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2a7d9cb0b48d6f51958bb3465401fb2c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/09/mental-health-cuts/19956929/
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Post-Newtown momentum on mental health has slowed
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Post-Newtown momentum on mental health has slowed
Two years after the shootings in Newtown, Conn., prompted calls to rebuild the country's frayed mental health system, the drive for change has slowed at the state level and ground almost to a halt in Washington.
"We're seeing less attention to mental health, and that's concerning to us, because we're still seeing so many tragedies every day," says Mary Giliberti, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which released the report Tuesday.
Although individual tragedies may not make the news, "the suffering is tremendous when people don't get the services they need," Gilibert says. "People end up in emergency rooms. People end up in jails and prisons, which is absolutely the wrong place for someone with mental illness."
The increased attention to mental health after Newtown gave many mental health advocates hope for real change.
In December 2012, Adam Lanza shot 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, along with his mother and himself. A report issued last month by Connecticut's Office of the Child Advocate noted that Lanza suffered for years from untreated mental illness, including anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
After the shootings, the White House held a mental health summit and 36 states increased funding for mental health services – an important step toward restoring $4.6 billion in recession-related cuts from fiscal years 2009 to 2013, the NAMI report says.
Only 29 states increased funding this year, however. Seven states reduced mental health spending. In some states, mental health funding is still less than it was before the recession, the report says.
"When you've been through a couple decades of these kinds of cycles, it gets pretty discouraging," said Paul Appelbaum, a professor of psychiatry, medicine and law at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who wasn't involved in the new report. "As the memory of these tragedies fade, there is a reversion to a state of indifference."
State budget cuts have led to huge reductions in community services and the number of psychiatric hospital beds for people in crisis, says Robert Pierattini, chairman of psychiatry at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Without community help, people with serious mental illnesses often deteriorate to the point where they need to be hospitalized. Without hospital beds, they may languish for days or even weeks in emergency rooms.
According to the NAMI report, mental health funding took its greatest hit in Rhode Island, which cut its mental health budget nearly 20% this year, slashing $33.6 million in state funding, the report says.
North Carolina, which has cut mental health spending two years in a row, also restricted access to psychiatric medications in its Medicaid program. The change requires that patients get special authorization to before receiving drugs that aren't on a "preferred drug" list. Getting that kind of approval can be very difficult, Giliberti says. "When someone finds a drug that is working well for them, they should be able to stay on that drug, rather than switch to a drug that works less well or has more side effects," she says.
Dewey Cornell, director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project, says, "funding cuts like these cost us more in the long run," because people who deteriorate may end up involved in the court system or in homeless shelters.
Events in 2014 kept mental illness and the failures of the mental health system in the news, from the killing spree at the University of California-Santa Barbara to the suicide of actor Robin Williams. Neither of those events spurred major calls to action, however.
In states that acted to improve access to mental health care, changes were more akin to "tinkering around the edges" rather than the sort of sweeping reform that advocates called for after the Newtown shootings, the report says.
"When there are bad things that happen to a mentally ill person, there is usually some media attention for a few days, and some policymaker attention for a few days, but the attention doesn't really stay," says Pierattini, who was not involved in the NAMI report. "We can't underestimate the ability of people to deny problems. ... It's so convenient to say, 'Well, I know that's happening, but it's not happening to me.'"
In Congress, two bills designed to modernize the mental health system and improve access to care – one introduced by Republican Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania and one by Democatic Rep. Ron Barber of Arizona -- stalled without a vote.
Ron Honberg, national director of policy and legal affairs at NAMI, said he hopes the bills will be reintroduced next year.
There were some bright spots for mental health in 2014, the report says, particularly in Wisconsin and Virginia.
Virginia lawmakers created an online database to help hospitals quickly locate psychiatric beds for people in crisis. Lawmakers were responding in part to a tragedy affecting one of their own. Last year, state Sen. Creigh Deeds' son, who had a history of mental illness, stabbed his father before committing suicide -- just a few hours after he was released from a hospital because the staff could not locate a bed for him.
Virginia also allocated nearly $55 million to improve mental health services in hospitals and outpatient clinics, the report says.
Wisconsin provided grants to develop mobile crisis response teams, whose staff can go directly to people or families experiencing a mental health crisis. Wisconsin also funded grants to encourage up to 12 psychiatrists to practice in rural areas where there is a shortage of mental health workers, and passed a law to allow children to receive mental health treatment in their homes.
Wisconsin also created respite centers run by people who have suffered from mental illness themselves, where people can go for short periods, such as a few days, when they are overwhelmed. Wisconsin also funded programs to help people with mental illness find stable jobs.
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5d938222cbaee2948f383b8def4b3be0
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/09/paul-kerry-spar-over-islamic-state-war-powers/20172027/
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Paul, Kerry spar over Islamic State, war powers
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Paul, Kerry spar over Islamic State, war powers
WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tangled on Tuesday with Secretary of State John Kerry over the administration's military action against Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
Paul, a possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said Congress should have acted to declare war when the U.S. first carried out air strikes against the terrorist group in late September.
"The Constitution is quite clear that this responsibility lies with Congress," Paul said at a hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "For four or five months we've been derelict in our duty."
And, he added, "I think this president has been derelict."
The foreign relations panel is expected to vote Thursday on a draft "authorization for the use of military force," more limited than a declaration of war, authored by the committee's chairman, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
Paul and, it appears, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., are likely to propose an amendment that would be a declaration of war that limits military action to a year and bars the use of U.S. ground troops in most cases.
"Every day we've been on offense without Congress, we believe, is an unauthorized war," Kaine said. "I don't think we can wait until January or February."
Kerry, appearing before the lawmakers to discuss that authorization, urged lawmakers not to tie President Barack Obama's hands in prosecuting the fight in Syria and Iraq.
"It would be a mistake to ask for a declaration of war," said Kerry, a former chairman of the foreign relations panel. "A declaration of war has only been used against states."
"We are not going to war in the way we went to war in Iraq; we are not going to war in the way we went to war in Afghanistan," the secretary argued.
The military strikes against the Islamic State are designed to help U.S. allies "degrade and defeat" the terrorists and are "very restrained and different" from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Kerry said.
But Paul contended that he and his colleagues needed to assert "the balance of power between the branches of government" and to place limitations on what the administration can do against the terrorists.
"Those of us who don't want another Iraq war are concerned about limiting this," the Kentuckian told Kerry.
"I understand," the secretary responded.
Earlier Paul drew up a scenario in which an authorization to go after the Islamic State and its allies would permit U.S. forces to strike at targets in Algeria, Libya, Yemen and Saudi Arabia — all nations where groups have pledged allegiance to the terrorists.
The senator said he could not vote for any measure that did not contain limitations on the geographic scope of U.S. military operations. Otherwise, the administration could attack "anywhere in the world."
Kerry insisted "there's a responsibility to pick logical and legitimate kinds of options" and, he added, "to make a presumption in the sanity of the president of the United States."
"Nobody's talking about bombing everywhere," Kerry said.
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da6605bdca995861f2339876c3a89ac8
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/09/report-says-guns-in-school-shootings-often-come-from-home/20143495/
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Report: School shootings often involve guns from home
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Report: School shootings often involve guns from home
New report by gun violence prevention groups says school shootings often involve arguments that escalate and guns from home. There have been 95 school shootings since Newtown, Conn., groups say.
School shootings in the USA during the two years since the Newtown, Conn., massacre often involved a minor taking a gun from home and using it in a confrontation that started out as an argument, according to a new report by two groups who went to Washington, D.C., Tuesday seeking political action to prevent gun violence.
The two groups, whose definition of school shootings includes those those involving gang violence, unintentional shootings and suicides, used news accounts to compile a list of 95 shootings that occurred in 33 states; 23 of the incidents resulted in at least one death. All told, the shootings caused 45 deaths and 78 gunshot injuries, according to the report from Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
"Ninety-five school shootings is 95 too many," said U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat who chairs the House's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. "We must do more to keep the gunfire out of our children's classrooms, hallways and gymnasiums. That means keeping guns out of dangerous hands in the first place, and passing comprehensive background checks is the first step."
Forty-nine of the shootings occurred at K-12 schools and 46 on college or university campuses.
Of the 40 K-12 shootings in which the shooter's age was known, 28 were committed by minors. Of the 16 K-12 shootings where it was possible to determine the source of the firearm, 10 of the young perpetrators got their guns from home, the report says. In some cases, investigators in news accounts declined to say where the shooters obtained guns; other accounts did not provide the shooters' ages.
Shootings included incidents involving gang violence, unintentional shootings and suicides.
"School shootings ... erode the sense of security we should expect from our educational institutions in this country. Two years ago, the NRA called for arming teachers. That's their solution -- more guns for everyone, everywhere, anytime," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "Instead, we can and should do more to prevent gun violence. That's why we're fighting for common-sense public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and keep guns out of the wrong hands."
The NRA did not respond to a request for comment.
Over the past two years, there were an average of two school shootings a month at K-12 schools, according to the report. During the past three months, there were 17 shootings, including one week -- Sept. 24-30 -- in which there were five incidents in five states: Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, North Carolina and Kentucky.
"We do not send our children to school to learn how to hide from gunmen, nor should we expect sharpshooting to be a job requirement for educators," said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. "You may not have heard about all of these shooting incidents on the national news, but when a lockdown is announced over a school intercom, for whatever reason, it strikes fear across the community. ... It's time for our elected leaders to take a stand for the safety and future of our children."
Everytown for Gun Safety, which calls itself the nation's largest gun violence prevention organization, was born this year out of the merger between Mayors Against Illegal Guns, founded in 2006 by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and 14 other mayors, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which was begun by Watts, an Indianapolis stay-at-home mom, in response to the Sandy Hook school shooting.
On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed his mother, then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School and launched the nation's deadliest mass shooting at a high school or grade school. He then shot and killed himself.
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5a0a0cf557950cb14e8dec8af8800bd6
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/09/waterboarding-ksm/20151103/
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Waterboarding didn't work, committee report finds
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Waterboarding didn't work, committee report finds
WASHINGTON — Bottom line: Torture didn't work.
It didn't elicit actionable intelligence from suspected terrorists, nor did it foil plots against Americans. That's a key assessment in the Senate Intelligence Committee's report released Tuesday on the CIA's detention and interrogation programs.
"The committee finds, based on a review of CIA interrogation records, that the use of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques was not an effective means of obtaining accurate information or gaining detainee cooperation," the report concludes.
"Enhanced interrogation techniques," such as beatings, solitary confinement and waterboarding — simulated drowning that induced convulsions and vomiting — failed to elicit intelligence to foil terror plots, the committee found.
Examples of the techniques' failure involve some of the highest-profile terrorists in U.S. custody. The summary of the committee's 6,000-page report repeatedly refutes CIA and administration statements that harsh measures saved innocent lives.
Chief among the failures, according to the report, is the case of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged plotter of the 9/11 terror attacks, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and interrogated by the CIA. Publicly, the CIA maintained that waterboarding was "particularly effective" in getting information from the man referred to as "KSM." The senators' report found that "numerous CIA personnel" believed waterboarding was ineffective on him. Interrogators waterboarded him at least 183 times, according to the report. The report refers to the technique used on KSM as evolving into a "series of near drownings."
The medical officer at the interrogation facility that held him noted that KSM hated it "but knew he could manage." Much of the information he provided during those interrogations, he would later recant as lies. For example, he told interrogators he sent Abu Issa al-Britani to Montana to recruit African-American Muslim converts.
Later, he acknowledged he "simply told his interrogators what he thought they wanted to hear."
The CIA "broke KSM" with e-mails and statements from other informants, "in other words by confronting KSM with information from other sources," according to the report.
Mohammed is held at a prison at the Guantanamo Naval Station in Cuba. His military trial has not begun.
Waterboarding, solitary confinement and slamming another "high-value detainee" into a concrete wall failed to produce information on al-Qaeda cells in the USA or "operational plans for terrorist attacks" against American targets.
Despite the details of the Senate report, six of the committee's Republican members said the interrogation techniques did provide valuable information.
The report "makes no mention of the pervasive, genuine apprehension about a possible second attack on the United States that gripped the CIA in 2002 and 2003,'' the Republican senators wrote, and treats the death of nearly 3,000 Americans in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as "incidental'' to the CIA's detainee interrogation program.
Abu Zubaydah, a senior al-Qaeda operative, like Mohammed, was captured in Pakistan.
Zubaydah provided more intelligence during his first two months of questioning by FBI interrogators in 2002 than during the next two months, "which included non-stop use of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques 24 hours a day for 17 days," the report said.
Waterboarding rendered Zubaydah "completely unresponsive, with bubbles rising through his open, full mouth," the report says.
Zubaydah is held at Guantanamo but has not been charged.
"People being tortured will tell interrogators what they want to hear, which is often far different than the truth," Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.
In the Senate, Lindsey Graham, R-S-C., said the interrogation methods worked against U.S. interests.
"As a military lawyer for more than 30 years, I believe we can and must fight this war within our values," said Graham, a member of the Armed Services Committee. "I supported the investigation of the CIA as the problems of interrogation policies were obvious to me. I do not condone torture and continue to believe abusive detention and interrogation techniques used in the past were counterproductive. I'm very happy the techniques in question are no longer utilized."
Follow @tvandenbrook on Twitter.
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4dce339b9ec3f0642a329207f3cb6a6d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/10/antelope-canyon-photo-sells-for-record-65m/20230571/
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Arizona canyon photo sells for record $6.5 million
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Arizona canyon photo sells for record $6.5 million
PHOENIX — The world's most expensive photo depicts Arizona's Antelope Canyon, near Page on the Navajo Reservation.
Landscape photographer Peter Lik sold his print, titled "Phantom," for $6.5 million to a private collector in November.
The black-and-white photo depicts an underground cavern inside Arizona's Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon formed as rainwater eroded the stone into narrow passageways.
The canyon, first opened to the public in 1997, attracts photographers and sightseers to marvel at its uniquely smooth, flowing corridors and arches, Navajo Nation parks officials said.
"Certain textures and contours found in nature lend themselves beautifully to black and white photography," Lik said in a press release. "The intensity of contrasting light and dark spaces was surprising, but made for some of the most powerful images I've ever created."
Guardian columnist Jonathon Jones was quick to call the photo "derivative, sentimental in its studied romanticism, and consequently in very poor taste."
Jones said the photo is beautiful in a "slick way" that is a better fit for a "posh hotel" than the annals of art history.
But Lik and his "Phantom" will continue to haunt art history for some time seeing as how Lik now holds four of the top 20 spots for most expensive photographs ever sold, according to Lik's website.
Lik sold "Phantom" along with two other prints, "Illusion" for $2.4 million and "Eternal Moods" for 1.1 million.
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44e68b10f96908ef22fd25ad917fe718
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/14/bottle-chemical-bpa-health-newser/20397547/
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Why drinking from a can may be dangerous
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Why drinking from a can may be dangerous
(NEWSER) – Might want to make your next six-pack glass bottles. Cans and plastic bottles are lined with a controversial chemical called BPA, and while the CDC still says the chemical's health effects
are unclear, research on chronic exposure has linked it to high blood pressure and heart rate issues.
To test the effects of drinking from cans, researchers in South Korea provided 60 adults over the age of 60 with soy milk either in a can or a glass bottle. Urine tests showed that those who drank from cans saw BPA levels up to 1,600% higher than those who drank from bottles, according to a post at Eureka Alert.
What's more, both BPA and blood pressure rose significantly in can-drinkers within a matter of hours, the New York Times reports, noting that this is one of the first studies to illustrate the potential risks of a just one BPA exposure.
An isolated experience of high blood pressure may not be that dangerous, but people should think twice before drinking regularly from cans or plastic bottles, an expert tells the Times.
"A 5 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure by drinking two canned beverages may cause clinically significant problems, particularly in patients with heart disease or hypertension," says a researcher, noting that he hopes manufactures will come up with "healthy alternatives" to BPA-lined cans. But simply limiting BPA may not solve the problem.
This story originally appeared on Newser: Why drinking from a can could be dangerous
More on Newser:
Newser is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
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0fcac80d6d864d645cec41783e522fc9
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/15/five-killed-philadelphia-area-shootings/20426263/
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6 dead, manhunt underway after Pa. shooting spree
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6 dead, manhunt underway after Pa. shooting spree
Six family members were killed and one was seriously wounded in shootings at three locations in suburban Philadelphia, and a manhunt was underway for a former U.S. Marine, authorities in Montgomery County said Monday.
One of the dead was the suspected gunman's ex-wife, Nicole Hill Stone, with whom he had battled over custody of their two daughters.
Police were looking for Bradley William Stone, 35, of Pennsburg, the county district attorney's office said. Authorities said that the shootings appeared to be related to a domestic dispute and that all the victims had a "familial relationship" with Stone.
Other victims were members of Hill's family, including her grandmother, her sister, Patricia Flick, her husband and their 14-year-old daughter. The couple's 17-year-old son was seriously wounded.
"Stone should be considered armed and dangerous," District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said in a statement."Police are conducting an extensive search in and around Pennsburg."
Monday night, a suspect matching Stone's description reportedly was involved in an attempted carjacking in nearby Doylestown, in Bucks County. The driver fired at the suspect, who fled into woods, according to WPVI-TV. The suspect was armed with a knife and wearing camouflage.
Monday morning, police converged on a home in Pennsburg, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and were using a megaphone to try and draw Stone out.
"Bradley, this is the police department!" an officer yelled. "Come to the front door with your hands up. You're under arrest."
Ferman said Stone is known to use a cane or walker to assist him.
About 3 p.m., WPVI-TV reported that police had fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas into the home. But the manhunt continued into the evening, and Stone's whereabouts were unknown.
Earlier, the station reported that police had found the suspect's vehicle, and the station tweeted that a gunman was "barricaded" in a house in the town of Souderton, where three people were found dead.
Just before noon, an apparent concussion grenade exploded and an unidentified male was removed from the home and taken by ambulance to a medical helicopter, Philly.com reported, citing Towamencin Township Police Chief Tim Dickinson.
Investigators said they believe the family were the first to be shot, about 3:30 a.m.
Souderton School District issued a notice on its website that its schools were in lockdown.
In nearby Lansdale, dispatchers said a SWAT team responded. Officers searched nearby buildings but, after three hours, police drew back from the scene without announcing anything about the shooting suspect, nbcphiladelphia.com reported.
Monday evening, police said Hill's 57-year-old mother and her 75-year-old grandmother had been shot to death inside about 4:30 a.m..
A resident at Hill's Lower Salford Township apartment complex told TV stations she heard gunshots just before 5 a.m. and saw the suspect leave with Hill's two children.
"I opened the window and I asked him 'Is everything OK?' He just looked at me and said, 'She's hurt pretty bad. We have to leave. She's hurt.' And he just got in the car and left," the unidentified neighbor said.
Police later found the 33-year-old Hill dead inside the apartment, and the children were found safe at a neighbor's home, the stations reported, citing sources.
Hill and Stone married in 2004 and filed for divorce in March 2009, the Associated Press reported, citing court records. Their divorce was finalized in December 2012.
Stone remarried last year, and neighbors said Hill became engaged over the summer. They had been in court earlier this month, with Stone filing an emergency petition for custody of their children.
He served more than eight years in the Marine Corps Reserve and had been deployed to Iraq as an " Artillery Meteorological Man," a Marine Corps spokesman told WCAU-TV, the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia.
Court records show that Stone suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, the Bucks County Courier Timesreported.
He served in the Marines and the Marine Reserves from 2002 to 2011, including a combat tour in Iraq in 2008. He was discharged honorably.
Stone was treated for unspecified combat-related physical injuries, and was also receiving continuing treatment for PTSD, the Montgomery County records show. Stone pleaded guilty in November 2013 to a drunken-driving crash. As part of his sentence, he was participating in a county rehabilitation program for veterans.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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92868a2bdd7b7bcdf56cab90634c5f6e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/16/american-sniper-widow-says-the-film-gets-it-right/20504909/
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'American Sniper' widow says the film gets it right
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'American Sniper' widow says the film gets it right
Taya Kyle says she made her peace with the movie about her husband, Chris Kyle, the legendary SEAL and subject of the upcoming film American Sniper, a few months before she even saw it.
It would be as good as it could be, she kept telling herself. Maybe authentic glimpses of the warrior-husband that she had grown to love would show up on the big screen. And that would be enough.
But she hadn't actually found that peace. Not really.
With American Sniper, equal parts war movie and love story, set for release on Christmas Day, Military Times caught up with Taya Kyle to find out how she finally made that peace — and why it was so much more profound than she expected.
PROMISES MADE
Chris Kyle is credited by the military with more confirmed kills over four tours in Iraq than any marksman in American history. After leaving the Navy, he wrote a best-selling account of his experiences, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.
He wrote not just as a war fighter but as a husband and the father of a growing family. The book was partly co-written by Taya, with many passages penned by her scattered throughout its 381 pages.
On Feb. 2, 2013, Chris and a friend were gunned down on a Texas shooting range. Awaiting trial for their slayings is another veteran with post-traumatic stress whom Chris and his buddy were trying to help.
Shortly before his death, Taya remembers her husband having a brief conversation with actor and producer Bradley Cooper about turning his book into a feature-length movie.
Cooper was going to produce the movie and play Chris. He promised to do it right.
In time, she grew to believe him. But it took awhile.
With her husband gone, it fell to Taya to work with the screenwriter to help fill in the small details and nuances of their lives together. "We spent hundreds of hours on the phone going over it all," she says.
She flew to London to meet with Cooper, along with director Clint Eastwood and actress Sienna Miller — tapped to play Taya on the big screen — as well as other members of the cast and crew.
Filming split between Morocco and Southern California. And Taya marveled at how everything she saw — and everyone she met — impressed her.
"If there was ever going to be a movie that was even going to come close to getting it right, this was it," she remembers eventually telling herself.
"A lot of people thought writing the book was going to be cathartic for us, and it wasn't. It was so fresh, so much about the struggles we had just gotten through, and it was taking us back in the mix of it. But with this movie, and having just lost Chris, it was very different. I do believe it was very healing in some ways," she says.
"(Screenwriter) Jason Hall spent all this time with me, and I'm talking about my memories and my life and my love, and the love of Chris toward me and the kids. It was healing for me to be able to give that, and to be able to preserve some of those memories in a different way.
"It's been a really beautiful thing."
LIFE AND DEATH ON THE BIG SCREEN
About two months ago, it was finally time to see the movie. Among a small handful of people invited to the Warner Bros. lot in Hollywood, Taya watched it all unfold on the big screen. "Initially I was so focused on Chris and making sure that it honored him, but I just lost myself. It was so Chris. It wasn't Bradley on the screen. It was Chris."
And it was her, too. "I saw parts of myself in Sienna that I tend to think I hold close to the vest and most people don't see. But she brought that. She really got my vulnerability," she says. "It was very powerful."
And the tears came. "The loving moments between the two of them either got me choked up or full-on tears flowing. And the beauty of it with Chris and the children, those moments definitely hit me right in the heart."
It's not perfect, though. One scene in particular did not ring true: Chris is on a flightline in Iraq and finds his younger brother, Jeff, a Marine, as he's preparing to board an aircraft. His brother looks shell-shocked and beaten down.
"Maybe the actor over-acted it a little bit. I think the thing they were trying to convey is that Chris felt this protectiveness toward his brother even though his brother is a very capable, strong man. The scene is a little bit hard to swallow in that Jeff would not have come across that way like a trembling, fearful person," she says.
She thought she had found peace with her life, with the love of her life, and with all the joys and heartache that came with displaying it all for the world to see. But she hadn't, really — not until she found herself leaving the private Warner Bros. screening.
"I left feeling like a weight had been lifted. They really pulled it off. It's an authentic, genuine look at two people who love each other and what our veterans go through and what they carry ... how they take their home life to the battlefield and take the battlefield home."
In short, she says, Cooper kept his promise to get it right.
"And then some," she says. "And it's not just me — so many of Chris's friends who have seen the movie have said they didn't feel like they were even watching an actor. It's been that way without fail. Everyone who knows him and loves him has said that."
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26dc8fc5285f0b9a913d13c818a9e39d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/16/volunteer-america-community-service/20447747/
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U.S. volunteerism: Which states do it best?
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U.S. volunteerism: Which states do it best?
Volunteerism is slightly down in the U.S, according to a new study that ranks states on their philanthropic efforts.
This year, 62.6 million Americans volunteered for nearly 7.7 billion hours, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service's annual "Volunteering and Civic Life in America Report." That's down from 64.5 million Americans volunteering nearly 7.9 billion hours last year.
Citizens of Utah, Idaho, Minnesota, Kansas and Wisconsin are leading the way in overall volunteerism while Louisiana, New York, Nevada, Florida and Arkansas remain the least philanthropic for the second year in a row. "It ticks up and down," says Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering and service. "I don't think it's significant."
"We've seen the national results come back and have been dismayed," says Judd Jeansonne, executive director of government-run Volunteer Louisiana. Only 17.8% of Louisiana residents volunteer, according to the survey.
"We don't feel that these numbers reflect what's truly going on in the state," Jeansonne says.
He says Southern states with a more religious population often get low marks because of a technicality.
"A lot of folks think of church volunteering as a spiritual activity and don't connect it with volunteerism," Jeansonne says. "We've conducted our own surveys with a prompt to include church volunteering and it added roughly 10% onto our volunteerism rates."
Still, Jeansonne says, Louisiana is doing its part to encourage more volunteerism through a few new programs.
For the first time this year, students who do community service all four years of high school can get a special endorsement on their diploma. Louisiana also launched an online volunteer management system in October that helps match volunteers with volunteering opportunities.
Utah has been ranked as the No. 1 state since 2009.
"Utahns truly embody the spirit of volunteerism," Gov. Gary Herbert said. "The people in our state are always willing to lend a hand where needed, whether it's tutoring children, supporting our veterans, caring for the elderly or helping preserve Utah's natural resources."
LaDawn Stoddard, executive director with UServeUtah, the Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism, says volunteering is just in Utah's culture.
"We are a young, family-oriented state," Stoddard says. "Parents volunteer with their kids, and kids just think that's what you do when you grow up. It's cyclical."
The annual survey breaks down which age groups do the most volunteering and how they go about doing it.
"The busiest people are parents of school-aged children, and they have the highest rate of volunteering of any group," Spencer says. "They want to make sure the community they are raising their families in have all the assets they want."
The study found that Americans ages 35-44 had the highest volunteer rate of 31.3%, followed by those ages 45-54 at 29.4%. The least likely to volunteer are those 20-24, where volunteerism is at 19%.
Seniors give the most time. Seniors 65 and over give a median of 92 volunteer hours per year, the study found. For other groups, the median is about 50. "That tells us that seniors are getting very connected," Spencer says. "It gives them a reason to get up every day."
Carlene Igras, 59, volunteers at a local preschool in Vero Beach, Fla., Monday through Friday from 8:30-11:30 a.m., working one-on-one with the children to prepare them for kindergarten.
"I wasn't ready to be retired full time," Igras says. "It got me into the community right away. I just needed to feel like a part of our new home. This is perfect."
More than a quarter of America's volunteers opt for fundraising or selling items to raise money, the report found. About 24% collect, distribute or prepare food; 19.6% provide transportation and general labor support; 18% tutor or teach youth; 17.3% mentor youth; and 15% lend professional and management expertise.
Joseph Austin, 24, a second-year law student at Texas Tech University, volunteers with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance preparing tax returns for low-income individuals and families.
"In college, there are so many times you're just learning from books or in the classroom," Austin says. "You think, 'How is this actually going to help someone? How does this do more than just get me a check for myself?' This shows you."
The report found that in addition to service, volunteers are almost twice as likely to donate to charity than non-volunteers.
The report found some good news for good-doers. Volunteers have higher odds of finding a job after being out of wok than non-volunteers. Those without a high school diploma have a 51% higher likelihood of getting a job if they volunteer, and the number goes up to 55% for those in rural areas.
Spencer says she hopes that, regardless of the motivation, volunteer rates increase next year.
"I hope Americans will look at the holiday season as their opportunity to make a New Year's resolution to volunteer," Spencer says. "This unifies America."
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657befd46770f488b6212d727206e5a1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/17/cuban-americans-react/20532429/
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Reaction In Little Havana: Deal is 'ultimate bailout'
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Reaction In Little Havana: Deal is 'ultimate bailout'
Corrections & Clarifications: : A prior version of this story misstated how long Antonio Garcia-Crews was a political prisoner in Cuba. He spent 16 years in prison.
MIAMI -- Cuban Americans reacted with mixed emotions to President Obama's announcement today that the U.S. was normalizing relations with Cuba after severing ties more than 50 years ago.
In the Little Havana neighborhood -- the unofficial political heart of this city, where more than half the population, 54%, is of Cuban descent -- hardliners protested with signs decrying Obama's move and chanting, "Traitor, traitor."
Carlos Munoz, a retired veterinarian who left Cuba in 1970, was among a group outside the well-known Cuban restaurant Versailles that was heated in opposition and disappointed by the historic move. Munoz said he felt betrayed by Obama's actions.
"We've been in the fight for Cuban independence for over 50 years, and we just got back-stabbed," said Munoz, 78.
Some Cuban Americans took solace in knowing that Alan Gross, an American arrested in Cuba in 2009 on espionage charges and released Wednesday on humanitarian grounds as part of the negotiations between the two countries, would soon be reunited with his family. Part of the agreement calls for the U.S. to release three Cubans imprisoned for spying.
"I'm happy they released that poor man who was going to die in that prison," said Miguel Saavedra, a mechanic who fled Cuba in 1965. "But this wasn't the way to do it."
Osvaldo Hernandez, a 50-year-old orthopedic technician who left Cuba on a raft with 13 others in 1995, wondered why the president didn't use the military to recover Gross.
"Why didn't they send in the SEALS, like they've done in so many other countries?" he asked.
Saavedra and Hernandez are members of a group called Vigilia Mambisa, a collection of exiled Cubans who want to maintain the economic embargo against the Communist island and advocate stronger sanctions to remove the Castro regime.
On Wednesday, they said Obama basically handed Cuban President Raul Castro everything he ever wanted in exchange for no institutional changes in Cuba.
"Obama is on his knees in front of a terrorist regime," he said. "It's sad."
Cuban Americans who support the easing of sanctions against Cuba praised Obama's move.
"Today, the President has taken major strides to update our Cuba policy so that it better meets the challenges of the 21st century," Ric Herrero, executive director of #CubaNow, a group that supports normalizing relations with Cuba, said in a written statement. "The changes ... will make it easier to support the Cuban people as they take ownership of their destiny and craft a more democratic and independent future for themselves.
He singled out Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for their opposition to opening relations with Cuba on the basis of not engaging with repressive regimes, pointing out that Rubio's staff and Menendez have traveled and met with officials in China, which also has been criticized for human rights abuses.
Herrero said the changes Obama announced, such as easing the travel ban to Cuba and allowing financial transactions between the two countries, will allow Americans to help support Cuban entrepreneurs and businesses.
The push for human rights in Cuba will happen as more Cubans are exposed to more people and ideas, he said.
"The Cuban people will be better equipped and supported in their desire to exercise their human rights, develop civil society institutions and hold their own government accountable," Herrero said.
In Naples, Fla., Cuban-born Adriana Infanzon, 65, hopes the move toward normalization "opens up the possibility for investments and a better life for the Cubans."
Infanzon, a Catholic Charities caseworker, sees Cuban immigrants daily. Looking back at their lives on the island, "Most don't complain about their (human) rights," Infanzon said. "They talk about having nothing to look forward to."
Palm Bay, Fla., Mayor William Capote, who came to the United States at age 8 with his parents aboard a "Freedom Flight" to Miami in 1970, is optimistic about the new relationship with Cuba.
"Hopefully, this will work out for the best," Capote said. " "When we talk about democracy, it's the availability that people from other countries come here for: to be able to go to school; to be able to do free enterprise; to start your own business; to have those opportunities that are afforded here in the U.S."
Capote said on his Facebook page Wednesday afternoon: "I support communication and dialogue that would help move my native homeland towards freedom and democracy. I hope we as a nation can embrace change and progress and focus on positive relations that empower the people of Cuba to be free and prosperous."
Attitudes among Cuban Americans have shifted over the past 15 years. Many younger people and those emigrating from the island recently support normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba, said Fernand Amandi, managing partner for the polling firm Bendixen and Amandi International. In Miami, he says, Cubans tend to be more hardline against Cuba than other Cubans across the country.
For decades, he said, feelings in the Cuban American community were more monolithic as almost everyone supported the economic embargo and other sanctions.
"There's been a recalibration" in the Cuban American community, Amandi said, particularly among people under 45, whose lives were not upended as their parents' and grandparents' lives were when they fled Cuba after Fidel Castro took over in 1959.
For anyone under 45, today's announcement is the "most momentous" regarding relations between the two countries, he says.
Not all older Cubans opposed Obama's moves.
Antonio Garcia-Crews spent 16 years as a political prisoner in Cuba before fleeing for the United States in 1979. The immigration attorney in Altamonte Springs, Fla., far from the exile hotbed of Miami, said he came out of that prison realizing that the U.S. stance on Cuba was contributing to Castro's grip on the island.
"I realized that the Cuban government hid behind the embargo to maintain the repression against the Cuban people," said Garcia-Crews, 75. "The road we've been taking doesn't go anywhere. We have to find a new road, and this is the first step on that road, on the road to democracy. Because now, it removes the argument from the Cuban government that it's the victim."
Cuban-American politicians mostly fell in the hardliner camp, panning Obama for working with Raúl Castro, who they say heads an oppressive regime, while expressing relief that Gross was freed.
Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants who left the island for New York City in 1953, said in a written statement, "President Obama's actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government."
He said Gross's release is a profound relief for his family but that he should have been released unconditionally five years ago.
"Let's be clear, this was not a 'humanitarian' act by the Castro regime," he said. "It was a swap of convicted spies for an innocent American."
"Trading Mr. Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent," he said, adding that he worries that Wednesday's actions will put thousands of Americans who work overseas at risk if they are arrested and used by "rogue regimes" as bargaining chips.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said he, too, was "relieved" that Gross was freed, but he echoed the sentiments of many in Miami who said they were repulsed by how it came about.
Diaz-Balart said Obama gave Castro everything he wanted: full diplomatic relations, more access to U.S. money and broader ability to work with American companies. In exchange, Cuba has promised nothing, he said.
"This is the ultimate bailout," he said.
Cuba is reportedly freeing an additional 53 political prisoners as part of the deal, but Diaz-Balart said that was a trick Cuba has pulled several times before. He said thousands of people have been arrested for political purposes this year, so 53 release is a drop in the bucket.
He worried about the signal that he said Obama's move sends to the world.
"This will not only give a green light to Castro to continue to repress the Cuban people, but it is a very dangerous sign to other rogue regimes and terrorist organizations that President Obama will give you whatever you want," he said.
Bello reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Laura Ruane, The (Fort Myers) News-Press, and Rick Neale, Florida Today in Melbourne.
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483f343e8fac5cddfb2e0818dc531af0
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/17/meningitis-outbreak-arrests/20524441/
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Meningitis outbreak that killed 64 draws murder charges
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Meningitis outbreak that killed 64 draws murder charges
Two officials of a Massachusetts drugmaker blamed for a fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people in 2012 were charged Wednesday with a range of crimes including second-degree murder, the U.S. attorney's office said.
"Production and profit were prioritized over safety," U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said at a Boston news conference announcing a 131-count indictment. It lays out charges against the co-founders and 12 other employees of the New England Compounding Center in Framingham.
Co-founder Barry Cadden and senior pharmacist Glenn Chin face charges including 25 counts of second-degree murder for deaths in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The federal racketeering indictment accused them of "acting in wanton and willful disregard of the likelihood" that their misconduct would cause deaths.
Both could face life in prison if convicted on all charges. Chin's lawyer, Stephen Weymouth, called the second-degree murder charge "a bit of an overreach."
"He feels hugely remorseful for everything that's happened — for the injuries and the deaths — but he never intended to cause harm to anybody," Weymouth said.
Other defendants, including NECC co-founder Gregory Conigliaro, were charged with a variety of lesser counts for their roles in what Ortiz called "an unprecedented national tragedy." The charges include mail fraud, racketeering, conspiracy, contempt, structuring and violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
About 750 people in 20 states became ill after receiving the contaminated steroids. Some of those who were sickened took some solace in the indictment. Joan Peay of Nashville, who battled meningitis in 2012 and 2013, was questioned by the FBI during the investigation.
"I am so happy," she said. "If I can't receive much money for all my pain and suffering, at least I'll be able to to see these criminals in prison."
Ortiz said the firm's most senior pharmacists knew drugs were being made in "thoroughly contaminated labs," sometimes with expired ingredients. She said technicians faked documentation to try to convince regulators that appropriate cleaning and disinfecting protocols were followed.
The indictment alleges that NECC even used fictional and celebrity names on fake prescriptions to dispense drugs. The case led to tighter regulations for compounding pharmacies, which mix custom medications for hospitals and doctors.
"Actions like the ones alleged in this case display not only a reckless disregard for health and safety regulations but also an extreme and appalling indifference to human life," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. "American consumers have a right to know that their medications are safe to use, and this case proves that the Department of Justice will always stand resolute to ensure that right, to protect the American people and to hold wrongdoers accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
NECC was founded in 1998. The pharmacy, under a siege of litigation after the outbreak was discovered, gave up its license and filed for bankruptcy protection. Thousands of people have filed claims in bankruptcy court.
The indictment requires defendants to forfeit valuables including money, retirement accounts, vehicles, a boat, jewelry, luxury clocks, buildings and property that were gained through the alleged racketeering.
Contributing: Tom Wilemon, The (Nashville) Tennessean; Associated Press
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2a151543b4d842be1c2785dd3e01878f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/17/shaken-baby-ruling-could-set-precedent-in-ny/20520601/
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Shaken-baby ruling could set precedent in New York
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Shaken-baby ruling could set precedent in New York
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In a ruling that could have statewide significance, a judge reversed the 2001 murder conviction of a New York woman who was accused in the shaken-baby death of a toddler in her care.
In a decision released Tuesday morning, Judge James Piampiano ruled that the science used to convict René Bailey of Greece has changed significantly since her trial.
The ruling marks the first time a shaken-baby conviction has been overturned in New York on the basis of changing science. Lawyers have won a handful of reversals in other states in recent years.
"The newly discovered evidence in this case thus shows that there has been a compelling and consequential shift in mainstream medical opinion since the time of the defendant's trial," Piampiano wrote in his 28-page decision.
A motion such as the one brought by Bailey's attorney must show that new evidence has arisen that was not available at the time of the trial. Piampiano ruled that the changes in science constituted such new evidence.
"This would be the first time in New York that we have a head-on, squarely facing decision saying that a major change in the science qualifies as newly discovered evidence," said Bailey's attorney, Adele Bernhard.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley said her office will either appeal the ruling or retry Bailey. If appealed, the decisions of appellate courts could have significant reach, possibly impacting other shaken-baby convictions across New York.
Dozens of people in the Rochester area have been prosecuted for injuring or killing young children by shaking them violently or slamming them down, and at least a dozen are in state prison. Some of them admitted their abuse before sentencing, though others, as Bailey did, protested that they had done nothing wrong.
At Bailey's trial, prosecutors had argued that a fatal head injury suffered by 2 1/2-year-old Brittney Sheets could only have been caused by abuse at the hands of Bailey, who cared for the girl and several other children in her home day care center.
But Bernhard, who represented Bailey pro bono, argued before Piampiano earlier this year that a growing number of physicians and scientists have come to believe injuries such as those that killed Sheets can be caused by other factors, such as accidental falls or certain illnesses.
Bailey had insisted to police that Sheets had jumped off a chair and struck her head on the floor.
Starting in the 1970s, physicians developed the scientific underpinnings of what came to be known as shaken-baby syndrome. They concluded that violent shaking, and only violent shaking, could cause certain kinds of injuries to small children's brains and eyes.
As the Democrat and Chronicle reported in stories last year that focused on Bailey's cases and on the scientific controversy in general, these views became widely accepted, and people accused in shaken-baby cases were widely reviled.
But over the last 10 or 15 years, new research challenged this orthodoxy. Legal appeals based on the new science have cropped up around the nation and the world, and Great Britain and the Canadian province of Ontario engaged in systematic reviews of past convictions.
Bailey, now 55, is incarcerated at Albion Correctional Facility in Orleans County. Doorley said prosecutors will ask that Bailey remain jailed pending an appellate ruling or a new trial.
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af70494a8803c1b51744a199899a55b8
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/18/pit-bull-mauls-boy/20578733/
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Boy mauled by pit bull will get surgery, thanks to donors
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Boy mauled by pit bull will get surgery, thanks to donors
PHOENIX — Concerned donors have given more than $22,000 to help cover medical expenses of a boy mauled earlier this year by a pit-bull mix.
The contributions included $13,000, given anonymously Tuesday.
"It's really wonderful the way people have come through," said lawyer Jack Wilenchik, one those behind the campaign. "We're really grateful."
The online fundraising effort exceeded its goal of $20,000 in about 10 days, and donors can contribute to the site until Feb. 3.
Wilenchik said that he's already made contact with a Phoenix-area plastic surgeon who will do an initial consultation Dec. 30.
"He's doing it for free," Wilenchik said. "And this is a renowned surgeon. People have been great."
Kevin Vicente, then 4, was attacked Feb. 20 while he was playing with other children in a yard where his babysitter had taken him, according to a court report on the attack. Kevin walked within the 18-foot radius of the dog's chain and the animal caught Kevin from behind, pulling him to the ground and attacking his face.
Adults who were present pulled the dog off the boy.
The dog's fate spurred an online debate and a New York-based nonprofit raised money to pay for the dog's legal expenses with a Phoenix-area lawyer donating his time to represent Mickey. Tens of thousands of people rallied on social media to save the dog's life.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio ultimately took custody of the dog and housed the animal in his no-kill shelter. Arpaio later unveiled a webcam where the dog's fans can watch the animal around the clock.
Kevin's mother, Flor Vicente, had to quit her job to care for her son and needs help to pay for upcoming surgery bills. The boy's supporters took to a website — indiegogo.com — to help raise money.
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14a5c940680257f11476c67cd86cf11a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/19/ez-pass-and-speeding/20558251/?utm_content=buffer4e46a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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Not just tolls: E-Z Pass keeping an eye on speeders
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Not just tolls: E-Z Pass keeping an eye on speeders
Warning to motorists: Don't speed in the toll lanes. E-Z Pass is watching.
Several states, including New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania, say they monitor speeds through the fast pass toll lanes and will suspend your E-Z Pass for multiple speeding violations.
In all, five of the 15 E-Z Pass states have some kind of rules on the books for breaking the speed limit in the convenience lanes.
"You can lose your E-Z Pass privileges if you speed through E-Z Pass lanes," says Dan Weiller, director of communications for the New York State Thruway Authority. "You get a couple of warnings. We don't have the power to give a ticket, but we do have to power to revoke your E-Z Pass, which we will."
He and tolling officials in several other states say the issue is the safety of human toll collectors. "At most toll barriers, we have a mix of E-Z Pass lanes and standard toll lanes," Weiller says.
On Maryland toll roads, drivers' speed is monitored in the free-flowing toll lanes, which have a 30 mph speed limit, says Becky Freeberger, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Transportation Authority. "If we clock you at 12 mph more than that, we will send you a warning, saying slow down," she says. "It's not a ticket." If a driver gets a second such notice within six months, their E-Z Pass account can be suspended for up to 60 days.
In Pennsylvania, a warning usually suffices for lead-footed drivers, says Carl DeFebo, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. "If a collector spots an E-Z Pass customer blasting through at a high rate of speed, they'll get a license plate," he says. "We do have the ability to send a warning letter to the customer, and that has proven effective. If the customer doesn't heed the warning we have the ability to suspend their E-Z Pass privileges but we haven't done that recently."
DeFebo notes that while states can collect tolls using transponders based in other states, they don't yet have the ability to access the account information of out-of-state drivers. "We don't have the ability to send a warning letter to those customers," he says. "As far as I know there is no reciprocity (with other states) on this issue."
That's one reason the state is slow to suspend E-Z Pass accounts, he says. "It would be like letting others get off the hook but going after our own customers."
West Virginia can suspend the accounts of E-Z Pass customers who repeatedly speed but rarely does so, says Etta Keeney, customer services supervisor with West Virginia Parkways Authority.
"If they're over a certain speed, they receive an informational letter, like a warning, please slow down for your safety and ours," she says. "If they continue to speed, if it's like a habitual problem, we can take their privileges."
In Rhode Island. lasers are used to monitor speeds in E-Z Pass lanes on the Newport Bridge, also known as the Claiborne Pell Bridge, the state's only tolled facility, says Jim Swanberg, director of plaza operations, safety and security for the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority. He says drivers can be "disqualified" for speeding after getting a warning.
Police enforce speed limits on E-Z Pass toll roads, and some states say they don't gather any information on motorists' speed.
In Virginia, E-Z Pass account holders sign a customer agreement to abide by the speed limit through toll plazas, says Tamara Rollison, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation. "There is no consequence spelled out if someone breaks the speed limit regarding their E-Z Pass usage," she says. "The expectation is you obey the law."
On North Carolina's Quick Pass toll roads, which also accept E-Z Pass accounts, driver speeds are not monitored, says Steve Abbott, a spokesman with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The state's toll roads, which opened in 2011, were the first in the nation to be built without toll booths, he says. "It's all transponders or (billing) by mail," Abbott says. "If you drive it at 20 mph or 70 mph, it doesn't note the speed of the vehicle," he says.
Speeding and the other E-Z Pass states:
Delaware. "We don't monitor speeds with the E-Z Pass system," says Mike Williams, chief of communications with the state Division of Motor Vehicles. "Speeding is a law enforcement issue in Delaware.
Maine. Speeds are not monitored, says Erin Courtney, a spokeswoman with the Maine Turnpike Authority.
Massachusetts. E-Z Pass does not monitor drivers' speeds on toll roads nor as they drive through toll plazas; drivers don't lose E-Z Pass privileges for speeding through toll plazas, says Amanda Richard, deputy press secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
New Hampshire. "New Hampshire Turnpike System presently does not use the E-Z Pass equipment in the toll plazas or open road toll lanes to collect speed data and enforce speeds through the plaza or toll zone, nor do we suspend E-Z Pass privileges," says Christopher Waszczuk, administrator of the New Hampshire Bureau of Turnpikes. "The state police is used to legally enforce the speed limit in locations susceptible to speeding."
New Jersey. The E-Z Pass equipment at toll plazas on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway records the speed of vehicles coming through, says Thomas Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. "But we don't issue tickets or suspend privileges," he says.
Ohio. "We do not monitor speed using E-Z Pass," says Adam Greenslade, spokesman for the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. "Also, as far as speeding at our toll plazas is concerned, we have a completely gated system. Therefore, even E-Z Pass users are required to slow down enough to give the gate time to open."
Information for E-Z Pass in Indiana and I-PASS in Illinois was not available.
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ae2babd49ba5d2b252f32b3a8f80e696
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/20/study-looks-at-marijuanas-impact-on-brain/20697051/
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Study looks at marijuana's impact on brain
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Study looks at marijuana's impact on brain
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Though marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the country, little is definitively known about its impact on the brain.
A study taking place at Indiana University is designed to help change that.
Clinical psychologist Brian O'Donnell and colleague Sharlene Newman are recruiting current and former marijuana users to participate in a study in which their brains will be analyzed for changes in structure and function.
"From animal studies, there's reason to believe it (marijuana use) will affect parts of the brain and also the connections between them, and some of our preliminary studies suggest that is the case," said O'Donnell, a professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences.
The study — funded by a $275,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health — is taking place as marijuana gains acceptance in some parts of the country. Marijuana has been legalized for recreational use in Colorado, Washington state, Alaska and Oregon, and many states now have medical marijuana programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"It's being decriminalized, but without knowledge of really its long-term effects on brain structure or function," O'Donnell said.
The Indiana researchers — who will use magnetic resonance imaging to conduct the study — are recruiting 90 people, ages 18-35, to participate in their research. Along with current and past users of marijuana, the study, which is one of the first of its type, will include people who've never used the drug.
"We're comparing the subjects in the different groups," said Newman, who's an associate professor and the director of IU's Brain Imaging Facility. "The group that's never used marijuana is our baseline group."
Former marijuana users are being studied because it's possible that "smoking cannabis causes problems in the brain in terms of structure or in terms of function, but maybe people recover after they stop using it for a little while," he said.
Study participants will undergo a series of brain scans so that the research team can do connectivity analysis.
"Connectivity analysis tells us something about the efficiency of the communication between brain regions," Newman said in an email. "I like to think of the brain as an electrical circuit. If the insulation on the wires is not intact, you can get current leakage resulting in faulty communication. ... If the connections between brain regions are faulty, then the functioning of the brain will be faulty/inconsistent. With the MRI techniques we will use, we will be able to examine the integrity of the insulation."
Prior to brain scanning, participants will undergo tests of perception, thinking and memory and take a questionnaire about problems they may be having, such as hallucinations, O'Donnell said.
In a previous study, the researchers found that connectivity in the brain was altered in cannabis users in a way that seemed to make the brain less efficient, he said.
O'Donnell noted that people who smoke a lot of marijuana in adolescence are at increased risk later in life of developing schizophrenia. But "we don't know whether marijuana smoking causes that. It might be that people who are becoming mentally ill tend to smoke marijuana," he said.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, negative effects of marijuana include altered perceptions and mood, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem-solving, disrupted learning and memory, and impact on brain development. Marijuana also may affect cardiopulmonary health, according to the institute.
But "what most people don't know is that there hasn't been a lot of research focusing on marijuana — up until very recently in fact — at least (as) to how it affects the brain," said Dr. Francesca Filbey, an associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas.
"There's been a lot more attention toward alcohol, nicotine and other illicit drugs like cocaine," said Filbey. Also, the approaches have varied across studies and the findings have been inconsistent, she noted.
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0f73d7a415d32af170659b7a6235a342
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/22/canadian-man-shot-us-border/20750379/
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Canadian shot at U.S. border held replica gun
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Canadian shot at U.S. border held replica gun
The Canadian man shot early Sunday by U.S. border agents after he waved what appeared to be a handgun at them on the Ambassador Bridge was actually holding "a replica of a handgun," authorities said late Sunday.
Two agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) "fired their service issued weapons in response to an individual on foot, rapidly approaching the CBP officers, wielding in his hand what appeared to be a black handgun," said an email statement late Sunday by Ken Hammond Sr., a chief officer in CBP public affairs in Washington D.C.
"One officer fired three rounds, the other fired one round," according to Hammond's statement. "One round hit the subject in the arm. Investigators determined that the individual was holding a replica of a handgun."
The incident on the Ambassador Bridge, which links Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, began about 3 a.m. Sunday As the man approached the inspection booth on the Detroit side, he stopped and got out of his car, then walked in the inspection lanes while waving what authorities first said appeared to be a handgun.
The man did not drop it, even as border patrol officers ordered him to do so, according to an earlier press release from CBP, and then pointed the apparent weapon at them. That's when border patrol agents fired at the man, "who fell to the ground."
The man was taken to a hospital and was released into custody after treatment for his injuries, U.S. authorities said. The individual was a Canadian citizen, the statement said.
Hammond said in his statement that the incident was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General, border patrol's internal affairs office, and the Detroit Police. Investigators reviewed video of the shooting and interviewed five witnesses, Hammond said.
Shortly before the Ambassador Bridge shooting, Windsor police reported encountering the same man exiting a black Ford Explorer with what was believed to be a firearm in his hand, at a McDonald's, the Windsor Star reported. When Windsor police officers shouted for him to drop it, the man reportedly told them "Why haven't you shot me yet?" according to the Windsor Star, before he drove away from the scene.
MORE NATIONAL NEWS
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c136a9f8bd5fcaac9fe862baf9f501ee
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/23/census-florida-new-york-population/20812473/
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Census: Florida's population overtakes New York's
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Census: Florida's population overtakes New York's
They are the Snowbirds Who Stayed in 2014.
Florida has passed New York in population to claim the rank of the USA's No. 3 state, with almost 20 million residents, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
California remains the most populous state, followed by Texas.
Growing strongly again after the housing market's collapse and the Great Recession, Florida added about 800 people a day in the past year — many of them New Yorkers, and many of whom, as former seasonal visitors, were affectionately called "snowbirds." Earlier Census data showed that the Sunshine State is gaining about 25,000 more New Yorkers than it loses to New York each year.
The new state estimates, pegged to July 1, also show that North Carolina surged ahead of Michigan as No. 9 and North Dakota passed Alaska for 47th place.
William Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer, says the new figures show that "the Sun Belt is back, or at least it's coming back."
If this year's increase had happened four years earlier, Frey says, Florida would have stood to gain congressional seats. Now it must wait another six years until reapportionment of the House of Representatives after the 2020 Census.
The shift is startling, considering that in 1950 New York's population was five times that of Florida. As recently as 1980, New York's population was 80% larger than Florida's.
The sharp contrast illustrates the impact of the recession on population change patterns, says Kenneth Johnson of the University of New Hampshire's Carsey School of Public Policy.
"Florida, which had substantial domestic migration gains prior to the recession, actually lost domestic migrants during the worst of the recession," he says. By contrast, New York's migration losses shrank during the recession. Both patterns are starting to revert to pre-recession levels, as New Yorkers leave in larger numbers. Many are bound for Florida, which saw a net gain of migrants of 139,000, up from 96,000 the previous year.
North Dakota grew by more than 2% in the past year, faster than any other state, as surging oil and gas production created thousands of jobs. Its crude oil production passed Alaska's in early 2012, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The figures show that other formerly booming states are beginning to see sunlight as well:
• Nevada drew a net 24,000 more people from other states than it lost, double the previous year's gain and a major swing from a net loss in 2010-11, when its growth-driven economy collapsed in the recession. It has grown by 5.1% since 2010, returning to the top 10 states.
• Arizona's migration from other states grew to 42,000 from 25,800 the previous year and just 8,800 in 2010-11.
• Texas continued to boom, adding 451,000 residents in a year — more than the number added in 21 states of the Northeast and Midwest combined.
However, the effects of the Great Recession continued. The USA grew just 0.75%, the slowest rate since 1937, when the Great Depression was worsened by the Dust Bowl. Last year's increase was built on the arrival of 1 million immigrants and 1.3 million more births than deaths. The birth rate dropped to a record low last year in the face of continuing high unemployment, slow wage growth and economic uncertainty. Demographers cited sliding birth rates in Mexico, one of the biggest sources of U.S. immigration.
Michigan, dragged down by perennial losses in Detroit, its largest city, grew just 0.1%, while North Carolina grew 10 times as fast, gaining 95,000 residents.
Six states suffered population losses, more than in any year since 1991, according to Frey. The six: West Virginia, Illinois, Connecticut, Alaska, New Mexico and Vermont. The losses were small — none lost more than two-tenths of 1% — but Illinois, the biggest net loser, saw its population drop by 9,972 people in just a year.
Just one state has lost population over the longer stretch since 2010: West Virginia.
Others are flirting with losses. Maine had more deaths than births for the second year in a row and has grown just 0.1% since 2010.
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f81ca1342b082c666879cb1f85dfbf4b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/24/behold-the-badaxx-a-spokane-firefighters-invention/20881345/
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'Badaxx' designed to save lives at fire scenes
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'Badaxx' designed to save lives at fire scenes
SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane firefighter Scott McCann has developed a new tool called "The Badaxx" for first responders to help save lives at a fire scene.
"It stands for bailout anchor device. It's an ax I developed over the last couple of years to help firefighters," said McCann.
The Badaxx combines the functions of traditional style fire axes with the unique feature of being used as a rooftop base for firefighters to hook up a belay, or bailout kit.
"So I thought if I could incorporate it into a tool I was already carrying, it would save me one more piece of equipment to get up to the roof," said McCann.
McCann has two prototypes that have been used by Spokane firefighters for the past few months.
He's since launched a Kickstarter campaign and has begun to get requests from firefighters across the country.
"I've actually gotten really good feedback. Guys are really impressed when they see it," said McCann.
That Kickstarter campaign is about 40 percent of the way to its $75,000 goal.
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b8ef1dd13c49aeabe19df22fcd3654f6
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/27/kostigen-farmers-almanac/20851273/
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Think almanacs can predict 2015 weather? Think again
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Think almanacs can predict 2015 weather? Think again
Want to know next year's weather forecast? You might be tempted to grab a copy of the Old Farmer's Almanac or the Farmers' Almanac, both of which claim to know what 2015 has in store.
But don't take the bait.
Neither can accurately predict weather a year in advance. Here's why: The Global Forecast System, the computer model run by the National Weather Service, only produces forecasts as far as 16 days in advance — and even then with less accuracy than its eight-day forecast. Similarly, the Integrated Forecast System, or the "European model," only forecasts out as far as 10 days.
These two systems are perhaps the most sophisticated weather modeling programs on the planet. And even they admit unpredictability in forecasts more than a week's time in advance.
Indeed, in a recent interview with TheClimateSurvivalist.com, Louis Uccellini, director of the National Weather Service said the agency is aiming a lot of resources at making better predictions farther out in time with more advanced computer models and satellite resolution accuracy. But as it stands eight days is the time period with the most confidence.
To be sure, the Old Farmer's Almanac and the Farmers' Almanac do not rely on satellites. How could they? The Old Farmer's Almanac began in 1792 while the Farmers' Almanac began publishing in 1818. Sputnik, the first satellite, launched in 1957, let's remember.
In any event, both almanacs says they use "secret" formulas to predict the weather. The Old Farmer's Almanac says it keeps its formula locked up in an black tin box at its offices. The Farmers' Almanac is a bit more revealing saying it uses a "top-secret mathematical and astronomical formula, taking sunspot activity, tidal action, the position of the planet and many other factors into consideration."
Yet according to numerous media analyses neither the Old Farmer's Almanac nor the Farmers' Almanac gets it right.
OpenSnow, a well-respected micro climate weather app, compared the 2013-2014 winter forecasting of both the Old Farmer's Almanac and the Farmers' Almanac to actual temperatures. It found "no track record of accuracy."
"Overall, neither Almanac offered consistently accurate precipitation predictions last winter for the U.S., and missing the continued drought in California is a glaring error," OpenSnow wrote. Slate magazine and a bevy of other outlets over the years have taken both almanacs to task for their inaccuracies. (Meteorologist Jan Null actually keeps running comparison.)
Now I know what a lot of you may be thinking: Why am I picking on some nice, old farmers here? Because a lot of people still pay serious attention to these forecasts. As Slate relayed, when the Associated Press ran a story in August on the Old Farmer's Almanac 2015 forecast, 100,000 readers on the Huffington Post site alone "liked" the story.
In short, these nice, old farmers are steering crowds of people wrong.
During a recent interview for national television, I was asked how the almanacs get it right all the time. Well, the answer is they don't.
The NWS can accurately predict out about two weeks in advance. That's as good as it gets.
So if you are wondering how 2015 is looking in terms of weather, you'll have to suffice with knowing what it will be like in mid-January. After that, it's a guessing game, one that the Old Farmer's Almanac and the Farmers' Almanac have been playing for decades.
Thomas M. Kostigen is the founder of TheClimateSurvivalist.com and a New York Times best-selling author and journalist. He is the National Geographic author of "The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover" and the NG Kids book "Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hailstorms, Thundersnow, Hurricanes and More!" Follow him @weathersurvival, or e-mail [email protected]
MORE FROM THOMAS M. KOSTIGEN:
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6b9147d618cd6f640dc3fd4b40bd5d22
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/02/911-truther-to-be-extradited/21220723/
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9/11 'truther' to be extradited in wife's slaying
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9/11 'truther' to be extradited in wife's slaying
DENVER — A man wanted in connection with the 2002 death of his wife is being extradited back to the United States, according to multiple reports from Argentinean media.
Kurt Sonnenfeld, a videographer who has claimed the U.S. government was involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, will be extradited back to Colorado following a ruling from Argentina's highest court.
Sonnenfeld is accused of killing his wife, Nancy, in the early morning hours on New Year's Day in 2002. Sonnenfeld told police that his wife had shot herself.
She was found shot in the back of the head. Court records showed "her injury was not consistent with having been self-inflicted."
Sonnenfeld was arrested and charged with first-degree murder but saw those charges dropped six months later after prosecutors dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.
He then fled to Argentina, where he's been living ever since.
Sonnenfeld says he has video of ground zero in Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks that proves the U.S. was involved. He's written a book in which he claims the U.S. government tried to silence him.
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ec3e94c93a49f908c34c01735f3a8d01
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/03/kostigen-extreme-weather-flight-safety/21180251/
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Extreme weather, turbulence in skies no cause for alarm
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Extreme weather, turbulence in skies no cause for alarm
AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed into the ocean last Sunday at the same time thunderstorms towering 44,000 feet high were battering the area. And earlier in December, five people were hospitalized after an American Airlines flight from Seoul to Dallas/Fort Worth diverted to Tokyo Narita because of turbulence.
Such incidents of severe weather in the skies have many questioning whether it's safe to fly. Air transportation experts contend it still is. Airplanes are designed to withstand even the most wicked of storms. And while, as a frequent flier, I must admit the airways do seem choppier of late, such turbulence is no cause for alarm.
Out of the roughly 800 million passengers who take to the sky annually, just 34 people on average are injured due to turbulence, most of them crewmembers tasked with passenger service without the benefit of seat belts.
Weather may precede a crash, but it is rarely the sole cause. For example, Air France Flight 447 crashed in 2009 on its way from Brazil to France after initial reports of turbulence. Yet, investigators found a combination of pilot error and auto pilot malfunction were to blame for the loss of the plane.
Turbulence is an invisible phenomenon caused by rising warm air parcels that pilots and meteorologists call thermals or updrafts. These thermals can rise thousands of feet into the air until they become the same temperature or cooler than the air around them. These rising bubbles of warm air are what we experience as "bumps."
With a warming planet it should come as no surprise that turbulence would be on the rise. By 2050, fliers can expect twice as much air turbulence, according to forecasters at a recent World Meteorological Organization conference.
The best time to fly to avoid a bumpy ride is usually in the early morning hours or during late evening, according to the National Weather Service.
"In the morning, the sun has not had a chance to heat the surface, so the air should be relatively smooth as long as there is little wind. Another good time to fly is in the evening close to sunset. The sun is not positioned at a good angle to heat the surface, so the energy provided to cause the rising thermals is gone and the atmosphere is more stable," the weather service explains.
Summertime obviously holds the greatest potential for turbulent flying because of larger masses of warmer air floating about.
Besides planning to fly during colder hours of the day and colder months of the year, flight safety experts advise those looking for a smoother flight to sit as close to the wings of a plane as possible. This positions you closer to the plane's center of mass and reduces bounce. Wearing a seat belt, of course, should go without saying.
Mountains, storm fronts and jet stream boundaries can also disturb airflow and cause bumps. Flying across the country, a little shudder of turbulence over the Rocky Mountains always lets me know how close to home in Los Angeles I am. I also check the weather patterns I'll be flying through before I get on a plane so I know what to expect.
I now expect my flights to be bumpier — but not less safe. The safety statistics are in our favor even when the weather isn't.
Thomas M. Kostigen is the founder of TheClimateSurvivalist.com and a New York Times best-selling author and journalist. He is the National Geographic author of "The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover" and the NG Kids book "Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hailstorms, Thundersnow, Hurricanes and More!" Follow him @weathersurvival, or e-mail [email protected]
MORE FROM THOMAS M. KOSTIGEN:
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410ec6ec99a8848ee1f912f604253a3a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/07/woman-found-drunk-in-state-troopers-driveway/21394505/
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Woman found drunk in state trooper's driveway
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Woman found drunk in state trooper's driveway
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KARE) -- Minnesota law enforcement officials say a Freeborn County woman was found passed out in a state trooper's driveway over the holidays with a blood alcohol level more than five times the legal limit.
Rhonda Oquist, 48, of Clarks Grove, has been charged with driving while intoxicated. Authorities say on Dec. 7, Oquist was found passed out in her vehicle in the driveway of an off-duty state trooper. Oquist reportedly had a blood alcohol level of .45, the highest level recorded during the state's enhanced DWI enforcement program.
"Some might call it unlucky to pass out drunk in the driveway of a trooper, but this woman is very fortunate that she didn't injure or kill herself or another motorist," said Lt. Tiffani Nielson, Minnesota State Patrol.
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e79f3a7f2b7df2a70a6965247af2ec24
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/08/cornell-university-food-study-new-year/21472281/
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Study: New Year shoppers resolve to pile on calories
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Study: New Year shoppers resolve to pile on calories
ITHACA, N.Y. – Many people anticipate the holiday season to be a time for gluttony. Once the new year hits, they resolve to go back to their normal, or even healthier, eating habits, or so their best intentions say.
But a study by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab suggests something different happens. Instead of buying more fruits and vegetables in favor of those unhealthier food choices, people do purchase the healthy food items while continuing to take home the same caloric-dense foods they had been consuming during the holidays.
The result, researchers say, is a 9 percent jump in calorie purchases after the holiday season ends.
"People are a lot more willing to add health food to their diet than they are willing to give up the less healthy food," said David Just, a professor of behavioral economics at Cornell University's Dyson School and co-author of the study.
As part of the study, researchers tracked the grocery store spending behaviors of 207 households in the Utica-area during a seven-month period. Researchers established a baseline from July to Thanksgiving, and then, as expected, saw food purchases spike by 15 percent from Thanksgiving until the end of the year.
"People do that because it's tradition; it's what we do," Just said about the holiday period filled with feasts, sweets and other food-centric activities. Of that increase in food purchases, only about 25 percent was considered healthy based on a nutritional rating system used by the participating grocery stores.
Once the holiday season ended, researchers found that instead of food purchases ramping down as might be expected, the amount of calories put in the cart actually jumped considerably.
"When New Year strikes we have this resolution: we want to lose weight, we want to change," Just said. "It's really hard to get rid of those bad foods at that point."
Just said shoppers want to take a visible action toward fulfilling their intentions to eat healthier, so they add to their cart more fruits and vegetables that they know they should eat, while still loading up on the same food they had been purchasing during the holiday season.
One way to avoid the trap is to make a list and stick with it, Just said. If while shopping you want to add in extra fruits and vegetables, go for it, he said, but don't fall for the temptation of adding in the less healthy choices.
"When you're loading up on pies, or ice cream, or cookies, or sausage, or whatever else that might be, stick to your list," he said.
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8dc704e21738ca8e193a4d0dbc7e2e5a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/09/david-petraeus-paula-broadwell/21524905/
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Criminal charges recommended against Petraeus
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Criminal charges recommended against Petraeus
WASHINGTON – Federal prosecutors are recommending that retired Army Gen. David Petraeus face criminal charges for passing classified information to his former mistress, Paula Broadwell, according to two U.S. officials.
Petraeus, who resigned as CIA director after news of his affair broke in 2012, has been under investigation since then for passing secret information to Broadwell. She is the author of a biography of Petraeus, titled All In. The officials who confirmed the recommendation, first reported by The New York Times, were not authorized to speak publicly.
A lawyer for Petraeus, Robert Barnett, had no comment when contacted about the recommended charges on Friday night. Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon declined comment on Friday as well.
Since his resignation, Petraeus has been interviewed by FBI agents at his home in the Washington suburb of Arlington. Part of the investigation centered on whether Petraeus had given Broadwell sensitive information and whether those documents were stored in an unauthorized place.
Petraeus is the most famous soldier of the post-9/11 era. He led the 101st Airborne Division in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He went on to lead all forces in Iraq in Afghanistan.
Petraeus won praise from lawmakers and military analysts for being the mastermind of U.S.-troop buildup in Iraq at the height of the sectarian fighting there. The troop "surge" of 2006-2007 helped initially reduce violence in Iraq, but failed to have the lasting effect of creating the political space that Petraeus said was needed for forging a long-term peace in Iraq.
U.S. troops left Iraq in 2011 but have returned this year to help security forces beat back the threat from Islamic State extremists.
Petraeus, who has been teaching and consulting since stepping down from the CIA, has kept a low profile since leaving government service.
His affair with Broadwell broke into public view after Tampa socialite Jill Kelley complained to the FBI about harassing e-mails she had received from Broadwell. Kelley had struck up a friendship with Petraeus, who had led Central Command, which is based in Tampa. Broadwell, a former Army intelligence officer, has not been charged in the matter.
The scandal appeared to have dissipated but in April 2013, USA TODAY reported that FBI agents had visited Petraeus' home to question him about the handling of classified information. The recommendation of charges appears to the culmination of that probe.
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0cd67dd79be8dfe51c234b9082af894d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/11/native-american-lakota-film/21601149/
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Film on Lakota tribe gets national exposure
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Film on Lakota tribe gets national exposure
APPLETON, Wis. — In the movie West of Thunder, lead character Henry Seed calls on the Great Spirit to bring rain, lightning and thunder upon those who had hurt members of the Lakota Indian tribe.
Hopes are high the award-winning film will create a surge of its own Jan. 20 when it's released nationally through distributor Indican Pictures of Hollywood. Indican will take a percentage of proceeds, as will Sunka Wakan Dragonfly Film Studios, to support the creation of a K-12 Lakota Cambridge-accredited school on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It's a project three years in the making, and one that has deep ties to the Appleton, Wis., area.
"Indican not only believes in our film, but our mission," said Appleton filmmaker Dan Davies, who stars as Seed in West of Thunder and co-wrote the screenplay with Jody Marriott Bar-Lev.
Marriott Bar-Lev's husband, Dr. Avi Bar-Lev, co-produced the film with his wife. Steve Russell, co-owner with Davies of the Appleton-based production company DaviesRussell, joined Marriott Bar-Lev to co-direct the movie. Marriott Bar-Lev also is co-director of Sunka Wakan Dragonfly Film Studios.
The movie, which had a limited release in 2012, is available for pre-order at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Best Buy and will be available in the near future at sites such as iTunes, Xbox, GooglePlay and Hulu, Davies said. Once Indican evaluates interest in the film, it's expected to head to Netflix, Redbox and Family Video.
"And then they're talking to Showtime and Encore-Western," Davies said. "So the cable premiere will probably be on one or the other."
The low-budget film received a leg up because of numerous accolades, including being named best peace film and best human rights film by the Political Film Society of Hollywood, and it shared top western honors with Django Unchained at the Almeria Western Film Festival in Spain.
"We were extremely honored to receive several national and international awards, signed with our Hollywood distributor Indican Pictures and are thrilled to see the national release of West of Thunder this month, with the international release to follow," said Marriott Bar-Lev, who learned of the Pine Ridge Reservation in the late '90s while moving a herd of wild mustangs to safety via the South Dakota-based International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros.
Proceeds from the movie, she said, will be instrumental in achieving the goal of creating the estimated $15 million Sunka Wakan Lakota International K-12 School on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The reservation has the lowest per capita income in the United States, with unemployment estimated at about 70%, according to the 2010 Census. Fewer than 38% of children graduate from high school.
"The school, the first of its kind, will provide the Lakota children with top level, internationally accredited academics within an immersion and celebration of the Lakota culture, language and traditional values, truly preparing them for future success," Marriott Bar-Lev said. "An international team is working with Lakota residents of Pine Ridge Reservation to achieve this goal, and several of the Lakota consultants were also involved with the production of West of Thunder."
One of the themes in the movie is the Lakota teaching mitakuye oyasin, meaning we are all related. That message, Marriott Bar-Lev said, resonates throughout the Sunka Wakan Project as well.
The movie, Davies, said, is the engine that will drive the train.
"It's been a journey," he said. "We're excited about the potentiality of it. ... When the movie gets out there and starts making money we'll be able to put it toward the school and get that going. That's the biggest thing. And a lot of times it's just getting the seed money and getting people involved to do the very basic things it takes. ... It gives us that opportunity to get the money in the coffer, so to speak, just to get the ball rolling. ... When people see the film we're hoping they get the message."
About the film
West of Thunder is set in 1899, nine years after the Massacre at Wounded Knee. The film centers on Henry Seed, played by Dan Davies, a new arrival who seems to have supernatural powers and a bent toward revenge on those who did harm to the Lakota people. Meanwhile, Little Thunder, the Lakota spiritual leader, ponders the consequences of revenge and the need to hold true to Lakota values.
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e6b8d9ad11a7a3a0eb8c4b2b8ffe3aca
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/12/1-dead-2-critical-after-smoke-fills-dc-metro-train/21665841/
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Train schedule modified after D.C. Metro death
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Train schedule modified after D.C. Metro death
WASHINGTON — Washington's Metrorail system will operate system will operate on a modified and reduced schedule Tuesday, a day after a woman died when smoke filled a train and the L'Enfant Plaza Station.
Two people were in critical condition and another 84 people were treated for smoke inhalation and various injuries at District-area hospitals, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. One firefighter also was injured, according to D.C. Fire and EMS, which evaluated more than 200 people.
Smoke filled the Northern Virginia-bound yellow line train after it stopped in a tunnel 150 feet south of L'Enfant Plaza Station, said WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles. He said there did not appear to be a fire.
Metro says the yellow line won't operate Tuesday morning. In addition, trains will run less often on the blue, orange and silver lines. The green line, which goes through L'Enfant Plaza, will be on a normal schedule, as will the red line.
Talking to reporters on the street outside the station Monday evening, Sarles gave no cause for the incident, which he said will be investigated by D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department because of the fatality and by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Sarles called the woman's death "heartbreaking."
During the incident, all trains bypassed the stop while Metro activated tunnel fans to ventilate the area.
Passengers leaving the area, some with soot on their faces, said there seemed to be an electrical malfunction that caused the smoke and fire on the six-car train.
One passenger reported the train "just stopped and almost instantaneously just got full of smoke."
The passenger said the conductor "kept telling everybody to calm down," but that people "were getting out of hand" with some throwing up and one woman passing out.
As a precaution, D.C. Fire Mass Casuality Units were deployed to the Metro station, which is a busy transfer point for commuters.
Injured passengers, some of whom had to be evacuated from the train, were taken to George Washington University Hospital, Howard University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Sarles said. Mass Casualty buses took injured passengers GW Hospital, where most were examined and released.
At about 8 p.m., L'Enfant Plaza reopened to Orange, Silver and Blue line service, but remained closed to Green and Yellow line trains.
Metrorail serves 91 stations and has 118 miles of track, according to its website.
As part of its security and communication equipment, WMATA said it operates automated electronic fire-protection system in stations and tunnels.
The woman who was killed had not been publicly identified as of Monday night.
The fatality was the first on the Metrorail system since a crash between two trains in 2009 that killed eight passengers and a train operator.
Between 2002 and 2011, there were 2,528 total fatalities on U.S. public transit, which includes bus systems, according to the Federal Transportation Administration.
There were 578 fatalities over 10 years on rapid transit systems like the Metro, New York Subway and Chicago Elevated system – an average of about 58 a year, at an overall rate of .375 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.
The fatality rate in a motor vehicle over the past five years has averaged about 1.18 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.
Most victims in transit-related accidents (including buses) are non-passengers, according to the National Transit Database.
Nearly half the transit-related fatalities reported in 2012 were people committing suicide or pedestrians.
Contributing: Meghan Hoyer, USA TODAY
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c9c86f4d718b5858905702304a90aab0
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/12/disney-crew-rescues-royal-caribbean-passenger/21663961/
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Disney crew rescues Royal Caribbean passenger
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Disney crew rescues Royal Caribbean passenger
CAPE CANAVERAL — The rescue of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship passenger by the crew of a Port Canaveral-based Disney cruise ship from the water off the coast of Mexico is generating buzz on cruise-focused social media.
It's also raising questions about how the Oasis of the Seas passenger got into the water, and whether cruise ships have the proper technology to detect when someone on the ship goes overboard.
Disney Cruise Line said someone aboard the Disney Magic spotted the Royal Caribbean passenger in the water Thursday morning, as the Magic was approaching Cozumel, along the Caribbean Sea, for a scheduled port-of-call stop.
Disney credited a combination of passengers and crew from the Magic with spotting the man in the water, lowering a lifeboat, and getting him aboard the Magic. The man was transported to shore for treatment.
In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the "22-year-old male guest from Oasis of the Seas went overboard near Cozumel, Mexico. He was spotted by a crew member from another cruise ship, and picked up. We are grateful for the other ship's assistance."
Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said the cruise line has not provided additional comment, beyond its statement.
Scott Sanders, founder of The Disney Cruise Line Blog, said such a rescue at sea by the Magic crew of the Oasis of the Seas passenger is unusual.
"It's pretty darn fortunate that they were sailing in the vicinity," said Sanders, whose blog is not affiliated with Disney.
Jim Walker, a maritime attorney who reported on the incident on his Cruise Law News website, said the case points out the need for cruise ships to have better monitoring systems for detecting when someone falls off or jumps from a ship.
Walker said cruise lines generally have been hesitant to discuss such systems they may have in place or have planned for their ships.
But he said systems he would support include motion sensors and thermal detection systems that would indicate if someone goes overboard. He favors linking such systems to an alarm notification to ship crew so that an immediate search-and-rescue operation could begin.
The Oasis of the Seas is one of the world's largest cruise ships, with a capacity of 6,360. The ship — which is based at Port Everglades, near Fort Lauderdale — was on a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean when the incident occurred.
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9fba05fc67a426cfe34ddcdb1b005c6d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/15/rabbi-violence-force-religious-divorce/21796105/
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Rabbi pleads guilty in violent plot to coerce divorce
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Rabbi pleads guilty in violent plot to coerce divorce
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — An Orthodox Jewish rabbi admitted Wednesday to traveling interstate to use threats of violence to force a man to give his wife a religious divorce.
Martin "Mordechai" Wolmark — along with Rabbi Mendel Epstein, a prominent ultra-Orthodox divorce mediator from Brooklyn — had been accused of heading a gang of eight thugs who used cattle prods and other devices to torture men into giving their wives a get, a document a woman must obtain from her husband should she seek a divorce under Jewish law.
On Wednesday, Wolmark, 56, appeared in a federal courtroom in Trenton, N.J., and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce to commit extortion, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said in a statement.
Citing court documents, Fishman presented a timeline of the Monsey, N.Y., rabbi's involvement in the plot.
On Aug. 7, 2013, Wolmark, then head of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah on West Carlton Road in Suffern, met with a Jewish woman and her brother about obtaining a get from the woman's husband. The rabbi told the pair, who were working undercover with the FBI, that they should meet Epstein. Wolmark then set up a conference call between the undercover agents and Epstein.
On Oct. 2, 2013, Wolmark, with Epstein present, convened a beth din, or a rabbinical court, in his Suffern office to determine whether there were grounds under Jewish law to coerce the husband into giving a get. Epstein, unaware the female agent was recording the meeting, openly discussed the plan to kidnap and assault the husband to obtain the document, Fishman said.
A week later, on Oct. 9, the muscle of the gang, including Ariel Potash of Monsey, traveled from New York to a warehouse in Edison, N.J., intent on using violent force to coerce the get, Fishman said. Instead, the men were arrested. Authorities seized several items, including masks, rope, surgical blades, plastic bags and a screwdriver. Raids also were conducted at the West Carlton Road yeshiva and at Epstein's Brooklyn home.
Wolmark, who is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, faces up to five years in federal prison, along with a $250,000 fine.
In a statement Wednesday, Benjamin Brafman, Wolmark's defense lawyer, called his client an "extraordinary man" who is dedicated to assisting others.
"Rabbi Martin Wolmark has agreed to accept responsibility for his limited participation in a conspiracy," Brafman said.
A man who answered the telephone at Wolmark's home in Monsey quickly hung up Wednesday after learning that a reporter was seeking comment on the guilty plea. Subsequent calls were not answered.
Fishman said six others, most of whom hail from Brooklyn, have already pleaded guilty to various charges in connection with the plot.
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e06e3b147610c766589f8dc3c64185fd
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/16/daughter-plans-to-marry-long-lost-father/21859547/
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18-year-old plans to marry her long-lost father
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18-year-old plans to marry her long-lost father
It's been established that reuniting with long-lost relatives can and does result in "Genetic Sexual Attraction," a term coined in the 1980s.
In fact, some have estimated that elements of sexual attraction occur in as many as half the cases of estranged loved ones who meet as adults.
Still, it's widely considered taboo, and even more so when the attraction is between a father and daughter, reports New York magazine.
As the woman who coined the phrase GSA told the Guardian in 2003, "That group tends to stay very silent. It's still regarded as dangerously close to abuse, even though it is no different from other forms of GSA."
But one such unnamed couple living in the Great Lakes region is now making news after the teen daughter talked at length with the magazine about reuniting with her father — whom she hadn't seen since she was about 5 — 12 years later and finding herself instantly attracted to him.
The daughter says they have been dating for nearly two years — since she lost her virginity to her father just days after reuniting with him — and that they plan to marry, if unofficially, and move to New Jersey, where she says adult incest is legal.
She says that she and her father, who conceived her on prom night when he was 18, plan to have a large family and that she's not worried about their kids having genetic problems because "that happens when there's years of inbreeding, like with the royal family."
She adds that "incest has been around as long as humans have" and "everybody just needs to deal with it."
In 2010 Wired reported on a study that found, as the lead researcher put it, "people appear to be drawn to others who resemble their kin or themselves"; he speculated that "incest taboos exist to counter this primitive tendency."
This article originally appeared on Newser: 18-Year-Old Plans to Marry Her Long-Lost Father
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Newser is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
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33fd00af4abf624ac0b39a465e39a98f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/16/seizure-policy-change/21883489/
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AG rolls back asset seizure policy
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AG rolls back asset seizure policy
WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Eric Holder issued a sweeping order Friday that puts strict limits on a controversial practice that has allowed the federal government to share assets seized by state and local police in criminal investigations.
Holder's order prohibits the federal "adoption'' of property seized under state law, except when the material -- firearms, explosives, child pornography -- could threaten public safety.
The policy change addresses concerns about abuses related to the questionable seizures, including vehicles and large amounts of cash.
"With this new policy, effective immediately, the Justice Department is taking an important step to prohibit federal agency adoptions of state and local seizures, except for public safety reasons," Holder said. "This is the first step in a comprehensive review that we have launched of the federal asset forfeiture program ... This new policy will ensure that these authorities can continue to be used to take the profit out of crime and return assets to victims, while safeguarding civil liberties."
The new policy applies only to adoptions, not to seizures resulting from joint operations involving both federal and state authorities, or to seizures involving warrants issued by federal courts, according to the order.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he was "thankful'' for the Justice action.
"The rule of law ought to be about protecting innocent people,'' Grassley said. "Too often, we've seen just the opposite with civil asset forfeiture laws. The practice up to this point had perverse incentives and violated some state laws.''
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2f85e9111512c074746abc5312e60390
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/19/supreme-court-housing-discrimination/22008545/
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Supreme Court may scale back housing discrimination law
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Supreme Court may scale back housing discrimination law
WASHINGTON — Two days after celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth, the Supreme Court will consider weakening a federal housing discrimination law passed in the wake of his death.
The showdown over the Fair Housing Act of 1968 has been anticipated for several years — eagerly by conservatives who say the law has gone too far, anxiously by civil rights groups who fear it will be rolled back.
The facts of the case — involving a decision by Dallas officials to make most federal low-income housing vouchers available in poor, minority neighborhoods — are less important than the potential nationwide impact. If the court rules as expected, housing discrimination cases would be tougher to win from coast to coast.
Two earlier housing discrimination lawsuits from Minnesota and New Jersey were withdrawn or settled just before reaching the high court — in one case at the urging of the Obama administration, which is aligned with the civil rights community. They fear what most court-watchers predict: that five justices are poised to weaken the law, just as they did the Voting Rights Act in 2013.
The lending industry, on the other hand, presses its argument that the law has been misinterpreted for decades to penalize practices that have a disparate effect on minority groups, even if unintentional. That has forced them to settle lawsuits at considerable expense.
At issue is whether the law requires blacks and other minorities to prove intentional racial discrimination in sales, rentals, zoning or lending practices, or whether a policy's disparate impact is enough to make it illegal.
That difference between intent and impact is at the root of many civil rights laws, from education and employment to disability and voting rights. In most cases, showing that minorities are disproportionately affected is enough. In this case, developers, bankers, insurers and others note, the housing law does not refer to disparate impact.
COURT ACTIVE ON CIVIL RIGHTS
The Supreme Court's desire to hear the opponents' case — and very possibly rule in their favor — has been clear for years. The justices reached out to consider the two previous cases, as well as the current one from Texas, even though federal appeals courts have ruled consistently that showing a discriminatory impact is sufficient.
"The question has to be asked: Why is the court taking this case?" says Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "I don't think we can kid ourselves that the court is not aggressively interested in this issue."
For good reason, says Andrew Sandler, who represents many of the nation's leading banks and financial services companies in legal battles with federal and state agencies. Using the current interpretation, he says, lenders can be sued successfully based on the statistical results of their policies.
"I think this is going to advance civil rights enforcement by eliminating the overly aggressive cases," Sandler says. "The issue is just how far they go."
Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has not been reluctant to scale back civil rights laws.
In a case in 2005 involving the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, it ruled that a provision making it illegal to "refuse" to hire someone because of age required discriminatory intent, while a separate section making it unlawful to "adversely affect" someone could be based on impact. The Fair Housing Act uses words such as "refuse" and "deny."
In 2013, Roberts penned the 5-4 decision striking down a key section of the Voting Rights Act, which had required states and localities with a history of discrimination to get federal approval before making changes in their voting laws.
"Our country has changed," Roberts said. "While any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions."
A JUSTICE FROM PUBLIC HOUSING
By last year, when the court ruled that Michigan voters had the right to ban racial preferences in university admissions, Justice Sonia Sotomayor had heard enough. "We ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society," she said in a blistering, 58-page dissent.
As the product of public housing, Sotomayor will be closely watched at Wednesday's oral argument and in the court's ruling, likely by late June.
Conservative groups — about a dozen of which wrote to the court expressing their views — say the law must be reinterpreted to avoid having public officials base housing policies on skin color.
"The Supreme Court should reject this distorted reading of the Fair Housing Act and promote policymaking that's based on competence and common sense, not color-coding and quotas," says Ralph Kasarda, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foundation.
Civil rights advocates say the need for housing integration is more fundamental than education and jobs, which often stem from where a person lives. Nearly two dozen briefs have been filed with the court on behalf of the Inclusive Communities Project, the Dallas challengers.
"Housing lies at the fulcrum of civil rights," says John Relman of the National Fair Housing Alliance. "Where you live affects the opportunities that you have for jobs, for better schools."
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afdde6c092be135d50f03a0d54a5211a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/20/memories-still-raw-for-sole-survivor-of-85-plane-crash/22080969/
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Memories still raw for sole survivor of '85 plane crash
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Memories still raw for sole survivor of '85 plane crash
RENO — Some wounds don't heal. Some memories don't fade.
Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 crashed into a Reno field just after 1 a.m. on Jan. 21, 1985 – 30 years ago Wednesday.
But for the first responders and the flight's sole survivor, it seems like yesterday.
"I spent 32 years in the department and have been retired for 15 years now, but that's the one I remember the most," said George Kitchen, a retired Reno Fire Department captain. "I think about it every time I drive by there."
Richard Ross, a retired Washoe County sheriff's sergeant, who was the first officer on the scene still can't bring himself to talk extensively about the experience.
"It will be with me forever," he said. "The whole thing that bothers me still is that so many people perished and there was nothing we could do."
On Wednesday, a new memorial will be unveiled to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the crash.
Of the 71 passengers and crew on board the charter flight bound for Minneapolis, only one – 17-year-old George Lamson Jr. – survived.
"It's very difficult to say anything," said Lamson, now 47, who said it would be too difficult for him to attend the ceremony.
"I don't want to be remembered as the boy who survived this accident. I want to be remembered as the man that lived," he said. "Life is a gift for which I am always grateful for. Thank you to all that have helped me along in my journey."
Lamson, who has lived a quiet life in Reno since 1990, said he recently made a private trip to Rancho San Rafael to view the memorial and was pleased with both the design and placement of the plaque, which is embedded in a granite boulder and surrounded by the pine trees that were planted in memory of the plane's passengers and crew.
He wrote on his Facebook page, "It is so quiet and beautiful at this park this time of year. I spent a good half hour there and only saw one other person. I am grateful for the kindness given to us. Thank you for the beautiful place to remember our loved ones!"
A SUPER BOWL CHARTER
In January 1985, Lamson, his father George Sr., and 64 other football fans from Minnesota traveled on a charter flight from Minneapolis to Reno. Some of the group went by bus to Stanford, Calif., to attend the Super Bowl game between the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins, while others traveled to Lake Tahoe and watched the game at Caesars Tahoe.
The charter group reunited late on the night of Jan. 20, 1985, at then-Reno-Cannon International Airport, and Galaxy Airlines Flight 203, a Lockheed Electra four-engine turboprop fully loaded with fuel, took off just after 1 a.m.
A minute after takeoff, the co-pilot notified the Reno tower of a severe vibration and requested an immediate return to the airport. Seconds later, the plane went down. It caromed into a berm and broke in half, just in front of the row where Lamson and his father were seated.
A huge fireball followed. Lamson, strapped in his seat, was launched through the fireball.
INITIAL CONFUSION
First responders were notified immediately that something had happened, but messages were mixed. The airport fire department knew it was a plane crash.
Dick Swinney, a volunteer with the Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty Team at the time, recalls his pager going off with the report of an 18-wheeler colliding with a motor homes. (The plane crashed into an RV sales lot.)
"It wasn't until we got there that we realized it was far worse," said Swinney.
George Kitchen was the captain at Reno Fire Department's Station 6 and his was one of two trucks from the station that responded.
"As we pulled on the scene, I noticed a seat sitting out in the street and I radioed to the the crew that was following us to check it out," Kitchen said. "It ended up being the only survivor."
Firefighter Mike Mooney was in the vehicle behind Kitchen. He found Lamson strapped in his seat and began administering first aid until paramedics arrived.
"After that, we started to attack the fire," he said. "But looking back, the biggest thing I can remember was the survivor. Those memories don't go away. They're pretty fresh."
Two other passengers, George Lamson Sr. and Robert Miggins, initially survived the crash, but both died in the hospital days later.
George Lamson Jr., was released from the hospital after eight days and returned to Minnesota, accompanied by his mother.
AFTERMATH
In April 1985, he came back to Reno to testify at the National Transportation Safety Board hearing on the crash. He told the Reno Gazette-Journal at the time, "I feel I was watched over for sure. I feel lucky to be alive."
The final NTSB report was released in March 1986. It said the plane went down when the pilot, Allen Heasley, reacted to the vibration incorrectly by ordering an engine power reduction.
Galaxy Grove, the memorial tribute to the passengers and crew of Galaxy Flight 203, was dedicated at Rancho San Rafael in 1986, featuring a bronze plaque and a grove of pine trees.
Sometime in late 2013, the large brass plaque was stolen, likely to be sold as scrap metal. The Washoe County Parks Department commissioned a replacement memorial be made, this one etched in granite and attached to a two-ton boulder.
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f5a7752d256f6d23042c09ea099ed1bc
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/21/supreme-court-housing-discrimination/22108433/
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Supreme Court may not slash federal housing protection
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Supreme Court may not slash federal housing protection
WASHINGTON — A 47-year-old federal civil rights law that protects minorities against exclusionary housing practices appeared destined Wednesday to rise or fall on the vote of a potential unlikely ally: Justice Antonin Scalia.
Three times the high court has tried to review whether the 1968 Fair Housing Act should ban policies based on their impact, rather than discriminatory intent. Two previous cases were withdrawn or settled; the latest case from Texas gave the court's conservatives the opportunity to scuttle that protection, which is opposed by builders, lenders and insurers.
But Scalia joined the court's four liberal justices during an hour-long oral argument in defending the interpretation endorsed by 10 federal appeals courts — that the law does indeed prohibit housing practices based solely on their "disparate impact."
The result could be an unexpected victory for civil rights groups that long have feared the Supreme Court's review of the law — or a 5-4 decision to require that challengers prove intentional discrimination. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has scaled back other civil rights laws, including the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Scalia, a "textualist" who usually abides by the precise wording of statutes, said the original law does not protect against a housing policy's mere effect, as federal laws against employment and age discrimination do. But he noted that amendments passed by Congress in 1988 listed three types of actions that cannot be judged by their impact. That, he said, implies other actions must meet that test.
"Congress seemingly acknowledged the effects test in later legislation when it said that certain effects will not qualify," Scalia said. "If you read those two provisions together, it seems to be an acknowledgment that there is such a thing as disparate impact."
The original law was passed six days after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968. After passage of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act in 1964 and 1965, King had turned much of his attention to segregated housing policies.
At issue is whether the law requires blacks and other minorities to prove intentional racial discrimination in sales, rentals, zoning or lending practices, or whether a policy's disparate impact is enough to make it illegal.
The nation's lending industry argued that the law has been misused for decades to penalize practices that have a disparate effect on minority groups, even if unintentional. That has forced them to settle lawsuits at considerable expense.
The facts of the Texas case — involving a decision by Dallas officials to make most federal low-income housing vouchers available in poor, minority neighborhoods — are less important than the potential nationwide impact of the court's decision. In defending the fair housing law Wednesday, U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli said the Dallas challenge might not even survive the disparate impact test.
Two earlier housing discrimination lawsuits from Minnesota and New Jersey were pulled just before reaching the high court — in one case at the urging of the Obama administration, which is aligned with the civil rights community. They fear what most court-watchers had predicted: that five justices were poised to weaken the law, just as they did the Voting Rights Act in 2013.
At times Wednesday, that appeared to be true. Roberts, who wrote the opinion in 2013 striking down a key section of the Voting Rights Act, said disparate impact findings are based on race — something the court has frowned upon in other contexts, such as college admissions policies.
"Is there a way to avoid a disparate impact consequence without taking race into account in carrying out the governmental activity?" Roberts asked Michael Daniel, the lawyer representing the Texas challengers. "It seems to me that if the objection is that there aren't a sufficient number of minorities in a particular project, you have to look at the race until you get whatever you regard as the right target."
It was clear Wednesday that the court's four liberal justices were firmly on the side of the law. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a product of public housing, was the most persistent questioner of Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller, but her colleagues followed suit.
"There's been disparate impact for 40 years ... and as far as I can tell, the world hasn't come to an end," Justice Stephen Breyer said. "Why should this court suddenly come in and reverse an important law which seems to have worked out in a way that is helpful to many people, has not produced disaster ... on the basis of a text that was passed many years ago and is ambiguous at best?"
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ed1e6787f357b789feb1ce634eb04a9f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/26/russian-spy-ring/22363347/
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Feds charge three in alleged Russian spy ring
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Feds charge three in alleged Russian spy ring
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities announced charges Monday against three Russian nationals, accused of spying on behalf of their government and attempting to recruit New York City residents as intelligence sources in the USA.
One of the three, Evgeny Buryakov, was arrested in the Bronx. Prosecutors said the two others, Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy, are no longer in the country.
Buryakov, 39, accused of being an agent of the Russian intelligence service known as the SVR, allegedly posed as a representative of a Russian bank in Manhattan. Sporyshev, 40, and Podobnyy, 27, allegedly operated as a Russian trade representative and a Russian government attaché to the United Nations, respectively.
As early as 2012, according to court documents, the spy ring operated with Sporyshev and Podobnyy heading up the New York recruiting effort, while Buryakov attempted to gather intelligence on, among other things, potential U.S. sanctions against Russian banks and U.S. efforts to develop alternative energy resources.
The three emerged as suspects shortly after the United States identified and charged 10 Russian agents in 2010, part of a so-called sleeper cell working for the SVR, who had assumed the identities of average Americans.
That group, known as the "illegals,'' was expelled to Russia as part of a prisoner swap.
"These (new) charges demonstrate our firm commitment to combating attempts by covert agents to illegally gather intelligence and recruit spies within the United States,'' Attorney General Eric Holder said.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said that although the case represented Russia's effort to penetrate the USA, the suspects were unable to conceal their mission from U.S. authorities.
"What they could not do without drawing the attention of the FBI was engage in espionage,'' Bharara said. "New York City may be more hospitable to Russian businessmen than during the Cold War, but (investigators) remain vigilant to the illegal intelligence-gathering activities of other nations.''
During nearly two years of physical and electronic surveillance, the FBI monitored 48 meetings between Buryakov and Sporyshev. In many of those encounters, Buryakov allegedly was seen passing "a bag, magazine or slip of paper'' to his Russian counterpart.
"These meetings were nearly always preceded by a short telephone call between Buryakov and Sporyshev, during which one of the men typically told the other that he had an item to give him,'' prosecutors said in court documents.
In "numerous'' conversations intercepted by the FBI, Sporyshev and Podobnyy allegedly discussed their attempts to recruit informants, including several employed by major companies and young women affiliated with a New York-area university.
During the recruitment of one young woman, Sporyshev allegedly complained about the difficulty of getting "close enough'' to obtain meaningful information.
"I have lots of ideas about such girls but these ideas are not actionable because they don't allow (you) to get close enough,'' Sporyshev said, according to a transcript of an intercepted call. "And in order to be close, you either need to (have sex with) them or use other levers to influence them to execute my requests. So when you tell me about girls, in my experience, it's very rare that something workable will come of it.''
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d798e288e7615c9e196ae39da8e2d6a8
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/28/mother-feared-losing-her-son-in-grease-pit/22497537/
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Mother feared losing her son in restaurant grease pit
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Mother feared losing her son in restaurant grease pit
APPLETON, Wis. — Alana Scharenbroch screamed in horror Friday as her 3-year-old son, Wyatt, fell into an unsecured, ground-level cold grease pit outside a Denny's restaurant.
"It was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life," the Kimberly, Wis., woman said.
The ordeal was compounded by the unknown. As Alana frantically reached into the dark grease pit to grab her son, she had no idea what the pit was, how deep it was or where it might lead.
"It smelled like sewage," she said. "I didn't know if it was a contained tube. I thought he was going to get, like, flushed to the lake or sewer forever."
Wyatt was pulled from the grease pit by his father, Dan Scharenbroch, who has a longer reach than Alana and was able to grab the hood of Wyatt's jacket. Dan estimated the pit was at least 8 feet deep. Wyatt had been submerged in the waste and had swallowed some of it.
The Scharenbrochs brought their son inside Denny's, in Grand Chute, northwest of Appleton, and bystanders offered assistance.
"We just stripped him down," Alana said. "Some people came by with water bottles and their diaper bags. They were kind of wiping him off with wipes, and they gave their random clothes from their bags."
Wyatt was taken by ambulance to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton for treatment. He was held at the hospital for monitoring because it initially was unclear what he had swallowed and whether anything had entered his lungs.
Alana said Wyatt has recovered, at least physically.
"He's got some scrapes and cuts, just from the fall, obviously," she said. "Emotionally, he's a little bit guarded. He's extremely cautious and very clingy, which is not typical of him at all."
As the news of Wyatt's fall spread, the Scharenbrochs were criticized on social media by people who speculated that they were inattentive or irresponsible parents for letting their son get near the grease pit. Alana said the criticism is unwarranted.
The Scharenbrochs were walking together on a sidewalk that runs along the restaurant when Wyatt asked if he could jump on three green manhole covers located in a landscape bed. The nearest cover was about 2 inches from the sidewalk.
Alana told Wyatt he wasn't allowed to jump on the covers because they looked wet and slippery. Wyatt didn't like her answer and stomped his foot.
"He had one foot on the sidewalk, and then his other foot stomped on the lid and it just flew up in the air," Alana said. "I think it startled him, and he kind of lost his balance and just fell right in."
Firefighters who responded to the incident said the manhole covers should have been secured with screws.
Mark Enders, a Madison-based area manager for Denny's, said the restaurant is investigating why the covers weren't secured and is working with the vendor that services the grease pit "to make sure they are secured moving forward."
Enders said the grease pit typically is emptied every four to six weeks.
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addcd0c69659463e18a048821d2b7578
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/02/how-2-iowa-college-students-built-a-home-for-489/22779111/
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How 2 Iowa college students built a home for $489
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How 2 Iowa college students built a home for $489
DES MOINES — They had no construction background and no money.
But Amy Andrews and Ethan Van Kooten built a house.
They came in over their budget of zero. They spent $489, less than some people's monthly car payment.
The Central College seniors built a 260-square-foot dwelling made of old hog feeders, grain bins, demolished buildings and other dusty piles of junk headed for the landfill.
"If you scrounge around, you can save a lot," Amy said.
"Scrounge," added Ethan, "is our favorite word now."
In recent years, disciples of the tiny home movement have preached that you can make the most of 400 square feet of space or less, showcased in TV shows such as HGTV's Tiny House Hunters and DIY Network's Tiny House Builders. But network officials say no one has done it so frugally.
Andrews and Van Kooten are classmates in an environmental science class at the Pella college. Inspired by last year's class trip to Costa Rica, where they were housed in small dwellings powered by solar panels, they teamed up to do research for a senior class project.
They discovered that the average size of U.S. homes is rising — from 1,525 square feet in 1973 to 2,598 last year — while homes are responsible for 18% of the carbon dioxide released in the U.S.
They discussed it in class with Anya Butt, the college's director of environmental studies, who wondered who would want to clean, heat or buy enough stuff to own a huge home.
"So the question was, 'Could you build a living space that provided what you needed, but wasn't so large?' "
Butt admits she had doubts that her students could pull it off, because there was one huge challenge.
"We didn't have any money," Van Kooten said.
What they had was a farm background. Andrews grew up on a small farm near Shellsburg, and Van Kooten's family farm skirts the edge of Pella. They both knew how to work and had a farmer's mindset: If something needs doing, you do it yourself.
When no grants were available for their project, they began looking around Van Kooten's family farm for materials, like two young fort-builders. On the property was an old granary built by three generations of Van Kootens in 1952, a bit ragged and holey and filled with junk.
"But it was square," Van Kooten said.
Andrews and Van Kooten cleaned out the granary, which was built to hold field corn. They also found fiberglass insulation for the roof and foam insulation for the walls that was headed for the landfill during the demolition of a local nursing home.
They extracted cupboards, a countertop, a sink, carpet and a chandelier from a Pella home scheduled for demolition.
They gathered waste materials from local corporations, and old shed doors and other waste wood from the farm, and began piecing together the walls with the help and expertise of Ethan's father, Kent Van Kooten. They took the floor of an old hog feeder and built a sleeping loft, using an old ladder from a deer stand to climb into it.
They cleaned up an old wood stove sitting in storage on the Van Kooten farm and had four used windows donated to the project. The big expenditures were a stove pipe ($120) and plywood for the ceiling ($110).
After 500 hours of hard labor, it was done.
On a windy January morning, Van Kooten and Andrews piled into his pickup and drove down the pasture hill on his father's farm to show off the home, which is nestled between black locust trees near a creek.
Enter the wood-floored space with a vaulted ceiling, and visions of reading a book in a rocking chair enter your head. A small wood stove will heat the place nicely. Used furniture found in storage fills the living space — a little desk in one corner, a sitting bench along one wall and a small kitchen table along another. Van Kooten made vases in his glass-blowing class, and Andrews made the window curtains from old fabric.
It's not hooked up for water, but a future improvement will be a gravity-fed rain barrel system. Light comes from the candle chandelier that can be lowered by a pulley system and battery-powered wall lights, with solar energy a future option.
"For two students to do this on such a small budget is amazing," Butt said.
Where to put the home was another learning experience — "all the hoops you have to jump through," Van Kooten said.
The house was intended to work somewhere on campus as a demonstration for small living, but Butt said they ran into zoning issues and concerns about the expense of future upkeep once the students graduate. So the students decided to keep the house on skids on Ethan's father's land.
Zoning and building rules have hindered the small home movement. City and county building requirements restrict many of the homes. Sean Spain, who built a small home in West Des Moines that was featured in The Des Moines Register in November, solved one issue by building his on a trailer.
Spain's $10,500 tiny home was recently sold to a woman who owns an acreage in Marshalltown. Spain said he plans to build two more for her because she has designs on a community of tiny homes.
The Central students' paperwork may not be done. City and county officials say they have no applications for building permits for the structure.
"If it's just a demonstration project that's one thing, versus something built for habitation," said Jerry Byers, a building official with the city of Pella. "It would have to go on a permanent foundation if it's a permanent structure."
Much is yet to be ironed out. For now, the students see it as a fun cabin. Andrews is already planning a "girls weekend," and Van Kooten one for his buddies.
They don't want it to overshadow the larger point, however. They believe their project is a demonstration of the wisdom of living sustainably, using less to simplify life and help the environment.
"We both farmed, so we know you have to use the land," Andrews said. "But you can use it more wisely."
Same goes for junk. It can become a nice little house.
What was bought for home
Following is a partial listing of items Amy Andrews and Ethan Van Kooten bought to build their 260-square-foot home:
Plywood for ceiling, $110
Exterior paint, $25
Foam ceiling vents, $25
Bolts, $10
Door frame, $40
Exterior door, $13
Interior paint, $30
Drip cap for windows, $60
Wood stove piping materials, $120
Total: $489
Iowa's role in movement
The tiny house movement owes some of its momentum to Iowans.
Jay Shafer, a former university art professor, built a 130-square-foot home in Iowa City, and joined Greg Johnson and others in 2002 to form the Small House Society, which fosters the development of smaller, sustainable living spaces.
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3ea01db84f0f7372f40423e314b66df2
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/03/is-shown-in-matching-digital-camo-in-execution-video/22837539/
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ISIL has matching digital camo in execution video
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ISIL has matching digital camo in execution video
In a new execution video released by the Islamic State group on Tuesday, the militants are clad in matching uniforms bearing some similarity to those worn by U.S. Marines — a development that raises questions about their logistics and the image they want to convey.
The video, which appears to show the death of Jordanian air force pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh, includes imagery of several men standing near a cage containing the captive. The lieutenant was captured in December after his plane crashed during a bombing run against Islamic State targets in Syria.
The digital desert camouflage the militants are wearing resembles the pattern licensed to the U.S. Marine Corps. It's known as MARPAT, which is short for "Marine Pattern." But over the past decade, similar patterns have become widely available, according to private intelligence and policy analysts.
"That pattern has been replicated all around the world," said Ben Connable, a retired Marine intelligence officer and international policy analyst for Rand Corp. "It is easy to come by and replicate without a license just about anywhere."
While the pattern is close to a Western design, the cut of militants' blouses — which fall near the knee — is anything but. It is more similar to non-military garb worn by insurgents in Iraq. That raises the possibility that the uniforms were made to order for the Islamic State, rather than purchased from a general manufacturer or pilfered from a conventional military force.
"They could get them from a manufacturer in Pakistan," Connable suggested.
Beyond that, determining specifically where the uniforms came from is nearly impossible, Connable said. A private intelligence analyst with expertise in geopolitics — to include the conflicts in Iraq and Syria — agreed.
"Even if you were able to determine what specific camouflage pattern is represented, you wouldn't necessarily be able to determine with certainty where it came from," said another analyst who spoke with Military Times on the condition of anonymity. "The proliferation of the Internet has made it such that anyone can essentially go online and order whatever digital camouflage pattern they want. That makes it really difficult to draw any conclusions on how or where the ISIS members may have secured such gear with this pattern."
Connable said the ISIS militants seem to be trying to portray themselves as a cohesive, disciplined, well-funded force to be reckoned with.
The move is likely meant to fit into the theatrics of the shocking and grisly, while professionally produced, video. The group is careful in its selection of location and how they stage executions for maximum shock value. So it is no surprise that they want to appear as organized as possible on camera, Connable said.
The intelligence analyst echoed that sentiment.
"The ISIS members seem to be trying to portray a level of professionalism that comes from a group having standardized uniforms," the analyst said. "In this case, consider the overall propaganda value at play -— that this is a cohesive, well-trained group of soldiers ... an image that a standardized uniform can help convey."
Still, Connable said it's unlikely that that will extend beyond video because it would be impractical for ISIS to adopt a standard uniform for use on the battlefield.
"Their guys in the field are wearing 'mix-and-match,'" he said. "They are recruiting them locally, smuggling them across the border, so that makes it difficult. Any Marine will tell you keeping uniforms on people in field for extended periods of time takes a real supply chain."
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33d789378bbb8547bd634908bdb9ee89
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/05/sheriff-boy-kidnapped-to-teach-him-a-lesson/22961305/
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Sheriff: Boy 'kidnapped' to teach him a lesson
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Sheriff: Boy 'kidnapped' to teach him a lesson
Four people have been charged in a "kidnapping" in Troy, Mo., that authorities say was staged to teach a 6-year-old boy a lesson about stranger danger.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Nathan Wynn Firoved, 23, of Troy was asked by the boy's aunt, Denise Kroutil, 38, of Troy, with whom he worked, to kidnap the boy and "scare" him because he was "too nice" to people.
Firoved lured the boy into a pickup truck while he was walking home from school Monday, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Once in the truck, Firoved told the boy he would never "see his mommy again," and he would be "nailed to the wall of a shed."
When the child started to cry, Firoved showed him a gun and threatened to hurt him if he did not stop, the statement said. Firoved bound the boy's hands and feet, covered his face with a jacket and drove him around for a while.
While the boy's face was still covered, he was unknowingly taken to the basement of his home, where a family member removed his pants and told him he could be sold into "sex slavery," the Sheriff's Office said.
"The victim remained in the basement for some time before he was unbound and told to go upstairs, where the victim's family lectured him about Stranger Danger," the statement said.
During the entire event, family members and Firoved remained in contact via cellphone as they terrorized the victim.
The boy later told school officials about the incident, and they reported it to the Division of Family Services. The child has been placed into protective custody.
Firoved, Kroutil and Rose Brewer, 58, the boy's grandmother, were charged with felony kidnapping, felonious restraint, and felony abuse and neglect of a child, the Sheriff's Office said. The victim's mother, Elizabeth Hupp, 25, of Troy was charged with felony kidnapping and felony abuse and neglect of a child. The four are being held at the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 bond.
Family told investigators they were trying to teach the boy a lesson and felt they did nothing wrong.
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ebd16c6fecd1c96fc55182016c10c561
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/06/fema-hurt-by-homeland-security-budget-hold-up/22981209/
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Fugate: FEMA mission compromised by fight over budget
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Fugate: FEMA mission compromised by fight over budget
WASHINGTON — A congressional standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security is making it difficult for the department's small agencies to operate, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said Friday,
"Our ability to execute the mission is being compromised," Fugate told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview.
Republicans and Democrats are at odds over President Obama's executive actions on immigration. The Republican majority in the House passed a budget bill, now under consideration in the Senate, that would fund Homeland Security through Sept. 30, but also undoes Obama's immigration policies. Senate Democrats blocked the bill three times this week, and Democratic leadership has said it will not support any budget measure as long as it tries to derail Obama's immigration actions.
Homeland Security's funding bill expires Feb. 27.
Obama issued an executive order in November that would protect about 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and permit them to work legally if they have children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The order also expanded Obama's 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gives temporary legal status and work permits to some undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
The House-approved amendments to the $40 billion DHS funding bill would cut off funding to implement Obama's new immigration orders as well as the existing DACA program.
Fugate says nothing in the Federal Emergency Management Agency budget has any connection to immigration policies.
The agency now operates under a continuing resolution that keeps the agency funded at 2014 budget levels.
"Under the continuing resolution, the challenge we have is that we can't plan through the year. We are lurching from one CR to the other," he said.
FEMA cannot initiate its grants program, which helps state and local governments pay for emergency operations personnel and programs, Fugate said. That program, he said, should have been underway since October. The grants provide matching funds to help cities and states pay salaries and purchase equipment for firefighters and other emergency workers, Fugate said.
"As we come up on the halfway point of the fiscal year, they are going to have to curtail activities to pay salaries," if they don't get the federal money, Fugate said. Longer delays could lead to furloughs, he said.
Sessions at its three training centers, including the National Fire Academy and a center in Alabama that teaches first responders and hospital personnel to respond to biological threats, are in limbo, Fugate said.
"We're making decisions on a Friday whether to cancel a class on Monday," he said. "It's hard to reschedule. That time is lost."
Fugate says he also worries about a DHS shutdown if the Feb. 27 deadline passes without a budget in place. FEMA furloughed more than 3,000 people in October 2013, when a dispute over the budget led to a federal shutdown, but then had to recall 240 people to deal with a tropical storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. In a shutdown, FEMA can perform lifesaving operations but is barred from recovery tasks.
"The public is best served and the taxpayer gets the best value when we go through normal order," Fugate said.
It is not yet clear what Republican leaders in Congress will do now that the DHS funding bill has failed to advance in the Senate. One of the options under consideration is to pass another continuing resolution to postpone the immigration showdown while lawmakers try to work out a long-range plan.
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bf36cd514cdbf5b492840a0b0d7d70ee
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/06/highway-guardrail-problems/23003749/
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Guardrail crash test failed, engineering expert says
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Guardrail crash test failed, engineering expert says
NORFOLK, Va. — The end cap of a highway guardrail that's supposed to absorb energy from a crash failed the last of eight tests, penetrating the driver's side of a small car, according to a court document filed late Thursday.
The Federal Highway Administration mandated the tests after a federal jury in October found that Dallas-based Trinity Industries (NYSE: TRN), which makes the ET Plus guardrail end terminal, defrauded the federal government to the tune of $175 million by lying about a 2005 change in its product's design that has been linked to at least eight deadly accidents across the USA.
"The deformation of the driver's side door in the Jan. 27 crash test not only could have caused disabling injuries but showed a propensity to penetrate the vehicle and cause devastating injuries," said an engineering expert, Brian Coon, retained by a Virginia man who filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit against Trinity.
Trinity started the tests Dec. 10 in San Antonio and concluded them last week. In an initial briefing after the end of the tests Jan. 27, Associate Administrator Tony Furst of the highway agency's Office of Safety said the test appeared to go as expected.
But Coon of Wichita, Kan., considers the Jan. 27 test as well as five tests between June 2005 and March 2006 to be a failure, he said in his affidavit.
"The flared ET Plus crash test failures and the Jan. 27 crash test failure are similar to failures occurring on the nation's roadways during collisions with the ET Plus terminal heads, which in many cases cause severe injuries and death," Coon said.
Joshua Harman of Swords Creek, Va., who helps run two companies that install and manufacture guardrail systems, filed the whistle-blower suit in 2012, according to Bloomberg News. He retained Coon.
Many states, including Virginia, have put out bids for contractors to identify and replace Trinity ET Plus guardrail end terminals; at least 42 states have stopped using the system. Virginia doesn't have a record of where each ET Plus system is installed.
In mid-December, Virginia's attorney general, Mark Herring, joined the whistle-blower lawsuit against Trinity Industries and a subsidiary, Trinity Highway Products LLC.
Less than 12 hours after news of Coon's affidavit was first reported early Friday, a spokesman for Trinity Industries released the results of the first four crash tests, which the Federal Highway Administration and an independent expert from Virginia Tech University said the guardrail end caps had passed.
"The ET Plus guardrail end-terminal system is a safe, effective roadside safety product," the company said in a statement. The tests were done on systems installed at a height of 27¾ inches, which it said are the vast majority on U.S. highways.
The second set of four tests, including the Jan. 27 test, were done on systems installed at a height of 31 inches.
The devices used during the tests have come under fire because they were taken from a California Department of Transportation warehouse where Trinity had shipped them in September and not from the side of a road, arousing suspicion that they are not made the same as what has been in use.
Measurements included in the Federal Highway Administration memo say five of the eight terminals had exit gaps larger than the 1 inch required in the design specifications.
The bigger the exit gap, the easier it is for the guardrail to protrude out of the end cap in the event of a collision. Critics have said the ET Plus is dangerous because it turns a guardrail into a spear that punches through cars when hit.
The end terminal involved in the Jan. 27 test, which Coon said had failed, had an exit gap of 1.04 inches, one of the most narrow gaps of the test batch.
During both the whistle-blower trial and later testing, Trinity Industries has maintained that its product is safe and that the company did not defraud the federal government.
Coon's affidavit was filed as part of a motion by Harman and his lawyers asking a judge to award penalties and attorney fees.
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947839f567d2bee20a9f1ace2bb485ea
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/09/detroits-hard-walkin-worker-to-get-350k-in-donations/23105197/
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Detroit's walking man to get $350K, lots of advice
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Detroit's walking man to get $350K, lots of advice
DETROIT — One week after he gained global attention for his 21 miles and two bus rides of daily commuting, Detroiter James Robertson looked no different.
But Robertson, 56, said that his once quiet, arduous life was forever changed. Strangers rush up to him now, after his face appeared on TV screens and newspaper pages around the world.
"I went to the casino on Saturday, and people wanted to get their pictures taken with me," he said Sunday, laughing.
In the past, Robertson said he has visited Detroit's casinos occasionally and gambles small amounts of his $10.55-per-hour wage.
Along with fame came fortune. About $350,000 sat Sunday night in a GoFundMe.com account for Robertson, as its teenage creator in Macomb Township prepared to close it at midnight.
Detroit resident James Robertson, 56, of Detroit talks about his journey walking 21 miles a day to work and back. Ryan Garza/Detroit Free Press
Robertson, shoveling snow at the house where he lives in Detroit, wore the battered work boots in which he logged countless miles to his factory job in Rochester Hills, where he planned to punch in for Monday's afternoon shift. But parked in view of his upstairs apartment was his new Ford Taurus — the gift of Suburban Ford in Sterling Heights.
Loaded with options, it was a surprise Friday, after Robertson told a succession of reporters that of all cars in the world, he'd like a Taurus because "it's like me: simple on the outside, strong on the inside."
Robertson said he didn't know how much money he had coming. He said he'd soon meet with "the people who are going to help me look after that." He's to be coached by several unpaid financial advisers, said Blake Pollock, 47, of Rochester, a UBS banker who befriended Robertson last year at the side of the road. The cash is fully taxable, as with any gift of cash, according to tax experts.
Pollock, a UBS vice president/wealth management, said Friday he'd picked the financial advisers but declined to identify them until Robertson approves of them. Pollock said he would not be involved, nor attend the meeting with Robertson, to avoid a conflict of interest.
"He's my friend and that's it," Pollock said.
Instead, Robertson is to have with him Evan Leedy, 19, of Macomb Township, a Wayne State University junior and computer expert who set up a GoFundMe.com page to help Robertson. In the first hours after the Free Press introduced Robertson's plight, Leedy's page drew donations from southeast Michiganders, but by week's end, they were flowing in from around the world, and still rolling in Sunday night at $10, $25, $200, even $500 a crack.
As for shutting down the money machine, Leedy said: "I talked to James about it, and James wants to give people the opportunity to give to other causes. And I think James didn't want people to think that he was greedy."
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ecfd968ce26d170f2dcb5a9d50e38052
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/11/powerball-jackpot-nears-500-million/23226711/
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3 winning tickets in $564M Powerball jackpot
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3 winning tickets in $564M Powerball jackpot
Winning tickets in Wednesday's giant Powerball jackpot were sold in North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas, lottery officials announced early Thursday.
Officials did not yet know in which cities the winning tickets for the $564.1 million jackpot had been sold.
Sue Dooley, senior drawing manager for the Multi-State Lottery Association, says the Puerto Rico ticket was the first Powerball jackpot winner ever sold outside the continental United States. Puerto Rico joined Powerball less than a year ago.
The winning numbers were: 11, 13, 25, 39, 54 and the Powerball number was 19.
The jackpot estimate, fattened by a drought that has seen no winner since Nov. 29, was raised to $500 million hours before the drawing and then to $564 following the drawing. It's the third-largest Powerball prize ever and the fifth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
If the winners choose to take the lump sum option, the three would split $381,138,450.16 before taxes.
In Tampa, Ben Taran and Dave Baker decided to try their luck at the Carrollwood Market, where a $50 million ticket once was sold. The duo took up a collection at Carrollwood Country Club and arrived with a fistful of cash — $222, to be exact.
"They took out their wallets immediately," Baker said of his co-workers. "They were in and they were more than happy to be a part of it."
Baker and Taran aren't thinking too big — their goals include paying off student loans and riding on a party bus. But they also understand the risk of getting the "fever" for gambling.
"You got that fever, it never goes away," Taran said.
The last drawing took place Saturday, when the jackpot was a cool $380 million. That was enough to form long lines at many outlets in the final hours of ticket sales. Rick Dennison stood in one of them at a Shell gas station in Brook Park, Ohio.
"It's getting really up there," the hopeful Dennison said. "You know how much I can do with that kind of money? There would be no homeless people left in Cleveland. There would be no hungry people left in Cleveland."
The two biggest Powerball jackpots: In May 2013, Gloria Mackenzie of Zephyrhills, Fla, won $590.5 million. And in November 2012, Matthew Good of Phoenix and Cindy and Mark Hill of Dearborn, Mo., split a $587.5 million prize.
Powerball is played in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. If you live in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada or Utah you are out of luck — those states don't participate. Or maybe residents there are the lucky ones — the chances of winning with a $2 ticket are about 1 in 175 million.
Contributing: Charles Billi, WTSP-TV, Tampa; Wale Aliyu, WKYC-TV, Cleveland; The Associated Press
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1f10efb4be8744d6ea73b49f707509d3
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/15/iron-mountain-car-plunge-revives-mich-tradition/23427141/
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Iron Mountain car plunge revives Mich. town's tradition
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Iron Mountain car plunge revives Mich. town's tradition
IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. — Some people look at the town's flooded old iron mine and see a frozen roadside lake. Jeff DeRidder sees a great place to park a car and take bets on when it's going to fall through the ice.
DeRidder, 75, is a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Iron Mountain-Kingsford, where fund-raisers like auctions and pancake breakfasts had grown stale. They needed something new, something attention-getting, to help pay for their projects and scholarships.
He remembered that when he was a kid growing up here, local civic groups parked a car every year on the ice above the flooded iron mine and took wagers around town on the exact date and time the ice would give way when the weather warmed up, sending the car plunging a hundred feet or so to the bottom. It was a long-standing wintertime amusement, but it fizzled out about four decades ago.
Yet it was so unique that nobody ever forgot it.
"Older people still remember it," said Jayna Huotari, the 45-year-old secretary of the Rotary Club. "My mother remembers my grandfather losing by two hours one year."
DeRidder set out to bring this peculiar Iron Mountain tradition back.
They got a car from a local guy whose wife wanted his 1998 Saturn beater out of their driveway. The kids at the local vocational school gave the car a bright orange paint job that could be seen by traffic on the road. A local company donated high-tech gear to record the exact moment of the plunge and show it on webcam.
Now, once again, there's an old car parked haplessly on the ice, waiting for the weather to send it to its fate and for a lucky gambler to win $1,000 by guessing when it happens.
The entry forms for the Rotary Club Car Plunge Contest are all over town — at the grocery stores, banks, the Chamber of Commerce offices and particularly the town's bars, where organizers expect the most enthusiastic wagering to take place. Then, as now, the brilliance of this idea becomes more apparent after a few drinks.
"You get enough liquor in people, they'll bet on anything," Huotari joked.
DeRidder laughed in agreement. "That's one of the things you learn about the Upper Peninsula," he said.
A TRADITION IS BORN
The two lakes on either side of U.S. Highway 2 are what's left of the Chapin Mine, once one of the biggest iron mines in the world. It began in 1879 with the discovery of massive iron deposits that were big enough to merit giving the name Iron Mountain to the town that grew above it, and vast enough to bring more than 28 million pounds of iron to the surface before it closed in 1934 after the Great Depression hit.
Over the years, its abandoned pits gradually filled with groundwater and rain, creating a lake that's hundreds of feet deep in spots.
The main highway passes between the two pits, and actually collapsed into the mine 75 years ago, taking four parked cars and a truck with it. Nobody was hurt.
Back in the 1940s, civic groups like the Knights of Pythias and the Lions Club realized how incredibly satisfying it would be to put a car on top of the ice on the lake and wager when it'd crash through. The yearly tradition lasted for decades.
Back then, they'd rig one end of a rope to the car and wrap the other end around the electric cord of a wall clock at the adjacent gas station. When the car sank, it unplugged the clock, freezing in time the moment the car broke through.
"It was really interesting," said 64-year-old Jeanne Gardipee, who lives in the nearby town of Norway. "We only went to town on Fridays with my stepfather and mother, and we'd be sitting in the backseat of the Buick looking out over the top to see if it had gone down yet. It was the coolest thing."
In those days, the rules were looser. Once the car fell through the ice, people pretty much just let it sink. Now there are a couple dozen old vehicles stacked at the bottom, along with trees, mine debris and whatever else anyone felt like dumping there over the years.
But things are different now, and you can't dump old cars in lakes anymore. So the students at the Dickinson-Iron Technical Center drained all the fluids, took out the engine and transmission, and tethered it by cable to a tree on the shore so it can be easily fished out.
There were other considerations, too. The Rotary Club had to buy liability insurance for the stunt. They had to get a permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to let it sink, even though they're pulling it back out shortly after. They sought and got approval from the City Council.
All that's left now is to wait for spring to arrive here, where winter's air is bitter, where stubborn sheets of ice glaze parking lots and gas stations throughout the season, and hard-crusted snow keeps the landscape in hibernation.
"I'm very excited about it," said DeRidder, who remembers seeing a car parked on the ice as a child riding in his father's car. "And we hope people will be excited because so many people drive past the vehicle every day."
ANYONE CAN WAGER
Betting isn't limited to Iron Mountain residents. Anyone's welcome to play, though Huotari said the club's webpage doesn't allow for online entries yet. Out-of-towners would have to have a form mailed to them, which they can fill out and return with $5 and their best guess. No matter where they're from, whoever gets closest to the actual date and time wins.
The contest has led to fervent speculation and guesswork around this town of 7,600. Bruce Orttenburger, the 63-year-old president of the Rotary Club, printed out for himself a color-coded chart of thaw dates for cities in Minnesota at roughly the same latitude as Iron Mountain, hoping to extrapolate a likely thaw date from there. "I have a different, unscientific method," he admitted. He's wagering on April 10.
It might take a while for someone to win the bet. The car weighs only about 1,800 pounds after its engine and transmission were taken out. The east pit where it's parked is smothered in cooling shade most of the time. And the ice it sits on is at least a foot thick right now, said DeRidder. He's guessing May 7.
Club members say that even before the first bets were placed, the idea has been a success. It has given local students a chance to practice their skills working on a car and get their picture in the local paper. It has reignited a lot of memories and sparked conversations around town. It has brought back an old Iron Mountain tradition.
Above all, they say, it's something that makes the best of the area's harsh winter climate while helping a good cause.
"It'll keep us occupied," said Huotari. She's picking April 26. "We have to make our own entertainment up here."
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b55d8fa90bc0f71ed5c7a5e9eb7143ec
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/15/president-for-the-day-being-lincoln-has-its-merits/23468819/
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President for the day: Being Lincoln has its merits
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President for the day: Being Lincoln has its merits
INDIANAPOLIS — Abraham Lincoln impersonators, typically history-minded purists who prefer "interpreter" or "presenter" because "impersonator" sounds a bit Elvis, have been on a roll.
A number of milestone-level anniversaries have fueled interest in the 16th president — and presented opportunities for today's Lincolns. 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of his birth. 2013 brought the 150th anniversary of his Emancipation Proclamation and a Steven Spielberg blockbuster. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's dramatic death and of the end of the Civil War, too.
Danny Russel, who trained as an actor at the Chicago Actors Studio, had been scratching out a living before school groups and community groups as the early 20th century "Hoosier poet" James Whitcomb Riley. But in 2008 as the anniversaries approached he added Lincoln to his repertoire (at $150 an hour and 55 cents a mile). Immediately Russel's income more than doubled, to $20,000, and since then has nearly doubled again, to $35,000, three-quarters of it coming from his Lincoln jobs.
For some interpreters like Russel, it's an honest day's pay for an Honest Abe's work. For others, a presidential pastime of sorts.
This year Russel, who lives in Indianapolis with his accountant wife and two young sons (and declines to give his age), has more than 200 Lincoln jobs lined up, compared with 150 last year. February is always a busy month for Lincolns, what with Presidents Day, but Russel's February 2015 is insane: 31 appearances, more than one a day.
"Well, Lincoln represents the best of America," explains Russel, who is naturally gangly like Lincoln but has to add the facial warts (and does). "Log cabin to the White House! That's where the appeal is."
It's unclear when men began dressing as Lincoln and delivering the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural and so on. Stan Wernz of Cincinnati, who was among the pioneers, started doing so nearly a half-century ago.
The role started as a sort of rebellion. As a high school music teacher in Ohio in 1969 — back when beard-wearers tended to be hippies — he reacted to his employer's edict against facial hair by growing a beard. "About eight weeks later," he said in an e-mail, "a student commented, 'You always acted like Lincoln; now you look like him.'" Soon he was donning a stovepipe hat and making appearances.
Later Wernz shaved to get a superintendent's job, got the job and grew the beard back. Today he's retired, bearded, and president of the Association of Lincoln Presenters, a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in the early 1990s.
The group has held an annual convention since 1994. In 2016 the Lincolns will meet up in Santa Claus, Ind., and visit the nearby Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial.
Some of the presenters backed into being Lincoln as Wernz did. Murray Cox of Wabash grew a beard one winter, and right away, he said, "I began to have people comment that I looked like Abraham Lincoln and was then asked to deliver the Gettysburg Address for a local Boy Scout Lincoln Pilgrimage." He gave the speech, and 30 years later he's still giving it.
For Cox and most of the other Lincolns, being Lincoln is a hobby, not a vocation. Some, such as 79-year-old Ted Bruzas of Avon, don't even charge.
Bruzas said he is Lincoln about 20 times a year, mostly at schools and retirement homes. "I have this personal feeling that I am helping Lincoln to relive his legacy with the emotional joys and agonies he experienced in saving the union," Bruzas said. "To share this close feeling with one of the great leaders in the world is special to me."
Among the ALP's some 160 members are three dozen Mary Todd Lincolns. Initially, wives of the Abraham Lincolns would sometimes suit up in Victorian costumes and accompany their husbands but not say much, representing the troubled first lady mostly as window dressing. Later, though, Mary Lincolns became serious presenters.
Some, like Laura Keyes, make solo appearances — no Abes in sight. "I am focused on telling Mary Lincoln's story, which is very interesting on its own," Keyes, 32, of Arlington Heights, Ill., said in an e-mail. "One of the main reasons why people today are quick to label her as 'unstable' or 'crazy' is that they do not understand what she went through."
The big show, however, continues to be her husband. "There are other historic figures (presenters) out there," said Phil Funkenbusch, program director at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. "George Washington is big. Thomas Jefferson is big. Louisa May Alcott. You've got a great Theodore Roosevelt right in Indiana. But Lincoln is by far the most widely interpreted."
It's impossible to know precisely why that is, but some interpreters point to his violent death, which gilded his image the way James Dean's violent death gilded Dean's image. But Lincoln freed the slaves, too, and he preserved the union. Plus, Danny Russel notes, he had a striking, hard-to-look-away-from appearance.
He was strange-looking, gaunt and drawn and somewhat unkempt and likely suffering from gigantism. At 6-4 Lincoln was nearly a foot taller than some of his generals. Russel is 6-2, which is taller than most Lincoln interpreters, but he doesn't rest there. Into his Lincoln boots are fitted 2-inch lifts to get Russel to authentic Lincoln level.
He keeps his hair longish so that it can look a bit wild, and of course he grew a beard. He keeps the beard trimmed into a sort of bushy chin strap. If he were living in 1969 he would appear subversive, but these days he looks like any other lumberjacked-up young man.
Professionally Russel has become dependent on Lincoln. Next year the anniversaries fade away. Does he fear a Lincoln hangover in 2016?
No, Russel said. "Lincoln is the most biographized person since Christ, but we're still learning about him.
"We've not plumbed the depths of Lincoln."
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3c8ea8e4529c2cf313c12bbd96dc807d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/17/ticket-mars-red-plant-mars-one/23543053/
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Who wants to live (or die) on Mars?
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Who wants to live (or die) on Mars?
One hundred people are one step closer to making a giant leap for mankind; winning a trip to Mars. But there's a big catch. The 'winners' won't be coming back.
Mars One has reduced 200,000 applicants to 100 finalists who could leave Earth in 2024, the group said in a statement.
For finalists like Peter Felgentreff, 50, the chance to visit Mars is worth the risk.
"I've always had a curiosity for all things science, especially when it comes to space exploration," said Felgentreff, an entrepreneur and vice president of a start-up organization outside San Francisco.
Felgentreff is married and would be leaving his wife behind for the quest.
"It's a one-way ticket to anywhere. I would probably die on Earth if I stayed here too," Felgentreff said.
He said his wife shares his curiosity of combining, "humans with an element of risk and using technology to overcome those risks."
Listen to the audio of the interview with Felgentreff
The desire to put a man on Mars isn't new. NASA is planning on developing capabilities to send astronauts to Mars by the 2030s, but those going will return to Earth.
In comparison, the Dutch not-for-profit organization began its own "search for astronauts" in April 2013. It plans on sending an initial crew to Mars by 2024, and the wannabe Martians range from doctors to people without jobs in their mid-20s.
Bas Lansdorp, CEO and co-founder of Mars One, said they look for candidates who can psychologically handle living on a planet with just a few other people and accept that they cannot return to Earth.
"We can teach people engineering, farming and medical skills, but finding people and teams that can actually pull off the mission is our biggest challenge," Lansdorp told USA TODAY Network.
Of the 100 finalists, only 24 people will be chosen to actually go to space. Lansdorp said four people will make the initial planned trip to Mars in 2024, followed by new crews every two years.
How long will they survive?
An MIT analysis of the Mars One claim that humans can successfully sustain life on Mars found that people could start dying from oxygen related issues as early as 68 days.
"A lot of the technologies you need to sustain life on Mars are very much in development or there aren't even development programs existing that could support life," Sydney Do, researcher and Ph.D. candidate in the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at MIT.
Even if the technologies were created by the time the missions start, the amount of equipment and money needed for parts over the lifetime of the inhabitants would make the system unsustainable, according to Do.
The group has contracted the space development firm Paragon Space Development Corporation to create a copy of what the Mars outpost would look like. Lansdorp says the mock Mars will be used to "train our teams for engineering skills and assess their psychological components of living in that environment."
What's the cost?
The group estimates that putting the first four people on Mars will cost $6 billion. Lansdorp said the revenue model centers around crowdfunding broadcasting deals and private investments.
"I can't disclose the level of investment we received, but it's been successful," Lansdorp said. "We are in negotiation with a U.K. investment firm that is interested in financing the entire first manned mission."
The group announced the candidates by also releasing a trailer of a reality series that will chronicle the process that leads to the final 24 candidates.
Norbert Kraft, chief medical officer for Mars One, told USA TODAY Network in an e-mail that "the audience will have a possibility to be involved."
Fifty men and 50 women made the cut, including 33 Americans (and five others living in the United States). The American finalists range from folks with doctorates in their fields to ones in their 20s, according to biographies of the finalists posted on the group's website.
Felgentreff says while there are Mars One skeptics, he likens the possibility of the expedition to critics who said electric cars and SpaceX would never happen.
"In terms of new ideas, you always take a risk right, so that's a risk that's worth taking because sometimes the outcomes of those risks are well worth it," Felgentreff said.
Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.
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de84c311ef290e9e24428468519eedca
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/19/diet-panel-recommendations/23632955/
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Nutrition panel urges Americans to eat green
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Nutrition panel urges Americans to eat green
Americans should consider the health of the planet along with the health of their hearts when deciding what to eat, according to an expert panel that advises the federal government on nutrition.
It is the first time the advisory committee, which updates its recommendations in a report every five years, has considered the environmental impact of food choices.
Also for the first time, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee singled out "added sugars" -- those not naturally found in foods such as fruit --encouraging Americans to sharply cut back.
Rather than obsess over individual ingredients, the report urges Americans to think about healthy dietary patterns, with more fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables and whole grains, and less red or processed meat. That type of diet is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Plant-based diets also use fewer resources, such as land, water and energy, and produce fewer greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Vegetables also are less likely than livestock to pollute the land, according to the report, issued Thursday.
"We need to think about a sustainable diet that's supportable and accessible for generations to come," says committee member Miriam Nelson, a professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. "A sustainable diet is also a very healthy diet."
The report encourages people to consume fish, for example, but to choose kinds that are harvested in ways that avoid "overfishing," or wiping out a region's entire supply of a particular species. Although some health advocates are concerned about the risk of mercury contamination from fish, the report finds that the benefits of fish oils for the heart and brain outweigh those concerns.
Registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix says it makes sense to move meat from a "starring role" as the main dish to side dish or "accent."
"It's not only healthier, but it's more economical," says Taub-Dix, author of Read It Before Your Eat It.
The committee's scientific report will be used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services to write the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, scheduled to be released by the end of the year.
The federal government uses those guidelines to plan menus for the National School Lunch Program and when developing nutrition programs for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provides food vouchers for low-income families.
Government food policies are important because diseases such as obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect poor people, says committee member Lucile Adams-Campbell,associate director for minority health and health disparities research at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington.
The report notes that 49 million Americans, including 9 million children, live with "food insecurity," meaning they don't have a stable source of nutritious, affordable food.
Poor nutrition is a critical concern for Americans of all incomes, the report says.
About half of American adults, or 117 million people, have one or more health problems linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, such as heart disease, obesity, cancer or type 2 diabetes, according to the report. About two-thirds of adults and nearly one-third of children are obese.
The report calls on the nation to shift toward preventing health problems rather than treating them after they develop, says committee member Barbara Millen, a registered dietitian with Millennium Prevention in Massachusetts.
Most Americans eat too much saturated fat, sodium and refined sugars, and many fall short of particular nutrients, such as vitamin D, fiber, potassium and calcium.
Taub-Dix, who was not involved with the report, praised its emphasis on healthier options.
"People often say, 'Just tell me which foods are good and which foods are bad,'" Taub-Dix says. "Instead of focusing on everything you should cut back on and everything you should be avoiding, it's really about replacing."
Taub-Dix says she tries to decrease saturated fat and increase vegetables in her recipes.
"I love to make turkey burgers for my family, but half of it is chopped vegetables and chopped mushrooms," Taub-Dix says. "You're still getting the taste of meat, but you're also putting things in there that you don't normally get enough of."
The report's emphasis on the environment has drawn mixed reviews. The committee notes that other countries, such as Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Brazil, have factored the environment into their dietary recommendations for many years.
But Joanne Slavin, a registered dietitian who served on the advisory committee in 2010, notes that there were no experts on food's environmental impact on the latest panel.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says disputes the idea that people should eat less red meat. The committee's recommendations on the environment should be rejected, the group says, because they're outside the nutritional panel's areas of expertise.
"It is absurd for the advisory committee to suggest that Americans should eat less red meat and focus so heavily on plant-based diets," says Richard Thorpe, a physician who is a spokesman for the group. "The American diet is already 70% plant-based. ... The advisory committee got it wrong in the '80s advising a diet high in carbs, and look at what that got us – an obesity problem. My colleagues and I commonly encourage people to include lean beef more often for their health, not less."
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which endorses a vegan diet with no animal products, applauded the committee's recommendations. Neil Barnard, the group's president and founder, says the report "breaks new ground in reporting on food's relationship to environmental health."
Cameron Wells, a registered dietitian with the physicians committee, says the country needs to put the report's recommendations into practice. "We need to make reaching for carrot sticks, apple slices, bean burritos and leafy green salads the norm, whether it's in school lunch rooms or at the local food market," she says.
The advisory committee recommended that Americans get less than 10% of their daily calories from added sugar. Americans today get about 16% of their daily calories from added sugars, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the new guidelines, people following a 2,000-calorie diet should consume no more than 50 grams of added sugar a day, Taub-Dix says. A 12-ounce can of Coke, for example, contains 35 grams of sugar.
The FDA has proposed changing food labels to list added sugars. The current label lists total sugar, a combination of added and natural sugar.
Taub-Dix praised the idea of listing added sugars. The 12 grams of sugar in milk is so different than the sugar in soda," she says, because milk has so many other nutritional benefits.
The report made some recommendations about specific nutrients and foods:
Cholesterol. The 2010 dietary recommendations told Americans to get no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day from food. Studies have shown that few Americans exceed that limit, says committee member Marian Neuhouser, a nutritional epidemiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
The new report says there's no need to avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as eggs, because dietary sources don't really affect the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which is what doctors measure in standard cholesterol tests. Only about 20% of a person's blood cholesterol comes from diet.
The new advice overturns decades of nutritional advice, including federal recommendations, that caused millions of Americans to eat fewer eggs.
The report doesn't change health recommendations to maintain healthy levels of blood cholesterol. High levels of LDL -- the "bad" cholesterol -- are linked to a greater risk of heart attacks.
Saturated fat. People should get less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat daily, the report says. That's about 22 grams of saturated fat a day, Taub-Dix says. "If you look at a doughnut, that could have more than 22 grams of fat," she says.
People can reduce saturated fat by choosing low-fat or skim milk; using vegetable oils instead of animal fats such as butter; and getting protein from legumes, such as black beans, rather than meat.
Coffee. Strong evidence shows that healthy people can drink up to three to five cups of coffee a day without any health risks, the report says. Drinking coffee may even reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, and possibly Parkinson's disease. The committee says children should avoid high-caffeine energy drinks, however.
Aspartame. This artificial sweetener, sold as NutraSweet and Equal and included in diet sodas and other products, appears safe at the levels normally consumed, although there's "some uncertainty" about an increased risk of blood cancers in men, the report says.
Using aspartame in a healthy food like yogurt could help people cut down on added sugar, Taub-Dix says. The report notes that water is a healthier option than diet soda.
Sodium. Americans should consume less than 2,300 milligrams a day of sodium, which contributes to high blood pressure, the report says. People can reduce their sodium intake by eating less processed food, Taub-Dix says. She notes that about 75% of salt in the diet comes from restaurant meals, not home-cooked food. "The sodium recommendations are not actually new," Taub-Dix says. "What would be news is if anyone could comply with it."
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3084e27445e7ef933c41bc64b1d1e783
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/19/obama-economic-report-of-the-president/23640353/
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Obama report: Economy poised for good year
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Obama report: Economy poised for good year
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Thursday in an annual report to Congress that his economic policies are fueling a recovery from the 2008 financial collapse, and new proposals will expand it.
"At this moment when our economy is growing and creating jobs, we've got to work twice as hard, especially in Washington, to build on our momentum," Obama wrote in the annual Economic Report of the President. "And I will not let politics or partisanship roll back the progress we've achieved on so many fronts."
Echoing proposals made in his budget plan and State of the Union address, Obama outlined a "middle class economics" package that includes tax credits for child care and education, paid leave programs, college assistance, job skills training, more infrastructure programs, and increased investment in science and technology.
Republicans who control both the House and Senate have criticized many of Obama's proposals, saying they involve higher taxes and more government regulations.
Citing an economic "breakthrough" in 2014, Obama wrote that "now America is poised for another good year, as long as Washington works to keep this progress going."
Cory Fritz, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said that while American workers have forged a better economy, "far too many continue to struggle with stagnant wages, underemployment and rising health care costs."
Obama should work with Republicans "on better solutions to create robust growth and opportunities for all," Fritz said.
Don Stewart, deputy chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that "if wasteful government over-spending and campaign-style speeches created jobs, America would be in the middle of an unprecedented boom — not the slowest recovery in a half-century."
In touting the economy, Obama cited increased economic growth, the lowest unemployment rate in six years, increased health care coverage, higher energy production, and reduced deficits.
The unemployment was 5.7% in January, compared to 7.8% when Obama took office in January 2009 and its peak of 10% in October 2009.
"Over the past six years, America has risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth," Obama wrote. "A new foundation is laid. A new future is ready to be written."
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0656e31542e85d6a306007d67e3bfada
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/21/swapping-nude-images-spells-trouble-teens/23824495/
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Swapping nude images spells danger for teens
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Swapping nude images spells danger for teens
Police in Rhinelander, Wis., have long been aware that "sexting" — sending sexually explicit photos or text messages — is popular with teenagers.
But until November, when the mother of a Rhinelander High School student turned over a nude image of one of her son's classmates that she found on his cellphone, law enforcement officials had no idea the problem was so pervasive. That single image led police to identify dozens of students, all of whom had been trading explicit images with one another on a regular basis.
"It was overwhelming how many kids were involved," said Oneida County sheriff's Lt. Terri Hook.
Most of the photos were "selfies," private photos that were taken and sent to a boyfriend or girlfriend. Many were forwarded on to friends or posted on social media sites both locally and around the country. In all, hundreds of photos snaked their way through the school; some wound up in the hands of people several states away, police said.
More than 40 students were involved in distributing teen pornography, police said. Few understood that just having the photos in their possession could have landed them in prison — and on the sex offender registry for life.
"For most of these kids, it didn't even seem like a big deal to them. It was just something they did, something they thought everybody did," Hook said.
When the investigation was over, Oneida County officials declined to prosecute. Instead, students and parents attended informational sessions meant to stop the behavior from happening again.
"We could have kept on investigating. We could have, I'm sure, found much more," Hook said. "We stopped, because what was really clear to us was that we had a problem."
The situation in Rhinelander is not uncommon in Wisconsin.
Many teens send sexually explicit photos on their cellphones believing the image will stay private, police and prosecutors say. Yet increasingly, the images are finding their way into the hands of sexual predators, and the teens themselves can be faced with harsh, lifelong penalties for their behavior.
Of the more than 130 million images containing child pornography examined since 2002 by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, one in four were initially posted by minors themselves, said John Sheehan, executive director of the organization.
GRAVE CONSEQUENCES, SERIOUS RISKS
For teens, the consequences of sexting can go well beyond the humiliation of appearing naked on every cellphone in math class. A single image can easily jeopardize a job search or quickly torpedo a college application.
When those images wind up in the hands of the wrong people, the consequences can be disastrous.
At least 100 children from across the country fell into David Weaver's trap, police say.
Weaver, 51, of Cedarburg, not only collected sexually explicit images, he allegedly tricked teens into believing he was a young girl named "Sara." Once befriended by "Sara," the teens were persuaded to perform sex acts in front of webcams — alone, with friends and — most disturbingly — with dogs — while Weaver secretly recorded them, according to the federal complaint.
Once recorded, the video sessions were uploaded to file-sharing servers, where they were traded worldwide.
Investigators with the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation found more than 250,000 chat threads between Weaver and children and more than 2,000 videos in Weaver's possession, according to court documents. Investigators say they are working to identify the children in the videos, one of whom is believed to be from Wisconsin.
Weaver has pleaded not guilty to producing child pornography.
BLACKMAIL AND MEETUPS
Some sexual predators use the nude images to blackmail teens into producing more pornography of themselves, or even to meet in person.
In 2009, Anthony Stancl of New Berlin was arrested after setting up a fake Facebook account in which he used a female persona to trick dozens of male classmates at Eisenhower High School into sending him nude cellphone photos of themselves, according to Waukesha County court records.
Once the photos were in hand, Stancl blackmailed seven of the students into performing sexual acts with him in parks, bathrooms and other locations after threatening to show the nude photos to other students, according to police.
Stancl was later convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Last year, parents in Marathon County called police when their 12-year-old daughter disclosed she had been raped by a 38-year-old man she met on Kik, a popular instant messaging application. An investigation showed Praveen Kharb, a native of India who was living in Bellevue, Wash., when the alleged crime took place, spent months communicating with the girl. He sent her expensive gifts before flying to the Wausau area to meet her, police said.
"The victim in this case had no idea she was dealing with a predator," said Theresa Wetzsteon, deputy district attorney for Marathon County.
Kharb has been extradited to Marathon County, where he has pleaded not guilty plea to first-degree sexual assault of a child. A jury trial is set for April.
LASTING EFFECTS
Despite efforts by school officials and law enforcement to stop the behavior, middle- and high-school students continue to swap racy photos in record numbers. Many parents are oblivious to what's happening on their child's phone, and most teens don't seem to understand the consequences.
Nationwide, nearly 40 percent of students said they had either sent or received a sexually explicit image of themselves, according to a 2014 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, nearly double the rate of similar studies performed five years earlier.
Many students surveyed did not know that any sexually explicit image of a child age 17 or younger is considered child pornography. Simply having it is a felony.
"It's frustrating because you wonder, where does it end? Will it ever stop?" said Anthony Reince, a school resource officer with the Wausau Police Department. "In reality, the only way you can stop it is to prevent it from happening in the first place."
LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS
Sexting can also get teens in trouble with the law. Teens in several states, including Wisconsin, have been charged with felonies — including sexual abuse of a minor and distributing or possessing child pornography — for sexting, even when the nude images are traded with other teens.
In 2012, state lawmakers passed into law a mandatory, minimum three-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography. Previously, judges had the discretion to order lesser penalties depending on the circumstances. That means a 17-year-old who receives explicit images from a younger friend can be sent to prison for possession of child pornography.
The consequences of sexting can be undoubtedly serious, especially when trading explicit images results in more serious crimes such as blackmail or sexual assault. But increasingly, judges and lawmakers recognize that criminalizing every case, especially those involving common teenage behavior, might not be the best response.
Some states have passed sexting-specific statutes to lessen the penalties against minors engaged in sexting. For example, Texas has passed a law that will impose a misdemeanor on a minor's first sexting offense. Under the statute, a minor may be sentenced to community supervision if he or she completes a state-sponsored sexting education course.
Elsewhere, a judge in Ohio crafted an unorthodox sentence to help a group of minors understand the harm of distributing nude photos of themselves.
Eight teens who traded nude photos on their phones were sentenced to complete a community-service project: The judge told them to poll their peers about the consequences of sexting. An overwhelming majority of their classmates did not know that trading sexually explicit photos among minors is illegal, according to media reports.
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7eeec480ad1b0b06ea3414545906fdec
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/24/alaska-legal-marijuana/23922313/
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Alaska becomes 3rd state with legal marijuana
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Alaska becomes 3rd state with legal marijuana
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska has become the third state in the U.S. to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
A ballot measure approved by Alaska votes in November kicks in Tuesday, allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of pot and up to six plants. Regulations for the sale of the drug still must be hammered out.
Smoking marijuana in public remains off-limits, and police officers in Alaska's largest city plan to strictly enforce the public ban.
Fear of people getting $100 fines for toking in public led an organizer to call off plans for a celebration party in downtown Anchorage.
Marijuana legalization supporters in Anchorage want the event to be low-key. They also plan to launch an advertising campaign recommending safe consumption, including ads on city buses.
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d27d8fed085bb8d3ff401b0725e6b3b9
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/25/black-history-navy-jesse-brown/24028231/
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Navy aviator Jesse Brown flew his dream into history
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Navy aviator Jesse Brown flew his dream into history
Jesse Brown knew from a young age that he wanted to fly, and he knew that he would let nothing stop him.
It was the 1930s, though, and Brown was from a black sharecropper family in Mississippi. Nobody around him thought that there would ever be black pilots — or that, even if there were, Brown would ever become one.
Jesse Brown's love of airplanes took off in the fields near Hattiesburg. A local farmer's son was training to be a pilot, and he would glide over the fields as the sharecroppers worked, suddenly firing up the engines as he passed over, startling them.
"He'd just scare the hell out of us," says Brown's brother, Fletcher Brown, now 83 years old. "Jesse at that point was just enthralled, looking at him flying. He'd say he was going to do that one day.
"That was in the '30s, and at that time we knew he had to be insane. There were no black pilots and how he was going to become one was just out of the question."
In January, Fletcher and his brother Lura Brown, now California residents, were back home in Hattiesburg for Jesse's granddaughter's wedding. During a visit to the town's African American Military History Museum, tears filled their eyes as they looked at a display honoring their brother.
As World War II began, Jesse Brown had an almost-prophetic moment, Lura says. Jesse could see in news reports that U.S. forces lacked African-American leaders, so he wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt asking why there weren't more black commissioned officers.
"I was a little old boy and would go to the mailbox every day — I guess I just expected (the letter) to fly right back," Lura Brown says. "Well about six weeks later, we had forgotten about the letter. But we got a letter from the president, and he said that in time there would be a lot of other blacks being promoted up."
Jesse Brown continued to follow his dream. He graduated near the top of his high school class before going on to Ohio State University. There, he wanted to take the entrance exam for the V-5 Aviation Cadet Training Program being conducted by the U.S. Navy to commission naval aviators.
On more than one occasion, Brown was told would never make it because there weren't any blacks in the Navy.
Even after he passed the test and was admitted to the program with 500 other men, it was officially recorded that he could not swim, which was a requirement for becoming a Navy pilot. But Jesse Brown was an adept swimmer, Fletcher says. The brothers swam in a creek every day after picking cotton in the hot Mississippi sun.
"I know they were trying to disqualify him. One of the things they had to go through was they put you on a platform and plunged you down into the pool, completely harnessed in and everything, and you had to come out of it and come to the top, and if you couldn't swim, that was impossible to do," Fletcher says. "He did it every time they gave him that test, and they finally gave up and said, 'Well, I guess he can swim.' "
Fletcher Brown gets emotional as he recounts a story from his brother's training: "His flight trainer told him, 'You'll never be a Navy pilot. Before I let you become a Navy pilot, I'll crash this damn plane and die with your black ass.' So ... I guess that was supposed to frighten him, but it didn't. He stuck with it and got his wings."
Brown was shot down on his 20th combat mission in December 1950, over the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. His wingman, Lt. Thomas Hudner, could tell that Jesse was still alive, so he crash-landed his own plane so he could try to save him. Brown's leg was trapped in the wreckage, and he slowly died of exposure in the bitter cold as Hudner sat with him until he was ordered to let him go. (Hudner received the Medal of Honor.)
Brown was flying in the Korean War because, just as Roosevelt had foretold, the military was integrated after World War II. It is now considered more racially integrated and tolerant than almost any other major institution in America. In 2013, Pentagon data show, 17.8% of U.S. servicemembers were black, while 74.6% were white.
"We haven't solved all the issues of prejudice or race, but we can say the military has been able to advance quicker and arguably further than other institutions," says Peter Singer, strategist and senior fellow at the New America Foundation. "The military is an institution where performance definitively matters; second, it's an institution that when it decides to make something a priority, it can steer amazing resources towards it and can also change in ways that other parts of civilian society doesn't."
Retired Sgt. Maj. James Marable, 68, who lives in Olney, Md., was raised in an Air Force family before joining the military himself. He says he has seen the military evolve from a "hot environment to a tepid environment in terms of racism."
During the civil rights era, war in Korea and later Vietnam taught servicemembers not to see color, but things were still in turmoil back home. The enemy knew it, too. Black troops would hear about it when abroad.
"When you'd go downtown ... it was always, 'Why are you fighting when you're going home to be treated like that?'" Marable says. "You never knew who those people were. They could have been on the other side trying to stir up animosity."
Marable says that when he would come back to the USA, he and his wife still were required to sit in the balconies of theaters. He said it felt like a slap in the face to come home to routine racism after being willing to lay down his life for his country.
"That was hurtful. That was more hurtful than being called baby-killers, when I had to take my uniform off to put a civilian suit on," he says.
By the time Marable retired in 1995, "the good-ol'-boy system was basically gone from the military," he says.
In 1972, the Navy honored Jesse Brown by naming a ship after him, the frigate USS Jesse L. Brown.
Pamela Knight, his daughter, says he never meant to be a historical figure.
"He didn't set out to be a hero, but that's what he was in that he had the fortitude to go out and do what he wanted to do and he didn't let anything stop him," she said. "I want other people to understand, especially young African-American men, if you have a dream, don't let anyone stop you. He didn't let anyone stop him."
Lura Brown says it means the world to his family to know that Jesse's memory will always stand, but he also says he'd like to see another ship with his brother's name on it, as the USS Jesse L. Brown was decommissioned and sold to Egypt in 1990.
"I'd like to see his name stay in history books forever," he says.
Apel also reports for the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger.
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9f2cbb99c84eae55fddc7ebc2fe132c9
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/25/supreme-court-teeth-whitening-dentists/20108545/
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Justices: Dentists can't decide who whitens your teeth
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Justices: Dentists can't decide who whitens your teeth
WASHINGTON — Dentists can make your teeth sparkling white, but they can't decide who else can, the Supreme Court said Wednesday.
The justices ruled 6-3 that a North Carolina state board dominated by dentists acted illegally by excluding non-dentists from the business of teeth whitening — a business that had been offered at reduced rates in shopping malls, spas and stores.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said state boards composed mostly of active market participants run the risk of self-dealing.
"This conclusion does not question the good faith of state officers but rather is an assessment of the structural risk of market participants' confusing their own interests with the state's policy goals," he said.
"If a state wants to rely on active market participants as regulators, it must provide active supervision," Kennedy wrote. In this case, he said, the dental board did not deserve the same immunity from federal antitrust laws granted to states.
Justice Samuel Alito, joined by fellow conservatives Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, dissented. They held that the dental board was properly administering state licensing requirements.
"As a result of today's decision, states may find it necessary to change the composition of medical, dental and other boards, but it is not clear what sort of changes are needed to satisfy the test that the court now adopts," Alito wrote.
The case was brought by the Federal Trade Commission, which charged the state Board of Dental Examiners with antitrust activities by engaging in unfair competition for its members' personal benefit. The board had issued "cease and desist" letters to non-dentists who dared to whiten teeth.
A federal appeals court agreed that the board had acted as a group of private practitioners, not as a state agency.
During oral arguments in October, that appeared to be a problem the majority of justices would not brush aside: Why should dentists who profit from teeth whitening get to push non-dentists who offer less expensive services out of business?
"Is this party, this board of all dentists, is there a danger that it's acting to further its own interests rather than the governmental interests of the state?"Justice Elena Kagan asked. "And that seems almost self-evidently to be true."
Some justices warned that a ruling against the dental board should not sweep in all professional boards, lest experts refuse to serve. The dental board's lawyer, Hashim Mooppan, argued that with too much supervision, "no one will serve on these boards." As a result, states would lose the expertise they seek and value.
A number of states employ hybrid agencies composed mostly of experts in their fields — including many who stand to profit from agency decisions. Several justices agreed in October that there is a role for such experts, so long as they don't wield exclusive power.
Kennedy noted that sentiment in his opinion but said most professionals adhere to the Hippocratic Oath and ethical standards.
"There is ... a long tradition of citizens esteemed by their professional colleagues devoting time, energy, and talent to enhancing the dignity of their calling," he said.
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17831c019485e57ad69ed4dd00009043
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/26/voices-maynard-diversity/24056327/
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Voices: A relentless crusader for diversity is lost
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Voices: A relentless crusader for diversity is lost
Journalism lost a courageous soldier this week.
Dori J. Maynard, 56, who died Tuesday of lung cancer, didn't report in combat zones. She had no battle scars to show. Dori's fight was of a different kind: a fearless, passionate crusade to enlighten newsrooms on why we need to be committed to diversity and accuracy with every story we share. Her most powerful weapons were a clear, relevant message and the respected Maynard name.
Long before I met Dori, I had read about her dad, Robert Maynard, and his second wife, Nancy Hicks Maynard, both of whom were as close to black media royalty as you could get. Who didn't respect or want to be like the Maynards? They had enjoyed immensely successful, pioneering careers at two of the nation's most prestigious publications — Robert at The Washington Post and Nancy and The New York Times. The couple also, in an effort to give back in a bigger way, purchased the Oakland Tribune from Gannett, USA TODAY's parent company, in the early '80s. This was a historic first for blacks in the U.S. publishing business.
I'm not among the lucky ones to have known Dori, who was president of the Robert C, Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, for a long time. Our official introduction came in 2012, when she was in Washington, D.C., to discuss ideas for a diversity training program. We would later reunite at ethnic journalism conferences. I was impressed by her humble nature, her openness to perspectives that didn't always align with her own, and her intrinsic ability to connect so seamlessly with people from all walks of life. She had a magical presence that was disarming at times and a quiet competence that worked to her advantage in her efforts to engage and persuade.
And she was never short on sharing thoughts about how newsrooms could do better — even from a hospital bed, as Aug. 17 tweets about the tumult in Ferguson record:
"@MarceaSmiles @CNN in hospital, so have very limited options. Perhaps I should stop complaining and be glad I'm getting any news!"
"Is anyone else finding @CNN 2 a.m. EDT reporting on #Ferguson just painful in its lack of depth?"
I always enjoyed connecting with Dori. When you ran into her, you were sure to learn something about yourself and the world around you. No person or news organization was exempt from her constructive scrutiny. She was always teaching, on a mission to tell her story and help newsrooms tell better stories.
And I learned through our chats that Dori's work was about more than just protecting a father's legacy. Educating journalists on the importance of inclusiveness was her life's calling. According to the Maynard Institute website, right up to the day Dori died "she was discussing plans with a board member to help the institute thrive and to attract funding to support that work." Her dedication to diversity was her focus — in sickness and in health — and likely led her to her decision to keep the spotlight away from her physical battles.
Like so many industry colleagues, I'm still in shock that our Dori is gone. I imagine the same shock rocked newsrooms when Robert Maynard died in 1993. Ironically, he, too, was only 56 at the time when cancer claimed his life. Both so young. So much fight left. Many more untold stories to share. But the Maynard battle cry still rings to all who will listen and heed the call:
* A cry for telling and packaging great stories across digital and print audiences — with an understanding that we are not all alike.
* A cry for newsroom mentors everywhere to arise and be counted to share core values with conviction and passion.
* A cry for young journalists to pick up the baton from those who've passed on — and to continue the fight for values worth fighting for.
Dori's voice and her compassion for the seldom heard helped to elevate much-needed conversations in newsrooms and communities across the country. But above all, in the Maynard fashion, she was a warm and caring person who gave tirelessly and unselfishly of herself for a greater good.
I will miss Dori Maynard, but the Maynard legacy to promote diversity in coverage is a fight we all share — and it's just one more way to honor a life well-lived.
Jones is USA TODAY standards and ethics editor.
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104e394661686fd33460f5ca5d71f495
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/28/another-barrier-prison-finding-home/24197429/
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Finding a home after prison tough for released felons
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Finding a home after prison tough for released felons
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Stacie Schroder's search for a home began the day she regained her freedom.
Finding an apartment can be a complicated, time-consuming process for anyone. Schroder didn't expect her search to be easy, but she also wasn't prepared for the months of dead ends, denials and desperation that would come to define her housing search.
Schroder spent almost four years in prison after a 2007 arrest on drug-related charges. After prison, she learned that finding a place to live for an ex-convict is one of the biggest barriers to getting back on your feet.
"Trying to find a landlord that takes felons is hard," Schroder said.
Under the law, landlords are free to discriminate against people with criminal records. A popular police-sponsored rental housing program in Sioux Falls and other cities encourages property managers to reject renters with recent criminal histories.
While criminal background checks by landlords might deter crime on their properties and reassure tenants, they pose a major barrier for people who have made mistakes, served their time and are trying to get a fresh start on life. People coming out of prison often depend on a lucky break from a relative or Good Samaritan, or else face turning to the same people whose influence steered them to crime in the first place.
"It's a vicious circle. They see no light, no hope and they fall into the same circle, again," said Paul Flogstad, Sioux Falls' fair housing ombudsman.
The limited housing options for people with felony records raises questions about the community's ability to rehabilitate criminals and get them off a path that leads back to an overcrowded corrections system.
"It's just nearly impossible in this town with a felony to get housing," said Melanie Bliss of the Sioux Empire Homeless Coalition. "Being a felon or sex offender are serious barriers for people for the rest of their lives."
Calvin Dunham knows he caught a lucky break.
Dunham was serving a three-year prison sentence for selling prescription pills when he met his future boss and landlord at Bible study in the Minnehaha County prison.
Three days after his release from prison, Dunham had an interview for a job fixing up properties. He got the job. His new boss then offered him a place to rent after Dunham's five-month stay at a halfway home.
"I'm just highly blessed," Dunham said. "Society owes us nothing but maybe a chance. I think everyone deserves a second chance if they are changing."
TENANTS FEEL SAFE
Property managers, though, have real incentives for not giving people such as Dunham a second chance.
More than 200 property managers in Sioux Falls, including some of the city's largest housing companies, now participate in the city's crime-free housing program, which offers marketing materials and police consultations to participants who agree to certain practices. They include:
• Performing background checks on all applicants.
• Denying rental to anyone on the sex-offender registry or anyone with an assault or drug conviction in the past five years.
• Installing security features such as deadbolts, peep holes that provide 180-degree views, lift and slide protection on windows and patio doors, and adequate lighting in hallways and parking lots.
"It's a proven program; it's a good program," said Flogstad, the city's fair housing ombudsman.
It's a marketing tool for landlords, and for tenants it brings a peace of mind that their neighbor isn't a sex offender or drug dealer.
But it also makes it difficult for people such as Dunham to find a home after prison, Flogstad said.
Discrimination still would exist, even if the crime-free program didn't.
Sioux Falls police Officer Jim Larson, who oversees the crime-free housing program in the city, said people with criminal records are not a protected class when it comes to housing discrimination, so landlords can freely refuse to rent to any ex-convict.
"A landlord, a managing company or an owner has the right to refuse anyone for any reason except for reasons like sexual orientation, creed and color, as long as they're consistent with it," Larson said.
Sioux Falls adopted the Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program in March 1997. The program is based on a national program that originated in Mesa, Ariz., in 1991. Since then, it's spread to about 2,000 cities in 48 states, five Canadian provinces, England, Nigeria and Puerto Rico.
Lloyd Cos., one the largest apartment companies in Sioux Falls, is a member of the crime-free housing program. Nicholas Blau, regional manager, said one of the first questions prospective renters ask is whether they are members of the crime-free program.
Blau said the companies follow the minimum requirements of the crime-free housing program but also impose further restrictions against those with felonies on their criminal records.
"The general rule we use is any felony record of criminal action which would adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of residents is grounds for denial," Blau said.
HELP FOR EX-CONVICTS
Instead of Craigslist or the classifieds, people with criminal records often need to look to people such as Jeff Haverhals.
He is director of Kingdom Boundaries Prison Aftercare, the ministry that connected Dunham to his future boss and landlord as he was transitioning from prison.
Haverhals spent years interacting with convicts behind prison walls through a mentorship program. It gave him an intimate view of the struggles convicts face once they leave prison. For the past four years, he has worked with ex-convicts to reintegrate into society.
"A lot of guys don't have a lot of hope. They are scared. They don't have anybody to help them. They feel stuck," he said. "When people get stressed, they go back to doing what they were doing that got them in trouble in the first place."
At the moment, he is working with six people to help them find a place to live, get a job and get back on their feet. He admits sometimes it doesn't work out the way he hopes — leaving him feeling like a failure. But that comes with dealing with human nature and sin, he said.
"What hurts the most is when we help and help and help and they want to go back to that life and end up back in jail," Haverhals said.
Another program that helps ex-convicts transition into housing after prison is the Glory House, one of the few programs of its kind.
Executive Director Dave Johnson said their work helps not only those in need of a second chance but also the community.
"The reality is that for people coming out of the correction system, 96 percent of them are going to come out in the community and they will be our neighbors," Johnson said. "I'd rather have them know the basics on how they live so they don't struggle."
Schroder stayed at the Glory House in Sioux Falls after her release from prison in 2011. She said they worked hard to find her a place to live, but it it was tough to find anyone who would look past the felonies on her record, a reminder of her old self.
"People change," said Schroder, who is now an engineering supervisor at a manufacturing plant. "People have the ability to be better, productive members of society. God forgives us, so why can't everyone else."
After more than half a year of searching, Schroder finally found a sympathetic landlord in Tea, S.D., who, after hearing her story, was willing to lease an apartment to her.
"A lot of people don't give you that chance," Schroder said. "A lot of people think that because you're felons you're a bad person. That's not the case. People make mistakes."
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ed4f0315af1137504bb80d88735e5d55
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/28/la-fights-pay-man-wrongfully-convicted-murder/24186215/
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Louisiana opposes pay for wrongfully convicted man
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Louisiana opposes pay for wrongfully convicted man
SHREVEPORT, La. — The state of Louisiana is fighting compensation for a man who was imprisoned almost 30 years for a murder he didn't commit because they say he cannot prove he is factually innocent.
The state Attorney General's office filed a motion opposing Glenn Ford's request for $105,000, representing the first payout of a possible $330,000 compensation package outlined by Louisiana law for wrongfully convicted individuals meeting statutory requirements.
Ford's attorney, Kristen Wenstrom, of the Innocence Project in New Orleans says the state is wrong in its opposition and points out it was the state's disregard of evidence that gave Ford a death sentence.
A ruling on the compensation request was deferred during a Feb. 5 hearing before Caddo Parish District Judge Katherine Dorroh. No date is provided in court records for when Dorroh will make a decision.
Ford, now 65, is being treated for advanced lung cancer and living in New Orleans since his much-publicized walk as a free man through the gates of the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola on March 11. His release as the nation's longest-serving death row inmate came less than 24 hours after Caddo Parish District Judge Ramona Emanuel granted the state's motion to vacant Ford's first-degree murder conviction and death sentence. The Caddo Parish District Attorney's office formally dismissed the charge in June.
An all-white jury convicted Ford, a black man, on Dec. 5, 1984, for the Nov. 5, 1983 shooting death of Isadore Rozeman, a 56-year-old Shreveport jeweler who was robbed and killed in his Stoner Hill shop.
Three other men, brothers Jake Robinson and Henry Robinson and George Starks, were arrested with Ford, but charges against them were later dismissed even though Ford repeatedly denied his involvement and fingered the Robinsons as the killers.
Ford failed to gain the ear of appellate courts over the years as he fought for his freedom. The tide turned in 2013 when the Caddo DA's office filed motions in federal court indicating a confidential informant questioned in an unrelated homicide identified Jake Robinson as the triggerman, not Ford.
In recent months, as Ford has enjoyed his freedom, it's Jake Robinson's time to sit behind bars. Robinson was arrested in May in connection with the 2004 murder of Bruce Cotton, and he was charged in December as a principal to Claudell Staten's 1988 murder. He's a suspect in four other homicides, according to a sheriff's cold case investigator.
And in January, Henry Robinson was arrested in Las Vegas on a Caddo Parish warrant for principal to second-degree murder in Staten's death. His and Jack Robinson's cousin, Will Rogers Robinson, also is charged with Staten's death.
Wenstrom cites those arrests in her motion supporting Ford's compensation. Ford told Shreveport police at the time of his arrest the Robinson brothers had a reputation for violence and were responsible for the crime.
"In a painfully ironic twist, the state is now using this same information to try to deny Mr. Ford compensation for the 30 years he wrongfully spent on death row for the Robinsons' crime," Wenstrom wrote in a motion filed Jan. 29.
She further asserted if the state had used the information provided by Ford "then these violent brothers would be behind bars, at least four murders would have been prevented and Mr. Ford would not have suffered for 30 years in solitary confinement on death row at Angola for a crime he did not commit. Instead, the state is now using this information against Mr. Ford to once again deny him justice."
Ford does not meet the statutory requirements of the state's compensation law because he committed at least two crimes based on the same set of facts used in his original conviction: illegal possession of stolen things and accessory to an armed robbery, wrote Assistant Attorney General Colin Clark in a motion opposing Ford's request for funds.
The DA's office has stated in court filings that the evidence it gathered in 2010 showed Ford was not present nor did he participate in Rozeman's murder and armed robbery. But the Attorney General's office states that "clear and convincing evidence will show (Ford) was not physically present at Mr. Rozeman's house when he was robbed and murdered. However, (Ford) cannot prove he is innocent of other felonious conduct connected to the robbery and murder."
Clark said Ford took items stolen from Rozeman and pawned them within hours of his murder. By selling them, it makes him an accessory, and during his trial, Ford's defense attorneys even referred to their client as a "hapless fence who pawned stolen items without knowledge of the murder," Clark added.
The state's compensation law is designed to pay only those who come to court with "clean hands – who were blameless for the events that led to their eventual incarceration. Glenn Ford is not blameless. He participated in the events that led to his incarceration," Clark wrote. "New evidence, of which the state was wholly unaware at trial, subsequently showed that the petitioner's involvement was not as serious as the state had thought, although his conduct was still felonious."
The compensation statute does not bar petitioners if they in any way contributed to their conviction. To suggest Ford is to blame for his incarceration is "preposterous," Wenstrom responded.
It was the state, she said, that disregarded direct evidence of the Robinsons' guilt, including ignoring numerous anonymous calls implicating the brothers.
Wenstrom also countered that there was no evidence to prove Ford knew the items he pawned were stolen. He sold the items given to him, using his own name at a place known to him as a means to get money to pay his landlord, not aid in a robbery.
What does the state compensation statute say?
It provides for payment of $25,000 a year for wrongful incarceration, not to exceed $250,000, which represents a 10-year cap on awards. The money is to be paid over a 10-year span.
It also provides for up to $80,000 to exonerated inmates for loss of life opportunities.
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504b6f4805cf0c59508732a849dd8ae6
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/01/la-police-shooting-skid-row/24240523/
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Cellphone video captures LAPD fatal shooting
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Cellphone video captures LAPD fatal shooting
LOS ANGELES — A homeless man who was killed in a struggle with police had "forcibly grabbed" an officer's holstered pistol moments before being fatally shot, Police Chief Charlie Beck said Monday.
The shooting has drawn nationwide attention after a bystander recorded the tragedy on his cellphone. The video was posted online and drew millions of views within hours of the shooting.
Beck said two officers were wearing body cameras and that all videos of the shooting will be included in the investigation. He said in one of the videos an officer can be heard yelling "He has my gun! He has my gun!"
"M heart goes out ot the family of the man who was killed, and also to the Los Angele police officers who had to be part of this tragedy," Beck said.
Anthony Blackburn, who shot the cellphone video, told KABC-TV he was "videotaping the whole thing 'cause we've been hearing on the news about police brutality. I just wanted to film it and just make sure everything was all right. But I ended up seeing a tragedy."
The video shows several officers attempting to take the man into custody shortly before noon Sunday. The man appeared to scuffle with four officers even after he was wrestled to the ground.
At least five gunshots could be heard. Police said three officers fired their weapons. After the shooting, a bystander can be heard on the video: "You all got him tazed. Why did you you all shoot that man?!"
Police said the officers were responding to a robbery call. In a statement, the LAPD said the suspect was fighting and physically resisting attempts to take him into custody.
"The officers attempted to use a Taser to subdue him but the suspect continued to fight and resist the officers and fell to the ground," the statement said. "While on the ground, the suspect and officers struggled over one of the officer's handguns and then an officer-involved shooting occurred."
Witnesses said the man was known on the street as "Africa," and that he lived in the area for several months.Police said they were withholding his name while they tried to locate next of kin.
The Los Angeles Times quoted several eyewitnesses including Dennis Horne, 29, who said the suspect had been fighting with someone in his tent along the sidewalk, and that when he refused to comply with a police order to come out of the tent, officers used a stun gun and pulled him from the tent. He continued to fight while on the ground, Horne told the newspaper.
"Instead of handcuffing the guy, they straight out shot him," eyewitness Larry Jackson told abc7.com.
"He didn't have no weapon, they just shot him," witness Yolanda Young told myfoxla.com. "They could have just wrestled him down."
Skid Row is a downtown area that is a defacto permanent "home" to thousands of homeless people. They generally are allowed to have tents on certain streets during evening hours but are supposed to remove them during the day.
The LAPD said its specialized Force Investigative Division has begun an investigation, and that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division will conduct a comprehensive review.
Cmdr. Andrew Smith, who said it was "clear" there was a struggle for the officer's gun, said two officers were injured. He said he did not know whether the man was homeless.
"The video is disturbing," Smith said at a briefing. "It's disturbing any time anyone loses their life. It's a tragedy."
Two officers suffered minor injuries during the incident, police said.
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04703364300b4f8b778069a41c59ce27
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/03/medical-marijuana-legalization-grow-trial/24321335/
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Family guilty of growing pot; acquitted of other charges
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Family guilty of growing pot; acquitted of other charges
SPOKANE, Wash. — Federal jurors on Tuesday convicted a family of growing marijuana on their property, but acquitted them of the more serious charges they faced in what legalization advocates called an important win for medical cannabis users.
Although Washington state has legalized both medical and recreational marijuana, the defendants were barred from telling jurors they had medical marijuana recommendations from their doctors. That's because federal law makes no distinction between medical and recreational marijuana — it's all illegal.
Legalization advocates said they hoped the case would prompt federal prosecutors across the country to reconsider how they pursue cases against medical marijuana users.
"I'm scared and excited all at the same time," Rhonda Firestack-Harvey said Tuesday night after jurors convicted her, her son, and daughter-in-law. Shaking in the cold night air outside the courthouse, Firestack-Harvey said the acquittal on the most serious charges gave her hope.
"It's much less than I feared," Firestack-Harvey said. "Now we get to tell our side of the story. We had our medical cards from the doctor and we needed that for our illnesses, our serious illnesses."
Jurors acquitted the three of conspiracy, distribution and firearms charges, which would have triggered mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years. Judge Thomas Rice later this summer will decide their sentences on the single marijuana manufacturing charge.
A grand jury initially also indicted Firestack-Harvey's husband, Larry, along with a family friend, after a 2012 raid on their Kettle Falls home. But prosecutors shortly before trial dropped the charges against Larry Harvey because he's suffering from late-stage pancreatic cancer, and cut a plea deal with the friend, who testified he fronted the money and did most of the growing.
Federal prosecutors, who did not speak to reporters after the verdict, had argued the family was using medical marijuana as a cover for its illegal drug-distribution conspiracy. Police seized about 8 pounds of marijuana from the Harvey home in 2012.
The case against the "Kettle Falls Five" became a rallying cry for legalization advocates, who said American voters have repeatedly approved medical marijuana laws to protect people in this situation. The fact that federal prosecutors forged ahead even after Congress late last year ordered the Justice Department to leave alone states with medical marijuana just added fuel to the fire for legalization advocates.
The wheelchair-bound Harvey testified on Capitol Hill shortly before Congress passed the Department of Justice restriction, showing that federal prosecutors were indeed bringing cases against sick people using marijuana, said Kari Boiter of Americans for Safe Access. The group supported the Harveys during the trial, hoping to use their case to draw attention to the conflicting federal and state marijuana laws
"This is a win," Boiter said Tuesday night after hugging Firestack-Harvey. "We always knew there would be a guilty verdict on the manufacturing."
Legal experts said the decision could give federal prosecutors pause about bringing charges against other marijuana users.
"I think that it is something that can send a signal," said Frank Snyder, a Texas A&M School of Law professor and marijuana-law expert who has been following the case. "I think what you have is people who were caught absolutely dead to rights in violation of a law they don't agree with. And it's a law many people don't agree with."
Snyder added: "I think (this case) will provide some more ammunition for the legalization movement."
In addition to permitting residents to grow medical marijuana, Washington state also allows recreational marijuana sale and use.
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7a325efbb10b447f01a7418987a2a39f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/04/man-burned-by-fajitas-cant-sue-applebees/24403053/
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Man burned by fajitas while praying can't sue Applebee's
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Man burned by fajitas while praying can't sue Applebee's
WESTAMPTON, N.J. — A man who leaned over a plate of sizzling fajitas to pray can't sue a Westampton restaurant because the dish burned him, an appellate court ruled Wednesday.
Hiram Jimenez sought damages from Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar after a March 2010 incident at the chain's restaurant on Burlington-Mount Holly Road. But an appellate panel said Applebee's can't be held responsible because the hot food posed an "open and obvious" danger.
According to the ruling, Jimenez ordered fajitas that were placed in front of him in a "sizzling skillet." When he bowed his head "close to the table," the ruling says, Jimenez heard "a loud sizzling noise, followed by 'a pop noise' and then felt a burning sensation in his left eye and on his face."
In an incident report prepared for Appelebee's, Jimenez said he was burned on his face, neck and arms after "grease popped" on the fajitas.
His lawsuit said a waitress did not warn Jimenez that the dish was hot. It argued Jimenez suffered "serious and permanent" injuries "solely as a result of (Applebee's) negligence when he came in contact with a dangerous and hazardous condition, specifically, 'a plate of hot food'."
A trial judge dismissed the suit, finding Applebee's — a California-based chain with more than 1,900 restaurants — was not required to warn Jimenez "against a danger that is open and obvious."
Jimenez appealed, but a two-judge panel came to the same conclusion.
It noted business owners are required to "discover and eliminate dangerous conditions, to maintain the premises in safe condition and to avoid creating conditions that would render the premises unsafe."
But it said the risk posed by the hot platter was "self-evident." Applebee's, the ruling said, "had no duty to warn (Jimenez) that the food was sizzling hot and should be approached with due care."
An attorney for Jimenez, Richard Wiener of Conshohocken, declined to comment. A lawyer for Applebee's could not be reached.
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788fce5d619e85799ceb92a9e546b76b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/05/jodi-arias-verdict/24431127/
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Jodi Arias spared death as jury deadlocks on sentence
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Jodi Arias spared death as jury deadlocks on sentence
PHOENIX — Jodi Arias, the woman convicted of killing her boyfriend, will spend life in prison, not because of a jury sentence, but because a jury could not reach an unanimous verdict on whether to sentence her to death for the murder of her lover, Travis Alexander.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens declared a mistrial Thursday, saying jurors repeatedly indicated they could not reach consensus.
Jurors later spoke to the media and said that 11 of the 12 were in favor of the death penalty. There was one holdout.
Jurors, who were not identified by name, alternately expressed remorse that they were not able to reach a verdict and anger at the woman who held out against the death penalty, saying they suspected she had an "agenda."
"We really feel like we made a huge effort," one juror said. "I could not say how sorry I am that it wasn't enough."
Alexander's sisters were seen sobbing in the courtroom during Thursday's proceedings. After leaving the courtroom, the family walked by the media. Tanisha Sorenson, one of Alexander's sisters, said, "The real justice will be in the afterlife, when Jodi burns in hell."
Arias has been on trial — a sentencing retrial, actually — since October.
The final 12 of the original jurors — five were dismissed over the five-month-long process and two were designated alternates a week ago when closing arguments ended — deliberated for three days, but reached an impasse late Tuesday morning. Stephens sent them back to the jury room to try again.
Thursday morning, they called it quits and Stephens declared a mistrial. Under Arizona law, Arias automatically will be sentenced by Stephens to life in prison. Arias' formal sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 13. Stephens will decide whether she's eligible for release after 25 years.
It was the second time a jury hung on life or death for Arias, 34. A 2014 jury in her first trial also reached impasse. Under state law, Arias cannot be tried again and must be sentenced to life in prison.
"The 11 of us strived for justice but to no avail," a juror said. "We absolutely feel the penalty should have been death."
In a statement to the media, the Alexander family said they were "saddened by the jury's inability to reach a decision on the death penalty.
"However, they understand the difficulty of the decision, and have nothing but respect for the jury's time. They appreciate Deputy Count Attorney's Juan Martinez and appreciate the outpouring of support they have received from the public."
It has taken 2½ years to reach this point.
Alexander, 30, was found dead in the bathroom of his Mesa, Ariz., home in June 2008. He had been shot in the head, stabbed nearly 30 times, and his throat was cut from ear to ear. His body sat there for five days before it was discovered by friends.
Those same friends immediately pointed to Alexander's former girlfriend, Arias, whom Alexander described as a stalker, even though he would travel with her on trips and invite her to his house for late-night trysts. Investigators found photographs from the last one — naked shots of both Alexander and Arias, as well as photos of Alexander in the shower minutes before he was killed. One photo even showed his inert body on the floor next to Arias' stockinged foot.
Even before the first trial began, TV crime maven Nancy Grace labeled Arias' case as the new Casey Anthony trial, referring to the high-profile, televised case of a young Florida mother acquitted of murdering her daughter.
The Arias trial began in January 2013 and was live-streamed around the world over the Internet. It quickly became a media circus. The prosecutor, Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Juan Martinez became a media hero. Defense attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott became media goats, as did nearly every witness they called to the stand.
Arias arguably ended up as the most hated woman in America.
In May 2013, Arias was found guilty of first-degree murder. The jury did not believe her claim of self-defense, and they determined that the murder had been committed in an especially cruel manner, an aggravating factor written in state statute that qualified her for the death penalty. But that jury could not reach an unanimous verdict on whether to sentence her to life or to death.
The defense and prosecution spent the next year and a half wrestling over details of the sentencing retrial, finally impaneling a second jury in October 2014 to impose only the sentence. But even without having to determine Arias' guilt or innocence, the second trial took as long as the first.
The second trial focused not on the crime, but the psychological makeup of the defendant and the victim. Arias was painted by the defense as a compliant, mentally ill woman with borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Alexander was portrayed as a sex and pornography addict who was physically, sexually and emotionally abusive to her.
The prosecution disputed it all, except for the borderline personality disorder diagnosis, but Martinez refused to accept that it should keep her from death row.
Martinez appealed to the jury Feb. 24. Nurmi finished his closing argument Feb. 25.
The final decision was up to the jury.
Kathy Brown, who had her cane signed by Martinez during the first trial said she initially began coming to the hearings because she has a relative on death row and, "wanted to see how it worked."
Brown, 51, said she initially came in with an open mind but couldn't help but support the Alexander family.
"She mutilated him," said Brown. "She literally tore him apart."
Brown was in tears after leaving the court house and was comforted by fellow supporters.
Another Alexander family supporter, Paul Sanders, 53, said he had been a juror in another trial. He's been coming to the Arias sentencing retrial since August, as he wanted to see the process of the case.
"The wails from the front row really sent the message of how painful this is," Sanders said. "It's been going on for them since 2008. A hung jury has got to feel like a knife to the heart."
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99e2c67de2a5d00f062374ceab451d62
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/05/plane-laguardia-skidded-off-runway-landing/24433915/
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Delta plane veers off runway in landing at LaGuardia
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Delta plane veers off runway in landing at LaGuardia
A Delta flight from Atlanta with 127 passengers aboard veered off the runway Thursday while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport, plowed through a fence and came to rest on a snowy embankment only a few feet from the frigid waters of Flushing Bay.
Terrified passengers escaped serious injury but describe a harrowing scene as the jet careened toward the nearby bay, causing some to dive for cover and even jump from the emergency hatch on to the wing.
Sam Stern, one of the passengers, told CNN that he was sitting next to the emergency exit, opened the door and jumped onto the wing. "There were people on the ground to greet us," he said. The passengers then came out single file and slid off the wing to the ground.
Stern said the plane skidded off the runway for what seemed like nearly a minute "it was eerily silent....no noise, total silence . . . I'm still in shock. It's starting to hit me. It was a frightening experience."
"If we wouldn't have hit the snowbank, we'd be in the water right now," said Charles Runels, a passenger from Atlanta, the Associated Press reported.
Two people suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment, said Patrick Foye, of the Port Authority, which operates the airport.
The incident came 23 years to the month after the last deadly crash at LaGuardia, when a USAir jet taking off in a blizzard crashed in the bay, killing 27.
In the latest incident, the chutes aboard the MD88 aircraft did not deploy, authorities said.
The New York City Fire Department initially said 24 people received non-life-threatening injuries and that three were transported for further evaluation. Port Authorities dispatchers earlier said two people suffered minor back injuries and one had a minor neck injury.
All of the passengers and the crew of five were quickly taken by bus to a nearby Delta terminal as emergency vehicles raced onto the runway.
Foye did not address the possible cause of the incident, which occurred during a steady snowfall from a winter storm blanketing the East. He said the plane landed normally on 7,000-foot runaway No. 13 but after traveling about 4,500 feet suddenly veered to the left, sped onto snow-covered ground and rammed through a fence, the plane's nose stopping just at the edge of the bay.
One purported passenger, identified on Twitter only as Steve, tweeted that photos showing the plane resting on an embankment don't tell the full story. "The pics are deceptive," he wrote. "That is side of runway. We were going in water until hit the hill and spun"
Jaime Primak, star of Bravo's Jersey Belle, was aboard the flight. She quickly tweeted: "We just crash landed at LGA. I'm terrified. Please..."
"We have all been evacuated," she added a few minutes later. "Everyone is safe. Thank you for your prayers. God is good."
The plane did not reach the water, but did suffer a minor fuel spill, which was quickly contained.
Foye said the runway had been plowed only minutes before and that two pilots arriving just ahead of the Delta flight "reported good braking action."
According to the National Weather Service, visibility at the airport was one-quarter mile and northerly winds were blowing at about 9 mph at 10:51 a.m., shortly before the plane landed.
The incident occurred at around 11:05 a.m. and forced a halt to all traffic in and out of the critical New York hub. Planes were diverted to Newark and other area airports.
Foye said at least one runway at LaGuardia was expected to reopen at mid-afternoon.
In July 2013, the front landing gear of a Southwest Airlines flight collapsed while touching down, sending the aircraft skidding before it came to a halt, the Associated Press reports. Ten passengers received minor injuries.
The last deadly crash at LaGuardia occurred March 23, 1992, when a US Airways jet carrying 51 people crashed while trying to take off in a snowstorm, according to the AP. The plane skidded part way into the Flushing Bay and 27 people died.
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938d056286208a538b175f3d975a5f3a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/07/selma-50th-anniversary-bloody-sunday/24552475/
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Obama, Bush, civil rights icons retrace Selma march
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Obama, Bush, civil rights icons retrace Selma march
SELMA, Ala. — President Obama, speaking Saturday at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, placed Selma in the pantheon of historical sites alongside Concord, Gettysburg and Kitty Hawk.
Then Obama, joined by his wife Michelle and their daughters, walked hand-in-hand with one of the original Selma marchers, Rep. John, Lewis, D-Ga., across the 1,200-foot-long, steel-and-concrete bridge to commemorate the bloody civil rights confrontation 50 years ago that transformed America. Former president George W. Bush and other dignitaries and activists joined them.
It was a particularly poignant moment for a president who has traced the events on Bloody Sunday in 1965 to raising the nation's conscience and changing its voting laws, opening the way for his election as the country's first African-American president.
And an especially sweet moment for the 75-year-old Lewis, who suffered a cracked skull five decades ago when Alabama state troopers and Sheriff Jim Clark's posse used billy clubs and tear gas against civil rights activists as they attempted to march to Montgomery to demand the right to vote.
With temperatures heading to the 60s, thousands of people packed downtown Water Street, stretching away from the stage at the bottom of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
"There are places, and moments in America where this nation's destiny has been decided," Obama told the crowd. "Many are sites of war — Concord and Lexington, Appomattox and Gettysburg. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America's character — Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral. Selma is such a place."
Obama used the very place he stood to underscore the challenge that civil right activists faced five decades ago.
"The Americans who crossed this bridge were not physically imposing," he said. "But they gave courage to millions. They held no elected office. But they led a nation."
"They marched as Americans who had endured hundreds of years of brutal violence, and countless daily indignities — but they didn't seek special treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them almost a century before."
Before his speech, Obama signed legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to these "foot soldiers" of the Selma voting rights demonstrations, including the eventual march to Montgomery that took place March 21-25, 1965.
The president attempted to draw a direct line from the past to the present — and the future — by addressing such sensitive issues as recent racial clashes in Ferguson, Mo., and political disputes over renewing the Voting Rights Act that Selma helped deliver.
He rejected those who argue that there had been little real change in the past 50 years. "To deny this progress, this hard-won progress — our progress — would be to rob us of our own agency, our own capacity, our responsibility to do what we can to make America better." He also rejected the notion that racism in America had been banished. "We just need to open our eyes, and ears, and hearts, to know that this nation's racial history still casts its long shadow upon us."
Instead, he argued, "Selma teaches us, too, that action requires that we shed our cynicism. For when it comes to the pursuit of justice, we can afford neither complacency nor despair."
"Fifty years from Bloody Sunday, our march is not yet finished, but we are getting closer," Obama told the crowd. "Two hundred and thirty-nine years after this nation's founding, our union is not yet perfect, but we are getting closer. Our job's easier because somebody already got us through that first mile. Somebody already got us over that bridge."
In the lead-up to the president's remarks, speakers blared gospel and '60s tunes, while a video board displayed documentary images from the civil rights area, including the replay of a phone conversation between President Lyndon Johnson and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Celebrants snapped pictures of each other or of celebrities in the crowd that included Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III.
Many of the parents and grandparents of people who lined Water Street couldn't vote in some states because of restrictive racial policies; that started to change on March 7, when state troopers attacked marchers on the bridge in Selma, sending more than 50 people to the hospital, but also galvanizing support for the federal Voting Rights Act later that year.
Ron Davis, only 2 years old during the Selma attack, lived to see millions of Americans join the voter rolls — and he grew up to be the two-term mayor of Prichard, Ala.
"You think about what our ancestors did to fight for us," Davis said as he awaited Saturday's events.
Jan Meadows, 73, who traveled from Atlanta to Selma to hear Obama speak, said the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — combined with the Civil Rights Act the year before — "gave us the right to get political power."
That power enabled African Americans to advance economically and socially, said Meadows, who became an architectural interior designer. "We were able to vote, we were able to elect black officials — we were able to go to school," she said.
There are also vast economic problems in Selma and elsewhere. Many boarded-up businesses in Selma's small downtown were decorated for Saturday's ceremony. The area's poverty and jobless rates remain high.
"I'm hoping this will bring on changes, not just in Selma, but in the South," said Annice Jordan, 72, a retiree from Seattle who was born in Selma. "When it comes to poor people, things are sad."
For Sidney Willis. 69, of Mobile, Ala., this is his ninth straight Bloody Sunday commemoration. All these years later, Willis said, the event remains as poignant as ever.
The commemoration helps assuage some of the hurt he felt as a black man coming of age in the South during a tumultuous moment for America, he said.
"I knew what it was to see segregation," Willis said. "When I was In the Coast Guard after high school, there were places the white guys could go that I wouldn't have been allowed to frequent. We've made progress from those days, but we still have a long way to go."
Luci Baines Johnson, the late president's younger daughter, recalled to USA TODAY being by her father's side the day he signed the voting act into law.
"This marks a sacred moment in our history," said Johnson, who traveled to Selma to join in the commemoration. "There were so many heroes that led to this day, the ones whose names we know but also those who were fighting in the shadows and whose names weren't recorded in the history books."
Obama previously took part in the annual commemoration in 2007, when he was serving in the Senate.
The commemoration comes at another difficult period in race relations in America, following the recent high-profile killings by police of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y., and Tamir Rice in Cleveland, all black men.
This week, the Justice Department issued a scathing report detailing institutional racism in the Ferguson Police Department, while clearing former police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting last summer of the unarmed 18-year-old Brown, whose killing galvanized nationwide protests. Brown's family announced this week their intention to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Ferguson and Wilson.
"I feel a direct connection to what happened in Selma and wanted to be here," said Gwenn Carr, the mother of Garner, who took part in the commemoration. "What happened back then, what's happening today, it's déjà vu."
Over the past two days, at forums and gatherings at some of the same Selma churches that served as the nerve centers of the 1965 movement, civil rights leaders have been calling on Americans to pressure Congress over the passage of stringent voter ID rules and other new voting rules that have been passed in several states after the Supreme Court struck down a key provision in the landmark legislation nearly two years ago.
In what is known as the Shelby ruling, the high court ruled that the Voting Rights Act formula used to determine which parts of the country would need federal approval — known as pre-clearance — to change their voting procedures was outdated. The court instructed Congress to write a formula that was reflective of current conditions, but Congress has yet to act.
"The Voting Rights Act is being dismantled," said Kirsten Moller, who traveled to Selma from San Francisco to be part of the commemoration. "We need to protect it. It's not a given. We need to be vigilant."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who was among the dozens of Washington lawmakers to travel to Selma this weekend, called out her fellow lawmakers for failing to take action on the Voting Rights Act, nearly two years after the high court decision.
"We have not in the United States Congress reinvigorated the Voting Rights Act gotten it back to the president for his signature," Warren said. "That's what we should be talking about today."
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who was also in Selma on Saturday, said the issue should be debated by Congress, but he resisted Democrats' efforts to tie it to the Bloody Sunday anniversary.
"This is about more than tweaks of the Voting Rights Act," he said. "This is about how do we secure that we have equal justice and that we learn from lessons of the past."
Gatrice Benson, a Selma native now living in Georgia, got a call from her 73-year-old grandmother not long after Obama finished his speech.
To bring viewers closer to the events in Selma, USA TODAY is filming in full 360-degree video. In the special player below, explore the celebration in Selma, Ala., by clicking and dragging your mouse to rotate the panorama left or right.
Her grandmother, Mary Martin, tells stories about the flurry of activity around Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in March 1965. The church, not far from her house, was at the center of organizing activity at the time of the voting rights marches. She couldn't join her granddaughter at the foot of the bridge on Saturday, but watched the television coverage.
"When she saw the pictures of Obama crossing the bridge, it was just so powerful," Benson said. "She cried and I cried, too."
Eric Archie, 52, a construction manager from Montgomery, called the event "a celebration for me ... Something that divided us is now unifying,"
Archie brought his 8-year-old son Amari, who he said became interested in history after seeing the film Selma.
"I want him to see Selma," Archie said. "Maybe 50 years from now, he can tell his children he was at the 50th anniversary."
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761671a25c1296c28eaa629a66ffa50c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/09/obama-venuela-sanctions-executive-order-josh-earnest/24647561/
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Obama sanctions 7 government officials in Venezuela
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Obama sanctions 7 government officials in Venezuela
WASHINGTON — President Obama slapped economic sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials Monday, accusing them of human rights violations and declaring their government a threat to U.S. national security.
"Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome here," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "And we now have the tools to block their assets and their use of U.S. financial systems."
The administration is "deeply concerned by the Venezuelan government's efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents," Earnest said, and the nation's economic problems "cannot be solved by criminalizing dissent."
The sanctions target seven specific Venezuelan government officials who are involved in "violence against anti-government protesters," or the "arrest or prosecution of individuals for their legitimate exercise of free speech," said Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
The United States is not seeking to punish the people of Venezuela or its overall economy, said Lew and other officials.
In announcing the new penalties, Earnest called on Venezuela's government to release "all political prisoners," including dozens of students, political opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, and dissident mayors Daniel Ceballos and Antonio Ledezma.
The sanctioned government officials will have U.S. assets and property blocked and frozen, according to the new executive order, and will not be allowed to travel to the United States. U.S. citizens are prohibited from doing businesses with these individuals.
The group includes five current and former generals, a police official and a prosecutor, but not any particularly high-ranking government officials.
Obama's executive order declares a state of national emergency, a legal tool necessary to impose sanctions because Congress has allowed the Export Administration Act to lapse twice since 1994.
It's the ninth state of emergency declared by Obama, who has also renewed 22 emergencies declared by his predecessors, making it the 31st state of emergency currently in effect.
Under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, Congress is supposed to review each emergency declaration every six months but has never done so.
Monday's announcement is likely to escalate ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, stemming back to the days of anti-American president Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013.
Chavez's successor, Nicolas Maduro, has maintained anti-U.S. rhetoric. His administration is also under criticism at home for economic problems that include shortages and an inflation rate of more than 60%.
Just last week, Venezuela gave the United States two weeks to reduce its diplomatic mission to less than 20% of its current size.
The action against Venezuela comes as the United States tries to improve relations throughout Latin American, including with longtime communist foe Cuba.
"It is unfortunate," Earnest said, "that during a time when we have opened up engagement with every nation in the Americas, Venezuela has opted to go in the opposite direction."
Some analysts said the sanctions could be counter-productive.
David Smilde, a senior fellow with the Washington Office on Latin America, said the measures "will only help Nicolas Maduro portray his country's crisis as the result of a confrontation between Venezuela and the United States rather than a result of his failed policies."
Smilde said the U.S. should address Venezuela "through constructive multilateral efforts by allies in the region who are better positioned to engage the country."
Lawmakers generally applauded the sanctions, and some said the administration should go farther.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a potential presidential candidate in 2016, called for sanctions on "more Venezuelan human rights abusers." Rubio also drew a contrast to the administration's approach to Cuba.
"Even as I welcome this round of sanctions, I question why President Obama is simultaneously moving to lift sanctions on Cuba, which has played a direct role in sowing unrest in Venezuela and has a human rights record even worse than the Maduro regime," Rubio said.
Contributing: Alan Gomez
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6f7a434d5a7269fde067e99db16adec7
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/09/washington-town-pot-shop/24660263/
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Wash. town opens first government-run marijuana store
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Wash. town opens first government-run marijuana store
The country's first government-run marijuana store is open for business in Washington state.
The Cannabis Corner in North Bonneville, Wash., opened over the weekend. The store is run by the town's public development authority, which the town specifically created to open it. The town loaned the store $15,000 to get the store going, a loan the authority has since paid back with money raised from private investors.
"It's great. It's a mixture of excitement and relief," said Mayor Don Stevens. "It's been a real community effort and it's absolutely rewarding to see."
Under Washington's legal marijuana system — the first legal sales began July 8, 2014 — store licenses are handed out based on population and geography. By snagging one of Skamania County's two available licenses, North Bonneville ensures that government officials play a major role in marijuana sales, which they say will help them keep pot out of the hands of kids while benefiting the town's bottom line.
In an extensive Q&A posted on the town's website, town officials note their lagging economy, property values and sales tax collections. Stevens said the town also hopes to persuade marijuana growers and processors to buy or lease land in the town, bringing with them possibly dozens of jobs. North Bonneville is inside the Columbia River Gorge, nearly 50 miles east of Portland, Ore.
"The reality is that our property values are already at record lows. It's hard to imagine how being in the forefront of an emerging era with the increased tourist traffic, greater economic opportunities and a national media (presence) could lower property values any further," the town said. "The only way appears to be up."
Washington state only permits 334 licensed marijuana stores statewide, although far fewer have actually opened their doors. Colorado, in contrast, put no limit on the stores and already has about 336 of them, although all are privately owned. The entire industry, of course, remains in violation of federal law, although the Justice Department has said it will generally leave alone marijuana stores that are doing a good job keeping pot away from kids and profits out of the hands of drug cartels.
By running the store, the town gets to keep any profits. Under state law, marijuana tax revenues go back to Washington state. In Colorado, cities and towns can collect their own sales taxes on pot purchases made at retail stores.
Stevens said he expects other Washington cities and towns will seek their own marijuana stores once they see the success North Bonneville expects. He said the fact that national news outlets are covering the story indicates the town is on the right track.
"I think this store is one more facet of the total package we have to offer," he said.
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ea31774777d0dcb49c71fe9ed314d61c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/14/ohio-river-tops-list-industrial-pollution/24784863/
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Ohio River again tops list for industrial pollution
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Ohio River again tops list for industrial pollution
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Ohio River once again leads the nation for industrial pollution.
That's even as the eight-state commission that sets the river's water quality standards recommends relaxing rules on mercury and certain other toxic chemicals.
By all accounts, the river that marks Kentucky's northern border and Indiana's southern flank is much cleaner than it was a generation or two ago.
But recent numbers — compiled by Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission and the commission's latest proposals for changes and variances to water quality standards — show the Ohio very much remains a working river that cuts through the heart of American industry.
"You are going to have pollution in some shape or form," said Gerald Smith, who has been fishing the Ohio for 40 years and is youth director for the Kentucky Bass Federation. "Over the years they've done a real good job of controlling it."
But he added: "I'm not saying it can't be better."
The ORSANCO report published in February and updated last week provides an analysis of the latest pollution discharges found in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory, a national database that tracks pollution to the air, land and water.
It shows the Ohio topped the nation's waterways for pollution discharges from industry at 24,180,821 pounds in 2013, the most current year available. The amount is more than double what industries pour into the Mississippi River, which ranked second. The report also found that the Ohio has led American waterways in industrial pollution since 2001.
While those numbers may seem large, commission officials urged the public not to be alarmed. The industrial effluent gets diluted in the river's vast flow of water, they said.
"The volume of the Ohio River is considerable," the agency said in a written statement. The EPA data does not factor in the river's volume, so its inventory does not reveal the actual concentrations of the pollutants, which helps determine their environmental impact, ORSANCO said.
The commission also said 92 percent of the toxic discharges were nitrate compounds — most of those from AK Steel's Rockport, Ind., plant — and yet the river still meets human health standards for nitrates.
AK Steel spokesman Barry Racey said his plant's releases meet "the strict parameters of federal and state environmental regulations."
He also shifted the blame for nitrate pollution in the Ohio to farm run-off from nitrogen-based fertilizers, which is not required to be reported in the EPA's Toxic Releases Inventory.
For their part, clean water advocates pointed out that regardless of their source, nitrates contribute to toxic algae blooms and the oxygen-depleted Gulf of Mexico dead zone, which last summer was about the size of Connecticut.
"ORSANCO should be doing more to limit these toxic pollutants, rather than trying to rationalize the numbers," said Tim Joice, water policy director for the Kentucky Waterways Alliance.
Pound per pound, some chemicals are more troublesome than others, and "a little bit of mercury causes a lot of problems," acknowledged Peter Tennant, the commission's executive director.
Though mercury ranked 48th by weight of toxic chemicals or metals dumped into the Ohio in 2013, it is persistent in the environment, and builds up through the food web, from tiny creatures to fish to predators like bald eagles, or people.
Mercury discharges in the Ohio are also increasing, up more than 500 percent, from 61 pounds in 2007 to 380 pounds in 2013.
ORSANCO has been concerned about mercury for a long time. In 2003 it adopted rules that after 10 years would phase out so-called "mixing zones" for mercury and other bio-accumulating pollutants.
Mixing zones allow companies to take their mercury measurements downstream from their discharge pipes, after some dilution.
This past week, however, the commission proposed to put on hold indefinitely the use of mixing zones for existing industrial facilities. Instead, any mixing zones would be handled through permits issued by states.
States would be encouraged to eliminate them "as soon as practicable," but with no deadlines.
"A final decision will be made by the commission after considering all the public comments," said Jason Heath, assistant chief engineer for the commission.
Plants would need to demonstrate measures taken to reduce their mercury discharges, Heath said, adding that a mixing-zone ban for new industrial facilities remains in effect.
But critics said the proposal would lead to a patchwork of different standards for especially dangerous types of pollutants up and down the Ohio.
"ORSANCO is essentially stepping back from its responsibility ... to set wastewater discharge standards, and instead allowing states to regulate their permitted facilities differently throughout the Ohio River Basin," Joice said.
"We would much prefer that ORSANCO continue with the approach it took in 2003, now 12 years ago, to ensure uniform protections throughout the basin for the Ohio River."
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fa986d5f0729641498f59f3f43512282
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/15/durst-hbo-charged/24806525/?utm_source=knewz
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Did subject of HBO documentary really 'kill them all'?
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Did subject of HBO documentary really 'kill them all'?
Eccentric real-estate heir Robert Durst faced an extradition hearing on a murder charge Monday, hours after an HBO documentary was aired in which he mumbled "What did I do? Kill them all, of course."
Durst, 71, is a member of a prominent New York City family that owns a multibillion-dollar real-estate company. FBI agents took him into custody in a hotel lobby Saturday night in New Orleans, where he was being held on a first-degree murder warrant.
Durst was the focal point of the six-part HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Durst has been linked to at least three murders, and in the final episode that aired Sunday evening, wore his microphone into the bathroom and was recorded talking to himself.
What followed was a bizarre rambling in which Durst said, apparently to himself, "There it is. You're caught," and "What the hell did I do? Killed them all of course."
It wasn't known whether producers confronted Durst about those recorded words, or what Durst meant by them.
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Sunday that it has been investigating the slaying of writer and Durst confidant Susan Berman since her body was discovered in her West Los Angeles home on Christmas Eve 2000.
Durst discussed the case in the HBO documentary series.
"As a result of investigative leads and additional evidence that has come to light in the past year, investigators have identified Robert Durst as the person responsible for Ms. Berman's death,'' the Los Angeles Police statement said. "Investigator's in concert with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Major Crimes Section secured an Arrest warrant for Robert Durst for the murder of Susan Berman and arrested Mr. Durst on Saturday, March 14, 2015, in New Orleans, Louisiana.''
Los Angeles authorities said they were seeking Durst's extradition from Louisiana. Durst's lawyer, Chip Lewis, told KTRK-TV in Houston that Durst, a suspect in a series of unsolved crimes, will not fight extradition but will fight the charges.
Durst is being held without bond pending a hearing Monday.
His brother Douglas, expressed "relief" and gratitude in a written statement.
"We hope he will finally be held accountable for all he has done," Douglas Durst said.
In 1982, Durst was the only named suspect in the disappearance of his first wife, medical student Kathleen McCormack, who vanished after Durst maintained he dropped her off at a train station near their home north of New York City in Westchester County.
On Chistmas Eve 2000, after investigators looking into the McCormack disappearance contacted Berman, she was found murdered with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Durst was never charged.
Last week's HBO episode hinted that Los Angeles detectives were closing in on Durst, showing an apparent match between a Dec. 23, 2000, anonymous letter alerting police to a body at Berman's address and the handwriting on a letter Durst sent Berman the previous year. Both letters misspelled Beverly Hills as "Beverley."
New York state police Investigator Joseph Becerra was the first to take a fresh look at McCormack's disappearance in 2000 and has worked closely with Los Angeles detectives and FBI agents in recent months.
"We're going to monitor the Los Angeles case closely, and hopefully it will lead to some resolution of our case," Becerra said Sunday.
Months after Berman's death, Durst was arrested in the death of a Texas neighbor, Morris Black. Durst admitted cutting up Black's body and dumping the remains in Galveston Bay. Aided by a trio of famed Houston defense lawyers, Durst won an acquittal based on self-defense.
Durst's family's business, the Durst Organization, owns more than 15 skyscrapers, including the Bank of America Tower in the heart of Manhattan, and has a large investment in One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the U.S. and the replacement for the Twin Towers. Douglas Durst serves as president; Robert Durst is not involved in the family business.
In July, Durst had a more quirky run-in with the law. He was accused of urinating on a Texas CVS cash register and candy rack. Lewis at that time said Durst suffers from a form of Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.
"He wasn't arguing with anybody and he didn't seem agitated," Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva told The New York Post. "He just peed on the candy. Skittles, I think."
Attorney Ellen Strauss, a friend of Durst's first wife Kathleen from their days as students at Western Connecticut State University, said she was relieved by the arrest. "I feel extremely vindicated after 33 years,'' she said.
"It's not going to bring Kathie back," Strauss added. "He may never be arrested for that case. But he will remain behind bars, where he belongs. It's finally come full circle."
Contributing: William M. Welch in Los Angeles
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00a1a09941ccb29d11e621a137dbfea0
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/15/ferguson-police-shooting-arrest/24808987/
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Protester charged with shooting officers in Ferguson
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Protester charged with shooting officers in Ferguson
A 20-year-old protester has been charged with shooting two police officers in Ferguson, Mo., last week, authorities said Sunday.
County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch said Jeffrey Williams was charged with two counts of assault in the first degree, one count of firing a weapon from a vehicle and three counts of armed criminal action.
McCulloch said Williams admitted firing the shots but said he was shooting at someone else.
"We're not sure we buy that part of it," McCulloch said, adding that the handgun used in the shooting has been recovered.
He said Williams was involved in the demonstration that was wrapping up when the incident took place. Williams, he said, was being held in lieu of $300,000 cash bail.
McCulloch said information provided by the public was key to the arrest. He encouraged anyone who knows anything about the shooting to contact police, saying the investigation was continuing.
Williams has had several minor run-ins with police and one felony arrest in St. Louis, court records show.
He spent two days in jail last March for failing to appear for court hearings for traffic infractions, including driving without a valid license and operating a motor vehicle without maintaining proper insurance. He also spent two days in jail in January 2014 for speeding.
Police arrested Williams in June 2013 for receiving stolen property, a felony, and credit card fraud. He was sentenced in March 2014 to two years probation.
Bishop Derrick Robinson of the Kingdom Destiny Fellowship International, who has been an organizer of Ferguson protests, later told CNN he spoke with Williams -- and that Williams said he was not involved in protests. He said Williams told him the shooting occurred after he had been robbed by an unknown assailant.
The officers were shot during a protest just after midnight Thursday. One was shot in the face, the other in the shoulder. They were released from the hospital later Thursday.
Ferguson has been the scene of sometimes violent protests since the shooting death of unarmed black man Michael Brown, 18, by a white police officer in August. The shooting and subsequent investigation brought national attention and a Justice Department probe to the St. Louis suburb.
The Justice Department investigation found systemic racism in the police department, prompting the resignation of the city manager, a local judge and the city's police chief.
Attorney General Eric Holder issued a statement lauding the investigative cooperation between federal authorities and St. Louis County officials.
"This arrest sends a clear message that acts of violence against our law enforcement personnel will never be tolerated," Holder said in the statement. "In the days ahead, we will continue to partner with the authorities in St. Louis County to secure justice for all those affected by this heinous and cowardly crime. And we will continue to stand vigilant in support of public safety officers and the communities they serve."
The officers wounded Thursday were from St. Louis County and Webster Groves. After the shootings, the highway patrol and county police took control of security duties from the Ferguson department.
Hours after the shooting, Holder and Obama condemned the attack.
"They're criminals. They need to be arrested," Obama said. "And then what we need to do is make sure that like-minded, good-spirited people on both sides -- law-enforcement who have a terrifically tough job and people who understand they don't want to be stopped and harassed because of their race -- that we're able to work together to try and come up with some good answers."
Contributing: Donna Leinwand Leger, USA TODAY
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728f1f6b5a7daa66dbc6c9d3f7c85b34
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/17/age-barrier-astronaut-peggy-whitson/24941597/
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Age is no barrier for astronaut Peggy Whitson
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Age is no barrier for astronaut Peggy Whitson
DES MOINES, Iowa — Peggy Whitson turned 55 on Feb. 9, the same day NASA announced she would be one of six astronauts propelled 240 miles into space next year.
A journalist soon asked her if it was really true.
"I guess I never thought about it until then," said the Iowa native, "but I will be an old female astronaut."
Whitson has never buckled before stereotypical limitations based on her background, gender or age. She will be the oldest female astronaut in the world to fly into space.
• Although she grew up on a farm outside of Beaconsfield, a town of 15 people, she kept telling skeptics that she was going to be an astronaut.
• Although she was a woman in a male-dominated field, she was picked for missions to the International Space Station in 2002 and 2007, logging the most days in space (377) of any female in NASA history, and became its first female commander.
• Although she became the first woman Chief of the Astronaut Corps and was hurtling toward late-career middle age, she was determined that her best days were not behind her.
"Meetings just don't have the same feel," Whitson said. "It's a lot more exciting to get your hands on the experience and make things work. So three years ago, I decided if I ever wanted to fly again, I better get in line if I don't want to be too old to fly again."
Whitson endured several weeks of medical verification that included detailed body scans, colonoscopies and tests of her eyes, digestive system and bone density. She needs the physical strength to perform the space walks that she has done six times already, the most by any female astronaut.
"That is the most physically challenging," she said. "Every closure of the hands requires a lot of upper-body strength, so I do weight lifting almost every day in order to maintain my strength. To recover from a space flight also requires a lot of strength. When you get back home, it feels like you are carrying a 185-pound person on your back because you are not used to carrying around weight in space."
She passed the tests and was picked to join the November 2016 launch of Expedition 50. She was selected from a group of 43 active astronauts that included three men who are older and 10 women.
Why not simply ease into supervisory roles?
She tries to explain it, but it's hard to fathom what she has seen up there.
SHE'S TAKEN IN VIEWS OF 'BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS'
While battling the constant feeling of falling in the weightlessness of the space station, she often looked out the window.
"What amazed me the first time in space (on Expedition 5) is, 'Oh my gosh, so much color and texture,' " she said. "I don't know if it has to do with the clarity because there are no particulates in the air, but you see so much.
"Outside on a spacewalk takes it up another notch. You are traveling 17,500 miles an hour across the planet. You are looking down with views going past you. It's like being a bird maybe, the perspective of flying over the Earth."
Visions come back to her, like the time she watched the sun rise as she was "swimming around the end of the planet," the sun slowly lighting up the space below her.
"One of the most beautiful sights is when the rim of the Earth is bright on one side, and you see this defined line of the atmosphere. You see how close and thin it is. We've got to be careful. We've got to take care of this planet."
This comes from a woman who grew up grounded, digging in the Iowa soil. Her mom, Beth Whitson, who still lives on the farm near Beaconsfield at age 75, said it best:
"Think about it. If you had been up there, wouldn't you want to go back?"
HARD WORKER BULLS FORWARD, BUCKS ODDS
She could not see anything well as a young girl, it can now be told. High school friend Mike Eason shared a story that Whitson once told him.
"She was in kindergarten or first grade and was having trouble in school. Finally, they gave her an eye test," Eason said. "Turns out, she couldn't see. She needed glasses. I asked her what the biggest difference was. She said, 'Leaves.' Her vision was so terrible she couldn't see leaves on a tree."
Whitson said she was a shy young woman who has worked hard all her life to better communicate the importance of her missions. But when she first looked at the television at age 9 and saw Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, it didn't take words. She knew she wanted to go up there.
By the time she graduated from high school in 1978, the year the first female astronauts were named, Whitson said "it became more than just a dream."
"She has a personality of someone who has a goal in mind and goes for it, no matter what it takes," said her sister Kathy Bretz of Des Moines, a year her elder. "And she will work her tail off to get there."
She carried on the Iowa work ethic, watching parents Keith and Beth Whitson work from sunup to sunset on the farm and learning to help out. "She did what she was asked to do," Beth Whitson said.
By the time she got to Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, she was locked in on the goal, despite continued doubts. Her college adviser even tried to convince her to go to medical school.
She set up a meeting with James Van Allen, the famed University of Iowa physicist who was a pioneer in the space program and designed the instrumentation for the Explorer 1, the first successful U.S. satellite, in 1958. Van Allen told her manned space flight was a thing of the past, that it would be relegated to robots.
Whitson bulled forward anyway, earning a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University in 1985. It would take 10 more years of applying to be an astronaut before she was selected.
"It wasn't until I was on the selection board that I realized how lucky I was. We had 8,400, and we picked eight," she said.
2ND MISSION HAS 'APOLLO 13 MOMENT'
Whitson and her family knew it came with risks. She was doing postdoctoral work at Rice when the Challenger exploded, and was in the astronaut program when the Columbia accident killed her colleagues and friends.
It wasn't easy for her parents to watch her propel into space the first time. Back then, she tried to explain the feeling in e-mails to Iowa.
"At launch minus 6.5 seconds, the main engines were ignited and the vibrations increased dramatically; however, these vibrations were a drop in the bucket compared to the vibrations that started at T-0 seconds when the solid rocket boosters ignited."
It also wasn't easy when they heard news of a hairy re-entry during her second mission in 2008. The spacecraft took a steep trajectory, and the crew was subjected to eight times Earth's gravity, or 8 Gs, for up to two minutes. It's usually no more than 5 Gs. The landing was rough, which she compared to a "car crash," the ship rolling and rolling.
Yet her most intense moment happened in space. The International Space Station is the size of a football field. During a six-month stint on her last mission, the crew was rearranging solar arrays when one tore.
It was a complex problem. If they jettisoned the ripped array they wouldn't have enough power to continue the next mission. "It was our Apollo 13 moment," she said. "It was intense up there."
They had to work with the materials at hand, a makeshift bit of sheet metal found aboard, and cut precise pieces of metal to make "cuff links" to attach it and repair the rip. Her dad taught her well on the farm, she said. There is nothing No. 2 wire and pliers couldn't repair.
"That was the most harrowing time. Would we be able to pull it off? It was not quite as dramatic as Sandra Bullock in Gravity, but we did it."
SHE HOPES SHE CAN INSPIRE IOWA KIDS
Whitson knows it is important to tell people what all this effort and expense accomplishes. The space program is at the mercy of funding, which can wax and wane because of competing priorities or politics, and is shifting to a time of private endeavors, just as the beginning of airline travel once did.
During her first mission, she grew soybeans, which led to a new water filtration system used in hospitals, and did medical experiments on drug delivery to cancer cells that are now going through their first trials on Earth.
During the second mission, the crew explored different solutions of iron in a magnetic field, which could be used on suspension bridges and earthquake-resistant structures one day.
They spent hours taking things apart, making sure items didn't float away as they worked. The amiable Whitson provided levity, giving fellow astronauts haircuts or painting faces red, white and blue on the Fourth of July. With her short-cropped hair and a small, fit frame, she has the look of a high school gym teacher, with a reserved but easy laugh.
On the upcoming mission, astronauts will conduct more medical experiments and work on station maintenance.
Iowans take pride in Whitson. She has been honored by numerous organizations, including entry into the Aviation Hall of Fame and a Hero of Valor designation by the Iowa Transportation Museum. She has appeared statewide to tell of her adventures.
Whitson hopes that will be her lasting influence, showing the young people of Iowa that no matter how little the place where you grew up, you can do big things with hard work. You can even become an astronaut.
Her training begins officially next month. But she is already busy working out on weights and an elliptical trainer at the gym in a home near Houston that she shares with her husband and fellow NASA employee, Clarence Sams.
The countdown begins, and not to retirement.
"She believes in the program very much, for one thing," Beth Whitson said. "She doesn't know she is old, for another."
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29af10a6326c4b197258ce8a9bd48277
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/25/supreme-court-pregnancy-discrimination/24478037/
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Justices say pregnant workers can seek accommodations
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Justices say pregnant workers can seek accommodations
WASHINGTON — Pregnant workers can claim the same accommodations that employers grant to large numbers of similarly restricted workers, a divided Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
While indicating that getting pregnant isn't automatically a ticket to light duty at work, the court ruled 6-3 that United Parcel Service could not deny a pregnant worker accommodations it made available to large numbers of others.
The 6-3 ruling, written by Justice Stephen Breyer, was not a complete victory for former UPS driver Peggy Young or pregnant workers like her. But it tossed out an appeals court decision that backed UPS and sent the case back for further review, with Young's side bolstered.
Plaintiffs such as Young can win their employment discrimination lawsuits, Breyer said, if they can show "that the employer's reasons are simply not strong enough to justify that burden, but rather give rise to an inference of intentional discrimination."
In UPS's case, Young was denied light duty as a driver because her pregnancy was not the result of an on-the-job injury, a disability recognized by federal law or the loss of her driver's certification.
The company's policy — since liberalized to accommodate pregnancies — called for treating pregnant women the same as those injured outside of work. Two lower courts found that it did not run afoul of the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which says pregnant workers should be treated equally to those who are "similar in their ability or inability to work."
During oral argument last fall, justices worried that under Young's interpretation of the law, she could jump to the head of the line, supplanting even veterans and fellow workers with more seniority on issues that go beyond physical accommodations.
In its ruling, the court did not say pregnant workers deserve the same treatment as any similarly restricted worker. Rather, it said if a large number of other workers were accommodated, then pregnant workers would have a strong claim for equal treatment.
Samuel Bagenstos, Young's lawyer, nevertheless called it a big victory for women in the workplace. The court, he said, "made clear that employers may not refuse to accommodate pregnant workers based on considerations of cost or convenience when they accommodate other workers."
Women's groups applauded the ruling. "The court has put employers on notice: pregnancy is not a reason to discriminate," said Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center. "The court said that if you accommodate most non-pregnant workers who need it but not most pregnant workers who need it, you may be found guilty of violating the Pregnancy Discrimination Act."
Justice Antonin Scalia dissented, joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas. He said Young did not prove that UPS's policy discriminated against pregnant women, and he accused the majority — including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito — of crafting a policy compromise devoid of legal reasoning.
All Young wanted in 2006 was what her doctor recommended — tasks that required lifting no more than 20 pounds, rather than the 70 pounds her part-time job as a UPS driver called for. But she was forced to take unpaid leave without benefits.
Young left the company in 2009; her lawsuit seeks back pay and benefits. UPS changed its policy this year to provide pregnant workers who seek it the type of disability accommodation Young sought, and it issued a statement Wednesday claiming partial victory.
"UPS is pleased that the Supreme Court rejected the argument that UPS's pregnancy-neutral policy was inherently discriminatory," the company said. "Instead, the Supreme Court adopted a new standard for evaluating pregnancy discrimination claims without ruling for either party and sent the case back to the lower courts for further consideration."
Across the nation, more than six in 10 women who give birth were employed during their previous 12 months, making Young's case of critical importance to them.
Recent years have seen a trend in favor of pregnant workers. Congress amended the ADA in 2008 to include pregnancy-related lifting restrictions as a disability. At least nine states now require employers to accommodate pregnant women; similar laws are under review in a half-dozen other states.
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32415dd8720db1b803dcd31ead32dbe5
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/26/students-feeling-college-admission-stress/70517744/
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Some students feeling college-admission stress
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Some students feeling college-admission stress
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — For a high school senior who thinks her future is at stake, applying to college can be incredibly stressful.
And the pain may be peaking now, as students await the last of their college letters and have to deal with rejection or, for the lucky ones, the difficulty of deciding where to spend the next four key years.
College advisers and psychologists who work with students have some advice for putting it all into perspective.
"I think it's the lack of control that they have that really makes them feel stressed," said Kristin O'Rourke, a former school social worker who works with kids in their homes in Rockland County.
Students need to understand that their lives don't depend on getting into one particular school and that there are alternatives, she said.
O'Rourke recommends that parents not put extra pressure on their kids and encourage them to keep their minds off the colleges until the decisions come. When the e-mails do come, encourage them to talk, she said.
"I think that kids don't want to disappoint their parents, so they need to feel like their best is good enough," O'Rourke said.
Judy Suchman, the owner of the Chappaqua Learning Center, a tutoring, test prep and college counseling service, said her main message to students is to be realistic. Part of that is to understand which schools are a reach and which are safeties. A lower grade-point average will limit which schools consider you for admission.
"The students and the parents have to not set themselves up for failure," she said.
She also advises students to apply "early action," which means they will hear from the college early but will not have to commit until spring. It's cheaper than a psychologist, she said.
For some kids, a college rejection will be the first time they have ever been told they weren't wanted, Suchman said.
"When that note comes, it's painful," she said.
Michael Adler, a senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, started working with Suchman in August and she helped him narrow down a list of schools and manage the flow of work, saving him from the last-minute crunch that afflicted some of his friends.
"It definitely started out very, very high on the stress meter, mostly because I didn't know the process," he said.
Adler, 18, got in early to Tulane University, which took off a lot of pressure. After he was deferred from the University of Michigan, his top choice, he was accepted at the end of January.
Michael's father, David, said targeting the applications made the process much smoother.
"You hear the stories all the time of families ready to kill each other," he said.
For many students in the region, living in high-achieving communities can make the process worse. They get the message that the overriding consideration is the prestige of the college.
"Especially in Westchester, they're all kind of angling for the big, brand-name school," said Denise Baylis of Open Door Educational Consultants in New Rochelle.
Kids who don't get in are devastated, Baylis said. "They think there's only one school for them."
She tries to explain to them that, with more than 4,500 post-secondary institutions in the United States, there's bound to be a school that fits each person.
"I try to tell kids it wasn't meant to be," Baylis said. "I know it hurts, but there's something better waiting for you."
Richard DioGuardi, a psychologist whose practice is in Harrison and who sees kids from Rye, Scarsdale and other neighboring communities, explains to students that, after a certain point, getting into a selective school is a matter of luck. It's not a measure of their character.
Besides, once the high school senior is a college freshman, the college admissions process will all be in the rear-view mirror, he said.
"You're not going to be thinking about how you did on your SATs," DioGuardi said.
Once all the notices are in, O'Rourke recommends visiting the college, talking to others about their experience there, and writing down pros and cons. And recognize that, if a college doesn't work out, transferring is always an option.
"What's scary is they think they may make the wrong decision and it's forever," she said.
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87d865e452c5347246131c455cd11b62
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/27/ole-miss-meredith-statue-vandalism/70562446/
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Ole Miss student charged for defacing Meredith statue
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Ole Miss student charged for defacing Meredith statue
JACKSON, Miss. -- Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Felicia C. Adams of the Northern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Jackson Office announced Friday that a man was charged with federal civil rights crimes for engaging in threatening conduct directed at African American students and employees at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss.
Graeme Phillip Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to violate civil rights and one count of using a threat of force to intimidate African American students because of their race or color.
According to the charging documents, Harris, a student at the university, conspired with others to use the cover of darkness to hang a rope and an outdated version of the Georgia state flag, which prominently depicts the Confederate battle flag, around the neck of the James Meredith statue on the campus of the University of Mississippi, with the intent to threaten and intimidate African-American students and employees at the university.
The iconic statue honors Meredith's role as the university's first African American student after its contentious 1962 integration. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 2014.
"This shameful and ignorant act is an insult to all Americans and a violation of our most strongly-held values," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "No one should ever be made to feel threatened or intimidated because of what they look like or who they are. By taking appropriate action to hold wrongdoers accountable, the Department of Justice is sending a clear message that flagrant infringements of our historic civil rights will not go unnoticed or unpunished."
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing.
This case is being investigated by the FBI's Jackson, Mississippi, Division's Oxford Resident Agency and the University of Mississippi Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Mississippi.
In response to the incident, students gathered around the Meredith statue to decry such racism and to support Ole Miss.
Three freshmen, who were allegedly involved in the incident, were kicked out of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, which wound up closing its Ole Miss chapter.
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9a9c7cf5bde6915e8d484ffc6b1dc05f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/28/thousands-protest-religious-freedom-law-indy/70596032/
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Thousands protest 'religious freedom' law in Indiana
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Thousands protest 'religious freedom' law in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — Thousands of people gathered in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday to protest the passage this week of a controversial "religious freedom" law that critics say could allow discrimination against gays and lesbians.
The protesters chanted and held signs as they marched from Monument Circle to the Indiana Statehouse to express their displeasure with Republican Gov. Mike Pence, who signed the legislation Thursday.
"No hate in our state," "Whose State? Our State!" and "Fix the bill" were some of the chants heard in the background at the rally.
An unidentified State Police trooper estimated that as many as 3,000 were in attendance at the height of the rally,
Rally organizers also encouraged more people to register to vote to make their voices heard.
The law prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person's ability to exercise their religion — unless the government can show that it has a compelling interest and that the action is the least-restrictive means of achieving it. It takes effect July 1.
Pence signed the bill, also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, on Thursday, unleashing a storm of criticism from inside and outside of the state from people who think the bill could lead to discrimination from business owners who don't want to serve gay or same-sex customers.
On Saturday, Pence said he will support the introduction of legislation to "clarify" that the law does not promote discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Although he did not provide details on what the new bill will say, the governor said he expects the legislation to be introduced into the General Assembly this coming week.
Business leaders have criticized the bill, saying that it gives the state a bad image and will make it harder to recruit top talent to Indiana.
On Saturday, Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle said he will cancel the company's plans for a $40 million expansion of its Indianapolis headquarters because of his opposition to RFRA.
Soon after Pence signed the bill, Salesforce.com founder and CEO Marc Benioff announced on Twitter that he would no longer send employees or customers to Indiana.
Pence and others have defended the bill as necessary to protect business owners who don't want to be forced to act against their religious beliefs.
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6d8b55fcca144484b5c7450f25ae42a4
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/30/country-clubs-adapt/70677932/
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Money-losing country clubs adapt to changing times
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Money-losing country clubs adapt to changing times
These are tough times for country clubs, long bastions of old money and gracious living.
Around Central Indiana, some of the oldest and best-known clubs have racked up huge losses in recent years and are scrambling to find ways to keep above water.
It's an uphill battle. Interest in golf is dwindling nationally. For people who want to stay active, there are more options -- from marathons to volleyball -- that don't require thousands of dollars in initiation fees and hundreds more a month in membership dues. The industry is overbuilt. And corporations are pulling back from funding expensive memberships for mid-level managers.
In response, many clubs are relaxing dress codes, adding family programs, restructuring fees and considering selling assets.
The goal is to attract more members by dropping the appearance of stuffiness and offering lots of activities.
--Broadmoor Country Club, which lost a half-million dollars in 2013, has done away with its ban on jeans in the clubhouse and has added child care.
--Woodstock Club, which lost $171,916 in 2011, has ditched its requirement for coats and ties in the dining rooms and now treats the partners of unmarried members as full members, not guests. That includes same-sex partners.
--Hillcrest Country Club, which lost $266,102 in 2012, has added a small fitness center and rolled out fee discounts for members who recruit friends and family members.
--Highland Golf and Country Club, which lost $114,712 in 2011, is exploring whether to sell about 8 acres of unused land near the White River to pay for improvements to its 100-year-old clubhouse.
"Ultimately, for all clubs, it comes down to really changing your products, relaxing your dress code, going more casual and doing more family things," said Derek Intinarelli, general manager of Broadmoor.
It's a tectonic shift in the way country clubs have operated for generations. But, increasingly, they have little choice.
The industry has been under pressure for at least a decade. The number of golfers in the U.S. dropped by almost one-fifth from 2003 to 2013, according to the National Golf Foundation. About 200,000 players younger than 35 quit the game in 2013.
And people sticking with golf are playing fewer rounds. Golfers in the U.S. played 462 million rounds in 2013, the lowest number since 1995, according to Golf Datatech.
The whole industry has felt a slowdown. Only 14 new golf courses (public and private) were built in the U.S. in 2013, while 158 closed. Last spring, Dick's Sporting Goods wrote down $2.4 million worth of clubs, balls and apparel and laid off nearly all of its 500 in-store golf pros.
The recession that hit in 2007 clobbered the industry as well. People hung onto their wallets and cut out luxuries.
Dozens of clubs across the country slid into bankruptcy or closed their doors. Many times, members didn't even see it coming.
In Greensboro, N.C., members of Forest Oaks Country Club found their club doors padlocked last spring after the management company declared bankruptcy.
"We heard rumors that things hadn't been paid for, but they were just rumors," member Gail Deal told the News-Record newspaper.
Last October, Minnetonka Country Club in Minnesota announced it was shutting down after nearly a century, citing increasing expenses and decreasing revenue.
In northern Michigan, the highly acclaimed Treetops Resort filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November, saying it was burdened with debt.
Even affluent areas felt the pinch. Two weeks ago, the Malibu Golf Club outside Los Angeles filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after defaulting on a $47 million loan.
And bankruptcies are not unheard of in Central Indiana. Last year, the Hawthorns Golf & Country Club wound up in bankruptcy court after its lender filed a $4.8 million lawsuit and pressed to foreclose. In October, a California company acquired the club for $5.5 million.
It was another reminder to other clubs to get their houses in order.
Kevin Reilly, a club management consultant at PB Mares in Washington, D.C., said many of the nation's best country clubs are doing fine and have long waiting lists for new members.
But too many of the B-level clubs don't have as bright a future. They remain in a sharp competition for survival. Too many sprang up in the 1950s and afterward to appeal to corporate mid-managers. But with a retrenchment of corporate ranks in recent decades, many clubs have lost their base.
"You'll see four clubs in a five-mile radius, all competing for the same members," Reilly said. "There has been some consolidation, but there is still more consolidation to go."
Around Indianapolis, country clubs say they are beginning to stabilize after taking big steps to adapt.
Broadmoor Country Club added 76 new members last year and five so far this year. That boosted membership to about 280, from a low of 167 a few years ago. The club says it has stabilized its finances after cutting $125,000 in expenses last year and boosting revenue by $143,000.
One simple adjustment at Broadmoor made a big difference in the culture: dropping the ban on jeans in the clubhouse (although there is still a dress code on the golf course).
"If you're out with your wife and kids, and shopping or at a baseball game and you decide you want to go to the club, you shouldn't have to run home and change into khakis," Intinarelli, the general manager, said.
The Woodstock Club says it has added about 25 new members a year over the past three years, for a total of 488. One big draw: a trial 12-month membership with a lower initiation fee. New members who upgrade to regular memberships before the trial year ends can slash the normal fees by a hefty amount.
"The clubs in Indianapolis that are surviving are the ones trying to figure out exactly what they are and how to provide more of a family focus and offer a price people are willing to pay," said Susan Schenkel, general manager of Woodstock.
At Highland, the decision whether to sell about 8 acres of land probably will take several months, involving a full discussion with the members, said Paul DeCoursey, the club's president.
The money could be a big help in upgrading the old clubhouse. "We don't want to take on any debt to do this," he said. In the meantime, he said, the club has stabilized its finances, ending last year with a $75,000 surplus.
Hillcrest Country Club is touting its "Family & Friends" membership discount. Under the program, a member who brings in another member can get a 20 percent discount on annual dues — and so will the new member. Bring in two new members, and everyone gets a 25 percent discount. Bring in four or more new members, and everyone gets a 30 percent discount.
So after a dismal 2012, in which the club lost more than a quarter-million dollars, the company says it is back in the black and membership has climbed back to 215, from a low of 190.
"We think we've got a great story to tell," said Greg Sabens, club manager at Hillcrest. "We've turned the corner. We want to keep growing."
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a2a51fab310d8d2ef204775a6b3ace31
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/31/gas-station-attendant-fired-peeing-squirt-toy/70711664/
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Wawa allegedly fires attendant over peeing squirt toy
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Wawa allegedly fires attendant over peeing squirt toy
HOWELL, N.J. — Mike Cuzzo said he was just being his good-humored, tuxedoed self last Wednesday when he used a "Hibachi pee-pee" toy to wash a customer's mirrors at a Wawa gas station.
It was something he said he did countless times before to brighten up a patron's day. Only this time, he said, a passenger of the vehicle screamed sexual harassment, and a few moments later he was terminated from his position as a fuel manager.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of sexual harassment,and I respect each individual's opinion," said Cuzzo, 57. "I certainly meant no harmful intent or harassment."
A "Hibachi pee-pee" toy, as Cuzzo calls it, is a plastic prank toy depicting a boy urinating, although there are no external extremities. Some hibachi restaurants fill them with sake, an alcoholic drink, and serve them to customers.
Cuzzo's firing triggered a social media blitz and has garnered national media attention. On Sunday, dozens of Wawa customers and fans of Cuzzo stood on the grass in front of the Route 9 business and picketed his firing.
They held signs that read "Bring Back Mike" or "No Mike, No Wawa." In an ultimate thumbs-down to Wawa, they drank coffee from other businesses such as Dunkin' Donuts.
Their actions got the attention of Wawa.
"We understand and sympathize with the outpouring of support many of you have expressed around our former associate, Mike's departure. As an outgoing and dedicated associate, he made many friends throughout his time at Wawa," the company said in a prepared statement.
Cuzzo was still overwhelmed by the show of support on Monday when he spoke with an Asbury Park Press reporter.
"If you could put yourself in my position. I'm just a guy that pumped their gas for a few minutes a day, and they give up their morning to come out and support me," Cuzzo said.
Support even came in the form of a new job offer. Lester Glenn Auto Group said on its Facebook page that it has a job waiting for Cuzzo if he wants it. A representative of the company was not able to be reached Monday, but Cuzzo said he has a job interview there on Friday.
Cuzzo was hired by Wawa in 2012, he said. He was well-known by customers for wearing a tuxedo to the pump and bringing people's receipts on silver platters. He humored kids with a clown's nose and even once dressed as the Easter bunny.
He described himself as a regular "Patch Adams" who was just trying to put a smile on people's faces.
"Mike brought a unique brand of positive energy and devotion to his job, and for that we will always be grateful," Wawa said.
The company, however, has not revealed why Cuzzo was terminated. It said it doesn't make a decision about any associate based on a single isolated incident.
"Decisions like these are extremely difficult and are only made after a series of steps and discussions take place," the company said. "We continue to maintain that out of respect for Mike, and any associate that separates from our company, we do not share details of employment or departures."
Before Cuzzo ever donned the tuxedo, customers took notice of his hustle to clean their windows, his kind words and his general care for their well-being.
"Absolutely, I remember him. He was a great guy and not what you'd expect at a gas station," said Christine Rochelle.
In 2012, Rochelle was the vice president of operations for an Eatontown, N.J.-based digital marketing company when she pulled into a Wawa on a hectic Monday morning. Cuzzo was her attendant. He washed her windows with a smile and told her to "drive safely, miss; it's a crazy Monday morning out there."
Impressed, Rochelle published a story in Dealer Marketing Magazine about Cuzzo called "It's always the small things that matter most."
"The whole experience reminded me ... to have small, yet meaningful interactions with our own ... staff," Rochelle wrote.
Cuzzo said he has no plans to take legal action against Wawa over his firing at this time.
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63dcc57ab3751424e6168b99dfb931bf
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/31/hilary-clinton-email/70708314/
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Hillary Clinton also used iPad for e-mail
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Hillary Clinton also used iPad for e-mail
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton e-mailed her staff on an iPad as well as a BlackBerry while secretary of state, despite her explanation she exclusively used a personal e-mail address on a homebrew server so that she could carry a single device, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The dispute over her e-mails has cast a shadow over Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination who is widely expected to announce her candidacy next month.
The State Department released a total of four e-mails between Clinton and her top advisers as part of a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2013 by the AP, which sought Clinton's correspondence with senior advisers over a four-year period relating to drone strikes overseas and U.S. surveillance programs.
While limited, the e-mails offer one of the first looks into Clinton's correspondence while secretary of state. The messages came from and were sent to her private e-mail address, hosted on a server at her property in Chappaqua, N.Y., as opposed to a government-run e-mail account.
They show that Clinton, on at least one occasion, accidentally mingled personal and work matters. In reply to a message sent in September 2011 by adviser Huma Abedin to Clinton's personal e-mail account, which contained an AP story about a drone strike in Pakistan, Clinton mistakenly replied with questions that appear to be about decorations.
The other e-mails between Clinton and her advisers provided by the State Department contained a summary of a 2011 meeting between Sen. John McCain and senior Egyptian officials in Cairo. It was uncensored and did not appear to contain sensitive information. That e-mail was forwarded to Clinton's private account from Abedin's government e-mail address.
In another note, Clinton expressed apparent dismay at leaks of classified U.S. government information to the media. Referencing a CNN story, which described "loose lips" in the Obama administration, she asked two officials if she should comment on the matter as had Leon Panetta, the former Central Intelligence Agency director.
"I think this is both dishonorable and dangerous and want to find way to say it," she wrote.
Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said early Tuesday that the secretary used her iPad from time to time, primarily to read news clippings.
At the United Nations earlier this month, Clinton said she chose a personal account over a government one out of convenience, describing it as a way to carry a single device, rather than one for work e-mails and another for personal messages.
"Looking back, it would have been probably, you know, smarter to have used two devices," Clinton said. Her office that day released a statement saying she "wanted the simplicity of using one device."
Clinton became secretary of state in 2009, a year before Apple Inc. released the iPad. Clinton at that time could have potentially split her accounts, reverting to an official State.gov e-mail account and BlackBerry for work and leaving her personal e-mail on her iPad.
Clinton has said she exchanged about 60,000 e-mails in her four years in the Obama administration, about half of which were work-related. She said none contained classified information, and that her private e-mail system did not suffer any security breaches.
The highly unusual practice of a Cabinet-level official physically running her own e-mail server gave Clinton complete control over access to her message archives.
Clinton said she deleted e-mails — some 30,000 in total — that she described as personal in nature, such as yoga routines, plans for her mother's funeral or her daughter's wedding. It's not clear how Clinton handled e-mails that mixed personal and official business, such as the exchange with Abedin.
Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of a House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans, said Clinton wiped her e-mail server "clean," permanently deleting all e-mails from it and has declined to relinquish her server to a third party for an independent review.
Clinton's attorney said she had turned over to the State Department all work-related e-mails sent or received during her tenure and it would make no sense to turn over her server, since "no e-mails … reside on the server or on any backup systems associated with the server."
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4f7b86a6212252d84b6978f61ef2219d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/31/supreme-court-gay-marriage/70713840/
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Gay marriage pioneer chosen to argue Supreme Court case
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Gay marriage pioneer chosen to argue Supreme Court case
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's date with same-sex marriage next month just became even more historic.
Lawyers for gay and lesbian plaintiffs Tuesday chose Mary Bonauto, the movement's pioneer who won the first case in Massachusetts in 2003, to present their main argument in court on April 28.
Bonauto, 53, is the civil rights project director for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, a Boston-based group that does most of its legal work in the New England area. She was brought in to assist in the case several months ago.
She will argue on behalf of Michigan and Kentucky couples seeking the right to marry in their home states. Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, a former assistant solicitor general in Washington with experience arguing before the Supreme Court, will argue for Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee plaintiffs whose marriages elsewhere are not being recognized in their home states.
The lawyers defending the states' same-sex marriage bans were selected earlier this month. Former Michigan solicitor general John Bursch will defend same-sex marriage bans in Michigan and Kentucky; Tennessee Associate Solicitor General Joseph Whalen will defend bans in Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio against recognizing marriages from other states.
Until Tuesday, lawyers for gay and lesbian couples had sought the Supreme Court's permission to break their side's arguments into four parts, so that four lawyers could get a chance to speak from the well of the marble courtroom. The court did not respond formally but encouraged the lawyers to choose just two, said spokeswoman Kathy Arberg.
Bonauto has been involved in most of the major court cases that have advanced the cause of gay and lesbian couples.
She was part of the legal team that won a 1999 case making Vermont the first state in the nation to legalize civil unions. She represented same-sex couples in the 2003 case Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that established marriage rights for gay couples in Massachusetts. And she won the first federal district and appeals court victories against the Defense of Marriage Act, before the Supreme Court followed suit in 2013.
Last year, she received a MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as a "genius grant," awarded annually to individuals "who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction."
Bonauto has sounded confident recently about the chances for success at the high court.
"We're at a point where it would be shocking if the Supreme Court said it was permissible to deny marriage licenses to gay couples," she told USA TODAY in an earlier interview.
But she also has recognized that winning marriage rights at the Supreme Court won't end the debate. Rather, it would be likely to lead to battles such as the current one raging in Indiana over the rights of religious believers to deny services to gay and lesbian couples.
"The last thing you can do is get off the field if you win," she said recently. "I don't discount for a second that there are going to remain powerful voices against us."
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044eb7c673f6db257edaec6aa1ca92be
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/atlanta-schools-cheating-scandal-verdict/70780606/
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11 Atlanta educators convicted in cheating scandal
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11 Atlanta educators convicted in cheating scandal
ATLANTA — Eleven of 12 former Atlanta Public Schools educators who were accused of participating in a test cheating scandal were convicted of racketeering charges Wednesday.
A grand jury indicted 35 educators in March 2013 on a 65-count indictment that alleged a conspiracy to cover up poor performance by Atlanta public school students on statewide standardized tests. Charges included conspiracy, racketeering, theft by taking, influencing witnesses and making false statements.
Many reached plea agreements with prosecutors — receiving probation, fines and community service. Only one of the 12 former educators on trial was acquitted of the racketeering charge; verdicts on the theft and false statements charges were mixed.
The educators said they faced pressure from supervisors — including former superintendent Beverly Hall — to inflate students' scores to show gains in student achievement.
The jurors deliberated for nearly eight days after listening to more than six months of testimony.
"This has been a long, long, long journey," Judge Jerry Baxter said shortly before the verdict was read. "I know everyone here probably has emotions they can't describe. I know I do. But I want to tell you — I've been down here 42 years ... and I've never seen a jury that was more diligent.
"Whatever your verdict is, I'll defend it until I die," Baxter added.
Hall, who was mentioned repeatedly in testimony, died last month after battling breast cancer. She was originally scheduled to be tried with the others, but Baxter granted Hall a later trial because of her illness.
After the verdict was read, Baxter ordered the convicted defendants to be taken into custody immediately.
"The compelling reason is that they have just been convicted," Baxter said. "They have been convicted and that's enough for me. I have sat here for six months and listened to this whole thing."
After the verdicts were read, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed issued the following statement:
The scandal dates back to 2008 when a dozen schools posted high gains over the previous year's standardized tests. In 2009, a state investigation found "overwhelming" evidence of cheating at several schools. Hall denied the accusations.
In 2010, a bipartisan blue ribbon commission found "severe to moderate levels of cheating" at dozens of Atlanta elementary schools. An investigation by the governor's office in 2011 uncovered widespread problems on state exams that were used to determine whether schools met the federal No Child Left Behind law, with ties to extra funding.
A state investigation released in 2011 found cheating on standardized tests by nearly 180 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. Investigators said teachers gave answers to students or changed answers on tests after they were turned in. Investigators said those who tried to report the cheating faced retaliation, creating a culture of fear and intimidation among employees in the district.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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9fe4e1925b832ec870d80964743e8113
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/california-drought-mandatory-water-reductions/70780554/
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California orders first-ever mandatory water reductions
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California orders first-ever mandatory water reductions
SAN FRANCISCO – Drought-ravaged California took drastic steps Wednesday to preserve what water it still has by ordering historic statewide measures that slash use for highway medians and golf courses and replace millions of acres of lawn with drought-resistant landscaping.
Gov. Jerry Brown stood in a brown patch of Sierra Nevada that should be buried in snow to announce a broad-based initiative to reduce water use by 25%, or 1.5 million acre-feet, over the next nine months. "It's a different world," Brown said. "We have to act differently."
Paltry mountain snowpack – the lowest since 1950 -- means perilously low levels at state reservoirs, which supply 30% of California's May-through-November water to homeowners, farms, wineries and utilities.
During past water crises, such as the punishing drought of 1976, each water district was in charge of enacting measures to reduce water use.
This statewide mandate is a nod to both the severity of the situation and the likelihood of its persistence, says Dave Feldman, professor of policy, planning and design at the University of California at Irvine.
"The growing consensus is this may be the new norm for a few more years, so we'll have to get used to it," he says. "And you can't plan for a drought during a drought."
Months ago, California homeowners were urged by their local water utilities to aim for a 20% reduction in their water use. Fines accompanied actions such as washing off sidewalks and driveways or washing a car with an uncapped hose.
There is as yet no talk of a two-minute shower, but the new mandate is likely to increase the number of limitations on water use, with an accompanying increase in price for water used beyond a certain number of gallons per month.
"What this announcement does really is communicate to the people how serious this is," says Doug Parker, director of the California Institute for Water Resources. "We'll see more tiered pricing, more restrictions on landscaping. We need to deal with the simple uncertainty of how low the drought will last."
Among the measures Brown will have the California Water Resources Control Board oversee: water reduction on the part of golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscaped spaces; the replacement of 50 million square feet of lawn statewide with drought-tolerant landscaping; a rebate program to encourage the purchase of water-saving appliances; and requiring new homes to use drip irrigation.
"In past droughts, it was fairly easy to greatly reduce water usage because per capita it was fairly high," Parker says. "The problem this time around is many Californians are already conserving water. So we'll need to ratchet things up."
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7b772d302c03085ec6fc4987e2fa08b9
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/colorado-marijuana-one-year-later/70721584/
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Voices: A year later, no reefer madness in Colorado
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Voices: A year later, no reefer madness in Colorado
ASPEN, Colo. — More than a year after Colorado legalized marijuana sales, there's a pot shop just a few steps away from the Prada, Ralph Lauren, Sotheby's and Burberry stores in this toniest of tony ski towns.
Tourists from around the world step into the Green Dragon cannabis store to buy small amounts of legal — and heavily taxed — marijuana. It goes on day after day after day with virtually no muss or fuss.
Welcome to my reality.
More than a year ago, the editors at USA TODAY asked me to join their team as the Rocky Mountain correspondent to tell stories from across the West, from wildfires to wild weather, politics and guns. But marijuana coverage quickly became a top priority, as the world watches the legalization experiments taking place here as well as in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia. Pot, or cannabis as some of the fans prefer to call it these days, has been legal here since Jan. 1, 2014.
More often than not, I find myself telling those editors, "No, no, it's not like that. Colorado doesn't smell like pot all of the time. No, not everyone is stoned all of the time. And no, there isn't blood running in the streets as a result of legalization." We haven't seen the explosion in crime or car crashes that critics direly predicted, or the invasion of Mexican cartels.
In other words, legalizing pot doesn't seem to have ended Western civilization as we know it, bolstering critics who say marijuana should never have been demonized by America's War on Drugs.
We the people chose to legalize pot. It wasn't a decision foisted upon us by a federal court or a mandate from some far-off government bureaucrat. The voters wanted the law changed to reflect reality — the reality that lots of people already were using marijuana safely and responsibly.
Your friends and neighbors smoke pot, just like mine. The only real difference is that my fellow Coloradans aren't going to get arrested or ticketed. Oh, and they pay taxes on their pot. Lots of taxes. Last year, Colorado collected $76 million in marijuana taxes and fees. That doesn't include the taxes local governments collected.
The strangeness of the situation hit home the other day when I was talking to a group of business owners. One asked me why marijuana tax collections had fallen below projections, and her comment prompted a double take on my part. All of a sudden, we're talking about why marijuana tax collections aren't higher instead of arguing about the societal impacts of legalization.
To be sure, I've gotten to take our audience inside some pretty unusual places. Riding in an armored car loaded with marijuana cash and driven by an ex-soldier armed with a AR-15 comes to mind, as does the first outdoor harvest of legal marijuana. Looking over the stacks of cash and plants worth millions of dollars helps explain why there's so much interest in this industry.
Of course, the system isn't perfect. Colorado's regulators still aren't testing marijuana for contaminants; the state is being sued by its neighbors for failing to prevent pot from flowing across its borders; there's been an increase in marijuana poisoning of children who've gotten into their parents' stash; and cops have been arresting growers who use the state's legal system as a cover for interstate drug trafficking.
But by and large, life goes on in Colorado much as it has for decades, albeit with more national headlines. And not everyone is excited about those headlines. I'm pretty sure Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper would be happy to never talk about marijuana again because Colorado has so much else going on.
A few weeks ago, one of Denver's business leaders, worrying all the pot coverage is giving the state a bad rap, obliquely suggested I write more about the amazing things happening here. Why aren't you writing about the state's ebullient job growth or how happy people are with their work-life balance or the number of corporate offices relocating to Denver? he asked.
Without meaning to, he raised a great point: Things in Colorado haven't really changed much since we legalized pot.
Colorado still has sunny skies, great skiing and fantastic people. The business climate is great and getting better, entrepreneurs are launching innovative solutions to a wide array of problems and, atop all that, you can buy marijuana legally.
Denver-based Hughes covers the West for USA TODAY
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db15130f1d5b8ae3a363b029f7601fe9
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/nasty-jellyfish-confirmed-along-jersey-shore/70798674/
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'Nasty' jellyfish confirmed along Jersey shore
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'Nasty' jellyfish confirmed along Jersey shore
ASBURY PARK, N.J. — Box jellyfish spark fear among swimmers and deliver nasty stings.
Now Montclair State University scientists have confirmed that a dangerous box jellyfish washed up on a Jersey shore beach last fall.
"I'm a bit surprised about this," said Jack Gaynor, an associate professor of biology at the university. "This is kind of a nasty jelly and if this is in our area now, that's a problem."
Stinging sea nettle jellyfish in the Barnegat Bay area won't put anyone in the hospital, but "this is a much more serious jellyfish, this box jelly," Gaynor said. "I'm kind of hoping this will not be a recurrence in New Jersey, but we'll see."
Gaynor said the results of DNA analysis on the beached jellyfish found in Bay Head confirmed Wednesday that it's a box jelly. He's convinced that it's a Tamoya — likely Tamoya haplonema. Researchers will repeat the analysis at least a few times and "I'll know a little bit better about the species in a week," he said.
Tamoya haplonema stings result in burning pain, swelling skin, blisters and scarring, according to a scientific article on jellyfish stings.
Exceedingly rare sightings of box jellyfish in New Jersey waters last fall excited jellyfish experts, who said the venomous animals could reappear when the water warms this year. Shore residents spotted about a half-dozen box jellyfish on ocean beaches in northern Ocean County and one in the Manasquan River last year.
Box jellyfish — named for their boxy shapes — have tentacles loaded with venom. They live in warm coastal waters worldwide. Experts think the Gulf Stream may have carried them north to this area, and a storm or winds may have pushed them into the Jersey Shore.
Gaynor said the initial results of DNA analysis showed an approximately 93% to 94% match with the genus Tamoya.
"I'm confident that what we've got right now is right and correct," he said.
The fact that there wasn't a 100% match "could suggest that this is something someone hasn't seen before, maybe slightly different than this other organism," he said.
Gaynor, who lives in South Plainfield, has a summer house in Brick and swims at the Shore.
"I guess when I go swimming now in the ocean, I'm going to be checking around a little bit," he said. "I usually don't feel unsafe in the water, but like I said, I'm hoping this is just a fluke and they don't come back and we'll see."
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5f7c3380d5a07824db780a40e63f65d1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/pet-rock-creator-dies/70760344/
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Gary Dahl, creator of the Pet Rock, dies at 78
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Gary Dahl, creator of the Pet Rock, dies at 78
The creator of the Pet Rock fad died recently in Oregon.
Gary Ross Dahl, 78, passed away on March 23 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his wife, Marguerite Dahl, confirmed to the Associated Presson Tuesday.
Dahl's popular Pet Rock involved a smooth stone packed in a cardboard box with breathing holes. It cost about $4 and came with a funny pamphlet detailing care instructions.
It hit store shelves in 1975 and remained popular for a short time before fizzling out. Dahl estimated that he sold 1.5 million "pets" by the time the novelty ended.
"I think the Pet Rock was just a good giggle. Everybody needed a good laugh, and the media ate it up," Dahl told the Houston Chronicle in an interview in 1999.
The craze "was great fun when it happened," Marguerite, his wife of 40 years, told the AP in a recent interview. Over time, however, "people would come to him with weird ideas, expecting him to do for them what he had done for himself. And a lot of times they were really, really stupid ideas," she said.
In addition to Marguerite, Dahl is survived by a sister, Candace Dahl of Spokane, Wash.; daughters Chris Nunez and Samantha Leighton; son Eric Dahl; stepdaughter Vicki Pershing and grandchildren.
Marguerite plans to sprinkle Dahl's ashes in the San Francisco Bay, where the two were avid sailors.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow @lagrisham on Twitter
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7a92f99ecfa0d1c92909fa5d7016c10c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/02/fbi-crime-report/70393428/
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FBI will overhaul tracking report, add missing crimes
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FBI will overhaul tracking report, add missing crimes
WASHINGTON —The FBI is in the midst of a major overhaul of its signature tracking program that for more than eight decades has been regarded as the most reliable measure of crime in the USA.
Federal authorities are attempting to convert hundreds of law enforcement agencies to an alternate reporting system that would account for perhaps scores of offenses that have never been recorded in the bureau's annual summary of crime in the USA, part of its Uniform Crime Report.
Assistant FBI Director Stephen Morris, who oversees the bureau's crime data collection functions, said there is no estimating the number of ''lost'' offenses because of the "summary'' nature of the current reporting structure. "You don't know what you don't know,'' Morris said in an interview with USA TODAY.
Murders may be the most consistently tracked offenses in the summary portion of the report. But an unknown number of other crimes often committed in the course of those deaths — rapes, robberies, assaults, arson and others — go unrecorded. Long-standing reporting limitations allow for tracking only the most serious single offense from each incident, regardless of how many other offenses have been committed.
The UCR crime summary tracks 10 specific offenses, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. It does not record crucial details about race, gender and relationships involving both victims and offenders. Neither is there specific information about where crimes take place and the identification of specific weapons involved, all of which could assist law enforcement officials and lawmakers in devising more effective anti-crime strategies.
The giant holes in the reporting method, federal authorities and analysts acknowledge, call into question the reliability of a measure that often determines how hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money is spent in an attempt to bolster public safety.
"We don't have a good sense at all of the relationships involved in crime because we are still using a 1930s tool,'' said University of South Carolina Professor Geoff Alpert who specializes in law enforcement research. "It's horrible that we have had the ability to do this, but for some reason, we just haven't done it.''
In place of the summary crime report, the FBI is expanding the capacity of a National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, that has the potential to account for much of what is lacking. Instead of 10 offense categories, it tracks 24; it has the capacity to record how often law enforcement officers use deadly force against citizens — and whether those encounters involve a disproportionate number of minority suspects.
The absence of such detailed data derailed recent attempts to broadly analyze officer-involved shootings and other instances when police used deadly force in the wake of last year's racially charged fatal police encounters in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, N.Y.
The long-needed overhaul of the reporting systems has drawn the strong support of FBI Director James Comey, who recently lamented the lack of basic data as "unacceptable.''
"Not long after riots broke out in Ferguson last summer, I asked my staff to tell me how many people shot by police were African American in this country,'' Comey said in a speech last month at Georgetown University. "I wanted to see trends. I wanted to see information. They couldn't give it to me.''
LENGTHY PROCESS
Despite the widely acknowledged data gaps, federal officials conceded that fixes will probably not come quickly.
Morris said it could take "years'' to expand the NIBRS system to produce a more representative sample of crime in America. Just 6,300 of nearly 18,000 U.S. police agencies funnel the more detailed crime information to NIBRS, while about 10,000 agencies provide the basic summary data.
Morris said at least 400 agencies are needed to convert the summary systems to the richer data delivery method under NIBRS for the FBI to produce a sound national report.
Among the police departments that do not participate are some of the largest in the country: New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Although a system for reporting the more detailed information has been available since the late 1980s (the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was the first to apply it), persistent compliance problems remain, from the cost to install new records management systems to committing the required personnel to oversee the collection.
The most difficult of the obstacles is that agencies have never been required to report, analysts said. Despite the consequential nature of national crime analysis, the submission of local crime data remains voluntary. Since 2013, for example, when Congress mandated that the FBI begin tracking human trafficking for the purpose of commercial sex or involuntary servitude, only five of the nearly 18,000 agencies have provided information, according to FBI records. As many as 1,500 agencies provide no crime data at all.
"For whatever reason, police departments have not been willing to expend the extra effort to do it,'' said Carnegie Mellon University Professor Alfred Blumstein, who has spent decades examining crime statistics. "How the FBI is going to get that extra cooperation is unclear right now.''
Some communities are resistant to contributing more detailed data out of fear that it could depict a more serious crime problem than is reflected by the summary reporting system, said one researcher familiar with the reporting process.
The researcher, who is not authorized to comment publicly, said a conversion to NIBRS could produce "spikes'' in some categories of crimes that were not adequately measured previously.
"One of the big fears is the potential for a shock in the measure,'' the researcher said.
UNDER REVIEW
Morris said federal officials are in the midst of an audit involving about 400 agencies identified for possible conversion to the new reporting system. Among the areas of review are the state of the agencies' records management systems, the costs required for conversion and what financial or technical assistance, if any, the federal government may be able to provide.
Richard Beary, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said completing the needed conversions will require federal money. The IACP is the nation's largest association of police chiefs. "One of the challenges is dollars,'' Beary said, adding that the replacement of a records system even at a small department could cost $100,000 or more. "Some state systems are so old, they can't push that amount of data to the FBI.''
Though there has been no recent rush of agencies to adopt the new reporting system, officials hope the recent attention focused on the current system's shortcomings could prompt change. "The fact that the (FBI) director put a spotlight on this issue a couple of weeks ago, we have been quietly celebrating,'' Morris said.
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c6e59d44d51a98cc29ab8c68a4b88e74
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/03/ge-appliance-park-fire/25233399/
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Fire at GE plant contained but will continue burning
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Fire at GE plant contained but will continue burning
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A fire that broke out early Friday at General Electric's Appliance Park here has consumed one building and kept employees from going to work in others, officials said.
Nearly 200 firefighters are working to extinguish the massive blaze. Chunks of ash and debris have been raining down as far away as a mile away, and the column of smoke is visible for miles.
The building has partially collapsed and is a total loss, said Kevin Tyler, chief of the Harrods Creek Fire Department. The fire is under control but is expected to continue to burn through the day.
"We'll be on scene through the night and into tomorrow, I'm sure," he said. Every fire department in Jefferson County — 18 in total — sent firefighters to the scene, about 192 responders, including some off duty who were asked to report.
The fire broke out in Building 6 at the GE industrial park, and the building was quickly evacuated, according to Jody Duncan, an MetroSafe dispatch spokeswoman. All employees are accounted for and safe; it was not immediately known how many workers were in the building when the fire broke out.
People within a half-mile radius of the fire have been asked to shelter in place because of smoke and fumes from plastics that have been burning in the warehouse. At the height of the burning, the area was expanded to 2 miles.
The fire's cause has not been determined.
Production in the industrial park where GE makes washing machines, dryers, dish washers, refrigerators and water heaters has ceased while firefighters battle the blaze, GE spokeswoman Kim Freeman said. Production was to be limited anyway because many employees were off for Good Friday, but workers now will be off through next week so GE can replenish parts stored in Building 6 and evaluate other buildings in the vicinity for damage.
Appliance Park is the 1,000-acre headquarters of GE Consumer & Industrial, GE's appliance division that is expected to become a subsidiary of Swedish appliance manufacturer Electrolux later this year. About 6,000 GE employees work in the industrial park, which has at least 15 buildings.
However, Building 6 has been leased out as a warehouse since GE's air-conditioning operations were sold decades ago. Derby Supply Chain Solutions, which assembles, packages, warehouses and distributes products, also has its logistics operations in the building.
GE said officials there already have identified alternate space for Building 6 warehousing operations so affected employees will be relocated to other offices.
The Louisville area also received 4 inches of rain overnight, flooding many homes and streets and closing Jefferson County's schools. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue periodically throughout the day.
Contributing: Reed Yadon, WHAS-TV, Louisville; Allison Ross and Grace Schneider, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal; and The Associated Press
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5ee81aa718e3bf58ee5bcd6a49056028
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/03/marijuana-hotels-colorado/25242171/
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Marijuana-friendly lodging fires up in Colorado
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Marijuana-friendly lodging fires up in Colorado
BOULDER – Colorado's marijuana tourists quickly run into a harsh reality after stopping at one of the state's approximately 330 marijuana stores: Most hotels and ski condos prohibit indoor smoking of any kind, never mind the "kind" kind.
Enter Sean Roby and his new website, Bud and Breakfast. Roby aims to make his site the Air BnB of marijuana-friendly lodging, connecting visitors with homeowners willing to let their guests partake of legal marijuana. The site has about 50 listings from around the globe, with many in Colorado, and is an outgrowth of Roby's existing of "Taste of Travel" company.
Among the current Colorado offerings: a loft in the trendy Denver Highlands neighborhood, tents near Pagosa Springs, renowned for its naturally heated mineral waters, and sunny room with an attached rooftop deck overlooking Boulder's famed Flatirons. The site also features homes in Hawaii, Alaska and Uruguay. Listings are available only in places that have legalized either recreational or medical marijuana.
"We're providing a safe, legal place to smoke for cannabis users," said Roby shortly after the site went live for bookings. "When people come in from other states, it's a huge deal. You're blown away that you can go in and buy, but then what do you next?"
The service is the latest in a string of ganjapreneurial offerings. Several Colorado companies already rent pot-friendly limos or buses so customers can smoke in the back while traveling between stores and marijuana-related tourist attractions. And the company "420 Airport Pickup" offers exactly that – drivers collect visitors at Denver International Airport, whisk them to a nearby marijuana store, and then drop them off at their hotel.
A small number of hotels and B&Bs in Colorado already offer marijuana-friendly lodging, among them First Inn of Pagosa, in the southwestern Colorado town of Pagosa Springs near Wolf Creek Ski Area. The independent hotel about 276 miles southwest of Denver added "420 Friendly" to its sign in July and has seen business boom since then, said desk clerk Dave Power.
Wolf Creek is a popular destination for visitors from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
"If you twist one up at the Ritz, they'll have you arrested," said Power. "This has been, I think … a boon for business. It attracts a different crowd."
Power said spring-breakers from Texas packed the hotel over the past few weeks, and those staying in the designated marijuana rooms were respectful, he said: "They don't make noise, they don't throw Jack Daniels bottles through the walls."
First Inn treads a fine line in advertising its marijuana-friendly policy. The hotel's sign doesn't mention marijuana, and instead relies on the "420" code to draw in those in the know. Its website makes no mention of marijuana, either, although online news articles highlight the connection.
Roby said his booking service is aimed at anyone who wants to use marijuana safely while traveling, in much the same way that tourists might visit vineyards or breweries. Power said tourists are often frustrated they can't easily consume marijuana, and First Inn hopes to maintain a balance between regular visitors and those who want to use pot. The hotel asks guests when they check in if they want a smoking room.
"If you put it out there too much, you will offend some people," he said. "If (guests) get here and they're offended, they can leave. This isn't some crack house. It's a comfortable place and every person who works here can talk about the benefits ..."
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59c9c5b8bfa3ea28bef3501b542252c2
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/03/stink-bug-season-get-rid/25273925/
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It's stink bug season: Here's how to get rid of them
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It's stink bug season: Here's how to get rid of them
INDIANAPOLIS — Just like most of the rest of us these days, stink bugs are waking up from a long, nasty winter — perhaps in your attic or behind walls near the top of your house — and beginning to move around.
If you live in a drafty old house, you're probably seeing them everywhere, now that sunlight is brighter, stronger and warmer.
From a homeowner's perspective, stink bugs "are active in March and April and very active in September when they're trying to get into your house," says Cornell University entomologist Peter Jentsch, the resident Hudson Valley expert on all things stink bug.
The good news is that now that they're awake and active again, they're looking for a way to get back outside. "They will find their way out or die," says Jentsch, who is based at the Hudson Valley Research Laboratory in Highland.
"The majority of the population lives in the tree canopy year-round, or in the fall they head for man-made sites like commercial buildings or your house," he says.
Once they find their way in, in the fall, stink bugs tend to head toward the attic. They may settle in stacks of newspapers or piles of clothes.
Stink bugs are a nuisance indoors, but otherwise harmless to humans, Jentsch emphasizes. "They eat nothing, they don't bite, they're just trying to survive."
Who are they?
According to North Dakota State University, there are 4,700 species of stink bugs in the world, with about 250 in the U.S. and Canada. Our pest is known as the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). It gets its name from the brown marbling pattern on its back.
To identify them, look for striping on its antennae, a striped pattern along the abdomen and smooth shoulders. It has a five-sided, shield-shaped body and is about 3/4 of an inch long.
Why are they stinky?
When squashed, frightened or disturbed, stink bugs secrete a foul-smelling, bad-tasting substance.
Be careful about vacuuming them up in a household vacuum cleaner because the strong odor will remain. Use a shop vac, and take it outside right away, if you go that route.
How did they get here?
Native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, brown marmorated stink bugs have been in the Hudson Valley since 2007. In the United States, they were first documented in Allentown, Pa., in the mid-1990s. They probably hitched a ride in shipping containers, just like the Asian longhorn beetle that has killed millions of trees nationwide. Stink bugs are now in more than 30 states.
What do they eat?
Stink bugs are a serious pest, feeding on a long list of host plants, including fruits, vegetables, ornamentals and legumes. They also feed on weeds and tree leaves, and are comparatively impervious to insecticides.
To feed, the bug punctures agricultural products with a straw-like appendage and withdraws sap containing water, protein and carbohydrates.
In agriculture, stink bugs have been more of a problem in Mid-Atlantic states like Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The U.S. Apple Association estimated that stink bugs caused $37 million in damage to apple growers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia in 2010.
They have also been a real headache for home gardeners in these states.
If you have an indoor problem with stink bugs, it may because of the types of trees surrounding your house. They tend to like to eat the foliage and seeds of black locust, maple, ash, Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) and catalpa trees.
How do I kill them?
For homeowners, Jentsch suggests a simple, nontoxic brew of soapy water (1% to 2% soap to water) in a household spray bottle. "That will probably work as well as anything."
"This time of year, if you blow at them the wrong way they'll die," he says, partly in jest, explaining that they haven't eaten anything in six months.
In the field, "the insecticides that tend to work are the older chemistries," Jentsch says. In agricultural settings in the Hudson Valley, an effective way to control them has been with trap and kill stations, using pheromone traps as a lure. That way, farmers and orchard growers don't need to spray insecticides on the crops as frequently.
How do I keep them out of my house?
Prevention in the fall is key. "Once established in your house, it's nearly impossible to get rid of them," Jentsch says.
Seal all cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys and underneath the wood fascia and other openings with high quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk.
Remove wall and window air conditioners; weather stripping around doors and windows may help. Repair broken screens and windows.
"You have to think like an insect," Jentsch says.
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78ffa9676e2b11eed1596efc25e95414
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/04/white-professors-sue-alabama-state-discrimination/25302767/
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White professors sue Alabama State for discrimination
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White professors sue Alabama State for discrimination
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Two white faculty members at Alabama State University have filed a lawsuit contending that the historically black university is racist toward whites in its hiring and admission practices.
Steven B. Chesbro, who according to the suit is the only dean at Alabama State not designated as African-American or black, and his partner and fellow ASU faculty member John Garland also contend that ASU passed regulations specifically against same-sex couples and that officials retaliated against the pair for complaining about the university using race as a determining factor for both hiring professors and admitting students.
Bobby Segall, an attorney representing ASU, said the university categorically denies the contentions.
"They deny that anything related to their (Chesbro's and Garland's) employment arose because of anything racial or anything related to their sexual orientation," Segall said.
He said the contention that the university uses race as a determining factor in hiring faculty is also untrue.
Segall said the suit, which has been filed in U.S. District Court in Montgomery, appears to be less about the university than about a few faculty members at the university.
"I think maybe one or more of those folks had a squabble with some of their faculty members, but Alabama State University did not engage in any discrimination as alleged in their complaint," he said.
But attorney Wayne Sabel, who is representing Chesbro and Garland, said the suit "clearly shows that there was discrimination because of race and sexual orientation: There's no doubt about that."
"They have told Dr. Chesbro that his hands are tied in the face of gross insubordination and even threats of physical harm," Sabel said. "They You look at some of the statements they have made that are in the complaint, and they are saying things like 'only black professors should teach black students.'"
He said the two white faculty members are being treated differently from black, straight professors at the university.
"They have treated Dr. Chesbro and Dr. Garland contemptibly," he said. "There is clearly a campaign not only to force Dr. Chesbro and Dr. Garland out, but to force out a number of other longtime white faculty"
Some of the major allegations the suit raises:
• Numerous white faculty members have complained about racist hiring and selection processes at the university without any action being taken by the administration.
"As many as six EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) charges, not including those directly involving this matter, are now pending against the university alleging race or gender discrimination," the suit says. It alleges that when a white ASU faculty member voiced concerns with others on a search committee that race was being used inappropriately to make a selection, the university's response was to remove him as head of the search committee.
• Faculty members on one search committee insisted its primary goal should be to select someone who was both female and black and there were instances in which search committee members said only black applicants should be considered for employment at the school, according to the suit.
• Race played a major role in admissions to the doctoral program for physical therapy, the suit contends.
"Of the 47 black applicants who applied for admission to the doctoral program for physical therapy in 2013, 20 percent met the required GPA standard, but 57 percent of the candidates were admitted. In contrast, of 137 white applicants, 59 percent met the required GPA standard, but only 32 percent were admitted," according to the suit.
• Nepotism regulations were changed on July 25, 2012, to prohibit couples from working together in the same department, but it was only for same-sex couples and continued to allow opposite-sex couples, married and unmarried, to work together in departments.
• Garland said in the initial suit that after his comments, he was transferred to a lesser job, resulting in a salary reduction of more than $23,000, that all his contact information, biography and curriculum vitae were removed from the university website and that he was placed in an office where for months he had no working computer, mail service, phone extension, copying capabilities, bookshelves or file cabinets. The suit states that to date, Garland has not received any campus mail at the office where he was moved on Aug. 21, 2012, and that the university operator has been incorrectly telling callers that he no longer works at the university.
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80146b0b6609f77632607e3d5c81ffae
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/05/wrinkle-creams-fda/70627978/
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Wrinkle creams: modest results, some overblown claims
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Wrinkle creams: modest results, some overblown claims
Wrinkles happen. And when they do, many women, and some men, start searching store aisles or the Internet for a cure.
While there is no such thing, stores and websites are happy to sell consumers wrinkle creams and other "anti-aging" products that, typically, promise to reduce "the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles."
Lately, some are promising a lot more — and getting into trouble with the Food and Drug Administration.
"The number and type of claims that we are seeing has been increasing over the past five to 10 years, with the growth in the market of anti-aging products," Linda Katz, director of FDA's office of cosmetics and colors, said in an e-mail.
In a recent update for consumers, the agency reminded the public that products sold as cosmetics – a category that includes make-up and all non-prescription wrinkle creams – are not reviewed for effectiveness by the FDA and so cannot make the kind of claims allowed for approved drugs.
Claims that a product can change the skin's structure or function – by stimulating the production of skin-firming collagen, for example – are illegal, the FDA says.
In recent years, the agency has sent warning letters to several skin-care companies for making such claims. Recipients have included Avon and Lancôme.
The most recent warning went to StriVectin, a company that makes pricey anti-aging potions sold online and at stores such as Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.
FDA called out the company for, among other things, claiming its Potent Wrinkle Reducing Treatment ($99 for 1.7 oz.) was "clinically proven to change the anatomy of a wrinkle" and that its Advanced Tightening Neck Cream ($95 for 1.7 oz.) could "restore the elastin fiber architecture… improving resistance to gravity."
In a statement, StriVectin said: "We stand by the efficacy of our products" and "are doing everything in our power to ensure that our communication to the public complies" with the law.
The agency can't comment on ongoing cases, Katz says.
Dermatologists say consumers should know that there's no fountain of youth in a bottle – and that even drugs and procedures offered by doctors can't undo a lifetime of aging and sun damage.
"There is nothing that is going to take skin that looks 50 and make it look 20," says Fayne Frey, a dermatologist in West Nyack, N.Y.
Frey, whose FryFace website seeks to debunk skin care myths, says non-prescription wrinkle remedies can have a modest effect, but so can any good moisturizer, including brands sold in drugstores for less than $20 a bottle.
"You get a temporary increase in water in skin," she says, and that can help mask fine lines and wrinkles.
The heavily-marketed extra ingredients in anti-aging formulas are mostly vitamins or watered down retinoids, the active ingredient in drugs such as Retin-A, Frey says. If they add anything to the moisturizing effects, she says, it's minimal. They can also add side effects, such as skin irritation, she says.
At her site, Frey recommends some products from drugstore brands such as Olay, Neutrogena and Aveeno, but she says she has no financial ties with any of the companies.
Over-the-counter products, including some with retinoids, can improve the appearance of aging skin when used every day "for a long time," says Jenny Kim, a dermatologist and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles.
There's no reason to think the most expensive versions have any advantages, she says – unless the high price makes users more likely to stick to their skin care regimens and stay out of the sun.
For patients who are willing to spend even more – and endure more discomfort and risk – there are options available from doctors, including higher-dose prescription retinoid creams approved by the FDA.
Some people find those creams too irritating at first, so they may want to start with lower-dose options, says Richard Glogau, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Other options include Botox injections, filler procedures and laser resurfacing, all of which cost at least several hundred dollars per session and must be repeated every few months or years, say Kim and Glogau. Both have financial relationship with Botox maker Allergan; Glogau also has relationships with companies that make fillers.
But Frey, Kim and Glogau all say the first product they recommend for anyone concerned about wrinkles is a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 30. The FDA does allow cosmetics containing proven sunscreens (considered drugs) to say they reduce the risk of "early skin aging caused by the sun."
Sun exposure – including the light we get through car windows and on cloudy days – is the most important cause of wrinkling, and keeps causing damage as we age, the doctors say.
"The boomers are all fried, because we grew up in an era when there wasn't any sunscreen use," Glogau says. "Hopefully, the millennials will do better."
The American Academy of Dermatology has this advice on preventing and fighting wrinkles:
• Wear sunscreen every day.
• Don't tan, outside or in a tanning salon.
• Moisturize to improve skin's appearance.
• Don't smoke – it contributes to wrinkling.
• If you try a wrinkle cream, give it some time to work, but expect modest results. Stop using any product that stings or burns, unless you are using it under medical supervision.
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45f7efa73f0e296de0c2d54d68308524
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/08/sc-police-shooting-family-civil-suit/25450485/
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Witness: S.C. victim, cop struggled before killing
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Witness: S.C. victim, cop struggled before killing
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The bystander whose video captured a white police officer fatally shooting Walter Scott in the back said Wednesday the two had struggled beforehand and that the victim was "just trying to get away" from the officer's Taser.
"Before I started recording, they were down on the [ground]. I remember the police [officer] had control of the situation," Feidin Santana toldNBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt in North Charleston. "He had control of Scott. And Scott was trying just to get away from the Taser."
Santana said he started recording when he heard Officer Michael Slager's Taser discharge Saturday morning after a traffic stop. He sent his cellphone video to authorities and Scott's family.
Scores of angry protesters chanted "Black lives matter" and "All lives matter" in front of City Hall on Wednesday, one day after Slager, 33, was charged with murder for killing the 50-year-old Scott.
Mayor Keith Summey, at a news conference Wednesday, said that Slager has been fired but that his wife, who is eight months pregnant, will continue to receive city health benefits. Summey also said the city has ordered 250 body cameras to equip the entire police force.
Police Chief Eddie Driggers said he has been praying for peace — for Scott's family and for the city. "I have watched the video and I was sickened by what I saw," he said.
The emergence of the dramatic video shocked this city of 100,000 with a population split almost evenly between blacks and whites, with a small number of other minorities. The tragedy follows months of national discourse about race and policing after law enforcement confrontations with unarmed, black citizens in Ferguson, Mo., New York City and elsewhere.
The video shows Slager dropping what appears to be a stun gun, drawing his gun and shooting at Scott as many as eight times as Scott runs away. Scott falls face-down to the ground. Slager walks up and puts handcuffs on Scott. Slager then picks up something and drops it near Scott's body. More than two minutes after the shooting, Slager appears to reach down and check Scott for a pulse.
An autopsy showed Scott "sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the back of his body," the Charleston County Coroner's Office said. The attorney for Scott's family said the coroner told him that Scott was shot five times, with two bullets being fatal.
According to radio transmissions released Wednesday, Slager told police dispatch that Scott suffered only two gunshot wounds.
"Gunshot wound to the left side, the, the back; one left side to the buttock. All responsive at the job. First aid," said Slager, who described Scott as a "black male, mid-20s to 30s."
The video does not show Slager performing CPR or other first aid. Driggers said that at the end of the video, "what I saw was believed to be a police officer removing the shirt of the individual and performing some type of life-saving (procedure), but I'm not sure what took place there."
"Not every officer is CPR-certified," the mayor added.
The State Law Enforcement Division, which is leading the investigation, said the incident began with a traffic stop involving a faulty brake light. Scott attempted to flee, and Slager told investigators that he and Scott struggled over his police-issued stun gun. Stage said he shot Scott because he feared for his life, authorities said.
"Shots fired! Subject is down. He's near my feet. He took my Taser," Slager said on the police radio.
The video, which captures only part of the confrontation, does not show whether Scott ever had Slager's Taser. At least one prong appeared to be stuck in Scott's clothing as he ran.
The state agents, after viewing the recording and examining other evidence, filed the murder charge. He is being held without bond in the Charleston County Jail. If convicted, Slager could face 30 years to life in prison or the death penalty.
Attorney Andy Savage announced Wednesday that he would represent Slager. Attorney David Aylor, who issued a statement over the weekend that Slager "followed all the proper procedures and policies," said Tuesday that having seen the video, he no longer represented the officer.
The FBI, the U.S. Attorney in South Carolina and the Justice Department's civil rights division are also investigating Scott's killing.
"This is a time for us to come together," one protester told the crowd in front of City Hall on Wednesday. "This is not just about black lives. This is about all lives. ... And it's a bigger issue than just police."
Said another: "It's sad that my parents have to tell me how to act around a cop when I'm out of my home. Why should I have to be afraid of the guy that's supposed to protect me?"
Scott's family said they intend to file a civil lawsuit against Slager, a five-year veteran of the force who previously served in the Coast Guard. His father told NBC's Today show Wednesday that his son may have run because he owed child support and feared he would be jailed.
"The way he was shooting that gun, it looked like he was trying to kill a deer," Walter Scott Sr. said on Today. "I don't know whether it was racial, or it was something wrong with his head."
Judy Scott said on ABC's Good Morning America that the video of her son's death was "the most horrible thing I've ever seen. I almost couldn't look at it to see my son running defenselessly, being shot. It just tore my heart to pieces."
"I ask that everyone continue to pray for my family," said Anthony Scott, Walter Scott's brother, hours after Slager was booked Tuesday at the Charleston County Detention Center. "We can't get my brother back and my family is in deep mourning for that, but through the process, justice has been served."
Walter Scott spent two years in the Coast Guard, had four children, was recently engaged and was outgoing and loving, Anthony Scott said. "He was the most outgoing out of all of us," the brother said. "He was well known in the community.
"We've all seen the video," Anthony Scott said. "If there hadn't been a video, would we know the truth, or would we have just gone with what was reported earlier? But we do know the truth now."
Chris Stewart, an attorney for Walter Scott's family, told USA TODAY the video depicting Scott's death should be a "turning pointing" for the nation and illustrates yet another example of an unarmed black man being unjustly killed by a police officer.
Yet Stewart stressed that Scott's death goes far beyond racial issues and really shows that some lives — black, white or Hispanic — are not valued by some officers. He said the deaths of Scott and others are really about who holds the power during confrontations with police.
"I won't let this just be about his race," Stewart said. "This is about a human being being killed. ... It's more about the power and value that the officer deems you have. ... This is an example of another African American being abused by the justice system so to speak or police authorities. But that mindset stems from 'I think you're powerless.'"
Meanwhile, Stewart says the video doesn't guarantee justice will be served because the process is still playing out. But he said the video will have an impact as departments consider getting body cameras and as people around the country think about police misconduct.
"This can be the seminal example of what a body camera will show truly happening," he said. "No matter what the budget is, or what it costs, this is the example of how families can get justice and can support any politician who is wanting body cameras."
Contributing: Yamiche Alcindor, William M. Welch and Catherina Steffo, USA TODAY
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8d10b306013541efbd793742791e7700
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/13/parents-investigated-letting-children-walk-alone/25700823/
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Parents in trouble again for letting kids walk alone
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Parents in trouble again for letting kids walk alone
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Maryland parents accused of child neglect for letting their kids roam around their neighborhood had to retrieve them from the county's Children's Protective Services after police removed the youngsters from a park.
At about 4:55 p.m. ET Sunday, Montgomery County police received a call to check on the welfare of Danielle and Sasha Meitiv's children — Rafi, 10, andDvora, 6 — at a park here. Officers found the children unattended and brought them to the agency as part of protocol, they said.
Montgomery County police and county Children's Protective Services are jointly investigating the Meitivs of Silver Spring for allowing their children to walk repeatedly around the neighborhood alone. The parents say they know where their children are but are allowing them independence.
Officers picked up the children about two blocks from home, Rafi said, telling them they would drop them off at home. Instead, the two sat in a patrol car for 2½ hours then were taken about 10 miles away to Children's Protective Services offices in Rockville, Md.
The Meitivs said they had taken the children to the park at around 4 p.m. and told them to be home by 6 p.m. When the children hadn't returned by 6:30, the Meitivs started looking frantically for them.
Social workers did not contact them until after 8 p.m., the couple said. Their children were released to them at 10:30 p.m.
"I can't believe we're going through this again," Danielle Meitiv said. "They've been missing since 6 o'clock. Somebody called 911, the police called CPS, they decided to bring the kids here and they didn't call us."
To take the children home, the Meitivs had to sign a safety plan that prohibits them from leaving their children unattended, they said.
"We asked them why did they not bring them home," Sasha Meitiv said. "They just said, 'We decided the safety of the children was more important.' "
Maryland law prohibits children younger than age 8 from being unattended in a dwelling or car but makes no reference to outdoors. A person must be at least 13 years old to supervise a child younger than 8.
In December, the couple was accused of neglect for allowing the children to walk around their suburban Washington neighborhood together unaccompanied by an adult. In one instance, Rafi and Dvora were walking from a playground two blocks from home; in another, the park was about a mile away.
Those actions have sparked a debate about what now has been dubbed free-range parenting and what 50 years ago was considered letting children play.
In February, Children's Protective Services found the Meitivs responsible for "unsubstantiated" child neglect, and the couple has appealed. The decision means the agency will keep a file on the family for at least five years.
It also left open the question on what would happen if someone again called police to report that the children were walking without adult supervision.
"I'm not going to risk my kids being snatched again by CPS," Danielle Meitiv said. "If they had let our kids go home, they would have been in bed two hours ago."
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44a339bde0fe3e5ab43d473ffa1a7965
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/14/bon-jovi-beat-center/25790525/
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Bon Jovi, charities to open community pantry, kitchen
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Bon Jovi, charities to open community pantry, kitchen
TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Superstar rocker Jon Bon Jovi believes Sandy-battered Ocean County has not received its fair share of the resources necessary to help families recover from the storm.
That's why Bon Jovi's JBJ Soul Foundation decided to partner with two local charities to open a community center aimed at fighting hunger in a region still struggling with the aftereffects of the storm.
"I know people who have been hungry," Bon Jovi said. "You'd be shocked to know these hardworking, middle-class people from the tri-state area who after the economic downturn couldn't afford to keep a consistent, nutritious meal on the table."
The B.E.A.T. Center, which stands for Bringing Everyone All Together, will provide a food pantry and hot meals for residents in need, and also help connect them with additional assistance, including food stamps, affordable healthcare, tax preparation and culinary training classes. It should open in three to four months.
The nearly 12,000-square-foot building will also house the second permanent location of the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a community restaurant where diners can pay for meals by making either a cash donation or by volunteering, and the new home of The People's Pantry, the relief center that was born after Sandy and now serves 3,000 people a month.
At the center site Tuesday, Bon Jovi said that while Ocean County suffered the most destruction from Sandy — 10,500 homes were damaged in Toms River alone — the area has not received a commensurate share of aid.
It was natural to open a community hub like the B.E.A.T. center in the county, he said, and in partnership with the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and the People's Pantry, the site will provide access to a wide variety of services in one location.
"We have been working on this for over a year," said Bon Jovi, a Sayreville, N.J., native who has a home in Middletown. He said that the JBJ Soul Foundation -- which he chairs -- always planned to offer job training and other social services as part of its mission statement to fight issues that keep families in economic hardship. But the Red Bank Soul Kitchen was too small to accommodate additional services.
There is also a "pop-up" Soul Kitchen location in Union Beach which is using the Union Hose Fire Co. 1 to serve meals.
"We realized the need for more active job training and other opportunities," Bon Jovi said. "We have more of an opportunity to do that here. We also realized that in suburban New Jersey, transportation is often an issue. People don't always have access to cars."
The B.E.A.T. Center is located on a bus line so that those in need have easier access, he said. "It makes one moment of their day that much easier," Bon Jovi said. The nearly 12,000-square-foot building will also house the second location of the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a community restaurant where diners can pay for meals by making either a cash donation or by volunteering.
Patricia Donaghue, executive director of The People's Pantry, spoke with emotion about the number of local residents who are struggling to make ends meet. Sandy's devastation pushed some residents into poverty as they struggled to pay rent and mortgages and to rebuild their homes.
At first the go-to spot for assistance with storm-related needs, the People's Pantry has evolved into a permanent relief center and food bank.
More than 40,000 structures in Ocean County were damaged or destroyed by Sandy, and Toms River suffered some of the worst damage. In nearby Ortley Beach, more than 200 homes were completely destroyed when Sandy struck in October 2012. Sections of Silverton, located close to the new B.E.A.T. Center, are still in disrepair, and many families remain displaced 2 1/2 years after Sandy struck.
"We focus on something I never knew existed, the food insecurity that exists in my town," said Donaghue, who lives in Toms River. "Of all the lessons learned from Sandy, the most jarring one was how financially stretched our middle class neighbors are." Donaghue said that people who were already teetering on the edge of the middle class before the storm struck were pushed into poverty by Sandy.
The collaboration with the two other charities will help the pantry expand its work.
"We're going to feed so many people it won't even be funny," she said.
Don Norkus, who chairs the FoodBank's Board of Directors, said the charity distributed 1.5 million pounds of food in Ocean County in 2008, and 4 million pounds in 2014. "Three years ago the board realized it needed to expand its presence in Ocean County," he said.
Norkus said the FoodBank believes the B.E.A.T. Center will provide $5 million in food benefits, services and wages for families in need in its first year. Within its first 12 months, the center aims to serve 10,000 meals to diners in the JBJ Soul Kitchen, graduate at least 30 students from the FoodBank's culinary training program, and provide 200 meals a week to low-income children in afterschool programs.
It will cost $1.5 million to build out and fully equip the new center, and about $1.2 million a year to run it, according to FoodBank Executive Director Carlos Rodriguez.
The center, located in a leased space, is being launched with initial financial support from The David Tepper Foundation. Tepper is a hedge fund manager and founder of Appaloosa Management. He told the crowd of charity workers and elected officials Tuesday that more money will need to be raised to keep the B.E.A.T. Center moving forward.
"It's an investment in the people here, and it's an investment in your soul," Tepper said.
For Toms River Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher, Tuesday was "a happy day."
"I'm looking forward to when this is a finished product and I can come here and have a meal with you folks," he said.
Bon Jovi spent time both before and after the media event talking to local officials and charity workers, and posed for photos flanked by everyone from mayors and freeholders to police officers and charity volunteers.
Asked where the name B.E.A.T. Center came from, Bon Jovi said it was the brainchild of his wife, Dorothea, adding, "She makes me, in fact, look good every day."
In trying to come up with a name for the new center, he flashed back to his Jersey roots, and thought of a diner.
"I was thinking of the diner sign, that says, "EAT," Bon Jovi said. "She said, BEAT! Bringing Everyone All Together. That was it."
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ea7b72d095472da0246ffeebcf0b3c8e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/15/publication-online-leak-fbi/25808811/
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FBI, Homeland Security officials' addresses leaked
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FBI, Homeland Security officials' addresses leaked
WASHINGTON -- Federal officials are reviewing the online publication of personal information related to former and current officials with the Department of Homeland Security and FBI, a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday.
Much of the information appears to have been culled from social media and other publicly available sources, though investigators are attempting to determine if any of the material was accessed illegally, said the official, who is not authorized to comment publicly.
The incident was first reported by CBS News, which attributed the posting to an apparent anti-government group that referred to the officials as "traitors.''
Last month the Army rewrote social media guidelines after the names, addresses and pictures of troops fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq were released online by the terrorist group.
A group called the Islamic State Hacking Division posted the personal information for 100 U.S. military members. Most of the information was easily available online. The group asked that its "brothers residing in America" attack them.
"Social media will continue to be leveraged as a tool by those who wish to threaten or target members or the military," the Army warned.
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308673ae78705f7e3d2f5f2012c1ef4b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/16/colorado-stoned-drivers/25893833/
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Smoky cars part of Colo. effort to stop stoned drivers
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Smoky cars part of Colo. effort to stop stoned drivers
DENVER – Two cars that rapidly fill with smoke that billows from their windows are the latest centerpiece of a state campaign aimed at catching the attention of drivers tempted to get behind the wheel after smoking marijuana.
Fans hidden inside the special cars blow the non-toxic smoke out of the windows, revealing messages that warn "Drive High, Get a DUI." It's part of Colorado's efforts to remind marijuana users that while pot use is legal, it's not appropriate everywhere.
State officials have begun surreptitiously parking the cars outside of concerts, sporting events and at shopping malls, triggering the smoke remotely to draw in passers-by before lighting up the warning signs.
"We don't want to make any judgment on someone using marijuana in Colorado, but boy do we make a judgment about people who use marijuana and then get behind the wheel," said Sam Cole, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Public consumption of marijuana is illegal, as is its use in passenger cars. And as with alcohol and other prescription drugs, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. This campaign specifically targets young men, who make up the largest percentage of frequent marijuana users, state officials say. The campaign was announced as thousands of marijuana enthusiasts from across the world are descending on Denver this weekend for the annual Cannabis Cup competition, a separate marijuana-themed festival, and a cannabis investor summit.
In Colorado, of all the drivers involved in a fatal crash who were tested from 2006-2010 and who were found to be impaired, the vast majority – 84% – were impaired by alcohol, while the remainder – 16% – tested positive for cannabis. State traffic-safety experts still concentrate heavily on alcohol-impaired drivers but have now added marijuana awareness as a second area of focus. Not every driver is tested after a fatal crash, and state officials have recently improved their data-collection efforts to better understand the role marijuana may play in crashes across Colorado.
Colorado legalized recreational marijuana sales on Jan. 1, 2014, and the state has launched several campaigns highlighting marijuana laws. The state early this year began running "Good To Know" advertisements, educating consumers about the laws and regulations. The Good To Know campaign's $5.7 million in funding comes from taxes paid by customers buying marijuana at the state's hundreds of legal marijuana stores, and the messaging was designed by public health officials in consultation with marijuana retailers and legalization skeptics.
The state last year launched a controversial "Don't Be a Lab Rat" campaign aimed at preventing kids from using marijuana. The campaign featured human-size cages designed to look like laboratory cages for rats, along with educational materials warning about the potential for stunted brain growth. That campaign got people talking but was perceived by some as negative because the cages resembled jail cells.
State lawmakers ordered safety and health regulators to launch the series of campaigns to help allay fears that Coloradans and tourists alike would abuse marijuana. The state has also deployed video games inside marijuana dispensaries around Denver that at first appear to be racing games but then display warning messages about driving stoned. The "Drive High" campaign cost $450,000.
Colorado DOT officials showed off one of the $10,000 smoke cars to reporters on Thursday morning and say they hope the unusual sight will prompt passers-by to take pictures and post them to social media, further spreading the message. The smoke is actually a non-toxic water-based fog similar to what is used in dance clubs, and the unveiling prompted jokes from reporters about their assignment.
"Spark it up," joked one impatient photographer waiting for the demonstration.
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0e13528af25df6c0d3122777a055954f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/16/jindal-defends-religious-liberty-bill/25905153/
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Jindal defends Louisiana's 'religious liberty' bill
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Jindal defends Louisiana's 'religious liberty' bill
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal defended a proposed religious objections bill Thursday, saying that as people learn more about the proposal, the more they will accept it.
At a news conference Thursday, Jindal said the bill only prevents the state from discriminating against businesses or business owners who choose to exercise their religious beliefs. Critics say the measure could sanction discrimination against same-sex couples in Louisiana.
"The great thing in America is that we support the right of folks to live their lives according to their beliefs, whether we agree with them or not," Jindal said. "I think you can have tolerance and religious liberty. I don't think those two are mutually exclusive."
Jindal said he believes the bill's author, Republican state Rep. Mike Johnson, proposed the bill to keep business owners in Louisiana from ever having to face the consequences imposed by other states on business owners who choose to exercise religious freedom.
The Republican governor's comments in support of the legislation came one day after computer giant IBM sent Jindal's office a letter signaling "strong" opposition to the bill.
The letter from IBM — which has plans for an 800-worker facility in Baton Rouge — cuts into the business-friendly reputation Jindal has sought to cultivate and frequently touts.
"A bill that legally protects discrimination based on same-sex marriage status will create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees, and is antithetical to our company's values," wrote James M. Driesse, a senior state executive for the company. "IBM will find it much harder to attract talent to Louisiana if this bill is passed and enacted into law."
The governor said the bill as written doesn't affect the ability of a business to serve or not serve its customers.
As written, the "Marriage and Conscience Act" would prohibit the state from denying any resident or business a license, benefits or tax deductions because of actions taken "in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction" about marriage.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure. No hearing has been set at this time.
Religious-objections laws have recently drawn fierce debate in other states, including Indiana and Arkansas, prompting changes to the laws. In Alabama, a bill that would allow judges and some state workers to opt out of services that violate their religious beliefs moved forward in the state Senate this week.
Same-sex couples in Louisiana are not allowed to marry under the state constitution, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, and there are no legal protections from discrimination for gays and lesbians.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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43498dd7b3db639ca1431f335223a276
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/16/religion-news-service-vatican-us-nuns/25872761/
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Vatican ends controversial investigation of U.S. nuns
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Vatican ends controversial investigation of U.S. nuns
The Vatican on Thursday officially ended a controversial three-year investigation of American nuns with a face-saving compromise that allows Pope Francis to close the book on one of the more troubled episodes that he inherited from his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
"We are pleased at the completion of the (investigation), which involved long and challenging exchanges of our understandings of and perspectives on critical matters of religious life and its practice," said Sister Sharon Holland, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the umbrella group of nuns that had been under investigation, in a statement released following a meeting in Rome with the Vatican's top doctrinal officials.
"We learned that what we hold in common is much greater than any of our differences."
A brief statement from Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and leader of the effort to rein in the nuns, who were seen as too liberal, shed little light on what the long-running investigation achieved and seemed aimed at moving past the contentious saga.
Mueller said he was confident that the mission of the nuns "is rooted in the Tradition of the Church" and that they are "essential for the flourishing of religious life in the Church."
The original report, issued almost exactly three years ago, had accused the nuns of promoting "certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith."
In another indicator of the thaw in relations, the delegation of American nuns met later Thursday with Francis for 50 minutes in a warm encounter that seemed to underscore the sisters' affinity for the pope's focus on social justice and his pastoral outreach to the world.
"Our conversation allowed us to personally thank Pope Francis for providing leadership and a vision that has captivated our hearts and emboldened us as in our own mission and service to the church," the nuns said in a statement.
"We were also deeply heartened by Pope Francis' expression of appreciation for the witness given by Catholic sisters through our lives and ministry and will bring that message back to our members."
Both the nuns and Mueller's office agreed not to speak further to the media for the next month, and the joint statement and final report issued Thursday seemed to represent a quiet and merciful end to what had been a noisy showdown between Rome and the nuns – and one the Vatican never seemed likely to win.
The investigation of the LCWR, a network of Catholic sisters that represents about 80 percent of the 50,000 nuns in the U.S., had been a public relations headache for Rome since April 2012.
That's when the Vatican's doctrinal office surprised the nuns – and the American hierarchy – by publishing a harsh assessment of the LCWR and announcing a plans to effectively takeover the group and institute a sweeping overhaul.
Mueller's office charged that the American sisters were straying too far from traditional doctrines in the theological speculations of some members and said the sisters were focusing too much on social justice issues, such as caring for the poor and advocating for immigrants. The CDF was also upset that many sisters were active in promoting health care reform in the U.S.
The Vatican office also said the LCWR members should spend more time advancing church teachings on sexuality and abortion.
Mueller's office — which Benedict had led for a quarter century before he was elected pope in 2005 — charged three U.S. bishops with overseeing a reform of the LCWR and gave the prelates a final say over many of the group's activities.
The sisters rejected those charges, calling them "unsubstantiated," and the report sparked a furor in the U.S. and an outpouring of support for the nuns. The controversy was yet another crisis that dogged the final year of Benedict's troubled papacy.
Many U.S. bishops were also frustrated at having to answer for a Vatican investigation they had nothing to do with and often disagreed with.
When Francis was elected two years ago, it was widely expected that he would try to wind down the investigation, and he signaled that he did not want to waste much effort on such internal disputes.
"Perhaps even a letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine (of the Faith) will arrive for you, telling you that you said such or such thing. … But do not worry. Explain whatever you have to explain, but move forward," he told a visiting group of nuns and priests from Latin America three months after he was elected.
A separate and broader Vatican review of women's religious orders in the U.S. ended last December with a positive report and an almost effusive exchange of praise between representatives of the American nuns and Vatican officials from a different Vatican office.
That investigation had been launched in 2008 by a conservative Vatican churchman, Cardinal Franc Rode, who said he was troubled by reports he had received from U.S. church sources claiming that a "secularist mentality" and a "feminist spirit" had affected the U.S. nuns.
Rode was later replaced by Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz of Brazil, a more progressive churchman and a strong supporter of Francis' more conciliatory approach. Braz shepherded that review to a more harmonious conclusion.
But Mueller, also a holdover from Benedict's papacy, is seen as much more of a hardliner and seemed determined to take a tougher approach. Just last September, Mueller renewed his criticism of the LCWR and sought to downplay their size and importance.
The nuns took a more low-key approach, expressing a willingness to discuss the outstanding issues with the Vatican while defending their priorities and commitment to social justice and the kind of theological inquiry that riled conservatives. They also made it clear they might drop their official Vatican affiliation rather than agree to unacceptable limits on their autonomy.
The final report issued Thursday indicated that the nuns acceded to some oversight of their publications and choice of speakers for their annual conference to ensure doctrinal orthodoxy, and both sides agreed to a new set of statutes for the LCWR.
Both sides also reaffirmed a commitment to maintaining unity and keeping the faith and spiritual practices of the Catholic Church at the heart of their common mission.
How implementing those recommendations will play out in the coming years is somewhat unclear, but the report seems to make it clear that both sides are eager to put the episode behind them.
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832b71355c135dc4876512eb0f9dcf34
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/18/plastic-free/25949859/
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For this Earth Day, try kicking the plastic habit
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For this Earth Day, try kicking the plastic habit
A sandwich made from individually wrapped slices of cheese. Coffee made from a convenient K-Cup. A quick and easy microwaved meal. These are just a few of the everyday things people who attempt to live a plastic- and package-free existence choose to go without.
Difficult for sure, but some people feel strongly enough about the environmental effect of plastic to sacrifice the convenience.
For accountant Beth Terry of Oakland, it took hearing about New Yorker Colin Beavan, the "no-impact man" trying to minimize his environmental harm.
And she learned about what plastic does in the ocean, including how albatross mothers who gathered food unknowingly returned with small bits of plastic and microbeads — a tiny exfoliant found in some bath and beauty products. The plastics killed their chicks.
"I realized that was me — that was the stuff I was using," she said.
Terry began collecting and reducing the amount of plastic waste she generated each week. Now it is a way of life. Her book, Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, is being re-released this month with a forward by musician and plastic-free advocate Jack Johnson.
Terry now shops in bulk with her own bags, makes her own shampoo and cleaning products with baking soda and vinegar and contacts sellers on eBay or Etsy to make sure they will ship their products without plastic.
Reasons to Reduce
Danielle Richardet, 36, of Wilmington, N.C., and her husband, Aaron, got rid of their trash service in 2008. She wanted to reduce the amount she recycled as well, and looked to the biggest culprit in her bin — plastic. Specifically, food packaging.
"That's where I found that we as a family were creating the most plastic waste," she said.
Richardet now shops in bulk or at her local food co-op. She fills her own containers, usually reused glass or Mason jars. She buys cheese in full wheels, then shreds it and freezes it. And she always makes her own cookies, fruit leather and granola bars.
The busy mother of three does the best she can, but there are some concessions she makes for her family.
"I am not totally plastic-free," she admits.
Jay Sinha of Quebec and his wife, Chantal Plamondon, were searching for glass baby bottles before the birth of their son in 2003. A company that made them, Ohio-based Evenflo, required a wholesale purchase of 1,000 bottles.
In 2006, they launched their online business (lifewithoutplastic.com). They sell stainless steel containers for leftovers, glass straws, lifestyle items for pet care, office items and more.
"We wanted to be a source for information about plastics and plastic alternatives, and be a one-stop shop," Sinha says.
If the thought of giving up your favorite lip balm or instant cup of coffee is just too much to bear, start small, say the experts.
"Don't get overwhelmed, and don't feel guilty," Terry says. "Even if you can't get rid of all the plastic all at once, re-think some of the single-serving things you buy."
Instead of yogurt in single-serving containers, get a big one and portion it out. Swap bottled water for filtered. Get to know your local butcher and baker. Just do what works.
"There is no such thing as perfect," Richardet says.
Plastic is all around us, but could we live without it? Show us something plastic you did away with and how you went about it. Tweet @usatodaymags the picture using #plasticfree. Keep this going until Earth Day!
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57384c9b27aa9a24619840efbb84579b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/19/health-memory-alzheimers-research/25730777/
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Best memory advice? Exercise, stimulating hobbies
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Best memory advice? Exercise, stimulating hobbies
If Alzheimer's tops your list of fears about getting older, you're not alone.
One in eight adults over 60 report some form of memory loss, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But just because you're a bit fuzzy on where you left your car keys or you're having trouble summoning up the name of your neighbor's dog doesn't automatically mean you're headed for Alzheimer's.
"We now know that while both age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's disease originate in the part of the brain known as the hippocampus, they occur in two distinct regions — the dentate gyrus for age-related memory loss and the entorhinal cortex for Alzheimer's," says Nobel laureate and neuroscientist Eric Kandel, co-director of Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Kandel's research on memory has transformed the understanding of the way the brain stores and retrieves memories and why we experience a decline in our ability to remember as we age.
The good news: More research suggests steps we can take to prevent, delay or even reverse memory decline.
One of the best ways is to challenge our brains with new stimuli, he says. "There is a connection between how we learn and what we remember. If you learn well, you generally remember well, too." He points to research showing that even playing video games may have some protective powers against memory loss.
A study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic published this month in Neurology found that adults who engaged in activities such as arts and crafts, book clubs and travel were half as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment in their 80s as those who did not pursue brain-stimulating hobbies. Those benefiting most began such pursuits in midlife.
"Lifelong learning is the key to maintaining cognitive function," says lead author Rosebud Roberts. "It's a 'use it or lose it' scenario. When you engage in cognitively stimulating activities you're strengthening synaptic connections, but if you don't use those circuits in your brain, the connections degenerate."
Your attitude may also play an important role in the effectiveness of these brain-engaging activities. A study in Nature Neuroscience has found that people with Parkinson's who were given placebo pills improved their cognitive skills as well as those on actual medication.
"The expectation of success plays an important role in achieving it," says study co-author Daphna Shohamy, a neuroscientist at the Zuckerman Institute. "They believed it worked and therefore had greater confidence in themselves. Our research suggests that training ourselves to expect certain outcomes can have powerful physiological consequences," including improved memory.
Exercise is one of the best things older adults can do to protect memory, an Institute of Medicine report on cognitive aging suggested Tuesday. Even walking an hour a day three times a week is enough to have a measurable effect, research suggests.
"Exercise can lower our risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, both of which are risk factors for cognitive impairment, and can also help improve depressive symptoms, which are associated with worse cognitive function," says Deborah Barnes, professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco.
"We're learning that exercise has direct effects on brain cells. Some studies have found it can actually increase the size of the hippocampus. There also is evidence that exercise seems to have a large effect on the frontal lobes of the brain, which help us plan and organize our daily lives."
Kandel believes solving the memory puzzle is no longer a distant dream. "I'm optimistic that we could have a pharmaceutical solution for age-related memory loss in the next five years," he says. "We can reverse it in lab experiments in several ways already."
Until then, keep walking. Or, if all that exercise has you tuckered out, consider a nap: A new study in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory suggests that sleep, too, has memory-restoring powers.
Brain foods? Consider these:
There's no magic bullet when it comes to memory loss, but some common foods may give your brain a boost:
Caffeine
A study at Johns Hopkins University found that the equivalent of one to two cups of coffee a day helped people remember detailed descriptions of items they saw a day later.
Cocoa beans
Naturally occurring chemicals called flavanols in cocoa beans increased blood flow to the brain and significantly improved people's memory over three months, a study in Nature Neuroscience found. But they were prescribed in a dose equivalent to about a dozen chocolate bars. Study author Scott Small is investigating whether the effect can be found in doses that fall within healthy dietary guidelines.
Spinach
A daily dose of leafy greens may slow cognitive decline, possibly because of the effects of vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta-carotene, researchers at Rush University Medical Center found.
Green tea
People who drank a beverage containing green tea extract showed greater brain connectivity in MRI scans and performed better on memory tests than those who didn't drink it, a paper in Psychopharmacology reported.
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488aff929443c0dca09462d46f16ae48
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/20/father-of-8-was-familys-hero/26100137/
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Family's 'hero': Father of 8 dies taking wife to hospital
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Family's 'hero': Father of 8 dies taking wife to hospital
WAUSAU, Wis. — The father of eight who was killed in a crash with a deer early Friday as he drove his wife to the hospital to deliver a baby boy focused his life on his children, his church and service to the greater good, friends said Monday.
"It's hard to think of a time when his kids weren't around him," said the Rev. Aaron Huberfeld of St. Mary's Oratory in Wausau, the church the family attends. "His kids looked up to him in every way. He was their hero."
Michael Rogan, 42, of the Stratford area, was killed early Friday in a crash on Highway 97 in the town of Cleveland when a deer that had been hit by another vehicle flew into the windshield of the van Rogan was driving. Rogan was seriously injured in the crash and later died of crash-related injuries at a hospital, according to the Marathon County Sheriff's Department.
Rogan's wife and seven children were in the van and he was driving his wife to the hospital to deliver the couple's eighth child, according to Dominic and Cecilia Gruetzmacher, also members of St. Mary's.
The Gruetzmachers set up a GoFundMe account on Friday, asking for $5,000 to help Rogan's family. They raised the goal throughout the weekend as donations kept pouring in.
In the three days since Rogan was killed, about $207,000 has been raised for his wife and children, and organizers have raised their goal to $250,000.
"I never expected it to take off like this," Cecilia Gruetzmacher said Monday.
They said Rogan's wife homeschools the children, and they hope the money being raised will allow her to continue that. The Gruetzmachers said on the GoFundMe site that enough had been raised to cover funeral and medical expenses in addition to a new van for the family.
Dominic Gruetzmacher said Monday that Rogan had told another church member that he was excited for the birth of the couple's eighth child.
Rogan also was a former Marine, he said.
"He was very proud to have served his country," Dominic Gruetzmacher said. "I always looked at him as serving his family the same way — that fidelity, that dedication."
Huberfeld said that Rogan typically was at the church about three times a week. A member for at least 15 years, Rogan cooked every summer during a week-long camp for boys, participated in the church men's group and sang in the choir.
"At Mass I could always hear his strong bass voice from the choir loft," Huberfeld remembered.
His family, as always, was in attendance at Sunday's Mass and a baptism for their new baby boy was held afterward, as planned. Many members of the congregation stayed for the baptism and Huberfeld estimated that about 100 people gathered at a home on the outskirts of Wausau for the afternoon.
"It was a very teary morning," Huberfeld said.
Huberfeld received a call from Rogan's wife at 5 a.m. Friday and headed straight to the hospital where the family had been taken. He remembered seeing the tight-knit family together at the hospital, the younger children on the laps of their older siblings.
Rogan's family is doing "amazingly well," he said, given the circumstances.
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097a9ab12b89222091be59fee3a3d20c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/21/michael-brown-memorial-tree/26113345/
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Michael Brown memorial tree is replaced
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Michael Brown memorial tree is replaced
FERGUSON, Mo. — A tree that was planted in memory of slain black teen Michael Brown was replaced Monday after it was vandalized in a Ferguson park over the weekend.
Police say the original sapling was chopped off at the trunk at January-Wabash Park. Someone also took the concrete and metal dedication plaque at the base of the tree.
A second tree that was dedicated by a Ferguson resident to a dead pet also was vandalized.
Brown's death at the hands of white police officer Darren Wilson in August, sparked violent protests in Ferguson over the summer. In November, when a grand jury declined to indict Wilson, protests again erupted in Ferguson — and across the nation.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the city said in a statement that the tree, donated by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, was found damaged Sunday.
Police said they have not found witnesses to the vandalism and have no leads in the case, the newspaper reported.
Both saplings were re-planted Monday, and the plaque will be replaced later this week.
More coverage:
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7f770188c2ce1df6d671e3267b5eea50
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/23/michael-brown-family-sues-ferguson/26234123/
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Michael Brown's parents sue Ferguson over son's death
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Michael Brown's parents sue Ferguson over son's death
CLAYTON, Mo. — The family of an unarmed black teen who was fatally shot by a white police officer on a Ferguson, Mo., street filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday against the city of Ferguson, former police chief Thomas Jackson and former officer Darren Wilson.
Lawyers for Michael Brown's parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr., challenged the explanation of the shooting presented by Wilson, who resigned from the force four months after the August confrontation.
"He wants us to believe he was a 5-year-old sitting in his patrol car ... and was attacked by Hulk Hogan," lawyer Anthony Gray said Thursday, calling Wilson's explanation "concocted."
"America cannot continue to sanction the killings of unarmed people of color," lawyer Benjamin Crump added. "We see these narratives just being accepted."
Wilson has said the confrontation began when he rolled up behind Brown, 18, and another man and asked them not to walk in the street. Soon the confrontation escalated, and Wilson says Brown reached into the car, with the two men wrestling over a gun.
Wilson said he shot Brown several times after Brown, having started to flee, turned and charged the officer.
The shooting ignited months of sometimes violent protests. In November, a St. Louis County grand jury decision not to indict Wilson on any charges in Brown's death sparked more protests.
The suit alleges Wilson violated Brown's civil rights through "unlawful detention and the use of excessive and deadly force." It also accuses the city and Jackson of failing to hire, train, supervise, retain, and conduct a fair and impartial investigation, alleging the police department "had a custom or policy of negligently hiring and retaining officers, failing to property train and/or supervise officers in the use of deadly force."
Jackson is also accused of civil rights violations by employing Ferguson police officers who used "unjustified, unreasonable, and illegal use of excessive force, including deadly force."
Wilson is accused of making an unconstitutional stop and/or detention and use of excessive force against Brown, who was walking down a street when he was stopped by Wilson on Aug. 9.
A call to Wilson's lawyer was not immediately returned. Jeff Small, a spokesperson for the city of Ferguson, said city officials will not comment on pending litigation.
After the local grand jury declined to charge Wilson, the U.S. Justice Department reviewed the case and decided not to press civil rights charges against the officer. A Justice Department report, however, found numerous instances of racial bias within the Ferguson Police Department.
Since the Department of Justice reports were released, several Ferguson officials have resigned, including Police Chief Tom Jackson, Judge Ronald Brockmeyer and City Manager John Shaw.
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d2bed014315995cd309dfb5e27e0909b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/24/carbon-emissions-agriculture/26285753/
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U.S. announces plans to reduce agricultural carbon emissions
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U.S. announces plans to reduce agricultural carbon emissions
DETROIT (AP) — Federal agricultural officials announced Thursday voluntary programs and initiatives for farmers, ranchers and foresters meant to build on President Barack Obama's efforts to combat global warming — and they don't require congressional approval.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the plans at Michigan State University, where Obama signed the sweeping farm bill into law last year. The efforts, many of which have their roots in that law, aim to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions, boost carbon capture and storage and come with various enticements, including grants, low-interest loans and technical assistance.
Vilsack said the agriculture industry accounts for about 9 percent of U.S. emissions, adding that compares favorably with the rest of the globe but can be improved.
"American farmers and ranchers are leaders when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and improving efficiency in their operations," he said in prepared remarks. "We can build on this success in a way that combats climate change and strengthens the American agriculture economy."
Before the event, Vilsack said officials "want to do this in a way that will help not only the environment but also improve agricultural productivity with improved yields, and we can also improve the bottom line of producers with greater efficiency."
Obama administration aides have said the issue of climate change became even more attractive after the November election, because the Democrat has considerable leverage to act without Congress. Such actions, though, have drawn fierce objections from Republicans and the energy industry.
Specific actions include reducing the unnecessary use of fertilizer and methane emissions from cattle and swine, reforesting areas damaged by wildfire and disease and encouraging tree planting in urban areas. For methane reduction in particular, the federal program promotes installing more anaerobic digesters, which use naturally occurring bacteria to break down organic waste to produce biogas, a fuel similar to natural gas.
Vilsack's department estimates that if all steps are followed, it would reduce emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by roughly 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent — akin to taking 25 million cars off the road a year.
Already, Obama has moved to cut U.S. emissions through tougher fuel economy standards and has set a target of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions by up to 28 percent below its 2005 level by 2025.
Last year's landmark agreement that commits the U.S. and China — the No. 1 and No. 2 greenhouse gas emitters — to dramatic action on carbon emissions in the coming years drew sharp criticism. Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma who's the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, called that agreement "hollow and not believable," and has previously vowed to block Obama's moves.
White House senior adviser Brian Deese said although there's "a lot of focus on climate change here in Washington," the issue becomes less rancorous and political elsewhere.
"One of the things that is striking when you get out into different parts of America and you talk to people about their business, communities and how a changing climate is affecting the way they do business, the issue is not partisan, it's practical," he said, adding that the many of the steps being taken by the USDA stem from the farm bill passed with bipartisan support.
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377ba1c5803b3d2693c5e1ac726d5b9f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/24/idaho-shaken-quakes/26288447/
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N. Idaho shaken by two 4-plus magnitude quakes
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N. Idaho shaken by two 4-plus magnitude quakes
SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) — Two earthquakes — a magnitude 4.1 and a 4.2 — jolted north Idaho on Thursday night, with residents from northeastern Washington to northwestern Montana saying they felt the tremors.
The Bonner County emergency dispatch office in Sandpoint received no reports of injuries from either quake, a dispatcher said. The Forest Service dispatched a crew to check out a Lakeview-area report of downed trees that was believed related to the first quake, the dispatcher added.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 4.1 quake hit first, at about 7:32 p.m. It was centered 30 miles northeast of Hayden. The second quake, at about 10:45 p.m., was centered 38 miles north-northeast of Hayden.
Hundreds of people logged onto the USGS National Earthquake Information website to report having felt the quakes.
In Bonners Ferry, about 30 miles north of Sandpoint, Boundary County emergency dispatcher Brad Stalcup said he was among those who felt the first jolt. "I'm in a concrete building and the train tracks are 200 feet away," he said. "I can feel rumble of the train — and this was way more exciting than a train."
In Seattle, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network director John Vidale said the size of the quakes seemed relatively unusual for that part of Idaho.
A magnitude 2.8 quake was recorded at about 8:50 p.m. Thursday, some 20 miles northwest of the central Idaho community of Council.
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5ffa8cb721b33b2c1601e67360d3d342
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/24/tennessee-swingers-club-church/26301565/
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Tenn. swingers club to open as church instead
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Tenn. swingers club to open as church instead
NASHVILLE — Same address. Same owners. Same floor plan.
But instead of a sex swingers club, anticipate a church in Madison, Tenn.
On paper, at least, that's the new plan for the property where a swingers club recently tried to open before city and state policymakers moved swiftly to block it.
The owners now plan to open a church that caters to their club members. The United Fellowship Center will honor memberships from The Social Club, according to a member newsletter, but baseball caps, bandanas, skull caps and sagging pants won't be tolerated.
"It's going to be a place where people can meet and enjoy fellowship. There is no sexual activity that will go on there," said Larry Roberts, attorney for the owner. "I assume if someone meets there and wants to do something of a sexual nature, they'll go to a hotel or a motel or go home."
A church renovation plan was approved through the city's review process, allowing a work permit to be issued, although other inspections are yet to come.
Floor plans for the club, and now for the church, show the same room layout with several label changes. The club's themed "dungeon" room will now be for the "choir." A dressing room has become the sacristy. There's a new pastor study penciled in.
The move comes after state lawmakers blocked private sexual swinging clubs from locating within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, daycares or parks, and the Metro Council changed its zoning code to block private clubs from properties zoned for office uses.
Both measures targeted The Social Club, which applied to move into a former medical office on a property adjacent to Goodpasture Christian School.
A massive backlash against the club — especially from churches — drew hundreds to Madison community meetings while the club's attorney threatened a lawsuit or sale of the building to another controversial group.
Roberts said the fellowship center will require a membership. A first event is not yet scheduled.
Several of those who opposed The Social Club say they are skeptical of the change.
"I find it hard to believe that they've invested that kind of money and they're just going to change the activity," said Ricky Perry, president of Goodpasture. "I really hope that it's true."
Metro Zoning Administrator Bill Herbert said the department takes applicants at their word, so inspectors are treating the building as a church. As long as the United Fellowship Center is in compliance with codes, it will receive permission to operate.
"If it is not operating as a church, that's an enforcement issue," he said. "We can tell them to cease and desist, and if they refuse we can enforce it through the courts."
Councilwoman Karen Bennett, who led the zoning change, has since advanced a second proposal to keep sex clubs only within industrial areas, a bill that awaits a second council reading.
"They just changed the names of the rooms," Bennett said of the club's change of plans. "If they want to say they're a church, it really has to go through the normal process. I'm assuming they'll have to get their (nonprofit) status."
Bennett said the opponents still have interest in what happens, and in "checking out the church when it opens."
Contributing: The Associated Press
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