Experts: NBA likely to win in Sterling legal fight

A cadre of attorneys and a flurry of lawsuits could certainly slow down the NBA's plan to force Donald Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers over his recent racist comments, but legal experts say the league would likely prevail in the end.

And that goes for Sterling's wife, Shelly, who has said she'd like to keep her stake in the team even if her husband is ousted.

The NBA's constitution, which Donald Sterling signed as controlling owner of the Clippers, gives its Board of Governors broad latitude in league decisions including who owns the teams. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is pushing for a swift vote against Sterling, which requires a minimum of three-fourths of the other 29 controlling owners to agree.

Silver also has imposed a lifetime ban on Sterling and a $2.5 million fine. The ban does not apply to Shelly Sterling.

"Sterling's own signature will come back to haunt him," said Michael McCann, founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire. "You agree to certain basic understandings. That's what makes a sports league different from other businesses."

The key to the NBA's authority, attorneys say, is Article 13(d) of the league's constitution. That section says that, whether Sterling intended to or not, an owner cannot "fail or refuse to fulfill" contractual obligations to the NBA "in such a way to affect the Association or its members adversely."

There's plenty of evidence Sterling's comments, revealed in a recorded conversation with a female companion, affected the league adversely. They provoked threats of a player boycott, led sponsors to withdraw support and created a racially charged image problem in the midst of the NBA playoffs that even President Barack Obama remarked upon.

If Article 13(d) was violated, the legal experts say the Board of Governors has solid grounds to force Sterling to sell the team along with any other owners, in this case his wife.

As long as the NBA meticulously follows its own constitution and rules regarding the Clippers sale, it will be difficult for Sterling to find a legal theory that would stand up in court, said Daniel Lazaroff, director of the Sports Law Institute at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

"This is not an antitrust issue. This is not a First Amendment issue," Lazaroff said. "It's a question limited to the interpretation of the NBA constitution and bylaws, and whether those terms are met."

Another question involves California family law. It's a community property state, meaning spouses jointly own property they acquired while married. The Sterlings were already married when he bought the Clippers in 1981.

Although a potential divorce could complicate the Clippers' sale, McCann said the couple's joint ownership actually works to the NBA's favor because — legally speaking — they are a single entity. So if the NBA forced Donald Sterling to sell, even under a divorce scenario, Shelly Sterling would have to sell, too. They have been married since 1955.

"The NBA is well positioned to ultimately prevail," McCann said.

For his part, Donald Sterling has repeatedly said he does not want to sell the Clippers. In his recent interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, he cast doubt on going to court if the NBA governors ultimately do vote to force him out.

"People want me to hire a wall of lawyers and them to have to hire a wall of lawyers and go to war," Sterling said on CNN. "I don't think that's the answer."

Sterling's longtime attorney, Robert Platt, declined to comment when contacted Wednesday.

Shelly Sterling's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, did not respond to email requests for comment from The Associated Press. But he has previously said she wants to remain a passive owner of the Clippers even if her husband is no longer involved.

For now, the NBA has installed former Time Warner and Citigroup chairman Dick Parsons to oversee the team's business operations. Parsons said this week that a prolonged legal battle "is in no one's interest."

"I would hope we could avoid that," he said.

If he is forced out, Sterling still stands to reap a huge financial windfall in a Clippers sale. He bought the team for $12.5 million in 1981, and Forbes magazine recently placed its 2014 value at $575 million, or No. 13 in the NBA. Of course, there would also be a sizable capital gains tax bill for that.

Details of General Motors latest recalls

General Motors said Thursday that it is recalling 2.7 million cars in the U.S. for a variety of problems. GM has now recalled 11.2 million cars and trucks in the U.S. this year.

Among the recalls:

— 2.4 million Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura midsize cars from the 2004 through 2012 model years. The brake light wires can corrode, causing the lights to fail. GM links 13 accidents and 2 injuries to the problems.

— 112,000 Chevy Corvettes from 2005 through 2007. The cars can lose low-beam headlights. GM says an electrical housing can expand and bend a wire, causing it to fracture.

— 140,000 Chevrolet Malibus from the current model year. The power-assisted brakes can fail. The problem was discovered on April 24.

Fannie, Freddie legislation advances to uncertain future

By Kevin G. Hall McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON -- A bill to overhaul mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won approval Thursday from a divided Senate Banking Committee and moved on to an uncertain future.

On a 13-9 vote, the committee advanced a bipartisan compromise bill that experts welcomed as a real attempt to revamp mortgage finance and get Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship. They’d be phased out and replaced by a government reinsurance program to backstop mortgage lending.

The legislation’s future is uncertain because it passed without enough votes to force a vote on the full floor of the Senate. Seven Republicans voted for the bill, which was crafted by the top committee leaders from each party, but six Democrats voted against it, concerned that the compromise would work against low-income homebuyers.

And the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, which passed a more radical bill almost a year ago, issued a statement effectively suggesting the Senate’s measure is dead on arrival there.

“The window for action this year is quickly closing, and I fear it may already be too late during this Congress with an already full agenda to get meaningful reform bills through both chambers,” said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, accusing Senate Democrats of “controversial and irresponsible politicization” of mortgage finance.

Why so much attention on a bill with a doubtful future? The mortgage market is estimated to be above $10 trillion, so the status quo is not a viable option for too much longer.

Uncertainty about how mortgage lending will operate in the future is thought to weigh on banks and borrowers. And this is what the legislation seeks to reverse.

“It laid the institutional foundation for future reform,” Mark Zandi, the influential chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, said of the bill.

Zandi, who helped draft the compromise, said the lack of clarity for Fannie and Freddie after almost six years in government hands was “corrosive.”

Mortgage Bankers Association President David Stevens praised Thursday’s compromise bill as one that “reforms our housing finance system in a way that ensures sufficient liquidity for single-family and multifamily mortgages while also protecting taxpayers.”

Fannie and Freddie purchase mortgages from lenders and bundle them together for sale as bonds called mortgage-backed securities.

From 2000 to 2007, Wall Street banks aggressively took market share from Fannie and Freddie by bundling their own mortgage bonds, with weaker requirements on lenders. Standards became unhinged, and Fannie and Freddie responded to the challenge by lowering their own loan standards in order to compete.

The entire mortgage finance system fell apart in the summer of 2008, prompting the Bush administration to protectively seize Fannie and Freddie, which had operated as private companies chartered by Congress. They’ve been under government control ever since.

“The administration welcomes today’s strong bipartisan vote,” President Barack Obama said in a statement Thursday, calling it an “important step toward achieving a more sustainable housing-finance system.”

The question of what do about Fannie and Freddie gained steam last year as the housing sector seemed to recover. Prices increased, sales of foreclosed homes waned and optimism grew.

But housing began slumping again earlier this year, prompting the head of the government regulator of Fannie and Freddie _ the Federal Housing Finance Agency _ to announce this week new steps to stimulate the market.

Mel Watt, a former North Carolina congressman, reversed plans by his predecessor at the agency to limit the value of loans Fannie and Freddie can buy. He also promised to relax rules so that banks don’t have to buy back as many of the bad loans that they’d pushed off on Fannie and Freddie before the housing crash.

Watt’s action signaled to financial markets and Congress that absent legislation, the two pillars of mortgage finance will do more than they have of late to help spur greater lending and homeownership.

Bad weather hurts Wal-Mart in 1Q, outlook weak

NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart's first-quarter net income fell 5 percent as bad winter weather and financial struggles kept customers from spending at the world's largest retailer.

The company's shares fell nearly 2 percent as Wal-Mart reported results that missed Wall Street's expectations for the third time in five quarters and gave a weak second-quarter earnings forecast.

The results underscore the big challenges facing Wal-Mart's new CEO, Doug McMillon, who took over the top role on Feb. 1. The retailer is considered an economic bellwether, with the company accounting for nearly 10 percent of nonautomotive retail spending in the U.S.

Wal-Mart's latest performance appears to show that many people are having a hard time stretching their money between paychecks.

For the period ended April 30, the Bentonville, Arkansas, company earned $3.59 billion, or $1.11 per share. That compares with $3.78 billion, or $1.14 per share, a year ago.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said that bad weather hurt earnings by about 3 cents per share. Its performance was also dinged by a higher-than-expected tax rate.

Income from continuing operations was $1.10 per share. Analysts, on average, expected earnings of $1.15 per share, according to a FactSet survey.

"Like other retailers in the United States, the unseasonably cold and disruptive weather negatively impacted U.S. sales and drove operating expenses higher than expected," McMillon said in a statement.

Not only did weather affect store traffic, it disrupted the supply chain, slowing production and backing up trucking transportation around the country, the company said.

But Wal-Mart has been suffering from weak sales in the U.S. for some time. Sales at U.S. stores open at least a year dipped 0.2 percent in the quarter, the fifth consecutive quarter of decline the metric, considered a key gauge of a retailer's financial performance. Analysts had been expecting the measure to be flat.

In the U.S., while jobs are easier to get and the housing market is gaining momentum, these improvements have not been enough to get Americans to spend. On top of that, the Nov. 1 expiration of a temporary boost in food stamps is hurting its shoppers' ability to spend.

"Traffic continues to be negative, despite investments in price, TV marketing, and social marketing," said Belus Capital Advisors analyst Brian Sozzi. "Walmart's traffic troubles are part related to weather in the first quarter, but also very reflective in how people are now shopping (online) and the company not being able to full play in that trend."

Total revenue rose 1 percent to $114.96 billion. Wall Street was calling for higher revenue of $116.43 billion.

The stronger dollar hurt revenue by about $1.6 billion. Excluding that, revenue would have risen 2 percent.

McMillon said in a prerecorded call that U.S. sales rose during the second half of the quarter, but that Sam's Club had lower-than-expected sales. While membership income climbed, McMillon said it was mostly because of a fee increase started last year.

Total U.S. revenue rose 2 percent to $67.85 billion. Wal-Mart International's sales rose 3.4 percent in the quarter, on a constant currency basis.

Wal-Mart, which has 10,994 stores in 27 countries, is facing stiff completion from dollar chains and online king Amazon.com.

Wal-Mart has been sharpening its focus on everyday low prices at U.S. stores and further pushing that strategy abroad. Wal-Mart also said earlier in the year that it will speed up growth plans for its smaller Neighborhood Markets and Wal-Mart Express stores that cater to shoppers looking for more convenience with fresh produce and meat and household and beauty products.

In a call with the media, Wal-Mart executives said super centers are getting bigger purchases on each trip from people stocking up on bulk items, but traffic has been weaker, particularly in the bottom performing 10 percent of its stores.

At Neighborhood Markets, on the other hand, traffic is up 4 percent as people buy fill-in items at the smaller stores.

For the second quarter, Wal-Mart anticipates earnings from continuing operations in a range of $1.15 to $1.25 per share. Analysts predict earnings of $1.28 per share.

The company's shares fell $1.88, or nearly 2 percent, to $76.85 in premarket trading just before the market opened.

AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.

UConn coach Ollie says he's not looking for job

STORRS, Conn. -- UConn coach Kevin Ollie is listening to job offers, but isn't looking to leave Connecticut.

The 41-year-old coach, who spent 13 years as an NBA journeyman before returning to his alma mater, has been linked to several NBA job openings, including with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He hasn't been soliciting job offers after leading UConn to the NCAA title in April, he said.

"I love this university," Ollie said at the New York Athletic Club. "I am not looking for another job. Of course, you listen to different things. I got two ears, I'm going to listen, but I'm not running out there soliciting any other job. I want to be here at the University of Connecticut."

Ollie was at the club on Wednesday with UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma to pick up Winged Foot Awards for winning national titles.

He said he's hoping to work out a new contract with athletic director Warde Manuel. His current deal, worth just under $7 million, runs through the end of the 2017-18 season. He made just over $1.6 million, with bonuses for the NCAA tournament run, last season.

"We are talking and hopefully we can get together once all this quiets down," he said. "Have a nice talk and hopefully get everything situated."

Ollie was asked what he tells recruits about his future.

"I'm going to be the UConn coach, nothing's changed," he said.

Regulators: No major impact in gas exports plan

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators concluded Thursday that Dominion Energy's proposal to export liquefied natural gas from its Cove Point terminal on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland would pose "no significant impact" on the environment — a positive step for the company.

The environmental assessment by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff is a recommendation to the commission, which will decide whether the $3.8 billion project can go forward. Other permits are also required.

"The adverse cumulative impacts that could occur in conjunction with the project would be temporary and minor," the FERC staff said.

The 241-page FERC assessment provoked a torrent of complaints from environmental groups, who said that the agency didn't take into effect a host of impacts, from global warming to the effect on the Chesapeake Bay.

The assessment comes as energy companies seek to take advantage of a boom in natural gas fueled by hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Virginia-based Dominion plans to ship the liquefied natural gas to Japan and India, where gas prices are higher than in the U.S. The Maryland plant would be the largest liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal on the East Coast.

Diane Leopold, president of Dominion Energy, hailed the FERC assessment.

"The Cove Point LNG facility has been in existence for nearly 40 years and this makes the most of existing facilities," she said. "This project will be built within the existing footprint and fence line of an industrial site."

In a joint press release, several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Earthjustice and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said the assessment failed to look at greenhouse gas emissions from fracking, piping, processing, shipping and eventually burning the liquefied natural gas.

"One of many glaring holes in FERC's draft review is the lack of anything close to a full analysis of the planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions that would be triggered, from the fracking wells all the way to the final smoke stacks," said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

He said the Obama administration was inviting "a grassroots uproar" as well as a significant legal challenge.

The groups wanted FERC to commit to conducting a more exhaustive environmental impact statement.

The FERC assessment did recommend developing an environmental complaint resolution procedure and avoiding tree clearing where certain species of birds of nest, until the young have left, among other things.

Republicans have been pushing the administration to approve LNG exports — casting that effort in recent months as a way to help beleaguered Ukraine. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine must pay in advance for Russian gas supplies starting next month.

AP, Fox Sports to sell Stats venture

NEW YORK -- The Associated Press and Fox Sports are selling their sports-data joint venture Stats LLC to Vista Equity Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 50-50 partnership was formed in Chicago in 2005 and provides real-time scores, historical information and technology to websites and other customers.

AP and Fox, a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc., will continue to exchange stories, photos and data with Stats.

Ken Dale, AP chief financial officer and senior vice president, said Stats' revenue has tripled since its founding, but its growth is increasingly in selling technology that is outside AP's core business.

Fox Sports president and chief operating officer Eric Shanks said partnering with AP was a "privilege" while AP president and CEO Gary Pruitt said the venture was "excellent and productive." Both men expressed confidence Stats would continue to grow under Vista.

Dale said AP's revenue and costs won't change significantly after the sale.

The AP will no longer record its share of Stats' profits, which amounted to less than $5 million annually, Dale said.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to cut AP's pension obligations by an amount greater than its typical annual contribution. Dale said the lump sum pension payment will reduce the AP's funding obligation over several years, allowing it to invest more into newsgathering operations.

Ex-spouses tell IRS different stories on alimony

WASHINGTON -- Somebody's not telling the Internal Revenue Service the truth about their alimony payments.

When people pay alimony to ex-spouses, they can deduct those payments from their income, lowering their tax bill. Their ex-spouses are then required to claim the alimony payments as income when they file their federal tax returns.

But nearly half the time, the numbers don't match.

More than 560,000 taxpayers reported paying a total of $10 billion in alimony in 2010, the IRS inspector general said in a report released Thursday. Their spouses and ex-spouses reported receiving less than $8 billion, for a $2.3 billion gap.

The report found discrepancies in 47 percent of the returns claiming the alimony deduction. In many cases, the spouse who supposedly received the alimony didn't report any. In other cases, they told the IRS they got less than their ex-spouses claimed to have paid.

The report doesn't render a judgment on which side is most responsible for the discrepancies — the people paying alimony or the people receiving it.

Nevertheless, Inspector General J. Russell George says the IRS should do more to resolve the discrepancies. Apart from examining a small number of tax returns, the IRS generally has no procedures to address the compliance gap, the report said.

The IRS says it is improving computer filters to help catch the mismatches. But, the agency said, progress has been slowed because of budget cuts.

"Since 2010, the IRS budget has been reduced nearly $850 million," the IRS said in a statement. "At the same time, we have 10,000 fewer employees today than we did in 2010 even as our responsibilities have continued to expand."

Women starting small businesses at torrid pace

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- If you go to work for a newer business, there's a good chance you'll be working for a woman.

Women are starting companies at a torrid pace. Between 1997 and 2014, the number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. rose by 68 percent, compared to a 47 percent increase for all companies, according to an American Express analysis of Census Bureau figures. They are starting an estimated 1,288 companies each day, up from 602 in 2011-12, American Express says.

"Women are becoming more aware of the opportunities for entrepreneurship in the lives. It's becoming more of an option for a career move than it ever has been in the past," says Susan Duffy, executive director of the Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College.

Expect the numbers of women business owners to keep rising as interest in entrepreneurship grows and younger women look to famous women as their role models, Duffy says.

For example: Oprah Winfrey, designers Tory Burch and Diane Von Furstenberg and Weili Dai, co-founder of chip maker Marvell Technology. The current head of the Small Business Administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet, and her predecessor, Karen Mills, have both been business owners.

"More women are seeing themselves out there in their heroes in the business world. They're saying, this is fabulous, I want to be like her," Duffy says.

The growing number of resources for women business owners, including the SBA-sponsored Women's Business Centers and women's business organizations are also encouraging women to start companies, she says.

But women owners aren't carbon copies of men. They tend to be more optimistic than their male counterparts, according to a survey released this week by Bank of America.

Seventy percent of the women owners surveyed expect their revenue to rise over the next year, compared to 66 percent of men. Fifty-six percent of women plan to hire in the next year, compared to 50 percent of men. And 68 percent of women plan to expand their companies; 63 percent of men have such plans.

The survey also found women owners may face different challenges than men. Twenty-nine percent said they feel they have less access to money than men, and 32 percent said they have less access to new business opportunities.

A woman entrepreneur is most likely to start a company that provides educational services, administrative or waste management services or is involved in the arts, entertainment or recreation, the AmEx survey said. And nearly one in three women-owned companies is owned by a minority. The number of businesses owned by minority women has climbed to 2.9 million this year from just under 930,000 in 1997.

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Online:

www.babson.edu

http://bit.ly/1oSwAz7

http://amex.co/1oSwCXN

Block: Veto budget with 38 Studios bond repayment

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Block says he'd veto a state budget that includes repaying the bonds for the failed 38 Studios venture. His Republican opponent Allan Fung says he would consider that option if elected.

Both Republican candidates oppose repaying the bonds from the $75 million state loan guarantee given to former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's now-bankrupt company.

The Democratic candidates say the bonds must be repaid, as does Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

When asked for specific steps they would take if elected, Block says he would veto the budget.

Fung says he would determine what's appropriate after he's governor, and all options would be on the table, including a budget veto, if necessary.

Block also says he'd push legislation to eliminate moral obligation bonds. Fung wants a line-item veto.

Palestinians reaffirm rights on Nakba Day

SIDON, Lebanon: A march for Palestinians to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the Nakba took place Thursday from the coastal city of Sidon toward the southern border with Israel to symbolize their hope to return to the historic land.

The first refugees to emerge from the Nakba were witnessed by Sidonians 66 years ago, when thousands of Palestinian refugee families erected tents and settled in the city, in an area known today as the camp of Ain al-Hilweh. Such images were recreated Thursday, with refugees erecting tents in Martyrs’ Square to symbolize their first settlement in the area, hoisting flags and banners, all organized by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

It also included a heritage exhibition featuring traditional collectibles and clothing, such as the keffiyeh, as well as property leases and old keys to the homes Palestinians were driven out of.

May 15 is the day on which Palestinians remember their expulsion from Palestine, where Israel was founded in 1948.

Palestinians also met with representatives of Lebanese political parties, Palestinian factions and local government officials.

The meeting was launched by member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Fouad Othman, followed by a representative of the education office at the Progressive Socialist Party, Samir Mahmoud, who stressed the party’s support for the Palestinian cause and the right of return.

Maher Shabayta, the secretary of the Fatah Movement in Sidon, said Palestinians refused all proposals that contradicted the right of return, which he said was not open to negotiation or compromise.

“There is no backing out from the right of the refugees to return, for the Palestinian revolution was launched in 1965 for the implementation of this right and tens of thousands of martyrs and hundreds of thousands of wounded have fallen for this cause,” Shabayta said, adding that Palestinian factions were unified to make this common goal a reality.

Also speaking at the event was DFLP official Ibrahim Nemer.

The representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement in Sidon, Shakib Anna, noted the recent security incidents in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, calling them “painful and dangerous.”

The camp has been plagued by a series of assassinations and clashes between armed groups.

In a statement on Nakba Day, President Michel Sleiman expressed hope that Palestinians “would be able to restore their usurped rights.”

“We hope [Palestinians] will achieve their dream of a homeland and that the refugees will achieve their dream of return,” Sleiman said.

Participants then took part in two symbolic marches, on land and by sea, organized by the Palestinian Democratic Youth Association, titled “By land, by sea, we are returning to Palestine.”

A substantial number of participants gathered at the Sidon port, carrying Palestinian and Lebanese flags, as well as banners bearing the names of Palestinian towns. They then boarded boats that sailed south along the coast of Sidon.

The Israeli army was on high alert along its borders Thursday, anticipating a confrontation with Palestinian refugees as many made their way to the barbed wire fence with clear memories of events in 2011, when Israeli soldiers shot at Palestinian refugees who were attempting to climb over. Eleven were killed and nearly 100 wounded.

Around 50 Palestinians, including religious figures, intellectuals and workers, joined another march organized by the Returning to Palestine Committee.

Youssef Ahmad, one of the organizers, said the Palestinian people were holding on to their right of return and slammed both the Arab and international community for their passivity with respect to Israeli occupation.

“The Palestinian people will never forget their right to return, and we are not ready to make any compromises over such right,” Ahmad said.

“The international community should end its silence and slowness over ending the Israeli occupation,” he said. “For if it weren’t for the silence of the Arab regimes, the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people would not have continued.”

The march, making various stops along the way, ended in the village of Naqoura, along the southern border.

Participants also stopped to deliver a letter to United Nations peacekeepers intended for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon regarding the Palestinian right of return.

Lebanon to end open-border policy with cap on refugees

BEIRUT: Lebanon will set a limit on the number of Syrian refugees allowed to enter the country and establish formal camps for a displaced population that is fast approaching 1.5 million, according to the economy minister.

Alain Hakim made the comments Thursday after a ministerial committee comprising senior members of the Cabinet concluded a meeting at the Grand Serail on the issue of Syrian refugees.

“The committee agreed on two main topics, [including] setting the maximum limit for the Syrian refugee influx, which Lebanon can no longer handle,” Hakim said.

“The second point is establishing refugee camps, but we still haven’t agreed on the locations of such camps; they might be inside the Syrian border or on the Lebanese side,” he added. “We will discuss this during the upcoming Cabinet session.”

It was announced last week that Lebanon and the United Nations were considering establishing formal camps for Syrians. There are already around 1,100 informal settlements across the country.

The committee meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Tammam Salam and attended by the ministers of defense, telecoms, social affairs, environment, justice, labor, education and economy, as well as the head of the Higher Relief Committee, which gives aid to refugees.

It was not clear exactly how the committee was planning to restrict the number of refugees and it is not yet a definite policy. Further details are likely to emerge after Friday’s Cabinet session, at which ministers will discuss the government’s approach to the refugee crisis.

Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas and Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk have hinted in the past that Lebanon might impose such restrictions.

According to UNHCR, there are just over 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon either registered or awaiting registration. The unofficial number is believed to be much higher, with Education Minster Elias Bou Saab putting it at 1.5 million.

Rights groups and international figures have long praised Lebanon for keeping its borders open and have urged it to maintain the policy. Many believe that restricting the number of refugees will lead to more suffering.

Khairunissa Dhala, Amnesty International’s researcher on refugees’ and migrants’ rights, said:“Amnesty International acknowledges that Lebanon hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees worldwide and is under incredible strain as a result. However, Lebanon cannot deny refugees from Syria – who are fleeing conflict – from seeking safety and security.”

For Maria Assi, CEO of local aid non-governmental organization the Beyond Association, the complexities behind the decision to restrict the influx of refugees are clear.

“There are so many political and economic issues to think about,” she said, citing rising unemployment and the worsening economic situation among Lebanese host communities.

“We [aid organizations] are focused on the humanitarian issues, so maybe they [the government] can see more than us.

“All we know is that we must help the refugees that are coming in.”

Mending regional ties and Lebanon-izing the election

Commenting on the Saudi foreign minister’s invitation to his Iranian counterpart to visit the kingdom, a Western diplomat said it was part of Riyadh’s initiative to rework ties between Muslims in the region in order to put an end to the sectarian strife that has surfaced in several countries.

The diplomat said he didn’t expect the rapprochement between the region’s two most influential states to be quick or easy, due partly to their differing opinions on several files and partly to the competition between the two for control of the tricky situations in Iraq, Bahrain, the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon.

Concerning the situation in Syria, the diplomat pointed out that despite the removal of chemical weapons from the country – which further proves that it is possible to find a peaceful solution to the crisis with the aid of international patronage – and Damascus fully cooperating with the chemical weapons watchdog, the government has gone back on its word and used this type of weaponry again.

Before the resignation of U.N. envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, communication was underway between various players to develop a unified vision for a path toward Geneva III that would be approved by all regional and international political parties.

What is fundamental to the success of the negotiations between the Syrian regime and the opposition is the need to agree that military confrontations are tantamount to suicide and thus undermine the process of building a new Syria.

Additionally, extending the Syrian conflict will lead to more fighting and destruction and will feed national prejudices and sectarianism. This could in turn further complicate the internal Syrian political scene and facilitate the growth of terrorist groups that are, according to Western security sources, preparing a series of explosive attacks in different areas across Syria.

According to the source, all invitations to revive the Geneva negotiations have fallen on deaf ears, particularly those of the regime, which has continued to deprive the Syrians of their right to self-determination. This is most obvious in President Bashar Assad’s bid to run in a sham election that will not be recognized by half of the Syrian population as well as a large part of the international community.

Concerning Lebanon’s presidential election, the diplomatic source believes that this will be the first time in decades that the country has had a chance to “Lebanon-ize” the process after becoming accustomed to the idea that a president should be chosen by foreign powers.

He said the difficulty in “Lebanon-izing” the presidential election was similar to the difficulty the country had in holding the election in the first place. Now political parties find themselves confused about their inability to elect a president without foreign interferences after years of having little say at all.

Lebanon’s inability to elect a president on time, according to the diplomat, does not mean that the international community has abandoned it, as it will always keep an interest in maintaining the country’s stability. Influential states have announced through their representatives in Lebanon that they do not have candidates in mind and will not veto any nominee, but have also said they are ready to provide assistance if needed.

The diplomatic source said that what generally concerned the Western world, especially the U.S., was that programs that provide economic, monetary and security aid needed competent authorities, including a president, which was an essential part of the Lebanese political system’s structure.

The diplomat stressed that the meetings taking place abroad, including those in Paris between American and French officials, had not gone so far in addressing the electionas to talk of preferring one candidate over another, but were rather discussions of general specifications that should be required of any presidential hopeful at this stage.

The source also relayed the displeasure of more than one Western ambassador in Lebanon after reports were leaked about supporting certain candidates, something that has led some embassies to stop receiving members of “the presidential candidates’ club.”

Gemmayzeh’s newest haunt: the anti-corruption shop

BEIRUT: Gemmayzeh’s main street is littered with an ever-changing roster of pubs, shops and restaurants, but Thursday morning witnessed the opening of a new kind of store – one aimed at fighting corruption in a country where fraud and bribery are rampant.

Above the vaunted archway entrance to Dekkenet al-Balad (The country’s store) a sign says: “Everything is for sale, even your rights.”

Inside, shelves are stacked with replicas of identification cards, license plates, government exams certifications, electricity meters, and even trophies – all up for sale. Tip jars, a reference to the way bribes are normally presented, are strewn haphazardly on the shelves and tables.

On one shelf sit several large binders with titles such as “Golden phone numbers,” “First-grade jobs,” and “Prices of electoral votes for the qada of Baabda.”

Slogans such as “The law changes according to the needs” are scrawled on the walls.

All of this is the work of Sakker al-Dekkene, a new nonprofit organization with ambitious and wide-reaching aims. It wants to pressure governmental institutions to do away with nepotism, stop taking bribes to speed up paperwork, and use more legal means to conduct their business.

“We want to change Lebanon, we want to give Lebanon a better image,” Abdo Medlej, the president of the organization, said at the shop’s launch.

Sakker al-Dekkene roughly translates to “shut down the store,” and plays on the idea that public institutions sell official documents and help to expedite administrative procedures for cash, an exchange of goods for money similar to that of shops.

“This store will remain open as long as it has customers and people who are going to this store and buying [the products],” Medlej said.

He told The Daily Star the idea of the organization came about almost a year ago, and that more concrete solutions would be put in place depending on the public’s reaction.

During the launch, conducted in cooperation with public relations office TRACCS, the organization aired a satirical video depicting the Lebanese public sector in the form of a store, with clients asking for paperwork, enquiring about document prices, fighting to stand in line, and finally paying at the register. A politician looking to sell votes is also seen entering the store. The video ends with the Lebanese national anthem.

In targeting corruption, the group is touching on a subject that is widely acknowledged, and which is also widely accepted to be unchangeable.

Lebanon’s public sector ranks 127th in Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index, and scored 28 on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Additionally, a survey conducted by the Lebanese Transparency Association and Research and Consulting House (REACH) last year indicated that 66 percent of Lebanese citizens believe that the level of exploitation in the country is the highest it has ever been.

Beginning Thursday, individuals who witness or experience corruption can report the incident anonymously through Sakker al-Dekkene’s call center, website or mobile application. The group plans to park a car bearing its logo in front of the reported institution to notify individuals that corruption is taking place there.

It is also looking to gather detailed statistics on corruption, which will be made available online.

The website has already posted some data on its website based on received reports. The vast majority of complaints – 44 percent – have been made about the Interior Ministry, followed by the Finance Ministry, at 27 percent.

“If we want to fight corruption, people must begin to participate with us in doing that, and this is the basic issue that we are working on,” Medlej stressed.

“The problem is so deeply rooted in our daily lives, so we cannot accept not doing anything.”

Court rules against Calif. raisin farmer’s complaint with USDA

WASHINGTON -- A dissident Fresno-area raisin farmer who took his complaints all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court has lost his challenge to a crucial part of the system that governs his industry.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected farmer Marvin D. Horne’s argument that a “set-aside” requirement amounted to an unconstitutional taking of his property. Under the decades-old program, raisin handlers can be required to give a portion of their crop to an industry reserve.

“While the Hornes’ impatience with a regulatory program they view to be out-dated and perhaps disadvantageous to smaller agricultural firms is understandable, the courts are not well-positioned to effect the change the Hornes seek,” Judge Michael Daly Hawkins wrote.

Hawkins, nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton, added that Horne’s putative goal of a “restructuring of the way government regulates raisin production” can only be accomplished by Congress, not the courts.

The 29-page ruling, quietly issued last Friday, diminished what had been a notable, if technical, Supreme Court victory by Horne and his allies last year.

The Supreme Court, in its unanimous decision authored by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, had allowed Horne to make the takings argument in the first place. That, however, was only a procedural green light. In the latest decision, the lower appellate court considered the takings argument and then rejected it.

“The Hornes can avoid the reserve requirement of the marketing order by...planting different crops, including other types of raisins, not subject to this marketing order or selling their grapes without drying them into raisins,” Hawkins reasoned.

Barry Kriebel, president of Sun-Maid Growers, which supports the marketing order, said in an interview Thursday that “we’re pleased” with the court’s ruling. At the same time, Kriebel added that the reserve requirement to which Horne objected hasn’t been used in the last four years.

“The industry has changed a lot of its practices,” Kriebel said. “We’ve moved closer to the 21st century.”

A federal marketing order has governed the raisin industry since 1949. Concentrated in California’s sunny San Joaquin Valley, raisin production spanned more than 200,000 acres and reached a value of over $725 million in 2012.

The marketing order regulates handlers, who pack and process the raisins. Among other provisions, the order requires that handlers may have to withhold some of their crop for a “reserve tonnage” managed by the Fresno-based Raisin Administrative Committee. The set-aside raisins may be sold for purposes such as the National School Lunch program

Raisin handlers set aside 47 percent of their crop during the 2002-03 season and 30 percent for 2003-04, but they were paid for only part of what they surrendered.

Horne, in protest, had helped organize about 60 other growers into the Raisin Valley Farms Marketing Association, which took care of the packing. By identifying themselves as producers rather than handlers, the group’s members reasoned, they were exempt from the set-aside requirement.

The Obama administration termed this a “scheme” and the Agriculture Department subsequently ordered Horne and his coalition to pay more than $650,000 in fees and penalties. USDA further insisted that Horne raise his Fifth Amendment takings argument in the specialized U.S. Court of Federal Claims, after first paying a fine or turning over the required portion of his crop.

Horne’s 2013 Supreme Court victory enabled him to make his taking challenge in a conventional civil lawsuit. The Fifth Amendment prohibits the taking of private property for public use without just compensation.

“The (Agriculture) Secretary did not authorize a forced seizure of the Hornes’ crops, but rather imposed a condition on the Hornes’ use of their crops by regulating their sale,” Hawkins wrote.

Stone crab season nears end in Florida

NAPLES, Fla. -- Stone crab harvests in southwest Florida appear to be the highlight of an otherwise dismal season.

The state's stone crab season ends at midnight Thursday. An estimated 1.7 million pounds of stone crab claws have been harvested statewide this season, down from 2.7 million pounds last year.

Commercial fisherman in the Florida Keys have reported record prices for stone crab claws, but only because the crabs were scarce in their waters.

However, Collier County crab processors and wholesalers say they had a good season, with local fishermen reporting healthier catches in areas where they had to pull their traps early last year.

"The season was very fair, for catching and selling," Justin Grimm, manager of Grimm's Seafood in Everglades City, told the Naples Daily News (http://bit.ly/1lD1PgX).

Grimm's was selling jumbo claws for $36 per pound Tuesday. Randy's Fishmarket in North Naples was getting $36.99 and jumbo claws were going for $39.99 a pound at Kirk Fresh Seafood Market in Goodland.

At Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House in downtown Naples, the all-you-can-eat Monday stone crab dinner ended the season priced at $99 — up from $69 a year ago — including a soup or salad and side dishes, said Sheri Bilbrey, Truluck's special event coordinator.

The restaurant plans to continue the Monday special throughout the year, switching to Campeche or Pacific coast stone crabs after the Florida season ends. Bilbrey said she expects the price to come down compared with the local product.

Florida's stone crab fishery is fully exploited and claw sizes are down, which indicates that fishermen are catching them faster than they used to, said Tom Matthews, a fisheries biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"The number of traps is largely inflated. Last year, we had over a million traps to land 2.7 million pounds of claws. It's hard to make a living with those numbers," Matthews said. "And all that extra gear has unintended consequences," he added, including habitat destruction and "ghost fishing" where lost traps continue catching and killing crabs that never come to market.

Stone crab season reopens Oct. 15.

Philly fast food workers join global protests

PHILADELPHIA -- Fast food employees in Philadelphia called for higher pay and union representation during an international day of protest.

The global demonstrations Thursday build on a campaign by unions to spotlight the plight of low-paid restaurant workers. The goal is to generate public support for a $15 hourly wage.

Businesses have said such pay would hurt their ability to create jobs.

Dozens of demonstrators marched and rallied outside two McDonald's in Philadelphia.

Justice Wallace, a 19-year-old worker at Subway who earns $7.50 an hour, says she can't live comfortably on what she's paid. She calls it "a poverty wage."

Jose Torres, a 19-year-old Burger King employee who earns $7.46 an hour, says much of the money he earns goes toward getting to work and his phone bill.

Gold prices sink after batch of economic reports

Gold prices are settling lower after a batch of economic reports led traders to drop the yellow metal.

Gold for June delivery fell $12.30 to settle at $1,293.60 an ounce. Silver for July slipped 29 cents to $19.48 an ounce.

The federal government said the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits fell to its lowest level in seven years last week. Meanwhile, the European Union's official statistics agency said the region's economy expanded at slower pace than economists had forecast. The economic news helped support the dollar, pressing gold and other metals down.

In other trading Thursday, contracts for grains and crops slumped. Wheat fell 12 cents to $6.78 a bushel. Corn dropped 11 cents to $4.84 a bushel. Soybeans fell 17 cents to $14.70 a bushel.

UK retailers Carphone Warehouse, Dixons to merge

LONDON -- British cellphone seller Carphone Warehouse and consumer electronics retailer Dixons Retail Group announced plans to merge Thursday in a deal that values the combined business at 3.8 billion pounds ($6.4 billion).

The deal is aimed at creating a major player in the "Internet of Things" — the growing range of Internet-enabled devices, from, fridges to toasters.

Dixons chief executive Sebastian James said the new company would be "a leading force for retailing in a connected world."

Dixons Carphone PLC will have more than 2,000 stores and 43,500 employees across Europe and annual sales of about 12 billion pounds. Dixons owns Britain's Currys and PC World chains, as well as Elkjop in the Nordic region and Electro World in central Europe.

Ownership will be split evenly between the two firms' shareholders.

Dixons said the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, would not involve store closures, and should see the workforce grow by about 4 percent.

Last year Carphone Warehouse pulled out of a joint venture with American retailer Best Buy which had failed in its goal of creating a major new chain of big box electronics stores in Britain.

Shares in both companies fell Thursday morning. Carphone Warehouse stocks were down 1.9 percent at 321.6 pence, while Dixons' shares sagged 3.4 percent to 49.19 pence.

Wyoming governor says he might be wrong on climate

CASPER, Wyo. -- Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a climate-science skeptic from the nation's top coal-producing state, said he could be wrong about the causes of global warming but argued for developing cleaner technology to burn coal rather than trying to eliminate its use.

In a speech Wednesday, the Republican governor reaffirmed he has doubts about research showing humans are causing climate change.

But he added, "I'm not a scientist. I could be wrong on this," the Casper Star-Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/1oUrnXn)

He said weak coal industry earnings suggest that investors have accepted evidence of human-caused climate change and are looking for lower-carbon options.

"So let's just assume for today that I am wrong," and coal-fired power plants are causing global warming, Mead said. "Then the question is: What is being done and what should be done?"

The government should look for ways to keep burning coal while reducing its pollution, he said.

Mead noted that Wyoming invested $15 million in a test center to explore commercial uses of carbon dioxide.

He also cited the state's partnership with General Electric in a gasification plant — currently on hold — that would have tested technology for turning coal into gas. GE and the University of Wyoming announced in 2011 they were suspending the venture because of uncertainty about national energy policy and weak electrical demand.

"My point is this: Whatever your views are, shouldn't we all say, 'Listen, coal is a valuable resource that we want to use today, and for the next (300 to 400) years or whatever it may be, so let's find solutions'?" Mead said.

Mead accused the Environmental Protection Agency of trying to shut down coal-fired plants.

"To me, (the federal government is) not trying to find a way forward, how to use coal. They are trying to find a way to stop coal," he said.

Last week, Mead asked the EPA to withdraw a proposal to require new coal-fired power plants to use carbon-capture technology. New plants would have to install equipment to intercept emissions at the smokestack and store them underground.

In a May 9 letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Mead said the new standards are a threat to Wyoming's economy. He said the state produces about 40 percent of the nation's coal and that the state's coal industry employs nearly 7,000 people with a $560 million payroll.

Online Gambling In The Garden State Gets Off To A Slow Start

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

Jason Schlachter has been gambling for a living since college, mostly online, and he makes lots of money doing it. The trouble is, New Jersey — where he does his gambling — isn't having the same success. The state legalized online gambling in 2013, expecting a $160 million windfall in tax revenue, but it has earned less than $5 million so far. WNYC's Jessica Gould looks at what's gone wrong with New Jersey's big bet.

Gay Marriages Cleared In Arkansas, But On Hold In Idaho

More legal wrangling over gay marriage in two states on Thursday:

In Arkansas, Pulaski County Judge Chris Piazza expanded the ruling he issued last week striking down a ban on gay marriage to also eliminate a separate law that prohibited clerks from issuing such marriage licenses.

It comes after the state's Supreme Court upheld his ruling but left the other law on the books. Piazza's expanded ruling paves the way for gay couples in Arkansas to get married.

Meanwhile, in Idaho, a federal appeals court has put gay marriages on hold while it considers the state's request for a longer stay.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Candy Dale declared the state's ban on gay and lesbian couples seeking to marry as unconstitutional. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday that it would put the move on hold while it considers a request from the governor and attorney general to issue a stay.

Same-sex marriages are legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

On Hill, VA Chief Shinseki Faces Hospital Death Allegations

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki testified before a Senate committee Thursday, responding to allegations that dozens of veterans died during a long wait for medical treatment in the U.S.

On The Hill And Off It, Two Different GOP Positions On Minimum Wage

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

Prominent Republicans — including former presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Tim Pawlenty — have endorsed a minimum wage hike in recent weeks. And in Vermont, lawmakers approved the nation's highest statewide minimum wage, in a deal brokered by a Republican state senator. Nevertheless, a nationwide increase faces solid Republican opposition in Congress.

After Nearly 50 Years In Office, Conyers Might Not Make The Ballot

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

A local elections official has ruled that Rep. John Conyers of Detroit, who's served in the House for nearly 50 years, has failed to collect enough valid signatures to appear on the Democratic primary ballot. He's appealing the decision; if he loses, it could be an ignominious end to a distinguished career.

FCC Votes To Open Debate On New Net Neutrality Rules

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to move forward with considerations on a proposal for new open Internet rules. What exactly is in the proposal?

Kim Seung-hyuk leads at SK Telecom Open

INCHEON, South Korea -- Kim Seung-hyuk fired a six-under-par 66 on Thursday for a two-stroke lead on the opening day of the SK Telecom Open

The 28-year-old recovered from a triple bogey that had earlier seen him slice out of bounds, before compounding the error with a three putt.

He made amends when he holed 50-footer birdie on the last hole under windy conditions.

Kim made four birdies on front nine and four more in the first five holes of his back nine before the triple bogey at the sixth put a blot on his sheet.

Lee Tae-hee (68) was occupying second spot while Kim Kyun-tae was among seven others at two under.

Defending champion Matthew Griffin and three-time winner K.J. Choi played together in windy conditions to settle for matching 73s.

Turkish families bury miners as toll rises to 283

SOMA, Turkey -- Turkish women sang improvised laments about the departed over freshly dug graves Thursday, even as backhoes carved row upon row of graves into the dirt and hearses lined up outside the cemetery with more victims of Turkey's worst mining disaster.

Rescue teams recovered another nine victims, raising the death toll to 283, with scores of people still unaccounted for, according to government figures. The disaster Tuesday has set off protests around Turkey and thrown Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's presidential ambitions off stride. Blackening his reputation further, one of Erdogan's aides was seen kicking a protester held on the ground by armed police.

At a graveyard in the western town of Soma, where coal mining has been the main industry for decades, women wailed loudly in an improvised display of mourning. They swayed and sang songs about their relatives as the bodies were taken from coffins and lowered into their graves. Pictures of the lost relatives were pinned onto their clothing.

"The love of my life is gone," some sang, chanting the names of dead miners.

No miner has been brought out alive since dawn Wednesday from the Soma coal mine where the explosion and fire took place. Mourners said they spent their whole lives fearing something like this.

"The wives of the miners kiss their husbands in the morning. When they come back, even if they are five minutes late, everyone starts calling. You never know what is going to happen," said Gulizar Donmez, 45, the daughter and wife of a miner and neighbor of one of the victims.

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said the search for survivors has been hampered by a mine fire that had spread to a conveyor system — engulfing a 200 meter-long (650-foot) stretch — but progress was made Thursday on extinguishing it. Rescue operations have been suspended several times as burning coal inside created toxic fumes and too-risky conditions for the rescue teams.

Emergency crews detected a drop in carbon monoxide levels "which means that the fire has gotten smaller," he said.

Erdogan, who is expected to soon announce his candidacy for Turkey's presidential election in August, was not welcome during his visit Wednesday. He was forced to take refuge at a supermarket after angry crowds called him a murderer and a thief, in a reference to alleged corruption, and clashed with police.

Turkish newspapers printed photographs Thursday of an Erdogan aide kicking a protester who was being held on the ground by special forces police. The aide, Yusuf Yerkel, issued a statement Thursday that expressed regret but also claimed he was provoked.

"I am sorry that I was not able to keep calm despite all the provocations, insults and attacks that I was subjected to," he said.

Erdogan had appeared somewhat tone-deaf to residents' grief Wednesday, calling mining accidents "ordinary things" that occur in many other countries.

In contrast, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, visiting Soma on Thursday, described the coal mine explosion as "a huge disaster."

"The pain is felt by us all," he said.

The mood was more restrained than during Erdogan's visit, though locals angry at what they saw as the slow rescue operation still shouted at him, demanding that more should be done to reach possible survivors.

Erdogan has made no secret of his desire to become Turkey's first popularly elected president. His party swept local elections in March despite a corruption scandal that forced him to dismiss four government ministers in December and later also implicated him and family members. Erdogan denies corruption, calling the allegations part of a plot to bring his government down.

Protests broke out in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities Wednesday over the deaths and poor safety conditions at mines around the country. In Istanbul and Izmir, authorities used water cannons and tear gas to break up the protests.

Turkey's largest trade union confederation, representing some 800,000 workers, joined a one-day strike Thursday by other unions to demand better conditions for workers. Miners in Zonguldak gathering in front of a pit Thursday but did not enter it. In Istanbul, a group chanted anti-government slogans and carried a large banner that read: "It's not an accident, it's murder."

Authorities said the disaster followed an explosion and a fire at a power distribution unit, and most deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

The government has said 787 people were inside the coal mine at the time of Tuesday's explosion, and that 383 were rescued, many with injuries. Tuesday's explosion tore through the mine as workers were preparing for a shift change, which likely raised the casualty toll.

The death toll made it Turkey's worst mining accident, topping a 1992 gas explosion that killed 263 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.

Erdogan promised that Tuesday's tragedy would be investigated to its "smallest detail" and that "no negligence will be ignored." Hurriyet newspaper reported that a team of 15 prosecutors has been assigned to investigate the Soma explosion.

Turkey's Labor and Social Security Ministry said the mine had been inspected five times since 2012, most recently in March, when no safety violations were detected. But the country's opposition party said Erdogan's ruling party had voted down a proposal to hold a parliamentary inquiry into several smaller accidents at the mines around Soma.

Fraser reported from Ankara.

Hawaii unemployment drops to 4.4 percent in April

HONOLULU -- Hawaii state officials say the unemployment rate on the islands was 4.4 percent in April, down from 4.5 percent in March and 4.8 percent in April last year.

The Department of Labor & Industrial Relations said Thursday that 3,300 jobs were added in nonagricultural sectors. About 1,600 jobs were in leisure and hospitality, while 600 were in education and health services.

Statewide, the total labor force was more than 660,000 people, including 631,000 who were employed and more than 29,000 unemployed.

Unemployment has consistently declined the last two years in Hawaii from 6 percent in April 2012. State officials say unemployment hasn't been at 4.4 percent since August 2008.

The national unemployment rate for April was 6.3 percent, down from 6.7 percent in March and 7.5 percent in April 2013.

River Region names Pearson interim CEO

VICKSBURG, Miss. -- Gregory Pearson was appointed interim CEO at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg.

Pearson succeeds Doug Sills, who was first appointed CEO in 2010 and was promoted in April by the hospital's parent company as market CEO for its hospitals in the Jackson area.

Pearson's appointment was announced in a news release.

Pearson is from Houma, Louisiana, and has 13 years in health care management. Before joining River Region in March 2013, he was chief financial officer for St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

Senate panel approves 6-year highway bill

WASHINGTON -- A Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill to keep federal highway programs going for the next six years, but it remained unclear whether Congress would act in time to prevent a disruption in transportation aid to states this summer.

The Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved a bill that would keep transportation spending at current levels, plus inflation, in a rare burst of bipartisan bonhomie, with Democrats and Republicans lavishing praise on each other.

But the bill didn't address the biggest transportation question facing Congress: how to find an extra $100 billion to close the gap between what lawmakers want to spend on transportation programs and how much revenue federal gas and diesel taxes and other user fees bring into the federal Highway Trust Fund.

Finding the money is the responsibility of the Senate Finance Committee, but its chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., hasn't signaled how he plans to do that. The White House and Congress have been unwilling thus far to raise the 18.4-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax and the 24.4-cents-a-gallon diesel tax, which haven't been increased since 1993.

The Department of Transportation estimates the federal Highway Trust Fund will go broke on Aug. 29, but disruptions in payments to states could happen as early as July, when the balance in that account is expected to drop below $4 billion. Without that cushion, it becomes difficult to ensure incoming revenues keep up with outgoing aid to states.

NYT publisher: Pay had no part in Abramson ouster

NEW YORK -- Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of the New York Times and chairman of its parent company, is denying media reports that executive editor Jill Abramson's dismissal had to do with her complaints over unequal pay.

The Times replaced Abramson Wednesday and promoted managing editor Dean Baquet to executive editor. The decision was made due to Abramson's newsroom management, according to Sulzberger. Abramson had spent two and a half years in the newspaper's highest editorial position.

In a memo to New York Times staff on Thursday, Sulzberger said it is "simply not true that Jill's compensation was significantly less than her predecessors." He added that neither compensation nor any discussion about compensation played a part in his decision that Abramson "could not remain as executive editor."

The Times announced the abrupt management change on Wednesday, but didn't give a reason, which prompted a flurry of speculation in media circles.

In a blog post, New Yorker staff writer Ken Auletta quoted an anonymous "close associate" who said Abramson confronted the Times' "top brass" about her pay after discovering that both her pay and her pension benefits were less than that of her male predecessor, Bill Keller. The confrontation, Auletta wrote, "may have fed into the management's narrative that she was 'pushy.'"

In Thursday's memo, Sulzberger said that the only reason behind his decision to dismiss Abrams was "concerns I had about some aspects of Jill's management of our newsroom, which I had previously made clear to her, both face-to-face and in my annual assessment."

Abramson, 60, was the paper's first female executive editor. She joined the newspaper in 1997 after working for nearly a decade at The Wall Street Journal. She was the Times' Washington editor and bureau chief before being named managing editor in 2003.

Meet The High School Student Who Beat A State Lawmaker

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hide captionThe incumbent state legislator who lost to Saira Blair acknowledged the 17-year-old outworked him on the campaign trail.

Courtesy of Saira Blair

The incumbent state legislator who lost to Saira Blair acknowledged the 17-year-old outworked him on the campaign trail.

Courtesy of Saira Blair

Saira Blair has been busy this week. She's president of the Key Club at Hedgesville High School in West Virginia and she's been participating in a variety of activities as her class prepares to graduate next week.

Oh — and on Tuesday, she won a primary election for the state House.

Blair, who is 17, unseated Larry Kump, a two-term GOP incumbent. The district is heavily Republican, so she'll be favored to win the seat in the fall.

She may be a teenager, but she sounds like a concerned parent when she talks about why she ran.

"A lot of my friends around the state have been able to find a good education in the state of West Virginia, but they haven't been able to get a job," she says.

She encouraged her friends to vote, letting them know they could do so as long as they will turn 18 before the November general election.

That helped her come out ahead in a low turnout election in which about 1,600 votes were cast. She had a little help from her family, as well.

"It didn't come out of the blue because her dad, who is the state senator for this area, was working vigorously on her behalf," says Kump, the defeated incumbent. "There would be something wrong with a dad who wasn't willing to help his daughter."

The Kiddie Caucus

Fewer than half the states allow 17-year-olds to vote if they'll be 18 on Election Day in November, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only 18 states allow citizens to run for state office before turning 21. (Blair turns 18 in July.)

As a result, there have only been a half-dozen teenagers elected as state legislators since 1998, out of maybe 50,000 such elections.

All but one of them won in New Hampshire, a small state with a huge state legislature of 424 members, creating so many politicians per capita that it's not unusual for husband-and-wife teams to both serve representing the same address.

"I found that the general response when I was elected at the age of 18 was, 'Fantastic — now give us a reason to vote for you in two years,'" says Joe Sweeney, who was elected to the New Hampshire House two years ago.

At first, everyone — media outlets, constituents, other politicians — wants to talk to the new kid at the capitol. But the novelty quickly wears off, says Derrick Seaver, who was elected to the Ohio House at 18 back in 2000.

"Honestly, it's a great experience no matter what age you are, but obviously being 18 is different," he says.

Never Too Young

Mark Barney, Blair's civics teacher at Hedgesville High, says they discussed her campaign in class. Like many people in her district, he thinks it's a great thing she decided to run for office at such a tender age, rather than starting out cynical about politics.

"Craig was in the House for eight years," says Andrea Blair, Saira's mother, referring to her husband.

Craig Blair won election to the state Senate two years ago.

"She was little when he got started. She went to tons of meetings, did campaign help and held signs when he was running."

Even Saira's Democratic opponent, Layne Diehl, says she admires someone so young for getting involved in civic life.

"There are too many young people who aren't paying attention to what's going on," adds Denny Hedges, who works in auto sales in Hedgesville and supported Blair. "She evidently has the right views because she defeated an incumbent, so people are definitely ready for a change."

Old-Fashioned Effort

Blair had a small social media presence for the primary. She ran the old-fashioned way, knocking on doors, running print ads and sending out hundreds of handwritten notes.

"She mobilized her people, she was effective, she just did a better job of campaigning," says Kump, gracious in defeat.

Blair said the issues she heard about the most as she talked to voters were jobs, gasoline prices and the 2nd Amendment.

She contends that her party, which has struggled to appeal to young voters in recent years, should have no trouble in the future.

Republicans, after all, are widely expected to win control of the West Virginia House for the first time since 1928.

"It's wonderful that my generation is learning they don't have to be 40, 50 or 60 to realize these conservative values benefit them," she says.

How states fared on unemployment benefit claims

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in seven years last week, a sign the job market is steadily improving. Applications dropped 24,000 to 297,000, the fewest since May 12, 2007, the Labor Department said.

Here are the states with the biggest increases and decreases in applications. The data is for the week that ended March 1, one week behind the national figures:

States with the biggest decreases:

New York: Down 20,637, due to fewer layoffs in transportation and warehousing, restaurants, and education

California: Down 3,713, due to fewer layoffs in services

New Jersey: Down 2,565, due to fewer layoffs in hotels, restaurants, transportation and warehousing, and retail

Connecticut: Down 1,609, no reason given

Massachusetts: Down 1,277, due to fewer layoffs in education

States with the biggest increases:

Pennsylvania: Up 1,403, due to layoffs in construction, restaurants and manufacturing

Texas: Up 1,147 due to layoffs in manufacturing, finance, retail and health care

Connecticut unemployment rate dips as jobs added

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. -- Labor officials say employers in Connecticut added 2,200 jobs in April, helping to push down the unemployment rate to 6.9 percent.

The state Department of Labor reported Thursday it was the third consecutive monthly employment increase. Employers have added 6,900 jobs since April 2013.

The unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percent, but Connecticut's rate is still higher than the 6.3 percent jobless rate nationally in April.

Labor officials say the numbers across the board show an improving labor market. For example, the number of unemployed Connecticut residents declined by more than 2,000 in April and has fallen by nearly 12 percent since April 2013.

Andy Condon, the Labor Department's research director, says the pace of Connecticut's employment recovery is moderate, but seems to be on solid footing.

Lamar shareholders headed for $2.50 dividend

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Baton Rouge-based Lamar Advertising expects to pay a dividend of $2.50 per share in 2014. That's according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1lCEKL2 ) the filing shows the company's adjusted funds from operations, a key performance measure for Real Estate Investment Trusts, will range from $4.03 to $4.13 per share.

Investors in Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, use Adjusted Funds from Operations per share instead of earnings per share. The AFFO includes the costs for maintaining the trust's underlying assets — in Lamar's case billboards — and is considered a better predictor of a company's ability to pay dividends.

The earnings projections are part of an investor presentation Lamar is making to REIT investors this week.

Rhode Island jobless rate falls to 8.3 percent

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island's unemployment rate has fallen to 8.3 percent in April, down four-tenths of a percentage rate from the previous month.

The state Department of Labor and Training on Thursday says the rate is the lowest it has been in more than 5 ½ years, since August 2008.

It's still significantly higher than the U.S. unemployment rate, which was 6.3 percent in April. The state has had one of the highest jobless rates in the nation for years, and was worst in the country in March.

The state's unemployment rate was 9.5 percent this time last year.

The state says the number of jobs in the state increased by 700 during April, and the number of employed residents increased by 3,600.

Recovery gains no steam in Europe as France lags

FRANKFURT, Germany -- The economic recovery in the 18-country eurozone failed to gain any momentum in the first quarter as official figures showed growth unchanged at 0.2 percent in the first three months of the year.

Though that was the eurozone's fourth straight quarter of expansion, the increase was below the consensus in the markets for a 0.4 percent rise from the previous quarter.

The quarterly figures Thursday from Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, showed that a flat economy in France and falling output in Italy and the Netherlands offset a strong rebound in Germany. France has lagged in reducing worker protections and cutting labor costs for business — steps that have benefited other eurozone economies.

Disappointing growth is likely to fuel expectations that the European Central Bank will take additional stimulus measures next month.

Germany, the eurozone's biggest economy, was a star performer with growth of 0.8 percent over the previous quarter, better than analysts had expected. But that couldn't overcome zero growth in France, which had been expected to turn in at least a 0.2 percent increase. Between them, the two economies make up roughly half of the eurozone economy.

A dismal 1.4 percent contraction in the Netherlands and a 0.1 percent decline in Italy did not help, either.

Compared to the same quarter a year ago, the eurozone economy grew 0.9 percent.

The stage is now set for further action by the European Central Bank.

The ECB could cut its benchmark interest rate from what is already a record low of 0.25 percent. It could also impose a negative interest rate for money banks deposit at the central bank, a step aimed at increasing loans to households and businesses. The ECB could also purchase government or corporate bonds on financial markets to add to the supply of money in the economy.

All those steps could help increase an inflation rate of 0.7 percent, which is well below the ECB's goal of just under 2 percent. Low inflation makes it harder for indebted governments to reduce their burdens. It has also raised fears that the eurozone may fall into outright deflation, a crippling downward price spiral that kills growth and business investment.