Hurricane Andres Strengthens To Category 4 Storm Over Eastern Pacific

MIAMI (AP) — Andres has strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane far out to sea in the eastern Pacific, and is generating swells that are likely to cause dangerous surf and rip currents on parts of the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

The first named storm of the season had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph) Sunday night. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami is forecasting that the storm will slowly weaken over the next 48 hours. Other than strong surf, the storm posed no threats to land. Andres is centered about 800 miles (1,290 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, and is moving west at 6 mph (9 kph).

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NSA powers expire as Patriot Act extension stalls in Senate

An undated aerial handout photo shows the National Security Agency headquarters building in Fort Meade, Maryland.

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency lost its authority at midnight to collect Americans’ phone records in bulk, after GOP Sen. Rand Paul stood in the way of extending the fiercely contested program in an extraordinary Sunday Senate session.

But that program and several other post-Sept. 11 counter-terror measures look likely to be revived in a matter of days. With no other options, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in an about-face, reluctantly embraced a House-passed bill that would extend the anti-terror provisions, while also remaking the bulk phone collections program.

Although the lapse in the programs may be brief, intelligence officials warned that it could jeopardize Americans’ safety and amount to a win for terrorists. But civil liberties groups applauded as Paul, who is running for president, forced the expiration of the once-secret program made public by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, which critics say is an unconstitutional intrusion into Americans’ privacy.

The Senate voted 77-17 to move ahead on the House-passed bill, the USA Freedom Act, which only last weekend fell three votes short of the 60 needed to advance in the Senate. For McConnell, it was a remarkable retreat after objecting ferociously that the House bill would make the bulk phone collections program dangerously unwieldy by requiring the government to search records maintained by phone companies.

“It’s not ideal but, along with votes on some modest amendments that attempt to ensure the program can actually work as promised, it’s now the only realistic way forward,” McConnell said.

The White House backs the House bill. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement: “The Senate took an important — if late — step forward tonight. We call on the Senate to ensure this irresponsible lapse in authorities is as short-lived as possible. On a matter as critical as our national security, individual senators must put aside their partisan motivations and act swiftly.”

But the Senate adjourned without final action on the bill after Paul asserted his prerogative under Senate rules to delay a final vote for a couple of days. And a couple of hours later, the midnight deadline came and went.

“This is what we fought the revolution over, are we going to so blithely give up our freedom? … I’m not going to take it anymore,” Paul declared on the Senate floor hours earlier, as supporters wearing red “Stand With Rand” T-shirts packed the spectator gallery.

Paul’s moves greatly complicated matters for fellow Kentuckian McConnell, who has endorsed him for president, and infuriated fellow Republicans. They exited the Senate chamber en masse when Paul stood up to speak following the procedural vote on the House bill.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., complained to reporters that Paul places “a higher priority on his fundraising and his ambitions than on the security of the nation.”

Paul, for his part, asserted that, “People here in town think I’m making a huge mistake. Some of them I think secretly want there to be an attack on the United States so they can blame it on me.”

In addition to the bulk phone collections provision, two lesser-known Patriot Act provisions also lapsed at midnight: one, so far unused, helps track “lone wolf” terrorism suspects unconnected to a foreign power; the second allows the government to eavesdrop on suspects who continually discard their cellphones. McConnell tried Sunday to extend just those provisions for two weeks, but Paul objected.

The House bill extends those two provisions unchanged, while remaking the bulk collection program so that the NSA would stop collecting the phone records after a six month transition period, but would be authorized under court order to search records held by phone companies.

The FBI’s use of the Patriot Act to collect hotel, travel, credit card, banking and other business records in national security investigations would also be extended under the House bill. Law enforcement officials say the collection of those business records is more valuable than the better-known bulk phone collections program. Ongoing investigations would be permitted to continue even though authority for the programs has lapsed.

Rebooting the phone collections program would take about a day.

CIA Director John Brennan was among those warning that letting the authorities lapse, even for a time, will make America less safe.

Terrorists “are looking for the seams to operate within,” Brennan said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” ”This is something that we can’t afford to do right now.” He bemoaned “too much political grandstanding and crusading for ideological causes that have skewed the debate on this issue” and said the terrorism-fighting tools are important to American lives.

For Paul, the issue represents a potent political opportunity, and his presidential campaign has been sending out numerous fundraising appeals focused on it. A super PAC supporting him even produced an over-the-top video casting the dispute as a professional wrestling-style “Brawl for Liberty” between Paul and President Barack Obama — even though Paul’s main opponent on the issue is McConnell.

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7 Parents' Dinner-Table Rituals That Make The Most Out Of Family Time

In most homes across America and in nearly every on-screen family, dinner scenes are the same: there’s dysfunction, yelling, spilled milk...or in Kevin McCallister’s case, soda.

Ultimately, it’s chaos.

Quiet family dinners are rare. But they can still be sacred!

We’ve partnered with Hidden Valley Ranch to share seven ways parents use dinnertime rituals to make the most out of family time in a busy world.

Make Dinner A Sit-down Meal

Sitting has been getting a bad rap lately, but dinner is one time you should make an exception.

Emily Herring Dunn, writer and mother to 3-year-old son Michael (and pregnant with her second child), takes a note from her own parents, who made it a priority for their family of five to gather around the dinner table every night.

“It was our time to share with everyone how our day had been, what had happened, and talk about things that may be coming up for one or all of us,” Dunn explains. “My husband and I agreed from the beginning of our marriage that we wanted to make this our family's tradition, as well.”

Sitting down to a meal helps Dunn and her family remember what’s most important in life. However, like other parents, she knows all too well that not every night can go according to plan. “On those nights we'll usually order some kind of takeout, spread a blanket on the floor in front of the TV, and have a picnic and movie night,” Dunn says.


Create A Set Of Rules

You don’t need an itinerary for the dinner table, per se (this isn’t a family vacation!). However, a set of rules can help, according to Paul Cortez, a father of two.

At the Cortez household, the TV must be turned off, no toys are allowed at the table, family members must wait to eat until everyone is seated, and the phone goes ignored (unless it’s an urgent matter) for the duration of the meal. Children must ask to be excused from the dinner table, as well.

“It is my hope that with habituation, my kids will see the value in this light level of formality, and carry it into their forthcoming familial lives,” Cortez says.


Remember -- Not Everything Has To Be Perfect!

What’s more difficult than getting two children under 3-years-old fed at the same time every night...without tears? Not much, according to Erin Piccione, blogger behind Unconventional Mommy Tails, who says dinner can be a “real challenge.”

Growing up, things were different. Piccione recalls dinnertime was a clockwork system she could always count on: her mother cooked dinner seven nights a week and had it ready on the table before her father got home from work.

“Now that I have my own family, I can’t even fathom doing what my mother did,” Piccione admits. Luckily, Piccione knows it’s not just the food that makes dinner important.

“I’m only human, and the meal portion isn’t as important to me [as] who I’m spending it with,” Piccione says. “What I most remember [about dinner growing up] is the family time that we had when we sat down and ate … That feeling of togetherness and the connection with the members of my family is what I want to bring from the past to the present. My kids are quite young now, but as they get older, this will become even more important.”

Remove Tech From The Table

What’s more annoying than a teen texting under the table? Well, besides your husband (or wife) doing the same thing, nothing.

As the mother of four boys, it’s not easy for Jenn Worden, a mommy blogger living in New Mexico, to get the whole family together. However, dinner is the exception: it’s the one time each day the whole family is present at once. In fact, Worden even has assigned seating for her kids to avoid any disputes at the dinner table.

The only other rule? No phones.

“We don’t allow phones or gadgets of any type [at the dinner table] because it’s all about quality time together as a family,” Worden explains. “Kids grow up too fast, so we cherish our dinnertime chats. It’s also helped us to stay closer and connected as a family while bonding with our children.”


Cook Together

How important is tradition? Some (including Tevye the Dairyman) would say very. And Autumn Krisfalusi agrees.

The mother of four and the blogger behind Our Blended Home didn’t have a steady dinner routine growing up, so it was especially important to establish a tradition with her own family as an adult.

“With four kids, it can get pretty noisy and chaotic, but it truly is one of my favorite times of the day,” Krisfalusi explains. “Sitting down to dinner as family, catching up with everyone, is a huge part of what makes our family thrive.”

Krisfalusi puts her older children in charge of making the sides and setting the table to make the meal a true team effort. “Luca, our 3 1/2-year-old, always says grace before we eat,” Krisfalusi says. “He insists on being the only one who does it. It is pretty adorable, and something we will always remember, I’m sure.”


Start A Routine

Sometimes, getting your kids to talk can be like pulling teeth, which is why Kristin Quinn, mommy blogger behind Misadventures in Mommyhood, has a formula -- which she “borrowed” from her parents.

“There were three of us growing up and my parents would always ask each of us to share something about our day,” Quinn explains. “My little sister would always start with "I woke up..." it was a long process! But now, I ask my four-year-old the same question with a slightly different spin: ’What was the most favorite part about your day?’”

This lead-in question sparks other conversation that lasts the duration of dinner -- and gives Quinn’s family a chance to connect and share.


Embrace Chaotic Togetherness

Amanda Woodward, mother to an infant son and an 18-month-old daughter, grew up in a large, busy family that regularly ate in shifts. “Whoever was home from school, work or practice would eat together and talk too loudly -- all at the same time -- about their day,” Woodward explains.

While this may not be a conventional routine, meals in Woodward’s house today follow the same blueprint. “I’m going to say our ritual is ‘happy chaos,’” she says, describing a scene with her toddler daughter trying to feed the dogs, Woodward trying to breastfeed her infant son, and the adults trying to feed themselves.

“There are no quiet, calm, relaxing meals, but dinnertime is easily our favorite part of the day.”

With great families come great traditions. The Hidden Valley® Ranch dressing tradition continues today by bringing families closer together over memorable meals. Learn more about Hidden Valley’s new Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing and Dips Mixes here.

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92-Year-Old Harriette Thompson Becomes Oldest Woman To Ever Finish A Marathon

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A 92-year-old cancer survivor rocked her way into the record books Sunday, becoming the oldest woman to finish a marathon.

Harriette Thompson of Charlotte, North Carolina, completed Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego in 7 hours, 24 minutes, 36 seconds. She was mobbed by well-wishers as she crossed the finish line.

"I'm fine, they're really pampering me here," Thompson said in a firm, joyful voice as people all around her shouted congratulations.

This was her 16th Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and, by far, the hardest.

"It's always harder but this year has been a bad year for me," she said, adding her husband died in January following a lingering illness and she battled a staph infection in one of her legs.

"I couldn't train very well because my husband was very ill and I had to be with him for some time and then when he died in January I had some treatments on my leg," she said. "I was just really thrilled that I could finish today."

The oldest woman to previously complete a marathon was Gladys Burrill, who was 92 years and 19 days old when she completed the 2010 Honolulu Marathon.

Thompson is 92 years, 65 days old, according to race organizers.

Despite her training woes, she nearly matched her finish time of last year, which was 7 hours, 7 minutes, 42 seconds. That set a record for a woman 90 or older, shattering the old one by more than an hour and a half.

A classically trained pianist who played three times at Carnegie Hall, Thompson says she mentally plays old piano pieces she had performed to help her get through the 26 miles, 385 yards.

She didn't begin running marathons until she was in her 70s, after a member of her church approached her about being one of her sponsors in the marathon to raise money to fight leukemia and lymphoma.

"At that time I had lost several people in my family to cancer and I said, 'Oh, maybe I should do that," she recalled. "When I got out there the first year I just planned to walk it, but everybody else was running so I started to run with them."

She isn't sure if she'll run again next year. But after last year's race she wasn't sure she'd run this one either.

She added she enjoys raising money for cancer research and figures the competition has helped keep her healthy.

"I don't think I'd be living today if I didn't do this running," the cancer survivor said. "I'm helping them and they're kind of helping me."

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At Least 2,600 Killed After Ouster Of Egypt's Islamist President Morsi, Rights Group Says

CAIRO (AP) — At least 2,600 people were killed in violence in the 18 months after the military overthrew Egypt's president in 2013, nearly half of them supporters of the Islamist leader, the head of a state-sanctioned rights body said Sunday.

Mohammed Fayeq, head of the National Council for Human Rights, told reporters that the 2,600 included 700 policemen and 550 civilians who were killed in the period between June 30, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2014. The council is a nominally independent group sanctioned by the government. It has no judicial or law enforcement powers.

The military overthrew Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, on July 3, 2013, amid massive protests demanding his resignation. In the following months, his supporters held regular demonstrations that set off deadly clashes with police and rival protesters.

The violence culminated on Aug. 14, 2013, when police violently dispersed two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 600 of his supporters. Islamic militants retaliated by attacking police stations and churches.

Since then, the military-backed government has waged a sweeping crackdown on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood -- now outlawed and branded a terrorist group -- and jailed secular activists for taking part in unauthorized street protests. Those jailed include some of the leading secular and left-wing activists behind the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

An appeals court in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Sunday sentenced prominent activist and rights lawyer Mahienour el-Masry to 15 months in jail for her part in a demonstration by lawyers against police brutality three months before Morsi's ouster. Two other Alexandria activists were convicted and received a similar prison term.

On hearing the verdict, el-Masry chanted "Down, down with military rule!"

Fayeq criticized the practice of detaining suspects for extended periods pending the filing of formal charges and trial, saying it amounts to "punishment for crimes not committed." He said holding cells at police stations are filled to 400 percent capacity and prisons to 160 percent.

Fayeq said that while the Interior Ministry, which controls the country's police, announced the deaths of 36 people in detention, various human rights groups put the figure at between 80 and 98.

"The phenomenon of death in detention had disappeared after the 2011 uprising, but has since made a comeback. There is no proof that they died as a result of torture, but there is also nothing to prove otherwise," he said.

Another human rights group, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, issued a critical report on Sunday saying authorities were selectively using lengthy detentions to jail activists. Prominent Mubarak-era officials, as well as police officers accused of killing protesters, have been mostly spared such lengthy detentions, even though they are well-positioned to leave the country, intimidate witnesses or tamper with evidence.

Rights groups and activists have alleged widespread human rights abuses since Morsi's ouster, including the return of the Mubarak-era practice of using torture to punish detainees or extract confessions.

Negad Borai, a lawyer and rights activist, was questioned twice by investigating judges this month for drafting an anti-torture law and sending it to the office of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who as military chief led Morsi's ouster and who was elected president a year ago.

The law would have prescribed stricter punishment for those found guilty of torture and provide state assistance for victims.

Two senior judges that Borai consulted on the draft are expected to be disciplined, according to Borai.

"My questioning over the draft law is a message that says the state protects torture," he told The Associated Press.

The government has defended its practices as being necessary to combat Islamic militancy, including from an increasingly potent Islamic State group affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula, where militants blew up a natural gas pipeline early Sunday. El-Sissi himself has called for reform in Islam in order to disassociate it from extremists.

But Islam Behery, a young Muslim scholar who used his popular TV show to promote a revisionist approach to some of the fundamentals of mainstream Islam, was sentenced to five years in jail in absentia for "showing contempt" toward Islam, a loosely defined charge that in the past has been leveled against members of the Coptic Christian minority. Behery did not attend the Saturday court hearing during which he was convicted and sentenced, and his whereabouts were not immediately known.

El-Sissi has said he wants the Cairo-based Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's top seat of learning and a bastion of religious conservatism, to take the lead on reforms.

Egyptian law grants a new trial to those convicted and sentenced in absentia when they turn themselves in or are arrested.

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Andrew McCutchen Gives Two Delightful Young Fans His Batting Gloves

Sometimes there are great days at the ballpark. Other times, there are really, really great days at the ballpark.

Two young Pirates fans may have had the best day of all on Saturday after watching their beloved Pittsburgh team beat the San Diego Padres, 5-2, and then being handed batting gloves by center fielder Andrew McCutchen himself.

Fittingly, the man alongside the two boys was donning a "Cutch" shirt as well.



And this kid's face says it all: really, really great day at the ballpark.



"I love you, man!" (Source: Cut4)


The Pirate-Padres series, 1-1, continues Sunday night at San Diego's PETCO Park.

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John Kerry breaks leg bicycling in France, cuts overseas trip short

GENEVA — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg in a bicycle crash Sunday, apparently after hitting a curb, and scrapped the rest of a four-nation trip that included an international conference on combating the Islamic State group.

Kerry was in stable condition and in good spirits as he prepared to return to Boston for further treatment with the doctor who previously operated on his hip, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said. He said X-rays at a Swiss hospital confirmed that Kerry fractured his right femur.

“The secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery,” Kirby said in a statement.

Kerry, 71, was taken by helicopter to Geneva’s main medical center, HUG, after apparently hitting a curb with his bike near Scionzier, France, about 40 kilometers southeast of the Swiss border.

Paramedics and a physician were on the scene with his motorcade at the time and provided him immediate attention. They quickly decided to order the 10-minute-long helicopter transport.

The Dauphine Libere, a local newspaper, said Kerry fell near the beginning of his ride to the famed mountain pass called the Col de la Colombiere, which has been a route for the Tour de France more than a dozen times.

Right around the time of his fall, a Twitter feed about local driving conditions warned of the danger due to gravel along the pass. According to the newspaper, some Haute Savoie officials were with Kerry at the time, including the head of the region.

Kerry’s cycling rides have become a regular occurrence on his trips. He often takes his bike with him on the plane and was riding that bicycle Sunday.

During discussions in late March and early April between world powers and Iran, he took several bike trips during breaks. Those talks were in Lausanne, Switzerland, and led to a framework agreement.

Kerry had been in Geneva for six hours of meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday as the sides now work to seal a comprehensive accord by June 30.

The prospect of a lengthy rehabilitation could hamper the nuclear talks and other diplomatic endeavors. Even if Kerry does not need surgery, it was not immediately known when he could fly again after returning to the United States.

Kerry has been the lead negotiator in several marathon sessions with Iran going back to 2013. The injury could affect other potential trips, such as one to the Cuban capital to raise the flag at a restored U.S. Embassy, may be affected.

As for the current trip, Kerry had planned to travel to Madrid on Sunday for meetings with Spain’s king and prime minister, before spending two days in Paris for an international gathering to combat IS.

He will participate in the Paris conference remotely, Kirby said.

Kerry decided to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital because the fracture is near the site of his earlier hip surgery, Kirby said.

The post John Kerry breaks leg bicycling in France, cuts overseas trip short appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

Britney Spears Is The Coolest Skater Mom

Britney Spears may just be the coolest mom ever.

On Friday, the "Pretty Girls" singer shared a photo on Instagram of herself with her sons, 9-year-...

Read more: Britney Spears, Britney Spears Sons, Britney Spears Skate Mom, Britney Spears Instagram, Britney Spears Boys, Britney Spears Jayden James, Britney Spears Sean Preston, Entertainment-Brief, Entertainment News

Beau Biden, Joe Biden's Son, Dead At 46 From Brain Cancer

Joe Biden's son Beau has died from brain cancer, the White House announced Saturday evening:

It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life.

The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words. We know that Beau’s spirit will live on in all of us—especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter.

Beau's life was defined by service to others. As a young lawyer, he worked to establish the rule of law in war-torn Kosovo. A major in the Delaware National Guard, he was an Iraq War veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star. As Delaware’s Attorney General, he fought for the powerless and made it his mission to protect children from abuse.

More than his professional accomplishments, Beau measured himself as a husband, father, son and brother. His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father's saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did.

In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.

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Photos: Anti-Islam protest held outside Islamic community center in Phoenix

Around 500 people gathered in front of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix on Friday in two opposing groups: one protesting the center and the other supporting it, the Associated Press reported.

Men carrying rifles attend a “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” across from the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, Arizona May 29, 2015. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

Approximately 250 people gathered in front of the center during Friday night prayers, carrying signs decrying Islam as well as Sharia law and terrorism.

Organizers of the anti-Islam protest named the event “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” and suggested that protesters bring guns to defend themselves in case of a retaliatory attack, according to the event’s Facebook page.

A demonstrator shouts and carries a “Stop Islam” sign while another rips pages out of a Quran during a “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, Arizona on May 29, 2015. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

Jon Ritzheimer, a former marine who planned the anti-Islam rally, wrote on his Facebook page that he organized the protest “in response to the recent attack in Texas,” Reuters reported.

Ritzheimer was referring to the May 3 shooting in Garland, Texas, in which two men who had attended the Islamic center shot a security officer outside of a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest.

Protesters attend “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” across the street from the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

A roughly equal number of counter-protestors showed up to defend the mosque, chanting “Go home Nazis!” and carrying signs with slogans like, “Stop the hate, provoke peace.”

Counter demonstrators look over to those attending the “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, Arizona May 29, 2015. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

People counter the “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, Arizona on May 29, 2015. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

Two demonstrators stand in front of the Islamic Community Center to oppose the “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” across the street in Phoenix, Arizona May 29, 2015. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

Despite tension between the two groups, who were separated by a line of police officers, there were no injuries or arrests reported.

A police line separates people attending the “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II” from counter demonstrators outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. Photo by Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

The post Photos: Anti-Islam protest held outside Islamic community center in Phoenix appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

Kanye West Gave The Most Kanye West Graduation Speech Ever To Fashion Students

Here's a message to all the celebs currently giving graduation speeches: he's gonna let you finish, but Kanye West just gave one of the best graduation speeches of all time. Well, he gave the most Kanye West graduation speech, anyway.

West made an appearance at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College's Gold Thimble Fashion Show on Friday and reportedly addressed the graduating class, saying, "Usually, when you're the absolute best, you get hated on the most." Preach, Kanye!

After an issue with the paparazzi in 2013, West was sentenced to some community service and fulfilled his hours by teaching at the school in 2014. Though all his hours are up, he still decided to make the trip for the show, giving a speech and even smiling.

Yeah, we saw that, Mr. West.



For more, head to TMZ.

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China, U.S. at impasse over Chinese land reclamation projects

The alleged Chinese land reclamation at Subi reef is seen from Pagasa Island in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, May 11, 2015. China defended its land reclamation projects in the face of criticism from U.S. leaders at an international security summit Saturday. Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/Reuters

SINGAPORE — China vigorously defended its South China Sea land reclamation projects in the face of persistent criticism from U.S. leaders at an international security summit Saturday as the standoff in the Asia-Pacific region shows few signs of abating.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other officials sharply condemned the artificial island-building, but provided no details on what steps the U.S. may take to press China into diplomatic talks.

Carter said China’s land reclamation was out of step with international rules, and that turning underwater land into airfields would not expand its sovereignty.

He and others said the U.S. opposes “any further militarization” of the disputed lands. That was a reference to two large motorized artillery vehicles that officials said China had placed on one of the artificial islands.

Chinese officials, in public statements and a private meeting, defended the construction and slammed the U.S. for interfering.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the U.S. was “making absurd remarks about China’s long-established sovereignty and rights, stirring up trouble and slinging accusations regarding China’s appropriate and rational construction activities on its islands. China resolutely opposes this.”

David Shear, the assistant U.S. defense secretary for Asian issues, told reporters that a private meeting with Chinese Rear Adm. Guan Youfei, the chief of foreign affairs at the defense ministry, was “spirited and candid.”

“There aren’t any silver bullets to resolving this,” said Shear. “It’s going to take time, and it’s going to take some determined diplomacy by us and with our partners.”

At the conference, U.S. senators and officials from other Pacific nations questioned whether the U.S. would take action.

Carter and other officials, including Adm. Harry Harris, who just took over U.S. Pacific Command, declined to talk about what diplomatic or military steps the U.S. would be willing to take.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the U.S. should not invite China to a major military exercise in the Pacific in 2016. But Harris said China has already been invited, and that the two countries must engage if they are to build a better relationship and lessen the chances for misunderstandings.

But, he said, “we always have the option of changing our approach.”

He also said he was concerned by the artillery weapons, which were discovered at least several weeks ago. Two U.S. officials who are familiar with intelligence about the vehicles say they have been removed. The officials weren’t authorized to discuss the intelligence and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon would not release any photos to support its contention that the vehicles were there.

China’s assertive behavior in the South China Sea has become an increasingly sore point in relations with the United States, even as President Barack Obama and China’s President Xi Jinping have tried to deepen cooperation in other areas, such as climate change.

“Turning an underwater rock into an airfield simply does not afford the rights of sovereignty or permit restrictions on international air or maritime transit,” Carter told the audience at the International Institute for Strategic Studies summit.

China’s actions have been “reasonable and justified,” said Senior Col. Zhao Xiaozhuo, deputy director of the Center on China-America Defense Relations at the People’s Liberation Army’s Academy of Military Science.

Zhao challenged Carter, asking whether America’s criticism of China and its military reconnaissance activities in the South China Sea “help to resolve the disputes” and maintain peace and stability in the region.

Carter responded that China’s expanding land reclamation projects are unprecedented in scale. He said the U.S. has been flying and operating ships in the region for decades and has no intention of stopping.

While Carter’s criticism was aimed largely at China, he made it clear that other nations who are doing smaller land reclamation projects also must stop.

One of those countries is Vietnam, which Carter is scheduled to visit during this 11-day trip across Asia. Others are Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

Carter said the U.S. will continue to sail, fly and operate in the region, and warned that the Pentagon will be sending its “best platforms and people” to the Asia-Pacific. Those would include, he said, new high-tech submarines, surveillance aircraft, the stealth destroyer and new aircraft carrier-based early-warning aircraft.

One senior U.S. defense official has said the U.S. was considering more military flights and patrols closer to the projects in the South China Sea, to emphasize reclaimed lands are not China’s territorial waters.

Officials also are looking at ways to adjust the military exercises in the region to increase U.S. presence if needed. That official was not authorized to discuss the options publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

One possibility would be for U.S. ships to travel within 12 miles of the artificial islands, to further make the point that they are not sovereign Chinese land.

The post China, U.S. at impasse over Chinese land reclamation projects appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

China's Island-Building Undermines Regional Security, U.S. Defense Secretary Says

By David Alexander and Rachel Armstrong

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Saturday that China's island-building in the South China Sea was undermining security in the Asia-Pacific, drawing a scathing response from the foreign ministry in Beijing.

Carter, speaking to top defense officials from the Asia-Pacific at the annual Shangri-La Dialog in Singapore, acknowledged that several countries had created outposts in the region's disputed islands, but he said the scope of China's activity created uncertainty about its future plans.

"China has reclaimed over 2,000 acres, more than all other claimants combined ... and China did so in only the last 18 months," Carter told the Shangri-La Dialog security forum. "It is unclear how much farther China will go."

He said the United States was "deeply concerned" about the scale of China's land reclamation and the prospect of further militarization of the islands, saying it would boost "the risk of miscalculation or conflict."

A Chinese delegate at the forum initially gave a measured response, in which he said Carter's comments were not as hostile as those made at the Shangri-La Dialog in previous years, but the foreign ministry reacted strongly.

"The United States disregards history, legal principles and the facts," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "China's sovereignty and relevant rights were established a long time ago in the South China Sea.

China's island-building is "legal, reasonable, conforms to the situation and neither impacts nor targets any country."

Despite the rhetoric, Carter said there was no military solution to the South China Sea disputes. "Right now is the time for renewed diplomacy, focused on a finding a lasting solution that protects the rights and interests of all," he said.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, the head of Beijing's delegation, addresses the conference on Sunday.

China took a measured tone after bilateral meetings with Japan and Vietnam on Friday, two of the states it is embroiled with in maritime sovereignty disputes.

COMPETING CLAIMS

China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines have overlapping claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. Japan and China both claim islands that lie between them in the East China Sea.

But earlier this week, Beijing was assertive about the disputes. In a policy document issued by the State Council, the country's cabinet, China vowed to increase its "open seas protection," switching from air defense to both offense and defense, and criticized neighbors who took "provocative actions" on its reefs and islands.

Carter's remarks in Singapore came a day after the Pentagon confirmed reports that China had put mobile artillery at one of its reclaimed islands in the South China Sea.

The U.S. defense chief insisted U.S. forces would continue to "fly, sail and operate" in the region to ensure the freedom of navigation and overflight permitted by law.

"America, alongside its allies and partners ... will not be deterred from exercising these rights...," Carter said. "Turning an underwater rock into an airfield simply does not afford the rights of sovereignty or permit restrictions on international air or maritime transit."

Japan's defense minister said China and other parties in the dispute had to behave responsibly.

"If we leave any unlawful situation unattended, order will soon turn to disorder, and peace and stability will collapse," Gen Nakatani told the forum. "I hope and expect all the countries, including China, to behave as a responsible power," he said.

Malaysia's defense minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, urged all parties in the South China Sea dispute to exercise restraint or face potentially dangerous consequences.

"This has the potential to escalate into one of the deadliest conflicts of our time, if not history," he said. "Inflamed rhetoric does not do any nation any good." (Additional reporting by Rujun Shen, Masayuki Kitano, Siva Govindasamy and Sue-Lin Wong in Shanghai; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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‘I’m running for you': Martin O’Malley announces 2016 ambitions

Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley is joined by his wife Katie as he announces his intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination during a speech in Federal Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 30. Photo by Jim Bourg/Reuters

BALTIMORE — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on Saturday joined the Democratic presidential race with a longshot challenge to Hillary Rodham Clinton for the 2016 nomination and tried to stake a position to her left on the economy and Wall Street reform.

“I’m running for you,” he told a crowd of about 1,000 people, serving up a populist message at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore, where he served as mayor before two terms as governor. He said “the urgent work” drawing him into the campaign was “to rebuild the truth of the American dream for all Americans.”

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O’Malley has made frequent visits in recent months to early-voting Iowa, where he was headed later Saturday, and New Hampshire, his destination Sunday. Still, he remains largely unknown in a field dominated by Clinton.

Already in the race is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who could be O’Malley’s main rival for the support of the Democratic left.

An ally of former President Bill Clinton, O’Malley was the second governor to endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2007. But he said Democrats deserve a choice in the 2016 primary.

“The presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth … between two royal families,” O’Malley said. “It is a sacred trust to be earned from the people of the United States, and exercised on behalf of the people of the United States.”

He pointed to recent news reports that Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein would be “fine” with either Clinton or former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a leading Republican contender and the son and brother of presidents, in the White House.

It was a forceful message that O’Malley will focus on overhauling the financial system, a priority for liberals opposed to the bailouts of Wall Street banks.

“Tell me how it is, that not a single Wall Street CEO was convicted of a crime related to the 2008 economic meltdown? Not a single one,” O’Malley said. “Tell me how it is, that you can get pulled over for a broken tail light, but if you wreck the nation’s economy you are untouchable?”

The 52-year-old O’Malley has spoken often about the economic challenges facing the nation and said he would bring new leadership, progressive values and the ability to accomplish things.

“Our economic and political system is upside down and backward and it is time to turn it around,” he told the crowd. “We are allowing our land of opportunity to be turned into a land of inequality.”

O’Malley has presented himself to voters as a next-generation leader for the party, pointing to his record as governor on issues such as gay marriage, immigration, economic issues and the death penalty.

Just weeks ago, riots in Baltimore broke out following the death of Freddie Gray, an African-American man who died in police custody following his arrest last month.

A few demonstrators gathered near Federal Hill Park to protest O’Malley’s criminal justice policies as mayor, an office he held from 1999 until his election as governor in 2006. “He’s claiming to be this savior of Baltimore, but he’s not,” said Duane Davis, who said he is homeless.

During O’Malley’s speech, there was sporadic shouting from protesters, including one who blew a whistle.

And O’Malley’s speech did not go off without a logistical hitch. Technicians lost audio on an introductory video before he took the stage.

O’Malley was known for his tough-on-crime, “zero tolerance” policies that led to large numbers of arrests for minor offenses. Critics say it sowed distrust between police and the black community. Supporters note the overall decrease in violent crime during his tenure.

O’Malley has defended his work to curb crime, saying he helped address rampant violence and drug abuse. He has said the unrest in Baltimore should wake up the nation to the need to address despair in poor communities.

“Last month, television sets around the world were filled with the anger and the rage, and the flames of some of the humblest and hardest hit neighborhoods of Baltimore. For all of us who have given so much of our energies to making our city a safer, fairer, more just and more prosperous place, it was a heartbreaking night in the life of our city,” O’Malley said.

“But there is something to be learned from that night, and there is something to be offered to our country from those flames. For what took place here was not only about race, not only about policing in America. It’s about everything it is supposed to mean to be an American.”

Megan Kenny, who held a sign that said “stop killer cops” and yelled “black lives matter,” said she thought O’Malley’s decision to run was “a strange choice,” especially because of the recent rioting. She attributed the unrest to his “ineffective zero-tolerance policy.”

The 38-year-old Baltimore resident said she thought O’Malley’s decision to run was “very bizarre and out of touch.”

O’Malley could soon be joined in the Democratic field by former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who plans to make an announcement next week, and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who is exploring a potential campaign.

Sanders has raised more than $4 million since opening his campaign in late April and sought to build support among liberals in the party who are disillusioned with Clinton.

One of O’Malley’s first tasks as a candidate would be to consolidate support among Democrats who are reluctant to back Clinton and eyeing Sanders.

The post ‘I’m running for you': Martin O’Malley announces 2016 ambitions appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

Words of wisdom to incoming college freshmen

First off, I want to take a second to introduce myself and how I found myself working at The Record.

My name is Nicholas and I am one of three new reporters joining The Record’s newsroom in 2015. I was born on California soil, down south in Laguna Beach and my younger brother was born five years up over in Modesto. While I do say I grew up in Portland, Oregon for all of my schooling and college, I frequently visited Lodi and Stockton on vacations and holidays as family on my father’s side has resided in San Joaquin County for over 45 years.

After getting my degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!), I moved with my family 2,000 miles across the country to Nashville, Tennessee of all places. For an entire year, I worked as a part-time reporter for an online media company based in Franklin, a.k.a “The Best Small Town in America.” A majority of my work was spent typing up news releases from home, and going to film high school football games.

Looking for something more meaningful and full-time, I replied to a posting at The Record for a reporter job. Fast forward to late April, and I sat down at my first desk, at my first ever newsroom position and it’s already been a month.

It’s crazy how fast time goes by.

As the new education reporter, I am taking over the position from Elizabeth Roberts, who has moved back to the copy editor desk, and then former reporter Keith Reed (Although I do claim Reed’s old office number, you now will reach me instead, and I apologize if I know nothing about a story he wrote about years ago). They sure left big shoes to fill covering education in San Joaquin County and I will work my tail off to cover what needs to be covered.

One of my first assignments here was to gather information regarding 26+ high schools in the area for our Grad Boxes. I would call offices numerous times asking details for the date, time and location of the ceremony, names of the valedictorian and such.

Doing this, it reminded me about my high school graduation from Southridge High in Beaverton, Oregon. I am the Class of 2008, and reading that to me sounds incredibly ancient. Back then I sort-of had an idea of what I wanted to do and where to go, but I took the community college road first that following September. Three years later, I worked hard enough to transfer two hours south to the beautiful college campus in Eugene. On a rain soaked afternoon in June 2014, I was handed my college diploma.

I look back on the first night I spent  in the dorms and I will admit it was rough.

Really rough.

I had grown so accustomed to living at home while taking classes during the day, sleeping in my own bed in a quiet room and just being in my house with familiar surroundings.

The sudden change of being dropped off in really, unknown territory, with hundreds of people you don’t know, was frightening. Now I had to fend for myself to get food, had to deal with a roommate and living in a loud dorm hall.

I know some of you who are packing up and heading to college nearby might be ready for the change and the experience, and some of you may not be so eager and will need time.

Take it from me. Don’t fret.

Every new experience is pretty scary in the beginning.

Give yourself a good solid month and you’ll be in a routine. You will meet some of the greatest (and not so greatest) people in the world that otherwise, you will have never had the chance to meet. All of my closest friends now are those I have met in college and I can’t think of life without them.

Sure you will miss your hometown friends, your parents, siblings, pets and things that make you feel safe and comfortable. But in time, you will be looking forward to coming back to campus and living on your own, making your own decisions. Want to have ice cream for lunch? Knock yourself out. Just one more game of Madden before reading those 50 pages of economics? Your mom isn’t around anymore to say no.

The freedom you will soon discover is something else. You finally feel like an adult, but be smart about it. This is still school. It’s a whole new level. College is a place now that can really weed out those who want a college degree and those who don’t.

Just remember to when you first sit down at your seat on the morning of your first college class and take it in. Take it in. Look around and tell yourself, you’re in college! You made it this far. Now it’s up to you to make up how you’ll use your time there.

Enjoy yourself. Congratulations to all of San Joaquin’s graduating Class of 2015.

This Week's Cheap Celeb Finds Prove Taylor Swift Loves A Bargain

If you're anything like us, you've probably gone through your summer wardrobe from last year and noticed that there are a few holes that desperately need to be filled it. But don't worry -- we've got you. Or should we say, Hollywood has got you.

This week, many stars stepped out in easy, breezy looks that are not only stylish, but also very affordable. Taylor Swift showed us that you don't need to spend a lot of money to look like a million bucks, Emmy Rossum rocked an $88 dress and Demi Lovato wore the most adorable matching set that won't break the bank.

Check out the best cheap celebrity finds of the week and let us know which ones you're coveting.

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Pre-arrival video from North Whitehall, PA two-alarm structure fire

Newsworking’s Bill Rohrer (newsworking) on the scene before firefighters early Wednesday at what became a two-alarm fire in a 165-year-old barn in North Whitehall, Pennsylvania (Lehigh County).

Here’s some of what Bill wrote about the fire:

At 04:53 Lehigh County Radio transmitted a structural fire located at Willow Street and Mauch Chunk Road sending Engines 26, Tankers 26, 22, 16 and Truck 16.

Chief 22-01 was advised of a flames from a barn and multiple calls being received. He arrived on location finding a barn fully involved. He ordered the second alarm struck at 05:02. The Chief was concerned about protecting a van parked next to the building and a residence just west of the fire.

Read Newsworking’s entire article and view 40 photos of the fire

Watch The Sweet Moment A Toddler Says Goodbye To Family Garbage Man, His 'First Friend'

For this toddler who has to say farewell to his garbage collector BFF, trash day kind of stinks.

Every Friday, 2-year-old Deacon Ross waits outsid...

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Atención, Santiago ¡Tu uberX está llegando!

Desde hoy llega uberX a la ciudad de los emprendedores y uno de los centros financieros de América Latina: Santiago. Se trata de una nueva opción dentro de la aplicación para compartir el vehículo particular, que promueve la descongestión de las vías con la misma seguridad y confiabilidad que los santiaguinos ya han probado al usar Uber.

En Uber siempre estamos buscando que nuestra aplicación sea la opción más fácil y confiable para moverse por la ciudad. Nuestra tecnología, los pagos sin dinero en efectivo y nuestros rigurosos estándares de calidad, nos permiten seguir ofreciendo a los habitantes de Santiago alta disponibilidad, seguridad y comodidad en todos sus viajes. Y como la movilidad de calidad debe ser una opción accesible para los santiaguinos y visitantes nacionales y extranjeros, sin importar su presupuesto, tenemos mejores noticias: viajar con uberX cuesta menos. Ver precios aquí.

uberX es uno de los referentes mundiales de la llamada “economía colaborativa”, una tendencia hecha realidad gracias al poder de la tecnología y, sobre todo, a la cooperación entre las personas para devolverle la calidad de vida a su ciudad compartiendo sus trayectos. Los viajes compartidos están desterrando a los vehículos particulares con un sólo pasajero (que hacen un uso poco eficientemente las vías) sin necesidad de invertir recursos públicos en la solución a este problema del tráfico. Por eso el ridesharing está cambiando la forma en que la gente se mueve por las grandes urbes ¡y  ahora es el turno de Santiago!

¡Con la llegada de uberX a Santiago, nunca antes fue más fácil disfrutar de la ciudad y todos sus atractivos!

• Sólo tienes que abrir la aplicación y seleccionar la opción uberX.

• La disponibilidad será limitada durante los primeros días, así que agradecemos tu paciencia, estamos trabajando fuertemente para que puedas probar uberX en Santiago. ¿Les gustaría colaborar? ¡Revisen si califican para convertirse en un socio conductor de Uber!

• ¿Aún no eres usuario de Uber?, descarga el app aquí para iPhone y aquí para Android.

Texas Handgun Open Carry Bill Clears Legislature

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers on Friday approved carrying handguns openly on the streets of the nation's second most-populous state, sending the bill to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it and reverse a ban dating to the post-Civil War era.

Gun owners would still have to get a license to carry a handgun in a visible holster. The state known for its wild west, cowboy history and some the nation's most relaxed gun laws, has allowed concealed handguns for 20 years. Concealed handgun license holders are even allowed to skip the metal detectors at the state Capitol, as state troopers providing security assume they're armed.

But Texas was one of only six states with an outright ban on so-called open carry, and advocates have fought to be allowed to keep their guns in plain sight. Cast as an important expansion of the Second Amendment right to bear arms in the U.S. Constitution, it became a major issue for the state's strong Republican majority.

Nudged by Abbott's pledge to sign open carry into law, House and Senate Republicans muscled the bill through the Legislature. The House gave final approval on a mostly party-line 102-43 vote, drawing gleeful whistles from some lawmakers. A short time later, the Senate passed it 20-11, also along party lines, with all Republicans supporting it and all Democrats opposing.

Both did so after making concessions to law enforcement groups, who had been upset by an original provision in the bill barring police from questioning people carrying guns if they have no other reason to stop them.

The final bill scrapped that language, meaning police will be able to ask Texans with handguns in plain sight if they have proper licenses to be carrying them.

Before Friday's vote, police groups demanded that Abbott veto the bill.

Gun control advocates have argued that open carry is less about personal protection than intimidation. Gun rights groups have staged several large public rallies in recent years, sometimes at notable historical landmarks such as the Alamo, where members carried rifles in plain sight, which is legal.

The open carry debate also stirred drama at the Capitol early in the legislative session, when gun rights advocates confronted one state lawmaker in his office. The lawmaker, Democrat Poncho Nevarez, was assigned a state security detail and House members voted to make it easier to install panic buttons in their offices.

Just like the current concealed handgun law, the bill requires anyone wanting to openly carry a handgun to get a license. Applicants must be 21, pass a background check and receive classroom and shooting range instruction — although lawmakers have weakened those requirements since 2011.

Texas has about 850,000 concealed handgun license holders, a number that has increased sharply d in recent years.

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Know How Ghost Peppers Spiced Up Weird News? Take The Fark Weird News Quiz

Know how ghost peppers spiced up the world of weird news ?

Take the Fark Weird News Quiz, the hottest quiz around.

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Behind the Wheel with Cathie - Colorado’s Next Sixth Star Award Winner

“Cathie might be the greatest human I’ve ever met. If I could choose a grandmother for my unborn children, I would put Cathie at the top of the list, just above Mother Teresa and the Queen of England. If I were 30 years older, I would have already proposed, but let me say from the bottom of my heart, I love Cathie”.  – RIDER

We are thrilled to honor our Colorado partner, Cathie, with a Sixth Star Award! Driving with Uber since July 2014, Cathie has consistently been one of Colorado’s standout partner-drivers.

Prior to working with Uber, Cathie was in sales, going from business-to-business, either taking care of customers or trying to recruit new ones. At one point, Cathie had a job as a limo driver in Vail – most nights taking riders to the airport from the mountains at 3 AM. Uber allows Cathie the flexibility to make her own hours, driving part-time during the week. No more 3 AM rides for Cathie!

Cathie Loves Her Riders!

“I love my riders. I try to find something in common with every single rider and relate with them on whatever level, whether it’s blasting Taylor Swift or learning how to use Spotify. I would probably be lonely if it weren’t for Uber — it’s how I get my socialization! ”

Way to go Cathie! As a thank you for her exceptional service, Cathie will receive an exclusive Sixth Star Award package including a $1,000 American Express gift card.

Every driver in the U.S. is eligible to win the Sixth Star Award

Riders, don’t forget to nominate your amazing driver for a Sixth Star Award today by leaving a comment, along with your star rating, at the end of your ride.

To all our partners—thank you for your hard work and excellent service!

Emails Show How Quickly The Oklahoma SAE Scandal Unfolded

The Greek letters had barely been off the former Sigma Alpha Epsilon house at the University of Oklahoma for 24 hours before people started asking if they could take over the property.

In March, SAE national headquarters shut down its OU chapter after members were caught on video singing a racist song. A day later, OU President David Boren told SAE members they had two days to vacate the property, since it was owned by the university.

Former brothers were still hauling their belongings out of the house when people started writing in to ask about using the building, according to 662 pages of emails The Huffington Post obtained through an open-records request. The university withheld an unspecified number of emails due to attorney-client privilege and federal student privacy laws.

The house should be turned into a resource center for veterans, one person suggested. The Alpha Gamma Delta women's fraternity could use the space for recruitment, one email said. The Air Force ROTC could use the space, another note proposed.

The university told HuffPost it still hasn't decided what to do with the former SAE house.

The emails reveal how quickly the university and the national fraternity headquarters acted after learning about SAE members' racist behavior, and how the OU community responded in the aftermath.


Marks are left above a door on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, where the Greek letters for 'SAE' used to hang.

It all started on Saturday, March 7, when Assistant Director of Student Life Brandon Oldham received an anonymous email that included a copy of the video and the following message:

...I'm sending you this video due to blatant racism. I came across this on snapchat. I dont think this kind of behavior should be tolerated at the University of Oklahoma. I believe there should be repercussions for this video.

Oldham responded at 12:11 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, saying he would look into it Monday. He also forwarded the anonymous tip to Assistant Dean of Students Kristen Partridge.

At 10:39 a.m., Partridge emailed other senior administrators asking them to watch a video that was "apparently posted to Snapchat," and notifying them that she planned to look into the situation immediately. A few minutes earlier, she had sent another official an email saying she'd like to issue a suspension once they could determine the video did in fact show the OU chapter of SAE.

Throughout the day on March 8, various students emailed administrators with a link to the video on YouTube. Reporters from The Oklahoma Daily, the student newspaper, sent multiple emails looking for answers about what was going on with SAE.

Campus security told senior administrators around 7 p.m. that they were increasing patrols of the SAE house after noticing that "Yik Yak is going crazy" and "Twitter is blowing up" over the video.

At 7:40 p.m., national SAE officials sent a notice to the OU chapter, giving the members 24 hours to respond:

In addition to providing specific details on the video itself, please provide a detailed account of any associated event that took place either before or after this video occurred – including information pertaining to who was present from the chapter and guests, what social event protocols were in implemented, and how and what types of alcohol were present.

Thirty minutes later, the university's Interfraternity Council put SAE under investigation.

Boren learned of the situation while he was hosting a dinner on Sunday night, the university said, and issued a brief statement on Twitter.

"He made an immediate decision about the actions he would take subject to confirmation that OU students were involved and that OU SAE chapter members were on the video," Corbin Wallace, special assistant to Boren, told HuffPost. "The immediate decision included closing the SAE chapter and throwing it off campus and expulsion to those who were most actively leading the chant on the bus."

By 10 p.m., SAE headquarters had contacted OU administrators to let them know the chapter had been suspended. As Partridge put it, in an email to colleagues, "They are suspending the chapter before OU can kick them off."

The national board, which is headquartered in Illinois, learned of the video around 6 p.m. Central Standard Time on March 8 -- about the same time it was first uploaded to YouTube -- and convened a meeting to address it three hours later, according to an email SAE national president Brad Cohen sent Boren on Tuesday, March 10. At 9:15 p.m., the board voted unanimously to close the OU chapter.

In the email, Cohen explained that the national board had elected to expel the entire chapter because its members had declined to identify which individual students had been involved in the racist incident.


Graffiti was sprayed on the wall of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house after it was shuttered at the University of Oklahoma on March 11, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma.

As the week wore on, praise for Boren trickled in, with people noting how quickly the president had acted to shut down the fraternity, remove the former members from their house and make moves toward expelling two SAE brothers.

Among those who sent their kudos to Boren: former Oklahoma governor and current American Bankers Association CEO Frank Keating, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, a 1964 registration volunteer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a local NAACP leader and OU alumni who described themselves as "former frat boys."

"I am embarrassed to say that I’m a fellow SAE brother," one person wrote. "It is absolutely disgusting that a handful of guys can ruin it for the rest of them."

Later in the week, State Rep. James Lockhart (D-Heavener) sent a note to colleagues and Boren. He had learned that the fraternity had talked about suing OU and said that "SAE needs to shut up and take their medicine." He called for a legislative resolution supporting Boren's handling of the situation.

But parents of some SAE members were upset, insisting their innocent sons were being punished.

One mother wrote to the university administration on March 11:

Your words, President Boren, have created an unsafe environment for any student that's involved in Greek life at OU. Dorm doors have been pounded upon late at night, tires have been slashed, people spit upon, and some sororities and fraternities have been warned against wearing their letters. It's become a witch hunt, and those students, being hunted, in most cases may be completely innocent of any wrongdoing.

Another mom said on March 10:

My son WAS NOT on the "offending" bus. Regardless, he along with 100 others are paying the price for one 9 second drunken chant sung by someone raised in Texas who was intoxicated.

Some hate mail was apparently misdirected.

The Beta Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity's house mom received angry notes that were seemingly intended for the SAE house mom, who had been captured on a separate video saying "n***a" several times as hip-hop music played in the background.


MORE ON SAE AT OKLAHOMA:

• Obama Applauds 'Quick Reaction' Against Racist Fraternity Video


• Americans Think Closing SAE Frat Over Racist Song Was The Right Call


• SAE Fraternity Members Learned Racist Song At National Leadership Event

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Fim de semana no Rio | 29/5

A gastronomia no Rio de Janeiro vem se tornando cada dia mais conhecida, com diversas opções de restaurantes incríveis. E é por isso que fizemos uma parceria com o Eat in Rio, que dá dicas dos melhores restaurantes da cidade. Confira abaixo duas opções e aproveite as vantagens exclusivos que só a Uber e a Eat in Rio podem fornecer.

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O L’Entrecôte de Paris traz uma experiência inesquecível aos amantes da boa gastronomia. O ritual é simples: há um couvert de entrada e, em seguida, o único prato principal: o l’entrecôte classique, um corte especial de filé com um molho secreto, de sabor marcante, que leva 36 horas para ser preparado, acompanhado de fritas.

Local: Av. Ayrton Senna, 2150, Bloco O, Barra da Tijuca

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O Riso Bistrô conta com uma galeria de artes, um belo jardim e um cardápio cheio de surpresas e sabores inovadores. Localizado no “quadrilátero dourado” de Ipanema, um ambiente perfeito para completar emoções e aguçar os cinco sentidos.

Local: R. Aníbal de Mendonça, 175 – Ipanema

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Até 31 de julho você também pode desfrutar de deliciosos cortes argentinos no Pobre Juan e ainda ganhar um Welcome Drink de Cortesia. Clique aqui e saiba como obter este benefício valido para todos os usuários do UberBLACK.

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Quer conhecer o L´entrecôte ou o Riso Bistrô e ganhar o 2º prato por conta da Uber e da Eat in rio? Então conheça as regras aqui e cadastre-se aqui para participar.

Conheça os restaurantes que racham a conta com você – use o código EAT30UBER e ganhe 30% de desconto nos guias Eat in Rio. Código válido para novos usuários, apenas.

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Siga as redes sociais da Uber

      

Dennis Hastert Paid To Hide Sexual Relationship With Student: Official - NBC News

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert paid a man to conceal a sexual relationship they had while the man was a student at the high school where Hastert taught, a federal law enforcement official told NBC News on Friday.

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Citi Ranks the Biggest Global Cash Cows

Recognizing that global investors currently favor companies that show a preference for distributing capital to shareholders rather than spending it on new projects, Citi Research has come up with a screen to identify the world’s biggest cash cows. These are not the companies that have the most cash on the books. They have to also be [...]

Photos: National Spelling Bee ends in a tie for second year in a row

Vanya Shivashankar at left and Gokul Venkatachalam at right lift the trophy after becoming co-champions the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters

Until last year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee hadn’t seen a tie for more than five decades. Last night’s 88th championship marked the second year in a row that ended in a tie.

The competition began with 283 young spellers and left two standing in the final moments.

Cole Shafer-Ray of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, forgoes the “writing” out a word on his name card, for “typing” in the air. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters

After 13-year-old Vanya Shivashanker of Olathe, Kansas, correctly spelled “scherenschnitte”, 14-year-old Gokul Venkatachalam of Chesterfield, Missouri, was informed that if he correctly spelled the next word, a tie would be declared. There were no more words left on the competition’s list for an additional face-off round.

Dev Jaiswal of Jackson, Mississippi, reacts after correctly spelling his word during round seven. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

With that, Venkatachalam correctly spelled the word “nunatak”, which means a rocky ridge.

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Dictionaries everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.

Ankita Vadiala of Manassas, Virginia, reacts to the word “ballabile”, which she correctly spelled. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The post Photos: National Spelling Bee ends in a tie for second year in a row appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

Breastfeeding Cover Model Pulls A Gisele And Multitasks On The Job

Nicole Trunfio is another multitasking supermodel mom.

The Australian model and actress shared a photo on Instagram Wednesday of her on set with b...

Read more: Nicole Trunfio, Gisele Bundchen, Breastfeeding, Supermodels, Elle Australia, Parents News

Weather Relief: Hays County

Our mission is to make cities better, especially in a time of need. That’s why we are partnering with the Hays County Food Bank to collect non-perishable food donations tomorrow, as the area recovers from the recent storms. For residents of Hays County, we’re also helping those affected by the flood by offering free rides next week. Let’s come together to #HelpHays.

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This Saturday, May 30, help our neighbors in Hays County by donating to the Hays County Food Bank at the touch of a button.

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HOW IT WORKS:

1. Box up your food donations. The most needed items for disaster relief are high-protein canned meals with pop-top cans (ravioli, soups, spaghetti, tuna, salmon, chicken, beans, chili), single serving meals that do not require refrigeration or cooked meals ready-to-eat, and canned fruits/veggies in a pop-top can.
2. Open your Uber app between 11AM – 2PM on Saturday, May 30, in central Austin
3. Request RELIEF at the bottom of the screen
4. If you’re connected, an SUV will arrive to pick up your items – and will drop-off your donation to a Hays County Food Bank Donation Center
   

   Donation Area

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

It’s totally FREE!

THE DETAILS:

• All non-perishable food donations must be boxed/bagged for drivers to accept your donation
• Drivers will arrive at your requested pickup location. Please keep in mind that drivers can’t leave vehicles unattended—we ask that you bring your boxed/bagged food donations out to meet your driver when they arrive.
• Operation #HelpHays will be in high demand so please be patient!

*Food benefits the hungry in Hays County, including those affected by the floods. Hays County anticipates a long recovery process from the recent flooding and stands ready to serve those affected.

FREE RIDES FOR HAYS COUNTY RESIDENTS:

FREE RIDES FOR HAYS COUNTY, TX

JUNE 1 – 5

MONDAY – FRIDAY, 9AM – 9PM*

As water subsides, we want to help those affected by the flood in Hays County by connecting you to free rides. We know this is a challenging time and we are stepping up to #HelpHays.

A few things to be aware of for free rides in Hays County, TX:

• Higher than normal ETAs: Please be patient as demand for rides may be higher and wait times may be longer than usual.
• Limited destinations: Free rides only apply to trips that start and end in Hays County, TX. Please be aware of road closures and low water crossings.
• Take caution: Please monitor news sources for up-to-date information about road conditions and follow federal, state, and local safety directives.

*Offer valid for 4 rides, up to $15 each ride.