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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-02-29 12:14 1 KKK Members Linked to Violent Brawl Released Five Ku Klux Klan members who were arrested following a vicious brawl in Anaheim were (3.01/4) released because evidence show they acted in self-defense, police said Sunday. Seven people who remained in custody were seen beating, stomping and attacking the Klansmen with wooden posts, Sgt. Daron... 2016-02-29 12:01 6KB abcnews.go.com

(3.01/4) 2 North Korea Gives Media a Look at Detained American North Korea presented a detained American student before the media on Monday in Pyongyang, where he tearfully apologized for attempting to steal a political banner — at the behest, he said, of a member of a church back home who wanted it as a "trophy" — from a staff-only section... 2016-02-29 12:12 5KB abcnews.go.com 3 Breitbart News - powered by FeedBurner Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Republican presidential candidate Governor John Kasich (R-OH) said of the states voting on Super Tuesday that his rival Donald Trump is

(2.00/4) “probably going to win probably all of them.” Jake Tapper said, “Well, I mean, no offense, but you haven’t won a contest,... 2016-02-29 04:22 1KB feeds.feedburner.com 4 OSCARS: Tragic tale of singer Amy Winehouse is best documentary

(2.00/4) LOS ANGELES, United States — "Amy," a documentary about the musical genius and drug-induced death of jazz singer Amy Winehouse, won the Oscar for best documentary on Sunday. The 2016-02-29 12:12 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 5 Mumbaikars to pay for BEST losses through high electricity bills? People wait for the Union Budget, hoping that the cost of necessities and luxuries don't make their lives difficult. But then there one more thing, the monthly electricity bills that could spell out to be worrisome for Mumbaikars 2016-02-29 12:01 3KB www.mid-day.com 6 Union Budget 2016-17: The highlights Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the union budget for the year 2016-17 in parliament, amid worries over the country's stagnating growth rate, government finances and direction of reforms. Here are the highlights of Jaitley's third budget 2016-02-29 12:01 11KB www.mid-day.com 7 Cardinal admits 'scandalous' response to abuse allegations One of Pope Francis' top advisers acknowledged he had heard that an Australian Catholic school teacher who serially abused students might be involved in 'pedophilia activity' in the 1970s, but said he had no idea how rampant clergy abuse was at the time, during an extraordinary public hearing of an... 2016-02-28 23:04 7KB mynorthwest.com 8 In blow to Iran hard-liners, moderates win clerical assembly Iran's moderates have dealt another blow to the country's hard-liners, winning the majority of seats in last week's vote for the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body empowered with choosing the nation's supreme leader. 2016-02-28 23:40 3KB mynorthwest.com 9 Globe Business commits to revolutionize enterprises through ICT Globe Telecom information and communication technology (ICT) arm Globe Business is lending its support to the 10th International ICT awards, one of the most renowned awarding ceremonies in the 2016-02-29 12:08 3KB business.inquirer.net 10 Iraq death toll from IS bombing of Baghdad market now at 73 In Iraq, the death toll from devastating back-to-back market bombings carried out by the Islamic State group the previous day in eastern Baghdad climbed to 73 on Monday, officials said. 2016-02-28 23:04 2KB mynorthwest.com

11 Former SS medic at Auschwitz going on trial in Germany A 95-year-old former SS medic is going on trial on 3,681 counts of accessory to murder on allegations he helped the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp function. 2016-02-28 23:32 1KB mynorthwest.com 12 Hong Kong Radical Candidate Makes Strong Showing in Vote A pro-democracy candidate won a Hong Kong weekend by-election while a rival from a radical pro-independence group who's facing riot charges placed a surprising third in a vote seen as a measure of political tension in the Chinese city. The mainstream Civic Party's Alvin Yeung won... 2016-02-29 12:14 2KB abcnews.go.com 13 Vermont Air Guard continues night flight training The Vermont Air National Guard is continuing flight training at night this week. 2016-02-29 12:14 1004Bytes www.washingtontimes.com

14 Vermont Senate passes bill to legalize daily fantasy sports It’s on to the Vermont House for legislation that would legalize daily fantasy sports in the state. The Senate passed a bill Friday about a month after hearing from a top law enforcement official that the games are technically illegal under current Vermont law. 2016-02-29 12:12 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 15 City of Dreams boosts business continuity, disaster recovery ops City of Dreams Manila, an integrated gaming and entertainment resort destination operated and managed by Melco Crown Philippines (MCP) Resorts Corporation, recently obtained data center colocation and 2016-02-29 12:05 3KB business.inquirer.net 16 Tattoo artist helps cancer patients gain confidence Beth Fairchild lives a precarious life. 2016-02-29 12:01 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 17 List of 88th annual Academy Award winners List of winners at Sunday’s 88th annual Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2016-02-29 10:38 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

18 Third annual family book festival highlights local authors It’s safe to say the annual Southwest Louisiana Family Book Festival has become a prominent event within the creative community of Lake Charles. Three years into its existence, the authors and guests who attended the inaugural event are now the festival’s champions, bringing with them each year new writers and... 2016-02-29 10:26 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 19 Columbus Crime Lab gives forensic equipment to MSU On Feb. 17, the Columbus Police Department Crime Lab presented Mississippi State University with equipment for the university’s forensics program. 2016-02-29 10:20 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 20 Bill seeks to create drug abuse prevention program for teens Maine lawmakers on Monday will take up a bill that seeks to address the state’s drug epidemic by developing a substance abuse prevention program for middle school and high school students. 2016-02-29 10:19 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

21 Maine Fishermen’s Forum to focus on health of industry Maine’s annual forum for fishing industry professionals will take place in Rockport and focus on the health of the industry. 2016-02-29 10:20 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 22 Dive teams come to Maine for winter training on frozen lake Dive teams from law enforcement agencies around New England are going to be in Maine this week for winter training on a frozen lake. 2016-02-29 10:20 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 23 Teacher believes in play Kay Chaney’s philosophy is children learn through play, but so do teenagers. 2016-02-29 10:20 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 24 University of Minnesota’s chew-bot helps food companies A number of big food companies are trying to change up their product formulations these days to include healthier ingredients. Earlier this month, Mars Inc. joined the ranks of companies cutting artificial coloring from candies like M&Ms and Skittles. 2016-02-29 10:20 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 25 1780s clause at center of Menendez corruption case battle When three federal appellate judges settle into their seats Monday to hear arguments in the corruption case against New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, they will be asked to delve deeply into an idea that, though little known outside legal circles, is as deeply embedded in the American DNA as the... 2016-02-29 10:20 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 26 Local putting Spearfish on the natural building map He’s become the “go-to” guy in the area to direct questions regarding natural building, and March 3-9, Jared “Cappie” Capp, of Spearfish, will share that knowledge and experience on a global stage as one of the presenters at the 2016 International Straw Building Conference in New Zealand. 2016-02-29 11:52 6KB www.washingtontimes.com 27 Testicular cancer doesn’t stop Jonesboro attorney Attorney Jared Woodard is used to fighting his battles in the courtroom, but when an unbearable pain in his abdomen sent him to the hospital last November, his fiercest battle yet began. 2016-02-29 11:52 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 28 University tech lab in Little Rock takes on virtual reality Carolina Cruz-Neira’s visualization technology lab in the Emerging Analytics Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a playground for the imagination. And the virtual reality that unfolds within it is helping envision better companies and cities - both modern and ancient - and even train better medical students. 2016-02-29 11:52 5KB www.washingtontimes.com 29 Authorities charge West Virginia couple in cancer scam Authorities have arrested a West Virginia woman and her husband after officials say they scammed more than $82,000 from another couple by pretending the woman needed money for cancer treatments. 2016-02-29 11:51 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 30 Former Klan leader at center of latest GOP campaign joust Republican front-runner Donald Trump drew sharp criticism from his rivals in both parties Sunday for refusing to denounce an implicit endorsement from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, raising the specter of racism as the presidential campaign hits the South. 2016-02-29 11:51 4KB www.washingtontimes.com 31 Long Island district to change immigrant students policy A Long Island school district is changing its policies following complaints that it denied or delayed access to immigrant students arriving from Central and South America and elsewhere. 2016-02-29 11:51 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 32 Brie Larson finds her voice and best-actress Oscar in ‘Room’ Brie Larson’s journey to winning a best-actress Oscar for “Room” began years ago when she learned to stand up for herself against casting directors who wanted to objectify her. 2016-02-29 11:50 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 33 Michigan couple starts pillow project for ill children Chad and Lisa Borodychuk know about the challenges faced by parents of children with severe impairments or a terminal illness. 2016-02-29 11:50 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 34 Authorities: Large fire in Newark displaces 20 people Authorities say a large fire in northern New Jersey has displaced 20 people and damaged several homes. 2016-02-29 11:50 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 35 Mentor program aims to make Bismarck school more inclusive Every morning at Century High School, Carly Amundson looks forward to joining her group of friends for lunch in the cafeteria. 2016-02-29 11:50 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 36 Fort Sill’s historic balloon hangar gets recognition Fort Sill’s balloon hangar, Building 5037 on Tucker Road, was moved here from California in 1934-1935 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to its unique architectural features and long and distinguished history. 2016-02-29 11:50 6KB www.washingtontimes.com 37 Neuharth Award to live on, but with different format With the death of media mogul Al Neuharth, the award named for the University of South Dakota alumnus will continue but in a different format, a USD official says. 2016-02-29 11:50 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 38 Fifth time’s the Oscar charm for best actor DiCaprio After five nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio finally got his Oscar. And he couldn’t resist sharing it with planet Earth. 2016-02-29 11:49 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 39 Review: Rock rocks with Oscars monologue; show’s a snooze Could Chris Rock balance Academy Awards razzle-dazzle with a burning social issue? 2016-02-29 11:48 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 40 Ex-employee saves Palo Duro Canyon tour train Barbara Logan was riding with her husband David past an overgrown field near Palo Duro Canyon four months ago. There, in some overgrown weeds, she could barely see her childhood. It was rotting next to a stagecoach and chuckwagon. 2016-02-29 10:20 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 41 Walworth sisters co-manage natural food stand Organigirls Vivian and Jasmine Ford have the entrepreneurial bug. 2016-02-29 10:20 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 42 Soybeans to solar: Boom is boon for Minnesota landowners When John Frey of Mankato received an inquiry about putting a solar array on his land, he didn’t need to be persuaded on the merits. 2016-02-29 10:20 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 43 Battling outbreak, Hawaii faces small staff, pesticide fears On a farm in the heart of Hawaii’s ongoing dengue outbreak, coffee grows wild among the ferns, and vanilla vines climb guava trees. It’s hard to know where nature ends and the farm begins, and that’s the way organic farmers there like it. 2016-02-29 11:43 4KB www.washingtontimes.com

44 Harp Gallery in Menasha revives aging furniture Ken Melchert doesn’t ascribe to the idea that “antique” should mean “untouchable.” 2016-02-29 10:20 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 45 Man who butchered 2 women in Talisay City gets 80 years in jail CEBU CITY, Philippines — Regional Trial Court Branch 23 Judge Generosa Labra has convicted Richard Gudelosao for killing and mutilating the bodies of two women in Talisay City in 2016-02-29 11:32 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 46 OSCARS: ‘Inside Out’ wins best animated feature prize HOLLYWOOD, United States -- Pixar's "Inside Out" is the winner of the best animated feature film Academy Award. The film tells the story of a young girl's emotions as her 2016-02-29 11:22 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 47 Bulacan governor’s son hurt in collision CITY OF MALOLOS, Philippines — The son of Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado was hurt on Sunday when his Toyota Fortuner collided with another vehicle on the MacArthur Highway here, police 2016-02-29 11:03 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 48 14 hurt as bus topples on its side in Cebu CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 14 passengers including two infants were hurt after the bus they were riding fell on its side along the national highway in Barangay Madridejos in Alegria town, 112 2016-02-29 10:54 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 49 Ice time drives students at Detroit Hockey Academy Derek Langlois, the lead on-ice instructor at the Detroit Hockey Academy, stood to the left of the net and along the goal line of the larger of two practice rinks. 2016-02-29 09:25 2KB www.washingtontimes.com 50 Nipple bill at the center of lawmakers’ spat up for hearing The bill making it a crime for women to expose their breasts in public that was at the center of a spat between lawmakers earlier this year is up for a public hearing on Monday morning. 2016-02-29 09:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 51 DeKalb woman arrested after shooting alleged home invader A DeKalb county mother of four is facing aggravated assault charges after shooting an alleged repeat home invader. 2016-02-29 10:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 52 Thane massacre: Killer used qurbani knife to slaughter family Accused Hasnain Warekar used his expertise in animal sacrifice to make clean, fatal cuts; cops suspect he might have made a past attempt to poison his family 2016-02-29 10:26 2KB www.mid-day.com 53 Shepherd University board approves tuition increase Students at Shepherd University will be paying 5 percent more for tuition starting next fall. 2016-02-29 10:26 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 54 OSCARS: Alicia Vikander wins supporting actress prize HOLLYWOOD, United States -- Alicia Vikander won the Oscar for best supporting actress Sunday for her role in transgender love story "The Danish Girl" -- the first acting honor handed 2016-02-29 10:25 1KB entertainment.inquirer.net 55 Delhi Police has done everything right, says Police Chief BS Bassi In an exclusive chat, outgoing top cop BS Bassi while defending his force's actions on the JNU row, says his tenure as Delhi Police Chief has been fun and extremely satisfying 2016-02-29 10:10 3KB www.mid-day.com

56 Kerala journalist union condemns threat calls to TV scribe Kerala Union of Working Journalists today condemned the reported threat calls to a TV scribe over her purported remarks on Goddess Durga during a television debate on February 26 2016-02-29 10:07 1KB www.mid-day.com 57 DFNN gets P310M damage award on lotto dispute A LOCAL court has awarded gaming technology solutions provider DFNN Inc. higher damages amounting to P310 million in relation to its complaint against state-controlled Philippine Charity Sweepstakes 2016-02-29 10:05 2KB business.inquirer.net 58 The Most Profitable Oscar Movies - Methodology - In Photos: The Most Profitable Oscar Movies 2015 Based on the production budget and global box office (via Box Office Mojo) numbers, we looked at what percentage of its budget each film earned. We included all of the Best Picture Nominations plus two other films that received the most major nods in all other categories (Foxcatcher and... 2016-02-29 08:06 1KB www.forbes.com 59 EPL: Louis van Gaal thrills fans with theatrical fall as Man United beat Arsenal Man Utd manager Louis van Gaal (64) made a late bid for Oscar recognition with a comical touchline tumble during his side's EPL defeat to Arsenal yesterday 2016-02-29 09:50 1KB www.mid-day.com 60 Mumbai: Staff crunch issues at post mortem centres to get worse The staff crunch at the four post mortem centres of the city, ran by state government is slated to get worse as the opening of a new post mortem centre has clashed with the suspension order of nine of the staff members 2016-02-29 09:49 3KB www.mid-day.com 61 EPL: Marcus Rashford's brace helps Man United defeat Arsenal Teenage striker Marcus Rashford strikes twice as Red Devils beat Arsenal 3-2 to dent their hopes of a first EPL title in over a decade 2016-02-29 09:48 2KB www.mid-day.com 62 Special bond service for Dental Surgery students: Only three students eligible As Maharashtra Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) started a one- year special bond service for the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) students, across the state, only three students have been eligible for the bond 2016-02-29 09:47 3KB www.mid- day.com 63 Oops, they're slipping Weak was the word as global cues made one go whew 2016-02-29 09:43 4KB www.mid- day.com 64 Hold on to your seats Expect super volatility for a while but don’t press any panic buttons 2016-02-29 09:42 6KB www.mid-day.com 65 Stan Wawrinka clinches ninth straight final at Dubai Open Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka overcomes Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 7-6, including a 15- 13 tie-breaker triumph, to clinch his ninth straight final and second of the season 2016-02-29 09:39 1KB www.mid-day.com

66 Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce 2016-02-29 09:39 3KB www.mid- day.com 67 Detroit News - News Detroit News - News 2016-02-28 21:38 2KB rssfeeds.detroitnews.com 68 Livonia - News Livonia - News 2016-02-28 21:38 2KB rssfeeds.hometownlife.com 69 Want to drive an auto in Mumbai? Learn to read Marathi first Starting today, the state’s Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) will be starting a ‘test’ for auto rickshaw drivers who have been short-listed for securing a permit 2016-02-29 09:37 2KB www.mid-day.com 70 Christian Science Monitor | All Stories - powered by FeedBurner The film 'Spotlight' won the Oscar for Best Picture while Brie Larson and Leonardo DiCaprio won the Oscars for best actress and best actor, respectively, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu won the best director Oscar for 'The Revenant.' The best supporting actor Oscar went to Mark Rylance, while Alicia Vikander won the... 2016-02-29 05:47 7KB rss.csmonitor.com 71 EPL: Tottenham beat Swansea to maintain second spot Spurs fight back from a goal down to beat Swansea City 2-1 to maintain second spot in their English Premier League title charge 2016-02-29 09:36 2KB www.mid-day.com 72 Detroit Free Press - Home Detroit Free Press - HOme 2016-02-29 04:45 3KB rssfeeds.freep.com 73 Muncie - News Muncie - Local 2016-02-29 03:36 2KB rssfeeds.thestarpress.com 74 Lenders eye Vijay Mallya's Rs 515-crore exit package The consortium of 17 lenders to the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines have decided to move the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) against the airline chairman Vijay Mallya to stake claim on the $75 million severance package he will be getting for quitting United Spirits (USL) 2016-02-29 09:35 1KB www.mid-day.com 75 USATODAY - World Top Stories USATODAY - World Top Stories 2016-02-29 07:04 2KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com 76 WXIA - Local WXIA - Local 2016-02-29 07:04 3KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 77 Port Huron - News GANNETT Syndication Service 2016-02-29 07:04 2KB feeds.feedblitz.com 78 My dream is to see farmers double their income by 2022: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he dreams of seeing farmers' income getting doubled by 2022 when the country completes 75 years of its independence 2016-02-29 09:34 2KB www.mid-day.com 79 WUSA - News RSS Oubound Feed 2016-02-29 03:34 1KB rssfeeds.wusa9.com

80 Asia Cup: Pak fans can't hide dejection after loss against India Pakistani cricket fans and former players have reacted with disappointment and anger to the national team's defeat against arch-rivals India in their Asia Cup Twenty20 match 2016-02-29 09:33 1KB www.mid-day.com 81 Shakira, Gerard Pique put kids early to bed to 'play at being lovers' Colombian singer of 'Waka Waka' fame admits putting her two kids to sleep early so that Barcelona footballer boyfriend Pique and she 'can play at being lovers' 2016-02-29 09:32 2KB www.mid-day.com 82 Thane massacre: Medical experts suspect victims were sedated before being butchered Blood and viscera samples sent to Kalina forensic lab for analysis; doctors treating survivor Sobiya Bharmal say she is stable, survived due to timely treatment 2016-02-29 09:31 2KB www.mid-day.com 83 BDO nets record high P25B THE COUNTRY’S largest lender BDO Unibank Inc. racked up a record-high net profit of P25 billion for 2015, matching its earnings guidance for the year despite a challenging operating 2016-02-29 09:31 1KB business.inquirer.net 84 Mumbai: Slum dwellers make the Khada Parsi their home Merely two years after its restoration, the iconic Khada Parsi statue in Byculla is under threat again, thanks to local slum dwellers, who have turned it into their home 2016-02-29 09:30 3KB www.mid-day.com 85 Paint-and-wine innovator creates new trend in Florence Winter Moore started Addie’s Baby Paint and Wine Studio three years ago with just her college paint brushes and materials. Business took off from there. 2016-02-29 09:27 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 86 Barack Obama's voters now back Hillary Clinton With the African-American voters lifting Hillary Clinton to a staggering win in South Carolina, experts believe the support could carry over to other states too 2016-02-29 09:27 3KB www.mid-day.com 87 Chelsea's EPL position is ridiculous, says Frank Lampard London: Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is concerned the Blues are lacking "real personalities" and believes their current Premier League position is ridiculous. Frank Lampard Chelsea's 2-1 win at Southampton on Saturday lifted them to 11th in EPL. "To be a big team, you have to have big personalities," Lampard... 2016-02-29 09:25 1KB www.mid-day.com 88 La Liga: Cristiano Ronaldo does a U-turn after slamming teammates Three-time World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has backtracked on critical comments of his Real Madrid teammates following their 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid 2016-02-29 09:24 1KB www.mid-day.com 89 Mohammed Amir was at fault, no one should cry: Waqar Younis Pakistan coach has termed Mohammed Amir's performance against India as 'outstanding' but at the same time said his sufferings in the last five years after being convicted for spot-fixing has been his own fault 2016-02-29 09:23 1KB www.mid-day.com

90 Aircraft maintenance may get cheaper Aviation experts believe lowering tax in this year’s Union Budget will help expand the country’s maintenance repair and overhauling industry and create around 7,000 jobs 2016-02-29 09:23 2KB www.mid-day.com 91 WXIA - Home WXIA - Home 2016-02-29 04:26 3KB rssfeeds.11alive.com 92 All Properties - Nation Now All Properties - Nation Now 2016-02-29 03:22 1KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com 93 World news: breaking news and current events - powered by FeedBurner Google has a new intelligent platform, PlaNet, which has the ability to find out the location at which a particular photograph has been taken. The system will provide answer after accessing the image’s pixels. Technically, a convolution neural network was trained with a massive dataset of images sourced from Google+... 2016-02-29 03:23 1KB feeds.feedburner.com 94 Livingston - Home Livingston - Home 2016-02-29 09:04 2KB rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com

95 Military Times - Adventure Military Times - Adventure 2016-02-29 03:19 4KB rssfeeds.militarytimes.com 96 Ailing students ate from roadside stall: ISKCON An ISKCON centre in Wada, which was booked after over 100 students of a Zila Parishad-run primary school at Kasa Badruk village in Palghar district fell ill after allegedly consuming the midday meal provided by it, yesterday claimed that many of the students had eaten snacks from a roadside stall,... 2016-02-29 09:18 1KB www.mid-day.com 97 Dahisar-Andheri Metro corridor: BMC's Jogeshwari ROB extension plan derailed Citing Metro corridor, BMC puts expansion of the ROB up to Poonam Nagar on hold; project cost up from Rs 198 crore in 2009 to Rs 300 crore 2016-02-29 09:17 2KB www.mid- day.com 98 Livingston - News Livingston - News 2016-02-29 03:13 2KB rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com

99 New twist in addiction crisis: Deadly painkiller impostors Authorities are sounding the alarm about a new and deadly twist in the country’s drug- addiction crisis in the form of a potent painkiller disguised as other medications. 2016-02-29 09:13 3KB www.washingtontimes.com 100 Something for everybody on the Oscars red carpet The year’s biggest night for red carpet glamour included something for everybody in bold color and soft shades, frothy wonders and sleek, body hugging looks. And there was, of course, plenty of sparkle. 2016-02-29 09:13 3KB www.washingtontimes.com Articles

Total 100 articles, created at 2016-02-29 12:14

1 KKK Members Linked to Violent Brawl Released (3.01/4) Five Ku Klux Klan members who were arrested following a vicious brawl in Anaheim were released because evidence show they acted in self-defense, police said Sunday. Seven people who remained in custody were seen beating, stomping and attacking the Klansmen with wooden posts, Sgt. Daron Wyatt said. A police statement said the clash, which erupted after six Klan members arrived at a park Saturday for a planned anti-immigration rally, was started by a larger group of 10 to 20 counter- protesters who had "the intent of perpetrating violence. " Police said the Klansmen stabbed three counter-protesters with knives and the decorative end of a flag pole. "Regardless of an individual or groups' beliefs or ideologies, they are entitled to live without the fear of physical violence and have the right, under the law, to defend themselves when attacked," the statement said. Mayhem ensued Saturday as soon as the Klan members pulled up in a black SUV for an anti- immigration rally they had advertised in advance and pulled out signs saying "White Lives Matter. " Dozens of protesters swarmed in and someone smashed a window. The SUV then sped away, leaving three Klansmen dressed in black shirts decorated with the Klan cross and Confederate flag patches outnumbered. "(The counter-protesters) were so angry, they would have torn these folks limb from limb," said Brian Levin, who directs the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. "I was afraid for their lives. " Levin, who went to Pearson Park expecting to record the rally for research, found himself protecting the Klansmen until police could intervene. On a video Levin shot and posted to Twitter, he later asked one of them, "How do you feel that a Jewish person helped save your life today? " "I thank you. I thank you," said the Klansman, waving away the question with his blood-spattered arm. "I would have saved a colored man's life," he added. Much of the clash was captured on video and posted online. In one, a man cries "I got stabbed," lifting his T-shirt to show a wound to his stomach. A fire hydrant where the man briefly sat was covered in blood. The Klansmen were initially booked for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon, and seven of the approximately 30 counter-protesters were arrested on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury Like many other cities across the United States, Anaheim has a history intertwined with the KKK. What sets the city apart, however, is its decisive backlash after the Klan gained four of five City Council seats in 1924. Those Klansmen were ousted in a recall election after their affiliations with the Klan became public and following a nighttime KKK initiation rally that attracted an estimated 10,000 people to the city park where Saturday's violence erupted. "The only reason we remember Anaheim for the Klan is because they fought the Klan so hard," said Phil Brigandi, an Orange County historian and author. "The more the Klan came out of the shadows, the more people became aware of it and the opposition grew. " In the near century since then, Anaheim has gone from 95 percent white to become 53 percent Hispanic and 27 percent white, according to data with the U. S. Census Bureau. "We're a far cry from those terrible times and the Klan is really an anachronism," Levin said. "Anaheim is now a diverse community that is in many ways an amusement and sports capital of California. This is just an example of how a small group of people can tarnish the name of a community. " Rosa Madrigal, who was at the park Sunday with her husband and three children, said she was shocked to even hear about the KKK holding a rally in Anaheim, let alone the violence that ensued. "I didn't even think it was true when I heard it," said Madrigal, 25. "It's crazy, especially in a park where you take your kids. " When the melee started, Levin said he saw no uniformed officers. Wyatt said police were there and engaged with people at one end of the fight, and called for additional resources to deploy to the other end. The event stretched along an entire city block, he said. Police Chief Raul Quezada said his officers were able to respond quickly enough to arrest all but one of the main participants, a counter-protester who remains at-large. The Klan members were booked for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon before being released. The seven people who remained in custody were booked for assault with a deadly weapon or elder abuse for stomping on a Klan member who's older than 65 years old, Wyatt said. Though the Klan members were released, prosecutors will review the case and decide whether to file criminal charges, he said. Chris Barker, who identified himself as the imperial wizard of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, told The Associated Press by phone from North Carolina that his members were holding a peaceful anti-immigration demonstration and acted in self-defense. "If we're attacked, we will attack back," said Barker, whose organization lists Pelham, N. C., as its headquarters. Last year, the group drew headlines when it protested the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Capitol. Nationwide, the number of active KKK groups increased to 190 in 2015 after falling in 2013 and 2014, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center , which tracks hate groups. In January 2015, packets containing fliers from the "Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" and condemning the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. were left in the driveways of about 40 homes in Santa Ana, about 8 miles south of Anaheim. ——— Associated Press writers Christine Armario and Daisy Nguyen contributed to this report. washingtontimes.com abcnews.go.com washingtontimes.com 2016-02-29 12:01 By abcnews.go.com

2 2 North Korea Gives Media a Look at Detained American (3.01/4) North Korea presented a detained American student before the media on Monday in Pyongyang, where he tearfully apologized for attempting to steal a political banner — at the behest, he said, of a member of a church back home who wanted it as a "trophy" — from a staff-only section of the hotel where he had been staying. North Korea announced in late January it had arrested Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old University of Virginia undergraduate student. It said that after entering the country as a tourist he committed an anti-state crime with "the tacit connivance of the U. S. government and under its manipulation. " No details of what kind of charges or punishment Warmbier faces were immediately released. According to Warmbier's statement Monday, he wanted the banner with a political slogan on it as a trophy for the church member, who was the mother of a friend. In previous cases, people who have been detained in North Korea and given a public confession often recant those admissions after their release. He was arrested while visiting the country with Young Pioneer Tours, an agency specializing in travel to the North, which is strongly discouraged by the U. S. State Department. He had been staying at the Yanggakdo International Hotel, which is located on an island in a river that runs through Pyongyang. It is common for sections of tourist hotels to be reserved for North Korean staff and off-limits to foreigners. Warmbier is a native of Ohio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, while campaigning in New Hampshire as a Republican presidential candidate, called the arrest "inexcusable. " Kasich has urged President Barack Obama to "make every effort to secure Mr. Warmbier's immediate release and keep (his) family constantly apprised. " Kasich said North Korea should either provide evidence of the alleged anti-state activities or release Warmbier. In his comments, Warmbier said he was offered a used car worth $10,000 by a member of the church. He said the church member told him the slogan would be hung on its wall as a trophy. He also said he was told that if he was detained and not returned, $200,000 would be paid to his mother in a way of charitable donations. Calls to the Friendship United Methodist Church went unanswered Monday. Warmbier named that as the church his acquaintance belonged to and there is church of that name in his hometown, Wyoming, Ohio. He said he was also encouraged in his act by the "Z Society" at the University of Virginia, which he said he was trying to join. The magazine of the university's alumni association describes the Z Society as a "semi-secret ring society" that was founded in 1892 and conducts philanthropy, puts on honorary dinners and grants academic awards. Warmbier said he accepted the offer of money because his family is "suffering from very severe financial difficulties. " "I started to consider this as my only golden opportunity to earn money," he said, adding that if he ever mentioned the involvement of the church, "no payments would come. " North Korea regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its government to enable the U. S.-backed South Korean government to control the Korean Peninsula. U. S. tourism to North Korea is legal and virtually all Americans who make the journey return home without incident. Even so, the State Department has repeatedly warned against travel to the North. Visitors, especially those from America, who break the country's sometimes murky rules risk detention, arrest and possible jail sentences. Young Pioneer describes itself on its website as providing "budget tours to destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from. " The agency, based in China, also has tours to Iran, Cuba, Turkmenistan, Iraq and other former Soviet countries. After Warmbier's detention, it stressed in a news release that he was the first of the 7,000 people it has taken to North Korea over the past eight years to face arrest. "Despite what you may hear, North Korea is probably one of the safest places on Earth to visit," it says on its website. "We have never felt suspicious or threatened at any time. In fact, North Koreans are super friendly and accommodating, if you let them into your world. Even during tense political moments tourism to the DPRK is never affected. " In the past, North Korea has held out until senior U. S. officials or statesmen came to personally bail out detainees, all the way up to former President Bill Clinton, whose visit in 2009 secured the freedom of American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling. Both had crossed North Korea's border from China illegally. It took a visit in November 2014 by U. S. spy chief James Clapper to bring home Matthew Miller, who had ripped up his visa when entering the country, and Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae, who had been incarcerated since November 2012. Jeffrey Fowle, another U. S. tourist from Ohio detained for six months at about the same time as Miller, was released just before that and sent home on a U. S. government plane. He left a Bible in a local club hoping a North Korean would find it, which is considered a criminal offense in North Korea. ——— Talmadge, the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief, reported from Tokyo. wtop.com washingtontimes.com 2016-02-29 12:12 By abcnews.go.com

3 Breitbart News - powered by FeedBurner (2.00/4) Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Republican presidential candidate Governor John Kasich (R-OH) said of the states voting on Super Tuesday that his rival Donald Trump is “probably going to win probably all of them.” Jake Tapper said, “Well, I mean, no offense, but you haven’t won a contest, and it doesn’t look like you’re going to win any on Tuesday.” Kasich said, “No. I think Trump’s probably going to win probably all of them. But you keep holding your own, and we have our campaign plan. I mean, everybody has to do it the way they want to do it. Our way of doing it — our campaign plan was ultimately to, you know, hold our own in some of these places, and we will, I expect. and then we’re going to head north. But at the end of the day, what changes this race is my ability to win in Ohio. And if any of these people can’t win their own states, they probably ought to get out. We ought to consolidate the race. In Ohio head to head, I beat Donald Trump by 18 points. Why is that? Why is it that I’m running even with nydailynews.com feeds.feedburner.com 2016-02-29 04:22 feeds.feedburner.com

4 OSCARS: Tragic tale of singer Amy Winehouse is best documentary (2.00/4) In this file photo dated July 4, 2008, jazz soul singer Amy Winehouse performs during the Rock in Rio music festival in Madrid. AP LOS ANGELES, United States — “Amy,” a documentary about the musical genius and drug- induced death of jazz singer Amy Winehouse, won the Oscar for best documentary on Sunday. The win capped a stellar awards season for the film, which is coming off dozens of other awards wins, including from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Grammys, and numerous critics contests. The film, with a gross box office haul of $8.4 million so far, represents 43-year-old London-born director Asif Kapadia’s first Oscar. It is now streaming on Amazon’s Prime video service in the U. S. “This film’s all about Amy, showing the world who she really was,” Kapadia said, describing the troubled singer-songwriter as “funny,” ”intelligent,” and “someone who needed looking after.” Kapadia shares the Oscar with producer James Gay-Rees, who also executive produced the Kapadia-directed documentary “Senna,” about the early death of Formula One race driver Ayrton Senna, in 2010. wtop.com 2016-02-29 12:12 Associated Press entertainment.inquirer.net

5 Mumbaikars to pay for BEST losses through high electricity bills? People wait for the Union Budget, hoping that the cost of necessities and luxuries don't make their lives difficult. But then there one more thing, the monthly electricity bills that could spell out to be worrisome for Mumbaikars. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) have traded an option with the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC); either their 10-lakh consumers would pay heavily or the Undertaking's losses can be distributed amongst those residing in eastern and western suburbs right upto Mulund and Dahisar. The BEST has kept forward their annual revenue requirement (ARR) meant for electricity consumers in which they propose to recover a huge Rs 1384 crore annually for the next four years. The way of recovery is through the component called Transport division loss recovered (TDLR) applicable in electricity bills. Initially, this was supposed to end from April 2016; but then the BEST has brought it back, that will surely burn pockets of Mumbaikars. "We want TDLR to be shared by everyone who falls under the purview of BMC," said Jagdish Patil, General Manager, BEST Undertaking. Sources in the BEST said that neither the Maharashtra government nor the BMC, which is the parent organisation, is helping the Undertaking out. Currently, the BEST is charging TDLR, which is 0.55 paise per unit to Rs 1.85 per unit, from the 10 lakh consumers. The BEST has stated that if the TDLR is simply borne by the 10 lakh consumers in next four years between 2016-17 to 2019-20, then this component would increase from Rs 3.01 per unit to Rs 7.04 per unit on an average, which could take average monthly bills of people above Rs 1000 or so even with minimum use of electricity. On the other hand, if it divided among the 26 lakh consumers of Reliance Infra, 5 lakh plus consumers of Tata Power and thousands more getting supply from MSEDCL along with the BEST; then its affect would be less and mere Rs 1.16 per unit. The TDLR is presently being charged until March 31 and is divided among the consumers since 2012. "The BEST has recovered Rs 2300 crore through TDLR already," said Ravi Raja, BEST Committee member. This is a component that mainly covers the transport losses to the tune of Rs 900 crore that would touch Rs 1300 crore in next four years; of BEST from running their bus fleet. At present, the number of kilometers run by a single bus has dropped from 214 kms to 183 kms. The number of passengers too has come down to mere 33 lakh from the earlier 42 lakh

2016-02-29 12:01 By Shashank www.mid-day.com

6 Union Budget 2016-17: The highlights Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the union budget for the year 2016-17 in parliament, amid worries over the country's stagnating growth rate, government finances and direction of reforms. Highlights of Union Budget 2016-17 Ceiling of tax rebate for tax payers with up to Rs 5 lakh annual come to be raised to Rs 5000 from Rs 2000 currently. Relief will amount to Rs 3000 per annum; 1 cr tax payers to benefit Deduction for rent paid will be raised from Rs 20,000 to Rs 60,000 to benefit those living in rented houses 1st home buyers to get addl deduction of Rs 50,000 on interest for loan upto Rs 35 lakh. Cost of house should not be more than Rs 50 lakh Presemtive income tax scheme to be extended to all professionals with income of Rs 50 lakh with a presumption of 50 per cent profit 15 per cent surcharge on income above Rs 1 cr: Jaitley Service tax exemption for construction of affordable housing upto 60 sq m under state and central housing schemes: FM New grading system of imposing penalties to be introduced for under-reporting or concealment of income: FM Excise duty on Tobacco products increased by 10-15%: FM Tax on blackmoney declared will be 30 pc plus 7.5 pc penalty and 7.5 pc surcharge Limited tax compliance window from June 1 to September 30 for declaring undisclosed income: Jaitley Clean Energy cess on coal doubled to Rs 400 per ton Indian economy has held ground firmly despite global crisis: FM GDP stands at 7.6%; Inflation has come down despite fall in monsoons: FM Foreign reserves at highest level at $350 Billion: : FM Rs 9000 cr alloted to Swachch Bharat Mission: FM Rs 1000 cr provided for LPG connection to rural households in name of women; scheme to go on for 2 yrs to cover 5cr BPL households 75 lakh people have given up LPG subsidy 3,500 medical stores will be opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushodi Yojana to make quality medicine available A new health protection scheme to provide cover up to Rs one lakh per family; top up of Rs 35,000 for people above 60 yrs Govt to provide Rs 500 crore for Stand Up India scheme: FM Govt to pay 8.33 pc towards employee pension fund Govt to spend Rs 1,700 crore to set up 1,500 multi-skill training institutes: Jaitley Excise 1 pc imposed on articles of jewellery excluding silver Pollution cess of 1 per cent on small petrol, LPG and CNG cars; 2.5 per cent on diesel cars of certain specifications; 4 per cent on higher capacity vehicles Direct tax proposal to result in revenue loss of Rs 1060 cr;indirect tax proposals to raise Rs 20,670 cr; net gain of Rs 19,610 cr Dividend in excess of Rs 10 lakh per annum to be taxed at additional 10 pc Rate of securities transaction tax to be raised from 0.017 pc to 0.05 pc TDS provisions to be rationalised. Non resident Indians providing alternate documents will not be subject to higher tax rate 0.5 pc Krishi Kalyan Cess to be levied on all services 1500 multi-skill training institutes to be opened to train youths under Skill Development programme; Rs 1.7K crore earmarked: FM Shopping malls to be allowed to open on all seven days of week; a model shops and establishment bill to be circulated to states 160 airports and airstrips can be revived at a cost of Rs 50-100 crore each, says Jaitley Start-ups to get 100 per cent tax exemption for 3 years except MAT which will apply from April 2016-2019 for creation of jobs Long term capital gains period for unlisted companies to be reduced from 3 to 2 years FM introduces one-time dispute resolution scheme for retro tax cases, payment of tax arrears to lead to waiving of penalty and interest Plan and non-Plan classification of Budget will be done away with from Fiscal 2017-18: Jaitley Jaitley says levying heavy penalty for non-payment of tax has led to high litigation. Proposes to modify penalties scheme Comitted to implement GAAR from April 1, 2017: Jaitley Govt to allocate Rs 100 crore each for celebrating birth anniversaries of Guru Gobind Singh and Deen Dayal Upadhyay New manufacturing companies incorporated after March 2016 will be given option of being taxed at 25 pc plus cess plus surcharges Fiscal deficit target for 2015-16 and 2016-17 retained at 3.9 pc and 3.5 pc respectively Govt plans to spend Rs 19.78 lakh crore in 2016-17 - Rs 5.5 lakh crore under plan head, Rs 14.28 lakh crore under non-plan head Revenue deficit target improved from 2.8 pc to 2.5 pc in current fiscal Rs 25,000 cr to be provided for recapitalisation of public sector banks Govt to increase ATMs, micro-ATMs in post offices in next three years More FDI reforms proposed in insurance, pension, asset restructuring companies and stock markets A new credit rating system for infrastructure will be developed: FM The Banking Boards Bureau will be operationalised next fiscal, says Jaitley In 2016-17, govt eyes Rs 1,80,000 crore credit target through Mudra bank: FM Target delivery of financial, other intermediary services will be introduced using Aadhar in this Budget session Service Tax to be exempted on general insurance schemes under NIRMAYA Scheme 85 pc of stuck road projects have been put back on track; highest ever contracts awarded in current fiscal Rs 97,000 cr allocation for road sector including rural roads Total outlay for infrastrucutre at Rs 2.21 lakh crore for 2016-17 Proposed to allocated Rs 55,000 crore for roads and highways Abolition of permit law will be our medium-term goal in public transport 2,000 kilometres of state highways to be converted into national highways Total allocation for road and rail in 2016-17 is Rs 2.18 lakh crore: FM Rs 8000 cr provided for Sagarmala project Certain parts of dylasis machines to be exempt from all forms of customs duty; national dylasis service programme to be launched in all district hospitals 62 new Navodaya vidyalayas to be opened in next two years CPI inflation was 9.4 per cent in the last 3 years of previous government. It has come down to 5.5 per cent now: FM Our external situation is robust, CAD has declined to USD 14.4 bn this year, will be 1.4 pc of GDP at the end of fiscal: FM We will enact a law to confer benefits on deserving sections on aadhar platform: FM Govt to provide incentive for deepwater gas exploration: FM We will work for passage of insolvency and bankruptcy laws. We will undertake significant reforms: FM FY 16-17 will have the additional burden of implementing the VII pay commission and the defence OROP Focus on Banking and FDI reforms Govt to bring new policy for strategic sale of CPSE assets Govt to allow 100 per cent FDI through FIPB in marketing of food products produced and manufactured in India Department of Disinvestment to be remained Department of Investment and Public Asset Management Jaitley accepts Rahul Gandhi's suggestion of giving tax exemption to Braille paper Service tax exempted for General Insurance Schemes under Niramaya Swasthaya Bima Yojana: FM Consolidation roadmap for public sector banks to be spelt next year; govt open to reducing its stake in PSBs below 50 pc Accelerated depreciation to be limited to 40 pc wef from Apr 1, 2017 as part of phasing out of exemptions to industry Govt will undertake 9-point reforms including steps to ensure ease of business in governance, fiscal discipline to ensure benefits for people and tax reforms to ensure compliance Five lakh acres of land to be brought under Organic farming in three years under Krishi Vikas Yojana, says Jaitley Allocation of Rs 35,984 crore for farm sector: FM A dedicated long term irrigation fund will be created in NABARD with a corpus of Rs 20,000 cr 28.5 lakh hectares will be brought under irrigation under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana: Jaitley To increase crop yield in rainfed areas, two schemes launched to promote organic farming Rs 60,000 crore for recharging of ground water recharging Govt to set apart Rs 412 crore to encourage organic farming, says Jaitley 2.87 lakh crore to be given grant-in-aid for gram panchayats and municipalities; it is quantum jump of 228 per cent: FM. Rs 19,000 cr allocated for Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana in 2016-17; in all, Rs 27,000 cr after state contribution Record agri credit target of Rs 9 lakh crore in 2016-17 set Rs.5,500 crore for crop insurance scheme: Jaitley Rs.38,500 crore to be disbursed under MNREGA next fiscal Govt to develop 300 'rurban' clusters 5,542 of 18,542 unelectrified villages electrified; govt committed to achieving 100 pc electrification of villages by May 2018 Digital literacy scheme to be launched to cover 6 cr additional rural households: FM Clean energy cess increased from Rs 200/ton to 400/ton on coal, lignite and peat A fund of Rs 900 crore started for stabilising market crisis of pulses: Jaitley High level committee headed by Revenue Secretary to oversee creation of fresh liability using retrospetive tax legislation DBT to be used to transfer subsidy on fertilizer in select districts on pilot basis Service tax on single premium annuity to be reduced to 1.5 per cent from 3.5 per cent Rs 900 cr provided to buffer fund created to moderate prices of pulses Govt to introduce bill to amend Companies Act for ease of doing business; to enable registration of cos. in a day: FM Rs 87,765 cr allocated for rural development Govt to create digital depository for school leaving certificates: FM One cr youth to be skilled over next three years Govt to enhance expenditure for social, rural and agri sector We had to work in an unsupportive global environment and obstructive political atmosphere: FM Govt is launching a new initiative to provide cooking gas to BPL families with state support Next financial year will cast an additional burden due to implementation of 7th Pay Commission and OROP: FM Govt considering to provide calibrated market freedom to new gas production from deep sea, ultra deep sea to boost stagnant domestic output Govt preparing a comprehensive plan for nuclear power generation and allocation could be up to Rs 3,000 crore per annum: FM A Public Utility Resolution of Disputes Bill to be passed to solve problems in infrastructure contracts, PPP and public utilities Duty drawback scheme widened and deepened to include more products and countries Govt to bring new policy for strategic sale of CPSE assets Govt to allow 100 per cent FDI through FIPB in marketing of food products produced and manufactured in India Department of Disinvestment to be remained Department of Investment and Public Asset Management RBI Act to be amended to provide statutory backing for monetary policy framework and monetary policy committee (MPC) SEBI to develop new derivatives products as well as products for corporate bond market Time has come to review the FRBM Act; a committee to be constituted for the purpose (Infographics courtesy: Jagran Post)

2016-02-29 12:01 By A www.mid-day.com

7 7 Cardinal admits 'scandalous' response to abuse allegations ROME (AP) -- One of Pope Francis' top advisers acknowledged he had heard that an Australian Catholic school teacher who serially abused students might be involved in "pedophilia activity" in the 1970s, but said he had no idea how rampant clergy abuse was at the time, during an extraordinary public hearing of an Australian investigative commission just a few blocks from the Vatican. Australian Cardinal George Pell, who testified via videolink from Rome to the Royal Commission in Sydney from Sunday night to early Monday morning, also conceded that the Catholic Church "has made enormous mistakes" in allowing thousands of children to be raped and molested by priests. Two dozen Australian abuse survivors and their companions traveled across the globe to witness Pell's testimony in a Rome hotel's conference room, a significant show of accountability in the church's long-running abuse saga. And in a case of art imitating life, the testimony played out just hours before "Spotlight," about the Boston Globe's investigation into decades of priestly rape of children and systematic cover- up by the Catholic Church, won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. "I'm not here to defend the indefensible," Pell said as the hearing began. "The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those. " He said the church had "mucked things up and let people down" and for too long had dismissed credible abuse allegations "in absolutely scandalous circumstances. " The lead counsel assisting the commission, Gail Furness, questioned Pell about current Vatican efforts to address the crisis, as well as Pell's past in Australia, where he is accused of ignoring warnings when he was an assistant priest about Christian Brother Edward Dowlan, a teacher at St. Patrick's College in the Australian city of Ballarat. The deeply Catholic city has been devastated by disclosures about the huge number of abuse victims there, scores of whom killed themselves. Pell, now Pope Francis' top financial adviser, has repeatedly denied allegations that he ignored warnings decades ago that Dowlan was abusing students. Under questioning from Furness, Pell said he had heard "one or two fleeting references" to "misbehavior" by Dowlan in the 1970s "which I concluded might have been pedophilia activity. " But Pell said he had not known victims' names, that there were large numbers of victims or that Dowlan's offending was general knowledge at the school. Dowlan was sentenced to six years in prison last year for abusing 20 boys. Pell also testified that he had been aware of a Christian Brother named Leo Fitzgerald who swam naked with students and said he had been told by parishioners that Fitzgerald also had a habit of kissing boys. But Pell said he had not believed the kissing to be sexual. "It was certainly unusual, but ... nobody said we've got to do something about this," Pell said. Pell's acknowledgement that he knew about such behavior is the closest he has publicly come to stating that he had even tangential awareness of the scandal playing out in Ballarat, where at the time he was in no position of church authority. His concession came as Furness presented evidence that many people around Pell knew about the abuse. "The sexual offending by Christian Brothers at St. Alipius school and St. Pat's school was known by a significant number in the community - would you agree with that? " Furness asked Pell. "I would agree that it was known to all the people whom you've mentioned, and they do constitute a significant number," Pell replied. The commission is investigating how Pell dealt with abuse allegations as a priest, educator and adviser to former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns, as well as how the Melbourne archdiocese responded to allegations of abuse, including when Pell served as a Melbourne auxiliary bishop. Pell was a consultant to Mulkearns, who moved Australia's most notorious pedophile priest, Gerald Ridsdale, between parishes for years. Pell denies he was involved in transferring Ridsdale. Pell dubbed Mulkearns' handling of Ridsdale a "catastrophe for the church. " He said he was a prime candidate for the Vatican's proposed tribunal for negligent bishops, although there is no indication the elderly Mulkearns would stand trial by the time the tribunal is operational. But Pell also acknowledged that he too had made mistakes in often believing the priests over victims who alleged abuse. "I must say in those days, if a priest denied such activity, I was very strongly inclined to accept the denial," Pell said. This is the third time that Pell has testified before the commission, but the current round has generated intense international attention because it is taking place near the Vatican. The commission allowed Pell to testify from Rome because he was too ill to travel home. Pell entered the hotel by a side door and still hadn't left more than an hour after the testimony ended at 2 a.m. Some Australian media covering the hearing reported that security agents pushed them back as Pell's Vatican car arrived. David Ridsdale, who was abused by his uncle, Gerald Ridsdale, said he was grateful that the horrors of Ballarat were finally getting global attention. Gerald Ridsdale is in prison after being convicted of multiple counts of abuse. "We're here to seek the truth. We're here to heal our city," David Ridsdale said. "We have the highest suicide rate among men in Australia. We have some of the worst drinking and violence problems. And it all stems from that abuse. " In a statement Sunday, Pell repeated his support for the commission's work, vowed to meet individually with victims who had traveled to Rome and said he hoped the coming days "will eventually lead to healing for everyone. " Anthony Foster, whose eldest daughter was repeatedly raped by priest Kevin O'Donnell and committed suicide, said it was "astounding and empowering for victims" that the commission was now sitting in judgment of Pell on a global stage. "I feel as though we haven't just brought it to Rome. We've brought it to the world," Foster said. The commission has no power to file criminal charges. But commissioners can note in their report whether they believe someone has broken the law and refer the matter to police and prosecutors. Pell's testimony will resume late Monday night. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Ronald Mulkearns is the former bishop of Ballarat, not the late bishop. ___ McGuirk reported from Canberra, Australia. Associated Press writer Kristen Gelineau contributed from Sydney. ___ Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-02-28 23:04 Associated Press mynorthwest.com

8 In blow to Iran hard-liners, moderates win clerical assembly TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's moderates have dealt another blow to the country's hard-liners, winning the majority of seats in last week's vote for the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body empowered with choosing the nation's supreme leader. Top moderates -- President Hassan Rouhani and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani - - both won seats in the assembly, along with 50 other of their allies. The vote for the 88-member Assembly of Experts was held at the same time as the country's parliament elections. The final results of that vote were expected for later Monday. According to Iran's Interior Ministry, which gave the final results for the clerical assembly, moderates won 59 percent of the seats in the body. And though it's seen as a historic win for the moderates, several prominent hard-liners, including Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati have also been re- elected. Jannati, who finished last in Tehran, is also the hard-line leader of the country's Guardian Council, an unelected, constitutional watchdog that vets election candidates. He has been the most potent force to oppose democratic reforms and disqualify reformist candidates from the parliamentary balloting and also the clerical assembly vote. Jannati and his allies in the Guardian Council disqualified Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, from running in Friday's vote. The most surprising was the loss of seats on the clerical assembly for some prominent hard- liners, including Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, the current Experts Assembly chief who was not re- elected. Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, the spiritual leader of hard-liners and mentor of former hard- line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also lost his seat in the assembly. The Assembly of Experts serves a function similar to that of the Vatican's College of Cardinals, and will someday have to pick a successor to Iran's current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It also can directly challenge Khamenei's rule, something it has never done before. The assembly is elected every eight years. After Khamenei, who is 76 years old, underwent prostate surgery in 2014, speculation renewed about the state of his health. Friday's twin elections for parliament and the clerical assembly were the first to be held in Iran since it struck a landmark nuclear deal with world powers last year that brought about the lifting of crippling international sanctions. The moderates previously held around 20 seats in the assembly and their win is seen as an expansion of their influence within the powerful body. As for the parliament elections, none of Iran's three main political camps -- reformists, conservatives and hard-liners -- is expected to win an outright majority in the 290-seat house but partial results so far indicate the best reformist showing in more than a decade. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-02-28 23:40 Associated Press mynorthwest.com

9 9 Globe Business commits to revolutionize enterprises through ICT Globe Telecom information and communication technology (ICT) arm Globe Business is lending its support to the 10th International ICT awards, one of the most renowned awarding ceremonies in the IT-Business Process Management (IT- BPM) industry as part of its commitment to revolutionize and scale up Philippine enterprises and business organizations through ICT. In its upcoming 10 th year, the International ICT Awards is introducing the Most Popular Team Leader of the Year in the ICT Industry category, a new category which determines the winner via on-site SMS voting. The new category features a voting system that is powered by AdSpark, a Globe venture. The ICT Awards also helps improve processes and operations geared towards achieving the best service to clients that benefit not only the industry, but also the nation. In addition, it will continue the Cities for ICT sponsorship program where the identified next wave cities can showcase themselves as a potential outsourcing hub to ICT companies who are looking to expand. “Our support in this year’s ICT Awards is testament to Globe Business’ goal to become the preferred business advisor to Philippine enterprises as we help them realizing the importance of ICT in driving operational efficiency and productivity, which ultimately play a role in achieving success and global visibility,” shared Globe Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT-Enabled Services Group Mike Frausing. As the preferred ICT partner of Philippine enterprises, Globe Business provides a comprehensive range of ICT solutions for the country’s top BPO firms that enable connectivity, increased productivity, and operational efficiency. The portfolio of solutions comprises of E-line, Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), Direct Internet, BGIX (Burstable Internet), Data Center (Co-Location), Integrated Services for Digital Networks, Primary Rate Interface, all the way to Enhanced Managed Voice Solutions for wireline solutions to name a few. For wireless solutions, Mobile and TxtConnect are highly sought-after services. The data center and carrier ethernet services are ISO- and MEF global standards-certified, respectively. Since 2011, Globe has invested over $2.2 billion in our network and IT infrastructure to enhance capacities of its data network and augment legacy-related investments. The telco recently invested $400 million in submarine cable systems that are interconnected with the South-East Asia Japan Cable (SJC) network. This addresses the increasing requirements for higher bandwidth and better speeds for enterprises and subscribers. The 10th ICT International ICT Awards announcement of winners will be at the 2016 ICT Awards Gala Night on March 22, 2016 at the Mariott Grand Ballroom. For more information about Globe Business, get in touch with a Globe Business Account Manager or call the Globe Business Premium Support Center at +63 2.730.1288 toll-free using a Globe mobile and landline. Directly apply online at http://business.globe.com.ph/help-and- support/form/newline. ADVT.

2016-02-29 12:08 INQUIRER.net business.inquirer.net

10 10 Iraq death toll from IS bombing of Baghdad market now at 73 BAGHDAD (AP) -- In Iraq, the death toll from devastating back-to-back market bombings carried out by the Islamic State group the previous day in eastern Baghdad climbed to 73 on Monday, officials said. Several of the critically wounded died overnight while 112 people remain in hospital, two police officials said. Also, at least five people were still missing after the blast that ripped through the crowded Mredi market in the Shiite district of Sadr City, followed by a suicide bombing amid the crowd that had quickly gathered at the site to help the victims. Three medical officials confirmed the latest death toll, which rose from the toll of 59 reported late Sunday. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Iraq's Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, called on security forces to "exert further efforts to prevent the terrorists from carrying out their crimes against innocent civilians. " Al-Abadi, in a statement released late Sunday, said the attacks "will not stop us... but they will increase the determination" of the army, security forces and paramilitary troops to dislodge the militants from areas under their control. The Islamic State group, which controls key areas in northern and western Iraq, promptly claimed responsibility for Sunday's blasts. The militant Sunni Muslim group regularly targets government forces, civilians and especially Shiites, who the IS regards as heretics. The market bombings in Sadr City were the deadliest attack in a wave of explosions that targeted other commercial areas in and outside Baghdad on Sunday and brought the day's overall death toll to 92. Seven other civilians were killed in attacks elsewhere and in Baghdad's western suburb of Abu Ghraib, security forces earlier Sunday repelled an attack by IS militants that killed at least 12 members of the government and paramilitary troops and wounded 35 others. ____ Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-02-28 23:04 Associated Press mynorthwest.com

11 Former SS medic at Auschwitz going on trial in Germany NEUBRANDENBURG, Germany (AP) -- A 95-year-old former SS medic is going on trial on 3,681 counts of accessory to murder on allegations he helped the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp function. Prosecutors allege Hubert Zafke's unit was involved in putting gas into gas chambers to kill Jews and others, screening blood and other samples from hospitalized women prisoners and otherwise helping the camp run by treating SS guard personnel. They say the unit was also involved in auxiliary guard duties. Zafke's attorney insists his client did nothing criminal at Auschwitz. The charges stem from a one-month period in 1944 and involve 14 transports of Jews, including Anne Frank and her family. Frank died later in Bergen-Belsen. As the Neubrandenburg state court trial opens Monday, judges are expected to evaluate whether Zafke's fit to stand trial. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2016-02-28 23:32 Associated Press mynorthwest.com

12 Hong Kong Radical Candidate Makes Strong Showing in Vote A pro-democracy candidate won a Hong Kong weekend by-election while a rival from a radical pro-independence group who's facing riot charges placed a surprising third in a vote seen as a measure of political tension in the Chinese city. The mainstream Civic Party's Alvin Yeung won the Legislative Council seat with 160,880 votes representing 37 percent of the turnout, edging out pro- Beijing candidate Holden Chow by about 10,000 votes, according to results released early Monday. But the front-runners were overshadowed by Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous, who garnered 15 percent of about 434,000 votes cast. His group is part of a fledgling movement advocating Hong Kong's independence from China. The movement has gained support amid growing unease over signs Beijing is tightening its grip on the specially administered Chinese region. Hong Kong Indigenous is one of a number of groups that sprang up in the wake of pro- democracy street protests in 2014 that ended without a satisfactory resolution as Beijing refused to give any major concessions. Leung is one of the leaders of Hong Kong Indigenous, which also advocates radical protest methods. He's among dozens of people charged with taking part in a riot following a violent nightlong clash with police at a Lunar New Year holiday street food market earlier this month that was sparked by concerns that the city's local culture is disappearing. Beijing has condemned groups like Leung's, calling them "radical splitting forces. " Sunday's vote serves as a prelude to citywide elections later this year for the legislature that are expected to be fiercely contested by pro-democracy and pro-Beijing parties.

2016-02-29 12:14 By abcnews.go.com

13 Vermont Air Guard continues night flight training SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Air National Guard is continuing flight training at night this week. The night trainings are scheduled to take place Tuesday through Saturday from the Air Guard base in South Burlington. The F-16s are expected to land at approximately 11 p.m. each night. An Air Guard official says nighttime flight training is an integral phase of pilot training and mastering the skill over Vermont skies ensures pilots’ safety and mission success worldwide.

2016-02-29 12:14 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

14 14 Vermont Senate passes bill to legalize daily fantasy sports MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - It’s on to the Vermont House for legislation that would legalize daily fantasy sports in the state. The Senate passed a bill Friday about a month after hearing from a top law enforcement official that the games are technically illegal under current Vermont law. But Assistant Attorney General John Treadwell also told a Senate committee the games are a very low law-enforcement priority and that there’s been no effort to stop them. Lawmakers heard testimony that up to 100,000 Vermonters play online games such as those offered by the Draft Kings and Fan Duel websites. The games have players assemble fantasy sports teams and offer cash prizes when their teams win. Industry officials say they are not gambling, but are games of skill that require extensive sports knowledge.

2016-02-29 12:12 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

15 City of Dreams boosts business continuity, disaster recovery ops City of Dreams Manila, an integrated gaming and entertainment resort destination operated and managed by Melco Crown Philippines (MCP) Resorts Corporation, recently obtained data center colocation and internet services from Globe Business, the information and communications technology (ICT) arm of Globe Telecom as part of its business continuity and disaster recovery strategy. The dynamic and innovative resort complex will outsource their data management requirements and media storage to Globe Business. Located on an approximately 6.2-hectare site at the gateway to Entertainment City, City of Dreams of Manila offers entertainment, hotel, retail and dining and lifestyle experiences with aggregated gaming space, including VIP and mass-market gaming facilities with up to approximately 380 gaming tables, 1,700 slot machines and 1,700 electronic table games. Its operations will rely on the data center colocation service to keep each recorded and processed data safe in an off-site storage and a controlled environment. “We pride ourselves in providing exhilarating experiences through world-class accommodations, amenities, and facilities, topnotch service, and our highly-trained people. We are committed to give the best service to our customers, and Globe is the first in mind as a partner in providing us ways to ensure that the standard of service that we offer stays the same in times of calamities with its best-in-class portfolio of ICT solutions,” says Geoff Andres, Property President of City of Dreams Manila. “We are pleased to have been chosen by City of Dreams Manila as their preferred ICT solutions partner as we help boost their growth in the Philippines enabled by the latest technological innovations such as Data Center colocation and internet services,” said Mike Frausing, Globe Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT Enabled Services Group. “With Globe Business, industries and enterprises can expect specific solutions tailor-fit for their needs, allowing them to improve work efficiency and productivity that will help them transform their business for the future.” City of Dreams Manila opened its doors to the public in December 2014 and marked the formal entry of Melco Crown Entertainment into the fast-growing and dynamic tourism industry in the Philippines. The resort delivers an unparalleled entertainment and hospitality experience to the Philippines and is playing a key role in strengthening the depth and diversity of Manila’s leisure, business and tourism offering, enhancing its growing position as one of Asia’s premier leisure destinations. It has been developed to specifically meet the needs of the large, rapidly growing and increasingly diverse audience of leisure and entertainment seekers both in the Philippines and those visiting Manila from across the Asia region and around the world. For more information about the Data Center Services, get in touch with your Globe Business Account Manager or call the Globe Business Premium Support Center at +63 2.730.1288 toll- free using a Globe mobile and landline. You can also visit www.globe.com.ph/business for more information. ADVT.

2016-02-29 12:05 INQUIRER.net business.inquirer.net

16 Tattoo artist helps cancer patients gain confidence NEW BERN, N. C. (AP) - Beth Fairchild lives a precarious life. A woman virtually living in the shadow of death - she was diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread throughout her body - she spends her time between her family, her job as a tattoo artist with her husband Marc, and advocating for research and the self-confidence and quality of life of fellow stage IV metastatic cancer patients. In the latter role, she serves on the board of Metavivor, an organization founded to raise research funds for, and awareness of stage IV breast cancer. But even her tattooing is a form of advocacy - a form that has raised its detractors, especially when she has used Facebook to promote her outreach. In a nutshell, Fairchild uses her needles and dyes to help rebuild women’s bodies. Unless the cancer is already advanced into other parts of the body, a diagnosis of breast cancer will often mean removal of the breast through a mastectomy. In most cases, surgeons remove the nipple and areola as a safeguard as well. The result is a scarred body that can be emotionally debilitating. Women who have undergone the surgery must then, while healing, determine whether they will use prosthesis to replace their breast or undergo expander and implant surgery. Dr. John Zannis of the Zannis Center for Plastic Surgery described this as two surgeries, the first in which a medical balloon is implanted to stretch the skin in preparation for a second surgery, in which the permanent implant is inserted. The result is the shape of a breast. If a woman (or a man who has had a mastectomy) wishes to have a nipple as well, further surgery and tattooing are necessary. The nipple is made from skin harvested from another part on the body. The areola - the colored part surrounding it - is tattooed. This is where Fairchild comes in. As an accomplished tattoo artist, she can do a more realistic job than the plastic surgeon could do. “We send people to her because they get a better job,” Zannis admitted. “She’s more creative.” But while insurance generally covers the work if done in a surgeon’s office, sitting under a tattoo artist’s needle can cost $300 or more. Fairchild, however, refuses to charge cancer patients. “I just can’t do it,” she said. “I used to charge $300, but now that I’m in this situation and I know what they go through, I just do it pro bono for everybody.” Story Continues → 2016-02-29 12:01 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

17 List of 88th annual Academy Award winners List of winners at Sunday’s 88th annual Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Best Picture: “Spotlight.” Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant.” Actress: Brie Larson, “Room.” Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies.” Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl.” Directing: Alejandro G. Inarritu, “The Revenant.” Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul.” Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short.” Original Screenplay: “Spotlight.” Animated Feature Film: “Inside Out.” Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Cinematography: “The Revenant.” Sound Mixing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Sound Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Story Continues → washingtontimes.com 2016-02-29 10:38 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

18 Third annual family book festival highlights local authors LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - It’s safe to say the annual Southwest Louisiana Family Book Festival has become a prominent event within the creative community of Lake Charles. Three years into its existence, the authors and guests who attended the inaugural event are now the festival’s champions, bringing with them each year new writers and visitors. At the Central School Arts and Humanities Center on Saturday, the festival once again displayed the influence book’s can have on a community. The festival featured more than 20 authors from Louisiana and Texas promoting books, which included science fiction, romance, mystery and children’s books. Many of the books were written by local authors. Linda Hurst, festival director, spent the better part of the afternoon guiding visitors toward tables or to the rooms where special programs were taking place. One of the programs was a children’s interactive musical by Lynda Deniger, author of the children’s book “Salty Seas and Friends.” “This not only promotes literacy, but it gives these writers a chance to network with one another,” she said. “This is great for the younger people as well because it promoted something positive. I see a future for the young people with this because if they read, they write. And if they write, they read.” Rose Henney, event co-organizer, said turnout was high. She said the festival is at an age where faces are starting to become familiar at the event - which is part of the goal. “All of this is for making a commitment to literacy. There are more authors retuning for this event, and there arereturning families as well,” she said. “There’s something for everybody here. Now this event is exactly what it’s called - a family book festival.” One of the popular parts of the festival is a “Read to the Pony” booth were kids can select books and read them aloud to a miniature horse. Ashley Navarre, Megan Norris and 8-year-old Fallon Navarre spent the afternoon at the event. The group was part of the many returning participants both Henney and Hurst talked about. For 15 minutes during the festival, Fallon spent time sitting next to a mini-horse named Shiloha and read her a children’s book. “We’ve been coming to this the last few years and it’s great,” Ashley said as she watched Fallon from a distance. “She loves books and you can tell she enjoys it.” Megan said one of the perks for the kids is getting to meet the authors at the event. “They love being able to talk to them and have their books signed,” she said. One of the most popular tables at the festival belonged to Gwendolyn Reasoner, author of the children’s book “Where Did the Day Go?” Reasoner, a Louisiana native, said watching the local community of writers grow over the years has been a positive experience. She said the talent had always been in the area, but that events like Saturday’s festival provide an outlet for the authors. “These events can even motivate authors that are thinking about putting a book together. The idea is to not let a blank page or a blank computer screen intimidate you. Follow your passions,” she said. “For the young people that come, they see that they can truly be whatever they want to be. That’s what this event is all about.” ___ Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:26 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

19 Columbus Crime Lab gives forensic equipment to MSU COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - On Feb. 17, the Columbus Police Department Crime Lab presented Mississippi State University with equipment for the university’s forensics program. Biochemistry professor Florencia Meyer arrived at the Crime Lab in downtown Columbus Wednesday morning to pick up a super glue chamber, a machine used to develop fingerprints on physical evidence. Meyer teaches Intro to Forensic Science and Advanced. She plans to use the super glue chamber in class. “This will be fantastic,” she said. “I’m already planning activities.” The super glue chamber is a long rectangular box which can hold objects as large as a rifle or shotgun, which Crime Lab director Austin Shepherd said is about the biggest item the chamber has ever held. Forensic scientists can operate the chamber to increase or decrease humidity, causing fingerprints to show up on pieces of evidence. Fingerprints are about 95 percent moisture, Shepherd said. By raising the humidity around a non-porous object, the residue of any fingerprint on the object will rehydrate. “Then the super glue heats up, turns into a gas and interacts with the moisture in the print that polymerizes the print and the print will turn like a really bright white,” he said. “It’ll be pretty much permanent.” The super glue fumes are vented out through a built-in filter. It’s a process that works a little better than fingerprint dusting, said Shepherd, though the Crime Lab still uses that technique as well. And while store-bought super glue works, the Crime Lab orders its own glue that contains dye stain. The chamber has processed all kinds of items, from weapons and shell casings to tools used to break in buildings or containers from which money was taken. The chamber that the Crime Lab gave Mississippi State is about 10 years old. Three months ago, the Crime Lab got a new one, which Shepherd is using it to process a pair of latex gloves from a home burglary. Giving away the older super glue machine is just one way in which Shepherd wants to foster the relationship the CPD’s Crime Lab has with Mississippi State’s forensics program. Shepherd previously has spoken to students in the program about what it is like working in a forensics lab. Giving the university real equipment used to solve crimes is just one more way Shepherd wants to prepare the next generation of forensic scientists. Mississippi State doesn’t have a forensics major, Meyer said. Instead students studying biochemistry can get a concentration in forensic science, which can prepare them for a masters’ program in forensics at another school. It’s not all biochemistry majors taking Meyer’s class though. She said students from other majors enjoy Advanced Forensic Science where the students read research articles and talk about ongoing criminal cases. The students in that class use the super glue machine, Meyer said, whereas students in Intro to Forensic Science will simply look at the chamber. There are currently 26 students in Intro to Forensic Science, which Meyer teaches in the spring. Next fall, she will teach the advanced class. Students focusing in forensic science can also take classes in computer forensics and forensic entomology, Meyer said. Meanwhile the university also offers criminology courses like Crime and Justice in America and Psychology of Abnormal Behavior. “Things like that overall round out a really nice concentration,” Meyer said. “And of course in the biochemistry department, we have the background of the molecular park like the DNA analysis and things like that, so the students end up with a really nice understanding of the methodologies and the techniques and the principles that you apply when you work in this field.” Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

20 Bill seeks to create drug abuse prevention program for teens AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine lawmakers on Monday will take up a bill that seeks to address the state’s drug epidemic by developing a substance abuse prevention program for middle school and high school students. The bill would require that state education officials consult with experts and develop a model program that provides students with firsthand accounts of problems arising from drug abuse. The bill’s sponsor, House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, a Democrat from Skowhegan, said the bill is inspired by the work of a Henry Gates of Skowhegan. Gates devoted his life to educating middle and high school students about the dangers of opiates after his 21-year-old son died from an overdose of heroin in 2009. The Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill Monday.

2016-02-29 10:19 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

21 Maine Fishermen’s Forum to focus on health of industry ROCKPORT, Maine (AP) - Maine’s annual forum for fishing industry professionals will take place in Rockport and focus on the health of the industry. The Maine Fishermen’s Forum is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Samoset Resort. Thousands of people from the industry, government, science and advocacy organizations are expected to attend the event. Last year state officials announced that fishermen hauled in a catch worth a state record $585 million in 2014. Officials are expected to make an announcement about 2015 values on Friday. The exploding value of Maine lobsters accounted for more than $450 million of that total.

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

22 Dive teams come to Maine for winter training on frozen lake RANGELEY, Maine (AP) - Dive teams from law enforcement agencies around New England are going to be in Maine this week for winter training on a frozen lake. The effort began last week with divers from Maine State Police Underwater Recovery Team and their counterparts from the Connecticut State Police. More teams will be arriving this week for training on under-the-ice search and recovery exercises. The teams are diving in Rangeley Lake in about 25 feet of water. Maine Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said the teams normally have to deal with about 30 inches of ice, but the ice thickness is only about 18 inches because of mild weather.

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

23 Teacher believes in play VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - Kay Chaney’s philosophy is children learn through play, but so do teenagers. That’s why Chaney, an early childhood education instructor at Hinds Community College, has her students spend Tuesdays and Thursdays observing and working one-on-one with students at Beechwood Elementary School. “Each month students plan theme-based bulletin boards, Pre-K parties and activities that cover every developmental area-physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills,” she said. Chaney said she didn’t realize teaching early childhood education was her calling until she spent some time working in the corporate world. “Many years ago I was taking a classroom management course at Mississippi College when Ann McFarland, my instructor told me, ‘to be a good teacher you have to have ‘it!’ Some teachers do and some teachers don’t,’” she said. “She helped me realize I had what it took to do this job and I am still learning to this day.” Chaney worked in education for nearly 15 years before taking her current post at Hinds in 2013. “When I was the director for Children’s Place at Gibson United Methodist Church for two years I realized that the most difficult responsibility was to staff qualified personnel,” She said. “Most of the applicants I interviewed did not have a clue about teaching children or what the rules and regulations were for obtaining a quality childcare facility. I applied at Hinds Community College for the Early Childhood Education position when it became available. This gave me an opportunity to educate high school students who were interested in this field of study.” For Chaney, her job is about teaching unforgettable lessons. “Education is what really sticks inside of every person beyond the lessons taught in the classroom that are easily forgotten,” she said. “When I have former students who come back to tell me that they have received an education, a job they love, or training in a desired field of study, this makes me happy and that’s rewarding to me.” Chaney said children are a gift from God and that’s another part of the reason she’s happy to work in the field of early childhood education. “It is our responsibility to make sure they are cared for appropriately,” she said. “It is proven that children who attend early-learning programs demonstrate higher levels of school achievement and better social adjustment. Also, they’re less likely to repeat a grade and are more likely to graduate from high school.” Chaney teaches early childhood education I and II for high school students. Students earn two Carnegie Units for each course, and if they meet certain criteria, they can earn college credits as well. “Early childhood education is an instructional program designed to provide training in the area of childcare and development,” she said. “The first year program is set up to introduce students to the childcare profession, focusing on the health, safety and nutrition, child development, guidance, theorist and age appropriate activities. The emphasis of the second year is primarily to provide advanced skills in the field of childcare and development. Students will gain competencies related to the childcare profession with completed resume’s, cover letters and thank you notes.” Throughout the program, students also learn interview skills, health and safety, learning environments, program planning and management. Upon completion of the Chaney also teaches child development technology at the college level, which allows students to take several courses to earn the level of certification desired. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

24 University of Minnesota’s chew-bot helps food companies MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A number of big food companies are trying to change up their product formulations these days to include healthier ingredients. Earlier this month, Mars Inc. joined the ranks of companies cutting artificial coloring from candies like M&Ms; and Skittles. But changing a product can be risky. It might end up tasting less tasty or crispy than the original one. “Sugar doesn’t just make a product sweet and salt doesn’t just make it salty,” said Ralph DeLong, a Professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry. “They also have chemical interactions with the other things that affect the texture of the food.” Some major food companies, which didn’t want to be named, are now finding ways to assess how product reformulations affect things like crispiness, thanks to a robot that DeLong helped build, Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/1Vvfqr7 ) reported. DeLong said the original robot, invented 30 years ago, was designed for the purpose of testing dental restoration materials. The super-chewer robot could put wear and tear on them a lot faster than humans could and cost a lot less to employ. “For a material that you want to test for five years, in one week you have the result,” he said. The latest version of the robot can give feedback on what it’s chewing. On a recent morning, DeLong and his colleagues fed the robot a piece of puffed cereal. As the robot chewed, its three bottom teeth moved up and down and to the right and the left, while its top three teeth stayed anchored to a base. Meanwhile, a computer hooked up to the robot registered the audio frequencies emitted by the crunching. Food companies can study the different frequencies emitted when the robot chews. That can be the basis of a comparison between the crispiness of an already successful product on the market and its “healthier” reformulation. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry, the audio frequencies generated when a food product is chewed reflect its crispiness. These are the frequencies generated by a robotic mouth chewing a piece of cereal. “We believe that ultimately crispiness can be quantified by things like the frequency content coming out from those sounds, those crispy sounds,” said Alex Fok, director of the Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biochemics at the University of Minnesota. Another machine at the Dentistry School provides three-dimensional X-rays of the internal structure of cereal to show how porous its walls are, which Fok said is another factor in crispiness. And the Dentistry school team is working to capture the vapors emitted when the mechanical mouth chews, which can provide information about a product’s tastiness. Food marketing expert John Stanton said the robotic mouth is just one example of how food companies are trying to make texture and taste more scientific. “Trying to break it down into its individual pieces, what really affects taste, is what people are working on,” he said. “They’re using not only physiological models but they also have more sophisticated statistical models.” But apparently there’s only some accounting for taste. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

25 1780s clause at center of Menendez corruption case battle NEWARK, N. J. (AP) - When three federal appellate judges settle into their seats Monday to hear arguments in the corruption case against New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, they will be asked to delve deeply into an idea that, though little known outside legal circles, is as deeply embedded in the American DNA as the right to free speech. How the court - and a jury, if the case goes to trial - places Menendez’s actions in the context of the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause will play a significant role in whether the three-term Democratic senator is convicted on any or all of a dozen counts against him that include bribery, conspiracy and honest services fraud. Menendez has pleaded not guilty. The clause dates to the 1780s and was written into the Constitution to fortify the separation of powers between the three branches of government: It protected members of Congress from having their legislative acts subjected to scrutiny by the other two branches, “in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace.” The clause has been invoked to shield members of Congress from testifying in court, and to exclude evidence from criminal trials. To Menendez and his legal team, the indictment unsealed last spring against him and longtime friend Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor charged with bribing Menendez for political favors, was an egregious example of the Justice Department’s over-reaching into the legitimate affairs of a sitting lawmaker. Prosecutors, on the other hand, have characterized Menendez as hiding behind the speech or debate clause to obscure the fact he was lobbying on behalf of his wealthy benefactor. “The challenge is going to be showing that Menendez was doing something different or out of the ordinary for this particular constituent as opposed to what a senator or congressman does generally,” said Lee Vartan, a former assistant U. S. attorney in New Jersey currently in private practice. The trial was scheduled to begin last year, but the appeals process could push that to late this year. Meetings Menendez arranged with four officials form the heart of the government’s case, and the context and circumstances of those meetings have been parsed endlessly in voluminous court filings. It boils down to this: Was Menendez lobbying for Melgen in a Medicare dispute or, as he argues, engaging in general legislative activity when he met with then-Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Tom Harkin and acting Medicare administrator Marilyn Tavenner? Similarly, was he seeking to gain an advantage for Melgen’s contract for port cargo screening equipment in the Dominican Republic when he met with an assistant secretary of state and later requested that U. S. Customs and Border Protection not donate security equipment to the Dominican government? Over the years, courts have expanded the definition of what constitutes protected legislative acts beyond what takes place on the floor of the House or Senate, but there are limits. Without a wealth of Supreme Court cases that are directly on point, the appeals court judges could see fit to expand or shrink those limits, Vartan said. “I think he has a shot, given the fact there’s not a lot of case law,” Vartan said. “It’s uncharted territory to some degree.” The legal back-and-forth reflects the complicated issues surrounding the clause. Both sides have used emails between the officials and their staffers to buttress their positions. Both also cited a 1994 ruling in the corruption case of former Rep. Joseph McDade, R-Pa., to justify whether Menendez’s intentions for setting up the meetings can be explored. Story Continues → 2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

26 Local putting Spearfish on the natural building map SPEARFISH, S. D. (AP) - He’s become the “go-to” guy in the area to direct questions regarding natural building, and March 3-9, Jared “Cappie” Capp, of Spearfish, will share that knowledge and experience on a global stage as one of the presenters at the 2016 International Straw Building Conference in New Zealand. “It’s exciting to try to bring legitimacy to this style of building and to gain some traction, and I’m hugely flattered to have gained recognition by this organization,” Capp said. The five-day conference, an opportunity for builders, homeowners, engineers, architects, designers, building officials, housing providers, building suppliers, farmers, researchers, academics - anybody who wishes to learn more about sustainable building - to gather and learn, features keynote speakers, presentations from delegates, hands-on workshops and displays, trade shows, social events, tours, and even Straw Bale Olympics. Capp, the owner of Pangea Design, a construction company that specializes in natural building and also offers conventional building focused on reused, natural, and locally-sourced materials, has been interested in building his whole life, the Black Hills Pioneer (http://bit.ly/21heVYF ) reported. Born and raised in Spearfish, Capp joined the Air Force after high school, and during his service, he had the chance to see various building designs and materials utilized around the world. These experiences inspired Capp to learn more about intentional and natural building design, and through the years, he’s built and taught across the country and returned to blaze a trail in his hometown. Capp attended the International Straw Building Conference in Estes Park, Colo., in 2012, which connected him with others in the industry who organized this year’s event. The title of Capp’s presentation, “Building with Straw in a Natural Building Desert,” will track some of the hurdles and process he encountered as he built a code-approved, off-grid, straw bale home, fondly referred to as “Granny Flats,” on Nellie Lane in Spearfish. “My hope at the conference is to show people that it can be done,” he said. “If I can do it in the Black Hills of South Dakota, you can do it.” The 648-square-foot house, with conventionally-built front wall covered with wooden and metal siding and three exterior, two-foot-thick walls made of straw bales covered with 4-6 inches of cob, a mixture of local clay and sand, features an approximately 10,000-pound rocket mass heater, a highly efficient wood stove, which heats the straw bale house with 30 feet of stovepipe inside the wall. There are solar panels attached to the roof to convert sunlight into electricity, and a composting toilet and greywater system, which recycles usable water from sinks and showers for onsite uses like landscape irrigation, complete the alternative build and keep the house completely off-grid. Though Capp had to get approval from the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources and to ensure everything met city and state requirements, he intentionally took the route less traveled to show that it was possible. “My intention was for it to be a little bit of a flagship with the style of construction . the harder way to build it, and the more extreme way to build it from the engineering standpoint, structural standpoint, and I did that to kind of set the bar,” he said, describing that the same model could be hooked to the conventional sewer and grid-tied power. “My hope was to show that you can have a nice, comfortable, efficient house,” he said. He said many people have a certain picture in their heads of what a 648-square-foot, off-grid, straw bale home looks like, but amenities and aesthetics aren’t sacrificed: his house includes a vaulted ceiling, flat-screen television, wireless internet, on-demand hot water double showerheads, washer and dryer, etc. - with no utility bills. “I’m not interested in building houses. I’m interested in building homes,” he said, explaining that his hope is for people to know that they have options in terms of building design. “You can live in a healthier house.” Capp is looking forward to learning new techniques and making connections at the conference. “It’s really nice to go to these events and just be with other people that are excited about what they do for a living, and learning things, too,” he said, describing some of the other “thinking outside of the conventional building box” happening around the world, such a company in Canada making pre-fabricated straw bale walls; a group in California working to put straw bale into the International Building Code; a company in Moab creating straw bale homes for low- income housing; and more. As a builder, Capp sees the trend moving in the direction of natural building, which excites him, as well as the movement of people wanting to be responsible for their footprint for their own and the next generation’s sake. “Change isn’t bad; it just has to be well thought-out,” he said. Capp has open sourced all of the information, engineering, and designs of his home so that others wishing to build something similar have a starting point to make their journey easier. “My hope would be to encourage other people not to look at it as a fight, but to look at it as a challenge worth accepting, to look at themselves as an educator,” he said of working to make natural building design a norm. And Capp has taken on that role, both through presenting at the international conference and also through summer workshops he will offer on sustainability topics like alternative construction, alternative energy sources, farming, zoning and building code compliance, and more. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:52 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

27 Testicular cancer doesn’t stop Jonesboro attorney JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - Attorney Jared Woodard is used to fighting his battles in the courtroom, but when an unbearable pain in his abdomen sent him to the hospital last November, his fiercest battle yet began. The Jonesboro Sun (http://bit.ly/1oD0wo3 ) reports that on Nov. 18, Woodard was dealing with pain that he believed was a kidney stone. Like many would, he tried toughing it out, but the pain reached what he described as a nine on a scale of one to 10. The doctor did a urinalysis that came back clear, leaving Woodard with more questions than answers. His doctor sent him to get a CT scan. “Before I’m even out of the hospital, I get a call on my cell phone from the doctor,” Woodard said. “I go to his office, and they found a mass, in the same spot that I had the pain.” The doctor told Woodard to try to remain calm while a biopsy was performed that Thursday. “Obviously, cancer is in my mind,” Woodard said. With his brother’s family having a baby shower that Friday in Fayetteville, Woodard hit the road for Northwest Arkansas. It would be while he was away from home that he received dreadful news. “Dr. (Carroll) Scroggin called and said, ‘This tumor is malignant,’” Woodard said. “‘We don’t know what it is, but we’re doing more testing.’” With his worst fears confirmed, the attorney had to call his wife, Lindsey, who had stayed in Jonesboro that weekend, to tell her the news. “First thing that went through my mind was, ‘Who’s going to raise my kids? Are they going to want to do the same things I do?’” Woodward recalled. He drove back that Sunday, arriving just in time to see his wife singing at First United Methodist Church in Jonesboro. Woodard called that sight, in that moment, a moving experience. The next day, the Woodards met with Scroggin, a medical oncologist at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. At that point, Woodard was not only stressed to learn he had cancer, but fearful that doctors had no clue where the cancer had began. “He said its proximity was close to the testicles. He couldn’t feel it,” Woodard said. “I went back to the hospital for an ultrasound on my testicles.” The results of the ultrasound finally gave Woodard and Scroggin the answer they were looking for. Woodard said the doctor sat him down and told him they found a small tumor on his left testicle. “It’s a fairly rare tumor, but it can occur,” Scroggin said. “The main thing to look for is just swelling in the testicle or any pain in that area.” Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:52 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

28 University tech lab in Little Rock takes on virtual reality LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Carolina Cruz-Neira’s visualization technology lab in the Emerging Analytics Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a playground for the imagination. And the virtual reality that unfolds within it is helping envision better companies and cities - both modern and ancient - and even train better medical students. Arkansas Business (http://bit.ly/1R4yQzk ) reports that Cruz-Neira is an internationally renowned virtual reality scientist who was recruited to UALR in 2014 by the Arkansas Research Alliance Scholars program, and the university is benefiting from her expertise and the industry credibility she brought with her. Born in Venezuela and raised in Spain, Cruz-Neira has been on the forefront of VR since the 1990s. Before joining UALR, she established the Virtual Reality Applications Center at Iowa State University and the Louisiana Immersive Technol-ogies Enterprise at the Univer-sity of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her EAC program at UALR is in its first full academic year, now grown to about 25 students and a faculty/staff leadership team of six. Cruz-Neira believes the program is starting to hit its stride. Throughout March and April, she and members of the team will continue their “world tour,” taking the VR programs developed in Little Rock to prestigious events and conferences on both coasts and in Europe. Cruz-Neira thinks the EAC team has made enough progress to show off a little in just the program’s second year. “Right now, our biggest challenge is to tell the world we are here,” she said. “Now we have enough stuff to take the show on the road. At some of these events, we’re one of the main displays.” Thanks to the addition of Cruz-Neira and her husband, EAC chief scientist Dirk Reiners, an expert in immersive virtual reality, UALR is beginning to emerge as a true VR player. ARA President and CEO Jerry Adams said Cruz-Neira has not only been a valuable addition to UALR but to the research talent level of the state as well. “Carolina has international credentials and contacts in a number of technology areas,” he said. “Recently, I introduced Carolina to a good friend who is involved with museum design worldwide and of course, Carolina has experience in that area too. Carolina has already made inroads into corporate Arkansas and has also recruited a top-notch leadership team also, all of this in less than two years.” Last year, Cruz-Neira presented at the international Virtual Reality Summit in Santa Clara, California, alongside firms such as Adobe and schools such as the University of Southern California. She also led an EAC contingent to France where Reiners led a two-day session on VR software infrastructure. The EAC crew will be busy this spring as well. Just having returned from the Engineering Reality of Virtual Reality 2016 conference last week in San Francisco, Cruz-Neira and her team will visit the 2016 EAST Initiative national conference in Hot Springs March 15-17; the Laval Virtual international conference in Laval, France, March 23-27; the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California, April 4-7; the Inside 3D Printing conference in New York City April 10-12; and then head back to the Bay Area for the Samsung Developers Conference in San Francisco April 27-28. The UALR team will be displaying virtual reality tech that can be used in roughly 25 disciplines including large-scale, customized systems and “everyday portable technologies” such as smartphones, glasses and tablets, Cruz-Neira said. The EAC has worked with private businesses including Nabholz Construction, WER Architects and Southwest Power Pool, and public entities such as the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the city of Little Rock. Projects have included the design of a new exhibit for the Tulsa Zoo in partnership with Nabholz and a reimagining for the city of the South University Avenue corridor next to the UALR campus. Businesses using the lab typically spend between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on the project, but costs can run much higher, Cruz-Neira said. Some projects entail scholarships, internships and consulting/research agreements, she said. Chris Wright, director of virtual design and construction for Nabholz, called the EAC a cutting- edge technology asset that has helped the firm clearly communicate how a facility will look and feel with a “near real world visual presentation.” “The visualization that the EAC created for the Tulsa Zoo Lost Kingdom Exhibit project helped create several conversations about specific features that enabled the project team to have a much clearer understanding of how to translate the client’s vision for the project into reality,” he said. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:52 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

29 Authorities charge West Virginia couple in cancer scam HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - Authorities have arrested a West Virginia woman and her husband after officials say they scammed more than $82,000 from another couple by pretending the woman needed money for cancer treatments. The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown (http://bit.ly/1RySx57 ) reports that 27-year-old Lee Anne McCauley has been arrested on charges including theft scheme and theft scheme conspiracy of $10,000 to $100,000. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that her husband, 34-year-old Brian Keith King Jr., has also been arrested in connection with the case. Charging documents state that McCauley had told the couple she needed help for different treatments she was receiving across the nation. A judge set bail at $80,000. Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Steiner told the judge Friday that McCauley and her family has no money to post bond. ___ Information from: The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., http://www.herald-mail.com

2016-02-29 11:51 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

30 Former Klan leader at center of latest GOP campaign joust LEESBURG, Va. (AP) - Republican front-runner Donald Trump drew sharp criticism from his rivals in both parties Sunday for refusing to denounce an implicit endorsement from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, raising the specter of racism as the presidential campaign hits the South. Trump was asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether he rejected support from the former KKK Grand Dragon and other white supremacists after Duke told his radio followers this week that a vote against Trump was equivalent to “treason to your heritage.” “Well, just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke. OK?” Trump said. “I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.” Trump’s comments came the same day he retweeted a quote from Benito Mussolini, the 20th century fascist dictator of Italy. And in a boost for his campaign in the South, he scored the endorsement of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of the most strident opponents of immigration reform on Capitol Hill. But it was Trump’s statements about Duke that sparked a wave of censures with just two days to go before 11 states hold GOP primaries involving about a quarter of the party’s total nominating delegate count. Several states in the South, a region with a fraught racial history, are among those voting in the Super Tuesday contests. Marco Rubio quickly pounced on Trump’s comments, saying the GOP “cannot be a party who refuses to condemn white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.” “Not only is that wrong, it makes him unelectable,” Rubio told thousands of supporters gathered in Leesburg, Virginia. “How are we going to grow the party if we nominate someone who doesn’t repudiate the Ku Klux Klan?” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called Trump’s comments “Really sad.” “You’re better than this,” Cruz wrote on Twitter. “We should all agree, racism is wrong, KKK is abhorrent.” Trump has won three of four early voting states, roiling a party divided over the prospect of the brash billionaire becoming its nominee. Late Sunday, Nebraska’s Ben Sasse became the first sitting Republican senator to say explicitly that he would not back Trump if he does win the nomination. “If Trump becomes the Republican nominee my expectation is that I’ll look for some 3rd candidate - a conservative option, a constitutionalist,” Sasse wrote on Twitter. With a strong showing on Super Tuesday, Trump could begin to pull away from his rivals in the all-important delegate count. In the Southern states that vote Tuesday, Republican candidates will face an electorate that is overwhelmingly white. In South Carolina, the only Southern state to have voted so far, 96 percent of the GOP primary electorate was white, while 6 in 10 voters in the Democratic race were black. While the South was once a Democratic stronghold, many white conservatives who backed the party started moving toward the GOP during the civil rights movement. Trump has borrowed from the rhetoric former President Richard Nixon used during that time to appeal to working- class white voters, describing his campaign has a movement of the “silent majority.” Trump holds commanding leads across the South, with the exception of Cruz’s home state of Texas, a dynamic that puts tremendous pressure on Rubio and Cruz as they try to outlast each other and derail the real estate mogul. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:51 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

31 Long Island district to change immigrant students policy WESTBURY, N. Y. (AP) - A Long Island school district is changing its policies following complaints that it denied or delayed access to immigrant students arriving from Central and South America and elsewhere. The Westbury School District is the 22nd in the state to reach an agreement on policy changes with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Schneiderman’s office began investigating enrollment policies in October 2014, after receiving reports that a significant number of children who had arrived in the U. S. from Central and South America, unaccompanied by parents, were either not being permitted to enroll in several Long Island school districts, or were facing delays of up to six months in admission. Investigators concluded that the Westbury district had an unwritten policy of excluding English language learners over the age of 16 from the district’s high school and diverting these students into non-degree bearing alternative education programs. Nearly two dozen students were told that they could not enroll because they were too old, but could instead enroll in high-school equivalency or English as a Second Language classes with limited academic offerings. Among other things, the district agreed to retain an ombudsman for oversight over enrollment policies. It also will retain an independent monitor to ensure that the district places students properly. “Education is the bedrock of our American democracy, and every child in our country, no matter where they were born, deserves the chance to attend school and seek a diploma,” said Schneiderman. A call to the Westbury School District superintendent’s office was not immediately returned. Javier H. Valdés, co-executive director of the advocacy group Make the Road New York, said many unaccompanied minors in New York are children who have suffered trauma in their home countries or on the way to the U. S. “We must ensure that these young people receive the care they need and are able to attend school here in New York,” he said. 2016-02-29 11:51 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

32 Brie Larson finds her voice and best-actress Oscar in ‘Room’ LOS ANGELES (AP) - Brie Larson’s journey to winning a best-actress Oscar for “Room” began years ago when she learned to stand up for herself against casting directors who wanted to objectify her. They’d tell her she had auditioned well, but asked her to come back wearing a denim miniskirt and heels. “I personally always rejected that moment,” Larson said backstage Sunday night. “They were asking me to wear a jean miniskirt and heels to be sexy, but that doesn’t make me feel sexy. It makes me feel uncomfortable.” Asked how she felt now, a smiling Larson thrust her statue in the air and replied, “Feeling pretty good.” Larson won for her role as an abducted woman who creates a world inside a small shed for her son and then finds it difficult to adjust to life after she is freed. “This time a year ago I was still trying to figure out who I was,” she said. “I had spent about a year prepping and then doing the film. Who I was when the movie was over was so far from what I was before the movie. I’m standing here now completely myself. I feel very strong and happy to be holding this gold guy.” Larson was the heavy favorite to win the Oscar, having earned trophies for the role from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Born Brianne Desaulniers in Sacramento, California, Larson broke into show business doing sketches on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Before finding success on the big screen, the 26-year-old appeared in several television series and dabbled in music, releasing her major label debut in 2005. Larson joined 27-year-old Swede Alicia Vikander as the youngest acting winners Sunday. Vikander won supporting honors for “The Danish Girl.” Both women won on their first nominations.

2016-02-29 11:50 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

33 Michigan couple starts pillow project for ill children DEWITT, Mich. (AP) - Chad and Lisa Borodychuk know about the challenges faced by parents of children with severe impairments or a terminal illness. Their 7-year-old daughter, Olivia, has Alexander Disease, a rare disorder of the nervous system that breaks down a covering in the brain, which insulates nerve fibers and promotes the transmission of nerve impulses. The disease is incurable and children who have it usually succumb to the disease between ages 7 and 10. “We have gone through so much that we wanted to pay it forward for other families in similar situations,” Lisa Borodychuk said. “We had seen so many broken families with financial burdens of caring for a child with a severe illness that we want to help these families.” To help those families, the Borodychuks formed the Olivia Kay Foundation in 2014. Their goal is to provide support, the Lansing State Journal (http://on.lsj.com/1KskzQ9 ) reported. “If we become aware of a child with a severe illness we will try to take them a toy or stuffed animal. We also will try to connect families with different resources that are available such as medical equipment,” Borodychuk said. Borodychuk said the foundation has also provided gasoline cards to help cover the costs of traveling to doctor appointments and has provided movie passes and restaurant gift cards to the parents to give them some time together outside of the house. “Once we receive more funds we want to do more in the way of home improvements, such as building a wheelchair ramp,” Borodychuk said. “We would also like to help families with purchasing vans that can support wheelchairs because those can be expensive.” ___ The Borodychuks are also helping families by donating handmade pillows to hospitals around the state. The pillows are given to children who are patients at the hospital. The idea for the pillow project came to Lisa when she brought pillows to Sparrow Hospital when Olivia was in the children’s intensive care unit last August. “Olivia cannot breathe if she is sitting up so she had to lay on her side,” Borodychuk said. “If you are doing that all the time, you have problems with your skin. So I started making pillows to go between her legs as well as her back and head to help support her.” Kelli Kilmon, a registered nurse in Sparrow’s pediatric ICU, thought the pillows were a wonderful idea. “I told Lisa when she first brought the pillows in for Olivia that they were so amazing that I would like to give one to every child,” Kilmon said. “Lisa said that they were working on doing that through the foundation. This is something that just makes that child’s day.” So Lisa, with the help of her mother Connie Jennings, made 30 more pillows and donated them to the hospital. “I started thinking about other hospitals around the state,” Borodychuk said. “Olivia had spent some time at Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor so I called them to see if they would like some pillows and they said yes.” Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:50 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

34 Authorities: Large fire in Newark displaces 20 people NEWARK, N. J. (AP) - Authorities say a large fire in northern New Jersey has displaced 20 people and damaged several homes. Officials say Newark firefighters were called to the scene just after 8:30 p.m. Sunday and found fire in one home that was starting to damage two others. It took firefighters more than two hours to control the blaze. Capt. Derek Glenn, a police spokesman, tells NJ.com that a man walking through the area told authorities he found an elderly woman running from the fire and went inside to help rescue her husband from a second-floor apartment. Glenn says one firefighter was injured and treated at the scene. The American Red Cross is helping five families that were displaced. It’s unclear what sparked the blaze.

2016-02-29 11:50 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

35 35 Mentor program aims to make Bismarck school more inclusive BISMARCK, N. D. (AP) - Every morning at Century High School, Carly Amundson looks forward to joining her group of friends for lunch in the cafeteria. “It’s the highlight of her day,” said her mother, Brenda. Carly Amundson, who has Down syndrome, used to eat alone with an aide. This school year marks a significant change for the sophomore as she takes part in a new program that partners students with disabilities with peer mentors in and out of class. She is one of 21 mentees in the program, the Bismarck Tribune (http://bit.ly/1Q1ozGk ) reported. Several times a week, she and other classmates with disabilities in Century’s social skills course spend the period alongside students without disabilities enrolled in the school’s new peer-to-peer leadership course. Together, they do activities. The students split into small groups earlier this month and divvied up the contents of M&M; bags by color. They went around the circle naming their favorite TV shows, foods and musicians - the topic determined by the color of candy. Senior Hannah Sand, one of the mentors, listed off as many of her favorite musicians as she had green M&Ms;: “Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Justin Bieber.” “I’m going to his concert,” interjected Elizabeth Romanick, one of the mentees. Both sprouted smiles as they bonded over their mutual admiration for the pop singer. ___ The peer-to-peer program launched fall semester after several parents of students with disabilities approached the school seeking ways to make events more accessible to their kids, said Sara Bohrer, a special education instructor who teaches the peer-to-peer leadership class for mentors. Parents, teachers and administrators collaborated to develop the program. Teachers approached students taking courses in medical-related careers and psychology, as well as members of the suicide prevention group Sources of Strength. Bohrer encouraged those with an interest to sign up for her peer-to-peer leadership class. On days when mentors are not interacting with students in the social skills course, they learn about disabilities and undergo training. Outside of class, they are each required to spend one hour per week with a mentee during the school day - usually eating together or tutoring. Senior Marco Curzio typically has lunch with mentees and sometimes invites them to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. The mentor’s friends, who are not a part of peer to peer, often come along. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:50 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

36 Fort Sill’s historic balloon hangar gets recognition FORT SILL, Okla. (AP) - Fort Sill’s balloon hangar, Building 5037 on Tucker Road, was moved here from California in 1934-1935 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to its unique architectural features and long and distinguished history. A mammoth structure that once overlooked the southern tip of San Francisco Bay is Fort Sill’s newest entry on the National Register of Historic Places. It also has the potential to become the first entry in what would be Fort Sill’s second historic district. The first was the area around the Old Post Quadrangle, designated the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark in 1963. “Henry Post Airfield and (the) Balloon/Blimp Hangar are part of Fort Sill’s aviation legacy,” Fort Sill Director of Museum Services Frank Siltman said. “The 1st Aero Squadron was activated here at Fort Sill in 1915, and with the beginning of World War I, Henry Post Airfield was activated and became an active part of Fort Sill’s mission. During World War I and World War II, training for aerial observation from aircraft and balloons was an integral part of Fort Sill’s mission.” The Oklahoma Historical Society and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) recently announced the National Register listing of the balloon hangar. The hangar was originally at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif., and it was disassembled and moved here in 1934-35, Siltman said. The first powered dirigibles arrived here in 1937, but left in 1941. The Army Aviation School was at Fort Sill until 1956, when it moved to its present location at Fort Rucker, Ala. Four wooden balloon hangars were built for Fort Sill in 1917, but all of them burned in the 1920s. Building 5037 on Tucker Road is the only balloon hangar extant on Fort Sill and the only one at Sill ever constructed of metal. It is one of nine metal balloon hangars of a similar design constructed at military installations across the United States during the interwar years of the 1920s and ‘30s. It is 103 feet tall - roughly eight stories high - and measures 126 feet wide by 220 feet long for a total of 27,270 square feet. As the low bidder, Manhattan Construction Company of Oklahoma City was awarded the contract to pour the foundation and a concrete apron in front of the building. A labor dispute delayed the project as local unions objected to the hiring of non-union workers and Manhattan continued to hire both union and nonunion labor. Manhattan was also awarded the contract for assembly of the hangar, which was completed by Jan. 22, 1935. By March 1935 it housed three “free” and three “captive” balloons. “Free” balloons are so called because they go with the prevailing winds, though it is possible to maneuver them by going up and down to catch wind currents. Sausage balloons were huge in comparison to the “free” balloons. They were called “captive” balloons because they were tethered to the ground and used for observation purposes. They were cumbersome to move from place to place because they had to avoid power lines and other obstructions. According to SHPO’s nomination packet, the balloon hangar was made of large sheets of corrugated iron fastened to structural steel girders and support beams. The corrugated iron panels were coated with tar, asbestos and lead-based paint. Due to environmental concerns, Fort Sill in consultation with SHPO replaced all of the original panels with matching zinc-coated panels in 1994. “The balloon hangar nevertheless retains sufficient integrity to ably convey its historic significance. The majority of interior finishes, the configuration of space and the feeling remain intact,” the registration form states. Sitting at an angle to the road and facing northeast, the balloon hangar is surrounded by buildings of a similar vintage. To the east is a row of officers’ housing built in 1933-34. To the south and west are several administrative buildings constructed in the 1934-35 time frame. They include a large barracks, a dispensary, a fire station, a quartermaster garage and a large airplane hangar built in 1932. The hangar is Building 4908, which temporarily housed the Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Learning Center in 2013 while a new climate control system was being installed in the learning center’s two stone warehouses on Bateman Road. The area above has been identified as the Post Field Historic District. On April 23, 2008, SHPO concurred with Fort Sill’s determination that the Post Field Historic District is eligible for the National Register. The balloon hangar is a contributing resource to this district, but according to the registration form “it is also individually eligible as a highly distinctive building at Fort Sill that represents a significant trend in early 20th century military aviation and possesses significant architectural and engineering value.” Balloons continued to be used in artillery observation after the hangar was built. The 1st Balloon Squadron at Fort Sill was entrusted with experimental testing on the C-6 motorized observation balloon. That was the oldest balloon squadron in the Army and one of three still in service in the late 1930s. In contrast to the old C-3, the C-6 had a detachable basket that could be replaced by a motorized car. It could then be flown to a new artillery observation point or behind allied lines at night. That cut the size of the ground crew from 63 to 20. The balloon hangar was also used in the testing of the D2A model barrage balloon in the spring of 1939. Barrage balloons are essentially captive balloons used for passive defense purposes, rather than observation. Because they were cheaper than first-line fighter aircraft, the Army assigned the 1st Balloon Squadron to test a high-altitude D2A as part of a pre-World War II study of the applicability of barrage balloons. Basically, barrage balloons caused incoming airplanes to fly lower, which put them in closer range to anti-aircraft guns. The balloons’ cables and other mooring equipment, as well as small explosives in some cases, also created a physical risk to enemy aircraft. Following the study at Fort Sill, the D2A balloon was sent to the Panama Canal Zone, where it was allowed to deteriorate, the form states. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:50 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

37 Neuharth Award to live on, but with different format VERMILLION, S. D. (AP) - With the death of media mogul Al Neuharth, the award named for the University of South Dakota alumnus will continue but in a different format, a USD official says. Neuharth, who founded USA TODAY, died in 2013 at the age of 89. This year, ESPN sports broadcaster Chris Berman will become the 30th person - and the first sports journalist - to receive the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in Media. Berman will receive the honor June 21 at the Newseum in Washington, founded by Neuharth. The event was formerly held on the USD campus during Dakota Days homecoming weekend, the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan (http://bit.ly/20VLSVg ) reported. Neuharth and the award recipient(s) would offer remarks and take questions during an afternoon press conference and an evening awards ceremony. The change in dates and venue represent the start of a new format following Neuharth’s death, said Michelle Van Maanen, chair of the USD Media and Journalism Department. “Going forward, the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media will be awarded at the Newseum in Washington, D. C. But, USD will still be involved. We definitely will invite future recipients to campus,” she said. “This year’s honoree, Chris Berman, has already indicated that he is excited about visiting USD during the next academic year. We are not ready to announce specific dates at this time. Plans are in the works for him to interact with our students in a series of conversations during the visit, as well as a possible event that will be open to the public.” USD students are eagerly awaiting Berman’s visit the Vermillion campus, Van Maanen said. “As you might expect, our students are extremely excited about meeting Chris Berman,” she said. Holding the awards ceremony at the Newseum is not unprecedented, Van Maanen said. “Gwen Ifill of PBS’s ‘Newshour’ received the honor at the Newseum in June 2014. Last year, John Seigenthaler was honored here on campus with the 2015 award,” she said. “Future award winners will also be invited to visit campus to interact with our students, but those events will be scheduled around their availability.” Ifill’s presentation was held at the Newseum and at a different time of year because of a scheduling conflict, Van Maanen said. “As for Gwen, the week that she was to receive the award was also the week she started her work as the main host for the ‘PBS Newshour,’” Van Maanen said. The original October timing also came during heavy campaign coverage leading up to the November 2014 elections, Van Maanen said. However, Van Maanen still holds out hope of bringing the veteran journalist to the USD campus. Ifill and Judy Woodruff - also a past Neuharth Award recipient - recently made history as the first all-female moderator panel for a presidential debate. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:50 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

38 Fifth time’s the Oscar charm for best actor DiCaprio LOS ANGELES (AP) - After five nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio finally got his Oscar. And he couldn’t resist sharing it with planet Earth. The environmentally minded actor, who was honored Sunday as best actor for “The Revenant,” split his acceptance speech between lauding colleagues including his Oscar-winning director, Alejandro Inarritu, and calling for action to combat global warming. “Climate change is real. It is happening right now,” DiCaprio said. “It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations” but for all people. DiCaprio was the Oscar front-runner for his portrayal of frontiersman Hugh Glass in the revenge tale. His first acting nod, for a supporting role, came in 1994 for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” followed by lead actor nominations for “The Aviator,” ”Blood Diamond” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” It was Inarritu who finally brought him Oscar gold. The Mexican filmmaker himself had a big night, winning his second consecutive director trophy after last year’s honor for “Birdman.” “As the history of cinema unfolds, you have forged your way into history these past two years. What an unbelievable talent you are,” DiCaprio said of the Mexican director. He also reached back to his past to recognize others including Martin Scorsese, who directed him in several films including “Wolf” and “The Aviator.” The director taught “me so much about the cinematic art form,” DiCaprio said. Backstage, the actor was asked about the pre-Oscar support for him, including on social media. “It all feels incredibly surreal,” he said. Picking up the climate-change issue again, DiCaprio said he is as obsessed with the issue as he is with filmmaking, and appreciated having the chance to reach millions of Oscar viewers with his message. “I feel so overwhelmed with gratitude for what happened tonight, but I feel there is a ticking clock out there” demanding action, he said. He’s working on a documentary that has taken him around the world and put him contact with experts on the subject. He called on voters to support leaders who recognize the peril, not those who deny science and are on what he called “the wrong side of history.”

2016-02-29 11:49 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

39 Review: Rock rocks with Oscars monologue; show’s a snooze NEW YORK (AP) - Could Chris Rock balance Academy Awards razzle-dazzle with a burning social issue? Hollywood and movie fans alike were holding their breath as the comedian took the stage as host of Sunday’s Oscarcast with more at stake than a roster of winners and losers. He didn’t wait a moment to get down to business, welcoming everyone to the 88th Academy Awards - “otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.” From there, he barely paused to catch his breath, joking (or was he?) that if the Academy nominated its hosts, “I wouldn’t even get this job.” For weeks, Hollywood’s annual “biggest night” had been shaping up as Hollywood’s biggest white night after, for the second straight year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences shut out any nonwhite acting nominees. For once, the Oscars promised to eclipse the movies it was there to celebrate, with the duties of its host clearly loftier than making wisecracks and introductions. For once, this ABC broadcast needed to strike a balance between its usual bounty of self- aggrandizement and a rare show of remorse for Hollywood’s glaring lack of inclusion. Drafted to lead this juggling act was Rock, a no-nonsense humorist who, as a black man, was put in a dicey position: That of mouthpiece for everyone in the film industry who isn’t white. If the pressure weighed upon him, he didn’t let on. His monologue was a slam-bam assault on complacent racism - while, in the best Rock style, putting things in droll perspective. Yes, Hollywood is racist, he declared, but not the usual brand. “It’s sorority racist: ‘We like you, Rhonda. But you’re not a Kappa.’” No, things aren’t fair in Hollywood. It wasn’t fair that Will Smith didn’t get a best actor nomination for “Concussion,” he said, quickly adding, “It’s also not fair that Will got paid $20 million for ‘Wild, Wild West.” On the other hand, he mused on why, only this year, had the diversity issue erupted, inasmuch as for most of Oscar’s past 87 years, no blacks had been nominated. Why weren’t blacks protesting in say, the early 1960s, posed Rock, who then supplied an answer: “Because we had real things to protest at the time. We were too busy being raped and lynched to worry about who won best cinematographer.” In Rock’s most painfully hilarious joke, he promised things were already changing, even in this very broadcast: “In the ‘In Memoriam’ package, it’s just going to be black people shot by cops on their way to the movies.” Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:48 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

40 Ex-employee saves Palo Duro Canyon tour train PALO DURO CANYON STATE PARK, Texas (AP) - Barbara Logan was riding with her husband David past an overgrown field near Palo Duro Canyon four months ago. There, in some overgrown weeds, she could barely see her childhood. It was rotting next to a stagecoach and chuckwagon. “I said, ‘David, I want the train,’” Logan said. To his credit, her husband didn’t laugh. Instead, he asked her several questions: What are you going to do with it? Where are you going to put it? How can you afford to fix it? Her answers were all the same: I don’t know. “All logical questions,” Barbara told the Amarillo Globe-News (http://bit.ly/1LdHgYx), “but all that was going through my mind is that it shouldn’t be sitting there, and it was wrong. A part of me wanted to save it.” Sentiment might have won out over logic, but nonetheless, Barbara Logan became the proud new owner of the Sad Monkey Railroad about a month later. Now what? “I had absolutely no plan,” she said. “No idea where it would take me.” Remember the Sad Monkey? You have to be of a certain vintage to do so. The miniature train with four passenger cars operated on the rim of Palo Duro Canyon from 1955 to 1996. Named after the side of a nearby cliff that looked like the face of a grumpy monkey, the train crawled two miles into the canyon, taking a maximum of 53 passengers on a 20-minute guided trip. It was located less than a half-mile from the Palo Duro Amphitheatre. There was a depot and a concession stand. For 41 years, the Sad Monkey ran daily from Easter through September and weekends year-round, weather permitting. Clifford Burtz was the longtime owner of the train, succeeding the original owner, his father Earl. Burtz hired many young kids in the summer, giving them their first job, taking them under his wing, mentoring them. They included a young Barbara Wood, now Logan. She began work there at age 13 in 1981, and continued to work at the Sad Monkey for the next eight summers. It became her refuge from a home life in Canyon she said was far from ideal. “He (Burtz) told me years later that when he hired me, they didn’t need another employee, but he knew I needed a place to be,” she said. “It was my comfort zone, my safe haven. Cliff rescued me.” The end of the line came for the Sad Monkey 20 years ago. It was derailed by government regulations by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Indications were it was overzealous. State officials said the railroad was not up to code, that it could be liable under the Americans With Disabilities Act and needed an increased insurance coverage. For a 5 mph train? Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

41 Walworth sisters co-manage natural food stand Organigirls WALWORTH, Wis. (AP) - Vivian and Jasmine Ford have the entrepreneurial bug. The Walworth sisters volunteer at a neighbor’s horse farm, earn tips from Christmas caroling and snag other job opportunities when they pop up. But their brainchild is Organigirls, a business run out of the Fords’ home and garden in Walworth, just down the road from the Wisconsin-Illinois state line, The Janesville Gazette (http://bit.ly/1SYoN4U ) reported. Vivian, 11, and Jasmine, 13, sell homemade baked goods, crafts and homegrown veggies from a stand along Alden Road in the spring and summer. Organigirls began in the summer of 2014, when the two plucked white daffodils from their mother’s garden and began selling them. With a group of five girls_Jasmine, Vivian and three girls who live close to the Fords_the business grew out of the girls’ strengths and interests: gardening, crocheting and baking. Eventually, the business partners dwindled down to just Vivian and Jasmine. Some could say the entrepreneurial spirit Jasmine and Vivian have is in their blood. Their parents, Julie and Richard Ford, are entrepreneurs with their own careers. The girls took a stab at being businesswomen because they wanted to learn about running a business and experience what it’s like to work regularly. It also provides some pocket money. Or if you’re like Vivian, you squirrel away the money you make. The reason behind the name, as Vivian put it, is simple: “Because we wanted to go organic, and, well, we’re girls.” Jasmine and Vivian tend the fruits and vegetables in their garden without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Running the business has taught them how to plant and nurture vegetables and which ones thrive in Wisconsin. Their stock typically includes cherry and Roma tomatoes, squash, lettuce, kale and more. Like any business, it has had its ups and downs. The girls have learned about mixing friendship and business and how the weather can put a damper on sales. They’ve also learned how to manage expenses, the importance of saving and have even created a system to fairly divide their profits based on the work each partner contributed. The girls had a big year in 2014 and were in their stand nearly every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, holiday weekend and occasional Sunday, flagging down cars and selling goodies. In 2015, the sisters went there maybe 10 times, Jasmine said, because of musical performances and uncooperative weather. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

42 Soybeans to solar: Boom is boon for Minnesota landowners MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - When John Frey of Mankato received an inquiry about putting a solar array on his land, he didn’t need to be persuaded on the merits. Renewable energy was already his sole focus after retiring as a dean at Minnesota State University. Solar power, he said, is a virtual requirement if we’re to wean ourselves off fossil fuels. When 40 acres of solar panels go up on his rural Lake Crystal land, perhaps this May, he’ll be looking at it as part of a global solution to climate change. That’s a view shared by the manager of the project, Nathan Rogers of Ecoplexus, The Free Press (http://bit.ly/20NW5To ) reported. “Every kilowatt hour produced by solar is one not produced by nuclear or fossil fuels,” he said. An installation of this size in Minnesota powers about 500 homes. Even as it’s changing the world, solar power is changing Minnesota. Responding to tax incentives and new mandates, the state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, is making an unprecedented investment in solar. In south-central Minnesota, landowners are seeing new opportunities and local governments are figuring out how to accommodate fields of panels. A typical 40-acre project represents more than 30 football fields’ worth of arrays. ___ Finding a suitable site is among the first steps of starting a solar array. Rogers said developers look for flat, dry land, preferably close to a power substation. Power lines connecting a solar array to a substation typically have to be upgraded, so a shorter distance between the two means a smaller upgrading cost. Dean Rengstorf, whose family owns land south of Nicollet, figured that’s how solar developer SunEdison found him. “They probably draw a circle around substations and start contacting potential renters who might be interested in this kind of thing,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt to listen, so we did.” The family would eventually sign a 25-year lease with SunEdison with an option to extend it for five years afterward. Even so, “We had a million questions,” he said. The family liked the idea of the solar array having a wildlife benefit, too. Though tall grasses can’t go under the panels, they can go around and among them. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

43 Battling outbreak, Hawaii faces small staff, pesticide fears HONOLULU (AP) - On a farm in the heart of Hawaii’s ongoing dengue outbreak, coffee grows wild among the ferns, and vanilla vines climb guava trees. It’s hard to know where nature ends and the farm begins, and that’s the way organic farmers there like it. But state efforts to combat the outbreak - and prevent the related Zika virus from making inroads on the island - could put these farmers out of business. Posting “no spray” signs on their properties, they’re pushing back on the use of pesticides to kill the mosquitoes that transmit both infections. Global health officials have identified mosquito eradication as the key to curtailing the Zika outbreak that has taken hold in Latin America and been linked to birth defects in Brazil, as well as preventing it from taking hold in other areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is prevalent, including the southern U. S. “Any place a dengue outbreak can occur, a Zika outbreak could occur,” Lyle Peterson, director of CDC’s division of vector-borne diseases, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Given the fact that many affected travelers could be coming to Hawaii as outbreaks occur around the Pacific, there is always the possibility of infecting local mosquitoes.” But mosquito control is highly variable around the U. S., and a chunk of the $1.8 billion in emergency funding the Obama administration is seeking for Zika would go to shoring up those capabilities, Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC’s principle deputy director, told a Senate committee Wednesday. “In many areas, there are big holes,” she said. Plus, this mosquito species is particularly hard to deal with, an aggressive daytime biter that can live not just in the yard but inside the house. A little water left in a flower pot is enough for its eggs to hatch; they even can survive drought until rain returns. Hawaii has had four cases of Zika, all in travelers to countries with ongoing transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But local mosquitoes have infected 260 on the Big Island with dengue fever. And the CDC reported active local Zika transmissions in Pacific islands that have a fair amount of traffic to Hawaii, including Samoa, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands and Tonga. In a report, Peterson said staff shortages in the state Health Department and conditions on the island make it difficult to fight mosquito-borne diseases. The report cited abundant mosquito breeding grounds, dense vegetation, unoccupied homes and widespread use of cisterns to provide water to households. On Old Ways Farm, organic farmer Steve Mann tends to his herbs with mosquito netting dangling from his straw hat. Neighbors have been infected with dengue, but Mann wouldn’t allow his home or farm to be sprayed with pesticides. “It’s not organic, and that would cancel our certification for a period of three years,” Mann said. “That might well put us out of business.” Organic farmers aren’t the only ones pushing back. Hundreds of residents flock to the Legislature annually decrying their use. Steve Okoji, supervising sanitarian for the state Department of Health, said his teams ask permission before spraying at homes and work with farmers on possible alternatives. But they have reached only a quarter of households in dengue-affected areas, instead of the recommended 90 percent, the CDC report said. Okoji says repeated visits have helped improve that number. Hawaii slashed its mosquito control and entomology staff from 56 employees in 2009 to 25 in 2016. The state has redirected workers who usually perform sanitation and radiological health roles to help fight dengue. “We actually have an adequate amount of people and resources to meet this response … but what we’re doing is we’re just pretty much treading water,” Okoji said. “We need to actually try and get ahead of the disease.” Story Continues →

2016-02-29 11:43 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

44 Harp Gallery in Menasha revives aging furniture MENASHA, Wis. (AP) - Ken Melchert doesn’t ascribe to the idea that “antique” should mean “untouchable.” Furnishings were made for function, and the craftsmen of earlier eras - equipped with hand tools and determination - poured their sweat and skill into pieces they expected would long outlive them. Cars need maintenance, homes need work, and every 50 to 75 years, so too does the carved oak dining set or the mahogany china cabinet. There’s pride in getting those works back into shape for new generations, the Post-Crescent Media (http://post.cr/1VCJOQC ) reported. “I think of us as one of the original green businesses in the area,” said Melchert, who owns The Harp Gallery with his wife, Rebecca. The Harp Gallery, a Town of Menasha business specializing in refurbished vintage and antique furniture, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and a history of steady growth. The gallery today does three-quarters of its business online, serving customers across the country and beyond. Its crowded showroom adjacent to Interstate 41 houses antique pieces that carry a certain warmth and glow and often look new - aside from the intricate detail so frequently lacking in modern goods. Chandeliers hang from above. Antique accent pieces adorn end tables and china sets highlight what cabinets might look like when arriving at a new home. Its team of craftsmen is throwbacks in a modern, disposable society. So many of today’s furnishings are made to last only until styles change. Melchert said it’s an important pursuit to keep the quality, beautiful wood of yesteryear and all the attention put into those pieces from reaching landfills. It’s also more economical for those who want quality furnishings. “The handwork that was done - the hand-cut dovetails and carving and finishing - it could theoretically be replicated today, but we can’t afford it,” Melchert said. “It works out that antiques and vintage furniture are often less money than new and they still have that craftsmanship and the handwork that was so distinctive.” ___ Melchert said they’re fulfilling what long-ago furniture makers intended. “Old furniture was all designed and made with an eye for repairing it,” he said. The Harp Gallery’s pieces often come in rough with only about 2 percent that need less than a dust and polish. They’re brought back to strength and beauty in the Harp carpentry shop by a team of 14 artisans - carpenters and finishers -.with patient hands. “With some of the pieces, it’s just amazing,” said Peter Klein, restoration manager for the gallery. Knowing the effort that goes into restoration, Klein said it’s hard to fathom the countless hours that went into the original work - particularly the old European pieces with detailed hand carvings and inlays. It’s tougher to imagine how little money some of those craftsmen must have made - probably pennies - to produce pieces that a customer could afford to bring into the home. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 10:20 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

45 Man who butchered 2 women in Talisay City gets 80 years in jail CEBU CITY, Philippines — Regional Trial Court Branch 23 Judge Generosa Labra has convicted Richard Gudelosao for killing and mutilating the bodies of two women in Talisay City in 2008. The chopped bodies of Eva Mae Peligro, 24, and her cousin Gwendolyn Balasta, 26, were placed inside garbage bags and dumped in various locations in cities of Talisay and Naga and Minglanilla town. Police investigation showed that the two were strangled before they were mutilated inside their house in a private subdivision in Talisay City on July 24, 2008. Gudelosao was found guilty of the double murder charge against him and was meted a jail term of up to 80 years. His girlfriend, Jean Antonette Medalle, was cleared by the court. In 2012, Jojo Cellar, a third suspect in the killing, admitted involvement in the crime and was sentenced 20 to 40 years in prison. Police said the murders stemmed from bitter relations between Gudelosao and Peligro, the fiancée of his brother

2016-02-29 11:32 Ador Vincent newsinfo.inquirer.net

46 OSCARS: ‘Inside Out’ wins best animated feature prize HOLLYWOOD, United States — Pixar’s “Inside Out” is the winner of the best animated feature film Academy Award. The film tells the story of a young girl’s emotions as her family relocates from Minnesota to San Francisco. Director Pete Docter has said the film, which mixes science with his experience, has also resonated with the parents of special needs children. The film features an all-star vocal cast including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling. The win is the studio’s eighth in the category. “Bear Story” won the best animated short Academy Award during Sunday’s ceremony. entertainment.inquirer.net 2016-02-29 11:22 Associated Press entertainment.inquirer.net

47 Bulacan governor’s son hurt in collision CITY OF MALOLOS, Philippines — The son of Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado was hurt on Sunday when his Toyota Fortuner collided with another vehicle on the MacArthur Highway here, police said. Jose Antonio “Jonathan” Sy-Alvarado, 33, is in stable condition at the UST Hospital where he was taken for treatment of injuries on his face, said his sister, Charo Sy-Alvarado-Mendoza. Jose Antonio is the Liberal Party’s congressional candidate for the province’s first district. The driver of Alvarado’s Toyota Fortuner, Bernardine Cantilan, and Jericho Lubaton, a staffer, were also hurt but were sent home after treatment at the Bulacan Medical Center. Sy-Alvarado, the eldest son of the governor, was seated at the back of his vehicle and was going home to Calumpit town at about 1:40 a.m. Sunday when a Toyota Vios coming from the opposite direction swerved into their lane and collided with the Fortuner, police said. A police report on the incident said the Toyota Vios was driven by PO3 Marlon Calderon, 34, of the Bulacan provincial police office and a resident of Barangay Paltao in Pulilan town. Calderon was held by the police. RELATED STORY 14 hurt as bus topples on its side in Cebu

2016-02-29 11:03 Carmela newsinfo.inquirer.net

48 14 hurt as bus topples on its side in Cebu CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 14 passengers including two infants were hurt after the bus they were riding fell on its side along the national highway in Barangay Madridejos in Alegria town, 112 km south of Cebu City, at about 11:35 p.m. on Sunday. PO3 Ronyl Allera of the Alegria police said the Ceres bus with plate number CEH541 was on its way to Barangay Bato, Samboan town, when it swerved and hit an avocado tree before falling on its side. Driver Casiano Mari Jr. told police that he was trying to avoid a person who was crossing the highway when the accident happened. The bus passengers, including a nine-month-old and a five-month-old infant, were brought to Reinhardt Wertgen Memorial Hospital in Alegria for treatment. Mari is now detained at the Alegria Police Station pending filing of charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple injuries. 2016-02-29 10:54 Carmel Loise newsinfo.inquirer.net

49 Ice time drives students at Detroit Hockey Academy WIXOM, Mich. (AP) - Derek Langlois, the lead on-ice instructor at the Detroit Hockey Academy, stood to the left of the net and along the goal line of the larger of two practice rinks. He fired a series of pucks up along the glass, out toward a line of four players 30 feet away. Each player grappled with a difficult puck to handle, gained possession, abruptly and laterally skated left, and fired a shot toward the net. Defensemen call it “walking the line.” On and on the drill went, puck along the glass after puck along the glass, possession after possession, shot after shot. Then, Langlois led some skating drills, The Detroit News (http://detne.ws/1PWVUSP ) reported. And so hockey class went for the day. Before and after hockey class, the four players were in academic classes in a room just beyond the fitness room. The school day for the 23 students enrolled in grades six to 12 at the Detroit Hockey Academy, owned in part by former Red Wings goaltender Manny Legace, is both traditional and modern. Hockey lessons are mixed with academic learning, every day, unless a student’s school work lags. Then, ice time may be denied. The annual tuition is $12,000. “They’re teaching me a ton,” said Ruby McCall, of Birmingham, after she stepped off the ice. McCall was one of four girls participating in the drills. “They really point out, like when you do something wrong, you always get help with it.” When they play on their local teams after school, the coaches do not always have time to provide the same individual attention as they practice their full squads for games, McCall and the other students say. “And just getting the extra ice time too, it’s awesome,” McCall said. If she was not attending Detroit Hockey Academy, the 14-year-old said, she likely would attend a local middle school with no hockey classes. At McCall’s age, the intensive, individual instruction, especially in skating skills, is important. Important enough that Henry Graham, 15, moved to Metro Detroit from Manhattan to enroll. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 09:25 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

50 Nipple bill at the center of lawmakers’ spat up for hearing CONCORD, N. H. (AP) - The bill making it a crime for women to expose their breasts in public that was at the center of a spat between lawmakers earlier this year is up for a public hearing on Monday morning. The bill makes it a misdemeanor for women to bare their breasts or nipples in public with “reckless disregard” for whether it would offend someone. It’s partly a response to a movement called “Free the Nipple” that encourages women to bare their breasts in public. The bill drew national attention to Concord recently when a female lawmaker spoke out against it on her Facebook page, prompting her male colleagues to make remarks about her appearance and suggest women who want to show their breasts publicly should be fine with men wanting to grab them.

2016-02-29 09:26 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

51 DeKalb woman arrested after shooting alleged home invader DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - A DeKalb county mother of four is facing aggravated assault charges after shooting an alleged repeat home invader. The woman’s husband, who asked not to be identified, tells WSB-TV (http://2wsb.tv/1T3Q99T) he recently asked the alleged intruder, Demarcus McDowell, to stop harassing one of the family’s apartment neighbors. On the evening of Feb. 23, a police report says McDowell broke into the family’s apartment. The father grabbed a firearm and shot at McDowell, but didn’t know whether the shot hit him. The next day the couple saw McDowell at the apartment complex in a different set of clothes, carrying what they believed was a weapon. The father called 911, but his wife shot McDowell three times. Because McDowell wasn’t actively breaking into the family’s apartment, police arrested and charged the wife with aggravated assault. McDowell faces first-degree burglary charges. ___ Information from: WSB-TV, http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html

2016-02-29 10:26 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

52 Thane massacre: Killer used qurbani knife to slaughter family The Warekar family massacre seems to get more twisted with each new revelation, with sources now stating that the 35-year-old accused Hasnain Warekar, was an expert at animal sacrifices, and used his sacrificial knife to ensure he made clean, fatal cuts on his sleeping family members. Forensic experts also recovered an unidentified powder from the crime scene and will test it for poison or sedative qualities. Neighbours gathered outside the residence of Hasnain Warekar Investigations have also revealed that three of the family members who were living with Hasnain (his parents and his maiden sister Batul) were admitted in hospital in June 2012 with stomach problem. Thane CP Param Bir Singh told mid-day, “We have learnt that the three were admitted in hospital and suspect that Hasnain might have given them some medicine or something that led to poisoning. No case was registered then. We found a powder at the crime scene and suspect it was given to him by the tantrik he was consulting.” A body being taken to the postmortem centre. Pics/Datta Kumbhar The Kasarvadavali police have registered a case of murder and attempt to murder under the IPC and sections of the Arms Act. The youngest sister in the family, Sobiya, who was the only survivor, told relatives and the police: “Bhaijaan ne qurbani ki chhuri se sab ko maara”. “Hasnain was very interested in offering animal sacrifice during Qurbani Eid. He made exact cuts to slit the right blood vessel in the neck to ensure the victims died,” said an eyewitness who has carried the body to the ambulance. The survivor, Sobiya, denied there was any property dispute between the siblings and said that she doesn't know what prompted Hasnain to take the extreme step. “She is under great trauma. We will also speak to the husbands of the deceased sisters once they have completed the last rites,” said Joint Commissioner of Police Ashutosh Dhumbre. Fingerprint expert Pandurang Pawar, who surveyed the crime scene and took samples, said, “One bloody fingerprint was found; we will check it against the fingerprint of the accused. We will send it to Pune and it will take about a month for the reports.”

2016-02-29 10:26 By Faisal www.mid-day.com

53 Shepherd University board approves tuition increase SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. (AP) - Students at Shepherd University will be paying 5 percent more for tuition starting next fall. The university Board of Governors approved the increase last week. Undergraduate in-state students will pay $170 more for tuition to $3,585 per semester. Out-of- state undergraduates would pay $427 more for tuition to $8,741 per semester. Tuition would increase by $20 per credit for in-state graduate students to $435 per credit, and $30 for out-of-state graduate students to $622 per credit. Room rates will increase an average of 1.89 percent, depending on the type of housing, and board rates will increase an average 2.08 percent across current meal plans. The university says the state implemented a 4 percent reduction in appropriations on Jan. 1, and the governor’s proposed budget for fiscal 2017 carries that reduction forward.

2016-02-29 10:26 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

54 OSCARS: Alicia Vikander wins supporting actress prize Alicia Vikander accepts the award for best actress in a supporting role for The Danish Girl at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. AP Paying tribute to the cast, crew and particularly her leading man Eddie Redmayne, she said: “Eddie, there you are. Thank you for being the best acting partner. I could have never done it without you. You raised my game.” Vikander made waves on the red carpet Sunday in a strapless pale yellow Louis Vuitton gown that had observers on Twitter comparing her to Belle in the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast.” 2016-02-29 10:25 Agence entertainment.inquirer.net

55 Delhi Police has done everything right, says Police Chief BS Bassi New Delhi: Outgoing Delhi Police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi has termed his tenure during the Modi-led central government and Kejriwal’s Delhi government as "fun". On the penultimate working day as the chief of the Delhi Police force, the controversial top cop said, while exclusively speaking to mid-day, "It was great fun and I am extremely satisfied. " Delving into several issues from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) controversy to the national capital territory’s law and order issue, Bassi said that he is a content man and has no regrets. Also Read: Delhi police opposes Kanhaiya's bail plea Delving into several issues from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) controversy to the national capital territory’s law and order issue, Bassi said that he is a content man and has no regrets. Police is right He said, "The Delhi Police’s actions raised [against] certain individuals [were] based on merit and mandated by law and have been misconstrued and have been differently projected. Motivated allegations born out of vendetta were least expected by us in Delhi Police. These [things] are extremely dangerous for the functioning of our democratic institutions. Delhi Police has done everything right. " Read Story: JNU row: Kanhaiya's bruised nose, abrasions expose Bassi's lie The ongoing JNU sedition case has also rocked the ongoing budget session of the parliament. Bassi said, "The JNU episode is extremely unfortunate. An unwarranted controversy has been generated by certain quarters. Action of police under Section 124 was based on merit and investigation. Therefore, it [the reaction] is just unfair. " No comparison Speaking about his sour relationship with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bassi said, "It was very unfortunate that Kejriwal has not fully appreciated the functional autonomy of the Delhi Police in the scheme of things, which enables the police to function without any fear or favour. " When asked the difference between former CM Sheila Dikshit and present CM Kejriwal, Bassi said, "I don’t compare people. I only look for pluses. " Regarding the allegations of the Kejriwal government, which said the Delhi Police is biased towards AAP MLAs, Bassi said, "It is wrong to impute motives on the part of the police. Delhi Police is a fine police organisation set up under modern legislation, DP Act 1978 based on the recommendations of Justice GD Khosla commission in 1968 and works without fear or favour. It is the good fortune of Indian citizens, particularly Delhiites, that functioning of Delhi Police is not subject to any narrow extraneous pressures and local influences. " When asked about Kejriwal wanting to control the functioning of Delhi Police under him, Bassi said, "It will be unfortunate, because the present are definitely superior to the one which you are mentioning. The Delhi Police has successfully confronted various challenges and ensured safety and security of ordinary citizens. "

2016-02-29 10:10 By Amit www.mid-day.com

56 Kerala journalist union condemns threat calls to TV scribe Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Union of Working Journalists today condemned the reported threat calls to a TV scribe over her purported remarks on Goddess Durga during a television debate on February 26. Sidhu Suryakumar of Asianet news channel has claimed she has received threat calls from the country and overseas following which KUWJ has asked Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to take necessary steps to punish those responsible, KUWJ district secretary C Rahim said in a release here. The threats to Suryakumar are a challenge to the freedom of press and right of journalists to work freely, Rahim said. KUWJ has called a protest meeting and march here tomorrow to express solidarity with the journalist. Meanwhile, police said it has started investigating the threat calls following a complaint filed by Suryakumar.

2016-02-29 10:07 By PTI www.mid-day.com

57 DFNN gets P310M damage award on lotto dispute A LOCAL court has awarded gaming technology solutions provider DFNN Inc. higher damages amounting to P310 million in relation to its complaint against state-controlled Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)’s “illegal” termination of a wireless lotto equipment lease agreement. To recall, an arbitration court earlier earlier ruled in favor of DFNN on this wireless lotto dispute with PCSO but awarded only P27 million in liquidated damages. Finding the damage award insufficient, DFNN filed a petition to correct the computation of damages and increase the award by 11 times to over P310 million. Quoting a Feb. 17 decision by the Regional Trial Court of Makati branch 66 in a disclosure on Monday, DFNN said the court had granted this petition and ordered the correction of the arbitral award to P310,095,149.70 plus 6 percent interest from date of finality of the decision until final satisfaction thereof by the PCSO. DFNN president and chief executive officer Ramon Garcia Jr. said: “We are very pleased with the positive outcome of our petition. Our goal has always been to ensure that the maximum restitution is effected and that the interests of our shareholders are continually safeguarded. Our confidence in the legal process is once again upheld. We would like to thank all those who have supported us and continued to believe in our cause.” The arbitration panel earlier ruled that the PCSO had erred when it rescinded DFNN’s equipment lease agreement covering systems design development and upgrade for lotto betting via personal communication devices such as text, GPRS, BlueTooth, 3G, WiFi protocols and other wireless devices. The disputed equipment lease agreement was executed by the parties during the Arroyo administration in 2003, providing for the exclusive lease from DFNN all the hardware, software, and knowhow to design and develop a system that would allow the processing of bets from personal communication device users nationwide. But in 2005, prior to the commercial operation of the system, DFNN was informed of the PCSO’s decision to terminate the deal, after which the PCSO began negotiating with third parties to carry out the project. 2016-02-29 10:05 Doris business.inquirer.net

58 The Most Profitable Oscar Movies - Methodology - In Photos: The Most Profitable Oscar Movies 2015 Based on the production budget and global box office (via Box Office Mojo) numbers, we looked at what percentage of its budget each film earned. We included all of the Best Picture Nominations plus two other films that received the most major nods in all other categories ( Foxcatcher and Interstellar ).

2016-02-29 08:06 Hugh McIntyre www.forbes.com

59 EPL: Louis van Gaal thrills fans with theatrical fall as Man United beat Arsenal Manchester: Man Utd manager Louis van Gaal (64) made a late bid for Oscar recognition with a comical touchline tumble during his side's EPL defeat to Arsenal yesterday. Louis van Gaal Protesting against what he felt was a dive by an Arsenal player, the Dutchman marched up to fourth official Mike Dean on the touchline and fell flat on his back (above). His actions drew roars from home fans, who were happy at 3-2 up. The footage of the incident quickly went viral.

2016-02-29 09:50 By AFP www.mid-day.com

60 Mumbai: Staff crunch issues at post mortem centres to get worse The staff crunch at the four post mortem centres of the city, ran by state government is slated to get worse as the opening of a new post mortem centre has clashed with the suspension order of nine of the staff members. While the sources confirmed that the suspension is a disciplinary action, taken because of the attempt of 65 workers to create a union to address their issues, allegations point out that its an attempt by Police Surgeon to suppress the voices of the staff by taking strict action against those who were spearheading the union proposal. At the same time, residents are slated to have some hard time as a remaining 54 employees, already under the threat of action, will also have to manage the additional centre being inaugurated at Sidhharth Hospital of Goregaon by next week. Talking to mid-day, one of the staff members said that the suspension order of the employees was issued during the week and a total of nine employees were suspended out of total 65 overnight. “The employees had joined a union named as Sarvashramik Sangh ran by one Milind Ranade to take up their issues. The staff members were apparently facing issues due to poor quality of equipments provided by the department, staff crunch and increasing pressure. However, the department has taken a strict step towards their attempt to join hands with the union,” said the doctor on the condition of anonymity. One of the nine individuals, suspended in the procedure said that they were issued the orders on February 24 with no specific timeline to join back to service. “We are preparing our defense against the order. Action was taken against all those who were the torchbearers of the union joining procedure. I don’t understand what’s wrong in making our sides heard,” said the employee. While at one end, nine out of a total 65 employees are forced to sit at home due to the action taken by their superiors, the department has plans to inaugurate another post mortem centre at Sidhharth Hospital of Goregaon which is stuck amidst the controversies since past three years. Existing staff members said that while they are already terrified due to the probability of action, which can be taken against them, opening of a new centre is slated to add more pressure on them. “There are a total of 54 employees handling four centers right now. One more centre, which has 12 police stations under its ambit, is going to be busy being in the suburban area and it will be very difficult for us to divide the staff and keep all the centres functioning at the same time. Many of these are nearing retirement and there is no proposal to hire any employees as of now. Residents are slated for hiccups as staff crunch resulted due to the suspension will delay post mortems further,” said a senior forensic expert. All the nine workers are slated to give explanations to the enquiry committee formed of the state government and give reasons behind them joining hands with an outside body to voice out their issues.

2016-02-29 09:49 By Sadaguru www.mid-day.com

61 EPL: Marcus Rashford's brace helps Man United defeat Arsenal Manchester: Teenage forward Marcus Rashford's dream start to life at Manchester United continued yesterday as he scored two goals in his team's 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford. Red hot: Man United striker Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring his second goal against Arsenal in an EPL match at Old Trafford yesterday. Pic/AFP The win represented Louis van Gaal's third win in three competitions, over the past six days, but more significantly, hurt Arsene Wenger's hopes of winning Arsenal's first league title in 12 years. The 18-year-old forward, who scored twice in the mid-week Europa League win over Midtjylland, was on the mark again in the first half, beating Petr Cech on two occasions. 2 goals in 3 minutes The goals came within three minutes of each other as United delivered a serious blow to Wenger's aim of narrowing the five-point gap that leaders Leicester City had before kick-off. After 29 minutes, Ander Herrera started a move with a telling tackle on Theo Walcott, sparking a counter-attack that ended with Guillermo Varela crossing from the right and Gabriel hacking a poor clearance directly to Rashford. The teenager did the rest with a composed finish from a dozen yards, his first EPL shot resulting in his first goal. Arsenal's poor defending was exposed again, from the next serious foray into their territory with Varela making an important header to keep the ball in play. Jesse Lingard picked out Rashford, who again slipped his marker Gabriel, and headed past the diving Petr Cech. Wenger looked stunned on the Arsenal bench. However, pulled an important goal back before the interval through former United striker Danny Welbeck. Mesut Ozil's inch-perfect free-kick from midway inside the United half found Welbeck, who headed past David de Gea. United got their third goal in the 65th minute, with Rashford laying it back for Herrera just outside the area. The Spanish midfielder's crisp shot might was saved by Cech, but a strong deflection off Laurent Koscielny gave the Arsenal 'keeper no chance. Arsenal responded, from Sanchez's right-wing cross on 69 minutes, which found Welbeck on the six-yard line for a shot that was blocked by De Gea. The rebound fell for Ozil, who got it past the diving De Gea.

2016-02-29 09:48 By AFP www.mid-day.com

62 Special bond service for Dental Surgery students: Only three students eligible As Maharashtra Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) started a one-year special bond service for the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) students, across the state, only three students have been eligible for the bond. While the DMER was planning to add helping hands at rural colleges by starting the bond, the students, will now get a choice to handpick from 10 vacancies while seven others will remain vacant for over a year. While the results of PDG-CET were announced on February 23, posts for Assistant Professor/ Dental surgeon in Government/ corporation dental colleges and hospitals as well as medical colleges were opened for the bond service. However, as the DMER had decided to fill the posts on merit basis, not much choice was available for the authorities. “Candidates will be allotted seats as per subject merit & place of performance for posts of Assistant Professor /Dental Surgeon,” said the instruction to the candidates column of DMER. While DMER was to appoint the Assistant Professors at the salary of Rs.15600-39100 with a Grade Pay Rs.6000, Dental Surgeons were offered Rs.15600-39100 with a Grade Pay Rs 5400. While at Government dental College and Hospital of Mumbai there are a total of eight vacancies, including two for Prosthetic Dentistry, one each for Periodontal as well as Pedodontia, three for Community Dentistry for the Assistant Professors, one vacancy for Dental Surgeon was available. At the same time, Government Dental College & Hospital of Aurangabad was looking forward to fill, two posts, one for Operative Dentistry as well as Oral Diagnosis and Radiology. However, while DMER, in process to create a merit list, and planning a huge response to their first year of bond service by students got a shock of their lives to see that only three students, Swapnil Sidam (325/600), Vikas Bajaj (340/600) and Nilesh Jadhav (331/600) managed to crack the merit list. While Sidam appeared for Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Sidam and Bajaj were the students of Prosthodontics. Now the students have got the upper hand as they will get to handpick the colleges and don’t have to undergo any more filtration, as there is no competition. Dr Suhasini Nagda, medical education director, civic hospitals and dean of Nair Dental College said that while the idea of starting bond service was to get helping hands to teach the students as well as during surgery, there will be definitely more students coming in July. “The issue has happened due to less number of students appearing for the exams. More than 75-80 students will probably be in the merit list of June and again the bond vacancies will be opened. Most of the time we have way more vacancies that the students,” said Nagda. 2016-02-29 09:47 By Sadaguru www.mid-day.com

63 Oops, they're slipping The markets remained weak last week, making the Nifty slip below the 7000-mark on Thursday. Global conditions, along with no major triggers on the domestic front, were the reasons for the slip. The Nifty has resistance at 7090 and 7210. Above these two levels, the index may face resistance at 7471, but chances of a move above 7210 are very unlikely. Support for the market is seen at 6852 and 6580. On the back of fall in crude oil prices and on concerns of a global slowdown, overseas investors mainly remained sellers in the current month. According to data available from depositories, for February 1-18, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold Rs 4,503 crore in equities and they were sellers of R 96 crore in the debt market, which caused a net outflow of Rs 4,599 crore ($673 million). In January 2016, they were sellers in equities worth Rs 13,381 crore, but they infused Rs 3,274 crore in debt. In 2015, FPIs had bought in a net Rs 17,806 crore in equities and Rs 45,856 crore in bond markets. The Economic Survey 2016 which was tabled in Parliament in New Delhi during the Budget session. Pic/PTI Sale mode The Government sold 5 per cent of the total paid up equity share capital or 412.2 million equity shares of the country’s largest power producer NTPC last week, through the offer for sale (OFS) route. The Government had 74.96 per cent stake in the company and the floor price was fixed at Rs 122 a share, which was at a discount of 3.82 per cent of the closing price on Monday. After selling, the Government will hold a majority stake of 69.96 per cent in the company. During the current financial year, the Govt. has sold stakes in IOC, PFC, REC Ltd, Engineers India and Dredging Corporation. The Nifty may see major changes from April 1. Three stocks are to be removed and four of them are to be included. The ones to be excluded from the index are PNB, Vedanta and Cairn India. Meanwhile, Aurobindo Pharma, Bharti Infratel, Eicher Motors and Tata motors DVR will take in their place making the number of stocks in the index to 51. However, the total number of companies will continue to be 50, as the equity shares with differential voting rights are eligible to be included in the indices as an additional security subject to the fulfillment of eligibility criteria. Banking allocation Mutual funds lowered allocation to banking stocks by R 6,662 crore to about R 78,600 crore in January on the back of rising bad loans. According to data available from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the deployment of equity funds in bank stocks stood at R 78,644 crore compared to R 85,306 crore in the previous month. After banks, IT was the next preferred sector with an investment of R 43,115 crore followed by pharma (R 33,785 crore) and auto (R 26,653 crore). According to a study, the manufacturing activity in the country has entered expansion territory. The yearly SBI composite Index for February is at 51.3 compared to 47.3 in the previous month. The monthly index declined to 49.5 in February from 52.4 in January 2016. The index above 50 shows growth over previous respective period and less than 50 suggest a contraction over a respective period. Mixed signals Globally, the markets were mixed. The mixed data along with buying interest in selected counters gave support to the markets. On the economic front, the US flash services PMI came out which showed that the data fell to 49.2 in February from 53.2 in January. Also, the US manufacturing data was better. Pending home sales, markit manufacturing PMI final, total vehicle sales, non manufacturing PMI, balance of trade, composite PMI, factory orders, services PMI, unemployment rate, initial jobless claims and non-farm payroll date are the data in focus. Inflation, core inflation, manufacturing PMI, unemployment rate, markit services PMI, composite PMI and retail sales are the triggers in the Euro zone area. For Japanese markets Industrial production, retail sales, construction orders, unemployment rate, Nikkei manufacturing PMI and services PMI are the data. Manufacturing and services PMI will the watch out data on the Chinese front. For Indian markets, Nikkei manufacturing PMI, services PMI and infrastructure output will be in focus. Investors can buy Nifty 6900 two lots of put options and one lot of 7000 call option together.

2016-02-29 09:43 By Alex www.mid-day.com

64 Hold on to your seats Markets fell on three of the five trading days last week. They were under pressure. While the low made on February 12, is still some distance away, it continues to be under threat. The BSESENSEX lost 554.85 points or 2.34 per cent to end at 23,154.30 points. NIFTY lost 181 points or 2.51 per cent to end at 7,029.75 points. The broader indices saw the BSE100, BSE200 and BSE500 lose 2.40 per cent, 2.44 per cent and 2.50 per cent respectively. BSEMIDCAP lost 2.35 per cent while BSESMALLCAP lost 3.25 per cent. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley poses for a photo with Chartered Accountants visiting Parliament in New Delhi on Friday. PIC/PTI In sectoral indices, there were no gainers while the one to lose the least was BSEOIL&GAS down 1.16 per cent. The losers were led by BSEPOWER down 4.25 per cent, followed by BSEBANKEX 3.85 per cent, BSEAUTO 3.70 per cent and BSECAPGOODS 2.96 per cent. In individual stocks, the gainers were led by Hind Unilever up 3.03 per cent followed by ONGC 1.82 per cent and Power Finance 1.70 per cent. The losers were led by the auto stocks with Bajaj Auto down 8.96 per cent, HeroMoto 5.47 per cent and Maruti Suzuki 4.80 per cent. Other heavyweight losers included ICICI Bank 6.90 per cent, SBI 5.10 per cent, TCS 4.55 per cent and ITC 4.54 per cent. The government sold shares of NTPC through an offer for sale (OFS) and garnered close to R 5,000 crore. The retail portion which was to be bid for on the second day remained undersubscribed and unbid portion was added back to the non-retail bucket. The floor price was Rs 122 with a 5 per cent discount to retail. The share recovered from the low of R 116.80 to close at R 121.35, a weekly loss of R 8.15 or 6.29 per cent. Workers dismantle an old railway coach sold off at an auction at a railway station in Allahabad on the day Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled the annual Railways Budget in Parliament. Pic/AFP The Dow Jones gained 247.98 points or 1.51 per cent to close at 16,639.97 points. The Indian Rupee continued to be under pressure and lost R 0.17 or 0.25 per cent to close at R 68.45 to the US Dollar. Thursday saw the February series expire with bears having the market in their full control. The series expired at 6,970.60 points, a series loss of 451.85 points or 6.09 per cent. Mallya and beyond Diageo has announced a severance package for Dr Vijay Mallya in lieu of his stepping down from the board of United Spirits. The deal would involve a payment of roughly R 500 crore over five years for the non-compete agreement. Two issues have been raised post this settlement, where a management alleges foul play and then pays this kind of severance. If the allegations are correct, Diageo should either deduct the money and bring it to United Spirits, or, increase the amount of compensation to Mallya and make good this amount to United Spirits as well. Secondly, the lenders to Mallya’s group of companies want to lay their hands on this money to part compensate for the dues. The progress of this case which is unique in India’s corporate history, will be closely tracked. The Railway budget was presented and there were no changes in either the passenger fares or freight rates. The railway minister has agreed to review the freight structure to make it more competitive against road transport and increase its market share. The minister has also announced new projects, which entail an expenditure of R 1.5 lakh crore, and would be partly financed by LIC. I believe using the surplus liquidity from LIC is a great idea, simply because it puts less pressure on the banking system for other financial needs and ensures LIC a steady long term return on its investments. Not much was said about Mumbai specifically, except the elevated railway project which would again be given a push. The bigger problem in India is encroachment and then litigation which delays projects. The courts need to play an active role in speedy clearances of projects and removing obstacles to encroachment, to make development timely and meaningful. Take it on The Economic Survey presented on Friday, talks of a GDP growth rate of 7 per cent and higher. It believes that these are challenging times but we can still do well as a nation. There are some innovative ideas suggested in the document but one is not sure how much would figure in the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s speech today. The one thing that was worrying the markets over the last fortnight, about changes in the way Long Term Capital Gains was taxed, seems completely unlikely post the survey. A reduction in corporate tax with a matching reduction of exemptions, and, the roadmap of how tax would, in the next three years be cut by five per cent in totality, is on the cards. Today and tomorrow of course are super volatile days on account of the budget and subsequent clarity on any issues thereafter. I believe that the FM has little choice this time, considering the state of the economy. An impetus to push spending through infrastructure is imminent. This would generate jobs, kick start demand in core sectors like steel and cement and have a multiplier effect on economy. Keep your fingers crossed, hope for the best and most important, don’t panic until the entire budget is completed. More on the budget and what is means to us as citizens and market players on Tuesday. Disclaimer: No financial information whatsoever published anywhere in this newspaper should be construed as an offer to buy or sell securities, or as advice to do so in any way whatsoever. All matter published here is for educational and information purposes only and under no circumstances should be used for actual trading or making investment decisions. Readers must consult a qualified financial advisor prior to making any actual investment or trading decisions, based on information published here. Any reader taking decisions based on any information published here does so entirely at his or her risk.

2016-02-29 09:42 By Arun www.mid-day.com

65 65 Stan Wawrinka clinches ninth straight final at Dubai Open Dubai: Stan Wawrinka won his ninth straight final with a 6-4, 7-6 (15/13) defeat of Marcos Baghdatis to clinch the Dubai ATP title on Saturday after a "crazy tiebreaker". Stan Wawrinka poses with the Dubai Open trophy after defeating Marcos Baghdatis during their final match in Dubai on Saturday. Pic/AFP The French Open champion from Switzerland claimed the 13th title of his career and second of the season after Chennai Open. The match lasted for almost two hours, with Wawrinka leading 4-1 in the tiebreaker but forced to go the distance as he saved five set points before winning when a Baghdatis return went wide on a fourth match point. 'All about nerves' "Until 6-all in the tiebreak I was always up with a mini-break. I did I think two double faults and two or three, three quick mistakes," the winner said. "Then it started to be all about nerves — 6-6, 7-7, 10-10. You try to stay there, try to play simple, aggressive. It and was good to finish it in two sets. It's an amazing end of week, for sure. It was a tough beginning, but I was always trying to fight, always trying to improve day-by-day even if I wasn't playing great at the beginning," Wawrinka said. "I'm really happy to have another trophy. It's an amazing feeling, especially today as I was playing some really good tennis. It was a tough final. "

2016-02-29 09:39 By AFP www.mid-day.com

66 Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier 16 tunes for Rajabai The Rajabai Tower remains one of the most prominent structures in SoBo’s landscape. Our resident almanac reminds us that it was back in February 1880 when the tower’s four-sided clock began working, although the rest of the structure was completed three years earlier. Rajabai Tower. Pic/Suresh KK Bombayphile Christopher London writes in Bombay Gothic that the opal glass dials of the clock, which display the time, measure 12ft x 6in in diameter. Lund & Blockley designed the works and carilons that were programmed to play 16 tunes. Interestingly, the corner balconies below the dials were meant to be viewing points! Do I have her smile? Pic/Bipin Kokate Son Viaan looks adoringly at mum Shilpa Shetty as she smiles for the shutterbugs when the two dropped in to cheer dad Raj Kundra at a celebrity T20 game over the weekend at Police Gymkhana. This is for the Rashtra After offering us loads of graphic detail about the goings-on in the the universe of Halahala, graphic novelist and illustrator Appupen is back. Courtesy/Appupen This time, he wants us to meet a desi superhero, called, hold your breath, Rashtraman. Desi leanings notwithstanding, the artist is working overtime to create a set of comic strips on his adventures. Where will it lead him? Can he save the country in turbulent times? Watch this space for more. Six years of memories The folks at Indian Memory Project completed six years last weekend, as an engaging initiative based in the India’s subcontinent to chronicle family history of all kinds. The brains behind this unique idea are not done yet. Representational pic They believe there are more stories to be told, and more memories to be archived. So, if you have a family heirloom story that you are itching to share with the rest of the world or a detail about how your surname emerged, mail across your stories and photographs to [email protected]. Shobhaa De woos HK Courtesy/Shobhaa De’s Twitter account Socialite-writer Shobhaa De with Sanjoy Roy seen at a literary session organised by the Asia Society in Hong Kong recently. It was part of a festival of India’s performing arts and culture. Filmi heavyweights Pic/Nimesh Dave David Dhawan (left) and Rahul Rawail at an event to promote locations for Bollywood films. Sonic stories with Karsh Kale Musician, producer and composer Karsh Kale believes in sharing his knowledge with aspiring talent. Karsh Kale Next week, the music guru, whose new album Up, promises to be special, will be in the city for a session at the True School of Music. Kale is excited at the prospect, “The Masterclass will be an evening of tales, candid conversation and a discussion through life’s learnings.” He adds that the session will be followed by an open chat about his organic approach to music, and some stories that have inspired him along the way. From the sound of it, there will be a lot of storytelling. Of the sonic kind, that is.

2016-02-29 09:39 By Team www.mid-day.com

67 Detroit News - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Proposed legislation sparks statewide debate over best way to protect historic places Largely unregulated, land contracts and similar deals have soared in Detroit since the mortgage meltdown. Judge to be called ‘transition manager,’ assume duties of ex-EM Earley A 30-year-old Detroit man beat a violation of probation charge and nullified his engagement with one fell swoop 60 degrees on Feb. 28, 1880, shatters Sunday when warm breezes up to 64 degrees blankets region An altercation erupted between a group of KKK members and counter-protesters in Anaheim, California. Flint’s 2014 switch to Flint River as water source resulted in lead contamination and public health fears Officials hope to tear down as many as 200 homes before they’re finished with a federal grant program. Calley, Snyder’s outgoing chief of staff disagreed with decision to remove Department of Environmental Quality director Attorney General Bill Schuette said he plans to file felony charges against ex-state Reps. Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat The second annual Daughters of Incarcerated Mothers event honored the TV judge as ‘Detroit Man of the Year’ Gov. Rick Snyder made the comments after signing a $30M spending bill giving Flint residents relief on water bills Growing number of people want to do it themselves, but lawyer warns of pitfalls The emails are the earliest indication that some Snyder advisers were worried Flint’s water troubles could mushroom About 46 teams of students took part in competitions showing off their STEM prowess during the annual competition Police say the man disregarded the lowered crossing arm signaling a train was coming The cougar, a 110-pound male, was killed elsewhere and found by a woman walking her dog in western U. P. The resort says the man was racing Friday when he lost control and slammed into a tower The man had just exited the bus on Van Dyke south of 14 Mile and was was walking in front of the bus when he was struck Police: Man tied up woman in 4000 block of Bagley, fled with her rental car, laptop, phone, jewelry, credit cards The UAW-Ford Department has donated millions to the school system in recent years

2016-02-28 21:38 rssfeeds.detroitnews.com

68 Livonia - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. U. S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is opening a campaign office in Westland. The council met in committee to discuss the proposed Haggerty Marketplace development. Canton Public Safety Director Todd Mutchler is ending his 28-year run in Canton The plans for 45 homes at the former school site went before the planning commission. Farmington Hills will join Farmington and Novi in dissolving SWOCC. Programs in Detroit and Flint keep more families together for a fraction of what the state spends on foster care. Chief: Milford continues to be ranked among Michigan’s safest communities Redford Township police arrested an older white male without incident after he attempted to rob a Plymouth Road bank on Feb. 17. The Livonia City Council held a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of the property. This is the third and final month of the summer with a Supermoon. It's when a full or new moon coincides with the moon's closest point to Earth in its orbit. Basically, the moon appears bigger and brighter than usual in the night sky. Two Churchill High School students were outstanding in the state math competition. Thurston students enjoy Zumba class with a good cause in mind. Harrison High School will host a prom/party expo with its fashion show. Lyon Township octogenarian pens memories of living on Army base, prisoners of war Hills Mayor Ken Massey wants to hear from residents. Roksana Sikorski was just 15 when she attacked her younger brother with a knife. Children, adults get health care coverage through initiative in Garden City Garden City Key Club teens reach out to help the hungry Book sale gets newborn Zoey off on right foot, gives others food for thought Columnist Diana Wing writes about people and events in Southfield and Lathrup Village. Written petitions are required for in-person appeals in Plymouth and Plymouth Township. An education outreach program for the Livonia symphony aims to inspire.

2016-02-28 21:38 rssfeeds.hometownlife.com

69 Want to drive an auto in Mumbai? Learn to read Marathi first Starting today, the state’s Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) will be starting a ‘test’ for auto rickshaw drivers who have been short-listed for securing a permit. And what must a candidate do to qualify for the same? Read in Marathi. Taking a stand against what they term as a ‘laughable’ move, Mumbai’s auto union will start protesting this move outside the Andheri, Wadala and Borivali RTOs. The auto union will carry out their protests against the move till March 5, outside the Andheri, Wadala and Borivali RTOs. File pic for representation People who have won the lottery for auto rickshaw permits will give the tests. The state government wants to ensure the drivers know Marathi. For this, they will ask the auto drivers to read out literature written in Marathi. Sources said that although the transport department has removed the clause of a driver or permit holder being SSC pass, knowing the state language is necessary. Shashank Rao, president, Mumbai Autorickshaw Taximen’s Union Mandatory “We will be bringing these lottery winners in batches and would ask them to read out Marathi. It is mandatory for the drivers to know the local language, despite the education criteria being eased out,” said an RTO officer. The tests will continue till March 5. The batches will contain winners from respective RTOs who will give these tests at Andheri, Wadala and Borivali RTOs. Earlier last year, the state transport department had lowered the educational criteria of permit winners from Std X to Std VIII, considering that outside the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the qualification required for a permit is Std VIII. Laughable 'test' Meanwhile, the auto union claims that this is a laughable thing being done the government. They will continue their protest till March 5. Union leaders say the number of autos on road would not be affected much, but there would be a sufficient number of their members including auto drivers and permit holders who would join the protest. “The RTOs will be asking these permit winners to read the Marathi language, which according to us is laughable. It seems that the authorities haven’t done any homework. The drivers should only know the local language and there is no need for them to read it out,” said Shashank Rao, president, Mumbai Autorickshaw Taximen’s Union.

2016-02-29 09:37 By Shashank www.mid-day.com

70 Christian Science Monitor | All Stories - powered by FeedBurner The film 'Spotlight' won the Oscar for Best Picture while Brie Larson and Leonardo DiCaprio won the Oscars for best actress and best actor, respectively, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu won the best director Oscar for 'The Revenant.' The best supporting actor Oscar went to Mark Rylance, while Alicia Vikander won the best supporting actress Oscar. DiCaprio has won the Best Actor Oscar for his work in the film 'The Revenant.' 'I felt that this is one of the greatest actors,' his director for 'Revenant,' Alejandro G. Iñárritu, said of DiCaprio's work in the film. Larson starred in the movie as a young woman being held captive with her son (Jacob Tremblay). 'When I met Brie, not only did you have an amazing actor, but you’ve also got this really warm, really funny, really vibrant person,' her director, Lenny Abrahamson, said of casting Larson. Rylance played Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in the Steven Spielberg movie 'Bridge.' 'Seldom has an actor been around for so many distinguished years on the stage and yet had not been fully discovered for the screen,' Spielberg said of the actor. Vikander portrayed Gerda Wegener, the wife of transgender woman Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne), in the film. Vikander also appeared this year in such films as 'Testament of Youth' and 'Ex Machina,' with the latter also winning her awards season acclaim. While none of Iran's political factions are expected to have an outright majority, the elections are a rebuke to hard-liners opposed to rapprochement with the West. The Army staff sergeant killed one officer and wounded two others who were responding to a domestic violence call at his home. He is also accused of murdering his wife. Disney introduced a demand-based pricing structure today, raising single-day admission prices for some holiday and summer weekend visits. The company has been raising admission prices every year, leading some to worry that it's pricing out middle class families. After attaining the endorsement of a former Ku Klux Klan leader, the presidential candidate has yet to explicitly distance himself from the white supremacist group. Saudi authorities often prosecute views that challenge the state's version of Wahhabi Islam. New laws that equate atheism with terrorism help criminalize free speech, activists say. Getting married is an exciting time filled with risk and adventure. But it's also a great time to start stabilizing your finances and even begin investing for the future. The space telescope recently captured an image of the nebula in the Carina constellation. The US presidential campaign is raising voter fears about the future more than focusing on what Warren Buffett calls America’s ‘secret sauce” – its long history of sustained gains in economic productivity. With only 38 Kordofan giraffes remaining, conservationists are asking President Obama to donate funding and supplies. This is the story of 'the Janes' – the nameless, faceless group that Texas abortion laws have arguably affected the most. A new rocket fuel feature appears to be causing technical problems. But even if the glitch is fixed for Sunday's launch, the big question still remains: Will the Falcon 9 be able to land back on Earth in one piece? Both senators hit the Sunday morning circuit trying to blunt the Republican front-runner's advance. The referendum had been polling well last year, but it drove voter turnout and was ultimately rejected by a majority of voters. Reportedly, the strikes were carried out by Russian warplanes; there have also been accounts of clashes between government and opposition troops. Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, said the EU could stop migrants but does not wish to. The founders of Agricool hope to use their innovative system to grow crops more quickly - using less space and water - to bring affordable, tasty fruits and vegetables to urban centers. Oliver Bridgeman, age 19, may be stranded in Syria after the Australian government revoked his passport. The teen says he is working at camps for refugee children. In his annual letter to shareholders, billionaire businessman Warren Buffett expresses bright optimism about America's future generations. After the US Supreme Court froze the Obama-backed Clean Energy Act earlier this month, its ruling on EPA mercury and toxin regulations could either open or block more environmental rules from decision from the high court. A KKK rally turned violent in southern California Saturday. And while the event may feel to some like chapter from a history book, statistics from 2015 tell a different story. The country debates preserving Hitler's rallying grounds in Nuremberg and releasing an edition of 'Mein Kampf.' How do nations deal with memorials of a disowned past? Hillary Clinton's big win in the South Carolina primary shows how differently black and white voters are seeing the election. Several stores and restaurants are offering freebies and special offers to those attempting to celebrate Feb.29 in style. Even better, if you were actually born on a Leap Day, you can score the very best of these offers. In the jigsaw puzzle that is paying for college, work-study jobs are the sky pieces — they help fill in the gaps between everything else. This year, your guess may be as good as the experts' when it comes to what movie will win the big prize. Why is the Best Picture race seemingly so hard to predict this time? Hillary Clinton routed Bernie Sanders in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Beneath the surface, it offered a nuanced, Southern glimpse of gun control. You can avoid more expensive, smaller servings and still not have your food spoil too quickly. Leymah Gbowee, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, thinks so. She did it in her native Liberia. All the acting nominees at the Oscars this year are white and no female directors are nominated for the corresponding prize. Yet some in Hollywood are heartened – albeit cautiously – by recent developments that should benefit women and minorities, both behind the camera and in front. Cleveland's Community Police Commission has struggled with concerns ranging from lack of resources and time demands. Turnout was low, but Hillary Clinton won the support of nearly 9 in 10 black voters, crucial Democratic backers who abandoned her for Obama in 2008. New research improves the ability to forecast rogue waves, also known as killer waves, which can rise without warning to tower over ships and rigs, with potentially catastrophic results. David Wayne Campbell shot and killed himself Friday on his wooded property near Seattle. Police suspect he also killed his wife and her two children. The World Trade Center transportation hub, set to open in March, was designed as a symbol of renewal but has been bogged down by a growing budget costs and delays. The weapon used by a shooter to kill three people at a Kansas factory was purchased by a friend. Isn't that what happened in the San Bernadino shooting?

2016-02-29 05:47 rss.csmonitor.com

71 EPL: Tottenham beat Swansea to maintain second spot London: Tottenham remain hot on the heels of Leicester City in the Premier League title race after Danny Rose's late winner capped a dramatic fightback in yesterday's vital 2-1 victory against Swansea. Whites shine bright: Tottenham Hotspur's midfielder Nacer Chadli (right) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League encounter against Swansea City at White Hart Lane in London yesterday. Tottenham won 2-1. Pic/AFP Mauricio Pochettino's side were in danger of losing ground on the leaders when Alberto Paloschi gave struggling Swansea a shock lead at White Hart Lane with his first goal since his January move from Chievo. But Nacer Chadli came off the bench to equalise in the 70th minute and Rose sealed the comeback seven minutes later when the defender bagged his first goal since May. Eye on first title Tottenham have now won their last six league matches and sit in second place, just two points behind Leicester, as their fans start to dream of a first English top-flight title since 1961. Making the day even sweeter for Tottenham, their bitter rivals Arsenal were beaten at Manchester United and are now three points behind them ahead of next Saturday's crucial north London derby. Swansea, who are only three points above the relegation zone, had an early chance when Paloschi crossed low to the edge of the six-yard box, where Gylfi Sigurdsson fired powerfully towards goal, only to be denied by a superb tip over from Hugo Lloris. Tottenham striker Harry Kane, wearing a mask to protect his broke nose, should have opened the scoring moments later, yet Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was equal to his close- range effort from a Christian Eriksen cross. Pressure pays off The relentless pressure paid off in the 70th minute when Kyle Walker fired goalwards and substitute Chadli was in the right place to divert the ball past Fabianski at last. The winner for Tottenham arrived in the 77th minute. A corner was only half cleared and fell to left-back Rose, who took a touch before smashing his shot under Fabianski to spark wild celebrations.

2016-02-29 09:36 By AFP www.mid-day.com

72 Detroit Free Press - Home This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. From Chris Rock's monologue through best picture, we're recounting all the action at 'The 88th Academy Awards' "As you know, the Governor can declare at any time for any reason," Capt. Kelenske of the MSP said in a Nov. 13 e-mail. The Academy Awards' red carpet fashion show had something for everyone -- unless you were looking for total tackiness. "Creed" director and "Grey's Anatomy" star bring heavy-duty volunteers to raise money for beleaguered residents MDOT is no longer paying $1.1 million to lease the railcars, but the agency gets much less if the cars are sold Abigail Kopf, shot during rampage, upgraded to serious condition as funerals continue. Lately, our locally made brews and booze are raising the Motor City's presence as a world-class food and drink destination. We are live-chatting tonight’s Oscars beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Freep.com. Host Erin Podolsky will be talking fashion, winners, losers and more until the final statuette is handed off. This year the Oscar folks knew what was coming — and knew they had it coming. It's the second-oldest house in the city. And almost nobody knows it exists. Proposed recreation improvements also include upgrades at neighborhood parks and new dog park for steadily growing city. The 17-year-old was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. Let her know what you overheard and remind her of the poor timing We hear of problems that seem overwhelming and we shake our heads. Oakland University’s senior sharpshooter and his father talk constantly, with basketball always at the top of the list. For years, they’ve gone back and forth, walking Max’s basketball journey together. Too many chair hogs leave little choice for others With Women’s History Month kicking off this week, these five women are following the tradition of earlier trailblazers. New e-mails identify the anonymous filter donors as Meijer and Clorox R-rated superhero takes down 'Gods of Egypt' and feel-good 'Eddie the Eagle.' This surprise, special connection linked by a disease inspires us all to ‘just keep living,’ help others A swelling herd of service dogs has stepped up to help humans with amazing results. But please: Don't pet these animals. American Girl's new African-American historical doll finds her voice in the 1960s civil rights movement in Detroit. Ken Harris, CEO of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, aims to create the nation's biggest chamber of commerce. The reigning NBA MVP finished with 46 points as his winning shot was his 12th three-pointer, tying the single-game record. Detroit Ento says insects can provide a vast amount of protein at a fraction of the cost of other sources like cattle. Experts know of no cons brewing this Feb. 29, but you might not find out you've been had until March 32. rssfeeds.freep.com 2016-02-29 04:45 rssfeeds.freep.com

73 Muncie - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Two people have been killed in a traffic accident in Selma, authorities say. Gary Carmichael, a former Delaware County sheriff and assessor, died Saturday at age 80. A 76-year-old Muncie man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly fired a gunshot from his car. The next meeting of R. A. C. E. will be 6-8 p.m. Tuesday LifeStream Services has added a new senior café site in Daleville. A Muncie man accused of stealing $20,000 in silver from a good Samaritan has now been sued by his alleged victim. West Muncie: In present day Yorktown, area maps occasionally listed a ‘West Muncie’ community that no longer exists. Some high school basketball teams haven't been present for the national anthem before games. Does that matter? The Delaware County PRIDE Team will celebrate Read Across America Day March 2. An Indiana Legal Services will offer free legal advice to eligible citizens on Tuesday. The Walker/Roysdon Report looks at local government and politics. Governor has no deadline to fill board vacancies New board members for East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, small business seminars and promotions Today, one of John Maynard Keynes principal observations about the Great Depression is proving most vexing. A convicted child molester faces a felony charge over his decision to work at a New Castle bowling alley. Prosecutors have requested more time to file formal charges against an retired deputy. A Muncie man with a long criminal record has pleaded guilty in a meth-related case. Turns out, a lot of them don't remember fifth-grade math or 10th-grade science. Nearly 50 spellers from local schools will compete in the first WIPB Spelling Bee, set for 9 a.m. March 12. Mike White lost his leg and nearly lost his life. On Thursday night, the Burris assistant coach returned to the sideline A felon accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs into a “local penal institution” has drawn a two- year sentence. A Winchester man and his teenage son were arrested on heroin-related charges Wednesday. The cause of a Wednesday fire that hospitalized a Muncie man remains under investigation. A Michigan man accused of shooting his girlfriend on Sunday was arrested Wednesday night by Muncie police.

2016-02-29 03:36 rssfeeds.thestarpress.com

74 Lenders eye Vijay Mallya's Rs 515-crore exit package The consortium of 17 lenders to the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines have decided to move the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) against the airline chairman Vijay Mallya to stake claim on the $75 million severance package he will be getting for quitting United Spirits (USL). Vijay Mallya Last week, Mallya quit as chairman of USL after Diageo, the majority owner of the country’s largest liquor company, agreed to pay him $75 million (R515 crore) in a sweetheart deal, that has since then came under markets regulator Sebi glare as well as minority shareholders. “Since Mallya had given personal guarantees for the loans given to Kingfisher, this money (which he will receive from Diageo) belongs to us. We have decided to move to the DRT to claim that money,” said a senior bank official. Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines owed R7,800 crore to a consortium of 17 lenders led by State Bank of India which had an exposure of over R1,600 crore to the now defunct airline. Other lenders include PNB, BoB, Canara Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank, Federal Bank, Uco Bank and Dena Bank. As part of the deal, Diageo said it would pay $40 million immediately to Mallya with the balance being payable in equal installments over five years.

2016-02-29 09:35 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

75 USATODAY - World Top Stories This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. U. S. State Department is monitoring reports of violations to 'cessation of hostilities.' Around 500 people, mostly women and girls, died in honor killings last year. UK faces a choice between playing it safe or making bold move and leaving EU. Two bombs detonated minutes apart Sunday in Baghdad at a crowded outdoor market, killing at least 59 people and injuring dozens more, officials said. Iranian officials on Saturday celebrated a large turnout in the nation's elections. A series of explosions at a Russian mine has killed dozens of miners and some sent to save them. Lawmakers express confusion and division Sunday after election fails to produce a majority. The outcome comes as a blow to the Swiss People’s Party that had campaigned for the plan. A lion at the Perth Zoo needed dental work and specialists jumped right in! In one visit they removed a tooth, but the big cat will have to go back for more work. Keleigh Nealon (@keleighnealon) has the story! DUBLIN — Ireland could be on course for a historic coalition between two longtime political foes — the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail parties — as the first official election results were announced Saturday. Iranian officials onSaturday celebrated a large turnout in the nation's elections, and touted preliminary results, based on just 3% of the votes cast, showing reformist backers of President Hassan Rouhani in the lead, according to Iranian news outlet The Islamic State group, which is not a party to the cease-fire, launched several attacks after the truce went into effect. The small former Soviet Republic is alarmed by growing Russian exercises and rhetoric. Authorities allowed the peaceful rally to proceed even as many expressed bleak prospects for the future. 'Cape Breton if Donald Trump Wins' website has attracted 650,000 visitors since Feb. 16. Yemeni security officials say Saudi-led airstrikes targeting Shiite rebels have killed at least 30 people, mostly civilians, in a district outside the capital, Sanaa. This video from 2012 that went viral showed two brothers dancing as women clapped at a wedding party in a northern Pakistan village. A council of elders issued a death sentence again the pair, as well as four women and a 12-year-old girl. CDC: 9 pregnant U. S. travelers infected with Zika, with one baby born with birth defects Five militants were also killed. Swiss voters will cast ballots on whether the country should automatically expel foreigners who break the law. rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2016-02-29 07:04 rssfeeds.usatoday.com

76 WXIA - Local This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. A group of current and former Lithonia Police officers are now joining together and calling for the city's police chief to be fired. Gangs - think they're just a city problem? Think again. Police say an aspiring actress has been killed after she was struck while dealing with car trouble in southeast Georgia. Kent Bazemore scored 14 points and Al Horford had 13 points and tied a season high with 16 rebounds to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Charlotte Hornets 87-76 on Sunday. A look at all the results and action from Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Cobb County police are investigating after two very different homicides that happened over the course of a few hours – and just a few miles apart. DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A plane is back safely on the ground after engine trouble made for a close call. A person was struck and killed near the intersection of two major Atlanta Interstates early Sunday morning, authorities say. STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. — Henry County Police officers are investigating after two people were shot during an early-morning armed robbery. ATLANTA — The Super Tuesday primary is just days away, but presidential candidates are not moving on from Georgia yet. ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia House has approved a bill eliminating state sales taxes on Super Bowl tickets if the National Football League selects Atlanta as a host city. House members voted 127-22 in favor of the measure, which is backed by Gov. The family of Kendrick Johnson says they’re positive they’ll get justice for their son. A Georgia man convicted of burglarizing race-team trailers at Daytona International Speedway and other tracks is facing 10 years in prison. The co-founders of a Hixson nursing home business paid themselves six-figure salaries and drove company-financed Porsches while failing to pay employees, utility bills, taxes and creditors. Thousands showed up to see and hear from Marco Rubio the Saturday ahead of Super Tuesday. Marco Rubio was in Atlanta Saturday for a campaign rally before Super Tuesday when he got a tough question from an unlikely person: a teenager. WILMINGTON, Del. — A passenger who was aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship when it was battered during a major coastal storm earlier this month has filed a federal lawsuit against the cruise line. ATLANTA — Police are investigating, after two people were shot in southwest atlanta. EAST POINT, Ga. — A woman is recovering from gunshot wounds after she was found shot in the head outside a sports bar, according to authorities. A car seat company has issued an extensive recall for one of its products after it's been shown that children have been able to loosen the car seat's safety harness. JONESBORO, Ga. — Police are searching for the driver involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed a 27-year-old woman. Cedric Alexander named as possible finalist for new Chicago Police Superintendent A child is safe after a car theft in Atlanta, late Friday night. The family of a security guard killed by a Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy wants to see if video showing the incident can be enhanced. The 11Alive Investigators go beyond reporting the headlines of the day by exploring those stories that can effect change. Days after allegations surfaced accusing the police chief of choking a handcuffed teen, the Lithonia city council is calling a special meeting. The notice was posted Friday morning at City Hall. BROOKHAVEN, Ga. -- Police are looking to identify a man who they said took pictures up a woman's skirt at a Brookhaven Publix.

2016-02-29 07:04 rssfeeds.11alive.com

77 Port Huron - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Students learn how to think on their feet Walkers got a little cold Saturday so other people could stay warm. Loud Music and Apparel to open in April in downtown Port Huron Robert Duenaz, part of the Red Pepper family, will be opening a new Mexican restaurant by the end of March The Rockin' the Rivers concert series at Kiefer Park in Port Huron has returned. Visitors talk about their favorite vendor foods to eat while listening to the music. The two lawmakers were caught up in a sex and cover-up scandal. Courser resigned and Gamrat was expelled by House. It’s 2016, and while we may not have flying cars yet, we do have robotic-assisted surgery. No, it’s not a robot that performs the surgery. Rather, surgeons use robotic technology to perform highly precise, delicate procedures through tiny incisions. DEQ wants to remove beach closings beneficial use impairment Even with Sears closing, Birchwood Mall will still continue to be a retail anchor for the Blue Water Area More than 225 people walk to raise money to help people pay their winter utility bills. Today in history in the Blue Water Area Long testified for a little more than an hour Friday. Her testimony will resume Tuesday. The Michigan Department of Transportation and local agencies are enacting annual spring weight restrictions Wind turbine ordinance, fire and road tax renewals are on Argyle Township ballot March 8 Voters in four townships in Sanilac County and one in St. Clair County will consider road tax requests on March 8. At a bill signing in Flint today, the governor was more self-critical about Flint failures than in past statements The Canadian Coast Guard’s Samuel Risley will be clearing ice out of the St. Clair River’s North Channel today.

2016-02-29 07:04 feeds.feedblitz.com

78 My dream is to see farmers double their income by 2022: PM Modi Bareilly: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he dreams of seeing farmers' income getting doubled by 2022 when the country completes 75 years of its independence. Addressing a big gathering of farmers during a 'Kisan Rally' here, Modi highlighted various initiatives undertaken by his government for their welfare. PM Narendra Modi Stating that while most of the governments wait for the election year to roll out welfare schemes and incentives for farmers, Modi said it was not the case with his National Democratic Alliance government. "Farmers look towards governments after God and it is imperative on us to ensure that the farmers are looked after well," the prime minister said. "I exhort all state governments that they should work on the road map before them and I am sure that my dream and your dream will succeed," he added. Elaborating on his dream, Modi said by 2022 when India completes 75 years of its independence the income of the farmers would be doubled. He then asked farmers whether his dream would be realised. Modi said it was not a very difficult target. Citing the example of Madhya Pradesh, a Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state, he said though it did not figure in the top five states of agriculture, now there was a complete turnaround in the agriculture sector. The prime minister said he had not come here to criticise any government. "But I want everyone to be on the same page on the issue of farmer welfare," he said in an apparent dig on the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh. The prime minister also described the service, manufacturing and agriculture sectors as the backbone of the Indian economy.

2016-02-29 09:34 By IANS www.mid-day.com

79 WUSA - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (WUSA9) – A father, mother and son are dead, and a daughter is seriously injured after a car crash on River Road Saturday around 7:00 p.m. WASHINGTON (WUSA9) – Police departments across the DMV have taken to Twitter to pay their respects for an officer killed on her first day of the job. We'll see a slim shower chance Monday morning as a weak front pushes through. Tuesday will be nice and then showers will be much more likely on Wednesday. WOODBRIDGE, Va. (WUSA9) --Emotions were still raw at Sunday's candlelight vigil to honor Prince William County Police Officer Ashley Guindon. JOPPA, Md. (WUSA9) -- A dog was rescued after being found in a stovetop cooking fire on Saturday morning in Joppa. COLUMBIA, S. C. (USA TODAY) — Hillary Clinton has picked up her biggest win yet over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential race, winning Saturday's South Carolina primary. Her win in the Palmetto State, where African-Americans made up a large percentage of the electorate, gives Clinton a boost heading into Tuesday, when a number... Some great actors, writers and directors will be honored during the 88th Academy Awards. But Tracy Morgan as "The Danish Girl" may just be the winner. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WUSA9) – Police need your help locating a missing 27-year- old man from Virginia.

2016-02-29 03:34 rssfeeds.wusa9.com

80 Asia Cup: Pak fans can't hide dejection after loss against India Karachi: Pakistani cricket fans and former players have reacted with disappointment and anger to the national team's defeat against arch-rivals India in their Asia Cup Twenty20 match. A large number of fans who had gathered at different spots in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi yesterday to watch the match on giant screens amidst an atmosphere of festivity left upset and angry. Television channels showed some of them raising slogans against the Pakistan Cricket Board and players demanding their ouster while in some other parts of the country disappointed fans broke television sets with sticks. UAE challenge today A hurt Pakistan are set to intimidate minnows United Arab Emirates with their four-pronged pace attack in a round robin league game of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament, here today. It is expected that to be a cakewalk when Shahid Afridi's boys take on the qualifiers in their second league encounter.

2016-02-29 09:33 By PTI www.mid-day.com

81 Shakira, Gerard Pique put kids early to bed to 'play at being lovers' Colombian singer Shakira has revealed to an Argentine magazine that she ensures her two sons are in bed early so that, "daddy and mummy can play at being lovers. " Gerard Pique and Shakira pose with the trophy after FC Barcelona won the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club in Spain at Camp Nou on May 30, 2015. Pic/Getty Images Shakira (39) is the girlfriend of Spanish footballer Gerard Pique (28). The Daily Star newspaper quoted Shakira telling the magazine: "In my house everyone goes to bed at 8.30 so daddy and mummy can play at being lovers. I'm very German when it comes to timetables. I was never punctual and it was my great professional failing but I have to admit that my children (three-year-old Milan and one-year-old Sasha) have straightened me out. " Temperamental side Shakira also revealed her temperamental side which reflects on her being very demanding at home. "I have a happy temperament which compensates and Gerard likes that," she said. "He once told me something I think is the most romantic thing I've ever heard him say which is that he likes my defects and that he couldn't live without them. That is a definite compliment because I've got a lot, definitely more than a dozen. " The singer and footballer met in 2010 when he was part of her famous music video for her hit song, 'Waka Waka'. When she was interviewed recently and asked whether she'd choose Prince William or Prince Harry for a date, Shakira, also famous for her Hips Don't Lie track, replied: "I've got my own prince so I can't help you on that one. " The Daily Star added: "She officially confirmed their relationship via Twitter and Facebook on March 29 2011, posting a picture of the two with the caption: 'I present to you my sunshine.' " Talking of Facebook, Barcelona star Pique reportedly had dinner with Facebook founder and wife Priscilla Chan to celebrate Chan's birthday. 2016-02-29 09:32 By A www.mid-day.com

82 Thane massacre: Medical experts suspect victims were sedated before being butchered The lone survivor of the Thane family massacre, Sobiya Bharmal, is currently undergoing treatment at the Titan Hospital. Doctors treating Bharmal said she survived due to timely treatment. Sobiya Bharmal, the lone survivor, is undergoing treatment at the Titan Hospital in Thane. Pic/Datta Kumbhar Dr Abrar Khan said, “We had to put 25 stitches to stop the bleeding. The patient was brought to the hospital in a semi-conscious state. We had to immediately suture the gash across her throat. Though stable, she is in a state of shock.” Doctors added her voice box is intact and though Bharmal is unable to talk right now, she will be able to record her complete statement soon. Being the lone witness to the massacre, her statement is of utmost importance. Sedated before slaughter? Medical experts treating Bharmal as well as those who performed autopsy on the deceased at the Thane and Kalwa Civil Hospitals claimed there was a possibility that the victims were sedated before being butchered. “Prima facie, Bharmal looked sedated. However, blood loss could be the reason. We have sent her blood samples for testing. Presence of sedatives in the blood will be ascertained only when the reports are out,” said a doctor from Titan Hospital. Seconding this opinion, Dr Kempi Patil, civil surgeon at Thane Civil Hospital, also spoke about the possibility of the victims being administered sedatives or poison. He ascertained deep wounds across throats of the deceased as the cause of death. He added that blood and viscera samples were sent to the forensic lab in Kalina for analysis. “We’ll be able to ascertain whether the victims were sedated or not, and the kind of drug used for the same, once the reports are out. All the victims had similar deep and straight slits across their throats, which is the primary cause of their deaths. However, reports will ascertain if they were poisoned before being butchered. Even Hasnain’s blood and viscera samples were sent to the forensic lab,” said Patil. While all the 15 bodies were initially brought to Thane Civil Hospital, seven were later despatched to Kalwa Civil Hospital so that the autopsies could be conducted at the earliest. “A team of eight doctors performed autopsies here,” Patil said.

2016-02-29 09:31 By Sadaguru www.mid-day.com

83 BDO nets record high P25B THE COUNTRY’S largest lender BDO Unibank Inc. racked up a record-high net profit of P25 billion for 2015, matching its earnings guidance for the year despite a challenging operating environment. The bank grew its net profit last year by 10 percent. It also achieved another milestone by ending last year with assets breaching P2 trillion, the first Philippine bank to do so, the Sy family-led bank said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday. BDO said the sustained expansion in lending, deposit-taking and fee-based businesses had driven this performance last year. The bank’s customer loan portfolio grew by 17 percent to P1.3 trillion, outpacing the industry’s growth of 13 percent. Total deposits expanded by 12 percent to P1.7 trillion, underpinned by the faster 19 percent jump in low-cost deposits.

2016-02-29 09:31 Doris business.inquirer.net

84 Mumbai: Slum dwellers make the Khada Parsi their home Merely two years after its restoration, the iconic Khada Parsi statue in Byculla is under threat again, thanks to local slum dwellers, who have turned it into their home. This is happening despite the fact that the Brihanmum-bai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has plans to monitor and safeguard it. But at present, the plans have not moved forward. After laborious restoration that lasted close to two years and costed close to Rs 1 crore to the BMC, the Khada Parsi Grade 1 heritage monument at Byculla junction is once again threatened by encroachers. On Sunday, a family of five with their mattresses and a broken chair had moved into the well around the cast iron statue that is one of only two of its kind in the world Conservation architect, Pankaj Joshi, who was commissioned by the BMC to restore the iconic statue said, “It is very sad to see this piece of history being subjected to vandalism. There were plans to fence the area around the statue and install CCTV cameras, but it doesn’t seem to be working. The material used for the restoration is of great quality, but it is barely secure.” mid-day had earlier reported about the BMC’s plan to install CCTVs around the statue on February 7 last year, in the report ‘8 CCTV cameras to keep a watch on Khada Parsi statue’. Joshi said that he has seen junkies use the foot of the statue as a haven at night, while squatters also use the space as a shelter. “No matter how many times the BMC removes the encroachments, they are back again. The city needs to take their historic monuments seriously,” he said. BMC says The BMC officer from E ward said, “I know about the problem, as slum dwellers are residing inside Khada Parsi statue. But the proposal to improve it and put fencing lies with the heritage committee. Unless they don’t give a go ahead, we cannot take adequate steps. CCTVs too have been planned.” The Khada Parsi statue The 40-foot tall, cast-iron monument in Byculla, has a statue of Seth Cursetjee Manockjee (1763-1845), a 19th century Parsi businessman and education reformer, perched atop a Corinthian pillar with sculptures of four mermaids surrounding the base. It is one of only two such statues in the world, the other being the statue of Cires in Chile. The BMC had completed restoring the over 150-year-old plus statue — which is a Grade I heritage monument — in June 2014. The estimated cost of the project was just under Rs 1 crore and Rs 6 lakh is spent annually for its maintenance.

2016-02-29 09:30 By A www.mid-day.com

85 Paint-and-wine innovator creates new trend in Florence FLORENCE, S. C. (AP) - Winter Moore started Addie’s Baby Paint and Wine Studio three years ago with just her college paint brushes and materials. Business took off from there. Initially, Moore’s business began as a graphic design studio. But she wanted to get back into art, something she had done since the first grade. “So, I started doing some art classes,” Moore said. “Some people told me, ‘Hey, why don’t’ you do the wine-and-paint thing? It seems like it would be pretty cool.’” Moore thought about it. She had attended paint-and-wine classes before. “So I said, ‘OK, I’ll see how it works here in this space and downtown,’” she said. Moore named her business Addie’s Baby Paint and Wine Studio in thoughts of her mother. Addie Moore was Moore’s mother, who died four years ago from pancreatic cancer. Addie Moore always referred to Moore as her baby, hence the name of the studio. Starting out, Addie’s Baby Paint and Wine Studio would offer classes approximately twice per month, because at the time, Moore was still doing graphic design for her clients. “And what started happening was, the more people started coming, the more people started requesting more classes,” she said. “So, once to twice a month turned into like once every week, and it kind of tripled into three times a week and then also included private parties and birthdays, and it just kind of grew from there.” The downtown space on West Evans Street in Florence turned solely into a paint and wine studio. Now Moore teaches five or six times per week, not including private parties. She hosts charity functions once a month where 50 percent of the proceeds benefit a specific charity in the Pee Dee. Moore teaches roughly 70 to 100 people per week. Arts supplies are provided for each class, and Moore shows students step-by-step how to create the selected painting for that particular evening. Tougher designs are sketched on canvases to make it easier for students to paint. Each session ends with a class photo. Paintings are different each night, and, Moore said she tries to introduce two or three new pieces each month. The most popular pieces are usually repeated on weekends, Moore said. “Our customers like to send us paintings and pictures or give us ideas of what they would like to see, and we usually go off that,” Moore said. “We go off of what the customers want, because I can make stuff that I think is hot all day, but if they don’t like it . it’s really with them.” Moore said sometimes, she comes up with the paintings. She has figured out that many of her customers like Southern-themed paintings. “They want more traditional things they can hang up on their walls that resemble their houses,” she said. “Like, they want Mason jars and sunflowers and chevron and monograms.” Moore said her paintings are judged by the area and atmosphere she is in. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 09:27 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

86 Barack Obama's voters now back Hillary Clinton Columbia: Hillary Clinton yesterday crushed Bernie Sanders in the crucial Democratic primary in South Carolina, restoring her position as party's undisputed frontrunner as the race for the White House barrels toward key multi-state contests billed as the "Super Tuesday" showdown. Hillary Clinton addresses a rally in South Carolina. Pic/AFP Clinton crushed Sanders by almost 50 per cent points, drawing huge support from the black voters who had abandoned her here eight years ago for Barack Obama. She won the support of nearly 9 in 10 of the minority African-American voters. The victory is her strongest yet in the 2016 primary contest after she narrowly won the Iowa caucuses and was crushed by Sanders in the New Hampshire primary. She won the Nevada caucuses earlier this week by five percentage points. Today's win gives Clinton (68) a decisive advantage ahead of the "Super Tuesday" showdown, when the Democratic Party's primary would be held in 11 states. "Tomorrow (Monday), this campaign goes national. We are going to compete for every vote in every state, we are not taking anything and not taking anyone for granted," said the former secretary of state in a victory speech at a raucous rally. With almost all counting done, Clinton bagged a massive 73.5 per cent votes as against just 26 per cent by Sanders. Political pundits believe the massive support she received from black voters could carry over to other states next week including Alabama, Texas and Georgia. According to an MSNBC exit poll, Clinton won 87 per cent of the black votes. She has assiduously cultivated black voters and campaigned alongside black surrogates, and visited the African-American churches and the historically black colleges. After the win, Clinton offered a vision for America based on "love and kindness" in stark contrast to the sometimes divisive campaign led by Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. "I know it sometimes seems a little odd for someone running for president these days and in this time to say we need more love and kindness in America," she said. "But I am telling you from the bottom of my heart, we do. " In a pointed dig at him, she said: "Despite what you hear, we don't need to 'make America great again'. America has never stopped being great. But we do need to make America whole again. " "Instead of building walls, we need to be tearing down barriers. We need to show, by everything we do, that we really are in this together," Clinton said.

2016-02-29 09:27 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

87 87 Chelsea's EPL position is ridiculous, says Frank Lampard London: Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is concerned the Blues are lacking "real personalities" and believes their current Premier League position is ridiculous. Frank Lampard Chelsea's 2-1 win at Southampton on Saturday lifted them to 11th in EPL. "To be a big team, you have to have big personalities," Lampard said. "I don't want to sound like I am harking back to the days of me and John (Terry) and Ashley Cole and Petr Cech and Didier Drogba but I do see a team now where John is the last mainstay of that identity. It's nice to play beautiful football at times but it's not that nice and it's not really winning games. It's not beautiful, beautiful stuff. "They need to buy two or three big players. Because being 11th in the Premier League is ridiculous for Chelsea," Lampard said.

2016-02-29 09:25 By IANS www.mid-day.com

88 La Liga: Cristiano Ronaldo does a U-turn after slamming teammates Madrid: Three-time World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has backtracked on critical comments of his Real Madrid teammates following their 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after their defeat to Atletico Madrid. Pic/AFP The derby defeat on Saturday realistically ended Real's title challenge as they now trail leaders Barcelona by nine points having also played a game more. Ronaldo lambasted his teammates by suggesting Real would be top if everyone was as good as him. "If everyone was at my level, we would be top," he said. However, Ronaldo issued a subsequent statement to claiming he was referring to his fitness levels having not missed a minute of La Liga action this season. "When I said this I was referring to my level of fitness, not play. I am not better than any of my teammates. "I don't want to undervalue any of my teammates, but when the best aren't there it is difficult to win. "I like to play with Pepe, Karim (Benzema), Bale, Marcelo. I don't want to say that Jese (Rodriguez), Lucas (Vazquez), (Mateo) Kovavic are not good players, they are very good, but to win a competition you need the best. "

2016-02-29 09:24 By AFP www.mid-day.com

89 89 Mohammed Amir was at fault, no one should cry: Waqar Younis Mirpur: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has termed Mohammed Amir's performance against India as 'outstanding' but at the same time said his sufferings in the last five years after being convicted for spot-fixing has been his own fault for which no one should feel bad. Pak coach Waqar Younis "It was his own fault and one shouldn't cry on that. He (Amir) is definitely world class and is getting better and stronger with every match. Even Virat Kohli has acknowledged that he is world class. He is an inspiration for young fast bowlers. Today the length at which he especially bowled and swung the ball at that pace was simply outstanding," Waqar said about the 'Enfant Terrible' of Pakistan cricket. Even Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded that Amir's length was the key. "It was a great spell by Amir. His advantage was he bowled full. In this Pakistan team Amir and Mohammed Sami are the two bowlers who bowl a fuller length while the other two (Mohammed Irfan and Wahab Riaz) don't bowl too full," Dhoni said.

2016-02-29 09:23 By PTI www.mid-day.com

90 Aircraft maintenance may get cheaper While a journey in an aircraft costs you thousands of rupees, the same planes burn fuel and fly abroad without a single passenger on board for maintenance and periodic overhauling, to avoid paying huge amounts on maintenance and overhaul taxes and surcharges here. But this is expected to change. Every aircraft undergoes mandatory periodic checks according to DGCA rules. File pic Sources in the aviation ministry said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in the Union Budget that will be announced today, may grant relief in taxes concerning Maintenance Repair and Overhauling (MRO) of aircrafts and its components. Senior aviation officials said at least 15 per cent relief is being expected in service tax and 29 per cent in custom duty levied on consumables and tools used for MRO. Since fuel prices are currently fluctuating, civil aviation authorities feel that any reduction in MRO components might help bring down fares by Rs 2,500-4,000. Every aircraft undergoes mandatory periodic checks according to Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules. “At present the cost of maintenance is very high. Any respite in that would help convincing airlines to not go abroad. Only 10 per cent of the total international MRO market is in India,” said an aviation official. Sources added that air carriers like IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet get their MRO done abroad while GoAir only gets its components repaired here. Moreover, this change could also create 7,000 jobs in maintenance alone and save money spent on sending empty aircrafts abroad as it costs around $800 million (Rs 5,498 crore) annually. RN Johri, chief managing director of Aman Aviation, said, “We are confident that government is seriously working towards providing us a level playing field, which would help in generating employment for the skilled workforce and bring down the cost incurred, which will ultimately benefit the common man. Also, it is likely that the government may direct the airlines to get all the Indian registered planes and components to be serviced within the country.”

2016-02-29 09:23 By Neha www.mid-day.com

91 WXIA - Home This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. USA TODAY movie critic Brian Truitt correctly predicted four out of six key categories. A person was struck and killed near the intersection of two major Atlanta Interstates early Sunday morning, authorities say. Gangs - think they're just a city problem? Think again. In the affluent Atlanta suburbs, there's a deadly secret. Here's how we found the truth. Tonight: Clouds incease Low 46 Tomorrow: Brief AM Showers High: 67 CLICK HERE FOR FORECAST "It is a customer magnet," says Rob Gurney, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, North America. ATLANTA — The Super Tuesday primary is just days away, but presidential candidates are not moving on from Georgia yet. Who was honored at Hollywood's biggest night? Here's a full list of winners and nominees. Two others were wounded in a domestic related shooting Saturday night in Prince William County, Va. STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. — Henry County Police officers are investigating after two people were shot during an early-morning armed robbery. DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A plane is back safely on the ground after engine trouble made for a close call. A look at all the results and action from Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Decisive victory in South Carolina could be start of formidable delegate lead Police say an aspiring actress has been killed after she was struck while dealing with car trouble in southeast Georgia. The family of Kendrick Johnson says they’re positive they’ll get justice for their son. The parents of a baby injured by an errant flash-bang grenade will be awarded $3.6 million after a federal judge's decision on Friday. Just over a year ago, astronaut Scott Kelly left Earth to spend a year at the International Space Station. He returns late Tuesday night. It only happens once every four years. No, not the Olympics. And it's not the presidential campaign. It's Leap Day! Thousands showed up to see and hear from Marco Rubio the Saturday ahead of Super Tuesday. Cedric Alexander named as possible finalist for new Chicago Police Superintendent 11Alive has learned how a 16-year-old saved more than a dozen Clydesdales – including a three week old baby -- from a burning barn in Oconee County. Police are looking for three male suspects in a string of shoplifting incidents. University of Mississippi defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche said he’s told NFL teams at the scouting combine that he was drunk when he fell 15 feet out of a hotel window in December. BROOKHAVEN, Ga. -- Police are looking to identify a man who they said took pictures up a woman's skirt at a Brookhaven Publix. Join now to become an 11Alive Community StormTracker

2016-02-29 04:26 rssfeeds.11alive.com

92 All Properties - Nation Now This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. This year the Oscar folks knew what was coming — and knew they had it coming. He won for 'The Revenant' but deserved the honor for his entire resume. Who was honored at Hollywood's biggest night? Here's a full list of winners and nominees. The biggest news to start your morning. Abigail Kopf, shot during rampage, upgraded to serious condition as funerals continue. Witnesses identified the alleged shooter as the pastor's brother. Demographic changes are transforming the political landscape. The Rangers' new signing has lost a lot of money over the last year. No date set for fourth attempt to launch communications satellite on Falcon 9 rocket. A missing 4-year-old girl was found Sunday on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Wearing her mythical unicorn horn, Juliet “threw up her head, pulled the lead rope" and ran for freedom. Time to get serious about making predictions for the big night. We'll never let go. The directors of 'Inside Out' and 'Anomalisa' got real before Sunday's ceremony. These stars did not walk away with fashion gold. Donald Trump declined repeated invitations Sunday to disavow the support of former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke — even though he did just that on Friday. New York billionaire has populist appeal among many southern voters Patrick Foster and Jim Lenahan talk music weekly on 'Dad Rock,' a podcast from USA TODAY

2016-02-29 03:22 rssfeeds.usatoday.com

93 World news: breaking news and current events - powered by FeedBurner Google has a new intelligent platform, PlaNet, which has the ability to find out the location at which a particular photograph has been taken. The system will provide answer after accessing the image’s pixels. Technically, a convolution neural network was trained with a massive dataset of images sourced from Google+ with geo-tag data or image metadata. More exactly, in order to train the network, Google has used a dataset of 126 million images from the web with Exif image metadata and then split off 91 million images for training and 34 million images for validation.

2016-02-29 03:23 feeds.feedburner.com

94 Livingston - Home This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Longtime chef and his wife open their first restaurant Vote for your choice of Livingston Daily's Athlete of the Week The condition is improving for a 14-year-old girl, one of eight people shot last weekend in Kalamazoo. It was a stroll down the runway — and maybe into the future. Lt. Tom Kiurski is a 30-year veteran of the fire service Who was honored at Hollywood's biggest night? Here's a full list of winners and nominees. LANSING -- Attorney General Bill Schuette announced four felony charges against former state Rep. Todd Courser and two against former state Rep. Cindy Gamrat. Nearly 300 expected for Sunday grand opening of Made 2 Inspire Boutique Coast-to-Coast railroad service between Detroit and metro Grand Rapids, with a stop in Howell, judged viable. Neighbor says Jason Dalton would regularly shoot off his guns, sometimes for hours at a time. Programs in Detroit and Flint keep more families together for a fraction of what the state spends on foster care. The Pinckney and Brighton girls basketball teams won while the Fowlerville boys lost on Tuesday night LANSING - The courts took away one man's four daughters without charging him with a crime. Parent advocates say Michigan erects a wall between kids and their families because DHHS is the only agency helping parents overcome their struggles and at the same time is their courtroom opponent, logging those struggles as possible evidence agains Eighty percent of a typical fire department's calls are first responder. So why so few lady firefighters? "As you know, the Governor can declare at any time for any reason," Capt. Kelenske of the MSP said in a Nov. 13 e-mail. If you have questions or comments please email them to [email protected] The Howell girls basketball team beat Hartland in overtime to win the Lakes Conference and KLAA titles The Hartland wrestling team won its first team state championship by defeating Davison, 36-23, on Saturday Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will hold an event at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center on Wednesday night. Hartland only needs two more wins to claim its first team state title, but those wins certainly will not come easy The Hartland wrestling team did what was expected of it, blowing out Bedford, 53-24, to reach the state semifinals

2016-02-29 09:04 rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com

95 Military Times - Adventure This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Olympic skeet shooter and Army veteran Vincent Hancock reveals the mind tricks that helped him claim two gold medals as he prepares to go for a third at Rio. Here are three ideas from Arizona, Michigan and Colorado to help get you started on your own adventure. An Army sergeant who enjoys long runs has 4 tips on training for endurance. Active-duty members traveling on Spirit Airlines will no longer have to pay baggage fees on up to two checked bags and one free carry-on, officials said. Seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. These Marine captains took the top spots, and set a new world record. It’s interesting to introduce experienced hunters and shooters to a new, unfamiliar rifle and, after they inspect it, ask, “So what do you think this would cost?” Three inaugural crewmates in Military Times’ new travel club are headed for the Caribbean. Obstacle course racing is hitting the big leagues with major prize money, a growing roster of world championship competitions, and now even prime-time TV coverage. But as 2015 Spartan Race champ Capt. Until a few months ago, Army Capt. Robert Killian hadn’t given much thought to obstacle course racing. Of course, the increasingly popular sport hadn’t given him much thought, either. Hours after getting the news that his NFL dreams would have to wait, former Staff Sgt. Nate Boyer found a new direction: Up, about 19,300 feet. Many of us may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but chances are good visions of warm, sandy beaches will be dancing in our heads soon enough, if winter winds haven’t pushed them there already. New Military Waypoint members are giving us some great travel ideas in hopes of winning one of three cruises — and to help launch this exclusive online community for military travelers. Read on to see what they’re posting, and go to MilitaryTimes. Most bass anglers today probably wouldn’t recall when the black bass was considered a second-class citizen and tournaments, if any, were usually local, small-money events. New Military Waypoint members are giving us some great travel ideas in hopes of winning one of three cruises — and to help launch this exclusive online community for military travelers. Centuries of rainfall and punishing Texas sunshine are slowly doing what cannon fire and barrages of Mexican bullets couldn’t back in 1836 — disintegrating the Alamo. Tuesday’s launch of the ORS-4 went awry when the experimental Super Strypi launch vehicle failed midflight. If there’s one thing the military community knows better than most, it’s how to travel. When it comes to hiring veterans, U. S. Customs and Border Protection has a great track record: Of its 21,000 agents, 28.8 percent are prior military. Ever since the Willys Jeep drove off the battlefields of World War II to become one of America’s favorite off-roaders, military gear has been crossing over into the off-duty pursuits of outdoors enthusiasts. Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Riley knows exactly what he’s going to do when he retires from his full- time job in the West Virginia Army National Guard. It’s the little things that can get you. A. J. Schurr came off the bench to run for two touchdowns and threw for the winning score to help Army beat Bucknell 21-14 on Saturday. If you really want to get your seasonal scare on, it’s time to head to the Gauley River. The heavy metal fanatics at Wargaming.net have put together a killer video of a World War II tank battle. Summer is over, but you can still get your outdoor fitness fun on at a slew of fun runs coming your way this fall. "Let’s face it, if you agree that a greater-than-300-yard, offhand shot borders on unethical, then we all need a rest," says Wayne Correia, longtime benchrest shooter. Three Army marksmen and one pentathlete are among the first 10 Americans to earn Team USA spots for the 2016 Rio games

2016-02-29 03:19 rssfeeds.militarytimes.com

96 Ailing students ate from roadside stall: ISKCON An ISKCON centre in Wada, which was booked after over 100 students of a Zila Parishad-run primary school at Kasa Badruk village in Palghar district fell ill after allegedly consuming the midday meal provided by it, yesterday claimed that many of the students had eaten snacks from a roadside stall, prior to the lunch. “Our managers were told by the local people that many students ate banana wafers and pickles before having their midday meal. They bought it from a stall opposite the school. The Collector has sent the samples of these for investigation,” the centre said.

2016-02-29 09:18 By Agencies www.mid-day.com

97 Dahisar-Andheri Metro corridor: BMC's Jogeshwari ROB extension plan derailed

Looks like the Rs 6,208 crore Dahisar-Andheri Metro has derailed BMC’s plan to extend the remaining arm of the Jogeshwari rail-overbridge (ROB) — passing over the Western Express Highway (WEH) — up to Poonam Nagar on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR). Also Read: Mumbai metro: Andheri-Dahisar line has 30 prospective bidders Earthmovers scattering debris on the vacant plot meant to erect piers and pillars for extending the ROB “Keeping in mind the elevated Metro corridor — passing through the WEH — the plan to stretch the existing ROB up to Poonam Nagar has been kept on hold. To execute it, we’ll have to redesign the structure in such a manner that the structure passes over the Metro tracks and the JVLR flyover,” said a BMC officer. Deterring encroachers Despite uncertainty looming large over the project, the BMC is dumping debris on the open space meant for launching piers and pillars to deter squatters. Read Story: MMRDA invites bids for Andheri-Dahisar metro line When this correspondent visited the spot yesterday, he witnessed debris being scattered using earthmovers. “We observed that squatters had started moving on the vacant plot. With the future of the project in limbo, we have decided to do landscaping on the vacant spot to save it from encroachers,” said an officer present at the spot. Project in limbo The project has been delayed due to various reasons in the past and its construction cost has increased from R198 crore in 2009 to Rs 300 crore. Now, with the Metro corridor passing through the WEH, the project is likely to remain in the cold storage. Sources from MMRDA claimed that constructing the ROB over the Metro corridor and then taking it over the JVLR flyover is a mammoth task for the BMC for which it will need to overhaul the existing design. Official speak Commenting on the issue, Additional Municipal Commissioner SVR Srinivas said, “We have cleared the encroachments. The decision about extending the ROB is yet to be taken, as the MMRDA is coming up with Metro on the WEH. We met the MMRDA officials a few days ago and they have agreed to provide us a new design for the bridge that would pass over the Metro and JVLR flyover. Further decision will be taken after receiving this new design.”

2016-02-29 09:17 By Ranjeet www.mid-day.com

98 Livingston - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. It was a stroll down the runway — and maybe into the future. All Livingston County buildings getting tested in light of discovery of unsafe lead levels at Howell elementary school Can't pay for college? Howell students learn how At a bill signing in Flint today, the governor was more self-critical about Flint failures than in past statements New Brighton City Manager Nate Geinzer sees many positives in career move Some of Gov. Snyder’s top advisors pushed to move Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems Emails show several people in Gov. Rick Snyder’s inner circle received information about Legionnaires’ cases in March 2015. A state lawmaker has introduced legislation to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Michigan. Students shouldn't have to worry about making up snow days this summer A child’s body that was found in a burned-out vacant house in Detroit has been identified as a 4- year-old girl Livingston County residents were largely spared from widespread damage as a result of the winter storm. State social workers took Angela Donnellon’s niece from her biological mother, when she was 2 days old in 2014. Some school districts bump up annual water testing in reaction to Flint's water crisis situation The Brighton Township Zoning Board of Appeals meeting for Wednesday has been postponed Tiana Carruthers was at a playground late Saturday afternoon at her Richland Township apartment complex with her young daughter, a niece and three other children when a man pulled up to the curb in a silver-colored SUV and motioned for her to come ov 15-year-old who allegedly made threats to “do a Columbine” shooting at a local school district was “joking,” police say Court action that took place Feb. 5 in Livingston County Circuit Court LivingstonDaily.com is the only place to find all of the automotive deals in Livingston County. Howell, Brighton schools are weighing whether to send students home early, no decision has been made yet 2016-02-29 03:13 rssfeeds.livingstondaily.com

99 New twist in addiction crisis: Deadly painkiller impostors COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Authorities are sounding the alarm about a new and deadly twist in the country’s drug-addiction crisis in the form of a potent painkiller disguised as other medications. Tennessee officials say they’ve seen two dozen cases in recent months of pills marked as the less potent opiates oxycodone or Percocet that turned out to contain fentanyl, a far more powerful drug. One official likened the danger to users playing Russian roulette each time they buy a pill on the street. In San Francisco, the health department blamed several overdoses last summer on lookalike Xanax containing fentanyl, while Canada has issued warnings about multiple recent cases of lookalike oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. And in suburban Cleveland, federal agents arrested a man this month after seizing more than 900 fentanyl pills marked like oxycodone tablets. “These pills are truly a fatal overdose waiting to happen,” said Carole Rendon, acting U. S. attorney in Cleveland. Because fentanyl is cheap to manufacture illicitly, dealers see a chance to make more money by disguising it as oxycodone, which typically can sell for more, she said. Lookalike pills were likely to blame for some of the county’s 19 fentanyl-related overdose deaths that came just in January alone, said Dr. Thomas Gilson, the Cuyahoga County medical examiner. “People might otherwise say, ‘I know I can abuse this much of oxycodone,’ and they may be in for a really, really bad surprise when they find out that’s fentanyl and not oxycodone,” Gilson said. The drug, typically used for treatment of chronic pain in end-stage cancer patients, is 25 to 40 times more powerful than heroin. Properly prescribed, it’s often applied through a skin patch. Fentanyl produced for the illegal street market comes from Mexico, while chemically similar components have been traced to China, according to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In a second Ohio indictment, federal authorities have charged a man with obtaining fentanyl from China that killed an addict to whom it was sold in Akron. The DEA says fentanyl-related overdoses killed more than 700 people nationwide between late 2013 and early 2015. Mimicry of other drugs is one way fentanyl is now being illicitly marketed, the agency said. “The fact that fentanyl has been found in this form should hopefully make people nervous that do abuse these types of opiate pills, that they could be getting their hands on something even more lethal,” said DEA spokesman Rich Isaacson. China announced in October it would regulate the sale and distribution of 116 chemical compounds used in the production of synthetic drugs, including acetyl-fentanyl. The problem of lookalike fentanyl comes as the country struggles to contain a drug overdose epidemic that began with illegal use of prescription painkillers and developed into a heroin crisis. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 09:13 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com

100 Something for everybody on the Oscars red carpet The year’s biggest night for red carpet glamour included something for everybody in bold color and soft shades, frothy wonders and sleek, body hugging looks. And there was, of course, plenty of sparkle. “I was really taken by the super fitted dresses, the very long and lean silhouettes,” said Eric Wilson, the fashion news director for InStyle. “The whole idea of the ball gown seems to have gone away with very few exceptions this year. We’re seeing so many sleek and slim dresses,” he said. Among them was Charlize Theron. She wowed in a red hot Dior Haute Couture in crimson silk crepe. It was ultra-low cut with a train and plunged in the back as well. She showed off a long jeweled necklace and joined the party Sunday night in the tight hair club, hers with a deep side part. In all, she wore $3.7 million worth of Harry Winston diamonds. “She was statuesque and thoroughly elegant,” said Avril Graham, the executive fashion and beauty editor for Harper’s Bazaar. “She’s a designer’s dream muse.” Later, as the attention moved from red carpet stunners to little gold statues, presenter Tina Fey classed up the stage in a deep purple custom silk Atelier Versace with pleating detail, her hair also tight and high. She, like so many others, kept jewelry to a minimum with a short sapphire necklace from Bulgari that went nicely with the dress. “That dress fits her like it was shrink wrapped right on her,” Wilson said. “I loved how she matched the necklace.” But it was the whimsy of Cate Blanchett that truly caught his eye and quickly topped best- dressed lists. It was seafoam, from Armani Prive, and it included pops of silver in a large floral applique from the shoulders to her train. “It was my favorite of the night,” Wilson said. “There was so much individuality to the look. It looked like a crystal or ice sculpture. It was just so clean and cool looking.” Graham also loved Blanchett’s pastel look. “It was really wonderful,” she said. The biggest surprise for Graham was fashion “it” girl Alicia Vikander, who won best supporting actress for “The Danish Girl.” While some were not impressed with her bubble hem and pale yellow princess custom Louis Vuitton, comparing her to Belle of “Beauty and the Beast,” others were on board. She wore her hair down her back but pulled it up in the front to add to the look. “I loved it. It gave a girlish feel to the evening,” Graham said. “Her low-key hairstyle accentuated the sweetness of her look. I think she took the most risks in terms of silhouette. Her look was the most surprising of all because of its silhouette and its unique point of view.” Margot Robbie stunned in a “va-voom” gold gown with a snakeskin design from Diane Von Furstenberg, Graham said. “It’s the fact that she’s got that very natural, Aussie beauty. The natural hair and makeup was a perfect foil,” she said. Wilson said Robbie might have gone a bit too Las Vegas over more appropriate Los Angeles. Story Continues →

2016-02-29 09:13 The Washington www.washingtontimes.com Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-02-29 12:14