Sleiman fears presidential acts of revenge

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman is worried that the election of any of Lebanon’s four key Maronite political leaders could trigger acts of revenge.

“As a citizen, I lived through those [leaders’] tough conflicts that seem to never end. I fear the arrival of one [to the presidency] would spark revenge against the other,” Sleiman said in remarks published Tuesday.

“It’s time to stop the hate,” Sleiman said in an interview with the local Beirut daily As-Safir.

Sleiman, whose six-year term ends on May 24, said he did not support any candidate for the presidential seat.

“I am with whoever gets the majority [of votes] in Parliament and with the one who would carry on the march that I started,” he pledged.

Sleiman also dismissed talk of a consensus candidate.

“I don’t care about a consensus candidate. Good intentions exist, but the reality is something else,” he says. “The practice on the ground in recent history did not convince the people.”

“I’m not questioning the eligibility of the candidates,” he said, pointing out that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun was one of them.

Police bust prostitution ring, arrest 26 in Jounieh

BEIRUT: A prostitution ring was busted overnight Tuesday in Jounieh, north of Beirut, a statement from the police said.

The statement issued by Police Discipline Unit said 26 people were arrested during the night raid in the coastal city.

Security sources told The Daily Star that six men, two Syrians and four Lebanese, were running a human-trafficking ring for the purpose of sexual exploitation and prostitution.

The ring included 20 women, three Lebanese and 17 Syrians, the sources said.

They were all found in an apartment in Jounieh during the raid, the sources said.

The suspects were arrested after a tip to the police of suspicious activity at the residence, they added.

Thailand's army declares martial law, denies coup

BANGKOK -- Thailand's powerful army declared martial law before dawn Tuesday, deploying troops into the heart of Bangkok in a dramatic move it said was aimed at stabilizing the Southeast Asian country after six months of turbulent political unrest. The military, however, insisted a coup d'etat was not underway.

The surprise operation, which places the army in charge of public security nationwide, came amid deepening uncertainty over the nation's fate and one day after the caretaker prime minister refused to step down in the face of long-running anti-government protests.

Although soldiers entered multiple television stations to broadcast the army message, life in the vast skyscraper-strewn metropolis of 10 million people remained largely unaffected, with schools, businesses and tourist sites open and traffic flowing as usual.

On a major road in front of one of the country's most luxurious shopping malls, bystanders gawked at soldiers in jeeps mounted with machine-guns who briefly diverted traffic. The mood wasn't tense; passers-by stopped to take cell phone pictures of the soldiers.

Acting Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan called an emergency Cabinet meeting at an undisclosed location.

The Justice Minister, Chaikasem Nitisiri, told The Associated Press the army had not consulted Niwattumrong beforehand, but he played down the move and said the caretaker government was still running the country even though the army was now in charge of security.

"Security matters will be handled solely by the military, and whether the situation intensifies or is resolved is up to them," he said. "There is no cause to panic."

Thailand, an economic hub for Southeast Asia, has been gripped by off-and-on political turmoil since 2006, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was toppled by a military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The army, which is seen by many as sympathetic to anti-government protesters, has staged 11 coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.

The military statement was issued Tuesday by army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-Ocha, who cited a 1914 law that gives the authority to intervene during times of crisis. He said the military took action to avert street clashes between political rivals which he feared "could impact the country's security."

"The Royal Thai Army intends to bring back peace and order to the beloved country of every Thai as soon as possible," he said. We "intend to see the situation resolved quickly."

Prayuth later called on government leaders and the country's powerful independent oversight agencies to meet in the afternoon.

The latest round of unrest started last November, when anti-government protesters took to the streets to try to oust then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister. She had dissolved the lower house of parliament in December in a bid to ease the crisis.

Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court ousted Yingluck and nine Cabinet ministers for abuse of power, but the move has done little to resolve the political conflict that pits the rural poor majority who support Yingluck and her opponents that largely come from the urban middle and upper class.

Competing protests in Bangkok have raised concerns of more violence, which were heightened by anti-government protesters who set a Monday deadline for achieving their goals of ousting the remnants of the government.

An overnight attack last week on the main anti-government protest site left 3 dead and more than 20 injured. It raised the toll since November to 28 dead and drew a strong televised rebuke from the army chief.

"This week looked ominous," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "There was a strong likelihood of violence and turmoil."

"Martial law is intended to impose peace and order, but the key will be the army treatment of the two sides," Thitinan said. "If the army is seen as favoring one side over the other, then we could see the situation spiral and deteriorate. If the army is seen as even-handed ... we could actually see the situation improving."

Throughout the morning, the army issued multiple edicts. In one, they asked TV and radio stations to stop broadcasting their regular programs and air live broadcast from the army channels when asked.

At least 10 politically affiliated private TV stations from both sides ceased broadcasting — after armed soldiers entered and requested they do so.

The leader of the pro-government Red Shirt movement, Jatuporn Prompan, said his group could accept the imposition of martial law, but said they "won't tolerate a coup or other non-constitutional means" to grab power.

"We will see what the army wants," he said, warning that the undemocratic removal of the country's caretaker government "will never solve the country's crisis and will plunge Thailand deeper into trouble."

Red Shirts had been massing for days on the outskirts of Bangkok, and Jutaporn said his supporters were being "surrounded." More than 100 soldiers deployed near the rally venue with coils of barbed wire to block roads; they appeared to be taking over control of the area from police and took positions on roads leading to the protest site.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the U.S. was "very concerned about the deepening political crisis in Thailand."

We "urge all parties to respect democratic principles, including respect for freedom of speech," she said. "We expect the Army to honor its commitment to make this a temporary action to prevent violence, and to not undermine democratic institutions."

On Monday, Thailand's acting prime minister insisted his government will not resign, resisting pressure from a group of senators who are seeking ways to settle the country's political crisis, and from anti-government protesters who are demanding an appointed prime minister.

A group of about 70 senators, most of whom are seen as siding with the anti-government protesters, proposed a framework on Friday that calls for a government with full power to conduct political reforms.

The Senate, the only functioning legislative body in the country, was seen as the last resort of the anti-government protesters, who are calling for an interim, unelected prime minister to be chosen.

Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report.

Lebanon's Arabic press digest – May 20, 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-Akhbar

Hale explored viewpoints on Harb, Ghanem

Al-Akhbar has learned that U.S. Ambassador David Hale explored viewpoints last week on the possible nomination of Telecoms Minister Boutros Harb and MP Robert Ghanem for the presidency.

An-Nahar

Gemayel to call for political mobilization to rescue presidency

Kataeb Party sources told An-Nahar that party leader Amine Gemayel would appear in a television interview Tuesday to “ring the alarm bell.”

Gemayel will propose ways to get out of the presidential election impasse by calling for the various political forces to mobilize to rescue the presidency.

Ad-Diyar

March 8 MPs will not attend session to discuss Sleiman plea

March 8 sources told Ad-Diyar that March 8 MPs would not attend a parliamentary session designed to discuss an appeal to the legislature by President Michel Sleiman to elect a new head of state.

The sources said Sleiman’s letter to Parliament was unnecessary since the legislature was doing its job.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called a meeting of Parliament Wednesday to discuss Sleiman’s letter.

Al-Mustaqbal

Asiri for a president a la Sleiman

Al-Mustaqbal has learned that Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri has said the kingdom is interested in seeing the election of a new president who would follow in the footsteps of current President Michel Sleiman in terms of commitment to Lebanon’s neutrality.

Asiri’s remarks were made to the Lebanese delegation accompanying Prime Minister Tammam Salam to Riyadh.

China summons US envoy over cyberspying charges

BEIJING -- China summoned the U.S. ambassador and the Defense Ministry warned Tuesday of "serious damage" to military relations after the United States charged five Chinese army officers with hacking into U.S. companies to steal vital trade secrets.

China's response marked a rapid escalation in a dispute that has deeply angered Beijing over U.S. claims that the Chinese military is illegally helping the country's massive state industries.

China has already strongly denounced the charges and said it was suspending cooperation with the U.S. in a joint cybersecurity working group. The group was formed last year in the wake of allegations of Chinese military involvement in online commercial espionage. China has stridently denied the allegations.

State-run Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday that Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang called U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus to a meeting Monday night.

Zheng lodged a "solemn representation with the U.S. side," Xinhua said, using standard diplomatic language for a complaint. A U.S. Embassy spokesman said he had no immediate comment.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry Monday night said the charges were based on "fabricated facts" and would jeopardize China-U.S. "cooperation and mutual trust."

"China is steadfast in upholding cybersecurity," said the statement, which was read again Tuesday on state television's midday news broadcast. "The Chinese government, the Chinese military and their relevant personnel have never engaged or participated in cyber-theft of trade secrets. The U.S. accusation against Chinese personnel is purely ungrounded and absurd."

In its statement, the Defense Ministry repeated the charges, but added that the U.S. accusations would send a chill through gradually warming relations between their two militaries.

"Up to now, relations between the China-U.S. militaries had been development well overall," the ministry said. "The U.S., by this action, betrays its commitment to building healthy, stable, reliable military-to-military relations and causes serious damage to mutual trust between the sides."

The Chinese and U.S. have launched a series of initiatives to reduce mutual suspicion and smoothen communication. However, U.S. criticism of China's territorial assertions in the South China Sea and support for Japan and other Chinese rivals have consistently generated frictions.

The hacking charges represent the biggest challenge to bilateral relations since an unprecedented private summit between President Barack Obama and his counterpart Xi Jinping last summer.

The Chinese targeted big-name American makers of nuclear and solar technology, stealing confidential business information, sensitive trade secrets and internal communications for competitive advantage, according to a grand jury indictment that the Justice Department said should be a national "wake-up call" about cyber intrusions.

Thailand under martial law and what it means

BANGKOK -- Thailand's army has declared martial law to "bring back peace and order" amid growing concerns of violence after six months of political protests in the capital. So far, they have announced these bans or measures on national television:

— Protesters gathered in Bangkok cannot march outside of their protest sites.

— Ten politically affiliated satellite and cable TV stations, including those funded by pro- and anti-government protest movements, are asked to stop broadcasting until further notice.

— TV and radio stations should interrupt any regular programming for army broadcasts.

— Any broadcast or publication that could "incite unrest" is banned.

— Police should hand over reinforcements to the military if requested.

Typically, under martial law soldiers also have authority to enter and search private property and make seizures in the name of keeping peace.

China gives Putin a diplomatic boost

SHANGHAI -- Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing isolation in the West over Ukraine, received a diplomatic boost Tuesday on a state visit to China, where he hopes to extend his country's dealings with Asia.

Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the start of a two-day conference on Asian security with leaders from Iran and Central Asia.

The two governments are negotiating a multibillion-dollar sale of Russian gas to China, and officials have said a deal might be completed in time to be signed during Putin's visit.

The deal would give Moscow an economic and political win at a time when Washington and the European Union have imposed asset freezes and visa bans on dozens of Russian officials and several companies.

The U.S. treasury secretary, Jacob Lew, appealed to China during a visit last week to avoid taking steps that might offset the impact of sanctions. However, American officials have acknowledged China's pressing need for energy.

The deal to pipe Siberian gas to China's northeast would help Russia diversify export routes away from Europe. It would help to ease Chinese gas shortages and heavy reliance on coal.

Putin told Chinese reporters ahead of his visit that China-Russia cooperation had reached an all-time high.

"China is our reliable friend. To expand cooperation with China is undoubtedly Russia's diplomatic priority," Putin said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Xi and Putin were scheduled to kick off a joint exercise between their two navies in the northern part of the East China Sea.

The two countries developed a strategic partnership after the 1991 Soviet collapse, including close political, economic and military ties in a shared aspiration to counter U.S. influence, especially in Central Asia.

Talks on the proposed 30-year contract between Russia's government-controlled Gazprom and state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. began more than a decade ago.

A tentative agreement signed in March 2013 calls for Gazprom to deliver 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year beginning in 2018, with an option to increase that to 60 billion cubic meters.

Plans call for building a pipeline to link China's northeast to a line that carries gas from western Siberia to the Pacific port of Vladivostok.

A gas deal would mean China would be in a "de facto alliance with Russia," said Vasily Kashin, a China expert at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.

In exchange, Moscow might lift restrictions on Chinese investment in Russia and on exports of military technology, Kashin said in an email.

"In the more distant future, full military alliance cannot be excluded," Kashin said.

"It will, however, take years for China to start playing in the Russian economy a role comparable to that of the EU," he said. "After that happens, both China and Russia will be much less vulnerable to any potential Western pressure and that, of course, will affect the foreign policy of both these countries."

Route being set for new gas pipeline to Norfolk

NORFOLK, Neb. -- Black Hills Energy has been meeting with landowners along the likely route of a new natural gas pipeline that supporters say will ease the capacity problem at Norfolk.

Regulators have a approved a 50-mile line that will run from the Northern Natural Gas interstate pipeline at Bancroft. It would allow the area to receive natural gas from multiple pipelines to serve existing and future customers, especially businesses.

The line will supply natural gas to Houston-based Tejas Tubular Products among other customers, the Norfolk Daily News reported (http://bit.ly/1jZi20r ). Tejas Tubular has said it plans to build a plant next year near Nucor Steel that would bring about 200 new jobs to the area.

Pipeline construction is expected to begin as soon as weather permits in spring 2015. Gas should be flowing by November 2015.

Easements from landowners are being negotiated for 20 feet on each side of the line plus 35 feet of temporary easement during construction. Black Hills Energy wants to bury the line down 5 feet and will work with counties to ensure a 3-foot minimum under the bottom of a ditch and at least 10 feet under a creek bed.

Most of the line will be north of and parallel to Nebraska Highway 51 and U.S. Highway 275, Black Hills Energy officials have said.

"In the coming weeks, we'll continue to talk with landowners and work on finalizing the route," said Jeff Sylvester, vice president for gas operations in Nebraska. "There are surveyors out in the area, and we'd like to remind people to be aware of them as they're driving in the area."

Black Hills Energy has said the pipeline cost hasn't been determined, but it has also said there will be no immediate effect on current gas rates.

The Norfolk City Council has agreed to commit $3.6 million from the city's state economic development program toward the gas line, and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development will invest $1.4 million in the project.

Tejas Tubular plans to apply for state incentives under the Nebraska Advantage Act, according to Gov. Dave Heineman's office.

Text 911: Calling for help without making a call

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Sometimes a voice call to 911 just won't work, such as for deaf people in need of help or in certain domestic violence cases.

Now, in a big step toward moving the nation's emergency dispatch system out of voice-only technology that dates to the 1960s, four major wireless phone companies are providing the services to local governments that want it and have the capability to use it.

Local governments in 16 states are using it, according to the Federal Communications Commission, and Vermont became the first to offer the technology statewide Monday.

The four major providers — Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and AT&T — voluntarily committed to providing the service by May 15. The FCC has required all service providers to offer it by the end of the year.

Brian Fontes, the chief executive officer of the Virginia-based National Emergency Number Association, said the four major carriers offering text-to-911 is "a big deal."

He said that 911 texting is part of a broader push to use technology to enhance the information that can be provided to emergency responders and to put emergency call centers on an equal footing with the technology many people carry in their pockets.

Some professional sports teams already allow fans to report unruly behavior inside stadiums and arenas through texting, while law enforcement has started using text messaging during standoff negotiations.

"It's been a long time — years, decades — since our nation's 911 systems have been advanced," Fontes said. "They are pretty much still almost 100 percent voice-centric, 1960s technology."

The FCC tells people to limit texts for help to circumstances when voice calls can't be made, such as for the deaf or hard of hearing, or in domestic violence cases or at other times when it's not safe to speak.

Black Hawk County, Iowa, became the first to use text 911 in June 2009, said Judy Flores, director of the consolidated communication center for Black Hawk County, located in Waterloo.

"It's worked great," Flores said, adding that Iowa is expected to expand the service statewide within the next few weeks.

The text-to-911 service is now limited to text only — photos, videos and location information will have to wait for the next generation of the technology.

Fontes said he expected the use of text-to-911 would grow, but he can't say how fast. Vermont is one of the few states in the country with a statewide emergency 911 phone system, making rollout easier.

While the number using text 911 is small —there have only been 34 legitimate 911 texts for help since Vermont started using the system, compared to 208,000 911 voice calls last year — David Tucker, executive director of Vermont's Enhanced 911 board, notes that it has saved at least one life after dispatchers received a text about a suicide-by-hanging in progress.

"We were able to get a location for the person and it's my understanding the police broke down the door," Tucker said. "The person had already hung themselves. They cut him down and revived him."

Pfizer raises offer, highlighting flurry of deals

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer has raised its takeover bid for British rival AstraZeneca for a third time, hiking the stock-and-cash offer to nearly $119 billion (70.7 billion pounds). The move is the latest in a flurry of proposed drug takeovers this year. The deals highlight how the global pharmaceutical industry could over time consolidate into a very small number of massive companies as competition increases from generic versions of medicines. The enhanced economies of scale could boost returns for shareholders but what it means for consumers is still unclear.

— PFIZER-ASTRAZENECA

Pfizer Inc., the world's second-biggest drugmaker by revenue, has been courting No. 8 AstraZeneca PLC since January, saying their businesses are complementary and would be stronger together. AstraZeneca has repeatedly rejected Pfizer's offers, insisting they significantly undervalue the company and its experimental drugs. The company and British government officials also have raised concerns about the prospect of job cuts, facility closures and the U.K. losing some of its science leadership.

— BAYER-MERCK

Germany's Bayer AG, which invented aspirin more than a century ago, announced a $14.2 billion deal in May to buy Merck's consumer health business. The deal would make Bayer No. 1 worldwide in skin and gastrointestinal products, No. 2 in the huge cold and allergy category, and No. 3 in pain relievers. For Merck & Co., it's an opportunity to shed a slow-growing business it inherited in 2009 when it bought Schering-Plough Corp. to get its experimental prescription medicines. The deal still needs regulatory approval.

— NOVARTIS-GLAXOSMITHKLINE

In April, Switzerland's Novartis AG agreed to buy GlaxoSmithKline's cancer-drug business for up to $16 billion, to sell most of its vaccines business to GSK for $7.1 billion, plus royalties, and to sell its animal health division to Eli Lilly and Co. of Indianapolis for about $5.4 billion. The deals are likely to be completed in the first half of 2015.

— VALEANT-ALLERGAN

Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals has made an unsolicited offer of nearly $46 billion for Botox maker Allergan Inc., which has turned it down, so far. Allergan, which also makes the dry eye treatment Restasis, says its growth prospects are stronger as a separate company.

Appeals court won't rehear BP settlement issue

NEW ORLEANS -- A federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its previous ruling that businesses don't have to prove they were directly harmed by BP's 2010 Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect settlement payments.

Monday's decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could be a step toward resuming a claims process that was suspended after a district court ruling in December. BP spokesman Geoff Morrell said in an emailed statement Monday night that the company is considering its legal options.

BP had asked the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to rehear the case after a three-judge panel's March ruling. The court voted 8-5 against a rehearing.

The action preserves a district court ruling that BP had agreed in 2012 to pay claims without requiring proof that losses were directly caused by the spill.

Lebanese soldiers wounded in grenade attack in Tripoli

Lebanese soldiers wounded in grenade attack in Tripoli

Five Lebanese soldiers were wounded when their vehicle came under a grenade attack overnight, security sources said Tuesday.

Iraqi hostage released: Lebanese Army

BEIRUT: An Iraqi citizen who was taken hostage for ransom has been released, the Lebanese Army said.

In a statement late Monday, the Army said Majid al-Nashi was released as a result of an investigation and house raids carried out by Intelligence officers in the Bekaa Valley.

Efforts to arrest the kidnappers are ongoing, the Army said.

Nashi was kidnapped last week after delivering ransom money for the release of Wael Jbouri, an Iraqi businessman who was snatched in the Bekaa Valley.

Jbouri was released after Nashi, a relative, paid the kidnappers $50,000. But the hostage-takers held Nashi captive, demanding $200,000 for his release.

Target ex-CEO's pay fell 35 pct in final year

NEW YORK -- Former Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel's total pay fell 35 percent to $13 million in his last year at the helm as the board revamped compensation plans amid complaints from shareholders that he was paid too much, according to a regulatory filing Monday.

Steinhafel stepped down from the chairman and CEO role and resigned from the board earlier this month in the wake of a massive data breach in which millions of customers' information was stolen.

Steinhafel agreed to serve as an adviser while Target looks for a permanent leader.

The Associated Press formula calculates an executive's total compensation during the last fiscal year by adding salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest the company pays on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year.

4 Democrats vying for SC schools chief nomination

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Democratic race for South Carolina Superintendent of Education isn't as crowded as the Republican contest but it is just as heated.

The race has largely focused on how to properly fund public education, increasing teacher pay, creating a comprehensive and fair teacher evaluation system and strengthening the role and morale of the state Department of Education.

The four candidates are state Rep. Jerry Govan, Orangeburg; South Carolina State University dean of graduate studies Tom Thompson; former director of school transformation Montrio Belton; and former South Carolina Education Association President Sheila Gallagher, who has received the most attention over her call to legalize marijuana and tax the drug as a means of funding education.

The GOP primary features eight candidates. Hot-button issues include what role education should play in meeting the demands of a changing economy, giving parents school choice, closing the technology gap for rural areas and school safety.

After state Rep. Mike Anthony dropped out, it appeared up until the filing deadline that Belton would run unopposed in the Democratic primary. But Govan, Thompson and Gallagher entered and turned the primary into a race.

At the heart of the Democratic platform shared by all the candidates is the need to ensure equitable funding for all schools and fully fund "base student costs" that have drastically decreased since they switched from being primarily dependent on property taxes to sales taxes.

The candidates also oppose private school vouchers, saying that would undermine public education in a state that they believe has not fully funded public schools to begin with.

Many of the candidates said education funding can immediately be increased if laws are properly enforced and exemptions are closed. They also said simplifying the formula would allow the public to better understand how schools are funded and help eliminate funding discrepancies from district to district.

However, the candidates differ on the long-term solution to funding and improving education.

In addition to legalizing marijuana, Gallagher said funding could be improved if the state stopped denying federal education grants by opposing federal programs such as Smarter Balanced and Race to the Top.

As a legislator, Govan said improving education ultimately lies with a coordinated state effort to develop economically depressed areas such as the "Corridor of Shame" along Interstate 95. Until then, Govan recommends finding alternative funding for school districts in place of the current sales tax which fluctuates with the economy.

Despite Belton's opposition to private school vouchers, he said he would push for public school choice for parents and provide transportation for students to their preferred school, even across district lines. He also said he would declare an emergency in failing school districts to help bring immediate attention to their needs.

Thompson emphasizes community involvement and school safety. He said he would ensure the Department of Education keeps a close working relationship with school districts, which he said the current superintendent does not maintain. He said parents and businesses should be more involved in their schools to help students feel safer. Thompson also supports more community projects for students.

The primary is June 10. The Democratic candidates will hold a televised debate Thursday.

Opposition builds to well proposal in St. Tammany

MANDEVILLE, La. -- St. Tammany Parish residents packed a public meeting this past week to oppose a proposed oil well near Lakeshore High School in Mandeville.

It was the fourth such meeting in the past month, and as at the previous meetings many residents carried signs and wore shirts stating their feelings.

The meeting, held at Pelican Park's Castine Center, drew several hundred people to hear a talk by Parish Councilman Jake Groby, a presentation by environmentalist Wilma Subra and a talk about coastal issues by John Barry.

Helis Oil & Gas — which plans to drill a hydraulic fracturing well north of Interstate 12 and east of Louisiana Highway 1088 — was absent. The company has not sent a representative to previous community meetings.

Much of the opposition has centered on Helis' plans to use hydraulic fracturing, a method in which water, sand and chemicals are injected into the ground to create fissures in rock more than two miles deep. Oil and natural gas can move through the fissures and then can be pumped out.

So much unrest about the proposed project prompted Helis to modify its proposal and slow the development of an oil well in St. Tammany.

In an agreement that Parish President Pat Brister called a "compromise," Helis agreed to a phased approach for the project. During the first phase, Helis would drill only a 13,000-foot-deep vertical well, from which it will collect samples for testing. After that, the well would be plugged with cement above the shale formation from which the samples are taken and the samples would be tested. That process would take up to four months, parish and company officials said.

Only if the samples show the formation could produce a commercially viable amount of oil would Helis use hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract the oil.

The technology is relatively new, and none of the wells drilled in St. Tammany Parish over the past several decades used fracturing as the method of extraction.

In other parts of the country, however, fracturing has been blamed for issues with drinking water, earthquakes and health, air and water quality problems.

Subra told the crowd at the latest public meeting that she had studied health effects from fracturing wells in Texas and Wyoming. Problems there included chronic indigestion, forgetfulness, memory loss and mood swing. She also warned that processing facilities, pipelines and other hazards could be placed close to homes.

"These things could be coming to your community," Subra said.

Many of Subra's concerns have been echoed by St. Tammany residents at earlier meetings and on social media sites.

Much of the opposition focuses on potential damage to the Southern Hills Aquifer, the underground source from which all of St. Tammany Parish draws its drinking water.

Helis had been asked to send a representative to the May 12 meeting, Groby said, but the company instead sent a statement from president David Kerstein that read in part, "We will continue to communicate with the St. Tammany community through mechanisms and venues that do justice to this important subject in a way that is both respectful and cooperative."

A May 1 statement from Helis also attempted to allay residents' fears, saying several Helis employees reside in St. Tammany and that the company has safely drilled hundreds of wells in Louisiana and approximately 60 fractured wells to the same depth as the one planned for St. Tammany, with no "significant environmentally related incident."

Hunter Montgomery and Stephanie Houston Grey, who started the two Facebook pages opposing the proposed well, said they felt the company isn't being completely forthcoming.

"They are still only talking about one site," Montgomery said — not additional wells that might follow if the first one proves productive.

Helis has applied to the state's commissioner of conservation for a "unitization hearing," a hearing that sets the boundaries of a drilling unit, a key step that must be taken before the company can apply for a permit to actually drill the well. The company has identified a 960-acre tract on which it wishes to put one well on a 10-acre site.

Helis originally asked for that hearing to be held this past week, but parish leaders asked for a delay. Brister and Council Chairman Reid Falconer said the hearing will be held in June.

That announcement capped a month in which residents and officials sought ways to delay or stop Helis' plans as public concern rose.

On May 1, the Parish Council passed a resolution to hire an attorney to safeguard parish interests.

ESPN opens new digital center in Bristol

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Sports broadcaster ESPN has opened its new digital broadcast center on its Bristol campus.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and ESPN president John Skipper cut a fiber-optic cable in place of the traditional ribbon to open the building Monday morning, which will be the new home of the network's signature "SportsCenter" show, among others.

The state-of-the-art, 194,000-square-foot building includes five new studios and is the cornerstone of ESPN's expansion in Bristol, where it was founded in 1979.

The nearly 10,000-square-foot "SportsCenter" studio is twice the size of the current studio and contains 100 more monitors, the company said.

It features a video floor, virtual technology, two touchscreens, a wall of 56 LED multi-dimensional monitors and the ability to do live and pre-produced segments simultaneously, the company said.

The $175 million center was built with the help of a state package that includes up to $10 million in tax credits over 10 years. The credits for reinvestment in urban and industrial sites are administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

Those come as part of the state's First Five job creation program in exchange for a promise from ESPN to create 200 new jobs in the state by 2017.

"ESPN has made a major investment in our future and will continue to grow in the state of Connecticut," Skipper said.

ESPN employs nearly 4,000 in the state.

Minnesota construction companies need workers

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- With the recession over, Minnesota construction companies are scrambling to fill open jobs.

The state's construction industry shed tens of thousands of jobs during the housing crash, but it's booming again. According to state employment data, construction is by far the fastest-growing industry in the state, notwithstanding some losses last month.

In recent months, Minnesota Public Radio reported Monday (http://bit.ly/1jMVxGX ), construction managers have found it much harder to find people with experience, like lead carpenters. After years of little or no work, many of the most seasoned workers gave up and moved on.

One problem in luring them back is that wages came down during the slump and often haven't recovered.

"We were able to get better people for a little cheaper," said Aaron Johnson, one of the owners of Castle Building and Remodeling in Minneapolis.

At Castle, a non-union company, lead carpenters made about $27 per hour before the downturn. That plunged to around $23 per hour in the recession's depths. On an annual basis that could mean about $8,000 in lost income. Lead carpenters' pay has regained only about half the lost ground.

Steve Hine, chief labor market analyst with the Department of Employment and Economic Development, said employers may need to boost pay and scale back experience requirements. He said they may also have to drop a common requirement that workers supply their own vehicle.

That requirement has made it hard for Carquita Hall, 25, of Richfield, to find work. She earned a carpentry certification last year.

"I was top in my class, top 10," she said. "The only reason I wasn't work-ready was I didn't have a reliable vehicle."

Hall traveled nearly two hours by bus to attend a recent jobs fair in St. Paul, hoping to make personal connections to improve her chances. She got a few leads and was confident of landing a job soon.

Stocks edge higher as investors asses deal news

NEW YORK -- Stocks are edging higher in midday trading as investors consider the latest news on corporate mergers.

Abbott Laboratories rose 2 percent after financial analysts cheered the medical device maker's proposed acquisition of CFR Pharmaceuticals for nearly $3 billion.

Pfizer rose 1 percent after AstraZeneca's board rejected Pfizer's latest takeover offer. AstraZeneca sank 10 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 25 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,516 in midday trading Monday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose five points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,883 and the Nasdaq composite rose 32 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,123.

AT&T fell 1 percent after the company said it plans to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV for $48.5 billion. The proposal could face tough regulatory scrutiny. DirecTV also fell 1 percent.

Oilfield pipe firm to hire 100 at Port of Gulfport

GULFPORT, Miss. -- McDermott International will finish and spool pipe for oil and natural gas drillers at the Port of Gulfport, creating 100 jobs.

The company said Monday that it will lease space on the port's East Pier for 10 years, with options for another 30 years. If the port gets environmental approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it may add 15 acres to the pier for McDermott's use.

Port Director Jonathan Daniels said Houston-based McDermott would invest up to $25 million in the operation. Workers would fabricate pipe and load it onto giant spools that are placed on specialized ships, used to lay pipelines to connect offshore oil and gas platforms to existing pipelines. McDermott's service and supply vessels will also be based at Gulfport.

"This facility complements our efficiency and our high-performance vessels," McDermott Executive Vice President Tony Duncan said in a statement. "We will be ideally positioned to serve a wide range of our clients' needs from this base in the Gulf of Mexico."

Daniels said McDermott would be moving its current spool base from Morgan City, Louisiana. He said that in addition to full-time workers, McDermott would hire unionized longshoremen to load and unload cargo. Because McDermott wins work one project at a time, he said it wasn't possible to project how many longshoremen would be employed.

Construction is set to begin in the second half of 2015 and operations are set to begin in early 2016. Daniels said that timeline was originally based on when the port would be able to move the current East Pier tenant, Dole Food Co.'s banana importing operation.

But Daniels said last week's departure announcement by Chiquita Brands International may allow McDermott to speed up construction. Chiquita, one of Gulfport's top tenants, is moving its banana importing operation back to New Orleans after decades in Gulfport. Chiquita employs about 100 full-time and part-time workers in Gulfport.

Mississippi agreed to preserve 1,300 jobs and create another 1,300 in exchange for $581 million in federal money to rebuild and expand the port after Hurricane Katrina wrecked facilities. The port has been struggling to make those job targets, and has turned its sights to industrial tenants and companies that need more labor to load and unload ships.

"This announcement is one of many recent positive accomplishments of the Port of Gulfport restoration program," Gov Phil Bryant said in a statement. "The Port of Gulfport is an important economic driver for south Mississippi, and the investments we are making today will position the region for growth for years to come."

Officials: 1.8M pounds of ground beef recalled

DETROIT -- Officials say a Detroit-based business is recalling about 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products sold for restaurant use in four states that may be contaminated with the bacteria E. coli.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday that affected Wolverine Packing Co. products were produced between March 31 and April 18. They were shipped to distributors in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service says 11 illnesses have been identified.

The products bear the establishment number "EST. 2574B" and will have a production date code in the format "Packing Nos: MM DD 14" between "03 31 14" and "04 18 14."

E. coli can cause severe cramps, nausea and diarrhea, as well as other complications.

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Online:

http://1.usa.gov/1oHIBdb

Owners to decide on 2018 Super Bowl site

ATLANTA -- The Big Easy, Naptown or the Twin Cities.

That's the choice facing NFL owners when they vote Tuesday on the site of the next Super Bowl, choosing between New Orleans, Indianapolis and Minneapolis.

Each city has hosted the big game, albeit just once for Indy and Minny. New Orleans has staged 10 Super Bowls, tied with South Florida for the most.

Most recently, the 2013 game was delayed 38 minutes by a blackout at the Superdome. Despite that power problem, New Orleans is considered a favorite to be chosen by the 32 owners as the city celebrates its 300th year. A three-quarters majority is required for passage.

Saints owner Tom Benson recently had minor knee surgery, but the 86-year-old Benson is expected to attend the meetings.

Also planning to be there is Colts owner Jim Irsay, who will take part in league business for the first time since his arrest for having $29,000 in cash and bottles of prescription drugs in his car. Irsay has been undergoing treatment and the owners meetings would be Irsay's first public appearance since the arrest.

Only the Vikings will present a brand new stadium in their bid, a $1 billion indoor facility scheduled to open in 2016.

"We're going to celebrate winter. And we should, because we do it well — better than anyone," said Richard Davis, co-chair of the Minneapolis bid committee. "We're going to talk to the owners about how it's about time that the NFL brought America's game around the country, like a caravan, and started taking it out from the Southern states and bring it around to the rest of the world. We should be the first."

Actually, the game was held in New Jersey this year — the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather site.

Indianapolis was highly praised for its Super Bowl in 2012, when the Giants beat the Patriots. The city has a history of staging big events and will host the Final Four next spring at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The NFL always has favored bringing its title game to New Orleans, and the appeal of warmer weather in Louisiana than in the other bidding cities could be a factor.

Next year's game is in Arizona, and the 50th Super Bowl will be in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2017 game is set for Houston.

Also on the agenda, although no vote is certain, will be expanding the playoffs from 12 teams to 14. That proposal was discussed at the league meetings in Orlando in March. Commissioner Roger Goodell has said it's still possible such a change could happen this year if it is voted on and passed in Atlanta.

More likely, 2015 would be the target date for expanded playoffs.

"We're being very deliberate about it," Goodell said. "We want to make sure we do it in the right way."

Goodell also has been championing improved workplace environments in the wake of the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal. Owners will talk about that issue on Tuesday.

"You never want to see any story that reflects on that we don't have the right workplace environment," Goodell said. "We've redoubled our efforts to make sure we provide the right environment ... for everybody in the NFL."

Gov. Snyder tours Newell Rubbermaid design center

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Gov. Rick Snyder says Newell Rubbermaid Inc.'s decision to invest and create jobs in western Michigan's Kalamazoo is a "testament" to the state's talented workforce.

Snyder toured the company's new design center Monday at the Business Technology and Research Park at Western Michigan University.

The global marketer of brands that include Sharpie, Rubbermaid and Graco is investing $2.3 million in the facility. Up to 100 jobs also will be created.

Snyder says the state's focus is to continue finding ways for "business leaders to collaborate and connect" with Michigan universities and school districts "so students can graduate with in-demand skills."

Atlanta-based Newell Rubbermaid says it picked Kalamazoo over Chicago. The company received a $2 million Michigan Business Development performance based grant.

Kalamazoo also offered $164,000 in tax abatements.

Young people hold Middle East peace talks online

JERUSALEM -- With the collapse of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of young people across the Middle East are talking reconciliation online, a former Israeli peace negotiator and founder of the movement said Monday.

Uri Savir, himself an ex-peace negotiator between Israel and the Palestinians and founder of "Yala Young Leaders," said the size and scope of his group shows that young people in the Middle East want peace. "The peace process continues online," he said.

The Facebook group, which has backing from celebrities including Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Sharon Stone, has attracted almost 500,000 followers from around the region, including youths in the Palestinian territories, Egypt and Muslim countries that have no relations with Israel.

The group will hold an annual virtual peace conference on Sunday that will include video presentations by Nobel Peace laureates Israeli President Shimon Peres and Desmond Tutu as well as senior EU, US and Palestinian officials. Letters written by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be published on the site.

Savir served as an Israeli negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians in the 1990's known as the Oslo Accords, after the secret talks in Norway that preceded them, which created the Palestinian Authority and set up autonomous zones for the Palestinians.

The landmark talks ultimately failed to yield a final peace agreement. Two decades and several rounds of violence later, peace remains elusive and U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down last month.

"The young generation in the Middle East is sick of the decisions of their leaders and are very disappointed that the talks stopped," Savir said. "They have a say in this because it is the young people who are sent to the front lines if there is a war," he said.

"Young people in the Middle East want peace talks to succeed," Savir added. He said his site is a "very innovative public diplomacy tool that will in time influence governments."

The "Yala Young Leaders" group has an online university that teaches peace and reconciliation studies with lectures by officials with real experience in negotiating conflicts in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Rwanda, the Balkans as well as between Israel and the Palestinians and elsewhere.

Grizzlies' front-office shake-up: Levien, Lash out

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies have parted with team CEO Jason Levien and director of player personnel Stu Lash in a front-office shake-up that follows the Grizzlies' elimination in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Grizzlies announced the moves Monday.

General manager Chris Wallace assumes interim responsibility for basketball operations. Jason Wexler, the Grizzlies' chief operating officer, remains responsible for business operations.

Robert Pera, the Grizzlies' controlling owner, thanked Levien for his hard work in a statement.

"Rest assured that we remain as committed as ever to bringing a championship to this great city, and we are confident that when the new season begins our fans will be excited about both our roster and the direction of our organization," Pera said.

Levien had been the Grizzlies' CEO since Pera and his ownership group took control of the team in November 2012, and one of his biggest decisions was the hiring of Lash as director of player personnel and former ESPN writer John Hollinger as vice president of basketball operations. The first season went well as the Grizzlies reached the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

Then Grizzlies decided not to bring back coach Lionel Hollins, instead promoting Dave Joerger to head coach. Under the first-year coach, the Grizzlies went 50-32 and reached the playoffs for the fourth straight season. But Memphis lost in seven games to Oklahoma City in the opening round of the playoffs.

Under Joerger, the Grizzlies struggled at the start of the season going 10-15. He also lost center Marc Gasol 23 games with a sprained left knee, and guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen also missed games with injuries. Joerger wound up using 17 different starting lineups with Levien and the front office making a variety of moves bringing in Courtney Lee, James Johnson from the D-League and Beno Udrih off waivers.

The Grizzlies had to win the final five games of the regular season to earn the No. 7 seed. But guard Nick Calathes was suspended for 20 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for tamoxifen, Memphis was blown out with a chance to close out the Thunder on its own court in Game 6 and then Zach Randolph was suspended for Game 7.

Memphis has some big decisions to make this offseason. Randolph has a player option for next season at more than $16 million, and Gasol has two more seasons left on his contract.

"Wow," Allen wrote on Twitter.

Oil up near $103 amid Libya, Ukraine conflicts

The price of oil extended gains above $102 a barrel Monday on forecasts of higher global demand.

Benchmark U.S. crude for June delivery was up 16 cents to $102.18 a barrel at 0620 GMT in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 52 cents Friday to close at $102.02 and gained about 2 percent for the week.

Brent crude for July delivery, a benchmark for international oil, was up 41 cents to $110.15 on the ICE exchange in London.

The Commerce Department said Friday that U.S. housing construction surged to its highest pace in six months and the International Energy Agency in Paris raised its forecast for global crude demand.

Also underpinning energy prices are the tensions in Ukraine and the possibility they might disrupt Russian supplies.

In other energy futures trading in New York:

— Wholesale gasoline rose 1.7 cents to $2.972 a gallon.

— Natural gas added 1.5 cents to $4.428 per 1,000 cubic feet.

— Heating oil gained 1 cent to $2.959 a gallon.

Prosecutors: Chinese targeted Pennsylvania firms

PITTSBURGH -- Four major manufacturing firms that are based or do much of their work in western Pennsylvania, plus the United Steelworkers of America, were hacked by five Chinese army officials who allegedly stole trade secrets and other proprietary or sensitive information, federal authorities said Monday.

Westinghouse, U.S. Steel, Alcoa, and specialty steelmaker Allegheny Technologies Inc., or ATI, were targeted in the scheme that allegedly began in 2006, according to an indictment.

"This 21st-century burglary has to stop," U.S. Attorney David Hickton, who's based in Pittsburgh and will handle the case, said at a news conference in Washington.

Also targeted was SolarWorld AG, a German company with operations in Oregon.

Justice Department officials contended the companies competed with Chinese firms or were involved in litigation and were targeted by a Chinese military intelligence unit.

The five Chinese officers were accused of accessing the companies' computers to steal information and trade secrets that could help Chinese competitors, some of which were state-owned.

The hackers also allegedly stole emails and other communications that could have helped Chinese firms learn the strategies and weaknesses of American companies involved in litigation with the Chinese government or Chinese firms.

Despite the ominous-sounding allegations, at least one of the firms downplayed the hacking.

"To our knowledge, no material information was compromised during this incident, which occurred several years ago," said Monica Orbe, Alcoa's director of corporate affairs. "Safeguarding our data is a top priority for Alcoa, and we continue to invest resources to protect our systems."

Officials with U.S. Steel, ATI , the United Steelworkers and Westinghouse declined comment.

Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.

GM hires new chief spokesman

DETROIT -- General Motors is hiring Volkswagen's top U.S. spokesman as its new public relations chief.

The company announced Monday that Tony Cervone ((Sir-VONE)) would become senior vice president of communications effective immediately.

The 51-year-old Cervone was a communications executive at GM before leaving in 2009.

Before Volkswagen, Cervone headed communications at United Airlines. He also worked at Chrysler before GM.

He succeeds Selim Bingol, who left GM last month.

Cervone developed close ties to CEO Mary Barra when they worked together in communications at GM.

Cervone rejoins GM in the midst of its recall of millions of small cars with defective ignition switches. GM's mishandling of the situation has prompted congressional hearings and investigations by government agencies. GM says at least 13 people have died in crashes linked to the problem.

BC-Cotton Bale

NEW YORK -- Cotton futures No. 2 closed 40 cents a bale higher to $3.35 lower Monday.

The average price for strict low middling 1 & 1-16 inch spot cotton declined 69 cents to 82.07 cents per pound Monday for the seven markets, according to the Market News Branch, Memphis USDA.

High gas levels apparently ignored at Turkish mine

SOMA, Turkey -- Sensors noted high levels of toxic gas inside a coal mine days before the disaster that killed 301 workers in Turkey but company officials took no action, Turkish news reports said Monday.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, formally arrested two more people for the devastating mine fire in the western town of Soma, raising the number of suspects facing charges of negligent death to five. Those detained included executives and supervisors at mine owner Soma Komur Isletmeleri A.S., prosecutors say.

Chief prosecutor Bekir Sahiner said 25 people were initially detained as part of the probe, but several were released without charges while eight others were released but could be charged later. Authorities were still questioning others, including the company's CEO, Can Gurkan, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The Hurriyet, HaberTurk and other Turkish newspapers said prosecutors and inspectors probing the worst mining disaster in Turkey's history had seized data from the mine that indicated sensors showed high gas levels inside the mine as early as two days before the May 13 disaster. The reports say company officials did not record these high levels on log books and took no precautionary actions.

The Turkish newspapers did not cite source for their reports. Sahiner did not answer calls and no one picked up telephones at the prosecutors' office in Soma or in the nearby city of Akhisar, which is leading the probe.

But miners who survived the disaster also told The Associated Press that supervisors ignored rising gas levels and failed to take precautionary measures. They have accused the company of failing to heed safety concerns and that government inspections has been superficial.

Sahiner said Saturday that a preliminary probe indicated that coal had been smoldering days before the disaster, causing the roof to collapse in one part of the mine and unleashing toxic gases that spread throughout.

Government and mining officials have both said that most victims died from toxic gases released by the fire. They have insisted, however, that the mine was inspected regularly, that safety standards were high and that negligence wasn't a factor in the fire.

Government officials have promised to investigate and pledged that any mine officials found to be negligent would be punished. Still the disaster has provoked anger at a critical time for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as he mulls running in August's presidential election.

Police have broken up protests denouncing poor mine safety in Soma and in Turkey's three largest cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

Nearly 2,000 university students, some wearing hard-hats, called on the government to resign as they marched Monday in Ankara to commemorate the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence started on May 19, 1919.

Erdogan on Monday defended the government's response to the disaster and rejected accusations that the mining company had political ties to his ruling party.

"They say the boss is a party supporter," Erdogan said. "I saw him for the first time (in Soma). I don't know him... They (opponents) think they will gain from such slander."

Turkey's national soccer team visited Soma on Monday in a show of solidarity and prayed at the miners' graves.

Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

Poll: More stress in caring for spouse than parent

WASHINGTON -- More Americans may wind up helping Mom as she gets older, but a new poll shows the most stressful kind of caregiving is for a frail spouse.

The population is rapidly aging, but people aren't doing much to get ready even though government figures show nearly 7 in 10 Americans will need long-term care at some point after they reach age 65.

In fact, people 40 and over are more likely to discuss their funeral plans than their preferences for assistance with day-to-day living as they get older, according to the poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Five findings from the poll:

EFFECT ON FAMILIES

Half of people 40 and older already have been caregivers to relatives or friends. Six in 10 have provided care to a parent, mostly a mother, while 14 percent have cared for a spouse or partner.

Overwhelmingly, caregivers called it a positive experience. But it's also incredibly difficult, especially for spouses. While 7 in 10 who cared for a spouse said their relationship grew stronger as a result, nearly two-thirds said it caused stress in their family compared with about half among those who cared for a parent.

It's not just an emotional challenge but a physical one: The average age of spouse caregivers was 67, compared to 58 for people who've cared for a parent.

Virginia Brumley, 79, said caring for her husband Jim for nearly five years as he suffered from dementia strengthened their bond. But eventually he needed a nursing home because "he was too big for me. He was as helpless as a baby," she said.

LONG-TERM PLANNING

A third of Americans in this age group are deeply concerned that they won't plan enough for the care they'll need in their senior years, and that they'll burden their families.

Yet two-thirds say they've done little or no planning. About 32 percent say they've set aside money to pay for ongoing living assistance; 28 percent have modified their home to make it easier to live in when they're older.

In contrast, two-thirds have disclosed their funeral plans.

Anthony Malen, 86, of Gilroy, California said he and his wife Eva Mae, who has a variety of health problems, never discussed a plan for caregiving as they got older.

"She doesn't want anyone in the house. She doesn't want any help. She fusses about it so much, I just give up on it. But if it gets any worse, we're going to have to have it," Malen said. "I'm getting older too."

BECOMING A CAREGIVER

Three in 10 Americans 40 and older think it's very likely that an older relative or friend will need care within the next five years.

Just 30 percent who expect to provide that care feel very prepared for the job, while half say they're somewhat prepared. But only 40 percent have discussed their loved one's preferences for that assistance or where they want to live. Women are more likely than men to have had those tough conversations.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Some 53 percent of people underestimate the monthly cost of a nursing home, about $6,900. Another third underestimate the cost of assisted living, about $3,400. One in 5 wrongly thought a home health aide costs less than $1,000 a month.

Contrary to popular belief, Medicare doesn't pay for the most common long-term care — and last year, a bipartisan commission appointed by Congress couldn't agree on how to finance those services, either. But nearly 6 in 10 Americans 40 and older support some type of government-administered long-term care insurance program, a 7 point increase from last year's AP survey.

WHAT ELSE MIGHT HELP?

More than three-fourths of this age group favor tax breaks to encourage saving for long-term care or for purchasing long-term care insurance. Only a third favor a requirement to purchase such coverage.

Some 8 in 10 want more access to community services that help the elderly live independently.

More than 70 percent support respite care programs for family caregivers and letting people take time off work or adjust their schedules to accommodate caregiving.

The AP-NORC Center survey was conducted by telephone March 13 to April 23 among a random national sample of 1,419 adults age 40 or older, with funding from the SCAN Foundation. Results for the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

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Associated Press writer Stacy A. Anderson and News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research: http://bit.ly/1jj3QyQ

EDITOR'S NOTE - Aging America is a joint AP-APME project examining the aging of the baby boomers.

Boise nonprofit refurbishes computers for students

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- A Boise-based nonprofit that refurbishes donated computers and gives them to students just might be helping with a Twin Falls family's bedtime schedule.

Dawnette Crofts and her children were among dozens of Twin Falls-area families that picked up computers Friday from the organization Computers for Kids, The Times-News reported (http://bit.ly/1jNK367 ).

Crofts said one laptop just wasn't enough for her six school-age children to get their homework done, and it seemed someone was always staying up late to finish an assignment.

"It always seems to be past bedtime," Crofts said. "The one (computer) was not doing it. The two, I think, will make it a lot nicer."

Crofts said she learned about the Computers for Kids program when her 9-year-old daughter came home from school with a flyer about the organization.

Computers for Kids provides computers to students in kindergarten through the first two years of college. There aren't any income requirements, but students must fill out an application, write an essay and pay a $35 processing fee.

"A lot of people feel that it sounds too good to be true," said Tammy Gardner, the organization's director.

Molli Wingert started Computer for Kids in 2002. She and her son refurbished computers that the Boise school district was getting rid of and donated them to students.

The program has handed out more than 33,000 computers in the past dozen years.

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Online:

http://bit.ly/1jj3Sqx

Being Biden Vol. 15: Coffee

What does a cup of coffee mean? For Vice President Biden and Officer Peter Laboy of the Alexandria Police Department, quite a bit.

After Officer Laboy was injured in the line of duty last year, Vice President Biden visited him in the hospital and brought coffee for his unit. Last week, Officer Laboy returned the favor -- bringing the Vice President a cup of coffee here at the White House.

As the Vice President says in this edition of Being Biden, Officer Peter Laboy represents the tens of thousands of police officers across the country who put their lives on the line for Americans every single day, "So, the next time you're drinking a cup of coffee think of them."

Hear the story in Vice President Biden's own words:

read more

New York Times case draws new attention to pay-equity bill

By Kevin G. Hall McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON -- Charges that The New York Times paid its top female editor less than male peers has breathed new life into legislation that seeks to ensure that women and men earn the same amount for the same work performed.

The proposed Paycheck Fairness Act may have received a boost when the newspaper fired Executive Editor Jill Abramson. Other news outlets reported that she’d complained about earning less than her predecessors in the same job, though the paper denied that she made less.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., jumped in, saying that Abramson’s firing and alleged unequal pay were an argument for the proposed law.

“It’s now in the press because she complained she was doing the same work as men in two different jobs and made a lot less money than they did,” Reid said. “That’s why we needed that legislation. That’s why my daughter should make as much money as a man who does the same work that she does.”

The act doesn’t require equal pay. It would punish employers who seek to retaliate against workers who’ve shared salary information with each other. The act’s sponsor_ Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md._ said last month that current law allowed a “veil of secrecy” in the workplace that kept women from learning how they fared compared with male co-workers.

“You can talk about anything but you can’t talk about what the person next to you is making,” Mikulski said in a floor speech April 9 as her bill was stymied.

Reid is expected to bring up the measure for a vote again closer to November’s elections in order to distinguish Democrats from Republicans, who opinion polls suggest are poised to capture control of the upper chamber of Congress.

Not a single GOP member broke ranks on the procedural vote, which fell seven members short. Republicans argue that the act’s allowance of punitive damages amounts to an open invitation for lawsuits.

A Democratic aide who's close to the legislation, demanding anonymity in order to discuss strategy freely, said the Abramson drama underscored the need for legislation that offered remedies for pay inequity and prohibited retaliation.

“It seems like it fits one of these situations,” said the aide.

Women have made strides in corporate America. By Fortune magazine’s count, a record 23 women headed Fortune 500 companies as of December. They head global companies such as General Motors, Pepsi, Hewlett Packard and Xerox. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is on the cover of the May editions of Fortune.

Similarly, the magazine Corporate Counsel reported in March that 106 women this year head the legal departments of Fortune 500 companies. That’s a bit better than 1 in 5, and it’s up sharply from 44 in 1999 and just one in 1979, the first year a woman headed the general counsel’s office of a major corporation. It was information-services company CCH Inc.

Despite those successes, women, who in the most recent reading made up 50.8 percent of the U.S. population, lag men more broadly on a number of workplace measures.

Labor Department data shows that the midpoint weekly earnings for women who work full time stood at $706 last year, well below the $860 for men. Census Bureau data suggests women overall earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, raising the question of how companies are doing in narrowing the pay gap.

“They don’t get it right, and there is a gender pay gap,” said John Challenger, who heads the research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a publisher of workplace trends reports. “By definition it’s historical, so new people coming on, times change, sometimes you come into a company or get new roles when times are good, and people get better compensation.”

It makes a one-size-fits-all approach difficult.

“Most larger companies try to create basic kinds of pay grades to try to keep people within a range,” said Challenger. “Generally that is one way to try to keep things square.”

A mixed start for stocks on Wall Street

NEW YORK -- Stocks are little changed in early trading on Wall Street as investors look over the latest news on corporate deals.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped six points, less than 0.1 percent, to 16,483 in the first few minutes of trading Monday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was flat at 1,878 and the Nasdaq composite rose eight points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,098.

AstraZeneca plunged 10 percent after the British pharmaceutical company rejected a sweetened takeover offer from U.S. rival Pfizer. Pfizer's stock rose 2 percent on the news.

AT&T fell 2 percent after the company said late Sunday that it plans to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV for $48.5 billion. The proposal could face tough regulatory scrutiny from regulators. DirecTV also fell 2 percent.

Rates unchanged at weekly US Treasury bill auction

WASHINGTON -- Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills were unchanged in Monday's auction with rates on six-month bills remaining at their highest level since late March.

The Treasury Department auctioned $25 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.025 percent, the same as the last two weeks. Another $23 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.050 percent, unchanged from last week.

The six-month rate is the highest since those bills averaged 0.065 percent on March 31.

The discount rates reflect that the bills sell for less than face value. For a $10,000 bill, the three-month price was $9,999.37 while a six-month bill sold for $9,997.47. That would equal an annualized rate of 0.025 percent for the three-month bills and 0.051 percent for the six-month bills.

Separately, the Federal Reserve said Monday that the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, a popular index for making changes in adjustable-rate mortgages, declined to 0.09 percent last week from 0.10 the previous week.

Former NY Times editor: Leading newsroom was honor

By TOM FOREMAN JR. The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- In her first public appearance since her dismissal from The New York Times, former executive editor Jill Abramson compared herself to a new college graduate: "scared but also a little excited."

"What's next for me? I don't know. So I'm in exactly the same boat as many of you," Abramson told the Class of 2014 at Wake Forest University's graduation ceremony on Monday, to laughs and applause.

The Times announced last week that Abramson was being replaced by managing editor Dean Baquet. Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has denied reports that Abramson's dismissal had to do with complaints over unequal pay or the company's treatment of women. Instead, he cited Abramson's newsroom management style.

In her speech, Abramson focused on a theme of resilience, talking briefly about her time at the helm of The New York Times but not directly addressing her dismissal. She said she didn't want the "media circus" following her to take attention away from the graduates.

"It was the honor of my life to lead the newsroom," she said, describing the risks Times journalists take to report the news.

"Sure, losing a job you love hurts, but the work I revere — journalism that holds powerful institutions and people accountable — is what makes our democracy so resilient. This is the work I will remain very much a part of."

Abramson decided not to attend Brandeis University's weekend graduation, where she was supposed to receive an honorary degree. But she went ahead with the Wake Forest speech. Abramson said students there had asked whether she would remove her tattoo of The Times' 'T.'

"Not a chance!" she said.

Among her journalism heroes, Abramson listed former New York Times reporter Nan Robertson, who wrote a book describing the fight for workplace parity by the newspaper's female employees, and former Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham.

"They faced discrimination in a much tougher, more male-dominated newspaper industry. And they went on to win Pulitzer Prizes," Abramson said.

Abramson also invoked the memory of her father, who told her it was more important to deal with setbacks than successes.

"'Show what you are made of,' he would say. Graduating from Wake Forest means all of you have experienced success already. And some of you — and now I'm talking to anyone who's been dumped, not gotten the job you really wanted, or received those horrible rejection letters from grad school — you know the sting of losing or not getting something you badly want. When that happens, show what you are made of."

Abramson shook the hands of all 1,059 undergraduates as they crossed the stage. Wake Forest officials said she left immediately after the ceremony, and she did not take questions from reporters.

Graduate Georgia Tanner, 22, said Abramson handled her speech well, addressing the recent news but not dwelling or sounding bitter. "I think it was a professional address," Tanner said.

Graduate Sathay Williams, 20, said Abramson made the speech about the graduates and focused on something they can use in the future.

"Life can throw curve balls at you," Williams said. "Sometimes it's not fair, sometimes it's not deserved. You can work really hard and still things don't work out. But keep chugging forward, stay true to who you are and go forward with it. She gave us a really good message."

Fenway Park area project eyes $4 million tax break

BOSTON -- The City Council is set to vote Wednesday on a proposed tax deal for an ambitious $550 million housing, office and retail complex envisioned for land across from Fenway Park and partly over the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Meredith Management proposes four mixed-use residential and retail buildings and a parking garage covering 4.5 acres around the Yawkey Commuter Rail Station that the Newton-based company recently renovated for the MBTA.

The Fenway Center project would be located directly across from the Boston Red Sox's storied ballpark and straddle one of the state's primary jobs centers, the nearby Longwood Medical area, home to Harvard Medical School and some of New England's major hospitals.

Meredith Management President John Rosenthal, among a handful of people who testified at City Hall on Monday, said the project would be the first built in Boston over the eight-lane Massachusetts Turnpike since the Copley Place shopping mall in the 1980s. He said it's a costly and complicated endeavor that requires building a roughly $40 million deck over the turnpike to support a parking garage and other structures.

The company is seeking roughly $4.6 million in property tax savings over six years. Rosenthal said the project would generate about 1,800 construction jobs, 126 permanent jobs and more than $5 million in annual property taxes.

The proposed tax deal, already endorsed by Mayor Martin Walsh and the city's redevelopment agency, also requires state approval.

It calls for a three-year property tax exemption, starting in the 2016 budget year. The developer would then pay an increasing share of property taxes until it reaches full tax payment in fiscal 2022. The project also will pay the state $226 million over 99 years to lease land it owns in the 4.5-acre site.

Labor unions representing carpenters and other building trades strongly endorsed the project on Monday. But some area residents questioned whether the tax deal was necessary.

"Simple common sense tells you that claiming that a project that will generate over $3 billion in profits lives or dies at the hands of a $4.6 million tax break is ludicrous on its face," Steve Wintermeier said.

Plans in works for agricultural museum in Michigan

BLISSFIELD, Mich. -- Plans are in the works for an agricultural museum in Michigan that would include a collection of 6,000 farm toys as well as displays on the history of agriculture and agriculture technology.

The Daily Telegram of Adrian reports (http://bit.ly/1hXaWoC ) that Rhode Island-based architect Friedrich St. Florian, who designed the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., last week showed a design concept for the Agricultural Awareness and Preservation Museum.

The museum would be built in Blissfield, about 55 miles southwest of Detroit.

Melissa Growden, marketing coordinator and secretary of the museum's board, says the heart of the museum will farm the toys. The museum board looked at a number of different possible sites, but decided on Blissfield because of its rich agricultural heritage.

Officials: 1.8M pounds of ground beef recalled

DETROIT -- Officials say a Detroit-based business is recalling about 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products sold for restaurant use in four states that may be contaminated with the bacteria E. coli.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday that affected Wolverine Packing Co. products were produced between March 31 and April 18. They were shipped to distributors in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service says 11 illnesses have been identified.

The products bear the establishment number "EST. 2574B" and will have a production date code in the format "Packing Nos: MM DD 14" between "03 31 14" and "04 18 14."

E. coli can cause severe cramps, nausea and diarrhea, as well as other complications.

Experts: Online gambling slowed by illegal action

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Internet gambling in the United States is off to a slower start than many had imagined, but regulators and industry observers expect it will flourish in time.

Speaking Monday at the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City, a panel of experts said illegal offshore gambling sites continue to operate, and that's hurting the fledgling online gambling industries in the three states that have legalized it.

New Jersey saw its first decline in Internet gambling revenue in April, falling to $11.4 million from $11.9 million in March. It began in late November as a way to help Atlantic City's casinos gain new revenue and customers. Nevada and Delaware also offer it.

"Internet gambling exists in all 50 states today," said David Rebuck, director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. "It's just not regulated."

He said his state recently sent cease-and-desist letters to gambling companies from out of state that are marketing to New Jersey residents. Internet gambling can only be conducted within New Jersey's borders, according to state law.

California gambling control commissioner Richard Schuetz said over a million people are betting over the Internet in his state — all illegally.

"That industry is between $300 million and $400 million," he said. "That's a huge business that operates without any consumer controls or any benefit to the tax base."

Rebuck also said some people are hesitant to give their Social Security number and credit card information to a gambling provider, even one licensed by the state.

"They can go and get online with an online site without divulging their identity or their address," he said. "Those sites exist. It's a valid concern."

Brian Mattingley, CEO of 888.com, said his company conducted a survey that showed only 10 percent of New Jerseyans realize Internet gambling is legal here.

But despite its relatively slow start, panelists were unanimous that online gambling has plenty of room for growth in the U.S.

"We think what's happening in the U.S. is the single most exciting happening in I-gaming in the world," said Eamonn Toland, president of the North American arm of the Irish-based Paddy Power online betting firm.

He said continuing problems with credit card acceptance are holding the industry back.

"People who come online have 20 minutes in the den; they don't have three hours to work out payments," Toland said. "That needs to be fixed."

Schuetz and several others compared Internet gambling to an infant.

"The people who say it's not doing well enough are like the two parents who look at their 5-month-old and say, 'It doesn't speak any languages!" Schuetz said. "Let's get our expectations in line."