the worst we have seen in more than a decade, arguably theworst in history," he told AFP.

"To say that scientists are worried about what the next four years might hold in store would be anunderstatement. "

Trump Has Climate ChangeWeirdos Everywhere

Freaking Outspectator.org

2016-12-15 03:17 AFP www.timeslive.co.za

58 /270 47.1 Egypt executes militant convicted in 2013 attack onpolice (1.03/12)

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's official MENA news agency says a top militant who was convicted andsentenced to death for the killing of 25 policemen in 2013 has been executed. The report saysAdel Habara's execution on Thursday came five days after his final appeal was rejected by the

Cassation Court. Habara was convicted for his role in the killing of thepolicemen in northern Sinai in August 2013, two months after the militaryoverthrew the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first freely electedpresident. Egypt has for years battled militants in Sinai, but attackstargeting security forces there increased after Morsi's ouster. The violenceis blamed on a local affiliate of the Islamic State group, which has claimed

responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 25 people in a Cairo church on Sunday.

Egypt executes prominentIslamist militant Habara

amid threats of retaliationarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 08:12 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

59 /270 1.4 Yahoo's big breach helps usher in an age of hacker

anxiety (1.03/12)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Yahoo hasbecome the worst-case example of anunnerving but increasingly commonphenomenon " massive hacks that stealsecrets and other potentially revealinginformation from our personal digitalaccounts, or from big organizations thathold sensitive data on our behalf. OnWednesday, Yahoo disclosed agargantuan breach affecting more than abillion user accounts, the largest suchattack in history. The company said thatattack happened in August 2013,although...

Yahoo suffers world'sbiggest hack affecting 1

billion usersarticle.wn.com

Yahoo’s big breach helpsusher in an age of

hacker anxietylasvegassun.com

2016-12-15 06:44 system article.wn.com

60 /270

60 /270 0.0 'Iron lady' Ip runs for Hong Kong leader (1.03/12)

A former Hong Kong securitychief who stepped down aftermass protests and is loathedby the city's pro-democracycamp said Thursday she willrun for leader, as opponentswarn she would be a Beijingpuppet. The race for chiefexecutive was thrown openwhen unpopular hardlineleader Leung Chun-yingdeclared last week he wouldnot seek reelection after a termmarked by political crises and

anti-Beijing protests. Since then, finance secretary John Tsang, considered more moderate, hasresigned from the government and is widely expected to declare his leadership bid. But he hasbeen beaten to it by Regina Ip, who Thursday announced her "Win Back Hong Kong" campaign.Instrumental in the government's failed 2003 attempt to push through a hugely unpopular anti-subversion law, Article 23, Ip is a divisive figure seen by opponents as a China-friendly hardlinerlike Leung. She said Thursday she still wants to implement the controversial legislation at thesame time as striving for social harmony in Hong Kong. The deputy of Ip's New People's Party,Louis Shih, said Ip would be the "iron lady" that Hong Kong needs as she announced hercandidacy at the city's harbourfront convention centre. Ip said she was willing to work with non-establishment parties "as long as they faithfully uphold national sovereignty, territorial integrityand the Basic Law (Hong Kong's constitution)". Those remarks come as the government cracksdown on lawmakers calling for independence or self-determination for semi-autonomous HongKong, frustrated by a lack of democratic reform and Beijing interference. Two legislators havebeen banned from taking up their seats and four more face disqualification after an interventionfrom Beijing. Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said Ip would be "anxious to show Beijingthat she's loyal". Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung described Ip as a symbol of hardline politics.Ip resigned from government in 2003 after the proposed anti-subversion law brought half amillion protesters onto the streets as critics said it infringed human rights. City residentsdemonised the then security secretary by making fun of her hairstyle, calling her "broomhead"and "dragon lady". After a break from politics, a reinvigorated Ip has mobilised a strong pro-establishment base and won three legislative elections. In citywide parliamentary polls inSeptember, she scooped 60,000 votes, one of the highest number received by any candidate. Ipwould become Hong Kong's first ever female leader if she won. The chief executive is chosen bya 1,200-strong committee of representatives of special interest groups, weighted towardsBeijing. Mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 called for fully free leadership elections but failed towin concessions. Analysts Thursday said Ip would be an underdog if Tsang and currentgovernment number two Carrie Lam run for the leadership, as she is still tarnished by the 2003protests. One other candidate has declared they are running for the leadership so far -- retiredjudge Woo Kwok-hing who has said he will prioritise political reform.

Hong Kong stocks plunge inmorning session

business.inquirer.net

2016-12-15 06:30 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk

61 /270 11.6 Man, 32, slain in Manhattan shooting (1.03/12)

A gunman fatally shot a 32-year-old man in thestomach on a Harlem streetWednesday night, copssaid.

The shooter blasted theman on Lenox Ave. by W.127th St. at about 6:45p.m., then ran south onLenox, police said.

Medics rushed the man —whose name was notreleased — to Harlem Hospital, where he died.

Police: Man shot to death inWest Chatham

chicago.suntimes.com

2016-12-15 01:19 John Annese feeds.nydailynews.com

62 /270 0.0 Standard Bank in bid to block Zuma's Gupta

intervention (1.02/12)

Johannesburg - Financial institution Standard Bank Group has asked the North Gauteng HighCourt to prevent President Jacob Zuma and any of his ministers from intervening in its decisionto close company accounts associated with Gupta-linked Oakbay.

This is according to an affidavit filed by the bank in the court on Wednesday, which details howthe company came under pressure after closing accounts belonging to the Oakbay companies.

READ MORE: Gordhan lodges explosive affidavit exposing R6.8bn of dodgy Gupta transactions

"The public campaign and political pressure brought to bearupon Standard Bank to review and revers its decision ... wasorchestrated by Oakbay and its associated entities whichrelied on their apparent political connections and influence ingovernment to mount them," said Standard Bank's generalcounsel Ian Sinton.

"The pressure brought to bear on Standard Bank, in thecontext described above and at the instance of Oakbay and itsassociated entities, is unprecedented, and to the best of myknowledge has not been experienced by it or any of themembers of the Standard Bank group, in connection with orarising from a decision to terminate a banker-customerrelationship, with any of its erstwhile customers," said Sinton.

"As part of such campaigns Standard Bank's senior executives were requested to attend ameeting with some members of the National Executive Committee of the ANC and a meetingwith a committee of Cabinet purportedly led by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Mr MosebenziZwane, to account to them for Standard Bank's decision," added Sinton.

Standard Bank moves to block Jacob Zuma from intervening in Gupta case

Standard Bank filesexplosive affidavit seeking

protection from politicalinterference

timeslive.co.za

2016-12-15 09:21 Fin24 team www.fin24.com

63 /270 3.3 Thief steals officer's uniform from Philadelphia

courthouse (1.02/12)

Police in Philadelphia are searching for the thief who stole parts of anofficer's uniform from a bench outside a courtroom at the city's CriminalJustice Center.

The 25th District officer took off his uniform jacket, badge and hat whilepreparing to testify in a courtroom on the Center City building's fifth floorWednesday morning.

Police say the officer left his belongings on the bench and found that they were missing when hereturned 15 minutes later.

Surveillance video from the courthouse shows a man between 40 and 50 years old stuffing thejacket and hat into a bag before leaving the building.

Investigators say the suspect was only on the floor for about seven minutes. He was last seenheading toward Broad Street.

Thief steals officer’s uniformfrom Philadelphia courthouse

wtop.com

2016-12-15 09:16 The Associated www.heraldonline.com

64 /270 1.7 Swedish island rejects renting pipe storage space to

Russia (1.02/12)

Sweden's militarily strategic Baltic Sea island of Gotland has turned downa Russian request to rent harbor space after the government warned itcould harm the Scandinavian country's defense and political interests.

In an 11-0 vote, Gotland's technical board declined Thursday to allowRussia's energy giant Gazprom to store pipes in the Slite harbor for an

undersea natural gas pipeline that will run from Russia to Germany.

The European Union, which imports one-third of its natural gas from Russia, agreed last yearwith Gazprom on a twin pipeline to run parallel to the existing Nord Stream 1.

However, there has been growing opposition amid hesitancy to make Europe more dependenton Russian energy. Regional tensions have grown and there have been reports of airspaceviolations by Russian military aircraft.

Swedish court rejects ex-Yukos shareholders claim

against Russia — RTBusinessrt.com

2016-12-15 09:09 The Associated www.heraldonline.com

65 /270 1.1 Grandmother of children who ate heroin gets jail

sentence (1.02/12)

WARREN, Ohio (AP) — The grandmother of two small children who swallowed heroin at hernortheast Ohio home has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. The Warren Tribune Chroniclereports (http://bit.ly/2hos5RW ) a judge in Warren sentenced 44-year-old Lisa Davis on

Wednesday after Davis pleaded guilty in October to a felony charge ofallowing drug abuse. The two children, ages 9 months and 21 months,and their teenage mother were living in Davis' Warren home in Februarywhen they had to be revived with a heroin antidote at a hospitalemergency room. A jury last month convicted the mother, 19-year-oldCarlisa Davis, of two counts of child endangering. She awaits sentencing.Lisa Davis' attorney called it a "tragic situation" during the sentencing hearing. Lisa Davis'mother now has custody of the children. ___ Information from: The Tribune Chronicle,http://www.tribtoday.com

Grandmother of ChildrenWho Ate Heroin Gets Jail

Sentenceabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 09:09 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

66 /270 4.3 Police investigating pedestrian accident in Westland

(1.02/12)

WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) - Westlandpolice are investigating after a man in his50's was struck at Michigan Avenue andMerriman Road Thursday morning.

Police said the northbound lanes ofMerriman Road remain closed forinvestigation.

We're told the man was crossing a medianwhen he was struck.

STAY WITH WXYZ. COM FOR UPDATESON THIS DEVELOPING STORY.

CMPD investigatingThursday morning homicide

in west Charlottecharlotteobserver.com

2016-12-15 08:50 WXYZ www.wxyz.com

67 /270

67 /270 0.4 Greece's Tsipras eyes 'breakthrough without blackmail'

in debt row (1.02/12)

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprascalled Thursday for a "breakthroughwithout blackmail" in a row over theeurozone's decision to suspend debtrelief over a pension spending hike byAthens.

"For the Greek issue, I believe that nowit's time to have a breakthrough. I willhave a chance to discuss with a lot ofmy colleagues," Tsipras said as hearrived for an EU summit in Brussels.

"I believe that we can have abreakthrough without blackmail andwith respect of the sovereignty of each country. "

The eurozone announced the surprise decision on Wednesday, in response to leftist premierTsipras mooting plans to implement a one-off payout to 1.6 million low-income pensioners,along with a sales tax break for islands sheltering thousands of migrants.

Debt relief measures were agreed by eurozone ministers on December 5 in the face of criticismby the International Monetary Fund that they fell well short of what was necessary to get Greeceback on its feet.

French President Francois Hollande warned on Thursday that Greece should be treated with"dignity".

"I want Greece to be treated with dignity and to stay in the eurozone," Hollande said as hearrived at the summit.

"There cannot be any question of asking extra efforts from Greece or of stopping it from taking acertain number of sovereign decisions. "

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said earlier Thursday that Paris opposes the decision tosuspend the debt relief measures.

Sapin suggested the decision had not been taken unanimously by the 19-member eurozone,with austerity champion Germany known to have pushed for suspending further aid to the debt-wracked country.

"Individual statements are not the collective statements of the eurogroup," Sapin told reporters,putting France at odds with the decision announced on Wednesday morning.

The Greek parliament is set to vote on the payments on Thursday evening which would affectretirees who have a pension of less than 850 euros a month at a total cost of 617 million euros($646 million).

The payments could violate the terms of Greece's third bailout, agreed in July 2015 after six

months of bitter talks that nearly saw Athens crash out of the euro.

Under the bailout agreed with eurozone countries, Greece has committed to making a host ofeconomic reforms and must submit to oversight of its budgets and spending plans.

Tsipras calls forbreakthrough to help Greece

with migrantsarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 08:50 www.digitaljournal.com

68 /270 2.1 NJ Court rejects bid to dismiss same-sex

discrimination suit (1.02/12)

An appeals court in NewJersey turned down a bid todismiss a lawsuit filed by aformer employee whoclaims she was fired by aCatholic school becauseshe's married to a woman.

The Archdiocese of Newarkchallenged a lower courtruling to allow the case toproceed to determinewhether state law or church

tenets apply.

Kate Drumgoole claims Paramus Catholic High School violated state discrimination laws byfiring her as dean of guidance and head coach of the basketball team after learning she hadmarried a woman.

The school said Drumgoole was fired because she's in a same-sex marriage and it's lawful forchurches to require that employees subscribe to their tenets.

NJ Court Rejects Bid toDismiss Same-SexDiscrimination Suitabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 08:50 The Associated www.thenewstribune.com

69 /270 2.2 Belgian police move on Libya arms smuggling ring

(1.02/12)

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authoritieshave detained four people after a series ofraids to break up a weapons smugglingring trying to send guns into Libya indefiance of a U. N. arms embargo. ...

Bosnian police arrest 2suspected arms smugglers

in Sarajevodailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 08:50 system article.wn.com

70 /270 4.4 Bodies of woman and boy, seven, found in house in

Ruislip (1.02/12)

The bodies of a womanand a seven-year-old boyhave been discovered afterpolice forced their way intoa house in west London.

Officers were called to ahouse in The Fairway,Ruislip, at 10.50am onWednesday over welfareconcerns. The bodies of thewoman in her mid-30s andthe young boy were

discovered inside, the Metropolitan police said.

Formal identification is yet to take place but police believe the deceased are Sinead Higginsand Oisin O’Driscoll and that their deaths did not involve a third party. A Met spokeswoman saidofficers were trying to establish whether the woman and boy were mother and son.

DI Dave Bolton, of the Met’s homicide and major crime command, said: “The investigation is at avery early stage but inquiries so far lead us to believe there is a likelihood that the tragic eventsthat led to the deaths do not involve a third party. We are appealing to anyone who has anyinformation to come and speak with us.”

A postmortem examination is scheduled to take place at Fulham mortuary on Friday.

Bodies of a woman and aboy, seven, are found in a

home in west Londondailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 08:43 Press Association www.theguardian.com

71 /270 1.0 Aleppo children beg to be rescued in heartbreaking

video from bombed out Syrian city (1.02/12)

A videoed message from children who saythey live in an orphanage in one of the lastpockets of rebel resistance in Aleppo hasemerged in the final hours of battle for theSyrian city.

'This may be the last timeyou hear my voice': Children

trapped in the lastorphanage standing in

Aleppo beg to be rescueddespite ceasefiredailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 08:41 Around article.wn.com

72 /270 1.5 Michael Floyd's Arizona Cardinals career ends after

DUI (1.02/12)

TEMPE, Fla. -- Michael Floyd's turbulent season was compounded earlier this week when hewas arrested on suspicion of DUI and it only got worse on Wednesday when the wide receiverwas waived by the Arizona Cardinals with his head coach offering next to no commentswhatsoever.

"We made some roster moves - you can read about 'em, I'm not talkin' about 'em," head coachBruce Arians said. "If you've got any questions about the guys that are on the team, I'll be glad totalk about them and the Saints. "

Floyd, Arizona's top wideout since Larry Fitzgerald was moved mostly inside to the slot position,has struggled all season with just 33 catches for 446 yards and four touchdowns. He was

plagued by numerous dropped balls,including a handful in criticalsituations that only darkened theCardinals' disappointing season and5-7-1 record heading into Sunday'sgame against visiting New Orleans.

Though Arians declined to discussFloyd's release in any specifics, hedid said that the decision was aunanimous one made by himself,general manager Steve Keim andclub president Michael Bidwill.

"There were a lot of factors, but itwas a difficult decision for sure," Bidwill told NFL.com. "Deeply disappointed it didn't work out.He was a 2012 first-round draft choice for us, a person we thought would eventually take LarryFitzgerald's position and be the No. 1 receiver for the future. "

Floyd becomes the eighth first-round pick of the Cardinals in the previous 11 years that is nolonger on the team.

"It sucks. He's a good guy," Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu said of Floyd. "I think we all makemistakes. Sometimes you're under the spotlight, you're under a microscope, so obviously I wishhim the best. He's like a brother to me. If he ever needs anything, I'm sure he can reach out tome, I'm sure he can reach out to a bunch of guys in this locker room. "

The move, one among a flurry of roster changes this week, comes with three games remainingin a season that hasn't been kind to Floyd, 27, or the Cardinals. The fifth-year pro out of NotreDame has struggled to find consistency all year in what couldn't be worse timing given that he isset to become an unrestricted free agent.

"It's a tough day," Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "Mike's a close friend of mine, anoffseason golfing buddy and workout partner, so it's tough. I believe in Mike. I hope for nothingbut the best for Mike and look forward to seeing what he does with the next opportunity he gets. "Asked if he feels Floyd has an alcohol problem, Palmer didn't hesitate.

"No," he said. "I think somebody's going to pick Mike up and Mike's going to make the most ofthe opportunity and like I said, I believe in Mike and I want the best for him. "

Palmer also was asked if Floyd was surprised by Wednesday's developments.

"I don't know if anybody has ever not been surprised when they've been released," he said. "Ithink it's a tough reality to deal with and when it's the first time you get released, it's especiallytough for sure. "

Mathieu, who said he spoke with Floyd on Wednesday, said the team was in shock following thereceiver's dismissal.

"Yeah, I think so. I mean, obviously, this whole year has been kind of rough," Mathieu said. "Andthen seeing stuff like that happen, I think we're all shocked and kind of in disbelief. We've gotthree games left to play so we've got to stay focused. "

Mathieu said he offered Floyd some advice and part of it was "believing in yourself. "

"You know, everybody's going to have something to say, everybody's going to try and criticizeyou, everybody thinks they know what you're going through," Mathieu said. "The most importantthing is for him to believe in himself and I really do hope that someone gives him a chance. "

In addition to releasing Floyd on Wednesday, the Cardinals signed free-agent wide receiverJeremy Ross, elevated tackle Givens Price off the practice squad and added tackle Aaron Eppsand wide receiver Marvin Hall to the practice squad.

Ross, 28, has played in 49 career games with the Packers, Lions, Ravens and Raiders andearlier this season, appeared in four games for the New York Jets until being released on Dec.6. He entered the NFL in 2011 with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of California.

Asked who would pick up the slack in Floyd's absence starting with this Sunday's game againstthe visiting New Orleans Saints , Arians said it would be a collective effort.

"A bunch of guys, a bunch of guys," Arians said. "Smoke ( John Brown ) should be able to up hisreps hopefully this week. (Marquis) Bundy has been progressing nicely. And Brittan Golden,who played very well last week. "

Around the NFL: Arizonareceiver released after arrest

latimes.com

2016-12-15 08:39 www.upi.com

73 /270 0.7 Canadian officials meet detained Canadian in North

Korea (1.02/12)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Canadian officials visited North Korea andmet with Canadian detainee Hyeon Soo Lim, who was sentenced to life inprison last year over what Pyongyang described as anti-state activities,the North’s state media said Thursday.

A Canadian government delegation led by Sarah Taylor, director generalfor North Asia and Oceania for Global Affairs Canada, arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for athree-day visit to discuss Lim’s case and other issues, Pyongyang’s Korean Central NewsAgency said.

The agency said the Canadian officials met Lim, but provided no further details.

Lim, a Christian pastor, was convicted by Pyongyang’s Supreme Court for trying to use religionto destroy the North Korean system and helping U. S. and South Korean authorities lure andabduct North Korean citizens.

North Korea is often accused of using foreign detainees as a way to win concessions from othercountries. The country is locked in a standoff with the international community over itsexpanding nuclear weapons and missiles program.

North Korea is also holding at least two Americans for alleged espionage, subversion and othercharges. Korean-American Kim Tong Chol is serving a 10-year prison term with hard labor,while University of Virginia undergraduate Otto Warmbier has received 15 years.

In July, North Korea announced that it would handle all issues with the United States in line witha wartime law in response to U. S. sanctions that target leader Kim Jong Un. It has notelaborated on what wartime law means, although analysts say that suggests North Korea coulddeal with U. S. detainees in a harsher manner.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Canadian Officials MeetDetained Canadian in North

Koreaabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 08:30 By Associated mynorthwest.com

74 /270 3.8 Man Robs Stickney Bank (1.02/12)

CHICAGO (CBS) — A manrobbed a bank Wednesdayevening in west suburbanStickney.

The suspect did not show aweapon at 5:23 p.m. whenhe robbed the TCF Bankbranch at 7122 W. 40th St.,according to the FBI. Noinjuries were reported.

The robber was describedas a black man, thought to

be in his late 20s or early 30s, standing between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9, with a medium build, theFBI said. He was wearing a dark-colored baseball hat, black and white plaid scarf, dark greenwinter coat and dark pants.

Anyone with information on the bank robbery is asked to contact the FBI at (312) 421-6700.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This materialmay not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Man robs Stickney bankchicago.suntimes.com

2016-12-15 08:23 chicago.cbslocal.com

75 /270 8.6 Minivan Hits 3 Men Changing Tire In The Bronx, 1

Killed (1.02/12)

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) — Oneman is dead and two othersare seriously injured afterbeing struck by a minivanwhile they were trying tochange a tire on the NewEngland Thruway in theBronx, police said.

It happened around 2 a.m.Thursday between exits 10and 11, near BartowAvenue in Baychester.

The men were standing on the left shoulder of the narrow roadway trying to change a flat tirewhen police said a 52-year-old minivan driver struck all three.

A 29-year-old man was killed from the impact of the crash. The two others were taken to JacobiMedical Center in stable condition.

As for the driver of the minivan, he is cooperating with investigators, CBS2’s Janelle Burrellreported. Police do not expect to charge the driver.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

One person dead after driverhits three people changing

flat tire in the Bronx feeds.nydailynews.com

2016-12-15 08:13 newyork.cbslocal.com

76 /270

76 /270 5.5 2 juveniles could receive life in prison after allegedly

starting Tennessee fires that killed 14 (1.02/12)

GATLINBURG, Tenn. —The toll of the wildfires thatravaged Gatlinburg,Tennessee, in recentweeks is staggering: 14people dead, another 175injured, and more than2,400 houses, businessesand other structuresdestroyed.

Sevier County Mayor LarryWaters estimates thedamage to be more than

$500 million. The federal government says nearly 20,000 acres of Great Smoky MountainsNational Park have been scorched.

As the full extent of the catastrophic damage reveals itself, authorities — who early on suspectedarson — said the blaze was man-made.

Or, more aptly, juvenile-made.

Two Tennessee youths are sitting in a Sevier County detention center.

If convicted of aggravated arson, they could go to prison for 60 years.

If more serious charges, including first-degree murder, are levied against them and they areconvicted, they could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

But, for some in Gatlinburg, it won’t matter.

“If in fact they did set the fire, and they did it on purpose,” began Kent Emmons, whose homewas destroyed, “I cannot think of a punishment severe enough for them.”

Drought, winds fuel fire

Authorities have said the firestorm began with an initial fire that was lit November 23 in theChimney Tops area of the national park along the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

One week later, on November 28, that fire — incubated by the area’s worst drought in nearly adecade, and fueled by erratic 70 mph wind gusts — had grown into at least 14 fires, and theflames had reached Gatlinburg, a popular resort town some 10 miles away.

The fire department ordered residents and tourists to evacuate, some with only the clothes ontheir backs.

Some, however, were not able to get out.

“If you’re a person of prayer, we could use your prayers,” Greg Miller, the town’s fire chief, said

as the fires grew.

‘Everything is on the table’

“Everything is on the table,” is how local prosecutor James Dunn categorizes the case againstthe juveniles, who remain unnamed publicly because of their age. Among the unknowns iswhether prosecutors will charge them as adults.

Because the law prohibits the dissemination of practically all information in juvenile cases, Dunnwas left with little else to tell reporters at a news conference announcing their arrests.

Perhaps that’s why he repeated on four occasions: “Everything is on the table.”

The only additional information Dunn has revealed was that both youths were set to have abond hearing within 72 hours of their December 7 arrest. But more than a week later, the SevierCounty Juvenile Court has not held such a hearing, nor has any been scheduled, according toMatthew Jones, the court’s youth services officer.

CNN reached out to the two defense attorneys who have, according to the Knoxville NewsSentinel, been retained by each of the juveniles’ families, but messages left for both have notbeen returned.

‘This is pretty complicated’

Although they’ve levied charges, authorities have ostensibly not yet determined what — if any —intentions they think the accused may have had, hence their leaving of “everything on the table”when it comes to the possibility of more — and more severe — charges.

So, while authorities continue to investigate, here is a look at what could be “on the table” in thestate of Tennessee:

“This is pretty complicated,” says CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos. “Depending on the facts ofthe case, even if they didn’t intend to kill anyone, they still could be charged with first-degreemurder.”

According to Cevallos, that’s because the statute defining first-degree murder in Tennesseeincludes the “killing of another committed in the perpetration of or attempt to perpetrate,” severalspecific offenses, among them arson.

In Tennessee, conviction of first-degree murder carries life in prison, life without the possibility ofparole, or the death penalty.

If authorities determine that the guilty party or parties did not intend to kill, but do not chargethem with first-degree murder, then the two next most severe charges — second-degree murderand voluntary manslaughter — would be off the table, according to Cevallos, because theformer requires “an intentional killing,” and the latter an “intentional killing with provocation.”

Should that be the case then — that the intention was not to kill — Cevallos says the next mostsevere charges available to Tennessee authorities after first-degree murder would be recklesshomicide, which is punishable by up to 12 years in prison, or criminally negligent homicide,which is up to six years.

Of course, for either to be tried on any of these charges, each would have to be tried as an adult.

And that is something, according to Dunn, that is still on the table.

'No punishment is severeenough': Teens who startedTennessee wildfires couldbe JAILED FOR LIFE asofficials estimate $500m

worth of damagedailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 07:48 CNN Wire myfox8.com

77 /270 4.1 Kuwait convicts 16 of repeating speech critical of emir

(1.02/12)

KUWAIT CITY (AP) - A Kuwait court hasconvicted and sentenced 16 people to twoyears in prison each for repeating aspeech by an opposition leader previouslydeemed offensive to the nation's emir.

Kuwait Convicts 16 ofRepeating Speech Critical of

Emirabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 07:46 system article.wn.com

78 /270 22.9 Businesswoman daughter of Mozambique's Guebuzamurdered (1.02/12)

MAPUTO, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Valentina Guebuza, the influentialbusinesswoman daughter of former Mozambican President ArmandoGuebuza, was shot dead by her husband in their apartment in a wealthyneighbourhood of the capital, Mozambican police said on Thursday.Guebuza, a member of the ruling Frelimo party's Central Committee andranked as one of Africa's most powerful women, was rushed to hospital

after being shot four times but died en route, police spokesman Orlando Mudumane said. Herhusband, Zofimo Muiuane, had confessed to the murder, saying the couple had of late beenliving a tumultuous relationship, Mudumane said. A South Africa-trained civil engineer, Guebuzaheld prominent positions in the telecommunications and banking sectors and led several familybusinesses. Among these was Focus 21, a family investment firm with interests in fisheries,

transportation, mining, real estate, media and the port in Beira, Mozambique's second city. Herfather, Armando, stepped down in 2015 after 10 years as president in which his commercialinterests earned him the nickname Gue-Business. He remains one of Mozambique's mostpowerful figures. (Reporting by Manuel Mucari; Editing by Ed Cropley and Angus MacSwan)

Daughter of Mozambiquepresident killed‚ husband

under arresttimeslive.co.za

2016-12-15 07:33 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

79 /270 0.7 Massachusetts tiptoes into pot legalization; OK to

smoke, not to sell (1.02/12)

By Scott Malone BOSTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Massachusetts onThursday became the first state in the densely populated U. S. Northeastto legalize marijuana for recreational use, a step that advocates say couldhelp spread the drug's acceptance across the United States. The state isone of three where ballot measures legalizing recreational use of the drugpassed on Nov. 8, along with California and Nevada, while voters inArizona rejected it and a Maine ballot is still being recounted. The Massachusetts measurelegalizing use of the drug by adults 21 and older in private places passed by 54 percent to 46percent, easily overcoming the opposition of prominent state officials in both parties.Massachusetts is now one of eight U. S. states that have legalized use of the drug forrecreational use since voters in Washington and Colorado first approved the idea in 2012. Butthe measure approved last month does not allow the drug to be sold in the state legally until2018, a delay that advocates said was intended to give state officials time to determine how toimplement the law. Distances between cities in the Northeast are smaller than in the West,leading some to suggest Massachusetts' move could motivate neighboring states to considersimilar steps, given how easy it will be for people to cross state lines to acquire the drug. "Itcertainly makes sense for those states to look at the policy and consider the benefits that a stategets from putting this behind a regulated counter," Taylor West, deputy director of theWashington-based National Cannabis Industry Association, said in a phone interview.Neighboring Rhode Island's governor, Democrat Gina Raimondo, has said she will more closelyconsider the idea of legalization following Massachusetts' move. An October poll by Gallupshowed that 60 percent of Americans now support the legalization of recreational use ofmarijuana. Even more approve of the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical use, a step that 28states have taken. Nonetheless, the drug is illegal under federal law, and U. S. President-electDonald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has sent mixed signals about his views on it. Duringthe campaign, Trump, a Republican, said that marijuana legalization was best left to the states.His pick for attorney general, U. S. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, has criticized DemocraticPresident Barack Obama's administration for not enforcing the federal ban aggressively enough."When you look at Jeff Sessions' comments around marijuana, you can't help but be worried,"Jim Borghesani, who ran the campaign to legalize marijuana in Massachusetts, said in a phoneinterview. "Until we see the way they are going to move, it's difficult to say. " (Reporting by Scott

Malone; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Massachusetts tiptoes intopot legalisation; OK to

smoke, not to selltimeslive.co.za

2016-12-15 07:06 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

80 /270 2.4 Presidential campaign of Putin critic Lindsey Graham

'was hacked by Russia after criminals broke into its emailaccount' (1.02/12)

A former Republicanpresidential nominee hasaccused the Russiangovernment of hacking hiscampaign email accounts -and called for 'cripplingsanctions' against Moscow.Senator Lindsey Grahamrubbished Donald Trump'srejection of Russianinterference in the election,and warned that inactionagainst Putin would meanChina and Iran would follow

suit. He said he was told by the FBI that his campaign had been hacked in June. Graham, whoended his campaign for presidency in December last year, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer: 'They'retrying to destabilize democracy all over the world. 'We should tell the Russians, in uncertainterms, you interfered in our elections, we don't care why. We're going to hit you and hit you hard.'And he said: 'If you don't stop Russia, China and Iran will eventually do this'. The CIA and theFBI have both concluded that Russia stole data from campaign computers, and were behind theleak of documents from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaignchief, John Podesta. The CIA concluded that the Kremlin had intended to boost Trump - butGraham said he did not think the outcome of the election was affected by Russian meddling. Hesaid: 'I do believe the Russians hacked into the DNC. I do believe they hacked into Podesta'semail account. 'They hacked into my campaign account. I do believe all the information releasedpublicly hurt Clinton, didn't hurt Trump. But I don't think the outcome of the election is in doubt.'Graham, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has called for acongressional probe into Russian election hacking. And he said on Twitter that Russia wouldpay. 'My goal is to put on President Trump's desk crippling sanctions against Russia. They needto pay a price,' he posted. Graham also posted: 'Russian hacking during the US presidentialelection is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It's an American issue. We must stand together.'He revealed on CNN that he has 'never sent an email', and said he is 'not about to start now'.

Top US Republican SenatorGraham accuses Russia of

hacking his emailbbc.co.uk

2016-12-15 06:47 Dave Burke www.dailymail.co.uk

81 /270 6.4 Suspect arrested in shooting of man at a Tucson

restaurant (1.02/12)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Authorities say a suspect is in custody in connectionwith a shooting at a restaurant on Tucson’s northwest side.

Pima County Sheriff’s officials say 22-year-old Austin Gatlin-O’Neal wasbooked Wednesday into the county’s Adult Detention Complex onsuspicion of one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

They say the shooting occurred just before midnight Tuesday at the Fox and Hound and sentone man to the hospital.

Sheriff’s deputies say a 21-year-old man was shot in the calf after an argument with Gatlin-O’Neal.

It’s not immediately known if Gatlin-O’Neal has an attorney yet.

Updated: Police arrest 2suspected in Anaheimshooting after a chase,

crash in Tustinocregister.com

2016-12-15 06:05 By www.washingtontimes.com

82 /270 6.3 Trump’s conflicts con will fail (1.02/12)

For those worried about corruption and cronyism, Donald Trump’s coming for-profit presidencywill hardly “drain the swamp.” Rather, it will create a new one, albeit with large, gold-plated allcaps letters branding it a TRUMP property.

His recent late-night misdirection by tweet on a busy news day, calling off a planned pressconference on potential conflicts of interest, was clever but predictable — and predictablywrong. His effort to combine public service and self-enrichment would be blatantly unethical,

unprecedented andunconstitutional.

The Emoluments Clause ofthe U. S. Constitution isunambiguous. It makesclear that this country doesnot allow a foreign power toconvey anything of value toan American President in apotential effort to bribe andsway him. A 1994 JusticeDepartment opinion

concludes that the original “language of the Emoluments Clause is sweeping and unqualified.”

Trump promises to avoid problems by having two of his children run his business and avoiding“new deals.” (Do leases or hotel rentals count as deals?)

This is akin to Willie Sutton asking to be let off if he pledged no new thefts. For the problem hereis not merely Trump committing an overtly corrupt act. Rather, it is a conflict baked into hisrelationships abroad as foreign leaders may understandably assume either that favors to Trumpproperties that will line his pockets or threats to them — nice hotel, hope nothing happens to it —may give the officials added leverage in any dealings.

That’s why “conflicts” aren’t some abstract good-government obsession but an actual, ongoingthreat to our national interest.

Of the first 29 foreign countries with whose leaders Trump spoke after being elected, he hadassets in eight. During the campaign, he lauded President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s viciouspostcoup-attempt crackdown in Turkey — just a month after Erdogan had suggested taking hisname off the Trump Towers in Istanbul.

Such conflicts will only proliferate once Trump is in office, especially in an administration run bywealthy economic interests; nothing says “white working class” quite like the billionaires in hiscabinet. At the same time, every project that bears the Trump brand will be a terrorist target.

The President-elect has said that voters knew preelection about his holdings and conflicts, andjust weren’t bothered. But of course he presumably was hiding something by refusing to releasehis tax returns. Nor are constitutional provisions subject to gotcha excuses or popular elections.

There’s only one sound answer: total divestment by the family, or the setting up of a true blindtrust. The alternative of partial divestment with “transparency” and piecemeal decisions by WhiteHouse counsel is naive, allowing thousands of winks and nods at lower levels, if not betweenfather and children.

So, should we weep for the Trump progeny? Nope. They’d earn billions with an arm’s-lengthselloff by a public trustee.

Should we mourn the future of the Trump brand? Rudy Giuliani said that divestment would beunreasonable since the President-elect’s holdings are so extensive. But the Constitution doesn’thave exceptions for degree of difficulty. If anything, the bigger the conflict, the more important theEmoluments Clause.

Trump’s stance that he can merely cease his operational role but keep his investment — in hisown or his children’s names — is a distinction without a difference. Greasing the palms ofprincelings has been a sure way to ensnare kings.

Should he continue his obvious rationalizations and stonewalling, Trump will have twogathering problems.

He would be a walking article of impeachment upon taking office. We assume the GOP-controlled 115th Congress will resist impeaching him no matter how open-and-shut the case.But as potential quid pro quo scandals accumulate, some Republicans approaching 2018 or2020 will realize that his sleaze politically rubs off on them.

Second, private lawsuits against Trump could well succeed. Recent Supreme Court precedentholds that a sitting President can be sued. And the court’s unanimous decision in McKesson vs.Florida gives standing to sue the recipient of unlawful government favors.

Trump’s cancellation of his conflicts press conference this week is the dog that didn’t bark. Butits loud message was that he’ll connive as much as conceivable to avoid yielding to pressure orlaws in order to become an American oligarch merging public power and private wealth.

If he doesn’t change his mind before taking the oath Jan. 20 — which ends with him promisingto “defend the Constitution of the United States,” not violate it the next moment — his will be adoomed presidency, via either Congress or court.

Tribe is university professor and professor of constitutional law at Harvard. Green is host of thenationally syndicated radio show “Both Sides Now.”

Who can hold Donald Trumpaccountable on conflicts of

interest?rssfeeds.usatoday.com

2016-12-15 06:00 Laurence Tribe feeds.nydailynews.com

83 /270 1.5 Yellen signals caution about Trump’s economic

stimulus plan (1.02/12)

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

In this Feb. 25, 2015, file photo, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen removes her glasses asshe testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.

By Josh Boak, Associated Press

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 | 1:02 a.m.

WASHINGTON — President-electDonald Trump has pledged deep taxcuts and increased infrastructurespending to restore lost jobs,accelerate the economy and bringprosperity to more Americans.

Janet Yellen has her doubts.

After a presidential campaign full ofblunt words and sweeping promises,the Federal Reserve chair soughtWednesday to make a nuancedpoint: The moment for a deficit-fueledstimulus to improve job creation haslikely passed.

With unemployment at a low 4.6 percent and hiring consistently solid, Yellen said she thoughtemployers no longer needed large tax cuts and heavy infrastructure spending to create jobs.

In fact, she suggested that with unemployment at a nine-year low, a major stimulus of the kindTrump is pushing could pose risks. For one thing, Yellen indicated that the government's debtcould become a heavier burden.

"As our population ages, the debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to rise," she said. "And that needs tocontinue to be taken into account. "

Yellen's remarks, at a news conference after the Fed announced it was raising its key interestrate, cast her in an unusual role: Once a strong advocate of federal spending to support theeconomy in the aftermath of the Great Recession, Yellen now has cautionary words about suchefforts.

Besides expanding the government's debt, a heavy dose of economic adrenaline at this stagecould also cause the economy to overheat. If that were to happen, the Fed would likely feelcompelled to repeatedly raise its benchmark rate. Higher borrowing rates, in turn, would slowgrowth.

"I would say at this point that fiscal policy is not obviously needed to provide stimulus to help usget back to full employment," Yellen said.

For years after the recession officially ended in 2009, Yellen and her predecessor, BenBernanke, had encouraged additional federal stimulus, concerned that the Fed alone could notsupport a fragile recovery.

Her retreat from that view reflects a belief that the economy is now on firm ground. With lowunemployment and inflation edging toward their 2 percent target, Fed officials votedunanimously Wednesday to raise the federal funds rate for just the second time in more than adecade. That rate sets the range for what banks can charge each other for short-term loans, andit heralds higher rates for some consumer and business lending.

Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust, saw Yellen as taking a cautious tact.

"She was very careful," he said. "She was pretty good today about being balanced on theprospects of new policies. She was good at deflecting questions about the new administration. "

Yellen declined to say whether she thought a Trump stimulus program would necessarilyprompt faster Fed rate hikes over the next few years. Fed officials now forecast that they willraise rates three times in 2017, up from two increases in their previous forecast.

Details about Trump's policies remain too scarce for the Fed to adjust its policies accordingly.But the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Budget estimates that Trump proposals wouldadd $5.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years.

"I wouldn't want to speculate until I were more certain of the details and how they would affectthe likely course of the economy," Yellen said.

Yellen herself has frequently noted that many Americans haven't benefited from the job market'ssteady improvement. And on Wednesday, she said she'd welcome having the White House andCongress take steps to support job seekers and increase economic growth over the long run.

She spoke favorably, for example, about job training initiatives, tax reform, increased public andprivate investments and polices that aim to spur innovation and create businesses.

Greater worker productivity is "the ultimate determination of the evolution of living standards,"Yellen said.

And then, ever focused on the Fed's independence, Yellen stressed that she was "not trying toprovide advice to the new administration or to Congress. "

But private economists noted that her remarks suggested that the Fed might choose to raiserates at an accelerated clip if Trump manages to enact a massive dose of stimulus. A sustainedseries of rate increases would likely limit the economy's ability to grow 3.5 percent annually —the pace Trump's advisers say can be achieved.

The Fed might "have to push against some of the stimulus in terms of higher interest rates," saidScott Anderson, chief economist at the Bank of the West.

Yellen signals caution aboutTrump's economic stimulus

planthenewstribune.com

2016-12-15 05:02 By Josh lasvegassun.com

84 /270 2.7 Rubber farmer shot dead in Muslim-majority Thai

south (1.02/12)

BANGKOK (AP) — Police say a rubber farmer has been shot dead in the southern Thai provinceof Sonkhla, in the latest attack in a region that has been in the grip of an ethnic Malay Muslim

insurgency for over...

Rubber Farmer Shot Dead inMuslim-Majority Thai South

abcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 03:31 system article.wn.com

85 /270 1.8 For Guantanamo

prisoners, questionsloom as Trump erabegins (1.02/12)

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba(AP) — As journalists passed along adarkened corridor at the Guantanamo Baylockup, a detainee displayed a hand-painted sign through the one-way glass ofhis cellblock: A white question markagainst a blue background,...

For Guantanamo Prisoners,Questions Loom as Trump

Era Beginsabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 02:58 system article.wn.com

86 /270 0.7 Amazon makes first drone delivery; huge Yahoo data

breach (10 Things to Know for Thursday) (1.02/12)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked aboutThursday.

1. COLLAPSE OF ALEPPO CEASE-FIRE BRINGS SPECTER OF BLOODY END TO BATTLE

Hours after it crumbled, the rebels said the deal was back on but there was no comment from thegovernment or its allies, and there were still reports of shelling. 2. HACKERS STEAL DATAFROM MORE THAN 1 BILLION USER ACCOUNTS

Yahoo says the information stolenmay include names, emailaddresses, phone numbers,birthdates and security questionsand answers , but not bank-accountinformation or payment-card data.

3. WHAT TRUMP TOLD ANXIOUSSILICON VALLEY LEADERS

The president-elect tried to allayfears that he will stifle innovation,curb the hiring of computer-savvyimmigrants and infringe onconsumers' digital privacy, "we're

here to help. " 4. HOW THE FED'S INTEREST RATES HIKE WILL AFFECT CONSUMERS

If you're about to buy a home, shop for a car or borrow for college, experts say, "go ahead. "

5. BILL COSBY'S LAWYERS CALL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM 'VAGUE'

The lawyers asked a judge to block 13 accusers from taking the stand, saying uncertainty aboutwhere and when some of the sexual encounters took place made them impossible to defendagainst.

6. WHAT CHURCH SHOOTING SURVIVOR SAID ON 911 CALL

Polly Sheppard's call , played for jurors during Dylann Roof's trial, starts with a prayer and a pleafor help: "Please answer. Oh, God. "

7. NBA PLAYERS REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON LABOR DEAL

After weeks of talks, the league announced the tentative agreement on day before the sidesfaced a deadline for opting out of the current deal. 8. WHERE AMAZON MADE ITS FIRSTDRONE DELIVERY

On Dec. 7, a bag of popcorn, along with an Amazon Fire TV stick, left a Cambridge warehousein the U. K. and 13 minutes later, both were accepted by an Amazon customer.

9. FIRST BITTER COLD SNAP IN THE US HEADS EAST

The arctic air now gripping the Upper Midwest is tracking northeast, where officials inConnecticut, New York and Vermont are bracing for an icy blast. 10. WHAT GOOGLE SEARCHTERM TOPPED DONALD TRUMP IN 2016

"Pokemon Go" was the most searched trending topic around the world, though in the U. S., nosubject ranked higher than Powerball.

Amazon makes its firstdrone delivery to a real

customerpost-gazette.com

2016-12-15 02:19 Associated Press www.nola.com

87 /270 3.2 Prison lifers tell teens: This is what is facing you (1.02/12)

The Detroit Free Pressspent a year listening toDetroit’s children, trying tounderstand theirexperiences — as manyface violence, trauma andinstability. With help from agrant from the SolutionsJournalism Network, welooked both in our ownbackyard and around thecountry for solutions thatmay help children deal withthe "toxic stresses" in their lives. Catch up with the series here.

Michael Tubbs was a good high school football player in the 1980s. He attracted interest fromcolleges and sometimes worked out with a budding Detroit star of that era, Jerome Bettis.

Bettis earned a scholarship to Notre Dame and went on to a Hall of Fame NFL career. Tubbssaw his football prospects disappear in a sea of legal troubles, including a drug-related murderconviction in 1990.

►Rochelle Riley: Children are not problems; they need solutions ►Related: What it's like forkids to grow up in Detroit ►Related: Kids in Detroit talk about school, parents and sex

"When he was in the Super Bowl, I was in here," Tubbs, now 46, said at the Detroit Re-entryCenter , part of the Ryan Correctional Facility on Detroit's east side.

Tubbs is one of seven lifers at the facility who meet monthly with troubled teenage boys as partof the Youth Deterrent Program, an effort to impart life lessons from the school of hard knocks.The hope is to keep kids who enter the juvenile justice system from coming back.

His audience on this day included 19 teenage boys, some still sporting peach fuzz on theirchubby cheeks. Only three said they had a father figure in their lives.

"Make this your last time in prison," Tubbs told them.

The Youth Deterrent Program operated at Ryan briefly in the 1990s before being halted amidprogramming changes at the prison. In 2008, it was resurrected by some of the prisoners whohad taken part years earlier.

A heavy door of thick glass framed in gray metal slides open, and the teens step into a securityroom to remove their belts, shoes and socks. A security officer pats them down, inspects theirbare feet and checks the inside-out pockets of their pants for contraband.

Their personal items are scanned by an x-ray machine while they step through a metal detector.Their photo IDs are collected and their hands are marked in a special ink that appears onlyunder black light. Once they're cleared, another door slides open and they step into prison,where a short walk takes them to a visitors room.

They are there for a workshop that lasts about three hours.

There, the young men hear the stories of the prisoners.

"It's not scared straight with people getting into their faces," said Jeff Allison, a human resourcesdevelopment specialist at the Re-Entry Center, who runs the program. It's more about alertingyoung people to the traps that can lead them to prison, he said.

Think of it as shared straight, with prisoners sharing painful details about prison life.

"I eat food I wouldn't feed my dog," said Darryl Woods, 44, who has been locked up for 26 yearsafter being sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. "I have suffered 26 years in a cave.I lost my mom while I've been in here, and I couldn't go to the funeral. I had little children. They'regrown now. "

Woods is serving a life sentence for shooting a man at a drug house on Sparling Street onDetroit's east side, less than a mile from the prison where he now lives. Court records show hewent to the lower flat of the house Jan. 21, 1990, to buy drugs in a deal that went bad. A mannamed Tony Capers was killed in a bedroom, and Woods was convicted of the shooting.

His appeals have been exhausted, and he faces the rest of his life in prison.

"Don't put yourself in a position where you could end up in here," Woods said. "I'm pleading withyou. Listen to your parents and teachers and save yourself while you still have a chance. "

Woods is one of the mainstays of the program, which was almost ended a second time whenmost of the prisoners at Ryan were moved to other prisons.

Today, inmates there are mostly older men with health problems that require dialysis treatment.But Gov. Rick Snyder agreed to allow Woods and other members of the program to remain atRyan to continue their work with kids.

James Hill-El is 66 and walks with a cane. In 1988, as Detroit suffered from a crack cocaineepidemic, Hill-El was convicted of cocaine and weapons possession and sentenced to 50 years.He was no stranger to the law.

Hill-El had served eight years in prison in the 1970s on a manslaughter conviction and anothertwo years into the early 1980s for carrying a concealed weapon.

"We wanted to be tough and slick," Hill-El told the teens. "So we sat up there and we smoked our

weed and drank our wine. But now, I'm doing 50 to 100 years for cocaine possession. I got whatwas tantamount to a death sentence.

"This is where we come. This is the academy of failure," Hill-El said. "This is for fools. Whatchoice are you going to make? "

Shannon Keys, 44, recalls that his most heartbreaking moment in prison came when he spokeon the phone to his daughter, who told him she was going to the movies with her mom and dad,a reference to the new man in her mother's life.

"I went back to my room and cried like a baby," Keys said.

Keys is serving a life sentence for a 2005 conviction on a second-degree murder charge. Hewasn't accused of killing the victim, Jake Monroe, in March 2003. The jury convicted him ofaiding and abetting the gunman, Delauren Gordon, by identifying Monroe as a robbery targetand going with Gordon to commit the crime.

Keys received a life sentence because he was sentenced as a habitual offender, having servedseven years in prison in the 1990s on drug charges before being released in 1998.

"Prison is a dream killer," he told the teens. "We're the walking dead in here. They want me todie in here. "

Each teen also is asked to describe why he is here. One was caught selling drugs. Some werecaught shoplifting, others for carrying guns, including an AK-47 in one case. Another wascharged with sexual assault.

They don't appear proud of their actions. They mostly look at their feet and speak in hushedtones that are difficult to hear even with the wireless microphone Allison handed them. Theprisoners scrutinize them as they speak and press them when details are lacking.

When one teen said he was there because he violated his probation, a prisoner quicklyinterrupted him: "What did you do to violate? "

"Weed," the teen says sheepishly as the prisoner nods his head.

Allison tells the teens they aren't here as punishment, but as a form of education. There will beno shouting or angry gestures, just advice from the heart.

"All of you are here because there is someone in your life who cares about you," Allison said."Someone saw you were on the wrong path. "

Some of the teens were ordered to attend by a judge; others were referred by counselors,probation officers or parents.

When the prisoners are done speaking, the teens are broken up into groups of three or four.They gather with a prisoner and talk about their situations.

One teen tried to justify his drug dealing, saying he was trying to provide for his mother, whoneeded the money to take care of the family. A prisoner told him he understood the rationale, butsaid the teen was destined to get caught, and then he'd end up in prison, where he couldn't helphis mom at all.

One teen, Tyreese, is 16, but his face makes him look closer to 12. In a voice barely above awhisper, he told his small circle that he was caught computer hacking.

"I liked to play video games," he said, adding he later experimented with writing computer code.A friend he met online showed him how to use computers to steal money from credit cards andbank accounts. So he did.

"You've got a gift," said DeWayne Witherspoon, another prisoner serving life for murder. "Butyou've got to use it the right way. You're misapplying it. You need a role model to help youdecode the world. "

He suggested a Big Brothers/Big Sisters program or someone else who might help.

When it was over, the teens said they recognized the need to make good choices, avoid peoplewho lead them into trouble and set goals.

"I learned I don't need to act like I have an attitude all the time," one said.

The session ends with a prayer and a peace pledge recited by the young men.

The prisoners even bought backpacks for each teen, and one of them won a drawing for a tabletcomputer. The items were purchased with money from the prisoner welfare fund, money thatcomes from vending machines in the visitors area and is typically spent on small perks for theprisoners.

As they leave, they are given referral information to social service agencies that can help withissues like domestic abuse, drug use and other problems.

The program itself has no budget. Allison works on it as part of his job. Participants find theirown way to Ryan, and the prisoners receive nothing for participating. Allison said that it's difficultto track the effectiveness because it is typically a one-time visit for the teens who aren't followedafterward.

Anecdotally, organizers see young men leaving the program more aware of prison life. Theyalso note some changes in attitudes. One study of the program in 2014 asked participants aseries of questions after they left and found that 100% of them acknowledged that the inmatescared about them.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Frank Szymanski is a fan of the program and often orders juvenileswho appear before him to attend. He's also brought his fellow judges and others, including U. S.Attorney Barbara McQuade, to see the program.

He said he's seen it have a positive effect on young people, but acknowledges it's not perfect.

"I'm not trying to tell people that they get to everybody," Szymanski said.

The program is valuable and Szymanski credits those who run it, especially Woods, whom hecounts as a friend. The pair correspond frequently, and Szymanski said he's come to appreciatehis own upbringing, with two parents who loved him and the chance to get an education.

"If I was brought up the way Darryl was, I'd probably be wearing that blue suit as well,"Szymanski said. "He has recognized the circumstance he's in, but he hasn't let it stop him frombecoming a power for peace and change in our community. "

Szymanski said he marvels at how well Woods networks with state officials and others, from thegovernor on down, to keep the program going.

"I'm an elected judge, and I got a friend who's serving life in prison," Szymanski said. "He's betterconnected than I am. "

Contact John Wisely: 313-222-6825 or jwisely@freepress.com. On Twitter @jwisely.

Teen faces three years inprison

fox5atlanta.com

2016-12-15 01:01 John Wisely rssfeeds.freep.com

88 /270 0.3 Young Afghans deported from Germany CELEBRATE

as the 34 men - including convicted killers and rapists -arrive back at Kabul, saying: ‘I love my country!’ (0.08/12)

A group of 34 Afghan asylumseekers - including rapists andkillers - who returned hometoday after being deportedfrom Germany said they werehappy to be home. One of thegroup, 22-year-old MatiiullahAzizi from Kabul who spentseven years in Frankfurt, saidhe was glad to be back. 'I loveAfghanistan, it's my country,'he said. The move to deportthe men - a third of whom hadcommitted criminal offences -

was made possible after a recent Afghan-Germany deal to stem the influx into the Europeancountry. The plane carrying the deportees - all young men without families - landed in Kabularound 5am, said the Kabul airport chief of police, Mohammad Asif Jabarkhil. Germany's topsecurity official, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, told reporters in Berlin that about a third ofthe men had been convicted of crimes in Germany, including rape, manslaughter, assault anddrug offences. Fifty were scheduled to be on the plane, but in six cases courts intervened at thelast minute on appeal, and 10 'irritatingly' went into hiding, de Maiziere said, promisingunspecified consequences. However, the feeling was not universal, and some of the deporteesexpressed their disappointment, saying they had lived and worked in Germany for years andwere now forced to come back without any job prospects. 'I am not happy, everything is differentfor me here,' said Sidiq Kuchai, a 23-year-old from northern Baghlan province who was inGermany for seven years. 'I had a good job and was working in a restaurant in Cologne. But in

Afghanistan, I have no job and no security.' The memorandum of understanding that Berlin andKabul recently signed is part of Germany's efforts - after allowing in 890,000 migrants last year -to manage the influx by speeding up the asylum process for the applicants most likely to receiveit, such as Syrians fleeing civil war. In turn, German authorities accelerated the expulsion ofunlikely candidates for asylum, such as people seeking to escape poverty in the Balkans. DeMaiziere called them 'two sides of the same coin.' 'Such deportations are justified and importantfor our asylum system to function,' he said. But Afghans fell somewhere in the middle, with someareas of the country, like the Kabul area for example, considered safe, and some not. Until now,few were deported with many instead being convinced to go home voluntarily with financialincentives. Some 12,500 Afghans in Germany have been ordered to leave the country. Germanofficials said the deportation was considered a successful pilot project, and was part of aEurope-wide initiative to begin returning Afghans whose asylum had been rejected. The EUrecently also signed an agreement with Afghanistan that mirrors the German agreement, andSweden deported a dozen Afghans earlier this week. At the Kabul airport on Thursday, somedeportees - such as 24-year-old Mohammad Khan who said he had spent 10,000 euros to get toEurope and had lived in Germany for almost six years - complained over the behaviour of theGerman police. 'Two days ago, two policemen came to my home and said, `Let's go on a picnic,'and took me to the deportation centre,' he said. 'The next day, I was brought to the FrankfurtAirport. Bitter about his fate, Khan said that if he can't find a job, he would join the Taliban.Afghan ministry of repatriation's media adviser Hafiz Ahmad Meyakhil defended the deportation,saying it was done under a proper agreement and according to law. 'The Afghan governmenthas the obligation to provide shelter and better life for its citizens,' Meyakhil said, but warned thatas long as there is instability in Afghanistan, European counties need to brace for a furtherinflux. 'We also have 92,000 internally displaced this year from the fighting in our country,' headded. 'Syrian refugees have more of a chance than Afghans,' said Ali Hussain, 22, who wasdeported from the city of Dortmund.

Dozens of Afghans deportedfrom Germany arrive in

Kabuldailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 09:04 Hannah Al www.dailymail.co.uk

89 /270 3.7 Duterte says he personally killed criminal suspects

(0.08/12)

AFP-Jiji MANILA (AFP-Jiji) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he personally killedsuspected criminals when he was mayor of a southern city to set an example for police.

Philippine Duterte’sadmission he killed criminals

an impeachable offense:senators

article.wn.com

Philippine senators sayRodrigo Duterte's admission

he killed criminals animpeachable offence

article.wn.com

2016-12-15 07:53 Duterte article.wn.com

90 /270 0.0 Pakistan grab two late wickets to stall Australia (0.04/12)

MELBOURNE, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Pakistan's bowlers took two quickwickets to slow Australia's charge after the home side's openersdominated the opening session of the day-night first test in Brisbane onThursday. Paceman Mohammad Amir struck to remove opener DavidWarner lbw for 32 and spinner Yasir Shah had number three batsmanUsman Khawaja caught for four as the tourists limited Australia to 89 for

two at tea on a hot and sunny day at the Gabba. Matt Renshaw, who enjoyed a 70-run openingpartnership with Warner, was unbeaten on 46 at the break, and his captain Steve Smith hadscored four. Smith won the toss, his first in seven matches, to put his team into bat and Warnerand Renshaw moved serenely past 50 on a benign pitch that initially offered little for thebowlers. With seamers Amir and Rahat Ali failing to trouble the openers, Pakistan captainMisbah-ul-Haq wasted little time introducing leg-spinner Yasir in the 10th over. It was Amir whofound the breakthrough, however, with a delivery that just moved a little before thudding intoWarner's pad. Khawaja then fell for a leg-side trap, spooning a simple catch straight to Misbah atshort midwicket. Australia were unchanged from the side that defeated South Africa in the deadrubber test in Adelaide, with spinner Nathan Lyon retained along with the pace trio of MitchellStarc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird. Misbah and Yasir returned to the side for Pakistanafter missing the second test against New Zealand in Hamilton. Both teams enter the three-match series in uncertain form, with a rebuilding Australia beaten by 2-1 against South Africa,but reversing their slide with a comprehensive win in the day-night test at Adelaide Oval.Pakistan lost 2-0 in New Zealand and are bidding to win their first series in Australia. (Reportingby Ian Ransom, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

Australia vs Pakistanscoreboard

dailymail.co.uk

Test Series Australia vPakistan scoreboard

dailymail.co.uk

Amir's knee injury causesconcern for Pakistan in

Australiadailymail.co.uk

Quickfire Pakistan doubleslows Australia

dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 01:14 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

91 /270 3.3 Russia to appeal Dutch ruling to return Crimean

treasures to Ukraine (0.03/12)

MOSCOW, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Russia will appeal a Dutch court ruling thatsaid a priceless collection of gold artefacts from Crimea on loan to aDutch museum must be returned to Ukraine, the director of StPetersburg's Hermitage Museum has said. The collection, includinggems, helmets and scabbards, was on loan to Amsterdam's AllardPierson Museum when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.Kiev and Crimean museums have been wrangling over its fate ever since. On Wednesday, aDutch court ruled that only sovereign countries could claim such objects as cultural heritage,and that since only Ukraine, not Crimea, was sovereign, it was for a Ukrainian court toadjudicate competing ownership claims. Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the world-famousHermitage Museum and one of Russia's most senior cultural figures, told a news conferenceafter the ruling, that Russian lawyers were preparing to appeal the ruling. The Dutch court'sdecision disregarded guarantees given to the Crimean museums that the artefacts would bereturned to them, he said. "A Crimean museum's things belong in a Crimean museum. That isfair, because they were found in that land," said Piotrovsky. He said the Dutch ruling was part ofwhat he called a rising trend of using claims over cultural treasures to pursue other aims. "It'simportant that there are cultural rights, and not government and individual rights," saidPiotrovsky. (Reporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

EU pushes for Dutch dealon Ukraine to fend off

Russiadailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 04:38 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

92 /270 0.9 Hong Kong faces new rules on illegal timber flooding

China (0.03/12)

By Farah Master HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Campaigners say new global rules to protectendangered tree species will be a test for Hong Kong, already grappling to deal with its role as a

conduit for illegal timber flooding into China to meet demand for fancyfurniture. Hong Kong's location on China's southern coast has long madethe port a main transit point for ivory, other endangered animal productsand for large volumes of wood in an international illegal timber tradeworth up to $100 billion. China and Hong Kong have until Jan. 2 toimplement a U. N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES) rule set in October requiring a permit for the vast majority of internationalrosewood species. The rule comes as demand in China for antique-style furniture booms, fed bya state-supported furniture industry on the look-out for wood from around the world. Whiledemand in China for ivory and shark fin have waned, largely because of public awarenessbolstered by celebrity campaigns, it is the biggest consumer of illegal timber, much of which hasrecently been coming from Madagascar. Prices of high-end rosewood can reach $1 million forindividual pieces. For the scale of the problem, environmental campaigners point to a recordseizure in 2015 when Hong Kong authorities confiscated 1 million kg (2.2 million lb) ofendangered Madagascan rosewood, on route to a state-owned Chinese company. The seizureis still being held and no one has been prosecuted. "A million kilograms of rosewood isgigantic," said Alex Hofford, a conservation activist based in Hong Kong. "Try visualizing 1,000tonnes - a small forest - now sitting inside scores of forty-foot containers in a shipping yard. " Thetimber trade has grown to feed many of the more than 30,000 Chinese companies whichgenerate more than $26 billion selling to domestic shoppers, according to the conservationgroup Forest Trends. Chinese regulations to protect its own forests, and the absence of lawsprohibiting the import of illegal wood, have made it increasingly reliant on imports. "Thiscombination has made China the principal hub, 'black box' or 'laundering machine', for illegaltimber," said David Gehl, a programme coordinator at the Environmental Investigative Agency inWashington. 'OVERWHELMED' Hong Kong's Agriculture Fisheries and ConservationDepartment said local law would be amended to reflect the change under CITES. "We willendeavour as always to maintain our enforcement efforts and momentum to combat illegal tradein endangered species including rosewood," a department spokesman said in an emailedstatement. The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department declined to comment on the CITESrule but said it works with local and overseas counterparts to prevent and detect illegalshipments of any prohibited items, including endangered species. Campaigners say authoritieshave their work cut out. "The customs generally are quite overwhelmed by the amount of tradeand volume through Hong Kong," said Yannick Kuehl, regional director at the TRAFFIC wildlifetrade monitoring network. "It's a difficult job as is. Hong Kong is just playing a small part In amuch bigger global game. " The 2015 seizure of rosewood was bound for Fujian ProvincialYaohua Foreign Trade Corp, a state-owned enterprise based in China's Fujian province. FujianProvincial declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The company says on its website itis the only large-scale state-owned foreign trade enterprise in the province. It lists its mainproducts as granite, marble and sculptures. The ship it arrived on, Min Feng, was managed byHai Ling Shipping, which also handles some vessels owned by the Ministry of Commerce,according to shipping records. Fujian-based Wu Wen Liang, who is listed in records as theowner of the Min Feng, declined to comment. "Hong Kong really needs to step up because thereis so much more that can happen when you have done a seizure," said Kuehl. "The police workshould actually start with a seizure not end with a seizure. " Volumes of African rosewood beingimported to China have recently surpassed those from Asia, due to its lower quality whichmeans cheaper prices. Madagascar, despite a 2006 logging ban, exports 98 percent of itsrosewood to China, according to TRAFFIC. CITES has given Madagascar until the end of theyear to show progress on stopping illegal shipments or it will face a trade ban on all specieslisted under the convention. Johanita Ndahimananjara, Madagascar's minister of environment,ecology and forests told Reuters there had been no rosewood trafficking for more than a yearand a half despite recent seizures. Though she did confirm demand. "China is the main

destination of Madagascar rosewood. " (Reporting by Farah Master; additional reporting byLovasoa Rabary in ANTANANARIVO; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Hong Kong, China stocksfall on Fed views and energy

sector weaknessdailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 01:37 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

93 /270 2.6 Karen Danczuk´s rapist brother jailed for 15 years (0.01/12)

Karen Danczuk’s rapist brotherwas today jailed for 15 yearsfor a series of sex assaults onher and two other victims.Michael Burke, 38, the brotherof the estranged wife ofRochdale MP Simon Danczuk,shook his head and threw uphis hands today as he stood inthe dock and was sentencedfollowing a trial last month atManchester Crown Court. Hissister later waived her right toanonymity as a victim of sexualoffences to brand her brother a “monster” who had “robbed me of my childhood” and made hersuicidal. During the three-week trial, the mother-of-two told the court her brother abused her atthe family home in Middleton, near Rochdale, from the age of six or seven – progressing to rapewhen she was aged 11 – until she was in her mid-teens. Burke denied 15 counts of rape, oneattempted rape and one indecent assault against his sister and two other women, spanning an18-year period from 1992 to 2010. But the jury found him guilty of eight counts of rape andanother serious sexual offence against the three women, including three counts of rape againsthis sister, when she was aged between nine and 11 and he between 14 and 16. He wascleared of nine other serious sexual offences. The two other women have not waived their rightto anonymity and cannot be identified. Mrs Danczuk told the jury the abuse had ruined herschooling, left her incapable of love and intimacy and that she struggles with depression andanxiety. Passing sentence, Judge Andrew Gilbart said: “She was your little sister, over whomyou held sway. “Your actions affected her emotionally well into adulthood. As she put it, insteadof looking back on her first sexual experience as something to be remembered fondly, shelooked back on being raped by her brother before she reached puberty. “You groomed her.Your little sister was your playmate and susceptible to anything you suggested. You have shownnot a shred of remorse.” Burke, described as “violent and controlling” was still “in full denial” witha “self justifying lack of insight” into his behaviour, the court heard, with “entrenched” viewswhich posed a danger to women. He was given an extended five years on licence when he is

released from jail after serving his sentence and put on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Aformer school governor and Labour Party activist and candidate, Burke claimed his accuserswere involved in a “conspiracy” against him – dismissed as “absurd” by the judge. Mrs Danczuk,33, was not in court but her and the defendant’s father sat in the public gallery to see his sonjailed. Lawyers for Burke accused Mrs Danczuk of being an “attention-seeker” and questionedher motives for selling her story of sexual abuse to The Sun for £23,000. But she denied goingpublic with her revelations for money, saying she had simply wanted “closure”.

Karen Danczuk's brother isjailed for sex attacks on her

during her childhooddailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 09:12 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk

94 /270 1.1 West Brom and Watford fined by FA (0.01/12)

Dec 15 (Reuters) - West Bromwich Albion and Watford have been fined45,000 pounds ($56,100) apiece by the FA after admitting to a misconductcharge for failing to control their players during a Premier League gameon Dec. 3. Watford's Roberto Pereyra was sent off in the 84th minute afterhe reacted angrily to a challenge from West Brom midfielder JamesMcClean, an incident that was followed by members of both teams

clashing on the touchline. West Brom won the match at the Hawthorns 3-1. ($1 = 0.8021pounds) (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Tony Jimenez)

Watford and West BromwichAlbion fined after admitting

misconduct chargedailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 09:04 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

95 /270 1.4 What Castro's death and Trump's election mean for

Cuba's economic awakening (0.01/12)

Brian Gendreau, director of UF's Latin American Business Environment program, speculatesabout the future of US-Cuba relations in the wake of Fidel Castro's death and the dawning of theTrump administration. Before his death on Nov. 25 at the age of 90, Fidel Castro had made nosecret about his reservations about the normalization of relations with the United States and hadinsisted that the ideals of the Cuban Revolution would never be abandoned. ...

The Fidel Castro Reader:Castro's Cuba, and What

Comes Nextarticle.wn.com

2016-12-15 09:02 system article.wn.com

96 /270 3.0 'Extremely

Dangerous' InmateEscapes PoliceCustody Video

(0.01/12)

I did get a phone call fromthe hospital staff insteadthey've he had injuries tohis mouth may have lost tochoose. Salute I haven'tcorroborated that is whathospital staff told him. Goodlady. You have to have aglobal. Go to Wal-Mart. It'syou know Jim I can't.

This transcript has beenautomatically generatedand may not be 100%

accurate.

'Extremely Dangerous' NCInmate at Large After

Escaping Police Custody,Carjacking Vehicleabcnews.go.com

2016-12-15 16:01 ABC News abcnews.go.com

97 /270 4.3 Shots fired as jewellery shop robbed at East Rand Mall

(0.01/12)

ER24 said its paramedics attended to the three patients at the store.

"Paramedics assessed a man and twowomen and found that they hadsustained minor injuries. Fortunately‚no other serious or fatal injuries werereported on the scene.

"The patients were treated for theirinjuries and thereafter transported toLife Glynwood Hospital for furthercare. "

It is believed that an unknown numberof gunmen had entered the store andhad assaulted the three patients‚ ER24 said.

Conor McCallum‚ who was in the mall at the time of the shooting‚ told TMG Digital that therobbery occurred at the Sterns jewellery store near the western entrance of the centre.

“It was crazy‚ we heard a whole whack of shots‚” he said.

“The front of the Sterns shop was all shot up‚ and there was glass everywhere.”

McCallum said he had taken a photo of the scene‚ but was ordered to delete it from his phoneby police officers.

Shots fired as jewellery shopis robbed at East Rand Mall

timeslive.co.za

2016-12-15 06:20 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za

98 /270 3.7 Arizona woman indicted in 2014 pleads guilty in a

fraud case (0.01/12)

PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona woman who once ran a California-basedcharity organization has pleaded guilty in a fraud case.

Federal prosecutors say Farzaneh Akhavi, of Gilbert, had a change ofplea hearing Wednesday and pleaded guilty to bank fraud andtransactional money laundering.

She’s scheduled to be sentenced on March 15.

Akhavi was indicted in August 2014 on 82 counts involving bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravatedidentity theft and money laundering.

She was owner and president of the Cyrus Society, which had its charitable classificationrevoked by the Internal Revenue Service in 2011.

Prosecutors say Akhavi befriended two people in 2008 and fraudulently obtained a $211,000mortgage and a $37,000 car loan in one of the victim’s names.

She allegedly took more than $1 million from the other victim under false pretenses.

Feds: Ohio businessmanaccused in fraud scheme

pleads guiltywashingtontimes.com

2016-12-15 06:06 By www.washingtontimes.com

99 /270 0.7 Fed's moves, strong dollar will bring turbulence,

disorder - Xinhua (0.01/12)

SHANGHAI, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The U. S. Federal Reserve's decision toraise interest rates will stoke fresh financial turbulence, and global"disorder" is in store as the dollar strengthens from an accelerated pace ofrate hikes, China's state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary. TheFed move "will inevitably cause fresh financial turbulence, and worsen thesituation of those countries that overly depends on external financing andare insufficiently capable of paying (off) debt, especially those emerging markets," Xinhua saidon Thursday. On Thursday, China's yuan fell to its weakest level in eight-and-half years againsta broadly stronger U. S. dollar, after the Fed raised interest rates by 0.25 basis points andprojected more interest rate increases than previously expected. Earlier this month, ChineseVice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said in a media interview that a rate hike would meanheightened capital outflows for all markets, including China. The Fed move comes shortly afterChina reported that its foreign reserves at end-November were at the lowest level in nearly sixyears. The central bank last month sold a net $55.4 billion worth of foreign exchange, thehighest since January. "If the United States accelerates its rate hike pace in the future, a strongerdollar would bring disorder worldwide" as different countries have different interest rates, Xinhuasaid. The commentary said it was "advisable" for the U. S. to enhance coordination with othermajor economies on macro policies, and prudently handle the pace of rate hikes. Xinhuacommentary added that it was "questionable whether the U. S. economy itself has the capabilityto sustain the possible fast-pace rate hikes indicated by the Fed". (Reporting by John Ruwitchand Yawen Chen; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Fed's policy stance willcause turbulence, disorderfrom strong dollar - Xinhua

dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 05:43 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

100 /270 2.6 China announces extension to tax cut for small-

engine vehicles (0.01/12)

BEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters) - China will extend a tax cut on small-enginevehicles to 2017, keeping the purchase tax below its normal 10 percentas Beijing continues to stimulate sales in the world's largest auto market.Hoping to sustain a sales rebound that has taken hold since the tax breakwas introduced last year, the Ministry of Finance said on its officialwebsite on Thursday that the rate would rise, but only to 7.5 percent. The

ministry said it plans to levy the normal 10 percent tax on small-engine cars starting on Jan 1,2018. The purchase tax rate for vehicles with 1.6-litre engines or below was reduced to 5percent in October 2015. Since then, sales have jumped, even in a weakening economy.Experts and auto industry associations had predicted a steep drop in growth if the tax cut wasallowed to expire as planned at the end of this year. Industry officials, though, had said Chinawas considering extending the cut. Earlier this week an official at the China Association ofAutomobile Manufacturers (CAAM) told reporters that China's overall automobile sales couldincrease 13 percent this year from 2015. Auto industry officials and experts attribute much of thatrelatively strong growth to the purchase tax cut on small-engine cars. (Reporting By NorihikoShirouzu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

China to extend tax cut forsmall-engine vehicles to2017 - Finance Ministry

dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-15 04:37 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

101 /270 1.3 Organic cafe bans children under five because 'prams

the size of Essex' and youngsters 'running riot' spoil itfor other customers

An organic cafe has banned children under five from entering the building because its ownersaid 'prams the size of Essex' are spoiling it for other customers. Hilary Penning runs the

Organic Kitchen in BuckhurstHill, Essex, and decided toinform customers about theban by placing a controversialsign on the front door. Herposter had a basic picture of ababy with a line going throughit, above the caption: 'Nochildren under five. Thankyou.' Ms Penning, who has atwo-year-old son, made thedecision after some parents lettheir children 'run riot' andbelieves she has made the'right choice'. She told the Evening Standard : 'There's been far too many instances where mumscome in with newborn babies and allow the children to cry and cry. 'It's been a hard andchallenging decision but I think I made the right choice. 'When you get mums turning up on thedoorstep with prams the size of Essex it only takes one or two to have an effect.' A number ofparents posted on social media after mother-of-two Karen Sticher shared the image online. The39-year-old wrote on her Facebook page: 'Horrified that Buckhurst Hill's new cafe, located nextto four schools, has decided to discriminate. 'Leaving buggies outside would seem fair, anoutright ban on under fives is awful.' Ellie Hart-Spratt, 39, told the Standard: 'I can see thingsfrom both sides. The stupid part was the way the ban was advertised with a sign. The big pictureof the baby was awful.' The Organic Kitchen opened in September 2016 and customers can eatthere seven days a week. On its website, it describes itself as being 'the home of healthy artisanfine foods and drinks'. It also says they have a 'huge passion for food' and that they 'look forwardto welcoming you to The Organic Kitchen' - before adding 'just pop in'. Dishes they serve includeeggs or rye bread for £8.50 and homemade porridge for £5.50. Mother-of-two Heather Partridge,29, called the decision 'business suicide' and said she 'wouldn't feel welcome' in the cafe. Shetold the Epping Forest Guardian: 'To tar all children with the same brush and ban that entiregroup of people, I think that is unfair. 'Children can be very well-behaved and if they are not youcan take them outside.' But Annie McCarthy, who has an eight-year-old son, backed the cafe'sdecision and said it was brave move but the owner should not come 'under all this scrutiny'.

2016-12-15 09:23 Abe Hawken www.dailymail.co.uk

102 /270 8.3 Sweden to send notorious "laser man" killer to

GermanySTOCKHOLM, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Sweden has agreed to temporarily send one of its mostnotorious criminals to Germany where he is suspected of killing a woman in 1992, a Swedishcourt said on Thursday. The man, John Asonius, struck terror in Sweden during a raciallymotivated, six-month crime spree in 1991-1992 were he shot and killed one person and injuredten others in a string of attacks in the Stockholm area. German authorities recently issued anarrest warrant for Asonius for the suspected killing of a woman in Frankfurt in 1992. He is said tohave argued with the woman over an alleged theft one week before the murder. Asoniusmaintains his innocence but has not objected to being transferred on the condition he can serveany possible jail sentence in Sweden. He will be returned to Sweden after the investigation andpotential trial in Germany is over. Asonius, dubbed the "laser man" by Swedish media for his use

of a laser sight and rifle forsome of his shootings, iscurrently serving life in aSwedish prison for the attacksas well as nine bankrobberies. (Reporting byJohan Ahlander; editing NiklasPollard)

2016-12-15 09:22 Reuterswww.dailymail.co.uk

103 /270 2.5 Scolari to

face youngfemalecoach inAsianChampionsLeague

History-making coach Chan Yuen-ting says itwill be her honor to match wits with WorldCup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Their first meeting is scheduled for Feb. 22 inthe Asian Champions League. It will be inGuangzhou, the southern China city just 75miles (120 kilometers) from Hong Kong, infront of 40,000 fans, but expected to draweyes from all over the world.

Chan and her Eastern side from Hong Kongwill make their league debut against Scolariand his powerhouse GuangzhouEvergrande, a two-time league champion.

“I am happy to meet Scolari,” Chan said. “The Asian Champions League is a valuableopportunity for us to learn from opponents like Guangzhou and improve ourselves.”

The response is typical Chan. She has been grounded and gracious since she was appointedcoach of Eastern a year ago, even as her profile, and Eastern’s, has magnified.

In April, she led Eastern to its first Hong Kong Premier League title in two decades, with a gameto spare. That made her the first female to coach a professional men’s team to a topflight title.She was named Hong Kong coach of the year and, this month, Asian female coach of the year.Eastern was currently second in the premier league.

Hong Kong received an automatic entry into the Asian Champions League for the first time, and

Eastern drew a tough group: Guangzhou Evergrande, another two-time champ in SuwonBluewings, and either Urawa Reds, another former champ, or Kawasaki Frontale.

“We will try very hard to show our quality,” Chan said. “From the beginning, we expected this.Every game will be very tough for us. We just need to improve and prepare for the games aswell as we can.”

Moya Dodd, vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation and a former Australia women’splayer, believes Scolari has the most to lose from the matchup with Chan.

“Gender aside, this is a game between one of club football’s rising powers, and a team that isless resourced and less fancied,” Dodd said. “On the coaches’ bench you have a rising startaking on one of football’s old masters, a World Cup winner, no less. It’s a great story for thefans, and all the pressure will be on Scolari.”

Dodd said this was an opportunity for a female coach to, perhaps, break through what she calls“the grass ceiling.”

“The closer you get to the field, the harder it is for a woman,” she said. “It’s a positive sign thatgrowing up in the women’s game can provide the experience and learning to launch a coachingcareer in any part of the game, including the Champions League.”

Chan graduated from a two-year AFC future coaches program in 2012, worked as a data analystat Hong Kong Pegasus club, was promoted to the managerial staff, and helped the club’s under-18s to win three trophies. She became assistant coach at Southern District, then was hired byEastern a year ago, at age 27.

“Chan has a huge following here in Hong Kong,” said Mark Sutcliffe, the CEO of the Hong KongFootball Association.

“She is an inspiring figure … and the accolades keep pouring in. She seems to be taking it all inher stride and remains humble and grounded.”

Chan just wants to get on with it.

“I have received some awards and attention from the world,” she said. “However, it is notimportant what people say, I just want to stay humble and work hard and learn to be a goodcoach for my club.

“I hope that my football story will encourage women coaches to go for their dream, but I believethat I am not representing anyone. I just need to do my job.”

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Dust off the mixer and fire up the oven: It's holiday baking time. Here are some recipes to make,gift, eat and repeat.

2016-12-15 09:18 The Associated wtop.com

104 /270

104 /270 1.4 Taylor Sheridan delves into personal and social

themes with 'Hell or High Water'In 2005, I visited my home state ofTexas, spending time on a ranchoutside the town of Post. Thenspending some time on a largeranch outside Archer City. I wastaken by just how few young people Isaw anywhere. Driving through onelittle town after the next, I couldn’thelp but notice what each had incommon — they all had a bankbranch, a gas station, a cafe and allseemed virtually uninhabited. Icommented on this to my friend whoran cattle in this area. He nodded

and said, “Yep. You could rob that bank and it would be a secret between you and the clerk.”(Pretty good line. Tried like hell to find somewhere to use it.)

In 2011, I was in Hollywood peddling “Sicario” to constant and resounding “no’s.” Texas wassuffering the worst drought on record. Wildfires spread across West Texas, burning some 4million acres and 3,000 homes. While the urban centers in Texas were experiencing aneconomic boom, West Texas was collapsing under the weight of drought and fires. The totalcattle population in Texas dropped by 20%. Homes in small towns like Archer City could bepurchased for the back taxes (if anyone wanted to buy them, which no one does). More thanwatching friends and families lose everything, I was witnessing the end of a way of life.

Ben Foster, Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges star in "Hell or High Water. "

It was remembering my conversation with an old friend in Archer City and this apocalypse on myhome state that was the seed for “Hell or High Water.” I began floating the idea of the movie toeven more resounding “no’s.”I was told modern westerns were toxic, and writing leading rolesfor men in their 60s was a great way to never sell a screenplay. All this gave me tremendousfreedom to break a lot of rules with “Hell or High Water” because I was absolutely convinced noone would ever make it.

As a writer, I like absurdly simple plots. Having to spend almost no time explaining the plotallows me to be more clever in the way it’s revealed. It also allows me to focus almost solely oncharacter.

I love to play with the notion of who the protagonist is — who is the audience supposed to rootfor? I did it in “Sicario” and feel it was the strength of the script — guiding the audience’sallegiance toward the villain because they think he’s the hero, until it’s revealed that he’s thevillain.

1) The consequence of poverty and abuse on generations of a family: The consequences ofToby and Tanner’s childhood are everywhere — from the dilapidated home, to Toby’s failedmarriage and fractured relationship with his children, to Tanner’s many years in prison. They arethe embodiment of a family demolished by poverty and violence.

2) Failure in multiple senses: When Tanner asks Toby how long it’s been since he’s seen hischildren, Toby’s answer is vague, compelling Tanner to do the math — calculating it’s been overa year. Toby uses unpaid child support as an excuse but the real reason is revealed when Tobyfinally sits with his oldest son: It’s shame.

Tanner’s failure as a member of society is complete in every way — from robbing banks, toassaulting the young woman in the casino, to his use of violence without hesitation or remorse.

Texas Ranger Marcus’ failure is more nuanced and not realized by him until the end of the film.It is his inability to show his friend and partner affection. His pride and insecurity prevent himfrom expressing his emotions in any meaningful way as their relationship draws to a close. Tocompensate, he uses superficial and racist insults as a means of showing his friendship. Thelast thing Marcus says to Alberto is a racist insult, and it’s not until that moment that Marcus isforced to confront the cruelty of his behavior.

3) The manner in which massive corporate institutions prey on the most vulnerable in society.The last theme is present virtually everywhere in the film — from the consequences of apredatory loan on every member of Toby’s family, to a single mother working as a waitress (oneof the few jobs available to women in rural America even today), to every town we pass throughwhere the only new building is a bank and billboards portraying the perpetrators of therecession as its savior.

While I feel it’s important for films to examine our society, I don’t particularly like watching thefilms that do it. And so, knowing no one wants to sit through two hours of desperate livesshattering, I decided to coat the pill with a fair amount of sugar. It was perhaps the riskiestelement of the script — such a steady infusion of humor in a drama can come off as cavalier andinsensitive. Likewise, humor in a screenplay is only as funny as its delivery. I was terrified the“diner scene” would come off cartoonish, but Margaret Bowman as the brusque waitress pulledit off splendidly.

Jeff Bridges talks about learning the world of Texas Rangers for his role in "Hell or High Water. "

Nothing was riskier — and more dependent on the actors’ handling of the dialogue — than thebarbs traded by Marcus and Alberto. Had Jeff Bridges as Marcus infused even a hint of malice,insensitive jokes would be mean, and had Gil Birmingham as Alberto allowed himself to beeither amused or offended, their relationship would seem false.

When I sat down to write the final scene, it was with the intention of writing a violent endbetween Toby and Marcus. But as the dialogue unfolded, it felt fitting that the shoot-out in amodern western be interrupted by an SUV and kids coming home from school. It also felt fittingthat they both get to admit their guilt without confessing, and that living with the consequences oftheir actions was more punishment than dying to defend them.

Jusin Chang reviews 'La La Land,' directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Emma Stone andRyan Gosling. Video by Jason H. Neubert.

Justin Chang reviews "The Founder," directed by John Lee Hancock and starring MichaelKeaton. Video by Jason H. Neubert.

Kenneth Turan reviews "Land of Mine," a Danish-German historical drama film directed byMartin Zandvliet. Video by Jason H. Neubert.

"Manchester By the Sea" director Kenneth Lonergan discusses writing a quiet character andworking with actor Casey Affleck to bring him to life.

Director Kenneth Lonergan discusses the setting of "Manchester By the Sea," and how thelocation helped beef up the film's story.

Director Kenneth Lonergan discusses the setting of "Manchester By the Sea," and how thelocation helped beef up the film's story.

2016-12-15 09:15 Taylor Sheridan www.latimes.com

105 /270 1.7 Federal agency: 'Premature' to determine if Trump in

violation of hotel leaseWASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- TheU. S. General ServicesAdministration said it would be"premature" to determine if DonaldTrump is in violation of the lease ofhis luxury Washington, D. C.,clarifying its position after four HouseDemocrats said the agency requiredthe president-elect to divest himselfof the property.

The GSA statement comes after fourDemocratic members of the U. S.House of Representatives wrote toGSA Administrator Denise Turner Roth on Wednesday requesting documents related to thelease. In the letter , the Democrats said the GSA's deputy commissioner told them Trump wouldbe in breach of the lease agreement the moment he takes office unless he divests himself of hisinterest in property.

Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Gerald Connolly ofVirginia and Andre Carson of Indiana, members of the House Oversight Committee, signed theletter.

The Trump International Hotel sits on federal property -- once the Old Post Office -- the lease forwhich says any elected official may not benefit from the lease. GSA records show Trump ownsabout 77 percent of the entity leasing the hotel, while his children own most of the rest.

In a statement, GSA officials said the agency "does not have a position that the lease provisionrequires the president-elect to divest of his financial interests. "

"We can make no definitive statement at this time about what would constitute a breach of theagreement, and to do so now would be premature," the GSA said. "In fact, no determinationregarding the Old Post Office can be completed until the full circumstances surrounding thePresident-elect's business arrangements have been finalized and he has assumed office. GSAis committed to responsibly administering all of the leases to which it is a party. "

After the GSA clarified its position, Cummings said he was aware a breach had not yet occurred,adding the GSA viewed it as a "hypothetical" issue until then. "

2016-12-15 09:07 Andrew V www.upi.com

106 /270 2.9 Mexican immigrant married American woman so he

could get a Green Card then 'murdered her with the helpof his real wife'

A bigamist accused of killinghis second wife, with the helpof his first, has been chargedwith murder months after thevictim disappeared. The bodyof Cecelia Bravo has yet to befound, but investigators saythey have evidence implicatingMexican couple FranciscoValdivia, 37, and RosalinaLopez, 39. Authorities claimValdivia, of Visalia in centralCalifornia, married Bravo sohe could get legal permission

to remain in the US. Valdivia and Lopez, who married in Mexico in 2007, were arrested onTuesday. Bravo has been missing since June 9. The motive is unclear, but is said to beconnected to the relationship between the two suspects and their victim. Sheriff Mike Boudreauxsaid: 'We do believe the motive surrounds this relationship of three people. It revolves aroundthis relationship.' But he said he was cautious about releasing information. Boudreaux stated:'We have a great deal of information. But, detectives have put me on notice that any release ofinformation may result in the integrity of this case.' Sheriff's spokeswoman Teresa Douglass saidauthorities have evidence Valdivia and Lopez threatened Bravo and that detectives have'significant digital forensic evidence' implicating the couple. She declined to reveal what thisinformation is. Bravo's car was set ablaze in an orchard and her four children have not heardfrom her since her disappearance. They are in protective custody, Douglass said. Boudreauxsaid they have been placed with close family members. Valdivia was already in custody whenhe was arrested in connection with Bravo's death. He had been arrested on suspicion ofcultivation of marijuana and jailed for lack of $1 million bail. Lopez was arrested Tuesday in thesmall town of Goshen near Visalia. Both remained jailed Wednesday with no bail, Douglasssaid. Boudreaux said they are not yet represented by attorneys.

2016-12-15 09:04 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

107 /270 0.5 Freed from Mosul, Iraqi brothers carry scars of

Islamic State ruleBy Patrick Markey AL-DHIBANIYAH, Iraq, Dec 15 (Reuters) - His right arm strapped with atourniquet and numbed by anaesthetic, Azad Hassan sat before the crowd waiting for IslamicState militants to chop off his hand as a punishment. First, he had watch them do the same to his

brother. Freed from Islamic State rule in Mosul by Iraqi forces who arefighting to recapture the city, the Hassan family bear more scars than mostfrom two years under the jihadists' self-declared caliphate. The familytragedy parallels Mosul's own recent history, from its storming by IslamicState in 2014, and the imposition of the group's ultra-hardline rule in its defacto capital, to the Iraqi military campaign to retake it which has led toferocious fighting in eastern districts. A dispute over flour deliveries brought the two brothersbefore an Islamic State court more than a year ago. Militants had already taken another brothera few months before - a document given to the family says he was shot suspected of workingwith the Iraqi army, but they never saw his body. A younger brother has joined the Sunni militiabrigades, one of the forces fighting in support of the army around Mosul. On a small USB stick,Azad, 21, carries a copy of the Islamic State video made of his and his brother Mohamed'spublic amputations, hoping someday for some form of justice. "As long as I live I won't forget thatmoment they cut off my brother's hand," Azad said. "Then they tied down my hand. They had tohit it twice to cut it off. I wanted the ground to open up. " Their father Hussein lies in a small bedin the family's farm in the village of Al-Dhibaniyah outside Mosul, his legs seeping blood throughbandages over wounds from an explosion after he returned to their former home in a recapturedbut still fragile area in Mosul. "They cut the hands of two of my sons, and my third son they tookhim - Daesh hurt my family badly," said Hussein, whose wife is Kurdish, using an Arabicacronym for Islamic State. "We are all Iraqi, all the same people. I don't know why they did this tous. " CORPSES CRUCIFIED Iraqi forces, engaged in a nine-week-old U. S.-backed campaign tocrush Islamic State in its last urban bastion in the country, have retaken about a quarter ofMosul, but their advance has been slow and punishing. As they slowly gain ground, refugeesfleeing the city and those living inside recall a brutal life under Islamic State, whose religiouspolice would patrol and enforce their laws. Men were forced to wear beards to lengths deemedIslamic. Women had to cover up from head to foot. Some people were beaten for infractions,others were shot - their corpses sometimes crucified - with punishments decided by IslamicState courts. One refugee in Khazer camp outside the city showed Reuters scars from where hesays his teeth were pulled out and his tongue slashed for smoking in public. Islamic State alsosystematically killed, captured and enslaved thousands from the Yazidi minority in northern Iraqregion around Mosul, regarded by Sunni militants as devil-worshippers, and targeted Christiantowns for desecration and Shi'ites who they deem apostate. MASKED JIHADIST When militantsoverran the city in mid-2014, Azad was helping in the family's small flour delivery business."Daesh came to Mosul and turned our lives upside down," he said. "At first they tried to come asif they were revolutionaries. But then they showed their real face, torturing, cutting off heads,treating people extremely badly. " The Hassan brothers said they ran foul of Islamic State in Maylast year because they were selling flour to a baker who was loyal to the militants and who didn'tpay his debts. One day the brothers broke into his business to take back flour in lieu of cash.Azad said they were summoned by Islamic State judges, detained and accused of theft. An Iraqijudge known as the "Blood Judge" sentenced them to be beheaded and crucified, but a Saudijudge changed the sentence to amputation. Later, they were taken to a public square whereIslamic State had gathered hundreds to watch since early morning. A doctor administeredanaesthetic to their wrists. In the Islamic State video, a militant fighter was the first to bepunished, screaming "God is Great" after his hand was hacked off by a masked jihadist whosmashed a cleaver's blunt edge down onto another blade set against the man's wrist. Then itwas the turn of 25-year-old Mohamed, and finally Azad's hand was amputated after his right armwas strapped to a table. Another militant wrapped the bloody stump in bandages. "They are nothuman, they are against all humanity," Mohamed said. "I wanted to die when I saw them cuttingmy brother. " Now both the married men, who are unemployed and supported by their family, arelooking to aid agencies for help with artificial limbs. Neither has much hope. Their youngerbrother Niad, 20, has taken another route, joining a local government-sponsored Sunni militia

taking part in the Mosul campaign. On his right forearm, Niad tattooed the face of a woman withhair flowing free, an image he says was to defy Islamic State. "Daesh would never let us do thatso that's why I did it," he said. "It was to say no to Daesh. " (Editing by Pravin Char)

2016-12-15 09:03 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

108 /270 10.4 Essentials to the Heeringa murder case againstJeffrey Willis in 580 seconds

MUSKEGON, MI-- Jeffrey ThomasWillis spent four days in the court roomof 60th District Court Judge RaymondKostrzewa with his defense attorneyBrian Hosticka. They fought to havethe charges of open murder andkidnapping dismissed in thedisappearance of Jessica Heeringa.

It was an extensive four days with a lotof evidence and witnesses who tookthe stand. MLive Muskegon Chroniclestaff took the 16 hours of testimony andcreated a video that gives the

essentials to the Heeringa preliminary exam in under ten minutes.

Heeringa disappeared from the then Exxon gas station of Sternberg Road in Norton Shores onApril 26, 2013 and has not been seen since. Muskegon County Prosecutor office filed chargesagainst Willis on September 20, 2016. After several court motions, his preliminary exam startedon Tuesday, Dec. 6 and stretched among four days until a decision was made on Tuesday, Dec.13.

Judge Kostrzewa ruled there was sufficient evidence and probable cause to move Willis'charges in the Heeringa case into the 14th Circuit Court.

Muskegon County Prosecutor D. J. Hilson called 28 witnesses to the stand who all provided asmall piece to the extensive puzzle around Heeringa's disappearance. He called severalwitnesses including co-workers, investigators, Exxon customers, and 'MJN', the sixteen-year-oldthat he allegedly kidnapped in April of 2016. The defense called two witnesses to the stand;lead investigator Norton Shores Police Detective Lt. Michael Kasher and Heeringa's friend andformer co-worker Elizabeth Lunsford.

"This is just a small taste of what the evidence is," Hilson said Tuesday night immediately afterthe ruling. "We've got a lot of work to do as investigators, as prosecutors, to prepare this case. "

Willis has also been charged with murder in the June 2014 shooting death of Rebekah Bletsch -- that case has already moved to circuit court -- plus the alleged abduction of a 16-year-old girlin April 2016.

2016-12-15 09:00 Joel Bissell www.mlive.com

109 /270 0.0 Court dismissed: District Court Judge M. Cathy Dowd

retires from the benchFLINT, MI -- As Judge M. CathyDowd opened court in the GeneseeDistrict Court for the final time onFriday, Dec. 9, she was greeted witha standing ovation.

"One of the girls said to me, 'I'vebeen almost a year sober, I'm gonnaget my kids back in two weeks, andit's because of you.' That made mefeel really great, really great," Dowdremembered with a smile.

And looking back at her eight-yearcareer as a district court judge,Dowd, who officially retires Dec. 31, says it's the positive change she's seen in the lives of thepeople she served that motivated her throughout her time on the bench.

"See, my philosophy is you've got three choices. You can put 'em in jail, you can hit 'em withfines and costs, or you can do something else with them. And it's the something else I like," shesaid. "I don't like putting people in jail, but you put them in drug rehab, have them go to A. A., orput them in in-patient treatment, and I've had people come back to say that they've reallyappreciated it. That's when I feel like I'm doing the right thing. I think people need to take thejustice system back and realize that as a system, you know, it's there to serve them. "

Perhaps most recently known for her decision to dismiss the high-drama sexual assault caseinvolving former basketball star Mateen Cleaves, Dowd -- who was appointed to the bench byformer Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2008 -- has seen countless cases over the years, butsays a couple will remain with her.

The 'highly uncommon' sexual assault case of Mateen Cleaves

"Of course, up to the last week of my career, I had the Cleaves case. I don't want to talk about it,but I did what I thought had to be done. I didn't believe there was probable cause that a crimehad been committed," Dowd said. "But if you really want to talk about a case that brings me totears, it's the Tanisha Colton case. "

Colton, 27, was murdered in 2013. Her boyfriend, Henry Anthony Conner Jr., pleaded nocontest in June to killing the mother of three and dumping her body in a ditch near the Ohioborder. He also pleaded no contest to first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving one of hisand Colton's children.

"Those three children really tugged at my heart strings," she said.

While being a judge has changed her and her family's lives, Dowd -- who graduated fromWestern Michigan University in 1971 -- said she began her career in hopes of being a medicaltechnician. After switching professional paths to become a high school social studies teacher to

appease her first husband, open teaching jobs were scarce. So Dowd instead began work as alegal secretary in Niles, eventually moving to work for a Saginaw County attorney.

In 1985, following the announcement of the closure of the truck plant where her secondhusband, Kevin, worked, after nine years as a legal secretary, Dowd went back to pursue a lawdegree at Cooley Law School. One week before her last law school exam in 1989, doctors toldDowd she had breast cancer.

"I said to the doctor, 'No way, we're not doing operations or anything until I get these law schoolexams over,'" she said. "No way was that messing me up. "

Beginning chemotherapy in January 1990, Dowd took the Bar exam in February, and in Mayfound out she had passed.

"I was a better lawyer on chemotherapy than off," the two-time cancer survivor joked.

Sworn in Genesee County, Dowd began work as a private practice attorney, moving to attorneymagistrate for the Genesee District Court, and then to Flint as an assistant city attorney beforeGranholm appointed her to the bench in 2008.

"District Court is where I always wanted to be, and that's where I ended up. I consider myselfextremely lucky and extremely blessed," she said.

Granholm taps Flint Assistant Attorney Cathy Dowd new judge for 68th District Court

Her colleagues say they will miss Dowd on the bench.

"She's great, she says it like it is -- I like that out of a judge," said District Court Chief JudgeChristopher Odette. "She's done a lot, a lot of good cases and a great deal for the court. The Cityof Flint owes her a great debt of gratitude. I like her personally and I like her professionally andshe will be missed. "

Odette noted that Dowd's position on the bench will be sunset, meaning that instead of finding areplacement, the court will function with one less judge. He said he "doesn't see it as a problem,"since the city and court have seen a declining population and caseload in recent years.

As for her retirement, Dowd, who intends to remain in Flint, says she has a strict regimen ofquilting, scrapbooking, knitting, crocheting, making jewelry and traveling planned. She alsoplans to spend "lots of time" with her husband of 37 years, and their children: Paul, Taryn andJean Ann; as well as their grandchildren: Jayci, Nichelle, Sydney, Graham, and the family'snewest addition, Ty Anthony, born Dec. 8.

"It's been a big part of all of our lives, that grandma's a judge, and I want to give back to them,"she said. "And to my husband. He's been a big part of that. "

2016-12-15 09:00 Oona Goodin www.mlive.com

110 /270 1.5 Local polystyrene bans are good; a statewide

California ban would be betterNow that a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags is in place, polystyrene is the next front in

the battle againstubiquitous and harmfulplastic waste.

Culver City entered thefight this week , joiningabout 100 cities andcounties in California thathave enacted some kind oflimit on polystyrene use.The Culver City councilvoted to ban restaurantsfrom using disposablepolystyrene takeout

containers and retail stores from selling polystyrene foam coolers and other food-relatedproducts. Also, food service businesses will be required to ask patrons before handing out anykind of disposable cutlery.

Good for Culver City for trying to stop the flow of trash into the adjacent Ballona Creek and,ultimately, the Pacific Ocean. Polystyrene plastic is one of the most ubiquitous forms of plasticlitter found in the oceans, according to environmentalists.

But what would be even better is a single, uniform ban across the state to replace the growingpatchwork of slightly different bans from city to city. Sound familiar? That was the situation withsingle-use plastic bags when lawmakers decided in 2014 it would be better to adopt a statewideban. The headache of complying with different rules in 151 different cities or counties is a bigpart of the reason the California Grocers Assn. signed on to support the statewide bag ban.

As a result, the spigot was turned off on a big source of plastic waste. But the tap is still open fordisposable polystyrene in its plastic foam form (which is often referred to incorrectly asStyrofoam, one polystyrene manufacturer’s brand name) and as hard-plastic straws, sporks andbeverage tops. And it is just about as bad for the environment as single-use plastic bags. Maybeworse, because polystyrene products don’t get reused as, say, garbage or dog waste bags andare less likely to be recycled than plastic bags.

And there’s so much of it. Americans toss an estimated 2.5 billion polystyrene foam cups everyyear. That’s just cups! The typical takeout meal also comes with an assortment of clamshellcontainers, plates, straws and beverage container tops, all of which follow the cups into landfillsor onto streets. Scientists estimate that some 5 trillion particles of plastic, weighing a total ofabout 250,000 tons, are floating around in the Earth’s oceans. That’s unhealthy and unsightly.Polystyrene doesn’t biodegrade the way organic material does, but turns into smaller andsmaller bits that are gobbled up by sea birds and creatures, much to their detriment.

The main complaint about polystyrene bans is the cost — to businesses and to consumers.Though there are many alternatives to petroleum-based polystyrene, including paper and othertypes of plastic, these replacements can cost several times more per unit. Culver City estimatesthat its ban will cost each of its 337 food service businesses (including brick-and-mortarrestaurants, farmers markets, catering firms and food trucks) $3,000 to $5,000 per year. At leastsome of the increased cost will likely be passed on to consumers.

But there are hidden costs to everyone embedded in every piece of thrown-away plasticproduct. In this case, they include the cost of cleaning up the litter on streets and waterways

(polystyrene foam is lightweight and has a tendency to float) and the incalculable damage to themarine environment.

Also, the lack of a uniform statewide rule forces businesses to spend more time figuring out howto comply with a growing assortment of local polystyrene bans. On the one end are cities suchas Los Angeles that ban the use of polystyrene only at city facilities. At the other there’s SanFrancisco, which earlier this year adopted the nation’s most extreme polystyrene ban, restrictingthe use of polystyrene packing materials and the sale of foam retail products (think cheap whitefoam beverage coolers). This checkerboard of requirements is going to create a nightmare, if ithasn’t already, for businesses that operate in multiple cities.

A better way to go is to bring the entire state under the same rules. The state Legislature flirtedwith a statewide polystyrene ban in 2011. But that effort was shut down in the Assembly after itdrew heavy resistance from restaurants and the plastics lobby.

Many things have changed in the intervening years, however. Dozens more cities and countiesadopted their own bans , and new studies have shown the dangers to marine life posed byplastic trash in the ocean. It’s the right time for state lawmakers to give a statewide ban ondisposable polystyrene products another try.

Rick Perry was picked to run the Department of Energy , cutting down dead trees is the newGold Rush happening in California , Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade is coming back ,and the National Film Registry’s Class of 2016 has arrived .

Getting rid of the massive amounts of dead trees in California has become both a problem andan opportunity.

Wanna fly and flip through the air? There's a school for that. Benjamin Crutcher, our curiositycorrespondent, goes for a day to see what it takes to be a trapeze artist.

At the Radisson Hotel Cromwell on Wednesday morning, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy referencesboth Jay Fishman and Sandy Hook during his keynote address at the annual MiddlesexChamber of Commerce Breakfast.

Alan Thicke, beloved TV dad and real-life father of singer Robin Thicke, died Tuesday at age 69.Alan Thicke, beloved TV dad and real-life father of singer Robin Thicke, died Tuesday at age 69.

2016-12-15 09:00 The Times www.latimes.com

111 /270 29.8 Assad victory won't stabilize Middle East: Column

The final conquest of Aleppo will mark another sad episode in the greatest humanitarian tragedyto befall the Middle East in modern times. The temptation in Western chancelleries is to concedeto Syrian President Bashar Assad’s gain and organize various conferences to address offshootsof the conflict, such as the plight of the refugees. There has always been an asymmetry ofcommitment in Syria between Assad and his Russian and Iranian enablers, and America and itsband of rebels. Still, it is too soon to accept defeat, as a stable Syria under Assad can only meanan unstable Middle East.

The hard lesson that America learned in Iraq is that it is not simple to win civil wars. Clear, holdand build became the mantra of the United States’ successful surge policy in Iraq, meaning that

merely conquering a city does not mean itsactual pacification. Once an area isreclaimed, it still has to be cleansed and anew order constructed in place of the old.

Assad and his troops may be able to evictthe rebels from their urban strongholds, butthey still face the daunting task ofgoverning people whose family memberswere slaughtered by their barrel bombs. Asullen citizenry acquiescing to superiorforce is not the same as being welcomedback as liberators. So long as Assadpresides over the population centers, thereis the possibility of an insurrection and return of rebels to places they left under the barrage ofRussian air power and assault of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. After what has taken place inSyria over the last five years, Assad can never be the undisputed master of his own house.

There is no denying that reclaiming most of Syria’s urban areas is an important triumph forAssad and a critical turning point in the history of the civil war. But the conflict will persist in thevast ungoverned spaces of Syria. These regions are populated by the Islamic State, by otherIslamic terrorists, and by rebels struggling for a better future for Syria and open to a constructiverelationship with the United States. It is the conceit of the Obama administration that it is hard todisentangle these myriad groups, a spurious claim offered to justify inaction. It is the last groupthat is still worthy of America’s support. Today, their plight may be desperate, their prospectsmore limited, but their cause is still worthwhile.

For those wishing to reconcile with Assad, they should know that the region can never be atpeace with itself so long as he rules over a truncated Syria. The Syrian civil war is fueling thesectarian divide that plagues the Middle East. Assad is after all yet another instrument of ShiiteIran, as are Hezbollah and the Shiite militias that Tehran deploys around the region as itsauxiliary force. So long as Iran and its Shiite surrogates rampage across the Middle East, theywill elicit a response from the incumbent Sunni powers led by Saudi Arabia.

America cannot remain aloof from this conflict and dismiss it as an age-old blood feud of limitedimportance to its core concerns. It is time to take sides and buttress the battered Arab allianceagainst the revisionist Islamic Republic and its clients. Syria is just one of the battlegrounds ofthis conflict. Iraq and the Persian Gulf remain its two other essential theaters.

As Washington considers its path, it should be reminded that the fates of Assad and his Islamistnemesis, ISIL, are strangely intertwined. The destruction of the terrorists necessitates the demiseof the dictator. The Islamic State after all is the latest militant manifestation of Sunni grievances.Assad’s killing machine at the behest of Iran is the principal recruiter of Sunnis to the cause ofradical Islam. If the Islamic State were to disappear tomorrow, another radical group wouldemerge to take its place. So long as Sunnis remain aggrieved and beleaguered, there will befertile ground for the rise of more Islamic States to come.

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

As the Obamians leave the White House, they take with them the burdens of Syria. The Obamapresidency will remain tarnished by the human carnage that it left behind in the Levant. Theadministration’s memoirists will brandish various defenses of their eight years of rule, but the

specter of Syria will always be there. If President-elect Donald Trump and his team would like toescape this shadowed legacy, then they should think of ways to defang Assad.

Syria today is unofficially partitioning between urban areas tenuously controlled by thegovernment, and the periphery where the rebels roam. It may still be possible to formalize thesezones and make them safer. The costs of such policy should not be underestimated — but theon other side of the ledger is the price of inaction.

Ray Takeyh is the Hasib Sabbagh Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and co-author of The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East .

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinionfront page , on Twitter @USATOpinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To submit a letter,comment or column, check our submission guidelines.

2016-12-15 08:59 Ray Takeyh rssfeeds.usatoday.com

112 /270 3.6 Ex-accused in Dacer-Corbito case is new PNP anti-

kidnapping chiefSenior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, the officer who were among thosecharged for the killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and hisdriver, Emmanuel Corbito, in 2001, is the new head of thePhilippine National Police’s anti-kidnapping arm.

Dumlao will replace Senior Supt. Manolo Ozaeta, who will betransferred to the Legal Service of the Philippine National Police(PNP).

At the time of the Dacer-Corbito killings, Dumlao was the deputychief for operations of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime TaskForce (PAOCTF)-Luzon, which was headed by then DirectorGeneral Panfilo Lacson, PNP chief, who is now a senator.

In 2001, Dumlao was arrested for the murders of Dacer andCorbito in Indang, Cavite, hours after they were abducted in Makati in November 2000. Fivemonths later, the charred remains of Dacer and Corbito were found in a creek in Caviteprovince.

Dumlao became a fugitive since 2003 until he was arrested, along with former Senior Supt.Cezar Mancao II, in the United States. They were taken back to the Philippines 2009. Dumlaoturned state witness two months later and was dropped from the list of the accused.

The PNP announced the movement in the leadership after Director Benjamin Magalong,formerly the third highest ranking official in the PNP hierarchy, retired from service onWednesday.

Replacing Magalong is Chief Supt. Ramon Apolinario, former police chief of Davao City PoliceOffice, who was among the choices of President Rodrigo Duterte for the top PNP post. –ATM

2016-12-15 00:00 Julliane Love newsinfo.inquirer.net

113 /270 1.6 Death of a giant: Eerie images show the inside of

500ft cargo ship which has now been left to rot away asit floats on a Canadian river

Death of a giant: Eerie imagesshow the inside of 500ft cargoship which has now been leftto rot away as it floats on aCanadian river

By

Jordan Gass-poore ForMailonline

Published:

11:27 GMT, 15 December2016

| Updated:

12:57 GMT, 15 December 2016

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

The Kathryn Spirit ship was built in 1967 It was used as a general cargo ship In 2011, the shipwas moored in the Saint Lawrence River, just offshore from the town of Beauharnois in Canada

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

Plans are in place to dismantle the Kathryn Spirit, but it still remains on the shore of the SaintLawrence River today

Eerie images have revealed the rusting insides of an abandoned cargo ship which has beenmoored in a Canadian river for five years.

The series of photographs show the daunting scale of the 500ft Kathryn Spirit that has long beenforgotten. Control panels inside the vessel are caked in dust and graffiti has been sprayed onthe walls on deck.

Other pictures show empty office spaces and sofas in break rooms that are scattered with booksand files, as well as a ladder leading towards the upper decks.

RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next From rusting ships in lush green jungle to tanks incrystal... Inside the abandoned WWII naval base where America's heroes... The final missingship from the Battle of Jutland is found...

Share this article

Share

The incredible shots were taken by photographer, Keven Lavoie, 34, at the Saint LawrenceRiver, just offshore from the town of Beauharnois, Québec, Canada.

'I saw on the local news that the boat was abandoned and I did not hesitate for a second to visitit and bring back incredible images of it,' Mr Lavoie said. 'I was fascinated by the fact that such alarge boat was left on the shore unattended.

'There was a motion detector in a corridor and every time I passed by, an alarm sounded outsidefor five minutes. What I like about this type of photography is the thrills and the risk of gettingcaught.'

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

Work will begin this month on building a protective embankment around the ship in order toprevent environmental hazards

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

In 2013, pollutants were removed from the ship. The boat has since been classified as unsafeand cannot be towed away

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

Plans and funding for dismantling the ship are being finalized. Work is expected to begin thisspring

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

A drop in water levels last summer in Lake Saint-Louis, which streams into the Saint LawrenceRiver, has led to increased concerns about the ship's stability

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

The ship is leaning to one side and is at risk of leaking contaminated water into the localdrinking supply if it tips over

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

Environmentalists say there is still oil, PCBs - chemicals banned in the US in 1979 - andasbestos on board

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

The Canadian Coast Guard manages the ship, but that hasn't prevented intruders from postingtheir visits online

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

Earlier this year the ship caught fire and was extinguished by firefighters, who say the ship isunsafe and won't return

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

The Mexican recycling company that previously owned the ship renounced it after goingbankrupt and it was left in disrepair

© Keven Lavoie / mediadrumworld.com

The dismantling of the derelict ship is estimated to cost between $10-15million

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Death of a giant: Eerie images show the inside of 500ft cargo ship which has now been left to rotaway as it floats on a Canadian river

By

Jordan Gass-poore For Mailonline

Published:

11:27 GMT, 15 December 2016

| Updated:

12:57 GMT, 15 December 2016

The Kathryn Spirit ship was built in 1967 It was used as a general cargo ship In 2011, the shipwas moored in the Saint Lawrence River, just offshore from the town of Beauharnois in Canada

Eerie images have revealed the rusting insides of an abandoned cargo ship which has beenmoored in a Canadian river for five years.

The series of photographs show the daunting scale of the 500ft Kathryn Spirit that has long beenforgotten. Control panels inside the vessel are caked in dust and graffiti has been sprayed onthe walls on deck.

Other pictures show empty office spaces and sofas in break rooms that are scattered with booksand files, as well as a ladder leading towards the upper decks.

RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next From rusting ships in lush green jungle to tanks incrystal... Inside the abandoned WWII naval base where America's heroes... The final missingship from the Battle of Jutland is found...

Share this article

Share

The incredible shots were taken by photographer, Keven Lavoie, 34, at the Saint LawrenceRiver, just offshore from the town of Beauharnois, Québec, Canada.

'I saw on the local news that the boat was abandoned and I did not hesitate for a second to visitit and bring back incredible images of it,' Mr Lavoie said. 'I was fascinated by the fact that such alarge boat was left on the shore unattended.

'There was a motion detector in a corridor and every time I passed by, an alarm sounded outsidefor five minutes. What I like about this type of photography is the thrills and the risk of getting

caught.'

2016-12-15 08:57 Jordan Gass www.dailymail.co.uk

114 /270 5.6 Larry Nance Jr. dunks all over Brook Lopez: VIDEO

This is Brook Lopez’sreward for trying to playingdefense.

The Nets center is on everyhighlight reel this morning,but for all the wrongreasons.

Lakers forward LarryNance Jr. put Lopez on aposter Wednesday night inBrooklyn, taking off fromjust inside the free-throw

line and throwing down a one-handed jam over the 7-footer.

The Lakers bench went bananas.

NBA Twitter simultaneously mocked Lopez and lauded Nance.

Lopez’s Wikipedia page was updated to say that he was dead.

Tough night, taking one on the chin from the son of the guy who won the NBA’s first dunkcontest, but at least Lopez and the Nets got the W .

2016-12-15 08:49 Bernie Augustine feeds.nydailynews.com

115 /270 0.0 Faryal Makhdoom Khan says husband Amir's family

made plastic surgery jibesThe wife of boxer Amir Khan revealed today that his family made plastic surgery jibes and thattheir feud began before their marriage in a bombshell TV interview. Faryal Makhdoom Khan, 25,said it was ‘not in my nature to ever go public about personal matters’ but she suffered acampaign of abuse from his relatives. She spoke out after it was revealed she was allegedlytormented by her husband’s brother Harroon three years ago when he compared her to MichaelJackson. Mrs Khan told ITV’s This Morning: ‘Being so young and getting married into a very bigfamily and then having to hear in the media about Amir in the beginning, I had a rough timereading that, I was pregnant and I had my in laws… it was just a mess. ‘Over the years Amir’sbrother and sister went on Twitter rants, went on Instagram rants talking about me saying I don’tget along with them, saying I'm very fake, saying I've done plastic surgery, calling me MichaelJackson – I was a pregnant woman; reading all that was not really nice. ‘Anyway, I used to takeit in, I was very, very patient about it – I thought my silence would probably make them stop. 'Justrecently I think it just started to build up, build up, build up, and I had done a catwalk and I was

very proud of myself, Amir wasvery, very supportive andproud of me and I had seenAmir's youngest sister had saidsomething like “dog walk” andmade a comment and laughedabout it. 'It really, really hurtme, because when I didn'twork and I used to just stayhome I was called a“golddigger”, I was called “I’mwith Amir for his money”.’ MrsKhan - who has not saidwhether she has ever hadplastic surgery - told how problems with Amir’s family began around six months into herengagement and she realised she ‘wouldn't be able to fit into the family’. A few months beforethe wedding she went to Pakistan to do shopping and chose to make a surprise visit to see Amirwho was a few hours away by plane in Dubai. But she was banned from seeing Amir, tellingpresenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: ‘I went to go see him and I thought it wouldhave been a surprise. ‘And I remember Amir’s mum and dad saying that “she's ruined our familyholiday and we’re going to take you back the next day”. ‘Amir had to fly back out to the UK thenext day, he was not allowed to see me, and that’s when I knew, you know what if I'm not gettingaccepted being Amir's fiancé, I'm not sure how easy it will be to be accepted being his wife.’ Sheadded: ‘For Amir’s sake I had always tried and played my part and I felt like it was one-way love.I went to Amir’s brother’s wedding. ‘I wasn’t invited but I still went out of respect and I dancedwith his mum and I could see that smile on Amir’s face that we were getting along. ‘We neverstopped talking to Amir's family, I want to make that clear, they stopped talking to me and Amirfor absolutely no reason. ‘Amir had nothing to do with this – whatever problems we had. I wouldreally like for us to all get along - it wasn't our choice for them to move out, they wanted to moveout and Amir supported them in that. ‘It would be nice for them to eventually get on with us. Ialways tried and I'll keep trying but i don't know how possible that is - especially being inmarriage for three years and not having great communication.’ Viewers voiced their opinions ofMrs Khan during the interview on ITV's This Morning today, with one saying it 'isn't right todisrespect your partner's parents like this'. Another said she was 'making it harder every day byconstantly airing private matters in public', but one viewer claimed she 'handled herself verywell'. In an apparent jibe at model Mrs Khan’s appearance, Harroon tweeted in 2013: ‘Who saysMichael Jackson is dead lol. Jacko lives with us now hahahahaha.’ The damning tweetemerged after Mrs Khan claimed she has been 'physically and mentally' bullied by her in-lawsfor three years. She married Amir in June 2013. Haroon’s 38,000 Twitter followers were quick tosuggest he was referring to his brother’s wife in his post in December 2013, even mentioningher in replies. One user created a montage of Mrs Khan and the late Jackson using thehashtags #faryalmakhdoom and #plasticcow. Another, who has Haroon as her profile picture,took a jab at Mrs Khan, saying: ‘Everyone hates Faryal #chuckles.’ But many jumped to themodel’s defence, with Bismah Jallani writing: ‘You’re such a mean bro-in-law.’ And an infuriatedFarhan0161 wrote: ‘What the f*** bro, that’s your sister in law you’re talking about, or am Iwrong?’ Syed Mahmad added: ‘That’s actually shameful. People of Pak [Pakistan] used to talkabout the Khan family proudly. Tragic to see you like this.’ In another apparent insult in October,Harroon said: ‘I'm sure in Islam it says you shouldn't change your features you should live theway you been born.’ The tweets were posted before Mrs Khan put out a picture of their other sonHaroon lying on a bed naked and claimed he was drunk. Yesterday it emerged a rant by MrsKhan claiming Amir's mother wants her to be his 'slave' or face divorce sparked his plea to end

the feud or 'lose a son and a husband'. Mrs Khan used Snapchat to accuse Falak Khan ofencouraging her husband to end their marriage after just three years. The British boxer's motherhas previously slammed Mrs Khan, who is in Canada on business, for wearing un-Islamicclothes and no headscarf. Mrs Khan wrote on Snapchat: 'Even if YOUR mother tells you toDIVORCE your wife. You should listen to her “because she is your mother” and she comes first -WOW! So what's a wife? Exactly what I've said - a slave!' She also said she was considered a'bad Muslim' if she bared any skin and claims she was even cropped out of family photographs.About three hours after she said his family were pushing for a divorce, a furious Amir begged hisparents and wife to stop 'bashing one another' in public. He said: 'I apologise for the silly pictureand message my wife Faryal put up. Here is me working my ass off helping the less fortunatewith charity dinners and my family and wife are just destroying my good name. 'I didn't want toget involved in this mess. There is NO reality television show. My parents are my parents and mywife is my wife. 'Whatever misunderstanding has happened they should keep it private. This isgetting to the point where they will lose a son and a husband. Childish behaviour. Both partiesneed to stop this. I've had enough.' Yesterday his wife took to social media and said: 'I wanted toapologise for the picture I put out earlier. I was a bit angry and felt I like I needed to justify myself'- but did not mention her husband's call for calm. She added: 'I was just getting so stressed outreading the comments of people talking about my dressing. Not realising anger took over andthat it would hurt so many of my followers, and the young girls that follow me. I really doapologise.’ Earlier this week, speaking for the first time over the growing rift, Amir's parentsrejected accusations of bullying and domestic abuse by their daughter-in-law. Speaking on GeoNews, Sajjad and Falak rubbished Mrs Khan’s allegations, claiming she is 'lying' they never laida hand on her and treated her like their own daughter. Mr Khan said: 'Faryal was adopting adress code which in the Islamic faith was not acceptable. I ask Faryal to produce evidence ofviolence. Where is the evidence? ‘We have always held her in highest esteem and gave her thesame level of respect and love that we gave to our two daughters.'

2016-12-15 08:48 Mark Duell www.dailymail.co.uk

116 /270 4.9 Post-mortem photographs of dead children helped

parents recover from bereavementTo us in 2016 it seems like themost morbid idea - taking animage of a mother posing withher dead child - but in the 19thcentury post-mortemphotography was all the rage.In an era when epidemics ofdiphtheria, typhus and choleraclaimed the lives of thousandsof American children andmany others succumbed toconditions which nowadayswould be cured by antibiotics,death was commonplace. But

that made it no less painful. And one way of coping with the grief was through photographs, ordaguerreotypes, as the earliest photos were known. Invented by Frenchman, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, in 1839 they became hugely popular around the world. Daguerreotypes were

used to capture the image of famous people like Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S Grant and RobertE Lee. But they were soon being used to help in the grieving process. Many American familiesfelt the need to capture the likeness of their dead children before they were laid to rest. Aremarkable collection of these pictures can be found on the Thanatos Archive. The imagesusually showed the infants with their eyes closed, as if they were having a peaceful sleep. Butphotographers would sometimes try to make the subjects appear alive, by propping them upagainst tables or chairs, holding their eyes open or even painting pupils onto the print. Rosy tintswere even added to the cheeks of corpses and sometimes they posed alongside their siblings,who were still alive. By the beginning of the 20th century the daguerreotype had been replacedby a simpler photographic practice and post-mortem photography gradually fell out of fashion.Nowadays grief counsellors do not recommend taking photographs of infants who have passedaway.

2016-12-15 08:48 Chris Summers www.dailymail.co.uk

117 /270 1.5 Lawmakers make late push on energy legislation

LANSING -- Statelawmakers were poised tomake a final push today topass comprehensiveenergy and electricitylegislation, after Housemembers met behindclosed doors most of thenight and GOP membersheard an appeal fromRepublican Gov. RickSnyder.

A major thrust of the latest proposal is an attempt to bring on board Republicans in the Housewho believe the bills passed by the Senate in November would kill the small amount ofcompetition in Michigan's highly regulated electricity marketplace.

Many details were still being finalized, but amendments are being drafted so that Housemembers, who took a break around 6 a.m. today, may be able to vote on the two-bill packagewhen they return to the chamber at 1 p.m. today, said Gideon D'Assandro, a spokesman forHouse Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant.

"We've got a framework," D'Assandro told the Free Press this morning. "We've been moving inthe right direction; we've been getting closer and closer to an agreement. "

► Related: What's being tabled, what's going forward in Michigan lame duck

Sen. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek, one of the architects of the energy overhaul that's been morethan two years in the making, told reporters after midnight this morning that Snyder proposed acompromise that might be central to any breakthrough.

With many Michigan coal-fired plants slated to close in the next several years, the state's twomajor utilities -- DTE Energy and Consumers Energy -- say they need to build replacementcapacity. However, they say they are only prepared to build to serve the 90% of Michigan

customers who are served by Michigan's largely regulated market -- not the 10% of "electricchoice" customers who buy from alternative suppliers.

To address that issue, the Senate plan included a "capacity charge" that alternative energysuppliers -- in many cases brokers who don't produce their own electricity -- would have to paythe utilities to help underwrite the cost of assuring Michigan has enough electricity to meet allcustomer needs.

► Editorial: Lame duck in Lansing about ideology, not state's needs

In Michigan, those electric choice customers include many school districts and manufacturerswho fear the addition of an unknown capacity charge would largely kill any electricity costsavings they now enjoy.

Nofs said that under the latest proposal, that capacity charge could disappear. But as a trade-off,customers who move from alternative energy suppliers back to the major utilities as a result ofprice spikes would be required to remain with DTE or Consumers for at least six years, he said.

Proponents of choice "are getting a lot, and the utilities are getting a lot," Nofs said.

The requirement for a six-year commitment after a customer returns to the utilities couldpotentially result in the size of Michigan's electric choice market dropping below 10% in theshort term, he said.

Nofs said the 15% mandate for use of renewable energy and energy sources would likelyremain, though there could be a change in the way utilities are compensated for efficiencymeasures.

D'Assandro said another key focus in proposed changes is how the legislation would treat "netmetering" for customers who produce their own electricity through measures such as solarpanels.

Toward the end of a near-20-hour session that began Wednesday, Snyder briefed majorityRepublicans on the proposal for more than an hour, telling reporters as he left the chamber after5 a.m.: “We’re still working.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@paulegan4.

► Related: Bill allows landlords to prohibit medical pot growing, use

2016-12-15 08:47 Paul Egan rssfeeds.freep.com

118 /270 1.5 Cardiff Winter Wonderland branded 'strict' after

wheelchair users banned from ice rinkFurious parents have hit out at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland amid claims the festive attraction isdiscriminating against wheelchair users. People in a wheelchair wanting to use the site's ice rinkmust be accompanied by someone walking alongside them - a rule which parents have

branded 'too strict andoverprotective'. Accompanyingparents are not allowed towear skates themselves andmust wear spiked grips. SueHurrell, 43, from Penylan, wasdue to take her 11-year-olddaughter Imogen to theattraction on Friday. She said:'It's one of those things where itcould be so fun but they haveintroduced this rule which justseems so unnecessary. 'Itmeans they have to go at

walking pace, which is no fun for those who want to zoom around on the ice. 'A friend of minetook her daughter on Tuesday and when they found out about the new rules, she burst intotears. She was heartbroken. 'It seems like a ridiculous, overprotective rule which destroys all ofthe fun. 'I just won't bother taking my daughter any more and I have spoken to others who havesaid the same.' Sue's friend, 47-year-old Elle Davies, who took her daughter Shanelle, said: 'Iwent last night and went on the ice as normal. I did three or four circuits and was then told that Iwould have to take my skates off because they have a new policy. 'When I put the grips on all Icould do was walk behind her. I did a few more circuits and asked if she was enjoying it and shesaid "no". 'It was like a walk rather than an ice skate but I can do that without paying £20. 'Shewas upset because we do it every year. Her chair was all decked out in tinsel. 'She loves it, theymiss out on so much and this was one thing she enjoyed. It is another thing to be taken awayfrom her. 'The people working there were lovely and said it was to do with insurance. I would beinterested to see how many accidents there were with wheelchairs last year.' In response to thecomplaints, 11th Hour Events, who run the rink, have offered two sessions specifically towheelchair users and the partially sighted. The move has been welcomed by Elle. She said: 'Ispoke to them and they explained their position and I explained mine. 'They had a big meetingwith the directors and they are going to do two sessions specifically for wheelchair users and thepartially sighted. They are going to let us skate at our own risk if we sign a waiver. 'I am quitehappy with the result because I can still go skating. It is a step forward but still a long way to go.'In a statement, 11th Hour said: 'After listening to our disabled guests, we have put pressureupon both our insurers and health and safety advisers to review the control measures in placerestricting wheelchair users to wear ice grips. 'I am pleased to say following pressure fromourselves, that at the time of writing this, our insurers have relaxed their stance in this matter,and we have instructed our health and safety consultant to write new control documentsallowing wheelchair companions to be given the option of wearing either skates or ice gripshoes. 'We naturally want all our guests at Winter Wonderland to have a wonderful time, and wehave placed pressure upon the parties concerned, and have come to a reasonable conclusion,in favour of permitting the companion to choose between wearing skates or ice grips. 'I ampleased to announce that we have won the battle, following a very intense day of discussions.Our insurers now have taken a different stance considering the feedback we have presented. Assuch, we are pleased to pass on the new benefits to our wheelchair users and their companion.'We have also tried to facilitate relaxed sessions allowing 40 wheelchair users to take to the ice.We have two allocated already for this season being December 22 and 29 at 9.45am. 'We shallbe ensuring that for next year that there will be relaxed access sessions available to all ourwheelchair users.'

2016-12-15 08:45 Alexander Robertson www.dailymail.co.uk

119 /270 2.6 Military targets handling of misconduct cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders are trying to fix the lengthy,inconsistent process for investigating senior officers accused ofmisconduct, The Associated Press has learned. They are seeking tochange a hodgepodge system in which investigations can drag on foryears while taxpayers pay six-figure salaries to officers relegated to mid-level administrative posts.

Trust in the disciplinary system “is strained,” the chiefs of the four military services said in amemo to Defense Secretary Ash Carter. The memo was obtained by The Associated Press.

The chiefs said they planned to set up a task force to study the issue. It would be created by theend of the year and likely include former members of the military, lawmakers, and formerinvestigators or inspectors general. The panel would be charged with providing specificproposals within 10 months.

The memo said the service leaders have concerns about “our internal processes to respondpromptly and equitably when there are accusations of misconduct.”

There are no real policy guidelines or regulations that govern where the officers go and whatjobs they can hold while they wait for investigations to end. Instead, decisions are made bycommanders on a case-by-case basis that provides little guarantee of equal treatment acrossthe Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, or even for those within the same service.

“We are very frustrated by the amount of time it takes for us to process things,” said Lt. Gen. GaryCheek, director of the Army staff. “In many cases this is in fairness to the individual as well as torun the process through the levels of review. But it can take months to adjudicate some of theseand we would greatly prefer that to be weeks, not months.”

Eugene Fidell, a lawyer who specializes in military cases and teaches at Yale Law School, saidthe lengthy process wastes money and is particularly damaging for those ultimately foundinnocent or not charged. And he said it can treat officers differently, even if they committed thesame offense.

“There are people who are hung out to dry, and it’s extremely unfair because it’s virtuallyimpossible to put Humpty back together again,” Fidell said.

As an example, for the past year, Army Maj. Gen. Ron Lewis has been poring over older militaryregulations to see what needs updating. His work, in a small suburban Virginia office as aspecial assistant to the Army’s personnel chief, isn’t far from the Pentagon. But it’s a universeaway from his high-powered job as senior military adviser to Carter — a job he lost amidcharges of improper behavior and misuse of a government credit card.

He will stay there until the Army decides on his case and determines at what rank he can retire— a decision that could affect his annual income by tens of thousands of dollars.

The Navy, meanwhile, has officers wrapped up in a lengthy, complicated corruptioninvestigation, involving bribes from Malaysian businessman Leonard Glenn Francis, also known

as “Fat Leonard.” A total of 16 people, including nearly a dozen current and former Navyofficials, have been charged so far in the scandal, which has dragged on for about three years.

In some cases, such as Lewis’, the investigation is done by the Pentagon’s inspector general.Others are handled by the military services’ inspectors general, and in cases like “Fat Leonard,”the Justice Department drives the probe.

There are about a half-dozen active duty senior leaders — mainly two- and three-star officers —who are working in administrative jobs now, waiting for final decisions on misconductinvestigations. Over the past five years, there have been nearly 30.

Investigators sometimes have to go back and recreate history, months and years after itoccurred and after people and commanders have long moved on. There is concern thatstretching out the process makes it difficult to send a clear signal to others that bad behaviorwon’t be tolerated.

Cheek, who is responsible for deciding where Army officers go and what they do while underinvestigation, said it’s important to remember that an accused soldier is innocent until provenguilty and he defended the need to handle incidents on a case-by-case basis.

The investigations are largely done the same way, he said, but “they all have different issuesthey’re working through. We have to match it to the individual circumstances.”

He said that “when we have someone who has mistreated people or done something wrong, wehold them appropriately accountable. We may not advertise that or announce it from themountain tops but every case has a process it has gone through very deliberately.”

He noted that the officers under investigation are usually at the lowest point of their lives.

“I am dealing with someone who is enormously distraught, many times incredibly embarrassedby what’s happened,” Cheek said. “I’ve got to show frankly some compassion toward them nomatter what. We’re not going to condone what they’ve done, but we’re going to treat them right.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 08:45 By Associated mynorthwest.com

120 /270 1.1 Man Framed By Crooked Chicago Cop Has Conviction

VacatedCHICAGO (CBS) — Cook County prosecutors agreed Wednesday to vacate the conviction of aman who was arrested by corrupt Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts and his officers — the thirdtime this year that someone arrested by Watts’ team has been exonerated.

Lionel White pleaded guilty to a drug charge in 2006, even though he claimed he was framedand beaten by the officers. He was sentenced to five years in prison and completed hissentence.

In seeking to overturn White’s conviction and clear his name, his attorney, Joshua Tepfer,presented evidence in Cook County criminal court that Watts was under investigation for

corruption at the time of White’s arrest.Authorities had interviewed White in prisonduring a corruption investigation of Watts,records show.

Now that White’s conviction has beenoverturned, he can seek a certificate ofinnocence that would allow him to seekcompensation from the state for hiswrongful conviction. Tepfer said CookCounty prosecutors under former State’sAttorney Anita Alvarez — and currentState’s Attorney Kim Foxx — have beenhelpful in investigating the claims of White

and others.

“I think Mr. White remains fairly frustrated by what happened to him,” Tepfer said. “He called it agood day, but he was tormented by these people — the whole community was.”

In 2013, Watts and an officer on his team, Kallatt Mohammed, were convicted in federal court forripping off a drug courier who was an FBI informant. Watts had supervised officers at the Ida B.Wells public housing complex on the South Side, where White was arrested.

In 2005, a couple, Ben Baker and his wife, Clarissa Glenn, were also arrested on drug chargesat the same housing complex by Watts’ team. They both pleaded guilty, even though they, too,claimed that dirty cops framed them.

When Cook County Judge Michael Toomin accepted their guilty pleas, he had said, “There hasnot been (a) sufficient showing that these are renegade police officer(s) — that they are badpolice, that they are outlaws,” but he added that he would vacate the convictions if the officerswere later convicted of wrongdoing, according to a transcript.

Baker was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2006 and Glenn was sentenced to probation. InMarch, prosecutors agreed to vacate their convictions. Baker has a wrongful-conviction lawsuitpending against the city.

The exonerations of White, Baker and Glenn could be the tip of the iceberg, said Tepfer, alawyer with the University of Chicago’s Exoneration Project, which is asking the Cook Countycriminal court to appoint a special master to examine the hundreds of convictions involvingWatts and his officers — and determine if other cases involved police misconduct.

“We feel extremely confident that there’s many others,” Tepfer said. “This was a routine practiceof framing people in the South Side housing projects for over a decade.”

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This materialmay not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

2016-12-15 08:43 chicago.cbslocal.com

121 /270

121 /270 0.0 Oklahoma court tosses abortion law on hospital

privilegesOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — TheOklahoma Supreme Court onTuesday threw out a law requiringabortion clinics to have doctors withadmitting privileges at nearbyhospitals, saying efforts to portraythe measure as protecting women’shealth are a “guise.”

The law would require a doctor withadmitting privileges at a hospitalwithin 30 miles be present for anyabortion. The court found it violatesboth the U. S. and Oklahoma Constitutions. The U. S. Supreme Court earlier this year struckdown a similar provision in Texas.

“Under the guise of the protection of women’s health,” Oklahoma Justice Joseph Watt wrote,“(the law) creates an undue burden on a woman’s access to abortion, violating protected rightsunder our federal Constitution,” referring specifically to the Texas case.

Republican Gov. Mary Fallin signed the measure, Senate Bill 1848, into law in 2014, but courtshad blocked it from taking effect. Tuesday’s ruling overturns a lower court’s decision in Februarythat upheld the law.

The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the law on behalf of Dr. LarryBurns, a Norman physician who, at the time the lawsuit was filed in October 2014, performednearly half of Oklahoma’s abortions. Burns has said he applied for admitting privileges athospitals in the Oklahoma City area but was turned down.

Also, at the time, the only other clinic in the state that performed abortions was in Tulsa.However the Trust Women South Wind Women’s Center opened in south Oklahoma City inSeptember and Planned Parenthood opened in the northwest Oklahoma City suburb of WarrAcres in November.

“Today’s decision is a victory for Oklahoma women and another rebuke to politicians pushingunderhanded laws that attack a woman’s constitutionally guaranteed right to safe, legalabortion,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in astatement.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt did not immediately respond to a request for comment,but previously has said that bill was passed to protect the health and safety of Oklahomawomen.

The court also found that the law violates the Oklahoma Constitution’s ban on measurescontaining more than one subject, a practice known as logrolling. The law included “12 separateand unrelated subsections,” the court said.

“The sections in SB 1848 are so unrelated and misleading that a legislator voting on this matter

could have been left with an unpalatable all-or-nothing choice,” according to the ruling.

The court’s ruling came the same day that the Oklahoma Board of Health approved newrequirements for hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and public schools to post signs insidepublic restrooms directing pregnant women where to receive services as part of an effort toreduce abortions in the state. The provision mandating the signs was tucked into a measure theLegislature passed this year that requires the state to develop informational material “for thepurpose of achieving an abortion-free society.”

Businesses and other organizations estimate they will have to pay $2.3 million to put up thesigns because the Legislature approved no funding for them. The Legislature and the governormust ratify the board’s rules for the signs before they are scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1,2018, board attorney Donald Maisch said.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday signed a 20-week abortion ban while vetoingstricter provisions in a separate measure that would have barred the procedure at the firstdetectable fetal heartbeat. The so-called heartbeat bill would have prohibited most abortions asearly as six weeks into pregnancy.

In Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit late Monday asking a federal judgeto block additional parts of a contentious Florida abortion law. The lawsuit contends that the lawviolates constitutional rights by requiring groups to register with the state and pay a fee if theyadvise or help women seek abortions. The lawsuit also challenges a provision requiring groupsto tell women about alternatives to abortion.

___

Associated Press reporter Tim Talley in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

___

Senate Bill 1848: http://bit.ly/1fLRQk9

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 08:41 By Associated mynorthwest.com

122 /270 0.6 6 in NC agree to pleas in court scheme to strong-arm

debtorsCHARLOTTE, N. C. (AP) - Five Charlotte residents and a Concord manhave plea deals to charges that they collected $6 million from peoplearound the country by strong-arming debtors to pay.

Federal prosecutors say in court documents filed Wednesday that all sixwere involved in a scheme that threatened debtors with lawsuits and

criminal charges and harassed their family and friends.

Prosecutors allege several interconnected debt collection companies owned by 35-year-oldCedric Clark of Concord bought lists of debtors and then bullied people to pay, sometimes for

money they didn’t really owe. The lists were sold repeatedly, so several collection groups werecalling to collect the same purported debt.

Prosecutors say the callers representing Capital Solutions Agency, Berkeley Hughes andAssociates and Vortex Group defrauded thousands of people between late 2011 and May 2015.

2016-12-15 08:37 By www.washingtontimes.com

123 /270 6.2 Tasers, ballistic vests added to courthouse security

SAGINAW, MI -- Already equipped with firearms,Saginaw County District Court bailiffs soon will haveTasers and ballistic vests.

The decision to up the bailiffs' equipment comes in themidst of a state official recommending the same.

"I'd rather be proactive than reactive," says Circuit CourtAdministrator Lance Dexter.

At court officials' request, Dennis D. Mac Donnel, a courtsecurity specialist with the Michigan Supreme Court,visited District Court on Nov. 22 to "observe the activitiesof the court security staff during court proceedings,"according to a letter he wrote to Saginaw County ChiefCircuit Judge Fred L. Borchard.

Security upgrades come to Saginaw courthouse, planned for Midland

The county's five District Court courtrooms each have an armed bailiff who wears a countySheriff's Department uniform, but they do not have Tasers and do not wear ballistic vests.

"It is my recommendation for the court to equip court security personnel with firearms, Tasers,radios, ballistic-type vests and uniforms," Mac Donnel writes in a Dec. 7 letter.

Dexter says that within the past month, the county has armed the bailiffs with the same 9mmsemi-automatic handguns that are kept in "Level 3" holsters, which lock. Some bailiffs did nothave those holsters, Dexter says.

The county now is working to provide identical Tasers and vests to the deputies, Dexter says.The consistency in the equipment is key, he says.

"If you're in an altercation and for whatever reason (a bailiff loses their) gun or Taser, yours isjust as alike as the others," he says. "You can use it like it's your own. "

In his letter, Mac Donnel notes the bailiffs have a "complex" job. In addition to acting as auniformed presence in the courtroom, the bailiffs act as greeters to those entering the courtroom,assist in case management, serve as clerks by moving files into and out of the courtrooms,handle in-custody defendants, take defendants into custody, and escort defendants to temporaryholding facilities in the courthouse.

Mac Donnel urges county leaders to reflect the bailiffs "actual role and job description" in thecounty's security policy.

Meanwhile, sheriff's deputies who transport inmates from the Saginaw County Jail to thecourthouse and who provide additional security throughout the courthouse have Tasers, vests,and radios. Mac Donnel believes the bailiffs should have the same equipment as thosedeputies.

"In an effort to protect the judge, court employees, visitors, and even the in-custody defendants,"Mac Donnel writes, "the court security staff should be trained in the appropriate use of firearmsand allowed to carry a weapon in the performance of their duties. "

Currently, the bailiffs in the District Court courtrooms are retired police officers who already havethat training.

"What we're trying to do is make it standard for all the bailiffs," Dexter adds.

While the transport and security deputies wear ballistic vests, the bailiffs do not.

"Since this person is responsible for protecting the judge and others, it is logical to provide thisperson with a higher level of protection to keep from becoming incapacitated," Mac Donnelwrites.

During his visit, Mac Donnel noted some of the bailiffs left open the door leading from thecourtroom into the judicial hallway, he writes. County officials recently paid for installation ofproximity readers that control the opening of those doors.

"This action undermines the safety and security of all employees of the court while disrupting thedecorum of the courts that are in session," Mac Donnel writes. "This hallway is also used forprisoner transport, and it accesses the prisoner elevator [that] opens on (all the floors). An opendoor is an invitation for anyone to walk through unless challenged or checked. This can't bedone with the current security level. "

Mac Donnel urges the county to implement his proposed changes.

"In today's society, operating a courthouse is, by its very nature, a risky business," he writes."The courts are visited by a large volume of people on a daily basis; some of these people maybe disgruntled, and some may be lawbreakers, while others may view the court as a symbol torebel against. Therefore, court security should be viewed as a continuous effort to provide a safeand secure environment for all the visitors and employees. "

County officials were set to discuss Mac Donnel's recommendation at the Tuesday, Dec. 13,Executive Committee meeting, but those plans were scrapped. Instead of having Borcharddiscuss the recommendation, Presiding District Judge Terry L. Clark will discuss them at thenext Courts and Public Safety Committee meeting in February. Clark will replace Borchard asthe county's chief judge after Borchard's retirement at the end of December.

Dexter, who also was to be part of Tuesday's discussion, says Mac Donnel's recommendationswere "nothing surprising. "

"They're based on what he's always said," Dexter says. "I think (the bailiffs) are starting to seethis is not going to go away. I'm really shocked we haven't had a catastrophe yet. "

2016-12-15 08:35 Andy Hoag www.mlive.com

124 /270 86.2 Person Questioned In Englewood Infant’s Homicide

CHICAGO (CBS) — Detectives werequestioning a person of interestWednesday night in the killing of a 1-monthold boy last week in Englewood.

About 2 p.m. on Dec. 7, officers were calledto assist paramedics treating theunresponsive infant inside his home in the6600 block of South Racine, according toChicago Police and the Cook Countymedical examiner’s office.

Timothy Harmon was taken to St. BernardHospital, where he died at 2:39 p.m.,authorities said. An autopsy ruled his death

a homicide by child abuse.

Police said Wednesday night that Area South detectives were questioning the person of interest.No charges had been filed as of 8:30 p.m., according to police, who initially said the boy showedno obvious signs of trauma.

The state Department of Children and Family Services — which had no prior contact with thefamily — was also investigating, an agency spokeswoman said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This materialmay not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

2016-12-15 08:33 chicago.cbslocal.com

125 /270 1.2 Justice Department won't send officers to pipeline

protestBISMARCK, N. D. (AP) — The federal government won’t send 100 federalofficers to help police protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline inNorth Dakota as requested, drawing a sharp rebuke Wednesday by thecounty sheriff who wanted the help as well as the head of the NationalSheriffs’ Association.

Sending border patrol and members of the U. S. Marshals Service Special Operations Groupmight escalate, not ease, tensions between law enforcement and protesters who’ve camped onfederal land for months, Justice Department spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle told The AssociatedPress.

A dozen North Dakota law enforcement officials implored President Barack Obama in a letterreleased Monday to send in-person help plus financial assistance, citing costs, fatigue and a

growing fear of vigilante justice. The officers, led by Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, saidthey fear for the safety of themselves, area residents and protesters.

In explaining that DOJ won’t fill the request, the agency noted it offered training and technicalassistance to local law officers and has worked to facilitate dialogue among law enforcementand opponents of the four-state, $3.8 billion pipeline.

“As Attorney General Lynch has said, the department is committed to supporting local lawenforcement, defending protestors’ constitutional right to free speech and fostering thoughtfuldialogue on the matter,” Horbuckle said. “The safety of everyone in the area — law enforcementofficers, residents and protesters alike — continues to be our foremost concern.”

But Kirchmeier, who has long been critical of what he perceives to be a lack of federal aid, toldthe AP that the Justice Department’s efforts have not defused tensions and that local officerswho have policed the protests for 127 days and made 571 arrests are stretched beyondcapacity.

“Only in Washington, D. C., would facilitating meetings be considered ‘action’ in response to thekind of aggression our law enforcement officers and North Dakota citizens have had to face overthese past months,” Kirchmeier said in a statement.

The federal government has not been inactive: U. S. Customs and Border Protection at onepoint last month provided 11 Border Patrol agents to help with policing.

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other opponents of the pipeline, which will carry NorthDakota oil to a shipping point in Illinois, say the project threatens cultural sites and the tribe’sdrinking water, which is drawn from the Missouri River. Pipeline work is stalled while Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners and the Army battle in court over permission for thepipeline to cross under the river — the last big chunk of construction.

The protest encampment has thinned out in recent days from several thousand people to a fewhundred due to the work stoppage and harsh winter weather, but there have been a handful ofarrests over the past week.

National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jonathan F. Thompson said the group isgrateful for the efforts of the DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services, which sent teams toBismarck in September and October for training and technical assistance. However, Thompsonsaid it’s not enough.

“The critical value sheriffs need, and have asked (for) dozens of times, is for federal lawenforcement officers to be on the ground,” he said, adding that “we have asked, pleaded andnearly begged.”

The DOJ also has told North Dakota officials that it will consider allowing the state to repurposemore than $1 million in Justice Assistance Grant money, which is for efforts to prevent andcontrol crime and improve the criminal justice system.

Considering the state has dedicated up to $17 million in emergency spending for protest-relatedcosts, Thompson said the monetary offer is “a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage.”

___

Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 08:33 By Associated mynorthwest.com

126 /270 6.3 Michala Pyke drugged daughter so she could have sex

with boyfriend, court hearsA mother accused of plying herdaughter with sedatives shecalled 'Smarties' so she couldhave sex with her boyfriend isan 'utterly, utterly selfishhuman being,' a court heard.Michala Pyke denies crueltyand causing her four-year-oldchild Poppy unnecessarysuffering before she died in2013. Pyke told Hull CrownCourt she 'wasn't involved' infeeding diazepam to Poppyand suspected her then

partner, John Rytting, 40, who also denies child cruelty, of the act. In response to claims she wasselfish, she said: 'I loved her. You can't take that away from me. She was perfect. I loved her butsometimes I loved drugs as well. I loved her but I just messed up badly.' She added: 'I havefailed her so badly. The least I can do is tell the truth. She deserved better than a mum like me.She was my little Pickle'. But the jury was told she was an individual who did not care who she'sacrificed' as long as she 'saved her own skin'. Prosecutor David Gordon asked Pyke - whoadmitted 'putting heroin over' her little girl - why she did not think to tell police about hersupposed suspicions about Rytting and that Poppy's tongue was 'all blue' from diazepam. Pykesaid: 'I just wanted to see my little girl. My head was spinning.' Poppy Widdison died in 2013 andthe youngster lived in an 'environment where drugs were present'. However, the cause of herdeath is inconclusive. Mr Gordon asked Pyke: 'Don't you think her memory deserves the truth?Every time, you tell a different story - every single time. 'You are seeking to avoid blame forfeeding blue Smarties to your child - you and Mr Rytting. 'You sedated your little child, both ofyou. You thought it was a huge lark.' In response, Pyke said: 'There's nothing funny about thiscase, nothing funny about my little girl being six foot under. 'I did't want to admit anything tomyself so how could I admit it to anybody else?' Mr Gordon asked: 'You are saying it was MrRytting without your knowledge or approval who was doing it [feeding Poppy blue Smarties].'Isn't that your defence in this trial?' Pyke replied: 'It's no defence. It's just what it is.' She said thatwith the 'power of hindsight' she should have picked up on the signs earlier and admitted she'should have protected' her daughter. The 37-year-old denied 'quite deliberately' feedingsedatives and other drugs to Poppy so that they 'could have a quieter life'. Mr Gordon brandedPyke 'quite unscrupulous and an utterly, utterly selfish human being' who did not care who shesacrificed as long as she 'saved her own skin'. The trial continues.

2016-12-15 08:30 Martin Robinson www.dailymail.co.uk

127 /270 1.9 EU court dismisses Nestle's Kit Kat trade mark

By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A European Union courthas dismissed Nestle's attempt to register the Kit Kat shape as a trademark for its chocolate biscuit bar, questioning whether consumers in allEU states would recognise the snack's "distinctive character". RivalCadbury Schweppes - now owned by Mondelez International - asked theEU to declare the Kit Kat trade mark invalid in 2007. On Thursday thecourt annulled the initial trade mark registration, meaning that the Kit Kat shape can for now beused freely. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will have to re-examinewhether the Kit Kat four fingers bar has acquired distinctive character through its use within allEU member states, not just across the EU generally, the General Court of the EU said in astatement. The General Court, based in Luxembourg, is the second-highest in the EU. OnThursday it annulled EUIPO's decision in 2006 to register the Kit Kat as a trade mark in sweets,bakery products, biscuits, cakes and waffles. If a trade mark is registered for a category of goodswhich also has sub-categories, then it applies only to goods where it has been put to use, thecourt said. "The Court holds that none of the evidence taken into consideration by EUIPOestablishes use of the mark in respect of bakery products, pastries, cakes and waffles," it said. Inaddition, Nestle would have to prove that when it applied in 2002, its Kit Kat had already gaineddistinctive character through use in all 15 of the states that had joined the bloc by then. It was notenough for Nestle "to show that a significant proportion of the relevant public throughout the EU,merging all the member states and regions, perceives a mark as an indication of the commercialorigin of the goods designated by the mark," the Court said. The Court said EUIPO had foundthat Kit Kat had acquired distinctive character in 10 countries - Denmark, Germany, Spain,France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and the UK - but not in countriesincluding Belgium, Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Nestle has the option of appealing against thedecision before the EU's highest court within two months. (Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing byRuth Pitchford)

2016-12-15 08:28 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

128 /270 9.6 Hibbing man sentenced for killing roommate, burning

bodyVIRGINIA, Minn. (AP) - A Hibbing man has been sentenced to 35 years inprison for killing his former roommate and burning the man’s body in anIron Range mine pit.

Nineteen-year-old Dylan Gilbertson pleaded guilty last month tointentional second-degree murder in the May death of 20-year-old Jaysen

Greenwood. St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin says Gilbertson was sentenced Wednesday.

Greenwood’s burned body was found in the Mott Pitt area of Mountain Iron. An autopsyconcluded he had been stabbed, beaten and strangled.

Authorities alleged that Gilbertson was mad at Greenwood over some stolen property.

2016-12-15 08:22 By www.washingtontimes.com

129 /270 3.3 MLB bans ritual of rookies dressing up as women —

RT SportAccording to theAssociated Press, the newfive-year collectivebargaining agreementbetween MLB and theplayers' union policyincludes a ban on thepractice of harsh initiationrituals known as ‘hazing.’

READ MORE: Out of thepark! Japanese baseballplayer smashes ballthrough stadium roof(VIDEO)

The agreement prohibits any practice "requiring, coercing or encouraging players from dressingup as women or wearing costumes that may be offensive to individuals based on their race, sex,nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or other characteristic. "

Paul Mifsud, a vice president of MLB, said the rise in social media usage such as Twitter,Instagram, and Facebook had seen an increase in the number of players pictured dressed up as‘Disney princesses’ and that the new rules were designed to stop this.

"Although it hasn't happened, you could sort of see how like someone might even dress up inblack face and say, 'Oh, no, we were just dressing up,'" Mifsud said, as reported by the New YorkTimes .

"We've also understood that a number of players have complained about it. "

The MLB will allow players to dress up as certain types of superheroes that are non-offensive,but the policy also stipulates that a player’s willingness to take part in rituals forbidden by theagreement “does not excuse the activity from being considered a violation of the policy. "

However, the agreement stops short of banning all traditions regarding rookies and players, andstates that its purpose is rather “to prohibit conduct that may cause players physical anguish orharm, may be offensive to some players, club staff or fans, or are distracting to the operation ofthe club or MLB. "

San Francisco Giants television broadcaster Mike Krukow, a former pitcher for MLB franchisethe Chicago Cubs among others, criticized the decision, saying the practice of dressing up wasa "tradition. "

"A lot of these kids come up out of the minor leagues having been there four or five years, theyget to the big leagues and they cannot wait to put a dress on. They've heard about this, theywant to be a part of it, it's a tradition," he said on the KNBR 680 radio station.

However, Hudson Taylor, the founder of the sport inclusiveness group Athlete Ally, told TMZ the

new ruling should be welcomed.

"This is an important step on the pathway to creating a baseball culture in which players are notisolated, excluded or othered because of how they identify or who they love. I commend theleadership of MLB for taking a stand," said Taylor.

The new policy will be implemented from the 2017 season onwards.

2016-12-15 08:21 www.rt.com

130 /270 2.9 Jury convicts dog owner of abusing bullmastiff

named MeatballA jury on Wednesday found an Eastpointe man guilty ofabusing his pet dog, a 3-year-old bullmastiff namedMeatball.

Neighbor Tim England, who testified at the preliminaryhearing in June, said he spotted his neighbor beatingthe dog last February and slamming its head on theside of the house.

He put his cell phone in the windowsill and hit "record. "That video went viral on the Internet and was a keypiece of evidence leading to the arrest and prosecutionof 25-year-old John A. Sporer, who was convicted ofanimal torture, animal cruelty and owning anunlicensed animal.

"I seen him walk up to the dog, he grabbed him by his face kind of looked him in his eyes ... kindof walked him over towards the center of the deck ... " England testified in June.

He said his neighbor "threw him on the ground, straddled him ... I assumed he was chokinghim...

"While he had him on the ground ... he hit him at least three times. "

England made several recordings over a 15-minute period. Some who attended the hearingwere brought to tears as the video played on the courtroom TV.

England's preliminary hearing testimony:

England provided the video to Eastpointe police, but when police didn't arrest or questionSporer for days, he sent the video to Detroit Pit Crew, an animal rescue nonprofit.

After the video was shared online, police made an arrest and Sporer was charged.

Sporer is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8.

2016-12-15 08:20 Gus Burns www.mlive.com

131 /270 4.8 Fire at Missouri S&T's Emerson Hall ruled accidental

ROLLA, Mo. (AP) - Investigators have declared a building fire at theMissouri University of Science and Technology accidental.

The Rolla Daily News (http://bit.ly/2gOuSDn ) reports that the City of RollaFire and Rescue made the announcement Tuesday in a news release. Anair conditioning unit on the roof of Emerson Hall caught fire last week,leading the school to evacuate the building. No injuries were reported. Power to surroundingbuildings also was shut off as a precaution.

No structural damage has been identified at Emerson Hall. But the building has been closedbecause of air quality concerns while the investigation and cleaning take place.

___

Information from: Rolla Daily News, http://www.therolladailynews.com

2016-12-15 08:18 By www.washingtontimes.com

132 /270 48.8 Grandfather dies of injuries following fatal MonroeTownship house fire

(WXYZ) - The Monroe County Sheriff'sOffice says the grandfather injured in thefatal house fire earlier this week has died.

Monroe Twp. fire officials say his 18-year-old grandson was also killed in the fire.

Lt. Calvin Schmitt says they were called tothe home on Tiara Avenue off Dunbar justdown the street from Monroe CommunityCollege around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

When firefighters arrived, the home wasengulfed with the second story alreadycollapsing and flames shooting through

the front door.

Lt. Schmitt says the 18-year-old was trapped in an upstairs bedroom and firefighters wereunable to get inside the home because the conditions were too dangerous.

We're told the four other family members were able to get out; a grandmother, grandfather,mother and 16-year-old girl.

We're told their names are Amelia Castorena, Ruben Castorena, Monica Johnson and JessicaJohnson.

Lt. Schmitt says Ruben Castorena was taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Toledo but later

died from his injuries.

The grandmother, mother and 16-year-old are expected to be OK.

Firefighters do not know what caused this fire, but they believe it started on the first floor.

Neighbors say the family has lived there for nearly 13 years and describe them as nice people,very friendly.

The 18-year-old victim, Alex Johnson, was a student at Monroe Public Schools. He was a juniorin special education classes at Monroe High School. The district issued the following statementregarding his death:

“Our Monroe Public Schools family is devastated by the loss of one of our students,” Dr. BarryMartin, district superintendent said. “It is always difficult to lose a student, but the loss isparticularly tragic around the holidays. Our thoughts are with Alex’s family as well as our staffand students at Monroe High School.”

2016-12-15 08:13 Shelley Childers www.wxyz.com

133 /270 5.1 Man injured after mailbox explosion in Detroit

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit police areinvestigating after a man was injuredfollowing an explosion in his mailbox.

Police say the man is now recovering inthe hospital and may have to have surgeryon his hand.

We're told the incident happened around3:45 a.m. on Hartwell near Outer Driverand the Lodge.

Police aren't sure what the explosive was,possibly a firework, they say.

The bomb squad is investigating.

STAY WITH WXYZ. COM FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY.

2016-12-15 08:12 www.wxyz.com

134 /270 4.3 Sheriff's Office: Deltona woman attacks churchgoers

DELTONA, Fla. (AP) - A Deltona woman is facing charges after authoritiessay she threatened and attacked churchgoers.

Media outlets report Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies respondedTuesday evening to reports of an intoxicated woman causing a

disturbance at a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

According to an arrest report, a victim told deputies she was going to give 30-year-old DestinieFarr a ride home, when Farr said she wanted to slit the victim’s throat. Farr then attempted tograb another victim by the throat, but missed and grabbed her hair.

When a deputy was trying to arrest Farr, she allegedly spit on the deputy.

Farr was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, corruption by threat against publicofficial and resisting arrest with violence. It’s unclear if she has an attorney.

2016-12-15 08:10 By www.washingtontimes.com

135 /270 24.2 Truckers from NY, Missouri die in crash on upstateNY road

MONTGOMER, N. Y. (AP) - New York State Police are investigating whatcaused two trucks to collide on a Hudson Valley road, killing the drivers ofboth vehicles.

Troopers tell the Times Herald-Record of Middletown (http://bit.ly/2h3LHrL) that 26-year-old Brian Mettert of South Fallsburg was driving a box truckon a road in the Orange County town of Montgomery around 7 a.m. Wednesday when hecrossed the center line and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer driven by a 53-year-old EverettBiggs of Smithton, Missouri.

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene by the county medical examiner’s office.

The crash closed the road for several hours while state police conducted an investigation.

___

Information from: The Times Herald-Record, http://www.th-record.com

2016-12-15 08:09 By www.washingtontimes.com

136 /270 3.4 Santa carries a mallet and busts naughty drug

traffickers in PeruNot a jolly sight for these drug traffickers. Anti-drug units in Lima, Peru dressed as Santa Claus,raided a suspected drug house and arrested four alleged traffickers.

This shocking footage, just released by the San Jose Police Department, shows a robbery inbroad daylight. The thief, who is still unidentified, can be seen assaulting a man who is unableto talk and then pretending to help him up, just so he take his phone.

A police officer in Georgia responded to a call about an accident and found a 10-year-old boytrapped under an ATV. Acting quickly, he used his car to pull the overturned vehicle off the kidand save the day.

A video released by the Egyptiangovernment shows a suicidebombing at one of Cairo's mainCoptic cathedrals. The explosion isresponsible for the deaths of at least25 people, with scores more injured.The Interior Ministry has alreadyidentified the perpetrator asMahmoud Shafik MohamedMostafa.

Who said it, Trump or Kanye? Itshouldn't be surprising that DonaldTrump and Kanye West are best

friends. Based on these quotes, they're very similar people!

An alleged road-rage argument in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, turned into a multi-person streetfight with several bystanders joining in. While it's unclear what started the argument, theaftermath was all caught on tape.

Pole dancing athletes and competitors participated in a pole dancing championship inArgentina for a spot in the 2017 world championships. While pole dancing as a sport is prettyunconventional, it's probably a big crowd pleaser.

Ivanka Trump will be the most influential first daughter in history Ivanka Trump is most famousfor being the daughter of President-elect Donald Trump. However, she's got plenty of her ownachievements to brag about.

These Best Buy employees pitched in to buy a teen a gift he will never forget Employees at aBest Buy in Long Island including noticed a young teenage boy coming in every day andplaying the Wii U store display. A group of employees, including Raheim Storr pitched in andbought one as a gift for this kid so that he could play it at home. This is the moment theysurprised him with the present.

While New Yorkers go broke paying the MTA, these cities offer free public transportation WhileNew Yorkers pay an arm and a leg to ride the subway, there are places around the world thatoffer public transportation free of charge. Providing free trains and buses cuts down on harmfulemissions that damage the environment and people feeling grumpy about overpaying for theircommutes.

2016-12-15 08:00 nypost.com

137 /270 3.0 Cops shoot and kill someone about 1,000 times a

year. Few are prosecuted. What can be done?Millions of people have seen the video from North Charleston, S. C. Walter Scott was runningaway from police Officer Michael Slager when the officer shot him in the back, killing himinstantly. Yet after watching the video many times, a jury was unable to reach a verdict in theofficer’s recent murder trial. This is a story that has become all too familiar.

I’ve been keeping track of theseincidents, and my best estimate is thaton-duty police officers across the countryshoot and kill someone about 1,000times each year. Almost all the casesend with a determination by a prosecutorthat the police shooting was legallyjustified. Since 2005, only 78 policeofficers across the country have beencharged with murder or manslaughterresulting from an on-duty shooting. Todate, just 26 of those officers have beenconvicted of manslaughter or a lesseroffense, and only one was convicted ofmurder. (It was an extraordinary situation: James Ashby, a police officer in Rocky Ford, Colo.,saw a man skateboarding on a highway, followed the man into his home, shot him in the back infront of his mother, and then pepper-sprayed him as he lay dying. Ashby was convicted ofsecond-degree murder.)

Jurors’ unwillingness to convict police officers may seem baffling — if not infuriating. But it’s notdifficult to understand their reluctance. They don’t want to second-guess the split-second life-or-death decisions of a police officer who used deadly force. They understand that policing isviolent and that sometimes police officers have to use their guns. Some jurors don’t believe apolice officer could be a murderer. It is also possible that jurors are afraid to find a police officerguilty, because they think his or her colleagues might retaliate against them.

Prosecutors have, at least, had some luck charging police officers with “felony murder”: when avictim is killed during the commission of another felony, such as aggravated assault. In manystates, there’s no need to prove malice and intent, which may be why prosecutors in Atlanta andSavannah, Ga., obtained convictions for three of four police officers charged with felony murder(the fourth case was dismissed by the prosecutor).

Although many despair of the status quo, there has actually been a slight, if statisticallyinsignificant, uptick in charges of late: In the past two years, 30 on-duty police officers who shotand killed someone have been charged with murder or manslaughter. That’s more than a thirdof the total in a 12-year period. This shift may be a result of the growing ubiquity of videorecordings; indeed, there was video of at least part of the incident in 17 of those cases.

Even so, prosecutors have struggled to get convictions. Three cases with video evidenceresulted in a guilty verdict, two by jury trial and one by a guilty plea entered just prior to trial.Three other cases ended with a nonconviction — two through acquittals at a jury trial and one inwhich the prosecutor dismissed the charges against the officer after a mistrial. Eleven cases withvideo evidence are still pending, including three in which the prosecutor has elected to retry thecase after a mistrial. Michael Slager fits in this category.

If videos don’t change the game entirely, they’re certainly better than nothing. Beforesmartphones made it easier for citizens to record possible malfeasance, the police owned thenarrative. There weren’t opposing narratives because a dead man can’t talk. Videos haveopened a window into police behavior rarely viewed by the public. Sometimes bad cops defytheir training. Sometimes they plant evidence to cover up their crimes. Sometimes they givefalse statements or write false reports. All of these things happened with Michael Slager: He

didn’t do what he was trained to do, he planted evidence — a Taser — and then he lied about itwhen questioned by investigators.

To reduce unjustified police shootings, or increase the likelihood of prosecutions andconvictions, state and local officials should appoint special prosecutors from private practice toinvestigate shootings and take police officers to court whenever appropriate.

Rick Perry was picked to run the Department of Energy , cutting down dead trees is the newGold Rush happening in California , Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade is coming back ,and the National Film Registry’s Class of 2016 has arrived .

Getting rid of the massive amounts of dead trees in California has become both a problem andan opportunity.

Wanna fly and flip through the air? There's a school for that. Benjamin Crutcher, our curiositycorrespondent, goes for a day to see what it takes to be a trapeze artist.

At the Radisson Hotel Cromwell on Wednesday morning, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy referencesboth Jay Fishman and Sandy Hook during his keynote address at the annual MiddlesexChamber of Commerce Breakfast.

Alan Thicke, beloved TV dad and real-life father of singer Robin Thicke, died Tuesday at age 69.Alan Thicke, beloved TV dad and real-life father of singer Robin Thicke, died Tuesday at age 69.

2016-12-15 08:00 Philip Matthew www.latimes.com

138 /270 2.0 Report: There Were No Russians – Wikileaks

Operative Claims Clinton Emails Handed Over By“Disgusted” Democrat Whistleblowers

So much for the Russianhacking story. If thefollowing exclusive reportfrom The Daily Mail is true,then the entire Clintonnarrative just fell apart.

A Wikileaks envoy todayclaims he personallyreceived Clinton campaignemails in Washington D. C.after they were leaked by‘disgusted’ whisteblowers –

and not hacked by Russia.

Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of Wikileaksfounder Julian Assange, told Dailymail.com that he flew to Washington, D. C. for a clandestinehand-off with one of the email sources in September.

‘Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians,’ said Murray in an interview with Dailymail.com

on Tuesday. ‘The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from insideleaks, not hacks.’

His account contradicts directly the version of how thousands of Democratic emails werepublished before the election being advanced by U. S. intelligence.

…

He said the leakers were motivated by ‘disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation andthe tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders.’

Murray said he retrieved the package from a source during a clandestine meeting in a woodedarea near American University, in northwest D. C. He said the individual he met with was not theoriginal person who obtained the information, but an intermediary.

Full report

It has been rumored that DNC staffer Seth Rich may have been murdered on a D. C. street forhis role in releasing documents to Wikileaks. Though no official confirmation has been providedfrom Wikileaks as to the source, an August interview with Julian Assange suggests that peoplehave been killed as a result of the information leaked to the organization, including quitepossibly Seth Rich.

Craig Murray’s claims of direct DNC whistleblower involvement is not the only revelation to havebe released regarding the supposed “sophisticated hacking” originating from Russia. It appearsthat the John Podesta emails, which have led to countless reports on #Pizzagate and thecorruption underlying the American political system, had nothing to do with a sophisticatedoperation as first claimed. According to liberal mouthpiece The Huffington Post , that “hack”occurred as a result of a typo by an IT technician when Podesta clicked a standard phishingemail:

Most adult internet users know by now never to click a link in emails like this ― phishing is fairlycommon. Even unsophisticated tech types are hip to the scam. So, before responding,Podesta’s aide showed the email to another staffer, a computer technician.

And, well, what happens next should be a lesson to anyone who types and sends emails andtexts without reading them first. (That’s everybody who emails and texts.)

From the Times (bolding is HuffPost’s):

“This is a legitimate email,” Charles Delavan, a Clinton campaign aide, replied to another of Mr.Podesta’s aides, who had noticed the alert. “John needs to change his password immediately.”

With another click, a decade of emails that Mr. Podesta maintained in his Gmail account — atotal of about 60,000 — were unlocked for the Russian hackers. Mr. Delavan, in an interview,said that his bad advice was a result of a typo: He knew this was a phishing attack, as thecampaign was getting dozens of them. He said he had meant to type that it was an “illegitimate”email, an error that he said has plagued him ever since.

And just like that, any and all claims of Russian hacking have just been utterly discredited.

2016-12-15 07:59 - www.infowars.com

139 /270 1.9 German court dismisses claims by Peruvian farmer

against RWEESSEN, Germany, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A regional court in Germany onThursday dismissed damage claims brought against RWE by a Peruvianfarmer, in which he accused the German utility of emitting carbon dioxideand helping raise global temperatures. Saul Lliuya, who is supported byenvironmental organisation Germanwatch, is seeking 17,000 euros($17,816) from RWE, saying rising temperature might cause a glaciallake, located close to the Peruvian town of Huaraz, to run over and damage his house. Heargues that RWE, which is among Europe's top polluters due to its large number of coal-firedpower plants, should bear some of the resulting costs, in proportion to its share of globalemissions. The regional court in the city of Essen, where RWE is based, said there werecountless emitters of carbon dioxide worldwide and any risks from potential flooding as a resultof the melting of glacial ice could not stem solely from RWE. Lliuya can appeal against thedecision with the higher regional court in Hamm. ($1 = 0.9542 euros) (Reporting by TomKaeckenhoff; Writing by Christoph Steitz; editing by Susan Thomas)

2016-12-15 07:49 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

140 /270 0.7 Race‚ rants and barbs: 2016 at the Equality Court

She was ordered to pay the Oliver andAdelaide Tambo FoundationR150,000 but has yet to comply.

The Equality Court was established toadjudicate on infringements ofpeople’s right to equality‚ unfairdiscrimination and hate speech. Whilethe Sparrow case dominated theheadlines‚ there have been otherinteresting cases heard by it this year.

Department of Justice andCorrectional Services spokesmanMthunzi Mhaga said that anyone

could approach the court if they were subjected to unfair discrimination‚ harassment or hatespeech by private individuals‚ state officials or institutions.

Here are some of the cases‚ mostly about race‚ which have been brought before the EqualityCourt and SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC):

In response to Sparrow’s racist comments‚ Khumalo‚ a government employee‚ said he wouldcleanse the country of all white people.

He was suspended and subjected to a disciplinary hearing where he was charged withmisconduct.

He pleaded guilty and committed himself to corrective measures‚ which included counselling.He was given a final warning and returned to work as a sports promoter.

However‚ a case of crimen injuria was opened against him‚ and 19 complaints were lodged atthe SA Human Rights Commission. The SAHRC is preparing for a court application.

This matter arose after eNCA released a video of an upset and angry Momberg clutching aphone and shouting‚ "One k***** is bad enough. This happens all the time‚ all the time. Thek***** here in Joburg are terrible. I’m so sick of it. "

She was speaking after a smash and grab incident in Johannesburg. The police officer involvedin that incident lodged a complaint with the SAHRC. The SAHRC lodged a case with theEquality Court in Johannesburg over Momberg's racist rant.

Pretoria High Court judge‚ Judge Mabel Jansen‚ in a twitter post attributed to her‚ said that"murder is also not a biggy" for black men and "gang rapes of baby‚ daughter‚ and mother(were) a pleasurable pass (sic) time".

The Judicial Service Commission later placed her on special leave following the controversialcomments made on social media.

Desiree du Preez lashed out against the annual LGBTI event‚ the Pink Loerie Festival in Knysnawhich featured a mass same-sex wedding. She posted on her Facebook page in Afrikaans:“People of Eden‚ why do we allow a curse on our region due to the Pink Loerie Festival andmass gay marriage?”

Minette Van Rensburg‚ a member of the LGBTI community‚ lodged a complaint with the EqualityCourt‚ which led to a court appearance. At the hearing‚ Du Preez agreed to offer anunconditional apology to the gay community in the local newspaper‚ as well as on Facebook.She also agreed to undergo sensitivity training facilitated by the Gender Equality Commission.

The SAHRC has taken a Limpopo school to the Seshego Equality Court over its treatment of atransgender school pupil. Because of a “hostile and intimidating environment” the pupil wasunable to complete her schooling in the province and had to move to Gauteng.

The pupil allegedly faced unfair discrimination‚ harassment‚ and hurtful speech at the school.The SAHRC has named the Limpopo Department of Education and a former school principal asrespondents in the case‚ which it has instituted on behalf of the learner.

Despite many cases revolving around the issue of race making headlines this year‚ there hasbeen a decrease in the total number of them registered by the Equality Court across the country.Cases declined from 844 in the 2014/15 financial year to 558 in the 2015/16.

Mhaga could not elaborate on the compliance rate following rulings by the court at short notice.

2016-12-15 07:48 Penwell Dlamini www.timeslive.co.za

141 /270 2.6 Co-founder of Tanzania whistleblowing website

arrestedDAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzanian police have searched the home and office of the

co-founder of a whistleblowing websiteafter he was arrested for not disclosing theidentities of people who posted there. ...

2016-12-15 07:44 system article.wn.com

142 /270 1.0 Iran authorities

break up party,arrest 120

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's semi-officialISNA news agency is reporting that thecountry's authorities have detained 120

people in a private party in a coffee shop inTehran. ...

2016-12-15 07:44 system article.wn.com

143 /270 2.1 Cheating website

settles withgovernment afterdata breach

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto-basedparent company of the adultery dating siteAshley Madison will pay $1.6 million insettlements following an investigation ledby the U. S. Federal Trade Commissioninto a massive breach of the company'scomputer systems and…...

2016-12-15 07:44 system article.wn.com

144 /270 3.4 Louisiana

governor's LGBTrights order thrownout by judge

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An executive order issued by Louisiana’sgovernor that was aimed at protecting the rights of LGBT people in stategovernment was thrown out Wednesday by a judge who said thegovernor exceeded his authority.

State District Judge Todd Hernandez ruled that Democratic Gov. John BelEdwards’ anti-discrimination order is unconstitutional because it seeks to create or expand state

law. The order prohibited discrimination in government and state contracts based on sexualorientation and gender identity.

The decision delivered a significant victory to Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, whofiled the lawsuit challenging the LGBT-rights order. Landry praised the ruling and said hischallenge was aimed at “upholding the checks and balances on executive authority asestablished in our state constitution.”

Edwards said he plans to appeal. He said his order, which contains an exception for contractorsthat are religious organizations, is a statement that Louisiana doesn’t discriminate.

“With great respect for the role of the Louisiana Legislature, we continue to believe thatdiscrimination is not a Louisiana value and that we are best served as a state when employmentdecisions are based solely on an individual’s qualifications and job performance,” the governorsaid in a statement.

Landry said the order tried to establish a new protected class of people that doesn’t exist in lawand that lawmakers refused to add. He accused the governor of executive overreach.

“After efforts to advance his extreme agenda failed by large bipartisan majorities in theLegislature, John Bel Edwards took it upon himself to replace the people’s will with his own.Fortunately for the families and businesses in our state, the court ruled today that the governor’sexecutive fiat will not fly in Louisiana,” Landry said in a statement.

Hernandez agreed with Landry’s interpretation and blocked enforcement of the anti-discrimination order, writing in his ruling that it was “an unlawful usurp of the constitutionalauthority vested only in the legislative branch of government.”

Landry is seen as a potential challenger to Edwards in the 2019 governor’s race, and the twomen, both in their first terms, have repeatedly clashed over issues of authority and financessince they took office in January.

Since Edwards issued his order in April, Landry has blocked dozens of legal services contractsthat contain the anti-discrimination language. According to court testimony, as many as 100contracts for state agencies and boards to pay outside lawyers are stalled, and the Edwardsadministration refused to transfer $18 million to the attorney general’s office because Landryrefuses to include the executive order language in the agreement.

It appears those stalemates can end with the anti-discrimination language stripped from thecontracts and agreements. Edwards said he respects the court’s decision “and will abide by itwhile we vigorously pursue an appeal.”

As part of the lawsuit, Edwards asked the judge to spell out the boundaries of Landry’s authority,to declare that the governor’s constitutional role trumps the attorney general’s position and tolimit Landry’s role in reviewing the legal services contracts.

The governor got a mixed response from the judge. Hernandez wrote that the constitutionappears to give the governor superiority over the attorney general within the executive branch.But he would not make what he called a “what if” decision on whether the attorney general has asuperior role to the governor in a legal dispute.

Hernandez also said Landry’s office has the right to use its discretion in approving legal

services contracts.

___

Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 07:41 By Associated mynorthwest.com

145 /270 3.3 Inmate protests execution drugs as worse than a

firing squadRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia inmate asked a federal courtWednesday to block the state’s plans to execute him next month withlethal injection drugs from a secret compounding pharmacy, suggestingeven a firing squad would be more humane.

Attorneys for Ricky Gray said in a federal complaint that there is a seriousrisk that Virginia will “chemically torture” the man to death when it uses compounded drugs forhis execution scheduled for Jan. 18. Although firing squads aren’t permitted under Virginia law,his attorneys argue even that method would be a more humane alternative.

“It is both more humane, quicker, more effective, and would frankly be completely feasible inVirginia,” Lisa Fried, an attorney for Gray, said of a firing squad. Gray was convicted of killing awell-known family of four, including two young girls, in Richmond on New Year’s Day in 2006.

Gray’s attorneys plan to ask Gov. Terry McAuliffe to commute his sentence to life in prison,arguing that jurors did not hear enough evidence about Gray’s history as a sexual abuse victimand resulting drug use before they chose to sentence him to death, The Virginian-Pilot reportedthis week.

Virginia’s lethal injection protocol calls for the use of a sedative — pentobarbital or midazolam— followed by rocuronium bromide to halt breathing, and potassium chloride to stop the heart.

Virginia spent $66,000 to buy enough midazolam and potassium chloride from thecompounding pharmacy for two executions, according to documents obtained by TheAssociated Press. Under a new state law, officials can withhold the pharmacy’s identity.

Gray’s attorneys said Virginia would be the first state in their knowledge to perform an executionusing midazolam or potassium chloride from a compounding pharmacy and the first state toperform an execution using more than one compounded drug.

His attorneys argue that midazolam carries significant risks, pointing to several problematicexecutions involving the drug. During an Alabama execution last week, death row inmateRonald Bert Smith Jr. coughed, and his upper body heaved repeatedly for 13 minutes as he wasbeing sedated.

Inmates in other states have challenged the drug’s use, arguing that it is a sedative, not ananesthetic, and cannot reliably render a person unconscious. But the U. S. Supreme Court ruled

5-4 last year that Oklahoma inmates didn’t prove that midazolam violated the EighthAmendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

The fact that Virginia obtained the drugs from a compounding pharmacy magnifies the risk of thelethal injection being painful and ineffective, Gray’s attorneys argue. Compounding pharmaciesare not as heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as more conventionalpharmacies.

“This method for creating drugs unnecessarily adds enormous risk that the drugs will beineffective, sub-potent, expired or contaminated,” they wrote.

A spokesman for Attorney General Mark Herring declined to comment on Wednesday.

Gray was convicted of killing Bryan and Kathryn Harvey and their 9-year-old and 4-year-olddaughters during a home invasion. Bryan was a musician and Kathryn was co-owner of theWorld of Mirth toy store.

The Harveys were preparing to host friends for a holiday chili dinner when Gray and anotherman spotted their open front door. They tied the family up in their basement, where they werestabbed and beaten to death before their house was set on fire. Gray claims he doesn’tremember the killings because he was high on PCP. The other man was sentenced to life inprison.

Gray’s attorneys want the judge to declare that the use of a three-drug protocol withcompounded midazolam is unconstitutional. They’re also challenging the state’s secrecy lawthat prevents Gray and his attorneys from finding out the identity of the compounding pharmacy.

His lawyers say that Virginia’s current alternative — the electric chair — also violates theprohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Utah and Oklahoma are the only states thatallow for the firing squad, but it’s a backup method in both states, according to the Death PenaltyInformation Center.

The attorneys wrote in their complaint that Gray was raped repeatedly as a child by his olderstep brother and physically abused by his father. They say that Gray suffers from post-traumaticstress disorder and has recurring nightmares about the rapes that leave him paralyzed.

The lethal injection process will “mimic this state of paralysis,” playing upon Gray’s fears andcausing him to experience “psychological torture,” his attorneys argue.

____

Follow Alanna Durkin Richer on Twitter at twitter.com/aedurkinricher. Her work can be found athttp://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/alanna-durkin-richer.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 07:39 By Associated mynorthwest.com

146 /270

146 /270 3.2 Top Abbas rival sentenced to jail on corruption

chargesA top critic of Palestinian AuthorityPresident Mahmoud Abbas wassentenced in absentia Wednesday tothree years in prison on corruptioncharges. “The Anti-Corruption CrimesCourt in Ramallah sentencedMuhammed Dahlan… to three years inprison after convicting him ofembezzling $16 million,” Palestiniannews agency Maan reported onWednesday.

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The court also fined Dahlan $16 million. Sevag Torossian, one of Dahlan’s lawyers, told theAgence France-Presse (AFP) that the ruling “is a part of President Abbas’s ‘liquidation plan’ atthe expense of his opponents.” Salameh Halaseh, another one of Dahlan’s lawyers, told AFPthat he and his colleagues learned about Wednesday’s hearing on Tuesday. The ruling comestwo days after Abbas lifted five Palestinian parliamentarians’ immunity including Dahlan, apower that the PA Constitutional Court granted the 81-year-old Palestinian leader in earlyNovember. Abbas controversially formed the Constitutional Court in April, handpicking its ninemembers. Torossian added that the Anti-Corruption Crimes Court threw out the corruptioncharges against Dahlan in 2015, citing his parliamentary immunity. Dahlan rejected the court’sruling in a statement to Amad, a Palestinian news site, on Wednesday. “I call for the formation ofa special national committee to study the lie of Mahmoud Abbas,” Dahlan said, adding that hepledges to commit to the committee’s findings. The PA Anti-Corruption Commission was notimmediately available for comment.

Dahlan and Abbas have held a rivalry for many years, but in the past four years it hasintensified, with both leaders accusing each other of corruption and failed leadership.

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2016-12-15 07:38 ADAM RASGON www.jpost.com

147 /270 4.1 Bell Potter 'cheated dying man with Alzheimer's and

his wife out of $1m'A multinational stockbroker has been accused of cheating a dying man out of his $1million lifesavings as he battled with Alzheimer's disease. The family of the man called Harry - who hassince died - claim a Bell Potter financial adviser made a series of unauthorised trades in his self-managed superannuation fund. The family, who do not wish to be identified, claim the advisor

was supposed to contact thembefore making any trades andsay his poor decision makingcost them $800,000 overseven years. They are nowsuing Bell Potter for $1millionin the district court of NewSouth Wales. Harry and hiswife, Lesley, askedstockbroking giant Bell Potterfor financial advice in 2004and planned to invest nearly$1million, the ABC reported.The couple, from Sydney,hoped their hard-earned money would provide them with a comfortable $45,000-a-year incomeduring their retirement. Former Bell Potter financial advisor Tim Tersteeg set up a self-managedsuperannuation fund for them and the family claim that an agreement was made whereby hewould recommend shares to buy and sell, but Harry or Lesley would make the final decision.Harry was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2007 and the family claim he told Mr Tersteeg abouthis medical condition. By 2011, Harry was too unwell to make serious financial decisions, hisdoctors said. But his family claim Mr Tersteeg continued to use Harry and Lesley's fund to buyand sell shares without their permission. They also claim Bell Potter charged $133,516 inbrokerage commissions despite the original agreement station such fees would not be levied.Harry's daughter, Felicity, told the ABC that the loss of money was 'devastating'. Harry died in2015 after a long battle with dementia. Bell Potter has handed the money charged in brokeragecommissions back to his family. A spokesman for Bell Potter said the firm was trying to resolvethe issue with Lesley. The company added that Mr Tersteeg no longer works for them. Daily MailAustralia has contacted Bell Potter for further comment. Mr Tersteeg now works for anotherstockbroker, Morgans Financial, in Geelong. Daily Mail Australia has also contacted him forcomment.

2016-12-15 07:36 Ollie Gillman www.dailymail.co.uk

148 /270 19.2 Fire officials: Woman killed, 4 critically injured inPosen crash

A woman was killed and four otherpeople were critically injured in acrash early Thursday in southsuburban Posen, fire officials said.

Paramedics responded shortlybefore 3 a.m. and found a vehiclethat had crashed into multipleparked vehicles, causing heavydamage in the 14300 block ofHarrison Avenue, according toPosen Fire Chief Kevin Szewczyk.

A woman, whose exact age was not

known, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’soffice.

Four other people were critically injured in the crash and taken to hospitals, Szewczyk said.

The Posen Police Department, which is investigating the cause of the crash, could not bereached for additional information.

2016-12-15 07:31 Ashlee Rezin chicago.suntimes.com

149 /270 3.4 Assad’s Choice: Fight Rebels but Give Way to ISIS

In recent days, the Syrian regimeand its foreign allies scored a majorvictory and suffered a humiliatingdefeat.

The starkly different outcomes of twopivotal battles—for Aleppo andPalmyra—showcased the prioritiesof the regime and its Russian andIranian sponsors: to fight moderateSunni rebels rather than the Sunniextremists of Islamic State.

After all, there was no Islamic Statein Aleppo, where Syrian forces thisweek...

2016-12-15 07:23 Yaroslav Trofimov www.wsj.com

150 /270 0.9 Hard-line rabbis call on security services to disobey

orders over Amona evacuationSome of the leading hard-right rabbisin the country have called on thesecurity services to disobey orders ifinstructed to evacuate the Amonasettlement outpost. The rabbis includeRabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, a leadinginspiration for many religious radicals,Rabbi Dov Lior, former chief rabbi ofKiryat Arba and Rabbi Yisrael Ariel,founder and director of the TempleInstitute.

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In their declaration, the rabbis called on the general public to protest against the evacuation anddestruction of the Amona outpost, and on the security forces not to carry out orders to do so. “Wecall on the personnel of the security forces to act in accordance with justice and righteousnessand not to blindly carry out any order,” the rabbis declared. “Jewish law ‘if the decree of a King isto abolish a commandment one does not accede to him’, and even according to the laws of thestate one should not fulfill an order which is manifestly unlawful.” Ginsburg is the president of theOd Yosef Hai Yeshiva in the Yitzhar settlement and has long advocated for hard-line policiesagainst the Palestinians. In 2003 he was charged with incitement to racism against Arabs overhis book “Order of the Day - Root Treatment” although the charges were dropped after he issueda letter of clarification. He also wrote a chapter in a book praising Baruch Goldstein whomassacred 29 Palestinians in the Cave of the Patriarchs in 1994. Lior also supported theproposal for soldiers to refuse orders during the evacuation of the settlements in the Gaza Stripin 2005, and issued a ruling saying that it is forbidden to rent a house to Arabs in Israel or toemploy Arabs in 2008, among other controversial positions and rulings. Ariel is a formerKnesset candidate for the banned, extremist Kach party.

Other rabbis signatory to the letter were Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, leading pupil of Ginzburg andco-dean of the Od Yosef Hai yeshiva; municipal chief rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin Rabbi DavidDruckman; Rabbi Simcha Shtetner, president of the Nahalat Yisrael institutions; and RabbiDaniel Dov Hacohen Stavski.

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2016-12-15 07:22 JEREMY SHARON www.jpost.com

151 /270 1.7 McConnell cautions replacement to health law to take

timeLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The next Congress will begin work immediatelynext year toward repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law butdelay the changes as Republicans try to come up with an alternative,Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday.

The Kentucky Republican insisted that some 20 million Americans whohave health care through the six-year-old law will not lose coverage, though the likely upheavalin the insurance industry suggests many could.

Asked about the Senate’s timetable to scrap the law, McConnell said: “We’re going to move to itafter we go back in the first week in January.”

But during a speech in his hometown of Louisville, the senator cautioned patience from thelaw’s critics as Republicans create an alternative.

“You can’t just snap your fingers and go from where we are today to where we’re headed,”McConnell told a crowd at the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s annual meeting. “This has to be donecarefully. It has to be done in a phased-in way over a period of time.”

Republicans have been unable to agree on an alternative since the law’s enactment in 2010,but now must produce a replacement if they scrap the law. President-elect Donald Trump sayshe would like to keep major elements of the law — allowing children to remain on their parents’plans until age 26 and ensuring companies don’t deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Butit’s unclear how a new version of the law could force insurance companies to provide the lattercoverage.

With open enrollment underway, no changes are expected next year for the more than 10million people currently covered through HealthCare.gov and state markets that offer subsidizedprivate insurance. An additional estimated 9 million low-income people covered by Medicaid instates that expanded the program are also protected for now.

McConnell said Saturday that Republicans have an obligation to repeal and replace a law hecalled a “monstrosity.” He blamed the law for rising co-payments, deductibles and premiumsand said it caused “chaos” in the private health insurance market.

“We have an obligation to the American people to straighten this out,” he said. But he saidreplacing the law will be challenging “given the fact that it’s been kicking in for six years.”

Meanwhile, McConnell played down prospects for any new trade deals. Specifically, he said theTrans-Pacific Partnership won’t pass Congress because “politically it’s unsustainable.” Trump’stough talk on trade has included a threat to pull the United States out of the trade deal.

“As a practical matter, we will not be doing any trade agreements anytime soon,” saidMcConnell, a trade proponent.

On other subjects, McConnell:

–Said he hopes Trump takes quick action once in office to roll back Obama administrationregulations that he said slowed economic growth.

“We’ve been working with the transition team on all the things he can begin on his own toproduce relief on,” McConnell said. “Some will take longer than others. But we intend to begin todismantle this regulatory nightmare that’s … kept us from reaching our potential.”

–Attributed increased Republican dominance in rural America to the unpopularity of Obama andhis policies.

McConnell called last month’s election a comeback for rural areas as the GOP retained controlof Congress and won back the White House.

“All across rural America, there’s a sea of red because our friends on the other side havebecome an urban-oriented party,” he said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 07:12 By Associated mynorthwest.com

152 /270

152 /270 5.2 Swedish volunteer visitor mowed down by motorist in

Table ViewThe driver‚ a 28-year-old man‚ isfacing charges of culpable homicide‚reckless and negligent driving‚ anddriving under the influence of alcohol.He collided with the group‚ includingcitizens from Denmark‚ Israel andHolland‚ while they were walkinghome in the suburb of Table Viewshortly after 9pm.

Table View police spokespersonCaptain Adriana Chandler said thevictims had been doing voluntary workin South Africa and were aged

between 18 and 35.

“Their parents have all been notified but there still needs to be an identification done on thebody‚” Chandler said.

“The deceased was from Sweden. He was 18 years old. All of the injured have been releasedfrom hospital and have received counselling.”

ER24 spokesman Chita Harduth‚ said the man’s condition deteriorated at the scene and‚despite being resuscitated‚ he succumbed due to the severity of his injuries. The rest of theinjured were taken to hospital.

“One woman was unconscious but the paramedics were able to treat her and she was taken toGroote Schuur Hospital. The rest sustained minor to moderate injuries‚ and they weretransported to New Somerset Hospital to be assessed‚” Harduth said.

According to Chandler‚ an eyewitness saw a vehicle driving at speed. It veered off the road andcrashed into the group who were walking on the pavement.

The driver was arrested and taken to have his blood tested for alcohol.

The tragedy occurred just hours after the City of Cape Town launched a public road safetyinitiative about pedestrian safety over the festive season.

2016-12-15 07:12 Farren Collins www.timeslive.co.za

153 /270 2.2 EU court upholds Monsanto GM soybean approval

A top EU court on Thursday upheld the European Commission's approval of geneticallymodified soybeans made by US agri-chemicals giant Monsanto which environmentalists claimmay harm human health.

GM foods are hugely controversial in the European Union -- some member states say they maypose as yet unknown health risks while others argue they are essential and to ban them would

turn the bloc into a scientific backwater.

The General Court of the EuropeanUnion said the Commission, the bloc'sexecutive arm, had acted correctlywhen approving the GM soybean in2012, rejecting an appeal launchedafterwards.

Three German NGOs said theCommission was wrong in finding thatMonsanto's soybean was little differentfrom the conventional version andtherefore posed no undue health risk tohumans, animals or the environment.

They were particularly concerned the GM version could cause allergies in infants.

The Commission rejected their claims in 2013 and they then took their case to the Luxembourg-based General Court, second only in the EU to the European Court of Justice.

"The General Court dismisses the action... and upholds the decision by which the Commissiondismissed as unfounded a request for review of the decision on marketing authorisation," astatement said.

It said the NGOs had not been able to raise "serious doubts" about the Commission's decision.

2016-12-15 07:10 www.digitaljournal.com

154 /270 93.5 Bangladesh police investigate death of teenage textileworker

DHAKA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh are investigating thedeath of a teenager at a textile mill who was killed after a co-workerreportedly pumped air into his body by inserting a compressor hose intohis rectum. Mohammad Yamin, aged around 14, worked at a textile mill inNarayanganj, on the outskirts Dhaka, and died on Wednesday, policeofficial Manjur Quader told Reuters. "We have arrested the co-worker,

who is the main suspect in the case and we are now investigating. " In July, a 10-year-old childworker of a textile mill was killed a similar fashion. Children under the age of 14 are not allowedto work under Bangladeshi law but child labour is common in a country where nearly a quarterof its 160 million people live the below poverty line of $2 a day. Bangladesh relies on garmentsfor about 80 percent of its exports and for about 4 million jobs, and is a major supplier of clothesto developed markets in the West. Accidents and poor conditions in the textile and garmentsector are a major concern for foreign buyers. Last year, a 12-year-old boy working at amotorcycle workshop was killed in the same way after he had tried to quit his job. In November,a speedy trial court sentenced two people to death for the killing the boy. (Reporting by RumaPaul)

2016-12-15 07:07 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

155 /270 1.7 Casey Batchelor strips off her sexy red lingerie to go

TOPLESS for calendarCasey Batchelor gives MrsClaus a run for her money insome very sexy new shotsfrom her official 2017 calendar.The 32-year-old lookedincredible modelling somevery sexy red lace lingerie inthe snaps, which complementher phenomenal figure. Withsuspenders sexily trailingdown the top of her legs, sheadded some further festivecheer with some sparklyreindeer ears. No doubtdelighting her fans further, the beautiful brunette whipped off her bra and went topless as sheposed in front of a fireplace. She showed off her pert posterior in skimpy red briefs whichshowed as she wore a Santa's hat. With a big smile on her face, she added some more colour toher look with a slick of ruby red lipstick. Despite the beautiful images, Casey has more strings toher bow, as the stunner has since been trying to carve a career as an actress. Casey will beplaying the role of Claire and although not much is known about her character, her jaw-droppingphysique may have caused an issue on set, as the flick also stars Essex boy Kirk, her formerflame. The Sugarhut favourite looks in character in the short video, which teases sex, glamourand gritty action. Casey and Kirk enjoyed a brief fling back in 2011 but things didn't appear to betoo awkward as filming took place last year. The official 2017 Casey Batchelor Calendar isavailable to buy online at http://www.greatcalendaroffers.com/casey

2016-12-15 07:01 Rebecca Davison www.dailymail.co.uk

156 /270 1.4 British Muslims attend protest at Syrian Embassy to

hear CAGE's Asim Qureshi speakMore than 1,000 BritishMuslims attended ademonstration and chanted'Allahu Akbar' as they heardfrom speakers from a groupwho once described JihadiJohn as 'beautiful'. Those atthe protest outside the SyrianEmbassy in Belgrave Square,London , chanted the Islamicphrase - translated as 'God isthe greatest' - while a numberof people talked through amegaphone. Asim Qureshi, the

director of Muslim rights CAGE - which has been linked to extremism - blamed America for thesituation in Aleppo. He said: 'Never forget who is the problem here. 'When they come and say"look, America is the one who is going to come and help you in this", then we have to remindthem. 'Go back to the beginning of the war on terror when we were investigating cases ofindividuals being put on rendition flights to Syria where they had the soles of their feet beaten bythe Syrian regime the moment they arrived in prison. 'And who sent them there? The Americans,the CIA sent them there.' Moazzam Begg, 48, from CAGE - which claims to 'campaign forcommunities affected by the war on terror' - also blamed the US for what is currently happeningin Syria. He said: 'In 2002, in the beginning of the War on Terror, that means the Americans wereworking close, hand in hand, hand in glove, with the regime of Bashar al-Assad. 'My colleagueAsim Qureshi has already said that the cases of several individuals who were extraordinarilyrenditioned by the US regime, by the US government, to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.' Earlierthis year, it was revealed that CAGE described Jihadi John - the man behind ISIS beheadings -was a 'beautiful, and kind man'. And after Begg spoke at the demonstration , a poet added that'we need a Caliph' who will 'smack up armies' and 'will back' fighting. He said: 'We need aCaliph who will clean up these streets, who will smack up armies and who will back beef.'Backhand your missiles back to your land, that's the plan. World domination at hand. We canexpand and take out these fools.' The protest blocked lanes of traffic when it got underway ataround 9pm on Tuesday night. The majority of people who attended the demonstration werefrom mosques around London.

2016-12-15 06:56 Abe Hawken www.dailymail.co.uk

157 /270 4.2 SABC8’s Calata says he won’t be swayed death

threats but ‘hopefully‚ I don’t get killed’Calata is one of the “SABC8” – staffwho earlier this week laid bare‚ duringa parliamentary inquiry‚ a “reign ofterror” by Hlaudi Motsoeneng and howthe broadcaster’s funds werechannelled to Gupta-owned rival newsTV station ANN7.

Shortly afterwards‚ they receivedthreatening SMS messages. “Traitorsprotecting your white friends inParliament who started this‚ telling liesabout your comrades. You arewarned‚ we don’t kill blacks but sit andwatch the blood flow‚” said one of the text messages.

“It unsettles you a little bit but … we took this collective decision that we won’t be swayed and wewill not allow ourselves to be terrorised by this. We don’t believe that we did anything wrong sothese threats cannot deter us‚” Calata told CapeTalk (www.capetalk.co.za) radio on Thursday.

“I don’t see why people would take what we have done in such a light that they would say thatwe deserve to be killed for what we’ve done when we in fact have‚ I believe‚ spoken out in theinterests of the public.”

Calata‚ Suna Venter‚ Foeta Krige‚ Krivani Pillay‚ Thandeka Gqubule‚ Busisiwe Ntuli‚ VuyoMvoko and Jacques Steenkamp were axed by the public broadcaster earlier in 2016 forspeaking out against its policy of not showing footage of violent protests.

They were reinstated after a Labour Court ruling.

It also recently emerged that they had received death threats when they announced that theyintended continuing a Constitutional Court case against the SABC.

Gqubule told the parliamentary inquiry that SABC news had become tainted as politicians andCommunications Minister Faith Muthambi dictated how journalists should cover stories. FormerEskom CEO Brian Molefe had shouted at a presenter behind the scenes for being askedunfavourable questions‚ she added.

Calata fears for the safety of his family after the threats but asked: “What’s the worst that theycould do to me?

“This has already happened to my father and I am not particularly scared at all‚” he said. FortCalata‚ his father‚ was one of the Cradock Four who were murdered by police during apartheidin the 1980s.

“The things that I am scared of‚ for instance‚ is having my mother live through this. Over 30 yearsago‚ my mom had lived through her husband receiving death threats and my dad was theneventually killed. That was in apartheid South Africa‚” he told the radio station.

“Now we live in a new democratic South Africa and now she has to live through the sameexperience with her son receiving death threats. Hopefully‚ I don’t get killed in the process.”

2016-12-15 06:55 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za

158 /270 0.0 Race complaint lodged over 'comfort women' statue

in Australian churchThe memorial, a 1.5-metre statueimported from Korea, has been aflashpoint for tensions betweenKorean and Japanese communities inSydney since it was unveiled inAugust.

The issue of "comfort women", thosewho were forced to work in Japan'swartime brothels were euphemisticallyknown, has long plagued ties betweenKorea and Japan.

Scholars continue to debate thenumber of women exploited. Activists

in South Korea say there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims, although only238 women have come forward and identified themselves as former "comfort women".

Sydney-based Australia Japan Community Network (AJCN) made its complaint to Australia'sHuman Rights Commission on Wednesday on behalf of local parents of Japanese originconcerned the memorial stirred anti-Japanese feeling, AJCN President Tetsuhide Yamaoka toldReuters by phone from Tokyo.

"If we are commemorating something in the past, you just have to do it in the right way and bythat I mean that you do not cause any issues in today's community," he said, adding that the 20-30 Sydney-based members felt too intimidated to speak themselves.

"If the Korean people want to believe what they are believing, they should do it discreetly amongthemselves... I want the Korean people to stop pushing this in the public domain," he said.

Australia's Human Rights Commission does not publicly acknowledge receipt of complaints forprivacy reasons, spokeswoman Georgia Flynn told Reuters.

Under Australian law it is illegal to "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate" a person on the basisof "race, colour or national or ethnic origin".

The statue in Sydney, which depicts a Korean "comfort woman" sitting beside an empty chair tosymbolise the victims of the prostitution programme, was erected in Sydney's Ashfield UnitingChurch after Japanese groups successfully campaigned to have it prohibited from a public park.

"It's not about denigrating any country or race, anything like that," said Reverend Bill Crews. "It'ssaying God help these suffering women and let's move on...you're never able to move on untilyou acknowledge it. "

In December 2015 Japan agreed to apologise and promised about one billion yen ($8.50million) for a fund to help victims, a deal that foreign ministers from both countries said resolvedthe issue.

2016-12-15 06:40 REUTERS www.timeslive.co.za

159 /270 3.2 Cowardly Mastiff is petrified of squeaky toys, cars,

the dark and even RAINHe may look like a terrifyingbeast, but this huge hound hasa list of fears as long as he istall. Kenny the Pakistani Mastiffis scared of squeaky toys, cars,the dark and even rain.Pakistani Mastiffs are a rarebreed with an average weightof 12st 5lbs and height of 2ft7in, but Kenny has a long listof phobias and refuses to gooutside in even the lightestdrizzle. He is currently beinglooked after at Pennine PenAnimal Rescue in Oldham, Greater Manchester, where founder Michael Waugh is helping him

overcome his fears. The 32-year-old believes big wuss Kenny's precipitation pain stems fromthe fact he may have been locked indoors for most of his life before he was rescued, and so hadprobably never felt drizzle before. Mr Waugh said: 'Kenny will not take a single step outside if itis raining. We try to coax him out but as soon as he sees it he puts the brakes on - it terrifies him.'When we get him out for a walk when it's dry, he jumps at the sound of traffic and even once gota fright when a twig brushed against him. 'When it's dark he gets really nervous and you can justsee this look of fear on his face. We bought him a squeaky toy to cheer him up and he ran awayfrom the squeak. 'It is so funny because you just don't expect this big dog to be so terrified of allthese things. 'We don't know where he came from but he hasn't had a good start in life. We thinkhe was kept inside all his life and that's why he's so scared - everything is new to him. 'It's soimportant to socialise dogs but poor Kenny has never had that so now it's like having a giantpuppy and starting from scratch. Luckily, he's getting there bit by bit.' Kenny was found collapsedand starving on the streets of Oldham last month with such a bad case of sarcoptic mange - ahighly contagious dog skin disease - he had virtually no fur and his skin was cracked andinfected. The mutt, whose unusual breed is also known as a Bully Kutta and is traditionally usedas a fighting dog in Pakistan, was in such a bad way his carers had to collect shovel-loads ofdead skin from his kennel each day. Mr Waugh, who has been running the animal rescue for 15years, said Kenny was the worst case of neglect he has ever seen and was so heartbroken afterpicking up the poorly pooch he cried. But thanks to daily baths in special medicated shampoo,Kenny's condition is improving and as his health gets better the lily-livered mutt is coming out ofhis shell. Mr Waugh said: 'Someone called into the centre and told us there was a dog dying onthe street. When we got there Kenny was just collapsed, he didn't have the strength to stand. 'Hehad virtually no fur and sores all over his cracked skin where his mange had been allowed toget so bad. I didn't think he was going to make it. 'We put him straight into the back of the van totake him to the vets and I just broke down while I was driving. He was the worst thing I have everseen. 'That first week or so we were having to sweep up all the dead skin coming off him -shovels full of it - and feed him little and often because he was so emaciated. 'But he is comingon so well. He's been having medicated baths and he's actually got some fur now and we'restarting to see his cheeky character come out. 'It just makes me smile every day seeing howmuch progress he's making, especially after he's been through something so horrendous.' AsKenny's mange is still contagious, he faces a wait before he can be put up for adoption. But MrWaugh is sure whoever does give Kenny his forever home will be getting a 'cracking' - albeitvery slobbery - companion. Mr Waugh said: 'Kenny is a big dog so we will need to find him theright home but he has the most amazing temperament. 'Whoever takes him in will be getting acracking dog, that's for sure. He is absolutely lovely even if he does slobber a lot. 'Hopefully withenough TLC, one day he will be over all the fears he has.'

2016-12-15 06:35 Rebecca Taylor www.dailymail.co.uk

160 /270 0.4 The Project's Waleed Aly says he wouldn't enter

politics because he would be 'terrible'The Project's Waleed Aly has revealed he will never enter politics despite being constantlyasked about it. The 38-year-old TV personality, who is notable for his editorials on social justiceand political issues, said if he were world leader, his first act would be to resign. 'I constantly getasked if I'm entering politics, but I instinctively baulk at the idea of being put in charge ofanything because it's not what I do and I would be genuinely terrible at it', Waleed told Whomagazine in an interview published on Thursday. Scroll down for video Waleed said this was apoint people didn't understand about him. The presenter's segments on The Project often reach

global viral status and he haswritten an op-ed for The NewYork Times, slamming theAustralian government'sstance on refugees. ButWaleed is convinced most ofhis words and actions are'mundane'. 'I actually find mostof what I do and say prettymundane and middle-of-the-road. I'm not even doing this allthe time, but when I am, I'moffering an analysis for peopleto take or leave as they please,

and I don't see it as any higher than that.' He also spoke candidly about life at home with wifeSusan Carland. The academic said he and Susan, who are both PhD graduates, rarely engagein deep conversation about world affairs. 'The drudgery of domestic life is a regular feature ofour conversations, followed by various parenting puzzles where we can't figure out what we'remeant to do in just about any situation.' Meanwhile, Waleed is one of the very few TVpersonalities who refuses to use social media. 'I'm not sure why I would be (on social media),' hetold the magazine. 'I prefer genuine social interaction rather than the parody of it I think socialmedia provides.' Susan, on the other hand, previously revealed how she donates $1 to charityfor every unpleasant tweet she receives. The respected academic said she has learned toignore the hateful tweets and only takes into account the opinions of people she respects. Thelecturer at Melbourne's Monash University completed her PhD at Monash University in 2015and is working on turning her thesis into a book. Meanwhile, Waleed was awarded the GoldLogie for Best Personality on Australian television earlier this year. In his speech, he thanked hiswife of 14 years, saying: 'She is sharper, she is wittier, she is funnier, she is infinitely morecharming and likeable and I’m really glad she doesn’t have my job because then I definitelywouldn’t have it.' He added: 'But the reason she doesn’t is because she has bigger, moreimportant things to do and everyone who knows it knows she changes you and she makes youbetter.' The pair share two children together and tied the knot in 2002.

2016-12-15 06:29 Tanya Li www.dailymail.co.uk

161 /270 1.7 AS IT HAPPENED: SABC inquiry wraps up for 2016

After hearing the testimony of several high-profile witnesses, the ongoing Parliamentary inquiryinto the SABC wrapped up with the ad hoc committee's final take before adjourning until nextyear.

Everything we believe about retirement is fast becoming outdated.

2016-12-15 06:29 www.news24.com

162 /270

162 /270 5.4 Amiel Tittums

who went homeleaving people toburn to death aftercrash is jailed

A drunk man who killed three people in afiery crash before walking home, taking ashower and going to bed, has been jailedfor nine years. Amiel Tittums, 36, wasdriving up to 165km/h in a 90km/h zone inGeraldton, north of Perth, when he collidedinto the back of a Holden Commodore

killing those inside the vehiclein August 2015, The WestAustralian reported. Tittumspleaded guilty to three countsof dangerous driving causingdeath, failing to renderassistance and failing to reportan incident. The impact of thecrash was so hard the fuel tankburst and quickly engulfed thecar in flames and killed driverFelicity Pallett, 23, andpassengers Michael Hook, 31,and Coen Kentwell, 27, who

burned to death at the scene. When police later questioned him hours later at his home, he saidhe did not know where his car was or who had it, the court heard. Officers also said when theyasked him to remove his shirt, he had a bruise across his chest that appeared to come from aseat belt. Tittums recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.135, and was discovered with diazepamand methamphetamine in his system. Prosecutor Mark Nicol said Tittums, a father-of-two, fledthe scene and walked 1.5 kilometres to his home instead of trying to save them and called hisactions selfish, reckless and callous. 'They were lost in the most horrific and unnecessary way,'Mr Nicol said, according to Perth Now. In a letter read in court, Tittums said: 'From the time of theaccident, I've been trying to keep away from Geraldton.' Linda Black, his lawyer said Tittums had'struggled with is the fact he didn't stay and help' and 'understands he has to pay a price for thecrimes that he's committed.' She claimed that her client used to drink alcohol in the past as away to cope with problems in his life. Several victim impact statements read during sentencingexpressed the pain, grief and frustration caused by the accident, PerthNow reported. 'A parentwho loses a child in such tragic circumstances loses an essential part of their being,' JusticeCorboy said. Justice Corboy accepted Tittums was genuinely remorseful and hasacknowledged he had drug and alcohol issues, which he is seeking treatment for.

2016-12-15 06:28 Tanya Li www.dailymail.co.uk

163 /270 0.0 Crews working on water main breaks in Plymouth

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) - Crews are dealing with two water main breaks in the city ofPlymouth.

One of the breaks happened at 1160Penniman between Arthur and ChurchStreet. The other break is in the area ofAnn Arbor Trail and Evergreen.

The city says residents nearby may seelower water pressure while they work to fixthe water main. Residents who experiencediscolored water are advised to run thecold tap water for a few minutes.

STAY WITH WXYZ. COM FOR UPDATES.

2016-12-15 06:27 WXYZ www.wxyz.com

164 /270 2.1 Discipline vs punishment: what is the difference?

M y heart broke when Times News posted on their online platform, thevideo of the teacher at Jeppe High School shouting and swearing at achild in class.

I listened to callers on Talk Radio 702 with parents condemning theteacher, while others were praising and sympathising with her. Whatreally hurts me is the parents refusing to take responsibility for theirchildren's behaviour, but quick to dictate how the schools should

discipline their children.

Kindly balance your heard nicely between your shoulders when trying to answer this shortquestion; who are you to comment on how your child is disciplined at school when you, as aparent, fail to do it at home? Why is it that parents believe that their children are well-disciplinedand reject a story telling otherwise?

I come from a family where the school teaching career is big. My mother, my grandmother andher sister, my brother and my aunts are all school teachers. I listen when they tell theirfrustrations mainly about the behaviour of the children in their classes.

Imagine a class of 20 children from different families with different values and you are, as ateacher, supposed to set rules which are not practiced in these children’s homes. Obviously youwill crash from time to time. I am even being modest by saying ‘20’ children in a class becausewe all know it is not the case in our public schools in this country. The number is usually 35 andmostly above that.

In South Africa corporal punishment is not allowed, any school teachers found using it getsprosecuted. At homes, parents still practice it and I believe that the lawmakers should not enterthat space and impose their ways and ideas.

Parents must make their own decision with the information at their disposal. Besides, thecommon law protects the South African parents and gives them the power “to inflict moderate

and reasonable chastisement on a child for misconduct.”

Corporal punishment is currently illegal in 49 countries in the world. Most countries have notonly made it illegal in schools but at homes as well.

The Bahamas banned corporal punishment in 1984 but re-introduced it in 1991. So it only tookthem seven years and they saw how things were not shaping as they had hoped. Othercountries, which were also against corporal punishment, realised that they could not totally banit but rather reduce or limit it. Those were Norwegian and Austrian parents.

My mother used corporal punishment on my brother and I when we were growing up and I hatedit. I told myself that I would not do it to my children and would talk to them. However, I must admitthat I have struggled to administer discipline without a lighter punishment.

I became frustrated when the talking was just not working and I made a decision to use a lighterpunishment while my child is still young so that she learns. My plan is to before she is 12. Iresorted in administering punishment with love and I strongly believe that it possesses no harm.

By administering it with love I mainly mean that the child has to know the reasons why s/he isbeing punished. Hayley Dixon writes more about this approach in her article Smacking doeschildren no harm if they feel loved, study claims on the Telegraph. In the study, Hayley Dixontestifies that being firm on children is actually good and is encouraged.

Most parents who are against spanking or any form of physical punishment with the saying thatit harms the child later in life ignore the devastation caused by their methods which most of thetime is just talking. That talking is mostly driven with anger, shouting, yelling and verbal threatswhich have far dire consequences than mere lighter punishment which I advocate for. I amhowever, totally against inflicting injuries on children as a result of administering punishment.

The argument that spanking or any lighter punishment come as reaction and therefore isnegative is actually contradictory because the very same talking as an alternative does not justhappen randomly but also as a reaction.

2016-12-15 06:19 www.news24.com

165 /270 0.0 SEE IT: Missouri high school students flash Donald

Trump sign, turn their backs on black basketball teamA group of high school students decked out in cowboy hats turned their backs and displayed aDonald Trump sign as the starting roster for a predominantly black basketball team wasannounced before a game in Missouri.

The pre-game prank occurred at the Warrensburg High School, as the home team was gettingready to tip off against the visiting Center High School Yellowjackets on Monday evening.

A Facebook video that had gotten over 630,000 views by early Thursday shows a group of atleast two dozen students with their backs turned to the court. Some of the students are wearingcamo overalls and cowboy hats and a Trump/Pence campaign sign can be seen held up amongthem.

“Let it be known how RACIST Warrensburg High School students are,” a caption read to the

video, which was recordedby a Center High Schoolstudent. “I’m appalled bythe nonsense I’ve justwitnessed with my own twoeyes…If this was theYellowjackets house,nothing but RESPECTwould’ve been giving tothese cowards.”

Trump-themed high schoolpep rally prompts racismallegations

Warrensburg superintendent Dr. Scott Patrick condemned the Trump-inspired stunt.

“Members of our student body acted inappropriately and were insensitive toward ouropponents,” Patrick said in a statement . “The Warrensburg R-VI School District does notcondone these actions and apologizes to anyone who was offended by the actions of thesestudents. We will do everything we can to keep incident like this from happening again.”

One Center High School student didn’t think the Warrensburg students were necessarily raciallymotivated — but called their act “immature.”

“It seems like they are trying to piss us off,” the unidentified student told a local TV station . “Idon’t think they are really trying to say anything other than that. Just seems like, I don’t know, away to aggravate us.”

2016-12-15 06:19 Chris Sommerfeldt feeds.nydailynews.com

166 /270 1.2 It was bizarre to watch Samantha Power at the UN

conveniently forget to mention all the massacres done inAmerica's name

So there was Samantha Powerdoing her “shame” bit in the UN.

" Is there no act of barbarism againstcivilians, no execution of a child thatgets under your skin, that just creepsyou out a little bit? " America ’sambassador to the UN asked

2016-12-15 06:19 christosarticle.wn.com

167 /270

167 /270 3.0 Game2: Winter organiser Yevgeny Pyatkovsky says

rape and murder is allowedThe organiser of a HungerGames-style reality showwhere 30 people will bedumped in the Siberianwilderness has boasted thatrape and murder is allowed.The participants of Game2:Winter - half of them women -will be deposited in theRussian outback which isteeming with bears and wolvesfor a nine-month survival testin temperatures sinking tocolder than minus 40C.Contestants from different countries seeking a £1.3million prize will be issued with knives andwill be expected to hunt and fish to eat. The rules appear shocking, with 35-year-old Russianmillionaire, Yevgeny Pyatkovsky, the organiser, stating: 'We will refuse any claim of participantseven if they were to be killed or raped. 'We will have nothing to do with this. 'This will be spelt outin a document to be signed by the participant before the start of the show.' The rules statebluntly: 'Everything is allowed. Fighting, alcohol, murder, rape, smoking, anything.' One onlinecritic wrote: 'This opens the way to savage and bestial behaviour. 'It's as if they're trying toencourage rape or murder. 'There may be cameras around but they won't see everything.' Theparticipants - who must be over 18 and 'mentally sane' - are expected to pay £132,000 to takepart, although some will be selected in an online poll and enter for free. 'There will be no filmcrew - the whole area will be dotted with cameras and each participant will be carrying aportable camera with 7-hour life rechargeable battery,' said Pyatkovsky. The survival contest willbe screened online 24/7 using footage from 2,000 fixed cameras on a 2,225 acre slice of taiga,with translations into English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. 'Probably all ofyou have watched the Lost TV series, but surviving in a tropical climate is quite different fromtrying to stay alive in the Siberian taiga - boreal forest - at minus 40 degrees Celsius,' he said.He believes the show will attract 'rich and risky' people craving a new and ultimate challenge,due to commence on 1 July 2017. They will be given survival training from Russia's elite formerGRU Spetznaz operatives, but after that they will be on their own coping with temperaturesranging from 35C in high summer to minus 40C or lower in the depths of the Siberian winter. Hewarned: 'You should also keep in mind that this will be a real forest, with dangerous wildlife andharmful insects. 'Of course, there will be some safety precautions in place, but it would still takeabout half an hour to reach the area where the show will take place by helicopter.' 'Those takingpart will be urged to forage and store food before winter in order to survive the cold months,'reported The Siberian Times . 'In winter, contestants will need to catch fish through ice holes tofeed themselves.' So far the filmmakers have had interest from 'professional rescuers, peoplewithout special training, professional travellers, entrepreneurs, photographers, jewellers andpsychologists'. Producer Nikolay Ginzburg said: 'It sounds strange, but on this project it will beeasier to survive not for a professional rescuer but for a simple person. 'It will be necessary to actintuitively, rather than following instructions.' Each participant will have a panic button linked to asatellite. If they use it, they will be evacuated from the Siberian taiga, but not allowed to return.All who survive nine months will share the prize. 'The show will absolutely extreme,' saidPyatkovsky. 'There will be no doctors with the participants. 'If someone gets sick, wounded and

realise that he/she can not pass the test, the helicopter will take him/her away to the doctors.'Then the participant will quit the game forever.' The IT millionaire claims that apart from beingscreened on a dedicated web TV channel, there is interest from mainstream broadcasters in atleast five countries to screen the survival show. Despite the nonchalant approach to murder andrape, contestants are told the laws of the Russian federation apply, and that if there is proof ofcriminality 'the police will come and take you away'. They should 'obey the laws of the RussianFederation,' the show says.

2016-12-15 06:18 Will Stewart www.dailymail.co.uk

168 /270 24.2 Female MP received death threats for calling for banon Britain First

Police are investigatingafter a female Labour MPreceived “very explicitdeath threats” online.

Louise Haigh, MP forSheffield Heeley, toldparliament she wastargeted after calling for adebate on the banning ofthe far-right group BritainFirst, which may haveinspired the murder of her

colleague, Jo Cox.

She told the Guardian that such threats were becoming commonplace among female MPs,noting that Cox’s successor in parliament, Tracy Brabin , had received “horrific levels” of abuse.

Speaking in a Commons debate on Wednesday night, Haigh said: “I just called for the house tobe given evidence and to look at the details of the group’s paramilitary activity and anti-democratic behaviour. As a result of that and of how the media covered my call, I have receivedvery explicit death threats. I have been called a traitor and a Muslim lover.

“On Friday, an individual went through every one of my YouTube videos and said he would notrest until I was murdered. If that is not evidence that Britain First should be proscribed as aterrorist organisation, I am not sure what is.”

Haigh, who at 29 is the youngest Labour MP in the House of Commons, said she wasdisappointed with the initial reaction from police when she reported the abuse.

She said she first told a special police unit situated in parliament designed to deal with suchinvestigations. “Their reaction was: ‘South Yorkshire police (SYP) need to deal with this.’ Wereported it to SYP and the initial reaction was pretty dismissive: ‘It is really difficult to find peopleon the internet.’”

The MP said SYP only seemed to start actively investigating after she told the media about thethreats, though they were quick to install panic alarms in her Sheffield home and office, and to

provide her with uniformed and undercover protection while going about constituency businessover the weekend. The force has now put in a request to Google for IP information, she said.

“I didn’t think they were going to act until the media attention. I don’t know what it would take tomake them act. The same group [Britain First] inspired the murder of Jo, one force over [theborder in West Yorkshire],” she said.

Haigh said she shrugged off the threats at first. She said: “My initial reaction was to treat it asfairly usual: I get really abusive messages all the time. But reflecting on how obsessive theindividual seemed, and the specific obvious threats of murdering me, it did really affect me. Ididn’t really feel safe until I came down to London on Monday.

“SYP was really good at offering resources to protect me, had cars following me at rovingsurgery and undercover police at events. But I would really rather they put resources intoinvestigating.”

Following the parliamentary debate, Ben Wallace, the minister of state for security at the HomeOffice, said he would intervene, Haigh added.

Being abused was now part and parcel of life as a female politician in the UK, she warned: “Forwomen it’s definitely depressingly familiar. Speaking to male colleagues they just don’t seem toreceive the same level or magnitude of abuse I get on a fairly regular basis. But it’s nothingcompared with some colleagues, like Jess Phillips [MP for Birmingham Yardley]. I know TracyBrabin has had horrific levels. We do become accustomed to it and we shouldn’t. I worry that itwill put some women off coming into politics.”

Brabin told the Guardian she had received abuse on social media in response to her efforts tochampion diversity in her constituency of Batley and Spen and had asked the members of herlocal Labour party to respond by retweeting the positive things on her Twitter page. She hasalso had abuse by post, which one of her researchers has spoken to the police in the House ofCommons about. Brabin said she would support her fellow women MPs however they chose torespond to such abuse, but said she was trying not to let any of it get to her and had not madeany formal complaints to the police. “Everybody deals with it in their own way, but I particularlycannot afford to let it affect what I do because I wouldn’t get out of bed,” she said.

2016-12-15 06:16 Helen Pidd www.theguardian.com

169 /270 3.2 Roosevelt County deputy wrongfully termination suit

tossedPORTALES, N. M. (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed bya former Roosevelt County sheriff’s deputy who claimed he waswrongfully terminated.

The Portales News-Tribune reports (https://goo.gl/unyAXH) a U. S.magistrate judge recently ruled there was not enough evidence for RobertEllison’s lawsuit to continue.

Ellison sued Roosevelt County and the sheriff’s office in May for wrongful termination.

According to the suit, another deputy allegedly told Ellison he intentionally injured an inmatewhile working for another law enforcement agency and when Ellison reported this to superiors,nothing was done about it.

The lawsuit also alleges superiors accused Ellison of “made up reasons” for conducting a trafficstop in March.

Roosevelt County Sheriff Malin Parker on Tuesday said he declined to comment.

___

Information from: Portales News-Tribune, http://www.pntonline.com

2016-12-15 06:07 By www.washingtontimes.com

170 /270 1.6 Phoenix immigration court to temporarily close

PHOENIX (AP) - The federal immigration court in Phoenix will be closedthrough Dec. 20 as it moves to a new location.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review says the office is closing onThursday and will remain closed for five days while it moves to a newlocation.

The new location is on 250 N. 7th Avenue.

The court hears federal immigration cases and is currently housed in a small section of abusiness office in mid-town Phoenix.

2016-12-15 06:06 By www.washingtontimes.com

171 /270 2.1 How a dagga conviction crushed law career hopes

Cape Town – Rastafarian Garreth Prince is not bitter becausea dagga possession conviction as a student stopped him frombecoming a lawyer.

He just wishes he could have treated his mother to some nicethings with the salary that goes with the profession, after shehelped him get through law school.

Speaking outside the Western Cape High Court onWednesday, where he and Dagga Party leader Jeremy Actonare applying for the decriminalisation of dagga, he recalled hisarrest in 1989 as the day his whole life changed.

A student at the University of the Western Cape at the time, hewas walking along a road in Kraaifontein, a sprawling suburboff the N1 between Cape Town and Paarl, when police officers stopped him.

They searched him, which he says is typical of the racial profiling of dagga policing - targetingblack men, Rastafarians, and people with dreadlocks.

He was drawn to the Rastafari religion at university, after feeling that Christianity had failed himas a black person.

'Spiritual needs'

"Rastafari was a viable alternative. It answered my spiritual needs in a way that makes sense tome," said Prince, stopping to shake hands with the stream of people coming to greet him andthank him for bringing the court application.

Rastafarians are known to use cannabis for spiritual meditation and to promote good health.

He had to pay a R60 fine for the dagga case. When he tried to get admitted to the Cape Bar afterpassing his exams, the full weight of the conviction came crashing down on him.

He was not allowed to be admitted, and refused to apologise for using cannabis. That was theend of his career dreams.

He tried to get the Constitutional Court to rule that it should be okay to use dagga for religiouspurposes, but the justices ruled against him.

Fortunately he had no student debt because his good marks had earned him bursaries. He wenton to become a community legal adviser, helping people with their legal problems.

But he still feels sad that he was not able to spoil his mother properly, especially since shehelped him get into law school during apartheid.

'Not bitter'

"It's not that I'm bitter. I've still got a mother. But she sacrificed a lot in order to see me throughuniversity.

"That has left me with a bit of regret," he said.

If they win the case, he hopes to be able to become a professor of law at a university.

"I love jurisprudence," said the married father of two.

In the meantime, he still has one pending case against him – allegedly having a cannabis bushin his garden in Kraaifontein in 2012.

That case, and those faced by Acton and 18 others, have been put on hold pending thefinalisation of the high court case.

Judgment is expected to be handed down next year.

2016-12-15 06:03 www.news24.com

172 /270 1.9 Bearing Agonizing Witness to the Dylann Roof Trial

CHARLESTON, S. C. — Each morning they flow into Courtroom Six, escorted by federal officialsfrom a holding roomreserved for survivors andfamilies of the victims. Theaccused, Dylann S. Roof,never turns from the end ofthe defense table toacknowledge the parents,widows and widowers,children, grandchildren andfellow congregants of thenine African-Americans hehas confessed to killing in

June 2015 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Felicia Sanders, who survived the rampage but lost her son and her aunt, bears witness fromthe first of six rows of wooden benches, along with her husband, Tyrone. The Rev. Eric S. C.Manning, who now inhabits the office once occupied by the church’s pastor, the Rev. ClementaC. Pinckney , who was among those killed, sits one row back. The Rev. Anthony B. Thompson,whose wife, Myra, led the evening Bible study that Mr. Roof joined, takes his place in the fifthrow, along with John Pinckney, the former pastor’s father, who uses a wheelchair.

Until the prosecution and the defense rested on Wednesday, family members stoically enduredsix days of tormenting testimony in United States District Court, where Mr. Roof, 22, faces 33counts and a possible capital sentence. On Tuesday, for instance, they watched three unnervingvideos that Mr. Roof filmed of himself taking backyard target practice with the murder weapon ina two-handed grip. On Wednesday, they heard from a medical examiner about the more than 60wounds inflicted by his Winchester hollow-point bullets.

Here is what it has been like for some in the courtroom:

Mr. Thompson has attended Mr. Roof’s trial each day except last Thursday, when he knewprosecutors would show photographs of the blood bath inside the fellowship hall.

“I didn’t want to see the images,” he said in his office at Holy Trinity Reformed Episcopal Church,where he is vicar. “I didn’t want to have that in my head every day for the rest of my life, and ofcourse I didn’t want to see my wife like that.”

His decision meant he also missed the videos, captured by a church security camera, of some ofthe final moments of his 59-year-old wife’s life: the six-second clip of her striding purposefully inthe side door at 5 p.m., dressed in a black suit and white blouse; then the footage of her slippingout an hour later, warmly hugging two church members. Two hours after that, the cameracaptured Mr. Roof entering, a black pack around his waist, weighted by a.45-caliber Glock andeight loaded magazines.

“It has been an emotional roller coaster,” Mr. Thompson said. “We have shed tears. There hasbeen fear of the unknown.”

Mr. Thompson, 64, was one of the five family members who, in a spontaneous demonstration ofgrace, expressed forgiveness for Mr. Roof at his bond hearing less than 48 hours after theshootings. That has not changed, he said, despite watching Mr. Roof’s nonchalant and largelyremorseless admission to plotting the assault to foment racial strife.

“I have no intentions of taking that back,” the gray-headed clergyman said, stressing that hisforgiveness had been more for himself than for Mr. Roof. “He is not a part of my life anymore.Forgiveness has freed me of that, of him completely. I’m not going to make him a lifetimepartner.”

That said, he wished the Justice Department had accepted Mr. Roof’s offer to plead guilty inexchange for a life sentence. “The bad part is having to relive it, the going back to thebeginning,” he said. “It’s just a lot to bear.”

Mr. Thompson said he finds Mr. Roof a pathetic figure but not mentally defective, as Mr. Roof’slawyers would like the jury to believe. As a result, although he opposes the death penalty, hedoes not much care what happens to Mr. Roof.

“His sentence won’t affect the way I live, won’t bring my wife back,” he said. “Whatever he gets Ilook at it as, well, that’s what he’s supposed to get. I have no choice in the matter.”

Mr. Manning had no connection to Mother Emanuel until January, when he won appointment tothe historic pulpit after a tumultuous six months in which the church’s leadership changed threetimes. Other than his predecessor, Mr. Pinckney, he did not know any of the victims.

But he has been in court each day, all day, since jury selection began, often joined by a fellowEmanuel minister, Brenda Nelson. Ms. Nelson would have joined the Bible study on any otherWednesday, but on that sweltering night she drove home to meet an air-conditioner repairman.

Mr. Manning, 49, said he felt it important to be at the courthouse to demonstrate “a ministry ofpresence.”

“You might not be able to say everything, but just that you can smile and they can smile backand you can hug, they know you’re there,” he said. The pastor has been preaching from theBook of Psalms during the trial, reminding his congregation on Sunday that “in the midst of all ofthis, God’s joy is the one constant.”

Mr. Manning said he had been moved by the stoicism of those around him, and of the twosurvivors who testified. “What has been displayed,” he said, “is just the determination to showonce again the resilience and how strong our faith and trust is in God.”

The video taken before the murders of his church’s stalwarts affected him deeply. “They werejust there doing what they have done on so many other Wednesdays, just there to study God’sword,” he said. “And in the midst of that, evil presented itself.”

Although his church opposes the death penalty, he acknowledged that Mr. Roof’s lack ofremorse had given him “momentary pause.”

“But you have to always still do what is required, you have to forgive,” he said. “Now, am I there?I don’t know yet. Maybe that’s a question I’ll be able to answer after the trial.”

Jennifer Benjamin Pinckney, who was married to the Rev. Clementa Pinckney for 16 years, andJohnette Pinckney Martinez, the pastor’s adoring younger sister, have been inseparable duringthe trial. Ms. Pinckney and her 6-year-old daughter were in the pastor’s study when the killingsbegan, and huddled beneath a desk as bullets pierced the office wall. One of her first calls wasto her sister-in-law in Irmo, near Columbia. “Get to Charleston,” she implored.

Eighteen months later, the trial has brought it all back. “It’s been pretty difficult to hear some ofthe things, well, most of the things,” Ms. Martinez, a corrections officer, said. “But for me it wasanother step in the healing process.”

The most painful moment was seeing the photographs of Mr. Pinckney, dressed as ever in hisdark suit (he even wore them to high school), dead on the linoleum floor, blood pooling from hisupper torso.

Ms. Pinckney, a school librarian, said that the experience had been “emotionally excruciating”and that her reactions had coursed from tears to fury.

Both women said it had been comforting to see the surveillance video of the Pinckney familyarriving at church, the pastor holding his pony-tailed daughter’s hand. He hugged a woman onher way out, patted another on the back, helped a third down a step.

“That was him all the time,” Ms. Pinckney said of her husband, who was also a state senator.“He’s always greeting people, always hugging people, always interacting with people. It was hisfinal moment, and it’s something I’ve seen dozens of times over.”

Both women said they were stunned to see evidence downloaded from the GPS in Mr. Roof’scar that he had cased the church on six trips to Charleston from his home near Columbia. “It wasan eerie feeling to know he had been there for that period of time,” Ms. Pinckney said. “He wasin the midst of everyone, knowing what he was planning.” She remains bewildered that hetargeted Mother Emanuel.

Given the devastation he caused, what confounded Ms. Martinez as she observed Mr. Roof washis boyishness and his slight 5-foot-9, 120-pound frame. “It’s just unbelievable,” she said. “Iwould never have thought a child that young — a man that young — would have so much hatein his heart.”

2016-12-15 06:00 KEVIN SACK www.nytimes.com

173 /270 2.3 Democrats at Crossroads: Win Back Working-Class

Whites, or Let Them Go?WASHINGTON —Sounding like a frustratedCassandra, Vice PresidentJoseph R. Biden Jr.lamented last week thatHillary Clinton had notdone enough to reachwhite working-class votersin the presidentialcampaign. Even moreegregious to Mr. Biden,some of his fellowDemocrats had concludedthat blue-collar whites were not even worth pursuing.

“I mean these are good people, man!” Mr. Biden exclaimed in an interview on CNN. “Thesearen’t racists. These aren’t sexists.”

With his typically unambiguous assessment, the vice president had thrust himself into a heateddebate, already well underway, that has shaped the Democrats’ self-diagnosis since Donald J.Trump won the presidency: Should the party continue tailoring its message to the fast-growingyoung and nonwhite constituencies that propelled President Obama, or make a more concertedeffort to win over the white voters who have drifted away?

For Democrats, the election last month has become a Rorschach test. Some see Mrs. Clinton’sloss as a result of an unfortunate series of flukes — Russian tampering , a late intervention bythe director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a poor allocation of resources — but littlemore than a speed bump on the road to a demographic majority, while others believe the resultsreflect a more worrisome trend that could doom the party.

It is a sensitive topic, touching on race and class, but the choices that Democrats make in thecoming months will shape their post-Obama identity and carry major implications in both themidterm elections of 2018 and the next presidential race.

Few leading Democrats are arguing for a large-scale reconsideration of the party’s core liberalagenda. After all, history is a game of inches, and Mrs. Clinton won the popular vote by morethan 2.8 million votes, but lost the presidency by 77,000 votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania andWisconsin — less than the capacity crowd at Lambeau Field on any given Sunday.

“Demographically, the Electoral College is heading in the right direction” for Democrats, DanPfeiffer, a former adviser to Mr. Obama, said. What Mr. Trump pulled off, he added, “would behard to replicate.”

Even those who believe the party has become too fixated on identity politics do not think itshould reverse course on such issues as immigration, criminal justice and legal protections forgay and transgender Americans.

Yet as a matter of politics, those in Mr. Biden’s camp believe the party’s ethos of inclusion mayadd up to less than the sum of its parts.

In the minds of those Democrats, they will not be a majority party again in Washington or acrossmuch of the country without winning back white voters of modest means.

“You don’t need those people?” Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary, asked with a tone ofincredulity. “You’re going to wait how many decades before this other strategy works?”

Sitting at a conference table looking out at the National Mall here, Mr. Vilsack last week gentlychided a reporter.

“You’ve got me all wound up here,” he said.

Mr. Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, had tried to push Mrs. Clinton, a longtime ally, towardfocusing more on rural America, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He was just as exasperated overwhat he described as his party’s decades-long pattern of neglect of many of the voters he spenteight years working with in his cabinet post.

“Rural America is 15 percent of America’s population,” Mr. Vilsack said. “It’s the same

percentage as African-Americans; it’s the same percentage as Hispanics. We spend a lot of timethinking about that 15 percent — and we should, God bless them, we should. But not to theexclusion of the other 15 percent, we don’t have to exclude them.”

In their zeal for pursuing clearly defined constituencies, some Democrats now worry they missedthe bigger picture of the electorate: failing to deliver a message that would cut across allconstituencies, and ceding too much territory to Republicans in whiter, more conservative areasthat Mr. Trump won by wider margins than other recent Republican nominees.

Representative Gwen Graham, Democrat of Florida and a likely candidate for governor in 2018,called her party’s message “too funneled.” It needed to be more open to pursuing moderate andconservative voters, she said.

Ms. Graham, who was elected in a conservative-leaning district in the Florida Panhandle, saidshe would campaign across every part of the state if she ran for governor. Though Ms. Grahamdeclined to criticize her party’s presidential nominee directly, such campaigning would bestarkly different from the approach taken by Mrs. Clinton in 2016, when she focusedoverwhelmingly on courting the state’s biggest metropolitan areas.

“I would run a 67-county strategy,” Ms. Graham said. “And I would reach out to all different kindsof Democrats and Republicans, along the ideological spectrum.”

But while this may make for a good message at the outset of a campaign, it is, in the eyes of avocal contingent of Democratic strategists, a dated approach that ignores inexorable politicaland demographic trendlines. To win in a changing country, these Democrats said, the partymust tailor a platform and strategy that explicitly appealed to younger and nonwhite voters onissues like policing, climate change and immigration.

Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster, said it was folly to continue developing a message forand devoting considerable resources to “a shrinking, increasingly resistant market.”

Mr. Belcher recalled focus groups in North Carolina this year in which nonwhite voters who hadcome out for Mr. Obama’s two elections could not even name the party’s Senate candidate inthe state. (It was Deborah Ross, and she lost.)

“We’re spending all of our resources on broadcast television chasing this mythical unicorn whiteswing voter,” he said.

Mr. Belcher, who has published a new book about race and the Obama presidency, “A BlackMan in the White House,” said the party should not ignore white voters. But he said Democratsalso should not react to this election by refashioning their appeal as though the country werejust as white as it was when Bill Clinton and other centrists began the Democratic LeadershipCouncil 30 years ago.

“Why would we go back to running campaigns as though it’s the 1980s?” Mr. Belcher asked.“Because it’s not the 1980s.”

Mr. Pfeiffer, the former Obama adviser, noted that red states like Arizona and Georgia werecloser to turning blue this year even as Mrs. Clinton lost, and argued that new arrivals in Floridaand North Carolina would make those states tilt Democratic.

Yet even Democrats from solidly blue states, who can in theory win elections without capturing a

single conservative vote, said the party’s identity-heavy message was lacking.

Mayor Eric M. Garcetti of Los Angeles said Democrats had not explained to many voters howtolerant social values translated into government action.

“Of course we are for a tolerant, diverse, inclusive, cooperative future,” he said. “It isn’t enough.”

Mr. Garcetti likened the party’s message to the gestures of conciliation proposed by civic leadersin Los Angeles after the Rodney King riots in the 1990s — well intentioned but insufficient.

“If the starting point is: ‘Hey, we are a party and we are a country that stands for blacks andKoreans and people of all stripes liking each other,’ that’s not an agenda,” said Mr. Garcetti, whohas not ruled out a run for statewide office. “These values aren’t just about social inclusion.They’re about getting things done.”

2016-12-15 06:00 JONATHAN MARTIN www.nytimes.com

174 /270 0.6 Las Vegas Bowl: Former UNLV coach Hauck back at

Rebel Park for SDSU practiceL. E. Baskow

UNLV head coach Bobby Hauck wavesgoodbye to the crowd as he walks offthe field for the last time at Sam BoydStadium on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014.

By Jesse Granger ( contact )

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 | 2 a.m.

As former UNLV football coach BobbyHauck walked through the palm tree-laden entrance and under the archingred sign, it conjured up memories of a

football program he once led.

Wednesday morning, for the first time in two years, Hauck patrolled the fields at Rebel Park onthe campus of UNLV.

He returned to Las Vegas this week as the special teams coordinator for the San Diego StateAztecs, who will take on Houston this Saturday in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium.Another old UNLV head coach, Jeff Horton, and former Rebel Hunkie Cooper are also part ofthe Aztecs' staff.

“We came out here and we were laughing,” Hauck said. “A bunch of the guys were giving megrief and joking about all of my years chasing players around and yelling at them out here.”

Hauck spent five years on that turf trying his best to resurrect a football program that hadstruggled for decades, and nearly succeeded.

“It brings back memories of a lot of good guys and friends,” Hauck said. “There were a lot offriends who came out to practice to say hi today.”

While four of Hauck’s five seasons at the helm ended with only two wins, in 2013 he led theRebels to their most successful season in 13 years. UNLV finished with a 7-6 record to earn aberth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl , only the fourth bowl game in school history.

But UNLV struggled to a two-win season the following year to end Hauck’s tenure. He was hiredat San Diego State shortly after.

Over the last two years San Diego State has won 21 games — six more than Hauck’s five yearsat UNLV combined — and back-to-back Mountain West championships.

“It’s been a fun group of players to coach. They’re hardworking and they like to play,” Haucksaid. “And any chance you get to hoist that trophy like we did in Laramie (Wyoming) a week agois special. To do it two consecutive seasons was a lot of fun.”

Under Hauck, the Aztecs’ special teams units have thrived. San Diego State finished second inthe NCAA averaging 28.33 yards per kickoff return, and the Aztecs were tied for first in thecountry with three kickoff returns for touchdowns.

On the other side, San Diego State has yet to allow a kickoff return for a score in the two yearssince Hauck was hired.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” Hauck said. “There are good guys on the staff and good guys on the team. Plusit’s a good place to live.”

And when the Aztecs earned their first Las Vegas Bowl invitation in 18 years, Hauck was morethan happy to show his new team around his old stomping ground.

“Rarely was it this pleasant out here,” Hauck said as the Aztecs practiced in crisp 58-degreeweather. “It was usually hot as hell.”

Hauck has enjoyed his return to a city where he has many memories, both good and bad.

“The people at the Las Vegas Bowl do a great job and there are so many fun things to do here,”Hauck said. “The players have a great time, and it’s kind of fun for me to come back and be kindof a tourist for a couple days. You don’t do that necessarily when you live here.”

2016-12-15 06:00 By Jesse lasvegassun.com

175 /270 0.8 Scarcer Christmas trees mean higher prices for Las

VegansL. E. Baskow

Tony Santos tosses a tree to Joshua Robles as they select from hundreds of free Christmastrees dropped off by a vendor at Sunset Park in 2014. Prices of Douglas firs this year aregenerally higher than recent seasons because fewer were planted in reaction to a glut in thePacific Northwest about a decade ago.

By Adam Candee ( contact )

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Steve Phillips and his family ventureup to Oregon every year in August, apicturesque time of year to visit theverdant Pacific Northwest.

The trip offers no vacation for Phillips,though. He walks his preferredplantation and surveys more than40,000 trees to select the 3,000 hewants to sell at Deerbrooke Farms ,his Christmas tree lot in the northwestpart of the Las Vegas Valley.

“He allows us to cherry-pick his plantation,” Phillips said. “We go out there and put a ribbon onevery one we want.”

This year, Phillips discovered early in the process that tree prices would shoot upward, asgrowers in Oregon and Washington charge more for a scarcer supply of the most popularvarieties, especially Douglas firs.

“The pendulum swings about every seven years,” Phillips said. “It swings for the buyer and thenin seven years, it swings in favor of the grower.”

Growers appear to stand on the positive side of that swing this year, in part because feweroverall trees were planted in major growing states like Oregon and Washington following a glutthat began in 2008, according to Hugh Whaley of the National Christmas Tree Association(NCTA). That shortage leads to higher prices not just in Nevada, but throughout the region.

“We kind of anticipated that the cost would go up,” Whaley said. “Things are kind of getting backinto equilibrium.”

Deerbrooke Farms offers its 6- to 7-foot Douglas firs for $70 this year, a price increase from lastyear. Similarly sized Noble firs — considered a more premium product — sell for $90.

“This is very strange,” Phillips said. “The customer is looking at the price of the Douglas fir andsaying, ‘Jeez, for $20 more, I can buy a Noble.'”

Phillips said wholesale prices have increased for him each of the past three years and thoseultimately ended up reflected in his retail price in two of those years.

“You have to compensate for that 10 percent,” Phillips said of the cost increase from wholesale.

Phillips, a Las Vegas fire captain who employs 40 people in his operation, sells trees rangingfrom $25 tabletops up to 20-foot room-fillers for $550. Consumers responding to the NCTA's2015 survey reported spending an average of just more than $50 for a real tree.

That annual survey by NCTA shows that the real-tree industry generated more than $1.3 billionin retail value in 2015. Americans purchased 25.9 million real trees last year, compared with

12.5 million artificial trees at a retail value of $854 million.

Whaley expects a decent 2016 sales report, in part because Christmas falling on a Sundayallows for a slightly longer sales season than in other years. Additional factors that can influencetotal sales include trees available for harvest, harvest conditions, weather conditions, thenumber of consumers traveling for the holidays, and the number of retail outlets offering trees forsale.

Phillips expects another change in availability and pricing when growers respond to this year'schange.

“Now what the farmers are going to do next year is plant as many Douglas firs as they can, sothe Nobles suffer because there’s only so much land,” Phillips said.

2016-12-15 06:00 By Adam lasvegassun.com

176 /270 3.6 State taps unemployment insurance fund to balance

booksLANSING — A bill headed to Gov. Rick Snyder's desk transfers $10million in "surplus" unemployment insurance funds to help balance thestate budget at the same time thousands of Michigan residents areclaiming millions of dollars in benefits and penalties were unlawfullytaken from them after the state wrongly accused them of unemploymentinsurance fraud.

During their lame duck session, lawmakers gave final passage Tuesday to Senate Bill 1008 ,shifting $10 million to the state's general fund from the unemployment insurance contingentfund.

Though fraud determinations have dropped sharply since late 2015, statistics released by thestate Wednesday demonstrate the scope of the problem the state had with false frauddeterminations over a two-year period.

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, partly at the request of the federal governmentand partly on its own, reviewed 22,427 cases in which a computer determined a claimant hadcommitted civil fraud between October 2013 and October 2015 and found that 20,965 of thosecases did not involve fraud, Unemployment Insurance Agency spokesman Dave Murray saidWednesday. That's an error rate of more than 93%.

The balance in the UI contingent fund's penalties and interest account — largely built on moneyseized from claimants accused of fraud — swelled from $3.1 million in 2011 to about $155million this October, according to a report from the House Fiscal Agency. That fund, which is fedby highest-in-the-nation 400% penalties, wage garnishes and other aggressive collectiontechniques, is the one Republican lawmakers tapped Tuesday, in a 60-48 party line vote in thestate House.

"I am beyond disgusted that the Legislature would even consider this," Royal Oak attorneyJennifer Lord, who is pursuing a class action on behalf of UI claimants falsely accused of fraud,told the Free Press on Wednesday.

Sen. David Hildenbrand, R-Lowell, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee andsponsor of SB 1008, said the legislation developed when he was working on balancing the statebudget earlier this year and looking for state funds with large balances that could be tapped.Hildenbrand said he's aware of potential liabilities arising from the false fraud findings, butdoesn't believe there will be a problem because the $10 million being withdrawn from the fundis a small portion of its overall balance.

If it did become an issue, "I would work very hard to replenish that fund, so we could meet thoseobligations," Hildenbrand told the Free Press on Wednesday, adding that he expects Snyder willsign his bill because the administration signed off on the transfer as part of the overall budgetplan for 2017.

Unemployment insurance premiums are paid into a trust fund and can't be used for otherpurposes, but the contingent fund isn't under those restrictions. The fund is used to pay foradministration of the state’s Talent Investment Agency, including the development of workforcetraining programs.

House Minority Leader Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, criticized the transfer, saying if Republicans"are concerned that the balance of the ... fund is too high, they should make every effort to repaythe men and women who were wrongfully denied unemployment due to glitches in the state’sunemployment computer. "

Lord noted that Michigan's 2015 audited financial statements show that more than $15 millionwas seized from claimants that year alone, and the automated fraud determinations began inOctober 2013, when the agency started using the Michigan Integrated Data Automated System(MiDAS) to make determinations about eligibility, fraud and other issues.

"Given these facts, It is critical that this fund be held in the strictest trust until each and everyclaimant whose tax refunds were seized and whose wages were wrongfully garnished havebeen made whole," said Lord, whose case is before the Michigan Court of Appeals.

In August 2015, during work that led to a scathing report from Auditor General Doug Ringler , theagency put the brakes on the false findings by getting more humans involved in the frauddeterminations, Murray said.

Murray said about $5.4 million has been refunded to 2,571 claimants falsely accused of fraud.

"Some people have not yet been reimbursed because the agency doesn’t have accurate contactinformation," Murray said. "We continue our efforts to contact these people. We continue toreview cases to make sure people are treated fairly and are reimbursed if necessary. "

U. S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, and U-M law professor Steven Gray, who is director ofthe university's Unemployment Insurance Clinic, say the state's review of fraud determinationsbetween 2013 and 2015 has not gone far enough. They say the state needs to review about30,000 additional cases in which Michigan claimants were determined to have committed fraud,but in which there may have been some involvement by agency staff and contact with theclaimant — not solely an automated finding by a computer.

"The automation adopted by the state was reckless — it was a huge failure," Levin saidWednesday. It's unclear how big a role the system played in making the other frauddeterminations during that period and "the state needs to step up to the plate on this," andprovide "complete transparency. "

In April, the Free Press wrote about Daniel Di Gregorio, a crane operator and client of Lord'swho said he continued to receive letters from the Unemployment Insurance Agency accusinghim of fraud, even after Administrative Law Judge Stephen Goldstein threw out all allegationsagainst him in February.

Di Gregorio said his wife, Shirl, took the lead in fighting the $33,000 demand he received fromthe state agency and "if it wasn't for my wife, I don't know what I would have done. " He said hemight have rolled over and found a way to pay the money.

Gray, who along with another U-M professor filed a U. S. Department of Labor complaint lastyear about the MiDAS system, said regardless of how the fraud determinations were madeduring the relevant period, the notices sent to claimants — if they were even received — were solacking in basic information that they gave claimants no reasonable basis to understand andcontest the charges.

"The notices didn't meet minimum due process requirements," and there are problems with thesystem that persist today, such as always assuming fraud by the claimant — rather than theemployer — when there is a mismatch in information provided by the two parties, Gray said.

Murray didn't answer directly when asked if the agency should review all fraud determinationsmade between 2013 and 2015. "We are reviewing all aspects of the fraud determinationprocess to make sure all cases are handled accurately and as quickly as possible," he said inan e-mail.

Greimel seemed particularly annoyed the Legislature passed SB 108 without first passing aHouse bill, which has bipartisan support, intended to comply with U. S. Department of Labordirections and help prevent a recurrence of the false fraud problem.

Murray said the agency supports HB 4982, sponsored by Rep. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville,which passed the House Dec. 8 and passed the Senate late Wednesday.

"The bill in its current form codifies some of the changes we already have made, includingmaking sure that the agency no longer uses an automated system to make frauddeterminations," Murray said Wednesday, before the Senate action. "Trained staff nowinvestigates, reviews and makes the determination in all fraud cases. "

Gray said the MiDAS system has had "a huge chilling effect" on those who experienced it. Manyformer claimants have told him, "you will never see me apply for unemployment insurancebenefits — I don't care how poor I am," he said.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@paulegan4.

2016-12-15 05:56 Paul Egan rssfeeds.freep.com

177 /270 0.6 Prescription Act does not apply to arbitration awards‚

ConCourt rulesThe court ruled that the arbitration award issued in favour of Sizwe Myathaza on September 17‚2009 – that he be reinstated with back-pay – is made an order of the Labour Court.

The central issue in the case waswhether the Prescription Act applies toawards made in terms of the LabourRelations Act.

The Prescription Act states that a debtis extinguished if no action to recoverdebt takes place within three years.

The court had to decide whether anarbitration award is a debt in terms ofthe Prescription Act. The court heldthat the Prescription Act did not applyin Myathaza's matter.

Myathaza was suspended‚ together with other drivers in September 2007‚ for alleged ticketirregularities.

In April 2008‚ a deal was reached with unions representing the employees that no action wouldbe taken against the employees if they pleaded guilty to the charge of irregular ticketing andaccepted a final warning as a sanction.

Myathaza refused to plead guilty and insisted on facing a disciplinary inquiry.

Because his suspension had not been lifted‚ he did not return to work. Metrobus later chargedMyathaza with absenteeism and dismissed him in 2008.

Myathaza referred his dismissal to the bargaining council and the arbitrator held in 2009 that hisdismissal was substantively and procedurally unfair. Metrobus was ordered to reinstateMyathaza and give him back-pay.

When Myathaza tried to return to work‚ he was told not to because Metrobus had instituted areview application before the Labour Court on October 21‚ 2009. The review has‚ however‚ stillnot been prosecuted by Metrobus.

Frustrated by the turn of events‚ Myathaza applied to the Labour Court to make the 2009arbitration award an order of the court in 2013.

Metrobus opposed the application and submitted a preliminary point that the award hadprescribed in 2012 - three years after an arbitration award was made - in terms of thePrescription Act

The Labour Court‚ and later the Labour Appeal Court‚ agreed with the employer.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday prepared three judgments‚ which all came to the sameconclusion that the appeal by Myathaza should succeed.

A judgment written by Justice Chris Jafta stated that an award issued at the conclusion of anarbitration represented the resolution of the dispute.

“The Prescription Act does not cater for a situation where a claim or dispute has beenadjudicated and an outcome binding on parties has been reached but before that outcome is

made an order of the court.”

Jafta said that since an award was final and binding‚ it was difficult to determine a prescriptionperiod applicable to it under the Prescription Act.

“The three-year period is meant for claims or disputes which are yet to be determined and inrespect of which evidence and witnesses may be lost if there is a long delay.”

Jafta also said the main award granted to Myathaza could not prescribe because it was not anobligation to pay money or render services by Metrobus to Myathaza.

Jafta said Metrobus was obliged to apply for a date for the review of the arbitration award withinsix months of lodging the review.

He said Metrobus’ unduly long delay undermined the Labour Relations Act’s object of speedyresolutions of disputes. He said this had affected Myathaza as he has been without incomesince his unfair dismissal in 2009.

Jafta said the conduct of Metrobus was not befitting an exemplary employer and said itwarranted an adverse costs order.

The court ordered Metrobus to pay the costs in the Labour Court‚ the Labour Appeal Court andthe Constitutional Court‚ including costs of two counsel where applicable.

2016-12-15 05:52 Ernest Mabuza www.timeslive.co.za

178 /270 1.6 Patient bled to death after trying to cut a huge cyst off

his arm with a KNIFE after he was released from hospitalAn aircraft engineer bled todeath after trying to cut a cystoff his arm with a knife. AndrewRobinson, 47, was found dyingin a pool of blood in his homein Newton Abbot, Devon, byhis neighbour who heard hiscries for help. MatthewBardsley heard Mr Robinsonscreaming for help and kickeddown his door. The inquest inTorquay, Devon, heard that MrBardsley had noticed a'massive' abscess on his ill

neighbour's arm a few days earlier. Two days before his death in April, he was admitted toTorbay Hospital and kept in overnight after picking at the cyst with scissors. According to theTorquay Herald Express , another friend, Andrew Hitt, told the inquest that Mr Robinson had lostthe feeling in his arm following an operation to remove an infection from his spine several yearsbefore. He also struggled to walk and used heroin as a buffer for his health problems. A deathannouncement in the same newspaper read: 'Loving and Proud Dad of Will and Eddie. Son toGill and Ray. Brother to Sarah. Special friend to Jo, Oggie. Second Dad to Pete. 'Dad you're

always in our thoughts.' A post-mortem examination found Mr Robinson died from severe bloodloss caused by a self-inflicted wound to his arm. A police investigation concluded there were nosuspicious circumstances and there was no evidence he wanted to kill himself. South Devonsenior coroner Ian Arrow said: 'He had a large cyst on his right arm. It appears he may have triedto treat it with a large knife. 'While trying to lance that cyst he's caused himself to bleed quiteextensively.'

2016-12-15 05:49 Rebecca Taylor www.dailymail.co.uk

179 /270 2.8 Court dismisses Kentex fire raps vs Mayor Gatchalian

The Sandiganbayan SecondDivision dismissed for lack ofprobable cause the criminal chargesof graft and reckless imprudenceresulting in multiple homicide andinjuries against Valenzuela CityMayor Rexlon Gatchalian for hisalleged negligence over the Kentexfire tragedy.

In a resolution promulgated on Dec.13, the anti-graft court saidGatchalian and two of his co-accused were not directly involved inthe incident that caused the fire.

“It does not appear that the accused were involved in the incident which caused the fire. There isno direct causal connection between the fire and the damage incurred and the acts supposedlycommitted by accused,” the court said in the resolution penned by Associate Justice FrederickMusngi.

The resolution was concurred by division chairperson Associate Justice Samuel Martires andAssociate Justice Geraldine Econg.

The court effectively granted the motion to dismiss for lack of probable cause by mayorGatchalian, the brother of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, in connection with the criminal charges.

The cases of Gatchalian’s co-accused were also dismissed – city hall employees Renchi MayPadayao, officer in charge of the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), and EduardoYco Carreon, licensing officer IV of the BPLO.

Gatchalian’s arguments

In his motion, Gatchalian said the Office of the Special Prosecutor under the Ombudsman erredin filing a reckless imprudence case against him for the grant of business permit to Kentex, theslippers factory that was gutted in a fire last May 2015.

Gatchalian said the inter-agency task force that investigated the incident has determined that thecause of the fire was the “molten slags from the welding rod” of workers welding in the factorythat came into contact with combustible sacks of chemicals used for manufacturing slippers.

Gatchalian said it was not he who was negligent but the welders who accidentally ignited thechemicals.

“There is no showing that the issuance of the business permits to Kentex… was the proximatecause of the fire which caused the death and injury to Kentex workers,” his motion read.

Refuting the Ombudsman

“With due respect, the Office of the Ombudsman is gravely mistaken in forcibly indicting theaccused for the crime of Reckless Imprudence… Attributing the fire to the accused undulystretches the limit of the principle of proximate cause in determining criminal liability,” the motionadded.

Gatchalian also refuted the Ombudsman’s allegation he was liable for graft for giving unduepreference to Kentex in the grant of permit even though it was not qualified.

Gatchalian said he was only fulfilling his duties as mayor in enforcing ordinances that aim toeliminate red tape in government by the speedy issuance of business permits.

He said as mayor it was not he nor the Business Permits and Licensing Office, but the Bureau ofFire Protection that was mandated to check if Kentex violated the Fire Code of the Philippines.

“Accused merely enforced the procedure provided by the Administrative Issuances andOrdinance No. 22 in issuing the business permits to Kentex. There is no showing that Accusedtreated Kentex any differently from the thousands of other applicants of business permits inValenzuela city,” his motion read.

Gatchalian added that the policy in Valenzuela city in the grant of business permit was alsobeing implemented in other local government units.

He added that it is the current policy of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to stampout red tape in government.

READ: Duterte’s 1st order: Streamline agency applications, processes

“The present administration validated the procedure implemented by Valenzuela city in issuingbusiness permits… The settled national policy of streamlining the issuance of business permitshas been given more importance by the president administration under President Rodrigo R.Duterte,” his motion read.

READ: Mayor Gatchalian posts bail for Kentex fire raps

The Office of the Special Prosecutor filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiplehomicides and multiple injuries punishable under the Revised Penal Code against Gatchalian,and city hall employees, Renchi May Padayao, officer in charge of the Business Permits andLicensing Office (BPLO), and Eduardo Yco Carreon, licensing officer IV of the BPLO.

Also charged with multiple homicide are the officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection inValenzuela–Mel Jose Lagan, city fire marshall; Edgrover Oculam, fire senior inspector; andRolando Avendan, senior fire officer; as well as Ong King Guan, known as Terence King Ong,the general manager and treasurer of the ill-fated Kentex Manufacturing Corp.

The prosecution said the accused conspired with each other in a “negligent, careless andimprudent manner” in granting a business permit to Kentex while failing to impose theprescribed sanction under Section 9 of the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines.

Gatchalian and other officials granted the business permit to Kentex thereby allowing Kentex tooperate under hazardous conditions, while abandoning the necessary precautionary fire safetymeasures meant to protect the lives of the workers and prevent accidents.

Their actions resulted in the deaths of 74 individuals, thereby causing injury amounting to P3.7million, the prosecution said.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian, Mecina, Padayao, Carreon and Ong were charged with violation ofSection 3(e) of the anti-graft law for giving undue advantage to Kentex in the grant of businesspermit in 2015 despite its delinquent status and without requiring a Fire Safety InspectionCertificate.

They were also accused of failing to revoke the permit after Kentex failed to submit therequirements within the prescribed period, allowing Kentex to continue operating withinadequate fire safety measures.

The inadequate fire safety standards resulted in the deaths due to the fire that gutted thewarehouse last May 13, 2015, the prosecution said.

Gatchalian, Padayao and Carreon were also charged with a second count of graft or violation ofSection 3 (j) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for conspiring with each other inapproving the business permit to Kentex even though it was not qualified or entitled to such apermit because of the absence of the required Fire Safety Inspection Certificate.

READ: Kin of Kentex fire victims air appeal to Duterte

President Benigno Aquino III earlier pinned the blame on the Valenzuela local government unitfor granting a business permit and certificate of occupancy to Kentex despite noncompliance tosafety standards and violations of the Fire Code, such as lack of an automatic fire sprinklersystem and of a protected fire exit.

Of those killed, 69 died of fourth degree burns while three died of inhalation of fumes. Theseven-hour fire that did not even spare the life of one of the owners’ sons raised the issue ofunsafe “sweatshop” labor conditions for workers in the country./ac

READ: Kentex fire victims cope with loss of loved ones

2016-12-15 00:00 Marc Jayson newsinfo.inquirer.net

180 /270 4.2 David Beckham shows off new ring on wedding finger

at 70th annual UNICEF anniversaryHe was the star attraction as the 70th annual UNICEF anniversary kicked off in New York City onMonday evening. But as David Beckham greeted guests ahead of the celebratory event at theUnited Nations Headquarters attention was detracted by the glimmering piece of gold jewelleryon his wedding finger. The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, 41, sported an unmistakably newring, prompting speculation that wife Victoria Beckham has purchased the former footballer a

second wedding band. Hepurchased the open-link chainring 18 karat rose gold withblack diamonds fromHoorsenbuhs's new galleryspace in Soho, DailyMail.comhas learned. Scroll down forvideo Victoria has changedher engagement band,traditionally a singular symbolof love, a staggering 13 timesduring their 17 year marriage -reportedly to the tune of£3.8million. When David

proposed in 1998, her first engagement ring was a diamond cut into an elongated ‘marquise’shape, set on a yellow gold band, said to have cost around £65,000. She later had the ring reseton a diamond studded band and in 2002 was seen wearing a simple diamond-encrusted bandestimated at £5,000 the first of numerous costly changes. While the ex-Spice Girl was absent onMonday evening, David was joined by the equally glamorous Priyanka Chopra, who struck aparticularly chic figure among the famous names who'd gathered at the United Nationsheadquarters. The 34-year-old posed alongside a besuited David, who presented her withUnicef Goodwill Ambassadorship during the evening's festivities. Pear-lined pleated shortsleeves mirrored the pleated bottom section of her navy, hammered satin Prabal Gurung dress.Tightening about her enviably slim torso, the bias-cut outfit featured a hem that'd been cut offhigh enough to showcase the Quantico star's navy stilettos. Meanwhile David, a Unicef GoodwillAmbassador since 2005, garnished his evening wear with a pin advertising the organisation,wearing a Polo Ralph Lauren navy and cream pinstripe suit. The former Manchester United,Real Madrid and England midfielder's pinstriped suit was a colour similar to that of the Baywatchactress' dress, clashing against his white shirt. Almost indiscernible green and pink patternsswirled about his Ralph Lauren Purple Label silk paisley tie, and his hair was slicked severelyback. Orlando Bloom, who become a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador in 2009, used a white pocketsquare as a pop of contrast against his dark suit. The zaffre dress shirt the 39-year-old waswearing had a bit of sheen, and he'd spiked up his blonde hair. Though his girlfriend Katy Perrybecame a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador three years ago, she didn't appear to haveaccompanied him on Monday. Glinting black dress shoes rounded out the The Lord Of TheRings actor's ensemble, and he'd undone his top button, going without a tie. Jackie Chan wasmade a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador 12 years ago, and looked almost like a priest, wearing ablack Nehru-collared top over a white T-shirt. Black-rimmed spectacles matched the 62-year-old's slacks and shoes, and he squatted to be level with wheelchair-using Juan Carlos MoránMenjivar. As a YouTube video uploaded by Unicef described, Menjivar lost his arms and legswhen he stepped on a landmine buried during the Salvadoran Civil War. UNICEF, as herecalled, enabled him to travel away from home in order to obtain prosthetic legs. He alsounderwent rehabilitation. A committed painter, whom the video shows holding the brushbetween his teeth, he's since married and graduated law school. Inasmuch as UNICEF werebilling the event as a 'children's takeover' of the building, it was only fitting that Millie BobbyBrown should hostess the fête. The 12-year-old arrived in a turtlenecked pale pink dress,embellished with pink, purple and green floral patterns and some rose-shaped black trim. Whilston the turquoise carpet, the Stranger Things star and Bloom got in a bit of posing alongsideSyrian refugee Mustafa Al Said. Unicef have posted a YouTube video about the 14-year-old,noting the Mediterranean crossing he and his mother made to Greece. His father in Iraq and oneof his sisters still in Syria, the 14-year-old and his mother have since settled in the Bavarian town

of Hof. Not only did she take the blue and white podium, speaking solo, but her compere dutiesalso involved sitting down to interview the erstwhile footballer. She also had a chance to share awarm hug with Chopra, one of two Bollywood stars to become UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors(the other being Amitabh Bachchan).

2016-12-15 05:40 Jason Chester www.dailymail.co.uk

181 /270 3.7 Cause of 1952 deadly London fog determined

When you think of London youprobably imagine some fog restingover the city.

For an outsider it seems like acharming adjective to a great city,however that wasn't always thecase.

In 1952, a fog settled over the cityfor five days in December.

See more related to this story:

When it finally went away, therewere more than 150,000 people hospitalized and more than 4,000 people dead.

The fog was toxic, but the specifics of how or why it was toxic weren't fully understood until now.

Scientists from the U. K., U. S. and China looked into the matter in the hopes of preventinganother such event.

The results of the study point the finger at coal burning. The lead researcher said sulfur dioxide,which is a byproduct of coal burning, was turned into sulfuric acid in the fog when it got trapped.

This was apparently happening because nitrogen dioxide, another by-product of coal burning,also got trapped in the fog facilitating the deadlychemical transition.

When the fog lifted, it left an acidic haze over the city.

This is scary in places like China where coal burning is still the norm. Hopefully this newresearch will lead to changes before we witness another tragedy.

2016-12-15 05:32 AOL Staff www.aol.com

182 /270 4.2 The cause of your death can be determined by where

you liveBy Maria Mercedes Galuppo, Buzz60

A person's death depends in large part on where they live. New data analysis of U. S. mortality

reveals what are the causes ofdeath in each state from 1980 to2014. According to the analysis...the southwestern part of the countryclaimed more lives to suicide andhomicide.

People along the Mississippi Rivertend to die more of heart problemscompared to the rest of the UnitedStates. Exceptionally high mortalityrates from Mental and SubstanceUse Disorders were found in acluster of counties in eastern

Kentucky and southwestern West Virginia, as well as chronic respiratory diseases, while thelowest mortality rates from this were found in the Washington DC, the upper Midwest, southernFlorida, southern Texas, and central Colorado.

See more related to this story:

Researchers concluded that southern states are burdened with obesity and smoking whichleads to high mortality from diabetes and disease. States like New Mexico, Texas, Arizona,Nevada, Colorado, and North and South Dakota tend to consume more alcohol, which is whythe research discovered there's a risk of death from chronic liver diseases.

The healthiest area seems to be northern and central Colorado, since there are less deaths fromchronic diseases. The research concluded that "the approach to county-level analyses withsmall area models has the potential to provide novel insights into US disease, specific mortalitytime, trends and their differences across geographic regions. "

2016-12-15 05:27 AOL Staff www.aol.com

183 /270 0.0 Volkswagen takes stake in e-mobility service group

HubjectFRANKFURT, Dec 15 (Reuters) - German carmaker Volkswagen hastaken a stake in Hubject, which is developing a standard method to mapand pay at electric charging stations, joining fellow carmakers, utilitiesand engineering groups that prepare for an expected e-car boom.Hubject, which also counts BMW, Bosch, Daimler, Siemens, EnBW andInnogy among its owners, will also receive a fresh single-digit million eurofunding round, co-Chief Executive Thomas Daiber said. "That way we can better expand ourbusiness in the future," he told Reuters on Thursday. "Together with our new shareholder we willbe working at top speed to push forward with interconnecting the charging infrastructure. "Uptake of electric vehicles in Germany and elsewhere in Europe has been slow due to theirlimited range, the small number of fast charging stations and different payment methods. As aresult, leading carmakers, including Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, last month agreed to investin thousands of fast electric charging sites across Europe to fuel demand. "With our investmentin Hubject we are supporting the digital transformation and making an important contribution tothe transition to the era of e-mobility," Thomas Sedran, head of group strategy at Volkswagen,

said in a statement. (Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Maria Sheahan)

2016-12-15 05:19 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

184 /270 2.4 US Lawmakers, Citing Activist's Death, Want Aid to

Honduras HeldA woman places flowers on an altar set upin honor of Berta Caceres during ademonstration outside Honduras' embassyin Mexico City, June 15, 2016. A group ofU. S. lawmakers is making a year-endpush to suspend millions of dollars inmilitary assistance to Honduras, citingmounting human rights concerns, includingthe slaying of high-profile land rightsactivist Berta Caceres. ...

2016-12-15 05:16 system article.wn.com

185 /270 1.2 Bid protest could delay Golden Gate Bridge suicide

netThe long-planned suicide net for theGolden Gate Bridge could face moredelays after a protest filed by one ofthe two project bidders may result inboth bids being tossed out.

If the protest is found to have merit,“the suicide deterrent would then bedelayed a year or more, as we’dneed to go through a new bidprocess,” said Priya Clemens,spokesperson for the Golden GateBridge, Highway and TransportationDistrict.

American Bridge Company, which is based in Coraopolis, Pa., is one of two bidders, and filedthe protest Dec. 2, alleging Shimmick Construction Company, Inc./Danny’s ConstructionCompany LLC, a Joint Venture, failed to secure a qualified Systems Control Vendor, anengineer, a structural steel erector, and failed to furnish its bid with its safety history.

ABC also alleges Shimmick did not comply with nondisclosure agreements and failed tosubstantiate in its bid that during the past 10 years, each of its associated companies worked ona retrofit of at least two multispan steel bridges with “challenging environmental conditions.”

For instance, ABC alleges descriptions of projects in the bid from one subcontractor forShimmick, Panatrol, did not build required projects.

“[Shimmick] fails to substantiate in its bid that, during the past 10 years, its System ControlVendor-Panatrol designed, furnished and installed a minimum of three Traveler ControlSystems, which operation record can be verified, similar to the Traveler Control System shownand specified for this contract,” ABC wrote.

Shimmick has disputed each of ABC’s allegations.

If the bridge district committee finds that the protest has no merit, then staff recommendsawarding the $142 million contract to Shimmick. However, the committee could also reject allbids because the district cannot fund ABC’s $174 million proposal for the project.

Notably, Golden Gate District staff previously asked its board for a time extension to find extrafunding for the suicide deterrent when both bids ballooned past the district’s expectations.

2016-12-15 05:00 By www.sfexaminer.com

186 /270 1.6 Marijuana holdout shows ignorance

I had to uproot from my citythree years ago and moveto San Bruno because thecost of living grew beyondmy means. If only I had setup a cannabis “clinic” onthe San Francisco-Daly

City border. Ahhh, the droves of San Mateans who flock to the border dispensaries would haveenabled me to profit and stay where I was born. Alas, that was just a pipedream.

San Bruno

Rafael Mandelman is quoted as saying, “Free City College could be a very important part ofbuilding our enrollment and maintaining our programs. If we can’t rebuild our enrollment, we’refacing a pretty radical downsizing of the college.”

The single-most important way to increase enrollment at City College is to get rid of the real fearof having our accreditation taken away, which has been hanging over our heads for years.Before the accreditation crisis, CCSF had an enrollment up to 100,000. People aren’t going toinvest their future in a school that may not be there tomorrow.

Free City College would be great, too. But first we have to make sure we are accredited now andinto the future.

San Francisco

2016-12-15 05:00 By www.sfexaminer.com

187 /270 3.3 Trump to unveil Supreme Court pick close to

inauguration: aide

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump plans to unveil his choice to fill thelingering U. S. Supreme Courtvacancy around the time of his Jan.20 inauguration after theRepublican-led Senate refused toconsider President Barack Obama'snominee, a senior Trump aide saidon Wednesday.

The top U. S. court has been downone justice since the death of long-serving conservative Antonin Scaliaon Feb. 13, leaving it ideologicallysplit with four conservatives andfour liberals. Obama nominated appeals court judge Merrick Garland for the post on March 16but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the customary confirmation process fromproceeding.

Related: Supreme Court landmark cases

During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump's incoming White HouseChief of Staff Reince Priebus said the president-elect had not yet had any in-person interviewswith potential Supreme Court nominees.

"I think that's going to be something that we're going to start after the new year," Priebus said."And certainly by the time we get to inauguration, either shortly before or shortly thereafter, we'llreveal the name of who our nominee will be. "

Scalia's replacement could tilt the ideological balance of the court for years to come, restoringthe long-standing conservative majority just at a time when it appeared liberals would get anupper hand on the bench. This could be pivotal in wide range of issues including abortion, thedeath penalty, religious rights, presidential powers, transgender rights, federal regulations andothers.

Related: Supreme Court Justices

Priebus said the age of the nominee will be a factor in Trump's deliberations, possibly preferringa relatively young jurist for the lifetime post. Priebus said that "I tend to believe younger is better"and "certainly longevity's a factor" but competence will be the most important component.

Trump previously unveiled a list of 21 conservative jurists he would consider for the job and saidthis month he had whittled the list down to "probably three or four. "

The U. S. Constitution calls on the president to nominate members of the Supreme Court, withconfirmation of the selection in the hands of the Senate. McConnell's Senate, in a move withlittle precedent in U. S. history, simply refused to consider the nomination, saying the winner ofthe Nov. 8 presidential election between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton should make thepick.

More from AOL.com : Trump could essentially erase Obama's presidency on his first day in officeTrump defies norms of the presidency What the 2000 Supreme Court 'Bush v. Gore' rulingmeans for today's Electoral College

2016-12-15 05:00 AOL Staff www.aol.com

188 /270 2.1 Iraqi refugee who raped 10yo boy at Austrian

swimming pool due to ‘sexual emergency’ given 7 years— RT News

A Vienna court slapped 21-year-old Amir A. with thelonger prison sentence onTuesday, after finding himguilty of serious sexualassault and rape of aminor.

The retrial came after aprevious sentence of sixyears was overturned inOctober after a defenselawyer argued that thelower court had not done

enough to determine whether the rapist had realized that the boy was saying no.

However, the court determined on Tuesday that sexual assault did, in fact, meet the conditionsdefining rape, Kronen Zeitung reported.

In addition to the sentence, the compensation the rapist must pay his victim’s family was alsoincreased, from €4,700 (US$4,938) to €5,000 ($5,253).

The assault took place in December of 2015 at Theresienbad pool in Vienna, where the mandragged a young boy, known only as Goran, into the changing rooms before locking the doorand violently raping him.

The incident left the boy in need of emergency treatment, which he was given at a localchildren’s hospital. He continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), his motherreportedly told the court.

After raping the boy, Amir A. went back to the swimming pool and acted as if nothing hadhappened. However, the police were called after the boy told a lifeguard that he had beenattacked.

On being confronted, the perpetrator admitted to the rape, explaining that, though he knew itwas wrong, he had a “sexual emergency” because he had not had sex in four months.

READ MORE: Gang of Syrian boys aged 7-14 reportedly sexually harassed underage girls inBerlin swimming pool

Tuesday’s sentence is not final, however, and can still be appealed.

A number of similar attacks committed by asylum seekers at swimming pools have beenreported in Austria and elsewhere in Europe. Earlier this year, the Austrian town of Mistelbach

issued a temporary pool ban on refugees after a “dark-skinned” man reportedly sexuallyassaulted a 13-year-old girl at a public pool.

The incidents have strengthened anti-migrant sentiment in Austria, which saw some 90,000asylum seekers arrive in 2015 amid the wider European refugee crisis.

Data released by the Austrian newspaper Krone in September found that some 11,158 asylumseekers were suspected of committing crimes in Austria in the first half of 2016, compared to15,236 in the whole of 2015.

2016-12-15 04:56 www.rt.com

189 /270 0.9 No charges against ex-director after child left on bus

WESTERLY, R. I. (AP) - Rhode Island State Police say no charges will befiled against the former transportation director for Westerly Public Schoolsafter a 5-year-old girl was left unattended inside a school bus.

Capt. Matthew Moynihan tells The Westerly Sun (http://bit.ly/2gLyiIJ )police finished their investigation last week and concluded there wasn’tenough evidence to bring charges against Peter Denomme.

Denomme lost track of the girl after he was supposed to drop her off at her home on Sept. 21.Police had launched the probe after receiving a complaint from an attorney for the girl’s family.

The family and their attorney have said the child was left alone for more than 40 minutes.

Denomme resigned in October. He had worked for Westerly Public Schools since 2009.

He couldn’t be reached for comment on Wednesday.

___

Information from: The Westerly Sun, http://www.thewesterlysun.com

2016-12-15 04:47 By www.washingtontimes.com

190 /270 2.9 Sickening CCTV footage shows thug dragging woman

back to his house by her HAIRSickening footage shows a thug dragging a woman along a pavement by her hair and armfollowing a brutal late-night attack. James Davies was branded 'an obvious danger to women'when he was jailed for 18 months over the beating. The 28-year-old set upon his victim,punching kicking and spitting on her, after they argued as he drove her to his home following anight out. CCTV showed him carrying his defenceless victim, 24, to his home in Windmill Road,Gravesend, Kent, before a crowd of passers-by shouted at him to stop. A court heard hethreatened a woman aged in her 60s for trying to stop the attack. She was among a number ofpeople who called police to the scene. The victim and Davies were found at his home. She hadsuffered two black eyes and had bruises and grazes all over her body. He was arrestedimmediately after the October attack and was jailed for 18 months after he admitted assault

occasioning actual bodilyharm before a judge atMaidstone Crown Court. Hewill be eligible for automaticrelease on licence afterserving half of that term behindbars. The court heard howDavies had been out drinkingwith the woman in nearbyHalling and had driven herback to Gravesend. At somepoint during the journey theybegan to argue, and heassaulted her after she had got

out of the car. Investigating officer Detective Constable Phil Pead said: 'The CCTV footage of thisincident is truly shocking and shows a defenceless woman viciously attacked by a man whoclearly gave not a single thought for her welfare. 'It is miraculous she was not more seriouslyinjured given the brutal and sustained assault she was forced to endure at the hands of anoffender who poses an obvious danger to women. 'I would like to pay tribute to her for thecourage she has displayed throughout, including her wanting footage of the incident to be madepublic. I hope it sends a clear message to other victims of domestic abuse that there is noexcuse for such violence and that you do not need to suffer in silence. 'I would like to thankeveryone who assisted with the investigation, including those who reported the incident to ushaving been appalled and concerned by what they were witnessing.'

2016-12-15 04:41 Richard Spillett www.dailymail.co.uk

191 /270 15.7 Notable deaths of 2016

ANDRE COURREGES, 92 Frenchfashion designer known for his 1960sfuturistic styles (7 January 2016).

French designer Andre Courregesposes during the presentation of anew Spanish four wheel drive hedesigned in Paris, France, in this July4, 1986 file picture. Courreges, aFrench fashion designer known for hisfuturistic designs, died, aged 92, onThursday January 7, 2016 Frenchmedia reported today. Picture takenJuly 4, 1986. REUTERS/PascalRossignol/Files

DAVID BOWIE, 69, legendary British singer and musician who died of cancer two days after his25th album was released. (January 10, 2016)

ALAN RICKMAN, 69, British actor who often played villains, such as professor Severus Snape inthe Harry Potter series. (January 14, 2016)

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. WARNERBROS/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION

ETTORE SCOLA, 84, Italian director who made "A Special Day" and "We All Loved Each OtherSo Much (January 19, 2016)"

Italian director Ettore Scola waves as he arrives during a red carpet for the movie "Che StranoChiamarsi Federico - Scola racconta Fellini" during the 70th Venice Film Festival in Venice inthis September 6, 2013 file photo. Scola, whose Oscar-nominated films chronicled the growingpains, class divisions and frustrated idealisms of 20th century Italy, has died late on January 19,2016 at the age of 84, his family said. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi/Files

BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI, 93, Egyptian diplomat and UN secretary general from 1992 to1996. (February 16, 2016)

ANDRZEJ ZULAWSKI, 75, Polish filmmaker who directed "The Third Part of the Night" and "TheDevil". (February 17, 2016,)

HARPER LEE, 89, US author of "To Kill a Mockingbird". (February 19, 2016, )

UMBERTO ECO, 84, Italian writer and philosopher who wrote "The Name of the Rose".(February 19, 2016)

NANCY REAGAN, 94, US first lady from 1981 to 1989 and a quiet influence on presidentRonald Reagan. (March 6, 2016)

JOHAN CRUYFF, 68, Dutch football star who led the powerful Ajax Amsterdam team in the1970s. (March 24, 2016)

JIM HARRISON, 78, US writer of novels and poems who explored the natural world in suchworks as "Legends of the Fall". (March 26, 2016)

ZAHA HADID, 65, British architect of Iraqi origin who won the 2004 Pritzker prize. (March 31,2016)

Renowned international architect Zaha Hadid speaks to the media after a ground-breakingceremony for her residential tower in Miami December 5, 2014. REUTERS/AndrewInnerarity/File Photo

PRINCE, 57, Groundbreaking US musician whose many hits include "Purple Rain", "Girls &Boys" and "Kiss". (April 21, 2016)

JO COX, 41, British Labour Party MP, killed in the street a week before Britons voted in areferendum to leave the European Union. (June 16, 2016)

MICHAEL CIMINO, 77, US director who made the 1978 film "The Deer Hunter" based on theVietnam War. (July 2, 2016)

ABBAS KIAROSTAMI, 76, Iranian film director who won the 1997 Palme d'Or in Cannes for"Taste of Cherry". (July 4, 2016)

ISLAM KARIMOV, 78, president of Uzbekistan from independence in 1991. (September 2, 2016)

SHIMON PERES, 93, A founding father of Israel and a former president who won the 1994Nobel Peace Prize after signing the Oslo Accords with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.(September 28, 2016)

ANDRZEJ WAJDA, 90, Polish film director who won the 1981 Palme d'Or in Cannes for "Man ofIron". (October 9, 2016)

BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ, 88, king of Thailand and until his death the world's longest reigningmonarch. (October 13, 2016)

DARIO FO, 90, Italian writer and actor who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997. (October13, 2016)

LEONARD COHEN, 82, Canadian poet and musician who became an icon of the 1960scounterculture generation with songs like "Suzanne" and "Hallelujah. " (November 7, 2016)

FIDEL CASTRO, 90, the Cuban leader who is said to have survived multiple assassinationattempts and survived the administrations of 11 US administrations, from Dwight Eisenhower toBarack Obama. (November 25, 2016)

JOHN GLENN, 95, the first US astronaut to orbit the earth. (December 8, 2016)

2016-12-15 04:41 AFP www.timeslive.co.za

192 /270 7.1 Nkandla police hunt woman killer

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Inthe looming tax reform andinfrastructure spending fight onCapitol Hill, President-elect DonaldTrump may find unlikely allies amongDemocrats, says the lawmaker soon tobe the party's top tax-law writer in theU. S. House of...

2016-12-15 04:41 TMG Digitalwww.timeslive.co.za

193 /270 0.0 SHOWCASE-

Soccer-Puelurges Saints tokeep thingssimple in front ofgoal

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Southampton manager Claude Puel has urged his players to keep thingssimple in front of goal after they failed to break down 10-man Stoke City in Wednesday'sgoalless draw. Southampton have often had to bank on their impressive defence to earn points

as they have scored just four goals in their last eight Premier Leaguematches, and eight in 12 away matches in all competitions this season."Perhaps sometimes (there is a lack of confidence) but it's important tokeep lucidity and calm, and sometimes we are too nervous to make themost of the superiority," Puel told British media. "It's important now thissituation to play repeat passes and to play simple and to find the solutionand after to try also to shoot. It's not enough but it's important to look forward and just to correctthis. " Defender Virgil van Dijk has stressed Puel's tactics were not to be blamed for the toothlessattacking displays so far. "It's not the system. It's that bit of quality. That bit of luck. We play withwingers now and we change it up sometimes, but we have the players to break teams down,"Van Dijk said. "We have 12 clean sheets this season but we still have a negative goaldifference. That's not good enough. We need to improve, but also it's not the front men that needto score. It's everyone. " Ninth-placed Southampton will travel to face south coast rivalsBournemouth, in 10th, and left back Ryan Bertrand was certain the Saints can bank on theirstubborn defence to keep a third successive clean sheet. "There's a bit of a rivalry, but we'll dustourselves down from tonight (Wednesday) and take full confidence from the last two games totake it into that one," Bertrand said. "We have to respect them but we'll just go about ourbusiness as normal and go there looking to upset them for the three points. " (Reporting byShravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

2016-12-15 04:38 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

194 /270 0.8 Trump Supporter, Protester Hug in Court

A man accused of hitting aprotester at Donald Trumprally in North Carolina inMarch pleaded no contest.John Franklin McGraw gota 30-day suspendedsentence and a fine. Hewas accused of hittingRakeem Jones. The twohugged and spoke in court.(Dec. 15)

2016-12-15 04:37 APrssfeeds.usatoday.com

195 /270 3.1 Properties evacuated as blaze breaks out at paper mill

siteEmergency services were evacuating around 100 nearby properties after a large blaze brokeout at a paper mill site in Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service saidabout 70 firefighters and 15 vehicles were tackling the fire at the building on Cardwell Street inOldham, north-east of Manchester, on Thursday morning. Fire officer Lee Smart said residentsaffected by the major incident were being evacuated to the Honeywell Centre and urged othersstill in their homes to keep their windows and doors closed. Firefighters have not entered thebuilding and are currently attacking the blaze from the outside, the fire service said. A video

tweeted on the fire service’sofficial account showedplumes of smoke and largeflames rising from thestructure. It is understood thisis the second recent blaze tobreak out at the mill, with thefive-storey site also reportedlysuffering major damage in lateSeptember. The fire servicesaid crews were trying toextinguish the inferno “from allangles”, with firefighters usinghoses from outside thebuilding’s perimeter in a bid to put it out. The North West Ambulance Service was also on thescene, it said. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police told the Press Association it was “fartoo early to say” if the blaze was suspicious and confirmed it was burning at the old Maple Millsite.

2016-12-15 04:31 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk

196 /270 1.6 India top court bans all liquor shops along highways

India's top court Thursdayordered the shutdown of allliquor shops along state andnational highways, in a bid toreduce drunk driving in acountry where road accidentskill 17 people every hour. TheSupreme Court directedauthorities to stop grantinglicenses to highway liquorshops with immediate effectand said all existingregistrations would becancelled by March 31, 2017,

setting a deadline of April 1 for their closure. "(There should be) no liquor vends on national andstate highways," Chief Justice T. S. Thakur said. Thakur also ordered the removal of all liquorbanners and advertisements from such routes and said any shops selling alcohol must belocated at least 500 metres (1,640 feet) away from highways. Nearly 150,000 people were killedin Indian road accidents in 2015 -- a figure that amounts to around 400 a day and 17 every hour-- according to the ministry of road transport and highways. Of those, nearly 5 percent -- 6,755deaths -- was due to cases where the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.Harman Singh Sidhu of Arrive Safe NGO, a petitioner in the case, said liquor shops could befound every 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) along Indian highways, calling them "a great temptationfor road users and a distraction". While many cheered the court decision, liquor vendors said itwould threaten their business. "It's a landmark judgement as far as accident cases areconcerned, they might reduce. But shop owners are in difficulty now," V. Balaji, a lawyer for theLiquor Traders Association, told NDTV news network. Thursday's judgement is also likely to

leave a big hole in state coffers which reportedly rake in billions of rupees in alcohol taxes andfees.

2016-12-15 04:30 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk

197 /270 1.2 Always use protection when dealing with an erection

spider: German firefighters don HAZMAT suits to dealwith arachnid whose venom can cause severe sexualarousal

Ten firefighters had to donhazmat suits to deal with aspider whose venom cancause deadly four-hourerections. The alarm wasraised by customs officials inBremerhaven, a harbour city innorth-western Germany, andthe police were called in toseal off the area after thevenomous spider was spottedin a shipping container. Asingle bite from the Brazilianwandering spider has beenshown to have side-effects including four-hour long erections, loss of muscle control, severepain, difficulty breathing and if its victim is not treated with anti-venom, could lead to death due tooxygen deprivation. The spider, whose scientific name is Phoneutria nigriventer, was spotted inthe container during a routine customs check. Because the spider’s bite can cause a fatalallergic shock, the firefighters had to wear the chemical protective suits to open the shaft andflood the container with carbon dioxide from a fire extinguisher. The spider was killed by the gasand firefighters were able to safely retrieve the dead arachnid from the container afterwards.When it was dead, emergency services crew still had to use a shovel to handle it. Brazilianwandering spiders appear in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's mostvenomous spider. They state that although the Brazilian wandering spider venom is the mosttoxic, anti-venoms that are available are very effective, and therefore there are relatively few bitefatalities. The spiders, often called banana spiders as well, are mainly found in tropical SouthAmerica, with one species found in Central America. The spiders in the genus can grow to havea leg span of 13 to 15 centimetres (5.1 to 5.9 inch).

2016-12-15 04:30 Gareth Davies www.dailymail.co.uk

198 /270 9.3 Mataio Aleluia who paused to smoke as he bashed

girlfriend Brittany Harvie to death in Melbourne foundguilty

A vicious thug who stopped to have a smoke as he brutally bashed his girlfriend to death hasbeen found guilty of murder. Jealous Mataio Aleluia, 20, killed mother-of-two Brittany Harvie, 22,

in Melbourne in June last yearafter he suspected she wascheating on him, a court heard.Aleluia, who was homeless,first attacked Ms Harvie in theMitsubishi Magna they weresleeping in, kneeing her in thehead. He then dragged her outof the car and beat her overthe head for 15 minutes,prosecutor Andrew Tinney toldthe murderer's first trial, whichwas called off after a newsstory by Yahoo 7 News was

found to be in contempt of court. The jury also heard how he punched Ms Harvie several timesin the chest and stomach as she pleaded with him, telling him that he loved him and wouldnever leave him. At one point during the attack, Aleluia stopped to roll and smoke a cigarette.Aleluia then placed her lifeless body in the front passenger seat of the car, covering it withclothes and a blanket before going to sleep. He woke the next morning to find his girlfriend deadand went to his family home to tell his sister he had made a terrible mistake. Aleluia then droveto see his counsellor and was arrested after admitting to killing Ms Harvie. Ms Harvie had twochildren who were aged just four and 10 weeks. Aleluia initially confessed to police that hekilled Ms Harvie after he became 'crazed' with jealousy. 'I bashed her up man, I bashed her up. Ikilled my girlfriend for a stupid f*****g reason,' Aleluia told police, prosecutor Mr Tinney said.

2016-12-15 04:27 Ollie Gillman www.dailymail.co.uk

199 /270 7.6 Utah man pleads guilty to torturing kitten, possessing

drugsSALT LAKE CITY -- AProvo man has pleadedguilty to torturing a kittenand possessing drugs,CBS affiliate KUTV reports.

Spencer Pedersen, 26, wasoriginally charged with twocounts of torturing acompanion animal and twocounts of possessingdrugs. Monday in FourthDistrict Court, Pedersenpleaded guilty to one count of torturing a companion animal and one count of possessingheroin. The other two charges were dropped.

Pedersen is scheduled to be sentenced January 24.

“We are very pleased with the result,” said Utah County prosecutor Julia Thomas. “We areexpecting that he will be held accountable for his conduct.”

Pedersen was arrested in November after Provo police officers said they found a kitten on fireand had to later euthanize the animal.

While investigating, police said, they found a dead cat in Pedersen’s trash as well as heroin anddrug paraphernalia. A neighbor also reported finding another dead kitten in Pedersen’s dog run,police said.

Police told KUTV in November they believed Pedersen may have killed as many as 11 cats.However, he was just charged with two counts of torturing a companion animal.

Pedersen’s plea deal prompted a strong reaction from the Humane Society of Utah. The groupsaid allowing charges to be dropped sends the wrong message.

“Spencer Pedersen committed disgusting acts of violence and premeditated torture, and ourlegal system will set the example of what is tolerable behavior by their treatment of this case,”said humane society executive director Gene Baierschmidt in a statement. “If Pedersen’scharges are reduced, and he is not sentenced to the full extent of the law, we feel this sends amessage to our community that this behavior is not taken seriously.”

Thomas, the prosecutor, defended the plea deal and said Pedersen “essentially pled ascharged.” She also noted his third-degree felony charges were not reduced.”

Pedersen faces a sentence of zero to five years in prison for each count.

2016-12-15 04:26 CBS News www.cbsnews.com

200 /270 0.0 The Pirate Bay to be blocked in Australia via court

orderThe resiliency of The Pirate Bay amidshutdowns and controversies is nothingshort of admirable, to say the least. As ifto test this resilience, the walls are onceagain closing in on the infamoustorrenting site, with the Federal Courtordering Australian internet companiesto ban The Pirate Bay and four othersites.

The court ruling is the first site-blockingcase. Internet service providers weregiven fifteen (15) days to implementblocks for bittorrent sites The Pirate

Bay, Torrentz, TorrentHound, IsoHunt, and SolarMovie, reports 9News.

This case was filed by rights holders Foxtel and Village Roadshow at the Federal Court lastFebruary, which was aimed at having the aforementioned sites blocked or made inaccessible inAustralia.

In effect, users who attempt to visit the sites will be shown a warning page hosted by either the

ISP or the rights holder.

Since its founding in Sweden back in 2003, The Pirate Bay has grown to be the largest torrenthost in the world. Despite numerous roadblocks, the site has proven extremely popular. Timewill tell if this latest development will finally lead to the site’s slow demise or yet again be justanother hurdle to overcome. Alfred Bayle

2016-12-15 00:00 Alfred Bayle technology.inquirer.net

201 /270 0.8 American Who'd Been Living in Moscow Surrenders

to Feds in Largest Financial Hack in US HistoryA man who authorities say was the face of the largest theft of financialdata in U. S. history surrendered Wednesday in New York, officials said.

Joshua Samuel Aaron, who had been living in Moscow, is charged inconnection with the 2014 hack that exposed the records of more than 83million JPMorgan Chase customers.

The FBI, the Secret Service and the Securities and Exchange Commission all sought the 32-year-old Aaron's capture on 16 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, computer hacking, identitytheft and several related conspiracy charges, federal prosecutors said.

Authorities have called the scheme "securities fraud on cyber-steroids. "

U. S. Officials: Putin Personally Involved in U. S. Election Hack

Mike Flynn, Trump's Pick for National Security Advisor, 'Inappropriately Shared' Classified Info

Obama Administration Bars States From Blocking Federal Funds for Planned Parenthood

Aaron — who agreed to return to the United States to face the charges at a hearing Thursday inU. S. District Court in Manhattan — was arrested Wednesday as soon as he arrived at John F.Kennedy International Airport in New York, federal authorities said.

Almost immediately, the word "CAPTURED" was slapped on to Aaron's FBI wanted poster.

Aaron's two alleged co-conspirators — Israeli citizens Gery Shalon, the alleged ringleader, andZiv Orenstein — were extradited to the United States from Israel in June.

In a statement Wednesday, Preet Bharara, the U. S. attorney for Manhattan, described theiralleged operation as "hacking as a business model. "

According to a superseding federal indictment filed late last year, Aaron — using the alias "MikeShields" — was the U. S. coordinator and public face of an operation that snatched the personaldata of more than 100 million people at 12 major financial institutions from 2012 to 2015.

According to the indictment, many of the victims were investors who were scammed out ofmillions of dollars because of fraudulently inflated stock prices.

But, separately, financial institutions also lost millions of more dollars via penalties for fraudulent

charges to credit and debit cards that the ring allegedly used, the indictment said.

By far, the hacking ring's biggest score was at JPMorgan Chase, where the three men allegedlyobtained the data of more than 83 million customers in the summer of 2014, according to theFBI.

JPMorgan Chase later told the Securities and Exchange Commission that account numbers,passwords, user IDs, birthdates and Social Security numbers were all stolen.

But the ring — part of an even larger operation allegedly involving at least nine other peopledating at least to 2007 — had tentacles in many other places, according to prosecutors.

They said the enterprise:

Manipulated securities markets

Created and manipulated fake companies

Artificially pumped up stock prices with scam emails

Ran online casinos

Operated an illegal Bitcoin exchange

Laundered money through at least 75 shell companies and accounts around the world

Prosecutors described a classic "pump and dump" operation, which they said often ran throughlegitimate financial accounts in Aaron's name.

The ring allegedly used data from the haul to scam investors into pouring money into their ownfake businesses and into companies whose stock they'd legitimately bought cheaply — drivingup the stock's value enough that the scammers could then sell at a profit.

If they're convicted of all charges, Aaron and Shalon could face as long as 117 years in federalprison. Orenstein is charged with fewer counts and could face up to 97 years.

All three face separate civil charges from the SEC.

2016-12-15 04:13 Alex Johnson www.cnbc.com

202 /270 1.6 Dylan Hartley has let Northampton down after six-

week ban for sending off, says Jim MallinderNorthampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder insists Dylan Hartley has let the club down afterreceiving a six-week ban after being sent off against Leinster. Hartley will be available to leadEngland when they open the defence of their RBS 6 Nations crown against France on February4, but he will not be back in Saints colours until late March. The 30-year-old has made only fiveappearances for Northampton this season - three starts and two as a replacement - due to aback problem and this autumn's international commitments. Former England captain LawrenceDallaglio accused him of 'checking out' on his club, and Mallinder is dismayed by the swingingarm on Sean O'Brien that resulted in the third red card of his career. 'Dylan's letting the team

down. He let the team down atthe weekend. Any time youhave a sending off and it's adisciplinary matter, you'reletting the team down,'Mallinder told BBC RadioNorthampton, shortly beforethe six-week ban wasannounced. 'Dylan has had alot of criticism. I can't say I'mnot frustrated about it becauseclearly I am. The team lost aplayer at 50-odd minutes whenwe thought we were in the

game. 'We've also lost him for the next few weeks when Mike Heywood really needs a rest. Theteam is struggling a bit and we need some leadership from our senior players and we've lostthat over the next few weeks. 'We're frustrated about that, but Dylan Hartley is part ofNorthampton Saints. We've supported each over the last 10 years and will continue to do so.'Hartley had only been on the pitch for six minutes as a replacement when he struck O'Brien witha swinging right arm from behind, resulting in the Ireland flanker failing a head injuryassessment. The thee-man hearing that met in London upheld the decision of referee JeromeGarces to issue a red card, found that the offence was at the mid-range of World Rugbysanctions for the offence and chose a five-week suspension. Two weeks were added due toHartley's poor disciplinary record before it was reduced by one week because of his guilty plea.Before this latest red card, Hartley had amassed 54 weeks work of suspensions for offencesincluding biting, gouging and butting and the total for his chequered career now stands at 60weeks.

2016-12-15 04:12 Duncan Bech www.dailymail.co.uk

203 /270 3.0 US citizen surrenders to face cyberattack charges in

NYCNEW YORK (AP) — A U. S. citizen living in Moscow was arrestedWednesday after he flew to the United States to surrender to face chargeshe stole contact information for over 100 million customers of U. S.financial institutions, brokerage firms and financial news publishers,authorities said.

Joshua Samuel Aaron, 32, was arrested at Kennedy Airport on Wednesday. He pleaded notguilty to a 22-count indictment charging him with conspiracy, computer hacking, securities fraudand wire fraud, among other charges.

His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said Aaron waived extradition and asylum in Russia andvoluntarily returned to the United States “to responsibly address the charges.”

The prosecution was announced last year by U. S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who said two menhad been arrested in Israel after they conspired with Aaron to carry out “the single largest theft ofcustomer data from a U. S. financial institution ever.”

Bharara said thieves took data on more than 83 million customers of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in2014. The prosecutor said Aaron was charged with working to hack into the networks of dozensof American companies. In a release Wednesday, Bharara said the men engaged in “what wehave called ‘hacking as a business model.'”

JPMorgan Chase is the nation’s biggest bank by assets.

A Manhattan federal court indictment said identifying information on millions of customers fromcompanies other than JPMorgan Chase was stolen from 2012 to last summer, too.

Aaron’s co-defendants — Gery Shalon and Ziv Orenstein — were arrested by Israeli authoritiesin July 2015 and were extradited from Israel in June. They have pleaded not guilty.

The indictment said some of the massive computer hacks and cyberattacks occurred as the mensought to steal the customer base of competing internet gambling businesses or to secretlyreview executives’ emails in a quest to cripple rivals.

If convicted of the charges, the defendants could face decades in prison.

Aaron pleaded not guilty to the charges during a brief appearance Wednesday before amagistrate judge. With consent from his defense lawyer, he was scheduled to be held overnightpending another court appearance on Thursday before a district judge.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 04:07 By Associated mynorthwest.com

204 /270 0.0 Losing party-list asks SC to probe gaps in Comelec,

PPCRV countsMANILA — The Confederation ofNon-Stocks Savings and LoanAssociations Inc. (Consla) soughtthe intervention of the SupremeCourt on Wednesday to compel theCommission on Elections(Comelec) to look into thediscrepancy between its officialcount and the parallel quick countconducted by the Parish PastoralCouncil for Responsible Voting(PPCRV) during the May 9elections.

The count was aired through GMA-7.

The group asked the Supreme Court to order the release of results from the random manualaudit on 715 vote counting machines (VCMs) and asked that the source codes and hash codesthat were certified on January 26, 2016, February 9, 2016 and February 11, 2016 be subjected

to an independent audit by information and technology experts.

Consla was one of the 115 party-list groups that ran in the election but did not make the final cutbecause they did not get enough votes to make them eligible for at least one seat in the Houseof Representatives.

In a 20-page petition, the Consla representative, retired Philippine Air Force Col. Ricardo L.Nolasco, Jr. , said: “It appears that there were large discrepancies between the votes for Conslaas reported by the quick count conducted by the PPCRV, and broadcast through periodicupdates of GMA-7 News and Public Affairs among other networks, and the official canvassingresults determined by the Comelec.”

Consla sought the high court’s help after it stumbled on glaring inconsistencies between theComelec count and the PPRCV quick count that the poll watchdog refused to look into. Itclaimed that the Comelec Information Technology Department only gave a brief explanation ofthe discrepancies. It also cited conflicting explanations from PPCRV, which initially stressed thatits results were unofficial while PPCRV lawyer Howard Calleja claimed that numbers posted onthe group’s Twitter account came from other sources and not the Transparency Server.

Consla urged the high tribunal to issue a writ of mandamus to force the Comelec to look into itscomplaints.

It blamed the Comelec’s decision to grant PPCRV exclusive access to the Transparency Server(where election results are transmitted and tabulated) as the reason for the discrepancies in thequick count. PPCRV admitted that they encountered connectivity issues during the transmissionof votes after the elections but noted that the issue had been properly addressed.

In a previous statement, Consla lawyer Jose Emmanuel G. Hernandez said the PPCRV failed toaddress what he claimed was “vote manipulation” as a result of its failure to monitor errorsduring its quick count operations. SFM/rga

2016-12-15 00:00 Gil C newsinfo.inquirer.net

205 /270 2.6 Court rejects Venda princess' challenge to throne

Thohoyandou – The Thohoyandou High Court on Wednesdaydismissed VhaVenda Princess Masindi Mphephu’s bid toprevent her uncle from becoming king.

Mphephu had sought the court's intervention after shebelieved the royal family had overlooked her because she is awoman. Traditional and customary practices denied her rightto be the queen of the VhaVenda, she argued.

She said when the Nhlapo commission of inquiry, which wastasked with investigating kingship, was dissolved in 2010, shehad no way to remedy the situation.

She then took her uncle, Toni Mphephu Ramabulana to courtover what her lawyer Dali Mpofu argued was genderdiscrimination.

Judge Ephraim Makgoba said the application was dismissed, and each party had to pay its owncosts. He said he would provide reasons for his ruling later.

The Nhlapo commission, which completed its work in 2010, recognised the VhaVenda and sixothers as legitimate traditional royal houses.

It was meant to have investigated a dispute over kingship among the VhaVenda, but wasreplaced in 2011 by the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims before itcould do so.

Unlike the Nhlapo commission, it only had the power to make recommendations. The decision-making function was passed to government.

President Jacob Zuma recognised Ramabulana as king in 2012.

2016-12-15 03:57 www.news24.com

206 /270 3.4 Police investigate double homicide at East Oakland

gas stationPolice are investigating adouble-homicide at a gasstation in East OaklandWednesday, according to apatrol officer. The shootingwas reported at 8:39 p.m. at9755 Edes Ave., near thecorner of 98th Avenue. Twovictims are confirmed dead.Further details about theshooting were notimmediately available.

2016-12-15 03:55 (Copyrightabc7news.com

207 /270 0.2 The 10 snacks that will make you a morning person:

The foods that are guaranteed to put you in a bettermood first thing (and CHOCOLATE is one of them)

It doesn't matter if you consider yourself an early bird or a night owl, some days we just wake upfeeling out of sorts. But nutritionist Rob Hobson says you can eat your way to a better mood inthe morning if you have the right food and drinks first thing. Here, he lists his top 10 foods anddrinks to eat in the morning to boost your mood - and you'll be delighted to hear that chocolate isone of them. 1. RAW CACAO Yes, you can eat chocolate for breakfast! But don't get too excited -Rob is only advocating chocolate in one of its purest forms. Raw cacao is the purest form ofcocoa and is a very rich source of magnesium, which is required for many different functions inthe body, including converting food into energy and blood glucose control. Studies also suggest

this mineral may be useful forwomen who suffer with PMSsymptoms associated withmood. Raw cacao is also asource of the mild moodenhancer phenethylamine(PEA). Just one tablespoonprovides 18 per cent of therecommended daily intake,and can be added tosmoothies, porridge orhomemade energy balls. 2.EGGS Try starting your daywith an egg. These nutritionpowerhouses are not only high in protein, which can help to maintain fullness through to lunch,but also contain significant levels of 13 other key vitamins and minerals. Those include the 'B'group that are involved in converting the food you eat into energy used by your body's cells. 3.SMOKED SALMON This oily fish makes for a great morning breakfast when teamed with eggs orwith low fat cream cheese on a wholegrain bagel or rye bread. Oily fish are a key source ofomega 3 fatty acids, which studies suggest may help to dampen the effects of stress hormones,such as cortisol. 4. FORTIFIED BREAKFAST CEREALS Whilst some may not make thehealthiest of breakfasts, choosing a high-fibre variety that is low in sugar can prove a good wayto get a source of B vitamins, which convert food into energy. They're also a good source ofvitamin D, which is lacking in many diets during the winter months and can increase the risk ofseasonal affective disorder (SAD). Try increasing the nutritional content of your cereals byadding fresh fruits, nuts, seeds or dried fruit. 3. OATS These whole grains are loaded with fibrethat helps promote good digestion, as well as aiding long term health by reducing the risk ofheart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. Fibre also adds bulk to the diet, and can help tobalance blood sugar levels. This means they're a good way to ward off mid-morning energyslumps, and the urge to snack, which can often involve foods high in sugar that are oftenwrongly perceived as a quick way to boost energy. 4. BEANS AND PULSES This group of foodsis one of the richest sources of fibre, which is lacking in many people’s diets. There is nothingworse than having a slow and sluggish digestive system that can leave you feeling bloated andlethargic, which is going to leave you in a low mood. Try making homemade beans usingcannellini beans, fresh tomatoes and spices, which you can serve with fresh wholegrain breadfor a further boost of fibre. 5. DRIED FRUIT Low iron is not uncommon amongst women and themost affected are teenage girls. UK diet and nutrition surveys show that 46 per cent have verylow intakes. Low iron levels can lead to tiredness, fatigue and depression. Eating dried fruit is auseful way to increase your intake and 80g of dried apricots provides 15 per cent of therecommended daily intake of this mineral. Try adding to cereal, yoghurt, smoothies or as ahealthy snack. 6. MELONS Dehydration can have a surprising impact on mood by causingfogginess and an inability to focus properly. During the winter it can seem counter-intuitive tokeep hydrated as it's often associated with hot weather, but central heating can easily dehydrateyou. Eating watery fruits such as melons is a good way to hydrate and add vitamin C to the diet.Try for breakfast or as a hydrating mid-morning snack. 9. LIVE YOGHURT Friendly bacteria arerequired for many things including keeping your gut healthy. Poor digestion can leave youfeeling bloated in the morning, which is going to dampen your mood and leave you feelingsluggish. These clever little bugs, which can be found in live yoghurt or as a supplement, arealso important for immunity. Research into the gut-brain connection is even discovering that thetype of bacteria in your gut may impact on mood and maybe even depression. Yoghurt is greatfor breakfast ad can be topped with lots of healthy ingredients including fruit, nuts and seeds. 10.

ORANGE JUICE A glass of juice is a great start to the day and provides a lovely dose of vitaminC, which is essential to help maintain a healthy immune system. Vitamin C also helps with theabsorption of iron from plant-foods. Keeping bugs at bay during the winter is a good way to keepyou jumping out of bed fit and healthy each morning.

2016-12-15 03:54 Imogen Blake www.dailymail.co.uk

208 /270 1.0 China says deployment of military equipment on

Spratlys is legitimateBEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters) - China's deployment of necessary defensivemilitary equipment on the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Seawas legitimate and lawful, its defence ministry said on Thursday. Theministry made the comment on its official microblog. On Wednesday, a U.S. think tank reported that China appeared to have installed weapons,including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven of the artificial

islands it has built in the busy waterway, citing new satellite imagery. (Reporting by MichaelMartina; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

2016-12-15 03:52 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

209 /270 0.6 Michelle Bridges and Commando enjoy date night at

Keith Urban concert in SydneyThey fell in love on reality TVseries The Biggest Loser, andwelcomed their first childtogether last year. And withtheir busy schedules, it's likelyMichelle Bridges and Steve'Commando' Willis find it hardto squeeze in time forromance. But the happycouple nevertheless enjoyed adate night at Keith Urban andCarrie Underwood's concert inSydney on Wednesday. 'Onour way to Keith Urban, soexcited!' exclaimed Michelle at the start of her live video as they drove to the show, with Stevepulling funny faces beside her. Subsequent snaps featured snippets of the couple enjoying ofthe show, with Michelle captioning one photo: 'Country music legends, we're ready!' 'For a longtime, making season after season of The Biggest Loser, we were just friends,' Steve recently toldthe Sydney Morning Herald of their relationship. 'The thing about Michelle that got my attentionwas her willingness to listen and you could sit for minutes, hours and just talk and she would belike a sounding board.' They began dating after leaving their respective partners - Michelle haddivorced her husband Bill Moore and Steve broke up with his de facto wife Froso. Theywelcomed Axel in December 2015, and Michelle became a mother at 45. In 2015 she joined theBRW Rich Women list for the first time and is worth an estimated $53 million. 'Seriously, I’m not

living in the Bahamas with my own yacht, trust me that ain’t happening,' she told the FinancialReview . 'I’m still out there doing the grind, getting out there, hands on, grassroots, keeping itreal.'

2016-12-15 03:51 Simone Amelia www.dailymail.co.uk

210 /270 1.2 Former AWB head did not know of $223m kickbacks

to Saddam Hussein, judge rulesAWB’s former chairman didnot know about $US223min secret kickbacks toSaddam Hussein’s regimebut could have discoveredthe truth and stopped thesham payments, a judgehas ruled.

After a nine-year legalbattle, Trevor Flugge hasbeen found guilty of asingle breach of his duties

as a director but cleared of knowing about AWB’s payments to Iraq in contravention of UnitedNations sanctions, as was former senior AWB officer Peter Geary.

AWB’s contracts with the Iraqi Grain Board under the UN oil-for-food program were inflated bydisguised inland transportation fees, a scandal uncovered after the US-led invasion of Iraq thattoppled Saddam in 2003.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission failed to convince a judge that Fluggeand Geary knew AWB was making payments to Iraq contrary to UN sanctions or that it was wellknown within AWB that the payments were not authorised by the UN.

AWB managing director Andrew Lindberg expressly told Flugge and the board about thepayments in mid-2000 and that they were authorised by the UN, Justice Ross Robson said onThursday.

But, the judge said, that did not relieve Flugge from the obligation to make inquiries when told ata March 2000 meeting in Washington that the UN was looking into whether AWB was makingimproper payments to Iraq, following a complaint from the Canadian government.

“The fact that the complaint was being pursued by the UN should have alerted him to questionwhether the UN had knowingly approved what AWB was doing,” Robson said.

The judge said had Flugge made inquiries, he would have discovered the UN, despiteauthorising AWB’s wheat sales to Iraq, had not knowingly approved of the payments incircumstances where neither Iraq nor AWB had any responsibility to deliver wheat within Iraq.

“Flugge would have found the true nature of the trucking payments and that AWB was flouting,on a large scale, UN resolutions which, if disclosed, would severely damage AWB’s good name

and reputation,” Robson said.

He said he was satisfied Flugge, acting with the reasonable degree of care and diligencerequired of him as a director and chairman, would have discovered the true state of affairs.

“I am satisfied that if Flugge had done so, he should have brought these matters to the attentionof the board and if he had done so, the conduct in breach of UN sanctions would have beenstopped.”

Flugge had maintained he did nothing wrong, with the nine-week trial that ended a year agohearing he believed the UN had approved the payment of the inland transportation fees to theIraqi Grain Board.

Asic had alleged Geary, AWB’s former group general manager trading, breached his duties asan officer by not taking reasonable steps to prevent AWB acting contrary to the UN sanctions.

But Robson said he was not satisfied Asic had established that Geary acted other thanreasonably and in accordance with his duties, and dismissed the case against him.

Flugge, who faces a fine of up to $200,000 and disqualification from managing a corporation,was not in court and Geary left without commenting.

Asic is reviewing the decision, which marks the end of its long-running case against formerofficers of AWB.

2016-12-15 03:49 Australian Associated www.theguardian.com

211 /270 0.9 Former New Age stripper known for New York City

public access TV show under investigation for 'spewingracist rant at her building superintendent'

A former New Age stripper and1990s public-access televisionpersonality is accused ofmaking racist remarks to herbuilding superintendent inNew York City's GreenwichVillage last week. SokolHasag, 43, claims that LindaPendergraft yelled 'You f****tMuslim terrorist!' as heunintentionally bumped intoher while he was mopping onDecember 8, the New YorkPost reports. The 60-year-oldwoman appeared on Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Our Soul: Journey to Know Thyselfand Love. Pendergraft is accused of telling the man: 'I'm going to slit your throat and sue you!'Hasag told the Post: 'She was calling me a f****t, calling me a terrorist. She must have aproblem.' Hasag, who is Muslim and hails from Albania, told the newspaper: 'I don't wantanything to do with her.' Pendergraft denied threatening Hasag to the news outlet, claiming that

her building superintendent 'called me a has-been fake'. Pendergraft recalled: 'I said,"Remember, you're moving trash for a living, not me. "' She explained to the Post: 'I really don'tremember what happened. But I wouldn't threaten him. I said, "Eff-you motherf*****. " Then hisboss came, and I lifted my shirt.' She also said: 'I would never call him a f****t. Maybe I calledhim a maggot.' The Post says the New York Police Department Bias Incident Investigation Unit isinvestigating. An October 1997 New York Observer profile of Pendergraft said she spent about90 per cent of her public-access television show 'blabbing away' and the remainder dancingnude, calling it 'riveting television'.

2016-12-15 03:48 Zoe Szathmary www.dailymail.co.uk

212 /270 3.7 Fire breaks out at White City power plant

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Officials are investigating a blaze at a wooddebris-fired power plant in White City that forced an evacuation of thefacility.

The Mail Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2gLR42o ) the fire broke out atBiomass One on Wednesday. Fire crews were able to guide employees to

safety and no injuries were reported.

Jackson County Fire District 3 spokeswoman Ashley Lara says the flames were confined to asection on the second floor of the concrete building, which is equipped with a gaseous fire-suppression system.

Lara says the power plant is still operational except for in the damaged section of the facility.

Investigators and Biomass One staff are working to determine the cause of the fire.

According to its website, the 30-megwatt power plant burns about 335,000 tons of wood anddebris annually.

___

Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/

2016-12-15 03:47 By www.washingtontimes.com

213 /270 1.4 Trump Critics Praise Him After Trump Tower Visits

[VIDEO]Carly Fiorina called him a “serial philanderer.” Ted Cruz called him a “narcissist” and a“sniveling coward.” Mitt Romney called him a “con man” and a “phony.”

But after they actually met with Donald Trump at Trump Tower, they all seemed to sing hispraises.

Follow Mike on Twitter

2016-12-15 03:44 Mike Raustdailycaller.com

214 /270 8.3 Sydney

journalistwhoforcedmistrialfoundguilty ofcontemptof court

A Sydney journalist and heremployer Yahoo7 face a heftypenalty for publishing a storythat resulted in a Melbournemurder jury being discharged.Victorian Supreme CourtJustice John Dixon last monthfound reporter Krystal Johnsonand Yahoo7 guilty of contemptof court for publishing detailsabout a defendant that couldprejudice a jury. Johnsonbypassed sub-editors becausethey were too 'busy' to publish

a news story about the trial of Mataio Aleluia on August 17. Scroll down for video The finding ofcontempt can be revealed after a guilty verdict was delivered in Aleluia's retrial on Thursday.Aleluia was found guilty of murdering mother-of-two Brittany Shamanic Harvie, 22, in a violentrage in Clayton South in June 2015 because he thought she had cheated on him. In deliveringhis finding in the contempt matter, Justice Dixon said Aleluia was standing trial for the mostserious offence known to the law. 'As a matter of fact, the content of the article clearly had a realand definite tendency to prejudice the accused's trial,' Justice Dixon said. Crown prosecutorKerri Judd QC had described the publication of the article as serious contempt. 'What waspublished was effectively the publication of prior criminal conduct of the same kind alleged inthe trial.' Defence barrister William Houghton QC, in defending the article, had said modernjuries should not be equated with 'mere peasants'. He said the trial judge, Justice Lex Lasry, hadgiven a stern and solemn warning to the jury to ignore media coverage. The contempt trial heardthere was a 'large spike' in access to the Yahoo7 article the day it was uploaded to the websiteand it was still receiving hits a day later. The offending article was accessed about 4000 times inVictoria, the court heard. A further hearing on January 12 or 13 will be on the question of penaltyand costs for Yahoo7 and Johnson.

2016-12-15 03:40 Australian Associated www.dailymail.co.uk

215 /270

215 /270 3.4 New deal: Florida wants judge to change blackjack

rulingTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The state of Florida is asking a judge toreconsider his decision to let the Seminole Tribe of Florida keep blackjackat its casinos.

Attorneys for the state late Wednesday filed a post-trial motion thatquestioned the findings that led U. S. District Judge Robert Hinkle to sidewith the tribe.

The move by the state comes just two days before the deadline to appeal Hinkle’s Novemberruling.

The judge ruled that regulators working under Gov. Rick Scott allowed dog and horse tracks toput in card games that mimicked ones that were supposed to be exclusive to tribe-ownedcasinos for a five-year period. Hinkle ruled that the tribe could keep its blackjack tables foranother 14 years.

The state wants Hinkle to order the tribe to remove the blackjack tables.

2016-12-15 03:40 By www.washingtontimes.com

216 /270 1.4 Michael Flynn Is On Board Of Florida Drone Company

Earlier this month,shareholders for an upstartdefense contractor thatsells drones to the U. S.Defense Department — aswell as to morecontroversial clients like thekingdom of Saudi Arabiaand the Ecuadorian airforce — voted to keepretired Lt. Gen. MichaelFlynn as vice chairman ofits board of directors.

The vote , which was cast by investors in Drone Aviation Corp. on Dec. 6, raises a potentialconflict of interest problem for Flynn, who was picked last month to serve as Donald Trump’snational security advisor.

The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency between 2012 and 2014, Flynn joined theboard of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Drone Aviation in April. The gig pays Flynn $36,000annually and includes 100,000 shares of the company’s stock which become vestedproportionally each month over two years. Given Flynn’s tenure on the board, he has accruedabout one-third of the available stock, which trades at $2.80 per share.

Michael Glickman, a spokesman for Drone Aviation, confirmed to The Daily Caller on Tuesday

that Flynn remains in the vice chairman position. He said that he is not aware of any discussionsregarding Flynn cutting ties with the company, which began operating under its current name in2014.

President-elect Donald Trump and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn speak at an event. (Reuters)

Potential conflicts of interest aside, Flynn’s position with the company makes perfect sensegiven his military background.

Drone Aviation, which has a $25 million valuation, sells tethered drones and lighter-than-weightaerostats. The products can be used for border and port security protection, crowd control, forceprotection, search and rescue missions and pipeline monitoring, the company’s website states.

As director of DIA, and as the former commander of the Joint Functional Component Commandfor Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Flynn was praised for his tactical acumen aswell as his use of surveillance to gather information about terrorists in war zones. His pick toserve as Trump’s national security advisor has proved more controversial as Flynn’s critics havequestioned his management style.

Drone Aviation tapped Flynn to assist the company “in increasing military exposure and buildingindustry relationships with key customers and larger defense contractors,” its website states.

It is unclear if Flynn has aided Drone Aviation’s business during his short tenure. But in a recentfiling with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), the company stated that its revenuesincreased dramatically this year — from $191,000 in the first nine months of 2015 to $1.1 millionthrough the first nine months of this year.

Since Flynn joined Drone Aviation, the company has disclosed three separate DefenseDepartment contracts worth a total of $725,000. The company’s website also mentions contractswith Saudi Arabia and Ecuador but does not provide details of the arrangements.

Two of Drone Aviation’s Defense Department contracts, which are worth $325,000, deal withequipment for what’s known as a Winch Aerostat Small Platform, or WASP. A WASP, whichlooks like a large balloon, can be equipped with cameras and communications devices and canlift light loads up to an altitude of 1,500 feet. The benefit of WASPs are that they can be operatedat a lower cost and with less maintenance to other aircraft.

Flynn is mentioned along with WASP business in Drone Aviation documents filed with the SEC.

Part of the company’s strategy to develop its WASP business relies on developing “access tokey decision makers and officials” through Flynn, one filing states.

From Drone Aviation Corp. SEC filings

It is not unheard of for military officials to take board positions with defense contractors afterretirement. Retired Gen. James Mattis, who Trump nominated for secretary of defense, sits onthe board of General Dynamics, a major defense contractor.

But while Mattis’s relationship with that company received attention after the retired Marinegeneral was nominated, Flynn’s position with Drone Aviation has gone largely unnoticed. Andits not the first time he’s been found to have potential financial conflicts of interest.

As The Daily Caller reported last month, Flynn’s intelligence consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group,signed a lobbying contract in September with Inovo BV, a Dutch shell company founded by aTurkish businessman with close connections to the Turkish government. (RELATED: Trump’sTop Military Adviser Is Lobbying For Small Dutch Firm With Ties To Turkish Government)

Flynn announced days after that report that he would sever ties with Flynn Intel Group if he waschosen to serve as Trump’s national security advisor. Trump offered Flynn the position dayslater.

Flynn Intel Group terminated its contract with Inovo BV, the Turkish-controlled Dutch firm, onDec. 1. The head of the company has said that he hired Flynn Intel to work on behalf of a MiddleEastern oil company that he has as a client.

Scott Amey, who serves as general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog group, said Flynn will likely have to cut ties with Drone Aviation.

“In addition to his own conflicts of interest, President-elect Trump has nominated a number ofindividuals who have conflicts that will require resolutions,” Amey told TheDC. “Considering thatdrones are used by multiple federal agencies, I doubt Flynn can dodge the ethics rules. He’lllikely have to severe ties and divest his holdings to eliminate potential conflicts.”

The Trump transition team did not respond to a emailed request for comment on if and whenFlynn will end the relationship.

Follow Chuck on Twitter

2016-12-15 03:36 Chuck Ross dailycaller.com

217 /270 5.9 WATCH: Male lion attacks and kills baby hyena in

'rare sighting'Polokwane City head to troubledKaizer Chiefs on Sunday with a placein the Absa Premiership top four andyet more milestones under their belt inwhat is turning out to be a hugelypromising season under Belgiancoach Luc Eymael.

2016-12-15 03:35 TMG Digitalwww.timeslive.co.za

218 /270 0.8 Ronaldo a rare

breed, saysZidane beforeJapan clash

YOKOHAMA, Japan ( AFP ) — Cristiano Ronaldo is itching to prove just why he deserved the

Ballon d’Or by leading Real Madrid toanother Club World Cup title, ZinedineZidane said yesterday.

2016-12-15 03:34 Portuguesearticle.wn.com

219 /270 1.5 Jury selection

begins in retrial incounselor rapecase

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Jury selection is beginning in the retrial of a femalesubstance abuse counselor charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-oldmale client.

The jury selection process in the retrial of 31-year-old Rebecca Winters,also known as Rebecca Adams, was to begin Thursday morning after aKent County judge considers pretrial motions by attorneys.

The judge declared a mistrial in the case two months ago after the defense raised severalobjections to testimony by a Dover police detective.

Winters was charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse of a child by a person oftrust, as well as providing alcohol to a minor, following an investigation involving a boy receivingtreatment at Crossroads of Delaware.

Crossroads, a for-profit drug and alcohol counseling center in Milford, closed earlier this year.

2016-12-15 03:32 By www.washingtontimes.com

220 /270 1.8 SSS eyes approval of P2,000 pension hike before year

endsSocial Security System (SSS)expects the proposed pensionincrease to be signed before theChristmas break to make way for therelease of the initial P1,000 benefit atthe start of 2017.

In a statement on Thursday, SocialSecurity Commission (SSC) ChairDean Amado Valdez said thesigning of the joint resolution by theHouse of Representatives and theSenate on the proposed increasebefore the year ends is needed so

pensioners could receive the additional P1,000 by January 2017, and also because pensionsare given to the banks preceding their scheduled release.

He explained that before SSS can implement the increase, it has to be passed by the House ofRepresentatives and Senate first, then a Commission Resolution shall be sent to Malacañangfor the formal approval of the President.

The implementation of the proposed pension increase is also guided by the Department ofFinance, ensuring that it will not push the fund to bankruptcy.

“We are wary of possible criticisms for our support for the pension increase, and we don’t wantto be seen as irresponsible,” Valdez said.

Valdez said that Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is keen on securing SSS funds to lastat least until 2039, but granting the entire P2,000 pension increase in 2017 will shorten fund lifeto only until 2025, instead of its projected life to last until 2042.

He also credited the legislators for acknowledging the need to balance the need to grant higherpensions while preserving the long-term viability of SSS funds. He said that SSS continues towork closely with legislators for the benefit of the pensioners and currently paying members whowould be future SSS pensioners.

“The legislators have heeded the voice of the people who have been clamoring for the increasein SSS pensions. The same sentiment is shared by President (Rodrigo) Duterte, whounderstands that the current SSS pension amounts are inadequate to meet the financial needsof the country’s retirees,” he said. RAM/rga

2016-12-15 00:00 Ed Margareth newsinfo.inquirer.net

221 /270 5.4 Baggage handlers at Heathrow detained over drug

smuggling suspicionsThree baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport have beenarrested over a suspected drug smuggling ring.

Ten men - aged between 26 and 60 - and a 24-year-old womanwere held on suspicion of conspiring to import class A drugsfollowing raids by UK police across London.

All eleven were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to importclass A drugs and are now being questioned at police stationsaround London according to the National Crime agency (NCA).

The arrests come after some 100kg of cocaine and 50kg ofcanabis have been seized in Heathrow airport over a 15 monthperiod.

“Large scale drug smuggling through UK airports is high risk for organised criminals. Today’soperation was coordinated to strike simultaneously at as many parts of the suspected drugs ringas possible," NCA’s senior investigating officer David Reynders said.

“The NCA is grateful for the support and co-operation of the airport authorities and Border Force,all of whom have a vested interest in protecting the security of our borders.”

2016-12-15 03:29 Online Editors www.independent.ie

222 /270 4.4 LGBT-friendly sperm donation bill rejected

The Knesset plenum rejected onWednesday a private member’s bill in apreliminary reading that would haveregulated sperm donations, theactivities of hospital sperm banks andartificial insemination. Yesh Atid MKAliza Lavie, who initiated the bill, saidthere is chaos in the field, and that thenumbers of children produced withsperm donations each year is currently300 and rising. But there is nostandardization, and it is not knownhow many children result from eachman’s donation and if he donates (for

payment) to more than one hospital. It would be possible that the children from one donationcould meet each other without being aware of having a father in common, she said.

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Education Minister Naftali Bennett, answering on behalf of Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman –who opposed the bill - said there was no need for a private member’s bill, as Health Ministrylegal personnel are working on a state bill for regulating sperm banks. “The sperm banksfunction well, but we are in favor of advancing legislation to regulate them. However, theprinciples of MK Lavie’s bill are not identical to those in the state bill,” he said withoutexplanation.

Lavie countered that the government bill being worked on “closes its eyes to reality, is notegalitarian and discriminates against populations” such as homosexuals.

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2016-12-15 03:21 JUDY SIEGEL www.jpost.com

223 /270 0.6 New survey reveals the reasons married women cheat

As married men get longer in the tooth they should look to spice things up in the bedroom or runthe risk of losing out to a younger toy boy. A survey of 11,000 married women has revealed thatalmost seven out of ten look to younger lovers when they cheat on their husbands. And, nosurprises, the majority of these women listed 'sexual fulfillment' as the reason for straying from

the marital bed. A 47-year-oldmarried woman, who did notwant to be named, saidcheating with a younger manhad put a 'smile on her face'.'My marriage is going well andI'm still in love with myhusband. 'But I'm not gettingany younger and havingadventures with younger menhelps me to feel beautiful andboost my femininity. 'I'msatisfied sexually and I have asmile on my face. This state ofmind has a positive effect, including on my official relationship. So why miss out on it?' Thesurvey found that 68 per cent of married women would cheat with a younger lover, with 34revealed as the ideal age for a toy boy. While most women made their choice to have better sex,other reasons included because they made women feel more feminine and more confident.Author Maïa Mazaurette said the survey showed the desire of women to separate their love livesfrom their domestic lives. 'The question is not so much why women choose younger lovers - theirsurvey responses are perfectly understandable and legitimate - but why they marry older men,'she said. 'What we can see here is a divide between domesticity and pleasure. 'In our day-to-day lives we want stability, we follow the rules and we want to feel comfortable.' The survey wasconducted by extra-marital dating website Gleeden.

2016-12-15 03:21 Steven Trask www.dailymail.co.uk

224 /270 10.2 Twenty Islamic State militants killed in Turkish-backed Syria operation - army

ANKARA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes killed 20 Islamic Statefighters and destroyed seven buildings and one defensive position usedby the militants over the last 24 hours in its operations in northern Syria,Turkey's military said on Thursday. The Turkish army and Syrian rebelforces launched the "Euphrates Shield" operation to push the jihadistsand a Kurdish militia away from its southern border on Aug. 24 and their

forces are currently besieging the IS-controlled city of al-Bab. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz;Writing by Daren Butler)

2016-12-15 03:15 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

225 /270 4.3 Football sex abuse hotline receives more than 1,700

calls in three weeksThe NSPCC’s dedicated hotline for those affected by historic sexual abuse in football hasreceived more than 1,700 calls in three weeks. The confidential line was set up by the childprotection charity and the Football Association a week after former player Andy Woodward toldthe Guardian about the abuse he suffered as a boy in Crewe’s youth set-up. Woodward’s

revelation prompted a hugeresponse from victims withsimilar stories of non-recentabuse at clubs up and downthe country. According to thelatest police figures, 83potential suspects have beenidentified at 98 clubs. Thosenumbers look set to grow asthe NSPCC helpline has takenmore than 900 calls in the lastfortnight alone, taking the totalto 1,767 calls as of December13. NSPCC chief executivePeter Wanless said: “It’s clear that for far too long, hundreds of people who suffered abuse asyoungsters in the game have not been able to speak up, but it is encouraging that so many arefinally finding their voice in a climate today where they know they will be listened to andsupported. “What’s important now is that those victims get that much-needed support, and thatperpetrators are identified and brought to justice by police. Anyone can contact our hotline inconfidence and we will get them the help they need.” Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Policerevealed it was looking at more than 106 claims of abuse related to 30 clubs, including fourPremier League teams. And the Scottish Football Association has followed the FA’s lead insetting up an independent review of its response to historic sex abuse allegations. The NSPCCfootball abuse helpline is available 24 hours a day on 0800 023 2642.

2016-12-15 03:12 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk

226 /270 2.6 Casper doctor, wife waive preliminary hearings in

drug caseCASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A Casper doctor and his wife have waived theirpreliminary hearings in federal court on charges alleging they soldprescriptions for painkillers.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2hnBAAJ ) that Shakeel andLyn Kahn were charged earlier this month with conspiring to distribute

Oxycodone.

Dr. Kahn is accused of prescribing inappropriately large amounts of the powerful painkiller andtaking cash payments to prescribe Oxycodone to patients in Wyoming, Arizona and elsewhere.

Court documents say the couple had been selling prescriptions since 2011.

Kahn recently had his medical licenses suspended in Arizona and Wyoming.

The Kahns have both been released on bond.

They face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted of the charges.

___

Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com

2016-12-15 03:11 By www.washingtontimes.com

227 /270 2.1 Bills let landlords ban medical pot smoking, growing

The proposal , which wonfinal approval lateWedneday in both theMichigan House andSenate, would amend thestate’s voter-approved lawto specify that landlordscan use a written lease topreclude patients fromsmoking or growingmedical marijuana.

“I have had two rental unitsin my Senate district that were totally destroyed by marijuana grow operations they were doingwithout permission,” said sponsoring Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “Both wereapproximately $150,000 homes. Of course the landlords could try to sue them, but then theyhave no money.”

The legislation comes on the heels of a 2012 opinion by Michigan Attorney General BillSchuette, who said the state’s medical pot law does not allow qualifying patients to smoke inpublic areas of restaurants, hotels, motels or apartment buildings.

“An owner of a hotel, motel, apartment building, or other similar facility can prohibit the smokingof marihuana and the growing of marihuana plants anywhere within the facility,” Schuette wrote.

The legislation approved Wednesday would write part of that opinion into state law.

But Jones said the bill would not prevent patients from using edibles, creams and oils “that arenot as offensive as smoke would be to other tenants.” The Legislature voted earlier this year toallow patients to use non-smokable forms of medical marijuana.

Some medical marijuana advocates opposed the landlord proposal in committee, arguing itwould erode patient protections. There was no floor debate Wednesday.

Because the legislation would modify a voter-approved law, it required a 3/4 supermajority inboth legislative chambers to reach Snyder’s desk for potential signature.

The House met that threshold in an 88-17 vote. The Senate approved the final version 33-4,wrapping up work on the bill with just one day left in the so-called lame-duck session.

joosting@detroitnews.com

2016-12-15 02:59 Jonathan Oosting rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

228 /270

228 /270 3.1 Nurse aunt and man accused of manslaughter for

neglect of boy who died of pneumoniaA senior private hospital nurse in Australiais facing a manslaughter charge amidallegations she failed to seek medical helpfor her 10-year-old nephew before he diedfrom pneumonia. In the latest case to rockthe Child Safety Department,... ...

2016-12-15 02:58 system article.wn.com

229 /270 0.9 Judge: Closings

in big Chicago gangtrial to startThursday

A federal judge in a major Chicago street-gang case says closing arguments in thethree-month-old Hobos trial are about tobegin. He told jurors before they wenthome Wednesday there...

2016-12-15 02:58 system article.wn.com

230 /270 2.4 Bill to raise

salaries, allowChristie book gets ahearing

TRENTON, N. J. (AP) " Republican Gov.Chris Christie could profit from a book dealbefore he leaves office, while legislativestaff and judges' salaries would rise undera bill being considered in the Assemblyand Senate. Both chambers... ...

2016-12-15 02:58 system article.wn.com

231 /270 2.6 Casino operators

ready to stake moneyon Japan as ban islifted

Global casino operators are vying to move into Japan’s potentially lucrative market after a banwas lifted by lawmakers inTokyo, despite warningsover gambling addictionand the involvement oforganised crime.

Japan’s parliamentapproved legislation in theearly hours of Thursdayallowing the construction of“integrated resorts” that willinclude casinos alongsidehotels and entertainment facilities.

Despite withdrawing from Macao and moving to concentrate on his casino interests in Australia,James Packer’s Crown Resorts is reportedly one of several casino operators that see hugepotential in establishing a presence in Japan , regarded as the industry’s “final frontier”.

Packer’s company, Crown Resorts , could find the prospect of operating in the world’s third-biggest economy more attractive following a crackdown on gambling in China and the arreststhere of 18 Crown employees there for alleged “gambling crimes”.

But first Crown, which is 48% owned by Packer, and other foreign operators would have toconvince Japanese authorities they are able to promote responsible gaming and integrate theircasinos with the resorts’ hospitality business.

“Japanese authorities will be telling foreign operators what they need to do,” an industry sourcetold the Guardian. “That means that to have a presence in Japan , they will have to play byJapanese rules.”

Melbourne-based Crown said on Thursday it had ditched a proposed spinoff of its internationalassets. It also agreed to sell half its stake in the joint-venture Melco Crown Entertainment for$1.6bn and use the proceeds to reduce debt, fund a special distribution and enable a sharebuyback.

Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has long pushed for a lifting of the casino ban, arguing itwill boost the economy with the arrival of wealthy tourists from mainland China – wheregambling is banned – and other parts of Asia.

MPs passed the bill despite warnings from opposition politicians and mental health experts thatcasino construction could lead to a rise in gambling addiction and prove fertile ground formoney laundering by the yakuza , Japan’s organised crime syndicates.

Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka are among the cities jostling to be chosen as casino venues,while foreign operators have spent years lobbying Japanese authorities for access to a marketthat could generate huge profits.

Just three casinos could generate nearly US$10bn in net profit annually – equivalent to 0.2% ofJapan’s GDP – according to the Daiwa Research Institute. The investment bank CLSA recentlyestimated the Japanese market could bring in gross revenues of US$30bn a year.

Billionaire casino operators such as Sheldon Adelson, head of Las Vegas Sands, and SteveWynn of Wynn Resorts have visited or sent representatives to Japan to lobby for legalisation.

Crown is understood to have been in contact with Japanese local authorities in a bid to becomepart of the country’s first integrated resort consortiums. Crown’s Hong Kong-based chairman,Robert Rankin, has also shown a keen interest in Japanese moves to legalise casinos aftermore than a decade of public debate.

The first casinos will not be ready in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, however, as newlegislation will be needed to decide the number and location of casino resorts, admissionregulations and rates of taxation on gambling profits. They are expected to open in around 2022at the earliest.

Despite its ban on casinos, Japan is a nation of keen gamblers: horse, speedboat and keirinbicycle racing together bring in the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars a year. Pachinko , apinball-like game, occupies a legal grey area and has been in decline in recent years but stillproduced more than US$200bn in revenue last year, according to the Japan ProductivityCentre.

“The reason why everyone’s spending the time on this is that the potential is absolutelyenormous,” said James Murren, chairman of Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International.Japan, he added, “would dwarf the Singapore market in size and could be extraordinarilylucrative for all the investors, real estate and operators alike”.

Abe has dismissed concerns that casinos would become magnets for antisocial behaviour,insisting they would form only a small part of resorts that would also include conferencefacilities, shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.

“It’s not like entire cities will be taken over by casinos,” he said. “These facilities will attractinvestment and do a lot to help create jobs.”

Abe noted that foreign tourist numbers had more than doubled from 8 million in 2012 to 20million in 2016. “These integrated resorts will be able to be enjoyed by families, not just forbusiness activities or conferences,” he added.

Analysts said the move could make Japan the second-biggest gambling market in the worldafter Macau.

“Quite simply it represents the next and perhaps only other large opportunity to develop large-scale integrated resorts in Asia for a lot of these companies,” said Grant Govertsen, a Macau-based analyst at investment firm Union Gaming.

“Some of these companies, their revenues and cash flow are so large today that it would take anopportunity like Japan to move the needle for them.”

The Japanese public remains firmly opposed to casino legalisation, however. A recent poll bypublic broadcaster NHK showed 44% of people did not want casinos, while just 12% supportedthem.

Some experts accused the government of overstating the potential benefits.

“The estimated economic impact is too optimistic, while the negative impact – including

gambling addiction – has been understated,” said Yoichi Torihata, a professor of economics andgambling business expert at Shizuoka University.

A 2014 study by the health ministry found that nearly 5 million Japanese were addicted togambling, compared with around 1% in many other countries. The high rate of addiction islargely blamed on pachinko, in which players get around gaming laws by exchanging prizes forcash off the premises.

2016-12-15 02:56 Justin McCurry www.theguardian.com

232 /270 0.5 Chinese ambassador to US: Sovereignty not a

'bargaining chip'Ambassador , Cui Tiankai 's remarks werein line with recent protests from China'sForeign Ministry , which regards the "oneChina " principle as the "political basis" forUS-China ties.

2016-12-15 02:50 system article.wn.com

233 /270 1.1 Chicago Bears DC

Vic Fangio takesshot at group he'inherited'

Former Chicago Bears defensivecoordinator Mel Tucker, generalmanager Phil Emery and coachMarc Trestman might not be sendingholiday greetings to currentdefensive coordinator Vic Fangioafter hearing his comments thisweek.

The Bears' defense remains a solidseventh in the league in Fangio's 3-4scheme despite numerous injuriesand player changes.

Chicago had been 30th two straightyears in Tucker's 4-3.

"Well the most frustrating part about it is our record," Fangio said. "You know, when you have ourrecord nothing seems rosy. But I think we've made improvements. I think there's only one or twoguys that we inherited still playing on defense. And I think those are mainly backups. So there'sbeen a big transition. "

Fangio didn't stop there, however.

"I think the scheme thing is overblown because you're playing a lot of nickel right now and thegroup we inherited wasn't built for the 4-3 either, obviously, by the two years they had prior to usgetting here," Fangio said. "So they weren't built for anything. We had to start at Ground Zero. "

--The Bears turned back to Adrian Amos at safety last week during the second half of the loss toDetroit after rookie Deon Bush struggled.

Fangio called the play of all the safeties insufficient.

"Overall it wasn't good enough," he said. "But it was one game. We're just looking to find the bestcombination back there to play. "

It might not mean the end of playing time for Bush, though. He appears to be learning from hismistakes.

"There's evidence," Fangio said. "But we'll see how he does in these final three games. "

-- Much was made before the last Bears-Packers game about Aaron Rodgers playing poorlyand being booed, and also about Green Bay not having any healthy or productive runningbacks.

Then Rodgers completed 39-of-56 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.

"A lot was made of Aaron Rodgers at the time," coach John Fox said. "Even from their media.

"But we never saw any difference. We know what he's capable of and what he can do. Now thatthey've run off three wins, I don't think they're talking about that quite as much now. "

Nor is anyone worrying about Green Bay's running game. They got 81 combined yards rushingfrom receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb playing at running back, and have continuedusing Montgomery there. He had 81 yards total the last two games.

"They lost (Eddie) Lacy and (James) Starks kind of about the same time," Fangio said. "And(Montgomery) has running back ability both in high school and college. He played a lot ofWildcat quarterback at Stanford. He's a big guy. He's not your normal looking receiver.

"He's 220-some pounds and he's more built like a running back so I don't think it's as foreign tohim to go back there and become a running back as it would for most receivers. "

-- Sunday's game is to be played in some of the most brutally cold conditions to hit a Bearsgame in years. Weather forecasts call for zero to minus-15 degrees, with a 13-mph wind makingit possibly the coldest Bears home game ever.

"I don't think the weather really matters," wideout Alshon Jeffery said. "I'm just ready to playfootball. I could care less how cold it is. I've played in colder games. I'm just ready to playfootball. "

Bold talk, but the Bears' coldest home game in history was 3 degrees on Dec. 18, 1983 when a14-mph wind made the wind chill minus-15. The air temperature was 3 degrees that day.

The second-coldest game was also against Green Bay, Dec. 22, 2008 when it was minus-13

wind chill on a 2-degree day because of a 9-mph wind.

"We're all over the forecast," Fox said. "In fact, it's going to be very similar tomorrow (Thursday), Ibelieve. It's something we talked to the team about.

"Again, I'm not sure you ever get used to that kind of weather. But it takes some mentally tough-minded people to deal with it. "

Fox said the Bears would "practice in it a little bit tomorrow (Thursday). "

Asked if they'd leave the Payton Center and go outside all day, Fox said, "All day wouldprobably be stretching it. "

-- Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers saw former Bear Shea McClellin hurdle the centeruntouched for New England and block a field goal and called the strategy nothing new. He citedseveral other games when this occurred in recent years.

"That play is not happening unless the defense feels confident that they've got a beat on yourrhythm," he said. "To combat those types of things, you can change your rhythm in terms of thesnap. The holder can change his mechanics. The kicker can change his mechanics.

"You don't wanna be changing all that much. You can go on to the center's head bob. You don'twanna change all that much. You don't wanna change the rhythm of those guys. From ablocking standpoint, the center can do things to discourage that. The guards can do things todiscourage that. You can pull the wing and have him sitting there. "

--Although Jeffery didn't want to talk specifics about his PED violation, the wide receiver didn'tmind saying what he did to stay in shape while away from the team four weeks.

"I was in Washington," he said. "I did some yoga. I was doing yoga every day. Working out everyday.

"I did it before ... I thought why not? I've got nothing else to do. "

2016-12-15 02:47 www.upi.com

234 /270 1.9 Metro goes ‘Rogue One’ with anti-speeding PSA

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez ( contact )

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016 | 10:45 p.m.

Chewbacca was pulled over and cited for driving a little too fast in Las Vegas, a teachablemoment intended to remind valley drivers to be safe.

In a public service announcement video launched by Metro Police Wednesday, Chewie is seenbeing pulled over in his unregistered speeder while pedestrian Darth Vader makes a briefcameo.

The playful clip is an effort by the department to get drivers to slow down and stay off theircellphones, police said.

The video coincides with this weekend's release of"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. "

2016-12-15 02:45 By Ricardo lasvegassun.com

235 /270 1.7 Chicago Bears WR Alshon

Jeffery expresses remorseover PED ban

Alshon Jeffery normally catches passes. Now, he'scatching blame, and he's standing up to take it.

The Chicago Bears wide receiver faces the Green BayPackers this weekend at SoldierField after a four-week suspensionfor violating the NFL's performanceenhancing drug policy. The blamehe accepted not only was for theviolation, but also some for the threelosses in four games while Bears'backup receivers dropped passes.

"I mean (you've) just got to knowwhat you put in your body," Jefferysaid.

Then he added, "I want to say that Ifeel like if I was playing, some of those games we would have had a different outcome. Weprobably would have won. "

The Bears unofficially dropped 18 passes without Jeffery playing during Matt Barkley 's firstthree starts at quarterback, including a 17-16 loss to Tennessee when they dropped 10 passes.

With a 3-10 record they wouldn't have benefited much from one more win anyway. And it wouldhave dropped them down in next year's draft order.

However, Jeffery might have been able to influence the team more about signing him to a multi-year contract after his season as a team's franchise free agent concludes.

"It is what it is," Jeffery said. "There's nothing I can do about it. All I can do is try to work hard.

"Hopefully whatever happens at the end of this season is something good. "

Jeffery said he doubted the suspension was something general manager Ryan Pace would takeinto account when deciding on his future in Chicago.

"It's up to him to judge, whatever the situation plays out," Jeffery said. "But right now, I'm on thisteam. That's all I care about and am focused on. "

The situation isn't as simple as yes or no. Jeffery has had a past of suffering soft tissue injuries

and the Bears might have to decide whether Jeffery needs PEDs just to stay up and running.

"When the season is over, and that's not for another three weeks, you just evaluate the body ofwork," coach John Fox said. "You then basically look at that and make decision on that body ofwork. "

Does it include the PED violation?

"Really you don't look at all of that," Fox said. "You just look at the body of work. There arealways negotiations and all kinds of things that come into play that I can't even foresee all thestuff until after the season is over. "

Jeffery said he's been welcomed back.

"My teammates and my coaches, they supported me," he said. "I don't think I ever lost their trust.They stuck with me, they stayed by me.

"They embraced me with nothing but love. "

Jeffery said he's physically ready to face the Packers (7-6), who beat the Bears 26-10 in GreenBay. Jeffery played against the Packers in that meeting when Brian Hoyer started and broke hisleft arm, leading to Barkley becoming the Bears quarterback.

Jeffery's presence didn't make much difference in that game, as he had three catches for 33yards and was targeted 11 times. He has caught only two Barkley passes for 11 yards each andhas never played in a game Barkley has started.

So the question remains whether the two as a passing connection can help the Bears' offensereach the end zone after it had only 10 offensive points against Detroit in a 21-17 loss last week.The offense didn't get to the end zone earlier in the loss to Green Bay.

"I don't think it will take long," Jeffery said about being on the same page with Barkley. "Me andMatt knew each other in high school. We were in the same recruiting class. We were bothcommitted to USC when we played in camps together. We'll get it together. "

In fact, if the quarterback had his way, the Barkley-to-Jeffery combination would have occurredmuch sooner. That is, before he decided to go to Southern Cal and Jeffery opted for SouthCarolina.

"I was trying to get him to come to USC, and he did go to USC, just not the one I wanted him togo to," Barkley said. "We knew each other through a high school all-star game, so we've knowneach other for a while.

"He was a big target you could throw the ball to in high school. So that relationship eased mytransition when I first got here and he was a familiar face. That made that transition easy. Butnow getting to throw to him, it's fun playing with him again. "

Initial practices went well, both in terms of the connection and Jeffery's ability to step back intothe offense after four weeks away.

The challenge this week is stopping a Green Bay team that has won three straight as its offenseand defense have caught fire.

"It seems like they are playing harder than ever," Barkley said. "Really hungry. Big playoff berthfor them, so a lot is at stake. "

For Jeffery, the stakes this week and the next two games won't be a playoff game but could be areturn to Chicago. To say he's in a catch-all situation might be accurate.

"We're just trying to finish these last three games 3-0," Jeffery said. "That's all that matters.

"Contract stuff will take care of itself. We're trying to finish these last three games on a high note."

2016-12-15 02:44 www.upi.com

236 /270 2.2 Muriel Stevens, longtime Sun columnist and culinary

expert, dies at 90UNLV Special Collections

Muriel Stevens cooking a guest on hertelevision show, the Muriel StevensShow in Las Vegas circa 1975.

By Ed Koch and Rebecca Clifford-Cruz

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016 | 10:15 p.m.

Las Vegas Sun Archives

Muriel Stevens

As the Las Vegas Sun's veteranrestaurant critic, Muriel Stevens blended years of expertise in the culinary arts with a liberalmeasure of grit, a dollop of determination and two cups of chutzpah to help readers choosewhich eateries — from the tiniest of bistros to the fanciest of Strip hotel gourmet rooms — offeredthe best meals and best deals in town.

For four decades in the news media, which also included writing and editing cookbooks andhosting syndicated radio and television shows, Stevens not only brought the world of finecooking to the masses, but also participated in numerous charity food events to bring attention toworthy causes, especially those that helped children.

Stevens said it was not uncommon for her to attend two or three charity events in one evening.And she mused that, for the sake of research, she sacrificed her oft-cheery disposition andgirlish waistline by sampling what was offered at the affairs' dinners.

"You try smiling after eating two or three rotten meals in a row," Stevens once said.

Stevens, the longtime Sun food, wine and travel editor and columnist, who was regarded bymany hungry and discerning readers as the Julia Child of Southern Nevada, died Monday aftera lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 90.

A celebration of life will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 N. Valle Verde Drivein Henderson.

In her writings, Stevens tried to bring food to life, often with witty observations and a knack forturning a phrase.

In her 2002 pre-Valentine's Day column, Stevens reminded readers that meals on the traditionalday for lovers do not have to be fancy or expensive to be romantic.

"One of the most enjoyable meals I ever had was of Champagne and hot dogs," Stevens wrote."What could be more romantic than having your name squiggled in mustard from a squeezebottle onto a Chicago hot dog?... Finding a romantic meal is a cinch in Las Vegas. It doesn'tmatter where you dine or how much you spend, love blooms as well in a bowl of chili as it doesin a plate of truffle-covered pasta. "

On the attempted comeback of the long-declining Cafe Heidelberg on East Sahara Avenue inSeptember 1999, Stevens wrote of its charming past, its fall into decay and its attemptedresurrection to again become a respected local eatery:

"It was a colorful, small cafe with a decent menu and a good selection of deli items: Germanbreads, baking supplies and many German groceries. But the years were not kind to OldHeidelberg. With each change of ownership the cafe declined a little more.

"Cafe Heidelberg's current owner ... is a UNLV Hotel College graduate and a savvybusinesswoman. Under her ownership the cafe and dining room are now clean and attractive.The grocery, gifts and other areas have been spruced up and... the food I ordered was delicious.... Have the warm, vinegary German potato salad with the schnitzel. It's a tasty pairing. "

On the opening of the BOA Steakhouse in the Forum Shops at Caesars, Stevens wrote not onlyof the fine cuisine but also the atmosphere to give readers a true sense of the complete diningexperience.

"The California-inspired decor includes 800-year-old driftwood trees," Stevens wrote. "Afterundergoing a series of treatments, including a form of petrification, the riftwood became theelegant trees throughout the dining room. The result is stunning. "

Of BOA's food, Stevens wrote: "Where else can you find a bone-in New York Strip dry-aged for40 days? This top seller was my choice and it was terrific. After trimming the bone from mysucculent steak I wanted to sink my teeth into the tasty beef-filled arch. Instead, I used theFrench steak knife to delicately carve out choice small bites. Not nearly as much fun as gnawingon the bone, but delicious. "

And Stevens would salt and pepper her columns with tips for restaurant goers to help thembetter enjoy their dining experience. She once wrote: "I much prefer to add salt at the table thanto have over-salted food" from the kitchen.

But Stevens' work in the culinary field went far beyond eating food and writing about it.

In the 1960s, she was appointed by then-Gov. Mike O'Callaghan as a consumer member to theNevada State Dairy Commission. President Gerald Ford later appointed Stevens to the NationalConsumer Commission.

For two terms, Stevens served on the Board of Advisors for the Southern Nevada ExtensionService Nutritional Council and SOS, an international anti-hunger program,

Courtesy of Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project

Muriel Stevens is shown in front of her cook shop, circa 1975.

In the early 1970s, she also began what would be four decades on television and radio. Inaddition to her mid-day talk show on KLAV radio, Stevens had a cooking show on KLAS-TV thatwas produced by her late husband, Maury Stevens.

The show was so successful that the Stevenses joined forces with Jack McClenahan, founder ofTrans-American Video Inc., then the largest independent videotape company in the world, andnationally syndicated Muriel's show. The Stevenses and McClenehan in 1977 sold Trans-America to entertainment giant Merv Griffin.

Maury Stevens, who served as public relations director at the El Rancho Vegas, Thunderbirdand Caesars Palace, and was general manager of the Tally Ho Hotel, died in 1982 at age 59.He was found slumped over the wheel of his car in the driveway of the couple's home inParadise Valley.

Although devastated by the sudden loss of her husband, Stevens pressed on, throwing herselfinto her work over the next quarter of a century.

Born in Philadelphia on Dec. 22, 1925, Stevens began regularly cooking for her family at age 8.She said she tested her "mistakes-turned-upside-down-cakes" on her brothers and other familymembers en route to honing her baking skills.

Stevens later attended several culinary schools and traveled worldwide in pursuit of fine diningexperiences to share with her readers. Though not a linguist, Stevens learned to order meals inseveral languages.

After the Sun started a food section in the late 1970s, Stevens' column developed a loyalfollowing for giving the real scoop on what to expect at local restaurants. Stevens said she didnot as a rule tip off restaurateurs when she planned to visit their establishments and purchase ameal, meaning that chefs and managers always had to be on their toes and maintain highquality meals and service for all customers at all times.

Stevens also wrote freelance columns and articles on food, wine and travel for magazinesincluding Alaska Airlines, United Airlines' Hemisphere and Town & Country. In the 1990s, shepenned a weekly restaurant article for Showbiz magazine, a Sun sister publication that at thetime was delivered to more than 90,000 Las Vegas hotel rooms.

For many years, Stevens was editor of the Las Vegas Zagat restaurant survey and she pennedthe restaurant section of the Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas from the 2004 to the 2009 editions.

Stevens in 1975 wrote "The Muriel Stevens Cookbook," a collection of 77 recipes includingsoups, salads, leftovers and desserts along with anecdotes from her radio and television shows.She included in the book recipes from celebrities including Shecky Greene, Diahann Carroll,Jack Carter, Juliet Prowse and Jan Murray.

PotatoPatchRecipes.com republished the Sweet Potato Biscuit recipe, calling it, "truly the type of

potato recipe that will be handed down from mother to daughter and generation to generation. "

Stevens also co-authored "The Unofficial Guide to Ethnic Dining" and wrote the foreword for"The Diabetes Holiday Cookbook: Year-Round Cooking for People with Diabetes. "

Stevens was the first Nevada woman member of the international gourmet society known as LeConfrerie de Chaine des Rotisseurs and was a member of the National Association of FoodJournalists and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

She was regularly a regional judge for the James Beard Foundation Awards and was aparticipant in Playboy's 25 Best Restaurants in America issue in 1997.

Stevens was an honorary member of the Food and Beverage Association of Nevada and theFraternity of Executive Chefs of Las Vegas. She was the first woman to receive the Food andBeverage Association's Autrui Award, honoring that organization's person of the year.

Stevens in 1999 was recognized for her contributions to the culinary world by the Cystic FibrosisFoundation at the first Nevada Culinary Olympics. An annual $5,000 scholarship was named forher and has been awarded to UNLV Hotel College students.

During her long career she garnered many additional honors, including the first Woman ofAchievement Award from the Nevada Chapter of American Women in Radio and Television.

She also mentored teenagers who were considering becoming food journalists. Stevens calledthat experience one of the most rewarding of her life.

Stevens served on many civic and charitable boards, including the Lied Discovery Children'sMuseum and the Nathan Adelson Hospice.

Stevens donated some materials from her archives to UNLV Special Collections to preserve forfuture generations of students who want to research Las Vegas' culinary roots.

Among the items in that collection are records of Stevens' work as a television chef, brochuresfrom the Restaurant Hotel-Motel Expo and the National Fancy Food and Confection Show,recipes for cooking demonstrations, the Boardwalk Regency Hotel and Casino chef's menu,cooking certificates, city maps and newspaper stories about a milk supplier controversy thatincluded allegations of kickbacks.

Late in her career, Stevens wrote what was the city's only weekly shopping column for the Sunand started an online advice column, answering questions ranging from marriage issues tobaking muffins.

When Stevens retired from the Sun a few years ago, the number of cookbooks in her office wasso extensive, she had to bring in a personal assistant — and the two of them needed threemonths to inventory and clear the room of her massive collection.

Muriel is survived by her son Bruce Stevens, her daughter Robin (Daniel) Greenspun,grandsons Johnathan Stevens and James (Zoe) Greenspun, granddaughter Moira (Henry)Tarmy, great grandchildren Jack Tarmy, August Tarmy and Wilder Greenspun, her brotherHarvey Allen Godorov, as well as many loving nieces and nephews and her best friend LarrySpitler.

2016-12-15 02:15 By Ed lasvegassun.com

237 /270 9.5 Family of unarmed grandfather who was fatally shot

by police while carrying a crucifix is calling the 73-year-old's death a murder and want the Justice Department toinvestigate

The family of a 73-year-oldgrandfather with dementia whowas fatally shot by police iscalling his death a murder andwant the U. S. JusticeDepartment to investigate.Rookie cop and former-MarineReagan Selman, 26, firedseven rounds at a confusedFrancisco Serna inBakersfield, California, ataround 12.30am Monday.Police responded to reportsthat a man was brandishing afirearm in the neighborhood, and a witness pointed to Serna, who had both hands 'concealedinside his jacket', according to police. But the elderly man was unarmed, and instead of a gun,police found a dark colored simulated woodgrain crucifix. His family is calling his death amurder and want an independent investigation into the shooting to be conducted. Scroll downfor video They also want the Justice Department to look into whether police violated Serna's civilrights. 'It's difficult to accept that our dad's life ended so brutally, abruptly and with suchexcessive violence,' according to a family statement. 'Our dad was treated like a criminal, andwe feel like he was left to die alone without his family by his side.' Serna's son, Rogelio Serna,posted on Facebook that his father had dementia and would go on small walks when he hadtrouble sleeping. 'Last night he took his last walk,' he wrote. The tragic shooting happenedmoments before Serna's neighbor returned home with a friend and got out of the car in herdriveway, only to find the 73-year-old standing behind her with his right hand hidden inside hisjacket, according to police. Serna questioned her about living in the neighborhood, and told herto open the car door so he could have a look inside. The woman's friend complied. Theneighbor saw a 'dark brown or black handled object that she believed was a gun,' and raninside the house, telling her husband to call the police. When the husband called 911, he toldthe dispatch without expressing any doubt that Serna was armed and brandishing a revolver,according to Assistant Police Chief Lyle Martin. When Selman and several other officers arrived,the neighbor pointed at Serna and yelled, 'That's him!' The elderly man walked towards themwith both hands concealed inside his jacket, and did not follow orders to stop and show hishands, police said. Selman fired seven rounds at the 73-year-old even though he did not lungeat the officers or exhibit any threatening behavior, Martin said. Martin also said the police failedto utilize 'lower levels of force'. Selman was the only officer who opened fire just 20 to 30seconds after the neighbor yelled, and Serna was pronounced dead in the driveway on thesame block of his home. A search of the scene revealed Serna was not armed. Police found adark colored crucifix instead. Selman and six other officers have been put on administrativeleave pending an investigation, Martin said. While the 73-year-old's son claimed he was shotnine times, Martin told reporters on Tuesday that Selman fired seven rounds. 'Right across the

street is where the police shot my father with nine bullets to his body, and my dad was notarmed,' Rogelio Serna said in a video on Facebook. 'My father was MURDERED byBAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT' he wrote. Rogelio wrote in another post that his fatherwas in the early stages of dementia and would go on walks when he had trouble sleeping. 'Mydad did not own a gun. He was a 73-year-old retired grandpa, just living life,' Rogelio Serna toldthe Times. 'He should have been surrounded by family at old age, not surrounded by bullets,' headded. Serna was a father of five, grandfather of 16 and great-grandfather of five. He lived withhis wife and one of his daughters. He worked at a cotton gin in California's Central Valley untilhe retired more than a decade ago. Rogelio Serna said his father had been suffering fromdelusions and other early signs of dementia over the course of the last year, and his conditionhad deteriorated in the past month. Police had visited the house twice before because hisconfused father activated a medical alarm, Rogelio Serna said. Rogelio Serna filmed anothervideo on Tuesday, alerting supporters to a candlelight vigil that was being held that day. He paidtribute to his father and said: 'He was taken from us sooner than expected. Not from a sickness,but from senseless police.' Rogelio Serna added that his father was not tasered, and said: 'I'vegot nothing against the police, but it's got to stop against innocent people. Enough is enoughalready. '

2016-12-15 02:14 Jessica Chia www.dailymail.co.uk

238 /270 12.0 Twin blasts near Istanbul soccer stadium kill 29 ,wound 166

ISTANBUL (AP) — Twin attacks by a suicide bomber and a car bombernear an Istanbul soccer stadium Saturday night killed 29 people andwounded 166 others in the latest large-scale assault to traumatize anation confronting an array of security threats.

The bombs targeted police officers, killing 27 of them along with twocivilians, Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told reporters early Sunday. He added that10 people had been arrested in connection with the “terrorist attack.”

The civilian death toll was lower because fans had already left the newly built Vodafone ArenaStadium after the soccer match when the blasts occurred. Witnesses also heard gunfire after theexplosions.

“We have once again witnessed tonight in Istanbul the ugly face of terror which tramples onevery value and decency,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.

The first bomb went off just outside the facility known popularly as Besiktas Stadium after thelocal team and neighborhood. The second blast that came moments later was attributed byauthorities to a suicide bomber.

Police cordoned off the area as smoke rose from behind the stadium and ambulances beganferrying the wounded to hospitals. Glass from the blown-out windows of nearby buildings litteredthe pavement.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. This year, Istanbul has witnessed a spate ofattacks attributed by authorities to the Islamic State group or claimed by Kurdish militants. A stateof emergency is in force following a failed July 15 coup attempt.

Soylu acknowledged the country was struggling against “many elements” trying to compromiseits fight against terrorism.

Turkey is a partner in the U. S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and its armed forces areactive in neighboring Syria and Iraq. It is also facing a renewed conflict with an outlawedKurdish movement in the southeast.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Washingtoncondemns the attack in “the strongest terms.”

“We stand together with Turkey, our NATO Ally, against all terrorists who threaten Turkey, theUnited States, and global peace and stability,” Price said in a statement.

A taxi driver at the site of the Istanbul bombings said their force made him hit his head on thetaximeter and that his ears were still ringing from the blasts and screaming that followed.

“Amid the screams I heard an officer saying ‘do not shout! Do not make them (the perpetrators)be satisfied,” said Ismail Coskun.

The first and larger explosion took place about 7:30 p.m. GMT after the home team Besiktas beatvisitor Bursaspor 2-1 in the Turkish Super League. Erdogan said the timing of the attack aimedto maximize the loss of life and vowed the nation would overcome terrorism.

Soylu said the first explosion was caused by a passing vehicle that detonated in an area wherepolice special forces were located at the stadium exit right after the match. A riot police busappears to have been the target.

Kurdish militants often target security forces while Islamic State-linked attacks have targetedtourists and the broader public.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said a person who had been stopped in the nearbyMacka Park committed suicide by triggering explosives.

Investigators, including Istanbul Police Chief Mustafa Caliskan, were quickly on the scene.Forensic experts in white uniforms scoured the vicinity of the stadium and the vast park wherethe suicide bombing took place.

The Besiktas sports club “strongly condemned” the attack and said an employee of one of itsstores was among the fatalities, as well as a member of its congress who was also responsiblefor security at the stadium.

Bursaspor reported that none of the wounded were fans and issued a statement wishing “aspeedy recovery to our wounded citizens.”

Health Minister Recep Akdag said six of the wounded remained in intensive care, with three ofthem in critical condition.

Aleksander Ceferin, president of European soccer’s governing body UEFA, and EuropeanUnion Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, also made statements condemning theattack.

“Violence has no place in a democratic society,” Hahn wrote on Twitter.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini expressed the bloc’s “solidarity with Turkish citizens'”The U. S. Consulate General in Istanbul, meanwhile, urged its citizens to avoid the area which isalso home to a Ritz Carlton hotel.

Turkey’s radio and television board issued a temporary coverage ban citing national securityconcerns. It said “to avoid broadcasts that can result in public fear, panic or chaos, or that willserve the aims of terrorist organizations.”

___

Cinar Kiper, Ayse Wieting and Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul contributed reporting. Rob Harris inLondon also contributed reporting.

___

This story has been corrected to say that it was official who cited health ministry officials notinterior minister.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-12-15 02:01 By Associated mynorthwest.com

239 /270 6.2 Suspected JP Morgan hacker arrested after returning

from MoscowNEW YORK -- A U. S.citizen living in Moscowwas arrested Wednesdayafter he flew to the UnitedStates to surrender to facecharges he stole contactinformation for over 100million customers of U. S.financial institutions,brokerage firms andfinancial news publishers,authorities said. JoshuaSamuel Aaron, 32, wasarrested at Kennedy Airport on Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to a 22-count indictmentcharging him with conspiracy, computer hacking, securities fraud and wire fraud, among othercharges.

Following a year full of cybersecurity breaches, it appears some U. S. companies are carryingout revenge hacks. According to Bloomberg News, some...

His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said Aaron waived extradition and asylum in Russia andvoluntarily returned to the United States “to responsibly address the charges.”

The prosecution was announced last year by U. S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who said two men

had been arrested in Israel after they conspired with Aaron to carry out “the single largest theft ofcustomer data from a U. S. financial institution ever.” Bharara said thieves took data on morethan 83 million customers of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2014. The prosecutor said Aaron wascharged with working to hack into the networks of dozens of American companies. In a releaseWednesday, Bharara said the men engaged in “what we have called ‘hacking as a businessmodel.’” JPMorgan Chase is the nation’s biggest bank by assets. A Manhattan federal courtindictment said identifying information on millions of customers from companies other thanJPMorgan Chase was stolen from 2012 to last summer, too. Aaron’s co-defendants -- GeryShalon and Ziv Orenstein -- were arrested by Israeli authorities in July 2015 and were extraditedfrom Israel in June. They have pleaded not guilty. The indictment said some of the massivecomputer hacks and cyberattacks occurred as the men sought to steal the customer base ofcompeting internet gambling businesses or to secretly review executives’ emails in a quest tocripple rivals. If convicted of the charges, the defendants could face decades in prison. Aaronpleaded not guilty to the charges during a brief appearance Wednesday before a magistratejudge. With consent from his defense lawyer, he was scheduled to be held overnight pendinganother court appearance on Thursday before a district judge.

2016-12-15 02:00 AP www.cbsnews.com

240 /270 0.3 The Lone Peak story: What you didn't know about

affluence and teen suicideEditor's note: This is part of anongoing series about howcommunities are addressing risingteen suicide rates. This article tellsthe story of an affluent urban highschool. Read more about a ruralcommunity's response here.

ALPINE — When Rhonda Bromleybecame the principal of Lone PeakHigh, she recognized many of thenames on the rolls.

She had grown up in Alpine backwhen it was nothing but horse

farms and hay fields and took her first teaching job there. She knew families who had lived inAlpine and Highland and Cedar Hills for generations. But she’d seen the place change, too.

Now Alpine included one of the wealthiest zip codes in the state with 11,000-square-foot homeswith tennis courts and swimming pools and marble floors.

Bromley knew not everyone who went to Lone Peak lived in a house like that (she certainlydidn’t), but the school had come to represent the aspirations of a place that had becomesynonymous with wealth, success and status.

Walking into the gym you couldn’t miss the banners: state champs in football, basketball, golfand diving. If the weather was warm, you might see kids on the lawn with textbooks open. LonePeak had cliques like any other school — the jocks, the drama kids, the band geeks — but there

were no stoners, hardly any slackers, and no snickering about who got wasted over theweekend or who was pregnant. The school was 95 percent LDS, had the highest AP pass ratein the state, and a composite GPA of 3.7. The kids called it mini BYU for a reason.

And yet, there was another story about Lone Peak no one wanted to tell. In 2012, the yearBromley became principal, there were three suicides. The school had held a meeting for parentsin the auditorium, talked about warning signs and drug use, and the media had turned out.Suddenly, Lone Peak's reputation had become associated with suicide.

An energetic woman with long blonde hair, blazing blue eyes and the sunny disposition ofsomeone who seems like she never gets down, Bromley didn’t think this was fair — there wereother schools in her district with more suicides — but she couldn’t say this, of course. Onesuicide was too many.

It was 2014, Bromley’s second year as principal, and by March they’d already had two suicidesand several high-profile attempts. With every attempt, news spread through social media andmessaging apps. She’d see groups of kids during lunch, huddled close, and she knew whatthey were saying. Oh my gosh, I’m freaking out. Do you know him? There had been overdoses,hospitalizations, a suicide note left on Twitter. The fear of suicide had come to grip the school.

Bromley knew about the threat of contagion, which is most common among teenagers, and howto curb it: Don’t glamorize a suicide. Avoid overflowing memorials. And yet, what could she dowhen students decided to dress up in their Sunday best to honor a popular lacrosse player whohad suddenly taken his life in November? What could she do when the students, on their own,created a social media campaign called I Choose to Stay, and brought a huge poster to campusthat hundreds signed?

With her staff, she created a video called “We See You.” The message, delivered by teachers,was simple: we all experience failure. She knew how much pressure kids at Lone Peak felt tomeasure up. You’re OK just the way you are, she wanted them to know.

Now it was spring. They had made it through the dreary days of winter in Utah County, when theinversion hangs over the valley like a thick layer of smog. It had begun to lift, revealing blueskies above Mount Timp. Spring brought new life, hope. Maybe the We See You campaign wasworking.

Then one night, Bromley's phone rang. There had been another suicide. She felt a sharp intakeof breath, a looming sense of dread rising in her. A boy she knew well, a popular kid taking APclasses, had taken his life.

Bromley thought of her teachers, what she would say to the kids the next day. She stepped intoher bathroom to gather herself, quietly sobbing. She had lost another one, and even though shehad been trained to know she couldn’t prevent every suicide, she still felt like she had failedsomehow.

She needed help.

This summer, the Utah Department of Health issued an alarming report that suggests anemerging public health crisis: suicide is the leading cause of death for 10- to 17-year-olds inUtah, and has tripled since 2007.

The numbers are troubling, but they come with a caveat: most kids and teenagers don’t die, and

of the roughly 550 people who die by suicide in the state every year, about 50 are under 18.

Experts aren’t sure why suicide rates in Utah are higher than the national average, but they sayisolation, easy access to firearms and the stigma associated with recognizing and getting helpfor mental illness, common in the West, are all contributing factors. Starting next year, the statehealth department will begin tracking sexual orientation as part of its Youth Risk BehaviorSurvey, which could help address speculation that Utah's religious culture could be contributingto the problem. Nationally, nearly 43 percent of LGBT students seriously considered suicide in2015, compared to 14 percent of heterosexual students.

Read more about recognizing and addressing warning signs of suicide.

When it comes to teen suicide, 63 percent of youths who take their lives in Utah have contactwith the juvenile courts, more than half had problems with substance abuse and 35 percenthave been expelled from school, according to the state health department. In other words, teenswho kill themselves typically display worrisome warning signs.

That’s why the suicides at Lone Peak have garnered so much attention: they upend what weknow. Madelyn Gould, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s psychiatrydepartment and one of the most respected suicidologists in the country, has found that some ofthe greatest inhibitors against suicide are religiosity, social cohesion and intact families thatspend time together — all hallmarks of life in Alpine, Highland and Cedar Hills.

And yet new research has found the very things that make the Lone Peak community specialcould actually be contributing to the problem.

In October, two professors, one at the University of Chicago and the other at the University ofMemphis, released a paper in the American Sociological Review showing how tightly knitcultures can increase suicide risk among teenagers. The study focused on a homogenous,upper middle class community that experienced several suicide clusters and found thatteenagers there faced intense pressure to succeed academically and conform to very narrowlydefined standards of success. When researchers with the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention studied recent suicide clusters in Palo Alto, California, and Fairfax, Virginia, highlyaffluent communities similar in many ways to Alpine, they found similar pressures.

Some kids at Lone Peak said they felt stressed, anxious and depressed. One senior said sheoften goes in her car to cry because of anxiety, and that some of her friends cut or burnthemselves in places their parents can’t see to release tension. Paul Dymock, a licensed clinicalsocial worker who works as a full-time therapist at Lone Peak, said he’s already seen 285 kidsthis year who are experiencing significant anxiety and depression. One student recently cameinto his office sobbing because she’d got her first A minus and worried she might not qualify fora certain scholarship. Another kid couldn’t get out of bed for a week because he got a 33 on theACT (36 is a perfect score).

Experts on suicide are quick to point out that these pressures don’t necessarily lead to suicide,but they contribute to rising rates of anxiety and depression in affluent communities, which canbe risk factors.

Each suicide is unique, suicidologists say, and in 90 percent of cases there are significantunderlying mental health issues.

“But that doesn’t mean what we’re seeing with today’s kids — rising rates of anxiety and

depression associated with what they see as narrow paths to success — aren’t reason forconcern,” says Victor Schwartz, the chief medical officer at The JED Foundation, the nation’sleading nonprofit dedicated to preventing suicide among teens and young adults. “These arerisk factors and we need to figure out how to address them.”

Long before Bromley became principal at Lone Peak, she heard of the work of Greg Hudnall, aformer principal in Provo who has made preventing teen suicide his life’s work.

As a principal, Hudnall had spoken at a few funerals, but the event that changed the trajectory ofhis career came in 1997, when the Provo police called him to identify the body of a 14-year-old.

“He was a great young man, came from a great family, and there were no warning signs that Iwas aware of,” Hudnall said. “That one pushed me over the edge. When I got done identifyinghim I walked to my car and literally threw up, and then I sobbed for about five minutes. Sitting inmy car I vowed I would do everything I could to prevent suicide.”

Hudnall started working with Doug Gray, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah, tounderstand the roots of youth suicide. Gray and his team have studied 151 youths from the agesof 13 to 21 who have taken their lives, performing what’s known as a psychological autopsy.They met with parents, relatives and friends to piece together their stories.

“Most were really struggling,” Doug Gray recalls. “But then there were 10 to 15 percent whowere student leaders, got good grades, had good friends and good parents, the whole basket ofgoodies. And those are the ones where you’re really scratching your head.”

From Gray’s research, he knew that there was no way to prevent all suicides, but Hudnall wasconvinced they could stop most by working to educate kids caught up in the court system,parents, teachers and schools.

“The piece we were missing was peer to peer,” Hudnall recalls. “Adolescents pull themselvesaway from everybody but two or three friends. They will text, they will contact them.”

When Hudnall's crisis team visited families immediately after a suicide, they'd ask who the teen'sclosest friends were. And what he found is that at least one friend of the teen who took his or herlife usually knew in advance, but either hadn't taken the threat seriously or didn't know what todo. Often, they were afraid speaking up would betray confidence and trust.

What if Hudnall could train teenagers to recognize the signs of suicidal ideation and how tointervene? He decided to start at Timpview High School in Provo.

“This was 14 years ago, and Timpview was what Lone Peak is today. It was very affluent, verysuccessful,” Hudnall says. He asked the students to identify three classmates they would go towith problems. To his surprise, the same names turned up again and again.

Hudnall formed the first Hope Squad at Timpview, training 40 kids to recognize suicide warningsigns and how to intervene. Today, there are Hope Squads in 180 schools throughout the state.

Read more about how to talk about suicide.

After the third suicide at Lone Peak in 2015, Bromley called Hudnall and asked for help. Hudnallagreed, but on one condition: they had to implement his program, including a Hope Squad.

When Hudnall showed up at the Lone Peak auditorium for the parents meeting, it was standingroom only.

“I said, ‘If we’re going to solve this, we have to come together. We have a chance to turn the tide,but I have to tell you right up front this is a contagion.”

The subject of contagion is controversial in mental health circles, but Gould and other leadingsuicidologists say it’s a real phenomenon, especially among adolescents and teens. The ideaisn’t that someone can “catch” the desire to commit suicide like a cold or a flu, but that someonealready considering it because of severe anxiety, depression or biological mental health issuesmight make the impulsive decision to take their life.

Hudnall identified factors that can contribute to contagion and then explained to parents how tospot warning signs and talk to their kids about suicide and mental health. When he was done,parents concerned about their children approached him. That night he made 53 referrals toWasatch Mental Health to get counseling for students at risk.

Hudnall had one other recommendation: hire a full-time mental health counselor.

While Bromley was working on implementing his suggestions, Hudnall and his team met withthe mayors of the three communities, spoke at sacrament meetings of the LDS Church andbegan hosting what he calls cottage meetings with small groups of students to hear theirconcerns.

They told him they felt pressure to measure up — to get good grades, play sports and fulfill theirresponsibilities at church. They worried that the pressure was too much. And sometimes, theytalked about the three boys who had taken their lives that year. It had begun with a boy namedJonny.

When Jonny Ellis was a kid, his dad noticed he had unusual drive and determination. Dave Ellisencouraged this; he was driven himself. “We never quit. We don’t back down from obstacles, wego through them,” he’d tell his three boys. This became a sort of family motto.

At Lone Peak, Jonny was known as the music man, a kid who had taught himself to play eightinstruments, from the ukulele to the bagpipes, and could play just about anything if he heard afew bars.

Dave isn’t sure why things started to unravel for Jonny, but he traces it back to the loss of his firstwife when Jonny was 12. Jonny had a particularly strong bond with his mother, who died ofbreast cancer, and while all three of Dave’s boys processed her death differently, Jonny seemedto take it hardest. “Even to our therapist he was like a locked vault,” Dave says.

Midway through his junior year, Jonny’s grades started to slip. He was taking three AP classes,including physics, determined to go to BYU. His dad had remarried and Jonny’s step-mom,Laurel, told him he was pushing himself too hard.

One day toward the end of January of 2013, Dave got a call at work. Jonny hadn’t come toschool, which had never happened. Laurel eventually found him sitting in the basement,sobbing. He’d been there all day, sitting in the dark. With prodding, he eventually broke downand confessed he was addicted to pornography, a taboo in LDS culture.

“With his personality and having to be a perfectionist, he couldn’t forgive himself if he did

anything wrong, and so his pornography problem had torn him apart,” Laurel says. “He felt soguilty about it and couldn’t forgive himself. We said, ‘OK, we’ll get you some help.’”

Before long, missing one day at school had turned into two and three days straight. Jonnyrefused to get out of bed and had lost all interest in playing his instruments. “In a three and a halfweek period, it was like he had become a different person,” Dave recalls.

Jonny started disappearing, and once his family found what seemed like a suicide note. I’mgoing for a hike and I have no idea when I’ll come back or if I’ll come back. They found himseven miles up American Fork Canyon, shivering in the cold, but when they begged him to getin the car, he just kept walking.

“There were times when it was like no one could reach him, like he was in a trance,” Daverecalls. Dave’s side of the family had a history of mental illness: he had a sister who sufferedfrom depression that was so crippling she’d rarely left her house in 20 years and a grandfatherwho had been institutionalized for a year. Dave worried something similar was happening to hisson.

Dave and Laurel met with their LDS bishop and together they agreed that Jonny neededprofessional help. They took him to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake to get himevaluated and later met with a psychiatrist and a psychologist to form a plan of treatment.

With medication and weekly talk therapy, Jonny seemed to improve and by his senior year he’dagreed to go back to school. But after a few weeks, he slid back into depression and was onceagain sleeping all day and staying up all night.

Jonny had more or less dropped out of school and stopped going to church, but he remainedhaunted by his addiction to pornography, which Dave had come to conclude was a copingmechanism for him to deal with his anxiety and depression. They got him a counselor whospecifically dealt with porn addiction, and that, coupled with his psychiatrist and psychologist,weekly talk therapy and antidepressants, seemed to be helping.

By the spring of 2014, he was back at Lone Peak to finish his senior year, taking a full load ofclasses and getting good grades. He’d even started to play his instruments again.

“He was pretty much back to normal. He seemed pretty darn happy,” Dave says.

On Easter Sunday, he even went back to church, the first time he’d done that in months. At afamily gathering at his grandparents’ home in Orem that night he had pulled out his ukulele,playing songs he’d made up to the delight of his cousins.

The next morning, Dave and Laurel, an elementary school teacher, got ready for work. Laurelchecked in on Jonny and he said he was getting ready for school and would leave soon.

But he didn’t go to school. That afternoon, he took his life.

In the time since Jonny’s death, Dave and Laurel have become outspoken advocates of suicideprevention. Dave can’t help but feel like Jonny’s story is part of a bigger puzzle, and that if hecan understand his son he can help others. “I feel like we did everything we could,” Dave Ellissays. In fact, mental health experts say the way they responded to Jonny’s mental health issuesis nearly textbook perfect. They didn’t just seek out a therapist; they found a psychiatrist and apsychologist who could make a proper diagnosis, come up with a treatment plan and get him

proper medication.

But there are some things Dave and his wife Laurel wish they’d done differently. Because theirneighborhood in Cedar Hills is so tightly knit, they kept Jonny’s struggles private.

“There’s stigma about depression and so I think we tried to hide what Jonny was going throughso people wouldn’t judge us,” Laurel says. “I wish we would’ve been more open about it.Knowing other people are going through something similar can be really helpful to someoneelse out there struggling.”

Around the time Bromley and Hudnall were trying to stop suicides at Lone Peak, a womannamed Suniya Luthar was in Palo Alto, California, studying two suicide clusters at a high schoolthere.

Since the 1990s, Luthar, a professor at Arizona State, has been researching the pressure teensoften feel in affluent communities. Parents are just part of the equation, she says: pressure istransmitted from the community as a whole. Coaches want state titles, guidance counselorspush elite colleges and teachers stress the importance of high test scores.

“These are kids who have been surrounded by affluence, with every opportunity, and so there’sthis idea: ‘I can therefore, I must,’” Luthar says. “I have to get into the best college, I have to takethose five AP courses. It’s within reach, and my parents have the resources to help me, so Imust.”

Parents and kids at Lone Peak told the Deseret News they felt similar pressures, but alsodifferent ones. Most kids want to get into BYU and sense that getting in will require at least a 30on the ACT, a 4.0 and high performance in extracurricular activities. On top of that, since mostare LDS they feel a pressure to go on a mission or marry in a Mormon temple.

“I think our school has a perfection problem,” a junior who plays lacrosse said.

“There are a lot of ultimatums here. Either you’re going to get into BYU or you’re going to behomeless. You’ve got to be varsity by your sophomore year, or you’re not athletic. There’s nogray area, no room for failure.”

Gordon Flett, a professor of psychiatry at York University in Toronto, says this tendency towardperfectionism is troubling, and his recent research has focused on the links betweenperfectionism and suicide. Flett stresses that perfectionism itself doesn’t lead to suicide, but it isan amplifier, and an underappreciated one at that.

What worries Flett most about perfectionists is their tendency to mask pain. At Penn State, whichhas had its own recent rash of suicides, they call it the Penn Face, which is acting happy evenwhen stressed out or depressed. At Stanford, they call it Duck Syndrome: A duck appears toglide calmly across the water, but below the surface it paddles frantically.

Kids I talked to at Lone Peak told me that while they often felt stressed, and figured most of theirfriends did too, they rarely talked about it.

This is worrisome to researchers like Luthar. In other affluent communities, kids often turn tosubstance abuse to deal with pressure. But in a tightly knit religious community wheresubstance abuse would only bring more guilt and shame, kids tend to internalize the pressuremore, and deal with it in other unhealthy ways — eating disorders, cutting, and in the most

extreme cases, suicide.

Luthar, Flett and others have several suggestions for parents. First, parents need to decouplepraise and love from achievement. If praise comes only when a child succeeds, love can feelconditional, like it depends on making the varsity basketball team, going on an LDS mission, orwhatever else the parent’s priorities may be.

Luthar has collected data from schools around the country, and in one study she asked kids torank their parents’ top five values from a list of 10. Half of the values were linked to achievement(attend a good college, get good grades) and half were linked to character (be honest, be kindto others). She found that the higher the emphasis parents put on achievement-related goals,the more likely kids were to be troubled.

“I tell parents to take a good hard look at themselves. What are your priorities, what are yourvalues? It’s often not what we think they are. And it’s not just in what you say to your kids, it’swhat you do. If I tell my son to not worry about grades, but I’m acting like my world will fall apart ifI don’t get a certain grant, or a promotion, that sends them a different message about my values,”Luthar said.

This doesn’t mean parents should avoid constructive feedback when a child fails. In fact,Hudnall thinks this is one of the main things parents can do to help their kids: teach them thatfailure is OK. Flett suggests sharing stories of times you’ve failed as a parent, and what youlearned from it.

“Oftentimes kids feel like they’re alone, that they’re the only ones experiencing this,” Flett said.“Talk to your kids about times you’ve made a mistake and felt ashamed and embarrassed. Talkto them about how famous people struggled before achieving something. If kids are feelinganxious or depressed, that’s pretty normal. It’s helpful to realize it’s not them, it’s the challengesand pressures of this time of life, and they’ll be just fine.”

On an unusually warm morning in November, I visited Bromley in her office. Pinning Bromleydown is difficult; she never seems to stop moving, and until she turned off the walkie talkie shewears on her hip, it didn’t stop squawking. And yet, the demands of her job didn’t seem to drainher. She was like a student body president who had just been elected, delighted at the tasksbefore her.

In the nearly two years since the school formed a Hope Squad and hired a full-time socialworker to serve as a therapist on campus, there hasn’t been a suicide. Bromley explained howhard they worked to integrate the therapist into the school and the community and how this hadhelped the school flag and screen for mental health issues, something national experts say is amust in prevention.

They also worked hard to decrease stigma around mental illness and failure. Not long ago, theschool held an event in which it drew a line across the gym floor and asked people who hadexperienced divorce or depression, a death, addiction or anything they might be hiding, to stepforward. By the end of it, everyone had crossed the line.

“The pressure is a real thing, and especially in communities where 95 percent are LDS, 90percent take seminary, and we send more to BYU than any school in the world. I’ll be honest,this can be a hard area to make a mistake in, it can be a hard area to come out and say you’retransgender or you have same-sex attraction, so some of these things that the kids are dealingwith we need to learn to help them,” Bromley said.

And yet, for all the focus on what Lone Peak did to address suicide and depression, she said itwas important to not lose sight that most kids were thriving. The school has the highest AP passrate in the state, a 95 percent graduation rate and 90 percent will go on to attend college.

A few weeks ago, a large group of Lone Peak students got on the southbound train at SouthJordan, heading home from the state football championship.

Lone Peak is a school of champions; as Dymock, the school therapist, said, these kids don'texperience failure, and it hits them hard. Based on the laughing and jostling among these LonePeak kids, it would be easy to assume they had won.

But they didn't win. Lone Peak led the whole game and lost in the final minutes.

Yet the kids crowding the aisles didn’t look dejected or depressed. They looked ebullient,resilient and buoyant.

They looked like they had their whole lives in front of them.

2016-12-15 02:00 Jesse Hyde www.deseretnews.com

241 /270 76.2 The neo-Nazi murder trial revealing Germany'sdarkest secrets

I n the beginning, they wereknown as die Dönermorde– the kebab murders. Thevictims had little incommon, apart fromimmigrant backgroundsand the modest businessesthey ran. The first to diewas Enver Şimşek, a 38-year-old Turkish-Germanman who ran a flower-import company in thesouthern German town ofNuremberg. On 9 September 2000, he was shot inside his van by two gunmen, and died inhospital two days later.

The following June, in the same city, 49-year-old Abdurrahim Özüdoğru was killed by two bulletswhile helping out after hours in a tailor’s shop. Two weeks later, in Hamburg, 500km north,Süleyman Taşköprü, 31, was shot three times and died in his greengrocer’s shop. Two monthslater, in August 2001, greengrocer Habil Kılıç, 38, was shot twice in his shop in the Munichsuburbs.

The crime scenes indicated that the killers favoured a particular execution method. Typically,several shots were fired at close range to the face. Most of the bullets were traced back to asingle weapon, a silenced Česká CZ 83 pistol. Police assumed that the professional method ofkilling, as well as the intimate nature of the murders – when they died, the victims werepresumably looking directly into the eyes of their killers – meant that the executions must have

been carried out by Turkish gangsters fighting out turf battles. No hard evidence eversubstantiated this theory. Nevertheless, the taskforce assigned by the German authorities to thecase was given the name “Bosphorus”.

The Bosphorus team tried to persuade the widow of Enver Şimşek, the first victim, to say that herhusband was connected to the Turkish mafia. They invented a false story of marital infidelity –that Şimşek was having an affair and had a secret family elsewhere – in the hope that her furywould lead her to reveal his non-existent underworld ties. She said nothing, but the policecontinued to waste time and resources attempting to prove the killings were the work of Turkishgangs.

Three years later, in 2004, Mehmet Turgut, 25, was murdered in a kebab shop in the city ofRostock on the Baltic coast. The next attack came later that year in the form of a pipe bombdetonated in the Keupstrasse area of Cologne – a part of town popular among Turkishimmigrants. Twenty-two people were wounded. In June 2005, İsmail Yaşar, 50, was shot in hiskebab shop in Nuremberg – the third murder in that city.

The following year, a 41-year-old Greek-German locksmith named Theodoros Boulgarides waskilled in his newly opened shop in Munich. He was the first victim without a Turkish background.In 2006, a kiosk vendor named Mehmet Kubaşık, 39, was shot in the western city of Dortmund.Only two days after that, Halit Yozgat, 21, was executed while sitting behind his desk in theinternet cafe he ran in the central German city of Kassel, 160km away.

The killings occurred in seven different cities across Germany , and were often separated bymonths or years. This made it difficult to connect them, though no one expected it to take until2006 for the authorities to grasp how they were related.

From the very start, the investigation was riddled with basic errors and faulty assumptions. First,at least two of the murders took place at locations close to police stations, which should havemade them unattractive sites for mafia executions. Then there was the problem of the two“Eastern-European-looking men” on bicycles whom eyewitnesses described leaving several ofthe crime scenes. More baffling still was a fact that surfaced during the investigation of HalitYozgat’s killing: a German intelligence agent had been inside the cafe when the murder tookplace – something he later neglected to report.

In 2006, Alexander Horn, a young police profiler who prepared a report on the case for theBosphorus team, began to cast doubts on the idea that the murders were connected to theTurkish mafia. In several cases, the victims were executed on days when they had broken withtheir daily routine, and were in places that no one could have predicted. It seemed moreplausible that the victims had been chosen randomly by the killers, rather than singled out forvengeance by professional hitmen.

By using the same weapon, the killers also appeared to be drawing attention to their crimes andunderlining the connection between them. Horn identified this as a typical tactic of far-rightgroups. Some officers were assigned to pursue this lead, but the focus of the investigationremained on the police’s initial theory. The media continued to refer to the killings as dieDönermorde.

I n November 2011, more than a decade after the first murder, DVDs containing a curiousrecording were dropped off at the offices of several German newspapers. They featured adoctored episode of the 1960s cartoon series, the Pink Panther, which appeared to be amessage from the killers. For the first few minutes, the Pink Panther strolls around a city, where

he sees a poster calling on citizens to “Stand with your country” and “Stand with your people”.Accompanied by the jaunty chords of Henry Mancini’s theme song, the character bombs agrocery store – then the video cuts to news footage of a shop that had been similarly attacked inCologne in 2001.

The Pink Panther lounges on his couch and watches television news clips about the so-calledDönermorde. The clips flickering on his cartoon television are of real news reports from themurder scenes, with gruesome photographs of the victims. The Pink Panther’s eyes glaze overwith boredom at how long it takes the German public to realise who is behind them. With a huffof impatience, the narrator indicates a sign on the screen: the murders, the video suggests, arethe work of a group calling itself the National Socialist Underground (NSU).

By the time the German press was puzzling over the Pink Panther video, the investigators’ focushad finally narrowed to a cluster of extreme rightwing groups operating in the country. Theauthorities had still not figured out how to find the killers, but their confusion was brought to anabrupt end on 4 November 2011, when two men used bicycles in a bank robbery in Eisenach, atown in the central German state of Thuringia. After the robbery, they loaded the bikes into arented camper van.

After a tip-off, police found the vehicle nearby, and surrounded it with officers. The two men hada vast stockpile of guns and ammunition inside the vehicle, but they did not try to fight their wayout. Instead, according to investigators, they chose to kill themselves and set fire to the van. (Anofficial report later concluded that one of the men had set the van alight, killed the other and thenhimself.)

The bodies were identified as those of Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt, two longstanding buthitherto unremarkable members of Germany’s enduring far-right scene, who had escaped thepolice with their friend Beate Zschäpe 13 years earlier. Even before identifying the corpses,investigators had found in their van the gun of a murdered police officer, Michèle Kiesewetter,whose killing five years earlier had never been solved.

Two days after the death of Mundlos and Böhnhardt, Zschäpe called the police in the Thuringiancity of Jena. “Beate Zschäpe here,” she said. “I’m the one you’re here for.” The local authoritiesdid not immediately grasp the significance of the call, even though more than a decade earlierthe police had searched for all three in connection with a series of smaller crimes. Germanintelligence services had also been keeping tabs on the rightwing radical scene that Zschäpewas a part of, but had lost track of her, along with Mundlos and Böhnhardt when they wentunderground.

The three had been living together in the town of Zwickau in the an apartment that Zschäpeburned down after she learned of the deaths of Mundlos and Böhnhardt. When police latersearched the scorched apartment, they found newspaper clippings about the murders of theTurkish-German businessmen, copies of the Pink Panther DVD, and the Česká pistol. This wasearly evidence that linked Mundlos, Böhnhardt, and Zschäpe to the murders that had first beeninvestigated by the Bosphorus group.

O n 11 April 2013, after two years of sensationalist speculation about the NSU in the Germanpress, Zschäpe appeared for the first time in a Munich courtroom, charged with nine murders, anattack on police that included a murder, and two attempted murders by bombing. Four other menalso stand accused of providing support to the NSU.

Rather than investigating how far-right killers could have operated undetected for so long, most

of the German media opted for lurid coverage of the NSU, insisting that it consisted of only threepeople. Der Spiegel took the lead with a cover story dedicated to “ice-cold precision” of what itcalled the “Brown Army Faction”, with photographs that portrayed Zschäpe, Mundlos andBöhnhardt as natural-born killers, ready for their Hollywood close-ups. For the media, it wasBonnie and Clyde and Clyde – offering the salacious possibility of a murderous menage a trois.The German tabloid Bild ran the headline “The Devil has dressed up,” after Zschäpe appearedat the opening of the trial in a trouser-suit, jewellery and freshly dyed hair.

Zschäpe, now 41, has been sitting in court every weekday morning in Munich for the past threeyears, but she has revealed almost nothing – despite the urgent pleas of the families of thevictims. While she claims that she now understands that Mundlos and Böhnhardt had conductedbank robberies and killings, she claims not to have known anything about their plans oractivities while she lived with them. “They had become my family,” she said. Her plea is notguilty.

But the significance of the trial is far larger than what Zschäpe did or did not know about thekilling spree. Germany’s sense of itself is also on trial. The findings of the prosecution suggestthat Germany, a nation that prides itself on having confronted the dark recesses of its past withunique diligence, has left a thriving underground culture of rightwing extremism untouched.

Alternative für Deutschland – the first far-right populist party in Germany to enjoy sustainedelectoral success since the second world war – is only the latest in a series of symptoms of awidespread animosity toward the postwar liberal consensus. Darker currents of discontent areopenly displayed on the internet – and on newsstands and television, where rightwingarguments have increasingly found favour.

The German government has been content to write off the NSU as a stand-alone terror cell ofsociopaths – an unfortunate, but exceptional recrudescence of a political syndrome that thecountry has long since inoculated itself against. However, the NSU murder investigation andZschäpe’s trial suggest that the organisation may have been carefully supported and protectedby elements of the state itself.

T he first thing to understand about the National Socialist Underground is that it was never reallyunderground. Beate Zschäpe first met Uwe Mundlos when they were teenagers, at an after-school youth club in Jena, a renowned university town, perched on the slate mountains of theformer East German eastern state of Thuringia. It was 1991 and many East Germans were stillfeeling the shock of the fall of the Berlin Wall and acutely aware of how much they lacked incomparison to their western neighbours.

The youth club is still there today, set in a strip of single-storey buildings on a quiet street withdramatic views of the surrounding valleys. When we visited the neighbourhood earlier this year,it seemed normal enough: well-maintained apartment blocks, playgrounds full of children, directtrams to the city centre. A new school was being built across the street from the youth club, withplacards advertising places for the children of asylum seekers.

There were a few ominous signs, though, such as the German flags that were hanging from afew high-rise balconies. Anywhere else, they would be an innocuous show of patriotism, but inthis part of Germany the flag can send a different signal. Thuringia has long been one of theheartlands of Germany’s radical right. In the 1990s, the youth club was a focal point in theemerging far-right scene. Former supervisors at the club remember turning a blind eye – for fearof losing the trust of the cool kids – when teenagers gave each other birthday party invitationswith small swastikas on them. At her trial, Zschäpe described meeting and falling in love with

Mundlos during her adolescence in the late 1980s. Then on her 19th birthday, she met and fellin love with Mundlos’s friend, Uwe Böhnhardt, who was even more committed to the rightwingextremist cause.

Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, to become a neo-Nazi in East Germany was a form of youthfulrebellion against the state. What better way to antagonise communist elites than to paradearound as their old enemy? After 1989 and the fall of the wall, neo-Nazism became a conduit forrage against the pieties – and the perceived humiliations and betrayals – of the newly unifiedFederal Republic of Germany. West Germany’s identity had long been bound up with itsproductivity and wealth in comparison to East Germany. Meanwhile, its politicians andintellectuals embraced what the country’s leading philosopher, Jürgen Habermas, called“Constitutional patriotism”. It would be an identity based on a shared commitment to ideas ratherthan one founded on blood.

This new West German identity was something Zschäpe, Mundlos and Böhnhardt fiercelyrejected. But there was nothing in their backgrounds that made them particularly susceptible torightwing extremism. Zschäpe’s childhood does not appear to have been especially tumultuous,though she had a troubled relationship with her mother. (Zschäpe never met her biologicalfather, who was Romanian.) The backgrounds of the two men are even further from thestereotype of the backward, resentful easterner. Böhnhardt’s father worked as an engineer andhis mother as a teacher; Mundlos’s father was an IT professor at the Jena University of AppliedSciences. The parents treated their children’s developing interest in Nazi history and knick-knacks as a passing phase. (Although Zschäpe’s mother later reported that she was concernedwhen she heard that Mundlos’s grandfather collected Nazi curios.)

“Their experience was far from unique,” said Martin Debes, a journalist for the ThüringerAllgemeine newspaper, who grew up in Jena at the same time as Zschäpe and the two Uwes.“But in the youth scene at the time you often had to choose: become a neo-Nazi or a punk.”

Zschäpe started out as a punk, joining a nominally leftwing group known as “the Ticks” that gotinto fights with local neo-Nazis. But at the Jena youth club Mundlos and Böhnhardt encouragedher to switch sides, and in a few years the three of them had joined the flourishing neo-Naziscene in the newly reunified Germany. They devoted weekends to battling leftwing punks in thestreets and attending concerts of far-right bands such as Türkenjäger (“Turk hunter”) andEndsieg (“Final Victory”). Some of their early stunts included touring the former grounds ofBuchenwald while dressed up in self-tailored SS uniforms, and inventing a board game called“Pogromly”, which rewarded players for sending as many Jews as possible to concentrationcamps.

T he fall of the Berlin Wall offered East German neo-Nazis a new focus for their rage. As Turkish-Germans and Germans of other backgrounds began moving into the east, there were flare-upsand violence. Kebab stalls that sprung up in the tiniest towns of Thuringia became regulartargets for young neo-Nazis. In September 1991, rightwing extremists attacked housing facilitiesfor asylum seekers in Hoyerswerda, a town 200km east of Jena in the state of Saxony. Theattacks were the start of a new brand of violence throughout Germany. During a three-day riot inthe city of Rostock on the Baltic coast in August 1992, several thousand people surrounded ahigh-rise asylum shelter and watched while neo-Nazis threw Molotov cocktails through thewindows. The building’s Vietnamese and Roma inhabitants barely survived by fleeing to theroof, and passing their babies up the stairs along a human chain.

The attacks were not confined to the former East Germany. On the night of 22 November 1992,

neo-Nazis set fire to two houses of Turkish families in Mölln, a small town in the north-westernstate of Schleswig-Holstein. Two girls and a 51-year-old woman died in the flames. Nine otherswere seriously injured. In 1993, skinheads in Solingen, a town outside Cologne, set fire to thehome of a Turkish family, killing five people, including three children.

This violence seemed senseless and random, but it was effective. All the major political partiesof the time bowed to pressure applied by rightwing extremists. Helmut Kohl’s conservativecoalition government called for new limits on immigration. In 1992 and 1993, his expandedcoalition, with support from the Social Democratic party, changed the German constitution tolimit the country’s obligation to admit asylum seekers. The far-right rejoiced at finding itsarguments winning the day on mainstream TV.

For Zschäpe, Mundlos and Böhnhardt this was apparently not enough. After their early years ofsmall-time crime, investigators claim that they began trying to build homemade bombs. InJanuary 1998 the police, tipped off by an anonymous source, searched Böhnhardt’s garage inJena and discovered 1.4kg of TNT – enough to destroy a car. By the time an arrest warrant wasissued later that day, Böhnhardt had fled Jena. Soon after, Zschäpe and Mundlos joined him inhiding in the city of Zwickau, 200 miles to the east.

During their decade on the run, Zschäpe, Böhnhardt and Mundlos worked odd jobs and inshops that sold Nazi paraphernalia under the counter. At the trial, Zschäpe has been accused ofhelping the two men supplement their income with a series of bank robberies, which the threefriends carried out together in a number of towns in Thuringia and Mecklenburg-West-Pomerania between 1999 and 2011. Sometimes they entered wearing gorilla masks,sometimes masks from the movie Scream. Their trusted escape method was allegedly to ridebicycles to a nearby rented van, in which they waited until the search for them had ended. TheGerman police managed to link the robberies to each other, but not to Zschäpe, Böhnhardt andMundlos.

The three fugitives showed few signs of concern about their possible capture. They used fakeIDs and rented their apartment under aliases, but took few precautions beyond that. Neighboursfed their cats when they were away, and it appears that friends visited each week when theywere home, sometimes bringing their children. With patience and an almost languid sense ofimpunity, Zschäpe and the two Uwes allegedly conducted the longest, and most intricate,political killing spree in postwar German history.

W hen we visited the Munich courtroom earlier this year, all eyes were trained on Zschäpe, whostared at her laptop and seemed more worried about running out of the crate of coconut watershe had brought to the trial than anything that might happen there. With her neat long hair andsignature trouser-suit, she appeared deeply at ease, smiling like a professional model for a briefpress photo session, before she settled back among the lawyers, from whom she is almostindistinguishable.

In the press and visitors’ spectator booth, set behind glass above the courtroom, conspiracy-theorists, bloggers, newspaper reporters, and law students studying the trial all sit together –alongside a few loyal Zschäpe groupies. (The most notorious of Zschäpe’s fans, Anders Breivik,the extreme-rightwing Norwegian terrorist, sent her a letter of solidarity from prison in 2012.)

Zschäpe originally chose her defence lawyers on the basis of their martial-sounding surnames:Sturm (“Storm”), Stahl (“Steel”), and Heer (“Army”), but she soon turned against them. Four yearsinto the trial, she has finally found a young lawyer she likes. The two whisper and smile duringthe court proceedings. The main judge at the trial, Manfred Götzl, has ordered the state lawyers

she fired to remain in the courtroom because their departure could be grounds for an appeal: hewants to fend off any claim by Zschäpe that her current lawyer does not have full knowledge ofthe trial. Sturm, Stahl, and Heer sit a few chairs down from Zschäpe in what appears a state ofpermanent listlessness. Behind Zschäpe sits Ralf Wohlleben, a neo-Nazi accused of providingBöhnhardt and Mundlos with the Česká pistol used in the murders. His lawyer, NicoleSchneiders, first appeared in police reports on the extreme right when she was just 16 years old.The members of the extreme-right have taken up different, coordinated positions in the Munichcourtroom. The lawyers and the accused sit side by side, and greet each other with kisses onthe cheek.

The prosecution has decided to treat Zschäpe’s case strictly as a murder trial. She is essentiallycharged with being the last surviving member of the group of three who are assumed to beresponsible for the killings. The task of the trial, in this view, is simply to clarify whether – and towhat degree – she was involved with the killings. There has been little effort on the part of theinvestigators and prosecutors to determine whether other rightwing extremists were involved.

When one considers the level of local knowledge required to carry out these murders in severaldifferent German states – the detailed knowledge of getaway routes at the various crime scenes,the massive stockpile of weapons, the professionally forged fake IDs, not to mention the cost ofthese operations – the question of how the NSU could have operated without the support of amuch larger network of sympathisers is unavoidable. Yet the prosecution appears at pains not toaddress this question.

Still, despite its slow-moving procedures and its limited scope, the proceedings have provided asuccession of strange revelations about the workings of the German state intelligence agency,known as the BfV, which have led to allegations that elements within the agency either turned ablind eye to the NSU murders or supported the group’s aims.

In summer 2013, Andreas Temme, the BfV agent who was inside Halit Yozgat’s internet cafe inKassel when Yozgat was murdered, testified that he did not hear the silenced shots, nor did henotice the sprinkles of blood on the counter where he placed his payment in coins when he left.Spectators of the Munich trial agree that one of the most searing moments of the trial came whenYozgat’s father described how he found his dying son. It was impossible, he said, that Temmecould have left the cafe without seeing the dead body behind the counter. “Why did you kill myson? What did he do to you?” he shouted at Zschäpe and Wohlleben in the courtroom.

Temme, who denies any involvement, said that it was simply a coincidence he was in the cafe atthe time of the murder and that he had been surfing dating websites. (“I was in the wrong placeat the wrong time,” he said in an interview on German public television in July 2012.) When thepolice rounded up all those who were present at the scene of the murder, Temme did not comeforward. After he was tracked down, Temme claimed that he did not volunteer any informationbecause he was worried that his wife would discover his online proclivities. Yozgat’s father wonapproving nods from many in the audience at the trial when he declared: “We all know this manis lying.”

One of the prosecution’s witnesses, a policeman from the village where Temme grew up,testified that in his youth, Temme was known as “Little Adolf”. When the local police tried to digdeeper into allegations that Temme had a personal library of Nazi literature and weaponsmanuals, the interior minister of the state of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, shielded him from furtherinvestigations and from the press. Bouffier, who is now the prime minister of Hesse, argued atthe time that it was necessary to protect Temme in order to “guarantee the protection of

undercover agents”. The brazenness of Temme’s testimony ignited anger in the German pressabout the BfV’s prerogatives, but it has since mostly subsided. Temme has meanwhile retiredfrom the BfV, but continues to draw his pension.

G ermany’s domestic intelligence service is charged with protecting the national constitution –from both foreign threats and domestic extremism on the left and right. But its record with regardto the latter has not always been stellar. After a notorious failure to infiltrate rightwing extremistgroups with undercover agents in the 1980s – the plot involved the BfV creating anunconvincing motorcycle gang – it has tended to use paid informants who are already deeplyentrenched in extremist milieus.

In the case of the country’s far-right scene – whose membership the BfV estimates to number23,850 as of last year – these informants are not simply turncoats who make some money on theside by giving tips to police. Instead, they are lavishly groomed sources who are developed overlong periods, promised legal protection, and plied with funds that elevate their status in themovement.

By distributing cash to their informants, the BfV has hoped to create a paper trail that maps outconnections between the far right across Germany. But in practice, this dispersal of money hasalso nurtured rightwing groups, providing them with a level of funding they would not have beenable to obtain from their genuine followers. “There’s no question [that the] BfV overdid thefinancing of informants during the early 1990s,” said Hajo Funke, a professor of politics at theFree University of Berlin, who is the author of a book on the NSU.

Before he was imprisoned in 2014, Tino Brandt, the man who first welcomed Zschäpe,Böhnhardt and Mundlos into the rightwing extremist scene in Jena, openly boasted to Germanpublic television that the state had given him 200,000 Deutsche Marks (roughly €100,000) in theearly 1990s to print flyers and organise concerts and demonstrations. For his fellow neo-Nazisin Thuringia, Brandt’s work as a paid informant was an open secret. He never gave the stateuseful information, but his funds made organisational growth and the recruitment of young neo-Nazis possible. (Brandt himself was never tried for his connections to the NSU and far-rightviolence, but was sentenced to five-and-a-half-years in prison on 66 counts of child sexualabuse and child prostitution.)

In March, Judge Götzl took an hour to explain to the courtroom that the task of the NSU trial issimply to judge the accused, not to investigate what German intelligence agents knew or did.The following month, Götzl rejected a petition from lawyers representing the victims’ families tointroduce a witness who was a BfV informant in Zwickau at the time of the first killings, when healmost certainly knew the members of the NSU.

Ralph Marschner, an avowed neo-Nazi and a former singer in a skinhead band called West-Saxon Riff-Raff, was a paid informant for the BfV between 2000 and 2002. During these years,he lived around the corner from Zschäpe, Mundlos and Böhnhardt. “Marschner was the mainNeo-Nazi in Zwickau, which is a relatively small town,” says Dirk Laabs, an expert on the NSU.

But when a government commission that was reviewing the NSU investigation tried to obtainMarschner’s file, it was told by a public prosecutor in Saxony that “a flood has destroyed the file”.According to Funke, Marschner is one of the most important witnesses, because he “proves thatthe BfV almost certainly would have known about the two Uwes and Beate, either directlythrough Marschner, or by monitoring his activities”. (Marschner, who is currently living inSwitzerland, has refused to comment on the case to the press.)

Earlier this year, Marschner’s files and his long-lost mobile phone suddenly reappeared in theBfV inventory, and were handed over to the prosecution. The Munich courtroom learned thatwhen Marschner was working as a paid informant for the BfV, he probably employed Mundlos inhis construction company. It also seems likely that Zschäpe worked in his clothing shop, Heavenand Hell, which sold Nazi T-shirts and paraphernalia under the counter. The exact nature ofZschäpe’s work for Marschner remains remarkably unclear. These connections makeMarschner a critical witness for the prosecution. And yet Judge Götzl has dismissed the effort toexplore his role, describing his alleged employment of two NSU members as “irrelevant”.

According to Bilgin Ayata, a professor of political sociology at the University of Basel, who hasresearched the case and the trial, these omissions are typical of the state’s unwillingness toexamine the more disturbing implications of the NSU murders. “Instead of acknowledging theinstitutional racism that the case reveals,” Ayata said, “the state has presented its investigationsas a series of unfortunate mishaps”.

Z schäpe’s trial is the most significant courtroom showdown in Germany since the trial of theBaader-Meinhof gang – a radical-left terrorist group also known as the Red Army Faction, whotargeted US military installations, conservative media outlets and German corporations in the1970s. Both cases go to the heart of Germany’s identity in postwar Europe. In the Baader-Meinhof case, the question was whether German youth were willing to be integrated intowestern capitalism, and whether the German state would lapse back into a form ofauthoritarianism. In the Zschäpe trial, it is a question of how far Germany really is from becominga nation of immigrants and how far the values of tolerance have penetrated society.

“The Red Army Faction wanted to bring down the German state,” said Hajo Funke. “Thedifference this time is that the National Socialist Underground got some help from part of thestate.”

The head of the BfV, Heinz Fromm, resigned in 2012 while facing public pressure over themishandling of the NSU investigation, but he never mentioned the reason for stepping down,nor has the BfV admitted any improprieties.

Instead, BfV officials have strenuously guarded their sources and intelligence from both thenormal police and from a special federal commission that was established in 2012 to probelapses in the NSU investigation. But critics of the federal commission allege that it has alsofailed to dig deeper into the inconsistencies in the case. “The Federal Examination Commissionhas chosen not to question the claim that the NSU was confined to three people,” said BilginAyata.

The BfV has long been regarded as right-leaning: it was founded after the second world war bythe Americans, who welcomed Nazis and former Gestapo members into its ranks. Its missionwas to spy on and root out the KPD, as the German communist party was known, as well asmembers of the Social Democratic party. The first head of the organisation, Otto John, defectedto East Germany in 1954, citing the overwhelming number of Nazis in the organisation. Hissuccessor was Hubert Schrübbers, a former member of the SS. Under Schrübbers’ supervision,the German communist party was finally banned in 1956, based on allegedly incriminatingmaterials turned up by the BfV. Major German political parties – such as the Left party and theGreens – have long called for the abolition of the BfV.

For now, neither police nor trial investigators have the right to subpoena BfV documents thatmay contain vital evidence about the NSU killings.

There are still many mysteries about the true extent of the seven-year killing spree – mostnotably the circumstances of the final murder, of the police officer Michèle Kiesewetter, whichdid not fit the pattern of the others. The prosecution has accused Mundlos and Böhnhardt ofattacking two police officers on duty in the town of Heilbronn in April 2007: Kiesewetter, age 22,was killed instantly; her duty-partner survived but has no memory of the attack.

A nightly news report about the murder scene appears at the end of the Pink Panther video, andtraces of Kiesewetter’s DNA were found among the charred remains of the Zwickau apartmentthat Zschäpe set on fire. But a different type of gun was used for Kiesewetter’s murder, andwitnesses at the scene describe more than two people running away from the scene with bloodon their clothes. Local police have declared these witnesses unreliable, and stated that onlyMundlos and Böhnhardt were involved in the murder. But their reason for killing a police officerremains unknown, and the possible presence of others at the crime scene has further stokedfears that the NSU was not an organisation of only three people.

“For the commissions and for the trial, the [size of the] NSU is a fait accompli,” Ayata said. “Theyignore the questions that nag at the migrant communities in Germany: Are they still here? Arethey still killing?”

A t a public commemoration of the victims of the NSU murders at the Konzerthaus Berlin in2012, Angela Merkel asked for forgiveness on behalf of the investigators who had insisted thatthe victims were entangled in the Turkish mafia. “As chancellor, I will do everything I can to clearup the murders and uncover the accomplices and supporters, and bring all of the perpetrators tojustice,” she said. But her government is hesitant to probe more deeply into the more troublingelements of the case, and of the rightwing extremist scene that continues to flourish in Germany.

There is a telling contrast between the laxness of Zschäpe’s trial and the professionalism of theconcurrent prosecution of the so-called “last” Nazi, Reinhold Hanning, a 94-year-old formerAuschwitz guard. Hanning’s trial was swiftly wrapped up in four months, and he was sentencedto five years in prison for “facilitating slaughter” at the extermination camp. It seems thatGermany may be more comfortable trying former Nazis than current ones. More than three yearsinto Zschäpe’s trial, the panel of judges now seems bored; they take frequent recesses andappear to have lost interest in key witnesses.

Where German officials have feared to tread, dramatists have rushed in. The NSU murders havealready been the subject of several films and plays, including a miniseries that aired on Germanpublic television, and a play by the Austrian Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek.

But theatrical versions of the trial cannot capture the complexity of the case, which seemsimpossible for anyone to fully grasp – especially when so much information still remains secret.Even the numerous fact-finding commissions established to review the botched investigationhave had trouble assembling an accurate version of events. Most of the commissions have noauthority to visit and search the BfV files. Instead they request files of interest, which the BfVdelivers abridged and redacted. “We haven’t been granted the power to seize their files,” saidPetra Pau, a parliamentarian for the Left party and a member of the federal commission lookinginto the case. “Not to mention the files they may have already shredded.”

One core problem is that too many expectations have been heaped on a trial that cannot bearthem all. The victims’ families want justice and redemption, the judge wants no loose ends thatcould be grounds for a retrial, migrant communities want to know if they are safe from futureattacks and terrorism, and political activists want to know whether the BfV was involved in acover-up.

New pressure from Merkel’s government would be necessary to force BfV operatives tocooperate as witnesses. But there have been no steps in this direction. Meanwhile, the refugeecrisis has fuelled Alternative für Deutschland’s rise to double digits in the polls, while hostilitytowards foreigners has become openly acceptable.

The German ministry of the interior counted around 14,000 far-right-related crimes in 2015,about 30% more than in the previous year. By April 2016, police counted three attacks per dayagainst housing facilities for asylum seekers. Last year, a small group – one woman and twomen – threw a molotov cocktail into a Zimbabwean child’s bedroom at an asylum centre inLower Saxony. The savage anti-immigrant climate of the 1990s is making a return.

“The National Socialist Underground still has members out there,” said Petra Pau. “The questionis only how many.”

• Follow the Long Read on Twitter at @gdnlongread , or sign up to the long read weekly emailhere .

2016-12-15 01:59 Thomas Meaney www.theguardian.com

242 /270 1.0 Apex gang leaves abandoned Geelong factory covered

in graffiti as vandals target it ‘every other night’'There could be fluorides, therecould be cyanide, and therecould be a whole host of otherthings there,' the neighboursaid. 'The asbestos is in thefactory roof, which hascollapsed in six areas, it’s lyingon the ground and the wind isblowing it into all theneighbouring factories.' Threearmed men, aged 34, 37 and46 were caught on December6 allegedly stealing files andpaperwork containing

personal details of past staff. Another neighbour, Darrin Hill, said nearby residents stopped themby blocking the driveway with a truck and calling police. Apex is usually active in Melbourne butincidents potentially linked to the African gang are increasing in the city to the 75 kilometressouthwest. Less than five months ago, four teenagers allegedly went on a spree of homeinvasions, car thefts and carjackings in Geelong. They on July 20 allegedly broke into a 72-year-old's house while he was home and stole his car, then led police on a wild chase before policeroad spikes stopped them. The gang members were then accused of forcing a pregnant womanoff the road and stealing her car, leaving her by the side of the road.

2016-12-15 01:58 Nic White www.dailymail.co.uk

243 /270

243 /270 1.8 2 Cebu police chiefs lose posts

CEBU CITY — Two morepolice chiefs in theprovince of Cebu havebeen stripped of their posts.Relieved were Chief Insp.Jaime Santillan of Barilitown and Senior Insp.Andres Alpas, police chiefsof Alcantara.

“They were not performingwell. I need stationcommanders who areaggressive,” said SeniorSupt. Eric Noble, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).

Noble appointed spouses Senior Inspectors Jose Angelo and Rosemarie Acupinpin as the newstation commanders of Barili and Alcantara.

Noble said he would relieve other station commanders not performing well in their campaignagainst illegal drugs.

The CPPO director earlier replaced the four police chiefs on Camotes Islands for their failure toaddress the illegal drugs problem in their areas.

“It is better to replace police station chiefs who are not performing well otherwise I will be theone who will be relieved from my post,” Noble said. CBB

2016-12-15 00:00 Ador Vincent newsinfo.inquirer.net

244 /270 3.9 Suicides reported in India after death of Jayalalithaa

JayaramNEW DELHI — The governing party of thesouthern state of Tamil Nadu said lastweek that nearly 300 of its followers hadcommitted suicide or died of shock anddespair upon learning of the death of theparty’s leader, Jayalalithaa Jayaram. ...

2016-12-15 01:49 system article.wn.com

245 /270

245 /270 3.3 How to watch

tonight's Detroit RedWings-Los AngelesKings game

Detroit Red Wings (13-13-4, 30 points) vs. LosAngeles Kings (14-12-2, 30points)

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Joe Louis Arena,Detroit.

TV: Fox Sports Detroit.

Radio: 97.1 FM ( List ofRed Wings' radio affiliates )Game notes: Detroit has lost three in a row, with all three at the Joe, including a 4-1 loss toArizona on Tuesday. Henrik Zetterberg called the start “embarrassing” and Niklas Kronwallcalled it “unacceptable. The Wings have scored two goals in those three games. ... After a five-game winning streak in late November, the Kings are 2-3-1 over their past six games, includinga 6-3 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday. Veteran center Jeff Carter leads L. A. in goals (14) and points(24).

► St. James : Floundering Wings have to show their resolve

► Related : Wings' visit to Children's Hospital both 'great and tough'

► Related : Blashill 'didn't give it to' Wings after loss to Coyotes

Twitter updates

On mobile? Tap here for live updates.

2016-12-15 01:41 Marlowe Alter rssfeeds.freep.com

246 /270 1.5 Shorthanded Rebels play big in win over Incarnate

WordL. E. Baskow

Incarnate Word power guard Jalin Hart (1) has a shot rejected by UNLV guard Jalen Poyser (5)

during their game at the Thomas & MackCenter on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016.

By Mike Grimala ( contact )

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016 | 9:30 p.m.

Leading up to Wednesday's home gameagainst Incarnate Word, UNLV coach MarvinMenzies said he wasn't sure how his teamwould bounce back from a 49-point loss toDuke just days earlier. As it turned out, itwas a delayed reaction, as the Rebelsstarted slow but came to life in the secondhalf to pull away for a somewhat cathartic

92-64 win.

Senior forward Tyrell Green sparked the second-half surge by scoring 15 of his team-high 21points after the break. He made 8-of-14 shots from the field and also pulled down 10 reboundsto notch his first career double-double.

The Rebels played without injured frontcourt stalwarts Christian Jones (ankle) and DwayneMorgan (shoulder), but the freshman fill-ins more than held their own. Cheickna Dembele gothis first career start and produced a career-high 13 points and seven rebounds, while first-yearhigh flyer Troy Baxter pitched in with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

UNLV took a 38-30 lead into halftime thanks to a Jovan Mooring one-man run that saw thejunior guard score the Rebels' final eight points. Green took over from there, drilling 5-of-9 shotsin the second half as UNLV outscored Incarnate Word 54-34 over the final 20 minutes.

It took a while, but the Rebels found their groove.

"We knew that we had to really lock in," Green said. "This was a gut-check game for us...Everyone was focused and ready to go. We need that same mindset and everyone locked in forSaturday. "

Saturday will see UNLV take on a ranked team for the second time in seven days, as they faceNo. 23 Oregon at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. Menzies said he doesn't expect eitherJones or Morgan to be able to suit up for that game, so the Rebels will likely turn to Dembele astheir starting center again. The 6-foot-11 Mali native played well against the smaller IncarnateWord front line, converting a pair of impressive and-1 finishes and making 5-of-9 shots from thefield before fouling out in 20 minutes.

Not bad for a freshman who had just 33 total minutes of playing time entering the game.

"He played great," Green said. "We're going to need that from him, obviously with [Jones] out. Sohe's going to be a big part of this team. He knows that he's going to have to go down there andfinish. He's been doing a good job. He's only a freshman, but he's just going to get better andbetter every game with more confidence. "

The Rebels' lethargic start allowed Incarnate Word to jump out to a 16-14 lead with 8:33remaining in the first half, but Mooring's spurt helped bring some energy to the proceedings.

UNLV came out of the locker room playing a much livelier brand of ball, as good ball movementled to three quick 3-pointers (two from Kris Clyburn , one from Green) to help widen the margin.After posting seven assists to nine turnovers in the first half, the Rebels bounced back with 11assists and just four turnovers in the second half as they averaged a robust 1.31 points perpossession over the final 20 minutes.

"It was one of those games where you feel a little antsy as a coach," Menzies said. "We bettercome out and perform, because it was an unacceptable performance last time... So I'm relievedto see that they responded, but we've still got a ways to go to be the type of team that we want tobe. "

Sophomore guard Jalen Poyser had a quiet night, as he came in averaging more than 17 pointsper game but notched just five points (1-of-4 field goals) in 29 minutes. It was the first time thisseason Poyser failed to hit double figures, but he did contribute a team-high five assists, and hewas part of a perimeter rotation that limited Incarnate Word leading scorer Shawn Johnson (19.2points per game) to just four points on 1-of-8 shooting.

UNLV is now 6-4 on the season. After Saturday’s game at Oregon, the Rebels will wrap up thenon-conference portion of their schedule with home games against Southern Illinois (Dec. 19)and Kansas (Dec. 22).

2016-12-15 01:30 By Mike lasvegassun.com

247 /270 0.7 In New York, attacks on women with head scarves

raise alarmsOne woman is a decoratedofficer of the New YorkPolice Department,commended two years agofor running into a burningbuilding to save a baby.

Another is a 45-year-oldemployee of theMetropolitan TransportationAuthority who wascommuting to work on thesubway wearing heruniform.

They are among a rising number of Muslim women who say they have been assaulted in recentdays in New York, renowned as the melting pot of America, and until recently vaunted as one ofthe most immigrant-friendly places in the world.

The off-duty police officer, Aml Elsokary, was parking her car near her home in Brooklyn onSaturday evening when she saw a tall white man with a pit bull shoving her son, who had justgotten out of the car.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called for increased police protection of local

mosques after letters that threatened the genocide of Muslims and praised President-electDonald Trump were sent to multiple California mosques this week.

The letters were sent to the Islamic Center of...

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called for increased police protection of localmosques after letters that threatened the genocide of Muslims and praised President-electDonald Trump were sent to multiple California mosques this week.

The letters were sent to the Islamic Center of...

“ ISIS bitch, I will cut your throat. Go back to your country!” the man yelled at her, beforeloosening the pit bull’s leash and instructing the dog to “sic her.”

The following day, a 36-year-old neighbor, identified as Christopher Nelson, was arrested andcharged with aggravated harassment, a hate crime, according to police.

“I was sick to my stomach when I heard that one of our officers was subjected to threats andtaunting simply because of her faith,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Dec. 5 at a newsconference with Elsokary to discuss a recent spate of the crimes. “There’s been a huge uptick inhate crimes. It’s very troubling.”

Elsokary, a 15-year veteran of the police force, wears a scarf under her police cap.

“I became a police officer to show the positive side of a New Yorker, Muslim woman that can dothis job, that is non-biased. I help everybody, no matter what’s your religion, what’s your faith,what you do in New York,’’ she said at the news conference.

New York police report that hate crimes have more than doubled compared with this time lastyear. There were 42 incidents from the Nov. 8 election until Dec. 4, compared with 19 in thesame period in 2015. More than half of the incidents have been directed against Jews – many ofthem involving swastika graffiti. Four incidents of anti-Muslim harassment were logged by police,although it appears there are many more that were not reported.

“Most of the people I know don’t report. They feel humiliated and don’t want to call the police,”said Rana Abdelhamid, 23, a Queens-born daughter of Egyptian immigrants. Now a graduatestudent at Harvard University , Abdelhamid started a social media project called Hijabis of NewYork two years ago to support women who wear the head covering in the city.

Abdelhamid was one of the organizers of a small candlelight vigil Dec. 6 in Washington SquarePark. Afterward, the participants retreated to a cafe where they recounted the many times theywere harassed for wearing a hijab.

For Abdelhamid, the first time was when she was 15 and a man crept up behind her and pulledoff her scarf. The second time was just a few weeks ago when she was walking in Queens. “Whyare you wearing that costume?” someone yelled at her. “Go back to wear you came from.”

Abdelhamid didn’t report the incident because she wasn’t physically touched, but she said it lefther shaken and in tears.

“It is hard to explain the trauma you feel when you come face to face with somebody who has somuch hatred for you,” Abdelhamid said.

Abdelhamid believes the harassment now is worse than even after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacksby Al Qaeda militants. In recent weeks, she has started to wrap her scarf like a turban over herhead when she has to take the subway.

“It makes it look less hijab-like and more like a fashion statement,” she said.

Many women find themselves caught between the spiritual imperative to cover their heads andthe practicalities of transportation. The New York subways, where strangers are forced into anunaccustomed intimacy, have been the setting for many incidents.

On Dec. 5, Soha Salama, an Egyptian-born mother of four, was shoved down a staircase atGrand Central Terminal during the morning rush hour, sustaining injuries to her ankles and legs.Her assailant had followed her off the subway, she told reporters.

“You’re a terrorist. You shouldn’t work here,” the man yelled at her, poking the badge on herjacket that identified her as a transportation authority employee. As she tried to run away, theman attempted to yank off the brightly patterned white, green and red head scarf she waswearing.

New York police said Wednesday that another reported case was a fabrication. A 18-year-oldbusiness student had claimed she was accosted by three inebriated white males who tried to ripoff her hijab while yelling Trump’s name. The woman, Yasmin Seweid, was arrested andcharged with obstructing governmental administration and filing a false report.

Some New York officials blame the surge in hate crimes on Trump, arguing that his threats todeport Muslims during the presidential campaign have emboldened people to carry out racistattacks.

“You can’t have a candidate for president single out groups of Americans negatively and nothave some ramifications,” De Blasio said at Monday’s news conference. He said that althoughTrump had disavowed white supremacist groups, he would need to do more to rein them in.

“A few times recently the president-elect has spoken out against it and he needs to keep doingthat,” the mayor said. “The temperature has to be brought down.”

Rick Perry was picked to run the Department of Energy , cutting down dead trees is the newGold Rush happening in California , Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade is coming back ,and the National Film Registry’s Class of 2016 has arrived .

Getting rid of the massive amounts of dead trees in California has become both a problem andan opportunity.

Wanna fly and flip through the air? There's a school for that. Benjamin Crutcher, our curiositycorrespondent, goes for a day to see what it takes to be a trapeze artist.

At the Radisson Hotel Cromwell on Wednesday morning, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy referencesboth Jay Fishman and Sandy Hook during his keynote address at the annual MiddlesexChamber of Commerce Breakfast.

Alan Thicke, beloved TV dad and real-life father of singer Robin Thicke, died Tuesday at age 69.Alan Thicke, beloved TV dad and real-life father of singer Robin Thicke, died Tuesday at age 69.

2016-12-15 01:15 Barbara Demick www.latimes.com

248 /270 3.3 Charges: Man broke 12-year-old boy's jaw after

confronting him for throwing rocksKEARNS — A man was chargedWednesday with confronting twoboys who were throwing rocks, thenpunching an 12-year-old andbreaking his jaw.

Andrew Scott Ross, 26, whoseaddress was not listed, was chargedin 3rd District Court with child abuse,a second-degree felony.

On Sept. 16, Ross confronted twoboys, ages 11 and 12, who werethrowing rocks down a hill by homesnear Kearns High School, charging

documents state. He came out of one of the nearby homes and allegedly yelled at them aboutthrowing the rocks.

The boys "apologized and tried to explain that they were sorry and told the male that theyweren't throwing them at the houses," according to the charges.

Ross then punched the 12-year-old boy in the jaw and went back inside one of the nearbyhomes, the charges state. The boy's jaw was broken in two places and had to be wired shut,according to police. The boy later identified Ross from a police photo lineup as the man whohad attacked him.

Ross was released from prison on Aug. 30, charging documents state. He was charged Aug. 25with misdemeanor drug and drug paraphernalia possession for alleged offenses stemming fromNovember 2015, but a warrant was issued Sept. 22 for his arrest in that case because of hisfailure to appear for a hearing, according to state court records. The case is unresolved.

Police issued a warrant for Ross' arrest Wednesday "to protect the community" and to ensurethat he will appear in court. The charges indicate that he has had four parole violations.

Ross's prior criminal history in Utah consists of convictions for attempted kidnapping, attemptedrobbery, criminal mischief and theft of services.

2016-12-15 01:10 Ben Lockhart www.deseretnews.com

249 /270 2.2 Oklahoma girl, 13, accused of plotting mass attack on

school Contact WND(Oklahoman) A 13-year-old girl was arrested and weapons seized from her home afterauthorities learned she had made threats against students at Tonkawa High School.

On Sunday, the Tonkawa Police Department received a tip regarding a“possible mass shooting plot against the Tonkawa High School,”according to a news release.

Investigators determined the threats were credible and a search warrantwas issued for the girl’s home. Investigators seized weapons, ammunitionand “personal writings” of the teenager they said were relevant to the case.

“All children and parents of, who were believed to be possible targets of the alleged attack havebeen notified and assured of the suspect’s custody status,” Tonkawa police wrote in a Facebookposting.

2016-12-15 01:08 www.wnd.com

250 /270 3.7 Neighbors upset that prison time unlikely for Provo

man who tortured catUTAH COUNTY -- A Provoman who admitted totorturing and killing onekitten, and who wasaccused of torturing andkilling several more, maynot spend any time inprison, according to theUtah County Attorney’sOffice.

The torture took place inNovember near theintersection of 1300 North

300 West.

"I think these are clear signs of sociopathic behavior, so, what's next? Is it another animal, or is ita person next time? " neighbor Matt Nelson asked.

Nelson said he can't believe the man who police say is responsible for torturing and killing up to11 kittens in his neighborhood last month could soon be back, living right next door.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Julia Thomas said there is a good chance 26-year-old SpencerPedersen may not serve any prison time.

Pedersen was charged with two counts of torturing a companion animal and one count of heroinpossession. They are all third degree felonies, which carry sentences of up to five years inprison, but the prosecution says probation is more likely.

"Prison is not all that common for third-degree felony offenses," Thomas said.

Police said Pedersen bought the kittens online. They say he lit one of them on fire and beatanother one to death. Tuesday, one of those torture charges was dismissed in exchange for a

guilty plea.

"You never know what a jury is going to do, a plea bargain gives us a sure outcome,” Thomassaid.

Neighbors are afraid it's just a slap on the wrist.

"I'm pretty disappointed," Neighbor Roselyn Briggs said. "I think he should be tried for all ofthem, and he should go to trial and have a jury decide. "

Nelson agreed.

"Knowing the severity of the crime, it really is disappointing that they are not being prosecuted tothe fullest extent,” he said.

The Humane Society of Utah worked for eight years to pass Henry's Law. Since 2008, it’s beena third-degree felony to torture a companion animal. They say it was supposed to stop criminalsfrom getting away with the sort of abuse Pedersen confessed to.

"If everyone else just sees that this was just pled down and he was let off without any prisontime, it kind of sets the tone that this is acceptable: and it's not,” said Deann Shepherd of theHumane Society of Utah.

Pedersen remains in jail. His sentencing is scheduled for January 24.

2016-12-15 01:06 Robert Boyd fox13now.com

251 /270 4.8 ‘Claws are out for police killers‚’ says Hawks head

after suspects nabbed for Table Bay cop’s murderSiwisa‚ who was stationed at TableBay Harbour‚ “was allegedly shot andkilled whilst reportedly on his way towork”‚ a Hawks statement said.

“The trio were nabbed in Kraaifontein‚Bloekombos. One illegal handgunwith a filed-off serial number wasseized. It is due to be subjected toballistic tests to determine whether it islinked to other crimes.”

Hawks head Lieutenant-GeneralMthandazo Ntlemeza said: “The clawsare out for police killers. We promisedthat no stone will be left unturned in tracking those responsible for this heinous crime. We havemaximised resources and continue to mobilise communities to identify and isolate those whohave disregard for the rule of law in this country”.

The suspects - aged between 21 and 22 - are expected to appear in the Kuilsrivier Magistrate’sCourt on Monday to face charges of murder‚ possession of an unlicensed firearm and armed

robbery with aggravating circumstances.

2016-12-15 01:00 Tmg Digital www.timeslive.co.za

252 /270 2.3 World briefs: Italy lawmakers approve new

governmentROME — A week after Matteo Renzi resigned as prime minister of Italy,Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni took his place, winning the support ofboth chambers of Parliament in back-to-back confidence votes onTuesday and Wednesday.

Mr. Gentiloni said his government — described by the opposition as a“photocopy” of Mr. Renzi’s because nearly all the ministers were the same — would last “as longas it has the confidence of Parliament,” setting out an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda.

Among his short-term priorities, he listed supporting Italy’s banking sector and assisting thepopulation of towns ravaged by earthquakes this year.

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The minority Christian governor of Indonesia’s capital sobbed in courtTuesday on the first day of his blasphemy trial as he recalled the role of Muslim godparents inhis childhood and said he would never intentionally insult Islam.

The national upheaval over Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s alleged blasphemy haschallenged Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam, shaken thegovernment and exposed religious and racial fault lines.

The controversy erupted in September when a video circulated online in which Gov. Ahoklightheartedly said that people were being deceived if they believed his detractors who assertedthat the Quran prohibits Muslims from having a non-Muslim leader.

He is seeking a second term as governor in elections due in February.

State Prosecutor Ali Mukartono told the court Gov. Ahok insulted Islam and desecrated theQuran by using one of its verses to fool people and boost his chances of winning the election.

In February 2013, a buoy in the North Atlantic measured a towering 62-foot wave betweenIceland and the United Kingdom.

In an announcement Tuesday, the World Meteorological Organization concluded it was “thehighest significant wave height” ever recorded by a buoy, surpassing the previous highest wave,measured at 59.96 feet in December 2007, also in the North Atlantic.

MOSCOW — Even in an era of political upsets, this one’s a long shot.

Alexei Navalny, the opposition politician who helped lead street protests against RussianPresident Vladimir Putin in 2011, announced Tuesday that he would run for president of Russiain 2018, sending a rare jolt of electricity through Russia’s subdued opposition.

Mr. Navalny’s candidacy, the first declared by any politician, marks the beginning a long electioncycle that seems headed for one, inevitable conclusion: a victor anointed by Mr. Putin.

There’s a good chance that will be Mr. Putin himself.

HAVANA — Google and the Cuban government have signed a deal allowing the internet giantto provide faster access to its data by installing servers on the island that will store much of thecompany’s popular content.

The deal removes one of the obstacles to a normal internet in Cuba, which has some of theworld’s most limited and expensive access.

2016-12-15 01:00 www.post-gazette.com

253 /270 1.8 Boat captain convicted in wreck that left 700 migrants

deadBefore it sank, the fishing boat wascrammed with more than 700migrants, who had fled conflict andpoverty in sub-Saharan Africa in thehopes of reaching Europe.Firefighters who later recovered thebodies from the decaying ship saidthey had been “packed in like on thetrains for Auschwitz.” Only 28passengers were rescued from theinky waters on that night, whichbecame the single deadliestshipwreck involving migrantscrossing the Mediterranean andgalvanized calls for Europe to harness the refugee crisis.

On Tuesday, the Tunisian captain of the boat that sank in April 2015 off the coast of Libya wassentenced to 18 years in jail. An Italian court convicted Mohammed Ali Malek, 28, of multiplecounts of manslaughter, smuggling illegal immigrants and causing the shipwreck, according tocourt documents. The captain’s crew member, a Syrian named Mahmud Bikhit, 25, wassentenced to 5 years in prison on smuggling charges. Each of the men were ordered to pay afine of nine million euros ($9.5 million).

A prosecutor in the case in Catania, Sicily told The Washington Post that Malek behaved with“enormous negligence,” as he maneuvered the boat that night.

“He was driving a 65-foot boat with 700 people on board, without life jackets, in the night,without lights,” Andrea Bonomo said in a phone interview. “His grave conduct left 700 peopledead.”

A Portuguese vessel, the King Jacob, had been approaching the fishing boat that night in pitchdarkness, racing to rescue those aboard, when the boat’s captain tried to steer toward it. A faultymaneuver by the captain caused the boat to collide with the King Jacob, and as the migrantsmoved to one side of the cramped boat, it capsized.

In court Tuesday, Malek insisted that he was not the captain of the boat, despite the fact that

every surviving passenger — including the crew member — told investigators he was, Ms.Bonomo said.

In addition to bringing an aspect of closure to the tragedy, the verdict was significant for tworeasons. First, it reaffirmed Italy’s right to take on illegal immigration cases occurring ininternational waters, Ms. Bonomo said. The court also made the notable move to consider thesurviving migrants victims, instead of suspects, of illegal immigration. This rationale was that themigrants never reached Italy’s coast on their own, but rather, were transported by rescuers to thecountry after the sinking of the boat, Ms. Bonomo said.

“This was one of the first times they have been considered victims and witnesses, and were notpenalized,” Ms. Bonomo said.

The shipwreck marked what was then the deadliest month yet in an surge in refugees makingthe dangerous journey to Europe to escape war, persecution and poverty in West Africa, theMiddle East and beyond. Both the number of migrants making the journey to Italy — and thenumber who died in the process — grew in the year that followed: In 2016, 176,678 peoplearrived by sea in Italy, more than in either 2014 or 2015, according to the InternationalOrganization of Migration. The number of known deaths in 2016 resulting from smugglingbetween Libya and Italy totaled 4,244, compared to 2,868 last year.

Through an exchange of letters with BBC News earlier this year, Malek reiterated his innocence,saying he paid the equivalent of $1,600 to take the boat to Italy. He drew the BBC a diagram ofthe shipwreck, claiming the boat had lost balance because of waves created by the KingJacob’s propeller.

Malek affirmed that he was simply a migrant passenger on the boat and was scapegoated bythe other survivors because he is Tunisian, AFP reported.

“It’s the truth. I’ve always told the truth,” Malek said in court before the verdict Tuesday. Malek,who said he lived in Italy for two and a half years, told the court that as soon as he told police hisname, he said he was a passenger. He plans to appeal the verdict, according to Italian newsservice ANSA.

“I have a young son with an Italian woman,” he said. “I want to marry her and recognize thebaby.”

The King Jacob’s captain, Abdullah Ambrousi, said when he saw the fishing boat sail erraticallytoward him, he cut the engines to avoid a crash. But the boat full of migrants increased its speed,slamming into the vessel.

In their witness accounts, surviving passengers told authorities Malek had been organizing thetrip with traffickers and smugglers in Libya, Ms. Bonomo said. While prosecutors have been ableto investigate and identify such organizers in parts of Egypt, they have been unable toinvestigate further in Libya, due to the political instability there.

Ms. Bonomo said the prosecutors were “satisfied” with Tuesday’s conviction, but that the realchallenge will be to find and charge the people involved back in Libya.

“Unfortunately without international cooperation,” he said, “we are not able to do that.”

Unlike most criminal trials, not a single family member represented the 700 dead at Tuesday’s

court sentencing, as the victims came from poor families in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, makingthem unable to travel to Europe for the trial, James Reynolds reported for BBC News.

Many of the victims were from Mali, Gambia, Senegal and Ethiopia. Two of the survivors wereyoung Bangladeshis who took part in the case as civil plaintiffs.

The ship’s passengers — who each had to pay between 500 and 1,000 Libyan dinars for the trip— had departed from somewhere near Tripoli on April 16, 2015. For up to 30 days, the migrantshad been kept inside a farm near the port and were loaded onto trucks before they embarked,the Post reported. In at least one instance, one of the migrants was hit with a club because hewanted to go to the bathroom and did not ask for permission.

According to interviews with survivors, many were trapped below decks on the three-tieredvessel, leaving them helpless as the boat capsized.

For months, Italian forensic scientists sorted through decomposed body parts to count thevictims. The Italian navy raised the rotting ship — packed with corpses — from the seabedearlier this year, at a cost of ten million euros ($10.6 million), Agence France-Presse reported.

The government had promised to provide victims with decent burials as a symbol of respect forthe migrants who have died crossing the Mediterranean. Corpses reportedly were found packedfive to a square yard, with some even squeezed into the bilges. The Italian court totaled thedead at about 700, but the head pathologist has said the death count could be as high as 900.

Libya has served as a main departure point for migrants, and has been in a state of turmoil sinceallied military action helped bring down the regime of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. A joint UnitedNations report released Tuesday described the abuses faced by migrants detained in Libya,calling the violations a “human rights crisis affecting tens of thousands of people.”

“People smuggled or trafficked into Libya face torture, forced labour and sexual exploitationalong the route, and many also while held in arbitrary detention,” said Martin Kobler, theSecretary General’s Special Representative for Libya and Head of the U. N. Support Mission inLibya.

The report was based on information gathered in Libya and from interviews with migrants whohad arrived in Italy from Libya. According to interviews, the places of detention are severelyovercrowded, with insufficient food and clean water and no access to toilets. Detainees are oftenforced to defecate and urinate in their cells, and malnutrition and illness are common.

“We are called animals and are treated as animals,” a 16-year-old boy from Eritrea told the U. N.Support Mission in Libya. “They beat us with what falls into their hands … it can be a rock, astick, a brick,” a child migrant interviewed in Italy said.

Even before they undertake risky voyages on rickety, overcrowded boats, refugees waiting forpassage from Libya face horrific abuse at the hands of Libyan authorities, human traffickers andextremists linked to the Islamic State group, the United Nations said on Tuesday in Geneva.

Armed groups and criminal gangs, taking advantage of the government collapse that followedthe downfall of Gadhafi in 2011, compete in smuggling operations, the world body said in areport compiled by its mission in Libya and its human rights office in Geneva. Migrants areroutinely subject to death, torture, rape and sexual abuse, the report said.

But state institutions are also involved. Survivors interviewed by United Nations officials in Italydescribed being held for weeks, sometimes months, in vastly overcrowded detention centersoperated by a Libyan body, the Department for Combating Illegal Migration, or in warehousesand “connection houses” by armed groups or traffickers, who usually seized their documentsand belongings, forced them to work and traded them for profit.

Many of those interviewed bore signs of serious injuries, which they attributed to severebeatings, and said they had witnessed deaths from malnutrition and other causes. “They treatedus like animals — this is what they call us, ‘animals,’ ” a 16-year-old Senegalese boy held in awarehouse in southern Libya told his interviewers. “For our captors, it does not matter if we die.”

Women and young girls were particularly vulnerable. A 32-year-old woman from the Comorossaid a smuggler had taken her to a Libyan farm, where she was repeatedly raped over a weekbefore her captors eventually allowed her to get on a boat. She could not be sent home, thereport said, because if her brothers discovered what had happened to her, they would kill her asa matter of honor.

2016-12-15 01:00 By Samantha www.post-gazette.com

254 /270 0.0 Most expensive Texas high school indoor practice

facilitiesTexas is well-known for its love ofbig, expensive high school footballstadiums.

The Katy Independent SchoolDistrict recently made headlines forselling the naming rights to its $70million football palace.

BIG EARNERS: The highest-paidhigh school head football coaches inthe Houston area

But according to The Dallas MorningNews , there is another high school

football "arms race" brewing.

Reporters found that over the past two decades, Texas communities have spent roughly $500million on indoor practice facilities.

SURPRISING: Houston-area high school football coaches, principal salaries are closer than youmay realize

Indoor practice facilities are essentially airplane hangers, filled with artificial turf and used bysports teams to train despite poor weather conditions.

Click through above to see the most expensive indoor practice facilities in Texas.

2016-12-15 01:00 Fernando Ramirez www.chron.com

255 /270 2.5 Victims' families, leaders speak out over juvenile

offender problemATLANTA - From families ofvictims of violent juvenileoffenders, to electedleaders throughout FultonCounty, hundreds packedat town hall at CascadeUnited Methodist Church toaddress how to keepteenage criminals off thestreets.

"They're committing veryserious crimes, and they'rekilling people," said JewelWicker, the cousin of 50-year-old Anthony Brooks, who Atlanta Police said was gunned down by16-year-old Charlie McDaniel and 15-year-old Isaac McDaniel. Police said the McDanielbrothers had been arrested thirty times previously.

"How could this happen? Why weren't they in a detention center, or some kind of treatmentfacility? " said Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office is proposing numerouschanges to the juvenile justice system to better punish repeat offenders.

Howard's team of attorneys have proposed amending state law to allow for repeat juvenileoffenders to be detained longer at the Fulton County Youth Detention Center, and to expand thescope of who authorities can detain.

Juvenile offenders deemed "incompetent"-- whether through mental or emotional disabilities,learning disabilities, illiteracy or other issues - are not allowed to be detained, even if thejuveniles are repeat offenders, Howard's office said.

Howard said his is working with lawmakers to amend state law to better detain and rehabilitatejuvenile offenders, especially if they are deemed violent; his office proposes the creation of astate-supervised rehabilitation center separate from the Fulton County Youth Detention Center.

Chief Judge Bradley Boyd of the Fulton County Juvenile Justice System said Governor NathanDeal's Council on Criminal Justice Reform is also working to address state law language tobetter detain repeat offenders.

2016-12-15 00:57 Jaclyn Schultz www.fox5atlanta.com

256 /270 4.0 Newspaper delivery man thwarts armed robber's

attemps to fleeCARROLLTON, Ga. - Carrollton police are crediting a newspaper delivery man with helping

them to nab an apparentarmed robber.

It happened earlyWednesday morning at aCarrollton Citgo gas stationon Alabama Road whichhad just been robbed.

Raymond Ackey said henoticed the armed manleaving the store anddecided to give chase.

“He jumped in his car and took off and I noticed in the window that a dude on the phone lookedout and was taking the tag number and I didn’t see no tag on the car so I immediately tookchase,” said Ackey.

Ackey chased in his car he was using on his early morning paper route. However instead ofdelivering the news he was making it, especially when things took a dangerous turn a fewblocks into the pursuit.

“He opened his door and started firing and I leaned on the passenger side and when I got backup I shot back at him and he took off again,” said Ackey.

Carrollton police said Ackey quickly got in touch with them.

“He immediately followed the vehicle and called 911 and let us know what was going on exactlywhat his involvement was,” said Detective Brandon Podaras.

He said Ackey was instrumental in the capture of 25 year old Michael Dennis Hines, whocrashed his car off the side of a road and was found hiding under a bridge.

“We’re thankful this gentleman did what he did but we also people not to do this just to keepthemselves out of danger. He helped us out a good bit and helped us break a couple of cases,”said Detective Podaras.

He said based on evidence and similar clothing Hines has been linked to at least three otherrecent Carrollton gas station robberies.

“So what is it that gives you that fearlessness? The Lord,” said Ackey.

The 44 year old father and grandfather stopped by to say hello to the people at the gas station,thankful to have been helpful to them and police in thwarting an armed robbery and more.

“I wouldn’t change nothing. I would do it again,” said Ackey.

Carrollton Police said Ackey was not charged since he was defending himself.

Carrollton Police said the suspect, Michael Dennis Hines, faces more than a dozen chargesconnected to robberies, traffic and weapons violations.

Police told FOX 5 News Hines was a janitor at the University of West Georgia.

2016-12-15 00:55 George Franco www.fox5atlanta.com

257 /270 2.7 Bronx NYPD deputy inspector says subordinate he

allegedly groped came on to himAn NYPD Bronx precinctboss charged with sexuallyabusing a subordinate hadbeen lusting after her formonths — and he claimsshe came on to him, newcourt papers show.

“When we were in myoffice, you kissed me. I donot remember you saying‘stop,’ ” Deputy InspectorKeith Walton, 44, told thecop under his command days after allegedly groping her in the 49th Precinct stationhouse,according to the papers released Wednesday in Bronx Supreme Court.

Walton’s stunning statements emerged the same day another subordinate named him in afederal suit, alleging he subjected her to a “campaign of unlawful retaliation” for failing to followticket-writing quotas — and for trying to give a city councilwoman a summons.

Walton faces felony sexual abuse charges in the Bronx case for a Nov. 6 episode at thestationhouse where he served as commanding officer. He allegedly groped the cop after callingher into his office and forced her hand twice onto his crotch through his clothes.

Bronx deputy inspector charged with sex abuse, forcible touching

Prosecutors have said the victim rebuffed Walton.

“Stop, what the hell are you doing? You need to stop. What the hell,” she allegedly said. Theunidentified woman confronted her boss at the precinct two days after the unwanted advance,court papers state. In a tape-recorded conversation, he seemed alarmed.

“Are you recording me? What are we here for? I am sorry that you feel that way,” the veteraninspector said, according to the suit. He then admitted longing for her since starting at theprecinct last summer and said he thought she felt the same.

“You are intriguing and someone I could trust, and there was an occasion where you touchedmy back, which made me presume that you were interested,” Walton says on the tape, courtpapers state. He then says on the day of the incident he “felt that attraction again” after spyingthe officer walking to the locker room. He also recalled sitting near her in church, “admiring howbeautiful you were,” the court papers show.

Supporters stand by Bronx NYPD commander accused of sexual abuse

At the end of their conversation, he appeared to try to patch things up.

“Do we end this with a hand shake?” he asked, according to court papers, before adding, “I wanta hug.”

Hours after Walton wore a suit and bright yellow tie in Bronx court to plead not guilty to thecriminal charges, he became a defendant in a $35 million federal lawsuit.

Michele Hernandez alleges in her Manhattan Federal Court case that Walton, while heading the49th Precinct, disciplined her unfairly for refusing to follow summons-writing and arrest quotas.She also claims Walton discriminated against her for speaking out about a March 2014 incidentin which she says she was told to quash a summons after pulling over Councilwoman VanessaGibson for using a cell phone while driving.

Hernandez said in the suit that Walton discriminated against her for two years, and falselyaccused her of misconduct inside a Chase bank in July.

2016-12-15 00:45 Ben Kochman feeds.nydailynews.com

258 /270 1.6 Tainted peanut butter leads to $11.2M penalty a

decade laterALBANY, Ga. — A decade afterhundreds of Americans got sick fromeating Peter Pan peanut buttercontaminated with salmonella, thecompany that sold it made anembarrassing courtroom guilty pleaand agreed to pay the largestcriminal fine ever in a U. S. foodsafety case.

The president of a ConAgrasubsidiary entered a guilty plea onbehalf of his company Tuesday to asingle misdemeanor count of

shipping adulterated food. A U. S. District Court judge then approved a deal ConAgra reachedwith prosecutors to pay an $8 million fine plus $3.2 million in cash forfeitures.

“Obviously they’re able to absorb an $11 million penalty much more than a smaller company,”said Bill Marler, a Seattle-based attorney who specializes in food safety cases. “But it still sendsa pretty significant message.”

The plea deal resolved a long criminal investigation into a nationwide salmonella outbreakblamed on tainted peanut butter that sickened at least 625 people in 47 states.

Disease detectives traced the salmonella to a plant in rural Sylvester, Ga., that produced peanutbutter for ConAgra under the Peter Pan label and the Great Value brand sold at Walmart. In2007, the company recalled all the peanut butter it had sold since 2004. By then, most of it hadbeen eaten.

Leo Knowles, president of ConAgra Grocery Products, offered no testimony as he entered the

misdemeanor plea on behalf of the Chicago-based corporation’s subsidiary.

“It made a lot of people sick,” prosecutor Graham Thorpe said as he described ConAgra’sdecision to continue shipments from the Georgia plant in late 2006 despite lab tests that hadtwice detected salmonella.

“The industry has taken notice of this prosecution,” Mr. Thorpe said.

The fine represents just a tenth of 1 percent of ConAgra’s current $8 billion market capitalization.The company also will pay $3.2 million in cash forfeitures to the federal government.

U. S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands waited more than 18 months after ConAgra agreed tothe plea deal so that victims could be contacted before he approved the settlement.

The case began in 2006, as doctors around the country reported severe gastrointestinalillnesses caused by salmonella. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and statehealth officials traced the common factor — peanut butter — outbreak to the plant in ruralGeorgia.

In February 2007, ConAgra recalled its previous three years of peanut butter production, andPeter Pan vanished from store shelves for about six months. Despite the widespread illnesses,no deaths were ever confirmed to be caused by the salmonella outbreak.

“The company has behaved in a model way, as a model corporate citizen, ever since that time,”Douglas Fellman, an attorney for ConAgra, told the judge. “Since that time, we have anunblemished record. Peter Pan peanut butter is wholesome and it’s safe.”

ConAgra said it didn’t know peanut butter was contaminated with salmonella before it wasshipped. However, the plea agreement documents noted that ConAgra knew peanut buttermade in Georgia had twice tested positive for salmonella in 2004.

ConAgra officials blamed moisture from a leaky roof and a malfunctioning sprinkler system forhelping salmonella bacteria grow on raw peanuts. The company spent $275 million onupgrades and adopted new testing procedures to screen for contaminants.

The $3.2 million in forfeitures relates to the tainted products, which by federal law must besurrendered to the government. Since ConAgra dispensed with the recalled peanut butternearly a decade ago, prosecutors asked for cash instead.

None of the criminal penalties goes to victims. The judge said more than 150 people had filedpaperwork seeking financial restitution, but none could prove they were sickened by salmonellacaused by eating the recalled peanut butter.

Three women made their case to the judge, testifying they suffered severe gastrointestinalillness after eating from jars of Peter Pan in late 2006, and suffered from lingering healthproblems a decade later. The judge said he was sympathetic, but awarded them no money.

“This to me is an injustice done all over again, especially after 10 years of waiting for justice,”said Mona McCombs of Bloomington, Ind.

Ms. McCombs testified that she and several relatives, including her elderly mother, becameextremely sick after eating Peter Pan just before Christmas in 2006. She blames ConAgra for

her mother’s death three months later, but none of them were tested while sick by a doctor forsalmonella to prove it.

The judge noted that others had already received cash from ConAgra in civil settlements, whichhe said totaled $36 million to 6,810 people.

2016-12-15 00:44 By Russ www.post-gazette.com

259 /270 10.2 One arrest, one on the run after shooting at nail salon

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - Asuspected armed robberwas shot by a storeemployee in Douglasville.

It happened at Top Nails onThornton Road onWednesday evening.

Police said an employee atthe salon opened fire onthe suspected robber. A K-9 officer caught up with thesuspect in the woods.

The robber was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Police said another person is still on the run.

2016-12-15 00:43 FOX www.fox5atlanta.com

260 /270 2.0 FBI agent tells Baca jury of being threatened with

arrest by sheriff’s deputiesLOS ANGELES >> An FBI agent told a juryhearing evidence against Los AngelesCounty’s former sheriff Wednesday how shewas illegally threatened with arrest by twosheriff’s sergeants who appeared to beacting as part of a plan set in motion by thedepartment’s highest-ranking officer.

Leah Tanner, the case agent on the FBI’scivil rights investigation into excessive forceand corruption among jail deputies, testifiedthat on Sept. 26, 2011, two sheriff’sinvestigators confronted her in the drivewayleading into her apartment and told her that

they were in the process of obtaining a warrant for her arrest.

Prosecutors contend ex-Sheriff Lee Baca so resented the federal government’s efforts toinvestigate allegations of civil rights abuses in county jails that he attempted to force the FBI toback down from its probe by illegally having deputies confront Tanner outside of her home.

“It was defendant’s way of showing the drastic measures he was willing to take and the risk thefederal government was facing if it had the audacity to continue to investigate his department,”Assistant U. S. Attorney Brandon Fox wrote in a trial memorandum.

Baca -- who is being tried in downtown Los Angeles on conspiracy and obstruction counts --denies knowing in advance of the attempted intimidation of Tanner and claims then-UndersheriffPaul Tanaka oversaw the department’s response to the once-secret federal investigation.

However, Robert Faturechi, formerly of the L. A. Times and currently a journalist with thenonprofit investigative news organization ProPublica, told jurors he wrote a story publishedSept. 29, 2011, in which he quoted Baca admitting he knew ahead of time that sheriff’s deputieswere being sent to the FBI agent’s home.

Fox asked Faturechi if Baca said he directed deputies to approach Tanner.

“Yes, that he did,” Faturechi responded.

The taped encounter between Tanner and sergeants Scott Craig and Maricela Long played forthe jury.

After Tanner tells the sheriff’s officials that she was “not going to make any statements,” Craigfalsely informs the federal agent that she was a “named suspect in a felony complaint.”

Craig then states that he was “in the process of swearing out a declaration for an arrest warrant”for her.

A short time later, two FBI officials -- then-Supervisory Special Agent Carlos Narro and SpecialAgent Teresa Tambubolon -- called Long. Tape of that conversation was also played for jurors.

Narro is heard saying that Tanner told him that “you guys indicated to her that there’s going tobe a warrant for her arrest?”

“There’s going to be,” Long responds.

Narro: “Does the sheriff know this?”

Long replies, “The sheriff knows this, sir.”

After the call ended, the recording device captured laughter and Long telling Craig, “They’rescared.”

Craig and Long were among seven sheriff’s officials previously convicted of obstruction ofjustice charges in the case and were sentenced to 33 and 24 months behind bars, respectively.

The jury also watched tape of a Sept. 26, 2011 appearance Baca made on TV’s “Good Day L.A.” in which the anchors asked him about allegations of brutality within the jails and the FBI’sinvestigation.

Asked if he resented the FBI’s “intrusion” into the jail system that his department oversees, Baca

responded “Oh, yeah.”

A second anchor then asked, “Well, if you don’t want the FBI in there, then who polices thepolice?”

“We police ourselves,” Baca said.

Prosecutors hope to prove that Baca ordered his underlings to stymie federal scrutiny of the jailsand keep any investigation of misconduct within the department.

The former sheriff is facing a second trial -- on a charge of making false statements to federalauthorities -- following the conclusion of proceedings now in their second week in the newfederal courthouse downtown.

U. S. District Judge Percy Anderson split the trial into two parts after he agreed to allowtestimony by an expert on dementia -- but only as it relates to the lying charge. Baca -- who ranthe nation’s largest sheriff’s department for 16 years -- is in the early stages of Alzheimer’sdisease.

Last week, two ex-deputies who were convicted of obstructing the FBI jails investigation told thejury that they believed they were following orders from Baca when they worked to derail thefederal probe by hiding an inmate- turned informant in various spots within the jail system.

Former deputies James Sexton and Mickey Manzo testified about the steps they took to concealthe whereabouts of Anthony Brown, who was working for Tanner as a federal informant. Bothex-lawmen said that they believed their orders came from Baca and Tanaka.

Tanaka, who alleges that Baca initiated the plan, was sentenced to five years in prison after hisApril conviction on conspiracy and obstruction charges and is expected to begin serving hissentence next month.

Baca suddenly retired in 2014 at the height of the federal probe. He had been sheriff sinceDecember 1998.

Prosecutors said they could wrap up their case Thursday, followed by the defense case.

2016-12-15 00:31 By Fred www.presstelegram.com

261 /270 2.4 West Valley couple charged with abusing 3 young

sisters in their careWEST VALLEY CITY — Criminal child abuse charges were filed against a West Valley coupleWednesday after police say they forced three young sisters to stand with their faces against awall for "three days straight" as punishment for misbehavior.

Karen Louise Jacobs and James Richard Jacobs, both 55, were each charged in 3rd DistrictCourt with three counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony, and accused of intentionallyinflicting serious physical injury.

The three sisters ages 9, 8 and 6, told police the abuse occurred between April and early July ofthis year while under the care of the Jacobses. They said that while staying with the man and

woman, they were grounded "fordoing bad things" and ordered to"stand with their face against thewall for three days without moving,"charging documents state.

The couple's relationship to the girlswas not outlined in the charges andprosecutors were unable to providethat information Wednesday.

The girls' grandmother said whenshe once went to pick up the girlsfrom James Jacobs, she heard himthreaten them that if they didn'tcomply and put their faces to the wall, he would kick them with "his size 13 shoe" and "kill them,"charging documents state.

The 8-year-old "stated that (Karen) Jacobs is mean, she hits (her) with the belt, leaving bruises,"the charges state.

The 9-year-old and 6-year-old told police that the three were threatened with a leather belt ifthey moved away from the wall.

"Their punishment is for three days straight (and) if they are caught moving from (the) wall, theyare threatened and physically punished by the belt," court documents say.

The 6-year-old told West Valley police that Karen Jacobs would also punch her and drag her byher hair. "(She) stated that she was being punished because she was constantly stealing foodand sugar substitute packets," the charges state.

The girls' father said he saw Karen Jacobs drag his 6-year-old daughter by her hair and slap her"over and over again" on July 7, according to the charges.

A warrant seeking the arrest of Karen and James Jacobs was ordered Wednesday.

James Jacobs pleaded guilty to drug or alcohol related reckless driving in 1994. Aside from thatcase, both defendants' prior criminal histories in Utah are limited to minor traffic and vehicleoffenses, state court records show.

2016-12-15 00:31 Ben Lockhart www.deseretnews.com

262 /270 1.0 New Zealand woman speaks on violence she endured

while married to a former top athleteA woman has detailed the horrific violence and manipulation she endured while married to aformer top athlete. The unnamed New Zealand woman said her now ex-husband was 'fun,romantic and kind' when they first met, but early on in their relationship he becamepsychologically abusive. 'When the put-downs came he left me feeling as though it was mydoing, and I desperately wanted him to treat me like he did at the beginning and would do all I

could to try and prove to himhow much I loved him,' shetold the New Zealand Herald.The abuse turned physicalafter the birth of the couple'sfirst child. 'It started with himkicking me and then pulling myhair, spitting on me and pullingme, shoving me,' she told theHerald. 'He would tell mewhen I told him it was physicalabuse that it wasn't becausehe had not used his fists.' Shewas dragged her across their

bed by the hair while heavily pregnant with the couple's second child, after the woman becameupset after he arrived home late. He refused to let go until she apologised. Their marriage finallyended when their second child was young, leaving the woman emotionally drained. She saidshe found it difficult leaving the former sportsman or seek help because of his status. Shebelieved people wouldn't believe her if she told them what she went through. 'I had kept hiddenfrom people who knew us what he was like behind closed doors,' she said. 'No one wouldbelieve me over him.' She has since remarried but the memories of the abuse still plague her.

2016-12-15 00:23 Sinead Maclaughlin www.dailymail.co.uk

263 /270 0.0 Billabong boss Matthew Perrin regularly 'faked' his

wife's signature on legal documentsFormer Billabong bossMatthew Perrin has admittedhe regularly signed his wife'sname on legal documents. Theformer CEO is on trial in theBrisbane District Court forfraud and forgery after heallegedly faked his wife'ssignature on bank documentsin 2008. Perrin allegedly usedtheir family house in SurfersParadise as security for $13.5million credit from theCommonwealth Bank to fundhis failing business investments. His former wife Nicole Bricknell accused him of mortgaging the$15 million waterfront property on Cronin Island behind her back. He said he had herpermission to sign on her behalf and would give her a 'general overview' of what he was doing.'Nicole wanted to be a homemaker and a mother and I was to be the business person, and itwas generally discussed that they were our roles,' he said. Perrin added that he signed hername on important documents throughout their relationship, including on share sales in hername and a planning permission application. 'If Nicole was available and convenient she wouldsign them ... if she wasn't I would sign them for her,' he added. The jury was shown a document

which Perrin said gave him authority to act on Ms Bricknell's behalf in respect of their finances,including debts in her name. In court yesterday Ms Bricknell she 'never, ever' gave himpermission to sign on her behalf. 'This man has taken from me and my children without mypermission and knowledge, that's worse than having an affair in my opinion,' Ms Bricknell toldthe Brisbane District Court on Wednesday. 'I always protected my children and I never, everwould have allowed him to sign my name on anything - that was not the right thing to do,' shesaid. Perrin said they made a total of around $57 million from their investment in Billabongbefore he resigned as CEO in 2003. By 2009 they had lost it all and he was declared bankrupt,the court was told. Perrin is also accused of faking his brother Fraser Perrin's signature as awitness on the paperwork. He denies nine charges of forgery and three of fraud.

2016-12-15 00:22 Australian Associated www.dailymail.co.uk

264 /270 0.9 Ronan Farrow stis in cubicle behind MSNBC anchor's

desk after his show was axedRonan Farrow has beenspotted on live televisionsitting in a cubicle behind theMSNBC anchor's desk after hewas forced to move out of thatchair when his own show wasaxed last year. Farrow, whoused to host the Ronan FarrowDaily show until it wascanceled in February 2015,now files stories for the TodayShow and works as aninvestigative correspondent.MSNBC announced they were

canceling Farrow's show and replacing with a two-hour show anchored by Thomas Roberts. TVinsiders have since ridiculed Farrow after they spotted him sitting in the background as hisreplacement Roberts broadcasts his show from 1pm to 3pm daily, Page Six reports. He can alsobe seen while other shows are broadcast as well. 'He’s behind them all day, typing,' a sourcetold the publication. The source, who has been keeping track of Farrow's movements, said hecan be regularly seen talking on the phone, heading out to lunch and 'getting up to go to thebathroom'. His desk is based with the investigative team, which appears on camera behind thehost's studio. Farrow has recently filed investigative stories on a nuclear site in Washingtonstate, students abusing ADHD drugs and a piece on sexual assault allegations at colleges. Thejournalist, who is the son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, tweeted that he was excited about hisnew role before the announcement his show had been cancelled. Ronan Farrow Dailylaunched on February 24, 2014, meaning it didn't last a full year on-air.

2016-12-15 00:10 Dailymail.com www.dailymail.co.uk

265 /270 1.5 ‘Younger’ Season 3 Finale: Do Liza & Josh Break Up?

— Hilary Duff Q&A

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you haven’t watched the back-to-back “ Younger ”Season 3 finale, whichaired on Wednesday, Dec.14.

The secret’s finally out.

On “Younger’s” Season 3finale, Liza (Sutton Foster)finally reveals her real ageto her best friend and co-worker Kelsey ( Hilary Duff) — but not until the veryend of the episode. Beforethat big moment, the back-to-back episodes were filled with tons of drama from the ladies’ worklives and their personal lives.

Josh (Nico Tortorella) saw Liza making out with her boss Charles (Peter Hermann), and hespotted them right as he was about to ask Liza to marry him. Even though Liza showed up toJosh’s apartment, he saw he doesn’t trust her and throws her out.

As for Kelsey, she moves out of Lauren’s (Molly Bernard) parent’s NYC home, but when sheshows up to her boyfriend Colin’s (Jay Wilkison) place, the newly successful author essentiallypushes her out, signaling that he does not want a serious relationship.

To make matters worse, Liza got into a sticky situation, offering a young and inexperiencedauthor a book deal under Kelsey’s imprint because she was being blackmailed about her realage.

Here, Hilary Duff talks to Variety about the “Younger” season finale and what’s coming up inSeason 4 — plus, is Duff working on any new music?

Liza told Kelsey her real age, but the season ended right at that moment so we didn’t get to seeher reaction. How do you think Kelsey will deal with this?

I think she’s going to freak out. The season ended with all of us not really in as tight of a bond aswe normally are, so I think it’s a pretty big struggle. Now that the secret is going to be out, I don’tknow how much Kelsey will go along with it in the office and put her work at risk for Liza’s life. Ithink it’s going to be really hard for her to accept. It’s going to be tough. The biggest betrayal forKelsey is going to be that she made the book deal behind Kelsey’s back to conceal the secret,which puts all that Kelsey’s worked for at risk. Who knows — maybe Kelsey will tell Diana(Miriam Shor).

Do you think that Kelsey will ever be able to get over it, or is this going to be a friend-breakup forher and Liza?

I have a feeling that their friendship and their love for each other is so strong that this isobviously not going to last throughout the whole season, but I think it is going to take a lot of timeto get everybody’s trust back.

Do you think Kelsey will let Liza go through with the dog book deal, or is she going to shut thatdown?

I think it’s too much of a bad look — with everything that happened with Colin’s book, I thinkshe’s really scared to keep making the imprint look bad and that book is such anembarrassment, I think there’s just no way. Or maybe the book becomes a huge success likeone of those dumb flash-in-the-pan things that makes a lot of money.

Colin didn’t exactly break up with Kelsey, but he basically tells her he doesn’t want a superserious relationship. Are they over?

I think he’s going to stick around for a little bit. I don’t know how successful his book is actuallygoing to be so there might be a little bit of him getting a little dose of his own medicine becausehe’s been acting smug. He got successful fast and it was all due to her and then he kind ofshunned her, so I think he might get a little dose of his own medicine, and then it might bringthem back together.

It was really fun to watch Kelsey explore her single life this season. Was it fun as an actress toplay the single 20-something?

It’s really interesting because nothing sticks around too long in the show because we film so fastand the episodes go by really quickly. A lot happens really quickly, so we don’t dive too deep,but it was fun. She was obviously with Thad (Dan Amboyer) for a really long time and everyonewanted to reach through their TV and shake her like, ‘What are you doing?!’ So it was definitelygood to get him out of the picture, but it’s funny because all the guys [Kelsey has dated] kind oflook like him. She definitely has a type.

Do you think Kelsey will date new men in Season 4, or will she be focused on working things outwith Colin?

Honestly, I have no idea. I don’t know how long they’re going to take things with Colin. Thewriters surprise us all the time. They come up with the craziest stuff. But, I love Diana having aboyfriend. I think that’s a very funny storyline.

Is there any hope for Josh and Liza?

Well technically, Josh gave her that free pass a few episodes back, so I’m sure that will come upagain somehow. That’s something I’m holding on to because I’m Team Josh. It’s so sad whathappens when he sees [Liza with Charles], but I think he really cares about her and I feel likethey’re definitely not broken up.

Why are you Team Josh and not Team Charles?

I mean, I love Charles, I love Peter Hermann, he’s great, but I just feel like Josh has provenhimself to be a really good solid guy who cares so much about her and who takes therelationship really seriously. I think he brings out a fun side of Liza. I think that Liza and Charlesdefinitely will have an intellectual relationship, but I like her going out and doing new things andhaving fun. I like that side of her.

If Charles hypothetically ever found out Liza’s real age, how do you think he’d react?

I think he would be stoked!

What are your goals for Kelsey in Season 4?

I’d like to see her acquire some books that are total shoo-in successes. I think she’s reallystruggling with her imprint. She’s trying to take chances, but everything has been somewhat of adisaster. I’d like to see her have some serious success. I would like to see her get her ownplace. And I would like to meet her mom — I know she doesn’t have a dad, but I would like tosee some stuff with her mom.

Who do you think should play her mom?

It’s so funny. Molly, who plays Lauren on the show, was like, “Oh my god, her mom needs to beSuzanne Somers.”

Well, if anyone could get Suzanne Somers, it’s Darren Star, right?

Right? Totally.

How does this finale set up Season 4?

It’s definitely our most juicy episode where everybody ends up in a place where we’re allbasically fighting. It’s kind of sad how the episode ends, but it sets up Season 4 and there are alot of big cliffhangers. Trust is going to have to be built in a big way.

Do you know if there are plans for Liza to tell more people her secret in Season 4?

I’m not sure. When we are on set, they tell us very little. We’re chomping at the bit to get moreinformation all the time.

Are you working on any music right now?

You know what, I’m not working on any music. I’m working on purely personal projects rightnow. When I wrapped this season, I’ve been remodeling my house and I’ve been really hands-on with that. And I’m in full-blown mom mode — I feel like I miss out so much when I’m shooting,so it’s been so nice. I’m working on a few little projects right now that I can’t talk about, butthey’re more fashion and lifestyle type of stuff. But I’m really just enjoying my time off andenjoying time with my son and getting ready for the holidays.

2016-12-15 00:07 Elizabeth Wagmeister variety.com

266 /270 3.1 Limpopo teen raped repeatedly in abandoned house

Polokwane - A 15-year-old girl was abducted and repeatedly raped in an abandoned house inLouis Trichardt, Limpopo police said on Wednesday.

She was walking down Kleinhans Street on Sunday afternoon when the suspect grabbed her,gagged her, and dragged her into a nearby house, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said.

She was held there for four days, during which she was drugged and repeatedly raped. OnWednesday morning, she escaped and a passerby found her, her hands bound behind herback, a gag in her mouth and unable to walk properly. She was bleeding.

She was taken to a local hospital. Anyone with information about the crime was asked to contactthe local police.

2016-12-15 00:05 www.news24.com

267 /270 0.0 That 'holiday gift exchange'

Facebook post is technically anillegal scam

Sorry to be a grinch, but that viral Facebook post going aroundabout a gift exchange is against the law.

You've probably seen something like this in your newsfeed:

Sometimes the message varies: You're sending a bottle ofwine or a book or it includes the men on the holiday fun. But

the gist is that you mail oneitem, repost the messageand receive a cavalcade ofholiday gifts in return.

It sounds harmless. But it'sillegal.

The U. S. Postal InspectionService -- the lawenforcement arm of thepost office, which, yes,exists — classifies this sortof exchange as an unlawfulchain letter. The classic version of this scheme just asks to send cold hard cash, but gifts counttoo.

"A chain letter is a 'get rich quick' scheme that promises that your mailbox will soon be stuffed fullof cash if you decide to participate. You're told you can make thousands of dollars every month ifyou follow the detailed instructions in the letter," the Inspection Service website says. "They'reillegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to theparticipants. "

Note "other items of value" in that last sentence. Title 18 of the U. S. Code of FederalRegulations, Section 1302 , the Postal Lottery Statute, considers this whole gift exchange thinga violation of the law, punishable by up to two years in prison. (It does note that mailing items ofnegligible value in this manner, like postcards or recipes, is not against the law.)

There's also a logistical problem with these gift exchanges. If you invited only six people to thegift exchange, and they invited six people the next day, and so on, within 11 days every personin the United States would be a part of it. In two more days, every single person on Earth wouldbe involved in your gift exchange.

"Chain letters don't work because the promise that all participants in a chain letter will bewinners is mathematically impossible," the Postal Inspection Service notes. This is how pyramidschemes work too: by promising riches in exchange for recruiting more people to join.

Finally, there's a privacy issue: The follow-up instructions on how to participate in the exchangeask you to put down your name and mailing address. You can't know who will end up with thatinformation. Potentially giving out your address to strangers is just a bad idea.

So this holiday season, don't commit a federal violation. Plan a white elephant party or set up aone-to-one holiday gift exchange among your friends. Giving something to a stranger and"paying it forward" is a nice idea, but not as nice as staying within the legal limits of the postalcode.

2016-12-15 00:05 Jessica Roy www.latimes.com

268 /270 1.5 Porch pirates are searching for loot at your house

Plundered treasure isn’t the only thingpirates are after these days – they alsowant your packages.

And the source of their loot is your frontporch.

So-called porch pirates sail aroundneighborhoods purloining unattendedparcels from online shoppers and thosewaiting for a gift from grandma.

There are no statistics on the prevalence ofporch piracy, but who hasn’t rushed homein a panic to pick up the iPhone, the Louis

Vuitton purse or the nifty novel ordered online?

And, mail and law enforcement officials say, parcel theft is more common now, in an era whenonline shopping is ingrained.

“Our customers must take the opportunity away from thieves,” said Stacia Crane, aspokeswoman for the United States Postal Inspection Service, the oldest law enforcementagency in the country.

“Just as you wouldn’t leave a $5 bill in plain sight on the front seat of your car, you shouldn’tleave your mail and parcels unattended.”

The modus operandi of parcel thieves is far from haphazard. They stake out neighborhoods,learn carriers’ routines and study whether residents look out for one another.

“They do their homework,” said Lt. Mark Stichter of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “Ithappens in every single neighborhood, from extremely wealthy to lower socioeconomic.”

And unless they’re caught in the act, arresting porch pirates often takes luck.

“It’s a crime of opportunity,” Stichter said. “There’s always the off-chance an officer will do asearch of a car and come up with stolen packages. But it’s a very difficult crime to catch.”

Common steps can prevent parcel theft, mail officials say, such as installing a camera on yourporch, tracking packages so you know when they will arrive and sending shipments to yourworkplace.

Renee Edwards of Seal Beach fell victim to a porch pirate.

In August, she ordered something from Amazon for one of her children. When she got home,she saw the packing paper torn open on her porch – and the item gone.

It was frustrating, Edwards said, but probably more so for the pirate. The thief stole a textbookthat Edwards paid $1 for, and Amazon sent her a new copy the next day.

“I’m more concerned for those who have had items that aren’t as easily replaced, like phones orprescriptions,” she said.

Law enforcement agencies and mail carriers take steps to protect packages.

U. S. Postal Inspection Service agents, authorized to carry firearms, go into the field in plainclothes. They walk around neighborhoods or drive behind carriers to make sure no one iscasing a truck or house.

The Inspection Service does not discuss its investigation methods, but Crane said undercoveragents will flood hot spots, most recently in Long Beach.

It’s rare for agents to stumble upon a theft in progress, Crane said. But when they do, they makearrests.

“Southern California is a hotbed for parcel theft,” she said. “We want to keep our carriers safeand our customers’ packages safe.”

The U. S. Postal Service and private delivery services such as UPS and FedEx have createdonline tools for customers to know when packages arrive.

For example, the Postal Service allows customers to register their address and receive a callany time a package – expected or not – arrives on their doorstep.

UPS recently created a more human-based program: UPS Access Point.

The delivery company partners with local businesses, such as a dry cleaner or an insurancecompany, that receive packages when recipients aren’t home.

Carriers will leave notes on residents’ doors telling them where to pick up the packages; ID andthe note are required to get the goods.

“The access points are within 2 miles of a customer’s house,” said Natalie Godwin, a UPSspokeswoman. “And we update the access points (online) when businesses sign up or dropout.”

Southern California has about 700 such access points.

“At least I know my package is here and safe,” said Howard Nguyen, a Westminster residentwho strolled into Saigon Photo Lab, an access point across the street from his apartment.

The portrait studio is tucked into a nondescript strip mall on Westminster Avenue, surrounded bypho restaurants and a liquor store.

Martin Hua and his wife, Christina Nguyen, have owned Saigon Photo Lab for 22 years. Theshop became an access point several weeks ago, he said, so that more people would come in.

“I only get 25 cents a package, so it’s not for the money,” he said. “It seems to help the business.People have come in and looked around and said, ‘Oh, you do portraits here.’”

Richard Maher, a spokesman for the Postal Service, said employing preventive strategies suchas the UPS Access Point is key to adapting to porch pirates.

“We all have to be alert,” he said. “Especially this time of year.”

Contact the writer: 714-796-6979 or chaire@scng.com

2016-12-15 00:03 chaire@scng www.ocregister.com

269 /270 4.4 Queens jogger Karina Vetrano's killer may have been

regular at park where she was murderedThe NYPD is hoping fornew leads from the publicto help them find the killerof a 30-year-old jogger inQueens.

Cops have released somesigns people can look for tohelp pinpoint who rapedand strangled KarinaVetrano in Howard Beachon Aug.2.

The suspect may havebeen a familiar face to parkgoers, police said Wednesday.

The killer is likely familiar with Spring Creek Park, the scene of the crime, cops said.

“He may have been frequenting or even living in the park for days, weeks, or months prior to theassault,” according to an NYPD statement.

Investigators think the murderer may have appeared disheveled and scratched up in the hoursafter the killing, police said.

Afterwards, he likely disappeared from the park, and “moved his residence to another area ofthe borough or city,” cops said, offering up an excuse for the change in routine.

Cops are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

2016-12-15 00:01 John Annese feeds.nydailynews.com

270 /270 0.0 The Phrase Has Gone From Wisdom To Weapon

Kat Chow

Rewind to August 2015:Then-candidate DonaldTrump is on stage inCleveland at the firstRepublican presidentialdebate.

"I think the big problem thiscountry has is beingpolitically correct," Trumptells the moderator, FoxNews's Megyn Kelly. "I've

been challenged by so many people and I don't, frankly, have time for total political correctness.And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time, either. "

Now president-elect, Trump has denounced "political correctness" many, times since hiscampaign began. At a rally a year ago in South Carolina, he called for a "total and completeshutdown of Muslims entering the United States. " He told a cheering crowd that his statementon the subject was "very, very salient, very important and probably not politically correct. "

Politically correct. Political correctness. Using the biggest bully pulpit there is, Trump haswielded the phrase and its variants like a club some days and a shield on others. And he'shardly alone.

Since as far back as 1793, when the term appeared in a U. S. Supreme Court decision about theboundaries of federal jurisdiction, "politically correct" has had an array of definitions. It has beenused to describe what is politically wise, and it has been employed as ironic self-mockery. Thephrase has driven contentious debates in which free speech and free choice are pitted againstcivility and inclusion. But it hasn't just changed meaning, it has changed targets. What theNovember election has made clear is that these words, especially when they're related tomatters of multiculturalism and diversity, carry consequences.

Fairleigh Dickinson University and the Pew Research Center released two polls in the past year,each finding that, like Trump, a majority of Americans thought people were too easily offendedand that "political correctness" was one of the country's biggest problems. But what exactly is it?

People of all political stripes have used the phrase with varying, even contradictory meanings. In1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson used it to simply describe the correct (and incorrect) way todo politics when he said that he would enact policies "not because they are politically correct,but because they are right. " Washington Post reporter Caitlin Gibson cited the quote in aJanuary story headlined, "How 'Politically Correct' Went From Compliment to Insult. " Inacademic debates this year, people have used the words to dismiss the validity of those whoadvocate for "safe spaces" on college campuses and trigger warnings in classrooms.

The author Lionel Shriver riled up literary circles this fall with a controversial speech at theBrisbane Writers Festival. Some called her intolerant and out of touch. Then others accused

Shriver's critics of being too politically correct, another way of saying "hypersensitive. "

Comedian Bill Maher, whose aptly named TV show Politically Incorrect ran for nearly a decade,regularly skewers American politics and assails "political correctness" with commentary andsatire on Real Time with Bill Maher , his HBO talk show. In a contentious piece for the HollywoodReporter in February in which he announced his support for Sen. Bernie Sanders, Maher saidAmericans "have been choking on political correctness and overly careful politicians for the lastgeneration or two and are sick of it. " In that essay, Maher used the phrase as a synonym forcultural cowardice.

So, to review: "Politically correct" means politically wise or invalid or hypersensitive or cowardice.

Ruth Perry, a professor of literature at MIT, has written about the moment she thinks the phrasetook a turn toward its most common contemporary usage: a rebuttal to the ideals or practice ofdiversity. That history, she says, starts in the 1960s, when Black Power advocates, along withwhat she called the New Left movement, used "politically incorrect" to mean people were out ofstep with the movement's orthodoxy. Perry, who founded MIT's women's studies program, wrotea widely cited 1992 essay in The Women's Review of Books to make the case that the phrasehad been co-opted by political conservatives.

At the time, people were battling over language that seemed to serve as proxy for deeperdisagreements about how Americans should handle ideas of equality and equity. Mixed in withdebates about whether or not "manhole cover" should include the word "man," were moredivisive arguments about whether things like affirmative action and multiculturalism weredestroying liberal education.

In her essay, Perry talked about the countless times she had come across articles, op-eds andbooks that used the phrase "politically correct" to assail people like her. It was a phrase she andher friends, all civil rights activists, used all the time, but not the way it was being used in herreadings.

"The attack on the 'politically correct,' " Perry wrote, "in the universities is an attack on the theoryand practice of affirmative action—a legacy of the sixties and seventies—defined as therecruitment to an institution of students and faculty who do not conform to what has alwaysconstituted the population of academic institutions: usually white, middle-class, straight, male. "

It was our shorthand, and it was always used ironically.... So that you would say, 'I know it's notpolitically correct, but I'm going to go get a hamburger anyway,' or, 'I know it's not politicallycorrect, but I shave my legs.'

Ruth Perry

The emerging definition was "confusing to us, me and my buddies," Perry said in a recentinterview. "It was our shorthand, and it was always used ironically. It was always used as a joke.It was, I think, one of the ways we distinguished ourselves as the New Left from the Old Left. Itwas about not being dogmatic. So that you would say, 'I know it's not politically correct, but I'mgoing to go get a hamburger anyway,' or, 'I know it's not politically correct, but I shave my legs.' "

But the meaning had already started to shift to the right.

In 1987, conservative philosopher Allan Bloom wrote the book The Closing of the American

Mind , which a New York Times writer described as having "wildfire success. " In the book, herailed against the so-called "open minds" in academia that he said had instead offered studentsnarrow, liberal perspectives. To make his case, he pointed to the Black Power movement:

"The Black Power movement that supplanted the older civil rights movement—leaving asideboth its excesses and its very understandable emphasis on self-respect and refusal to beg foracceptance—had at its core the view that the Constitutional tradition was always corrupt andwas constructed as a defense of slavery. Its demand was for black identity, not universal rights.....

The upshot of all this for the education of young Americans is that they know much less aboutAmerican history and those who were held to be its heroes. This was one of the few things thatthey used to come to college with that had something to do with their lives. Nothing has taken itsplace except a smattering of facts learned about other nations or cultures and a few socialscience formulas. "

Bloom, who died in 1992, is cited regularly by conservative academics and writers. While hedidn't use the phrase "political correctness," his writing stoked the view that people were overlyconcerned with multiculturalism and diversity at the expense of rigorous education and freethinking.

In a 1991 commencement speech at the University of Michigan, then-president George H. W.Bush took note of the conversation that was preoccupying the country.

"The notion of political correctness has ignited controversy across the land," he said. "Andalthough the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism andsexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. "

Perry said that she and her colleagues "all believed in consensus and discussion and so on, sowe used the term to signify an idealistic belief in something, but the inability of the frail flesh toactually manage always to live up to it. And that's how we used it. "

Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, said that language is beingmanipulated for political purposes all the time by the left and the right. But liberals, he suggestedin an interview, are more concerned with being politically right than factually correct.Conservatives, he said, prefer to "say whatever you want and let it fall where it is, and we'll makethe argument as it is. "

"Now," Hanson said, "the left has destroyed the idea of absolute truth and legitimate ends. ... Ithink it's really dangerous what the left has done. They've created this effort to distort realitythrough vocabulary and they thought their agenda was enhanced by it. "

It is the case that words are weapons in political discourse, and they always have been.

Vincent Hutchings

Today, "politically correct" is being used as a "kind of linguistic jujitsu" to disable an opponent'sdiversity argument, said Vincent Hutchings, a professor of American politics at the University ofMichigan. "It is the case that words are weapons in political discourse, and they always havebeen," Hutchings said.

Trump has blamed "political correctness" for the Orlando shootings , for NBC's decision in 2015

to sever its ties with him over the speech announcing his candidacy , and for a Scottishuniversity's decision to strip him of an honorary degree.

Last month, the writer and academic Moira Weigel wrote for The Guardian that Trump hasn't justrejected "political correctness;" he has reveled in being incorrect .

"Trump did not simply criticise [sic] the idea of political correctness – he actually said and did thekind of outrageous things that PC culture supposedly prohibited. The first wave of conservativecritics of political correctness claimed they were defending the status quo, but Trump's missionwas to destroy it. In 1991, when George HW Bush warned that political correctness was a threatto free speech, he did not choose to exercise his free speech rights by publicly mocking a manwith a disability or characterising [sic] Mexican immigrants as rapists. Trump did. Havingelevated the powers of PC to mythic status, the draft-dodging billionaire, son of a slumlord,taunted the parents of a fallen soldier and claimed that his cruelty and malice was, in fact,courage. "

So, to review again: "Politically correct" means cowardly and courageous ; invalid orhypersensitive ; in step with the orthodoxy ; distortion and linguistic jujitsu.

The writer Lindy West offers a way out of this semantic loop: People who think the phrase isused to demonize things like social justice and diversity should drop it altogether and call thingswhat they are.

For years, she said in an interview, "I've had to write the same piece about how being 'politicallycorrect' is good. Letting terms just sit there and calcify and normalize just makes it more difficultto dismantle those concepts that... language props up. "

A tweet recently captured her view about the decades-long debate in fewer than 140 characters:now that we've covered "alt-right = white supremacist," can we go back to calling politicalcorrectness & identity politics "civil rights"?

2016-12-15 00:00 Ruth Perry www.npr.org

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