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2b762fd1a6e5fbff0e9c26de37ccc577
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/08/25/great-gray-debate/1050835002/
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The great gray-hair debate is one for the ages
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The great gray-hair debate is one for the ages
I once asked my mother-in-law when a woman should stop coloring her hair.
“Never,” she answered. Elaine Lee’s mother-in-law believed the same, and clung to her hair coloring routine until, at age 75, she could no longer stand at the sink to perform the process, says Lee, 55, of Ferguson, Mo.
By contrast, Lee, who grayed in her early 20s, has never dyed her hair, which now gleams silver. Though she initially felt too young to go gray and female relatives urged her to camouflage her streaks, Lee’s father told her, “This is who you are,” and she listened.
“Once I got comfortable with it, it was a more positive thing because I stood out in a crowd,” says Lee, who is African-American. “My skin tone is very dark, and my hair is very white. I’m a lasting impression.”
Whether pressure comes from friends, family or a youth-oriented culture, nearly every woman will eventually wrestle with the question: Do I go gray or wash it away? Some women may color their gray to please a partner or because they don’t want to appear older than their colleagues or peers, but the dilemma isn’t always about simply maintaining a youthful look, says Amelia María de la Luz Montes, a writer and associate professor of ethnic studies, English and creative writing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Race and culture can influence the decision to dye, says Montes, who identifies as Chicana. For example, dark hair can be an important part of Latina identity, a type of cultural marker, says Montes, 60. She once wrote about a colleague, also Chicana, who stopped dyeing her hair but quickly returned to coloring it when people mistook her for Caucasian.
“I consider coloring my hair as part of my activism,” says Montes, whose nickname is “Roja” or red, a nod to her long, thick auburn hair. “It’s a political act because I wish to be seen as Latina. Not that all Latinas, or Chicanas or Mexican-Americans, have my hair coloring. But my family members in Mexico have my hair color.”
African-American women may disguise their gray for an entirely different reason, says Nikki Walton, Lee’s daughter, who is also a psychotherapist, author and founder of the popular “life and hair therapy” blog CurlyNikki.
“Women write to me and say ‘I can’t be both natural and gray,’” says Walton, 35, who uses henna to keep gray at bay. “‘I can’t have this kinky texture that the world deems unattractive and this gray, silver color that the world deems unattractive.’ They say ‘What am I supposed to do?’”
Be brave and hang in there while your true color and texture emerge, Walton advises. “It’s tough, and it takes time, and you feel naked and ugly for a while ... and then one day it’s the new normal and you feel more comfortable and more powerful than you’ve ever felt before.”
Victoria Marie, 57, of Los Angeles, says that nothing in her Greek, British, Scottish and Irish background swayed her to embrace her natural salt-and-pepper strands over bottle brunette.
However, she clearly remembers that when she last colored her hair in 2012, it made her feel like she was wearing a mask.
Marie’s personal hair journey led her to produce and direct her first documentary, Gray Is the New Blonde, which will explore views and attitudes toward women with gray hair. Through her research, Marie has found that when it comes to coloring hair, women of all backgrounds share one thing in common:
“The single biggest reason a woman embraces her gorgeous grays,” says Marie, “is because she is tired of dyeing every two to four weeks. She wants to live her life.”
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e5a61a9f5d077e0f5a82702d63a90253
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/08/28/3-d-printed-guns-cody-wilson-selling-plans-despite-ruling/1127628002/
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3D-printed gun maker says he's selling blueprints, despite court order against him
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3D-printed gun maker says he's selling blueprints, despite court order against him
AUSTIN, Texas – The owner of a Texas company that makes untraceable 3D-printed guns said Tuesday that he has begun selling the blueprints through his website to anyone who wants to make one, despite a federal court order barring him from posting the plans online.
Cody Wilson said at a news conference that he started selling the plans Tuesday morning and that he had already received nearly 400 orders. He said he’ll sell the plans for as little as a penny to anyone in the U.S. who wants them.
“Anyone who wants to get these files is going to get them,” Wilson said, noting he can only sell to U.S. customers. “They can name their own price.”
Wilson said that blueprints purchased through his company’s website could be downloaded on a thumb drive and shipped to buyers by standard mail, sent by email or sent by some other secure download transfer. Some of his first sales included purchases made with crypto currency, he said.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had sought an injunction to stop a settlement that the State Department reached with Wilson’s Austin-based company, Defense Distributed, after the agency removed the 3D gun-making plans from a list of weapons or technical data that are not allowed to be exported. The states argued that online access to the undetectable plastic guns would pose a security risk and could be acquired by felons or terrorists.
More:3D-printed plastic guns: The issue isn't over since instructions are already public
More:3D-printed guns might be inevitable. But are they a practical weapon of choice for criminals?
From Cody Wilson:My guns respect security norms
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle blocked Defense Distributed from posting the blueprints online, saying, “It is the untraceable and undetectable nature of these small firearms that poses a unique danger.”
Wilson said he believes the ruling allows him to sell the blueprints even if he can’t post them online for free, widespread distribution.
“Regulation under the (law) means that the files cannot be uploaded to the internet, but they can be emailed, mailed, securely transmitted, or otherwise published within the United States,” the ruling said on its final page.
“I’m following yesterday’s orders that direct me to sell the files,” Wilson said. “The judge was very gracious to put that in black lettering.”
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, whose office oversaw the federal lawsuit, said Tuesday that he believes the judge’s ruling makes Wilson’s latest actions illegal.
“Because of our lawsuit, it is once again illegal to post downloadable gun files to the internet. I trust the federal government will hold Cody Wilson, a self-described ‘crypto-anarchist,’ accountable to that law,” Ferguson said. “If they don’t, President Trump will be responsible for anyone who is hurt or killed as a result of these weapons.”
Andy Reuss, a U.S. Department of Justice spokesman, declined to comment.
Wilson said he anticipates that states may try to sue to stop him from selling the plans, but that he is raising money for his legal defense. He also said he will continue to challenge the Monday court order.
Wilson said he believes he could have previously sold the blueprints but didn’t because he wanted to be able to post them online for widespread, free distribution.
“For many years I chose not to sell these files. I was an open source advocate,” Wilson said. “I don’t expect to make money on it.”
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f2735e1c4c34eb5b8333702ca1ceb45d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/08/28/preteen-suicide-concern-school-mental-health/1119752002/
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Preteen suicides are rare, but numbers are on the rise
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Preteen suicides are rare, but numbers are on the rise
Preteen suicides, like that of a 9-year-old Denver boy last week, remain rare. But as their numbers rise, they're getting new attention from researchers.
Jamel Myles died Thursday of suicide, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner said Monday. His mother said on Facebook that he had been bullied by classmates.
"Please we are all the different and thats what makes us the same because we all have 1 thing in common we're all different thats what makes this world beautiful," Leia Pierce wrote in the post. "I want justice for my son and every kid who is bullied.. I want bullying to end I never want to hear someone else go thru this pain," Leia Pierce wrote in her public Facebook post.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the teen suicide rate rose by more than 70 percent between 2006 and 2016.
Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for elementary school-aged children in 2014, the CDC reported. The death rate among 10- to 14-year-olds more than doubled from 0.9 per 100,000 in 2007 to 2.1 per 100,000 in 2014.
Suicide is a particular concern among LGBTQ youth. Pierce told KUSA-TV that her son was bullied because he was gay.
Denver Public Schools said late Monday it was "deeply committed to ensuring that all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or transgender status. It is critical that our students receive all the supports they need to learn and thrive in a safe and welcoming environment."
The district said it has policies and training to prevent and stop bullying, and that it fully respects gender identity, "including use of preferred pronouns and restrooms."
Three out of four LGBTQ youth have searched online for information about depression, a survey this year of 14- to 24-year-olds by Hopelab found. That was more than double the percentage of straight youth who searched for the information.
The percentages who looked for information on anxiety were was similar: 75 percent of LGBTQ youth, compared to 36 percent of their straight peers.
Social media is a big part of the problem, says psychologist Benjamin Miller, chief strategy officer at the nonprofit Well Being Trust, which was a partner of Hopelab for the study.
Preteens and teens are "not given enough time to process heavy and emotional issues every day," Miller says.
"How do you process that as a teenager when you're still trying to learn coping skills?" he asks. "It’s an even bigger problem if you are 6 to 12 years old."
There's a "significant relationship" between peer victimization and suicidal ideation, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics in 2014. The authors analyzed 34 studies, with participants ranging from 9 to 21 years.
The suicide rate among black children aged 5 to 12 appears to be roughly double that of white children of the same age group, researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health reported this year. In contrast, the rate of suicide for black adolescents was half that of white adolescents.
More:City renames Westwood street 'Gabriel's Way' to memorialize child suicide victim '
Pierce told USA TODAY her son was part black.
She asked that his name be spread "with love and justice for all like he wants."
Miller says the rising rates speak to a need for more school mental health services and "to where we are as a society, and our lack of hope and feelings of despair."
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86d6fe6c826b2a95aa4212a3832cb1b5
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/04/woodward-book-fear-reflects-chaos-trump-white-house/1191692002/
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Woodward book 'Fear' reflects chaos in White House, says Kelly called Trump an 'idiot'
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Woodward book 'Fear' reflects chaos in White House, says Kelly called Trump an 'idiot'
White House chief of staff John Kelly frequently lost his temper and referred to President Donald Trump as "unhinged" and an "idiot," author Bob Woodward writes in his new book "Fear: Trump in the White House."
Kelly, in a statement Tuesday, denied the claims as simply "not true." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders also refuted the book's claims.
The book also describes a president obsessed, angry and paranoid about the Russian investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller.
The Washington Post said it obtained a copy of the 448-page book before its release. Woodward, an associate editor at the Post, rose to stardom with his coverage of the Watergate break-in that brought down President Richard Nixon.
Woodward cites as his sources hundreds of hours of interviews with mostly unnamed Trump aides and others. According to the book, Kelly often vented his frustration with Trump.
"He’s an idiot," Kelly is quoted as saying. "It’s pointless to try to convince him of anything. He’s gone off the rails. We’re in Crazytown. I don’t even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I’ve ever had.”
More:Trump tweets warning on Syria as offensive targets last rebel stronghold
More:'Fake social,' 'fake search' are the new 'fake news' for Trump
The Post reports that a recurring theme of the book is the efforts of Trump aides to control his impulses, hiding papers so Trump can't sign them and talking the president down from what were viewed as bad ideas.
The book claims that at one point, Trump's then-personal attorney John Dowd felt he had to convince Trump that he would commit perjury if he talked to Mueller. So Dowd staged a practice grilling that provoked a string of contradictions and lies.
“This thing’s a ... hoax,” Trump finally said, before deciding he didn't want to testify after all.
Kelly said in his statement that "the idea I ever called the President an idiot is not true . . . . As I stated back in May and still firmly stand behind: 'I spend more time with the President than anyone else, and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship. He always knows where I stand, and he and I both know this story is total BS.'"
"I'm committed to the President, his agenda, and our country," Kelly said. "This is another pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from the administration’s many successes."
Sanders said Tuesday that "This book is nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the president look bad."
Dowd also scoffed at several points made in the book, saying he never referred to Trump as a "liar" or suggest that the president would end up in an "orange jump suit."
Woodward writes that Trump's national security team was concerned the president showed little interest in world affairs. Trump even complained about the military spending involved in joint exercises and other activities aimed at maintaining a strong presence on the Korean Peninsula.
“We’re doing this in order to prevent World War III,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reportedly told the president.
"Mattis was particularly exasperated and alarmed, telling close associates that the president ... had the understanding of — ‘a fifth- or sixth-grader,’ ” Woodward writes.
Trump has become famous for mocking political foes – referring to Sen. Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as little rocket man – but the book shows he can be equally tough on his allies. Trump is quoted as describing Reince Priebus, Kelly’s predecessor, as "a little rat. He just scurries around."
Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster was victimized for his wardrobe, with Trump saying he wore cheap suits "like a beer salesman." And he was harsh and blunt with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, telling him “I don’t trust you. I don’t want you doing any more negotiations. … You’re past your prime.”
Woodward says he sought to interview Trump for the book, but his team declined. Later, however, Trump reached out to Woodward seeking an interview in a phone call the author recorded.
Woodward said he asked Kellyanne Conway and others with the White House for access to the president but was rejected.
"Well, a lot of them are afraid to come and talk, or – you know, they are busy," Trump responded. "I’m busy. But I don’t mind talking to you."
Woodward warned the president that it was a "tough" book.
"Right. Well, I assume that means it’s going to be a negative book," Trump responds. "But you know, I’m some – I’m sort of 50 percent used to that. (Laughter) That’s all right. Some are good and some are bad. Sounds like this is going to be a bad one."
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f48f8f4733d914ee42c26f042802f021
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/10/amber-guyger-dallas-officer-burglar/1254789002/
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Dallas officer who killed black man reportedly thought he was burglarizing her apartment
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Dallas officer who killed black man reportedly thought he was burglarizing her apartment
The Dallas police officer charged with manslaughter in the death of a black man she shot in his apartment last week thought she was in her own apartment and that the man was a burglar, a law enforcement official says.
The official, who spoke to the Dallas Morning News on condition of anonymity, said Officer Amber Guyger had just ended a 15-hour shift when she parked on the fourth level of the South Side Flats garage Thursday night. She normally parked on the third level.
The officials said Guyger, a four-year veteran of the force, then went to the door she thought was hers but was one floor too high. Guyger didn’t notice that Jean's door had a red doormat, the official said told the Morning News.
Guyger put her key in the unlocked door and it opened, the official said. The official said Guyger told investigators she entered the dark apartment, saw someone inside and thought it was a burglary. Guyger said she pulled her gun and fired twice, the officials said.
More:Dallas officer charged with manslaughter after killing neighbor in his apartment
More:Dallas police officer fatally shoots man after entering wrong apartment
She turned on the lights and realized she was in the wrong apartment.
Botham Jean, a 26-year-old native of St. Lucia who worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas, was shot once in the chest, the officials told the media outlet. Guyger called 911, and Jean was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
Guyger was freed on bail after being charged with manslaughter Sunday. Manslaughter in Texas is a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson said the case would be taken to a grand jury, and that a more serious charge of murder was possible.
Mayor Mike Rawlings thanked the Texas Rangers for "thoroughly investigating this tragic case." Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall had turned the investigation over to the state investigators to eliminate bias concerns.
Jean, a graduate of Harding University in Arkansas, had a reputation for volunteerism and charity work. Rawlings called Jean "a great man."
Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for Jean's family, said black people in America have been killed by police officers for simply "driving while black" and "walking while black." Now, he said, “we are being killed living while black when we are in our apartments.”
Crump said the fact that Guyger remained free for days after the shooting shows she was receiving favorable treatment.
"Justice is a relay race, not a 40-yard dash," Johnson said.
Contributing: Bill Keveney, USA TODAY; WFAA-TV in Dallas; The Associated Press
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dadcf6a2b9ccc0a0db4d4dd0e3d9f96e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/12/hurricane-florence-costs-damage-deaths-harvey-irma-maria/1265643002/
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Why hurricanes are doing more damage: It’s not the storms. It’s us.
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Why hurricanes are doing more damage: It’s not the storms. It’s us.
Three catastrophic hurricanes made U.S. landfall within 30 days of each other last year, causing more than $250 billion in losses.
By the time the winds died down and the floodwaters receded, Harvey, Irma and Maria were three of the five most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history – and 2017 was the costliest hurricane season ever.
But despite that exceptional cluster of storms, it's not that hurricanes are getting stronger or more frequent that's making them more expensive.
It's that there's more in the way for the storms to destroy.
As Hurricane Florence takes aim at the Carolinas this week, emergency management officials, meteorologists and insurance companies are looking as much at what's in its path as they are the strength of the storm itself.
"The damage trend is obviously through-the-roof up, but most of that trend is due to population growth along the coastline," said Phil Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University. "There's just more people in harm's way, unfortunately. And not only are there more people, but we’re more affluent than our parents were."
Those moving to the coasts are living in larger houses and own more cars, but their houses are also closer together. That means more impervious surfaces – such as roads and rooftops – and less area for the floodwaters to go.
So even as better construction methods have reduced the wind damage in many places – especially Florida, where Hurricane Andrew in 1992 inspired an overhaul of building codes – storm surge and flooding have taken over as the primary concern.
The frequency and intensity of hurricanes have ebbed and flowed throughout the last century, but there has been no measurable increase in either over that time, several studies have found. If anything, in fact, there has been a slight decrease.
That doesn't mean that climate change isn't having an effect. As sea levels rise, storm surges are reaching farther inland.
And one study published in July showed that tropical cyclones across the world are actually slowing down. James Kossin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the average hurricane slowed about 10 percent from 1946 to 2016.
More:Hurricane Florence's state-by-state forecast: See what could happen where you live
More:Hurricane warnings issued as Florence takes aim on Carolinas
More:Hurricane Florence forces military to flee major bases in South Carolina, Virginia
Slower hurricanes – such as Hurricane Harvey – can dump more rain on an area before moving on, adding to their destructive power.
Last year's blitz of hurricanes was all the more unusual because the East Coast had enjoyed more than a decade of relative calm. Before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in August 2017, the last major hurricane to hit the continental United States was Wilma in 2005.
That's a half-generation of people moving to coastal areas in search of jobs, retirement, or lifestyle – many of whom had never experienced a hurricane before or didn't remember how destructive they can be.
That "hurricane amnesia" is why so much of the preparation for a storm emphasizes that people should follow the instructions of local emergency management officials.
"When it comes to surge and it comes to flooding, you can either build up higher or you build back from the water," Susan Millerick of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety said. "But you know, when the storm comes you still need to evacuate, because you can't outrun the surge.
"Building codes are not meant to keep your house standing in the case of a severe weather event. They’re meant to get you out safely."
Building codes can differ from place to place. In a recent ranking, Millerick's institute found South Carolina's rules to be among the most up to date among hurricane-prone states. But North Carolina's code lagged the rest of the country by one or two cycles and didn't meet even the 2009 standards for anchoring windows and doors.
Forecasters say it's too soon to tell how destructive Hurricane Florence will be – but it has the potential to be on par with last year's historically destructive storms.
"Florence is going to pose a triple threat of impacts in terms of high winds, coastal surge and then inland flood," said Steve Bowen, a meteorologist with risk management firm Aon Benfield.
He said much will depend on when, where and how fast it hits ground.
"You like to say in sports that it’s often a game of inches," Bowen said. "In this case, it's a matter of miles that can make a difference of billions of dollars."
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49f345d8b0b1b6164490c76abcdcaa9d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/13/separated-migrant-families-get-second-chance-asylum/1288273002/
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Separated migrant families to get second chance at asylum
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Separated migrant families to get second chance at asylum
As many as 1,000 migrant families separated by the Trump administration under its "zero tolerance" immigration enforcement policy will get a second chance to apply for asylum under an agreement brokered between the Department of Justice and lawyers representing those families.
The agreement, submitted in federal court late Wednesday, will halt deportation proceedings to give another opportunity to parents who failed the first stage of the asylum application process, where they must demonstrate they have a "credible fear" of returning to their home country.
"The Trump administration will never be able to erase the full damage of its family separation policy, but this agreement is an important step toward restoring and protecting the asylum rights of impacted children and parents going forward," said Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney who has been leading the team of lawyers representing the families.
Lawyers for the parents have argued that they were not able to properly present their cases because they were separated from their children at the time of their interviews, a traumatic experience that made it difficult to explain the situation in their home countries. Under the agreement, federal immigration officials will be required to consider the "psychological state of the parent at the time of the initial interview."
Lawyers for the parents have also argued that parents were rushed through the asylum process by federal immigration officials, were not informed of all their legal options and were occasionally coerced into signing away their right to apply for asylum. Under the agreement, the government must allow a lawyer to represent the parents during their second interview, either in person or on the phone.
If either the parent or child passes the initial credible fear interview, families will be allowed to continue the asylum process together. In cases where the parent is turned down, they will be allowed to remain in the U.S. until the conclusion of their child's asylum case.
The agreement provides a small window for the roughly 400 parents who have already been deported to return to the U.S. to make new asylum claims. But those cases will be "rare and unusual" and will require case-by-case reviews by the federal judge overseeing the case.
"The government does not intend to, nor does it agree to, return any removed parent to the United States or to facilitate any return of such removed parents," the agreement read.
Gelernt said the agreement at least leaves open that possibility.
The agreement does, however, allow all deported parents to testify on behalf of their children in the U.S. by phone and provide documents from their home countries to prove the hardships the child would face.
The plan, which was filed by lawyers on both sides late Wednesday, must be approved by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw, who ordered the administration to reunite all separated families and continues overseeing the reunification process. Sabraw is scheduled to hold the next hearing on the case on Friday in his San Diego courtroom.
The new process comes as the government has struggled to finalize all family reunificaitons ordered by Sabraw in June.
Of the 2,654 children who were separated, 2,181 no longer are in government custody, either reunited with their parents or placed with other sponsors. Another 57 remain in custody because the government alleges they were not separated from their parents. That leaves the 416 whose parents are either deported, in jail on separate criminal charges or facing further scrutiny because the government is concerned they may pose a danger to the child.
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221285bfa79d92f0e4dbf6d1a53341a1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/15/tropical-storm-florence-how-help/1317935002/
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Here's how you can help after Florence
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Here's how you can help after Florence
After Florence's slow, perilous plod across the Carolinas – dumping torrents of rain that led to devastating floods – charities and aid groups are kicking into high gear.
Here is a list of some of the groups responding to the disaster and ways you can help:
The American Red Cross is providing food and shelter to evacuees in multiple states. The group has mobilized 140 emergency response vehicles and more than 120 trailers of equipment and supplies. The Red Cross is appealing for people to also donate blood.
United Way Worldwide has created a Hurricane Florence Recovery Fund to provide a single clearinghouse for individual and corporate donors to support communities in the storm's path. United Way also offers a free 24/7 hotline – 211 – for people seeking shelter, food and water.
World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, has staff on the ground in the Carolinas and has shipped six truckloads of relief supplies to be delivered through local church and community partners to reach at least 9,000 people. The supplies include food, clean water, personal hygiene items, diapers and flood cleanup kits.
Americares, a global health organization, is partnering with health clinics in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to deliver emergency medicines and relief supplies, including aid for displaced families.
Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid group, is deploying teams of staff and volunteers in two hard-hit areas in North Carolina – New Bern and Wilmington – to help homeowners with cleanup, such as tarping roofs and clearing yards of debris.
The Salvation Army has more than 50 mobile feeding units positioned along the coast of the Carolinas. The group is sending food to evacuation shelters as well as feeding first responders.
Save the Children, an international children's agency, has a team on the ground in North Carolina that will focus on the needs of young people, such as setting up child-friendly spaces in evacuation shelters.
Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organization, is working with Team Rubicon – a U.S.-based group that unites military veterans and first responders – to assess the most pressing needs in the Carolinas. Mercy Corps anticipates providing cash assistance to the most hard-hit communities so people can buy what they need for recovery.
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, a safety-net group that provides medical, dental and pharmacy services, is helping people access health care, medications and supplies during the disaster. Fifteen clinics in North Carolina and 14 in South Carolina were in the path of the storm, the group says.
The Humane Society of the United States says it has helped more than 400 adoptable cats and dogs get out of shelters in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Charity Navigator, an independent watchdog that appraises charities based on their tax filings, lists these groups responding to Florence that hold a three- or four-star rating. You can find the list here. The group advises people to research relief organizations before making a donation.
More:'Uninvited brute' Florence leaves 8 dead, nearly 1 million without power
Also:Two people, 100+ animals escape flooded North Carolina animal shelter
Related:Man who successfully rode out Florence on his boat says he napped a lot
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c021e6ed707dc49a57d544d8ed4b2ca2
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/16/hurricane-florence-34-inches-later-its-still-raining-swansboro-n-c/1327743002/
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Swansboro, N.C., got 34 inches of rain - and it's still coming down
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Swansboro, N.C., got 34 inches of rain - and it's still coming down
It started raining Thursday in the quaint North Carolina tourist town of Swansboro, and 34 inches later, it was still raining Sunday.
The good news is that it's supposed to stop – on Wednesday.
"We broke the state record for rain at one time," Mayor John Davis said. "But, considering the strength of the storm and how long it has stayed, we did pretty well."
The storm is Florence, and it roared onto the North Carolina coast last week and hasn't left. Swansboro, the self-proclaimed "friendly city by the sea," is home to about 3,000 people, on the Intracoastal Waterway about 80 miles northeast of Wilmington.
Davis told USA TODAY that he doesn't want to downplay the hardships facing many residents as the cleanup moves forward. But he said roads have been cleared and efforts to restore power, a process that could take two weeks to complete, are underway.
Davis said a few homes did flood. Storm surge caused minor damage to some businesses near the water. And the wind when the Florence first hit took a toll.
"In our historic district, we had 10 roofs peel off like the top of cans," he said.
More:Florence bringing 'catastrophic' flooding, mudslides deep into North Carolina
More:Florence: Mayor tells thousands to evacuate or notify next of kin
National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Oravec said other cities also are likely to see rain totals reaching 30 inches before the rain finally stops later in the week.
"This is historic in terms of the amount of rain from one storm," Oravec said.
Davis, who has served as mayor for 10 months, estimated that about half of Swansboro's residents are riding out the storm. He spent the last few days holed up in the public safety building with first responders, watching over his town.
"The days all blend together," he said. "But we are moving forward."
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f2a5ce4b1fa7182d946ef2c0c3147a76
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/18/fur-ban-los-angeles-largest-city-rabbit-mink-chinchilla-clothing/1344616002/
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Fur ban: Los Angeles on track to become largest city yet to ban fur clothing sales
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Fur ban: Los Angeles on track to become largest city yet to ban fur clothing sales
LOS ANGELES -- This city known for its Hollywood glamour is set to become the latest to say fur doesn't fly.
Without dissent, Los Angeles put itself on track to become the largest U.S. city to ban the sale of fur clothing and accessories after a unanimous vote of the city council Tuesday.
The ban, which still faces a second vote, would end the sale not only of fur coats and mink stoles, but also fur on handbags, ear muffs -- even lucky rabbits' feet.
The move to ban fur follows San Francisco and smaller cities in California like Berkeley and West Hollywood. In addition, many top designers have said they will no longer use animal fur, including Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and Versace.
"The time is now," said Councilman Bob Blumenfield at a rally outside city hall before the vote was taken. "The greatness of a nation can be judged by how its animals are treated."
Another councilman, Paul Koretz, cited videos depicting cruelty as animals were being slaughtered for fur.
"Let's make history," implored Joanna Krupa, a reality-show actress who has appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Real Housewives of Miami." She was surrounded by supporters toting signs that said "Fur is dead" and "Wear your own skin."
Koretz noted "clearly (the ban) will disrupt an industry," though there is a two year fur-sales phase-out period.
No representatives of the fur industry appeared before the council because public testimony wasn't allowed. But Keith Kaplan of the Fur Information Council of America, who said he was present at the hearing, said the fur industry is being swayed without fully knowing the facts.
It is being "slandered by sensationalism, lies and deceit in an effort by anti-animal use advocates to influence elected officials," he said.
He refuted the allegations laid out by the city council members and anti-fur advocates, saying that dogs and cat pelts are not allowed for trade in the U.S. He said the fur industry does not engage in "inhumane practices" and no animals are skinned alive. Animals are euthanized in accordance with American Veterinary Medical Association standards.
He said fake fur, which is touted as the alternative to real fur, has its own problems. It's an oil-based product that isn't recyclable and doesn't degrade after being thrown away like natural fur.
The proposed law, as stated in council documents, would "prohibit the manufacture and sale of fur products, including apparel made in whole or in part of fur, or any fashion accessory." It would include even small items like keychains and jewelry, but doesn't apply to leather or lambskin, byproducts of food production.
Follow Los Angeles bureau chief Chris Woodyard on Twitter at @chriswoodyard
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/27/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-hearing-triggering-sexual-assault-victims/1444891002/?utm_campaign=Arjen%20van%20der%20Horst&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter
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For rape and attack survivors, the Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford news cycle full of triggers
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For rape and attack survivors, the Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford news cycle full of triggers
She was a 17-year-old high school student when she was drugged, raped and impregnated by a college freshman she knew.
The New York woman woke up with her bra pulled up and her pants pulled down. The man who gave her the beer that made her sick was lying next to her.
It wasn't until she went to the doctor a month later that the girl, previously a virgin, understood what had happened.
She was pregnant. The worst part, she says, was the abortion.
A week of news about sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, culminating Thursday in the congressional hearing at which both Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified, has brought all of the memories rushing back.
"I have listened to every second and cried and felt anxious and angry," says the woman, now 40.
The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) warned on its website that it was "experiencing unprecedented wait times for our online chat." RAINN's sexual assault hotline had a 147 percent increase in calls over its normal volume, RAINN estimated.
More:An unwavering Christine Ford: I'm '100 percent' sure that Brett Kavanaugh assaulted me
More:Peppering testimony with psychological terms, Ford appears as an alleged victim and an expert witness
More:For sexual assault survivors, tips for dealing with onslaught of triggering news
Clinical psychologist Melissa Sporn says some people are able to "compartmentalize and push negative experiences into a place far from their consciousness."
But even they have had trouble escaping the round-the-clock news of sexual assault.
"I think, to some degree, we are all triggered by the news these days," says Sporn, who practices in McLean, Virginia. "But for those with abuse histories it is a barrage of reminders and alerting stimuli."
Her advice: "Know that it is OK to take a break from media and technology. Sometimes just hitting the off button can enable your system to recharge and allow you to exhale."
For one 50-something California woman, it was taking sanitary napkins off a grocery store shelf for her middle school daughter this summer that triggered a 40-year-old memory of an attempted sexual assault.
She cried uncontrollably in the car as she recalled that her older, teenage male attackers backed off only when they saw she had her period.
In a way, the woman says, she has found the news this week to be healing, because so many people have condemned sexual assault. Still, the news has triggered her once-suppressed memories
"The thought of calling out the guys who did this to me is overwhelming," says the woman. "Calling out a judge up for Supreme Court is astounding, especially in this political climate."
USA TODAY does not name victims of sexual assault.
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/28/flu-pandemic-100-years-ago-50-million-died-could-happen-again/1423955002/
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100 years ago, influenza killed as many as 50 million people. Could it happen again today?
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100 years ago, influenza killed as many as 50 million people. Could it happen again today?
One hundred years ago, death came with astonishing speed and horrifying agony.
Some influenza patients admitted to a Boston hospital in the morning of October 1918 would be dead by the evening, their bodies turning blue from lack of oxygen. Hospitals reported an average 100 deaths a day, overwhelming morgues.
Up to 500 million people – about one-third of the world’s population – became infected with the influenza virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as 50 million died, or one out of every 30 human beings on the planet. The virus killed more American troops than died on World War I battlefields.
The intensity and speed with which the flu struck were almost unimaginable. It was the worst global pandemic in modern history.
It's chilling to think that such a calamity could occur again.
"A global influenza pandemic is No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 on our list of the most-feared public health crises," according to Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
Vanderbilt University infectious disease specialist William Schaffner said, "We fear flu. We know how serious it is."
It could happen again
Top health and science groups, such as the World Health Organization, the National Academy of Sciences and the CDC, predict influenza pandemics are nearly certain to recur.
"Influenza viruses, with the vast silent reservoir in aquatic birds, are impossible to eradicate," the World Health Organization warned. "With the growth of global travel, a pandemic can spread rapidly globally with little time to prepare a public health response."
A pandemic could arise if a strain mutated or developed directly from animal flu viruses, the CDC said. The main contributors to the potential for a pandemic are the lack of a global vaccine and humans' lack of immunity.
"The threat of a future flu pandemic remains," the CDC said. "A pandemic flu virus could emerge anywhere and spread globally."
If an equal ratio of Americans died in a pandemic today, that would be 2 million Americans. That's the current population of the entire Las Vegas metropolitan area.
In a near worst-case scenario, a new, lethal and highly infectious flu virus would break out in a crowded, unprepared megacity that lacked public health infrastructure, according to Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Heath.
Such a fast-moving virus could burst from a city and catch a ride with international travelers before public health officials realized what was happening.
Avian influenza viruses such as H7N9 top pandemic threat lists, according to Johns Hopkins. Though these strains are mostly harmless in chickens, they could evolve into much deadlier strains for humans.
“In terms of pandemic potential, an avian influenza virus is thought to be a likely candidate, based on prior pandemics,” said Amesh Adalja of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
There are safeguards that did not exist 100 years ago to detect and counteract influenza outbreaks.
These include systems to detect signs of potential outbreaks around the world, Schaffner said. He said scientists have the capacity to make vaccines more rapidly and have better antiviral drugs that could be used to treat those who contract the disease.
Still, influenza and the potential for a pandemic are concerns that are always at the top of the list for experts who work with infectious diseases and public health, he said.
Pandemics ignore national borders, social class, economic status and even age.
1918 pandemic
Spreading from birds to humans, the 1918 pandemic might have started in Kansas. Or France, or maybe Asia, according to Olsterholm.
What is known is that it was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of bird origin.The First World War, about to come to its horrific end in Europe in November 1918, may have played some role in moving the virus around the world. "But we can't say that the war was the cause," he said.
It was "a widespread, worldwide pandemic. It was a virus no one had ever seen before," said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the vaccine education center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
More:After deadly 2017-18 flu season, surgeon general urges Americans to get shots
The pandemic killed more people in 24 months than AIDS killed in 24 years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century, according to the book "The Great Influenza."
The dead included about 675,000 people in the United States. In just October alone, the worst single month in the U.S., an unthinkable 100,000 Americans died. Many were young adults in the prime of their life.
"The high mortality in healthy people, including those in the 20- to 40-year age group, was a unique feature of this pandemic," the Centers for Disease Control said.
The World Health Organization said the 1918 influenza pandemic was known colloquially as “Spanish flu,” although there was nothing “Spanish” about the epidemic.
Flu today and how to protect against it
Although every flu season is different and influenza infection can affect people differently, millions of people get the flu every year, according to the CDC. Hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized, and thousands or tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year.
An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu, the CDC said. People 6 months old and up should get a flu vaccine every season.
Even if it's only 40 percent effective, that's better odds than doing nothing at all, Offit said. "Influenza knocks you out."
Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits, including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children. Osterholm recommended getting the shot as close to the heart of flu season as possible, since the duration of protection is limited.
He said citizens should reach out to the government and tell it to start working on new vaccines for influenza.
"There are potentially new pandemic strains out there," he said. "But we've invested very little in influenza vaccines."
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/03/patients-drug-addiction-treatment-centers-opioid-epidemic-crisis/1358894002/
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Patient deaths bring scrutiny to drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers
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Patient deaths bring scrutiny to drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers
During her nearly three days at an Arizona drug detox center, law enforcement reports show, an Ohio mother repeated the same request to multiple staff members: Take me to the hospital.
Madison Cross, 22, traveled from her home outside Columbus, Ohio, last Oct. 7 to check into Serenity Care Center, a state-licensed drug detoxification center in suburban Phoenix. Her family said she wanted to kick her addiction to opioids and other drugs for her 2-year-old daughter.
Once at the center, she showed escalating signs of distress.
She had trouble breathing. Her pulse raced. She was wheezing, and her lungs sounded “crackly," staff members told investigators.
She appeared lethargic and ill. One technician told investigators her complexion was jaundiced, and her lips were purple. Another said she went from pale to yellow to blue.
Technicians reported her vital signs to nurses, who consulted with medical staff about her care, according to medical records from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office obtained by USA TODAY under a public records request. She was ordered several medications.
But she was not sent to the full-service hospital less than a mile away. She collapsed in her room at Serenity and was soon pronounced dead.
The Maricopa County medical examiner concluded Cross’ death was an accident caused by “septic complications of acute bronchopneumonia in the setting of heroin toxicity.”
An attorney representing the young woman's family called the center's treatment of Cross "outrageous."
"This woman was basically begging for them to save her life by sending her to the hospital, and they refused," attorney John Wrona told USA TODAY.
He plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of the family.
A spokesman for Serenity said the center provided appropriate care and monitoring for Cross. The center performs regular room checks, vital signs readings and intervenes when required, spokesman George Haj said.
Patients who are undergoing withdrawal and trying to stay clean are particularly vulnerable to medical emergencies. As the opioid epidemic causes demand for addiction treatment to surge, industry veterans said tougher standards, better screening and greater oversight are needed to improve patient safety.
More than 1.4 million people sought treatment for alcohol or drug addiction from inpatient, outpatient and residential treatment programs in 2015, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The federal agency recorded 3,362 deaths.
States separately report death investigations at residential treatment centers. In California alone, state regulators have investigated more than 150 deaths at treatment facilities since 2014. That includes 44 during the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Industry officials said the for-profit centers that have flooded the growing market for addiction treatment are in some cases providing aggressive marketing and substandard care.
"This is a huge issue for the industry," said Marvin Ventrell, executive director of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. "It is a critical time where we can get this right or we can get this wrong."
Ventrell was speaking generally. He was not addressing Cross' death, Serenity or any particular center.
His organization, which represents about 850 facilities in the USA, tightened its policies this year to require members to adhere to an updated code of ethics that prohibits such practices as "patient brokering" – paying recruiters to bring in patients who can generate lucrative insurance payments for services that must be covered under the Affordable Care Act.
The association is cracking down on websites that deceive consumers about treatment as well as inducements to get people in treatment.
Unscrupulous providers try to sell the service to the prospective patient, industry leaders said, rather than assessing his or her individual medical needs. Many patients, leaders said, might fare better if they received medications such as suboxone or methadone from a doctor rather than checking into a facility and detoxing.
"The key is not to be assessed by a marketer on a website but by a clinical provider at a reputable center," Ventrell said.
More:Mom who lost 2 sons in 1 day to opioids: Give kids a life-saving exit strategy
More:Senate advances plan to combat opioid epidemic
More:Naloxone can reverse opioid overdoses, but does the drug belong in elementary schools?
More:The opioid crisis hits home. Mine.
The burgeoning industry has attracted the attention of congressional investigators. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations called industry leaders to a hearing in July on advertising and marketing practices.
Longtime treatment organizations said they welcome tighter regulations for an industry flooded with newcomers seeking to profit off the addiction crisis.
Mark Mishek, president and CEO of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, told lawmakers that the industry is underregulated and lacks consistent quality standards.
"Our industry has seen the rise of unprofessional, unethical and sometimes illegal practices such as deceptive marketing and patient brokering – not to mention excessive consumer billing and insurance fraud," Mishek testified. "In too many cases, people who need help are instead being harmed."
More people need addiction treatment than there are beds or outpatient facilities available. A federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report estimated about one in 10 people who needed substance-abuse treatment in 2016 received it.
Advocates said for-profit treatment centers provide Americans much-needed access to care. They said it's inaccurate to say bad business practices have led to poor care at for-profit centers.
Mark Covall is CEO of the National Association of Behavioral Healthcare, an industry organization that represents about 1,000 nonprofit and for-profit members that provide inpatient, outpatient and residential treatment for mental health and substance abuse.
Covall said association members adhere to state licensing requirements and often are scrutinized by third-party accrediting organizations such as the Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
"For-profit or nonprofit is a tax status," Covall said. "That doesn't necessarily give any indication of how well or not well a provider is doing."
'A lot of the problems we see come from the business model'
When Shaun Reyna contacted a Murrieta, California, treatment center in 2013, he was told he would receive a medical detoxification, an attorney for the family said in a lawsuit.
Reyna, battling alcohol and benzodiazepene addiction, was desperate for help, attorney Jeremiah Lowe says.
"I feel like I can't hold on any longer," Reyna said in a recorded conversation with a company employee.
"I get it, brother. I get it," the employee responded. "We're reaching crisis mode ... you need to get into a safe environment."
He took a train from his Atwater, California, home to A Better Tomorrow, the treatment center. He was admitted, and left unattended in his room. He slashed his arm, chest and neck with a razor and bled to death.
Reyna's family sued American Addiction Centers Inc., the publicly traded company that owned A Better Tomorrow. In February, a jury awarded the family $7 million in damages.
American Addiction Centers denies it is responsible for Reyna's death. It has appealed the judgment.
The company closed the Murrieta facility in 2017 as part of a consolidation.
Cody Arbuckle died at a Las Vegas addiction treatment facility owned by AAC last July. A coroner listed the cause as toxicity from loperamide, an ingredient in the anti-diarrhea drug Imodium A-D.
His mother has filed a lawsuit against AAC in the Clark County District Court. Kathryn Deem, Arbuckle's mother, is represented by Jeremiah Lowe's San Diego law firm, Gomez Trial Attorneys.
According to Deem's attorneys, staff at the Solutions Recovery house reported that Arbuckle was under the influence of drugs. But rather than transporting him to a hospital, they say in a lawsuit, they sent him to a "non-medical residential detoxification house" in Las Vegas.
Arbuckle was supposed to be under 24-hour monitoring, the lawyers say in the lawsuit, but he was not checked over 14 hours overnight. He was found dead the following morning.
The lawyers say in the lawsuit that AAC kept Arbuckle "in their non-medical program for business reasons, because they did not want to let go of their paying client."
He became the seventh patient who died shortly after entering an AAC facility, the attorneys say in the lawsuit.
Attorneys for AAC filed a motion to dismiss that lawsuit and compel arbitration, and the court has scheduled a hearing for Oct. 30. Arbuckle, like other patients, signed an arbitration agreement when he entered detox.
Attorneys for Arbuckle's mother say they will argue that the agreement is not enforceable, in part, because patients entering detox are vulnerable.
AAC representatives would not respond to USA TODAY's questions about the Arbuckle and Reyna cases, citing federal patient confidentiality laws.
'We are using this data to improve our services'
Company officials said AAC facilities are accredited by the Joint Commission or the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and meet or exceed the licensing requirements of the states in which they're located.
Tom Doub, AAC's chief clinical officer and chief compliance officer, said in a statement that AAC seeks "to set a standard in reporting quality outcomes."
The company paid for a study by Centerstone Research Institute that surveyed former AAC patients. Of those former patients, 63 percent maintained abstinence one year after treatment, a higher mark than national benchmarks, according to Doub.
"As we prepare for the next phase of research, we are using this data to improve our services as part of our ongoing commitment to clinical excellence," Doub said.
Lowe says the Reyna and Arbuckle cases represent a larger phenomenon in the industry.
"A lot of the problems we see come from the business model that allows for big profiteers to come in and make a whole bunch of money off the most vulnerable population," he said.
Six minutes, 25 seconds
Video footage taken in Cross' small detox room during the early morning hours of Oct. 10, 2017, shows her struggling.
She attempted to open a restroom door but seemed confused. Legs wobbling, she stumbled away from her bed and fell to her knees. She grabbed a shelf and held on for several seconds. Her right arm dangled to her side. She collapsed to the floor and lay still.
Six minutes and 25 seconds passed before a Serenity employee entered the room. The technician took her pulse – there was none, medical and sheriff's reports showed – rolled her on her back and began chest compressions.
Paramedics arrived minutes later and took her to Banner Del E. Webb Hospital, blocks away on the same street.
Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Joshua Michael Kennedy, the technician who discovered Cross' body, was interviewed by sheriff's investigators that morning. Serenity's attorneys listened to the interview over the phone.
Kennedy said Cross asked to be sent to the hospital because she didn't think she was getting the medication she needed. She worried she might have contracted strep throat from her daughter, investigators wrote.
Kennedy took her vital signs at 3 a.m. He noted an elevated pulse rate and less-than-ideal blood pressure, investigators wrote. He reported this to nurses at Serenity, but he "felt as if their response to him was as if he were being a nuisance," the investigators said.
Wrona, the family's attorney, argued that Serenity's nurses failed to recognize the seriousness of Cross' condition soon enough. He said the problem was compounded by a policy that limits communication from family members during detox.
"There is a difference between someone who is going through a garden-variety detox and one who has a life-threatening medical condition," Wrona told USA TODAY. "If they had spoken to her family, they would have been able to advocate for her in some way."
Haj, the Serenity spokesman, said privacy laws prohibit the center from discussing the details of Cross' case.
"Our policy is that medical personnel constantly monitor a patient’s condition ... including regular in-person monitoring of vital signs and in-person room checks," he said.
Staff members "do not rely solely on the video feed," he said.
"Patients undergoing withdrawal frequently request transfers to hospitals in the hopes of relieving anxiety or in the hopes of obtaining drugs," Haj said. "If all requests are satisfied, a patient’s substance use disorder treatment can be severely hampered. Patients are monitored to see if medical intervention is required."
Haj said Serenity has treated 2,472 patients since opening in May 2016; Cross is the only patient who died in the center's history.
The state of Arizona cited Serenity Care Center for a deficiency in how it screened a patient arriving at detoxification on the night of Oct. 7.
The Arizona Department of Health Services, the state agency that licenses and regulates detox facilities, did not name the patient, but the time of intake and description matched details of Cross' arrival and condition.
According to Arizona's notice of deficiency, Serenity's policies require a registered nurse to assess a new patient's medical condition and history. Two Serenity employees said that a licensed practical nurse, not a registered nurse, conducted the screen and assessment, according to state health department records.
Serenity was not fined by the state. The company submitted a plan of correction in May that detailed how the facility would address intake screening.
'He had been clean'
Fernin Eaton says his son had struggled with addiction on and off since he was a teenager. But he was hopeful when Nathan entered the Center Point residential treatment home in San Rafael, California, in 2013.
"He had been clean," Eaton said. "He had not been using. It was a huge success."
While at the home, Nathan Eaton complained of a toothache. He left the home to go to a dentist's appointment, but he didn't make it there. He met his girlfriend instead and took two methadone pills, according to Center Point staff reports obtained by the family. He didn't feel better, so he took three more.
Fellow residents at Center Point recognized that he was high and urged him to notify the residential facility's managers.
Rather than sending him to a drug-detoxification center or a hospital, staff chose to keep him at Center Point. His body was discovered in his room the next morning, according to the Center Point staff reports .
Fernin Eaton received a call from a Center Point representative informing him that his son had died from a drug overdose.
Eaton thought his son had merely relapsed.
Three years later, he learned the details from the father of the Center Point resident who discovered Nathan Eaton's body.
'Large number of deaths at drug rehab facilities'
Paul Schraps, who runs the nonprofit Parent Teen Bridges to help families coping with addiction, requested information about Nathan Eaton's death, the autopsy and the facility's licensing. He shared it with Fernin Eaton.
Eaton filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Center Point Inc. paid $245,000 to settle the case. It did not admit liability.
Schraps has since probed several other deaths at addiction-treatment centers. He's convinced it's a national problem.
Schraps said overloaded medical examiners don't have the resources to adequately investigate deaths at addiction treatment centers, and state regulators often fail to conduct comprehensive inspections and investigations.
"We all know there's an opioid epidemic," Schraps said. "What most people don't know, there are a large number of deaths at drug rehab facilities."
Ventrell, of the addiction treatment industry group, says treating a person with substance abuse disorder is fraught with risk.
"This disease is so deadly," Ventrell said. "There are many good centers that follow good protocols and have had patients die in their care."
Tips for choosing an addiction treatment center
• Avoid centers that use high-pressure sales tactics.
• Be careful when searching online. Do not decide solely from online directories, generic websites or offers of free treatment placement through a toll-free number.
• Avoid centers that offer incentives such as free airfare.
• Be wary of facilities that don't contract with major insurance companies. They may bill excessively as out-of-network providers.
• Ask a doctor or other medical provider for a recommendation.
Source: National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, USA TODAY research
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/10/president-ronald-reagan-3-d-new-hologram-reagan-library/1574147002/
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Ronald Reagan goes 3D as a hologram at his presidential museum
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Ronald Reagan goes 3D as a hologram at his presidential museum
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- He may not exactly be tanned, rested and ready, but the Gipper is back.
Those who miss Ronald Reagan's sunny optimism in these troubled times have a chance to hear from the 40th president himself as a three-dimensional holographic image at his library and museum.
The $1.5-million exhibit is the first of its kind among the nation's presidential libraries, said Executive Director John Heubusch.
"As technology has evolved, we wanted to go from 2D to 3D," said Heubusch. "We want to bring the visitor even closer to Ronald Reagan."
Visitors to the museum will be ushered into a room where they can get up close and personal with Reagan. After viewing a short film, curtains open and a 3D version of Reagan appears on stage in one of three scenes -- no glasses required.
He is either speaking from the back on a train during a 1984 whistlestop tour, in his horse riding attire at his California ranch or from the Oval Office after stepping off Marine One, the presidential helicopter.
The goal, above all, was realism, according to library and museum officials.
"It's like being in the room with the president," Heubusch said.
The museum, perched on a Simi Valley, California, hilltop offering stunning views, bills itself as the nation's most visited presidential library and museum. Dedicated in 1991, two years after Reagan left office, it was last revamped in 2011. It attracts 400,000 a year, plus those who come for events, from book signing to the occasional Republican presidential debate.
Over the years, the museum has added new exhibits like the Reagan-era Air Force One. Heubusch said there is a constant search to find ways to stay fresh.
The holographic exhibit was four years in the making, taking advantage of advances in hologram technology that has recently allowed the images of live people to be beamed to events around the world. As for dead people, they're showing up, too, but the process of having them make an appearance is more complicated.
In the case of Reagan, the transformation into a 3D holograph involved hiring an actor who had the right size and mannerisms. After none could be found with similar facial features, the museum commissioned a sculpture of Reagan's head just for video purposes.
The head, which now eerily resides in a bookcase in a cabinet, was scanned from all angles using multiple cameras. Then the image was transferred to the top of the body. The most difficult part, Heubusch said, was getting his mouth movements to conform exactly to Reagan's words, drawn from speeches and interviews. It was done through the kind of post-production magic used in Hollywood.
To do it all, the museum commissioned Hologram USA of Beverly Hills, California, which has specialized in the technique for entertainment and corporate events. There was, for instance, the time the company beamed a holographic image of Tupac Shakur into the Coachella music festival.
Bringing a walking, talking Reagan back as a continuing exhibit, however, "was, by far, the most important hologram we've done," said David Nussbaum, a senior vice president for Hologram USA. "This is a museum piece."
He said the team kept pushing for more realism, with Heubusch offering pointers. "When we said it looked great, John said it could be greater," Nussbaum said.
In one suggestion, Heubusch asked that Reagan be able to point to a sign on his desk in the Oval Office scene. The sign said there's no limit to what can be accomplished if one doesn't care who gets the credit. Heubusch got his way.
Heubusch sounds satisfied with the finished product. He said the exhibit will set the stage for the walk through the museum.
After all, Reagan's nickname was The Great Communicator. Now the former president's holographic self gets to do the talking.
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/22/mega-millions-record-1-6-b-jackpot-too-much-good-thing/1727069002/
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Record $1.6B jackpot too much of a good thing for some lottery players
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Record $1.6B jackpot too much of a good thing for some lottery players
The lottery fever sweeping the nation has some billionaire hopefuls feeling worried: Can a record jackpot in your pocket be too much of a good thing?
The Mega Millions drawing Tuesday night will be offering a jackpot of at least $1.6 billion, slipping past a 2016 Powerball drawing as the largest prize in U.S. lottery history.
“Mega Millions has already entered historic territory, but it’s truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time" record, said Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group and head of Maryland's lottery. “It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is.”
Los Angeles beach club worker Marcellus Jones isn't quite so sure. Jones, 26, bought three quick-pick Mega Millions tickets Sunday. But he said the thought of winning the $1.6 billion scares him. Jones has heard the stories about heartache brought on by big lottery wins. He says he's concerned about developing a drug addiction or mismanaging his fortune.
“There’s a half that says, ‘Oh, it’ll all be good,’” Jones said. “The other half says it’ll probably kill me.”
More:The numbers behind Mega Millions: Why lottery jackpots are getting bigger
More:'Why not give it a try?': Mega Millions' $1.6B jackpot creates a frenzy
More:Lottery lunacy: No Mega Millions winner; jackpot surges to $1.6B
Jerald Cowan, 33, also is trying his luck with the Mega Millions. His aunt and grandmother, both of whom are losing their homes, will be set for life if he wins, Cowan says. His church will also get a piece of the prize.
Still, he said, winning worries him.
“I don’t want to get all that money and then be depressed,” Cowan said. “So I would give it to my dad and let him ration it out to me, like buy me my dream car, put me in a nice apartment, stuff like that.”
The possibility of walking away with $905 million – the value of the cash option – also concerns Greg Weed, 47, of Culver City. That is why the substitute teacher said he would tell as few people as possible.
“You’ll have relatives you’ve never heard of popping up or people who one time angered you might be suing you,” Weed said.
Weed said he would use the money to ensure that his family is taken care of, pay off debts, buy property and fund a political super PAC supporting left-wing causes. But he's not sure he would feel comfortable holding the oversize check at the winner's press conference.
“Maybe I’ll hire an actor to play myself," he said.
Reticence notwithstanding, most of America is excited about the jackpot, and ticket sales are brisk. Big pots bring new players, so here is a quick tutorial on how to get in the game.
First, find an official lottery retailer. That might be a local convenience store or gas station, beverage outlet, grocery store or pharmacy. It's a good idea to search online for participating retailers near your home or business.
If you have lucky numbers, you can pick six numbers from two different pools: choose five numbers ranging from 1-70, and choose one number ranging from 1-25 (your Mega Ball number). Or just let the computer choose randomly.
Either way, don't get too excited. You win the jackpot if you match all six numbers. The odds of that happening are a modest 1 in 302,575,350.
Upside: You win your $2 back if you match the Mega Ball, and the odds of that are only 1 in 37. And there are a bunch of ways to win a chunk of cash in between.
There's also a Mega Millions Multiplier option if you're willing to spend an extra dollar at purchase. This can, if your Megaplier ball is drawn, increase your non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times. It's complicated, but it might mean more dough in your pocket if you're lucky.
You don't need to play Multiplier to win the jackpot.
And look, if things don't go well Tuesday, there is always Wednesday. That's when Powerball's not-insignificant jackpot of at least $620 million will be drawn. And the odds of winning?
Don't ask.
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dfdec2894f4ed676bc18d90fdd1ecb52
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/23/hurricane-season-most-active-record-atlantic-pacific-combined/1741226002/
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The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean hurricane season is most powerful on record this year
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The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean hurricane season is most powerful on record this year
The oceans near North America have been angry this year.
When all the hurricanes and tropical storms that have formed in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans this year are added together, the 2018 hurricane season is the most active season ever recorded, Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach announced Tuesday.
Florence and Michael were the most destructive storms in the Atlantic, while the eastern Pacific featured several powerhouse storms, including Lane, Rosa, Sergio and now, Willa.
To determine the strength of a given season, scientists use the "Accumulated Cyclone Energy" (ACE) index, which adds together the intensity and duration of all the tropical storms and hurricanes that formed.
So far in 2018, the ACE for the Atlantic and eastern Pacific seasons together is 432 units of energy, shattering the record of 371, which was set in 1992, Klotzbach said.
On average, the two ocean's combined ACE is 221 units.
More:Will Hurricane Willa affect the migrant caravan marching through Mexico?
The Atlantic by itself did not set an ACE record this year. However, it's been a record breaker for storms in the eastern Pacific Ocean: "The current ACE in the eastern Pacific is 311," Klotzbach said. "That is the record – breaking the old record of 295 set in 1992."
A total of 22 named storms have formed in the eastern Pacific, still five short of the all-time record of 27 set in 1992.
Though the number of storms is not a record, their extreme wind speeds have been: Klotzbach said that the most impressive record in the eastern Pacific this year is the number of major hurricane days. That stat measures the number of days that a major hurricane (winds of 111 mph or greater) occurred.
"We've already had 34.5 major hurricane days this year, which shatters the old record of 24 major hurricane days set in 2015," Klotzbach said.
The fierce season in the Pacific was due in part to abnormally warm sea-surface temperatures there, which in some places was as much as 2 to 4 degrees above average.
As the global climate heats up in the decades ahead, sea water will also warm, potentially fueling more storms. Scientists in a 2015 study in the Journal of Climate predicted an increase in tropical cyclone frequency in the eastern Pacific Ocean and near Hawaii.
Both the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons will continue until Nov. 30, so the final chapter on this year's activity cannot be written quite yet.
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d950f1ba1278eede56b6786ca2a212ee
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/26/bomb-like-device-senator-corey-booker-nypd-investigating/1772380002/
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Suspect in bomb mailings is church-going body-builder who said he worked with strip clubs
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Suspect in bomb mailings is church-going body-builder who said he worked with strip clubs
A Florida registered Republican with a history of financial problems, petty arrests and flamboyant political criticism mailed at least 14 explosive packages through the mail, targeting Democratic leaders and multimillionaires in a plot that struck a chord of fear throughout the nation, federal officials said in arrest records Friday.
Several people who know the suspect, Cesar Sayoc, 56, said they were shocked at the charges, although their descriptions paint a picture of a man who is hard to get a handle on: Sayoc attended the Little Flower Church in Fort Lauderdale, but he also told acquaintances he had a working relationship with male strip clubs in South Florida.
None of the explosive packages detonated and no one was injured in the mailings.
Sayoc told at least one neighbor he was a "flash dancer" at strip clubs and needed to keep his body in prime shape through weight training. But in court depositions, Sayoc is depicted as occasionally bankrupt and living with his mother.
“He was always cordial, courteous and professional,” said Daniel Lurvey, a Miami-Dade defense attorney who represented Sayoc in two theft cases in 2013 and 2014. “We talked a little bit about his work, and I remember him referring to an association with the Chippendale dancers."
The group is a nationally renowned touring troupe of male strippers, but Lurvey said he did not know exactly what Sayoc’s association was, and it remains unclear if Sayoc actually had any connection with the troupe.
Chippendales spokesman Michael Caprio on Friday said Sayoc “has never been affiliated in any way with Chippendales.”
In 2001, Chippendales sued – and won a judgment – to prevent Gold Productions Inc. from using the Chippendales name in their productions. Sayoc claims on his LinkedIn professional page to have been a promoter and booking agent for Gold Productions.
A former neighbor, Robert Blake, said he used to give Sayoc rides to the nearest health club where Sayoc, who appeared to enjoy bodybuilding, would work out most days.
He said Sayoc told him he made a living as a flash dancer and needed to work out to stay in shape. Blake, in an interview Friday with USA TODAY, said Sayoc lost his home to foreclosure during the nationwide real estate crash and disappeared from their suburban Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, a community of older single-family homes near Pompano Beach in Broward County.
Blake said Sayoc was unmarried and did not have any kids and lived next door to him for about three years.
He said he drove a Corvette and led a “quite un-ordinary lifestyle.” Sayoc describes himself on LinkedIn as a "Promoter, booking agent Live entertainment, owner, choreographer."
Sayoc was born in Brooklyn, New York. Records show he has a criminal history dating back nearly three decades, including a 2015 arrest in Broward County for petty theft and probation violation.
Federal authorities charged Sayoc with five federal crimes, including interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of an explosive and threats against former presidents.
Sayoc was arrested near an auto store in Plantation, Florida. Police examined a white van shrouded in stickers with political and anti-media messages.
Cops covered the vehicle with a blue tarp and took it away on the back of a flatbed truck. The stickers included images of President Donald Trump, American flags and what appeared to be logos of the Republican National Committee and CNN, though not all the images were clear.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said a fingerprint recovered from an envelope mailed to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters matched Sayoc's fingerprint.
Wray said investigators tracked more than a dozen devices mailed to high-profile Democrats and their supporters that all were similar. Each mailed device included 6 inches of PVC pipe, a small clock, battery, wiring and potentially explosive material designed to give out heat and energy.
"These are not hoax devices," Wray said.
Earlier Friday, Trump applauded the suspect's arrest, calling it "an incredible job" by law enforcement. The bombing attempts were "despicable" and have "no place in our country," Trump said during an event for African-American Republicans at the White House.
“We must never allow political violence to take root in America," Trump said, and "I’m committed to doing everything in my power to stop it."
The total number of bombs reached at least 14 Friday after more suspicious packages were recovered: one in Florida addressed to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, another in New York addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a device recovered at Sen. Kamala Harris’ office in Sacramento, California, and another package that was intercepted at a mail facility in Burlingame, California, addressed to billionaire Tom Steyer.
Harris’ office says it was informed that the package was identified at a Sacramento mail facility. The FBI responded to the facility in a South Sacramento neighborhood that’s been blocked off by caution tape.
A package addressed to Clapper was recovered at a Manhattan postal facility. Like some of the previous packages, the one found in New York City on Friday had the office of Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz as the return address, a photo obtained by CBS News showed.
The nation has been on heightened alert in the wake of the mail bombs sent to Trump critics, including the residences of former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Records show that Sayoc has a history of arrests dating back to at least the early 1990s. He also had financial troubles, filing for personal bankruptcy in Florida in 2012 during the Great Recession.
In 2002, Sayoc was charged with threatening to “throw, project, place, or discharge any destructive device," according to online court records from Miami-Dade County.
More recently, Sayoc was arrested in May 2015 and later convicted of theft, according to court records. West Palm Beach Police reported that he stole a briefcase and a garment bag from Walmart.
Sayoc estimated his monthly income at $923 after payroll deductions and monthly expenses at $1,070. He collected unemployment compensation in 2009, 2010 and 2012, according to the bankruptcy filing.
Court records indicate that Sayoc used to work at Stir Crazy, a small strip club tucked between a beauty salon, a real estate office and a public park off U.S. 1 in Pinecrest, a suburb south of Miami.
The club was hosting a Halloween party Friday afternoon. One of the bartenders said Sayoc used to work there several years ago, but she declined to comment further.
Attempts to reach the club’s manager and owner were unsuccessful Friday.
The suspicious package intended for Clapper was spotted by a postal worker at the Radio City Station facility at around 8:15 a.m. The employee contacted U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and they contacted the NYPD and FBI.
NYPD Bomb Squad officers scanned the package and saw what appeared to be a pipe bomb, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said at a Manhattan news conference.
The bomb squad relocated the package in its total containment vessel to the NYPD facility at Rodman's Neck in the Bronx. After being secured there, the package will be sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis, Miller said.
The device addressed to Booker was recovered at a mail sorting distribution center in Opa Locka, Florida, which has drawn intense investigative interest in recent days, as authorities believe that many of the suspected explosive devices passed through the state, a law enforcement official said.
Investigators were reviewing mail streams in and out of Florida, attempting to pinpoint locations where the parcels may have originated, said the official who is not authorized to comment publicly.
In New York, police have investigated multiple unattended packages in recent days and are urging the public to report anything that could be deemed dangerous.
The powder found in packaging in New York addressed to CNN's offices wasn’t a biological weapon, but further testing was being done, O’Neill said. The devices were examined at the FBI lab in Virginia.
FBI Assistant Director Bill Sweeney on Thursday said the investigation is nationwide and noted that more devices could be discovered. “It does remain possible that further packages have been or could be mailed," he said. "These devices should be considered dangerous.”
Wray echoed those sentiments Friday. "Today's arrest doesn't mean we are out of the woods."
More:Authorities eye Florida in hunt for source of suspicious packages, as security officials worry danger 'not over'
More:Another two potential bombs found: What we know now about the 12 suspicious packages
Contributing: Brett Murphy, Herb Jackson, Hannan Adely and Phaedra Trethan for the USA TODAY Network
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c33d3d3b0b9a8f86da39e37c3bae1c09
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/27/pittsburgh-shooting-what-we-know-shooter-tree-life-synagogue-and-victims/1789247002/
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What we know about the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
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What we know about the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
A shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 people dead and six injured Saturday morning, stoking horror in a heavily Jewish part of the western Pennsylvania city.
The shooting occurred at the conservative Jewish Tree of Life Synagogue in the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood during a baby-naming ceremony. More than half of Greater Pittsburgh's Jewish community lives in the area.
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, a veteran of the department, was on the verge of tears as he described the crime scene as "one of the worst I've ever seen."
More:Who is Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers? Anti-Semitic comments paint picture of man on mission
Who is the suspect?
Robert Bowers, 46, was charged by federal prosecutors with 29 counts, including using a firearm to commit murder. Bowers was allegedly armed with an assault rifle and four handguns.
Investigators believe he acted alone.
Posts believed to be from Bowers’ social media accounts show pictures of several Glock pistols in their cases and derogatory remarks about refugees, Jewish people and President Donald Trump.
What happened?
Bowers allegedly burst into the synagogue and screamed, "All Jews must die!", among other anti-Semitic epithets, as he opened fire on the congregants, according to a law enforcement official who is not authorized to comment publicly.
The FBI is investigating the mass shooting as a hate crime, according to the official.
Bowers allegedly shot and killed the 11 victims before being confronted by police. The call of a shooting at the synagogue came in at around 9:54 a.m. EDT, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said at a news conference.
As Bowers attempted to exit the synagogue, a gunfight erupted and two officers were injured, Pittsburgh bureau FBI Special Agent in Charge Bob Jones said.
In a later exchange of gunfire, two SWAT team members were injured. Bowers was taken into custody and is in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.
Suspect:Robert Bowers, 46, is the suspect in 'horrific' shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue
What was the scene like?
Tree of Life immediate past president Michael Eisenberg said he spoke with a maintenance man who hid in one of the bathrooms during the shooting and witnessed a wounded congregant before fleeing through an exit.
Eisenberg said he was on his way to services there when he noticed police swarming the streets.
"There were police cars everywhere, guns drawn, rifles," he told KDKA-TV. "It was surreal."
President:Trump says Pittsburgh shooting has 'little' to do with gun laws, armed guard could have prevented tragedy
Who are the victims?
The victims have not been identified by officials.
Eisenberg, the former president at Tree of Life, told KDKA-TV that there were three congregations meeting simultaneously on Saturday morning, probably totaling around 100 people. They were gathered in the main part of the building, as well in the basement and in the rabbi study room, he said.
Authorities have established a hotline for family members of the victims:
What is Tree of Life?
The synagogue was founded 150 years ago and offers members a "traditional Conservative service with a modern sense of family" and shabbat service on 9:45 a.m. Saturdays, according to the Tree of Life's website.
What is Squirrel Hill?
Squirrel Hill is a Jewish enclave near Carnegie Melon University. A little more than 50 percent of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish community lives in or around the neighborhood, said Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
Officials and leaders are weighing in
Trump has commented publicly about the shooting: "It's a terrible, terrible thing what's going on with hate in our country and, frankly, all over the world," Trump said. "Something has to be done."
Trump also tweeted about the incident:
Trump told reporters at a rally in southern Illinois that he will travel to Pittsburgh in the wake of the shooting. He offered no other details.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement:
"Today 11 innocent people were suddenly and viciously murdered during religious services and several law enforcement officers were shot. Accordingly, the Department of Justice will file hate crimes and other criminal charges against the defendant, including charges that could lead to the death penalty."
Former President Barack Obama issued a statement on Twitter:
Other local leaders, including Pennsylvania's governor, have issued statements of condolence.
“The shooting in Pittsburgh this morning is an absolute tragedy." Gov. Tom Wolf said in a written statement. "I have spoken with local leaders and my administration and the Pennsylvania State Police will provide any resources to assist local law enforcement and first responders."
Contributing: Joel Shannon, Rick Jervis and Sean Rossman, Dalvin Brown USA TODAY; Candy Wodall, York Daily Record
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21afd3246e1eb54040a5a9bf7b4e659f
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/29/halloween-weather-stormy-texas-ohio-lovely-east-southwest/1809055002/
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Your Halloween forecast: Spooky storms from Texas to Ohio, scary good in East, Southwest
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Your Halloween forecast: Spooky storms from Texas to Ohio, scary good in East, Southwest
Headed out for trick-or-treating Wednesday night? For some of you, get those ponchos ready: Stormy skies might douse Halloween plans for folks from the South to the Great Lakes region.
"Those hoping to go trick-or-treating from eastern Texas to Ohio will have plans ruined by heavy rain and even a few thunderstorms," AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.
Some of the soggiest cities include Houston; Dallas; Memphis, Tenn.; Louisville, Ky.; Cincinnati; and Cleveland. “Several inches of rain will fall, which can lead to flash flooding,” Rathbun said. Heavy rain will increase the flood threat into Thursday.
Flood watches have been issued for parts of western and northern Kentucky, southern Indiana and southern Ohio, the National Weather Service said.
A few strong to severe thunderstorms are also possible in eastern Texas and western Louisiana, the Storm Prediction Center warned. "Wind gusts to 65 mph, hail and localized flash flooding will be the more widespread concerns," AccuWeather meteorologist Joseph Bauer said. "A tornado or two cannot not be ruled out, but this looks to be more of a wind and rain event."
The storms "may hamper any outdoor Halloween-related activities," the weather service said.
The stormy weather on Halloween evening can be blamed on a cold front that's forecast to stretch from the eastern Great Lakes all the way to the south-central states, according to the Weather Channel.
The other damp area on Halloween evening will be the typically sodden Pacific Northwest, especially in Washington and Oregon. A few rain showers are likely along the coast and in the valleys of the region, while the mountains will see some snow. A few flakes will also whiten portions of the southern Rockies.
Looking for great weather? The East Coast from Boston to Miami will enjoy some ideal conditions for trick-or-treaters. Temperatures will be on the mild side, ranging from the 50s in New England to the 70s in Florida, under clear or partly cloudy skies. The Southwest and most of California will also see mild, dry conditions.
However, the dry, windy conditions in California could help spread any wildfires that happen to start.
The one area where the ghouls and goblins will have to bundle up is north-central U.S. This includes the Upper Midwest and northern Plains, where chilly temperatures in the 40s are expected for Halloween evening.
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13f56101f3fedf715c803eec2faaaebb
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/07/texas-judge-glenn-devlin-loses-election-lets-defendants-go-wholesale/1925207002/
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Texas judge lets juvenile defendants go in 'wholesale' after losing re-election bid
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Texas judge lets juvenile defendants go in 'wholesale' after losing re-election bid
A Texas judge who lost re-election released almost all the juvenile defendants that appeared before him Wednesday, a move that drew criticism from local prosecutors.
Judge Glenn Devlin, a juvenile court judge in Harris County, Texas, simply asked his defendants whether they planned to kill anyone before approving their release, the Houston Chronicle reported.
It was not immediately clear how many defendants were released, but the Chronicle reported at least seven. Their charges ranged from misdemeanors to violent crimes.
"'If I release you, will you go out and murder anybody?' And so, if the juvenile said 'No,' they were released," public defender Steve Halpert told KTRK-TV about the hearing. "Judge Devlin would never normally ask that question of a juvenile. This was unusual."
Halpert was requesting release for his client, according to the TV station.
The Chronicle reported that the youth's cases would be heard again, once Natalia Oakes, the Democrat who defeated Devlin on Tuesday, takes the bench in January.
In a statement, District Attorney Kim Ogg slammed the decision saying it "could endanger the public."
"We oppose the wholesale release of violent offenders at any age," Ogg added.
Devlin didn't comment to either the Chronicle or KTRK-TV.
All three juvenile judges in the county lost to Democrats on Tuesday, according to the Chronicle. Halpert told KTRK-TV he thought Devlin's actions were "a post-election weird blip."
"He made a comment, 'This is obviously what the voters wanted' and I think there's an implication by electing all Democratic judges, there's this belief that Democratic judges are going to be soft on crime," Halpert told the TV station.
Contributing: The Associated Press.
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4274b1b39cdbca9b231b9b5d66a9f22b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/08/ian-long-gunman-thousand-oaks-california-borderline-bar-grill/1928231002/
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What we know about Thousand Oaks gunman Ian David Long, a Marine veteran
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What we know about Thousand Oaks gunman Ian David Long, a Marine veteran
NEWBURY PARK, Calif. – Sunny Southern California weather has a way of making all neighborhoods look idyllic.
But in one such Los Angeles-area home, a ranch-style house in a pleasant, leafy enclave, lurked a profound darkness. Inside 804 Fowler Ave. lived a troubled man whose rages created booming noises and summoned local police.
Marine Corps veteran Ian David Long, 28, the man accused of killing 12 at a nearby country bar late Wednesday before shooting himself, was a former machine gunner and decorated combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan who, authorities said, had an episode of erratic behavior last spring that suggested post-traumatic stress disorder.
Long's various interactions with police over the years pointed to a man who needed professional help. None came.
Neighbor Richard Berge said everyone on the block was aware when the police came to the Long home earlier this year after an incident.
“Police were here, and they finally get (Long) to come out of the house," Berge told USA TODAY Thursday as FBI agents shuttled in and out of the home Long shared with his mother, Colleen.
More:Tracking apps offer hope, dread for families in Thousand Oaks shooting
More:'Horrific scene': 12 dead in Thousand Oaks, California, bar shooting
More:'He died a hero': Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus among those killed in bar shooting
Berge described Long's mother as “a very nice lady" – he got to know her after offering to care for one of the family's combative German shepherds – who was frustrated her son wasn't seeking help for his condition.
Although Berge had never been inside the Long house, he said a neighbor had reported seeing walls that were "full of holes," adding that the neighbor got the impression that Long had kicked the walls in.
“She was worried because he wouldn’t get help,“ Berge said. “I asked her, ‘Can’t he just get help.’ She said, ‘He can’t get help.’"
Longtime neighborhood resident Donald MacLeod, 79, shares a back wall with the Long residence. He says he often heard the volatile adult son arguing with his mother at all hours, sometimes “in the middle of the night, at 2 a.m."
MacLeod noted that Long was loud and appeared to be threatening violence. More than a year ago, MacLeod heard a gunshot in the home but did not call police. He said he viewed Long as troubled and kept his distance, adding that he told his wife to treat the young man carefully avoid any prolonged discussions.
“No question in my mind that the guy was troubled,” he said, adding that Ian Long’s time in Afghanistan “made it worse.”
McLeod said Long’s role in the mass shooting fit his impressions. “I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “I did not trust the guy.”
Tim Tanner, who lives on the corner three houses away, said Long was someone who largely kept to himself.
“I’ve seen him a couple of times,” he said. Long was easily identifiable when he drove around the neighborhood in his bright red pickup truck, which was still in the cordoned off driveway Wednesday.
He was a “quiet, normal guy, kept to himself.”
That "normal" characterization stands in contrast to a depiction by a former roommate of Long's who described him as a "weird" loner who could be aggressively anti-social.
“He was kind of weird, he always locked himself in his room, he was always by himself,” Blake Winnett, 35, told the New York Post. “I didn’t really know him very well.”
He should have. Winnett and Long lived together on two occasions in 2012 and 2014, while Long was attending college in nearby Northridge. But Long apparently was purposefully standoffish.
“He didn’t want to help anyone do anything, he was just lazy, I guess,” Winnett recalled. When Long was once asked to take out the trash, he snarled, “That’s not my (expletive) job."
Winnett said he saw no evidence of violence from Long. Instead, he says his roommate often would disappear into the garage where he would practice dance moves for hours on end.
"He would close the garage and be playing music and dancing in there, like sweating," Winnett said. "I would open the garage and would be like, ‘What are you doing?'”
Run-ins with local police
Local authorities said they had periodic contact with Long over the years.
He was the victim of a battery at a local Thousand Oaks bar and also had been involved in two traffic accidents. Deputies were called to his home last year because of a domestic dispute, where he was "somewhat irate and acting irrationally," said Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean.
However, after mental health professionals observed Long, they decided not to pull him in for further observation, Dean said.
Neighbors called to complain of loud noises earlier this year that sounded like he was damaging the house, neighbor Tom Hanson told local TV stations KTLA and KTTV.
"It sounded like he was tearing down the walls of the house," Hanson said.
The Marine Corps released a statement Thursday extending condolences to the victims and their families, noting that Long served from 2008 to 2013, including a 2010-11 stint in Afghanistan. He last post was at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii.
The Marine Corps' commandant, Robert B. Neller, tweeted his "heartfelt condolences" to those impacted by the shooting, while pointedly distancing himself from the Corps' former member.
"That ex-Marine's despicable actions run counter to what the vast majority of veterans are rightfully known for: serving w/ honor then making positive contributions to society," Neller wrote.
Some of those responding to Neller's tweets brought attention to the general's use of "ex" as opposed to "former," while others asked the commandant to focus the Corps' attention on PTSD and general care for veterans.
Still others put a spotlight on Brendan Kelly, a former Marine who was a helpful hero during the Borderline shooting and had also survived the Las Vegas massacre last year.
Prior to joining the Marines, Long attended Newbury Park High School not far from the family home.
Scott Drootin was Long's baseball coach during Long's sophomore and junior years at Newbury Park, where Long had transferred into from rival school El Modena.
He described his player as a good athlete but not a star — and noticeably downbeat.
“He was a very intense person, he didn’t seem like a happy kid," said Drootin. "The coaches and I tried to get the players to smile and have fun. It was really hard to get him to smile."
That said, Drootin stopped short of calling Long dangerous. "There were no signs of him having an explosive personality."
Drootin did single out Long's mother as some who was devoted to her son. "She really loved him," he said, adding that Long's mother was very active at school and athletic fundraisers.
A Twitter account belonging to Megan Barnes, a Long Beach Press Telegram reporter, reported that a former baseball coach of Long's, Matt Goldfield, had found a 2007 baseball team program that offered details about his former player.
Among the photos of the program posted online, one was of what appears to be a paid ad in the program, purchased by Long's mother. The dedication reads: "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be. Love, Mom."
Among the other photos were some of Long in uniform and at the plate. A page dedicated to the player reported him as being 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds.
Long's nickname is listed as Easy E, his batter-up song was "Don't Stay" by Linkin Park and his parents are listed as Colleen and David. He had no siblings.
Under "Home Runs," Long had listed snowboarding, trucks, GRAW and winning. GRAW is a common acronym for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, a tactical shooter video game. His favorite movie was listed as United 93, the story of the passengers trying to take control of the doomed hijacked plane on Sept. 11, 2001.
Under "Strikeouts," he cited work, Volkswagens and crashing.
Long wrote that his plans after high school included college baseball and professional baseball. Under "After Baseball," Long wrote "Death."
While Long's destiny wound up being the military and not the Major Leagues, he did seem to find some semblance of a normal life in June of 2009, when he wed Stavroula Tzavaras in Honolulu, Hawaii, according to court records.
But the marriage didn't endure. The couple separated in 2011, and finally divorced in 2013 citing irreconcilable differences.
Ultimately, whatever demons lived inside Long compelled him to dress Wednesday in a black, hooded outfit and load his legally purchased .45-caliber handgun that had an extended magazine for extra bullets that is illegal in California.
Long then headed to the Borderline Bar & Grill in neighboring Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, where he first shot security guards and then fired on hundreds of partiers who had gathered for the club's regular "college night" event.
A sheriff's sergeant rushing to the scene to help was among those killed. Long was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound lying not far from the entrance to the club.
Contributing: Brett Murphy and Jefferson Graham with USA TODAY; Kathleen Wilson and Tom Kisken, Ventura County Star
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63653a0b971bed73ac2b1b7023bfaeb4
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/10/thousand-oaks-shooting-gunman-posted-instagram-during-bar-massacre/1958013002/
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'Fact is I had no reason to do it': Thousand Oaks gunman posted to Instagram during massacre
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'Fact is I had no reason to do it': Thousand Oaks gunman posted to Instagram during massacre
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Ian David Long, the gunman who killed 12 people at a country music bar, posted on social media during the deadly rampage, according to law enforcement officials.
The first call to law enforcement came in at 11:19 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. The authorities arrived at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, three minutes later. They entered the building at 11:25 p.m.
Long, 28, first posted on Instagram at 11:24 p.m: "It's too bad I won't get to see all the illogical and pathetic reasons people will put in my mouth as to why I did it," the military veteran said in the post. "Fact is I had no reason to do it, and I just thought....(exploitive), life is boring so why not?" Long posted, according to ABC News and Buzzfeed.
Three minutes later Long posted, "I hope people call me insane (two smiley face emojiis) would that just be a big ball of irony? Yeah... I'm insane, but the only thing you people do after these shootings is 'hopes and prayers'...or 'keep you in my thoughts'."
He added, "Every time...and wonder why these keep happening... --(two smiley face emojis)."
Long ended the killing spree by taking his own life.
The Ventura County Sheriff's office requested that the social media service preserve the communications until the posts can be subpoenaed with a search warrant or court order.
The posts have already been taken down. Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the attack.
A stretch of Rolling Oaks Drive, the street leading to Borderline Bar and Grill, remained closed Saturday.
Investigators wearing white hazmat-style suits and respirators over their faces continue to process the scene that Long left behind. They'll keep going until at least Tuesday, a Ventura County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.
More:Tracking apps offer hope, dread for families in Thousand Oaks shooting
More:What we know about Thousand Oaks gunman Ian David Long, a Marine veteran
More:Thousand Oaks nightclub shooting: 12 dead, including a police sergeant
Contributing: Joshua Bowling, USA TODAY Network
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/12/california-wildfires-roar-paradise-woosley-camp-fire/1974574002/
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Camp Fire death toll reaches 42, deadliest wildfire in California history
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Camp Fire death toll reaches 42, deadliest wildfire in California history
The Camp Fire has become the deadliest wildfire in California history as the death toll reached 42 on Monday night.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea delivered the sobering news at a press conference following a day in which stiff winds conspired with low humidity and parched terrain Monday to hinder the efforts of firefighters combating historically devastating wildfires.
Authorities have 13 coroner’s search teams combing through rubble for the victims and will be getting more on Tuesday. They also will be getting two portable morgue units from the military and cadaver dogs to help with the search.
The collective death toll in California stands at 44; the Woolsey Fire burning in Ventura and Los Angeles counties has been blamed for two fatalities. More than 6,500 homes have been destroyed and more than 8,000 firefighters were battling the wind and flames.
Honea identified the first three of the victims of the Camp Fire as Ernest Foss, 65, of Paradise; Jesus Fernandez, 48, of Concow; and Carl Wiley, 77, of Magalia. A mobile DNA lab was set up to identify more victims.
In Southern California, the weather prognosis was not good.
"The latest rounds of Santa Ana winds are going strong in Southern California," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Samuhel told USA TODAY. "We are seeing gusts near 50 mph. It's an extreme fire danger, the upper end of the scale."
More:Gerard Butler, Robin Thicke, Shannen Doherty lose homes to fire
More:'We just want to go home': Southern California evacuees seek answers
The winds drive down the humidity, helping turn vegetation to tinder in an area that hasn't seen rain in a month, Samuhel said. Relief in the form of precipitation remains a week away, and the winds probably will remain a force into Wednesday, he said.
Samuhel said firefighters could get a modest break from the winds Tuesday but added that the humidity will remain low.
"Relief might be an overstatement, but at least the wind won't be as bad," he said.
Cal Fire, the statewide fire protection agency, said Monday night that the Camp Fire had grown to 182 square miles and was 30 percent contained. The fire had destroyed 7,177 buildings.
“This is truly a tragedy that all Californians can understand and respond to,” Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news briefing. “It’s a time to pull together and work through these tragedies.”
As of Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump tweeted that he had approved an expedited request for the major disaster declaration.
While the cause of the fire was being investigated, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. came under scrutiny after telling state regulators that it had been having a problem with an electrical transmission line in the area before the fire broke out. Cal Fire investigators were at the scene of the transmission line Monday. PG&E had no comment.
Later Monday, PG&E's counterpart, Southern California Edison, reported an outage near the origin point of the Woolsey Fire. It has burned more than 90,000 acres in Ventura and Los Angeles counties as of 8 p.m. PST Monday, destroyed 435 structures and claimed two lives. It was 30 percent contained.
The fire was first reported at 2:24 p.m. Thursday near Woolsey Canyon, east of Simi Valley. Later that day, Edison notified the California Public Utilities Commission that it had experienced an outage two minutes earlier. The location was listed as the Big Rock circuit out of the Chatsworth Substation, also near Simi Valley.
"It is only preliminary information," said Edison spokesman Steve Conroy. "It went out of service. We don't know why it went out of service."
Conroy said Edison personnel have not yet been able to access the area where the line relayed, and the utility has gotten no indication from the fire department that its equipment was a factor in the fire igniting.
More:After the fire comes the bill: The rising cost of fighting California blazes
The estimate of structures destroyed by the Woolsey Fire rose sharply Monday, and more than 50,000 homes are threatened, Cal Fire said.
However, there were positive signs as well, with some of the evacuation zones being reopened and thousands of residents heading home.
For many, going home was hard.
Roger Kelly, 69, was thrilled to see that his lakeside mobile home in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu had survived. But some homes nearby were destroyed.
"I just start weeping," he said. "Your first view of it, man, it just gets you."
The entire city of Calabasas, population 24,200, was under mandatory evacuation orders.
"For your safety, and the safety of your family, please collect necessary personal items and evacuate the City as quickly as possible, and please follow instructions provided by Law Enforcement," the city posted on its website late Sunday.
Malibu and its environs were hit hard, and Pepperdine University canceled classes at its main campus through next week. Celebrities Miley Cyrus, Neil Young, Gerard Butler, Shannen Doherty and Robin Thicke were among those whose homes were destroyed.
Comic Kevin Hart thanked firefighters on Instagram.
"You men & women are true heroes & me and my family thank you," Hart posted. "My heart & prayers go out to all families in the affected areas. ... This is honestly Unbelievable what we are witnessing at this very moment. God have mercy on us all."
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY; Christian Martinez and Stacie Galang, Ventura County Star; Redding Record Searchlight; The Associated Pres.
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4f4f5066184cf5f15631a7a659eb5c45
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/13/california-wildfires-insurance-ruin-burned-uncertainty-damage-claims-evacuated-destroyed/1984428002/
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'Want to live in a war zone?' California homeowners face ruin after wildfires
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'Want to live in a war zone?' California homeowners face ruin after wildfires
PARADISE, Calif. – Thousands of wildfire-weary Californians face financially and emotionally difficult years ahead as they begin rebuilding their homes and communities destroyed by the rampaging flames.
In Northern California where the Camp Fire still burns, 6,543 homes have been destroyed, along with hundreds of businesses. Near Malibu, the Woolsey Fire has destroyed about 370 structures.
Most evacuees have no idea how their homes fared because evacuation orders keep the public from the dangerous conditions caused by the Camp and Woolsey fires. Though a few people know – including actor Gerard Butler and singer Robin Thicke – most evacuees are stuck waiting for information, begging reporters for updates and trying to finagle their way past road closures.
Matt McNeill, 53, knows his house is gone. It burned down in Paradise as he desperately fled in his car, scooping up neighbors on the way. He has homeowner’s insurance but isn't sure he'll rebuild.
A general contractor, McNeill has been building homes in Paradise since 1990. He faces the thought of returning to a community vastly different from the one he fled.
The commercial district lies in ruins, dozens of business and municipal facilities destroyed by the fire. Thousands of burned trees will have to be cut down for safety, changing how Paradise looks for years to come.
"Would you want to live in a war zone for a decade or more?" McNeill said by text. "But then, our kids grew up there – great, great memories, beautiful people. Not really sure where life is headed now. Have to really think about that one."
Authorities have not begun notifying McNeill's neighbors about how their homes fared, in part because firefighters are trying to control the Paradise and Woolsey fires. Sending in ground-based survey teams remains too dangerous.
From thousands of feet in the sky, specialists working for the nation's insurance companies take photos that building inspectors, assessors and firefighters can use to help inform the public.
“Underneath that smoke are people’s lives that have come unraveled," said Jim Schweitzer, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The bureau works with insurance companies across the country to fight insurance-related fraud and crime, including vehicle thefts, but also to combat disaster-related fraud. In some cases, unscrupulous contractors perform shoddy work or conspire to get insurance companies to pay for extra work not caused by a disaster, which can bring felony charges and void a homeowner's coverage.
The stakes are high in the fires, which threaten nearly 50,000 homes valued at about $18 billion, according to property data company CoreLogic. The value of the destroyed homes has not been compiled because authorities don’t have a complete assessment of the damage.
The insurance bureau partnered with imaging company Vexcel Imaging to create the Geospatial Intelligence Center, a not-for-profit initiative of the bureau funded by a consortium of insurers. Technicians take high-resolution aerial imagery of disaster areas with $1.5 million Vexcel cameras shooting out the bottom of airplanes.
A little more than a year old, the GIC's Colorado-based teams have deployed to numerous natural disasters across the country, most recently to the East Coast to image the damage left by Hurricanes Michael and Florence. They fly over the Paradise and Woolsey fires.
The GIC mission includes mapping virtually every home and building in the country, providing insurers with "before" photos to compare with post-disaster imagery.
The searchable database of photos is initially available only to first responders, recovery agencies and member insurers but will be made public shortly.
“Like it or not, it’s a confirmation. That alone can go a long way to beginning the recovery process,” Schweitzer said. “The uncertainty is gone, and you can move forward.”
In addition to helping insurers fight fraud, the photos allow them to reach out directly to their policyholders to help them with temporary housing and living expenses even before victims have a chance to check on their homes in person, Schweitzer said.
For many people who lost their homes, the journey to recovery is just beginning. McNeill said he has been overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers, who gave his family clothes and even a bike for his grandson. His family is adjusting to the loss, he said: "You think, 'I don't have that anymore.' (But it's) the little things that get you through. Gonna smile our way through it."
More:'Unprecedented' Camp Fire's death toll hits record 42 and is likely to rise
More:California's fire dilemma: Rebuild knowing homes will burn again?
More:One man's desperate search for his grandparents missing in California's deadliest wildfire
For others, the routine of work provides some level of normality, even amid the devastation. Butte County sheriff's Deputy Brian Evans, 42, is still on the job even though his house burned down before he could grab anything from it. Wearing his uniform, which is pretty much the only clothing he owns, Evans spent the weekend helping search for missing neighbors and friends.
Rebuilding Paradise won't be easy, he said as smoke rose from the ruins. His son's school burned down, their neighbors all lost their houses, and dozens of the people he served died in the fire.
Disasters such as the Paradise and Woolsey fires inevitably change the face of a community for decades. Some evacuees will never return. Some homeowners will choose to rebuild elsewhere. Small businesses may go under, and employment may be hard to come by for the thousands of people whose cars were destroyed. Evans said he's committed to seeing it through. This is his home, after all.
"It will take a while," he said. "But it will get better. It always does."
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ad5b8a151b2525f795845d9ab5df97ad
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/15/california-fires-worlds-worst-air-quality-smoke-masks/2014817002/
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Wildfire smoke brings world's worst air quality to northern California
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Wildfire smoke brings world's worst air quality to northern California
The flames from the devastating wildfires in northern California may be slowly diminishing, but the noxious smoke from the blazes continues to choke the air for millions of people in both Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area.
In fact, air quality in northern California on Thursday was the worst in the world, even worse than notoriously smoggy cities in India and China, according to Purple Air, an air quality monitoring network.
Both of those major metropolitan areas had air that was classified as either "unhealthy" or "very unhealthy," the Environmental Protection Agency said.
The smoky air made for a bad start to the workday for Thursday commuters, the East Bay Times reported.
In San Jose, Hyun Gyu Park said it reminded him of the air quality in his native Korea, and he wondered whether he should be wearing an air filter. “I see a lot of people wearing gas masks,” Park, 23, told the East Bay Times, “and I feel I should be doing the same thing, too.”
The National Weather Service has posted an "air quality alert" for a large chunk of the state, which will be in effect until the fires are extinguished.
The smoke has canceled classes for tens of thousands of university students in the region, forced school recesses to be held indoors and also spurred on a record number of internet searches for smoke masks.
In Sacramento County, the health department said school districts should "minimize the smoke exposure to students by canceling or moving all outdoor activities such as recess, PE and after-school athletics indoors."
Instead of wearing masks, county officials said the best advice is just to avoid spending time outside: "Wearing a mask may encourage outdoor activity when staying indoors is the best way to minimize exposure to smoke," the Sacramento County Public Health Office said.
Wildfire smoke can cause or worsen a number of health problems, including reduced lung function, infectious bronchitis, asthma and heart failure, according to the EPA.
Google reported Thursday that searches for smoke masks are at the highest level in Google's history.
Earlier this week, some fans attending the NFL game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers wore masks to deal with any air quality issues, AccuWeather said. Oxygen tanks were also provided on the sidelines for players.
"Smoke and haze will continue to produce poor air quality over much of the San Francisco Bay through late week," the National Weather Service in San Francisco said.
There is some good news in the weather forecast for both the fires and smoke: The weather service said Thursday that "a more significant pattern change appears likely during the latter half of next week with the potential for widespread rainfall."
The deadly and destructive Camp Fire, the source of most of the smoke, is now 40 percent contained and covers 140,000 acres, state fire agency Cal Fire said Thursday. That's up from 30 percent on Wednesday.
The fire, which has burned through about 220 square miles in Butte County, has left a wrenching toll: at least 56 people confirmed dead and 130 missing; about 9,000 homes and businesses destroyed, of which 8,800 are single-family homes.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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39b18b4d12a06aaefac4f77b4a81848a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/15/michael-avenatti-domestic-violence-charge-ex-wives-defend-lawyer/2010175002/
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Michael Avenatti's ex-wives come to his defense after domestic violence arrest in LA
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Michael Avenatti's ex-wives come to his defense after domestic violence arrest in LA
WASHINGTON – Both of Michael Avenatti's former wives defended the Los Angeles lawyer after he was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of domestic violence.
Avenatti, the celebrity lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump, denied wrongdoing after being released on $50,000 bond.
Los Angeles Police have not identified the alleged victim but said the person had visible injuries.
More:Michael Avenatti arrested in Los Angeles, denies domestic violence accusations
Avenatti's first wife, Christine Avenatti Carlin, said on Twitter that Avenatti was always a kind and loving father and husband. "He has NEVER been abusive to me or anyone else," she said. "He is a good man."
His second wife, Lisa Storie-Avenatti, denied reports on a gossip website that she was the victim. Through her attorney, she said she wasn't at Avenatti's apartment when the alleged incident occurred, had never been abused by Avenatti and never knew him to be violent.
The two filed for divorce last year.
The law under which Avenatti was charged applies to violence against a current or former spouse, roommate or other person with which the offender has an "engagement or dating relationship."
Avenatti denied that he was charged with a crime, despite a Los Angeles Police statement to the contrary.
In a tweet, Avenatti blamed right-wing internet provocateur Jacob Wohl, who was accused of instigating a plot to discredit special counsel Robert Mueller with bogus charges of sexual harassment.
"First Mueller and now me. When we are fully exonerated I am coming for you Jacob Wohl," Avenatti wrote.
The 47-year-old lawyer became a ubiquitous face on cable television news this year after Daniels sued Trump to get out of her confidentiality agreement with the president. Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, said Trump paid her $138,000 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter just before the 2016 election.
A separate case, in which Daniels sued Trump for libel, was dismissed last month.
Avenatti made overtures toward the presidency himself, coming up with a bare-bones platform and going on a speaking tour to Democratic groups across the country.
Vermont Democrats canceled a scheduled weekend appearance there after Avenatti's arrest Wednesday, the Burlington Free Press reported.
Avenatti also represents Julie Swetnick, one of several women who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during his confirmation hearings in September.
Swetnick recanted some of the allegations, and the Senate Judiciary Committee asked the FBI to investigate whether Avenatti criminally conspired with Swetnick to "make materially false statements to the committee."
Contributing: Steve Kiggins in Los Angeles.
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cb682b6eea294cdcd0582817d1d75407
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/17/camp-fire-dog-paradise-california-protects-house-block/2038349002/
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Dog found 'protecting the only house left on the block' after Camp Fire in Paradise
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Dog found 'protecting the only house left on the block' after Camp Fire in Paradise
REDDING, Calif. – Amid the rubble, the air thick with smoke, sat Ella, the border collie.
Her paws were burned and she was exhausted. For nearly two days, Ella did what Ella does: protect those she loves.
Her own family's home was gone, but one single neighbor's home was standing. So Ella waited there.
The Copsey family was forced to evacuate their Paradise, California home as the swift-moving fire tore through their neighborhood.
In the midst of chaos, owner Leahna Copsey thought about Ella and hoped for the best. But they had to go.
As Leahna and her children fled down the road, what she thought were merely headlights became bright orange flames. Her daughter, Clarisa, 8, complained of the heat on her face.
Were they going to die?, she asked.
Copsey knew they might not have a home or Ella to go back to.
Just a precaution
When Copsey noticed black clouds outside from a window in her Paradise home, she didn’t think much of it. She had read on her Facebook weather page that a small fire had broken out in the hills and thought it would be taken care of soon.
As the morning progressed, Copsey began to paint the ceiling in her master bedroom. The next day new carpet would be delivered and then she and husband Mike Copsey would be able to move back into the space.
The sky continued to darken.
“I thought it was raining,” she said. “I went and put my hands out and charcoal fell from the trees.”
That got her moving. As a precaution, Copsey packed up some odds and ends, including the girls' school books. They’d do homework in Chico until the evacuation was lifted.
They had just gone through this the year before.
That time, the family filled their car with clothing, food and other necessities. It was “packed full,” 10-year-old Emma Copsey remembers.
This go-round, they didn’t want to take the time. The fire was nowhere near their home and they hadn’t been ordered to evacuate.
But this fire wasn't like the others.
And it wasn't long before a quick drive down the road became a nearly three-hour fight for their lives. The family battled bottlenecked traffic, flames on either side of their car and smoke.
“All you could see was where the fire wasn’t,” Copsey said. “It was like something out of a movie. They had no idea where the fire was, and for it to jump like that – it was unreal.”
The family managed to escape the blaze and settled in lower Lake County, nearly two hours away from their home, to wait it out.
A good girl
As the hours trailed on and news of the devastation began to fill news outlets and social media, they began to fear the worst.
Then they learned their home was gone. Surely Ella was, too.
Then, a friend called. He had gotten back into the evacuated area on Saturday. And through the haze in this destroyed town he'd seen Ella, right there in front of the next-door neighbors home.
“She was protecting it,” Copsey said. “She was protecting the only house left on the block.”
The family erupted in excitement. Ella had been burned and was exhausted, but she was going to be alright.
“She’s a really good dog, so I was really relieved she was alive and it was only minor burns,” Clarisa said.
Ella was treated for her burns and is staying with the family’s oldest daughter, Kayla Westman. Westman has several photos and videos of Ella sleeping on her chest, her legs wrapped in bandages.
On Wednesday, less than a week after the fire, the family began the first steps to rebuild.
At the Butte Humane Society, they picked up a dog crate, bed, food and toys for Ella.
The generosity brought Copsey to tears.
“To have those basic needs met is amazing,” she said. “There’s so much to think about. It’s a burden that has been lifted.”
A pet food pantry
Two days after seeing the tens of thousands of residents displaced because of the fire, Katrina Woodcox, executive director of the Butte Humane Society, knew she needed to do something to help.
“I just thought we need to create a pet supply and food pantry,” she said. “Our focus at the humane society is to think about the immediate needs of the evacuees and really anybody affected by the fire.”
Soon, the organization began receiving truckloads of pet food and supplies. Currently, the organization is sheltering more than 100 cats, Woodcox said. In total, more than 1,700 animals are being cared for at shelters in Chico alone.
The need for supplies is so great, shelters can hardly keep things on the shelves, said Mandy McClaine, pet food and supply manager.
“We have people grabbing beds off FedEx trucks,” McClaine said. “We can’t keep enough beds and crates.”
The organization also is focusing on the long term.
“When the media goes away and the fire is out and life goes back to normal and kids go back to school, we’re still going to have the occupants of 7,000 homes who have nothing,” Woodcox said, citing a figure that has since risen to nearly 10,000. “I would like to see and hope that our community and beyond our community can support these folks for the next however long it takes.”
To donate to the Butte Humane Society, drop off supplies or have them shipped to 2580 Fair St. in Chico.
Follow Calley Cederlof on Twitter: @calleyc_vtd
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05d960f80d59378bf2f810446f597ae1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/18/electric-scooters-driving-city-leaders-pedestrians-mad/2030745002/
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What to do about scooters? Officials work on solutions as problems go on
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What to do about scooters? Officials work on solutions as problems go on
LOS ANGELES – Jonathan Freeman, angry about electric scooters that have inundated his hometown of San Diego, came to an urban mobility conference here demanding solutions.
Pedestrians' "lives are being destroyed by unregulated scooters," he said from the audience during a session on whether "micro-mobility" devices like scooters are here to stay. "We are losing the right to go for a walk."
Freeman's comments sparked a debate about the safety of scooters last week at L.A. CoMotion, a transportation conference drawing innovators and transit companies from across the U.S. to discuss what organizers call "the urban mobility revolution." As manufacturers showed off the latest gear and products, including scooter chargers, electric bikes and even electric unicycles – one entrepreneur boasted his electric skateboards are capable of speeds up to 25 miles per hour – city officials and pedestrians fretted over what to do about increasingly crowded sidewalks, providing a dose of reality to the mostly sunny outlooks on innovative ways of getting around in crowded cities.
"Dockless" scooters – meaning you ride them and leave them anywhere – began appearing on city sidewalks across the nation just over a year ago, quickly becoming a scourge to municipal leaders worried about safety of both riders and pedestrians, not to mention the street clutter. Cities have only recently started to take action by limiting the number of scooters and cracking down on where they can be ridden or parked. Scooter companies themselves say they aren't opposed to reasonable regulation as more riders treat scooters as a serious means of transportation – a handy way to go short distances – not just as a novelty.
In response to Freeman's question at the conference, a representative of the one of the largest scooter operators, Bird, struck an empathetic note.
"It's really critical we figure this out," replied YJ Fischer, Bird's senior director of global partnerships. Regulations could cost operators, but "we are willing to make those investments in the community."
Transit experts see scooters as another way for commuters to bridge the link from their homes to bus stops or rail stations. Besides Bird, other upstarts have included those with similarly catchy names like Lime, Scoot, Skip and Jump. Scooters are serious business: Jump is part of ride-hailing service Uber. And automaker Ford just paid more than $40 million to buy scooter startup Spin.
Only now, after a summer of scooter mayhem, are many cities starting to cope.
In California's urban centers, where the scooters have become as common as taco trucks, the city of Beverly Hills opted to impose a six-month scooter ban. San Francisco issued a temporary ban, then limited the number of operators to two, while Santa Monica is experimenting with designating some street parking spaces for scooter parking. Other cities have tried similar approaches, including Nashville, Denverand Washington.
San Jose, California, Mayor Sam Liccardo said in an interview that he's trying to use technology to rein in scooter issues. He said he's asking scooter companies to come up with plans to ensure their products are used safely and not in a way that interferes with walkers. One idea: Use "geo-fencing" – technology that keeps devices from working outside a designated area – to keep scooters off sidewalks.
Another idea to prevent scooters from piling up on sidewalks would be to keep charging users until they are properly parked. He said he's acting on complaints about sidewalk riding or scooters left everywhere.
"We get a lot of complaints," he said in an interview after speaking at the conference. "There is no question it is a problem anywhere in dense neighborhoods where we expect a lot of foot traffic."
At the conference, there was some hope for bringing peace to the streets. A couple of startups offered docks for what were previously dockless scooters. A startup called Swiftmile, for instance, showed one in which scooters could be plugged in to recharge instead of being left helter-skelter around the city for workers to hunt down and take in for recharging and redeployment.
Freeman, a former professor of marketing, said despite the gains, the problems, at least in San Diego, remain.
He said he came to the cause when a first-time scooter rider ran into his dog, River, as they strolled in a park. "He was mildly apologetic," he said of the rider, and thankfully, the Shiba Inu was unhurt. That was only the start.
"The next point was the neighbors. They said 'I am afraid to go for a walk,'" he recounted.
Freeman said he has taken the cause of scooter regulation to two of his city's council committees. He even did a survey in which he talked to nearly 100 riders, about half of which were San Diego tourists, with most admitting they rode on sidewalks to get away from cars.
But he said the scooter nightmare continues, and police aren't issuing enough tickets to sidewalk riders.
"This is badly affecting our quality of life," he said. "It is a fundamentally unsafe form of transport."
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517fb90ccf99d9d33c062c355facfe40
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/19/california-fires-rains-finally-coming-scorched-paradise/2052993002/
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Rain forecast for wildfire-weary California will offer relief – and bring more problems
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Rain forecast for wildfire-weary California will offer relief – and bring more problems
The scorched Northern California town of Paradise should get its first significant rainfall in six months this week, a forecast that would at least interrupt one of the most horrific fire seasons in state history.
Paradise could see up to 4 inches of rain Wednesday to Friday, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
"Once you get the first real rain, the fire season comes to an end," Pydynowski said. "The fire threat falls significantly. But it is a double-edged sword."
Cal Fire officials said changing climate conditions mean the fire season never fully ends. Still, the rains this week are likely to provide a huge boost for firefighters battling the historic Camp Fire, which was 70 percent contained Monday night.
With the precipitation comes new issues. Hundreds of workers scoured the incinerated shells of once beautiful homes in a desperate search for the charred remains of victims before rain washes them away.
The task is enormous. The Camp Fire, which has scorched 151,272 acres since it began Nov. 8, has destroyed more than 11,000 homes, more than 400 businesses and thousands of barns, sheds, garages and other structures. The confirmed death toll stood at 79 Monday night, but 699 names remain on the "missing" list, down from nearly 1,000 earlier in the day.
The searchers are armed with masks for breathing, sticks to poke through the rubble and cadaver dogs trained to locate human remains. Houses that have been checked are marked with bright orange paint.
Sheriff Kory Honea said it's possible that the exact death toll will never be known. The search for remains may not be completed before the rain, he said.
“As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don’t know if that’s possible,” Honea said.
More:'How do you grieve for a whole town?' Paradise residents seek healing
More:Inside the Camp Fire perimeter, these residents stay put.
Brian Ramsey, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said downpours and slippery roads can slow movement of firefighters, trucks and other equipment.
The hundreds of fire evacuees living in tents are also a concern. Sunday, officials tried to shut down a tent city outside a Walmart in nearby Chico because of cold temperatures and the forecast of rain. Many campers were shuttled to a shelter at the Butte County Fairgrounds.
Some of the evacuees balked at moving to the indoor shelters.
“There is a crisis now, and if we don’t get this taken care of now, we’re going to have another crisis,” said Guido Barbero, who helps organize services for the evacuees.
Flooding, ash flows and mudslides could pose another problem. The blackened earth will be helpless to absorb the rain.
"The one thing on everybody's mind is the landslide threat," Pydynowski said.
She said most of the terrain around Paradise is not particularly steep, but localized slides and flooding are possible. Areas victimized by previous fires have yet to heal and will be vulnerable, she said.
"Any recently scarred area is vulnerable," she said. "The Mendocino Fire area hasn’t had a chance to recover, even areas around the Ferguson Fire."
The Mendocino Complex Fire, which started in July, burned more than 700 square miles to become the largest fire in state history. The Ferguson Fire started a couple of weeks earlier and forced the closure of much of Yosemite National Park.
The long-range forecast calls for slightly above-normal rainfall in Northern California this winter, Pydynowski said. That will be good for dousing fires – and bad because it feeds vegetation that will dry out next summer and fuel the fires of 2019.
Contributing: Damon Arthur, Redding (California) Record Searchlight; The Associated Press
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1c60d1692cc7a44daa31af2c9f0509bb
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/19/climate-change-trigger-widespread-hazards-earth-and-humanity/2059370002/
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Climate change to trigger widespread hazards to Earth and humanity – many at the same time
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Climate change to trigger widespread hazards to Earth and humanity – many at the same time
Don't say we weren't warned.
From human health to the world's food supply, from water scarcity to widespread migration and violence, the threats from climate change are much larger than previously thought, a study released Monday suggests.
And in many places, several threats will be happening at once.
“It’s just going to be crazy," study lead author Camilo Mora of the University of Hawaii at Manoa told NBC News. "We cannot imagine what will happen when all these things happen at the same time.
"We have uncovered a more complete and realistic portrait of how much danger humanity truly faces with ongoing greenhouse gas emissions and the need for immediate action," he said.
Among other phenomena, researchers looked at how climate change will increase heat waves, wildfires, sea level rise, hurricanes, flooding, drought and shortages of clean water.
Humanity's burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal that power our world releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere. This has caused the planet to warm to levels that cannot be explained by natural causes.
In addition to the unsettling results of his study, Mora told the Sydney Morning Herald that "it was also mind-blowing that we just refuse to wake up about how serious this is."
To better understand the threats we face, Mora and his colleagues reviewed more than 3,200 scientific papers and found 467 ways that climate change has affected all aspects of human civilization and the Earth itself.
In other words, by the end of the century, folks will have to endure not just one or two climate hazards, but potentially three, four or more at the same time. Coastal regions in tropical areas will see the most, according to the study.
More:Global warming boosted rainfall in some of the USA's worst hurricanes, study suggests
More:Sperm don't like heat, so climate change could damage male fertility, study says
More:By itself, bitcoin could create climate chaos within 20 years
“Greenhouse gas emissions pose a broad threat to humanity by simultaneously intensifying many hazards that have proven harmful in the past,” Mora said. “Further, we predict that by 2100 the number of hazards occurring concurrently will increase, making it even more difficult for people to cope.”
For example, in New York in 2100, people will endure four separate climate hazards, including drought, sea-level rise, extreme rainfall and high heat. By that time, Los Angeles will deal with three.
Although the scientists discovered few positive or neutral effects, the overwhelming majority of climate impacts are detrimental to humans.
"If we only consider the most direct threats from climate change, for example heat waves or severe storms, we inevitably will be blindsided by even larger threats that, in combination, can have even broader societal impacts," study co-author Jonathan Patz of the University of Wisconsin said.
The study was published Monday in Nature Climate Change, a peer-reviewed British journal.
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ef09782057c655e5ae9e6eb7a7511f75
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/20/rare-two-headed-snake-found-virginia-two-months-ago-has-died/2064337002/
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Rare two-headed snake found in Virginia has died
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Rare two-headed snake found in Virginia has died
A rare two-headed copperhead snake found at a residence in northern Virginia has died, said a state herpetologist.
There was no apparent cause of death, said J.D. Kleopfer, a reptiles and amphibians specialist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
"Our little buddy peacefully passed away last week," he said.
After the snake was found in September in a flower bed, it was placed under the care of a private, experienced snake keeper.
Kleopfer said this snake was "particularly challenged" because of how far down its body the spine was fused. "(It) puts a lot of stress on the spine when the heads want to move in different directions," he said.
Kleopfer said the snake's body will be donated to a museum.
In a Facebook post published in September, Kleopfer said the snake's left head had the dominant esophagus while the right head had "the more developed throat for eating."
Two-headed snakes are rare because they typically don't live that long, Kleopfer said. When it was found, the snake was two weeks old and six inches long.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
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65bbd5b456fbbe3e2cdfaffbb191d6da
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/26/beyond-north-sentinel-uncontacted-isolated-tribes/2117381002/
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Many isolated tribes, like Sentinelese that killed American, still exist. Here’s where
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Many isolated tribes, like Sentinelese that killed American, still exist. Here’s where
The death of an American killed by members of an isolated Indian tribe has turned a spotlight not only on the bow-wielding natives of North Sentinel Island but on "uncontacted" tribes around the world.
Fishermen who took John Allen Chau to the island reported later seeing tribespeople drag his body across a beach before burying his remains. Chau, 27, hoped to "declare Jesus" to them.
The Sentinelese lack immunity to common diseases such as the flu, and exposure from outsiders threatens their population, according to Survival International, a nonprofit focused on indigenous rights. Tribes elsewhere in the world face disease as well as land loss to industries such as ranching and logging.
Here's a look at tribes largely isolated from the outside world.
More:Anthropologist visited remote North Sentinel tribe decades ago and survived
Awá (Brazil)
Dubbed the "world's most endangered tribe," perhaps 100 of the Awá's roughly 600 members still live nomadically in the Amazon forest covering Brazil's border with Peru, according to an in-depth National Geographic report this year. They live with "near constant" threats from illegal logging and wildfires, the magazine found, inspiring another tribe — the Guajajara — to rise up to protect them as "Forest Guardians."
Papuan Tribes (West Papua)
About 312 tribes live in West Papua, an Indonesian province on the island of New Guinea off Australia. Much remains unknown of those that are uncontacted, Australia's news.com.au reported, with less isolated tribes telling of remote groups in the highlands. Those in the highlands grow sweet potatoes and farm pigs, according to Survival, and the Papaun peoples are ethnically distinct from the Indonesians who now occupy the land — often amid conflict.
Mashco Piro (Peru)
The Mashco Piro are one of an estimated 15 uncontacted tribes in Peru, all of which face threats from encroaching oil and logging industries according to Survival. The Mashco Piro have largely shunned outsiders, Reuters reports, but have emerged increasingly in recent years amid displacement. They traditionally hunt and gather turtle eggs for food, the agency reports, with the government estimating their number at fewer than 800.
Palawawn (Phillipines)
The Palawan in the southern parts of the Philippines' Palawan island number about 40,000 in all, Survival says, but those in the interior remain isolated with scant outside contact. They practice shifting cultivation, allowing the forest to regenerate as they shift their farmlands from place to place, the nonprofit notes, but have found themselves threatened by open pit and strip mining in recent years. A tribe in northern Palawan called the Batak total about 300 suffer from low rice yields after their shifting cultivation was partially banned by the government, travel magazine Wanderlust reported.
Kawahiva (Brazil)
The Kawahiva — called "short people" or the "red head people" by neighboring tribes — were likely forced into a nomadic lifestyle in recent decades amid deforestation of Brazil's Amazon rainforest, according to Survival. "Past this, very little is known about them, because they have no peaceful contact with outsiders," the group reported. They hunt, gather and build complex ladders up trees in order to collect honey, per Survival, which told CNN the Kawahiva have "probably no more than 30 left."
More:American killed by tribe leaves diary: 'I hope this isn't one of my last notes'
Ayoreo (Paraguay)
Ayoreo members living isolated in the Chaco — South America's largest forest outside of the Amazon — may be the continent's last uncontacted indigenous group outside the Amazon basin, Reuters reported in August. Members have both attacked and fled from bulldozers, which they called "beasts with metal skin," as loggers cleared the forest they call home, according to Survival. An unknown number live nomadically in the forest today after contact with outside groups including missionaries led to deadly conflict and disease, the group says.
Yanomami (Venezuela)
The Yanomami have lived in the rainforest stretching from southern Venezuela to northern Brazil for thousands of years numbering 40,000 in all in 2014, the Washington Post reported. Davi Kopenawa, a Yanomami shaman, has told Survival that those Yanomami living uncontacted — known as Moxateteu — are "many" and "suffering just like we are." Besides threats from gold mining, the Yanomami face a scarcity of critical medical care in Venezuela, the nonprofit noted. A measles outbreak infecting 500 Yanomami this year threatened them with devastation, the Guardian reported, echoing an earlier outbreak in the 1960s.
Follow Josh Hafner on Twitter: @joshhafner
More:Police struggle to get body of American killed by isolated tribe
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e43702487189e954864ae555cfe182ea
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/26/christmas-tree-u-s-capitol-live-stream/2113014002/
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Live stream: Christmas tree arrives at the U.S. Capitol
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Live stream: Christmas tree arrives at the U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON -- The official Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol arrives on Monday morning.
The 80-foot-tall Noble fir was selected from the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. The tree traveled 3,000 miles across the country in a three-week journey to Washington D.C.
The tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree started in 1964 when Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John W. McCormack (D-MA) placed a live Christmas tree on the Capitol lawn.
In 1970, the Capitol Architect asked the U.S. Forest Service to provide a Christmas tree. Since then, a different national forest has been chosen each year to provide "The People’s Tree."
You can track the tree using their online tracking map, here.
USA TODAY is providing live coverage of this event in the player above.
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3050e95a7285ffee9bab464c26a8f488
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/27/elderly-abuse-neglect-federal-government-statistics/2113361002/
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New data show hundreds of thousands of elder abuse cases even with huge reporting gaps
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New data show hundreds of thousands of elder abuse cases even with huge reporting gaps
Across the USA, solitude has become a deadly threat for hundreds of thousands of senior citizens living at home.
Last year alone, state adult protective services (APS) intervened in more than 142,000 cases to protect seniors at risk from what is clumsily termed “self-neglect” – seniors who have become too physically or mentally incapacitated to care for themselves and have no other care providers.
Overall, according to new federal data obtained exclusively by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR), state-based APS agencies completed more than 713,000 investigations in fiscal year 2017. The agencies identified nearly 235,000 victims of abuse, including the self-neglect cases. About 10 percent of the total abuse victims counted were under age 50, because some states include abuse or neglect of younger adults with disabilities.
These numbers, part of an initial attempt by the federal government to track maltreatment of seniors nationwide, understate the scope of the problem, and probably dramatically, according to the agencies compiling the data.
“The elder abuse data is not complete. It’s correct in terms of what’s reported, but there are so many cases that aren’t reported,” said Alice Page, an adult protective services and systems developer with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“We're way behind in elder abuse reporting than, for example, in child abuse reporting. It's just a different system. There's much more emphasis and resources that have been put into child protective services than there have been into elder abuse or abuse of adults. And so we're sort of playing catch up.”
Elder abuse can range from physical or sexual assault against vulnerable seniors to financial scams to abandonment or neglect by caregivers. The most common threat is self-neglect: an elderly person unable to provide for their own clothing, shelter, food, medication or other basic needs, and having no one to provide care for them. It is a problem that is growing as the population ages.
States have operated under a federal mandate to collect data on child abuse for decades. There is no federal mandate to do the same for elder abuse and neglect.
“We have often referred to elder abuse as a silent issue. For decades people just didn't want to address it at all,” said Edwin Walker, deputy assistant secretary for aging at the Department of Health and Human Services, which is leading the effort to build the national database.
“In the mid-1970s, the federal government got in the business of charting out guidelines and parameters for addressing child abuse. But the federal government never did that for adult protective services or elder abuse.”
During the past several years, the Administration for Community Living has embarked on a voluntary effort with the cooperation of state APS agencies to compile a national database of abuse of seniors living at home. For the most part, abuse in nursing homes or other settings is managed by other agencies and counted separately.
A state-by-state breakdown of the data provided to NECIR shows obvious holes in the data.
For instance, the new totals do not include reports from six states – New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin – for a variety of reasons.
West Virginia, for example, does not collect statewide data on maltreatment of seniors, leaving it to each county to keep their own tally. Wisconsin counts its data on a calendar year, not a fiscal year, and thus has not been able to produce reports for the time period the federal data system uses.
Oregon sent its data in late and was not included in this year’s report. Officials in Nevada and South Dakota said they have been gearing up to provide data for the new federal reporting system called the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS) and expect to be included in next year’s report.
There are other anomalies – New York reported nearly 40,000 investigations of alleged abuse or maltreatment in 2017, but the federal data indicate New York had zero confirmed victims. That’s because New York’s law does not identify victims; instead the state determines when there is a level of risk to a senior that justifies the state providing services, which it did in 4,700 cases last year, according to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
States all have different standards for determining when abuse or neglect has occurred, meaning the same set of evidence may qualify as a “substantiated” abuse or neglect case in one state, but not in another. And the new report acknowledges “no two states reported on all of the same data elements.”
Self-neglect challenges
Still, experts in the field all agree that self-neglect is one of the most challenging issues in elder protection, and it dominates the work of Adult Protective Services units across the country.
“Self-neglect appears to be a very serious problem in our society not a new problem. But it is, as you've been picking up, approximately two thirds of the cases reported by APS nationwide,” said Holly Ramsey-Klawsnik, director of research for the National Adult Protective Services Association.
Ramsey-Klawsnik cautioned that the prevalence of self-neglect in state case files does not mean this is the most common form of adult maltreatment – only that it is the one most readily identified. “Self-neglect cases are so much more visible,” she said.
Neighbors or friends or social workers can tell when a senior’s house has fallen into disrepair, or an older person in the grocery store is unwashed or badly unkempt. It may be harder to tell if a senior has had money stolen from them by a caregiver or if they have been denied access to appropriate medical treatment.
Self-neglect cases also come with the underlying problem that adults are generally assumed to have autonomy and control of their decision-making, so it is hard for a government agency to know when to intervene, particularly if the elderly person rejects assistance.
Some people “just refuse to accept help for whatever reason,” said Cynthia Lien assistant professor of medicine at New York’s Cornell Medical Center. But she says there is also “a large population who just are incapable of giving up a coping mechanisms or repeat behaviors that they've developed over years,” even when those behaviors are no longer working.
“That manifests in things like an unsafe home environment or hoarding disorders or refusing to see a doctor because maybe they had a bad interaction in the past with a physician and they just don't trust the health system. “
And people have a right to not take proper care of themselves, adds Alice Page from Wisconsin.
“We talk about the dignity of risk in these cases,” she said. “All of us, there's risk to every decision we make, and some people just choose to live with more risk and accept the consequences. And if you give people choices that involve risk, that enhances dignity.”But self-neglect is not simply an issue of risk for the senior individual making the poor decisions.
“We do know that self-neglect increases illness, increases emergency room use, increases hospitalization, increases nursing home use, increases hospice use and hastens mortality,” said Ramsey-Klawsnik. “Self-neglect is costing society a lot of money when they have to go to the E.R. and have no money to pay for insurance.” People who self-neglect are also at higher risk of other forms of abuse or exploitation.
Beyond that, a senior in an apartment who is hoarding or failing to take out the trash may be creating an unhealthy environment or a vermin problem for everyone else in the building.
Still, states struggle with how to intervene.
“We can't force somebody who's just making poor choices to do something," said Kathy Morgan of Washington State’s Aging and Long-Term Support Administration. “Although our investigators do a really great job of talking with people and trying to assist them with services or supports that may be able to put in place if they're willing to do that."
State assistance in self-neglect cases can range from referrals to Meals on Wheels or in-home care services to cognitive assessments that could lead to assignment of a guardian if the senior no longer has the capacity to make decisions on their own.
Soaring cases
While the data in NAMRS is full of gaps and aberrations, what is clear is that the number of abuse and neglect cases is soaring nationwide.
• Washington state had about 19,000 elder abuse reports in 2012 and 49,000 reports in 2017, Morgan said.
• Massachusetts confirmed 7,100 abuse and neglect cases in 2015 and 9,800 in 2017.
• Ohio reported about 16,200 reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of seniors in 2017, up from about 13,150 in 2014.
• Pennsylvania officials investigated 13,000 abuse reports in fiscal year 2014 and nearly 18,000 in fiscal year 2016.
Part of this increase is simply a function of better reporting systems in the states, and more public awareness that elder abuse is a problem that should be reported to authorities.
But part is also because there are simply more seniors living in communities around the country, as Americans live longer, remain in their homes longer, and survive ailments that would have been fatal in prior decades.
“I think elder abuse is more prevalent,” Morgan said. “As our population continues to grow and is getting older – our 60 and older population, we’re going to continue to see these types of numbers.”
Contributing: K. Sophie Will, The New England Center for Investigative Reporting. NECIR is a nonprofit news center based out of WGBH News and Boston University.
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2c9fc4d407655811b93fb388d4981015
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/27/sawmill-fire-explosion-caught-camera-during-gender-reveal-party/2123246002/
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U.S. border Patrol agent sparked $8M Arizona wildfire with gunshot at gender-reveal party
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U.S. border Patrol agent sparked $8M Arizona wildfire with gunshot at gender-reveal party
A video released by the U.S. Forest Service Monday shows how one gunshot started the April 2017 Sawmill Fire that scorched about 45,000 acres in southern Arizona.
The video was filmed by a witness at a gender-reveal party and shows a target that was set up to help reveal whether a newborn would be a boy or girl. A gunshot is heard right before a black square-like target labeled “boy” and “girl” placed over shrubby grasslands explodes and a fire breaks out.
The video initially was obtained from the Forest Service by The Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, which provided it to The Arizona Republic.
In the midst of the dispersing shrapnel, dust and fire, blue smoke can be seen soaring into the air, which usually indicates the expected baby is a boy.
More:Recreational shooting on public lands in West has officials struggling to balance sport vs. safety
The father, U.S. border Patrol agent Dennis Dickey of Tucson, pleaded guilty in September to starting the wildfire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona.
Nearly 600 firefighters and related crews worked the fire, which forced over 100 people to evacuate their homes and caused $8 million worth of damage, previous reports show.
As part of a plea agreement, Dickey agreed to a sentence of five years’ probation and to pay restitution totaling more than $8.1 million. He agreed to make an initial $100,000 payment and monthly payments thereafter, officials said.
Sean Chapman, Dickey’s attorney, told The Star in September that Dickey started the fire during a gender reveal party while his wife was expecting a baby.
Dickey was off-duty at the time and placed Tannerite, an explosive substance, into the target, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in September.
When the target was shot, the explosion caused a fire that spread into the Coronado National Forest, as well as lands managed by the state and U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and private lands, officials said
In the 49-second video, which redacts the images of two people running near the fire, someone is heard yelling "start packing up" twice.
Dickey immediately reported the fire to law enforcement, cooperated and admitted that he started the fire, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a press release.
MORE:
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478b03941509b48bafc0b80ccfa22991
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/27/washington-governor-praises-soldier-killed-afghanistan/2123123002/
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Washington governor praises Army Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, soldier killed in Afghanistan
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Washington governor praises Army Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, soldier killed in Afghanistan
OLYMPIA, Wash. – A soldier from Washington state who was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend gave his life in service of the United States, Gov. Jay Inslee said.
Army Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, 25, died Saturday during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Defense Department officials said Sunday. Jasso was from Leavenworth, Washington, and was assigned to 2nd Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Inslee said in a statement that “we are profoundly grateful for his service and sacrifice.”
Jasso was wounded by small-arms fire and was treated and evacuated to the nearest medical treatment facility, where he died, said Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, an Army spokesman.
He was on his third deployment to Afghanistan after enlisting in the Army in 2012.
“Sgt. Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first, lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed,” said Lt. Col. Rob McChrystal, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
On Sunday, as news of Jasso’s death spread through Leavenworth, former teachers and friends recalled a quiet young man who enjoyed the discipline and experiences the Army provided, the Seattle Times reported .
They said everyone seemed to have a connection to the soldier in the Chelan County city of about 2,000 people.
“You hear the stories of kids enlisting and going off to war and then losing their life, but it really hits home with us, being a small town,” said Elia Ala’ilima-Daley, principal of Cascade High School, where Jasso graduated in 2012. “Everybody knows everyone.”
Andrea Brixey, a Cascade High teacher, had Jasso in her seventh-grade English class and said he liked to challenge the norms but never in a disrespectful way. She got an initial taste of that when, on the first day of school, he called her “Andrea” instead of “Ms. Brixey.”
“He wasn’t busy being a ringleader and trying to torment me. That was just how he rolled,” Brixey said. “He was never disruptive or difficult, but he always questioned authority on every level. But once he got the answers, he was the best kid to have on your team.”
Jasso enlisted in August 2012, about three months after graduating high school. Brixey said he told her it seemed like the smartest option with the most benefit. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, before his assignment to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and deployments.
The Army seemed to suit him, according to Ala’ilima-Daley and Brixey. He liked traveling and meeting people from other parts of the world. But he didn’t talk about his time in war.
“He didn’t speak overtly about being in dangerous situations, but if you asked, he would make significant, unblinking eye contact,” Brixey said. “The things he didn’t say spoke volumes.”
Cascade High School will hold a moment of silence Monday. City leaders also are considering other ways to honor Jasso, Ala’ilima-Daley said.
“We are in mourning, but we want to bring our community together,” he said.
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930289b46a3b4f50e17b45b76ab6a215
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/28/climate-change-combo-heat-drought-fuel-more-wildfires/2138301002/
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Wildfires more likely with hot/dry weather combo, thanks to climate change
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Wildfires more likely with hot/dry weather combo, thanks to climate change
The horrific wildfires in California this fall may be more commonplace as the planet warms: Climate change has doubled the odds that a region will suffer the brutal combination of hot and dry weather at the same time, a new study said.
In addition to scorching and ruining crops, those hot, dry conditions can also worsen fire risk, drying out vegetation in the summer and fueling intense, fast-spreading wildfires like those that burned through more than 375 square miles in California this month, killing dozens.
When those extremes occur at the same time, it exacerbates the impacts far beyond what they would have caused separately, according to study lead author Ali Sarhadi of Stanford University.
The study makes intuitive sense since the Earth has warmed about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century: "If it’s getting warmer everywhere, then it’s more likely to be hot in two places at once,” study co-author Noah Diffenbaugh said in a statement. He added that "it’s probably also more likely to be hot when it’s also dry in two places at once.”
Specifically, the frequency of warm and dry conditions happening at the same time in the mid-20th century was around 20 percent, the study said. Now, early in the 21st century, it's about 40 percent.
“So, what used to be a rare occurrence can now be expected to occur with some regularity, and we have very strong evidence that global warming is the cause,” Diffenbaugh, also of Stanford University, added.
More:U.S. impacts of climate change are intensifying, federal report says
More:Climate change to trigger widespread hazards to Earth and humanity – many at the same time
The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.
Looking ahead, within the next several decades, there's as much as a 75 percent chance that average temperatures will rise well beyond what they were around 1950.
Food scarcity because of the hot, dry weather combination will likely affect the two most populated nations on Earth – China and India – both of which are particularly at risk: The probability of warm and dry years in these key crop and pasture regions will be substantially greater over the next 30 years if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t reduced, the study authors say.
More:Global carbon emissions rose in 2017, dimming hopes to rein in climate change
Harvests of staple food crops such as wheat, rice, corn and soybeans could be threatened.
Scientists say global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas, which release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, and has caused global air and ocean temperatures to rise to levels that cannot be explained by natural factors.
The Stanford study follows a separate research paper published this week by the American Geophysical Union that said extreme heat events in both summer and winter are increasing across the U.S. and Canada.
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952769c81f8cfa849791735a4d6b59ed
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/28/hania-aguilar-family-awaits-news-missing-teen-after-body-found/2135967002/
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Body found in North Carolina appears to be missing 13-year-old girl; suspect sought
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Body found in North Carolina appears to be missing 13-year-old girl; suspect sought
A body found in North Carolina was tentatively identified as Hania Noelia Aguilar, 13, whose abduction in broad daylight three weeks ago touched off a huge search and pleas from her family for safe return.
Lumberton Police Chief Michael McNeill said at a news conference that state crime lab tests indicate the body found late Tuesday is Hania. Though a final determination will be made with dental records, investigators suspect the body is hers.
“This is the outcome that we all feared,” he said. “We did not want to hear this. We wanted to bring Hania back home and bring her back home alive to our community. It hurts.”
He pledged to bring whoever is responsible to justice. Investigators said they don’t have a suspect or person of interest.
The FBI said agents and Lumberton police found the body south of the city in an area where authorities searched for Hania, a student at Lumberton Junior High.
"The body is believed to be Hania, but the identity has not yet been confirmed," Robeson County schools Superintendent Shanita Wooten said in a statement. "Authorities have notified Hania’s family, and they are waiting for the body to be positively identified."
Hania was abducted Nov. 5 after going outside to start an SUV for a relative who was going to drive her to the school bus. A neighbor said she heard screams, then saw a man dressed in black and wearing a yellow bandanna force Hania into the SUV and drive away.
The FBI joined local and state police in a massive search. The vehicle was found three days later in a wooded area several miles from Hania's home. Authorities followed more than 800 leads, interviewed more than 400 people, reviewed hours of surveillance footage and "followed every conceivable lead" in the search for Hania, the FBI said.
Residents of Lumberton, a city of 20,000 people 90 miles west of Wilmington, tried to stay positive throughout the ordeal. A frequent refrain from authorities was that they had no evidence to indicate Hania wasn't alive.
Wooten said support personnel would be made available to students and staff at Hania's school.
"This is an unfortunate end to an extensive search, and we are committed to supporting all students and staff as they cope with the heartbreaking tragedy," the school district statement said. "This is a difficult time for our entire district, and we are mourning this loss and are still processing this terrible tragedy.
"We are keeping Hania in our thoughts and will continue to pray for her family and each other as the investigation continues.”
The chief said the body was found in water in Robeson County about 10 miles south of the mobile home park where she was kidnapped.
Authorities wouldn’t elaborate on whether the body was concealed but said it was not visible from the road or obvious to people passing by. Investigators spent Wednesday combing the area in daylight after finding the body the previous night.
The cause of death wasn’t released, pending an autopsy. Investigators would not describe the condition of the body. An FBI official said he did not have any information as to whether Hania was killed where she was found or elsewhere.
The SUV Hania was forced into was found several miles south of her mobile home park. The body was found a few miles farther away.
The FBI offered reward money and transmitted Hania's picture around the country.
Drones, dogs and scores of searchers on foot spent weeks combing the county about 100 miles south of Raleigh.
More:Teen found safe 2 weeks after running away from home with $1,000
More:Ohio teen missing since father's shooting death is found
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d0864b3d41976b1dbf3f7368cdd26d01
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/28/lawsuit-students-death-mexican-resort-served-tainted-alcohol/2138296002/
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Mexico resort served tainted alcohol, says lawsuit in student's 'tragic, senseless' death
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Mexico resort served tainted alcohol, says lawsuit in student's 'tragic, senseless' death
MILWAUKEE – Calling her death “tragic, senseless and entirely avoidable,” the family of Abbey Conner filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday in Florida against the Mexico resort where Conner drowned last year and the U.S.-based website company that manages the resort’s bookings.
The 24-page wrongful death complaint outlines the events that unfolded the afternoon Conner and her family arrived in Playa del Carmen at the upscale, all-inclusive resort for a vacation.
It asserts that Iberostar and its website operator, Visit Us, “knew that alcoholic beverages being served at the Hotel Iberostar Paraiso del Mar were tainted, substandard, poisonous, unfit for human consumption and/or otherwise failed to meet bare minimum standards for food and beverage safety” and failed in their “duty to protect Abbey against risks of physical harm.”
“I think it’s about time that somebody is held responsible for something that has been going on for far too long,” said Bill Conner, Abbey’s dad. “We’re looking for justice for my daughter and for others behind us that have never been vindicated.”
The death of Conner, a 20-year-old University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, sparked an 18-month investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that has since exposed dozens of tragedies experienced by tourists visiting resorts in Mexico in recent years.
The investigation revealed how travelers blacked out after drinking small and moderate amounts of alcohol, in some cases just one drink.
Aug. 8:Still waiting for answers, family of woman who drowned at Mexico resort gathers for her 22nd birthday
Feb. 23:Mexico police shut down second black market tequila still, investigate whether tainted alcohol headed to resorts
Couples and friends reported blacking out simultaneously and regaining consciousness hours later to learn they had been assaulted, robbed, taken to the hospital and, in some cases, jail.
Several reported their loved ones drowned.
It’s unclear whether the vacationers were deliberately drugged or became random victims of adulterated alcohol. Some reported getting violently ill, vomiting, foaming from the mouth and nose, and other physical symptoms. Others blacked out and woke up with no ailments.
In each case, the victims said hours of their memories were voided out.
They told of being forced to pay thousands of dollars before receiving medical care and getting little to no help from police in Mexico and the resorts themselves. They said they tried to warn future travelers by posting their stories to TripAdvisor, but the website had repeatedly deleted their posts.
And what surprised most of them: The U.S. consular offices and Department of State did little to help.
The Journal Sentinel has received more than 200 reports from tourists with troubling or terrifying experiences at luxury resorts. The most recent from two couples who visited Los Cabos earlier this month. Three of the four blacked out and later became violently ill after drinking a couple of margaritas. One woman in the group drank something different and did not get sick. She took pictures and later described to the others, all of whom had no memory, some of the things that transpired.
Abbey Conner was on a winter break with her brother, Austin, mom and stepdad in January 2017 when she drowned under suspicious circumstances in a shallow area of the resort pool before dinner time.
Austin nearly drowned at the same time and was pulled from the pool with a golf-ball sized lump on his head and a concussion. Medics later noted that Abbey had a cracked collarbone. Austin remembered that he and Abbey were drinking tequila at the swim-up bar but he lost consciousness after doing a shot with a group of people. He awoke later in an ambulance with no idea what happened.
The Conner family’s lawsuit, filed in circuit court in Florida, contends Iberostar and affiliated companies failed to take adequate safety measures such as preventing tainted alcohol from entering the premises, ensuring staff was properly trained and providing adequate surveillance cameras and lifeguards around the pool.
Dec. 2017:Mexico blackouts, injuries and deaths at resorts spark investigation of State Department
July 2017:Expert tips for avoiding tainted alcohol in Mexico
Furthermore, Iberostar failed to warn guests about the known threats and refused to cooperate with the family’s investigation into the death, denying an investigator access to the property, the suit contends.
The complaint, seeking unspecified damages, recounts how a guest reported to a security guard that it appeared two people were drowning in the pool. Abbey was floating face down, Austin was kicking and splashing uncontrollably. The guard radioed other guards and pulled the siblings from the pool. They attempted CPR on Abbey.
Ginny and John McGowan, Abbey’s mom and stepdad, had been waiting for Austin and Abbey in the hotel lobby to go for dinner. When the kids never arrived, Ginny asked a receptionist at the lobby desk to call their room.
That’s when hotel staff told her that her children were at the hospital.
When John and Ginny McGowan arrived at the hospital, they found Austin had regained consciousness but was sedated.
Abbey was on a ventilator and unresponsive. She would need to be transferred to another hospital in Cancun.
Before the first hospital would transport, they said the family would need to pay the $6,371 bill and put down a $10,000 deposit for the Cancun hospital.
The family spent the next day arranging an emergency airlift back to the U.S. The closest available trauma center was Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Doctors there determined Abbey was brain dead.
Abbey had made it clear years earlier that she wanted to be an organ donor and the family kept her on life support until organ recipients were found.
“Abbey’s plight was reasonably foreseeable,” and “despite their knowledge that tainted alcohol festered within local supply chains in Mexico, particularly in resort areas such as Playa del Carmen,” Iberostar and affiliated companies failed to protect her, the complaint says.
Iberostar has repeatedly denied any of its alcohol has been tainted and said its supply chains are secure.
Mexican authorities have long acknowledged a problem with illicit alcohol but deny a widespread issue with it being tainted. A 2017 report by government officials and industry representatives found as much as 36 percent of the alcohol consumed in the country is illicit, meaning it is produced under unregulated conditions.
In February, Mexican officials shut down two black market tequila distilleries and seized nearly 20,000 gallons of illegal alcohol. Preliminary tests found 235 gallons were contaminated with dangerous levels of methanol.
Methanol is commonly used in windshield washer fluid and as a solvent and is extremely toxic even in small quantities.
They did not say where the supply was headed.
In a sweep through tourist hot spots last year, in the wake of initial Journal Sentinel reports, government authorities seized 90 gallons of illicit alcohol, temporarily shut down a bar in a resort within the Iberostar complex where the Conners stayed and uncovered a clandestine distillery with 10,000 gallons of alcohol produced with “bad manufacturing practices.”
The government in Mexico has long promoted a public service campaign that encourages bars and restaurants to destroy liquor bottles once they're empty so they can’t be refilled with bootleg booze.
Prior to the Journal Sentinel’s investigation, the U.S State Department had not been tracking rapes, injuries or other troubling incidents experienced by U.S. citizens vacationing in Mexico.
The department has since begun doing so, but has refused to release the details describing when or where the events took place. A department spokesman told the Journal Sentinel the reports are being used to “provide consular assistance and raise concerns with our Mexican counterparts.”
The Office of Inspector General opened an investigation into the State department’s handling of the cases nearly a year ago. Officials have said repeatedly in recent months the findings would be released soon.
Follow Raquel Rutledge on Twitter: @RaquelRutledge
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284fb4ac60f7a3b514a8163186a7712d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/28/some-kansas-license-plates-recalled-over-complaints-ethnic-slurs/2136327002/
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Kansas recalls some license plates after complaints they contained ethnic slurs
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Kansas recalls some license plates after complaints they contained ethnic slurs
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is recalling hundreds of vehicle license plates on the streets containing the "JAP" lettering in the wake of complaints that it is an ethnic slur offensive to Japanese Americans.
The Kansas Department of Revenue said there are 731 active registrations containing that random letter combination on standard license plates. Vehicle owners were sent a letter dated Tuesday asking them to return the plate to their county vehicle office within 30 days for replacement at no cost. Plates not replaced within that period will be identified in the state’s system and will be replaced at their annual renewal.
The issue arose last year when Keith Kawamoto spotted a car with the Kansas plate in traffic near his home in Culver City, California, and took a photo of it. The 70-year-old California man wrote several letters to Kansas officials, including Gov. Jeff Colyer.
“I let them know it is considered a very derogatory racial slur and I don’t think it should be allowed anywhere,” Kawamoto said.
He got an apology back from the states motor vehicles division, but Kawamoto wanted Kansas to get the plates recalled.
Kawamoto’s photo of the Kansas plate was first published by the Pacific Citizen, the newspaper of the Japanese American Citizens League.
When Barbara Johnson, a 67-year-old Japanese-American woman living in Abilene, Kansas, spotted the license plate picture Kawamoto had taken and read the story it brought back memories of her own childhood.
“It was not a good time to be Japanese because of Pearl Harbor and World War II,” she said. “I recall vividly as a child being called ‘Jap’ — and how it made me feel so small and hurt by being called that.”
Johnson knew the license plate wasn’t a vanity plate with the offensive slur, and said she thought maybe Kansas officials “just don’t know what it means anymore because it was World War II, a couple of generations ago.”
Together with her husband, Rick, the Kansas couple figured maybe they could do what Kawamoto had not been able to do for the past year from California: get the plates recalled and off the road.
“It was very gratifying to know there is someone in government that was willing to hear our side of the story and to recognize it and to proactively act on it as quickly as it did,” Rick Johnson said.
Rachel Whitten, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Revenue said the issue came before the department’s review board, which made the decision in late October to pull any current license plates with the "JAP" lettering and restrict its use in future plates.
“We do take these types of complaints very seriously and appreciate that it was brought to our attention,” Whitten said.
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e2afb0e8aad740f2e0bdf69373b272ac
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/29/hurricane-season-ends-florence-and-michael-left-death-destruction/2148341002/
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Monsters Florence and Michael powered the deadly, destructive Atlantic hurricane season that ends Friday
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Monsters Florence and Michael powered the deadly, destructive Atlantic hurricane season that ends Friday
After six long months and 15 storms, the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially comes to its merciful end Friday.
The two most newsworthy and devastating hurricanes this year were Florence in September and Michael in October. Florence, which brought catastrophic flooding to the Carolinas, killed over 50 people, caused billions of dollars of property damage and shattered all-time rainfall and flood records in both states.
Though it hit only as a Category 1, the storm's calling card was rain, not wind: The remnants of the storm stalled over the eastern Carolinas, dumping 2 to 3 feet of soaking rain across the region.
When describing the flooding in late September, Keith Hendrick of Conway, South Carolina, told NBC News that "I just can't believe what we are all seeing happen." He said the historic flooding was "unbelievable; it really is."
In October, Michael brought death and destruction to the Florida Panhandle and other parts of the southeastern United States.
Hurricane Michael, which killed over 40 people, made landfall along the panhandle on Oct.10 as a Category 4 hurricane. At the time of the landfall, it was packing winds of 155 mph, just 2 mph shy of Category 5 status, AccuWeather said. That made it the strongest storm to ever hit the Florida Panhandle.
Michael's winds obliterated coastal areas of the Panhandle, including the town of Mexico Beach, and major damage was also reported in Panama City.
“It looks like a tornado came through," said Liberty County Judge Kenneth Hosford told the Tallahassee Democrat after the storm passed.
Michael was also the third-most-intense hurricane to ever make landfall in the United States, with a minimum central pressure of 27.13 inches of mercury. Only the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 and 1969's Hurricane Camille were more intense at landfall, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach.
When classified by wind speed, it was the fourth-most-powerful storm to hit the United States.
Although not as devastating as the 2017 season, when Harvey, Irma and Maria ravaged the nation, it was still another fairly potent season: “It’s very rare for there to be two years back-to-back where you’re impacted by two high-impact storms,” AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said. The six-month season this year began June 1.
In addition to Florence and Michael, two tropical storms, Alberto and Gordon, hit the Gulf Coast, AccuWeather said.
In total, 15 named storms formed this year, of which eight were hurricanes. Two of those eight were classified as “major” hurricanes, which mean they were storms of Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of Hurricane Intensity.
That made it a slightly above-average season, as an average season has 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
The 2018 hurricane season was also the first since 2008 to have four named storms active at the same time (Florence, Helene, Isaac and Joyce), NOAA said.
The active season was due to “warmer Atlantic Ocean temperatures, a stronger west-African monsoon and the fact that El Niño did not form in time to suppress the season," said Gerry Bell, lead forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.
As for the hurricane season in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 2018 was the most active season ever recorded, when measured by the overall energy generated by the storms, Klotzbach said.
And in the central Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Lane brought record-setting rains to Hawaii in August. Over 52 inches of rain fell there, the most on record in Hawaii.
Though the official end of the season is Friday, December tropical storms and hurricanes do occasionally occur. Since records began in 1851, only six hurricanes have been recorded after Nov. 30, NOAA said.
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48efaffa097420e5d98c7c36216dbb49
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/29/iowa-department-corrections-prison-porn-ban-federal-lawsuit-inmates-sex-pornography-reading-rooms/2156684002/
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Iowa inmates sue to overturn state law banning pornography in prison
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Iowa inmates sue to overturn state law banning pornography in prison
DES MOINES, Iowa – Fifty-eight Iowa inmates are suing state officials in federal court, seeking $25,000 each in damages and claiming they have been denied a constitutional right to pornography in the state's prison system.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Des Moines, seeks to overturn a new state law that has shut down designated "pornography reading rooms" in Iowa's prisons. The law also prohibits inmates from having nude photos in their cells. The ban includes Playboy magazine, which has long been allowed in the state's nine prisons.
The plaintiffs – who are all inmates at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility – are led by Allen C. Miles, 70, who is serving a life sentence for the stabbing death of Cheryl Kleinschrodt on March 3, 1982, in Des Moines. The suit claims the law was enacted under the guise of "morality" and blames "religious tyrants" who have no regard for the U.S. Constitution or Declaration of Independence.
The lawsuit also contends that if female correctional officers employed in Iowa's prisons for men can't handle an environment that includes photographic matter featuring female nudity and related matters, "they should find employment elsewhere."
More:Starbucks to install anti-porn filters on store Wi-Fi starting next year
The suit was filed in late October and the changes took effect Nov. 14. U.S. Judge Robert Pratt in Des Moines has ordered each of the plaintiffs to pay a filing fee or to request that the fee be waived. He also told them to file a new complaint no later than Friday for the case to proceed.
The legislation – approved by the Iowa House and Senate and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds – was part of a justice system budget bill approved at the end of the 2018 session.
The new law specifically says funds appropriated to the Iowa Department of Corrections shall not be used to distribute or make available any commercially published information or material to an inmate that is sexually explicit or features nudity.
The law reverses a policy in place for three decades since the late Chief U.S. District Judge Harold Vietor upheld findings in 1988 that the state's prison rules on pornography were unconstitutionally vague and overbroad.
Michael Savala, the Iowa prison system's general counsel, told state lawmakers during the session the legislation mirrors a policy currently used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Iowa prison officials believe the changes will withstand a court challenge from inmates, he said.
"The department really feels that inmates having access to that kind of material does not lend itself to pro-social thinking and behavior and as far as our responsibilities to change the mindset of the offender as they transition back into the community," Savala said.
Prison officials also said the elimination of designated prison rooms in which inmates could read sexually oriented material ends a staff-intensive process. Under the old policy, offenders would check out publications and be escorted to a private reading area. When the inmate was finished examining the publication, the magazine would be returned to a staff person, who would inspect it to make sure no pages were been removed and no contraband was inserted into it.
In addition, prison officials said the population of sex offenders has grown significantly in Iowa's prisons since the 1980s and 1990s and prison officials want to keep sexually oriented publications away from them.
However, during Senate debate on the bill, Democratic state Sen. Rich Taylor, a retired Iowa State Penitentiary employee, opposed the legislation. He contended the changes ignore the fact that male inmates have a sexual drive.
"That is just a fact and you have to have some way to relieve that," Taylor said. "This gives the inmates no release point except another offender, and don’t think that it doesn’t happen.”
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52fb606ba0827bc0403f772ef6c596bf
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/30/alaska-earthquake-photos-and-video-destruction/2164608002/
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Alaska earthquake: Here's what the destruction looks like from the scene
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Alaska earthquake: Here's what the destruction looks like from the scene
A Friday morning earthquake near Anchorage, Alaska caused widespread damage and briefly prompted a tsunami warning for coastal areas of southern Alaska.
The state's governor quickly issued a disaster declaration as Anchorage's major airport and more than 100 schools closed.
In the wake of the major quake and following aftershocks, residents took to social media to share pictures of the destruction they witnessed.
The quake splintered roads in some locations
A Twitter user reported taking these photos about 25 miles northeast of Anchorage.
A local TV station's newsroom sustained severe damage
The station says it is continuing to livestream its broadcast.
Video shows an exit ramp that collapsed underneath an SUV
Terrified attorneys working at a courthouse huddled as their building shook and lights flickered
In another floor of the building, metal detectors simultaneously sound the alarm as the floor shakes:
Books fell off their shelves and were left covering the floor of the Anchorage Library
'This earthquake straight cracked my school in half,' said one Twitter user
He tweeted a photo showing a cracked floor:
A West Anchorage homeowner posted video of his living room shuddering in the quake; in the background, a child screams
Contributing: Chris Woodyard
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13c8907bd4b81249f97a8a3c22718cda
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/30/michigan-mom-jailed-after-child-misses-26-days-school/2160470002/
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Mom sent to jail after her 6-year-old missed 26 days of school
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Mom sent to jail after her 6-year-old missed 26 days of school
A mother in Michigan was ordered to serve jail time after her 6-year-old missed 26 days of school without an excuse, according to local media reports.
Brittany Horton, 27, pleaded guilty to truancy in May after her child recorded 26 unexcused absences, reports WXMI-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Horton's sentencing had been delayed to give her one more chance to ensure her child was attending school, said the report.
"When parents like Ms. Horton refuse to make reasonable efforts to address the truancy problem, our office is committed to making sure the children of our community are not deprived of an education," said Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson in a statement to ABC News.
Horton was sentenced Nov. 16 to five days in jail and nine months of probation. She also must pay more than $500 in fines, reports MLive.
The county prosecutor's office boasts a program called Operation Graduation to combat school truancy, reports MLive. The program includes interventions for parents and students to improve attendance.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23
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cb76a484d3df2ddd78711e749ef351b1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/02/colts-neck-nj-murders-mansion-fire-keith-caneiro/2184710002/
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New Jersey family killed in mansion fire remembered as 'beautiful people' during funeral, memorial
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New Jersey family killed in mansion fire remembered as 'beautiful people' during funeral, memorial
HOLMDEL, New Jersey — Parking lots at the Holmdel Funeral Home, less than a mile from the mansion where a family was murdered 12 days ago, were at capacity hours before a scheduled memorial service Sunday. Relatives of the Caneiro family said they were heartbroken and asked for privacy as they memorialized and laid to rest Keith Caneiro, Jennifer Karidis Caneiro and their two children, Jesse and Sophia.
In a statement, the relatives said they were "grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received from our devoted family, the faithful friends of Jennifer, Keith, Jesse and Sofia and many other kind individuals from the community and beyond.
"The passing of these four beautiful people was tragic, sudden and incomprehensible and, like you, we are heartbroken. May we all take comfort in the wonderful memories and incredible moments of joy they gave to all of us," the statement read.
"On behalf of our entire family, we respectfully ask that we be allowed privacy as we grieve during this very difficult time. Thank you."
The family was killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 20, allegedly at the hands of Keith’s older brother, Paul Caneiro. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in state Superior Court in Freehold on Friday.
More:Man charged with murder of brother and his family in New Jersey mansion fire case
More:Investigators continue their search for clues in the New Jersey mansion fire killings
In an interview, family friend Demetris Potamianos called the Caneiros “one of the best families I know,” supportive, loving and sociable. He said Paul Caneiro shared a close relationship with his nieces and nephews, and that he and Keith Caneiro were “beyond brothers.”
Paul Caneiro, 51, was viewed as the family caretaker, someone Keith would turn to for advice if he was considering buying a new car or taking his family on a trip, Potamianos said.
“I will be the last person ... who’s going to believe that Paul committed that crime,” Potamianos said. “I can understand something went wrong and you fight with somebody or whatever. But why the kids, why the family?
"It’s hard for me to believe from the Paul I know that something like that he was capable to do it," he said.
“There is absolutely no reason in the world for Paul Caneiro to have committed the crimes he is alleged to have committed," his attorneys Robert A. Honecker Jr. and Mitchell J. Ansell said in a statement. "He would never hurt any member of his family."
According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Paul Caneiro allegedly killed his brother's family in the early morning hours of Nov. 20 and set fire to the home in the town of Colts Neck
He returned home with evidence from the murders and set his own Ocean Township house on fire, a "ruse" to make it seem like the entire Caneiro family had been targeted, according to the prosecutor's office.
Authorities say the motive for the alleged murders was financial and related to their joint business ventures.
A prayer card handed out at the services included a picture of the family, posed and smiling.
The obituaries describe 50-year-old Keith Caneiro as an “altruistic person who would help everyone and anyone who needed his assistance.” Caneiro, who was the chief executive officer of technology firm Square One, was an avid reader who would often read three or four books in a week, the obituary states.
“I miss you guys so dearly. My heart is hurting so much,” one person wrote in tribute on the funeral home’s website. “Thank you for everything, for being such a good neighbor, your friendships and kindness. Thank you for welcoming our family to your home and treating us as one of your family.”
His wife, 47-year-old Jennifer Karidis Caneiro, loved to host family events for every holiday at the Colts Neck home, which was set ablaze on the morning of Nov. 20. The couple’s oldest son, Jesse, 11, was a history buff who loved playing the video game “Fortnite” and building with Legos. His sister, 8-year-old Sophia, was a Girl Scout whose “positive energy was contagious.”
One post on the funeral home's tribute wall to Jennifer Caneiro complimented her for being a doting mother and member of the Conover Road Primary School community.
“Jennifer savored the times she could share in Jesse’s school life and expressed her joy in doing so,” wrote a woman identified as Lisa Mastroianni, whose name is listed in the faculty directory at Conover Road Primary School. “To see her at school with her son was heartwarming.”
Outside the funeral home, drivers gawked at the line of cars, police presence at the funeral home and gathered media outlets stationed across the street. One woman gave herself the Sign of the Cross — touching her forehead, chest and shoulders — as she drove by.
More:Father in New Jersey mansion fire killed by multiple gunshots, investigators say
More:Victim's brother in New Jersey mansion fire arrested, charged with torching his home, trying to kill his family
Potanianos said his life will “never be the same” after the Caneiro family was killed.
“I still believe that I’m going to go to the house and I’m going to have a few drinks and I’m going to hang out with Jennifer and we’re going to make plans for the summer to meet again and go the beach and come to the house,” he said.
“I still cannot believe those people – I mean I know they’re dead but – I can’t really believe that yet.”
Friends of one of Paul Caneiro’s daughters launched a GoFundMe aimed at helping the "surviving Caneiro family ... try and rebuild their lives, which will already be a long and painful process.
"Not only are they dealing with the tragic loss of their family, they also have nothing and nowhere to go,” the fundraising campaign description states. “They have lost their home and all of their belongings. They do not have a roof over their heads, clothes, winter coats, dog food for their dogs, even toothbrushes.”
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89a215f38b4b495abe5d41a539723f88
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/05/new-york-police-department-deploys-drone-fleet-searches-events/2212569002/
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New York police deploy drone fleet for search operations, 'other emergency situations'
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New York police deploy drone fleet for search operations, 'other emergency situations'
New York City Police Department just added a fleet of drones to its force.
Fourteen drones will be used by licensed NYPD officers in the Technical Assistance Response Unit for everything from search and rescue operations to monitoring traffic and pedestrians at large events, the department announced Tuesday. Other uses include crime scene documentation, HAZMAT incidents, hostage situations and "other emergency situations" with proper approval.
"Drone technology will give our cops and their incident commanders an opportunity to see what they are getting into before they go into harm's way," Chief of Department Terence Monahan said at a press conference. "Frankly, for this reason alone, it would be negligent for us not to utilize this technology."
Eleven of the drones are small quadcopters that will be used for tactical operations. Two are larger, weather resistant quadcopters with a zoom camera and thermal imaging capabilities. Another quadcopter will be used for training and testing purposes.
Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said the drones will help the largest municipal police department in the nation be more "effective, efficient, and safe."
More:What you need to know before flying a drone
More:Fighting pigs from the sky: Drones to help farmers trap feral swine under FAA program
The NYPD said the drones will not be used for traffic enforcement or routine patrol. The drones also will never be used as a weapon or be equipped with a weapon.
Across the U.S., more than 900 state and local police, fire and emergency units use drones.
Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets
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fa98b9a885e213b8f43b073cf5c7bbcf
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/05/peta-compares-speciesism-racism-homohpobia-ableism-twitter-ethical-treatment-animals/2213631002/
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PETA ridiculed, criticized for comparing 'speciesism' with racism, homophobia and ableism
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PETA ridiculed, criticized for comparing 'speciesism' with racism, homophobia and ableism
PETA's Twitter call for an end to "anti-animal" language is drawing a combination of ridicule and condemnation.
In a tweet Tuesday that has now gone viral, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals warned against using "speciesist" phrases, and proposed alternatives.
"Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start ‘bringing home the bagels’ instead of the bacon," the animal rights organization tweeted Tuesday.
The suggestions didn't stop at bagels: PETA tweeted a chart of "anti-animal" phrases with possible correctives.
Instead of saying "kill two birds with one stone," the organization wrote, why not "feed two birds with one scone?" In place of taking "the bull by the horns," how about taking "the flower by the thorns?"
"Words matter, and as our understanding of social justice evolves, our language evolves along with it," PETA said. "Here's how to remove 'speciesism' from your daily conversations."
The internet laughed, and objected.
"Any chance you had of getting my respect is gone @peta," one Twitter user wrote. "This tweet of yours, equating “speciesism” with racism, homophobia and ableism is deeply disturbing."
Critics said the tweets diminished violence against people of color, the LGBTQ community and individuals with disabilities. The Root called it the "whitest tweet ever."
Other Twitter users ridiculed PETA's reworked phrases.
Some pointed out that PETA probably has bigger fish to fry...oops. French fries to fry? Doughnuts to fry?
It's not the first time PETA has been criticized while engaging marginalized communities.
Last year, while encouraging people to stop drinking milk and #ditchdairy after white supremacists called the drink a celebration of their European heritage, the organization compared white supremacists and "human supremacists."
"That should make racists think twice," PETA wrote on its website. "All we can say is this: Human supremacists need to start thinking about other species’ interests in not being exploited."
PETA responded to the criticism Wednesday, asking the "haters" to "lighten up" and for more suggestions on anti-speciesist language.
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43d811c2c9b77acc426445ddffbc3eb2
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/06/george-h-w-bush-st-martins-church-funeral-burial-texas/2223943002/
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Houston says goodbye to former President George H.W. Bush, a 'devoted' man of faith
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Houston says goodbye to former President George H.W. Bush, a 'devoted' man of faith
HOUSTON – Former President George H.W. Bush was a charter member of the Greatest Generation whose contributions to America are "etched in the marble of time," former Secretary of State James Baker told a somber crowd of more than 1,000 mourners Thursday.
"He possessed the classic virtues of our civilization and of his faith," Baker, a longtime friend who served during Bush's administration, said in a eulogy marked by laughter and tears.
Baker spoke of Bush's triumphs, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and building the coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. He said Bush was willing to entertain opposing points of view, but also knew how to let him know the discussion was over.
"He would look at me and say 'Baker, if you are so smart how come I am president and you're not?'" Baker said with a laugh. But he also broke down into tears as he concluded, and many took his cue as the funeral rolled on.
The service for Bush, who died Friday at age 94, was held at his beloved St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. It kicked off with renditions of "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner," and granddaughters of the former president provided readings from Scripture.
George P. Bush, a grandchild and Texas land commissioner, told stories of the man they knew as "gampy" playing horseshoes, serving Klondike ice cream bars and challenging the grandkids to games – and sometimes offering a "first-to-sleep" award.
The Rev. Russell Levenson Jr., in his homily, noted that George and Barbara Bush, who died at age 92 in April, were "devoted members" of the church for more than 50 years. He related stories of the elder Bush serving coffee to churchgoers and teaching Sunday school.
"His very first act after being sworn into office as our 41st president was to lead us in prayer," Levenson said. He then shared the same prayer Bush spoke that day in 1989.
Bush was a big fan of the the Oak Ridge Boys, and the group sang "Amazing Grace."
"He fancied himself to be a good bass singer," band member Joe Bonsall commented with a smile. "He was not."
More:Bush was the 'center of our family,' granddaughter Barbara Bush says
More:Bush and Trump: The contrast that was impossible to miss
Bush's grandsons served as pallbearers after the funeral, walking the flag-draped casket to a group of service members who placed it in a hearse for transport to the Union Pacific Railroad's Presidential Train Car. The train was traveling through Texas cities such as Spring, Magnolia and Navasota, bound for College Station.
Navy veteran David Franklin drove about an hour from his home in Humble, Texas, to Magnolia. It was his way of paying respects to the former commander-in-chief.
His truck was decorated with a U.S. flag (Bush’s service to the country), a Texas flag (because the president had been “a Texan at heart” and Christmas lights (for the season). He planned to wave a Navy flag as the train passed.
“It’s a special moment, a special train,” he said. “We won’t see something like this again.”
Bush will be buried on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Texas A&M University. He will be buried alongside his wife and their daughter, Pauline Robinson Bush, who died from leukemia short of her 4th birthday.
In the hours before the funeral service, more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. Bush's remains arrived at the church Wednesday after a service at Washington National Cathedral that drew President Donald Trump and all the living former presidents – Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
The Houston funeral drew luminaries and the ordinary. The Bush children walked in single file to their seats, former President George W. Bush at the end of the line, pausing to greet guests. Reba McEntire was there. So was Fawaz “Fuzzy” Hajjar, who said he served pizza to the Bushes for 25 years at Fuzzy’s Pizza & Café in West Houston.
Bush was a frequent diner at the cafe and often brought VIPs to the small, family-run establishment, from former presidential candidate Mitt Romney to the owners of the Houston Astros and Houston Texans pro sports teams. Hajjar, in turn, named a pizza after him – the “President Bush Pizza” – that comes covered in pepperoni, Canadian bacon, green peppers, onions, black olives, Italian sausage and artichoke hearts.
More:The loss that forever changed former President George H.W. Bush
More:The Presidential Train Car that will transport George H.W. Bush
“He’s like for us my friend, my father, my brother. He’s everything for us,” Hajjar, a native of Syria, said before the service. “He’s just an amazing man.”
Bill White, the mayor of Houston from 2004 to 2010, called Bush a “proud Houstonian and civic leader.” Bush was a fixture at community and sporting events in his post-presidential years, White said.
But the memory that stands out came when the Democrat ran for mayor.
“He told me he was voting for me because I was good for the city,” said White, who worked for the Clinton campaign in 1992. “He didn’t hold grudges.”
John De La Garza Jr., who worked on Bush’s congressional staff in 1966 and 1967, wore a red tie decorated with military-style bombers and Mr. Rogers socks in honor of the former president. De la Garza's wife, Dorothy, said Bush and wife Barbara were like parents and served as a “model couple” to the then-newlyweds.
They comforted Dorothy after she had a stillbirth. "They showed us how to live and how to die," she said.
Karen Liedtke, 70, and her sister Kristy Liedtke, 67, said their parents were good friends and business partners with the Bushes.
“All those years of friendship, you want to be able to say goodbye,” Karen Liedtke said. “He was the greatest of the greatest generation.”
St. Martin's, founded in 1952, is now the largest Episcopal church in North America with some 9,000 members. It was also the site of Barbara Bush's funeral. The church towers overs Houston's upscale Tanglewood neighborhood west of downtown.
A message on the website of the 66-year-old church reads: "President George H.W. Bush and the late Mrs. Barbara Pierce Bush worshiped at St. Martin’s for more than 50 years, and now it is our turn to show our respect and support as our congregation, as well as our nation, grieve this loss."
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Susan Page and John C. Moritz
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3eed794b2214f28993b4bde5950bb488
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/06/ohio-state-university-gets-bacon-vending-machine-finals/2235815002/
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University gets bacon vending machine just in time for finals
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University gets bacon vending machine just in time for finals
Ohio State University is temporarily hosting a bacon vending machine as a fundraiser through Dec. 13.
The machine was announced on Tuesday by the Ohio Pork Council and on Wednesday by Ohio State University's Meat Science Club. It sells cooked bacon strips and bacon bits for $1.
The products are donated by Smithfield, Hormel and Sugardale; proceeds will benefit the university's meat science program.
The machine can be found in the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences' Animal Science lobby, according to the Ohio pork Council.
“The Bacon Vending Machine is a unique and fun way for the Ohio Pork Council to support Ohio State students and promote the pork industry at the same time,” said Ohio Pork Council's President-Elect Dave Shoup, according to Fox 28 Columbus.
Dec. 3:Say goodbye to 'bring home the bacon,' PETA has replacement phrases
Feb. 9:Bacon, coffee, Nutella: These favorite foods have cancer links
Contributing: The Associated Press.
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05129878be343f92085dd5bbb9ddcbe5
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/06/suicide-survivor-answers-questions-how-she-prevents-another-attempt/2226215002/
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Q&A: Suicide survivor answers questions on life before and after her attempt
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Q&A: Suicide survivor answers questions on life before and after her attempt
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new numbers last week showing that the nation's suicide rate is up 33% in less than 20 years. Suicide is a growing problem, yet stigma often prevents people from talking openly about it.
Shelby Rowe attempted to take her own life almost 10 years ago, but she survived. She is one one of millions of Americans who survive suicide attempts and go on to live full, healthy lives. USA TODAY enterprise reporter Alia Dastagir interviewed Rowe, a leader in the field of suicide prevention, for USA TODAY's Surviving Suicide project. Rowe and Dastagir answered questions about suicide during a Reddit AMA Monday.
Below are some of the highlights, edited for brevity and clarity:
Q: I survived two attempts. Do you still think about it? If so, what helps to dissuade yourself?
Shelby Rowe: I'm so glad that you survived! ... I don't have recurring thoughts of suicide but I do know other survivors who have daily struggles with thoughts of suicide. I have had times since my attempt that I've had acute feelings of loneliness and isolation, but I reach out to my supports/safety plan right away. I hope that I never have to live through another suicidal crisis.
For me, reaching out and talking about my feelings early helps. When I start feeling like no one cares or that everyone would be better off without me, I reach out to people that I know can remind me that I am loved and needed. Feeling disconnected/isolated and feeling like you're a burden are two of the biggest risk factors. ... The antidote - stay connected to my purpose and to my people. My people include my tribe, my family, my friends, and my professional community. The bigger my "safety net" the better I feel.
Q: How did you knew you hit rock bottom?
SR: I'm not sure "rock bottom" is the best description of what I felt. It was more of a seeing there was hope and a different direction to go. For months, I had been overwhelmed with thoughts of "I can't live like this." It was a few days after my attempt when I started to see that I could let go of some of the things in my life that were bringing me so much pain. I could live differently.
Waking up after my attempt and seeing how worried my kids were was certainly humbling. Overall, it was hope for a new future that saved me. My fear of being in that much pain and despair again keeps me motivated to live a healthy, well-balanced life.
Q: I'm not suicidal, but often times the idea of going to bed and not waking up the next morning seems like a blessing. Is this common before I would reach a point where I go into a crisis?
SR: Although you are not having thoughts of suicide, feeling that not waking up would be a blessing could be a sign of depression. Oftentimes with brain health, we seem to think that we don't need help until it's a crisis. This isn't true. When we start noticing symptoms is when we need to talk with our health care providers so that we don't have to ever experience a life-threatening crisis. I'm so sorry that you're struggling. If life ever feels like it’s not worth living, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The call is free and confidential, and crisis workers are there 24/7 to assist you. There's so much stigma and misinformation that we seem to forget that our brains are part of our bodies. If we notice a lump on our hand, we go to the doctor right away. No one would think of letting it get to be the size of a grapefruit before ever seeking care and getting a diagnosis. Having feelings of not wanting to wake up is a significant symptom, and I encourage you to seek help before it becomes a life-threatening crisis.
Q: What advice would you give if someone told you that they were suicidal?
Alia Dastagir: Experts told us that if someone tells you they're thinking about suicide, you should actively listen. Don't act shocked. Don't minimize their feelings. And don't debate the value of life. You should try to focus on their reasons for living. A question you could ask: "What's kept you safe up to this point?" ... You don't have to have all the answers. We know it can feel scary if someone says they're feeling suicidal. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) and they can talk you through other ways you can help. One of the most important things you can do is be there, and when you learn someone is struggling continue to be there. Also encourage them to seek additional support, which could include reaching out to a mental health professional or a support group.
Q: What is the best way to care for someone after an attempt? Does this advice differ based on your relationship to that person (sibling vs. distant cousin vs. coworker, etc.)?
AD: Suicide survivors often experience a lot of discrimination and shame which can make it difficult for them to talk about their feelings. They worry people will judge or avoid them. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline says if someone you know is a suicide survivor these are things you can do to help (no matter what the relationship):
Q: How did you beat depression?
SR: Learning how to talk about my fears and my pain has helped a lot when it comes to beating depression. For me, staying safe involves staying focused on my purpose and connected to my people. My people includes all sorts of connections — my ancestors, neighbors, family, professional colleagues, etc. I see my mental health as the same as someone else's diabetes or heart disease. If I do my part to maintain a healthy lifestyle and get help when my symptoms are minor, I can keep myself safe from life-threatening suicidal episodes. So far my strategy is working. It's been since 2010 since my attempt and I hope I never have another.
Q: Reading about Chester Bennington it's clear that he suffered with a lot of dark thoughts for many years before he took his own life. In a way, it sort of seemed inevitable. As someone who hasn't been in a great place mentally for the last year or two and barely feels like they're getting any better, what can you tell me by way of an alternative narrative to suggest that things can get better?
SR: Although it can seem inevitable, there is hope. The fact is that most individuals who think about suicide never attempt (researchers say that there are up to 280 for every person who dies by suicide), and most individuals who survive a suicide attempt (70 percent) will never make another attempt. They survive. That path is different for each one of us, but often includes taking our lives in a different direction. Depression and bipolar disorder, along with other mental health conditions, like diabetes, can deteriorate over time if not managed well. They can even become fatal. Fortunately, most mental health conditions respond very well to treatment. Many individuals experiencing a suicidal crisis, including me, don't necessarily have a desire to die. The pain creates tunnel vision that makes it seem impossible to survive. Once the pain level subsides, even a little bit, the survival instinct usually takes back over and life finds a way. Any time you're having thoughts of suicide, it's a life-threatening situation and it must be taken seriously.
I am sorry to hear you are going through so much right now, but your life does matter. Don't hesitate to call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you are outside of the United States, please visit iasp.info to find out about service providers in your country.
Q: What do you think is the best path forward in fixing the cultural reasons behind suicide, like toxic masculinity and being overly image-conscious?
AD: People I spoke to for this story say culture is such a big part of it. Isolation raises the risk of suicide, and nearly half of Americans say they sometimes or always feel alone. Increasing smartphone use has been linked to suicidal thoughts in teens. You mention toxic masculinity, which at least one of the survivors I spoke with said was a barrier to him asking for help when he needed it (though he didn't use the exact term!). He is an active duty National Guardsman who survived a suicide attempt a little over a year after 9/11. He grew up on a farm in Missouri and never saw his dad cry. He didn't know how to cope with his pain, because he had never been taught how. Experts say our attitudes about seeking help need to improve. People need to feel like they don't have to endure things alone. They need to feel connected to other people.
Q: How prevalent of a cause of suicide/depression/suicidal ideation is economics (worrying about getting a job, not earning enough, etc.), and how should one handle such a case?
SR: Feeling as if you're a burden to others and that you're disconnected are significant risk factors for suicide, and a job loss or a period of underemployment can trigger both of those feelings. Helping someone to expand their sense of purpose and value beyond their paycheck can help to buffer against the risks to their mental health caused by the lack of employment. Connecting with family (or tribe, in my case), friends, and community groups are also helpful.
Q: What positive trends do you see in our society that encourage you we're going in the right direction to lower the suicide rate and what would you like to see but don't see?
AD: On positive trends, people who work in suicide prevention have said that one of the interventions that is showing real promise is training primary care doctors and other medical staff in suicide prevention. There's an initiative called Zero Suicide that is working to bring suicide prevention into health systems, and in places where their framework has been adopted, there has been a 60% reduction in suicides. There has also been some good work done around means safety, which refers to the "how" of suicides. Restricting someone's access to guns during a suicidal crisis, for example, can be lifesaving.
People I interviewed for this project said they would like to see more conversation, publicly and privately, about suicide. Less fear and less stigma, overall. We know that isolation is a risk factor for suicide, and feeling connected to other people protects against suicide. So on an interpersonal level, reaching out to people who you think may be struggling is important. At a macro level, it's important to make sure suicide prevention programs include ways of promoting connection.
SR: I echo Alia in that I'm very encouraged with the work that is being done in health care settings to put brain health on the same level as other health conditions. By adding mental health screening and brief interventions into every health care encounter, early identification and treatment is possible before it becomes a life threatening crisis.
I would love to see more peer-to-peer support for both attempt survivors and for their families. There is not much happening in the field of suicide prevention in this area and I think it is key to fostering recovery and healing. We humans do not heal in isolation. We heal in caring communities. When we do more in society to promote the healing of those who are struggling and to acknowledge their successes, it will become easier for those who are struggling to feel safe reaching out for help and sharing their pain.
READ MORE:
JOIN US:
Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.
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cd9ad53a942d5f4e046f6ca097fa3935
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/07/nebraska-principal-leave-after-banning-christmas-decorations/2235496002/
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Principal on leave after banning Christmas decorations, including candy canes and reindeer
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Principal on leave after banning Christmas decorations, including candy canes and reindeer
A Nebraska elementary school principal has been placed on administrative leave following public backlash over the school's holiday policies. Those since-revised rules banned Christmas-related items – including candy canes, reindeer and the traditional Christmas colors red and green – in the name of cultural sensitivity.
The principal of Manchester Elementary School – located near Omaha, Nebraska – sent her staff a memo on holiday symbols that does not reflect the Elkhorn Public Schools District's policies, according to a district statement sent to USA TODAY Friday.
Principal Jennifer Sinclair has been placed on administrative leave as of Thursday, the statement says.
The statement comes after religious freedom advocacy group Liberty Counsel published a memo attributed to Manchester Elementary School. The memo outlines specific steps educators were expected to take during the holiday season to remain "inclusive and culturally sensitive."
Dec. 7:Boy, 8, fighting deadly brain cancer wants 190 cards for Christmas
Dec. 6:Tyler Perry brings Christmas to Walmart layaway, pays $400K worth of customers' bills
The memo, also published by the Omaha World-Herald, cites confusion among the staff about the school's holiday policies and reluctantly lays out a list of items that were and were not permitted during the holiday season.
The lists said winter-themed symbols such as sledding, gingerbread people and snowmen were allowed. But symbols associated with Christmas were not, as to avoid promoting a religious holiday.
The memo at times includes explanations for why certain items were disallowed:
The memo is signed "the (Unintentional) Grinch who stole Christmas (from Manchester)."
It explains the policies: "I come from a place that Christmas and the like are not allowed in schools ... over the years in my educational career, this has evolved into the expectation for all educators."
The memo's explanation of the candy cane's religious roots is commonly accepted but likely inaccurate, Smithsonian Magazine reports. The religious symbolism referenced was likely popularized after forms of candy canes were already common holiday treats, the publication says.
Dec. 7:These are the 5 best holiday deals on Amazon right now
Dec. 2:What is Hanukkah? These kids (and their rabbi) explain
The memo is a part of an ongoing investigation and would not be released by the district at this time, Kara Perchal, communications coordinator for Elkhorn Public Schools District, told USA TODAY on Friday.
The district's policies say that learning activities must have a secular purpose and avoid "excessive governmental entanglement with religion." Activities and programs must neither advance nor inhibit religion, the policies say.
The Liberty Counsel says it petitioned the school district to change the elementary school's policies in a letter dated Nov. 30. That letter cites concerns about the memo.
"The First Amendment simply does not require elimination of all Christmas symbols – religious and secular – in a misguided attempt to be 'inclusive' by eliminating all traditional elements of a federally– and state-recognized holiday. The effort to comprehensively eliminate Christmas symbols is Orwellian," the letter says.
During the holidays, many public schools struggle to maintain the separation of church and state while acknowledging holiday customs with religious connections.
Last year, one Indiana public charter school made headlines for its decision to downplay Christmas and other religious holidays.
"It doesn't matter how you celebrate Christmas in school," Leslie Draper, the head of Inspire Academy, said. "Inevitably, it's not going to align with somebody's viewpoint."
Another Indiana school ran into legal trouble in 2015 when its longstanding nativity tradition drew a lawsuit.
Contributing: Seth Slabaugh, The (Muncie, Ind.) Star Press
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b4bf53f7957314f2de222a46d85769b6
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/10/california-wildfire-dog-survives-camp-fire-reunites-owner/2250557002/
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Homeowner returns one month after Camp Fire, finds her dog waiting for her at her house
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Homeowner returns one month after Camp Fire, finds her dog waiting for her at her house
PARADISE, Calif. – A month after the Camp Fire, a homeowner who returned to see what's left of her property was shocked and overjoyed to see her dog survived the wildfire.
When Andrea Gaylord arrived back at her home in Paradise, California, she said her beloved dog, Madison, was waiting patiently for her to return home.
"You could never ask for a better animal," Gaylord said. "You really couldn't."
Gaylord had a feeling Madison survived the fire so she connected with Shayla Sullivan, an animal rescue volunteer, who checked on their property.
Sullivan originally was looking for and taking care of Gaylord's other dog named Miguel. Madison and Miguel are brothers. Sullivan said she kept checking on Gaylord's property and left food and water for Madison, an Anatolian shepherd mix.
When the evacuation orders were lifted, Gaylord went home to see the damage for herself. When she pulled up to the property, there was Madison.
"Imagine the loyalty of hanging in in the worst of circumstances and being here waiting," Gaylord said. "It was so emotional."
The Camp Fire wildfire killed 84 people, destroying Paradise, a northern California town of 150,000 residents.
More:'Destroyed': In Paradise, California, entire community of 27,000 was ordered to evacuate
More:Man donates $1,000 checks to Paradise High students, staff displaced by wildfire
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a4759caa2f9ce557617f7bfc191113ba
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/10/man-woman-die-trying-rescue-dogs-ponds/2272403002/
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'It would be instinct': Woman, man die in separate attempts to rescue their dogs from icy ponds
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'It would be instinct': Woman, man die in separate attempts to rescue their dogs from icy ponds
INDIANAPOLIS — A man died Monday after trying to rescue his dog from an icy pond at an apartment complex here, the second death in two days of owners falling through thin ice to save their canines.
Two divers from the Indianapolis Fire Department found the man in his 20s shortly after noon at the Masters Apartments and brought him to shore roughly 20 minutes later, Battalion Chief Rita Reith said in a news release. The victim, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at St. Vincent Hospital.
On Saturday about 250 miles north in Wyoming, Michigan, Tracy Cashman, 38, drowned after she fell through ice in a pond at Battjes Park while walking her dog. Investigators there believe that she also was trying to rescue her dog who had walked on thin ice.
► March 27:Dad, who couldn't swim, dies trying to save daughter from frigid pond► Feb. 2:Pastor eases onto icy pond to rescue dog► December 2017:Deputy punches through ice to rescue boy on Christmas Day
"If the dog was struggling, she would save that dog," said Cashman's mother, Rhonda Moore. "Whether it was her dog, somebody else's dog, a child — it would be instinct. She would just do it."
Cashman's golden doodle had returned home without her at about 9:30 p.m. EST Saturday, alerting family to the problem. She had a husband and three children, according to officials at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools in Wyoming, the Grand Rapids, Michigan, suburb where she worked.
The dog in Indianapolis, one of huskies that the victim owned, also was able eventually to get out of the water on its own.
Another resident of the Indianapolis apartment complex was leaving in his car when he saw the dog on the ice and the owner trying to rescue it. The witness then left his car and entered the pond, according to Indianapolis firefighters.
That man also fell through ice but was able to get himself out.
Another resident heard what was happening and entered the water, too. He managed to throw a rope bag to the victim, the release said. But he also fell through the ice and left the pond.
The resident who first entered the pond tried to enter the water a second time but was unsuccessful, according to the release.
Divers located the victim about 30 feet from the shore in 15 feet of water. He was in extremely critical condition and died at the hospital, Reith said.
Contributing: Amir Abbas, WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich. Follow Crystal Hill on Twitter: @crysnhill
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91803f10708a8b82717d430108733e15
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/10/planned-parenthood-nashville-abortions-suspended/2271428002/
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Only abortion provider left in Tennessee's capital suspends abortion services
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Only abortion provider left in Tennessee's capital suspends abortion services
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The only remaining abortion clinic in Tennessee's capital has ceased offering abortions, instead referring patients to clinics 200 miles away in Knoxville and Memphis.
Officials with Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, which operates the north Nashville clinic, could not say when its clinic would resume abortions. The organization has a shortage of physicians to do the procedure, a spokeswoman said.
The clinic is also "undergoing a period of quality improvement and will return with these services soon," a statement said. It is the second clinic in Nashville to stop abortions this year.
The Women's Center closed in August after the sale of its building, and its operators said they hoped to reopen. No target date was set, and its reopening has not happened yet.
► Dec. 10:Supreme Court won't consider state efforts to defund Planned Parenthood► Nov. 20:Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban overturned by federal judge► Oct. 26:Fight over abortion comes to Oregon as GOP targets reproductive rights
The suspension of abortion services at Nashville's only abortion clinic comes at a time when the number of abortion providers in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast continues to dwindle.
Tennessee now has six abortion providers, down from 16 in 2000 but more than in any other neighboring state except North Carolina.
Also Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider Republican-led states' efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. The court let stand federal appeals court rulings that allowed the reproductive health organization's patients to contest laws in Louisiana and Kansas that stripped its Medicaid money.
In Tennessee, more than 9,700 abortions were performed in 2016, up from about 9,100 in 2015, according to the Tennessee Department of Health's most recent data.
Nashville's Planned Parenthood clinic was the largest provider of abortions in the state, serving women in rural Middle Tennessee counties as well as neighboring as Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi.
► Oct. 25:Abortion cases offer test for the Supreme Court► Oct. 10:Pope Francis compares abortion to hiring a hit man to solve problems
Some women now will have to travel even further to obtain an abortion. And under Tennessee's 48-hour waiting-period law, they will have to make the trip twice.
The law, enacted in 2015, requires two trips to an abortion clinic with a two-day wait between the first appointment to obtain counseling and then a subsequent office visit to undergo the procedure.
Tennessee Right to Life, which advocates against abortions, already is seeing a spike in women callers who could not obtain abortion appointments in Nashville, said Brian Harris, the organization's president. The organization advertises services for women who are pregnant and need help but does not perform abortions or refer women to abortion clinics.
Instead, the organization provides free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. It also offers to connect women to services intended to assist them in continuing their pregnancies to term.
"The phone has been very busy here with women calling and looking for abortion referrals – busier than they’ve ever been," Harris said.
► Sept. 28:Federal judge strikes down Kentucky restriction on abortion clinics► June 29:72-hour wait for abortions struck down by Iowa Supreme Court
On Monday, the Nashville Planned Parenthood clinic was open for other women's medical services including birth control and sexually transmitted disease testing, but its waiting room was empty. Operators at the organization's scheduling line are referring callers who want abortions to other locations.
"As of right now we're only scheduling for other locations," said an operator who answered the phone at the clinic's line. The woman, who did not give her name, said abortion services were suspended "indefinitely."
The Women's Center, along with other abortion providers in Tennessee, are still fighting to overturn the 48-hour waiting period rule in federal court.
Follow Anita Wadhwani on Twitter: @AnitaWadhwani
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976bd10543771226b089bd3de458751a
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/12/jesse-osborne-pleads-guilty-south-carolina-school-shooting/2297747002/
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16-year-old pleads guilty to murder in 2016 deaths of his father and a 6-year-old boy
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16-year-old pleads guilty to murder in 2016 deaths of his father and a 6-year-old boy
ANDERSON, S.C. – Jesse Osborne, the teenager accused in the 2016 shooting at a South Carolina elementary school, pleaded guilty to murder charges Wednesday.
The lead prosecutor in the case said he will seek life imprisonment for the 16-year-old boy.
Osborne pleaded guilty to killing his father, 47-year-old Jeffrey Osborne, at their home, and a 6-year-old boy, Jacob Hall, at Townville Elementary School. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder related to trying to kill two other students and a first-grade teacher on the school playground on Sept. 28, 2016.
During Wednesday's hearing in the Anderson County Courthouse, David Wagner, who is prosecuting the case, read from online messages attributed to the Osborne. Wagner said Osborne planned the attack and said that he hoped to kill at least "50 or 60" people at the school.
Investigators say Osborne killed his father in their home before driving his father's truck 3 miles to the school, where the teen opened fire on the playground and mortally wounded Jacob, a first-grader who died three days later.
More:Teen accused in 2016 South Carolina shooting to face charges in adult court
Osborne had turned 14 a few weeks before the shooting. Photos taken inside his home offer a glimpse of what once was his teenage existence. His bedroom contained electronics, multiple gaming systems and dozens of video games, including multiple versions of the game "Call of Duty." Assistant Solicitor Catherine Huey, one of the prosecutors connected to this case, would later say Osborne had "lots of shooting games."
Family Court Judge Edgar Long determined last February that Jesse Osborne should be tried as an adult. At an arraignment in September, the teen, through his lawyer, pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Osborne repeatedly said "Yes, sir" Wednesday as Judge Lawton McIntosh asked him if he understood that he was pleading guilty and if he understood what that meant.
Osborne faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and maximum of life imprisonment.
Because of his age at the time of the crime, and because he could face life in prison, state law requires a special hearing before he is sentenced. At that hearing, a judge will consider things that include psychological evaluations of Osborne, his family life and home environment, and whether he can be rehabilitated.
Wagner said that hearing will likely happen in late spring or early summer.
Osborne's lead attorney, Frank Eppes, said that in the two years he has known and worked with the teen, "He has always been remorseful for his crimes and has always understood he needs to pay for his crimes."
He said that Osborne is "guarded, as many teenagers are," and that he rarely speaks about the events of that day.
"He is in a regulated, structured environment, and that has been good for him," Eppes said after the hearing. "At the end of the day, he's still a kid. He's a child."
Wagner said he is seeking life imprisonment for Osborne because it is the "appropriate sentence for the murder of a 6-year-old Jacob Hall, and the attempted murders of his classmates and teachers.”
Records and testimony presented in Osborne's waiver hearing in February showed that he had plotted the Townville school shooting for months and had refined his plan in the days prior to the shooting. Instagram messages from an account attributed to the teen showed he had studied law-enforcement response times.
Court records also showed the teen Googled "youngest mass murderer" and searched for information on Columbine High School killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Osborne, who met with investigators alone after the shootings, confessed to them. Eppes unsuccessfully tried to get that confession thrown out of court earlier this year.
The video footage of Jesse Osborne's confession was played in court in February.
Osborne shot his father three times in their Townville home, then put on a vest he wore when playing with AirSoft guns, he said during his interview. Then he "hugged all the animals" before leaving his house in his father's truck to drive to the school, he said.
Osborne told FBI Special Agent Aleta Bollinger and Tracy Call, an investigator at the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, that he used his father's gun while firing on the playground.
He said he would have killed more at the school but the gun jammed.
Jacob's father, Rodger Hall, sat with his head in his hands at points during Wednesday's hearing. Some family members next to him sobbed.
Jacob's mother, Renae Hall, is in jail and did not attend the hearing.
Renae Hall has had an especially troubled time since her son's death and has been arrested multiple times in the last two years. She has multiple pending drug charges against her, including one from less than a month ago, according to court records.
Follow Nikie Mayo on Twitter: @NikieMayo
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537ef2db7b955e6ce4df6a9ce0df3613
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/13/georgia-democrat-stacey-abrams-brian-kemp-fair-fight-action-election-reform/2282404002/
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Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, narrowly defeated in race for governor, says she will 'certainly' run again
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Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, narrowly defeated in race for governor, says she will 'certainly' run again
ATLANTA – Stacey Abrams, the charismatic Georgia Democrat who came up short last month in her bid to become the first black woman governor in the nation, plans to run again for office – perhaps as soon as 2020.
Abrams, Georgia's former House minority leader, attracted national attention, endorsements and money this year with a progressive campaign that energized new voters in the deep red state.
The Yale-trained lawyer won the most votes of any Democratic candidate in Georgia history, but lost the bitterly fought election to Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp by 1.39 percentage points. Kemp is to be sworn in as governor in January.
Abrams, 45, told USA TODAY she is considering her options.
One possibility: The Senate. Sen. David Perdue, a first-term Republican, comes up for reelection in 2020. Abrams has a decade of legislative experience as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
“I will certainly run for office again,” Abrams said. "My responsibility is to make certain whatever I run for, I am the best person for the job.”
Until then, she said, she plans to work for election reform through Fair Fight Action, the new organization she chairs, and to remain active in civic affairs as a private citizen.
Abrams is one of several Democrats considering their futures after November losses.
Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who failed to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in deep red Texas, and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who lost the Florida governor's race to Rep. Ron DeSantis, are both said to be mulling runs for the White House.
Abrams said she sees a path forward. Her campaign was notable for its liberal messaging and its aggressive get-out-the-vote efforts with the young and minorities.
She promised to improve public schools, strengthen gun control, expand Medicaid and generate jobs through investment in small businesses.
Kemp called Abrams too extreme for Georgia. But she came closer to being elected governor than any Democrat in 20 years.
“I think our campaign was reflective of a new blueprint for how you can win in the South," Abrams said. “We have demonstrated that it’s entirely possible to activate communities that are typically left out of our politics.”
Emory University political scientist Andra Gillespie says Abrams could "ride that momentum."
She suggests Abrams could run for governor in 2022, or for the House seat held by Rep. John Lewis should the civil rights icon retire.
“She has helped to dispel the myth that blacks are not viable candidates in the Deep South," Gillespie said.
University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said Abrams made unforced errors during her first run for statewide office – as when she said the state should remove the carvings of the Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee from Stone Mountain.
"I didn’t think she needed to say that at the time," Bullock said. "And it may have turned off some voters who may have otherwise supported her."
Abrams maintains that the state mismanaged the midterm election. She and her supporters accused Kemp, as secretary of state, of suppressing the minority vote.
Abrams' campaign criticized Kemp's office for removing inactive voters from the rolls, withholding voter registration forms and long wait times at the polls on election day.
Kemp has rejected charges he suppressed the vote. His office said it conducted "maintenance of the voter rolls to ensure election integrity." His campaign credited Kemp for record voter registration and early voter turnout.
Abrams never conceded the race. Down by tens of thousands of votes on election night, her campaign and supporters filed a series of legal challenges aimed at getting more ballots counted, in hopes of reducing the margin and forcing a recount or a runoff.
Their efforts were partially successful:Judges ordered hundreds of rejected ballots to be counted. But it wasn't enough to change the outcome.
Ten days after the election, Abrams acknowledged that she would not win, and dropped any further legal action. In an address that she said was not a concession speech, she announced the formation of Fair Fight Action.
Abrams is chairing the organization; it's run by Lauren Wroh-Gargo, her campaign manager.
Fair Fight Action filed its first lawsuit in November asking a federal judge to order fixes to what it says are deep-seated problems in the state's election system.
Abrams said she expects Fair Fight Action will file more lawsuits. She said the effort is essential because gains for black, minority and young voters could be reversed by state elections officials.
She said she doesn't want to see voters "return to believing that their voices don’t matter.”
Candice Broce, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Secretary of State's office, said election officials "remain committed to secure, accessible, and fair elections for all voters."
Fair Fight Action also wants individual counties to be held accountable for how they administer elections. Abrams said many counties appeared to be following independent rules that caused voters to be treated differently depending on where they lived and voted.
Fair Fight Action has been soliciting testimonials from voters who experienced problems voting in the midterm election and posting them on its website. Organizers say this is a way to showcase the need for reform in Georgia's election system.
After her loss, Abrams focused her attention on backing Democrat John Barrow in his run for Georgia Secretary of State. Barrow was defeated in a runoff last week by Republican Brad Raffensperger.
Abrams said she is concerned about the direction of the state under Kemp as governor.
“I deeply disagreed with Kemp on a host of issues, and those disagreements don’t disappear,” Abrams said.
One disagreement: Abrams wants the state to expand Medicaid. Fair Fight Action has aired television ads featuring Abrams urging Georgians to enroll in the Affordable Care Act by the Saturday deadline.
Abrams said she plans to continue being involved in public policy and politics even as a private citizen.
She said she hopes her candidacy, particularly as a black woman, inspired people across all races and genders to run for office.
"If you can do this in the Deep South, then certainly you can do this other places," Abrams said.
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4d7b43556311b608e8dbe0b48583ec46
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/14/corded-blinds-safety-standard-protect-kids-take-effect-saturday/2312707002/
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You won't be able to buy some corded blinds starting Saturday. Here's why
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You won't be able to buy some corded blinds starting Saturday. Here's why
A new safety standard will take effect Saturday limiting the manufacturing of corded blinds in response to fears they could injure or kill children by strangulation.
Starting Dec. 15, most products used to cover windows must either be cordless or have short, inaccessible cords.
Details of the ban in corded blinds were revealed in January by the Window Covering Manufacturers Association.
"The new safety standard is a direct result of ongoing industry innovation, technological advances and new product development," Ralph Vasami, executive director of the WCMA, said in a statement in January.
The standard will affect more than 80 percent of all window covering products sold in the U.S. and Canada.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 50 fatalities reported between 2012 and 2017 linked to window cord strangulation among infants and young children.
A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics found between 1990 and 2015, about 17,000 children under 6 years old – about two kids a day – went to the emergency room for injuries related to corded blinds.
"A curious child can quickly get entangled in a window blind cord," Gary Smith, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said in a statement. "This can lead to strangulation within minutes, and the parent may not hear a thing because the child often can’t make a sound while this is happening."
More:Nolensville mother's scare with window blinds marks hazard to children
In 2015, the WCMA created a "Best for Kids" program to help consumers identify window blinds that were safe in households with kids.
CPSC advises consumers to replace any corded blinds with cordless ones. For households with corded blinds, the CPSC suggests the following tips:
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
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62eb7bbc0e0a59010f97bebaa1aa6e2d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/14/university-north-carolina-chapel-hill-silent-sam-confederate-soldier-statue/2268046002/
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UNC considering controversial new home for 'Silent Sam' Confederate statue
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UNC considering controversial new home for 'Silent Sam' Confederate statue
The University of North Carolina is considering a $5.3 million plan to reinstall the statue of the Confederate soldier that was toppled by protesters in August – despite demonstrations and threats from instructors to withhold students' final grades.
The board of trustees of the university's flagship Chapel Hill campus has recommended a new "history and education center" to house "Silent Sam" and other exhibits. The center would cost $5.3 million to build and $800,000 per year to run.
The university system's board of governors is set to discuss the plan Friday. It is unclear whether the governors will vote.
The trustees' vote last week prompted protests. Students, faculty and civil rights groups say Silent Sam, the bronze statue that stood on the Chapel Hill campus for more than a century, glorifies racism, slavery and white supremacy.
"It's very obvious that the statue and what it was meant to represent is rooted in white supremacy and completely goes against everything the university stands for," said Dominque Brodie, political action committee co-chair for the Black Student Movement. "It creates a very unwelcome learning environment for black students."
Some faculty members and graduate students have threatened to withhold final grades for students if the Board of Trustees doesn't withdraw the plan.
The statue was erected by the North Carolina Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1913, a time when Confederate memorials proliferated throughout the South, and dedicated to "the sons of the university who entered the war of 1861-65 in answer to the call of their country."
In recent decades, it has been the scene of protests and the target of violence.
Opposition to Confederate memorials, symbols and flags was reignited in 2015 by the murders of nine black church members in Charleston, South Carolina, by a white supremacist who had posed on social media with guns and a Confederate battle flag.
Communities from New Orleans to New York have grappled since then with what to do with memorials to the Confederacy. The deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia – home of that state's flagship university campus – was ostensibly sparked by a proposal to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from a public park.
University of North Carolina officials say the board of trustees would have preferred to have moved Silent Sam to a secure off-campus location such as the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, but state law prohibits it.
The law requires an "object of remembrance" to be relocated to a site "within the boundaries of the jurisdiction from which it was relocated."
“We followed a thoughtful and thorough process to meet the charge set out by the Board of Governors,” university Chancellor Carol Folt said in a statement. “Public safety is our strongest criteria. Our mission is to be an open campus where people can be active, study and do their work in a safe place. We have a long and important history to tell and this plan offers us an outstanding opportunity to tell it fully.”
Some want the statue returned to its original location.
Kevin Stone, commander of the North Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said a history center would be a waste of taxpayer dollars.
He said the statue should be returned with a fence or barrier around it to keep protesters away.
Stone disagrees that the statue promotes white supremacy.
"You cannot judge 1850s and '60s history by 2018 attitudes and opinions," he said. “A lot of people who are offended are offended because of their own ignorance of history.”
The board of governors has spent a week reviewing the history center proposal.
“This four-part plan is thorough and detailed, and we are grateful for the time and energy that the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees and UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt took to develop these recommendations,” Board of Governors Chairman Harry Smith said in a statement.
The proposal approved by the trustees would place the history center in Odum Village, a former site for student family housing that is set to be razed.
It would feature exhibits on the university's 225-year history, covering slavery, war, emancipation, civil unrest and other topics.
Brodie said Odum Village is historically where many black students lived and congregated.
"To put it in that location just shows that they don’t care about how black students feel," Brodie said. "We have been the ones saying for years that the statue created an unwelcome and uncomfortable environment."
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4e4273fb61b9bbc0edd787c5a2acf0f3
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/15/noseys-law-new-jersey-becomes-first-ban-wild-animal-circus-acts/2323388002/
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New Jersey becomes first state to ban wild animal circus acts
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New Jersey becomes first state to ban wild animal circus acts
New Jersey has become the first state in the nation to bar circuses, carnivals and fairs from featuring elephants, tigers and other exotic animals.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill Friday authorizing the statewide ban, similar versions of which had been adopted by some local municipalities in the state.
The ban is named “Nosey’s Law” after a 36-year-old elephant in a traveling circus that animal rights groups say was abused by its owner and is now living in an animal refuge. The bill bars the use of elephants and other wild or exotic animals in traveling animal acts, including carnivals, circuses, parades, petting zoos and similar events.
“I am proud to sign ‘Nosey’s Law’ and ensure that New Jersey will not allow wild and exotic animals to be exploited and cruelly treated within our state,” Murphy said in a prepared statement. “These animals belong in their natural habitats or in wildlife sanctuaries, not in performances where their safety and the safety of others is at risk.”
The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Nilsa Cruz Perez and Assemblymen Raj Mukherji, Jamel Holley and Andrew Zwicker, is the latest in a national movement to protect wild animals.
Dec. 6:PETA slammed for comparing 'anti-animal' phrases to racism, etc.
Dec. 3:PETA slams Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas for 'animal abuse' at Indian wedding
Illinois and New York banned the use of elephants in traveling acts last year. And Hawaii is considering legislation to ban imports of wild animals, which would effectively eliminate wild animal acts in the state, said Rachel Mathews, the deputy director of captive animal law enforcement at the PETA Foundation.
“This is a huge day for the elephants, tigers and other wild animals who are whipped and beaten in circuses and spend their lives caged and chained,” Mathews said. “PETA is so thankful for the bill’s sponsors for ensuring this abuse will never again happen in New Jersey.”
In January, just before he left office, former Gov. Chris Christie declined to sign “Nosey’s Law," which had passed the Senate unanimously and with only two dissenting votes in the General Assembly. Christie’s pocket veto meant that the bill had to be approved from scratch under the Murphy administration.
Follow Megan Burrow on Twitter: @MegBurrow
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48aa7ffb15fdbbf2fee90a3c15c036d5
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/18/giant-waves-batter-california-coast-high-surf-advisories-issued/2346859002/
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Stay away or 'risk certain death': High surf advisories issued in California as giant waves batter coast
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Stay away or 'risk certain death': High surf advisories issued in California as giant waves batter coast
The National Weather Service has issued high surf advisories in California Tuesday as giant waves battered the coast.
In San Francisco, forecasters expect waves as high as 30 feet, with favored break points along the coast seeing larger waves, said the NWS in its advisory.
On Sunday, waves had been forecast to reach as high as 50 feet in some spots, reports local TV station KGO.
Beachgoers are urged to use caution near the surf zone as the waves "will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water," said NWS.
On Saturday, the NWS branch in the Bay Area warned people to stay away from the coast. "Stay well back from the ocean or risk certain death," they wrote on Twitter.
However, it didn't appear to stop people from visiting local beaches and check out the waves crashing on the coast.
"The forecasters first were saying, really big waves, so I figure I’ve got to come. Then they were saying, 'Oh, you’re going to die if you come.' So, I’ve really got to come then,” resident Mark Alfenito told KPIX.
The large waves also prompted the postponement of the Mavericks challenge, an annual surfing event in Half Moon Bay, Calif., reports The Mercury News.
Surfers still couldn't resist the big waves, though. "They were unpredictable and raw … and moving really, really fast. It was like you had to fly surf," said surfer Bianca Valenti to The Mercury News.
More:Pacific storms, coastal reef create Mavericks' 60-foot surf waves
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
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6d1a6f5a7c8144429c4f8dccaceb088d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/19/brett-kavanaugh-jamal-khashoggi-mukbang-saoirse-ronan-2018-mispronounced-words/2365890002/
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Beto O'Rourke, freekah and other words you've been saying wrong all year
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Beto O'Rourke, freekah and other words you've been saying wrong all year
Every year, we learn new terms and names. And, every year, we have to sit through holiday meals where we hear family members butcher the pronunciation of those terms and names.
And 2018 was no different.
Babbel, a language learning app, worked with the U.S. Captioning Company to identify the 10 most commonly mispronounced words and names in 2018.
The U.S. Captioning Company, which captions and subtitles live events, surveyed its members to create the list of words that gave trouble to newscasters and TV personalities this year.
Here's a look at what made the list. Can you pronounce them correctly?
Beto O'Rourke (BEH-toe oh-RORK): O'Rourke, a Democrat, challenged Republican incumbent Ted Cruz for his U.S. Senate seat in Texas this year. Though O'Rourke lost the election, some have speculated he could make a run for president in 2020.
Brett Kavanaugh (BRETT KAV-a-naw): Kavanaugh became a Supreme Court justice this year after an intense and highly publicized nomination process. Christine Blasey Ford said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teens, which Kavanaugh vehemently denied.
Daniel Kaluuya (DAN-yull ka-LOO-yuh): Kaluuya scored his first Oscar nomination for his breakout role in Get Out, which won best original screenplay. He also starred in Marvel's mega hit Black Panther.
Entomophagy (en-to-MOF-o-jee): If you've ever eaten an insect, you've practiced entomophagy. And it's more common than you might think. According to a UN report from 2013, at least 2 billion people include insects in their diets, and almost 2,000 species of bugs are reportedly used as food. Even Nicole Kidman, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West got behind the trend this year.
Last year's list:These are the 10 mispronounced words of 2017
Freekeh (FREE-kah): Freekeh is a cereal food that caught some buzz this year. Health and fitness website greatist.com declared it "the supergrain that might end your relationship with quinoa."
Halapoulivaati Vaitai (ha-la-poo-lee-VAH-tee VIE-tie): Vaitai, an offensive tackle, helped his Philadelphia Eagles claim the Super Bowl title in a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots.
Jamal Khashoggi (ja-MALL ka-SHOW-gi): Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist and Washington Post columnist, was murdered inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in early October. The CIA reportedly has concluded that the Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi's death. Khashoggi and other journalists were named TIME magazine's 2018 Person of the Year.
Mukbang (MUCK-bahng): Mukbang is a type of online video during which people eat large quantities of food. Originating in South Korea, the videos can earn some online stars $10,000 a month, per Quartz.
Saoirse Ronan (SIR-shuh ROE-nin): Ronan's role in Lady Bird earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress. She later starred in the 16th-century period drama Mary Queen of Scots.
Xhosa (*click* O-sa): Xhosa is an official language of South Africa and Zimbabwe and gained the international spotlight when used in Black Panther as the language of fictional country Wakanda. Nelson Mandala also spoke Xhosa.
Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller
More stories to wrap up your 2018:
Year in review:50 stories from 50 states that moved us
A look at legends we've lost:Aretha Franklin, Stephen Hawking, George H.W. Bush and other luminaries
More:5 of the most-read USA TODAY stories in 2018
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d62cf7802ce4aac88eb0ec3e2f405b82
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/19/colorado-cake-baker-jack-phillips-faces-another-lgbtq-bias-allegation/2362740002/
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Colorado baker who refused to make gay couple's cake faces second LGBT bias allegation
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Colorado baker who refused to make gay couple's cake faces second LGBT bias allegation
Jack Phillips, the Colorado baker whose decision to deny a cake to a gay couple landed him in the Supreme Court over the summer, was back in court Tuesday facing another allegation of LGBTQ discrimination.
In June, the Supreme Court partially upheld Phillips' choice to deny a wedding cake to a gay couple based on religious reasons. Now, Phillips' lawyers are suing in an effort to stop the state from taking action against the baker in another bias allegation.
Autumn Scardina, a transgender woman who is also a Denver attorney, said Phillips' bakery refused to make a cake for her in June 2017 to celebrate her transition from male to female. The request, which came weeks after the Supreme Court case involving Charlie Craig and David Mullins, was for a birthday cake colored pink on the inside and blue on the outside.
Phillips' lawyers from the Alliance Defending Freedom say Colorado is engaged in "unconstitutional bullying," The Gazette reports, and they are suing governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper's administration, the Division of Civil Rights and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission.
"At this point, he's just a guy who is trying to get back to life. The problem is the state of Colorado won't let him," Jim Campbell, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, said after Tuesday's hearing.
More:Jack Phillips: Despite my court win, Colorado Civil Rights Commission is coming after me again
More:Supreme Court rules on narrow grounds for baker who refused to create same-sex couple's wedding cake
Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets
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75c1bc335ad1eb9a451eeeec5205be3b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/19/ohio-check-cashing-incident-police-called-black-man/2370582002/
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Bank apologizes for calling police on black man who was trying to cash his paycheck
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Bank apologizes for calling police on black man who was trying to cash his paycheck
A bank has apologized for contacting police in an alleged racial profiling incident near Cleveland.
The statement comes after local media reported that a Huntington Bank employee called police on a black man who tried to cash his paycheck, resulting in the man being briefly detained by police.
Cleveland 19 News reported Monday that Paul McCowns attempted to cash a paycheck from a new employer on Dec. 1 at a Huntington Bank branch in the Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn, Ohio.
Bank employees called police on McCowns, who is not a customer of the bank, after the bank was unable to reach his employer to verify the check, the station reports. McCowns had provided two forms of identification and his fingerprint, in accordance with bank policy, the station says.
A Huntington Bank representative issued an emailed statement to USA TODAY on Wednesday apologizing to McCowns for "this extremely unfortunate event."
NBC reports that McCowns was in his car and in the process of leaving the bank when he was approached by police. He was briefly handcuffed and detained in a police car until police were able to verify the authenticity of the check with McCowns' employer, NBC says.
A 911 call cited by the network says that bank employees called authorities without McCowns' knowledge.
The branch has recently had seen a rash of fraud incidents, The Washington Post reports.
Brooklyn Police Chief Scott Mielke told the paper that police have made at least 10 fraud arrests in connection with the branch since July. And a Huntington Bank spokesman told the paper that employees at the branch were on high alert for fraud.
McCowns told Cleveland 19 News the incident was "highly embarrassing."
The station says McCowns believes there was profiling involved in the bank's treatment of the incident: "The person who made that phone call ... I feel as though that they were judging."
Huntington Bank's full apology and statement about the incident reads:
“We sincerely apologize to Mr. McCowns for this extremely unfortunate event. We accept responsibility for contacting the police as well as our own interactions with Mr. McCowns. Anyone who walks into a Huntington branch should feel welcomed. Regrettably, that did not occur in this instance and we are very sorry. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical standards in how we operate, hire and train colleagues, and interact with the communities we have the privilege of serving.”
Throughout 2018, numerous alleged racial profiling events have made national headlines.
The stories chronicle police being called to investigate as a black person is doing everyday activities, such as sitting in Starbucks, babysitting children, playing golf, staying at an Airbnb or napping on a couch in a college dorm.
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f492fa94a6d80f10bde9a4746e91ccc0
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/19/parkland-shooting-judge-school-cops-no-duty-protect-kids/2360683002/
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Police, schools had no duty to protect Parkland school shooting victims, judge rules
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Police, schools had no duty to protect Parkland school shooting victims, judge rules
A Florida lawyer representing 15 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High students says he is "exploring all of our options" after a federal judge ruled that law enforcement and school officials had no legal duty to protect students during a Valentine's Day rampage at the school that left 17 people dead.
The ruling came as a new report separately revealed that school officials rewound a school surveillance video as the massacre unfolded, confusing officers trying to track down suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz.
Lawyer Kristoffer Budhram filed suit claiming the 15 students suffered "psychological injuries" as a result of the attack. The suit claimed the school district and county either have a policy of allowing “killers to walk through a school killing people without being stopped” or failed to adequately train employees to respond.
Budhram argued the students deserved protection under the 14th Amendment right to due process, citing a “clearly established right to be (free) from deliberate indifference to substantial known risks and threats of injury.”
Judge Beth Bloom dismissed the suit in a ruling filed last week.
"The critical question the court analyzes is whether defendants had a constitutional duty to protect plaintiffs from the actions of Cruz," Bloom wrote. But she determined that "for such a duty to exist on the part of defendants, plaintiffs would have to be considered to be in custody.”
More:Another deputy disciplined over response to Parkland high school shooting
More:Parkland teachers protest reassignment of Marjory Stoneman Douglas staffers
Defendants included Broward County, schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, school security monitor Andrew Medina, Sheriff Scott Israel, Captain Jan Jordan and former deputy Scot Peterson.
"We respectfully disagree with Judge Bloom's decision to dismiss our clients' case," Budhram said in an email to USA TODAY. "This case is about protecting the Constitutional rights of individuals who were the victims of one of the worst mass shootings in this country’s history.
"We are exploring all of our options for ensuring that they get their day in court, including appealing Judge Bloom's decision."
This week the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, citing newly released records, reported that school officials rewound school surveillance video to find the gunman, then described Cruz's whereabouts to officers. But the school officials apparently did not make clear to the officers that the information was several minutes old.
Cruz had already left the building.
“Had we known the shooter wasn’t there, we probably could have flooded that building a lot faster ... to recover victims and wounded people,” George Schmidt, a member of Coral Springs Police Department’s SWAT operations team, told investigators.
Cruz, who had been expelled from the Parkland school, entered the building armed with a semiautomatic assault weapon, smoke grenades and a mask, authorities said. He fired more than 100 shots before the gun apparently jammed and he walked out of the building amid the chaos.
Cruz was taken into custody walking through a nearby neighborhood a short time after the shooting. He later confessed to the attack, according to a probable cause warrant.
A Broward County grand jury indicted Cruz, 20, on 17 counts of first-degree murder that could result in the death penalty. He is also charged with 17 counts of attempted murder.
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da4701fefbb51a8b9a620d643b08b31c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/21/viral-glitter-bomb-video-featured-fake-thieves-creator-says/2389954002/
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Viral glitter bomb video featured fake thieves, creator admits in apology
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Viral glitter bomb video featured fake thieves, creator admits in apology
The creator of a viral prank video which claimed to shame porch thieves using a high-tech glitter bomb has admitted that some of the reactions in the video were faked.
Mark Rober, the video's creator and an engineer who's worked on NASA's Curiosity Rover, tweeted Thursday that he had removed portions of the video after learning they were staged.
Rober's viral video has been viewed more than 40 million times. It features a highly engineered fake Amazon box that exploded glitter, emitted a stench and recorded supposed thieves reactions – all at once.
Rober said that during the creation of the video, he provided compensation to a "friend of a friend" for placing the bait package on their porch and successfully capturing a thieves reactions.
After internet sleuths closely scrutinized the video and alleged inconsistencies, Rober addressed two reactions, totaling about one-and-a-half minutes in the original video: "It appears (and I've since confirmed) in these two cases, the 'thieves' were actually acquaintances of the person helping me."
The video featured five reactions in total Rober said.
Dec. 19:Little brother prank backfires with big brother surprise
Oct. 28:Justin Bieber probably does know how to eat a burrito after all: That photo was a prank
Rober apologized for the error, saying that both the device itself and the reactions it captured after leaving his porch were legitimate: "I know my credibly (sic) is sort of shot but I encourage you to look at the types of videos I've been making for the past 7 years. This is my first ever video with some kind of 'prank' and ... it's pretty removed from my comfort zone. I should have done more. Full stop."
The viral video was created after Rober's own experience with package theft. He said that when a woman captured on his home surveillance video stole a box off of his doorstep, he got no help from police. So he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Sponsored by private network service provider company NordVPN, the prank included a fake package engineered with custom circuit boards, an elaborate glitter dispenser, a putrid "fart spray" and panoramic video capture.
Contributing: Ashley May
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8d9b74c0e58ff31b6e3ececf496e9525
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/25/christmas-tree-recycling-goats/2410890002/
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After the holidays, your Christmas trees can be a gift to goats
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After the holidays, your Christmas trees can be a gift to goats
NEW ERA, Mich. – Attention, bleating-heart environmentalists!
Instead of tossing your Christmas trees in the trash, at least one petting zoo is asking you to donate your after-holiday tannenbaumsto feed its goats.
The 700-acre Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo here acknowledged it's an unusual thing to donate, but doing so is better for the planet, and BamBam, Becca and the twins, Bubba and Gump, will really love you for it.
The pine needles are good for the goats, the farm said. The needles are full of vitamin C, they help control worms, and apparently the animals – including the petting zoo's deer – find firs delicious.
► Dec. 7:Here's what happens to unsold Christmas trees► February 2017:When goats needed extra care, she quit her job to save them► July 2016:Family milks city living with backyard goat
“We’ve been asking for tree donations after Christmas for a number of years now,” said Cindy Lewis, who owns the farm with her husband, Scott. “The goats can devour a tree in a matter of minutes. They get very excited!”
Blue spruce, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Scotch pine and white pine sans fake snow, ornaments and tinsel are among the evergreens that are safe for goats and sheep in moderation. Yew can be toxic, according to Janet Garman, who writes her blog about Timber Creek Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The trees are a treat considering hay is the usual feed for winter, she writes.
Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo is in its fifth generation of family operation on the Lake Michigan side of Michigan, near Silver Lake Sand Dunes, about halfway between Muskegon and Ludington.
Scott Lewis' grandparents and parents initially started a farmers market in the 1970s. It closed when roads and traffic were rerouted, but reopened in 2003, when Cindy Lewis started selling cherries on a picnic table in the makeshift front-yard fruit stand.
The stand became successful, and Cindy Lewis, who loves animals, added a petting zoo – small at first, but it grew.
Through the years, the zoo has expanded to include more than 30 goats, a donkey, a miniature horse, an alpaca, deer, prairie dogs, and pairs of camels, wallabies and lemurs. She also has peacocks, ducks, chickens, pheasants and parakeets.
The animals are personal pets, zoo spokeswoman Jenny Ferels said.
► August 2015:Goats get the weed-wacking done in historic cemetery► December 2014:Goats help recycle Christmas trees
"Cindy Lewis knows each and every one of them by name," Ferels said. "She can tell you where they were born, how old they are, and who their mom is. Most of the family have a goat named after them – and we have some creative names, too."
Winter is when the goats feast on the evergreens as a treat to augment their regular diet of hay and grain. The zoo sometimes posts videos of the goats eating a tree on its Facebook page.
"Goats are the very best at eating," Ferels said. "They never get full. They never get tired of eating. And they take the food out of your hand the most gently of all of our animals."
► August 2013:Armed with the teeth, goats keep weeds in check across the USA► December 2012:Trim your Christmas tree confusion with these facts
These aren't the only goats that like leftover Christmas trees. In the past, goats in San Francisco, California; Monticello, Georgia; Ames, Iowa; Westbrook, Maine; Monson, Massachusetts; Faribault, Minnesota; Reno, Nevada; Rural Hill, North Carolina; and Parma, Ohio, have snacked on discarded holiday evergreens to keep the trees out of landfills.
These are the same animals that willingly take out a hillside of poison ivy and other pest plants in the summer.
"It's a great way to continue on the Christmas spirit," Ferels said. "Rather than take your tree to the curbside or the dump, just spread that Christmas cheer just a little bit further and make some goats happy."
Follow Frank Witsil on Twitter: @fwitsil
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413c7af81a3253f37c6da357fb2fb552
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/25/opioid-epidemic-nurse-christina-collins-prescriptions-east-tennessee/2411378002/
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Nurse prescribed 'colossal' amount of opioids, kept license through error, state says
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Nurse prescribed 'colossal' amount of opioids, kept license through error, state says
An east Tennessee nurse practitioner who once prescribed a patient 51 pills a day was allowed to keep her nursing license because of a fundamental error by members of a state nursing board, according to new arguments from state attorneys.
Christina Collins, 43, who was once the ninth highest opioid prescriber in Tennessee, admitted during a medical discipline trial earlier this year that she routinely prescribed massive opioid dosages to patients she never actually examined. The Tennessee Department of Health argued her prescriptions were “so colossal” their only reasonable use would be drug trafficking or suicide.
However, the Tennessee Board of Nursing allowed Collins to keep her to keep her nursing license. Collins was sentenced to two years of professional probation, but continues to work at small clinics and nursing homes in the Knoxville area.
State attorneys challenged that decision earlier this year, petitioning a county judge to order the nursing board to reconsider Collin's punishment. In new arguments filed in that case, the attorneys insist the decision should be thrown out because a single board member violated basic rules of evidence by doing her own online research, then used that research to misinform other board members about opioid prescriptions.
That board member was Lee Ann Stearns, who was one of three members who decided Collins' case. On the second day of deliberations, Stearns announced she spent the prior evening reading medical journal articles about opioids and had come to the conclusion that doctors and nurses receive little guidance on the proper procedures for large opioid prescriptions, according to a transcript of the hearing.
Stearns then read directly from a 2009 journal article by the American Pain Society – “theoretically opioids have no maximum or ceiling dose” – and said the article had changed her mind about Collin’s prescriptions.
“There is no doubt she overprescribed,” Stearnes said. “And that was my very first impression until I read this data."
State attorneys have clung to that specific statement, insisting that it shows how significant Stearns' online research was to the board's decision to let Collins keep her license.
Dec. 21:New York wants opioid makers to pay a surcharge. It may not be legal.
Dec. 20:Addiction killed each person on this map. You can add a story, too.
Sara Sedgwick, a senior assistant attorney general, wrote in court arguments that Stearns should never have conducted her own online research – similar to how a juror in a criminal trial is forbidden from conducting their own investigation – because attorneys did not have the opportunity to debate, challenge or debunk the journal article.
Sedgwick also notes that the journal article appears to have made Stearns more comfortable with Collin's prescribing methods even though the her prescriptions were more than 20 times larger than the examples cited in the journal article.
“Even if, as Ms. Stearns stated during the board panel deliberations, the literature she researched and relied on states there is ‘little evidence to guide safe and effective prescribing' at more than 200 morphine equivalents a day, it does not then follow that the same literature somehow would support a conclusion that prescribing 3,840 morphine equivalents per day is within the standard of care," Sedgwick wrote.
Stearns, who has since left the Board of Nursing, declined to comment.
Opioids prescribed despite red flags
Collins became one of Tennessee’s top opioid prescribers in 2011 and 2012 while working at Bearden Health Associates, a Knoxville-area pain clinic that was once known for whopping prescriptions. At least three other medical providers at Bearden have been disciplined for over prescription, including Dr. Frank McNiel, who ran the clinic for decades and was Collins’ supervisor.
Collins’ prescriptions were made public in an October investigation by The Tennessean, which reviewed more than 4,000 pages of state records and disciplinary documents. The investigation found that Collins had given huge opioid prescriptions to patients despite recent overdoses, drug trafficking convictions, and obvious signs of abuse or misuse.
Collins' attorney, Eric Vinsant, said in an interview earlier this year that his client as a well-intentioned nurse whom the state was attempting to punish under modern opioids standards even though her prescriptions are at least 6 years old. Collins has said she was only following the lead of her colleagues and refilling prescriptions that had been previously issued by McNiel.
“This case stretches from 2011 and 2012, which was a time before Tennessee really began looking at the prescribing of opioids and other controlled substances for pain,” Vinsant said. “There was really a very limited amount of guidance for practitioners on what was expected and what were best practices.”
Follow Brett Kelman on Twitter at @brettkelman.
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dafecad6e97aa0b50c4f43a2cc0349d0
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/26/passenger-flight-attendant-daughter-working-christmas-flies-dad/2416662002/
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She worked over Christmas as a flight attendant, so dad booked flights to join her
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She worked over Christmas as a flight attendant, so dad booked flights to join her
An Ohio man says he experienced a special kind of Christmas cheer aboard a Christmas Eve flight: A father flying just so he could spend time with his daughter, who was working as a flight attendant.
In a Facebook post that has since been shared tens of thousands of times, Mike Levy said he sat next a to man, Hal, who had booked multiple flights so he could spend Christmas with his daughter, a flight attendant working over the holiday.
Later, Facebook user Pierce Vaughan shared the post, saying that the trip with her father had been a success.
"A special thanks to all of the patient, wonderful gate agents around the country and my perfect crew," she wrote.
Levy told USA TODAY on Wednesday that Hal said he had booked six flights in total. Hal and Levy crossed paths on Christmas Eve on a flight from Fort Myers to Detroit.
Dec. 19:Florida couple who built own plane still flying high
Dec. 17:Christmas and New Year's flying guide: 6 things to know
While Hal said navigating all the flights had been a challenging experience, he seemed to be having a great time with his daughter, according to Levy.
"What a fantastic father! Wish you both a very Merry Christmas!" Levy wrote on Facebook.
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e79c9b5744c8ba15c99225460221b6cf
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/27/former-walmart-santa-arrested-after-kids-bodies-found-his-yard/2420091002/
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Former Walmart Santa arrested after police find his children’s bodies buried in his yard
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Former Walmart Santa arrested after police find his children’s bodies buried in his yard
A man who previously worked as a Walmart Santa Claus has been arrested after police found bodies of his son and daughter buried in his backyard.
Last Thursday, Georgia's Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies searched Elwyn Crocker’s home after receiving a tip that his 14-year-old daughter Mary Crocker was missing.
Deputies found two bodies buried “just inside the wood line,” according to the sheriff’s office. Effingham County Coroner David Exley told USA TODAY the bodies, found feet away from each other, were identified as Crocker's two children.
Mary hadn’t been seen since October 2018 and her brother Elwyn Jr. hadn’t been seen since November 2016, but police said an official missing child report wasn’t filed for either child. Elwyn Jr. would have been 16 years old this year.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is working to determine a cause of death, which could take up to 10 weeks, Exley said. It's also unclear when the children died.
When family members were originally questioned about Mary’s whereabouts, they gave conflicting information, and some said the girl had gone to live with her mother in South Carolina, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Then, father Elwyn Crocker gave information that led investigators to search the yard.
"I've been doing this 41 years and ... I almost broke down in tears," Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie said at a news conference. "It's that bad. I cannot understand how you do children like this. It's horrible."
Crocker, 49, as well as the children's step-mother Candice Crocker, 33, and their step-grandmother Kim Wright, 50, were arrested for concealing the death of another and cruelty to children in the first degree. Friday, Wright’s boyfriend, 55-year-old Roy Anthony Prater, was also arrested for the same charges.
Crocker had played Santa at Walmart store in Rincon until recently, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Crocker held a maintenance position at the store for a few years and had little interaction with customers. It's unclear what his position as Santa entailed.
"We’re devastated at this news," Tara Aston, a spokesperson for Walmart, said in a statement to USA TODAY. "After reviewing the circumstances, we terminated Mr. Crocker. We are shocked at what has been reported and will do whatever we can to assist law enforcement.”
The children's cause of death has not yet been released.
Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets
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5939d2d44b72c4f021fcc7284bee5463
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/27/graduation-college-diploma-mom-labor/2426689002/
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Mom in labor, determined to graduate college, walks across stage to get diploma before heading to hospital
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Mom in labor, determined to graduate college, walks across stage to get diploma before heading to hospital
ALEXANDRIA, La. — A mom who wanted to stress to her daughter that education is important received her diploma at her college graduation while in labor.
Anshonarial Greenhouse, 31, said contractions weren't going to stop her from being at Louisiana State University of Alexandria's fall commencement ceremony Dec. 13 in her cap and gown.
"It was rough walking across that stage," she said, but she wanted her 10-year-old daughter, Makhia, to be able to see the reward at the end of all the work.
"She understands how important education is," Greenhouse said. "If she sees me doing my work, she does hers. It's showing her versus telling her."
► Nov. 2:Single mom of 5 passes bar exam after law school grad photos go viral► Oct. 14:Now a lawyer, single mom Harvard grad's next hurdle is mom guilt► May 31:Single mom's inspiring post about graduating from Harvard Law goes viral
She had a little help from the head baseball coach, who was directing graduates as they walked, and received her bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting.
Then she headed to a hospital in Alexandria, a city of about 50,000 almost 175 miles northwest of New Orleans.
It wasn't a new scene for her. The Marksville, Louisiana, native spent a lot of her final semester in the hospital because she began having contractions at 25 weeks, too early to give birth. She had received medicine to stop the early contractions.
"I knew it was a possibility I couldn't walk (at graduation), but I really pushed to be able to go," she said. Marksville is about 30 miles southeast of the Alexandria campus.
She wanted to be with her fellow accounting grads, a small and close-knit group.
"In accounting there are only like 10 students," she said. "I wanted to be there with them."One of those students was Greenhouse's own mother, Elaine Young, also graduating that day in accounting.
Greenhouse had been careful about her condition, making sure beforehand that university staff and ambulance workers were aware of the situation and ready for any problems, she said.
She gave birth Saturday – a little before her January due date and the day before her own birthday – to a healthy baby boy, whom she named Zaire.
► June 2017:She was once a homeless single mother. She just graduated college.► May 2017:Days after daughter's death, mom accepts degree on her behalf
While in the hospital this past semester, Greenhouse did some of her speeches and assignments virtually, thanks to YouTube and Zoom. And her mother brought her other work to complete.
"In college, I tried to believe I could do anything if I could be bold enough," she said. "I just tried to be a boss (and make it happen)."
Follow Leigh Guidry on Twitter: @LeighGGuidry
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ba196ac66980200d5bb520d18f089895
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/27/rape-cases-clearance-rate-hits-low-despite-metoo/2421259002/
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Despite #MeToo, 'clearance rate' for rape cases at the lowest point since the 1960s
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Despite #MeToo, 'clearance rate' for rape cases at the lowest point since the 1960s
NEW YORK – The #MeToo movement is empowering victims of sexual assault to speak up like never before, but what should be a watershed moment for holding assailants accountable has coincided with a troubling trend: Police departments in the U.S. are becoming less and less likely to successfully close rape investigations.
The so-called “clearance rate” for rape cases fell last year to its lowest point since at least the 1960s, according to FBI data provided to The Associated Press. That nadir may be driven, at least in part, by a greater willingness by police to correctly classify rape cases and leave them open even when there is little hope of solving them.
But experts say it also reflects the fact that not enough resources are being devoted to investigating sexual assault at a time when more victims are entrusting police with their harrowing experiences.
“This is the second-most serious crime in the FBI’s crime index,” said Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia, “and it simply doesn’t get the necessary resources from police.”
Police successfully closed just 32 percent of rape investigations nationwide in 2017, according to the data, ranking it second only to robbery as the least-solved violent crime. That statistic is down from about 62 percent in 1964, despite advances such as DNA testing.
The FBI provided the AP with a data set of rape statistics dating back to the early 1960s – a table that includes more complete data than the snapshot the bureau releases each fall.
The grim report card has prompted debate among criminal justice experts. Some attribute the falling clearance rate to an antiquated approach to investigations.
“You’d figure with all the new technology – and the fact that the overwhelming majority of victims of sexual assault know their attacker – the clearance rates would be a lot higher,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former New York City police sergeant who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“It’s almost as if forensics and DNA has let us down,” he said.
More:#MeToo was a culture shock. But changing laws will take more than a year.
More:These are the answers to the most common questions about sexual assault
More:Four weeks. A dozen sexual assaults reported. And Ohio University students are ‘fed up’
Experts agree that sexual assault is one of the most confounding crimes police confront. Many investigations lack corroborating witnesses and physical evidence. A significant chunk of complaints are reported months or years after the fact. Researchers believe only a third of rapes are reported at all.
Historically, some detectives also discouraged women from pursuing tough-to-prove charges against boyfriends, husbands or close acquaintances. The declining clearance rate could mean that investigators in some places are finally classifying rape investigations properly, said Kim Lonsway, research director at End Violence Against Women International.
Rather than hastily “clearing” certain tough-to-solve cases, she said, some police departments have begun “suspending” them, meaning they remain open indefinitely. That leaves open the possibility there could someday be an arrest.
“This may be an indicator of some positive things,” Lonsway said.
The FBI’s clearance numbers provide an incomplete picture of how often rapists are brought to justice. That’s because they also include “exceptional clearances,” where police close an investigation without charging anyone, for reasons beyond the department’s control. That could be because a victim stopped cooperating or the suspect died or is incarcerated in another state, among other reasons.
The figures do not specify the percentage of rape cases that are exceptionally cleared compared with those resulting in arrests, but state data can fill out the picture in some places.
In Detroit, for instance, police investigated 664 reported rapes last year but made just 44 arrests, according to Michigan data. Another 15 cases were closed for other reasons. That would give Detroit a clearance rate of 8.9 percent, even though only 6.6 percent of reported rapes resulted in an arrest.
Sam Gaspardo said that when she reported in 2011 that she had been sexually assaulted, police in Woodbury, Minnesota, lacked a sense of urgency.
Investigators in the St. Paul suburb expressed frustration that she delayed reporting the attack for more than a year and couldn’t recall the precise date. One time, when she phoned to follow up her case, she was put on hold indefinitely.
“To me, it felt like it was invalidated,” Gaspardo said. “I was just completely dismissed.”
Woodbury Police Cmdr. Steve Wills acknowledged Gaspardo’s complaint fell through the cracks and was not investigated for years, something he called “a system failure.”
“Obviously, we own that,” Wills said.
Wills said authorities have “no reason not to believe” Gaspardo but decided a few weeks ago they could not prove her alleged attacker had forced her into intercourse.
He acknowledged police would have been in a far better position to investigate the case had they begun looking into the matter immediately.
“It can make a person so angry,” Gaspardo said. “Are women supposed to start wearing body cameras when they’re alone in a room with somebody?”
Many police sex assault units have heavy workloads and insufficient staffing, said Kevin Strom, the director of RTI International’s Center for Policing Research & Investigative Science, a research center based in North Carolina.
“I think that has a major impact in terms of influencing the ability of law enforcement to successfully clear these cases,” he said.
The clearance rate in rape cases dropped steadily in the 1960s, plateaued at nearly 50 percent through most of the '70s, '80s and '90s, then began a steady yearly decline that persisted through last year, according to the statistics collected by the FBI.
In 2013, the FBI significantly broadened the definition of rape in its Uniform Crime Reporting system to include oral penetration and attacks on men. After the revision, the number of rapes counted in the system soared from an average of around 84,500 per year from 1995 to 2012, to nearly 126,400 in 2016. The clearance rate after the adjustment continued to tick down, falling from 38 percent to 32 percent.
The number leaped again to 166,000 in 2017, a year when sexual assault got unprecedented national attention in the wake of allegations made against President Donald Trump and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Both men deny assaulting anyone.
Rape complaints in New York City, for instance, surged 24.5 percent as the #MeToo movement took off, according to city crime statistics.
“I think that has a major impact in terms of influencing the ability of law enforcement to successfully clear these cases,” he said.
The NYPD, the nation’s biggest municipal police force, transferred three dozen investigators to the special victims division in April, trimming a detective’s average caseload from 77 to 64. The department also started an advertising campaign encouraging sexual assault victims to come forward.
“We believe that the stigma has been removed to a degree,” said Lori Pollock, the department’s chief of crime control strategies, “so people are much more comfortable – especially in domestic situations – to come forward and report rapes that are happening now and rapes that have happened in the past.”
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f083468877d37cf150178470fff26af1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/27/trump-video-iraq-reveals-navy-seal-team-deployment/2422742002/
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Trump video from Iraq reveals Navy SEAL team deployment
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Trump video from Iraq reveals Navy SEAL team deployment
President Donald Trump's surprise visit to Iraq included a revelation that a Navy SEAL team was located there, information generally considered classified.
Trump published video on Twitter of a meeting Wednesday with several members of the team, dressed in camouflage gear with night vision goggles. Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" plays on the video.
"@FLOTUS Melania and I were honored to visit our incredible troops at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq," Trump tweeted. "GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.!"
The president, as commander in chief, would have the right to declassify information. The Naval Special Warfare Command did not immediately return an email for comment from USA TODAY.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump flew out of Washington in Air Force One on Christmas, arriving Wednesday at Iraq's Al Asad Air Base. Trump spent about three hours on the ground in Iraq, meeting with soldiers in a dining hall and addressing more troops in a hangar.
More:Podiatrist's daughters say diagnosis that helped Trump avoid draft was favor
More:Donald Trump returns from Iraq, attacks Democrats over border wall
Trump paused to take photos and selfies with many service members. According to the media pool report, Trump stopped to talk football with one soldier named John Rader with the 201st Regional Support Group based in Atlanta. When U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kyu Lee told Trump he was the chaplain for Seal Team Five, the chaplain said Trump told him: “Hey, in that case, let’s take a picture.”
The video Trump posted shows him and Melania shaking hands with several members of the team, along with support personnel.
A Defense Department official speaking on condition of anonymity told Newsweek that such personnel generally have their faces covered or their face digitally blurred prior to a photo release. The official could not recall an other time where special operation forces posed with their faces visible while serving in a war zone.
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af2ee0469601f01053250508e63c6b1b
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/27/winter-storm-eboni-blizzard-warnings-across-midwest-snow-plains/2420090002/
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Two winter storms bring snow, blizzard conditions to northern tier and Southwest
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Two winter storms bring snow, blizzard conditions to northern tier and Southwest
Two powerful winter storms were moving across the country Friday, one bringing blizzard conditions to the northern Plains and Upper Midwest and a second spreading heavy snow from Arizona to the Texas Panhandle.
Along the nation's northern tier, National Weather Service forecast more snow from central Minnesota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The second winter storm, hitting parts of the Southwest, is expected to continue through Saturday afternoon. Snowfall is forecast to spread from southern Colorado through eastern Arizona, New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle.
The heaviest snowfall is likely in central and eastern New Mexico, without up to 2 feet in the highest terrain. The NWS said strong winds will accompany the snowfall, bringing the possibility of blizzard conditions.
Blizzard warnings remained in effect for parts of Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Many areas braced for over a foot of snow. Sustained winds of 15-30 mph with gusts 35 to 50 mph were anticipated in parts of the region.
"We're seeing reports of whiteout conditions, very poor travel conditions," AccuWeather meteorologist MIke Doll told USA TODAY. "Winds will remain gusty, so we will see blowing and drifting even after the flakes stop falling tonight."
Finland, Minnesota, on Lake Superior's north shores, reported 18 inches of snow, the highest total so far, according to the weather service.
Although the Weather Channel has named the storm Winter Storm Eboni, no other private weather group, or the federal government, uses that name.
In Kansas, Gov. Jeff Colyer declared a state of emergency. Colyer urged travelers to pay attention to weather alerts and avoid "placing themselves in harm's way as the storm moves through."
Two storm-related deaths were reported on Thursday, one in Kansas and another in Louisiana.
Via Twitter, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a weather-related death on Interstate 70 near Oakley. Travel will continue to be hazardous with slick snow-covered roads, especially in areas where blizzard warnings are in effect, the weather service warned.
Melissa Goatley learned that firsthand while visiting her parents in Aitkin, Minnesota. At about 7 p.m. CT Thursday, Goatley said about eight inches had fallen and the family had made three trips outside to shovel. About five more inches were expected.
It was her father's attempt to use his car to pack the snow down on his gravel driveway that got dramatic, however.
The thick, wet snow sent her father's car sliding into a small pole marker at the end of the driveway and the family needed to use a chainsaw to cut it to get his car free. A neighbor with a truck, a snow plow and the sheriff all stopped to help and even the sheriff went flying backwards into a snow drift in the process.
After a trip to a restaurant earlier in the day, Goatley now says, "We’re pretty much staying inside until they get it all plowed."
Temperatures were forecast to plunge as the storm moves across the area. Actual temperatures will fall into the 20s, teens and single digits in some areas. Because of the wind, the temperatures will feel like below zero, AccuWeather said.
A narrow swath of wintry mix that includes sleet and freezing rain was forecast from parts of central and northern Kansas to southeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, AccuWeather said.
More:Weather cancels No. 23 Boise's First Responder Bowl vs BC
Related:More holiday travel troubles: Airlines waive fees ahead of winter storm
Several communities in this zone may be hit with enough freezing rain to cause tree limbs to collapse and regional power outages to occur, AccuWeather said.
The South wasn't being entirely spared. Lightning and the threat of severe weather forced cancellation of the First Responder Bowl in Dallas on Wednesday night.
In the Southeast, as of late Thursday, almost 50 million people were under flood watches. The weather service said that widespread rainfall, locally heavy at times, will continue spread north and eastward from the Lower Mississippi Valley/Southeast into the Mid-Atlantic. Flooding and flash flooding will be a threat throughout Friday.
Severe thunderstorms that could spawn tornadoes were also forecast in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and western Tennessee late Thursday. Storms were also possible for parts of Iowa, western Illinois and northern Missouri.
A Louisiana woman was killed late Wednesday when a tree fell through her camper in the town of Ponchatoula.
"The full spectrum of severe weather is anticipated with these storms," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "Everything from frequent lightning strikes to flooding downpours, hail, strong wind gusts and isolated tornadoes may occur with this setup into Thursday night."
Contributing: The Associated Press
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d291632d8d15a72f4f38da2ef0e7959c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/28/911-operator-helps-florida-mom-perform-cpr-toddler-who-fell-into-pool/2429985002/
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911 dispatcher helps resuscitate toddler who fell into a pool on Christmas
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911 dispatcher helps resuscitate toddler who fell into a pool on Christmas
A 911 dispatcher helped save the life of a 1-year-old boy who fell into a pool on Christmas day.
The toddler went out a back door and wandered into the swimming pool, the boy's family told Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV. He was found with no pulse. The parents told the station that they credit the 911 dispatcher who recited clear CPR instructions with saving their son's life.
Around 3 p.m. on Christmas, a dispatcher from the Orange County Fire Rescue Communications Center received a frantic 911 call about the young boy whose heart had stopped and wasn't breathing. A woman can be heard screaming on the call and saying "He's not responding. Oh my God."
A neighbor was performing CPR incorrectly at the time.
On the call, the dispatcher, who wishes to remain anonymous, relayed information to the neighbor on how to properly resuscitate the boy before paramedics arrived.
She walked the callers through chest compressions, even counting on the phone.
At one point, a woman on the phone says the boy, who was unresponsive begins gurgling.
Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles told USA TODAY that when paramedics arrived, the boy's heart had just begin to beat. He was able to regain consciousness at the scene.
“This family could have had a much more devastating tragedy on Christmas day," Jachles said.
More:Child drownings linked to phone-distracted parents who fail to look up
More:3-year-old dies a day after his twin brother drowns
The call center answers about 500 emergency calls in a day, Jachles said, and dispatchers give CPR instructions about three times every shift.
The boy was sent to the hospital's intensive care unit, but the family said he is doing well and expects to bring him home next week.
Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets
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c03102e1b5888ec2a5b97bc3548acdd6
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/28/migrant-children-deaths-jakelin-caal-felipe-gomez/2436448002/
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Two migrant children recently died in Border Patrol custody. There were documented warning signs
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Two migrant children recently died in Border Patrol custody. There were documented warning signs
PHOENIX – Children in Border Patrol holding facilities "would vomit on their clothing" and had no soap to clean up.
One child "had diarrhea, had dry lips, he had a fever," but border agents declined to seek medical care and closed the cell door.
Children were told they could drink water from a sink, but "are not given any cups" nor soap to wash their hands.
Those allegations and many others, from families apprehended by Border Patrol agents, were included in a raft of legal filings in August 2018.
Four months later, two Guatemalan children being held by the Border Patrol in New Mexico got sick, began vomiting and soon died.
The deaths of Jakelin Caal, 7, and Felipe Gómez Alonzo, 8, prompted widespread outcry and, this week, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced "a series of extraordinary protective measures," adding health screenings and more medical professionals for migrant children.
But concerns about migrant children becoming sick – and the lack of medical care for them in ill-equipped Border Patrol stations – were far from new.
More:We looked at every mile of the U.S.-Mexico border. Now you can, too
More:While the US debates caravans and wall, thousands of migrants are dumped in border cities
They had already been documented, in the same court case that establishes standards for how federal officials hold and release immigrant children.
Federal officials did not comment on the filings directly, but in an interview with The Arizona Republic, defended their handling of migrants and said border agents were not expected to be medical professionals.
Dec. 28:Two migrant children died this month. But the warning signs were documented long before that
Dec. 26:El Paso and NM hospitals screen 450 migrant children after second child dies in Border Patrol custody
The risk of illness for migrant children in custody, though, has been obvious to many who observed the system.
"As pediatricians, we say these detention centers are bad," said Dr. Colleen Kraft, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is now consulting with Homeland Security on providing better pediatric care. "They're cold, the lights are on 24/7, there are open toilets, and as a child, if you're not sick you can get sick."
The legal filings
Of more than 200 documented cases of children in Border Patrol custody earlier this year, 1 of 6 reported children being sick, according to an analysis of an Arizona Republicdatabase of the legal filings.
As part of ongoing monitoring of the government's compliance with a legal settlement that safeguards immigrant children in federal custody, volunteer monitors from the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, who were typically lawyers or law students, interviewed parents and unaccompanied children in June and July. They documented the accounts of 218 families or individual children.
Those declarations, the majority taken in Spanish and translated into English by the interviewers, were entered into the record of the long-running case in federal court known as "Flores."
According to lead counsel Peter Schey, attorneys for the plaintiffs submit filings when they believe the government is in breach of the so-called Flores settlement.
The families interviewed had been apprehended after crossing into Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico, mostly from May through July.
The court filings redact the surnames of people involved but spell out a variety of health concerns.
Some described vomiting with little ability to clean up:
Some alleged that border agents denied requests for medical aid or withheld medications from detainees:
Some described a general lack of sanitation, access to clean water or generally healthy settings:
Kraft, the pediatrician, said both the conditions and the lack of medical professionals were causes for concern.
"If you're sharing utensils and you're sharing cups, you're sharing germs," Kraft said.
And agents themselves may not be able to gauge who needs medical attention.
Dec. 27:Two children have died in US border custody this month. Before that, none in a decade. Why now?
Dec. 26:ICE to release 500 more migrants in El Paso, marking the largest single-day release
"You need special medical training to know whose mildly ill and whose severely ill, and if you don't have special training you can see children and think they're not really ill," Dr. Kraft said.
She said that even sick children may still be running around, but trained pediatricians would look for characteristics like increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, and a decreased rate for capillaries to refill, which are signs that a child may be down a path to being very ill.
DHS responds to claims
The 1997 settlement in the Flores case set limits on how long the federal government can detain unaccompanied minors. A judge later ruled that its terms also apply to migrant children who arrive with families.
CBP policy says they’re to be held in these facilities no longer than 72 hours before being transferred to a more “residential” detention facility, though families' stories show CBP frequently holds families for longer.
CBP officials were unable to speak to allegations from the Flores filings, saying the settlement is ongoing litigation but said clean water and medical care are required in the agency's 2015 policy on transportation, escort, detention and search of immigrants, known as "TEDS."
A Border Patrol official speaking on background to The Republic said facilities are required to maintain functioning drinking fountains and clean drinking cups. Across different facilities, these may be sinks, fountains, coolers or bottled water, and agents do hourly visual inspections when they would note availability of water and disposable cups.
The official said a person who needs medical care first gets assessed by an officer, who then would raise the concern to a medically trained professional such as an EMT, or a supervisor who can call 911.
"We do a quick assessment and if it's undetermined, immediately we call 911. We're not medical professionals, we're not trained to go through a series of checks," he said.
On Dec. 26, Nielsen announced that she had sought assistance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Coast Guard Medical Corps and the Department of Defense to provide medical expertise. She said, "all children in Border Patrol custody have been given a thorough medical screening."
Officials, in part, have blamed the Border Patrol facilities themselves. Many CBP buildings were originally designed for holding single adult males. More recently, officials say, the rise in the number of families crossing has strained those facilities.
Nielsen reiterated this idea. "In just two months into this fiscal year we have seen 68,510 family units and 13,981 unaccompanied children," she said in a statement. "This is a dramatic change from historical trends and has only become starker in December."
"As a result of bad judicial rulings from activist judges and inaction by Congress, we are seeing a flood of family units and unaccompanied alien children," she said.
Migrants and activists generally cite poverty and rising gang violence in Central America as the factor driving families toward the U.S. and say the Trump administration's efforts to clamp down asylum claims have caused more people to cross the border illegally in hopes of being released into the country.
The 218 declarations filed in the Flores case also describe conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement family detention centers, where families can be held for 20 days. But many discuss Border Patrol facilities, where people of all ages may be held initially after being caught.
'They can get very sick and die'
That's the scenario encountered by Jakelin Caal and her father, Nery Caal, who were held in a garage at the remote Antelope Wells Port of Entry, and Felipe Gómez Alonzo and his father Agustín Gómez, who were held near El Paso, then sent to a Border Patrol station at Alamogordo, N.M.
Parents and children in such facilities report sleeping on cement floors or cement benches, sometimes with a metallic blanket and occasionally with a thin mat.
Dr. Marsha Griffin is a professor of pediatrics with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley who has been visiting detention facilities for a decade. She has visited the 1,500-person capacity Ursula facility in McAllen but said that she hasn’t been granted a visit in the past 10 months.
Dec. 28:DHS chief heads to southern border following deaths of migrant kids in federal custody
Dec. 28:Donald Trump, venting fury over budget fight, threatens to close U.S.-Mexico border
"To my knowledge, there's nobody walking around in the pods to check on people," Griffin said about Ursula facility. "They do have guards, but to date, no one that I know of has been trained in pediatric care, which is a problem because children are not little adults. They can get very sick and die."
Though little is known about the two children's deaths, the 8-year-old boy tested positive for influenza B, according to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in addition to a dozen other national medical associations and societies, wrote in a letter to Nielsen and Border Patrol Commissioner Kevin McAleenan that recognizable symptoms of dehydration and shock in a child can be fatal, but also “recognizable and treatable by a trained professional.”
Leah Chavla, a policy advisor with the Women’s Refugee Commission has focused on the treatment of asylum seekers. After visiting Tijuana, Mexico, to observe the recent refugee caravan, she said she observed a lot of migrants with respiratory illnesses, which may stem from traveling for a long time and being exposed to weather elements, in addition to inadequate nutrition, stress and anxiety.
“While, yes, children may get sick while migrating, I still think an independent and thorough investigation is critical in both of these cases of deaths in CBP custody,” Chavla said.
Lydia Guzman, a Phoenix immigration activist, surveyed the scene at a Greyhound bus station where about 80 immigrant parents and children were dropped off Thursday. They were just the latest families to be released in a wave of migrants CBP says it can't hold; thousands more have been dropped off at local churches in recent months.
Guzman said complaints have been filed for years to DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties about mistreatment and medical denial in CBP facilities.
"Because of those cold cells, people are being discharged and deported with pneumonia – we know of a gentleman who died," Guzman said. "This is something that's been going on. It hasn't started with this administration."
Follow Pamela Ren Larson on Twitter @PamReporting.
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e984ed87c66ca8c2e28c6259c59511d4
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/29/arizona-shelter-dragged-slapped-migrant-children-videos-show/2439556002/
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Videos show migrant children being dragged, pushed and slapped by shelter staffers
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Videos show migrant children being dragged, pushed and slapped by shelter staffers
PHOENIX – Videos from an Arizona shelter for migrant children show staffers dragging and pushing children, incidents that occurred shortly before the federal government suspended the Southwest Key shelter's operations early this fall.
The Arizona Republic obtained the videos from the Arizona Department of Health Services under state public-records law.
Southwest Key had reported the mid-September incidents, which involved three children and numerous staffers at the Youngtown, Arizona, shelter to state authorities, as well as local law-enforcement and federal officials, but declined to publicly provide details at the time.
Southwest Key ultimately closed the shelter, called Hacienda Del Sol, in late October. That came in the wake of negotiations with state health authorities over potential revocation of all 13 licenses that Southwest Key holds in Arizona, because of the company's lapses in background checks for staff.
Oct. 24: Southwest Key to close 2 Phoenix-area migrant-child shelters, pay fine to state
Kids dragged, slapped
One surveillance video shows a male staffer dragging and pulling a boy into a room, then slapping him and pushing him against a wall. The staffer then recoils when it appears the child strikes him. The staffer then leaves the room, and the boy is seen retreating to a corner, then pounding on the window in a door to an adjacent room.
A second video shows a female staffer hustling a child through a conference room, then dragging the child into an adjoining room because the child had lain down and tried to block the doorway with their legs. It is unclear from the edited video if the child is a boy or girl.
As that is happening, another staffer pulls a child with extended arms into the same room. All the while, workers doing other tasks in the conference room go about their business, with one seen adjusting her ponytail.
A third video shows a disrupted classroom setting, but the exact actions are unclear from the blurry image.
The state agency blurred the videos to protect the privacy of the children depicted.
Dec. 28:While the US debates caravans and wall, thousands of migrants are dumped in border cities
Dec. 28:Two migrant children recently died in Border Patrol custody. There were documented warning signs
It's unclear if the incidents directly prompted the federal intervention. The videos were from Sept. 14, 17 and 21, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which investigated the incidents. The federal government, which contracts with Southwest Key to house migrant children, suspended operations at the facility in early October.
Southwest Key spokesman Jeff Eller declined to elaborate on the incidents Friday. Instead, he reiterated what the shelter operator said in October: welcoming the move by federal authorities to suspend the facility's operations and pledging to retrain all staff.
The Arizona Republic in October submitted a records request to the Sheriff's Office for details on the incidents that prompted the suspension. The agency has yet to provide records, but late Friday, a spokesman said after reviewing the specific surveillance videos, as well as hours of other videos to ensure no harm to children, it found no grounds for criminal charges.
"(T)he investigation determined that while physical force and restraint techniques were used against these minor children, these actions did not rise to the level of criminal charges," Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said in a statement.
State law permits the kinds of restraint techniques shown in the videos, he said.
State health officials declined to comment on the videos.
Background checks missing
At the same time the incidents captured on video were happening, Southwest Key was under pressure from state regulators over failing to ensure that all of its employees were properly backgrounded. The health department threatened to revoke the licenses of all 13 Southwest Key shelters.
But settlement talks resulted in Southwest Key agreeing to close two shelters in exchange for the state dropping its revocation threat. One of them was the Youngtown facility.
The shelter had previously been dogged by allegations of sexual assault involving children. Those earlier investigations ended with a plea deal for one boy who was accused by his roommate of placing his penis inside the roommate's mouth. Two other cases of alleged inappropriate actions with children were unsubstantiated.
Dec. 27:'They treated us like we are animals:' ICE drops more migrants at bus station as churches are overloaded
Dec. 26:ICE to release 500 more migrants in El Paso, marking the largest single-day release
Those allegations predated the surge of unaccompanied minors sent to Arizona shelters when the Trump administration last summer ordered migrant children to be separated from their parents at the border.
At the same time Southwest Key announced it was closing Hacienda Del Sol in Youngtown, it also shuttered its Casa Phoenix shelter just south of downtown. Neither Southwest Key nor the state health department would comment on why that shelter, which housed as many as 400 children, was shut down.
Follow Mary Jo Pitzl on Twitter: @maryjpitzl.
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91b0f3666e3d8fbb240dd2e4fa3087cc
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/29/influenza-2018-flu-season-cdc/2439683002/
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Flu cases surge: Here's what you need to know to stay healthy
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Flu cases surge: Here's what you need to know to stay healthy
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that flu activity from the 2018-19 season is climbing in the United States. Nationally, 11 children have died this season so far of flu-associated illness. Four flu-related pediatric deaths were reported to the CDC during the week ending Dec. 22.
Nine states are experiencing high flu activity – Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Carolina, according to numbers for the week ending Dec. 22. That’s an increase from the previous week, when Colorado and Georgia saw high flu activity, the CDC reported.
"It’s a little hard to tell this early on how bad of a flu season it’s going to be because it’s usually late January or early February when we reach the peak for the flu," said Bob Wheaton, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. "Before that, it’s a little hard to tell. We don’t know what it’s going to be like the rest of the flu season."
Influenza A viruses have been seeing the strongest influence in America since the beginning of October, the CDC said, although influenza B viruses are circulating, too.
Here's what you need to know about the flu:
Is it too late to get a flu shot?
No, it's not too late.
"We still are encouraging people to get their flu vaccinations," Wheaton said. "It’s still relatively early in the flu season and there’s a good chance of an uptick in terms of flu activity in January and February."
The flu shot reduces the likelihood of contracting the virus. For those who still get the flu even after having been vaccinated, it has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of the illness.
What are the symptoms of the flu?
The flu is different from a cold. Symptoms often come on suddenly and people report feeling some or all of the following symptoms, according to the CDC:
How long is the flu contagious?
The CDC reports that people with the flu are most contagious within three to four days after they begin to feel sick. Some people can be contagious up to a full day before they become symptomatic and up to a full week afterward.
Some people, especially those with weak immune systems, might be able to infect others with flu viruses for an even longer time.
How can I keep myself healthy during flu season?
"The big thing is that we’re still urging people to get vaccinated," Wheaton said. "We don’t want people to think it’s too late. ... You can still get vaccinated and hopefully prevent yourself or your children from getting influenza."
In addition, Wheaton suggests:
"If you have flu-like illness, the CDC says you should stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has gone down except to get medical care," he said.
Vaccines are especially important for people who are at increased risk for the flu, which includes children and adults ages 65 or older, people with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women, he said.
Follow Kristen Jordan Shamus on Twitter @kristenshamus.
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6cacceff85d1374fa74aad0424637925
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/31/college-unveils-2019-banished-words-list/2448538002/
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'Collusion' leads list of words to banish in 2019
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'Collusion' leads list of words to banish in 2019
If the wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University have their way, the vocabulary of President Donald Trump is going to shrink dramatically in 2019.
"Collusion" is among the list of 18 words the university in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, suggested should be banished from our collective vocabularies for overuse, misuse or general uselessness.
It's a word that Trump frequently uses, including in a tweet posted Saturday, that went, in part: "The Russian Collusion fabrication is the greatest Hoax in the history of American politics. The only Russian Collusion was with Hillary and the Democrats!"
The list, which started in 1976 and included the word "Macho," was the brainchild of the late W.T. Rabe, a public relations director at Lake Superior State University. It's been published every year since, with thousands of nominations coming in from across the country, as a way to vent about verbal crutches, pet peeves and phrases that translate like nails on a chalkboard.
December 2017:List bans ‘fake news,’ ‘covfefe’ and ‘let me ask you this’
Other words and phrases to make the list:
Wheelhouse
In the books
Wrap my head around
Platform
OTUS
Ghosting
Yeet
Litigate
Grapple
Eschew
Crusty
Optics
Legally drunk
Thought Leader
Importantly
Accouterments
Most important election of our time
Other words that have made the list in the last decade: on fleek, manspreading, foodie, selfie, YOLO, ginormous, BFF, bromance and staycation.
To submit a word or phrase for next year's list, go to lssu.edu/banished.
Follow Kathleen Gray on Twitter: @michpoligal
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b403fd4a9e14a3f28ddc015ac0d3b722
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/31/extinct-species-these-animals-were-lost-forever-2018/2450121002/
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These species went extinct in 2018. More may be doomed to follow in 2019
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These species went extinct in 2018. More may be doomed to follow in 2019
They'd been on our planet for millions of years, but 2018 was the year several species officially vanished forever.
Three bird species went extinct last year, scientists said, two of which are songbirds from northeastern Brazil: The Cryptic Treehunter (Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti) and Alagoas Foliage-gleaner (Philydor novaesi), according to a report from the conservation group BirdLife International.
According to BirdLife, the other extinct bird is Hawaii's Po'ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma), which has not been seen in the wild since 2004 (the same year the last captive bird died).
A disturbing trend is that mainland species are starting to go extinct, rather than island species: “Ninety percent of bird extinctions in recent centuries have been of species on islands,” said Stuart Butchart, BirdLife’s chief scientist and lead author on the paper.
Critics fear animal extinction:Trump overhauls Endangered Species Act
“However, our results confirm that there is a growing wave of extinctions sweeping across the continents, driven mainly by habitat loss and degradation from unsustainable agriculture and logging," he said.
An additional species of bird – the Spix’s macaw, which was made famous in the 2011 animated movie "Rio" – was declared extinct in the wild. Only a few dozen captive Spix's macaws are alive.
That species was wiped out in the wild because of deforestation and other factors such as the creation of a dam and trapping for wild trade.
A few other bird species that are near extinction have such exotic names as the New Caledonian Lorikeet and the Pernambuco Pygmy-owl.
Beyond birds, other animals such as the vaquita (a dolphin-like porpoise) and the northern white rhino are near the end.
"Vaquitas are the most endangered of the world’s marine mammals," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. "Less than 30 vaquitas remain in the wild, and entanglement in gill nets is driving the species toward extinction."
The last male northern white rhino died at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya in 2017, Mashable reported. Only two females are left.
In the USA, just a few dozen endangered red wolves remain in the wild, and the population could go extinct within eight years, according to a report released in 2018 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Earth "is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals – the sixth wave of extinctions in the past half-billion years," according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
More:Humans have killed off most of Earth's big mammals. In 200 years, cows could be biggest ones left.
More:Red wolves near extinction – only 40 left in the wild
The group said, "We're currently experiencing the worst spate of species die-offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
"Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, it occurs at a natural 'background' rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we're now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the background rate."
In the past 500 years, the center estimates that about 1,000 species have gone extinct, from the woodland bison of West Virginia and Arizona's Merriam's elk to the Rocky Mountain grasshopper, passenger pigeon and Puerto Rico's Culebra parrot.
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9e08ae18eeb9fb5154bdeebba39b0a54
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/01/krispy-kreme-doughnut-truck-fire-police-mourn/2460670002/
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Cops 'mourn' Krispy Kreme doughnut truck that was, er, smokin' after fire
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Cops 'mourn' Krispy Kreme doughnut truck that was, er, smokin' after fire
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A doughnut delivery truck put the "Krispy" back in Krispy Kreme when it caught fire.
No one was injured when the Krispy Kreme driver stopped Monday after noticing smoke in the cab of his truck here following a delivery about an hour away in Morehead, Kentucky, reported WKYT-TV, Lexington, Ky. The fire was extinguished quickly and the cause remains undetermined.
Lexington police posted photos on social media of the blackened side of the truck and officers jokingly mourning the truck's loss. The post was accompanied by the comment, "No words."
No doughnuts were lost in the blaze since the truck already had made its deliveries. But police departments from as far away as London chimed in to offer their condolences.
"Hang tight, we are sending backup forthwith ... We hope you like sprinkles," The New York City Police Department tweeted.
The doughnut company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, itself offered condolences via Twitter and let the officers know that they were sending them something to help get them through the ordeal.
Contributing: David Harten, Louisville (Ky.) Courier Journal.
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9f867414995d5a849cbc4561c4836e05
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/02/bike-work-fewer-americans-new-trails-share-programs/2319972002/
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Fewer Americans bike to work despite new trails, lanes and bicycle share programs
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Fewer Americans bike to work despite new trails, lanes and bicycle share programs
LOS ANGELES – On Thursdays, Charles Dandino becomes the conductor of an unusual kind of train.
He leads what he calls a "bike train," a group of cycling co-workers who band together for their 6-mile ride to work in the name of safety, as well as for fun and exercise.
Around the country, city transportation officials wish there were more bicyclists like Dandino as they seek to cut traffic congestion, promote health and identify alternatives to cars. After rising for several years, the percentage of commuters turning to bikes declined for the third year straight, U.S. Census Bureau figures show.
Nationally, the percentage of people who say they use a bike to get to work fell by 3.2 percent from 2016 to 2017, to an average of 836,569 commuters, according to the bureau's latest American Community Survey, which regularly asks a group of Americans about their habits. That's down from a high of 904,463 in 2014, when it peaked after four straight years of increases.
In some cities, the decline was far more drastic. In Tampa, Florida, and Cleveland, cycling to work dropped by at least 50 percent, although in some cities, cycling to work was up just as dramatically.
Experts offered several explanations for the nationwide decrease that has unfolded even as cities spent millions trying to become more bike-friendly.
Most obviously, lower gasoline prices and a stronger economy contributed to strong auto sales and less interest in cheaper alternatives, such as mass transit and bikes. The rise of ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft and electric scooters cut into bike commuting, said Dave Snyder, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition.
Another bike advocacy group, the League of American Bicyclists, found a mix when it examined biking trends in the 70 largest cities based on its own analysis of Census data. Bike commuting was up slightly from 2016 to 2017 in one of the large cities where it is most popular – Portland, Oregon. There, 6.3 percent of commuters bike to work. It was also up in the second and third most popular big biking cities, Washington and Minneapolis.
It was down 19.9 percent in fourth-place San Francisco, 11.4 percent in fifth-place New Orleans and 20.5 percent in sixth-place Seattle over the same one-year time period.
"It shows that while we have made investments over the last 20 years" in bicycle infrastructure, "we are still far from having safe and connected networks that make people feel safe biking to work," said Ken McLeod, the league's policy director.
Federal highway spending on bike- and pedestrian-related improvements totaled $915.8 million this year.
"This level of spending is relatively small given the needs for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure," McLeod said.
City officials around the country said they try to support bike commuters. Besides new bike lanes and trails, many cities added bike sharing programs, which give cyclists the ability to rent a bike to ride point-to-point or for the day.
Besides the one-year drop in Seattle, the city saw a 19 percent drop-off from 2011 to 2017, according to the league's report. Dawn Schellenberg, spokeswoman for the city Department of Transportation, said that may be due to the city's famously rainy weather or commuters using bikes for only part of their trips, using them to connect to public transit.
In Austin, Texas, there was a 24.1 percent drop in bike commuters from 2016 to 2017 and a 38 percent decline from 2011 to 2017. City officials said they have a strategy to increase ridership by concentrating their biking infrastructure efforts on trips up to 3 miles that are "very doable by bike," said Laura Dierenfield, the city's division manager of active transportation.
"We want to to make it possible for people to have a variety of choices about how they get around," she said.
Long Beach, California, saw a 23.1 percent increase in the number of bike commuters from 2016 to 2017, though it was down 19 percent from 2011 to 2017, the league's report says. Over the past decade, Long Beach added bike lanes throughout the city and dedicated routes separated from traffic, including some that recently opened. Its bike-sharing program continues to grow, having 11,000 members.
"I think we are getting a lot of commuters coming into the downtown," Public Works Director Craig Beck said. "A separated bike lane that goes four blocks doesn't really do anything. It's about point-to-point safety."
For bike commuters, safety is a top consideration.
In a push to make the city more bike-friendly, Los Angeles started installing miles of protected bike lanes and embracing "road diets," or slowing streets to make them safer for bikers and pedestrians. In a city where the car is king, a backlash from motorists drastically cut back those efforts.
As a result, Bicycling magazine named Los Angeles the worst biking city in America in October.
"The City Council and the mayor's office are only listening to angry drivers who don't want their commute to be slowed down by anyone," said Ted Rogers, a veteran bike rider who writes the BikingInLA blog.
"I hear from countless people who say they quit" biking, he said. "They just don't feel safe on the streets anymore."
Safety was one of the reasons that Dandino, 31, said he created his bicycle train six years ago. He started by recruiting co-workers to meet early at a coffee shop in the old business section of Pasadena, California, to ride together to work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
A bike devotee, Dandino said it was tough at first to find volunteers. He said he now will have about eight riders on a typical day, the numbers swelling to as many as 15 when there are more interns.
"Riding bikes in a group is more thrilling and a joy to do," said Dandino, a mechanical engineer. "On the safety side, it makes us much more visible, and there's strength in numbers."
As the self-described conductor, Dandino said he makes the group keep together and is ready to fix flats or help with other bike repairs if a rider needs it.
Barbara Insua used to ride regularly with Dandino's bike train. She said she loved getting a workout on the way to her job as a graphics designer. "Uphill to work. Downhill home," she said. Then she bought a new car and stopped riding.
As her 50th birthday looms, she said she's inspired to join the train again.
"I am going into a phase in which I want to come back to biking," Insua said. "There are so many wonderful things about biking."
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068bd1b26d8a941f68d41da1be221ac1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/02/mardi-gras-king-cake-ice-cream-anywhere-blue-bell-sold/2467071002/
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Blue Bell's limited-edition Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream now available across the South
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Blue Bell's limited-edition Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream now available across the South
You don't have to be in Louisiana to enjoy Mardi Gras. In ice cream form, at least.
Now ice cream fans across the South can scoop up the celebration with Blue Bell's limited-edition flavor "Mardi Gras King Cake."
The Mardi Gras-inspired flavor is made with a cinnamon cake ice cream, tasty pastry pieces and a colorful cream cheese swirl with festive sprinkles.
The flavor will be released to stores this week in a half gallon size to kick off 2019 — the first time the flavor will be available in all areas selling Blue Bell products, according to a Wednesday announcement. (Those areas include most southern states as well as Colorado.)
“We have been making Mardi Gras King Cake since 2012, but the flavor has mostly been sold in areas known for the celebration such as Louisiana and Alabama,” Blue Bell Corporate Sales Manager Carl Breed stated in a statement.
“Last year a grocery store in Louisiana posted about the flavor’s arrival on its Facebook page and we started receiving requests from all over the country. After that, we decided to share this festive flavor with everyone in our distribution area.”
The flavor is a combination of two of Blue Bells flavors "Mardi Gras" which was introduced in 2004, and "King Cake," first produced in 2006.
“We still receive requests for Mardi Gras and King Cake because our fans never forget a flavor,” Breed said. “But, you have the best of both worlds with our Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream.”
More:Ben & Jerry's Trump-inspired ice cream, Pecan Resist
More:Behind the scenes at world's largest ice-cream cone maker
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88eb51363c7dd45bf095dd1698d1106e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/02/marine-shooting-death-duty-marine-investigated-accidental/2461433002/
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Marine dies in shooting at barracks in Washington, D.C.
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Marine dies in shooting at barracks in Washington, D.C.
The fatal shooting of a Marine while on duty at a barracks in Washington, D.C., was being investigated as accidental, authorities said Wednesday.
The shooting took place Tuesday inside the Marine compound, and there was no threat to the public, Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Jackson said.
Metropolitan police said they were investigating the incident as accidental. A brief police report says officers arrived at the scene to find one person who had been "handling a firearm" and another who was shot. The victim was transported to a hospital but did not survive, the report says.
The identity of the victim was not immediately released pending notification of family.
“The command’s priorities are to take care of the Marine’s family and friends,” said Col. Don Tomich, the barracks’ commanding officer. “We want to ensure these personnel are being provided for during this challenging time.”
In June, a 19-year-old Marine at the barracks shot himself in the stomach but survived.
Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., also known as "8th & I," is a historic post located in a busy, urban neighborhood not far from the U.S. Capitol. The barracks, the oldest active post in the Marine Corps, is a registered national landmark. It was founded by President Thomas Jefferson and Lt. Col. William Ward Burrows, the second commandant of the Marine Corps, in 1801.
More:5 missing Marines declared dead in warplanes crash off Japan
More:Marine vet delivers first pitch after double arm transplant
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fcb7a8d0e1c84c7314a57108177c2e3e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/02/police-florida-mcdonalds-worker-defends-self-straw-fight-video/2467553002/
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Florida McDonald's employee punches back in viral fight that started over straw ban
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Florida McDonald's employee punches back in viral fight that started over straw ban
A man who grabbed an employee at a Florida McDonald's during an argument over straws has been arrested, police said, and video of the incident has gone viral, gaining millions of views on Facebook.
St. Petersburg Police Department said Daniel Taylor faces two counts of simple battery after reaching over the counter at the fast food restaurant and grabbing a female employee, then later kicking another female employee in the stomach before leaving.
Video of the incident, which occurred Monday, shows the employee who Taylor grabbed unloading punches shortly after he flung her forward. The employee "defended herself by punching Taylor in the face as he held on to her shirt's collar," police said.
Other employees intervened to separate the two as the shouting continued, the video shows.
"It all started because he wanted a straw," Kinie Biandudi said in a Facebook post sharing the video "The young girl said she used to box 🥊"
Biandudi's mother Brenda Biandudi told BuzzFeed News she recorded the video and that the incident began when Taylor couldn't find a straw near the condiments.
Biandudi said the employee told the man it was policy not to have plastic straws out. St. Petersburg's city council recently passed a law that ordered restaurants only to hand out straws by request by 2019, before banning them all together by 2020, according to ABC affiliate WFTS.
"He was very upset, he started berating her, swearing, saying 'There’s no law like that,'" Biandudi told BuzzFeed News. "She said, ‘Yes it is, we’re not allowed to put straws out.'"
In an interview with the Washington Post, Biandudi said she took out her phone to record as the argument escalated "in case somebody needs to know what happened."
More:Chick-fil-A employee fired, customer arrested after fight captured on video at DC restaurant
More:Man falls through Waffle House roof in video, fights customers and runs away
More:Police make arrest in fight at McDonald's caught on video
After the two were separated, the employee returned near the counter to look for her phone. Taylor can then be heard saying he wants the employee fired, to which she replied, "No, you’re going to go to jail. You put your hands on me first."
The two continued to hurl profanities at each other as they were separated again before the video ends.
Police said Taylor continued to shout at employees before being asked to leave, and he then allegedly kicked the other employee who was standing near the exit. Authorities said they responded to the McDonald's and saw the video of the incident.
Officers arrested Taylor shortly after when they received a call about an unarmed robbery nearby and recognized him from the video, police said.
In a statement, McDonald's said they had been in contact with police. "Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants," spokesperson Khim Aday said.
Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller
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47d6a13c9f9484e0f06dfaa6d1c3c189
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/02/police-texas-14-year-old-threw-eggs-before-he-ran-red-killed-woman/2463569002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
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14-year-old driver charged with murder after throwing eggs in fatal crash, police say
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14-year-old driver charged with murder after throwing eggs in fatal crash, police say
A 14-year-old driver has been charged with murder for allegedly killing a woman after he ran a red light while throwing eggs at other cars, police in Texas said Wednesday.
The underage driver and two teen passengers were in an SUV Tuesday afternoon when another car began chasing them, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.
"The 14-year-old & his two teen passengers were reportedly throwing eggs at other cars just prior to the crash," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted.
According to the sheriff's office, the driver of the car that chased the teens allegedly showed them a semi-automatic handgun. The teens blew through the light during the chase and slammed into a pickup truck, police said.
Paramedics found Silvia Zavala, 45, dead on the scene, the sheriff's office said.
Gonzalez called Zavala "totally innocent." It "seems she had just gone shopping based on some debris strewn at scene," he tweeted.
Gonzalez said the teen driver has been booked in a juvenile detention center and broke his ankle in the crash.
Authorities also said the man who allegedly chased the teens is cooperating with police.
Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller
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f4eab5ae73839a5d9c65b0559dc65eef
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/03/super-blood-wolf-moon-eclipse-coming-soon-what-does-all-mean/2474960002/
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Confused about the 'super blood wolf moon eclipse' that's coming soon? Here's your guide
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Confused about the 'super blood wolf moon eclipse' that's coming soon? Here's your guide
(Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to reflect the correct number of days between full moons.)
Sure, you may know the "super blood wolf moon eclipse" is coming to a sky near you this month. But what exactly does it mean?
Unquestionably, the main event is the total lunar eclipse, also known as an eclipse of the moon, which will start late Sunday, Jan. 20 and finish early Monday, Jan. 21. (Eastern time.)
This type of eclipse happens when the moon passes fully into the shadow of Earth.
Beyond that, despite all the hullabaloo over the various names, there's still only one moon. There's no separate super, blood, wolf or anything else moon.
Start the day smarter:Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox
Here's some more info about this month's sky spectacle:
Total lunar eclipse: You'll have to stay up late for this event, so drink some coffee, and grab some blankets.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth, according to NASA. When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. Instead of that sunlight hitting the moon’s surface, Earth's shadow falls on it.
Starting at 10:34 p.m. EST Jan. 20, skywatchers will notice a "little notch is taken out of the moon," according to Brian Murphy, director of Indiana's Holcomb Observatory & Planetarium and Butler University professor. This is the beginning of the partial eclipse.
"The moon starts to enter into the Earth's shadow in a portion called the umbra when the sun is totally blocked out," he said. "Earth is moving from right to left through the shadow."
Starting at 11:41 p.m., the full eclipse will begin. A maximum eclipse will occur at 12:12 a.m. Jan. 21. The total eclipse will end at 12:44 a.m.
Supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at the closest point of its orbit to the Earth, which is also called the perigee.
That makes the moon look extra close and extra bright – up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon at its farthest point from Earth, known as the apogee, NASA said.
This is the first of three supermoons in 2019. The others will be on Feb. 19 and March 21. Of these, the Feb. 19 full moon will be the closest and largest full supermoon of 2019.
(Note: In this graphic above, there is nothing visibly different when the moon enters the penumbra at 9:35. The first shading on the moon won't appear until roughly 10:10.)
"Blood" moon. That is just the reddish color the moon will appear during the total lunar eclipse. The moon won't turn black or vanish from the sky; instead it will appear to be a "reddish copper color," Murphy said, hence the name blood moon.
Although the moon is in Earth's shadow, some sunlight still reaches the moon. The sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, which causes our atmosphere to filter out most of the blue light.
This makes the moon appear red to people on Earth.
"Wolf" moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, Native Americans called the January full moon the "wolf" moon because it appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages.
The almanac said ancient peoples commonly tracked the seasons by following the lunar calendar (vs. today’s solar calendar).
For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the months after nature’s cues.
More:January 2019 lunar eclipse: How to watch the super blood wolf moon eclipse
More:The far side of the moon: What is it, why we might grow potatoes there
Full moon: Nothing special here: A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, so there have been a few billion full moons in Earth's history. This is just the moment when the bright side of the moon entirely faces the Earth.
Though the moon will be full precisely at 12:16 a.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 21, according to space.com, it'll still be plenty big through the rest of the night and for the next night or two. Just as it has for billions of years, the full moon will be visible to everyone around the world, barring pesky clouds.
Speaking of clouds, here's the big question: Will they ruin the view? Unfortunately, since the big event is more than two weeks away, accurate weather forecasts are not possible yet.
If you miss this month's total lunar eclipse, you have to wait until May 26, 2021, for the next one in the USA. The next partial lunar eclipse will be this summer, on July 16, but will be visible only in Africa and portions of Asia.
Contributing: Kellie Hwang, Indianapolis Star
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ca1be9d5e6256c88c8b932525f4dc94e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/04/alleged-kidnapper-karate-studio-charlotte-north-carolina/2486454002/
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An alleged kidnapper followed a woman into a karate studio. It didn't go well
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An alleged kidnapper followed a woman into a karate studio. It didn't go well
A man in North Carolina allegedly attempted to kidnap a woman, but she led him somewhere he couldn't fight his way out of – a karate studio.
Local media in Charlotte reported that August Williams was arrested after an instructor at Bushiken Karate Charlotte Dojo fended him off when he followed the woman into the school.
Police said Williams tried to force the woman into his car but she made it into the studio, WSOC-TV reported.
Williams was charged with attempted kidnapping, assault and other offenses related to the incident Thursday, WBTV reported. He allegedly had an altercation with police officers who arrived at the scene and was later taken to the hospital for his injuries.
"It's a great thing the people in there were able to help defend her, extremely lucky that it was a karate studio and usually you don't see a suspect act like this," police Capt. –JD Thomas said, per WSOC-TV.
Head instructor Randall Ephraim told CNN that he was cleaning with a few child and adult students still in the dojo when the women came in. Soon after, the man entered, Ephraim told the network.
"I asked how I could assist him and he stated that he was there for the lady. She insisted that she did not know him and tried to kidnap her," Ephraim said.
Williams wouldn't leave at Ephraim's request and soon got physical, the karate teacher told CNN.
"I then went into action defending myself and got him out of the dojo. Once outside he attempted to attack again and was dealt with accordingly," he said.
Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller
More:New York woman accused of trying to kill estranged husband with antifreeze
More:Florida McDonald's employee punches back in viral fight that started over straw ban
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cbe48e300653c4e0e0dcba311ba1fb5e
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/05/missing-gopro-found-family-woman-killed-smoky-mountains/2494326002/
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Missing GoPro with final images of woman killed in Smokies found by American Airlines
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Missing GoPro with final images of woman killed in Smokies found by American Airlines
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The missing GoPro camera said to have the final moments of a Texas woman who died when she was struck by a falling tree in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was found by American Airlines on Saturday.
The camera, which had been missing since the family of Laila Jiwani returned from Knoxville to Dallas on Dec. 29, was recovered by the airline, according to Ross Feinstein, who handles corporate communications for American Airlines.
"We know how important the camera was to the family, and we want to thank all of the American team members who worked extensively to locate it," Feinstein wrote in an email on Saturday.
Jiwani, who worked as a pediatrician at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, was killed on Dec. 27 while hiking along Porter Creek Trail with her husband, Taufiq Jiwani, and their three sons, according to the National Park Service. She was 46 years old.
Jiwani was struck by part of a falling tree that also injured her 6-year-old son, Jibran, who suffered a broken leg and superficial head injuries. According to a Facebook post from Taufiq Jiwani, doctors informed him that Laila saved Jibran's life by "taking the brunt of the impact."
The GoPro has not yet been returned to the Jiwani family, according to Feinstein, but American Airlines is working with the family to get it to them.
Contributing: Monica Kast and Hayes Hickman
More:Texas family searching for lost GoPro with final images of woman killed in Smokies
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de3ff05d3500fef75936c554d0a02054
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/06/california-dog-owner-bites-jogger-arrest/2495645002/
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California jogger attacked by dog, then bitten by its owner, police say
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California jogger attacked by dog, then bitten by its owner, police say
A jogger was attacked by a dog in a California park, but police say it was the dog’s owner who left bite marks on her arm.
The jogger attempted to defend herself from the dog’s attack with pepper spray in Oakland’s Anthony Chabot Regional Park on Thursday morning, according to the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department.
The dog’s owner, identified by police as 19-year-old Alma Cadwalader, then “accosted” the jogger, sparking a physical altercation “where the victim was bitten by the suspect, causing significant injury," the department alleged.
Authorities told NBC Bay Area that the bite on the jogger's forearm was definitely human.
"It was pretty obvious it was not canine bites but rather human teeth," Lt. David Phulps told the network. "In addition to the bite, there was punching, kicking. This dog owner stopped her in her tracks on the trail."
Cadwalader's lawyer Emily L. Dahm said the dogs never attacked the jogger and that her client was trying to defend her pets.
"She assumed that they were going to attack her, but they didn’t," Dahm said. "It was a real overreaction to start pepper spraying the dogs."
Dahm said Cadwalader was trying to take the pepper spray when the jogger grabbed her and started to hit her. She said she bit her to get her to stop.
Cadwalader was arrested the following day and booked in Santa Rita jail, after police put out a call on social media asking for the public's help identifying the suspect. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday and faces felony charges battery, false imprisonment, and robbery, according to her lawyer.
Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
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8147e9ac381a8dea3e0f931e522b5b2c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/07/cyntoia-brown-granted-clemency/2502383002/
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Cyntoia Brown, who was sentenced to life in prison at 16, granted full clemency
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Cyntoia Brown, who was sentenced to life in prison at 16, granted full clemency
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –
Cyntoia Brown was sitting in the visiting room at the Tennessee Prison for Women on Monday morning when her lawyers walked in with the life-changing news.
"You're getting out in August," Charles Bone said as soon as he saw her.
Her reaction was immediate.
"She just lit up with a joy I've never seen before," said Kathy Sinback, the administrator for Nashville's juvenile court who acted as Brown's first public defender.
Sinback said a member of the legal team asked Brown if she was disappointed it would take another seven months before she was free.
"She said, 'Are you crazy? I was supposed to get out when I was 67 years old,'" Sinback said.
Instead, Brown is due to be released on Aug. 7. She will be 31 years old by then. She has lived behind bars since she was 16.
Brown was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 after she fatally shot a man in the back of the head while he was lying in bed beside her. But in a remarkable announcement Monday, Gov. Bill Haslam said her rehabilitation behind bars, combined with her youth at the time of the crime, warranted mercy.
Haslam granted Brown a full commutation to parole on Monday. She will stay on parole for 10 years.
“Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16," Haslam said in a statement. "Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life.
"Transformation should be accompanied by hope. So, I am commuting Ms. Brown’s sentence, subject to certain conditions.”
Brown will be required to participate in regular counseling sessions and to perform at least 50 hours of community service, including working with at-risk youth. She also will be required to get a job.
In a statement released by her lawyers, Brown thanked Haslam "for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me.
"With God's help, I am committed to live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been."
Dec. 23:Cyntoia Brown's professor speaks as clemency decision nears: 'She's ready to serve people'
June 14:Cyntoia Brown case: Appeals court scrutinizes conflicting Tennessee sentencing laws
Clemency decision highly anticipated
The governor's long-awaited decision, handed down during his last days in office, brought a dramatic conclusion to Brown's plea for mercy, which burst onto the national stage as celebrities and criminal justice reform advocates discovered her case.
In his commutation, the governor called Brown's case one that "appears to me to be a proper one for the exercise of executive clemency."
"Over her more than fourteen years of incarceration, Ms. Brown has demonstrated extraordinary growth and rehabilitation," the commutation said.
It was a remarkable victory for Brown after years of legal setbacks.
Brown said she was forced into prostitution and was scared for her life when she shot Johnny Allen, 43, in the back of the head while they were in bed together.
Allen, a Nashville real estate agent, had picked her up at an East Nashville Sonic restaurant and taken her to his home.
Brown, now 30, was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. She was given a life sentence. Had Haslam declined to intervene, Brown would not have been eligible for parole until she was 69.
June 13:Cyntoia Brown, who was sentenced to life in prison as a teen, to seek leniency before federal appeals court
November 2017:Rihanna puts celebrity muscle behind movement to #FreeCyntoiaBrown
The state parole board, which considered Brown's case in 2018, gave the governor a split recommendation, with some recommending early release and some recommending she stay in prison.
Lawyers for Brown applauded the governor's decision.
"This is truly a joyful moment – for Cyntoia and for all of us who have worked to help her," said the statement from Charles Bone and J.Houston Gordon, Brown's lead attorneys.
Opinion:Cyntoia Brown was an ‘abused, exploited child’ and should be freed from prison
"The governor's decision is proof that our justice system works and it marks the beginning" of a new chapter for Brown.
Faith and political leaders, and celebrities who championed Brown's cause, were jubilant.
"Oh hallelujah," said state Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, on being informed of the news Monday morning. "Our prayers are answered. This is so wonderful."
Bishop Joseph Walker, III, pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Baptist Church, said Brown "has become the face of an unfair system that historically dealt harshly with black and brown perpetrators of crime."
"I am proud of Tennessee today," he said. "We also continue to pray for Johnny Allen and his family and his friends for their loss."
Cyntoia Brown case drew national attention
In 2016, The Tennessean in partnership with "Independent Lens," a PBS series presented by ITVS and Daniel H. Birman Productions, highlighted Brown's story as as part of "Sentencing Children," a seven-part series examining Tennessee's juvenile sentencing laws.
Months later, celebrities discovered her case, fueling intense interest and a renewed legal fight to get her out of prison.
Activists, lawmakers and celebrities, including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West, have cited Brown's case as an illustration of a broken justice system. Brown was a victim herself, they said, and didn't deserve her punishment.
Her impending release sets the stage for her to join their ranks.
During her time in prison, Brown completed her GED and got a college degree from Lipscomb University. Her allies say she hopes to apply her education by supporting social justice issues through her own nonprofit.
Brown already has job offers. Walker, the pastor, said Brown was welcome to work in his church. Her lawyers also want to hire her. Her advocates said they would continue to support Brown after her release.
"We intend to honor Gov. Haslam's faith in Cyntoia," Walker said. "We will continue to walk with her."
The Cyntoia Brown story
AUGUST 2004Nashville real estate agent Johnny Allen is found naked with a gunshot wound to the back of his head in his home. Brown, 16, told police he picked her up at a Sonic Drive-in. Brown said she was a teen prostitute and shot Allen, 43, because she thought he was reaching for a gun under his bed.
AUGUST 2006A jury convicts Brown of first-degree murder and robbery.
OCTOBER 2006Brown is sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. State officials said the law dictated that she serve at least 51 years before becoming eligible for release. Prosecutors pushed for more time because of aggravated robbery and other factors in the crime.
MARCH 2011PBS documentary "Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story" airs nationally, bringing new attention to Brown's case.
JUNE 2012U.S. Supreme Court rules that mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles violate Eighth Amendment prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.
NOVEMBER 2012Defense attorneys push for new trial and introduce new evidence about Brown suffering fetal alcohol syndrome.
NOVEMBER 2017Superstar musician Rihanna again brings attention to Brown's case with the #FREECYNTOIABROWN Instagram post.
MAY 2018The state board of parole gives Gov. Bill Haslam a split recommendation on Brown's application for clemency.
Two members vote to recommend that the governor grant clemency, allowing for her release from prison. Two vote to recommend that Haslam deny her clemency bid, meaning she would continue to serve a life sentence. Two others recommend the governor reduce Brown's sentence so she could be released after 25 years.
The split recommendations are not binding — the governor can handle the case however he chooses.
JUNE 2018Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals hears argument on whether Brown's life sentence is constitutional. During the hearing, Brown's lawyers said state sentencing laws conflicted, making it unclear if Brown would be required to serve 51 years or life without parole. The panel of judges agreed Tennessee's sentencing laws were confusing and contradictory.
JULY 2018Haslam receives a copy of parole board's report, which is thousands of pages long. His legal team begins its review of the case.
AUGUST 2018The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals asks Tennessee's Supreme Court to clarify Tennessee's seemingly contradicting sentencing laws.
DECEMBER 2018The Tennessee Supreme Court issues a unanimous decision that says defendants convicted of first-degree murder on or after July 1, 1995, and sentenced to life in prison become eligible for release after serving a minimum of 51 years in prison. Their answer will inform the deliberations at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Haslam says his team is still considering Brown's clemency petition. He expected to announce a decision before leaving office in January.
Follow Adam Tamburin and Anita Wadhwani on Twitter: @tamburintweets and @anitawadhwani
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c161721e41033aa8b0ad5a37245f74e9
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/08/jazmine-barnes-girl-killed-driveby-funeral-houston/2511526002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
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The buoyant life and tragic death of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes - her funeral is today
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The buoyant life and tragic death of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes - her funeral is today
Jazmine Barnes was an exuberant, 7-year-old girl who loved to dance, sing and dress up. She dreamed of being a teacher.
On Tuesday, friends and loved ones of the second-grader gathered in Houston to say their final goodbyes to a relentlessly upbeat girl whose violent death prompted spirited rallies and the hashtag #JusticeforJazmine.
Jazmine, who was black, was killed a few days after Christmas outside a Walmart in a drive-by-shooting initially investigated as a possible hate crime. A week later, authorities concluded her death was a case of mistaken identity. The determination eased racial tensions but did little to diminish the grief that gripped the community.
“Add Jazmine’s name to a long list of innocent children killed when gunfire erupts where they are supposed to feel safe — outside their home, in places of worship, at school, or riding in the car with their mom to the store,” the Houston Chronicle wrote in a sobering editorial on gun violence.
Thousands of students in the Sheldon school district were urged to wear purple to honor the Monahan Elementary student. Parents were notified that children going to the funeral should be checked out through the school office and would receive an excused absence. Grief counselors were available to students at Jazmine's school.
At the expansive Community of Faith Church, mourners lined up to pay their respects at Jazmine’s open casket. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Harris County Ed Gonzalez were among dignitaries. Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal helped pay for funeral expenses.
Turner said he attended the funeral to be supportive of Jazmine's family – and of children across the city. One child being lost to gun violence is too many, he said.
"I came to celebrate her life," Turner said. "She wanted to be a teacher. She is still teaching us."
Gonzalez told the mourners Jazmine could have been president one day.
"Jazmine's life mattered," he said. "Her legacy will endure."
Jazmine's mother, LaPorsha Washington, was driving to store with her three daughters before dawn Dec. 30 when they stopped at a red light. Another vehicle pulled up and someone began shooting. Jazmine was shot in the head, Washington was wounded in the arm and another daughter suffered injuries from broken glass.
“I turned around and my 7-year-old was shot in the head,” Washington said later.
Family members had identified the attacker as a white male driving a red pickup. Jazmine's mother said she thought the attack was a hate crime. The case drew a national spotlight, and a "Justice for Jazmine" rally drew hundreds of supporters Saturday.
"It is going to be justice for her, and I feel it in the bottom of my heart," an emotional Washington said at the rally. "There are too many people out here looking for this man."
Jackson Lee said Jazmine’s death was “no longer a Houston case,” but a global one.
“Do not be afraid to call this what it seems to be — a hate crime,” she said.
Later that day, however, authorities arrested one black man and said another was a suspect in the attack. Gonzalez said video shows a red pickup was in the area near the shooting, but evidence indicates it was not involved in the attack.
He stressed that the family wasn't involved in anything "nefarious."
More:Houston sheriff draws praise after arrest in Jazmine Barnes shooting
More:'Mistaken identity' shooting: Murder charge filed in death of Jazmine
"You are talking about small children, they witnessed something very traumatic," he said. "Very likely the last thing they did see was the red truck."
The suspects mistook Washington's car for a vehicle belonging to rivals they had fought in a bar a few hours earlier, prosecutor Samantha Knecht said at a court hearing this week. Eric Black Jr., 20, the alleged driver, is charged with capital murder in the case.
Gonzalez said the case against the second suspect, the suspected shooter, was still being developed.
Alxis Dilbert, 15, was Jazmine's oldest sister and was in the car when the shooting took place. She said Jazmine was so dedicated to teaching that she practiced with their 6-year-old sister – and that Jazmine liked to boss people around.
Teachers says Jazmine loved giving hugs, that her smile lit up a room. She was inquisitive and a good student.
Eight children and teens die every day from gun violence, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence reports. Almost 40 more survive being shot. Gonzalez said a Jazmine’s death has prompted “positive dialogue” on race relations and on gun violence.
He urged the public to “put the guns down.”
"We do not need any senseless killings," he said. "We don't want any more families to suffer like this family is suffering."
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0bb0bfbbe176830448972887c6e9bf41
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/09/new-york-city-care-comprehensive-health-care-plan-concerns/2522924002/
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Half the 600,000 residents aided by NYC Care are undocumented immigrants
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Half the 600,000 residents aided by NYC Care are undocumented immigrants
The comprehensive health care plan unveiled by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio this week drew applause from the Democrat's supporters but also skepticism from those in the city who question the value and cost of the effort.
De Blasio said NYC Care will provide primary and specialty care from pediatric to geriatric to 600,000 uninsured New Yorkers. De Blasio estimated the annual cost at $100 million.
"This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who can’t afford it, or can’t get comprehensive Medicaid - including 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers," Eric Phillips, spokesman for de Blasio, boasted on Twitter.
State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican representing parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, criticized the proposal as an example of de Blasio using city coffers "like his personal ATM."
"How about instead of giving free health care to 300,000 citizens of other countries, you lower property taxes for our senior citizens who are being forced to sell the homes they’ve lived in for decades because they can’t afford to pay your 44 percent increase in property taxes?" she said.
Seth Barron, associate editor of City Journal and project director of the NYC Initiative at the Manhattan Institute think tank, noted that the city's uninsured, including undocumented residents, can receive treatment on demand at city hospitals. The city pays more than $8 billion to treat 1.1 million people through its New York City Health + Hospitals program, he wrote.
Barron said the mayor is simply trying to shift patients away from the emergency room and into clinics. He said that dividing $100 million by 600,000 people comes to about $170 per person, the equivalent of one doctor visit.
More:New York City to provide health care to all city residents
More:House Democrats defend Obamacare as the courts weigh in
"Clearly, the money that the mayor is assigning to this new initiative is intended for outreach, to convince people to go to the city’s already-burdened public clinics instead of waiting until they get sick enough to need an emergency room," Barron wrote. "That’s fine, as far as it goes, but as a transformative, revolutionary program, it resembles telling people to call the Housing Authority if they need an apartment and then pretending that the housing crisis has been solved."
The plan expands upon the city's MetroPlus public option plan, as well as the state's exchange through the federal Affordable Care Act. NYC Care patients will be issued cards allowing them access to medical services, de Blasio said.
The mayor's plan has plenty of support. Mitchell Katz, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, said the plan will help his agency "give all New Yorkers the quality care they deserve.” State Sen. James Sanders Jr., who represents parts of Queens, said he looks forward "to seeing the Care NYC program grow and prosper as it helps to create a healthier New York.”
The drumbeat for improved access to health care is not limited to New York.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday asked Congress and the White House to empower states to develop "a single-payer health system to achieve universal coverage, contain costs and promote quality and affordability."
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday proposed Cascade Care, a public option plan under his state's health insurance exchange.
"We’re going to do all we can to protect health care for Washingtonians," he said. "This public option will ensure consumers in every part of the state will have an option for high-quality, affordable coverage.”
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a034e25a5bcf1832319cedf7bed9da96
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/12/tornillo-shelter-no-migrant-children-closed-border-us-mexico/2558537002/
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No migrant children remain at Tornillo tent shelter as it heads toward closure, official says
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No migrant children remain at Tornillo tent shelter as it heads toward closure, official says
AUSTIN – No more migrant children were being held at the temporary tent shelter at the Tornillo port of entry as of Friday morning, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
All children who were at the Texas shelter have been released to sponsors or transferred to other shelters, said Lynn Johnson, assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families.
"Operations at Tornillo will be ongoing to appropriately and adequately continue the path towards closure," Johnson said in a statement.
Federal officials had been working since early this month to close the shelter as quickly but as safely as possible. There were still 850 children at the shelter as of Monday night.
The facility at the U.S.-Mexico border opened in June as the federal government handled an influx of children entering custody after being separated from their parents at the border under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.
What started as an operation large enough to hold more than 300 children grew quickly and housed as many as 2,700 children in the middle of December. Those children were not among those separated from their parents, but minors who were apprehended attempting to cross the border without a guardian.
June 26:'Zero tolerance' immigration policy 'incredibly dumb,' tent city chief says
June 15:'Abhorrent': Texas officials, advocates decry placing immigrant children in tent cities
Republican Rep. Will Hurd, whose district includes parts of far East El Paso County, first announced the shelter's impending closure after speaking with management officials in Tornillo.
"This tent city should never have stood in the first place but it is welcome news that it will be gone," Hurd wrote on Twitter.
More:Tornillo tent shelter for migrant children to close 'as quickly but as safely as possible,' per HHS
Opponents of the facility celebrated news of its closure Friday.
Beto O'Rourke, El Paso's former Democratic congressman, applauded those who joined his protest in Tornillo last year against the facility and family separations.
"The last child has left Tornillo," O'Rourke wrote on Twitter. "It's good for these kids and their families. And it shows the power of people who showed up for them and shared with the rest of the country that we were locking up immigrant kids for months at a time. You made this happen."
Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, celebrated news of the closure of what he called the "baby jail" and said officials should learn from the facility and look for alternatives to detention in the future.
"Tornillo was a symbol of this administration’s deep inhumanity as shown by their willingness to hold tens of thousands of migrant children in detention," he said in a statement. "Migrant children and families never should have been separated or held in detention. This was clear from Tornillo’s opening to its closure today."
The facility had stayed operational because the federal government was slow to place children with sponsors in the United States. Authorities pointed to a delay in FBI background checks as the primary roadblock.
The Department of Health and Human Services changed its policy in December to expedite the release of children, requiring background checks for sponsors but not from all members of a sponsor's household.
Johnson said facilities like Tornillo "are necessary for HHS to care for (children) referred to us by the Department of Homeland Security."
Follow Madlin Mekelburg on Twitter: @madlinbmek
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ddb617835d3a19bebbba17b313fe4fc5
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/13/barack-obama-former-president-african-american-black-naming-renaming-freeway-highway/2539917002/
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More cities add Barack Obama's name to landmarks, highways
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More cities add Barack Obama's name to landmarks, highways
LOS ANGELES – Barack Obama hasn't been the president for nearly two years, but his fame is still spreading – at least when it comes to naming things after him.
The nation's first African-American president need not go far around the country these days to find something that carries his name. There's Barack Obama Way in New Albany Township, Indiana, and Barack Obama Boulevard in Pahokee, Florida. There's a long list of schools now named for him, like Barack Obama Academy for Academic & Civic Development in Plainfield, New Jersey, and Barack Obama Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia.
Obama even has animal species named after him, like placida barackobamai, a sea slug.
We're probably seeing the "opening salvos" in the Obama naming marathon, said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, who expects the former president's name to start showing up in heavily Democratic or predominately African-American communities.
As Obama becomes even more of an elder statesman, his fame could rank right up there with Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt and become bipartisan, said Brinkley, a professor at Rice University in Texas.
"At the end of the line, 20 or 30 years from now, there will be hundreds of hospitals, schools, bridges and statutes" in his honor, said Brinkley, whose most recent book is "Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America." "He's going to be one of the four or five most celebrated figures in U.S. history."
But the renaming process can be drawn out and sometimes isn't without controversy, as naming efforts in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York show.
In Los Angeles, the idea recently surfaced of naming the international airport in Obama's honor.
The recommendation came from the City Council in West Hollywood, a small but prominent city in the heart of the L.A. metropolis, that recently voted to support the renaming of Los Angeles International Airport for the former president last month.
After all, New York renamed its international airport in honor of President John F. Kennedy, and Congress added President Ronald Reagan to the formal name of Washington National Airport.
So when a constituent suggested the notion of an Obama airport, West Hollywood Council member Lauren Meister said she didn't hesitate. "I said, 'Yeah, sounds like a good idea."
Meister said Obama was admired globally and was the perfect image for welcoming visitors to sunny southern California.
"Having an airport that (recognizes) the first African-American president, someone who won the Nobel Peace Prize, who got us out of the 2008 economic crisis and gave us affordable health care, should be celebrated," Meister said.
She said the resolution is being sent to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and could go to the airport commission. A spokeswoman for the airport commission said it had no comment.
If the airport idea doesn't fly, Obama can still count on L.A. to have done its part. A stretch of Ventura Freeway, which is State Route 134, was renamed in his honor last year. It's now the President Barack H. Obama Highway.
State Sen. Anthony Portantino, who pushed through the legislation to make the designation, said Obama would certainly be familiar with the route: He commuted on it when he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles starting in the late 1970s.
"It's the actual stretch of freeway he used," Portantino said. "There is a proud connection. His early political career was inspired by his days here."
Portantino said he raised the nearly $7,000 to buy the freeway signs by throwing a fundraiser – with tickets priced at $35. The outpouring was so great that he said money was left over, which was donated to the Obama Foundation, the Chicago non-profit that is building the Barack Obama Presidential Center.
As if the freeway wasn't enough, Rodeo Road in central Los Angeles, not to be confused with the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, will be renamed Obama Boulevard.
In Chicago, a proposal to rename a crucial freeway after Obama has become enmeshed in local politics.
Bill Daley, who is running for mayor, proposed last month to have the Dan Ryan Expressway renamed for his former boss. He was Obama's chief of staff.
"Our Chicago expressways are named after towering figures in our history," Daley said in a statement, citing Kennedy, former President Dwight Eisenhower and former Democratic presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson. "We should have one for Obama."
Obama began his political career as a community organizer in Chicago and rose to prominence first as a state legislator, then as a U.S. senator from Illinois before seeking the presidency.
But Daley's suggestion has run into opposition from the family of Ryan, a local politician for decades, the Chicago Sun-Times reported last month.
Obama already has a freeway named for him in Illinois. A section of Interstate 55 near the town of Pontiac is the Barack Obama Presidential Expressway.
In New York, an online petition by progressive organization MoveOn has gathered more than 32,000 signatures calling for renaming part of Fifth Avenue President Barack H. Obama Avenue. Which part? Only the block between 56th and 57th streets, which just happens to be the stretch in front of the Trump Tower. The choice of that particular stretch was no coincidence, said the Los Angeles legal secretary who started the petition after getting the idea from an internet meme.
"Honestly, (the idea) is petty and vindictive, but as someone pointed out, so is Trump," said Elizabeth Rowin, who watched the popularity of her idea balloon over about three weeks.
As the president who oversaw the commando operation that netted Osama bin Laden, Obama deserves the honor, Rowin said. She plans to deliver the petition to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council once she has some more signatures. "I think we could get 100,000," she said.
The question is, amid all this activity, does Obama actually care which roads or schools get his name?
"We don’t keep a running tally of these proposals or actions, and we also don’t comment on them," his spokeswoman Katie Hill said in an email.
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6130590bb356d4a12d749f9a228ca988
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/14/jayme-closs-updates-jake-patterson-hearing-barron-wisconsin-court/2568189002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
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Jayme Closs kidnapping suspect Jake Patterson appears in court: Latest updates
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Jayme Closs kidnapping suspect Jake Patterson appears in court: Latest updates
BARRON, Wis. – A 21-year-old Wisconsin man was formally charged Monday with killing a western Wisconsin couple, kidnapping their daughter Jayme Closs and holding her captive for 88 days.
Jake Thomas Patterson faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, one count of kidnapping and one count of armed burglary after police say he blasted open the family’s front door just outside Barron with a shotgun, shot the couple to death and took 13-year-old Jayme against her will.
Patterson's bail was set at $5 million during his initial court appearance Monday afternoon.
Patterson showed no emotion as he appeared in court via video, dressed entirely in orange. A judge also barred Patterson from possessing firearms and having any contact with Jayme and the neighbors who aided her escape.
No further charges are expected out of Barron County, according to District Attorney Brian Wright.
More charges could be filed out of Douglas County, where Jayme was found. If that is the case, they would be filed before Patterson’s next court appearance Feb. 6, according to Mark Fruehauf, the prosecutor in Douglas County.
No plea agreements have been publicly discussed.
Wright pledged to pursue justice for Jayme and her parents.
“At some point, she found it within herself at 13 years old to say, ‘I’m going to get myself out of this situation,’” Wright said. “It’s incredible.”
Officials declined to say whether Jayme was sexually assaulted. The complaint does not charge Patterson with sexual assault.
Authorities believe Patterson targeted Jayme after seeing her get on a school bus, then carefully planned her abduction and made her hide under his bed when he had visitors, according to a criminal complaint issued Monday.
Patterson told police he was driving to a job at the Saputo Cheese factory west of Barron in Almena and was behind the bus when it stopped to pick up Jayme one day last fall. He worked at that job for only two days. Less than two weeks later, in the early morning hours of Oct. 15, he kidnapped the 13 year old.
“The defendant stated he had no idea who she was nor did he know who lived at the house or how many people lived at the house," the complaint says. “The defendant stated, when he saw (Jayme), he knew that was the girl he was going to take.”
Patterson decided ahead of time he would kill anyone else in the house so there would be no witnesses, and he followed through on that plan by fatally shooting Jayme’s parents with a 12-gauge shotgun, the complaint said.
Jayme was missing for nearly three months after her parents’ murders. She spent much of the time during the 88 days of her captivity under a twin bed in Patterson’s childhood home in Gordon.
Investigators got their long-awaited break in the case Thursday when the teenager fled the home in the Douglas County Town of Gordon where Patterson allegedly kept her. Gordon is nearly 70 miles north of the Closs home, and about 40 miles south of Superior.
Looking thin and unkempt, Jayme stumbled upon Jeanne Nutter in Gordon and asked for help. Nutter and her neighbors contacted police, and officers arrested Patterson minutes later while he appeared to be driving around looking for the teenager.
More:After 88 days of horror, how Jayme Closs and her small town of Barron can heal
More:Jayme Closs kidnapping suspect was a quiet student who hoped to join Marines
Patterson, a graduate of the K-12 school at Northwood School District in Minong, is accused of holding Jayme at a home belonging to his parents where he grew up. Neighbors and former students have described him as a quiet man who largely kept to the background. He wrote in his school's yearbook that he planned to join the U.S. Marine Corps, but it's unclear whether he ever followed through.
Three years ago, he was hired to work at Jennie-O Turkey Store in Barron — where Jayme's parents were longtime employees — but quit after one day, the company said.
Police have said there's no evidence suggesting the family knew Patterson before the incident, or that he and Jayme communicated on social media.
Jayme continues to heal
After being held in a hospital overnight for safety precautions, Jayme was reunited with family and friends in Barron on Friday.
Contributing: Trent Tetzlaff, (Appleton, Wis.) Post Crescent. Follow Haley BeMiller and Jen Zettel-Vendenhouten on Twitter: @haleybemiller and @jenvandenhouten
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ea1d351099da800524e638a4a4e6c495
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/14/parents-charged-toddlers-fentanyl-overdose-death-christmas/2576836002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
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Officials: Toddler had 'extraordinary' amount of fentanyl before death on Christmas
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Officials: Toddler had 'extraordinary' amount of fentanyl before death on Christmas
A Michigan couple is facing murder charges in the Christmas Day death of their 18-month-old daughter who had enough fentanyl in her to kill several adults, authorities said Monday.
Antonio Floyd, 28, and Shantanice Barksdale, 27, were arraigned Monday in 37th District Court in Warren on charges of second-degree murder in the death of their daughter, Ava Floyd, according to a news release from the county prosecutor's office.
Prosecutor Eric Smith said they were ordered held in the county jail without bond.
The couple was manufacturing drugs out of their Clinton Township home, Smith said, and the toddler is believed to have ingested the drug by drinking it.
The Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office told police the child had an "extraordinary level of the narcotic Fentanyl in her system at the time of death," the news release said.
More:You're more likely to die from an opioid overdose than a car crash
More:Opioids kill kids, too – through accidental overdose, suicide and homicide
Smith told the Free Press an autopsy showed the child had five to 15 times the amount of fentanyl authorities have seen in the last 30 overdose deaths in Macomb County. He said it was the highest level of fentanyl the medical examiner's office had ever seen in someone's system.
"The nation is experiencing an opioid epidemic,” Smith said in the news release. “However, to see an infant experience such a tragic death on Christmas morning as a result of ingesting a large quantity of her parents’ Fentanyl is truly gut-wrenching."
He added that this type of alleged criminal behavior "will be met with the full weight" of the prosecutor's office.
The parents were at their home with their three children on Christmas morning. They took their children to a grandmother's home in Warren that afternoon. A short time later, the toddler stopped breathing, according to the release.
She was taken to St. John Macomb Hospital in Warren, where she was pronounced dead. There were no signs of trauma or abuse seen by hospital staff, the release stated.
Smith told the Free Press that a sibling of the toddler saw the girl ingest the fentanyl and informed her parents.
Law enforcement executed search warrants Thursday at the the homes of the couple and the grandmother. Police found scales, grinders, baggies, guns and drug residue, Smith said. Authorities believe the couple were involved in drug trafficking and were using their Clinton Township home to process and package fentanyl for distribution.
More:Too many overdoses: ERs fight drugs with drugs amid opioid crisis
More:Starbucks plans to install needle-disposal boxes in some bathrooms
In addition to the murder charge, the parents have been with charged with deliver/manufacturing of controlled substance, manslaughter, second-degree child abuse and felony firearm offenses.
Prosecutors say Floyd is a convicted felon and he also is being charged with additional counts of a felon in possession of a weapon and felony firearm offenses.
News of the charges came just hours after top law enforcement officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the county sheriff's office and four other law enforcement agencies -- including Warren Police and Clinton Township Police -- announced the formation of a new federal task force to target drug trafficking in Macomb County.
Smith said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is seeing to the other children.
He called the case "horrible" and said the couple, who he described as "selfish" and "greedy," suffered a twist of fate in that their own child died from a drug that they are accused of manufacturing.
More:Opioid fight shows glimmers of progress
More:Fentanyl now America's deadliest drug, federal health officials say
Follow Christina Hall on Twitter: @challreporter.
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f9249646791e51facb428a6e94fc2094
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/16/elementary-students-planned-murder-plot-tallahassee/2596677002/
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Two elementary school students 'put into effect a plot to murder another student'
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Two elementary school students 'put into effect a plot to murder another student'
Two Florida fifth-graders brought a wrench, pliers and other tools to campus as part of their plot to kill a third student and escape in a golf cart.
Details of the Dec. 14 incident were outlined in a 32-page Tallahassee Police Department report obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat. The two suspected students, 10 and 11 years old, have been suspended and recommended for expulsion following the after-school incident, according to Leon County Schools.
"This obviously is a very serious matter. We were aware the two boys plotted to harm another boy at the school," Superintendent Rocky Hanna said. "There is zero tolerance in our school system for violence or threats of violence. The individuals who participate in these types of behavior will suffer severe consequences, as these two young boys."
Principal Kim McFarland told officers the two Roberts Elementary School fifth-graders "planned and put into effect a plot to murder another student."
The 11-year-old victim and one of the students who planned to harm the victim had previously been involved in an altercation.
More:Officials: Toddler had 'extraordinary' amount of fentanyl before death on Christmas
More:1 dead, 2 critically injured in hammer attack at Brooklyn restauran
On Dec. 10., one of the suspected plotters approached the victim and "told him he was going to kill him." The victim told an administrator who put the student in timeout.
Three days later, a girl told the victim a secret, which the victim didn't want to hear, according to the police report. The girl later told the two suspected instigators the victim was spreading rumors about her. They then threatened the victim that they were going to "take care of him and kill him."
Another student told investigators the two suspected plotters drew a map of a section of the campus where there was a portable classroom and no cameras. The student said they later changed their mind and were going to take the victim to the garden instead.
The next day, one of the students brought a bag to school with a wrench, baseball batting gloves, adjustable clamp pliers, and a multitool with a blade on it. The student showed it to other students. One of the students told the group "snitches get stitches," a bystander told investigators.
More:Man convicted of murdering 101-year-old neighbor
More:Physician gave 27 near-death patients 'potentially fatal' pain meds, hospital says
Another student told investigators the two students said they had the gloves so there would be no fingerprints. They planned to use the pliers to cut the lock on the gate and run away in a golf cart down Centerville Road after harming the victim.
After school, the two suspected plotters approached the victim and asked, "Do you want to go to the secret hideout at the garden?" The victim said no because he heard they were going to harm him.
The victim ran to the after-school supervisor and said the two students were going to kill him. The two students were called to the principal's office and their bag searched. The student who brought the tools to school told McFarland the tools were his father's and he was trying to return them to him.
The students denied wanting to kill the victim but intended to beat him up. The students were issued juvenile civil citations.
A week after the incident, McFarland sent a Listserv email to parents. She said many fifth-grade students knew about the incident but didn't report it to parents or teachers. McFarland said she met with fifth-grade students to discuss the importance of "see something, say something" and urged parents to stress the same message.
Follow Ashley White on Twitter @AshleyyDi.
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4f21c7ddc7ccbb434b997c49c7270ec3
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/18/border-wall-group-376-migrants-tunnels-under-yuma-fence/2619775002/
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Largest-ever group of migrant families tunnels under Yuma, Arizona, border fence
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Largest-ever group of migrant families tunnels under Yuma, Arizona, border fence
TUCSON, Ariz. – The largest single group of migrant families and minors ever recorded in the Yuma area tunneled underneath a border fence and voluntarily turned themselves in to federal agents, according to Customs and Border Protection officials in Arizona.
A group of 376 migrants, composed almost overwhelmingly of Guatemalan families and children seeking asylum, breached the U.S.-Mexico border just before noon Monday, approximately 4½ miles east of the San Luis commercial port of entry.
Customs and Border Protection officials disclosed details of the incident Friday, releasing videos and photos showing the migrants walking along the U.S. side of the border fence and waiting in line for agents to process them.
Agent Jose Garibay, spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Yuma Sector, said that migrants, with the help of smugglers, dug seven holes in the sandy soil underneath the bollard-style fence and the metal plates welded to the bottom of the barriers.
"The bollards, when they were put in, they didn't have concrete footers, because it wasn't designed to stop from digging under, it was designed to stop the vehicle traffic," Garibay said.
The group included 176 minors, Customs and Border Protection said. Thirty of the minors were unaccompanied.
Overall, it is the largest, single group of families and minors ever recorded since the agency began seeing a surge in the arrival of these migrants in the past two years, Garibay said.
One 15-second video that the Border Patrol released Friday shows the large group of migrants walking along the border enforcement road next to the bollard-style fence.
A second, 26-second video taken by helicopters shows the migrants queuing up in line. Some are sitting in the desert sand as a Border Patrol agent processed paperwork.
In all, the process took "several hours," Garibay said.
Since the group was so large, the Border Patrol had to pull agents from other assignments to help process and transport the migrants using any vehicles at their disposal, including patrol cars, vans and buses that "had to make several trips," he added.
More families, minors crossing near Yuma
Though this is the largest single group, border agents in the Yuma area have routinely encountered large numbers of migrants crossing en masse.
The numbers and frequency have only increased since the area emerged as one of the busiest routes for Central Americans to reach to the United States.
The number of families and minors crossing through Yuma began to rise at the start of 2018, breaking records month after month. The government began tracking the data in 2013. This trend is seen nationwide, with historic numbers of families reaching the U.S.-Mexico border.
In fiscal year 2018, which ended in September, nearly three-quarters of all migrants encountered by border agents along the Yuma sector were families or minors.
These two groups are single-handedly driving up the number of apprehensions in the area, which is now at the highest level since 2008.
Stakeholders and migrant advocates on the ground don't know why more and more Central American migrant families and minors are crossing through the Yuma area.
But border officials said they know what's behind the surge in their arrivals to the U.S.-Mexico border.
"They know that if you travel with a child, or there's a child with you when you cross, then you have to be released within 20 days," Garibay said. "That's what these smugglers are relying on. And that's what these individuals are relying on.
"Which is why you see such a large number – 176 of these individuals are children, because they know the loopholes in our immigration system and they know how to exploit it, and that's what they do," he said.
More:Third drug tunnel found in less than a month along Arizona border
Details delayed because of shutdown?
Even though the apprehension of 376 migrants took place Monday, Customs and Border Protection officials made the incident public Friday, likely because of the ongoing partial government shutdown that has entered its fifth week.
President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats are at odds over his demand for $5.7 billion for border security, including a wall.
The border agency stopped sending regular updates about their enforcement activities at the start of the shutdown in December, publishing only a few releases.
Previously, the Border Patrol's Yuma Sector regularly sent updates about large groups of migrants crossing through the area.
Because of the shutdown, the Yuma Sector said it just received clearance Friday from Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C., to release information about Monday's group.
Customs and Border Protection has not responded to requests for comment.
Yuma struggles with migrants arriving
In recent months, the Yuma area has struggled to cope with the increasing arrival of Central American families and minors due to the limited resources to house and care for them.
By law, the Border Patrol is allowed to keep only migrants in their custody for up to 72 hours before handing them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The arrival of large groups of asylum seekers at the same time has strained manpower, with the Yuma Sector having the second-fewest number of agents among all nine sectors along the border, according to Border Patrol's most recent data.
Holding space has also been an issue.
"This group alone was 140 percent of capacity at the Yuma station," Garibay said. "So to start the day, we already had individuals in custody, and then to top it off, this group that crossed all at the same time, in and of itself was 140 percent over our capacity."
To cope with the situation, Border Patrol officials in Yuma said they transported some of the migrants to two other stations within their sector, one in Blythe and one in Wellton.
None of the 376 migrants in this group required medical attention, Garibay added. But the Yuma sector said they've seen an increase in the number of injuries, consistent with the surge in arrivals.
When this happens, such as when a 14-year-old girl was hospitalized in December after being dropped from the 18-foot-tall border fence, agents have to be pulled from their duties to remain with the migrants until they are released.
New barriers coming to Yuma this year
Areas close to where the migrants tunneled under the existing fence on Monday are slated to get replaced with newer, 30-foot-tall fencing starting in April.
Customs and Border Protection awarded a $172 million contract last year to a Montana company to install 14 miles of bollard-style fence in the desert area east of the San Luis port of entry.
Garibay said he was unsure whether the site of Monday's breach is within the 14 miles slated for replacement.
Customs and Border Protection has previously said it plans to replace a total of 27 miles of fencing at the Yuma Sector.
About 25½ miles of that total is east of the San Luis border crossing, although so far Customs and Border Protection has announced plans to begin construction only on 14 miles at the sector's easternmost portion.
Tunneling will likely remain a concern, even with new physical barriers.
Garibay said digging under the fences is not uncommon, given the sandiness of the soil throughout most of the sector.
In August, Border Patrol officials also found a drug tunnel inside an abandoned fast-food restaurant in San Luis.
More:Security, immigration controls fray as impasse over Trump's wall continues
More:The Wall - an in-depth examination of Donald Trump's border wall
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cd5b5b7a210504031e514b8053c0ef2d
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/18/tempe-police-release-video-officer-shooting-14-year-old-antonio-arce-airsoft-gun-sylvia-moir/2620901002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
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Video shows Tempe police officer shooting 14-year-old as he runs away
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Video shows Tempe police officer shooting 14-year-old as he runs away
PHOENIX – The Tempe Police Department on Friday released footage from an officer's body camera that shows the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy who was carrying an airsoft gun as he ran from police earlier this week.
The footage depicting the shooting of Antonio Arce was released as the department faces harsh criticism from the victim's family and local activists.
The moments leading up to the shooting were captured on Officer Jaen's body camera, which was worn on his chest, police said. Officials declined to provide the officer's first name, citing safety concerns, however, the department did release his photograph.
Activists told The Arizona Republic on Friday they had the opportunity to view the video at the same time police were briefing the media.
The two-minute video shows Jaen responding to a report of a suspicious car possibly used in a burglary parked in an alleyway in a residential area.
Jaen steps out of his patrol car and walks to a large trash can. He stands behind it as someone, who family members have identified as Arce, can be seen moving inside a gray pickup truck parked in the alley.
The officer points his gun as Arce steps out of the car. He calls "hey" at the boy before speaking into his radio.
Arce then runs down the alley away from Jaen as the officer demands to see his hands. Arce does not appear to turn around before Jaen fires at him twice, striking him once near the shoulder blades, as he chases him down the alley. The other bullet strikes a wall.
"He's got a handgun!" Jaen says into the radio. "He's got a handgun!"
Jaen calls for backup. Police say the teen fell at the end of the alley. The video shows Jaen stopping there, with his gun still drawn, pointing down at something on the ground. Police said the video was edited for public release so as to blur out the boy's body.
Police initially said the officer had seen Arce with a gun inside the car. They later determined he was carrying a replica 1911 model airsoft gun and "other items" that Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir said were stolen from the truck.
Photos provided by the department showed the gun still had the orange tip used to indicate the weapon wasn't lethal.
Jaen has been with the department for 14 years, Moir said. He was a member of the Army National Guard from 2007-13 and was deployed to Iraq in 2011.
He was placed on administrative leave during the ongoing investigation.
More:Arizona police shot and killed 14-year-old boy carrying an airsoft gun
Moir said police plan to submit their investigation to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office to determine whether charges should be filed against the officer. They've also opened an administrative investigation.
Moir described the shooting as a “rapidly evolving situation." She said the department is committed to remaining open, honest and empathetic at this time. She offered her condolences to the family of the victim.
"I urge encourage everyone to withhold judgment until the criminal and administrative investigations are concluded," she said.
Tempe police also provided the anonymous phone 911 call that prompted Jaen to respond to the area. The caller told the dispatcher he saw a truck parked in the alley behind his home and two people “taking stuff out of the backyard.” He was concerned because his house had recently been robbed.
Local activist group Poder in Action described the shooting as the "horrifying and heartbreaking murder of a child." They will be joining the family in demanding the Maricopa County Attorney's Office charge the officer with murder.
"Murder charges will be one step towards justice for Antonio's family, but will not transform the culture of violence in the Valley's police departments," the group said in a statement.
Tempe Mayor Mark said in a statement issued Friday he feels for both Arce's family and the community as a whole. Mitchell said he confident in Moir and her handling of the investigation.
"I am asking for calm and thoughtful discourse and conduct within our community," Mitchell said. "The outcome of both the criminal and the administrative investigations, whatever they may be, will be shared with the public. Only when the facts are known can we begin to heal.
"Tempeans come together for each other in good times and bad. I believe in the essential strength of our community and I know it will get us through this time together."
Arce's death spurred a string of protests and criticisms against the Tempe Police Department.
Nearly 100 protesters gathered outside Tempe Police Department headquarters Thursday night seeking justice for the minor.
"They killed him,'' said a sobbing Sandra Gonzalez, the boy's mother, speaking in Spanish during Thursday's event.
"I want you to know the worst racists exist in Phoenix, Arizona,'' she said. "They treat us as criminals. I want justice. I need justice.''
Historically, teenagers are rarely shot at by Maricopa County law enforcement. Only 22 of the 405 shootings – approximately 5.4 percent – documented by The Republic from 2011 to 2018 involved suspects between the ages of 15 and 19.
About half of those were fatal. None involved children younger than 15 before Arce's death.
The first four shootings involving police in Maricopa County this year involved people under 20.
Arce's shooting involved the youngest victim since at least 2011, and possibly much longer.
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0502361a10f1d43f44adb8bac4649de5
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/18/ups-driver-saves-dog-icy-pond-montana/2612640002/
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UPS driver saves dog from drowning in icy pond: 'She wasn't going to make it'
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UPS driver saves dog from drowning in icy pond: 'She wasn't going to make it'
BOZEMAN, Mont. – A UPS driver is being praised for braving an icy pond to rescue a young dog trapped in the ice.
Ryan Arens was on his route shortly before Christmas when he rolled up to a house in Bozeman, Montana, and heard a dog in distress.
"This dog was screaming and crying and going crazy," he said.
The sun was nearly gone, and he didn't see anything. He delivered a package and then drove to the other side of the pond.
"I could see the dog trapped about 10-15 feet off of shore, with ice all around it," he said.
An older man was in a rowboat on the pond, trying with little success to chip away the ice to reach the dog.
"I stripped to my boxers and got the guy out of the boat. Then, I slid the boat out onto the ice, using it to distribute my weight," Arens said. "I shimmed out to where the ice was thin."
Then he crashed through the ice, falling from the boat and into the 16-feet-deep water.
Since he was already wet, Arens said he swam for the dog.
"She was starting to go under," he said.
He grabbed her collar and swam for the ice, sliding the dog across the ice to shore. He pulled himself out of the water and a bystander handed him a blanket.
"We took the dog inside the older guy's house and got in the shower together to warm up," he said.
About then, the sheriff's department and animal control arrived. Help was on the way, but "I knew someone had to get to her. She wasn't going to make it."
Despite his adventure and cuts on his leg, Arens finished his route, delivering 20 more packages.
"Animals are my weakness," he said. "It was the highlight of my 14-year UPS career."
More:Sniffles, an adoptable dog without a nose, is getting love from across the country
He has a 14.5-year-old Malamute/shepherd who is "still loving life."
Arens found out where the dog's owner lived and happened to have a package to deliver to him. As he walked up, he saw the dog, whose name he learned is Sadie, in the guy's pickup.
"She was freaking out, and when he let her out she ran to me," he said. "She must have remembered me. It sure made me feel good."
They recently reunited for a photo. Sadie is a 2.5-years-old wirehaired pointing griffon.
"This dog had a whole lot of life left in her, and I'm really glad I was able to act when I did. She's a sweetheart."
More:Man helps thirsty pigeon drink from New York water fountain in hilarious video
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