The President and First Lady Welcome Team USA to the White House

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This afternoon, the President and First Lady hosted members of the 2014 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams at the White House, in honor of their performance in this year's Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

At an event in the East Room of the White House, the First Lady told the athletes that she was "truly amazed" by their performances in Sochi:

I am really in awe of everything you do, as so many people here in America and across the globe are. Again and again, you all showed us that being an Olympian is about heart; it’s about guts; and it’s about giving it your all no matter what stands in your way. And that’s a message that I try to convey to young people all the time — the idea that if you work hard and commit yourselves to a goal, and then pick yourself up when you fall, that there is nothing that you can’t achieve.

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Growing demand for US apartments pushing up rents

These are good times for U.S. landlords. For many tenants, not so much.

With demand for apartments surging, rents are projected to rise for a fifth straight year. Even a pickup in apartment construction is unlikely to provide much relief anytime soon.

That bodes well for building owners and their investors. Yet the landlord-friendly trends will likely further strain the finances of many renters. That's especially true for the 50 percent of them who already spend more than one-third of their pay on rent.

A 6 percent rise in apartment rents between 2000 and 2012 has been exacerbated by a 13 percent drop in income among renters nationally over the same period, according to a report from search portal Apartment List, which used inflation-adjusted figures.

"That's what we call the affordability gap," says John Kobs, Apartment List's chief executive. "I don't see that improving in the near future."

The trend is straining the finances of tenants like Michael Strane, 39, who recently decided to move from his apartment in Pasadena, Calif., to cut his two-hour commute to work in half. His new apartment in the L.A. suburb of Whittier will cost him $1,045 a month, $200 more than he paid before.

"I'm actually paying more than I really feel comfortable paying right now," says Strane, a geologist. Asking rents in Whittier rose an average of nearly 14 percent last year, according to real estate data provider Zillow.

RENTAL BOOM

Rental demand has risen in much of the United States since the housing market collapsed in 2007. A cascade of foreclosures forced many people out of their homes and into apartment leases. At the same time, construction of apartments was stalled until the last couple of years because many builders couldn't get loans during the credit crisis.

Add to that several recent trends, from rising mortgage rates to stagnant pay, which have combined to discourage many people from buying homes. It's resulted in fewer places to lease and a bump up in rents.

The national vacancy rate for apartments shrank from 8 percent to 4.1 percent from 2009 to 2013, according to commercial real estate data provider Reis Inc.

As a result, landlords were able to raise rents in many markets. The average effective rent rose 12 percent to $1,083 during those years, according to Reis, which tracked data for apartments in buildings with 40 units or more. Effective rent is what a tenant pays after factoring in landlord concessions, such as a free month at move-in.

Over the same period, the median price of an existing U.S. home has risen about 14 percent, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

Among major U.S. markets, rents rose the most in Seattle in 2013, up 7.1 percent from the year before, according to Reis. The second-biggest increase, 5.6 percent, was in San Francisco. Nationwide, effective rent rose 3.2 percent last year compared with 2012. Rents rose even as the nation added about 127,000 apartments, the most since 2009, according to Reis. The addition of those apartments hasn't been enough to absorb the surging demand for rentals.

The Picerne Group is among the apartment complex owners with buildings under construction. The company, which owns properties in California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, expects to break ground soon on luxury rental buildings in the Southern California cities of Cerritos and Ontario. The buildings, which have nearly 500 units combined, are due to open next year, says Brad Perozzi, managing director of the company, based in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

"We definitely see demand improving, especially the younger demographic coming out of college and being in their prime renter years," Perozzi says. "Even though the single-family home market is coming back, it's still somewhat cumbersome to obtain a mortgage and come up with a down payment."

Jaswinder Bolina knows something about that.

An assistant professor of English at a the University of Miami, Bolina couldn't afford to pay the roughly $2,000 rent for his two-bedroom, two-bath apartment in an upscale area of Miami and still save enough money for a 20 percent down payment on a condo.

Ultimately, his parents pitched in, helping him buy a $340,000 condo that he expects to close on in May.

"It could have taken me 10 years to save enough for a down payment because property values have rebounded out here to the point where I'm priced out of the market," Bolina says.

CHASING LOWER RENTS

Rising rents in San Francisco compelled Marc Caswell to move to Los Angeles in September. He and his girlfriend couldn't get past the cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment in the San Francisco Bay area, where such housing listed recently on Zillow.com for an average asking rent of $4,100 — more than double what the couple hoped to pay.

"In a year or two, there would have been no money put away," says Caswell, who works for an environmental nonprofit.

The couple, who earn a combined salary of about $120,000, now pay $2,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, the 12th-most-expensive rental market last year.

Even with more buildings under construction, rising demand will push rents up in many markets. Reis expects a stronger job market to enable more people to start renting their own places instead of living with roommates or parents. As a result, the firm predicts that effective apartment rents will increase 3.3 percent this year to an average of $1,118 nationally.

GOOD FOR INVESTORS

Higher demand and rising rents, unwelcome as they are for tenants, will produce more income for owners such as apartment REITS. These real estate investment trusts operate buildings they acquire or build.

Steadfast Income REIT, based in Irvine, Calif., is counting on rental growth and demand to continue rising in Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma and the seven other states where it's invested $1.6 billion to buy buildings with a total of about 16,000 units.

The company has avoided coastal markets, where apartment buildings for sale tend to command high prices, making it harder to turn a profit without charging rents that could price out many tenants. Steadfast likes to buy buildings where it can make money while serving tenants who earn between $45,000 and $75,000. On average, it charges $950 in rent, says Ella Neyland, Steadfast's president.

Steadfast has 40 percent of its holdings in Texas, where an energy boom is creating jobs faster than the national average. Those jobs are luring people to cities like San Antonio and Houston and driving up demand for rentals.

"Every single day I have some apartment home in my portfolio that's up for renewal," Neyland says. "As the market improves, I increase the rents."

Oil rises on anticipation of improved jobs report

The price of oil rose as traders anticipated positive news in the monthly U.S. jobs report.

Benchmark U.S. crude for May delivery gained 67 cents Thursday to close at $100.29 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to set prices for international varieties of oil, rose $1.36 to $106.15 a barrel on the ICE exchange in London.

The Labor Department releases its March employment report Friday. Economists project that employers added 191,000 workers last month, according to a survey by FactSet. That would be an improvement from February, when employers added 175,000 positions.

"We are still viewing the non-farm payrolls report as a key determinant as to how the complex finishes this week," wrote Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates, in a note to clients. "We feel that surprises are more apt to be favorable."

After Thursday's gain, oil is down 38 cents so far this week.

In other energy futures trading in New York.

— Wholesale gasoline added 5 cents to $2.91 a gallon.

— Natural gas jumped 11 cents to $4.47 per 1,000 cubic feet.

— Heating oil gained 4 cents to $2.91 a gallon.

Pence: Indiana to expand I-65 with new road funds

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mike Pence on Thursday announced plans to use $200 million in newly released funds to expand sections of Interstate 65, and a transportation department spokesman said project could reduced travel time for some commuters in the Indianapolis area.

"If you're going to be the Crossroads of America," said Pence, citing Indiana's nickname, "You have to have the roads to back it up."

Money for construction was locked away in a special savings fund until the governor signed legislation last week for its release. The construction planned with the money, as well as an additional $200 million that's being held pending review, could create as many as 9,800 jobs in the state if used in one year, said Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Will Wingfield.

Lawmakers originally meant to put away $200 million each year for 20 years to pay for future large construction projects.

Pence requested to use the first two years of savings immediately despite Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Luke Kenley's concerns about spending the money too soon.

"What we've seen is that the construction cost was outpacing the interest revenue," Wingfield said. "We should spend this money now...before the purchase power gets eroded."

The second half of the $400 million in highway funding approved by legislators will be held pending a review of the state's finances in December.

INDOT aims for expansion between State Road 44 near Franklin and Southport Road Indianapolis with the existing money. Additional lanes also are planned between State Roads 38 and 26 near Lafayette.

Bidding on the two interstate sections is scheduled for this fall, although construction might not start until next spring, Wingfield said.

Commuters, particularly those from the South side of Indianapolis, could see both a shorter drive to work and more consistency in how long it takes to drive back and forth, Wingfield said.

Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma said the expansion could help relieve dangerous chokepoints and called the legislation an "important jobs bill."

In addition to thousands of jobs from building the lanes, Pence said better roads could help Indiana's economy.

"When I say 'roads mean jobs,' I don't just mean the thousands of Hoosiers that will undoubtedly be put to meaningful employment using their professional skills to create effective highways in the state of Indiana," Pence said. "Having the right infrastructure in Indiana is absolutely essential to our people achieving our full potential and prosperity."

Ecko Unltd. files for bankruptcy protection

NEW YORK -- Clothing maker Ecko Unltd. is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to court filings.

Ecko, which sells clothing under the brand names Ecko Unltd. and Unltd., says it has about $30 million in assets and $62 million in debts. The company says its sales and profitability have been declining since the start of 2009 because of the recession and changes in fashion trends. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey on Wednesday.

The New York company says it sold most of its warehoused inventory.

Ecko Unltd., a youth-focused lifestyle brand, was founded in 1993 by Marc Ecko. It has 110 full-time employees and about 860 part-time employees.

Parliament to tackle public sector salary scale next week

BEIRUT: Parliament Thursday wrapped up three days of sessions in which lawmakers passed 39 draft laws and postponed discussion on pending proposals until next week, ending more than a year of legislative paralysis.

Speaker Nabih Berri called Parliament to meet next Wednesday and Thursday to discuss, among other draft laws, a proposal concerning the public sector’s new salary scale should it be finalized by Parliament’s joint committees, which are meeting Friday.

Kataeb Party MP Sami Gemayel asked Berri to include proposed electoral laws on the agenda of Parliament’s next session so that they can be ready for discussion by lawmakers ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled in November.

In response, Berri told lawmakers: “The Parliament speakership did not fail in seeking a new electoral law. ... Proportional [representation] is very important. It’s up to you to decide [on a new electoral law]. But the priority now is to the salary scale.”

MPs convened around 10:30 a.m. in Parliament and debated more than 35 items remaining on its agenda, including a proposal by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to grant compensation to Army officers and soldiers who were relieved in 1990 when Aoun, a former Army commander, launched his self-proclaimed “war of liberation” against the Syrian army in Lebanon.

Berri referred the draft law to a committee for further discussion, and eight other proposals were also pushed back to next week’s scheduled sessions.

Before closing the session, Berri stressed the importance of finalizing the draft law concerning the public sector’s salary scale by next week, which he said would pave the way for lawmakers to begin debating proposed electoral laws.

Failure to agree on and pass a new election law prompted lawmakers to extend Parliament’s four-year mandate by 17 months last May.

A joint parliamentary committee is set to convene Friday to continue discussion on the draft law to increase the salary of civil servants. The Union Coordination Committee, representing public sector employees and teachers, has threatened to resume a series of strikes if the law is not approved soon.

Thursday’s session was marred by a heated argument between Gemayel and Baalbek-Hermel MP Assem Qanso, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, over the presence of the Syrian army in Lebanon between 1976 and 2005.

In defending Aoun’s proposal to grant compensation to the relieved Army officers and soldiers, Gemayel said: “These officers were unable to defend themselves because at the time Lebanon was under Syrian occupation.”

This drew a quick response from Qanso, who praised the role of the Syrian army in Lebanon during its 29-year presence in the country.

“The continued naming of the Syrian Arab Army at that time as an occupation army is rejected. Those who are talking, on top of them, the Kataeb Party, were in government at the time,” Qanso said.

Berri intervened and demanded that the “occupation army” be deleted from the minutes of the discussions. He said the Syrian army was deployed in Lebanon as an Arab deterrent force to snuff out the 1975-90 Civil War.

Responding to Berri, Gemayel said: “For us, the Syrian army was an occupation army.”

During the session, MP Ibrahim Kanaan asked MPs to pass a draft law making Civil Defense volunteers full-time employees as a group of them blocked a road in north Lebanon in an attempt to pressure Parliament.

“Next week will be divisive and will demonstrate our credibility with regard to giving Civil Defense volunteers their rights,” Kanaan said. “Years have passed and Civil Defense continues to do its job for the people. So why should we wait any longer to make them full-time employees?”

Tragic milestone: Lebanon’s millionth refugee registered

TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Behind every refugee registration number is the story of a life that has been torn apart. Eighteen-year-old Yehya from Homs, the millionth refugee to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is no different. “I had no other option. I had to leave,” said the young man, who insisted on using only his first name for fear of attacks on his remaining relatives in Syria. He said his family was forced to leave after life in the old city of Homs became a matter of survival, dodging snipers to go to the market for food and saving money by eating one meal a day.

“I thought it would get better, but every day it got worse,” he told The Daily Star as he sat on the steps of the U.N. refugee agency’s office in Tripoli on a sunny morning shortly before going in to register.

Today, he and his family are living in a small apartment in the northern city, living day to day and unsure about how they will pay next month’s rent. They’ve already sold nearly all of their gold jewelry paying taxis and smugglers for their escape via Yabroud and then through the unofficial border crossing to Arsal, which they decided to leave after the Syrian government shelling continued.

Life in Tripoli is a far cry from what he was used to before the unrest, when he would enjoy simpler pleasures such as going swimming in the summer and visiting friends. He has fond memories of school, where he excelled in math and dreamed of becoming an engineer, a career choice inspired by his father who worked as a carpenter.

He hesitated to say that life was “better” back then, however, and was quick to emphasize that there was no freedom before the uprising either. His father took part in protests, he said, and was one of the early fatalities of the government’s crackdown on initially peaceful demonstrators who called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

The young man, barely an adult, now carries the responsibility of being head of his household. He was joined at the registration center by his mother Khaldieh and two sisters Nuha and Manal, all neatly dressed for the occasion, as a UNHCR representative registered their details and took their pictures. The UNHCR used the 1-million milestone to raise awareness of the plight of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, inviting the media, non-governmental organization workers and Lebanese government officials to the center.

“We’re trying to do our best, but it’s not enough,” Ninette Kelley, resident representative for UNHCR in Lebanon, told dozens of visitors. “There aren’t enough resources. We make difficult decisions every day.”

She pointed to Lebanon’s dubious distinction as hosting the world’s highest number of refugees per capita alongside an indigenous population of around 4.1 million. Unofficial estimates put the number much higher – at roughly 1.5 million. The unprecedented influx has strained the small country’s already weak infrastructure, from waste disposal and water to electricity and health care.

Echoing Kelley’s frustrations, Alice Shabtini, Lebanon’s new minister for the displaced, pleaded for more resources to deal with the crisis.

“This guy is 18 years old. He’s the 1 millionth Syrian refugee in Lebanon. He’s been out of school for three years. He doesn’t know what he’ll do today or tomorrow. We need resources to help refugees,” she said. “We can’t do this alone.”

The need for an increase in humanitarian assistance is more urgent today than ever, aid workers say. As the conflict in Syria continues into its fourth year, the living conditions of most refugees, particularly the children who account for around half of the influx, continue to deteriorate.

“What we have are children who are in far worse condition than the ones who arrived three years ago,” said Annamaria Laurini, UNICEF representative in Lebanon. “With the increasing numbers, there are increasing needs.”

Leaving the registration center, Yehya fielded questions from reporters and aid workers alike while protectively escorting his mother and sisters, who looked at him with admiration.

He said he planned to continue his education in the coming school year. When The Daily Star asked his sisters, who had remained quiet for much of the registration process, to talk about what they did, they shrugged, saying they simply stayed at home.

“No, tell her what you really do,” Yehya urged his sisters, after which Nuha admitted with a shrug, “We’re seamstresses. We started our own embroidery business. We make everything.”

After the chaos of the day had died away and most of the news conference guests had gone home, Yehya went to hail a taxi for him and his family. When asked where he was going now, he looked past the gates of the registration center and said, “We’re going home.”

For now, that home is in Lebanon.

Refugees reflect on struggles to adapt in Lebanon

BEIRUT: A chemical attack, starvation tactics, a strategic military offensive and a siege. They all had different reasons for coming, but their reason for remaining refugees in Lebanon are the same: The war in Syria is proving to be intransigent, and places they once called home are now unrecognizable.Farah, 24, and her mother were among the tide of desperate people rushing to leave the besieged town of Moadamieh in September 2013. The area had been closed off since March and supplies were running short. She was among the throngs pleading to be saved from starvation.

Today she works as a volunteer helping fellow refugees in settlements in the Bekaa Valley.

“Our house was bombed and destroyed,” she says matter-of-factly. The phrase is a common refrain among the Syrian refugees of Lebanon. But Farah boldly speaks of her fears, ones that many refugees who still hope to go back stop short of articulating fully.

“I fear that we will become like the Palestinians in Lebanon, and spend decades demanding the right of return,” she says.

She spent the winter in a house with no window shutters and became accustomed to the cold.

“We are like the Bedouins,” she says. “We live in a house that’s worse than a tent.”

When she thinks of the future, she imagines herself to be a Palestinian girl dreaming of going back to her homeland.

To those who laud her resilience she retorts, “I’ve only adapted myself to receiving pity from people.”

“But no matter,” she says. “I am still a Syrian girl from Moadamieh, and I keep my head high.”

Farah is returning to Syria in two days to renew her entry permit, as she cannot afford the renewal fee of $200.

“I am going back and I’m afraid I might be imprisoned. But I have no choice.”

To protect her identity she asked The Daily Star to use a pseudonym. She chose the name “Farah” meaning happiness in Arabic. “Maybe I’ll find it,” she quips.

Yehya Faris, 35, arrived to Lebanon in June 2013 during the battle of Qusair, which paved the way for the regime to recapture the strategic province of Homs. At the time, he had been a teacher in the border city of Raqqa for five years.

Now he lives in an informal settlement in Deir Zannoun, where he holds classes for 60 refugee children in his tent. The children were turned away from the public schools in the area for lack of space.

“I made my own curriculum, and it can be adapted for children of all ages,” he says proudly.

He remains optimistic, despite the fact that the only news of home he’s had in the past year were photographs confirming that his home in Qusair has been devastated from the fighting.

In the winter, they used heaters fueled with wood instead of kerosene, because heating allowances from aid organizations were insufficient. The tents are very cold during the night and hot during the days; Faris rarely finds balance.

“We have begun to accommodate ourselves to our difficult life here,” he says. “Though I never imagined living here.”

He pauses, and says assuredly “I am hopeful that things will be resolved and that I will go back to my home soon.”

Khalid al-Bazazi, 38, was a plumber back in Syria and owned a shop and a house in Bab Amr. “Now it’s all gone.”

He arrived on May 6, 2012, from Bab Amr, which was once the epicenter of the rebel uprising against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Bazazi was there as government forces regained the district but left before he could witness how it was left uninhabitable by intense rocket attacks and air raids.

“I have no news of our neighborhood, or our homes,” he says. “We can’t communicate with anyone there.”

He now lives with his family of five in a tent in the town of Dilhimiyeh in the coastal area of Chouf, where, he says, he has become a shadow of his former self. There’s no way he can keep living in Lebanon, he says.

“We haven’t been able to adapt,” he says. “We have been exploited and mistreated by the people here. If any of us says anything, they would kick us out of the land we are living in.”

Syrian refugees are being exploited for financial gain, he complains: “They make the newcomers erect their tents near the grocery shops so they can benefit from them.”

Bazazi managed to find work but was never paid by his employers, he believes, because he was not protected. Luckily, he says, the children go to a public school nearby.

When he has time to think, it’s about leaving to Jordan, or better yet, a Western country. Anywhere but Lebanon. In an ideal world, he would return to Syria.

But all three expressed reservations about going back for good, as it would require coming to terms with the fact that the places they had known have greatly changed and would never be the same. Nevertheless, they are quick to recall the things they missed most.

“I only want to go back for five minutes to walk, just to walk in the neighborhood where I used to live and breathe the air again,” Bazazi says. “That’s all I want.”

“I don’t care about the cars and properties I lost. I want to go back to our orchards. That’s the thing I miss the most,” concludes Faris.

“I just miss Syria,” Farah sighs.

U.N. shifts focus to development, but can it work?

BEIRUT: A titanic “shift in focus” in the United Nations’ response to the Syrian crisis is occurring, leading aid agencies to incorporate more development-focused projects into their humanitarian work as they settle in for the long haul.

But the new emphasis on development and instilling “resilience” – the NGO buzzword du jour – has led some to question whether basic services addressing the still enormous humanitarian needs in the region will suffer, particularly as agencies continue to struggle to meet their funding requirements.

At a meeting of 22 U.N. agencies in the Jordanian capital of Amman last November, Sima Bahous, assistant secretary-general and chair of the Regional United Nations Development Group, argued “not only for expanding the scope of the collective U.N. response, but for making a conceptual shift in its focus as well.”

The conclusion was that the U.N. would “launch a collective ‘development response’ to the Syria crisis to complement ongoing humanitarian efforts.” This would involve strengthening the capacity of municipalities, enabling citizens to better engage with local governments, generating employment opportunities, helping countries recover from downward economic trends and improving infrastructure and basic services.

If those sound like huge, sweeping aims, that’s because they are – but many argue it’s the only way to deal with the immense regional fallout of a conflict likely to last a decade.

This is particularly true in tiny Lebanon, where the 1 millionth official refugee was registered Thursday (the unofficial number is known to be much higher), swelling the population by a quarter and putting an unprecedented strain on infrastructure, the economy and the country’s social fabric.

A report by the World Bank, the U.N. and the Lebanese government released last summer concluded that the surge in demand for public services would raise public expenditure by $1.1 billion between 2012 and 2014 at a time when revenues are falling. The influx of refugees was predicted to force 170,000 Lebanese into poverty and worsen the situation for the current 1 million poor.

“The good news is that more and more donors in the international community are starting to come on board in terms of providing more balanced support that includes not just Syrian refugees but also Lebanese communities and institutions,” Shombi Sharp, the country director for the United Nations Development Program, told The Daily Star.

The UNDP is leading the charge in the new development- and resilience-focused approach, which is centered around the idea of capacity-building – i.e., helping existing institutions, systems and national structures to function better with the long-term aim of sustainability and self-sufficiency. Such projects are usually implemented in a postconflict setting.

But these aims, at least superficially, are in direct opposition with the main purpose of humanitarian aid: short-term relief for individuals, normally in an emergency situation.

With no sign of a slow-up in the influx of refugees, and security in the country having deteriorated rapidly over the last few months after a spate of car bombs, Lebanon could hardly be described as postconflict. Further, the immediate humanitarian needs of many refugees, from food and shelter to proper sanitation and health care, are still far from being fully met. So what’s behind the shift in focus?

“It’s important ... to recognize that the high cost and intensive humanitarian response will not be able to continue forever,” Sharp said. “It’s expensive, and actually the resilience [development] approach can help relieve many of those same pressures.”

“Aid can only help so much and also donor interest may peter out. There is a fear of both of these things. We are sure that the international community is committed to supporting the Syrian refugees, but resources are finite.”

Sharp calls UNDP’s Lebanon Host Community Support Program, which launched early last year and does what it says on the tin, “the other side of the coin to UNHCR and other humanitarian actors.” Working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the program will target host communities in the worst-off parts of Lebanon, which are home to 86 percent of all refugees and 68 percent of Lebanon’s poorest.

The idea is that by building the capacity and resilience of host communities, both Lebanese and Syrians will see a long-term benefit.

For Mercy Corps, a development-focused NGO, this is exactly what aid agencies in Lebanon should focus on.

“For example, a town’s population has doubled due to the presence of Syrians,” explained George Antoun, Mercy Corps’ country director. “Is it better to keep trucking water to them for a year or fix the water network so they can get their own water?”

“This second solution serves both populations, but is it humanitarian or development aid? Some would consider it the latter, we consider it both. It also reduces tensions between communities.”

It’s hard to see what the downside to all this could be, but Jonathan Whittall, a humanitarian analyst at Medecins Sans Frontieres who recently launched a vocal online attack on the trend, said it risked undermining the ability of aid agencies to save lives.

“I don’t see development projects themselves as a problem,” he said, “I think what’s a problem is when you have an emergency setting and humanitarian actors get bogged down in also dealing with development responses.”

In Lebanon, where Whittall is based, he believes that “humanitarian agencies are not failing exactly, but they are falling short.”

“This is partly linked to an international community that is trying to do too much and at the end of the day is not doing anything very well ... The basics of humanitarian aid get diluted,” he added.

“This [new] plan for U.N. agencies, some of whom have a core humanitarian role, is a classic example of looking at development instead of scaling up basic health care access and other emergency responses.”

“If you see someone drowning you don’t start a project to build a jetty.”

Residency issues press on refugees

SAADNAYEL, Lebanon: Shams Bader eyes the entrance of her tented settlement in the Bekaa Valley town of Kfoury with suspicion; a year in Lebanon with limited legal status has made her wary of outsiders and, more so, law enforcement officers.

Bader, who arrived from rural Aleppo in 2012, has been living in Lebanon illegally for a year, after her entry permit expired and she could not afford the $200 charge to renew it, the requirement for all Syrians above the age of 15. Four of Bader’s six children are in the same legal predicament; legalizing their stay in Lebanon would cost $1,000, a sum so large she ridicules the mere thought of trying to assemble it.

The average Syrian refugee in Lebanon makes $250 a month and the opportunity cost of renewing one entry coupon entails forfeiting money to pay four months of rent or heating, food for just over a month or one non-caesarian birth, according to the calculations of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“We don’t have enough food to begin with,” Bader says. “We just don’t have enough money.”

A report released by NRC Thursday found that an overwhelming number of refugees are in a situation of limited legal status, meaning they either don’t have an entry permit because they crossed into Lebanon illegally or their proof of legal stay expired after the one-year mark. Almost a third of those interviewed stated that they could not renew their residency permit, and in 85 percent of these cases, the cost was given as the reason.

The report highlights the condition of a rising number of refugees who feel compelled to limit their movements for fear of detention. These anxieties have escalated recently with the prevalence of ad hoc checkpoints across the country.

“We don’t go looking for them,” a high-level General Security source told The Daily Star. “But, if they are arrested, it is done by one of the security forces on the road.”

In 2013, General Security detained 1,300 Syrians over issues of residency. Officers at the Adlieh detention center in Beirut had confirmed to The Daily Star that overcrowding was due in part to a rise in Syrian inmates.

The security body has also reported a rise in arrests of individuals possessing false documents, including residency permits, adding that the phenomenon has also been on the rise since the Syria crisis.

A fear of arrest isn’t the only thing refugees without legal papers have to worry about; the repercussions spill over into nearly every aspect of life. Refugees without proper documents are effectively cut off from receiving health and social services, participating in income generating activities and registering marriages or the birth of newborns, as both processes require proof of residency.

Many refugees who entered Lebanon from illegal crossings, as most in Arsal and Wadi Khaled have, fear passing checkpoints to register at UNHCR’s official centers.

“What we are finding is that there are a lot of people who for different reasons cannot come through the [official] Masnaa crossing, some because of their geographical placement, others because it would have been too dangerous for them, they felt, so they crossed at other [illegal] points,” explains Olivia Kalis, an advocacy and information adviser with the NRC. “Some were worried about military conscription on the Syrian side.”

According to the report, many refugees in Wadi Khaled said they were systematically turned back at the Shadra checkpoint, which is on the only road out of the region, because they could not provide proof of legal stay or IDs. Some were threatened with detention and deportation if they came back.

Part of the problem is the legal ambiguities surrounding the categorization of displaced Syrians. Lebanon is not a signatory to the refugee convention, but its ratification of key international declarations means it must recognize the right to seek asylum.

In practice, this has kept Lebanese borders with Syria open and led General Security to extend legal stay for Syrians to a year at no charge, but after that, renewing the entry permit comes at a cost.

Outside a community center in Saadnayel, refugees sit expressionless in room that doubles as a play area for children, patiently waiting for Faris Kattan, a lawyer with NRC’s legal assistance program.

“The most pressing issue is registering newborns,” he says. “The problem is that most parents either entered Lebanon illegally or have an expired entry coupon, haven’t registered their marriages, or have missing documents.”

In order to register newborns, Syrian parents must present various authorities with documents proving legal residency, identity and marriage. Lacking one impedes the entire registration process. As of July 2013, the legal clinic has seen 620 refugees, 50 percent of whom have issues in registering newborns.

“We always advise them to gather the money somehow, because they have no choice,” he says of those who cannot afford to renew their residency permits.

However, for those who lack legal stay, either because their entry permit has expired or they crossed illegally, the cost grows even higher. They can apply for a Plea of Mercy with General Security. If approved, at the discretion of the director general, they pay $630 for a “status settlement.”

Kattan concludes: “They are forced to be in an illegal situation.”

Though refugees can theoretically re-enter the country through Masnaa to renew their entry permits for free, international agencies advise against this.

Bader says her 18-year-old son could not accompany her if she chose to make the trip to Masnaa. “He would be conscripted to the military, if I did that.”

Asked whether it was possible to make exceptions for refugees with financial woes, the security source said: “We can’t change the law, only the Parliament can do that.”

Lack of recourse has led some refugees to improvise solutions: In a settlement in Deir Zannoun, the majority of men had managed to renew their stay, unless they were wanted by the regime, while their wives and children had not.

“The males go back and forth for work,” said Bassem Khaseb, a resident of the settlement.

“I just go the nearby supermarket and that’s it,” his wife, Dilal, said.

Rafik Hariri University Hospital could be closed

BEIRUT: Health Minister Wael Abu Faour said Thursday that the government-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital could be shut down as a result of substandard facilities and low standards.

“The Rafik Hariri University Hospital is dying, and the government has two choices, either [formulate] a radical solution or close it down,” Abu Faour said at a news conference following his meeting with the head of the Association of Private Hospitals, Sleiman Haroun.

The minister said he was in the process of preparing a full plan to present to the Cabinet.

Media reports have emerged recently over corruption in the hospital, which was inaugurated in 2004. Reports have also cited the hospital’s inability to provide medications to patients suffering from chronic diseases.

Abu Faour said he discussed with Haroun comments concerning some hospitals’ performance, but insisted that he was not generalizing about or treating unjustly hospitals that were doing their job well, cooperating with the Health Ministry’s legal standards and abiding by moral and humanitarian criteria.

“There are a large number of hospitals that are committing violations and are not respecting the signed agreement with the Health Ministry or the patient’s health and dignity,” he said.

Abu Faour stressed that he “would not tolerate these hospitals and would not be lenient with whoever violates the signed agreement with the Health Ministry, even if matters required the strictest measures and decisions,” adding that those doing otherwise would be “embraced” by the government.

Haroun said the outcome of the meeting was positive, describing the minister’s formula as “reasonable and legal” and respecting hospitals’ rights so long as they performed their duties.

Also Thursday, Abu Faour met with United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos and discussed different ways to cooperate over files of common interest.

He also met with Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan, former minister Elias Skaff and former MPs Mansur al-Bawn and Misbah al-Ahdab.

NASCAR puts pressure of preserving tires on teams

FORT WORTH, Texas -- NASCAR will not regulate tire pressures at Texas Motor Speedway, and if drivers have tire failures during Sunday's race officials believe they won't be able to blame Goodyear.

Hoping to give more control over setups and strategy to race teams, NASCAR is refusing to get involved in monitoring whether teams choose to follow recommendations set each week by Goodyear.

There were multiple tire issues at California two weeks ago, and many drivers tried to blame the product Goodyear brought to the track. NASCAR insisted the issues were self-inflicted and a product of teams going far beyond the air pressure limits recommended by the manufacturer.

With a handful of drivers predicting similar problems this weekend at Texas, NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said each team controls its own fate.

"We want to be open enough to give the teams opportunity to adjust and have different setups out there and be more aggressive or less aggressive whenever they sit fit," Pemberton said Thursday. "We want the teams to be able to push the limit, and that's what we expect out of them. If a guy has a tire issue that is self-inflicted and gets out of the car and blames Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., that's a bad deal. That basically is what some of them tried to do at California."

Goodyear each week presents teams minimum pounds per square inch pressure recommendations based on both testing and data from previous tires. NASCAR has maintained the majority of failures at California occurred when teams decided to go below the recommended pressure.

"I think there are some guys that went too far at California and it cost them opportunities, and there are guys that were more calculated and didn't go overboard and capitalized," Pemberton said. "So here we are coming to Texas, another fast race track, and there's concern that they will overuse the tires. But Goodyear is ahead of it and told them what it takes to fail and what it takes to succeed on left side tire pressures and it's up to teams to use them properly."

Goodyear this week presented teams a chart of recommended inflation pressures and times before a possible failure based on testing data. The manufacturer will use for the first time this season the multi-zone tread tire, which combines two distinct rubber compounds on the same right-side tire. The compound used on the outside 10 inches of the tread is designed for traction, and the compound on the inside two inches is designed for durability.

The inside compound is tougher to provide the tire a cushion for the heat and abuse it takes on certain tracks.

Goodyear used the multi-zone tire last year at Atlanta and Kansas to fairly positive feedback from drivers. Texas was a good fit because the track abuses tires and produces high speeds and loads — which both should be up this year with the current configuration of the cars.

The left side tires being used at Texas are the same as those used at the track the last two races. The right sides are the new multi-zone tires and were not track tested. Goodyear instead lab-tested the tires, attempting to replicate actual race conditions.

Goodyear director of race tire sales Greg Stucker said the lab verifies tire performance and validates pressure recommendations.

"Once we generate this data, confirming our recommendation and at which air pressures the tires need to be run, we share that information with the teams," Stucker said. "Teams have asked for some flexibility with how they set up their cars. This information is just another tool in their toolbox."

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon questioned Goodyear's decision not to physically test the tires at Texas.

"I think we will see issues there. We saw issues there last year," Gordon said. "I think as a team we are already looking at things that we were doing last year that we can look at trying to improve as far as abusiveness on the tires for Texas. From what I understand, they didn't test in California, and I think that that was obviously a mistake because I think some of those things may have shown up in that test. Did they test in Texas? And if they didn't, then I hope they have a backup plan because I do think that we are going to have some issues there."

Pemberton said it is up to the teams to walk the fine line of pushing the limits Goodyear gives them in an effort to rise in what's shaping up to be a very competitive season.

"We want people to be aggressive. We've asked the tire manufacturer to bring better tires, we've got a better car this year than last year and we've opened up the window of opportunity with teams to either succeed or fail," Pemberton said. "All of those things coming together this year have brought us some great racing."

BC-Cash Prices, 1st Ld-Writethru,0334

NEW YORK -- Wholesale cash prices Thursday:

    Thu.       Wed.

F

 Broilers FOB Ga. ice-packed lb.  105.99     105.99

 Eggs large white NY Doz.    1.71       1.71

 Flour hard winter KC cwt   19.75      19.75

 Cheddar Cheese Chi. 40 block per lb.  2.9500     2.9500

 Coffee parana ex-dock NY per lb.  1.7135     1.7135

 Coffee medlin ex-dock NY per lb.  1.9904     1.9904

 Cocoa beans Ivory Coast $ metric ton   3346        3346

 Cocoa butter African styl $ met ton   7994        7994

 Hogs Iowa/Minn barrows & gilts wtd av  128.24     127.79

 Feeder cattle 500-600 lb Okl av cwt  215.63     215.63

 Pork loins 13-19 lb FOB Omaha av cwt  151.18     151.31

 Corn No. 2 yellow Chi processor bid  5.03        4.98¾

 Soybeans No. 1 yellow 14.85¼      14.72¼

 Soybean Meal Cen Ill 48pct protein-ton 510.50      510.50

 Wheat No. 2 Chi soft  6.96        6.98¼

 Wheat N. 1 dk 14pc-pro Mpls.  8.70½       8.92¼

 Oats No. 2 heavy or Better  4.16¾       4.47½

 Corn oil crude wet/dry mill Chi. lb.  .42          .42 

 Soybean oil crude Decatur lb.  .40          .40 

 Aluminum per lb LME  .8057       .7908

 Antimony in warehouse per ton  10196       10196

 Copper Cathode full plate 3.0448      3.0079

 Gold Handy & Harman 1284.00    1292.00

 Silver Handy & Harman 19.860      20.055

 Lead per metric ton LME 2036.00    2025.00

 Platinum per troy oz. Handy & Harman 1436.00    1434.00

 Platinum Merc spot per troy oz. 1443.80    1437.10

 Zinc (HG) delivered per lb.  0.8998     0.8895

 Cotton 1-1-16 in. strict low middling   85.16      85.69

 Coal Central Appalachia $ per short ton   59.06      59.06

 Natural Gas Henry Hub, $ per mmbtu   4.479      4.345

b-bid a-asked

n-Nominal

r-revised.

n.q.-not quoted

n.a.-not available

Private guards in 3 NJ counties reach contract

NEWARK, N.J. -- Private security officers who guard commercial office buildings in three New Jersey counties have reached a contract.

Officials with 32BJ of the Service Employees International union say more than 1,200 security officers in hundreds of buildings in Essex, Hudson and Union counties are covered by the contract, which is expected to be ratified April 12.

The union says most security officers will see hourly wages increase from $9 to $11 an hour over the life of the 3½ year contract. They will also receive employer-paid health care and paid vacation time as of Jan. 1.

Union officials say the contract represents one of the largest recent unionization drives of private sector workers in New Jersey. They say they hope it will set an example for other industries.

Jobless benefits bill set to pass Senate on Monday

WASHINGTON -- Legislation to restore jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed has cleared a final Senate hurdle before a vote on passage set for Monday.

The vote was 61-35 Thursday to advance the bill, one more than the 60 needed.

Most Republicans voted against advancing the bill, citing a Democratic refusal to permit any votes on their proposed changes.

The White House-backed legislation would resurrect a program of benefits for the long-term unemployed that expired in late December. In general, it is designed to help those who have been off the job more than 26 weeks.

While Senate passage seems certain for Monday, the bill faces strong opposition in the Republican-controlled House. House Speaker John Boehner (BAY'-nur) has made no commitment to permit a vote.

For Political Conventions, Another Balloon Bursts

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hide captionPresident Obama stands on stage with Vice President Biden and their families after accepting the party nomination during the final day of the 2012 Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Obama stands on stage with Vice President Biden and their families after accepting the party nomination during the final day of the 2012 Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

There's news today about the 2016 presidential campaign that has nothing to do with the growing list of would-be candidates with White House aspirations.

It's about the big nominating conventions the Democrats and Republicans hold every four years. Legislation the president signed this afternoon means those huge political extravaganzas will no longer receive millions of dollars in taxpayer support. It's not the only change that's likely for conventions.

Let's start with a little time travel:

"I'm Walter Cronkite and this is our anchor desk for our CBS News Westinghouse coverage of this 1956 Democratic Convention. This is the dramatic high point of the convention..."

Back then and for years afterward, there was around-the-clock coverage of conventions by television networks. Big news could hit at any time and did.

At the 1964 GOP convention bitter party divisions were front and center. Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the man that nominee Barry Goldwater beat, issued a stern warning: "I warn that the Republican Party should reject extremism from either the left or the right."

At the 1980 convention, former President Gerald Ford shocked everyone when he revealed a possible co-presidency if he joined the ticket with nominee Ronald Reagan.

It was a bombshell story until CBS went to Lesley Stahl on the convention floor.

"Walter, a top lieutenant just came and said it's not Ford...they're coming all around me to tell me it's not Ford...they're all yelling 'Bush' all around me. Someone told me it's Bush. They're all yelling "Bush" all around me... everyone is yelling 'Bush,'" Stahl reported to CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite.

Cronkite was surprised and amused: "Who's writing the script for this one? That's what I want to know," he said.

That moment may have been the last instance of truly unexpected and substantive drama at a nominating convention. And that's exactly the problem.

"Conventions became theatrical productions," said Don Fowler, a member of the Democratic National Committee for four decades and the man who managed the 1988 Democratic Convention.

These days, news organizations — especially the big commercial broadcast networks — continue to question the worth of devoting prime time space to events with no suspense. Live daytime coverage is long gone except on cable.

Fowler says he got complaints from the networks in 1988.

"We fussed with them for weeks about how much of the convention they were going to cover. They reduced substantially in '88 and they've been trying to do that since then. I think in 2012 both conventions recieved as little coverage as any conventions previous," he said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are planning another big change in 2016. They will hold their gathering months earlier than usual — perhaps in June, in hopes of quickly wrapping up what could be a no-holds-barred fight for the nomination and to give the GOP nominee a head start on the general election.

There's even talk about scaling back events to as few as two days.

But Daniel Kriess, a professor at the University of North Carolina, says these changes in scheduling and coverage don't mean conventions are unimportant.

"I still think conventions become a very significant way that voters can tune into and see sort of the best arguments from each party for why they should elect a particular candidate," he said.

Still, it's no wonder — in a time of budget battles and questions about the relevance of big party nominating conventions — that spending some 18 million dollars in federal money per convention has now come to an end with the president's signature today. The money will instead be used to finance research on childhood diseases.

Stocks ease below record highs ahead of jobs news

NEW YORK -- Stocks are turning lower in midday trading after a four-day advance that brought the market to record highs.

Traders are looking ahead to the government's monthly survey of the job market. They hope to see more signs that the economy is picking up after an unusually cold winter.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell three points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,887 as of midday Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 12 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,559. The Nasdaq composite lost 25 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,251.

Barnes & Noble plunged 13 percent after Liberty Media said it was selling most of its stake in the bookseller.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.78 percent.

Experts: Texas lags in venture capital investment

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas is not getting its share of venture capital investment, but experts disagreed Thursday on how to remedy the problem.

Texas accounts for 9 percent of U.S. economic activity, according the Dallas Federal Reserve, but the state attracts only 5 percent of venture capital investments in emerging companies, said Craig Casselberry, president of the Texas Coalition for Capital, a nonprofit organization supporting long-term access to capital for Texas entrepreneurs.

"We need more of the early stage money here," he told the Texas House Economic and Small Business Development Committee. He said about 50 percent of the existing investments are made in Austin, where most of the state's technology startups are based.

House Speaker Joe Straus asked the committee to study venture capital investment in the state and compare it to what is happening elsewhere. The committee will draft legislation to be considered when the Legislature meets again in January to encourage greater investment in the state.

While California's Silicon Valley saw $12.3 billion in venture capital investment last year, Texas had only $1.3 billion, Casselberry said. Impediments included a lack of venture capital firms in Texas, the fact that oil and gas companies play such a large role in the state's economy and a shortage of companies to invest in that will produce the high return on investment the firms need in a relatively short period of time.

James Poage, president of San Antonio venture capital firm Startech International, said lawmakers could help by setting up a fund that would make small investments with taxpayer money to attract other venture capital early in a new businesses development. He said state government could also help investors finance the relocation of startup businesses to Texas.

But Bob Metcalfe, professor of innovation at the University of Texas at Austin, warned that government investment may discourage venture capitalists because too often there are strict rules that come with taxpayer money. He recommended additional financial support for research universities where many breakthroughs take place.

Offering a different perspective, Steven Minick from the Texas Association of Business, said lawmakers have discouraged investors from coming to Texas by failing to properly fund roads and water infrastructure and creating an uncertain investment environment when it comes to major construction projects.

"If I'm an investor, the first question is: 'When can I see a return on my investment?' And if it's between two and 10 years, that's not good enough," he said. "We've had investors pull out of major infrastructure investments because of uncertainty."

Lawmakers mostly listened and asked questions at the hearing and gave little indication of what step they may propose when the Legislature meets again in 2015.

NYC mayor appoints ex-banker to administration

NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is appointing a Wall Street ally to an important economic post in his administration.

De Blasio is a Democrat with a populist agenda. He did not gain much support from the city's bankers during his mayoral bid.

But on Thursday he named Michael Schlein (shlyn) to become chairman of the Economic Development Corporation.

That agency is a nonprofit arm of City Hall that negotiates with large corporations on issues like real estate.

Schlein was a senior executive at Citigroup before leaving for Accion (ak-see-OHN'), a microfinance firm that funds projects in poor countries.

De Blasio and Schlein were both aides to former Mayor David Dinkins.

Schlein's post is unpaid. The appointment was first reported by The New York Times.

Obama selfie: White House objects to Samsung use

WASHINGTON -- The White House is not amused that Samsung is promoting a selfie with the president taken by Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz on a Samsung phone.

Spokesman Jay Carney says the White House objects any time the president's image is used for commercial purposes. Carney says in this case, quote, "We certainly object."

Carney didn't say whether the White House has asked Samsung to stop using the image.

Ortiz tweeted the photo of him with President Barack Obama to followers Tuesday. It's been resent by tens of thousands of Twitter users, and Samsung retweeted the photo in an ad. The company also tweeted that the photo was taken with a Samsung phone.

Who's Who In Senate-CIA Report Showdown

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hide captionSenate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. speaks after a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday, as the panel voted to approve declassifying part of a secret report on Bush-era interrogations of terrorism suspects.

Molly Riley/AP

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. speaks after a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday, as the panel voted to approve declassifying part of a secret report on Bush-era interrogations of terrorism suspects.

Molly Riley/AP

The world could soon get its first official look at the CIA's post-Sept. 11 interrogation and detention activities now that the Senate Intelligence Committee has voted to make public a blockbuster report about the agency's secret program.

The Senate panel's move to declassify key parts of the 6,300-page document comes just weeks after a rancorous battle erupted between the committee's Democratic chair, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, and the CIA over allegations the agency spied on members through their computers.

Eleven senators voted to declassify, with three Republicans voting no — Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, James Risch of Idaho and Dan Coats of Indiana.

One senator, Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, voted present.

Efforts to lift the blackout on the report had been opposed by Republicans on the 15-member committee until Wednesday, when Maine's two senators — Republican Susan Collins and Independent Angus King — called for its release.

The senators suggested that the findings, though criticized by some GOP committee members as erroneous and based on unproven assumptions, "lead us to conclude that some detainees were subjected to techniques that constituted torture."

The report goes next to President Obama — who in 2009 ended the controversial interrogation program — for review before any findings are released.

Here's a look at some of the more prominent Senate voices in the unusually public fray over the controversial document, its partial release and the charged relationship between the CIA and the powerful committee.

Dianne Feinstein, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman

Feinstein stunned the intelligence community in early March when she took to the Senate floor and publicly denounced the CIA, alleging that the spy agency had searched the committee's computers and secretly removed documents relating to the report.

In what she described as a defining moment for congressional oversight of the CIA, Feinstein also charged that the agency had engaged in tactics of intimidation by asking the FBI to look into investigators methods and conducts. CIA Directory John Brennan has disputed her claims.

First elected to the Senate in 2002 — and a six-year chair of the intelligence committee — the California Democrat was a supporter of the Patriot Act and National Security Agency data collection.

Feinstein, 80, said this on the Senate floor about the CIA and release of the report:

"If the Senate can declassify this report, we will be able to ensure that an un-American, brutal program of detention and interrogation will never again be considered or permitted.

But Mr. President, the recent actions that I have just laid out make this a defining moment for the oversight of our Intelligence Community. How Congress responds and how this is resolved will show whether the Intelligence Committee can be effective in monitoring and investigating our nation's intelligence activities, or whether our work can be thwarted by those we oversee.

I believe it is critical that the committee and the Senate reaffirm our oversight role and our independence under the Constitution of the United States."

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman

Chambliss, the highest ranking Republican on the typically bipartisan committee, has been among its most vocal critics of the secret report and opponents of its declassification.

After Feinstein's comments on the Senate floor, Chambliss, who is retiring at the end of this session of Congress, took to the floor himself to respond, urging that intelligence business remain out of public view. He also suggested that Feinstein's accusations of computer snooping by the CIA are as yet unproven.

"Although people speak as though we know all the pertinent facts surrounding this matter, the truth is, we do not," he said.

The Georgia Republican reiterated his — and Republicans' — skepticism about the contents of the report:

"The Republican committee members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and staff were not involved in the underlying investigation of the detainee and interrogation report. We do not know the actual facts concerning the CIA's alleged actions or all of the specific details about the actions by the committee staff regarding the draft of what is now referred to as the Panetta internal review document. Both parties involved have made allegations against one another, and have speculated as to each other's actions. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions that must be addressed."

In the end, though, Chambliss voted to declassify.

"Today, I voted in favor of sending a portion of this majority report to the executive branch for declassification. Despite the report's significant errors, omissions, and assumptions—as well as a lot of cherry-picking of the facts—I want the American people to be able to see it and judge for themselves," he said in a statement.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller

Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat who is also retiring at the end of the session after three decades in the Senate, chaired the Intelligence Committee from 2007 to 2009. His 2007 order of a review of CIA records related to "enhanced" interrogation techniques and reports that the agency destroyed videotapes related to such interrogation eventually led to the massive report in question.

"There need to be an incredible number of reforms. That will catch us up to where we should have been 10 years ago," he told The Hill newspaper last month. Of the report he said: "The substance of this thing is so deep and so wide and so unknown to the American people."

Sen. Marco Rubio

Rubio, a potential GOP presidential contender in 2016, has called for an investigation into Feinstein's allegations of CIA spying, saying this during a Bloomberg interview:

"There should be an impartial investigation of it, and I think until that point people should reserve judgment. But I would just caution that I don't think anyone has a clean hand and I think it's important for the full truth to come out. I think people may be surprised to learn that, in this case, there were no good guys and maybe two or three bad ones.

The Florida Republican was one of only three Republicans to vote no.

Sen. Mark Udall

Udall, a Colorado Democrat, has been front and center on the issue of the report, and allegations that the CIA rooted through the committee's computers. He threatened to stall the nomination of the CIA's general counsel, and has alleged that the agency has provided the committee with conflicting accounts of its post-Sept. 11 activities.

In a letter last month to President Obama, Udall characterized the CIA's "actions to be incredibly troubling for the Committee's oversight responsibilities and for our democracy."

Sen. Susan Collins

Collins, a Maine moderate, was the first Republican committee member to publicly back release of portions of the secret review of CIA activities. She and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, released this statement Wednesday:

"We remain strongly opposed to the use of torture, believing that it is fundamentally contrary to American values. While we have some concerns about the process for developing the report, its findings lead us to conclude that some detainees were subjected to techniques that constituted torture. This inhumane and brutal treatment never should have occurred. Further, the report raises serious concerns about the CIA's management of this program.

"Our vote to declassify this report does not signal our full endorsement of all of its conclusions or its methodology. The report has some intrinsic limitations because it did not involve direct interviews of CIA officials, contract personnel, or other Executive branch personnel. It also, unfortunately, did not include the participation of the staff of Republican Committee members. We do, however, believe in transparency and believe that the Executive Summary, and Additional and Dissenting Views, and the CIA's rebuttal should be made public with appropriate redactions so the American public can reach their own conclusions about the conduct of this program.

"Torture is wrong, and we must make sure that the misconduct and the grave errors made in the CIA's detention and interrogation program never happen again."

North Adams hospital files for bankruptcy

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The parent company of North Adams Regional Hospital has filed for federal bankruptcy protection, even as efforts to re-open the emergency room continue.

The petition filed Thursday will lead to the liquidation and sale of the hospital's assets, and to the dissolution of Northern Berkshire Health Systems under the authority of a court-appointed trustee.

The Republican (http://bit.ly/1eesdbl ) reports that staff at Berkshire Medical Center will continue to prepare for the reopening of the emergency room within a week to 10 days because a Superior Court judge on Thursday extended his temporary restraining order giving BMC access to the building and medical records inside.

The North Adams hospital closed Friday after four days' notice, putting hundreds of people out of work and leaving thousands of residents without a nearby emergency room.

Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, http://bit.ly/1ovoIqT

Walgreen sells stake in worksite health business

NEW YORK -- Walgreen said Thursday that it is selling a majority stake in its worksite health center business to the private equity firm Water Street Healthcare Partners.

The Walgreen business is called Take Care Employer Solutions, and it manages health and wellness and fitness facilities at large employer campuses. As of Feb. 28, it had 366 centers around the country.

The companies did not disclose terms of the deal and Walgreen said it won't have much impact on its annual net income.

Walgreen said Water Street is also investing in a second worksite health company, CHS Health Services, and it will combine that company with Take Care. CHS runs about 130 facilities. The name of the new worksite health company has not been determined.

The deal does not include Walgreen Co.'s retail clinics, which were formerly called Take Care. Walgreen changed the name of that business to Healthcare Clinic in 2013.

Walgreen, of Deerfield, Ill., has 8,210 drugstores spread across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Its shares rose 65 cents to $67 in afternoon trading Thursday. Its shares are up almost 45 percent over the past year.

Woman sues employer, hours cut after MS diagnosis

BILLINGS, Mont. -- A former Helena employee of the Billings-based CTA Architects is suing the company, saying her hours were cut and her benefits eliminated after she informed the company that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was pregnant.

Michelle Campbell filed her lawsuit on March 26 in U.S. District Court in Helena, The Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/1hkdknC) reported Thursday. CTA President Scott Wilson said the company denies allegations of discrimination or wrongdoing.

It alleges that in January 2013, Campbell informed her office manager she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The manager suggested she get a second opinion, and a Seattle specialist confirmed the diagnosis of the disease in which the body's immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers the nerves.

In February 2013, Campbell informed CTA human resources that she had multiple sclerosis and was pregnant. Six weeks later, CTA cut her weekly work hours as administrative assistant from 40 to 16, thus eliminating all of her job benefits, the lawsuit alleges.

She was told the change was made "due to low projected work load in the coming months," the lawsuit said. However, in the following months, CTA's Helena office added at least two new employees, including a senior engineer whose hiring process had begun in February 2013. Wilson has said the company has 18 offices in the United States and Canada. Its website says it employs more than 360 people.

Campbell is seeking damages including coverage of more than $25,000 in outstanding medical bills, lost pay, reinstatement of benefits and damages for health problems exacerbated by her loss of benefits and resulting lack of medical treatment.

A Montana Human Rights Bureau investigation found "reasonable cause" to believe the company discriminated against Campbell because of her health conditions. That report was signed on Jan. 14, giving the parties 30 days to reach a settlement.

No settlement was reached, so the case is scheduled to be heard by a hearing examiner in October, said her attorney, Todd Shea of Bozeman.

Kentucky to offer bourbon tax credit

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- State lawmakers have effectively eliminated a tax on aging barrels of bourbon in a move to protect one of the state's signature industries.

Kentucky spends that tax money on public education, making it difficult to eliminate the tax completely. This week lawmakers approved a tax credit that would offset the cost of the tax. Public schools would still get their tax money, but overall state revenues would decrease by about $14 million in five years once the tax credit is fully implemented.

Kentucky distillers have increased their inventory of aging bourbon by more than 1 million barrels since 1999. State tax collections have more than doubled since then.

The law requires Kentucky distillers to spend the savings from the tax on improving facilities in Kentucky, including remodeling to promote tourism.

A Week Into His New Job, Controversy Forces Mozilla CEO To Resign

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hide captionMozilla co-founder Brendan Eich, in 2010.

Drew McLellan/Flickr

Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich, in 2010.

Drew McLellan/Flickr

The embattled co-founder of Mozilla and the creator of the JavaScript programming language, Brendan Eich, has stepped down from his new role as CEO of Mozilla, the nonprofit foundation and tech company behind the Firefox browser.

After being appointed to the chief position last week, Eich got embroiled in controversy that pitted the foundational values of his company — equal rights and free speech — against one another. In his private past, Eich had donated to Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. Several employees — and another Internet company, OKCupid — responded by saying this kind of position was hurtful and untenable for the leader of Mozilla.

The ensuing controversy led to a pitched and public back-and-forth featuring several "Mozillians," whose values of openness were on display as they wrestled with these issues in personal blog posts. In a blog post, the company and foundation explained Eich's decision this way:

"Mozilla prides itself on being held to a different standard and, this past week, we didn't live up to it. We know why people are hurt and angry, and they are right: it's because we haven't stayed true to ourselves.

"We didn't act like you'd expect Mozilla to act. We didn't move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We're sorry. We must do better.

"Brendan Eich has chosen to step down from his role as CEO. He's made this decision for Mozilla and our community."

What's next for the company's leadership isn't yet clear, Mozilla says it will make a decision about it in the coming weeks. Read the full Mozilla post.

Our original post on the controversy is here.

Mega-Donor Opens Wallet On The Hill To Kill Online Gambling

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Sheldon Adelson is possibly the most influential campaign donor in the U.S. He also happens to be the head of the Sands casino empire, and now he's behind a push in Congress to ban online gambling.

NPR Poll: GOP's Older Voter Advantage Slips From 4 Years Ago

hide captionA strong majority of young voters support the Affordable Care Act, according to a new NPR poll. In March 2014, models handed out juice shots to encourage individuals, especially young people to sign up for health insurance,

Brennan Linsley/AP

The new NPR poll had good news for Republicans and Democrats. As NPR correspondent Mara Liaisson reported for Morning Edition, likely voters were nearly split evenly between support and opposition to the Affordable Care Act, with 51 percent against and 47 percent for.

That could be interpreted by partisans on both sides as helpful to their cause. But there were other interesting tidbits from the poll conducted by firms led by Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg and Republican Whit Ayres. Here are five:

• Compared with 2010, Republicans had a significantly smaller percentage of people over 59 saying they would vote for a generic GOP congressional candidate instead of Democrat if the 2014 elections were held today. The Republican advantage was 10 percentage points in the recent poll. It was 21 points in 2010. Since older voters tend to vote at higher rates than other voters, this slippage could be bad news for Republicans, especially in places where races are expected to be close.


• A strong majority of young people (ages 18 to 29) said they supported the Affordable Care Act. Whether that translated into the sort of enrollment by young invincibles that will be vital to the success of the program is an open question. But that support level certainly makes it more instead of less likely.


• Congressional Democrats have more intense backing in their congressional districts for their embrace of the health law (support exceeded opposition by +17 points) than Republicans have in their districts for their hostility towards the law (+4 points). Given the intense opposition to the law among Republicans and even independents, it's surprising the pollsters didn't find more lopsided support for the Republican position in those districts.


• Assuming the economy will be a major factor in the midterm elections, Democrats have plenty of cause for worry, especially when it comes to political independents. Republicans have a 22-point advantage when it comes to which party independents agree with more. Republicans and Democrats run about even, with the GOP having a two-point edge, which is within the margin of error. Still, a tie on the question of which party would be better for the economy in the sixth year of a presidency, often a bad midterm year for the party that holds the White House. This Democratic trouble with independents increases the pressure on them to get as much of their Democratic base out to vote in November as possible.


• Voters are themselves apparently gridlocked about who's to blame for Washington gridlock. Forty-six percent blamed President Obama and Senate Democrats, while 45 percent blamed House Speaker John Boehner.