US businesses increased stockpiles 0.4 percent

WASHINGTON -- U.S. businesses boosted their stockpiles in February as sales rebounded by the largest amount in nine months.

Stockpiles increased 0.4 percent in February following a similar 0.4 percent increase in January, the Commerce Department reported Monday. Sales rose 0.8 percent in February, bouncing back after a 1.1 percent sales decline in January that was blamed on the harsh weather that month. It was the biggest one-month sales gain since last May.

A separate report showed a surge in sales at the retail level in March, providing support to the view that stronger consumer spending in coming months will encourage businesses to restock their shelves and provide a boost to the economy.

While the economy slowed in the January-March quarter, many economists are looking for a strong rebound in the current quarter.

The report on business inventories covers all kinds of stockpiles, including manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing.

Inventories held by manufacturers rose the most in February, a gain of 0.7 percent, while inventories at the wholesale level were up 0.5 percent. Stockpiles held by retailers were unchanged in February.

Many analysts believe that the economy, which grew at a 2.6 percent rate in the October-December quarter, slowed in the January-March period, to somewhere between 1 percent and 2 percent growth.

That forecast is based on a view that the harsh winter weather cut into various types of economic activity, from shopping at the mall to factory production. Some believe that adverse weather cut growth by about 1 percentage point in the first quarter, but will add 1 percentage point to activity in the April-June quarter as the economy is spurred by pent-up demand in such areas as auto sales.

Another factor that affected first-quarter growth is a slowdown in the pace of restocking following a huge surge last summer.

Inventory building contributed 1.6 percentage points to economic growth in the third quarter when the economy had grown at a 4.1 percent rate. By the fourth quarter, that contribution had dwindled to just 0.03 percentage points. Analysts are not looking for inventories to add much to first quarter growth.

But for the rest of the year, there is optimism that growth will rebound to a solid rate of around 3 percent. That could make 2014 the country's strongest year of growth since 2005.

Labor markets are improving. Employers added a solid 192,000 jobs in March, just below a revised 197,000 increase in February. Those gains suggest that the economy has recovered from the hiring slowdown caused by severe winter storms in December and January.

Lawyer for bin Laden son-in-law guilty in tax case

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The lawyer who represented Osama bin Laden's son-in-law at his recent terrorism trial pleaded guilty Monday in Syracuse to a federal charge of impeding the IRS.

Stanley Cohen, 63, of New York City, who was accused of underreporting cash payments from clients, entered the plea on the day his trial was scheduled to begin. He said the trial and any appeals would have been a "tremendous" financial burden.

Under the plea agreement, Cohen faces up to 18 months in prison at sentencing, which was scheduled for Aug. 21. He remains free until then. The plea agreement says he will admit in federal court in Manhattan, where his law practice is based, to misdemeanor charges of failing to file federal tax returns in 2006 and 2007.

He also will lose his law license but can reapply for it after he is out of prison.

"I plead to being an enemy of the fascist state," Cohen told The Associated Press on Monday after leaving court. "This I believe has been a massive witch hunt for more than a decade. And I believe, as much as anything, it was designed to buy up my time ... and get my license ... and to silence me."

Federal prosecutors said Cohen filed no state or federal tax returns for six years, requested a filing extension each year and made a modest payment toward taxes due and essentially kept no financial records while his bank accounts showed nearly $3.7 million in deposits.

"As citizens, we all have an obligation to pay our fair share of taxes needed to support the United States," U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian said. "Stanley Cohen sought to avoid his tax obligations. ... No citizen, especially an attorney, is above the law."

The agreement requires he provide timely and accurate tax information to the IRS for 2005 to 2010 and file federal and state tax returns for those years and pay any taxes, fines, penalties and interest owed.

Cohen says authorities filed the charges in retaliation for his criminal defense work that has included representing people charged with terrorism, about 30 cases total in the U.S. and 15 overseas. Cohen represented bin Laden son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who was convicted March 26 in Manhattan for his role as al-Qaida's chief spokesman.

He also has filed lawsuits against Israel for what he calls "the theft of Palestine" and says he probably has won more lawsuits against federal seizures than any other defense lawyer in northern New York. "There are a lot of federal agents that don't like me," he said.

Asked about the tax case, Cohen said he didn't file tax returns for five years but has filed extensions and made payments, kept cash in his safe and worked for clients on a barter basis. The government is accurately claiming that $3 million passed through his accounts but forgot to mention the $2.6 million in expenses, he said.

Sunni sheikh dies of wounds in Sidon shooting

BEIRUT: A Sunni Sheikh who was taken to hospital last week after being shot in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh has died of his wounds, security sources said Tuesday.

It said Sheikh Arsan Sleiman, an official in the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, succumbed at Hammoud hospital in the southern city of Sidon.

Sleiman was shot Wednesday as he was leaving a memorial service for Tarek Safadi, an aid worker who died in the crossfire during clashes at the Mieh Mieh camp on the outskirts of Sidon Monday.

Stocks move higher after a rough week; Citi gains

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks are higher in midday trading after the government reported that retail sales notched their biggest increase since 2012 in March.

Better-than-expected results from Citigroup helped ease worries that corporate earnings would be weak. Citi's stock rose 4 percent. Citi's solid quarter was a welcome surprise for investors following an earnings miss last week by JPMorgan Chase.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 17 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,832 as of noon Monday. The index lost 2.7 percent last week, its worst week since January.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 127 points, or 0.8 percent, to 16,155. The Nasdaq rose 48 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,048.

The Commerce Department reported that retail sales rose 1.1 percent last month. It also revised February's figure higher.

Congresswoman: 3,800 in New Hampshire owed refunds

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter says an estimated 3,800 people in New Hampshire are owed more than $3 million in unclaimed tax refunds.

To collect the refund, people who did not file a tax return for 2010 must file one with the IRS no later than Tuesday.

The Internal Revenue Service estimates the 3,800 people in New Hampshire did not file a federal income tax return for 2010 and are owed a median refund of $602. The total in unclaimed refunds is $3,245,000.

Shea-Porter says some people may not have filed because they had too little income to require filing even though they had taxes withheld or made quarterly estimated payments. In most cases, taxpayers have three years to claim a refund or the money goes to the U.S. Treasury.

Court says utilities can be charged for storm fund

BOSTON -- The state's highest court has upheld a law that allows Massachusetts utility regulators to charge electric companies for the costs of investigating major outages after storms.

The companies had challenged a provision that prohibited them from passing on the charges to ratepayers. But the Supreme Judicial Court, in its ruling on Monday, denied the claim by the utilities that the assessments amounted to an unconstitutional taking.

The 2012 law created a Storm Trust Fund to pay for investigations conducted by the Department of Public Utilities following widespread weather-related power outages. The agency can impose monetary penalties on electric companies if it finds problems with storm preparation or response.

The companies were assessed a total of about $191,000 for the fund in the last fiscal year.

BancorpSouth buying Louisiana-based insurance firm

TUPELO, Miss. -- BancorpSouth Insurance Services Inc., a subsidiary of BancorpSouth Bank, has agreed to acquire the assets of Lafayette, La.-based Knox Insurance Group LLC.

Financial terms of the pending transaction were not disclosed.

BancorpSouth officials say in a news release with the acquisition the company will expand its market share in Southwest Louisiana.

Knox Insurance Group was formed in 1972 and currently produces annual revenues of about $3 million.

For the past 15 years, Knox operated under the leadership of current owners/brokers Dwayne David and Randall Bonaventure. Knox will continue to operate under their leadership in its current location in Lafayette.

Knox has a diverse client base including agricultural processing, construction, energy, manufacturing, marine, medical, and transportation. Product specialties include workers' compensation, business auto, property and casualty and general/umbrella liability.

Gazette's Philipps wins Pulitzer for vets' stories

DENVER -- A Gazette journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting Monday said he hopes the honor will bring even more attention to traumatized combat veterans across the country who are struggling like the men he wrote about in Colorado Springs.

Dave Philipps' series, "Other than Honorable," focused on how the Army was discharging veterans, many of them with traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder, for misconduct. Their brain injuries made them more likely to get into trouble, but the discharges left them without lifetime military medical benefits to help them treat their injuries.

Philipps found that 13,000 veterans were discharged since 2006 under a provision called Chapter 10 — resignation in lieu of prosecution — also known as an other-than-honorable discharge.

Philipps, a native of Colorado Springs, has worked at The Gazette for 10 years. He was a Pulitzer finalist in 2010 for his series, "Casualties of War," about Fort Carson combat soldiers returning home from Iraq and committing crimes in the area, home to more than 50,000 combat troops.

Philipps was reached by telephone during a stopover as he traveled back to Colorado Springs from Washington, D.C., Monday. He said he learned of his prize moments before boarding his first flight and called the newsroom to share in the celebrations. He had not had time to speak to any of the three men on whom he focused for his story, veterans with whom he keeps in regular touch. Since his stories were published, he said he has heard from veterans across the country with similar experiences.

"I hope that the new exposure causes Congress to take another look at this issue," Philipps said, adding that the military still had work to do to understand the problem.

The series led U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., to initiate congressional hearings into the issue. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced a bill calling for a Government Accountability Office investigation.

Joe Hight, editor of The Gazette, said it can be difficult to report critically on the military in a community surrounded by military installations, with a readership that includes active and retired service members. But he said while reaction to Philipps' articles included questioning of how much the soldiers involved had suffered as a result of PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, high-ranking officers also said the stories showed soldiers needed help.

"That's why journalism is still needed in our society," Hight said.

Hight said one of the subjects of the stories has since gotten benefits from Veterans Affairs and is off the streets. The man had been homeless, and in and out of emergency rooms because of seizures he started suffering after being injured by a roadside bomb.

Hight cited other stories by Philipps, including his revelation of a secret network of cadet informants at the Air Force Academy that reported on misconduct among students.

"I've seen a lot of people who really appreciate the watchdog reporting we've done on the military," Hight said.

Hight said key members of the team behind the story, including Managing Editor Joanna Bean and photographer Michael Ciaglo, shared a bottle of champagne.

"It's a great day here, and hopefully it will be a great day someday for these soldiers," Hight said.

Lebanon's Arabic press digest – Apr. 15, 2014

The following are a selection of stories from Lebanese newspapers that may be of interest to Daily Star readers. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

Al-Mustaqbal

Hariri meets Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz to congratulate him

Pay scale lingers .... Security plan for Beirut this week

It seems that the salary raise issue remains in play after the pay hike draft law was supposed to enter a decisive phase today in Parliament’s assembly, parliamentary sources told Al-Mustaqbal.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Monday Saudi Arabia's Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, a former intelligence chief who was recently appointed deputy crown prince, and congratulated him on the new his new post.

Al-Mustaqbal has learned that as part of the government-approved security plan for north and east Lebanon, the plan is expected to expand to the capital, Beirut, before the end of this week.

Al-Joumhouria

Ahmad Hariri to Al-Joumhouria: Why didn’t Aoun nominate himself for the presidency yet?

Future Movement secretary-general Ahmad Hariri said there is no openness or bilateral meetings with Hezbollah.

However, Future Movement’s relationship with the Free Patriotic Movement is different, Hariri said during an interview with Al-Joumhouria, citing FPM head Michel Aoun’s openness to dialogue and his condemnation of Hezbollah’s role in Syria.

With regards to the presidential election, Hariri wondered why Aoun has not yet nominated himself.

As-Safir

Electricity maintenance workers strike today, to resume open-ended strike after Easter

Lebanon has two choices: position upgrade or darkness!

Starting Tuesday, Lebanon enters “electricity chaos” as Electricite Du Liban maintenance workers go on a two-day strike. They will resume an open-ended strike after the Easter holiday, demanding their positions be upgraded.

As-Safir has learned that work stoppage at the beleaguered EDL for two consecutive days is likely to lead to power cuts in several areas. Union sources warned that Lebanon would plunge into darkness should the open-ended strike go ahead.

More to follow ...

Indiana officials consider funding for adoptions

INDIANAPOLIS -- After about a year of fostering toddler Antoinette, Jackie Townsend adopted the 5-year-old she describes as the "prettiest little thing."

That was five years ago, and the Fort Wayne woman has spent the entire time on a waiting list for a state adoption subsidy that has never been paid.

Meanwhile, the Department of Child Services has returned tens of millions in unspent money to the General Fund; lawmakers have cut taxes for corporations and built a nearly $2 billion surplus.

"I love children, but people need a little help," Townsend told The Journal Gazette (http://bit.ly/1p3hzy7), noting the typical needs of a growing child — food, clothing, school activities and braces. "If there was funding, I definitely think more people would adopt."

Townsend, 53, continues to foster kids through ResCare Youth Services in Fort Wayne, but hopes legislators will reconsider their decision on the subsidy in the 2015 budget session. The amount of money could be as little as $20 a day, depending on the special needs of the child.

"There are so many children out there that really need a good home," she said. "I hope my prayers will be answered and the funding will come through."

Gov. Mike Pence supported a new state adoption credit earlier this year and says he wants to make Indiana the most pro-adoption state in America. But he is staying mum on whether his administration will provide money for the state adoption subsidy.

"We also have initiated a blue-ribbon panel to examine adoption policies in Indiana and other states and I'm confident that topic will be among those discussed," he said. "I'm very anxious to identify policies — including resources — that will achieve my objective."

But at least one budget steward — Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville — hasn't been convinced.

Two years ago he had a special hearing on the topic, and administration officials said Indiana adoptive parents are receiving other services outside the subsidy that make up for it.

"It's worthwhile to review all sides of the issue," he said. "But if it's just an effort to promote cash payments without evaluating the other services and the rate of adoptions, then I won't be too interested. If the adoption rate is falling, I'm open to it."

Adoption data on the DCS website stopped being updated in April 2012. That year ended with 1,282 adoptions. In 2013, the number dropped to 1,033, DCS spokesman James Wide said. That number is down from a high of almost 1,800 adoptions in 2011.

The 2013 number is the lowest since 2005.

"I personally have not been privy to DCS stats for a number of years," said Chris Morrison, executive director of the Indiana Foster Care and Adoption Association. "I suspect it will show adoptions have gone down based on anecdotal evidence and lack of resources."

Cathleen Graham, executive director of IARCCA, an association of children and family services, said it's a necessary program that should be funded.

"Almost every child that comes through DCS is special needs in some way. The goal of the subsidy is to encourage Hoosiers to adopt them," she said. "The parents are typically working-class, middle-class families, and these children have extraordinary needs. They can't afford to adopt without some assistance."

A restrictive federal adoption subsidy exists, and is slowly being widened. The state contributes to paying part of that subsidy.

But those who are ineligible for that program rely on state subsidies, according to Sen. John Broden, D-South Bend. He said all but Indiana and possibly one other state provide the state subsidy.

Before the Indiana General Assembly reformed property taxes, there was a county adoption subsidy paid at the local level. Then legislators took over the child welfare costs and raised the sales tax to cover that program and all school operating costs.

Somewhere in the shuffle, though, the state abandoned actually paying the subsidy for new adoptions. Those adoptions under the old county system have been grandfathered.

Starting in 2009, new families sign a contract with the state that talks about a subsidy possibly being available when funding is provided. And they are placed on a waiting list for the state subsidy — up to 1,400 children now. The children are also eligible for Medicaid while on the waiting list.

"It's kind of a game," Morrison said. "We have a program and a waiting list. And some magic day maybe you might get help, if your kids aren't grown by then."

She said most of the children being adopted from the state are special needs, either because of physical and emotional needs or being in sibling groups.

"A decade of research says the availability of a subsidy helps kids leave the foster system and achieve permanence," Morrison said, noting it costs the state more to keep a child in foster care than to pay an adoption subsidy.

That is why Broden filed a bill this year to mandate the subsidy. That would cost between $8 million and $26 million annually. But because it was a non-budget year, the bill didn't receive a hearing.

Previous DCS Director Jim Payne said people adopt out of love — not money — and that adoptions were up despite the lack of the subsidy.

Wide said the agency has just started reviewing next year's budget request and hasn't finalized any decisions on the program.

New DCS Director Mary Beth Bonaventura is on record supporting adoptive parents and trying to get as many tools as they need to help, he said.

But Wide focused on the help the adoptive parents are receiving — Medicaid and a one-time adoption expense of $1,500.

"Most kids do qualify for the federal adoption subsidy, so it's not a lot who aren't receiving any funding," Wide said. "I know it's a big thing, but it's just not there at this time."

---

Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://bit.ly/1eJmNnu

This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Journal Gazette.

Court papers disclose new details in Barron case

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- A new court filing in the criminal case against a former state Senate leader and his aide discloses new information the state attorney general's office would have presented if the case had gone to trial Monday.

The trial of Lowell Barron and aide Jill Johnson got postponed indefinitely because Attorney General Luther Strange's office asked a state appeals court on Friday to review a ruling by the trial judge. Circuit Judge Randall Cole ruled that prosecutors could present evidence about whether Barron and Johnson had a personal relationship, but they couldn't present evidence about whether they had a romantic relationship. Prosecutors said barring the testimony would be fatal to their case because it is needed to show motive, and that's why they filed a last-minute appeal to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

The appeal resulted in the postponement of the trial that was scheduled to start Monday morning in Fort Payne.

In response, Barron said the attorney general sought the delay "because he has no case."

Barron and Johnson were indicted a year ago by a DeKalb County grand jury on ethics and campaign finance charges accusing them of misusing $58,000 in campaign donations and a campaign car from Barron's unsuccessful re-election bid in 2010. Johnson worked on Barron's Senate staff before moving to his campaign staff for the 2010 election.

In court hearings, prosecutors have said Barron's campaign provided $58,000 to Johnson, which she used to help pay off a credit card bill and a home loan Barron provided to her.

But court papers the attorney general's staff filed with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals go into much more detail.

They say:

—In October 2008, Barron gave Johnson an interest-free $100,000 loan to purchase a home.

—In September 2009, the Barron for Senate Campaign wrote her a $6,000 check and Barron wrote her a personal check for $6,800. Within one week, Johnson paid off her credit card bills totaling $12,400.

—From October 2008 until December 2010, Johnson paid Barron $2,000 per month toward repayment of the home loan.

—Beginning in September 2010, Johnson began to receive regular payments from Barron's Senate campaign. On Oct. 1, 2010, Johnson received a $2,000 payment from the Senate campaign, which Johnson and then Barron endorsed and deposited into Barron's personal bank account.

—Barron lost his re-election campaign on Nov. 2, 2010. In January 2011, the balance on Johnson's loan from Barron was $50,000. On Jan. 6, 2011, the Barron campaign issued her a check for $50,000. The same day, she wrote a $50,000 check to Barron, which was deposited into Barron's personal checking account.

—Barron's campaign also transferred a 2007 Camry to Johnson in July 2010.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Barron said the $50,000 was a campaign bonus and it was no different than the bonus Strange gave a campaign staff member after the 2010 election.

"He knows that we were prepared to show that he has charged me with doing something that is ordinary and customary in campaigns and elections — no different than what he has done in the past himself," Barron said.

Barron's attorneys have stated in court the relationship between Barron and Johnson was always professional.

Barron, a 71-year-old Democrat from Fyffe, served 28 years in the Senate and held leadership positions before losing to Republican Shadrack McGill in 2010.

WebMd and Citigroup are big market movers

NEW YORK -- Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Monday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market:

NYSE

Edwards Lifesciences Corp., up $8.03 to $81

A court reaffirmed an earlier ruling that Medtronic's CoreValve system infringes on a patent held by the medical device maker.

Citigroup Inc., up $1.99 to $47.67

Profits topped Wall Street expectations as the bank distances itself from mortgages that soured during the housing downturn.

Goodrich Petroleum Corp., up $5.56 to $23.96

The independent driller completed its Blades 33H-1 well in Louisiana, which is producing more than 1,200 barrels of oil equivalent a day.

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd., up $4.40 to $43.77

A rarity in the re-insurance world, Endurance Specialty Holdings is offering to take over the company in a cash-and-stock deal.

Nasdaq

WebMD Health Corp., up $6.20 to $43.87

The health website operator said it expects to report strong first-quarter results at the end of April.

Twitter Inc., up 82 cents to $40.87

The company says its CEO Dick Costolo and co-founders Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams have no plans to sell any of their shares when its post-IPO lock-up expires on May 5.

PriceSmart Inc., up $1.63 to $94.35

Roth Capital Partners says a sell-off of shares in the warehouse club was overdone, and that the World Cup will drive business.

F5 Networks Inc., up $4.04 to $107.05

Stifel Nicolaus noted the rising number of million-dollar deals closed by the networking company, and issued an upgrade.

Review: Siri-like Cortana fills Windows phone gap

NEW YORK -- "Yay, it's Nick! How can I help?"

Thanks for asking, Cortana. And thanks for making the Windows phone software better, Microsoft.

With the new Cortana virtual assistant, Windows catches up with Apple's iOS and Google's Android in a major way. Microsoft takes some of the best parts of Apple's and Google's virtual assistants and adds a few useful tools of its own. The result is Cortana, named after an artificial-intelligence character in Microsoft's "Halo" video games.

The new Windows system, Windows Phone 8.1, has several other new features, which I'll review separately Tuesday.

The update, including Cortana, will come with new phones starting next month, while existing phones will be able to download it for free in the coming months. On Monday, Microsoft is making a preview version available to software developers. I was able to test that version over the past week.

Apple's Siri virtual assistant on iPhones and iPads has a feisty personality. She has good comebacks for such questions as, "What is the meaning of life?" She's also helpful with directions, restaurant recommendations and appointment reminders. Google Now on Android phones is boring by comparison, but it's better at anticipating your needs and giving you information before you even ask.

Cortana combines Siri's personality with Google Now's knack for anticipation.

Cortana also incorporates a feature for blocking calls, texts and notifications during times of your choosing, while letting you set exceptions for specific people or emergencies (defined as someone trying to call again within three minutes). That feature is separate on iPhones and Samsung's Android phones. Cortana will also identify the name of songs heard in a retail store or bar, while you need separate apps such as SoundHound or Shazam on other phones.

Other differences include:

— Cortana asks rather than assumes.

When you first use Cortana, she guides you through a brief questionnaire to gauge your interests. You can tap an icon on the top right to pull down a notebook and change your preferences.

Cortana also offers to scan your email for flights and other events to remind you about. Unlike Google Now, Cortana asks whether you'd like that flight tracked. Google Now does that automatically and erroneously picks up itineraries that your travel companions send you. Also, Google Now works only with Gmail, while Cortana works with all major services except Yahoo, which Microsoft says it couldn't track because of Yahoo's terms of service.

Although Cortana avoids mistakes by asking, she requires slightly more work on your part. After asking Cortana about the latest Mets game, I had to tap a link to get future updates automatically. I didn't have to do anything with Google Now. But Google Now also assumes that just because I search for a company once, I want its stock quote every day.

— Cortana lets you ask follow-up questions.

After asking Cortana for Mexican restaurants, I asked for ones that are open and got my list narrowed. I then asked for the ones that are good. Cortana responded with the Mexican restaurants that are both open and have at least four stars on Yelp.

Siri and Google Now tend to treat each request as new, though both will let you make reservations through OpenTable. Cortana tells you only that a place takes reservations.

— Cortana offers more ways to set reminders.

Like Siri and Google Now, Cortana lets you set reminders based on the time. Like Google Now, Cortana also lets you set reminders based on location. When you arrive at work, for instance, she can remind you to mail a package.

Unlike the others, Cortana also lets you set people-based reminders. Let's say your friend Mary just had a baby. You can ask Cortana to remind you to mention that the next time you call, text or email Mary.

Some of the interactions got frustrating until I manually added my work and home addresses to Cortana's notebook.

Me: "Remind me to turn off the stove when I get home."

Cortana: "All right, where should I remind you?"

Me: "Home."

Cortana: "OK, what should I remind you about?"

Me: "Turn off the stove."

Cortana: "When would you like to be reminded?"

Me: "When I get home."

Cortana: "Sure, remind you when you get to home. Is this the one you want?"

The suggestion wasn't for my home but "Home Restaurant."

Microsoft says Cortana will figure out where you work and live over time.

Cortana is still in a "beta" test mode, so these kinks are to be expected.

Cortana is fine for basic queries, though sometimes you have to ask a few times. In requesting directions, I sometimes get a simple Web search for my destination address. But repeating the address then gets me actual step-by-step directions.

I asked all three virtual assistants on Friday whether I needed an umbrella. Siri and Google Now both told me I didn't, based on the fact that it wasn't raining. Cortana answered, "I'm not entirely certain." All three then presented a forecast.

By Sunday, Cortana seemed to have figured out I didn't need an umbrella. But I asked the same question 10 minutes later and got Web results for "Do I need an umbrella?"

Both Siri and Google gave me movie times when I asked, "When is 'Frozen' showing?" Clicking on a time took me to a ticketing service. Cortana simply conducted a Web search.

Cortana warns me of conflicts when adding a calendar event, but the warning comes after the fact as a "by the way." Siri warns me ahead of time, while Google Now offers no warning at all.

Ask Cortana to "tell me a joke," and she tries to text "a joke" to my cellphone, or "Me" in the address book. Cortana also won't compose email. Siri and Google Now do both email and texts.

These are all small points that I'm sure Microsoft will address over time. The company plans to keep Cortana in beta and limited to the U.S. until the second half of the year, when the assistant will also debut in the U.K. and China.

Perhaps by then, Microsoft will offer a male voice, the way Apple now does with Siri.

In the meantime, enjoy interacting with Cortana. You can ask her to sing a song.

Cortana's improvements over Siri and Google Now aren't enough to compel a switch from an iPhone or Android phone, but Cortana does address an omission in Windows Phone for those already thinking of getting one.

Bitter court feud over sweet Vidalia onions

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- No Vidalia onion will be harvested before its time. So says the agricultural commissioner who claims farmers should face fines for shipping one of Georgia's premier crops too early, potentially threatening their renowned sweet, delectable taste.

But one of the state's most prominent farmers is going to court to fight the new rules, claiming the commissioner is overstepping his bounds and that onions are being shipped only when they're ready and only after federal inspectors give the high sign.

Gary Black, the state's Republican agriculture commissioner, says early sales of unripe onions are threatening the Vidalia's reputation as a rare onion that's so sweet it can be eaten raw like an apple. Black spent the past 18 months working with farmers on a new rule that prohibits packaging Vidalia onions for shipping before the last full week of April.

A judge in Atlanta struck down the rule last month, saying Black overstepped his authority trying to protect the $150 million onion crop. Still, the commissioner says he still plans to enforce the restriction while the state appeals. Any farmer who ships onions before the official start date next Monday faces fines of up to $5,000 per bag or box, and could be banned from selling onions under the Vidalia trademark in the future

As a grower with roughly 3,000 acres invested in Vidalia onions, Delbert Bland insists his three decades in the business make him — and not the agriculture commissioner or other farmers — the best judge of when his onions are ready to come out of the ground. He won the first round of court battles with help from Atlanta attorney Mike Bowers, Georgia's former attorney general. Now they're scheduled to return to court Tuesday on Bland's home turf of Tattnall County, where Bland is asking a judge to stop Black from enforcing the packaging date until the appeals get resolved.

"I've been doing this for 30 years and I've tried to be respectful and nice about it," Bland said Monday. "But he's gone way beyond his duties as commissioner of agriculture."

Vidalia onions shipped across the world come from just 20 counties in southeast Georgia, where low-sulfur soil and other factors are credited with giving them a sweetness that's been touted by farmers since the 1930s. About 200 million pounds of the onions come out of the ground in this region every year.

State and federal laws protecting the Vidalia onion trademark have been in effect since the late 1980s. Georgia law gives the agriculture commissioner powers that include setting a shipping date in consultation with farmers. But it also allows growers to ship onions earlier if federal inspectors give them a U.S. 1 grade.

Black says earlier sales have given rise to complaints of slipping quality, that the onions aren't as sweet or as firm as they should be and half a shorter shelf life. The commissioner said he spoke to a group of accountants three weeks ago and one of them asked: "When are you going to do something about these Vidalia onions? Because they're nothing like they used to be 20 years ago."

Working with Vidalia growers, the state agriculture department developed a rule that virtually eliminated early shipments by stating no onions could be packed for sale before the last full week in April, unless there was a consensus crops had ripened sooner. Many growers supported the move, saying it was needed to protect the crops' quality.

"We believe this is going to work," Black said in a phone interview Monday. "There may be some nuances that could be altered in the rule in the future, but our commitment to the growers was to help them solve this issue. We have a major responsibility to ensure the consumer can trust in that trademark."

Bland said he was already boxing onions and meeting with U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors Monday for his first shipment of the year.

He said he typically ships up to 150,000 boxes during the first week of the season, and being prohibited from selling onions he believes are ready for market would cost him serious money.

"If you went through a lifetime to develop a product that people would want, who would lose the most if you shipped it immature?" Bland said. "Onions are the type of commodity that, when they're mature and ready, you've got to harvest them. If you leave them in the field, they're going go bad."

Hoeven: BNSF pledges to speed fertilizer delivery

BISMARCK, N.D. -- BNSF Railway Co. has promised to add more trains to ensure timely delivery of fertilizer for spring planting, Sen. John Hoeven said Monday.

The North Dakota Republican said BNSF Executive Chairman Matt Rose told him over the weekend that the railroad "will dedicate additional resources and crews to get fertilizer to North Dakota producers faster."

Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, said the state's current fertilizer supplies aren't adequate and some producers are struggling to find product.

"If they can't be supplemented, there is a potential for shortages across the state and that's a big deal," said Watne, whose group has about 40,000 members. "Some co-ops have quit pre-selling fertilizer because they can't guarantee delivery."

North Dakota farmers each year use about 800,000 tons of nitrogen-based fertilizer to help increase production of wheat, corn and other crops, said Dave Franzen, a soil science specialist at North Dakota State University. Almost all fertilizer that comes to North Dakota is imported, he said.

Without sufficient fertilizer supplies, "a lot of people are going to be in trouble," Franzen said.

Increased crude oil and freight shipments largely have been blamed for causing the rail delays. BNSF has said that rail service has been backlogged because of bad winter weather.

Hoeven and BNSF said in statements that the railroad would dedicate trains specifically for fertilizer.

"BNSF understands the importance of ensuring the fluidity of the supply chain during this critical period," the company's statement said. "All of our operating teams are focused on and dedicated to providing the level of service our customers expect and we are committing the resources required to accomplish this effort."

BNSF is based in Fort Worth, Texas, but is part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., based in Omaha, Neb. The railroad is the biggest player in the rich oil fields of Montana and North Dakota, hauling the bulk of the crude out of the region and the inbound freight that supports oil drilling.

Facing increased criticism for allegedly choosing oil shipments over agriculture, the railroad in February said it was adding 5,000 railcars, 125 temporary locomotives and 250 temporary workers in North Dakota to help clear the backlog of the state's grain shipments.

Watne, the Farmers Union president, said grain shipments were still a month behind schedule on Monday, adding to the costs for grain elevators and agricultural producers.

GM replacing communications, human resources heads

DETROIT -- General Motors is replacing its chiefs of communications and human resources.

The company says communications head Selim Bingol and human resources chief Melissa Howell are leaving GM to pursue other interests.

GM named John Quattrone to replace Howell. No replacement has been named for Bingol.

The company is struggling with a series of embarrassing recalls, including 2.6 million small cars worldwide due to a faulty ignition switches. GM says at least 13 deaths have been linked to the ignition switch problem. Family members of those killed say the death toll is much higher.

Deficit Forecasts Shaved, But Likely Won't Shrink Much Longer

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said Monday that it expects the federal deficit will be about $22 billion less this fiscal year than previously thought, and about $9 billion less than had been anticipated next year.

"But if current laws do not change," CBO warned, "the period of shrinking deficits will soon come to an end. Between 2015 and 2024, annual budget shortfalls are projected to rise substantially — from a low of $469 billion in 2015 to about $1 trillion from 2022 through 2024 — mainly because of the aging population, rising health care costs, an expansion of federal subsidies for health insurance, and growing interest payments on federal debt."

Still, CBO also said that while deficits are going to start rising again unless lawmakers act, the increases in those annual shortfalls between revenue and spending will likely be less than it had been predicting as recently as February. It gives the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare as it is known) some of the credit:

"The projected cumulative deficit from 2015 through 2024 is $286 billion less than it was in February: Though projected revenues are slightly below the amounts that were previously reported, projected outlays have dropped by more, largely because of lower subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CBO also projects slightly lower outlays for Medicare, the Supplemental Nutrition Assis-tance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps), defense, and net interest."

Also Monday, CBO said it had not changed its economic projections. It still expects gross domestic product will grow 3.1 percent from the end of 2013 through 2014, and 3.4 percent next year. The unemployment rate may remain relatively high, however. The jobless rate, which stood at 6.7 percent in March, will only dip to 6.3 percent by the end of 2015 if CBO's forecast is correct.

Baton Rouge officials object to landfill approval

BATON ROUGE, La. -- A Baton Rouge official wants to consider suing to block an industrial waste landfill in north Baton Rouge.

City-parish Councilman Trae Welch told The Advocate (http://bit.ly/1ngQJOr) that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality should appear before the council to explain its approval of the landfill when "every single elected body went on record saying they did not want it."

DEQ granted a landfill permit to Louisiana Land Acquisitions after two previous unsuccessful attempts.

Although DEQ has yet to release anything publicly about the permit approval, Sam Phillips, DEQ assistant secretary, confirms the agency approved the permit April 4.

The Louisiana Land Acquisitions site was built to accept hazardous waste from the nearby Petro-Processors of Louisiana Superfund site.

However, before the pit could be used, the agreement to clean up the site changed and the landfill was no longer needed.

Since then, the pit has been empty and filling with rainwater.

Louisiana Land Acquisitions first applied for a landfill permit in 1997, under a slightly different name. However, DEQ denied it in 2000 after finding the application to be technically deficient.

The company applied for a permit again in 2008, but it was denied because DEQ determined there was already enough capacity in industrial waste landfills in nearby parishes.

The company sued. But before the case could go to trial, the company asked for a chance to resubmit its application.

The current permit addressed problems cited in the previous permit by including changes to the proposed landfill service area and in the landfill's capacity.

Tim Hardy, attorney for Louisiana Land Acquisitions, Inc., said the company's owners are pleased by DEQ's decision to approve the landfill permit.

He said the company owners believe "it's important that they operate this facility within all the rules and regulations and with respect to the community."

The area is zoned correctly for use as the industrial landfill, Hardy said, adding that the landfill is a mile from the nearest residence and the material it will accept will be nonhazardous.

"It's the only landfill in the parish that will accept industrial waste," Hardy said.

World stocks recover after strong US data

LONDON -- Global stock markets recovered Monday as strong economic and corporate news from the U.S. offset concerns about the crisis in Ukraine.

A 1.1 percent rise in U.S. retail sales in March — the biggest in 18 months — boosted sentiment, as did better-than-expected earnings from Citigroup bank.

Investors had earlier been cautious, selling off stocks in Europe, on concern of a flare-up in Ukraine's crisis. The country said Sunday it was sending troops to try to quash a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Moscow of instigating the protests. That raised the prospect of more sanctions against Russia, possibly affecting the valuable energy trade.

In Europe, Germany's DAX was down 0.2 percent to 9,296.07 and France's CAC-40 was flat at 4,364.04. They were not supported by data showing industrial production rose 0.2 percent in February. Though the rise was up from no growth in January, it is still relatively weak.

Britain's FTSE 100 dropped 0.1 percent to 6,556.10. Russia's MICEX index suffered most, dropping 1.5 percent.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.5 percent to 16,103.14 while the broader S&P 500 rose the same rate to 1,824.99.

Investors have been cautious for the past week in the U.S. due to suggestions that technology stocks were overvalued. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index was up 0.4 percent on Monday.

Earlier, in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 shed 0.4 percent to close at 13,910.16 and Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 1.3 percent to 5,358.9. China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was little changed at 2,131.54 while Seoul's Kospi held steady at 1,997.02.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was the region's only major gainer, rising 0.2 percent to 23,048.40.

In other markets, benchmark U.S. crude for May delivery was up 10 cents to $103.84. The dollar rose to 101.77 yen from 101.63 yen late Friday. The euro fell to $1.3820 from $1.3852.

Twitter CEO, co-founders not selling stock

NEW YORK -- Twitter says its CEO Dick Costolo and co-founders Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams have no plans to sell any of their shares when the company's post-IPO lock-up expires on May 5.

Lock-up periods prevent company insiders from selling stock following an initial public offering. Twitter went public on Nov. 7, pricing its stock at $26 per share. The stock later soared as high as $74.73. On Monday, the stock was trading at $40.49, up about 1 percent.

Twitter Inc., based in San Francisco, also said Monday that Benchmark Capital also doesn't have plans to sell stock before or immediately after May 5. Peter Fenton, a general partner at Benchmark, is on Twitter's board.

Altria sells idled NC cigarette plant for $68.5M

RICHMOND, Va. -- The owner of the nation's biggest tobacco company, Philip Morris USA, has sold a North Carolina cigarette plant it idled in 2009.

Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc. said Monday that the property in Cabarrus County was sold last week to Victory Industrial Park LLC.

The property includes 3.5 million square feet of buildings, including the old cigarette manufacturing facility, warehouses and a utility plant. According to county records, it was sold for $68.5 million.

In 2009, Altria closed the factory that employed 2,500 and moved all of its cigarette manufacturing to its Richmond plant to bring its capacity in line with falling demand for cigarettes industrywide.

The maker of Marlboro cigarettes in the U.S. saw its overall volumes decline about 4 percent to 129.3 billion cigarettes last year.

Endurance offers to buy Aspen Insurance for $3.2B

PEMBROKE, Bermuda -- Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. says it has proposed to buy Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. in a deal worth about $3.2 billion after being snubbed by the fellow insurance company.

Endurance says Aspen's board and management have refused to discuss the possible acquisition since January.

Representatives from Aspen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Endurance told Aspen's board of directors that it's offering $47.50 for each share of the company. That's a nearly 21 percent increase from Aspen's closing price of $39.37 on Friday. For each Aspen share, shareholders can select cash, 0.8826 of an Endurance share or a combination.

In morning trading, Aspen shares are up $6.03, or 15.3 percent, to $45.40. Endurance shares slipped $1.42, or 2.6 percent, to $52.40.

Both insurance companies are based in Bermuda.

EU officials looking for exit from Ukraine crisis

LUXEMBOURG -- European Union foreign ministers are deploring what they say is more Russian interference in Ukraine, but hoping an end to the crisis can still be peacefully negotiated.

The 28 ministers, meeting Monday in Luxembourg, could add more names to a list of Russian officials whose assets in EU member nations have been frozen. But a dramatic ratcheting up of the trade bloc's sanctions against Russia isn't expected.

Frans Timmermans, the Dutch foreign minister, told reporters: "I think it would be too early today. But I think we need to be well prepared."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the well-coordinated actions of armed pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine during the previous 48 hours left no real doubt "this is something that is being planned and brought about by Russia."

Lebanon objects to Arab League final statement

BEIRUT: Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil Monday voiced his country’s reservation and opposition to a recent resolution by the Arab League that he said failed to mention the Palestinian right of return, a crucial item for Lebanon.

During a news conference, Bassil said the ministry sent a letter of objection to the regional organization and held contacts with its head, Nabil Arabi, and the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry to amend the statement, which was released on April 9.

“We gladly accepted the Arab League invitation to listen to the president of Palestine on developments in the negotiations with the Israeli side under the sponsorship of the U.S.,” Bassil told reporters.

“In that ministerial meeting, we supported the decisions which were expected to be in the final statement because it preserved the tripartite formula of the Arab Peace Initiative,” he said, referring to the need for Israel to withdrawal to the 1967 borders, the establishment of a Palestinian state and the right of refugees to return.

However, he added: “We were surprised to see that the right of return, or at least rejection of nationalization in Lebanon, was dropped from the final statement ... therefore, we announce our reservation and opposition against what happened."

Lebanon hosts more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees, many of whom live in a number of camps across the country.

“The right of return is a permanent Lebanese stance and that position can change if [Palestinians] abandon such a right. Lebanon's stance, then, will be outright rejection of nationalization,” he said.

Bassil argued that the right to return is guaranteed on the domestic, regional and international levels, citing decisions and agreements that oppose such a move.

The Lebanese Constitutional forbids nationalization, Bassil said, adding that such a move would damage the country’s demography.

He also cited Articles 2 and 4 of the Arab Peace Initiative, which he said guaranteed an opposition against attempts to nationalize Palestinians.

“Internationally, Article 11 of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194 stipulates that refugees seeking to return should be allowed to, and compensation would be paid for those who decide to stay,” Bassil said.

“This represents the biggest obstacle for people attempting to impose nationalization in Lebanon. There is no power in the world that can change the will of two peoples [Palestinian and Lebanese] in solidarity over a rightful issue

“This also means that Lebanon is not concerned with any other agreement between Palestine and Israel,” Bassil said, adding that international law stipulates that any agreement between countries cannot be imposed on a state that is not a signatory party.

“The world will never understand the right to return in light of Israel’s stubbornness unless it threatens international peace and stability. Consequently, If Israel continues as such then the goal of the United States for stability in Lebanon will not be achieved,” he said.

Connecting Young African Leaders with the U.S. and One Another

What do you do when nearly 50,000 young Africans apply for 500 spaces in President Obama’s inaugural Washington Fellowship program, the opportunity for young African leaders to learn new skills and build lasting partnerships in the United States?

President Obama announced his answer to this question today:

The Young African Leaders Initiative Network – or YALI Network – is a virtual community that connects young African leaders with resources from the U.S. government and to one another. Thousands of young Africans have already joined the YALI Network. They have participated in virtual programs, signed up for online courses, and are eager to shape Africa’s future.

That’s why President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and the United States are committed to helping them succeed.

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Al-Manar says team comes under attack in Maaloula, several casualties

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Oil price seesaws near $104 amid Ukraine tensions

The price of crude oil was volatile around $104 a barrel on Monday amid escalating tensions in Ukraine.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark U.S. crude for May delivery was down 11 cents to $103.63 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier Monday, the contract climbed as high as $104.55.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international varieties of oil, was up 39 cents to $107.72 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Ukraine's government announced Sunday it was sending in troops to try to quash a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine despite warnings from the Kremlin. Markets have been rattled by concern Western sanctions against Moscow might disrupt Russian exports of oil and gas.

"This standoff has been regarded as potentially disruptive to Russian gas supplies to Europe, however at this point we see a cutoff to the EU as unrealistic," said a report from analysts at JBC Energy in Vienna.

Disparate developments in Libya were also affecting oil prices. On Sunday, Abdullah al-Thani became the second Libyan prime minister to resign within two months, underlining the nation's instability after the fall of dictator Muammar Gadhafi in 2011.

On the other hand, signs that Libyan oil production could rise closer to normal levels was contributing marginally to lower oil prices, though government instability could delay the handing back of refineries currently controlled by militias.

"The imminent resumption of oil shipments from two ports in eastern Libya is likely to have virtually no impact, since they have joint export capacity of only 200,000 barrels per day," said analysts at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. "The two largest ports in the country — which have total daily capacity of 500,000 barrels per day — remain occupied by rebels and closed."

In other energy futures trading in New York:

— Wholesale gasoline was up 0.48 cent at $2.981 a gallon.

— Natural gas lost 3.8 cents to $4.582 per 1,000 cubic feet.

— Heating oil rose 1.47 cents to $2.9479 a gallon.

Hawks add Turner exec Koonin to ownership group

ATLANTA -- Steve Koonin is joining the Atlanta Hawks ownership group after serving as president of Turner Entertainment Networks.

The Hawks announced late Sunday that Koonin would serve as the NBA team's chief executive officer, oversee all business operations and represent the Atlanta Spirit ownership group at league functions.

Koonin joins the Hawks after 14 years with Turner, where in his most recent role he led the division that included TNT, TBS, TruTV and Turner Classic Movies. He previously spent more than a decade as a marketing executive at Coca-Cola.

Hawks majority owner Bruce Levenson says the team is counting on Koonin's leadership to usher in "a new era." The team recently clinched its seventh straight playoff appearance but perennially ranks among the lowest in the league in attendance.

Gemayel denies aide was sent to help campaign

BEIRUT: Presidential hopeful Amine Gemayel Monday denied reports that Russia had asked former premier Silvio Berlusconi to send his aide, who was arrested in Beirut last week, to help his election campaign.

“This news is totally untrue and it has been disseminated to cause disarray,” said a statement from the Kataeb leader’s office.

The denial was in response to a story Sunday in Italian daily La Repubblica that quoted Berlusconi as telling members of his Forza Italia! party that he had sent Marcello Dell’Ultri to Lebanon at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin to help Gemayel win the upcoming election.

Dell’Ultri was arrested in a Beirut hotel last week on an Interpol arrest warrant after being declared a fugitive in Italy a few days earlier. Although he made a statement Friday saying that he was abroad seeking medical treatment, Italian authorities believe he was trying to escape ahead of a final verdict Tuesday in a long-running trial that sees him accused of working with the mafia. He could face several years in prison if found guilty.

Dell’Ultri is currently being held by the Internal Security Forces at their Information Branch in east Beirut. Under a bilateral accord dating back to 1975, Italy has 30 days to issue an extradition request.

AAA Mich.: Gas prices rise 6 cents over past week

DEARBORN, Mich. -- AAA Michigan says gasoline prices have risen about 6 cents during the past week to a statewide average of about $3.71 per gallon.

The auto club says Monday the average is about 19 cents per gallon more than this time last year.

Of the cities it surveys, AAA Michigan says the cheapest price for self-serve unleaded fuel is in the Traverse City area, where it's about $3.64 a gallon. The highest average is in the Ann Arbor area at about $3.76 a gallon.

Dearborn-based AAA Michigan surveys 2,800 Michigan gas stations daily.

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Boston mayor seeks tax breaks for Fenway project

BOSTON -- Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is proposing a $4.6 million tax break to spark construction of a $550 million retail-residential development near Fenway Park that would straddle the Massachusetts Turnpike.

A vote on the financing is scheduled for Thursday at a Boston Redevelopment Authority board meeting.

Fenway Center has languished for years due to legal and permitting challenges. The developer has struggled to generate enough funding to move forward.

Walsh says construction would generate jobs and continue a city building boom.

The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/1hAEaNs ) reports that Fenway Center would result in construction of a total of 1.3 million square feet of residential and commercial space in five buildings between Brookline Avenue and Beacon Street. It would include 420 apartments, space for stores, restaurants and offices, and nearly 1,000 parking spaces.

Plan would change payments for mental health care

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Legislature is considering a plan that would change the way the state pays to treat people who need emergency mental health care, a move critics say would gut the current system to benefit large hospital systems.

Under the current system, the state Department of Children and Families contracts with 117 public and private Crisis Stabilization Units around the state to provide emergency mental health treatment, paying nearly $300 a day per bed regardless of whether they are occupied. The system, which cost the state $61.3 million last year, guarantees that the crisis units have enough beds and staff to meet peak needs, supporters say.

They say the arrangement allows for families and law enforcement to get treatment quickly for people who suffer mental breakdowns and keeps many of them out of jail, where they would get no treatment. Crisis Stabilization Units have to treat patients regardless of whether they have insurance. Many of the patients are being held under the state's Baker Act, which allows people who are suffering a mental breakdown and are a threat to themselves or others to be evaluated for up to 72 hours, even without their permission.

The new bill (SB 1726) would cut the guaranteed funding by 75 percent and any excess patients would be sent to private hospitals, which would be paid about $1,200 a day for every patient they treat. They would not be paid for unused beds. The bill was introduced by the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee and not by a specific sponsor.

At a recent hearing of that committee, several lawmakers from both parties spoke out against the proposal.

"This bill, I think, is three steps in the backward direction," said Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, who suggested DCF should draw up a solution. He said the bill would impair the work that the current emergency clinics are performing.

His colleague, Sen. Charles Dean, R-Inverness, supports the proposed change, saying it may not be the best way to handle mental health crises, "but it's the best way we have today."

Among the potential winners under the proposed change would be University Behavioral Center in Orlando, which is part of a national chain of medical facilities.

"This bill would allow our managing entity to spend money where it is needed," University CEO David Beardsley told the committee. He said the move is "budget neutral."

Beardsley declined to comment further when reached by phone after the meeting.

But others warned of closures and fewer beds if the measure goes through.

"This impacts over 155,000 Floridians whose lives are at risk because they are so sick they're a danger to self or others," said Mary Ruiz, CEO of Manatee Glen, a mental health and addiction treatment center in Bradenton. "If Florida doesn't pay for availability 24-seven for Baker Act services, will they be available in each community?"

The Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on the bill.

Citigroup's earnings edge higher in first quarter

NEW YORK -- Citigroup says its first-quarter earnings rose, beating the expectations of Wall Street analysts.

The bank made $4.1 billion in the first quarter, after stripping out the effects of an accounting change and a tax item. That was up 2.5 percent from the same period a year earlier, when it made $4 billion.

On a per-share basis, that amounted to $1.30 compared with $1.29 a year ago. That was better than estimates of analysts polled by FactSet, who were expecting $1.14.

Citi got a boost from improving results in its Citi Holdings unit, which is selling off assets such as mortgages that soured in the financial crisis. Losses at Citi Holdings narrowed to $284 million from $804 million in the same period a year earlier. The bank also benefited from a small drop in expenses.

The bank's earnings improved even as revenue from mortgage refinancing and bond trading fell.

Revenue was $20.1 billion. That was down 2 percent from the same period last year when the bank generated revenue of $20.6 billion.

Analysts had forecast revenue of $19.5 billion.

Citi's stock rose $1.60, or 3.6 percent, to $47.34 in pre-market trading.

Walsh College plans $15 million renovation in Troy

TROY, Mich. -- Walsh College plans a $15 million renovation at its Troy campus that aims to change the look of the school.

The Detroit Free Press reports (http://on.freep.com/P07a5E ) the project at the private business school plans to focus on student-life spaces and change the appearance of the suburban Detroit campus. There will be lounges for students to work in small groups or meet with visiting employers.

Walsh College has about 4,200 students, with most attending part-time. School President Stephanie Bergeron says Walsh College wants to "show the vibrancy of what's going on."

Construction is scheduled to start this summer and last 18 months. The renovation is the last step in a campus redesign that started with a campus facility master plan in 1999.

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Study will determine economic impact of Heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- With the RBC Heritage being played this weekend on Hilton Head Island, researchers are working to get an updated figure on just how much money the PGA tour stop pumps into the local economy.

The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports (http://bit.ly/1hEo2M6 ) researchers from the University of South Carolina-Beaufort and Clemson University will conduct the study. More than 40 students from the schools will greet those at the tournament.

Students will gather information about where visitors are from, how much they make and how long they stay. The numbers will be entered on tablet computers and crunched by analysts. The numbers will exclude tour players and staffers and local residents.

Four years ago the tournament meant almost $82 million to the local economy, down from about $84 million in 2005.

Holy Week crawfish supply should satisfy demand

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Louisiana crawfishermen and the merchants who sell the crustacean to retail customers say the supply should be enough to satisfy appetites during Holy Week and Easter weekend.

It's a welcome turn to a season marred by a harsh winter that stunted crawfish growth, limited the catch and made profit forecasts bleak.

In the days leading into Holy Week, The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1ko6LGc ) prices for a pound of live crawfish ran from $2 at Db Seafood in Morgan City to $2.49 at Tony's Seafood Market and Deli in Baton Rouge.

The price was somewhere in between at D&T Seafood in Abbeville, where live, small-sized crawfish sold for $1.50 a pound and the mediums went for $2.25.

US retail sales up strong 1.1 percent in March

WASHINGTON -- U.S. retail sales in March rose by the largest amount in 18 months, led by strong gains in sales of autos, furniture and a number of other products.

The Commerce Department said Monday that retail sales rose 1.1 percent in March, the best showing since September 2012. The government also revised February to a 0.7 percent gain, more than double its previous estimate. Sales had fallen in January and December.

Sales of autos climbed 3.1 percent while sales at general merchandise stores, a category that covers retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target and department stores, increased 1.9 percent, the strongest one-month gain since March 2007, before the country went through the recession.

The strong March gain was evidence that the economy is emerging from a harsh winter with some momentum.

Indianapolis-San Francisco flights have good start

INDIANAPOLIS -- New nonstop flights between Indianapolis and San Francisco have been filling up with passengers.

Indianapolis International Airport officials say the new route with United Airlines was three-quarters sold in January and February, the two slowest months for air travel. Airport executive Chris Matney tells the Indianapolis Business Journal (http://bit.ly/1ezZsf1 ) that jumped to 90 percent sold in March with more spring break leisure travelers.

The flights started in early January after the Indiana Economic Development Corp. agreed to provide up to $1.5 million a year in revenue guarantees.

Several central Indiana tech companies sought the year-round nonstop San Francisco flights to make business travel to Silicon Valley easier.

Exact Target CEO Scott Dorsey says the Indianapolis-based company has booked hundreds of flights for employees on the route.

Detroit plans online auctions in fight vs. blight

DETROIT -- Detroit plans a new push to auction city-owned homes online as part of an effort to fight blight.

Mayor Mike Duggan and the Detroit Land Bank Authority on Monday afternoon plan to announce a new auction website that's designed to get homes into the hands of people who will quickly fix them. A community meeting about the effort is Monday night.

The city also will announce the first auction date.

Last week, Duggan said that the city will post legal notices on empty houses and take court action if needed against owners of blighted properties in one northwest side neighborhood. It's part of Duggan's revitalization program for the bankrupt city.

Detroit has been working for years to deal with vacant and dangerous buildings, often by demolishing them.

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Salam, Sleiman urge reforms alongside wage hike

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Tammam Salam Monday urged lawmakers to come up with a series of administrative reforms before passing the controversial public sector wage hike to limit possible negative effects on the economy.

“Stemming from our keenness to preserve the right of citizens, discussions in Parliament should focus on creating a balance between revenues and expenditures so that the wage hike will not negatively affect the economy and burden citizens with additional taxes,” Sleiman and Salam said in a joint statement.

“This issue should be accompanied by administrative reforms to end corruption and control spending, which would safeguard the treasury and pave the way for a serious and practical discussion on how to apply the salary scale,” they added.

The statement came after a meeting between Salam and Sleiman at Baabda Palace to discuss the wage hike draft law, a day before Parliament is set to convene to pass the disputed proposal, estimated to cost the treasury some $1.6 billion annually.

The Union Coordination Committee has called for a general strike Tuesday ahead of the Parliament session.

The decision by the UCC, which represents civil servants and teachers in public and private schools, is aimed at exerting pressure on lawmakers to approve the salary scale draft law without slashing the wage hike demanded by the UCC or rolling out the hike in installments.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon and the Economic Committees, a body representing the private sector, have opposed the wage hike, saying it would lead to inflation and burden the country’s economy already reeling as a result of the crisis in Syria.

Lebanon charges 38 over Tripoli clashes

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr charged Monday 38 individuals over gunbattles in the northern city of Tripoli.

Among the 38 suspects were 18 from the mainly Alawite Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and 20 from nearby predominantly Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh, according to a judicial source.

The two districts have been feuding since the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War, but the traditional rivalry between them has been aggravated by the three-year-old crisis in neighboring Syria.

Only two of the suspects – one from Jabal Mohsen and another from Bab al-Tabbaneh – are in custody. The others remain at large, the source told The Daily Star.

The source said among the Bab al-Tabbaneh suspects were two field commanders known as Bilal Baqqar and Raef Dandashi.

Saqr charged all 38 men of undermining the authority of the state, belonging to an armed organization and murder conspiracy.

The suspects could face the death penalty if convicted.

Saqr referred the case and the two detained men to Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sawwan.

The judicial source said Sawwan will interrogate the suspects on Thursday.

A GM Engineer’s Testimony Could Be Key in Assessing Company’s Behavior

WASHINGTON -- In sworn testimony last year, General Motors’ lead engineer in dealing with a faulty ignition switch repeatedly denied having any knowledge of a part change although he personally signed off on the redesign in 2006, excerpts of his deposition show.

The excerpts, among scores of documents released by a U.S. House committee, offer a stunning glimpse of what may be a pivotal issue in a Justice Department review of the company’s failure to address the problem for nearly a decade. GM has acknowledged that at least 13 people have died in crashes involving half a dozen of its models, including its 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and some models of its Pontiac G5 and Saturn Ion. Some consumer advocates fear the toll could be significantly higher.

Republican Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said Friday the panel's review of 250,000 GM documents to date indicates that “failures in the system” allowed the company to keep risky cars on the road for nearly a decade.

“And when it comes to vehicle safety, a matter of life and death, there is no margin for error,” he said. “With a better sense of what happened, our task now is figuring out why there was a breakdown to help prevent similar failures in the future.”

The testimony of Raymond DeGeorgio, one of two GM engineers whom company Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra this week suspended with pay, came in a deposition last year in a suit brought by the family of a Georgia nurse who died in a Chevy Cobalt crash on her birthday in 2010.

What DeGeorgio apparently didn’t know at the start of the deposition is that engineer Mark Hood, hired by the family of the late Brooke Melton, had already done enough forensics work to figure out that GM had redesigned the ignition switch to reduce chances that a knee bump or light jostling of the key ring would turn it off.

In the deposition, attorney Lance Cooper first asked DeGeorgio whether any changes had been made to the switch between 2006 and 2010.

DeGeorgio replied that there was an electrical change, but said “there were no official changes, mechanical changes … that I know of.”

Asked if he knew of instances in which the switch had rotated to the “accessory” position, which would shut down the power steering, power brakes and airbag deployment system, DeGeorgio said he had “heard of a couple of instances in ’05.”

Cooper zeroed in, asking what was done in response, and DeGeorgio replied that a committee examined the problem and “deemed that it was low risk and left it at that.”

A short time later, after an instance that DeGeorgio attributed to “aggressive driving,” the the committee met again and decided to provide a “service fix” for customers who showed up at dealerships complaining about the problem, he testified.

In April 2006, seven years before the deposition, DeGeorgio signed off on a revision to the switch to lengthen a spring called a “detent plunger,” to increase the switch’s torque so it would be less likely to rotate if gently jarred.

However, when Cooper displayed photos of two versions of the plunger, one longer than the other, DeGeorgio said he hadn’t previously noticed the height difference.

Asked how a taller plunger would affect the switch, the engineer said “it’s hard for me to assess, really.” Cooper pressed ahead, noting that DeGeorgio had “taken apart a number of the switches,” but was testifying that he never noticed the difference in the two parts.

Was DeGeorgio aware of the part change, Cooper asked.

“I was not aware of a detent plunger switch change,” DeGeorgio replied. “We certainly did not approve a detent plunger design change.”

A company spokesman declined to comment on DeGeorgio's testimony.