SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February's high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank.


Exclusive: SWIFT discloses more cyber thefts, pressures banks on security


WASHINGTON Pastor Marks Burns, a prominent supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, apologized on Tuesday for sending out a tweet that showed a cartoon image of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in blackface.
Burns, an African-American who is frequently one of the warmup speakers at Trump rallies, sent out the tweet on Monday to bolster the Trump campaign's contention that Clinton is pandering for the black vote but will ignore the community if elected on Nov. 8.
"I ain't no ways pandering to African Americans," the cartoon image says.
The tweet emerged at a time when Trump has been trying to broaden his appeal to African-American voters by saying he wants to create more jobs and make black neighborhoods safe so people can walk down the street without getting shot.
After Burns began taking fire for the tweet, he deleted it and apologized for the image but not his message.
"I'm so sorry for the offensive #Blackface image of @HillaryClinton but stand by the message that we Blacks ARE being Used by #Dems for VOTES," Burns said.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Trump booster apologizes for Clinton 'blackface' tweet


Pastor Marks Burns, a prominent supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, apologized on Tuesday for sending out a tweet that showed a cartoon image of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in blackface.


BEIRUT — The Latest developments in the Syrian civil war (all times local):
10 p.m.
Turkey’s official news agency says one Turkish soldier has been killed and three wounded in Syria.
The Anadolu Agency says two Turkish tanks in the Syrian town of Jarablus came under rocket attack Saturday by Kurdish militants.
The Turkish military began its so-called Euphrates Shield operation in Syria with Free Syrian Army units and coalition airplanes Wednesday to push Islamic State militants out of Jarablus and to limit the advance of Kurdish forces to the west of the Euphrates River.
The soldier’s death is the first reported fatality on the Turkish side.
___
6:30 p.m.
Syria state TV is reporting that the evacuation of the Damascus suburb of Daraya following a deal to end a four-year siege and a grueling bombing campaign has been completed.
The declaration Saturday comes only a day after the evacuation of nearly 5,000 residents and fighters from the suburb began. The deal followed an extensive government campaign of aerial bombing and shelling of Daraya, the last bastion against President Bashar Assad in the western Ghouta region, southwest of Damascus.
Some 700 gunmen and 4,000 civilians were evacuated. The gunmen and their families headed to the northern rebel-controlled Idlib province. Other civilians were escorted to shelters in government-controlled suburbs of Damascus.
State TV said Saturday that Daraya was clear of gunmen, and is under the control of the Syrian army. Control of Daraya is a boost to Assad’s forces and increases security to the capital, his seat of power. Meanwhile a bloody battle for the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, is ongoing.
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5:45 p.m.
Syrian rebel-groups backed by Turkey say they are clashing with fighters affiliated with Kurdish forces in northern Syria, in a bid to wrestle control of territory from them south of a town they recently seized from Islamic State militants.
The clashes Saturday highlight concerns that Turkey’s incursion into Syria was likely to raise the potential for an all-out confrontation between the two American allies.
The Turkish-backed Nour el-din el-Zinki rebel group said fighters, backed by Turkish tanks, advanced Saturday on the village of Youssef Beik that lies southwest of Jarablus, seizing it from Kurdish-affiliated forces. The group claimed to have captured two Kurdish fighters.
There was no immediate comment from the Syria Democratic Forces, the U.S.-backed Kurdish-affiliated forces.
Earlier an SDF-affiliated group said Turkish airstrikes targeted its bases and civilian homes south of Jarablus.
___
5:15 p.m.
Turkey’s state news agency says the Turkish Military Joint Special Task Forces and coalition airplanes have targeted the bases of suspected “terror groups” south of the Syrian town of Jarablus.
The Saturday statement, citing military sources, comes hours after Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria said Turkish airstrikes had hit their bases near Jarablus, a town seized by Turkey-backed rebels earlier this week. It said the target was an ammunition depot and a command center for “terror groups” but didn’t name the area or the group.
The Jarablus Military Council, supported by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces, said the airstrikes on their bases in the village of Amarneh marked an “unprecedented and dangerous escalation.”
Turkey sent tanks across the border to help Syrian rebels capture Jarablus from the Islamic State group, and to contain Kurdish-led forces. Turkey says the Kurds must withdraw to the east of the nearby Euphrates River.
___
3:45 p.m.
Syria activists say at least 15 civilians have been killed when suspected government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on a wake for children killed in earlier airstrikes in rebel-held Aleppo.
Hospital officials in rebel-held Aleppo say the death toll from the two barrel bombs dropped Saturday in the Bab al-Nairab neighborhood is likely to rise. Mohammed Khandakani, a hospital volunteer, said one of the injured told him a barrel bomb was dropped as people paid their condolences for children killed Thursday in an airstrike that left 11 children dead in the same neighborhood. Minutes later, Khandakani said another barrel bomb was dropped, injuring an ambulance driver, and hampering rescue efforts.
The Syrian government and its Russian ally are the only ones operating helicopters over Aleppo. The government denies it uses barrel bombs.
___
1:15 p.m.
Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria say Turkish airstrikes have hit their bases near Jarablus, a town seized by Turkey-backed rebels earlier this week.
The Jarablus Military Council says the airstrikes Saturday on their bases in Amarneh village marked an “unprecedented and dangerous escalation” and came after Turkish artillery shelled the positions the day before.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the airstrikes. Turkish officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Jarablus Military Council is supported by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces. Turkey sent tanks across the border to help Syrian rebels capture Jarablus from the Islamic State group.
The incursion was partly aimed at containing Kurdish-led forces. Turkey says the Kurds must withdraw to the east of the nearby Euphrates River.

The Latest: Turkish soldier killed in Syria by rocket attack


Turkey's official news agency says one Turkish soldier has been killed and three wounded in Syria.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI plans to hand over some of its notes from its interview with U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton regarding her use of private email while secretary of state to news outlets that requested them, CNN reported on Tuesday.
However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will not yet release other notes from the law enforcement agency's interviews with Clinton aides or turn over other investigative material, CNN said, citing unnamed sources.
The materials could be released as soon as Wednesday to media companies that formally sought them under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), according to CNN.
FBI representatives declined to confirm the report to Reuters.
In addition to the notes, CNN said the FBI will give the news outlets the roughly 30-page report it sent to the U.S. Department of Justice last month when it recommended against pursuing criminal charges against Clinton, who is vying for the White House in the Nov. 8 U.S. election.
The Clinton campaign, which had expressed concern about selective leaks from the notes, welcomed the release.
"This is something that we wanted to have happen," campaign spokeswoman Kristina Schake told CNN in an interview.
Several media outlets, including Reuters, have made FOIA requests for a summary of the interview. Such requests are often returned with sensitive information redacted.
FBI Director James Comey told Congress that the interview was not recorded, so the agency would only be able to provide a summary.

FBI to give media some Clinton notes over email use


Trump to make dramatic trip to Mexico before immigration speech
By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will meet Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday in a hastily arranged visit to Mexico hours before delivering a highly anticipated speech on how he will tackle illegal immigration.
True to Trump's flair for the dramatic, the visit will guarantee widespread news coverage for the former reality TV star. It also carries some risks for him, however, since most foreign visits at the presidential level are long-planned and carefully scripted.
Trump announced the trip on Twitter on Tuesday night and it was confirmed in another tweet by the Mexican government. "I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow," Trump said.
The private meeting, which Trump and his advisers began considering last week after Pena Nieto's invitation, will be Trump's first official interaction with a foreign leader since he began his presidential campaign more than a year ago.
Such trips can be tricky to navigate. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, suffered a number of gaffes during a trip to London, Israel and Poland four years ago.
Pena Nieto has dismissed Trump's demand that Mexico pay for a border wall that the New York businessman has pledged to build if elected on Nov. 8. "There is no way that Mexico could pay for a wall like that," he told CNN on July 10.
Pena Nieto, who has publicly voiced skepticism about Trump, has been enmeshed in a controversy over whether he plagiarized some of his 1991 undergraduate law thesis.
The talks will take place hours before Trump is to give a major speech on Wednesday night as he seeks to straddle a fine line between being tough on illegal immigration but giving moderate voters a reason to give his candidacy a fresh look.
While he has closed the gap in some areas, Trump still trails Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in most opinion polls nationally and in most battleground states with 10 weeks to go until the Nov. 8 election.
Clinton has also been invited to a meeting with Pena Nieto but it is not yet clear if she has accepted, although her spokeswoman took a dim view of Trump's trip.
"What ultimately matters is what Donald Trump says to voters in Arizona, not Mexico, and whether he remains committed to the splitting up of families and deportation of millions," spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement.
NO AMNESTY
Trump was to deliver his remarks at 6 p.m. MST (0100 GMT on Thursday) in Phoenix, Arizona, a state that has been at the heart of the debate over the porous U.S. border with Mexico.
Aides said he would reaffirm his determination to the border wall to curtail new illegal crossings and to quickly deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the United States.
But the central question facing Trump was how he would treat the majority of the 11 million illegal immigrants who have set down roots in their communities and obeyed U.S. laws, an issue that has bedeviled the immigration debate for years.
Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told MSNBC on Tuesday that Trump was active in drafting his speech and was dead set against any proposal that might be seen as providing amnesty to illegal immigrants.
"The point that Mr. Trump has made again and again is that you don't get amnesty and you don't get legalization since you broke the law to be here in the first place," she said. "But then he also respects it's a complex issue."
Trump has shown signs of indecision on whether to go ahead with his previous proposal for a "deportation force" to deport the 11 million people, saying there are some "great people" among the immigrant population and that he would like to work with them.
He was pressed in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity last week on whether he was open to any steps that might accommodate law-abiding people who had built strong family ties in the United States.
"There certainly can be a softening because we're not looking to hurt people," Trump said in his response. "We want people - we have some great people in this country."
FINE LINE
Suggestions of a softening by Trump and his campaign advisers prompted conservative allies like former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to caution him against rolling back on a central pledge that helped him defeat 16 rivals for the Republican presidential nomination.
A move by Trump to moderate his stance on immigration could help him attract more support among swing voters in his uphill drive to win in November, but some of his conservative backers could be disenchanted.
"It's vitally important that he not disappoint his supporters because they are the people who are with you through thick and thin and when you start to thin your base in hopes of adding other people to your base, it just never works," said Republican strategist Barry Bennett, a Trump supporter.
Trump has already laid out parts of his immigration policy and they resemble some past Republican attempts at immigration reform, like using an E-verify system to ensure that employers hire properly documented workers, and swift deportation of immigrants who have committed crimes.
He has also vowed to stop some major cities' practice of providing sanctuary for illegal immigrants and to stop immigrants from overstaying their visas.


By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will meet Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday...


Trump to make dramatic trip to Mexico before immigration speech


A charity that provides support to families and other witnesses attending inquests is appealing for volunteers to assist its work in Lincolnshire.
The Coroners’ Court Support Service has made the call, saying volunteers play an important role in its service, offering practical and emotional support to help everyone involved understand the processes and procedures at an inquest.
Volunteers are given thorough training, induction, and ongoing support through Samantha Shaw, a volunteer co-ordinator for the service.
She said: “People who find themselves attending an inquest often have no idea about what to expect and may feel thrown into an alien environment. Volunteers are crucial in helping us to support families and witnesses with what can be a daunting experience at a difficult time in their lives.
“Volunteers don’t need any prior knowledge of the legal or coronial system, or a counselling qualification. We want to hear from people with a caring, supportive nature, with excellent listening skills and who are able to empathise.”
The service is currently recruiting volunteers who are able to cover Lincolnshire. The majority of inquests are held at Lincoln, however there are also courts at Spilsby, Boston, Stamford and Spalding. A willingness to travel is essential, out-of-pocket travel expenses will be paid.
Barry Wantling, a volunteer, said: “Having been with the organisation for several months I enjoy meeting and providing support to families and witnesses. I believe that we can make a difference and help families when hearing the events surrounding the bereavement.”
Volunteers must be able to give at least two full days a month and to be available for quarterly team meetings and ongoing supervision.
Anyone interested needs to be able to speak and write in clear English, be punctual, and to be confident in working alongside other professionals.
For more information and an application form, email info@ccsupport.org.uk
You can also learn more about the service at www.coronerscourtsupport service.org.uk


A charity that provides support to families and other witnesses attending inquests is appealing for volunteers to assist its work in Lincolnshire.


FARGO—Many people believe the difference between introverts and extroverts is that one is shy and the other outgoing.
Kathryn Berg, a former employee assistance program trainer with The Village Family Service Center, said that's not necessarily the case. It's possible for an introvert to be outgoing and an extrovert to be shy. The difference is more about whether people get their energy from others or from within themselves.
Extroverts are energized by interacting with a lot of different people and feel drained spending time alone. Introverts are the opposite, she said.
Pam Matchie, a Fargo-based corporate trainer and speaker, said many people fall somewhere in between. She said those who fall near either end of the spectrum may perceive those who fall on the opposite end negatively.
Extreme extroverts can see introverts as unsocial, secretive and aloof, while introverts might think of extroverts as aggressive, egotistical and socially needy.
That's one reason Matchie said it's important for managers to understand where their team members fall.
"If I ran the zoo, I would know my people, know the team and help the team know each other," she said.
It's especially important during team meetings and brainstorming sessions.
"If you're having a group meeting, for an introvert, it can be very draining. They come in with a bucket of energy and it goes down. The longer the meeting, the more it drains," she said.
That's why Berg said introverts are often only interested in meaningful communication and interactions.
"If it's not a meaningful interaction, then it just seems like it was unnecessary. It will feel draining for no reason," Berg said.
On the other hand, extroverts are energized by meetings.
"An extrovert could go from 8 to 8 and then suggest getting drinks afterward," Matchie said.
Extroverts often think by speaking as well.
"I know extroverts who make a joke out of it. 'Pardon me, you know that my brain doesn't work unless my mouth is moving,'" Matchie said.
She said extroverts are uncomfortable with silence. They often try to fill it, and introverts are more than happy to let them.
Matchie said that's why it's important for a manager to maintain control of a meeting. If they don't, they'll miss out on some potentially great ideas from introverts.
She suggests giving time to introverts to speak at the start of the meeting, meeting with them separately or allowing them to share ideas and concerns via email afterward.
Understanding the benefits
Matchie said managers who understand the best way to nurture introverts and extroverts will help the company's bottom line.
"It's huge because if you've got introverts or extroverts who are unhappy with their work environment, productivity drops or they leave," she said.
Berg said introverts and extroverts can also bring out the best in one another.
Extroverts can draw introverts out and help them be stronger contributors, Berg said. Introverts can show introverts the value of forming ideas before bringing them forward rather than constantly bouncing ideas off people.
Overall, she said it's about valuing diversity.
"Whether it's the difference between Democrats and Republicans or anything else, the best thing you can do is to not box anyone in and not assume anything about anyone. Do your research. Talk to people and get to understand them on a personal level. You'll run into a lot less problems," she said.
Are you an introvert or extrovert?
The Myers & Briggs Foundation website provides statements meant to help people determine whether they are introverted or extroverted. The information was adapted from "Looking at Type: The Fundamentals" by Charles R. Martin.
Extraversion:
-- I'm seen as "outgoing" or as a "people person."
-- I feel comfortable in groups and like working in them.
-- I have a wide range of friends and know lots of people.
-- I sometimes jump too quickly into an activity and don't allow enough time to think it over.
-- Before I start a project, I sometimes forget to stop and get clear on what I want to do and why.
Introversion:
-- I am seen as "reflective" or "reserved."
-- I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.
-- I prefer to know just a few people well.
-- I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don't move into action quickly enough.
-- I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience.

Managers who understand the motivations of introverts, extroverts can help company's bottom line


New Cuba tourism seen slow to take off despite U.S. flights
By Marc Frank and Jeffrey Dastin
HAVANA/NEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - An expected explosion in U.S. tourism to Cuba will likely take years to materialize even after U.S. airlines resume commercial flights to the Caribbean island this week for the first time since 1961, industry officials said.
JetBlue Airways Corp will pilot its historic flight from Florida to the Cuban city of Santa Clara on Wednesday, the latest step in normalizing relations that earlier this year included a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama and the first U.S. cruise to the island in decades.
The planes may some day be filled with U.S. beach-goers, looking for an economical Caribbean break at resorts favored by Canadians and Europeans on the sandy keys north of Santa Clara.
But for now, U.S. law and constraints on Cuba's tourism infrastructure will act as brakes on increasing demand, experts said.
Congress has yet to lift a trade embargo that prohibits U.S. citizens from visiting Cuba as tourists. The Obama administration has approved 12 categories of exceptions to the ban ranging from cultural, religious and educational travel to business and visiting family.
That means JetBlue's initial flights will mainly carry Cuban-Americans visiting relatives or other U.S. citizens interested in seeing the Che Guevara Mausoleum and other cultural sites.
Eventually, up to 25 flights a day by various carriers will connect the United States and the Cuban provinces, with another 20 to Havana, under an agreement reached by the two Cold War foes as part of a gradual détente begun in December 2014.
Services on Silver Airways and American Airlines Group Inc from the Miami area to other outlying provinces are the next to start, in September.
While the direct flights could carry more than a million U.S. residents to Cuba annually, according to John Kavulich, head of the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc, he and other experts believe that mark will not be reached for several years.
In the beginning, the new routes are expected to absorb customers from the average of 17 charter flights that Cuba's government says have arrived from the United States daily for several years.
"The fares that have come out so far, announced by American and JetBlue, have been super competitive," said Bob Guild, vice president at Marazul Charters Inc. "I don't have any question that it's going to shrink," he said of the charter services.
Marazul, one of the largest charter companies operating to Cuba, plans to scale back services to provinces this fall but continue with its Havana flights while commercial airlines await approval, Guild said.
HOTEL ROOMS FULL
There is already a boom in visits to Cuba from the United States. Some 300,000 Cubans living in the United States now travel home annually. In 2015, the Cuban government reported 161,233 Americans visited, compared to 91,254 in 2014, and arrivals through June nearly doubled over the same period last year, a trend that the dawn of commercial flights can only further.
"The fact that travelers can book flights directly online not only streamlines that process and makes it more affordable, it adds a feeling of legality," said Collin Laverty of Cuban Educational Travel.
But another barrier to increased U.S. travel is that Cuba's hotels, bed and breakfasts, transportation services and amenities are already stretched to the limit, with a record 3.5 million foreign arrivals last year.
Higher hotel prices, pegged to the U.S. dollar, might push out some travelers from Europe and Canada, creating more space for Americans, said Emilio Morales, CEO of Miami-based Havana Consulting Group.
Private bed and breakfasts would absorb what they could of increased demand, he said.
Over time, airlines are betting travel restrictions will be further relaxed and want to get their foot in the door before Obama leaves office next year.


By Marc Frank and Jeffrey Dastin HAVANA/NEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - An expected explosion in U.S. tourism to Cuba will likely take years to materialize even...


New Cuba tourism seen slow to take off despite U.S. flights


A beach water quality advisory has been lifted for two beaches in Lake Country.
Beach water test results from last week on Wood Lake have improved and the August 19th swimming and beach water quality advisory has been removed for Beasley Park and Reiswig Park on Wood Lake.
According to Interior Health, lake water is not pristine, and beach water quality can fluctuate due to a number of factors including lake currents, runoff and the outflow of creeks, changing environmental factors and waterfowl and animal waste.
Additionally, Water Quality is typically poorer in the summer when the warm weather escalates bacterial growth and swimmers stir up the lake bottom.
A Swimming Advisory is a notice to swimmers that bacterial levels are currently higher than those allowed in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. The maximum allowable number of E. coli bacteria in recreational water is 200 per 100-millilitre sample. IHA recommends an advisory when the bacterial counts geometric mean is high over a period of multiple samples.
For more information on beach water quality, contact Interior Health at 250 862-4200.

Swiming/beach water quality advisory lifted for Lake Countr's Beasley, Reiswig parks


Water test results from last week put the water as safe to swim in


COLUMBUS — Senate President Keith Faber, R-Celina, joined owner and head brewer Fred Karm of Akron’s Hoppin’ Frog Brewery to recognize recent legislation that removed the state’s 12 percent alcohol by volume limit, allowing brewers to expand their offerings and increase Ohio’s competitiveness in the brewing industry.
Faber, who co-sponsored the legislation to lift the limit for Ohio breweries, awarded Karm the gavel used during Senate session the day the bill was passed.
“Ohio is home to countless breweries and brewpubs, and it’s important that we equip these innovators and small businesses with the tools they need to compete,” said Faber. “We are committed to making Ohio a top state to open and operate a business and by lifting this restriction, small businesses like Hoppin’ Frog and many others will have room to grow or begin brewing in our state.”
The state had not changed the alcohol by volume limit since 2002, when it rose from 6 percent to 12 percent. The bill allows Ohio’s brewers to craft beers greater than 12 percent alcohol by volume if packaging states that the product is a high alcohol beer.
“It was a privilege to work on this issue with President Faber and the legislature. This is a big step forward for the brewery industry in Ohio, and we are very honored to receive this recognition,” said Karm. “To celebrate, we are throwing a weeklong party in our Tasting Room at Hoppin’ Frog Brewery and releasing our first beer above the old Ohio limit.”
Faber helped to champion the effort in the legislature to ensure that the state’s well-established craft beer industry remains ahead of the pack nationally and continues to provide jobs and opportunities for Ohioans.
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year and now distributes beer in 21 states and 18 countries.

Faber visits brewery as state lifts restrictions


STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County Search and Rescue volunteers got to put a recent ropes training session to the test Saturday evening when a pair of bow hunters found themselves trapped on the cliffs atop Mount Werner.
Two rescuers with headlamps rappelled down the cliffs in the dark to get to the bow hunters and used the ropes to hoist them down to safety.
The hunters “weren’t injured, but they were feeling helpless when they were stuck on those cliffs,” volunteer Kristia Check-Hill said. “They couldn’t go up, down or sideways.”
The rescue mission, which started at about 7:20 p.m., went into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Volunteers used ATVs to get to and from the rescue scene.
Check-Hill said the last rescuers dropped off their gear in town after 2 a.m.
And it was cold. Rescuers could see their breath at the top of the mountain.
The hunters got stuck on cliffs near the No Name Chutes, and they were brought down to the ski run known as First Chance.
“How and why they got where they were, I don’t know,” Check-Hill said.
The identities of the hunters weren’t immediately available Monday.
Check-Hill said the hunters were friends and were from out of town.
The rescue came just a few weeks after Search and Rescue volunteers practiced rescuing people with ropes on the cliffs near Fish Creek Falls.
“It was awesome we had it all so fresh in our minds and to be able to use that training so quickly,” Check-Hill said. “We got to do a little bit of everything on this mission.”

Hunters rescued from Routt County cliffs


STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County Search and Rescue volunteers got to put a recent ropes training session to the test Saturday evening when a pair of bow hunters found


A driver leaves the office of taxi-hailing service Uber Inc during a driver recruitment event in Hong Kong, China December 29, 2015. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo
SAN FRANCISCO Chinese powerhouse Didi Chuxing's acquisition of Uber Technologies Inc's China operations marked the biggest move yet toward consolidation in an industry that many investors and Silicon Valley pundits view as a winner-take-all game.
On the day the Didi deal was announced earlier this month, Uber board member Bill Gurley said Uber's rivals in other markets had a slim chance of splitting the market with the dominant player, just as Uber struggled to erode Didi's share in China.
After China, the industry will consolidate in other markets, said Hans Tung, an Asia-focused investor and managing partner at GGV Capital, which backed Didi and Grab, a Singapore-based ride service.
"There will be a dominant No. 1," he said that same day.
The consensus of 11 economists interviewed by Reuters, however, suggests an entirely different scenario, one of perpetual competition in a business with relatively few barriers to entry.
"That one firm wins is a narrow and not accurate way to think about these firms," said David Evans, chairman of the Global Economics Group and co-author of a recent book that included Uber, "Matchmakers: The New Economics of Multisided Platforms."
Ten other economists who have studied ride-hailing agreed that the growing industry, which UBS estimates to be a $40 billion market, has room for at least two successful players, and perhaps a few smaller ones.
The industry, they said, has none of the elements that traditionally have enabled single companies to control a sector. If it is the first of its kind, a company can dominate markets that have huge infrastructure costs, such as putting up cell towers or laying pipes; a large workforce of employees with specialized skills; and customers who get locked into a service and have difficulty leaving for competitors.
Ride-services, by contrast, are relatively cheap to start, depend on contract labor with no inherent loyalty or specialized skills, and have free apps that can be downloaded in seconds.
"You may not want to try a new social networking site if your friends aren't on it," Evans said. "But you don't care what app your friends use for ride-hailing."
The question of whether on-demand ride services will remain open to new players has vexed startups and investors since Uber started the industry seven years ago.
Companies taking on Uber include Lyft in the United States, Grab in Southeast Asia, Ola in India and newer startups like New York City's Juno. In the United States, in particular, part of Uber's attraction to investors is the chance at grabbing the entire industry.
In a statement, Uber said: "The ridesharing industry around the world is highly competitive and innovative. That's good for riders."
Uber investor and board member Gurley argued that any competitor would need to pursue a different strategy - perhaps offering more luxury and high-end services - to successfully battle Uber in its strongest markets.
Didi, Ola and Grab did not respond to requests for comment.
When business magnate Carl Icahn invested $100 million into Lyft in early 2015, he told media outlets he saw "room for two." Chris Sacca, a prominent venture capitalist who invested in Uber, responded "This is a winner-take-all game," on Bloomberg television.
Lyft has hired an M&A firm and recently explored the possibility of acquisitions by several companies, a source familiar with the discussions said, and reports of a possible sale stimulated talk of whether it could compete with Uber.
Lyft says it can. In the United States, it says it more than tripled its drivers to about 315,000 in the last year. Between October and May it nearly doubled its annual gross revenue to $1.9 billion - although that figure does not reflect the many rider discounts and promotions Lyft offers.
Uber has 1.5 million drivers and projected $26 billion in gross revenue globally this year, based on a 2015 presentation for investors.
Last year, Lyft hit another benchmark: the wait time for a ride is three minutes, on par with Uber, said President and Co-Founder John Zimmer. At three minutes or less, a passenger will almost always complete the ride.
"You need a certain level of scale to get to three minutes," Zimmer said, referring to the number of drivers and passengers. "Once you reach that, if someone else has more scale, it doesn't matter."
New York-based Juno has brought on 12,000 drivers since launching earlier this year and already has hit the three-minute wait time in Manhattan, said Co-founder and CEO Talmon Marco.
"This is a fairly local industry," Marco said. "You can be a hero in New York and you can be zero in California, and it's OK."
In India, Uber and Ola are neck and neck around 45 percent of the market each after Uber's market share fell and Ola's rose in 2015, according to market research firm 7Park Data.
The challenge for new startups, however, is that leading companies subsidize their drivers and passengers as they prioritize gaining market share over profit. Both Uber and Lyft have spent heavily on driver bonuses and rider discounts and promotional credits.
"Everything that has happened in this space is completely artificial and funded by a glut of VC money," said Daniel Ramot, CEO and co-founder of startup Via, which completes about 200,000 rides each week in New York.
Economists argue that Lyft can be a profitable company with roughly 20 percent of a market, which would allow it to reduce expenses through economies of scale. Lyft and Uber only release market share statistics selectively, but Lyft maintains it has more than a 20 percent share in the majority of its top 20 regions.
An electric company, by comparison, would need massive scale to achieve enough efficiency to allow for profits, said Stephen Margolis, an economist and anti-trust expert at North Carolina State University.
Max Wolff, an economist at Manhattan Venture Partners, believes competition will thrive mainly because ride-hailing technologies are not overly complicated and drivers aren't earning enough money to be loyal to a single company.
There is room for other players even if Uber is dominant, he said. "They're not as big, but they're there, too. They're not some wheezing, dying remnant."
(Reporting by Heather Somerville; Editing by Peter Henderson and Brian Thevenot)

Economists see ride-hailing industry as ripe for competition


Chinese powerhouse Didi Chuxing's acquisition of Uber Technologies Inc's China operations marked the biggest move yet toward consolidation in an industry that many investors and Silicon Valley pundits view as a winner-take-all game.


Swiss court holds fire on Russian paralympic athletes' Rio ban
ZURICH, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The Swiss Federal Court declined on Wednesday to issue a preliminary injunction that would have let Russian Paralympic athletes compete at the Rio Games next month, saying instead it will rule later on the team's ban due to state-sponsored doping.
Russia is appealing the International Paralympics Committee's decision this month to ban its athletes from the Sept. 7-18 competition.
After losing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne last week, Russia took its case to the Swiss tribunal.


ZURICH, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The Swiss Federal Court declined on Wednesday to issue a preliminary injunction that would have let Russian Paralympic athletes co...


Swiss court holds fire on Russian paralympic athletes' Rio ban


New images have shown the ongoing siege between police and an armed man in Pagham.
As previously reported, Sussex Police were called to Harbour Road in Pagham following reports of a 72-year-old man with a gun using threatening behaviour.
Police are still at the scene of the armed man siege in Pagham. Picture: UKNIP
Police said negotiations with the man are still ongoing at this stage.
The siege is well into its second day. Read more here.
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Police are still at the scene of the armed man siege in Pagham. Picture: UKNIP
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Police are still at the scene of the armed man siege in Pagham. Picture: UKNIP
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PICTURES: New images show armed man siege


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Residents of a Long Beach apartment building were “very lucky” to escape unharmed when several terraces at the rental residence collapsed Tuesday morning, city fire officials said.
The 48-unit, three-story building on Shore Road, between Long Beach and Monroe boulevards, was evacuated after the collapse of at least five brick facade terraces at 7:37 a.m.
Officials said the building would be uninhabitable until city building inspectors could determine if it was safe.
Long Beach City Manager Jack Schnirman said 37 families have been displaced and said the immediate concern was to make sure they were taken care of. The Red Cross was on the scene, making housing arrangements for families in need.
“We’re very lucky,” Long Beach Fire Chief Robert J. Tuccillo said. “Thank God it happened early in the morning and nobody was outside . . . Everybody’s safe and everybody’s accounted for.”
The cause of the collapse at Sunlit Terrace Apartments was not immediately known.
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Third-floor resident Patricia McNulty, 28, whose terrace was among those that collapsed, said she had been complaining to the building owner for about six weeks, saying the decks were in danger of collapsing.
McNulty said she had texted him a photo of her terrace, reiterating her concerns about an hour before the collapses occurred. “I knew this was going to happen,” she said, adding that she had warned her downstairs neighbor not to use her deck. Newsday obtained the photo in the text sent by McNulty. It shows brickwork missing or damaged and large cracks in the concrete patio floor of her deck.
McNulty said the owner had been telling her for weeks that repairs would be made, but said no work had been done.
Landlord Carmine Tepedino denied that residents had been complaining about the building for several months and said he first learned of it about two weeks ago.
Photo taken Aug. 30, 2016, from Patricia McNulty's third-floor apartment at Sunlit Terrace Apartments on Shore Road in Long Beach shows missing bricks and cracks in the concrete floor. Photo Credit: Patricia McNulty Photo taken Aug. 30, 2016, from Patricia McNulty's third-floor apartment at Sunlit Terrace Apartments on Shore Road in Long Beach shows missing bricks and cracks in the concrete floor. Photo Credit: Patricia McNulty
“You can see from the scaffolding, we were working on it. We were fixing the balconies,” Tepedino said.
Tepedino said when he became aware of the situation, residents were urged “not to go outside on the balcony,” Tepedino said.
“Tenants always come up with stories,” he said. “I’m sorry to see it, but I’m glad no one got hurt.”
Tepedino said he felt the building was safe after speaking to workers Monday night and didn’t think a collapse would occur.
Long Beach city officials and building inspectors said there were no previous complaints or violations with the city and that Tepedino was cooperative Tuesday.
“We have no violations,” Tepedino said
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Asked if the building was safe, Tepedino said, “It sure is. The terraces were built after. So there’s nothing wrong with the building.”
Asked if it could have been prevented, he said, “It’s hard to tell. You can’t tell what’s behind the bricks. We’re assessing the building now and [we’ll] see what the engineer recommends.”
Long Beach building department zoning inspector Rich Schuh said the building was built in 1949 and said the owner had gotten a permit “about a week ago” to conduct “minor repointing” of brickwork there.
Schuh said code enforcement had received no complaints about conditions at the building.
Long Beach police Lt. Eric Cregeen said that in addition to the Red Cross, a Long Beach City bus with air conditioning was on the scene to provide relief for residents.
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Cregeen also said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been notified of the incident and said PSEG Long Island had turned off all power to the building.
He said that National Grid also was on the scene, attempting to assess the status of any gas service in the area.
Responders from multiple agencies raced to the scene in the wake of 911 calls, among them members of the Long Beach, Point Lookout and Island Park fire departments, as well as ambulance crews and the Nassau County police emergency service unit officers. Even after the collapse, chunks of brick continued to fall from the balconies throughout the morning.
One third-floor resident, Edward Bithorn, 55, said he was headed to the balcony and had just reached the door when he heard what he said sounded “like an explosion” — and he “hit the brakes.”
Bithorn looked out the window to see “the plume of the debris cloud,” followed by the sound of additional collapses, then ran to call 911. Bithorn, whose terrace was not among those that collapsed, said other residents started out onto their balconies to determine the cause of the commotion, realized what had happened, then went to the halls to warn others not to venture out onto their terraces.
Several residents of the Monroe Street apartment complex waited outside the damaged building Tuesday morning as a city engineer was expected to survey the damage.
By early afternoon residents were allowed in their apartments to retrieve their belongings, but the city ordered the balconies to be torn down on 18 units on the south side of the building, facing the ocean, before those residents could return. The remainder of the residents are allowed to return to their units Tuesday night.
Christiana Baggie was in her ground floor apartment Tuesday morning and had planned to go onto her patio to have coffee before the two balconies above her collapsed.
She stood outside the building Tuesday morning dismayed at the damage and pile of concrete and crumpled metal that collapsed onto her patio.
“There was no warning. It just happened very fast,” Baggie said. “I just thank God I wasn’t out there. I would have been crushed. My guardian angel was here.”
She said she ran out of her apartment screaming to make sure her neighbors were OK.
Contractors started doing work late last week to repair loose bricks on the top two floors, Baggie said.
Scaffolding adorned the front entrance, next to the two fallen balconies.
“It’s such a freak thing,” she said. “I’m very grateful to be alive.”

City: 37 families displaced after Long Beach terraces collapse


Residents of a Long Beach apartment building were “very lucky” to escape unharmed when several terraces at the rental residence collapsed Tuesday morning, city fire


A large print shows one of the new billboards to be installed in the search for Jacob Wetterling. Six of the billboards will be placed near where he was abducted in 1989. Dave Schwarz, St. Cloud Times (must credit St. Cloud Times)
American Public Media will launch an investigative podcast next month looking at the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, the 11-year-old boy abducted from his hometown of St. Joseph, Minn., almost 27 years ago.
Wetterling was taken by a masked gunman on Oct. 22, 1989. A friend and younger brother say the three were bicycling home after renting a video when a man came down a driveway and ordered them to lie on the ground. The other two boys were told to run away and not look back or they'd be shot.
The podcast, called In the Dark, is led by reporter Madeleine Baran, who won a Peabody Award for her reporting on clergy sexual abuse in Minnesota. The name of the podcast refers to the crime itself, Baran said, but also to the lack of transparency around the decades-long investigation.
"So it has these two senses," Baran said. "There's this crime that happened in the dark and, also, there's this investigation that happened in the dark."
The abduction was a pivotal moment in Minnesota and beyond, sparking concerns about child abduction and a national focus on sex offenders. Because the case has been closely covered by local media for all those years, Baran was surprised to find details that had been overlooked.
"When I started reading just basic information about the case, there were certain things that stood out to me as interesting, like the fact that this happened on a dead-end street, this happened in a town of 3,000 people, the police got there right away," Baran said. "That changed how I thought about it and made me think, 'Why hasn't this been solved?'"
The Wetterling case led to the passage of a federal law in 1994 that required states to create sex offender registries.
"This was obviously a sensational crime in Minnesota, but for us to spend this much time as investigative reporters looking into it, it has to have something more than that," Baran said. "The something more in this case is that it's affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who are on sex offender registries in this country."
Following the success of Serial, podcasts are seen as a way to tell a longer, more complex story.
"It can go much deeper even than one long radio documentary can," Baran said. "It's hard for me to imagine, given what we've found out, doing it in a different way. The format really does lend itself, because these are complicated stories."
Unlike Serial, though, In the Dark's mission isn't to solve the crime. Baran said it's looking at why the case hasn't been solved and the impact it's had on the people swept up in it, including Jacob's parents.
"In the eyes of Minnesota there's this person, Jacob, who is missing, but he's their son," Baran said. "You can talk to a lot of people ... who want to talk about it as a mystery or this sensational crime. But, really, what is it like if that's your kid?"
APM Reports editor-in-chief Chris Worthington is overseeing the reporting project.
"While this case has been covered locally and nationally, no one has really gone in depth about the investigation itself," Worthington said in a statement. "We wanted to examine what went wrong and why this case has not been solved. And most importantly, why Jacob Wetterling hasn't been found."
The podcast is produced by APM Reports, which began work last year as American Public Media's investigative reporting and documentary unit. American Public Media is the parent company of MPR News.
In the Dark begins Sept. 13. After that, a new installment of the eight-episode series will be released each week. It will be available on iTunes.

'Serial'-style podcast to take deep look at Wetterling investigation


The 2016 “Best of Tennessee Craft” exhibit provides public visibility and recognition for the quality and diversity of craft found throughout the state.
An awards presentation and reception will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, from 4-6 p.m. Cash awards include a $1,000 Best of Show.
Works included in this exhibit were selected by guest juror Jerry Jackson, deputy director of the Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina. Prior to Penland, he served as chief curator and director of the Rocky Mount Arts Center at the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He earned his master of fine arts and bachelor of fine arts degrees in studio art at East Carolina University.
Artists whose works are included in the exhibit are Anderson Bailey, Marc Barr, Joan Schaller Bauer, Jeanne Brady, Sally Brogden, Graham Campbell, Martha Christian, Jinni Copp, Chery Cratty, Don DuMont, Richard Dwyer, Sharron Eckert, Emily Eversgerd, J. Michael Floyd, Judi Gaston, John Glass, Katie Gonzalez and Allison Volek Shelton, Mindy Herrin, David Heustess, Tim Hintz, Buffy Holton, John Jordan, Shana Kohnstamm, Claudia Lee, Ken Lewis, Jeffrey Neil, Nancy Oxford, Abraham Pardee, Claire Reishman, Anne Rob, Tim Roberts, Pat Rollie, Wes Shugart, Thomas Spake, George Summers, Vickie Vipperman, Sadie Wang, Bruce Willey and Kimberly Winkle.
The “Best of Tennessee Craft” exhibit coincides with Tennessee Craft Week (Oct. 7-16), a celebration of over 100 artists who will showcase their work and share their art through demonstrations and lectures. The week will feature over 50 state and regional craft events.
According to Tennessee Craft, “The art of handmade crafts is a Tennessee legacy that continues to grow each year. Born from the hills of the Smoky Mountains, and evolving as artists create new works across the state, handmade crafts are bringing local communities together and creating a beautiful reason to tour the state.”
Tennessee Craft, formerly known as the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists, has worked since 1965 to continue and create Tennessee’s fine craft tradition. With more than 500 members throughout the state, Tennessee Craft serves as the premier connecting point for local, independent makers and their audiences through craft fairs, exhibitions, professional development and educational programs.
Additional information is available at www.tennesseecraft.org.
Regular hours at the Reece Museum are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Special Saturday hours for the “Best of Tennessee Craft” exhibit are scheduled for Sept. 10 and 24, Oct. 8 and 22 and Nov. 12 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission is free. Parking passes are available for weekday visitors. Group tours are also available.
For more information or to arrange a group tour, call the Reece Museum at 423-439-4392. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.

ETSU’s Reece Museum hosting statewide craft exhibition


An exhibit of some of the finest contemporary and traditional craft Tennessee has to offer is on display at the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University through Dec. 2.


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
0:53 Video shows tornado destroying Starbucks in Indiana
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo

The Latest: 21-year-old Mississippi man killed in bus crash


The Latest on bus-fire truck wreck near New Orleans (all times local):


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Down another key minister, Iraq continues Mosul push
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's security forces continue to gear up for a long-awaited operation to retake the Islamic State-held city of Mosul. But they will be doing so without the minister of defense who has presided over most of the military's recent successes against IS.
Khaled al-Obeidi was abruptly dismissed by a parliamentary no-confidence vote Thursday after weeks of political wrangling over dueling allegations of corruption with the parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri. The allegations of corruption were quickly exploited by a handful of Iraq's powerful political blocs looking to weaken Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi by removing one of his key Sunni allies.
Neither al-Jabouri's nor al-Obeidi's allegations of corruption have been publicly proven.
FILE -- In this Jan. 9, 2016 file photo, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, center, then Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, right, then Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghabban, left, attend a ceremony marking Police Day, in Baghdad, Iraq. Recent political upheaval has left Iraq without a minister of defense or interior as the country prepares for the operation to retake Mosul -- expected to be the most complicated yet in the fight against the Islamic State group. Al-Obeidi was abruptly dismissed by a parliamentary no-confidence vote Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, for reasons that seem to have little to do with his performance in office. Al-Ghabban submitted his resignation in early July amid mounting anger following a massive truck bombing claimed by IS that killed more than 300 people. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, File)
Al-Obeidi's removal came just over a month after the minister of interior's resignation was accepted, leaving Iraq without two key security officials as the country prepares for what is expected to be the most complicated fight yet in the anti-IS campaign. Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghabban submitted his resignation in early July amid mounting anger following a massive truck bombing claimed by IS in central Baghdad that killed more than 300 people.
So far al-Abadi has kept largely quiet on al-Obeidi's dismissal. His office told The Associated Press that it will not affect ongoing military campaigns.
On the ground, operations in advance of an assault on Mosul have continued uninterrupted by the political shake up, according to Ministry of Defense spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool and a senior Ministry of Defense official. Rasool said logistics, command and control are not reliant on the defense minister, but rather controlled by the Joint Special Operations command.
"The sacking the defense minister is a political issue and not a military one," he said.
Just moments before the no-confidence vote Thursday, al-Abadi announced that a town south of Mosul neighboring a key air base had been "liberated," by Iraqi ground forces backed by coalition airstrikes. Al-Abadi said the retaking of Qaraya marked an "important step" on the road to Mosul. While progress south of Mosul has been slow, Iraqi forces have not suffered any significant territorial setbacks in recent months.
Late Saturday night, al-Abadi announced another victory against IS. In a statement he said Iraqi forces had completely retaken the Khaldiya area in Anbar province between Ramadi and Fallujah, a pocket of desert territory used by the militant group to move supplies, weapons and fighters through Anbar.
Al-Obeidi's dismissal also concentrates a significant amount of power in the hands of the prime minister. Al-Abadi's predecessor Nouri al-Maliki left the defense and interior portfolios vacant and ran those ministries himself.
"Al-Abadi came in (to office) promising not to do what Maliki had done ... but he's ended up doing just that," said Nathaniel Rabkin, managing editor of Inside Iraqi Politics, a political risk newsletter. Rabkin explained that the move does not appear to be an intentional power grab by al-Abadi like that of al-Maliki.
A senior official in the Ministry of Defense maintained that al-Obeidi's departure would have no effect on the day-to-day workings of the ministry. "The minister is a formality and has no real impact on operations," he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press.
Al-Obeidi, a Mosul native, was the most senior Sunni official in al-Abadi's defense establishment. His original appointment in October of 2014 was praised by members of the then newly formed U.S.-led anti-IS coalition as a move toward creating a more inclusive government that would address Sunni marginalization and some of the rampant corruption issues that allowed IS to embarrass the Iraqi military in 2014.
The defense minister's dismissal "gives clear evidence that the subject of reconciliation has received a mercy killing," said Zuhair al-Jabouri, a senior member of the provincial council in Nineveh province, which contains Mosul. "There can no longer be national reconciliation," he said.
On the newly formed frontline some 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Mosul, Rasool, the Defense Ministry spokesman said "the fighters and officers are frustrated that the defense minister was sacked in this way."
Using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, he added, "despite the frustration we will continue to fight and expel Daesh."
___


BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's security forces continue to gear up for a long-awaited operation to retake the Islamic State-held city of Mosul. But they will be doing...


Down another key minister, Iraq continues Mosul push


Aquatic Restoration Service, contracted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, begins the treatment process for the starry stonewort, an invasive species, found in Turtle Lake. Infested water and lake habitat is pumped through the white dewatering bag shown above and filters the water back into the lake while catching the starry stonewort. Forum News Service
TURTLE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Minn.—Gallons upon gallons of water were "vacuumed" up at Turtle Lake on Monday as part of an operation to filter out a recently discovered invasive species.
Staged near a boat access where an infestation of starry stonewort was discovered, Monday's procedure on this lake north of Bemidji included the use of a vacuum to suck up water into a giant bag. Vegetation and mud potentially carrying the starry stonewort fragments were caught in a mesh inside the bag, while the water was allowed to flow back into the lake.
"The bag fills with water and everything flows in, like sediment and plants. All of the sediment gets caught while the water flows back into the lake," said Mike Bolinsky, Region 1 watercraft inspection supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "This is the first time it's being used in Minnesota. Using it in other locations will be mainly dependent on what the infestation looks like on various lakes."
The DNR has contracted Aquatic Restoration Service of Winsted for the project. Tim Smith, company co-owner, the dewatering bag process in the past has been mainly used for stormwater treatment rather than invasive species.
After the removal of the vegetation, Bolinski said a copper-based herbicide will be applied in the area in an effort to kill any of the species that may be left. The DNR said the boat access is expected to reopen before Labor Day.
The work on Turtle Lake comes after the infestation of starry stonewort was discovered earlier this month. Because of native vegetation in Turtle Lake, the species was unable to spread very far, said Bruce Anspach, Beltrami County aquatic invasive species coordinator, allowing the DNR to install a curtain around the access and for the treatment to take place.
Turtle Lake's infestation is one of four in the state, with other cases discovered in Upper Red Lake, Cass Lake and Lake Koronis. In the northeast section of Cass Lake, the DNR has confirmed starry stonewort among heavy native growth near the Knutson Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation.
The species, native to areas spanning from Europe to China, is a grass-like algae that can produce dense mats, which are able to interfere with the use of the lake. The algae is also able to choke out native plants.
According to Anspach, the stonewort may be spreading by way of watercraft trailers rather than the boats themselves.
"What we've been finding is it's always appeared in shallow waters. The trailers can go into the vegetation and pull some of the vegetation back out," Anspach said. "Most people do a good job in pulling that off, but the species is a really thin and fragile plant. It can break and a person might not get it all. When it's in the sun, it can become powdery, too."
"Be diligent with the trailers," Bolinski said. "Take a little extra time when you're pulling the boat out and look at the wheel wells and axles."
The DNR is reminding boaters to clean all aquatic plants and animals from watercraft, drain all water by removing drain plugs and keeping the drain plugs out while transporting and disposing of unwanted bait in the trash.
What is starry stonewort?
Starry stonewort is a grass-like algae that can produce dense mats, which are able to interfere with the use of the lake. The algae is also able to choke out native plants. It was recently discovered in Turtle Lake, as well as Upper Red Lake and Cass Lake. The state's first confirmed infestation was last year in Lake Koronis near Paynesville.

DNR begins operation to suck out starry stonewort infestation on Turtle Lake


People are being encouraged to enter a nationwide competition to become the permanent voice of BT’s iconic talking clock.
The competition has been launched to celebrate the service’s 80th anniversary.
Around 12 million calls are still made to the clock by dialling 123.
The winner will become only the fifth permanent voice of the clock in its history.
The current voice of the clock, Sara Mendes da Costa, who will be one of the judges, said: “I’m so honoured to have been the voice - only the fourth permanent voice in history - and to be part of such an iconic service.
“I’m sad to be at the end of my time as the voice of the BT Speaking Clock, however ten years is not a bad run. And it’ll be great to be on the judging panel to choose the new voice, just as my predecessor Brian Cobby helped choose me.”
The competition to find a new voice will help raise money for the BBC Children in Need appeal. BT will donate 10p to Children in Need from each call to the BT Speaking Clock from the start of the competition in August until November 9.
To celebrate the competition and the 80th anniversary, BT are donating the original speaking clock machines from 1936 and 1963 to the British Horological Institute (BHI), where they have been on loan and on display for some years.
It will also be donating a digital Mark IV clock, which was recovered from Liverpool. This machine transmitted the voice of Brian Cobby from 1985 – 2001.
David Hay, head of BT Heritage, said: “Eighty years ago BT’s technology first created the Speaking Clock and it remains a much loved part of British life today.
“Celebrating in this way demonstrates BT’s determination to preserve the heritage of the world’s oldest communications company on behalf of the nation.”
Anyone ten years and over can enter. The competition is being run in partnership with BBC television programme The One Show.
Aspiring voice artists should visit the website at The One Show where they will find full details of how to enter.
The website will be open for entries until 10pm on Monday, August 29 2016.

Could you be the new voice of iconic speaking clock?


People are being encouraged to enter a nationwide competition to become the permanent voice of BT’s iconic talking clock.


An early Saturday morning altercation near the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station at the Pembina port of entry resulted in gunfire and the hospitalization of a man for self-inflicted wounds.
A news release from the agency stated two Border Patrol agents from the Pembina station fired their weapons while attempting to stop the man, who was driving south from the border, after the subject allegedly rammed a Border Patrol service vehicle with his own vehicle, behaved in an "assaultive" manner and refused to comply with verbal commands.
Agents were notified of a "suspicious" subject about 2 a.m., according to the release. It's still being investigated whether the subject had crossed the border before being flagged near the port of entry.
The subject was not hit by the agents' gunfire, but was transported to Pembina County Memorial Hospital in Cavalier to be treated for self-inflicted injuries deemed non-life-threatening.
The incident is being investigated by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation with the cooperation of the Grand Forks Sector Border Patrol.

Border Patrol agents fire shots at entry port


Carmat jumps after first implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart
PARIS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Carmat's shares jumped on Tuesday after the French company announced the first implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart in a final-stage clinical trial.
Shares rose as much as 10 percent in early trading in Paris and were up 6.1 percent at 37 euros at 1034 GMT.
Carmat said on Monday the implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart was carried out with the approval of the French national agency for safety of medicines and health products and the country's patient protection committee.
It added that it would not publish "specific information concerning the implantations of each patient involved in the study or their condition."
The company, whose first shareholders included planemaker Airbus and private equity fund Truffle Capital, has not generated any significant revenue but is closely followed by investors as heart diseases represent a leading cause of death worldwide and its devices could represent a major medical breakthrough if proven reliable.
Carmat's shares have lost 9.8 percent so far this year, valuing the company at about 207 million euros ($230 million). It reported a net loss of 17.5 million euros in 2015.


PARIS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Carmat's shares jumped on Tuesday after the French company announced the first implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart i...


Carmat jumps after first implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart


Today
• UNION GUARDS: The Union Guards Company A 19th Regiment will be at the Mountaintop VFW Post 6557, 7578 W. Fenner Road, Ludlow Falls. A Musket Company Match will be at 8:30 a.m. Come see the excitement of the Civil War.
• ADVENTURE SERIES: The Miami County Park District will hold its Naturalist Adventure Series “Adventure Puppet Show” from 1-4 p.m. at Charleston Falls Preserve, 2535 Ross Rd. south of Tipp City. Drop by and learn all about snakes. Meet “Checkers” a real live friendly snake! A roving naturalist will be on-site to answer questions and facilitate activity. Register for the program by going to the program calendar at MiamiCountyParks.com, emailing [email protected] or calling (937) 335-6273, Ext. 109.
• OPEN HOUSE: The Lockington Fire Department will have an open house from 2-4 p.m. to celebrate their 70th anniversary and the delivery of their new fire engine. CareFlight is scheduled to be at the open house. Hot dogs and drinks will be served. Retired fire equipment will be on display, along with items for children.
• REUNION: The 129th annual DeWeese Familly Reunion will be at the Troy Community Park, Shelter House No. 7 at 12:30 p.m. with a potluck dinner at 1 p.m. Please bring a covered dish, table service, lawn chairs if desired. Cold drinks will be provided.
• BREAKFAST: The Sons of the American Legion, Squadron 586, 377 N. Third St.,Tipp City, will prepare an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 8-11 a.m. for $6. Items available will be eggs your way, bacon, sausage, home fries, sausage gravy, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, french toast, regular toast, cinnamon rolls, fruit and juices.
• LUNCH WITH GOD: Lunch with God will be offered from 12:30-2 p.m. at St. James Eposcopal Church. The meal is open and free to the community.
Monday
• CRAFTY LISTENERS: The Crafty Listeners gather from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Milton-Union Public Library. This group of women listens to a lighthearted book while working on joint and individual craft projects. Both experienced crafters and those wanting to learn are welcome.
• PIZZALOIN: The American Legion Post 586, 377 N. Third St., Tipp City will offer pizzaloin (tenderloin with pizza sauce and cheese) sandwiches for $5 starting at 6 p.m.
• TOPS: The T.O.P.S. (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) Club meets at 5:45 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church, Main and 3rd streets, Tipp City. For more information, call (937) 332-9251.
Civic agendas
• The Union Township Trustees will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the Township Building, 9497 Markley Road, P.O. Box E, Laura. Call 698-4480 for more information.
Tuesday
• TINY TOTS: Tiny Tots meet from 1-1:30 p.m. at the Milton-Union Public Library in West Milton. This is an interactive opportunity for children from birth to 3 years old and their caretakers to hear stories, play games, sing songs, and do other activities with children’s librarian Wendy Heisey.
• CRAFTS: Tipp City Seniors members and guests will work on crafts and quilting beginning at 9 a.m. 320 S. First St., Tipp City.
• DINE TO DONATE: Join Brukner Nature Center staff from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Bob Evans in Troy to benefit BNC. Bob Evans will donate 15 percent of sales to BNC when a flier is presented at check-out. Fliers are available at www.bruknernaturecenter.com (click “Dine to Donate”), at the Interpretive Building, or email [email protected] You may also show a flier from your smartphone. Good on dine-in or carry-out.
• BLOOD DRIVE: Tipp City United Methodist Church will host a community blood drive from 3-7 p.m. in the Great Hall, 8 W. Main St. It comes during the final week of the “Wild About Alaska Summer Blood Drive” with a last chance to win an Alaska vacation for two. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com or call (800) 388-GIVE.
• BARBERSHOP MEETING: The Miami Shelby Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Greene Street UMC, 415 W. Greene St., Piqua. All men interested in singing are welcome and visitors are always welcome. For more information, call (937) 778 1586 or visit www.melodymenchorus.org.
Wednesday
• PHOTO HIKE: The Miami County Park District will hold its Biodiversity Photography Hike at 6 p.m. at Stillwater Prairie Reserve, 9750 State Route 185, Covington. Help document existing biodiversity in your parks and monitor changes through photography. Experienced and amateur photographers welcomed. For more information on the Biodiversity Photography project visit inaturalist.org/projects/ohio-bioblitz. Register for the program by going to the program calendar at MiamiCountyParks.com, emailing [email protected] or calling (937) 335-6273, Ext. 109.
• KIWANIS: Kiwanis Club of Troy welcomes Pam Miller, CEO and general manager of LOMA Farm, Tipp City. Miller will be sharing how their programs at LOMA Farm engages adults with developmental disabilities in daytime and evening community based integrated opportunities through learning, entrepreneurship, volunteering and relationship building. Lunch meeting starts at noon at the Troy Country Club.
• STORY TIME: We will be learning about skunks in this week’s Story Time at Milton-Union Public Library. Children will learn that there is more to them than their stink at 10:30 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. at the library. Stories, crafts, games and puppet shows are included in the activities for preschool children and their caretakers.
• SLIDERS: The American Legion Post 586, 377 N. Third St., Tipp City, will prepare John’s beef sliders two for $2 with chips and toppings starting at 6 p.m.
• COUPON CLUB: The St. James Coupon Club will meet every week from 6-8 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 200 W. High St., Piqua. Come, bring a friend, bring your coupons to work on, to share and trade, or just bring yourself if you are just getting started. For questions, call 773-1241.
Thursday
• PMH LUNCHEON: All former employees of Piqua Memorial Hospital are invited to a luncheon at Buffalo Jacks, Covington, at 11:30 a.m. No reservations needed as participants will order from the menu. For more information, call Nancy at 473-3337 or Judy at 214-2036.
• HOT DOGS: The American Legion Post 586, Tipp City, will offer hot dogs with chips and toppings for $2 or with french fries and toppings for $3 starting at 6 p.m. Euchre starts at 7 p.m. for $5.
• PMH LUNCHEON: All former employees of Piqua Memorial Hospital are invited to a luncheon at Buffalo Jacks, Covington, at 11:30 a.m. No reservations needed as participants will order from the menu. For more information, call Nancy at 473-3337 or Judy at 214-2036.
• HOT DOGS: The American Legion Post 586, Tipp City, will offer hot dogs with chips and toppings for $2 or with french fries and toppings for $3 starting at 6 p.m. Euchre starts at 7 p.m. for $5.
Sept. 2
• FISH AND CHICKEN: The American Legion Post 586, Tipp City, will prepare fish and chicken tenders, french fries, hush puppies, coleslaw and dessert for $8 starting at 6 p.m.
• PORK CHOPS: Peppercorn pork chops will be offered beginning at 6 p.m. at the Troy Fish & Game.
• COMMUNITY NIGHT: Downtown Tipp City’s September Community Night will begin at 6:15 p.m. with Raggedy Edge followed by Ginghamsburg Worship Band at 7:30 p.m. This will be the final performance of the Summer Concert Series. In case of inclement weather the concert will be canceled. For more information, stop by The Hotel Gallery or call 667-3696.
• CHICKEN FRY: The Pleasant Hill VFW Post 6557, 7578 W. Fenner Road, Ludlow Falls, will offer a three-piece chicken dinner with french fries and macaroni salad for $7 from 6-7:30 p.m. Chicken livers are also available.
Sept. 3
• KAROAKE: The American Legion Post 586, Tipp City, will host karaoke from 7 p.m. to close.
• SHARE-A-MEAL: The First United Church of Christ’s Share-A-Meal will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring your family and friends for food and fellowship. The menu will include homemade noodles with chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce, pie and beverages. Share-A-Meal is a program to reach out to the community by providing nourishing meals to anyone wishing to participate while giving an opportunity to socialize with others in the community. The monthly Share-A-Meal Program is on the first Saturday of each month at First United Church of Christ on the corner of South Market and Canal streets, Troy. Use the Canal Street entrance where the church is handicapped accessible.
• TACO DINNER: The Pleasant Hill VFW Post 6557, 7578 W. Fenner Road, Ludlow Falls, will offer tacos, refried beans and Spanish rice for $8 from 5-8pm. Also a breakfast buffet will be served from 8-11 a.m.
Sept. 4
• BREAKFAST: The American Legion Riders Post 586, Tipp City, will prepare an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 8-11 a.m. for $6. Items available will be eggs your way, bacon, sausage, home fries, pancakes, waffles, sausage gravy, biscuits, french toast, regular toast, cinnamon rolls, fruit and juices.
• COUNTRY FRIED STEAK: The Pleasant Hill VFW Post 6557, 7578 W. Fenner Road, Ludlow Falls, will offer country fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans for $8 from 5-8 p.m. Also a breakfast buffet will be served from 8-11 a.m.
Sept. 5
• CONCERT SET: A Labor Day outdoor concert, entitled “Land and Sea,” directed by Bill and Kathy McIntosh, will be presented at 7 p.m. at the new Treasure Island Park and band pavilion, 301 N. Elm St., Troy. Audience members may bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating on the concrete terraces along the Miami River. Restrooms and picnic shelter are on site. Handicapped accessible. Rain plan is Troy Christian High School, 700 S. Dorset, Troy. Free. For more information, call 335-1178.
Sept. 6-7
• AUDITIONS: The Edison State Community College Stagelight Players will hold open auditions for Joseph Kesselring’s “Arsenic & Old Lace,” at 7 p.m. in the Robinson Theater at Edison State’s Piqua campus. Auditions will last approximately two hours and consist of cold readings from the script. Production dates will run from Oct. 28 to Nov. 6. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/stagelightplayers or email Emily Beisner at [email protected]
Sept. 7
• VETERANS BREAKFAST: A veterans breakfast will be offered from 9-11 a.m. at the Miami Valley Veterans Museum, 107 W. Main St., Troy. An elevator is available. A special breakfast will be offered by the DAR and local first responders will speak.
• SUPPORT GROUP: The Miami-Shelby Ostomy Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at Upper Valley Medical Center, Troy. The Ostomy Support Group’s meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month except January and July. The meeting will be in the hospital lower level Conference Room A. Programs provide information and support to ostomates and their families, and are beneficial to health care professionals as well. Cailtin Mikula from Hollister will be the speaker for the program. For more information, contact Robin Medrano at 440-4706.
• BLOOD DRIVE: First Presbyterian Church of Troy will partner with Community Blood Center in commemorating the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with a community blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. at 20 S. Walnut St. Everyone who registers to donate will receive the limited edition “9/11 Never Forget — 15 Years Later and Growing Stronger” T-shirt. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com or call (800) 388-GIVE.
• BLOOD DRIVE: Fletcher United Methodist Church will partner with Community Blood Center in commemorating the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with a community blood driv from 3-7 p.m. at 205 S. Walnut St. Everyone who registers to donate will receive the limited edition “9/11 Never Forget — 15 Years Later and Growing Stronger” T-shirt. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com or call (800) 388-GIVE.
Monday


It’s been the driving issue of Donald Trump’s campaign. Build a wall along the southern border. Make Mexico pay for it. And expel everyone living in the U.S. illegally with the help of a “deportation force.”
Ten weeks before the election, however, buffeted by conflicting advice from aides and advisers, Trump has seemed to be in full indecision mode.
At a Fox News town hall tall taping last week, in the face of pressing questions, he proceeded to poll the audience at length on the fate of an estimated 11 million people.
Trump is now planning a major speech on Wednesday, during which he’s expected to finally clarify his stance. Supporters are hoping for a strong, decisive showing. But for critics, many already disposed to vote against him, his wavering on what has been his signature issue, seems like a warning that he’s unable to handle a central element of any president’s job — making decisions.
It also underscores how little his Republican campaign has invested in the nitty gritty of outlining what he would do as president, especially when compared with the more detailed plans of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
“It’s just puzzling,” said Lanhee Chen, who has served as a policy adviser to several Republican presidential candidates. “This is the issue on which he rose to prominence in the primary and the issue on which he continues to stake much of his campaign.”
From the start, Trump has never been the kind of candidate to pore over thick policy books.
Indeed, he has mocked Clinton on the subject.
“She’s got people that sit in cubicles writing policy all day. Nothing’s ever going to happen. It’s just a waste of paper,” he told Time Magazine in June. “My voters don’t care and the public doesn’t care. They know you’re going to do a good job once you’re there.”
To date, Trump’s campaign has posted just seven policy proposals on his website. There are 38 on Clinton’s site, ranging from efforts to cure Alzheimer’s disease to Wall Street and criminal justice reform.
“I’ve laid out the best I could, the specific plans and ideas that I want to pursue as your president because I have this old-fashioned idea,” Clinton said during a recent speech in Colorado. “When you run for president, you ought to tell people what you want to do as their president.”
Trump’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, has said she’s pushing her boss to get more specific. Yet his positions on a host of issues remain vague at best.
For example, while Trump has slammed the Common Core education standards and touts the benefits of local control of education, he has no formal, detailed plans for improving public schools. He talks about student loan debt and the increasing costs of higher education, but has yet to propose solutions. He has teased plans to make childcare more affordable, but has missed his own deadline for unveiling them.
Until recently, however, there has been no doubt about where Trump stood on illegal immigration. The wall was going up — Mexico would have to pay — and those estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally were going to have to leave.
But over the summer, Trump began suggesting in closed-door conversations with Hispanic leaders that he might be open to softening his stance. On Aug. 20, he convened a closed-door round table of Hispanic lawmakers and business leaders, and left some with the same impression. The day after, campaign manager Conway said his position on deportations was “To be determined.”
Trump’s supporters say questions about his recent waffling are overblown. His running mate, Mike Pence, describes him as “a CEO at work” as he consults with various stakeholders.
“You see someone who is engaging the American people, listening to the American people,” Pence told CNN on Sunday. “He is hearing from all sides.”
But Stephen Moore, a conservative economist who has worked with Trump to shape his tax and economic plans, says the vagueness on policies is also by design.
“We want to talk about the big visionary stuff. We don’t want to have a big debate about this loophole, that loophole,” he said. “This is a campaign, it’s not a write-up of a tax bill in the Ways and Means Committee.”
Ari Fleischer, a White House press secretary under George W. Bush, says the confusion that now exists about Trump’s plans for immigration underscores “the risk in electing someone whose candidacy is based on his personality and image, as opposed his experience and policy knowledge.”
While a Trump could succeed as president as a “big picture, set the tone, drive the direction and move the government” kind of leader, Flesher said that would require him to surround himself with a knowledgeable and capable staff.
“But the lesson in how he’s run his campaign — and frankly in how he’s run his businesses — doesn’t give you confidence that he would surround himself with a lot of capable people,” he said.
In addition, Chen said that a President Trump arriving at the White House without detailed plans could be limited in how much he might achieve.
“If you’re not able to hit the ground running, chances are you’re going to run into serious resistance if you sit there studying something for the first 100 days,” he said.

Trump goes from being vague on all things policy to polling audiences for immigration cues


It's been the driving issue of Donald Trump's campaign. Build a wall along the southern border. Make Mexico pay for it. And expel everyone living in the U.


Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at Joni's Roast and Ride at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday (AP photo)
JERSEY CITY, New Jersy — It's been the driving issue of Donald Trump's campaign. Build a wall along the southern border. Make Mexico pay for it. And expel everyone living in the US illegally with the help of a "deportation force".
Ten weeks before the election, however, buffeted by conflicting advice from aides and advisers, Trump has seemed to be in full indecision mode.
At a Fox News town hall tall taping last week, in the face of pressing questions, he proceeded to poll the audience at length on the fate of an estimated 11 million people.
Trump is now planning a major speech on Wednesday, during which he's expected to finally clarify his stance. Supporters are hoping for a strong, decisive showing. But for critics, many already disposed to vote against him, his wavering on what has been his signature issue, seems like a warning that he's unable to handle a central element of any president's job — making decisions.
It also underscores how little his Republican campaign has invested in the nitty gritty of outlining what he would do as president, especially when compared with the more detailed plans of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
"It's just puzzling," said Lanhee Chen, who has served as a policy adviser to several Republican presidential candidates. "This is the issue on which he rose to prominence in the primary and the issue on which he continues to stake much of his campaign."
From the start, Trump has never been the kind of candidate to pore over thick policy books.
Indeed, he has mocked Clinton on the subject.
"She's got people that sit in cubicles writing policy all day. Nothing's ever going to happen. It's just a waste of paper," he told Time Magazine in June. "My voters don't care and the public doesn't care. They know you're going to do a good job once you're there."
To date, Trump's campaign has posted just seven policy proposals on his website. There are 38 on Clinton's site, ranging from efforts to cure Alzheimer's disease to Wall Street and criminal justice reform.
"I've laid out the best I could, the specific plans and ideas that I want to pursue as your president because I have this old-fashioned idea," Clinton said during a recent speech in Colorado. "When you run for president, you ought to tell people what you want to do as their president."
Trump's new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, has said she's pushing her boss to get more specific. Yet his positions on a host of issues remain vague at best.
For example, while Trump has slammed the Common Core education standards and touts the benefits of local control of education, he has no formal, detailed plans for improving public schools. He talks about student loan debt and the increasing costs of higher education, but has yet to propose solutions. He has teased plans to make childcare more affordable, but has missed his own deadline for unveiling them.
Until recently, however, there has been no doubt about where Trump stood on illegal immigration. The wall was going up — Mexico would have to pay — and those estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally were going to have to leave.
But over the summer, Trump began suggesting in closed-door conversations with Hispanic leaders that he might be open to softening his stance. On August 20, he convened a closed-door round table of Hispanic lawmakers and business leaders, and left some with the same impression. The day after, campaign manager Conway said his position on deportations was "To be determined".
Trump's supporters say questions about his recent waffling are overblown. His running mate, Mike Pence, describes him as "a CEO at work" as he consults with various stakeholders.
"You see someone who is engaging the American people, listening to the American people," Pence told CNN on Sunday. "He is hearing from all sides."
But Stephen Moore, a conservative economist who has worked with Trump to shape his tax and economic plans, says the vagueness on policies is also by design.
"We want to talk about the big visionary stuff. We don't want to have a big debate about this loophole, that loophole," he said. "This is a campaign, it's not a write-up of a tax bill in the Ways and Means Committee."
Ari Fleischer, a White House press secretary under George W. Bush, says the confusion that now exists about Trump's plans for immigration underscores "the risk in electing someone whose candidacy is based on his personality and image, as opposed his experience and policy knowledge".
While Trump could succeed as president as a "big picture, set the tone, drive the direction and move the government" kind of leader, Flesher said that would require him to surround himself with a knowledgeable and capable staff.
"But the lesson in how he's run his campaign — and frankly in how he's run his businesses — doesn't give you confidence that he would surround himself with a lot of capable people," he said.
In addition, Chen said that a President Trump arriving at the White House without detailed plans could be limited in how much he might achieve.
"If you're not able to hit the ground running, chances are you're going to run into serious resistance if you sit there studying something for the first 100 days," he said.

Suddenly unsure on immigration, Trump trying to clear it up


JERSEY CITY, New Jersy — It's been the driving issue of Donald Trump's campaign. Build a wall along the southern border. Make Mexico pay for it. And expel everyone living in the US illegally with the help of a "deportation force".  Ten weeks before the election, however, buffeted by conflicting advice from aides and advisers, Trump has seemed to be in full indecision mode.


Cobham resident Ray Wilkins has been speaking about his battle with the bottle
Former Chelsea footballer Ray Wilkins has revealed all about his ongoing battle with alcoholism.
The former England international, who lives in Cobham, was spared jail last month after being handed his third drink-drive conviction in as many years.
Wilkins, 59, was arrested near Heathrow Airport on the way back from a charity golf day on July 1.
Another motorist saw him weaving across the road and stepped in when Wilkins stopped to do a U-turn, taking the keys from the pundit’s high-powered Mercedes and flagging down a passing police car.
Wilkins checked himself into rehab at the Priory in Woking after accepting he was an alcoholic and spent five weeks there.
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And speaking outside court after his sentencing Mirror Online reported Wilkins admitted: "I am an addict."
On Thursday night the ex-Chelsea assistant boss opened up on his illness in a candid interview with talkSPORT.
“I’ve had some wonderful support, especially from family and friends, and it has been a very difficult period, I have to say. I’m not the only one out there, I’m sure, who’s in a very similar situation," Wilkins said.
Former England footballer Ray Wilkins leaves court after getting a suspended sentence for drink-driving
“It’s an awful disease that I have, and it’s been a very tough period, I think more so for the family than myself. I’m the person who causes the problems, and they have to suffer the consequences to a large degree.
“I’m a very fortunate person to have had their support.
“The stick will come, and I’m perfectly aware of that situation, but saying that the majority of people have been superb and I thank them immensely for that.
“I was fortunate, along with my family, that I was able to go into the Priory in Woking, and I was there for five weeks in a rehab centre in which I’d have to say the expertise of the therapists was quite fantastic.
Ray Wilkins in 1980 in his playing days for England
“It’s not easy to go into therapy; it’s a very difficult place to be, but I was delighted I went in and I learnt a lot of things. I learnt a lot of tools which I brought out that will hopefully help me throughout the years to come.
“And I feel so much better already. First and foremost to have got it out in the open, because there’s nothing worse than having to conceal stuff.
“[It caught up with me] Rapidly. It was almost unbelievable, that one minute I felt perfectly fine and then all of a sudden - bang! It was like a bit of an earthquake really. It was pretty horrendous how quickly this situation grew.
“I’d sooner be facing Graeme Souness any day of the week compared to what I’m going to face now. But I’m well up for the challenge of it.
“I’ve been clean now to close for three months, and I’m feeling so much better. The temptations will come, there’s no two ways about it, but as they say in AA - just take one day at a time."
Part of society
He added: “I’ve always been the type of guy who believes footballers are a part of society, and we have to do our utmost. We are in a privileged position, and if we can give someone five minutes, I don’t see where the problem is with that.
“I think footballers have to accept, and we have to accept as ex-footballers and coaches, that we do need to give these people a bit of time. We’re not immune from anything. We’re human beings, and a lot of people do suffer.
Ray Wilkins carrying the Olympic torch in Egham in 2012
“In the process of trying to get better, I bumped into a lot of sports people that are in the same boat, and I’m sure there are lots of others out there.
“And if there are others out there, please God they’re not in the same situation as I find myself, if they ever need to pick a phone up I’m on the end of it. It’s not a problem.”

Ray Wilkins: Former Chelsea star opens up about battle with alcoholism


The 59-year-old from Cobham was spared jail following his third drink-drive conviction in as many years