'I want answers': Canadian man distraught after DNA testing reveals he was swapped at birth
123RF Canadian Health Minister Jane Philpott said the health department would hire an independent party to investigate whether there are other cases.
For the second time in less than a year, two men from the same remote Canadian community have discovered they were switched at birth, prompting outrage and new questions about substandard healthcare for Canada's indigenous people.
David Tait and Leon Swanson were swapped in the government-run Norway House Hospital in 1975 in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, DNA testing confirmed.
"I want answers so bad," Tait said, choking back tears at a press conference in Winnipeg on Friday. He added that he felt "distraught, confused (and) angry."
Tait's biological mother ended up raising Swanson instead, and Swanson's birth mother raised Tait, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported.
READ MORE:
* Parents reunited with baby who was swapped at birth
* A year after raising wrong baby, their child returns home
Norway House is made up of two northern Manitoba communities and has a population of about 5,000 predominantly indigenous Cree Nation people. It is accessible by airplane and a long indirect road linking it with Winnipeg, about 800km to the south.
In November, the Manitoba government said two other men who were close friends were also switched at birth in 1975, at the same Norway House Hospital. As they grew up, people noticed how they resembled each other's family more than their own.
Eric Robinson, a former Manitoba cabinet minister who is helping the men in the latest case, said there were always suspicions in the community about their parentage. He suspects there are more undiscovered cases.
"The federal government owes these people," he told reporters. "What happened to them is criminal."
Canada's health department operates the Norway House hospital.
Canadian Health Minister Jane Philpott said the second case "deeply troubled" her. She said the health department would hire an independent party to investigate hospital records and look into whether there are other such cases.
"Cases like this are an unfortunate reminder to Canadians of how urgent the need is to provide all Indigenous people with high-quality health care," Philpott said in a statement.
Canada's 1.4 million indigenous people often live in dire social and economic conditions with subpar health and education services.
Practices to ensure the identities of newborns have improved since the 1970s, and Norway House Hospital now fits infants with identification bands, the health department said in a statement.
- Reuters


An indigenous man in Canada who discovered he was swapped at birth due to poor health services demands answers.


'I want answers': Canadian man distraught after DNA testing reveals he was swapped at birth


Construction on the Falgout Canal Floodgate is set to get underway as soon as wetlands issues are resolved and permits are approved.
With the construction of the floodgate, the levee between Bayou Dularge Road and the Intracoastal Waterway will no longer be needed, Terrebonne Parish President Gordy Dove said.
The parish and levee district are plugging the last gap in the 35 miles of levees and floodgates along the Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system from Bayou Dularge to Pointe-aux-Chenes by this year or early 2017, officials said.
The 195-foot floodgate is the "last linchpin" in the system, Dove said.
"Everything after this is going north. This is a huge step," he said.
Hilary Thibodeaux, an engineer with CB&I Coastal in Houma, said most of the issues with permitting have been worked out except dealing with repairing marsh damaged by the project.
Wetlands are required to be rebuilt elsewhere to replace those damaged in projects such as this.
Thibodeaux said the final step is buying credits through what's called a mitigation bank to speed up the project as opposed to going with project-specific marsh repairs. For every acre of wetlands that is damaged or destroyed, an acre somewhere else must be repaired or replaced to compensate for it.
"It's been very expensive. We're looking at another bank that's located in the St. Mary Parish area that is a lot less. The difference in price is $230,000 an acre, which would be almost $8 million versus $20,000 an acre. We're working very hard to make this bank work for us. It looks very positive," he said.
Thibodeaux said he expects the permit process to take between 30 and 40 days.
About $16.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money was moved from a Dularge levee project to help pay for construction of the floodgate. The parish has another $14 million from the state for it.

Falgout Canal floodgate waiting on permitting


Construction on the Falgout Canal Floodgate is set to get underway as soon as wetlands issues are resolved and permits are approved.


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Do Texas billionaire brothers now own a big chunk of Southern Idaho?


The Wilks brothers have been buying up land in the West and reportedly have closed access to local residents for hunting and recreation. Now, they’ve apparently purchased 172,000 acres of timberland in Southern Idaho.


Meditrerranean diet 'better at treating heart disease than statins'
Heart disease is better treated with a Mediterranean-style diet than cholesterol-lowering drugs, it has been claimed.
A study found those who had a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, fish and oils were a third less likely to die early, compared with those who ate larger quantities of red meat, such as beef, and butter.
Speaking at a global conference on heart disease in Rome, Italy, leading heart disease expert Professor Giovanni de Gaetano said: "So far research has focused on the general population, which is mainly composed of healthy people.
A Mediterranean diet can treat heart disease better than cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins, experts claim.
"What happens to people who have already suffered from cardiovascular disease?
"Is the Mediterranean diet optimal for them too?"
T he conference was told t hose who ate mainly along Mediterranean lines were 37% less likely to die during the study than those who were furthest from this dietary pattern.
Previously, cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins were believed to be the most effective method of combating heart disease, the leading cause of death in the UK.
Statins are said to help reduce major heart problems by around 24%.
They are the most widely-prescribed drug in the UK, with at least seven million users costing the NHS £285 million a year.


Heart disease is better treated with a Mediterranean-style diet than cholesterol-lowering drugs, it has been claimed. A study found those who had a diet rich...


Meditrerranean diet 'better at treating heart disease than statins'


PIQUA — Edison State Community College recently announced that 10 full-time faculty members have been promoted in academic rank.
“I am grateful for these faculty who have selected Edison State as their career institution,” said Edison State President Dr. Doreen Larson. “It takes considerable commitment and consistently outstanding work to progress at each level of faculty status. The portfolio submissions of these faculty reflect that commitment and work ethic.”
“I congratulate these faculty and hope that they will take share their expertise and experience particularly with our newer faculty to maintain the high levels of instructional quality that is the hallmark of an Edison State education,” added Dr. Larson.
Faculty receiving promotions, effective during the 2016-17 academic year, are:
Promotion to assistant professor
· Vickie Kirk, MBA, Allied Health
· Peggy Montgomery, BS, Nursing
Promotions to associate professor
· Terry Calvert, MS, Mathematics
· Herbert Head, MS, Biology
· Elisha Hicks, MS, Early Childhood Education
· Stephen Marlowe, JD; MFA, English
· Caryn Scott, MA, Social Services
Promotions to full professor
· Ruth Barney, MBA, Marketing
· Paul Heintz, PhD, Psychology and Sociology
· Steve Whiteman, MA, Computer Application Technology
The rank of assistant professor requires that the individual holds a master’s degree in the discipline for which they are hired, demonstrates characteristics of effective teaching, provides support to students outside the classroom, initiative in curriculum development, professional growth, and participates in college activities. They must complete two full academic years since their last promotion.
The rank of associate professor requires that the individual holds a master’s degree in the discipline for which they are hired, demonstrates and can explain characteristics of effective teaching, provides support to students outside of the classroom, demonstrates the ability to provide curriculum leadership, continues professional growth, and provides service to the college. They must complete three full academic years since their last promotion.
The rank of full professor requires that the individual possesses at least 18 semester hours beyond the master’s in the discipline for which they are hired, is a master teacher, provides support to students outside the classroom, provides curricular leadership, continues professional growth, provides leadership to the college, becomes recognized by external peers. They must complete five full academic years since their last promotion.
Provided photo Several faculty members at Edison State Community College recently were promoted in rank including, left to right, Vickie Kirk, Paul Heintz, Ruth Barney, Steve Whiteman and Elisha Hicks. http://dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Picture1_Promotions.jpg Provided photo Several faculty members at Edison State Community College recently were promoted in rank including, left to right, Vickie Kirk, Paul Heintz, Ruth Barney, Steve Whiteman and Elisha Hicks. Provided photo Ten Edison State Community College faculty members recently were promoted in rank, including, left, to right, Peggy Montgomery, Caryn Scott, Herbert Head and Stephen Dale Marlowe. http://dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Picture2_Promotions.jpg Provided photo Ten Edison State Community College faculty members recently were promoted in rank, including, left, to right, Peggy Montgomery, Caryn Scott, Herbert Head and Stephen Dale Marlowe.


Two teenagers have been arrested after a 17-year-old boy believed to have been taking drugs during this weekend's Leeds Festival died.
Shortly after 4.45pm yesterday, officers were contacted by staff from Leeds Festival after the teenager was taken to St James’ Hospital by ambulance in a critical condition.
The teenager, who was from the Greater Manchester area, underwent emergency treatment in hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
Two males, also aged 17, have been arrested on drugs offences in connection with the incident.
Information on the type of drug taken by the teenager has not yet been released.
Leeds Festival’s Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Keith Gilert said, "Our thoughts are naturally with the family of the young man at this time. They were made aware of the incident by officers as soon as possible and were assisted to attend the hospital as quickly as possible. We will continue to support them through this difficult time.
"We are currently investigating the death and how he obtained the substance he took. Two males, aged 17, have been arrested in the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of drugs offences and are currently in custody. At this time the indications are that the man consumed drugs immediately before before he collapsed. A report will be sent to the Coroner in due course.
"I would though like to take this opportunity to remind anyone attending the Festival that there is no safe way to take drugs. Taking any illegal drug carries a risk to health and we would always advise people against it, but I would ask that people are particularly conscious of the risks following this young man’s death. In partnership with the organisers, Festival Republic, we will continue to take action against those who risk the lives of others by supplying drugs."
"Anyone who has any concerns for either themselves or others at the Festival should contact Festival site or security staff or seek medical assistance."
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Two teenagers have been arrested after a 17-year-old boy believed to have been taking drugs during this weekend


REGIONAL NEWS: Two arrested after teen believed to have been taking drugs at Leeds festival dies


MINNEWAUKAN, N.D.—A 73-year-old man who survived the night floating in the water of Devils Lake has his lifejacket and an empty gas can to thank after his fishing boat sank this weekend.
Leroy Throlson of Sheyenne, N.D., has been released from hospital care and is doing fine after the ordeal, Benson County Sheriff Steve Rohrer told the Herald Tuesday. He said the fisherman is lucky to be alive.
"We were preparing the family for the worst," Rohrer said. "It's just incredible."
The story of survival began Friday night after Throlson launched his fishing boat into Devils Lake about an hour before twilight, Rohrer said.
Throlson had been traveling in his boat somewhere east of Minnewaukan, a Benson County town of roughly 200 residents about 20 miles west of the city of Devils Lake, when the back of the watercraft caught a wave and started foundering, Rohrer said. The boat sank, leaving Throlson stranded at night in the middle of the lake.
The surface area of Devils Lake is massive with 330.2 square miles. Temperatures dipped into the mid-50s Friday night into early Saturday morning.
Finding the shoreline would have been difficult at night. The water was likely warmer than air temperatures, but Throlson still would have been cold floating in the lake overnight, Rohrer said.
When asked what the chances were of someone surviving a night in the waters of Devils Lake, Rohrer said "probably slim to none."
A search and rescue mission was launched about 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning after the Sheriff's Department received a call that Throlson hadn't returned from his fishing trip.
But around 11 a.m. Saturday, Rohrer received another call. The reporting party said Throlson had floated to shore near North Dakota Highway 19 northwest of Minnewaukan and had been taken to CHI St. Alexius Health in Devils Lake for treatment.
Other than feeling sore from the night in the water, Throlson was doing well, Rohrer said.
He was released Sunday.
Luckily for Throlson, an empty 5-gallon gas can was floating nearby, so he grabbed onto it and hung on throughout the night.
Rohrer credited the lifejacket and gas can for Throlson's survival, adding he didn't start wearing a lifejacket until recently at the request of his family.
"His family got on him a few weeks ago to start wearing his lifejacket," Rohrer said.
The tale of survival emphasizes how important it is to wear a lifejacket while boating and to let someone know about your travel plans when heading out on the lake, Rohrer said, including when you are leaving and when you plan to return.

Missing angler, 73, found alive after floating for 12 hours on Devils Lake


PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on Arizona’s primary election (all times local):
10:30 p.m.
Incumbents Andy Tobin, Bob Burns and retired Superior Court Judge Boyd Dunn have won the Republican primary for three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission.
The three edged out former state Sen. Al Melvin and state Rep. Rick Gray.
Tobin, Burns and Dunn will face Democrats Bill Mundell and Tom Chabin in the Nov. 8 general election.
Mundell and Chabin automatically advanced to the general election.
Three of the commission’s five seats are up for grabs this year.
The commission regulates electric utilities, telecommunications, securities and railroads.
Tobin and Burns have battled over Burns’ effort to force the state’s largest utility to disclose whether it spent $3.2 million in the 2014 commission election.
10:20 p.m.
Tucson doctor and former state legislator Matt Heinz has clinched the Democratic primary in southern Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
In November, he’ll face incumbent U.S. Rep. Martha McSally in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched U.S. House races. McSally, a Republican, won the seat in 2014 by only 167 votes.
On Tuesday, Heinz defeated challenger Victoria Steele, a former state lawmaker and past news anchor and mental health counselor.
The 2nd Congressional District covers most of Tucson and parts of Cochise County.
___
10:15 p.m.
Many Arizonans wanting to view the Secretary of State’s election results experienced errors while trying to load the website.
The website crashed for the first time shortly after early results were posted around 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The site continued to intermittently produce results throughout the night, occasionally producing messages saying “Error” or “This site can’t be reached” or “Service unavailable.”
In the weeks leading up to the primary, Secretary of State Michele Reagan said the website had been upgraded to a system that would get results quicker.
She said the results would be posted in real time and that users wouldn’t have to refresh the page for updates and new numbers.
There was no immediate word from Reagan’s office about what went wrong Tuesday night.
___
10 p.m.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has outpaced four challengers to win the Republican nomination in the sprawling 1st Congressional District, which includes much of Arizona outside the Tucson and Phoenix metro areas.
Babeu’s victory earns him the right to try to wrest the district from Democratic control.
Incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick is vacating the seat to run for U.S. Senate, and Democrat Tom O’Halleran easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday.
Six Republicans appeared on the primary ballot, although Arizona House Speaker David Gowan suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Springerville rancher and businessman Gary Kiehne.
The others in the race were former Secretary of State Ken Bennett, retired Air Force pilot Wendy Rogers and businessman Shawn Redd.
___
9:30 p.m.
U.S. Sen. John McCain gave a victory speech of more than eight minutes following his win in Tuesday’s primary as he seeks a sixth term in November.
McCain’s speech covered the issues he wants to focus on such as national security, health care, veterans care and the economy.
He also says “it is imperative that Republicans maintain our majorities in Congress” and “have a say over the next president’s appointments to the Supreme Court.”
The 80-year-old McCain — who was the Republican party’s 2008 presidential nominee — easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot Tuesday.
McCain faces a tough Democratic challenge in the November general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. She advanced after facing only a write-in opponent in Tuesday’s primary.
In a statement, Kirkpatrick says she’s looking forward to a spirited campaign against McCain.
___
9:15 p.m.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar easily beat back a primary challenge from a former Buckeye city councilman who received unexpected backing from an out-of-state group.
Ray Strauss benefited from more than $280,000 in spending by the group that seeks to unseat “Freedom Caucus” members who ousted House Speaker John Boehner.
Gosar’s win essentially gives him a general election victory in the state’s 4th Congressional District, which is heavily Republican. The district runs from the west Phoenix suburbs to the Colorado River and includes Kingman and Lake Havasu City.
___
8:45 p.m.
U.S. Sen. John McCain says he’s humbled by and grateful for his win in Tuesday’s primary as he seeks a sixth term in November.
The 80-year-old McCain who was the Republican party’s 2008 presidential nominee easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot.
McCain says this year’s campaign “has a ways to go yet and it’s not going to get any easier.”
McCain faces a tough Democratic challenge in the November general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.
She advanced Tuesday after facing only a write-in opponent in the primary.
___
8:30 p.m.
U.S. Sen. John McCain has beaten back a primary challenge from a Republican tea party activist to win the right to seek a sixth term in November.
The 80-year-old who was his party’s 2008 presidential nominee easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot.
However, the victory doesn’t clear the way to a smooth re-election for McCain. He faces a tough Democratic challenge in November’s general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. She advanced Tuesday after facing only a write-in opponent in the primary.
___
8:15 p.m.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio has crushed three rivals to win the Republican nomination in his bid for a 7th term.
Arpaio will face Democrat challenger Paul Penzone during the fall in what’s believed to be his toughest campaign in six terms as Maricopa County’s top lawman. Arpaio easily beat former Buckeye Police Chief Dan Saban and two other lesser-known Republican opponents Tuesday.
A judge has ruled that Arpaio’s officers racially profiled Latinos, and the sheriff was found in civil contempt of court for defying court orders in the case. The judge recently recommended that Arpaio face criminal prosecution over the contempt case, which could subject him to jail time.
___
7:30 p.m.
Arizona election officials say they saw no major problems during Tuesday primary election voting.
Secretary of State spokesman Matt Roberts says it was an extremely quiet Election Day. That’s a sharp contrast to the March 22 presidential primary that saw long lines and wait times exceeding five hours in some parts of the state’s largest county.
Those problems in Maricopa County were blamed in part on the consolidation of polling places and the fact that independents can’t vote in Arizona’s presidential primary.
Regular primaries allow those not registered with a party to choose a Republican, Democratic or Green Party ballot. The Libertarian Party primary remains closed. The county returned to the normal number of polling places Tuesday.
Maricopa County elections spokeswoman Elizabeth Barthlomew says polls closed on time, with only a couple of glitches reported through the day.
___
7 p.m.
The polls are now closed in Arizona’s primary election.
Key races include the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and contests for U.S. House nominations in congressional districts across the state.
Sen. John McCain is facing a tough battle with a former state senator who is vowing to retire the five-term Republican a day after his 80th birthday.
And six-term Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio faces a trio of challengers in his primary as he seeks a seventh term at age 84.
Unlike the state’s presidential primary back in February, independents are allowed to request either a Republican, Democratic or Green Party ballot at the polls.
Only the Libertarian Party has a closed election.
___
10:10 a.m.
The Maricopa County elections office says the state’s primary election hasn’t produced long lines so far at Phoenix-area polling places, a far cry from the presidential primary when many voters waited hours to cast ballots.
Elections office spokeswoman Elizabeth Bartholomew says the county’s 724 polling places are up and running, though she says the openings of six of them were delayed up to an hour Tuesday morning when poll workers failed to report for work on time.
Bartholomew says troubleshooters stepped in to help open the affected polling places.
Maricopa County had long lines in March when it dramatically reduced the number of locations where voters could cast ballots in the presidential primary and when many independents showed up to vote, erroneously thinking they could vote in that election.
Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Matt Robert says unofficial turnout projections for the primary generally are in the range of 26-28 percent.
Statewide turnout percentages for Arizona’s last three primary elections ranged from 27 to 30 percent.
Polling places will be open until 7 p.m. or until the last person in line at that time casts a ballot.
___
6:35 a.m.
Voters are casting ballots in Arizona’s primary election.
Key races include the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and contests for U.S. House nominations in congressional districts across the state.
Polling places remain open until 7 p.m. or until the last person in line at that time has voted, with the first results announced starting an hour later.
Unlike the state’s presidential primary back in February, independents are allowed to request either a Republican, Democratic or Green Party ballot at the polls. Only the Libertarian Party has a closed election.
It’s too late for voters who receive a ballot by mail to send it back. They must be dropped off at a polling place or elections office or a designated drop-off location.
Voters who go to the polls must show identification.

The Latest: Tobin, Burns, Dunn win Commission primary


PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on Arizona’s primary election (all times local):
10:45 p.m.
The top election official in metro Phoenix is struggling to keep her job after being blamed for long lines that plagued Arizona’s presidential primary in March.
Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell had a lead of fewer than 200 votes over business owner and political newcomer Aaron Flannery in the Republican primary. There are still thousands of votes that need to be tallied.
Purcell was harshly criticized for the fiasco at the polls that resulted in people waiting hours to cast a ballot in the White House primary. She slashed the number of polling places under the mistaken belief that people would vote by mail. But the unsettled nature of the White House race meant that many people opted to cast ballots in person.
She is a longtime fixture in Maricopa County Republican politics, first getting elected as recorder in 1988.
___
10:30 p.m.
Incumbents Andy Tobin, Bob Burns and retired Superior Court Judge Boyd Dunn have won the Republican primary for three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission.
The three edged out former state Sen. Al Melvin and state Rep. Rick Gray.
Tobin, Burns and Dunn will face Democrats Bill Mundell and Tom Chabin in the Nov. 8 general election.
Mundell and Chabin automatically advanced to the general election.
Three of the commission’s five seats are up for grabs this year.
The commission regulates electric utilities, telecommunications, securities and railroads.
Tobin and Burns have battled over Burns’ effort to force the state’s largest utility to disclose whether it spent $3.2 million in the 2014 commission election.
___
10:20 p.m.
Tucson doctor and former state legislator Matt Heinz has clinched the Democratic primary in southern Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
In November, he’ll face incumbent U.S. Rep. Martha McSally in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched U.S. House races. McSally, a Republican, won the seat in 2014 by only 167 votes.
On Tuesday, Heinz defeated challenger Victoria Steele, a former state lawmaker and past news anchor and mental health counselor.
The 2nd Congressional District covers most of Tucson and parts of Cochise County.
___
10:15 p.m.
Many Arizonans wanting to view the Secretary of State’s election results experienced errors while trying to load the website.
The website crashed for the first time shortly after early results were posted around 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The site continued to intermittently produce results throughout the night, occasionally producing messages saying “Error” or “This site can’t be reached” or “Service unavailable.”
In the weeks leading up to the primary, Secretary of State Michele Reagan said the website had been upgraded to a system that would get results quicker.
She said the results would be posted in real time and that users wouldn’t have to refresh the page for updates and new numbers.
There was no immediate word from Reagan’s office about what went wrong Tuesday night.
___
10 p.m.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has outpaced four challengers to win the Republican nomination in the sprawling 1st Congressional District, which includes much of Arizona outside the Tucson and Phoenix metro areas.
Babeu’s victory earns him the right to try to wrest the district from Democratic control.
Incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick is vacating the seat to run for U.S. Senate, and Democrat Tom O’Halleran easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday.
Six Republicans appeared on the primary ballot, although Arizona House Speaker David Gowan suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Springerville rancher and businessman Gary Kiehne.
The others in the race were former Secretary of State Ken Bennett, retired Air Force pilot Wendy Rogers and businessman Shawn Redd.
___
9:30 p.m.
U.S. Sen. John McCain gave a victory speech of more than eight minutes following his win in Tuesday’s primary as he seeks a sixth term in November.
McCain’s speech covered the issues he wants to focus on such as national security, health care, veterans care and the economy.
He also says “it is imperative that Republicans maintain our majorities in Congress” and “have a say over the next president’s appointments to the Supreme Court.”
The 80-year-old McCain — who was the Republican party’s 2008 presidential nominee — easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot Tuesday.
McCain faces a tough Democratic challenge in the November general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. She advanced after facing only a write-in opponent in Tuesday’s primary.
In a statement, Kirkpatrick says she’s looking forward to a spirited campaign against McCain.
___
9:15 p.m.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar easily beat back a primary challenge from a former Buckeye city councilman who received unexpected backing from an out-of-state group.
Ray Strauss benefited from more than $280,000 in spending by the group that seeks to unseat “Freedom Caucus” members who ousted House Speaker John Boehner.
Gosar’s win essentially gives him a general election victory in the state’s 4th Congressional District, which is heavily Republican. The district runs from the west Phoenix suburbs to the Colorado River and includes Kingman and Lake Havasu City.
___
8:45 p.m.
U.S. Sen. John McCain says he’s humbled by and grateful for his win in Tuesday’s primary as he seeks a sixth term in November.
The 80-year-old McCain who was the Republican party’s 2008 presidential nominee easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot.
McCain says this year’s campaign “has a ways to go yet and it’s not going to get any easier.”
McCain faces a tough Democratic challenge in the November general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.
She advanced Tuesday after facing only a write-in opponent in the primary.
___
8:30 p.m.
U.S. Sen. John McCain has beaten back a primary challenge from a Republican tea party activist to win the right to seek a sixth term in November.
The 80-year-old who was his party’s 2008 presidential nominee easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot.
However, the victory doesn’t clear the way to a smooth re-election for McCain. He faces a tough Democratic challenge in November’s general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. She advanced Tuesday after facing only a write-in opponent in the primary.
___
8:15 p.m.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio has crushed three rivals to win the Republican nomination in his bid for a 7th term.
Arpaio will face Democrat challenger Paul Penzone during the fall in what’s believed to be his toughest campaign in six terms as Maricopa County’s top lawman. Arpaio easily beat former Buckeye Police Chief Dan Saban and two other lesser-known Republican opponents Tuesday.
A judge has ruled that Arpaio’s officers racially profiled Latinos, and the sheriff was found in civil contempt of court for defying court orders in the case. The judge recently recommended that Arpaio face criminal prosecution over the contempt case, which could subject him to jail time.
___
7:30 p.m.
Arizona election officials say they saw no major problems during Tuesday primary election voting.
Secretary of State spokesman Matt Roberts says it was an extremely quiet Election Day. That’s a sharp contrast to the March 22 presidential primary that saw long lines and wait times exceeding five hours in some parts of the state’s largest county.
Those problems in Maricopa County were blamed in part on the consolidation of polling places and the fact that independents can’t vote in Arizona’s presidential primary.
Regular primaries allow those not registered with a party to choose a Republican, Democratic or Green Party ballot. The Libertarian Party primary remains closed. The county returned to the normal number of polling places Tuesday.
Maricopa County elections spokeswoman Elizabeth Barthlomew says polls closed on time, with only a couple of glitches reported through the day.
___
7 p.m.
The polls are now closed in Arizona’s primary election.
Key races include the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and contests for U.S. House nominations in congressional districts across the state.
Sen. John McCain is facing a tough battle with a former state senator who is vowing to retire the five-term Republican a day after his 80th birthday.
And six-term Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio faces a trio of challengers in his primary as he seeks a seventh term at age 84.
Unlike the state’s presidential primary back in February, independents are allowed to request either a Republican, Democratic or Green Party ballot at the polls.
Only the Libertarian Party has a closed election.
___
10:10 a.m.
The Maricopa County elections office says the state’s primary election hasn’t produced long lines so far at Phoenix-area polling places, a far cry from the presidential primary when many voters waited hours to cast ballots.
Elections office spokeswoman Elizabeth Bartholomew says the county’s 724 polling places are up and running, though she says the openings of six of them were delayed up to an hour Tuesday morning when poll workers failed to report for work on time.
Bartholomew says troubleshooters stepped in to help open the affected polling places.
Maricopa County had long lines in March when it dramatically reduced the number of locations where voters could cast ballots in the presidential primary and when many independents showed up to vote, erroneously thinking they could vote in that election.
Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Matt Robert says unofficial turnout projections for the primary generally are in the range of 26-28 percent.
Statewide turnout percentages for Arizona’s last three primary elections ranged from 27 to 30 percent.
Polling places will be open until 7 p.m. or until the last person in line at that time casts a ballot.
___
6:35 a.m.
Voters are casting ballots in Arizona’s primary election.
Key races include the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and contests for U.S. House nominations in congressional districts across the state.
Polling places remain open until 7 p.m. or until the last person in line at that time has voted, with the first results announced starting an hour later.
Unlike the state’s presidential primary back in February, independents are allowed to request either a Republican, Democratic or Green Party ballot at the polls. Only the Libertarian Party has a closed election.
It’s too late for voters who receive a ballot by mail to send it back. They must be dropped off at a polling place or elections office or a designated drop-off location.
Voters who go to the polls must show identification.

The Latest: Election official struggles to keep her job


There is a saying which no-one in Malawi’s main opposition party, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), seems to have heard of.
In its original form, it goes like this: “Throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick”.
This adage underscores the folly of staying idle when someone is throwing mud at your wall. Some mud, it warns, sticks.
It is, however, taken with a pinch of salt because when a wall is clean, shiny and smooth, most of the mud slides down and falls onto the floor, leaving the wall stained but with no mud sticking.
This notwithstanding, the risk is high that when a ‘wall’ is placed where people, for whatever reason, throw mud at it, it will carry stains.
I will digress and return to this muddy issue later.
Just this week, police arrested seven men and three women suspected to have been on a mission to petrol-bomb the party’s headquarters in Lilongwe.
I will not dwell on the amateurism displayed in this arson attempt but go straight onto the cause.
When the cracks in MCP, a normal occurrence in any really democratic party, were just that (i.e. cracks), was the time when the party should have taken constructive action, and not demonising the voices of dissent nor burying its head in sand hoping the cracks will seal themselves.
Statesmanship called for: first, acknowledging the problem(s), then either reigning in the dissenters or on a round table, agreeing with them to disagree without going public as has been allowed to happen.
But because an ostrich-style approach was deemed ideal, the dissente.
Now I come back to the adage above. Mud thrown at a clean, shiny and smooth wall may indeed not stick. But as I hinted, there is still a downside, the mud leaves stains.
As such, when the mud-thrower tires and wanders off some place, passers-by see the stains and the heap of mud on the floor and begin asking questions.
Whatever explanations are offered do not stop the passers-by wondering why and how, in the first place, a madman or woman was throwing mud at the wall or what it was that attracted the madman or woman to that particular wall and not other walls.
Fine, granted that MCP cannot undo the past, I will let this pass.
But now look here, the cracks have now widened into gullies and still there has been no word – at least in the mainstream media – of the MCP President, reaching out to the‘prodigal’ sons and daughters.
Not even a symbolic gesture after rebuffing which, Jumbe and Chatinkha, would now berightly branded as mercenaries of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Veteran politician John ZU Tembo, himself very well versed in intra-party squabbles due to his own fight with fellow veteran Gwanda Chakuamba, was reported offering to mediate.
What do we hear next?
Surprisingly, the next headline was not: “MCP leaders meet and agree to bury the hatchet”.
It was Jumbe further embarrassing the party by seeking protection at the National Police Headquarters at Area 30 in Lilongwe, after people he believes were sent by some MCP gurus attempted to besiege his residence and set his vehicles on fire.
Disgusting stuff, isn’t it?
I will revert to the converse of that proverb above, which is missing from MCP’s book of proverbs.
It is also true that when you throw mud in the hope of soiling an opponent, sometimes you miss. The mud fails to soil the intended target. But you know what?
It sticks to your hands.
A passer-by will see the mud on your hands and wonder if all is well with you knowing that in these days, we buy burnt bricks for construction; we no longer mould dzidina.
It is with this in mind that MCP zealots throwing mud at the Jumbe and Chatinkha camp ought to think twice, stop, and prevail on Chakwera that the ostrich-style of leadership, with respect to these internal wrangles, has failed.
Read Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma calls for the ouster of MCP Leader Lazarus Chakwera
Likewise Jumbe and Chatinkha Nkhoma. They may not have exhausted their tricks or mud arsenals but while they are piling them up for the next salvo, some mud, in fact a lot of it, is sticking to their hands and fingers.
Now with respect to Jumbe and his undisguised presidential ambitions, with respect to Chatinkha and her claim to be a genuine MCP member and that she is the one who actually made Chakwera what he is, and with respect to Chakwera, who is supposed to be convincing us that the pastor in him has matured into a statesman and not a leader of mud-mongers, this mud-throwing contest and the ostrich-style approach to wrangles are doing very little if not outright damaging their hitherto relatively clean personal CVs.
This is a classic case where chikwama atatole ndi odutsa, that is, the fighters will all lose the ultimate prize to a spectator.
If, on the other hand, all these guys have never, for whatever reason, liked MCP and have created this civil war as a way of killing the party, they are doing the masses out there a grave injustice.
While MCP has never won presidential elections, under Hon JZU Tembo and under Hon Gwanda Chakuamba before him, it was a formidable opposition party.
This cannot be denied.
In fact, there are times MCP saved Malawi from some excesses of these so-called democratically elected presidents.
Therefore, neither Chakwera, Jumbe nor Chatinkha have the right to selfishly and foolishly lead such a national institution prematurely to its graveyard when Malawians need it most, and need it not busy infighting but fighting the worsening corruption.
Can Chakwera stand up please, demonstrate statesmanship and resolve this mess? If he cannot manage this, the church always accepts ‘prodigal’ sons.
MCP’s loss will be the church’s gain. rs, led by Hon Felix E. Jumbe and later joined by Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma, have had field days throwing mud at the MCP President Hon Dr Lazarus Chakwera’s leadership style and lack thereof.

Can Dr Chakwera, the MCP President, arise please?


Recording of 911 for murder on Linden Street in Waterbury
Recording of 911 for murder on Linden Street in Waterbury
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EXPAND "My love for you is like a truck, berserker..." Courtesy of Invincible Pictures
Were we wrong to root for Kevin Smith?
When he burst onto the scene in 1994, it was the most improbable of rags-to-riches movie narratives: bankrolling Clerks by selling his comic book collection and running up thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Almost overnight, he joined the likes of Rodriguez and Tarantino as indie film royalty. Unlike them, however, Smith seemed like a regular dude with mainstream tastes — an everyman in a hockey sweater — and audiences were eager to see what he’d come up with next.
Film Details Yoga Hosers Rating: PG-13 Genre: Comedy Running Time: 88 min. More Info Trailer
It seems appropriate this year to frame everything in the context of the election, which is why I'm going to compare Kevin Smith to Donald Trump. No, Smith’s not a sentient collection of racist gas spores, but as with Trump and the Republican nomination, Smith after Sundance seemed wholly unprepared once his initial efforts to succeed actually worked — and he appeared unwilling to accept the subsequent responsibilities. In any event, Smith’s post-Clerks career comes across, at best, like a great deal of unrealized potential.
Which brings us to Yoga Hosers, the second in Smith’s promised (threatened?) “True North” trilogy of movies set in Canada for no apparent reason other than that he appears to find the accents hilarious. (The first was the walrus-themed horror film Tusk.) Lily-Rose Depp and Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn, play the hosers, both named Colleen. The pair works at the “Eh-2-Zed” convenience store when not holding band practice or peering obsessively into their smartphones. What might sound like fairly typical teen-movie fare eventually morphs into something more sinister involving Canadian Nazis, mutant sodomizing bratwursts, and the return of Tusk’s Quebecois man-hunter Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp).
Depp, nearly unrecognizable under bushy eyebrows and a beret (of course), and almost unintelligible thanks to a Monty Python-esque French accent, serves to move along what there is of the plot. The film meanders for nearly half its scant running time before getting to something resembling conflict. Along the way, there’s an entirely unnecessary subplot involving high school Satanists and interludes with Justin Long playing a yoga guru named “Yogi Bayer” (yes) and Tony Hale as the father of one of the Colleens. And then there are the Canadian jokes.
Then again, “jokes” implies something entertainingly humorous, whereas that lone selfie those hikers shot with Justin Trudeau was a better Canadian chuckle than Yoga Hosers’ death by a thousand “aboots.” Smith’s obsession with the Great White North is almost as puzzling as his inability to wrest anything remotely funny from the surroundings. The convenience store boasts the “world’s largest collection of artisanal maple syrups,” because it’s Canada, and everybody’s weapon of choice is a hockey stick. Because it’s Canada. There are even two minutes over the end credits of Smith and co-host Scott Mosier’s “Smodcast” of the two men cracking each other up over their Canuck impressions.
This is probably the most honest part of the film, because at its core, Yoga Hosers isn’t a movie: It’s a podcast riff given material form; a bong rip visualized; an SCTV sketch devoid of laughs. It struggles to fill an hour and a half, with most of the cast serving little purpose beyond padding things out a few more minutes. The Colleens sing two songs (Anthrax’s “I’m the Man” and Styx’s “Babe”), and the villain, Arcane (Ralph Garman), explains his evil scheme while impersonating — among others — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Al Pacino, the better to squeeze the last remaining guffaws from “Whoo-ah!” (reminder: Scent of a Woman was released 24 years ago).
Perhaps more significant is how Yoga Hosers shows Smith’s continued devolution as a filmmaker. Flawed as movies like Dogma and Clerks II were, there was always a scene or two upon which to pin future hopes. Here, only the reliably up-for-anything Long and a surprisingly game performance by Sasheer Zamata (as the girls’ school principal) are worth noting. Everything else is either rehashed material from Smith’s previous works (clerk Colleen M. is “not even supposed to be here today,” while Arcane’s riffs are reminiscent of Tracy Morgan’s quote-a-thon in Cop Out), poorly developed concepts (the Colleens’ dialogue is almost a parody of how teens actually talk) and an apparently honest desire to kill his critics.
Smith has repeatedly reminded the world that his movies “aren’t for critics,” and he has embarked on distribution schemes to support this assertion. And yet, in Yoga Hosers, he resurrects his need to get even with his detractors, a need he's expressed since Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Many characters, including Arcane, express their hatred of “haters.” Arcane's evil creation is even specifically designed to seek out and murder critics, who it turns out were responsible for his ultimate turn to evil. It’s very Shyamalan-esque (or, at least, Lady in the Water–esque), which is interesting considering the two directors once feuded. Nothing like a shared interest to bring people together.
Yoga Hosers is lazy, unfunny, and self-indulgent. It should have been binned the second the (literal) smoke cleared, and while it’s been clear for some time that Smith is either incapable of making a good movie or simply doesn’t care to, Yoga Hosers may very well be the film that finally convinces audiences the emperor has no hockey jersey.

Yoga Hosers Finds Kevin Smith Barely Making a Movie


Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers may very well be the film that finally convinces audiences the emperor has no hockey jersey.g


FALCON HEIGHTS -- Minnesota leads the country in its Beyond Yellow Ribbon program to help military personnel, veterans and their families, and state leaders used the State Fair to celebrate.
"Companies and communities have shown immense support," Maj. Gen. Rick Nash, Minnesota National Guard's adjutant general, told hundreds gathered at the Minnesota State Fair Tuesday to celebrate the military.
The Yellow Ribbon program provides services to military personnel, with such things as helping reintegrate them back into their communities when returning from a deployment. It also helps families understand what is going on with their military loved ones and provide other services.
More than 290 cities, counties, businesses and nonprofit organizations are involved in Yellow Ribbon.
"The individuals at these cities, counties and companies have taken it upon themselves to identify resources in their community to support our military-connected residents and their families," said Annette Kuyper, Minnesota National Guard director of military outreach.
The Yellow Ribbon State Fair celebration included a flyover by World War II-era P6 and B25 aircraft and speeches by politicians. Carousel Park was full of military-related exhibits.
Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton said that when he was U.S. senator, he helped get the first federal Yellow Ribbon funding with U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn.
In this time of sharp political partisan divides, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said helping the military has been bipartisan, reminding the audience that Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty helped start the program.
She said that the best way to honor veterans and military personnel is to "treat them with dignity and respect." She said she is working on improving health care at federal Veterans' Administration facilities.
A bill Klobuchar co-wrote would give military medics an easier path to become civilian medical workers when they are discharged.

Minnesota State Fair celebrates Yellow Ribbon program for veterans


Politicians spend a good bit of their time complaining about the media. But why should they have all the fun?
I’m going to join in, though I tend to get upset about different things than most sitting politicians do. You see, I don’t actually mind when journalists — whether in print, on television or online — treat what politicians say with skepticism. That means they’re doing their jobs.
But this doesn’t happen nearly as much these days as it should. The media today is less objective, more ideological, and much showier than it once was. What you see can be eye-catching — both the graphics and the personalities — but it is also brash and relentlessly self-promoting. A lot of journalists don’t just want to report the news, they want to be players and affect policy. They see politics as a blood sport, often exaggerating the differences among players.
As one observer said, the media is drawn to “superficiality, sensationalism, scandal, and sleaze.” They’re all too happy to seize on small points of contention and fan them into major points of discord. They make building a consensus — the key task of the democratic process — much harder.
The field has been moving in this direction over decades, and there’s a reason for it: all these changes have been well received by the public. They draw viewers, readers and clicks. And they’ve encouraged consumers to pay attention only to the sources that reflect and broadcast their own viewpoint.
I don’t want to be a fogey here. Yes, I grew up in the days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, and I still think they were solid journalists, but what I miss is not the voice-of-authority-from-on-high that’s so often associated with them. Instead, what I too often find lacking now is the spirit that drove the profession in those days. I think the news media had a sense of responsibility to make representative democracy function. Journalists imbued their work with a palpable sense that they were involved in a public service.
There are still really excellent journalists out there who are doing their best to serve both their profession and the country. Every day they struggle to make sense of enormously complex events. What they understand — and what I wish more of their colleagues believed — is that democracy demands journalism that improves its workings. Properly done, journalism can bridge differences, help consensus emerge, improve the knowledge and judgment of voters, and sharpen the performance of public officials and government as a whole.
In the end, the democratic process is about overcoming disagreement. This is virtually impossible without a solid base of information and analysis.
Governing well is immensely difficult, and good journalism can keep government open and honest — which serves not just the voters, but politicians who are trying to resolve the problems facing the country. Journalists can and should be watchdogs, keeping a watchful eye on politicians — what they do, what they say…and what they don’t do or say. They should serve not just the elites, but the underdogs and have-nots in society.
The independence of our press was hard to win, and it’s vital that we sustain it. People must have sources they can rely on in order to make our system work. Our democracy needs well-informed citizens making decisions based on facts about both policies and politicians.
This means that the model of the journalist that seems to be going out of fashion — reporters who were reasonably objective, independent of outside groups, and even independent of their company’s owners — is actually crucial to representative government. Curious, skeptical journalists who point out inconsistencies, draw attention to mistakes, call out misleading statements, and identify outright lies serve a larger purpose: they provide citizens what they need to know in order to be a good citizen, and public officials what they need in order to do their work well.
This is quite an ideal, especially in this age of economic turmoil within the media universe. But I don’t think it’s too much to hope that as the profession sorts out its future, it takes seriously its leadership role in advancing the public good, and doesn’t sacrifice its part in making representative democracy work properly.
http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_hamilton_lee.jpg
By Lee H. Hamilton Contributing Columnist
Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government, a distinguished scholar in the IU School of Global and International Studies and a professor of practice in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.
Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government, a distinguished scholar in the IU School of Global and International Studies and a professor of practice in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

Commentary: Media have responsibility to democracy


Politicians spend a good bit of their time complaining about the media. But why should they have all the fun?
I’m going to join in, though I tend to get upset about different things than most sitting politicians do. You see, I don’t actually mind when journalists — whether in print, on television or online — treat what politicians say with skepticism. That means they’re doing their jobs.
But this doesn’t happen nearly as much these days as it should. The media today is less objective, more ideological, and much showier than it once was. What you see can be eye-catching — both the graphics and the personalities — but it is also brash and relentlessly self-promoting. A lot of journalists don’t just want to report the news, they want to be players and affect policy. They see politics as a blood sport, often exaggerating the differences among players.
As one observer said, the media is drawn to “superficiality, sensationalism, scandal, and sleaze.” They’re all too happy to seize on small points of contention and fan them into major points of discord. They make building a consensus — the key task of the democratic process — much harder.
The field has been moving in this direction over decades, and there’s a reason for it: all these changes have been well received by the public. They draw viewers, readers and clicks. And they’ve encouraged consumers to pay attention only to the sources that reflect and broadcast their own viewpoint.
I don’t want to be a fogey here. Yes, I grew up in the days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, and I still think they were solid journalists, but what I miss is not the voice-of-authority-from-on-high that’s so often associated with them. Instead, what I too often find lacking now is the spirit that drove the profession in those days. I think the news media had a sense of responsibility to make representative democracy function. Journalists imbued their work with a palpable sense that they were involved in a public service.
There are still really excellent journalists out there who are doing their best to serve both their profession and the country. Every day they struggle to make sense of enormously complex events. What they understand — and what I wish more of their colleagues believed — is that democracy demands journalism that improves its workings. Properly done, journalism can bridge differences, help consensus emerge, improve the knowledge and judgment of voters, and sharpen the performance of public officials and government as a whole.
In the end, the democratic process is about overcoming disagreement. This is virtually impossible without a solid base of information and analysis.
Governing well is immensely difficult, and good journalism can keep government open and honest — which serves not just the voters, but politicians who are trying to resolve the problems facing the country. Journalists can and should be watchdogs, keeping a watchful eye on politicians — what they do, what they say…and what they don’t do or say. They should serve not just the elites, but the underdogs and have-nots in society.
The independence of our press was hard to win, and it’s vital that we sustain it. People must have sources they can rely on in order to make our system work. Our democracy needs well-informed citizens making decisions based on facts about both policies and politicians.
This means that the model of the journalist that seems to be going out of fashion — reporters who were reasonably objective, independent of outside groups, and even independent of their company’s owners — is actually crucial to representative government. Curious, skeptical journalists who point out inconsistencies, draw attention to mistakes, call out misleading statements, and identify outright lies serve a larger purpose: they provide citizens what they need to know in order to be a good citizen, and public officials what they need in order to do their work well.
This is quite an ideal, especially in this age of economic turmoil within the media universe. But I don’t think it’s too much to hope that as the profession sorts out its future, it takes seriously its leadership role in advancing the public good, and doesn’t sacrifice its part in making representative democracy work properly.
http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_hamilton_lee.jpg
By Lee H. Hamilton Contributing Columnist
Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government, a distinguished scholar in the IU School of Global and International Studies and a professor of practice in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.
Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government, a distinguished scholar in the IU School of Global and International Studies and a professor of practice in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.


2:06 Three things Hillary Clinton should do now that she's clinched the nomination Pause
1:00 Donald Trump protesters get rowdy in Fresno
2:57 Meet Merrick Garland, Supreme Court nominee
4:00 Democrats debate issues important to Latino voters, and diplomatic relations with Cuba
0:54 Analysis: Supreme Court And Abortion
1:48 FBI chief, Apple lawyer testify in first encryption hearing
1:22 A Supreme Court without Scalia
1:23 Democratic debate highlights: Who loves Obama more?
1:29 California congressman vapes in hearing to make his point
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School

Where do Trump and Clinton stand on keeping the internet open?


When it comes to the future of the internet, does it matter who becomes president?


Santa Clara, Cuba (CNN) When JetBlue Flight 387 touches down in Cuba on Wednesday, it will be the first direct commercial flight between the US and the island in over a half-century.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Santa Clara, Cuba, flight is the latest symbol of the thawing of relations between the former Cold War adversaries, who restored diplomatic ties in 2015.
Until now, Santa Clara was most famous for being the site of the tomb of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the Argentine revolutionary who fought alongside Fidel Castro and was later killed with the help of the CIA while leading an insurrection in Bolivia.
Soon up to a maximum of 110 daily flights operated by such carriers as JetBlue, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and Silver Airways are due to begin flying to the communist-run island, according to the US Department of Transportation.
Although the Obama administration has eased restrictions on travel to Cuba, there is still a travel ban for Americans visiting the island.
Tourism to Cuba is still illegal, but there are now 12 categories of "authorized travel ."
Before US citizens can board flights to Cuba, they will need to sign an affidavit swearing their travel falls within the permitted categories, including educational, religious and humanitarian reasons.
With the relaxing of the travel ban, Cuba has seen a spike in US visitors: about 93,000, or nearly double from the year before, according to Cuban tourism officials.
Despite the increase, Cuban officials say the embargo, or the "blockade" as they refer to US sanctions, must be lifted before there is full freedom of travel between the two countries.
"This process of establishing regular flights is a positive step," said Eduardo Rodríguez, the Cuban Vice Minister of Transportation at a news conference on Monday in Havana."Although the restrictions of the blockade remain, which among other things impede United States citizens from traveling to our country as tourists."
Rodríguez said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx would travel to the island on Wednesday to mark the historic occasion of the first direct commercial flight.
More than 50 years of no commercial flights
Until Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, Cuba had been a favorite vacation spot for Americans in the Caribbean. But in 1961, after Castro declared his government to be in the Socialist camp, diplomatic relations were severed and direct commercial fight service disrupted.
"Castro cracks down on flights from Cuba," reads a UPI wire service headline from the era.
During the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, US carriers were briefly banned from flying over the island and the Cuban military shot down a U2 spy plane, killing the pilot.
Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Photos: President Obama visits Cuba U.S. President Barack Obama attends a baseball game in Havana, Cuba, with his family and Cuban President Raul Castro, right, on Tuesday, March 22. The Cuban national team was playing an exhibition against Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. Obama is the first U.S. President to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Hide Caption 1 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Tourists in a Havana antique shop watch Obama give a speech on March 22. Hide Caption 2 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama waves to the crowd before delivering his speech at the Grand Theater in Havana on March 22. In his speech, Obama urged Cubans to look to the future with hope, casting his historic visit as a moment to "bury the last remnants of the Cold War in the Americas." Hide Caption 3 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba First lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Malia stand with children of U.S. Embassy workers after dedicating a bench and two magnolia trees at a small park in Havana on March 22. Hide Caption 4 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba The Obamas pose with Castro before a state dinner in Havana on Monday, March 21. Hide Caption 5 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, speaks with Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel ahead of the state dinner on March 21. Hide Caption 6 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Castro tries to lift up Obama's arm at the end of a joint news conference on March 21. Hide Caption 7 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama meets with Castro in Havana on March 21. Hide Caption 8 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Michelle Obama speaks with Cuban girls during a Let Girls Learn roundtable in Havana on March 21. Hide Caption 9 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama lays a wreath at the Jose Marti monument in Havana's Revolution Square on March 21. "It is a great honor to pay tribute to Jose Marti, who gave his life for independence of his homeland," Obama wrote after he laid the wreath. "His passion for liberty, freedom, and self-determination lives on in the Cuban people today." Hide Caption 10 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Backdropped by a monument depicting revolutionary hero Che Guevara, Obama listens to the U.S. national anthem during the wreath-laying ceremony on March 21. Hide Caption 11 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama and Castro review troops before bilateral meetings on March 21. Hide Caption 12 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama walks up the stairs of the Palace of the Revolution on March 21. Hide Caption 13 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama and members of the first family take a walking tour of a Havana cathedral on Sunday, March 20. Hide Caption 14 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba The first family stops to look at a painting of Abraham Lincoln in the Museum of the City of Havana on March 20. Hide Caption 15 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama's convoy drives along the Malecon sea wall on March 20. Hide Caption 16 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba The President and first lady greet families of embassy personnel on March 20. Hide Caption 17 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama waves shortly after arriving at Jose Marti International Airport. Hide Caption 18 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama and his family exit Air Force One on March 20. Hide Caption 19 of 19
For the decades that followed, the only US aircraft that traveled to the island were the result of frequent hijackings.
In 2001, a change in US regulations allowed Cuban Americans to visit family on the island and for charter flights to begin to travel between the two countries.
Cuban officials say that since then they have coordinated closely with their American counterparts and are ready for the US carriers to return.
"In relation to aviation security, we have been working with the US government for about 15 years. This isn't new," said Alfredo Cordero, the president of the Cuban Civil Aviation Institute. "Cuba gives the maximum attention to this aspect of aviation security and we have achieved the training of personnel and the necessary resources to obtain the security that's required by the International Civil Aviation Organizations."
Concerns about security
But not everyone is celebrating the resumed flight service.
Rep. John Katko, a New York Republican, said the flights pose a risk to US security.
"TSA has not come close to doing a thorough security assessment of the airports in Cuba," he said, referring the Transportation Security Administration.
Katko and two other lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this summer in an effort to block the flights to Cuba until they felt certain Cuban airport security could effectively prevent terrorists from targeting US-bound flights.
They were unsuccessful in stopping the flights, but Katko told CNN he remains concerned about how the Cuban Civil Aviation authority will prevent insider threats, meaning airport workers who may conspire to target a US-bound aircraft.
"I just think its dangerous and, again, I'm not saying anything bad is going to happen, but we just got to do our due diligence and we are just not doing it," he said.
The TSA said the agency has inspected Cuban airports and found they comply with international standards.
In an email to CNN, agency spokesman Michael England said, "TSA has assessed eight of the ten airports and will complete the final two before flights commence at those locations."
When asked about the lack of high-tech screening machines, England responded, "Technology is only one element of a security system that is multi-layered and involves people, processes and technology. TSA has sent teams of TSA inspectors on a regular basis to Cuba to assess airports currently operating as last points of departure to ensure compliance with international standards" set out by the International aviation arm of the United Nations, ICAO.
Over the summer, Cuban airports adopted US security requirements like requiring passengers traveling to the US to remove their shoes and leave liquids at checkpoints.
JUST WATCHED The New Cuba Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The New Cuba 03:10
The agency said it would not say how Cuban airport workers would be vetted because "releasing this information publicly could pose a threat to aviation security."
For many Americans, though, the immediate concern is not security but seeing Cuba before the island emerges from the Cold War time warp of the last 50 years.
"Our friends had been here and said, why don't you come to Cuba before its too Westernized," said Gerry Hall, a New York educator who joined a "people-to-people" tour of the island in August.
"We wanted to come before you see McDonald's and Walmart and other US companies in Cuba," she said.


When JetBlue Flight 387 touches down in Cuba on Wednesday, it will be the first direct commercial flight between the US and the island in over a half-century.


Casdh for floating support, sheltered accommodation, and a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments axed
Funding for women’s refuges in Lancashire will be cut – and funding for ‘floating’ support, sheltered accommodation, and to a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments axed in cost-cutting proposals.
Lancashire County Council has announced proposals to use its new Prevention and Early Help Fund to provide £1.25m funding for domestic abuse services in the county, allowing for the continuation of Lancashire’s nine women’s refuges.
We’re pleased to provide £800,000 to women’s refuges, which is only a slight reduction from the previous budget County Coun Tony Martin
The fund will also be used to provide annual funding of £1.25m for services for homeless people with complex needs, and £500,000 for crisis support.
However, the announcement has been made in light of savage cuts to services.
Alongside extensive consultation, a cross-party cabinet working group was set up to consider the impact of ceasing to fund the non-statutory elements of Supporting People services, as well as looking at how best to use the new annual £3m Prevention and Early Help Fund.
Under the proposals, £800,000 of the £1.25m budget for domestic violence services would fund support within the nine women’s refuges in the county.
The council is proposing that £1.25m will be made available to support homeless households with complex needs. £500,000 transitional funding is also being allocated whilst supported accommodation services are redesigned.
The county council is continuing to invest £1.35m funding to meet the housing and support needs of 16 and 17 year olds. £500,000 transitional funding is also being allocated whilst supported accommodation services for young people who are homeless, or leaving care, are redesigned.
And £500,000 proposed for crisis support will be used to provide people with furniture, food or fuel to help meet their needs during crisis situations.
Funding for the floating support service; the support funded within sheltered accommodation; and the support provided within a sheltered scheme for elderly people with hearing impairments are proposed to cease from 1 April 2017.
Where people meet the statutory threshold they will receive appropriate support and services. For those who are not eligible for statutory services then the county council will be working with people to ensure that they are made aware of other services that are available in the community.
County Coun Tony Martin, cabinet member for adult and community services, said: “The county council faces an unprecedented financial challenge meaning it must make savings of £200m by 2020/21. This has been caused by cuts in government funding and rising demand for our services.
“We’ve had to make some very tough decisions as part of the budget to ensure we have enough money to deliver the statutory services which must be provided by law.
“One of the proposals that formed part of the council’s budget was to reduce the non-statutory part of the Supporting People service.
“We want to replace this with the Prevention and Early Help Fund. With less money than was previously available, we set up a cabinet working group and ran a consultation to see which priority areas the fund should focus on.
“We’re pleased to provide £800,000 to women’s refuges, which is only a slight reduction from the previous budget. We’re confident that by delivering the service more efficiently we won’t need to reduce the services provided by the refuges.
“We’re also able to carry on supporting homeless people with complex needs and young people who are either homeless or leaving care.
“There is also funding available for those who suffer a crisis, including help to buy furniture, gas and electricity, or food, and to receive support to help them avoid similar situations in the future.
“However, we’ve had no option but to cut some services such as the floating support, sheltered accommodation, and our support to a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments. We hope that many people will still be able to get support through services such as the wellbeing scheme and social care.
“These are still only proposals and have to be considered by the council’s cabinet.”

Refuges’ cash cut - and support services axed


Funding for women’s refuges in Lancashire will be cut – and funding for ‘floating’ support, sheltered accommodation, and to a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments axed in cost-cutting proposals.


After a busy run of matches, Craig Hignett has enjoyed the chance to spend time with his players on the training ground this week.
Pools were without a midweek fixture for the first time this season after a busy run of Sky Bet League Two and EFL Cup games, playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday since the new season got underway.
Hignett hopes Pools will have benefited from a week on the pitches at Maiden Castle ahead of the game with Newport County tomorrow.
Pools go into the game looking to bounce back from the 2-1 defeat to Notts County.
“It has been great, for one the players can get a good rest because we have had a lot of travelling early in the season,” said Hignett.
“We have done a lot of travelling, been away to Exeter and Crewe.
“It is nice to get a couple of home games under our belt now, Notts County last weekend and Newport County this Saturday.
“Then we are back on the road again for some big ones.
“With no midweek game, it has been good to get some work in and reinforce what we have been doing and we will see what happens Saturday.”
The former Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers forward knows all too well there are no easy games in this division, with Pools’ unbeaten league run coming to an end last weekend at home to Notts County.
Pools, 13th in League Two, are four places and a point ahead of tomorrow’s visitors - who drew 1-1 with Crewe Alexandra last weekend - and Hignett is expecting a difficult game.
He added: “We have seen how they play and watched their games, nothing will surprise us about it. They had a decent result against Crewe.
“They are a hardworking side, their set pieces are very good, delivery is good and will be a threat from them.
“Apart from that, everyone is much of a muchness in this league, if you are not on it then you can get beat by anyone but by the same token if you are, then you can beat anyone.”

Hignett glad to get a good week’s work in with his Pools players


Visit now for the latest Hartlepool United news - direct from the Sunderland Echo and updated throughout the day.


President Muhammadu Buhari says the Federal Government will sustain concrete measures to diversify the economy by devoting more resources to agriculture in the 2017 budget. The president made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.
According to the statement, Buhari, who was speaking to reporters in Nairobi, Kenya, on the margins of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), said that African countries had a lot to learn from Japan on developing agriculture.
He said already, Nigeria had started an aggressive farming programme that entailed organising farmers into cooperatives in the second and third tier of government. “We intend to put more resources in our 2017 budget, especially in the procurement of machinery for land clearing, fertilizers, pesticides and training of less-educated farmers as farm extension instructors.
“We have already registered some success this year in a number of states; we identified some 13 states that will be self-sufficient in rice, wheat and grains before the end of 2018. “We are very positive that soon we will be able to export these food products. “We are also lucky that the farming season in the northern part of the country has been very good and we are expecting a bumper harvest this year,’’ he said.
On his expectation for TICAD, the president said that Japan’s story of rapid economic growth, hardwork and advanced technology should encourage Africans to strive harder and solve its development challenges. “Japan has greatly advanced in technology, particularly in solar power, infrastructure to spur growth in medium and small-scale industries.
“And, because of the advanced use of technology, farming and agriculture can become competitive. “Japan has the knowledge, technology and capital to assist African countries to develop and Japanese firms are in a very good position to successfully compete for the development of infrastructure in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He requested for increased participation of the Japanese government and the private sector in the Nigerian economy.

We will vote more resources for agriculture in 2017 - Buhari


Dear Stoner: What is Thai stick? Is it just an old strain of chronic from the ’70s?
The Berg
Dear Berg: Be ready to take notes if an old-timer ever tells you about the time he smoked a Thai stick, because it was probably crazier than any blunt you’ve ever had. Not to be confused with Thai or other mind-bending sativa strains that come from Southeast Asia, Thai sticks were like an early version of the caviar joints you find in dispensaries today. By taking some premium, seedless buds (which were virtually unheard of in North America in the ’60s and ’70s), skewering them on stems and tightly wrapping the natural doob with fibers from the marijuana plant — and then apparently dipping the sticks in opium — the Thai people created one trippy invention.
Like a few other fads from that time, America’s love for Thai sticks started after U.S. troops in Thailand and Vietnam got a taste of that premium herb (and opium, of course) and brought their findings back home. Because of the influx of potent flower and concentrates and new, more convenient ways to consume pot in the U.S., Thai sticks lost their luster sometime in the ’80s. Although they’re becoming endangered with time, you can still find online videos and tutorials on how to make your own, but if you’re going to dip that stick in anything, please use hash oil instead of opium. Nobody wants to experience a sequel to The Deer Hunter.
Dear Stoner: Seems like smoke shops have 100 options for joint papers nowadays. Got any recommendations, or should I stick with Zig-Zags?
Ivan
Dear Ivan: I feel your frustration. Choosing rolling papers has become almost as hard for us potheads as choosing which box of cereal to buy during a 10 p.m. run to the grocery store — and no purchase under $2 should make us think that hard. One easy tip: Always stay away from the gimmick papers — anything flavored, covered in colorful art or “invisible.” There’s no need to glitter up premium pot.
It’s tough for some people to stray from Tops or Zig-Zag because they grew up on those brands — but if you’re presented with options at a smoke shop or dispensary, always go the unbleached route. There’s a reason that brands like Element and Raw are sponsoring so many weed events: Stoners love them. Made with rice, Element papers are the traditional white without bleach; Raw’s papers are composed of hemp, leaving them an au naturel brown. Unless you’re at a gas station and desperate, pay the extra 75 cents for papers that are pure.
Send questions to marijuana@westword.com or call the potline at 303-293-2222.


A reader wants to know about Thai stick, and our Ask a Stoner columnist has the answers. Find out more at Westword.com.


Irish private placement issuance peaked at €121 billion in 2007 but had slumped to €29 billion by 2014, according to new research published by the Central Bank.
A private placement allows debt to be placed directly with investors without recourse to the public markets, and a re a sub-set of total bond issuance.
Back in 2007, on the cusp of the financial crisis, some €121 billion of these bonds by both Irish and IFSC banks were outstanding and were an important source of wholesale funding. However, by end-2014, the scale of the private placement market had diminished to € 29 billion, with a noted decline in holdings by Irish domestic banks by the end of the period surveyed. By 2014, IFSC banks had more private placement activity on balance sheets than domestic banks, the Central Bank found.
“With the onset of the financial crisis, the downgrading of banks credit ratings, and associated fall in investor condence, made it more dicult to roll-over extant funding and dissipated any appetite for new issuance,” the Central Bank said.
Up to 62 per cent of instruments placed privately were held by other financial sector entities at end-2014, with investment funds and money market funds the prevalent holders. German and French residents are estimated to be the largest euro area holders, but non-euro area holders held more than a quarter of the total, the research found.

Investors shunned Irish private placements in wake of financial crisis


Issuance of bond type vehicle peaked at €121bn in 2007 but slumped thereafter


An obscure Chinese investor buys an unfashionable Premier League football club and promises to transform their prospects, making them big in China by signing leading Chinese players and sealing lucrative sponsorship deals thanks to his guanxi, or connections.
But the reign at Birmingham City FC of Carson Yeung, a former hair salon owner who became the first Chinese proprietor of an English top-flight team in 2009, ended in ignominy. The team was relegated to the second tier of English football, Yeung was jailed in Hong Kong for money laundering in 2014 and the club remains barely known in China.
The Chinese tycoons who have invested more than $2 billion in European football clubs since the start of last year – and the fans who support these teams – are hoping that this time is different.
Keen to fulfil President Xi Jinping’s ambition to turn China into a football powerhouse, and supported by ready financing for acquisitions of overseas assets, Chinese entrepreneurs have embarked on an unprecedented buying spree of foreign teams.
“[China is] the largest consumer market in the world and they are looking to leverage brands from Europe and bring home the associated expertise in running football clubs,” says Steve Horowitz, a partner at Inner Circle Sports, a US-based boutique advisory firm that has worked on a number of European football deals.
Investors
Chinese groups have invested in or acquired famous clubs including Italy’s AC Milan and Inter Milan and England’s Manchester City and Aston Villa, as well as a string of lesser teams across Europe. Many more clubs, including Liverpool and Hull City, are being eyed by Chinese investors.
Some of the buyers are politically well-connected, financially well-endowed groups such as Dalian Wanda, Fosun International and China Media Capital.
Others are little-known even in China, including Aston Villa’s new owner Tony Xia, who runs a loss-making producer of food additives, and Lai Guochuan, who acquired West Bromwich Albion this month for £150 million-£200 million and previously built a company he described as “the IBM of landscape gardening”.
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With the Premier League in England and other top leagues more competitive than ever, fans and football executives are questioning whether these newly arrived Chinese owners have the personal and financial commitment needed to fight for long-term success, or whether Mr Xi’s Chinese football dream will turn into a nightmare in Europe.
Investment bankers say there is a big difference between the “first division” acquirers such as Wanda and Fosun, which have deep pockets and a broader plan to develop their sports and media businesses, and the “second division” of investors, who offer fewer synergies and whose finances are hard to trace.
The top tier of Chinese investors see an opportunity to build integrated sports businesses that can sate the hunger for entertainment in the world’s second-biggest economy, in addition to satisfying the whims of Mr Xi.
Last year Wanda bought a 20 per cent stake in Spain’s Atlético Madrid for $52 million and acquired Swiss sports rights agency Infront Media, in addition to continuing investments in the film and theme park industries.
Broadcast rights
China Media Capital, which bought a 13 per cent stake for $400 million in the parent company of Manchester City last year after a visit to the club by Mr Xi himself, has also acquired the broadcast rights to the Chinese Super League and launched a film-making joint venture with Warner Brothers, on top of its other media businesses.
Everbright, which has approached Liverpool about a possible investment, previously acquired joint control of MP & Silva, another sports rights group.
But Alexander Jarvis, whose company Blackbridge has advised on several football deals involving Chinese investors, says that many smaller Chinese companies appear to be acting on impulse even though they “have no experience of football”.
“Some football types will sell their granny to do a deal,” he says. “So there’s a risk of the clubs and the Chinese investors getting duped.”
An adviser who worked on the sale of West Bromwich Albion says that roughly a dozen Chinese investors looked at the club but only four had the financial capability and a good rationale to proceed with the deal.
“It’s very difficult to assess the quality of potential buyers unless you have hands and feet on the ground in China,” he says.
Feng Tao, chief executive of Shankai, a Chinese sports marketing company, says that some entrepreneurs believe they can make quick profits by buying underperforming European clubs with a large fan base and turning them round, eventually capitalising on a higher valuation by injecting them into Chinese listed companies.
But the new Chinese owners of second-tier English clubs Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers will not find it easy to secure promotion to the money-rich Premier League.
Managing expectations
Mr Jarvis says that these backers will need to invest significantly in players and coaches, while managing the expectations of the fans and trying to boost income and cover their financing costs. It is, he says, an exercise akin to “a monkey dancing on a razor blade”.
Keith Wyness, the recently installed chief executive of Aston Villa, admits that getting into the Premier League is “without doubt one of the hardest football challenges”.
He adds that Mr Xia “fully understands this” although the owner has been somewhat more quixotic in his public statements, telling the club website that “my long-term aim is to make Aston Villa the greatest club in the world”.
Like others representing the new wave of Chinese football tycoons, Mr Wyness argues that Aston Villa can use Mr Xia’s connections to gain access to the best emerging Chinese players and tap commercial opportunities in China, saying that “being on the inside gives us a big advantage”.
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But Mark Dreyer, an industry expert who runs a blog called China Sports Insider, says “the idea that clubs will be big in China just because they have a Chinese owner is nonsense”.
“Every club across the big leagues is trying to appeal to the Chinese audience through TV, social media and pre-season tours,” he says. “Some of these purchases are going to end in tears.”
– (Financial Times)

China’s $2bn football buying spree has fans fearful of final score


Clubs in Europe question whether new owners have commitment needed to fight


By Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday released the results of its investigation into an accidental missile launch last month, saying a series of missteps and procedural violations caused the mishap.
A Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile was accidentally launched from a Kaohsiung-based Chinchiang-class corvette ahead of a training exercise on July 1. The missile ripped through a fishing boat, killing the boat’s captain, Huang Wen-chung (黃文忠), and injuring three crew members.
The missile was launched because Petty Officer Second Class Kao Chia-chun (高嘉駿) accidentally connected unnecessary fire plugs — a connector assembly used to send launch orders, to a missile launcher — Navy Command Headquarters Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) said.
Kao was supposed to connect only two fire plugs, because safety devices were installed on only two of the ship’s four missiles, but he connected four, Mei said.
Kao’s supervisor, Chief Petty Officer Chen Ming-hsiu (陳銘修), should have requested only two fire plugs instead of four, while the ship’s weapon systems officers should only have given him two, Mei said.
Chen misunderstood orders for the drill, believing that all four missiles were to be prepared for the training exercise, but the exercise was only to simulate the launch of one missile, Mei said, adding that during a pre-drill rehearsal, Chen left the operations room after ordering Kao to establish two sets of firing solutions.
According to protocol, Chen should have supervised Kao throughout the entire process, but Kao was left alone in the operations room as he went through the entire pre-launch process while rehearsing for the exercise, when he accidentally hit the launch button, Mei said.
“There were too many oversights and too much negligence. We are deeply distressed [by the incident], but we have made efforts to improve [launch procedures],” Mei said.
Asked how Chen could have misunderstood orders for the exercise, Mei said instructions were ambiguous, adding that the navy would make improvements.
“The missile system will also be redesigned to prevent accidental launches,” Mei said.
Ministry Inspector General Wu Pao-Kun (吳寶琨) said that the July 1 training exercise should not have been scheduled, because the ship’s commander had only been in command since April 11, while operational rules stipulate that such high-level drills are not allowed until a commander has been in charge for more than three months.
The ship was scheduled to begin a patrol mission immediately after the drill, and its commander, Major Lin Po-tse (林伯澤), had attended a pre-patrol meeting earlier that day, Wu added.
The tight schedule might have been a contributing factor to the accident, Wu said, adding that the ministry would prevent such scheduling issues.
“In addition to the navy’s previously announced disciplinary action, the ship’s executive officer and officers who approved the drill are to be punished for procedural violations and failing to provide proper supervision,” Wu said.
The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday charged Kao, Chen and Lieutenant Hsu Po-wei (許博為), the ship’s weapon systems officer, with causing the incident.
Kao was charged with negligence resulting in the death of the fishing boat’s captain, which could result in a five-year jail term if he is found guilty.


The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday released the results of its investigation into an accidental missile launch last month, saying a series of missteps and procedural violations caused the mishap.


BEMIDJI, Minn.—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have discovered two new cases of the invasive species starry stonewort in Beltrami County.
The species, a grass-like form of algae, was found in Upper Red Lake and Cass Lake, according to a press release. Additionally, the DNR has confirmed starry stonewort among heavy native growth in a northeast section of Cass Lake, near the Knutson Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation.
The DNR said it is working with property owners, local government and tribal officials to determine treatment options, as well as conducting further investigations to confirm the extent of the infestation in Cass Lake.
The third and fourth discoveries of the algae come after the DNR identified the second case earlier this month in Turtle Lake. The first case discovered in Minnesota was 185 miles south of Turtle Lake in Lake Koronis.
Starry stonewort, the DNR said, is an algae that can produce dense mats which can interfere with lake use. The algae may also choke out native plants. Typically, the species is spread by lake users who transport fragments of the plants from an infested body of water.
Because of the discovery, the DNR is reminding boaters of the following:
-Clean aquatic plants and animals from watercraft.
-Drain all water by removing drain plugs and keep drain plugs out while transporting watercraft.
-Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
"It is important that everyone who uses Minnesota lakes follows invasive species laws. Whether the lake they use is infested or not," said DNR Invasive Species Unit Supervisor Heidi Wolf in the release.

DNR discovers two more cases of invasive species in Beltrami County