Question: Homers by Bryant, Rizzo power Cubs to 15-5 rout of Reds

CHICAGO (AP) -- Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo hit back-to-back homers to cap a five-run fourth inning, and the Chicago Cubs continued their recent dominance of the Cincinnati Reds with a 15-5 victory Monday night.
Bryant went 2 for 4 with a walk and has reached safely in 16 of his last 20 plate appearances. Rizzo was 3 for 5 with a season-high five RBIs.
Jon Jay had three hits with an RBI and finished a home run shy of the cycle as the Cubs extended their NL Central lead to 1 1/2 games over idle St. Louis. Jose Quintana (3-2) allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in five innings to snap a three-start winless stretch.
Chicago has 25 wins in its last 32 games against the Reds. The Cubs have swept the last two series at Wrigley Field between the teams going back to last season, and have won 11 of the past 13 meetings there the last two years.
Scooter Gennett hit a two-run homer, his 20th, in the eighth for the Reds, who have five players with at least 20 home runs to tie a club record. Gennett also mopped up on the mound in the eighth inning after beginning the game at second base.
Joey Votto went 3 for 5 to set a Cincinnati mark by reaching base at least twice in 19 consecutive games. It's the longest streak in the majors since Barry Bonds did it in 20 straight in 2004.
Cincinnati starter Asher Wojciehowski (3-2) appeared to settle down after a rough first inning, but couldn't get the final out in the fourth.
With Jason Heyward at first and two outs, Jay tripled into the right-field corner to give Chicago a 3-2 lead. Tommy La Stella followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2. Bryant then cracked a two-run homer and Rizzo followed with a solo shot for a 7-2 edge.
The Cubs scored six times in the seventh -- highlighted by reliever Mike Montgomery's two-run double and Rizzo's two-run single -- to make it 12-2.
After the Reds scored three times in the eighth, Javier Baez hit a two-run homer off Gennett in the bottom of the inning.
The game marked the beginning of a stretch of 24 straight for the Cubs against teams currently with losing records.
BAYLOR REMEMBERED
Don Baylor, who managed the Cubs from 2000-02, was honored before the game with a moment of silence and a video tribute on the Wrigley Field scoreboard. Baylor died last week from cancer at 68.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: C Devin Mesoraco left in the second after being hit by a pitch on the left foot. . OF Scott Schebler (left shoulder strain) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Louisville.
Cubs: SS Addison Russell (strained right foot) is eligible to come off the 10-day DL, but isn't close to returning. "He's coming along slowly," general manager Jed Hoyer said.
UP NEXT
Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.70 ERA) faces rookie righty Luis Castillo (2-5, 3.73) in the second game of the four-game series Tuesday. Hendricks is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in five career starts against Cincinnati.

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Mike Moustakas hit his 18th home run leading off the second inning, Jorge Bonifacio and Lorenzo Cain followed with back-to-back shots in the third and the Kansas City Royals beat the San Francisco Giants 7-2 on Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep.
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Question: Rays' Eovaldi stellar in return from Tommy John surgery

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Oakland Athletics pitcher Sean Manaea works against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (Photo: The Associated Press)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Even though he knew it was the best move to make, Tampa Bay right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was not happy when Kevin Cash pulled him after six innings. He even had to be prodded to shake his manager's hand.
Coming off a second Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi understood why. He just didn't like it at the time.
Eovaldi pitched six innings of no-hit ball in his return to the majors, leading the Rays to a 6-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night.
"I didn't want to shake his hand," Eovaldi said. "I haven't gone seven innings in a really long time. So we played it safe and it was good. I would have liked to stay out there until I gave up a hit but I understand the situation as well."
Eovaldi (1-0) routinely clocked in the high 90s with his fastball and faced one over the minimum through six innings in his Tampa Bay debut. He threw 70 pitches and had four strikeouts. The only runner to reach base against him was Matt Chapman, who drew a one-out walk in the first.
Cash said he debated sending Eovaldi out for the seventh.
"It was tough, there was no doubt, but we have to do what's right by him," Cash said. "He wanted to stay but realistically he's not getting to the ninth inning. I'll just blame (pitching coach Kyle Snyder). I wanted to keep pitching him but Kyle told me to pull him."
Wilmer Font, acquired by the Rays from the A's last Friday, gave up Jed Lowrie's one-out single in the seventh for Oakland's only hit of the game. Vidal Nuno got the last three outs to finish the one-hitter.
Rob Refsnyder hit a three-run home run off A's starter Sean Manaea (5-6), and Johnny Field also homered for the Rays.
The game drew an announced crowd of 6,295, the smallest at the Coliseum since April 3, 2003.
Eovaldi last pitched in the majors on Aug. 10, 2016, for the Yankees. Nine days later, he underwent a second elbow surgery. Eovaldi also had Tommy John surgery in 2007 when he was a junior in high school.
The 28-year-old missed the first month of this season after undergoing surgery March 30 to remove loose bodies in his elbow. Eovaldi made four rehab starts in the minors before being activated off the disabled list before Wednesday's game.
"It felt great being out there," Eovaldi said. "I was so focused on just getting that first out. After I got it, the emotions kind of got to me. I was a little nervous out there. Then I was able to regroup and slow back down."
Eovaldi, the 12th pitcher in major league history to start in the majors after having two Tommy John surgeries, induced seven groundouts and retired the final 17 batters he faced following the walk to Chapman.
"I think we pushed him about as much as we wanted to," Cash said.
Font then came in and retired Chapman on a liner to shortstop in the seventh before Lowrie pushed a single up the middle.
Nuno replaced Font in the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Chad Pinder, then retired the next three batters.
That was all the offense the A's could muster while being shut out by the Rays for the second time in three games.
"Honestly, those guys over there, they're pitching great," Oakland shortstop Chad Pinder said. "Those guys aren't a walk in the park, and they're locating and they're making all their pitches work. Hitting's hard enough as it is."
Oakland went into the game batting .216 in May, the second-lowest average in the majors.
STRUGGLING SEAN
Manaea allowed four runs in five innings. After going 4-1 with 1.00 ERA through his first six starts that included the majors' first no-hitter this season on Apri 21, the big left-hander has been in a tailspin.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: INF Marcus Semien was placed on the paternity leave list before the game. Pinder started at shortstop in Semien's absence. RHP Josh Lucas was called up from Triple-A Nashville. ... RHP Liam Hendriks began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay RHP Ryne Stanek (1-0, 3.24 ERA) will make his second career start, three days after getting a win coming out of the bullpen. RHP Daniel Mengden (5-4, 2.85) goes for Oakland.
___
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The game had a rare 4:10 p.m. start time as part of a team marketing experiment. An estimated 2,000 fans witnessed the first pitch in sunny, 59-degree weather. The announced attendance was 10,761.
IN DANNY'S CORNER
Former Mariners teammates and their wives remained in contact with the family of White Sox RHP Danny Farquhar, who underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm last weekend. He spent the 2013-15 seasons with the team.
"You just want to give his family enough space, but you also want to do all you can to be there for support," said C Mike Zunino, Farquhar's ex-batterymate. "When you first hear something like this happens, it's really scary because you have don't know what's going to happen. It seems like each day we hear something positive, so that's a really good feeling."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: 1B Ryon Healy (sprained right ankle) neared his return from the disabled list with a two-run single and walk in four plate appearances for Double-A Arkansas Tuesday.
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (left shoulder surgery) pitched three innings Monday against the Reds in an extended spring game in Arizona. He could rejoin the parent club in late May.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Felix Fernandez (2-2, 5.06 ERA) will take a career 6-6 mark vs. the White Sox into the series finale Wednesday. He was a 4-3 winner in his only appearance against them last year.
White Sox: RHP James Shields (1-2, 6.17) comes off his worst start of the season, a 10-0 blowout against the Houston Astros in which he allowed seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
By Paul Ladewski, The Associated Press


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Question: Minimum wage hike threatens 185,000 jobs: Study

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Up to 185,000 jobs could be put at risk if Ontario’s Liberal government keeps its pledge to increase the minimum wage to $15.
Those are the findings of an “independent assessment” of Bill 148, the Liberal’s Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act. The bill will hike the minimum wage — currently set to rise with inflation from $11.40 an hour to $11.60 in October, up to $14 on Jan. 1, 2018, and $15 the following year.
But the according to a study commissioned by Ontario’s Chamber of Commerce, the bill will put jobs at risk and have “dramatic unintended consequences.” Chamber vice- president Karl Baldauf said the province needs to slow down and amend its legislation.
“Should the government move forward with these vast, unprecedented reforms, there will be significant, sudden and sizable uncertainty for jobs and economic growth in Ontario,” he said. The report also says that Ontario businesses will see a $23 billion “hit” over the next two years because of the legislation. While the changes won’t cause mass layoffs, they will kill job growth, said Paul Smetanin, president of the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis, which conducted the study.
“The results are not sensationalized,” Smetanin said. “We have been conservative in adopting what literature suggests. It pains us to have to deliver such a message.”
The report also estimates there will be costs for the Ontario government itself. Increased costs associated with the bill will add $440 million in debt to the province’s treasury.
“As I go from community to community, the thing that I’m hearing over and over again is that these changes are all too much too fast,” he said.
Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said the government will review the findings the report. It’s one of a “long list” of studies on the topic, he added.
“We recognize there are concerns from the business community,” he said in a statement. “We’ve worked hard to make sure Ontario’s business climate is competitive, and we are committed to working with the business community to bring forward initiatives that will improve our competitiveness even more.
That being said, we will not back down from our plan to bring fairness to Ontarians.”
Progressive Conservative labour critic John Yakabuski said the Liberal government needs to conduct its own economic impact study of the new bill.
“It’ll be a tragedy if all of these 185,000 people are put out of work,” Yakabuski said in a statement. “A higher minimum wage doesn’t help if Ontarians don’t have a job to wake up to in the morning.”
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Small businesses will be hit hard: CFIB
ANTONELLA ARTUSO
An economic analysis of proposed labour law changes including a $15-an-hour minimum wage confirms that small businesses are going to get hit hard, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says.
Julie Kwiecinski, the CFIB’s director of provincial affairs in Ontario, said its own member survey shows that one-third are considering shutting down or moving in response to the mandatory wage hikes beginning with a $14-an-hour minimum on Jan. 1.
“Unfortunately, we have felt and seen the government do their eye rolls at us... not believing what we were saying in our survey,” Kwiecinski said Monday. “They’re scared, they’re worried that this is actually going to start taking effect on Jan. 1.”
A report prepared by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA), on behalf of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Keep Ontario Working Coalition, says small businesses are five times more likely to be impacted by the new provincial labour legislation than large companies.
The government bill goes before a committee next week when MPPs will have the chance to introduce amendments, she said.
“If people think it’s bad now, it could get worse in terms of the cost to business and jobs when the whole process is said and done,” Kwiecinski said.
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) issued a statement Monday dismissing the findings of the CANCEA analysis as “inaccurate, incomplete and just not responsible.”
The “corporate lobby” analysis fails to consider economic benefits to raising the minimum wage such as higher consumer spending and reduced demand on social services, the OFL statement says.
Peer-reviewed economic research has found that contrary to the report’s claim that 185,000 jobs are at risk, increases in minimum wage have “very small, if any impacts” on employment levels, the statement says.
CANCEA said in its report that it is independent and does not accept any research funding that requires a pre-determined result or policy stance.

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Owners reveal plans for beer garden
New company to invest $400 million, create 200 jobs
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Question: Sharif appears before Panamagate probe team; 1st Pak PM to appear before panel

The summons was issued to PM Nawaz Sharif after he returned from Kazakhstan where he had attended the SCO summit.
The Joint Investigation Team had questioned Sharif's sons -- Hussain and Hasan -- last month over the family's alleged improper business dealings. (Photo: AP)
Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday appeared before a Supreme Court-appointed team probing the Panamagate graft case, becoming Pakistan's first sitting premier to depose before such a panel.
"The day that creates history & sets a much required & welcome precedent for others to emulate," Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz tweeted along with pictures of the PML-N leader and his top aides just before leaving for the Judicial Academy - the JIT's temporary secretariat - amid tight security.
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) chief Wajid Zia had summoned the prime minister to appear before the six-member probe team on June 15 with all documents relevant to the case.
Read: Pak PM Sharif receives legal notice to appear before court-appointed investigators
The summons was issued to Sharif, 67, after he returned last Saturday from Kazakhstan where he had attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
In its judgement of April 20 in the Panama Papers case, the Supreme Court had constituted a JIT and empowered it to summon the prime minister, his sons and any other person necessary, to investigate allegations of money-laundering, through which the four apartments in London's posh Park Lane area were purchased.
Sharif has denied any wrongdoing. The Joint Investigation Team had questioned Sharif's sons -- Hussain and Hasan -- last month over the family's alleged improper business dealings.
Read: Panamagate: Pak PM Sharif’s party suspects conspiracy to oust him
His eldest son Hussain was questioned five times while Hasan, the youngerson, was summoned twice. The court last year took up the case and issued a split decision over allegations of money laundering when Sharif was prime minister in 1990s.
On May 5, the Supreme Court set up a high-level six-member JIT to probe Sharif and his sons' alleged corruption in the Panama Papers case. The JIT is bound to complete the probe in 60 days unless it is granted additional time.
Read: Pak: Sharif's younger son appears before panel probing graft charges
It is for the first time that a sitting prime minister is appearing before a high-level probe team traditionally constituted to investigate high-profile criminal cases. It is not yet clear that Sharif will be questioned for once or would be called again like his two sons.
The JIT probing the offshore holdings of Prime Minister Sharif and his children has also summoned his younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, to appear before it on June 17.

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ISLAMABAD - Son-in-law of former premier Nawaz Sharif and PML-N leader Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar on Wednesday termed the NAB’s Avenfield reference against him a ‘price’ for his relationship with the supreme leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
He also informed the accountability court that he would not produce any witnesses in his defence because the prosecution had ‘failed to establish a case against him’.
He was recording his statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in a case related to London properties, which is one of the three references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the Sharif family.
He had been named in the reference along with Nawaz Sharif, wife Maryam Nawaz and his brothers-in-law Hassan and Hussain Nawaz.
To a question that why the Avenfield reference case had been filed against him by the NAB, Safdar, while terming it a ‘pressure tactic’, recalled the past events starting from his joining the Pakistan Army to his posting as Nawaz's security officer.
He briefly pointed out the political developments happened in the 90s, when his father-in-law was deprived of the government twice - first in 1993 by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and then in 1999 by army chief General Pervez Musharraf.
"Nawaz Sharif wisely saved the region from an imminent war but he could not save his own regime," Safdar said, referring to the Kargil Operation which had sparked a tiff between Nawaz and Musharraf which eventually escalated into the infamous coup.
He mentioned his political victimisation done by opponents of Nawaz Sharif, including disruption of his civil services and a first information report (FIR) registered at Lahore with Raiwind Police station, his arrest in Musharraf’s regime and subsequent exile to Saudi Arabia.
“This is the price of my relationship with Nawaz Sharif, which I ever paid, still paying and will pay,” the son-in-law of former premier expressed his strong commitment, adding: “This is my duty, I will support narrative of Nawaz Sharif.”
He claimed that the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) decision to include him in the references despite not being named in the Supreme Court's April 20 judgement showed that the JIT's "intentions were mala fide".
When asked to disclose the source of funds with which Maryam had bought the Avenfield apartments, he denied that Maryam was the owner of the said property.
Safdar skipped most of the questions posed to him, deeming them "irrelevant". In the end, when asked if he wanted to add something, he simply claimed to be innocent.
Following the conclusion of Safdar's testimony, the court was adjourned till June 5, when it will hear the final arguments on the Avenfield reference. However, the accountability court summoned JIT head Wajid Zia to appear on Thursday when he will be cross-questioned by Nawaz's counsel in connection with the reference concerning Al-Azizia Steel Mills.
MUHAMMAD ASAD CHAUDHRY


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Question: Wisconsin Assembly committee to vote on Foxconn incentives

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Wisconsin state Assembly planned a committee vote Monday on a $3 billion tax incentive package for Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, the start of what could be an intense month of legislative action to approve the massive deal.
The Assembly's jobs and economy committee scheduled a vote Monday afternoon on a new version of the bill that attempts to address some concerns raised by critics that the state is giving away too much to land the plant that could employ thousands of people.
Approval by the Republican-controlled committee would set up a vote by the full Assembly on Thursday. The Legislature's budget committee could hold a hearing on the measure early next week, with a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate sometime shortly after that.
Democrats have said majority Republicans are moving too quickly on the measure, which would waive a host of state environmental regulations and requirements in addition to extending billions in tax breaks.
Even so, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said last week he expected the bill to pass with bipartisan support. Foxconn is eyeing locations in Kenosha and Racine counties in southeast Wisconsin, areas of the state that include several Democratic lawmakers. It also is considering a secondary site in Dane County, a Democratic stronghold.
The proposal must clear both the state Assembly and Senate in identical form and be signed by Gov. Scott Walker before taking effect. Walker negotiated the deal, which was announced by President Donald Trump with great fanfare about two weeks ago.
That deal requires the Legislature must pass the bill by Sept. 30. Foxconn has said it may invest $10 billion on the plant that would open in 2020 with 3,000 but could expand to 13,000 people within six years.
Concerns about what the state is offering Foxconn increased last week when the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said it will take at least 25 years for Wisconsin taxpayers to break even on the proposed incentives. It would take Wisconsin longer to break even depending on how many workers at the plant come from Illinois, the analysis said.
The Assembly committee planned to vote on making some changes to the bill to address those concerns, but key provisions related to the tax breaks and exempting Foxconn from filing a state environmental impact statement would remain.
Under the bill, for every acre of wetland disturbed on the Foxconn site, two acres would have to be restored. The amendment up for a committee vote Monday would say those should be in the same watershed, if possible.
The committee is slated to vote on tying payroll tax credits to the number of jobs Foxconn creates that pay between $30,000 and $100,000. The bill would also be changed to call for state officials to include terms in any contract with the company that encourage hiring Wisconsin residents, addressing concerns that many of the workers would come from neighboring Illinois.
The committee was also to vote on spending $20 million on worker training to help create a pipeline for high-tech workers who would be needed at the plant.
If constructed as promised, the Foxconn facility would be the first liquid crystal display monitor manufacturing plant outside of Asia.

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With the session nearly over, some of Governor Scott Walker’s top priorities may not get finished in the legislature. An Assembly special session will take up school safety. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steinke says it won’t work, if the Senate doesn’t vote on the same bill.
“Obviously, that would be problematic,” Steineke said. “We’re on the same page with the governor. We actually want to hold hearings on these ideas, and possibly add to the them, which is going to take some time.” Walker’s proposals include a $100 million grant program to pay for school security upgrades.
The Assembly Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing at 10 a.m. hearing Tuesday on the school safety bills. The state Senate is set to meet in for the last time in regular session on Tuesday, and will act on similar legislation. “I think it would be best for everybody involved, if we could come together around a common strategy to get these pieces of legislation done,” Steineke said.
Walker’s Lincoln Hills agenda and child tax credit may also hit a dead end in the Senate, if GOP leaders in both chambers fail to compromise.


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Question: Lakers not interested in LiAngelo Ball joining Lonzo in L.A.

CLOSE LiAngelo Ball did not get an invite to the official NBA Draft Combine taking place in Chicago, but he will have a shot to show his skills in front of scouts at the Professional Basketball Combine. Time
LiAngelo Ball dribbles during a pre-draft workout at the Los Angeles Lakers' facility in El Segundo, Calif. (Photo: Reed Saxon, AP)
Don’t count on LiAngelo Ball following in his brother’s footsteps.
While the Los Angeles Lakers held a workout Tuesday that included the younger brother of starting point guard Lonzo Ball, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports team officials have no interest in drafting or signing the 19-year-old – for the NBA team or even the G-League team, the South Bay Lakers..
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because opinions of draft prospects aren’t typically shared publicly.
LiAngelo Ball began his collegiate career at UCLA, where Lonzo had become a first-team All-American before being drafted second overall by the Lakers in 2017. But just days before the regular season, LiAngelo and fellow UCLA players Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were arrested for shoplifting sunglasses during the team’s trip to Hangzhou, China.
While the charges ultimately were dropped and they returned to America, LiAngelo left UCLA to join his younger brother, LaMelo, to play for BC Prienu Vytautas of the Lithuanian Basketball League.
He averaged 12.6 points and 21.2 minutes during his 14 games there, but – according to the Associated Press – both brothers left the team in what was a mutual decision to part ways. The AP also reported that their always-outspoken father, LaVar Ball, was upset with LaMelo’s diminished playing time.
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LiAngelo Ball worked out for the Lakers on Tuesday as his older brother, Lonzo, watched from the sideline.
They let us in to see some of the end of LiAngelo Ball’s workout. pic.twitter.com/IephDpyHtk — Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) May 29, 2018
Lonzo Ball watches as LiAngelo Ball goes through the Lakers “mentality drill” which tests your stamina, shooting, speed and rebounding. pic.twitter.com/eRL1F1WBH1 — Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 29, 2018
LiAngelo, who had his stamina, shooting, speed and rebounding put to the test, has additional workouts planned with the Warriors and Clippers. However, his father, LaVar, has made it clear that he wants all three of his sons to play together in Los Angeles.
While Lonzo's journey from UCLA to the Lakers as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft was easy, LiAngelo will face a much tougher task. The 19-year-old left UCLA in December during his freshman season after a shoplifting scandal in China and played professionally with Lithuanian team Vytautas Prienu alongside his younger brother, LaMelo.
LiAngelo averaged 12.6 points while playing in the Lithuanian league before returning to the United States last month.
The Lakers hold the 25th and 47th picks in next month's draft.


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Question: #CG17HolidayShoutout - CGA

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video size: 640x360 730x576 1024x576 1280x720 1920x1080 custom size x Advanced Embed Example Add the following CSS to the header block of your HTML document.
Then add the mark-up below to the body block of the same document. .videoWrapper { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 25px; height: 0; } .videoWrapper iframe { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } show more
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Members of the Coast Guard Academy send a holiday greeting to friends and family, December 7, 2017.
The Coast Guard Academy has cadets from all over the United States and several international countries, but not all can make it home for the holidays.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Laughlin

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Owyna X in a live pop-up of her online radio show w/ guests Ainsley Griffiths, Worldwide DJORK, BaiiiCola, Chopz, MightofSk, and Poet D – Nice Koema, 10 pm. Free.
For more info: www.g5cu.com, INSTA @g5cu


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Question: With Roof as his own lawyer, sentencing begins in slayings

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The same jury that last month unanimously found Dylann Roof guilty in the slayings of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church is returning to court to begin contemplating his punishment.
With the 22-year-old representing himself, the process is sure to be unconventional. But even if Roof is sentenced to death, it’s highly unlikely he’d be executed anytime soon.
While prosecutors plan to call up to 38 people related to the nine people killed and three who survived the June 2015 slaughter during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, Roof said last week he plans on calling no witnesses and presenting no evidence.
Roof was found guilty last month on 33 federal charges, including hate crimes and obstruction of the practice of religion. A jury took less than three hours to return its verdict, and a judge dismissed the jury for a break over the holidays.
Typically in what’s known as the sentencing phase, defense attorneys call relatives and other witnesses to testify about their client’s unsteady state of mind before and during the crimes. Given that background, the defense hopes, a jury might be more likely to spare the defendant’s life and opt against the death penalty.
But Roof, who is acting as his own attorney, has said he plans to do no such thing.
In his journal, which was read in court during his trial, Roof said his doesn’t believe in psychology, which he called “a Jewish invention” that “does nothing but invent diseases and tell people they have problems when they don’t.”
Roof also seems to be determined to try to keep evidence embarrassing to him or his family out. Not only did he take over his own defense, but he asked the judge at a hearing Wednesday if he could file a motion limiting what prosecutors can introduce.
Roof also was adamant that a transcript of a hearing where he was found mentally competent not be released to the public.
“I know this is not a legal argument, but the unsealing of the competency hearing defeats the purpose of me representing myself,” Roof said at last week’s hearing.
Neither Roof, nor U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel nor prosecutors have given specifics on the evidence Roof is objecting to.
On Thursday, Gergel ordered another competency evaluation of Roof “in an abundance of caution,” after his standby counsel filed a sealed motion again questioning Roof’s mental ability to proceed. The judge’s order specified he saw no reason to delay Tuesday’s start of the penalty phase.
Roof’s lawyers tried repeatedly both to stop him from being his own lawyer and to work mental health-related evidence into the first phase of his trial, saying they feared Roof fired them because he feared the attorneys would present evidence that would embarrass him when trying to save his life.
Prosecutors objected at every turn, and Gergel wouldn’t allow any of it into court, ruling mitigation evidence is allowable during sentencing and not before.
Court papers show prosecutors are expected to present evidence showing that Roof picked his victims because of their race, killed them to incite more violence, showed no remorse and killed three particularly vulnerable people who were 70 years old or older.
Evidence speaking to Roof’s mental state, one expert argues, could make the difference between life and death.
“The Dylann Roof case is a classic example of the type of problem you can have when an obviously mentally ill or emotionally disturbed defendant is permitted to represent himself,” said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. “There’s a huge difference in the eyes of a jury between someone they perceive as evil or despicable and someone they perceive as being seriously mentally ill. … If you take mental health out of it, you are putting a thumb on the scale of death.”
Both the judge’s decision to allow Roof to represent himself and waive the introduction of mental health evidence are sure to be raised in an inevitable appeal, Dunham argued.
Roof also faces nine murder charges in state court, where prosecutors have also said they will seek the death penalty in a trial likely to begin sometime next year.
Whether he’s sentenced to death or not, it’s unlikely Roof would be executed anytime soon, in either jurisdiction. The federal government hasn’t executed anyone since 2003, and there are years of appeals between a death sentence being levied and carried out.
South Carolina’s death chamber hasn’t been used since 2011, due at least in part to a lack of availability for the drugs the state uses for lethal injection.

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0:45 Cam Newton makes young fan's wish come true
6:40 Law enforcement officers remember Deonn Carter as "an angel"
3:11 Man convicted on two counts of murder maintains innocence in comments before receiving two life sentences


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Question: 90 migrants feared dead after smuggler’s boat capsizes near Libya

GENEVA — About 90 people are feared drowned after a smuggler's boat carrying mostly Pakistani migrants capsized off Libya's coast early Friday, the U.N.'s migration agency said.
Ten bodies have washed ashore near the Libyan town of Zuwara following the tragedy in the early morning, said International Organization for Migration spokeswoman Olivia Headon, citing information from its partner agencies.
"We are told that two survivors swam to shore, and one person was rescued by a fishing boat," Headon said by phone from Tunisia's capital to reporters at the U.N. in Geneva. "We are working to get more details on the (capsizing) and where the survivors are so that we can assist them better."
Initially, the Libyan coast guard said a patrol it sent out found no signs of a capsized boat, survivors, or drowned migrants. But late at night, it cited a statement from officials in Zuwara who said that 13 bodies had been found, all Pakistani except for one Libyan woman.
Trump admin. accuses Syria of still using chemical weapon
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said 11 of its citizens had drowned in the incident. Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal told The Associated Press that Pakistani diplomats reached Libya's coastal area to collect more details and begin the process of repatriating the bodies of the deceased.
Headon said Pakistani nationals are increasing among the number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Italy and Europe via Libya. By nationality, Pakistanis last year made up the 13th largest nationality represented among migrants making the crossing, but they were the third-largest contingent in January.
Headon said the reason for the increasing flow of Pakistanis wasn't immediately clear, nor whether the greater influx is likely to continue, but added: "We're looking into it."
IOM says 6,624 people crossed the Mediterranean in January — about two-thirds of them to Italy — about a 10-percent increase from a year earlier. About 250 people died in the crossing in January, six fewer than a year ago.
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A 19-year-old man was found curled up in a suitcase (Picture: EPA)
A woman has been arrested after she was caught trying to smuggle a teenager over the border into Europe in a suitcase.
The Moroccan was stopped at the border with Spain on December 30 after the civil guard became suspicious about her package.
One dead, dozens injured after being hit by fireworks at Full Moon Party
They found the 19-year-old from Gabon curled up inside the suitcase in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in northern Africa.
Yesterday 1,100 migrants tried to cross into the enclave from Morocco.
A woman from Morocco was arrested (Picture: EPA)
A regional government spokesman said 50 Moroccan and five Spanish officers were injured when hundreds of migrants tried to enter Spanish territory.
Stingy landlord 'installs coin-operated flush on toilet'
The spokesman said two migrants managed to reach Spanish soil. Both were injured scaling the 20ft border fence and were taken to hospital by Spanish police.
Another 100 migrants climbed the fence, but Spanish agents sent them straight back to Morocco.
Last month, more than 400 migrants breached the fence at Ceuta.
Around 1,100 migrants tried to get into the Spanish enclave (Picture: Reuters)
Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco try to enter Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave, each year in hope of getting to Europe.
Two children, 9, robbed for their lemonade stand takings
Most migrants who try to cross are intercepted on the spot and returned to Morocco. Those that make it over the fences are eventually repatriated or let go.
Thousands more try to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, often in small craft unfit for the open sea.
Also on Sunday, a ship of Spain’s maritime rescue service rescued 52 migrants trying to reach Spain’s southern coast in a small boat.


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Question: Texas 'bathroom' bills stalled in special legislative session

FILE PHOTO: A gender-neutral bathroom is seen at the University of California, Irvine in Irvine, California, U.S. September 30, 2014.
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas measures to restrict access for transgender people to bathrooms in schools and public buildings appear doomed this week after hundreds of businesses stood in opposition and moderate Republican powerbrokers blocked the bills.
The so-called bathroom bills have caused rifts among Republicans who control the state's legislature, leaving no likely path to passage before a 30-day special session wraps on Wednesday, analysts and lawmakers said.
"The bathroom bill in this session is dead and buried with dirt over its coffin," said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston.
Enactment in Texas, the most populous Republican-dominated state, could give momentum to other socially conservative states for additional action on an issue that has become a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars.
But House Speaker Joe Straus, a pro-business Republican who controls the agenda in the body, has shown little interest in passing a bathroom bill, which he said was not a priority.
His position was buffeted by a well-financed campaign from major corporations including Texas-based energy companies Halliburton (HAL.N) and ExxonMobil Global Services (XOM.N), which have said the bills were discriminatory and would make it hard for them to recruit top talent.
Supporters of the legislation, who say it can help protect women and children from sexual assaults, have not given up.
But they acknowledge there is only a slim chance of success, with lawmakers still trying to reach deals on almost all of the 20 priority items set by Republican Governor Greg Abbott for the session.
Senate Bill 3, which made it through the Senate and stalled in the House, requires people to use restrooms, showers and locker rooms in public schools and other state and local government facilities that match the sex on their birth certificate, as opposed to their gender identity.
A push for bathroom bills nationally sputtered after North Carolina partially repealed such a measure in March after boycotts by athletic organizations and businesses that have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
Opposition against the Texas measures includes global tech giants IBM (IBM.N) and Apple (AAPL.O), major Texas city police chiefs who contested claims the bills would protect public safety, left-leaning religious leaders and the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars team.
Republican Representative Ron Simmons, who sponsored a version of the bathroom legislation in the Texas House, said the privacy issue at the heart of the bills is supported by a wide majority of Republican primary voters.
"Just because we don’t pass legislation doesn’t mean that the issue is not going to be there," he said.

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House all but buried school vouchers. Could the Senate do the same with the school finance fix?
After the Senate approved a sweeping bill offering taxpayer funds to private and religious schools, the House overwhelmingly passed language in its version of the state budget forbidding the practice — likely killing state-subsidized “school choice.”
On Wednesday, the House is scheduled to approve a $1.6 billion bill altering how Texas pays for its public schools. It raises per-student funding by about $200 to $5,350 a year and increases money for educating students with dyslexia while tweaking the current “Robin Hood” system under which school districts in wealthy parts of Texas share property tax revenue with those in poorer areas.
The bill’s sponsor, Houston Republican Rep. Dan Huberty, says it’s not a full school finance overhaul but will lay the groundwork for larger changes that must be made in coming years. Huberty heads the House Public Education Committee and said even before the budget vote against vouchers that he considered state subsidized school choice a non-starter.
But if his bill clears his own chamber it will go to Republican Sen. Larry Taylor of Friendswood, who heads the Senate Education Committee. Taylor worked long and hard shepherding the school choice bill through the Senate and expressed disappointment that the House scuttled the issue without even considering his bill.
Taylor hasn’t said if he’ll ensure that Huberty’s school finance bill never makes it out of his committee. Asked about such differing classroom priorities between the two chambers, meanwhile, Huberty said he can’t control what happens in the Senate but hoped his proposal will advance because Texas’ outdated school finance system so badly needs improving.
Since the Texas Supreme Court ruled last summer that while deeply flawed, the school finance system is minimally constitutional, though, no legislative fix is required.
So, the major bill the House will spend hours passing this week could be all for naught — just like the Senate’s voucher bill before it.
Here are two other top issues to watch this week in the Texas Legislature:
___
HOUSE ‘BATHROOM BILL’
A key House committee is set to hear Wednesday a bill prohibiting local governments from enacting anti-LGBT discrimination ordinances while voiding any already approved around Texas.
The proposal by Carrollton Republican Rep. Ron Simmons is the House’s de facto version of the “bathroom bill,” which sailed through the Senate despite a similar law in North Carolina last year causing national uproar, widespread boycotts and, eventually, a drastic rollback of what that state approved.
Unlike the Senate bill, Simmons’ proposal doesn’t require transgender Texans to use public bathrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates. It could, however, potentially have an even greater impact by prohibiting cities, counties and school districts from making policy designed to better accommodate transgender people.
If the House advances its own ‘bathroom bill,’ that will likely further hinder passage of the measure approved by the Senate. And the Senate version already looked like a longshot to survive given strong opposition by business groups and Republican House Speaker Joe Straus, as well as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s failure to publicly endorse it.
___
ARMING FIRST RESPONDERS
Eligible for a floor vote starting when the Senate returns to work on Tuesday is a bill allowing paramedics and other first-responders — even volunteer firefighters — to carry concealed handguns on duty.
Sen. Don Huffines’ bill has been listed on the “local and consent” calendar, making it eligible for passage with minimal debate. No additional training is required for emergency personnel already licensed to carry concealed handguns.
Huffines, a Dallas Republican, has argued that the “risk of assault for EMS workers is roughly 30 times higher when compared to the average occupational risks in the United States,” while citing first responders being summoned to a sniper attack in downtown Dallas that killed five police officers last summer.
A similar bill filed in the House has cleared committee but not yet been scheduled for a floor vote there.


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Question: Nyirenda Names Ng'onga in CHAN Squad

Chipolopolo coach Wedson Nyirenda has summoned 30 players to commence preparations for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be held in Morocco.
Nyirenda has handed a debut call for National Assembly striker Gamphani Lungu who netted 18 goals to help his side bounce back to the Super Division.
Zambia is in Group B alongside Ivory Coast, Namibia and Uganda.
The tournament runs from January 13 to February 4.
FULL LIST
(GOALKEEPERS)
Moses Mapulanga (Nkana FC), Toaster Nsabata (Zanaco FC), Allan Chibwe (Power Dynamos FC), Kenny Mumba (Red Arrows)
(DEFENDERS)
Solomon Sakala (Napsa Stars FC), Simon Silwimba, Fackson Kapumbu (both Zesco United), Lawrence Chungu, Isaac Shamujompa (Power Dynamos), John Mwengani (Nkana), Ziyo Tembo (Zanaco), Adrian Chama (Green Buffaloes), Jimmy Nakena (Nchanga Rangers)
(MIDFIELDERS)
Donashano Malama (Nkana), Kondwani Mtonga, Misheck Chaila, John Chingandu (all Zesco United), Larry Bwalya, Godfrey Ngwenya (Power Dynamos), Augustine Mulenga, Ernest Mbewe (both Zanaco), Mike Katiba (Green Buffaloes), Bwalya Kasonde (Nchanga Rangers)
(STRIKERS)
Friday Samu (Green Buffaloes), Gamphani Lungu (National Assembly), Alex N’gonga, Martin Phiri (both Power Dynamos), Ronald Kampamba (Nkana), Lazarous Kambole (Zesco United), Lubinda Mundia (Red Arrows)
(Source: FAZ Media)

Flames head coach Ronny Van Geneugden has named a 20 man squad to go into a two week training camping on Sunday at Mpira Village.
The list has excluded Be Forward Wanderers and Masters Security players as they are preparing for continental competitions.
Before the commencement of the training, the players are expected to undergo a medical checkup.
Ernest Kakhobwe is back into the squad after recovering from his injury while up-and-coming players Peter Banda from Griffin Young Stars and Chimwemwe Idana have also made it into the camp.
Below is the full squad list:
GOALKEEPERS
Charles Thom – Dwangwa United FC Brighton Munthali – Silver Strikers FC Lehman Nthala – Kamuzu Barracks FC Ernest Kakhobwe – Nyasa Big Bullets FC
DEFENDERS
John Lanjesi – Nyasa Big Bullets FC Charles Petro – Premier Bet Wizards FC Gomezgani Chirwa – Civil Sporting Club FC Ian Chinyama – Nyasa Big Bullets FC Yamikani Fodya – Nyasa Big Bullets FC
MIDFIELDERS
Chimwemwe Idana – Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve Chikoti Chirwa – Red Lions FC Levison Maganizo – Silver Strikers FC Mike Mkwate – Nyasa Big Bullets FC
STRIKERS & WINGERS


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Question: Diesel drivers could be given £2,000 towards a new car

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Motorists who drive diesel cars could be given £2,000 by the government towards the cost of replacing their vehicle.
Prime Minister Theresa May has reportedly overruled ministers to demand the introduction of the diesel scrappage scheme, which would see drivers given a cash incentive to trade in their old motors for more environmentally friendly ones.
The scheme is intended to lessen the impact new plans to tackle air pollution by introducing a 'toxin tax' on older diesel vehicles when they enter 10 cities around the UK.
According to Mirror Online , Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom believe the scheme, which could cost up to £2 billion, would be too expensive, but Mrs May wants to proceed with the plan anyway.
The 'toxin tax' could affect up to 10 million drivers of pre-September 2015 diesel vehicles.
The plan, set to be unveiled this week, follows a High Court ruling that the UK must improve urban air quality.
A string of investigations have also shown that diesel engines are causing dangerous levels of pollution which were previously unknown.

A major government shake-up will see UK drivers pay more money for their car tax. Before April 1st any car that produced 120g/km of CO2 emissions or less would pay as little as £0-£30 to tax their vehicle. However, under the new rules only zero emissions electric cars costing under £40,000 will be exempt from the fees. In March, Confused.com reported that 61 per cent of British motorists were unaware of the new car tax laws.
Additionally, only one in ten understood the new rules and exactly how much they would be paying. A new simple new online tool completely de-mists the confusion surrounding the new fees and offer drivers a breakdown of exactly how much they’ll pay. The Vehicle Certification Agency has created a range of tools to allow drivers to determine the rate of tax they’ll pay.
Cars that cost up to 25 times more under the new vehicle tax rules Fri, March 17, 2017 Cars that cost up to 25 times more under the new vehicle tax rules Play slideshow PH 1 of 17 Ford Focus 1.5 TDCi 120 ST-Line Navigation 5dr Powershift
On the VCA's Car fuel data, CO2 and vehicle tax tools page allows driver to input information about their car and in exchange receive a price. It gives you the option to check how much a new or used car registered on or after 1 April 2017 will pay and ho much a used car registered before March 2001 and between March 2001 and 31 March 2017. Then you input the car’s fuel type, transmission/gearbox, manufacturer, model and car’s description which then provides a breakdown of the costs. British motorists can still dodge the inflated fees by buying a pre-registered car.
GETTY Car tax checker reveals how to calculate the price of road tax
Everything you need to know about the new tax rules - The new laws only apply to new 2017-plate cars registered from April 1st. - The ‘first year’ rate is still based on CO2 emissions and remains the same in the first year - After the first year drivers will pay one of three standardised rates based on the vehicle’s fuel type: - £140 per year for petrol and diesel vehicles - £130 per year for ‘alternative fuel’ vehicles, such as hybrids - £0 per year for zero emissions vehicles, such as fully electric - Vehicles which cost over £40,000 will pay an additional £310 standard rate for the first five years. After this it will be taxed at the standard rate.
GETTY Only zero emissions electric cars under £40,000 in price are exempt from the inflated fees


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Question: WIN: Tickets to see Micky Flanagan back at Sheffield Arena on June 24

Comedy star Micky Flanagan is celebrating his recent record-breaking appearances at Sheffield Arena with a return this month - and you could see him for FREE.
We have five pairs of tickets to be won to see his An Another Fing Tour which is back on Saturday, June 24.
It is hot on the heels of his two sell-out shows at Sheffield Arena last month which played to rave reviews and over 24,000 fans - breaking the venue’s capacity record for a comedy show, now standing at 12,231.
Following a phenomenal demand for tickets Flanagan is back and the show is just over a week away.
This tour follows his record breaking Back In The Game tour of 2013 which took in an incredible 129 shows - making it the biggest comedy tour in the world that year - having sold an unbelievable 500,000 tickets in the UK and Ireland alone.
BUY TICKETS: Guarantee your seats for Micky Flanagan’s An Another Fing’ Tour at Sheffield Arena on Saturday, June 24 - priced £33.60 and £39.20, including booking fee. Buy in person from the box office, call 0114 256 5656 or visit www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS
For a chance to win one of five pairs of tickets to see Micky Flanagan’s An Another Fing’ Tour at Sheffield Arena on Saturday, June 24, enter our free prize draw by email or Twitter.
Email your name and details to graham.walker@jpress.co.uk with #JPcompMF in the subject field.
Or follow @GW1962 on Twitter and retweet any of his #JPcompMF tweets.
Micky Flanagan
Deadline is Tuesday, June 20, 2017, 5pm. Usual Johnston Press terms and conditions apply - see www.johnstonpress.co.uk/terms-conditions

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Iconic Brit band Madness have announced a huge UK tour - and it includes a date at Arena Birmingham
The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Madness will see the band - which rose to fame in the 1970s - play their hits and some new tracks.
The 2-tone favourites will play 13 dates this December with support from indie band The Fratelli’s.
You will be able to catch them at Arena Birmingham on Saturday, December 15.
Tickets are priced from £43.58 and go on sale at 9.30am on Friday you can get them from The Ticket Factory here.
Fifteen Madness singles reached the top 10, including One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers and It Must Be Love.
Their single House of Fun reached number one.
They captured the nation's imagination when they played Our House on the roof of Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
In 2000 the band received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection.
Scottish rock band The Fratellis have had hits with Chelsea Dagger and Whistle for he Choir.
The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Madness tour 2018
December 6 - Leeds, First Direct Arena
December 7 - Manchester Arena
December 8 - Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
December 10 - Plymouth Pavilions
December 11 - Bournemouth
December 13 - Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
December 14 - London, O2 Arena
December 15 - Birmingham Arena
December 17 - Glasgow, SSE Hydro
December 18 - Hull Venue
December 19 - Reading Rivermead
December 21 - Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
December 22 - Brighton Centre
Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday and are priced from £43.58 and you can get them from The Ticket Factory here.


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Question: Indian IT Outsourcers Anxious Over Potential Changes To H1-B Visas

With the Trump administration vowing to tighten rules for skilled workers entering the United States, India's software services companies are worried. Indian IT giants outsource tens of thousands of tech specialists to the United States each year, and limiting the visa program that brings them in could disrupt their multibillion-dollar industry.
Congress and the White House have targeted what is arguably the most coveted of U.S. visas: the H1-B. It's "a kind of temporary work visa that allows professionals from other countries to work in the United States for a designated U.S. employer," explains Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell University immigration law professor.
Yale-Loehr says that with the economy picking up, the program is in particularly big demand. Last year, U.S. companies that sought to bring highly skilled workers to the U.S. filed 236,000 petitions that went into a lottery for just 85,000 H1-B visas, the legal cap. The bulk of the winners: Indian computer specialists, many of them graduates of U.S. universities.
Yale-Loehr says that places like Europe and Australia have special visas to attract such talent, but that the United States doesn't.
"We have to shoehorn high-tech workers into categories like the H1-B, and it's getting more difficult every year," he says.
Indeed, newly introduced legislation in Congress and drafts of executive orders reportedly circulating in the Trump White House would tighten the H1-B program.
Indian software services firms last year earned 60 percent of their $108 billion in export revenues from the U.S. Their executives will travel to Washington this month to lobby against measures that take aim at one of India's most successful industries.
One bill proposes more than doubling the minimum wage of H1-B holders, which by law is set at $60,000. Critics argue the H1-B has been misused to displace American workers, and that there has been an incentive to prefer Indian IT workers because they are cheaper.
Shailesh Chitnis, with the data mining and analysis company Compile, says that while the median salary for all H1-B holders is $71,000, most but not all Indian outsourcers pay below that. If they had to double salaries, Chitnis says, Indian IT companies would have to change their 20-year-old business model.
"Because these organizations are not going to be bringing in people at $120,000 to fill those jobs — it would simply be too expensive," he says. "They'll have to look at some other alternatives."
But Shevendra Singh with India's National Association of Software Services Companies, or NASSCOM, refutes allegations that Indian companies are dislocating American workers or supplying low-paid labor. Singh says there is demand in the U.S. for Indian technical talent because of a severe shortage of qualified Americans with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.
"The crux of the issue is the STEM skill shortage in the U.S.," Singh says.
In its 2012 report, the U.S. president's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology found that "fewer than 40-percent of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree." The council concluded that in the next decade, economic forecasts point to a need to produce "approximately 1 million more college graduates in STEM fields than expected under current assumptions."
R. Chandrashekhar, president of NASSCOM, says that if the skills aren't available in the U.S. — and companies can't bring workers in — the jobs either won't get done or they will go out of the country and be done remotely.
"Talent has become more important than investment or trade," he says. "And those who consciously cut themselves off from the global supply chains of talent are depriving themselves of a good thing."
Chandrashekhar notes that the intermingling of American and Indian ingenuity helped build Silicon Valley, and says protectionist impulses could weaken the United States, and what makes it unique.
"America is No. 1," Chandrashekhar says. "What has really helped them to rise, absolutely, to the top, is that they have attracted talent from across the world. ... It would be really a pity if that was reversed without thinking it through."
Immigration expert Yale-Loehr, co-author of a 21-volume treatise on immigration law, agrees that the United States faces a crisis in maintaining its innovative and competitive edge, and says it should be inviting more, not less, IT talent to its shores.
"In a globalized economy, the best and the brightest want to work in the best places — and if they're unable work in the United States, or it takes too long or is too difficult, they'll find a place in Canada or Europe or India where their talents can be appreciated," he says.
If implemented, Yale-Loehr says the draft executive order would initiate a review of the H1-B program but likely have no direct, immediate impact.
However, he says "it sends a strong signal that we no longer like foreign workers — we're all about only U.S. workers."
That, Yale-Loehr says, is eventually going to hurt the U.S.
Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
In India, tech companies are worried that the Trump administration is preparing to limit visas for foreign skilled workers. A huge number of those visas called H-1Bs are held by Indians, but Congress and the White House say the program could be a threat to American jobs. From New Delhi, NPR's Julie McCarthy has more.
JULIE MCCARTHY, BYLINE: In the alphabet soup of U.S. visas, the H-1B is arguably the most coveted.
STHEPHEN YALE-LOEHR: An H-1B visa is a kind of temporary work visa that allows professionals from other countries to work in the United States for a designated U.S. employer.
MCCARTHY: Cornell immigration law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr says the program is in big demand. Last year, U.S. companies that sought to bring high-skilled workers to the states filed 236,000 petitions that went to a lottery that drew just 85,000 H-1B visas. The bulk of the winners - Indian computer specialists, many graduates from U.S. universities. Yale-Loehr says places like Europe and Australia have special visas to attract such talent.
YALE-LOEHR: We don't, and so we have to shoehorn those high-tech workers into existing categories like the H-1B. And it's getting more difficult every year.
KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
Newly introduced legislation in Congress and drafts of executive orders reportedly circulating in the Trump White House would tighten the H-1B program. The stakes are high for Indian IT firms. Using H-1Bs, they earn tens of billions of dollars each year outsourcing tech talent to the U.S. One bill proposes doubling the minimum wage of H-1B holders.
Critics say there's an incentive to prefer Indian IT workers because they are cheap. Analyst Shailesh Chitnis says if the median salary for all H-1B holders is $71,000, several - not all - Indian outsourcers pay slightly below that. And if they had to double salaries, he says Indian IT companies would have to change their business model.
SHAILESH CHITNES: These organizations are not going to be bringing in people at $120,000 to fill those jobs. It would simply be too expensive. They'll have to look at some other alternatives.
MCCARTHY: India's IT executives refute allegations that Indians are displacing American workers. There is a demand in the U.S. for Indian technical talent, they argue, because of a severe shortage of Americans with degrees in science, engineering and math. The president of the group representing Indian software services companies, R. Chandrashekhar, says talent has become more important than investment or trade.
R. CHANDRASHEKHAR: And those who consciously cut themselves off from the global supply chains of talent are depriving themselves of a good thing.
MCCARTHY: Chandrashekhar notes that intermingling of American and Indian ingenuity helped build Silicon Valley and says protectionist impulses would weaken the U.S. and what makes it unique.
CHANDRASHEKAR: America is number one. What has really helped them to rise absolutely to the top is that they have attracted talent from across the world, from every corner of the world. And that's what has made them who they are. It would be really a pity if that was reversed without thinking it through.
MCCARTHY: Immigration expert Stephen Yale-Loehr says if implemented, the draft executive order would initiate a review of the H-1B program and likely have no direct immediate impact.
YALE-LOEHR: But it sends a strong signal that we'd no longer like foreign workers. We're all about only U.S. workers. That is eventually going to hurt us.
MCCARTHY: Indian IT executives travel to Washington this month to lobby against the measures that take aim at one of India's most competitive businesses. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, New Delhi. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Good morning, here are our early stories:
-- Iran's Foreign Minister: Renegotiating Nuclear Deal Would Damage U.S. Credibility.
-- Border Patrol Agent Acquitted In 2012 Fatal Shooting Of Mexican Teen.
-- Prince's Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Hospital, Pharmacy Chain.
-- Facebook Updates Community Standards, Expands Appeals Process.
And here are more early headlines:
Report: Confirmation Hearing To Be Delayed For V.A. Nominee. (Washington Post)
Suit Filed Against New Indiana Abortion Law. (Indianapolis Business Journal)
Government Seeks E-Coli Source In Contaminated Lettuce. (Washington Post)
Despite Government Action, Nicaragua Protests Continue. (Los Angeles Times)
New Afghanistan Attacks Leave 9 Dead. (RFE/RL)
Ukrainian Agency Hit By Ransomware. (Reuters)


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Question: Man accused of Facebook video killing said he 'just snapped'

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CLEVELAND (AP) — In a rambling video, Steve Stephens said, “I snapped, I just snapped.” But as the manhunt dragged on Monday for the man accused of posting Facebook footage of himself killing a retiree, police were unable to explain what set him off.
“Only Steve knows that,” Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams said as authorities posted a $50,000 reward for Stephens’ capture in the shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker.
In the video, Stephens blamed a former girlfriend he had lived with, saying he woke up last week and “couldn’t take it anymore.” But in a statement Monday, the woman shed little light on what might have gone wrong and said Stephens was good to her and her children.
As for the shooting victim, Godwin appeared to have been selected at random, gunned down while picking up aluminum cans Sunday afternoon after spending Easter with some of his children.
A manhunt that started in Cleveland’s gritty east side expanded rapidly into a nationwide search for Stephens, a 37-year-old job counselor who worked with teens and young adults, police said.
“He could be nearby. He could be far away or anywhere in between,” FBI agent Stephen Anthony said.
Law enforcement officials said his cellphone signal was last detected on Sunday afternoon in Erie, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Cleveland.
Police reported getting dozens and dozens of tips, and nine schools in Philadelphia were locked down Monday while authorities investigated possible sightings of Stephens. But they said there was no sign he was actually there.
Some of those who know Stephens described him as pleasant and kind, while some said he had a gambling problem. He filed for bankruptcy two years ago.
In another video posted to Facebook, Stephens said that he gambled away everything and that he and his girlfriend had planned to marry but didn’t, without saying why.
“He got along with everybody, so it’s just unbelievable what happened,” said Alexis Lee, a friend who saw Stephens last week.
The police chief said: “We are not going to pinpoint a specific thing and say this is what triggered this, because we don’t know.”
Godwin’s daughter said he was killed while collecting cans in a plastic shopping bag.
“Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did,” said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin. “That’s all he was doing. He wasn’t harming anyone.”
She said her father, who had 10 children, was a gentle man with nothing mean about him.
In the shooting video, Stephens told Godwin a woman’s name and said, “She’s the reason that this is about to happen to you.” The victim did not seem to recognize the woman’s name. The gunman then pointed a weapon at Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.
The woman Stephens spoke of, Joy Lane, said in a text to CBS that “we had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened.” She said Stephens was “a nice guy” who was generous to everyone.
The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down.
Investigators said that Godwin was the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite his claim in a separate video on Facebook that he killed more than a dozen people.
Detectives spoke with Stephens on Sunday by cellphone and tried to persuade him to surrender, police said.
Stephens worked at Beech Brook, a social services agency in suburban Cleveland that deals with vulnerable young people. He helped them gain job skills and find employment, said Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer.
An extensive background check before he was hired turned up nothing worrisome, she said.
Stephens filed for bankruptcy in January 2015. His attorney at the time, Trent Binger, said Monday that he remembered Stephens discussing gambling problems.
“He was an easy client to deal with,” Binger said. “Always respectful to me … well-mannered.”
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Question: What is the two-state solution?

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For the better part of half a century, successive US governments, both Republican and Democrat, have backed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The idea of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel has been the basis of decades of international efforts to end the conflict.
After new US President Donald Trump's administration said it is no longer wedded to the so-called two-state solution, here are some questions and answers about the idea and the possible alternatives.
- Which two states? -
The two-state solution envisions independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting side by side peacefully.
This means creating a Palestinian state on the rough basis of the situation before 1967, when Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in a war with its Arab neighbours.
The so-called Green Line demarcates the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as their capital.
In 1988, then Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat unveiled a declaration of independence which, for the first time, referred to "two states for two peoples."
Jewish settlements in the West Bank
This recognition is endorsed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which includes most Palestinian movements.
Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which runs Gaza, are not included and do not recognise Israel.
The UN partition plan from 1947 also proposed two states, one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem placed under separate international control.
- Who supports it? -
Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi says there is "a global consensus" that the two-state solution is the best route to peace.
The United Nations, at which the State of Palestine has observer status, has endorsed it, as has the European Union.
The 2012 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state in exchange for recognition of Israel by Arab States, is also based on two states.
In December 2016, outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry said that it was the only way to lasting peace.
But since his inauguration Trump has signalled a different approach, and on Tuesday a White House official said Washington would not seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement.
The comments, which were seen as a break from support for the two-state solution, sparked condemnation from the Palestinians.
In 2009, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech for the first time publicly endorsing the idea of a Palestinian state coexisting with Israel.
Six years later, however, he said during an election campaign that he would not allow an independent Palestinian state.
Today he heads the most rightwing government in Israel's history, dominated by ultra-nationalists and supporters of annexation of the West Bank.
He says the Palestinians must recognise Israel as a "Jewish" state, which the Palestinian leadership refuses to do.
- What alternatives? -
According to recent polls, support for the two-state solution is falling among Palestinians and Israelis.
In September a survey showed that half of all Palestinians and 41 percent of Israelis were against the idea.
Another poll in December found only 31 percent of Palestinians saw the two-state solution as viable.
Some, mostly in Israel, argue for a single, binational state, where Palestinians and Israelis would be equal under law.
But this option leaves open demographic concerns as Israelis worry about preserving their country's Jewish character.

And we have yet to hear President Trump request funding from Congress, a multiyear, multibillion-dollar funding request … of a death penalty is kind of like the — it’s like the silver bullet, right, the idea of like, well, this will solve our …
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Question: VIDEO: Seal escapes hungry orcas by climbing aboard tourist boat

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Screenshot from a video provided by Pacific Yellowfin Charters shows an astute seal seeks shelter on the swim grid of a tourist boat in Frederick Arm, north of Campbell River.
A seal escaped the jaws of hungry orcas by hitching a ride on a nearby tourist vessel on July 1, and the encounter was caught on video.
Several transient orcas were hunting the harbour seal in Frederick Arm, an inlet located about 1.5 hours north of Campbell River by boat, when the savvy animal swam up to the boat and climbed aboard.
Footage provided by Pacific Yellowfin Charters shows the worried-looking animal hiding behind the boat’s outboard motor on the swim grid, a low platform at the stern of the vessel.
The clever seal occasionally glances up at the humans aboard the 26-foot fishing boat. But the seal is mostly focused on its hungry hunters, which circulate below and breach menacingly just meters away.
Colin Griffinson, captain of a “luxury expedition” ship called the Pacific Yellowfin, said that crew members were going ashore in their smaller craft, the Yellowfin Swan, when they observed the pod of whales. Then the action started.
“They started attacking the seal,” said Griffinson. The melee continued without a kill, and the seal made a break for it.
“He got away and just came bee-lining for our boat, from about 150 feet away,” he said. Sure enough, the animal climbed aboard the Swan and lived to see another day.
The animal now has a name: Lucky.
“We said what will we call the seal if we actually ended up keeping it?” said Griffinson. “We just joked that we’d call it Lucky.”
He described it as a “big, fat seal” and a “very healthy animal.”
“Maybe that’s why they didn’t kill it so easy,” he said. “It was a prime seal.”
He added that the creature “obviously it had some smarts because it survived this far.”
Griffinson stressed that he didn’t intend to interfere with the hunt. Indeed, the crew was “looking forward to seeing a kill,” he said.
It was the first time an animal had actually jumped aboard one of his vessels, Griffinson said.
To deal with the situation, he consulted with Nick Templeman, who was also on the scene, observing the orcas on another vessel with a whale researcher.
Templeman, owner-operator of Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions, had experienced this kind of thing before. A seal jumped onto his boat in 2017. He also witnessed a seal leaping into someone’s Zodiac last year, he said.
Both seafarers said they weren’t worried the orcas wouldn’t flip the Swan in pursuit of their prey.
“The orcas know what they’re doing,” said Templeman, saying the whales are too intelligent to recklessly destroy a boat for a snack. Griffinson also said that in his many encounters with orcas during fishing trips, whales have never interfered with his equipment.
The whole encounter unf0lded over the course of 30-45 minutes. And while the seal held on for dear life, the whales also hung around.
“They continue to look and wait for that seal,” he said. “Maybe he’s going to hop off.”
Griffinson eventually navigated away from the scene. But even after some gentle prodding with a pole, the seal wouldn’t disembark, Griffinson said.
“We did give it a push at one point in time, but it just got back on again,” he said. “We decided that the seal had had a tough enough day and we weren’t going to bug it anymore.”
The crew finally decided to leave it at the dock. But as they entered the shallows, near a spot where the seals haul out, Lucky slipped away.
“He obviously recognized the place,” Griffinson. “He just jumped off.”

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This male lion who was spotted hitching a ride on the back of a 4×4 as it drove though a safari park in South Africa.(Picture: Jukin Media)
Lions clearly get tired too if this is anything to go by..
Just take a look at this male lion who was spotted hitching a ride on the back of a 4×4 as it drove though a safari park in South Africa.
The lion had been part of a group of other lions when he took a leap and pounced on the spare tyre attached to the back of the vehicle.
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Footage shows his devoted followers dutifully lining up behind the lion as he hitched the ride.
Dog owner filmed beating, kicking and threatening pet with weapons
Using it’s two hind legs, the animal slowly walks behind the car as it drove through the park near Pietermaritzburg.
It is unclear how long the lion hitched a lift but the footage lasts at least a minute before the car rolls to a stop.
Footage shows his devoted followers dutifully lining up behind the lion as he hitched the ride (Picture: Jukin Media)
This is not the first time a lion has jumped on the back of a car for a free ride.
In June last year, a family was faced with a hungry lion sinking its teeth into their car’s spare wheel at a safari park.
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MORE: Boy, 3, manages to walk out of nursery and half-mile home without staff realising


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Question: Trump says "Russian connection" is "non-sense" - Tweet

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed the idea of any "Russian connection" in a tweet that came amid a New York Times report that said members of his presidential campaign had contacts with Russian intelligence officials.
"This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign," he said in a post on Twitter, citing his former Democratic rival in the 2016 presidential contest. (Reporting by Susan Heavey)

The Nunes Memo attacks the 'Steele Dossier' as partisan opposition research. But former CIA agent Daniel Hoffman says it could be Russian disinformation.
Source: CNN


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Question: California Senate supports state-backed bank for pot money

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California lawmakers moved Wednesday to create a state-backed bank to handle the billions of dollars flowing from the newly legal recreational marijuana market.
The world's largest legal recreational marijuana economy, created under a law that took effect this year, is projected to grow to $7 billion.
The bill approved by a bipartisan 29-6 state Senate vote is designed to help pot entrepreneurs who usually deal in cash because most banks won't accept money from a product that remains illegal under federal law.
SB930 now goes to the Assembly for consideration.
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The bill would permit charter banks and credit unions regulated by the state Department of Business Oversight to provide limited banking services to pot-related businesses.
They could use the banks to pay rent, state and local taxes and fees, vendors within California for goods and services related to the cannabis business and to buy state and local bonds and other investments.
"We're not using the federal system, we're not using the federal wire," Democratic Sen. Bob Hertzberg of Van Nuys said of his proposal. "This is a short-term creative approach to deal with this extraordinary problem."
He said the banks would suffice until what proponents hope will be an eventual change in federal law.
Hertzberg said the current system is dangerous because it requires pot dealers to conduct their business using cash, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars. He said he's heard of some businesses burying or hiding tens of millions of dollars for lack of an alternative.
State budget officials project California will collect $600 million in cannabis taxes in the upcoming year, but that often requires the businesses to haul duffel bags full of cash to tax agencies.
The cash economy also makes audits and other standard oversight measures difficult.

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