Grain lower, livestock mostly higher

CHICAGO -- Grain futures were lower Monday in early trading on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Wheat for July delivery was 9 cents lower at 6.1825 a bushel; July corn was 3.50 cents lower at 4.6225 a bushel; July oats were unchanged at 3.71 a bushel; while July soybeans was 1.25 cents lower at 14.93 a bushel.

Beef higher and pork lower on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Aug live cattle was .30 cent higher at $1.3890 a pound; Aug feeder cattle was .55 cents higher at 1.9760 a pound; July lean hogs loss .67 cents to $1.1980 a pound.

New York to hold clinical trials for marijuana

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state is partnering with a British company to hold clinical trials for marijuana-based medication for children who have seizures that are resistant to their medicine.

An agreement was signed on Sunday between Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration and GW Pharmaceuticals. The state health department and the company will develop the framework for a clinical trial for a marijuana-based drug for people under the age of 18.

It will involve Epidiolex, an investigational medication that uses cannabidiol, a marijuana extract that doesn't get users high. It could help children with rare forms of epilepsy such as Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.

Dravet syndrome is a rare genetic disorder typically untreatable by anti-epileptic drugs. It can be fatal. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, another rare form of childhood- onset epilepsy, is characterized by different types of seizures multiple times a day and cognitive dysfunction. To be eligible for the trial, the children would have to show signs that their current medication is not working.

The health department is working on the framework for the protocol, which needs to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before it is enacted. A state official with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Monday they expect FDA approval relatively quickly. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the agreement.

In Colorado, the Charlotte's Web strain of marijuana, which is high in cannabidiol content, has received international attention for its effect on children with severe seizures. It also is low in the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects. The Realm of Caring, a non-profit organization which produces the strain, currently has 206 people on its waiting list in the United States and separate waiting lists worldwide.

The announcement of the agreement with GW Pharmaceuticals comes as medical marijuana legislation is being pushed into the forefront of New York state politics.

In January, Cuomo, a Democrat, proposed a pilot program to allow 20 hospitals statewide to administer medical marijuana to seriously ill patients under the health department's guidelines.

The Legislature also is considering two medical marijuana bills. One called the "Compassionate Care Act" is making its way through the Republican-led Senate. It would allow patients with one of 20 serious illnesses to use the drug. The bill would bar anyone under the age of 21 from smoking marijuana, but would allow the drug to be administered through a vaporizer, oil or something edible.

Another measure would prohibit smoking the drug in its entirety, but legalize medical marijuana use in vaporizer, oil or edible form for seriously ill patients.

Court: Company didn't induce patent infringement

WASHINGTON -- A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday that a company is not liable for inducing patent infringement if someone other than the company carries out some of the steps leading to infringement.

The justices unanimously ruled Monday that Internet content delivery company Limelight Networks Inc. did not infringe on the patented system for managing images and video owned by rival Akamai Technologies Inc.

Akamai claimed Limelight used some of its patented methods for speeding content delivery, and then illegally encouraged its customers to carry out the remaining steps. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit agreed, but the Supreme Court reversed.

Justice Samuel Alito said all the steps for patent infringement must be performed by a single party. Since there was no direct infringement, Alito said there could be no inducement.

The case drew interest from tech giants including Google and Oracle, which have been sued frequently by so-called "patent trolls," companies that buy patents and force businesses to pay license fees or face costly litigation. They had urged the high court to overturn the Federal Circuit in order to limit the growing number of patent infringement lawsuits.

In another patent case Monday, the high court also unanimously reversed a Federal Circuit decision in a patent dispute over heart rate monitors. Medical device company Biosig Instruments sued exercise equipment maker Nautilus Inc. for allegedly infringing its monitor's design.

Writing for the court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the appeals court had used the wrong standard in determining that Biosig's patent was not too vague to pass muster. The Supreme Court remanded the case and instructed the appeal court to use a more exacting standard.

The cases are Limelight Technologies, Inc. v. Akamai Technologies, Inc., 12-786; and Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc., 13-369.

Wind carries bounce house 200 feet; 2 kids hurt

LITTLETON, Colo. -- Authorities say two children in suburban Denver were injured in the latest case of an inflatable bounce house breaking loose and being blown around in the wind.

The bounce house rolled across a field Saturday at the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Jamboree as winds gusted to around 30 mph.

Witness Vannessa Atencio told KUSA-TV (http://on9news.tv/1hKQ3wZ ) that a girl was immediately thrown from the house. A boy remained inside as it rolled about 200 feet — through a lacrosse game — before stopping near a pond.

The girl was treated at the scene. The boy was taken to the hospital, but firefighters didn't report any serious injuries.

Earlier this month in New York, two young boys fell from a bounce house as it was swept skyward by gusty winds after it broke loose from its plastic anchoring stakes.

Utah official calls EPA plan 'bold and aggressive'

SALT LAKE CITY -- A federal plan to cut pollution blamed for global warming by 2030 is winning cheers from environmental advocates, but a key state official says the plan is "bold and aggressive" and questions whether it can be executed.

The rule would curb national carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by almost a third over the next decade in a half. It would require Utah, which relies on coal for 80 percent of its electricity, to cut coal-generated emissions by nearly as much.

Environmental advocates say it could spur alternative energy development, launching Utah as a major player in the solar power industry. They contend it could help to clear Utah's murky wintertime skies.

Current figures from the Environmental Protection Agency don't include power plants on tribal lands; officials are still collecting the data there.

The federal rule tailors specific goals for each state, and it's up to governors to submit a plan to meet the federal standard by 2017. If they choose to forgo making a proposal, the EPA may impose its own regulations. But it's unclear how regulators would police those restrictions.

Cody Stewart, the governor's energy adviser, labeled the plan "bold and aggressive" Monday after skimming the 645-page rule. He praised the plan for giving states flexibility, but said Utah officials need more details.

"Of course we all want cleaner power, but that goal has to be balanced against other goals as well," he said, including consumers' electricity bills and power plant jobs. "Is it doable? I don't know yet. I don't know how much pain it's going to inflict on the state of Utah."

State officials are still waiting on the details of the plan, expected to be finalized next year.

In Utah, about 80 percent of electricity is derived from coal, and about 15 percent comes from gas. That's compared to the national average of about 40 percent coal and 26 percent gas.

Utah spokesman Tim Wagner of the Sierra Club said he anticipates state officials harnessing more solar power and days such an initiative could clear wintertime smog.

"It could have a dramatic impact on our infamous air quality," he said Monday, especially "if more and more people are getting at least a portion of their energy from the sun."

Officials at coal power plant operator Rio Tinto Kennecott are still looking over the plan to determine how it could affect operations there, said spokesman Kyle Bennett in a Monday statement to The Associated Press. The company is willing to work on developing cleaner energy sources, he said.

From 2008 to 2011, the White House said in a statement, Utah carbon emissions dropped by 25 percent. Stewart, the governor's energy adviser, wondered whether the state would receive breaks for converting some plants to natural gas or other cleaner sources.

"If not, then we have a lot of work to do," he said. "It could be painful and a big challenge."

Lebanon's Arabic press digest – June 3, 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-Joumhouria

Bou Saab: I will do all I can to hold exams June 12

Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said he will do all he can to hold official school exams on June 12.

“I cannot set another date and postponing the exams again is out of question,” Bou Saab told Al-Joumhouria.

Bou Saab said there is a “serious effort” to resolve the controversial salary raise bill.

Meanwhile, Nehme Mahfoud, head of the Private Schools Teachers Association, insisted on boycotting both “correcting and proctoring official exams.”

He said that while Bou Saab has postponed the exams by 5 days, in the hope of reaching an agreement in Parliament on June 10, he is not

"I don’t see a solution in sight, because politicians are divided on the [pay hike] issue,” Mahfoud told Al-Joumhouria.

An-Nahar

Rifi: No intention to cripple Cabinet

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said ministers “have no intention to disrupt the Cabinet.”

"And today’s [Cabinet] meeting will show that,” Rifi told An-Nahar.

He said the only item left for Cabinet to discuss was the signing of the decrees – whether this is something that concerns all ministers or the Prime Minister and relevant ministers alone.

Al-Akhbar

March 14 sources rule out agreement during Cabinet session

March 14 sources said there are positive signs among ministers, but ruled out reaching an agreement on a mechanism of action during Tuesday’s Cabinet session.

“As of last night, there was no sign of an agreement," one source told Al-Akhbar.

"Also, discussions on this issue would have to be postponed if ministers Gebran Bassil, Elias Bou Saab and Sejaan Azzi are absent [from the meeting],”

the source added.

Separately, sources in the March 14 Secretariat General told Al-Akhbar that Hezbollah would not risk its relationship with Bkirki because the party is in need of a Maronite umbrella, particularly in the presidential election.

More to follow ...

Obama carbon rule to produce winners and losers

NEW YORK -- We'll increasingly be turning to companies that can help us waste less electricity — and generate cleaner power with nuclear reactors, natural gas-fired plants, wind turbines and solar panels — in response to the Obama Administration's proposed new carbon dioxide limits.

The proposed limits will likely help the biggest U.S. natural gas producer, Exxon Mobil, by increasing demand for its fuel, which emits half the carbon dioxide as coal. The biggest nuclear power generator, Exelon, and biggest wind farm operator, Next Era Energy, may fetch higher prices for their carbon-free power. Companies that sell wind turbines, solar panels, or energy efficiency technology — such as General Electric, Siemens, First Solar and SunPower — may also come out winners.

Coal stands to be a big loser. Last year 78 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from the electric power sector came from coal.

Electric customers will almost certainly pay higher prices, according to several analysts and industry experts, though efficiency measures could reduce the impact of higher prices on power bills. The Obama Administration predicts power bills will shrink as a result of the rule.

The proposed rule, announced Monday, would require a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide from the electric power sector from 2005 levels by 2030. The rule isn't scheduled to become final until next year and it will likely face extensive political and legal challenges.

If the rule goes through, states will have until 2018 to develop their own plans to meet the new targets. How each state decides to do this will determine how much it will help or hurt customers, power companies, and others who supply fuels or technology to the industry.

Some states will likely set up or join an existing scheme that caps the amount of emissions from the power sector, but allows power companies to trade emissions permits with each other. These schemes, known as "cap and trade" programs, have the effect of increasing the value of low-carbon and carbon-free power.

Other states may instead require big improvements in energy efficiency or heavily subsidize renewable power generation such as wind and solar.

The impact of the rule, though, may be less than advocates and opponents say. Emissions have fallen so fast since 2005 that the country is already nearly halfway to its goal. Separate clean air rules are expected to have a side effect of reducing emissions by another 5 percent by 2018. That will leave the country 12 years to reduce emissions by another 10 percent, an amount Bernstein Research's Hugh Wynne calls "eminently doable."

WINNERS

— Nuclear generators. If carbon-free power becomes more valuable to the marketplace, no one will benefit more than nuclear power producers such as Exelon, Entergy, Public Service Enterprise Group and First Energy.

— Natural gas companies. Companies that produce natural gas, such as Exxon and Chesapeake Energy; or deliver it, such as Spectra Energy and Kinder Morgan; or produce power with it, like Calpine, could benefit. Bernstein Research estimates that a 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions could lead to a 12 percent rise in U.S. natural gas demand.

— Renewables. Companies that make wind turbines or solar panels, or develop or operate wind and solar farms, could benefit a couple of ways. States may encourage or subsidize construction, and clean power may become more valuable in the market.

— Electric technology companies. Companies that help make equipment and technology that helps the grid deliver power more efficiently or helps customers reduce their power could benefit. Those include ABB, Honeywell, Schneider Electric, Opower and Silver Spring Networks.

LOSERS

— Coal miners. U.S. coal production has declined in recent years, especially in higher-cost regions such as Appalachia. A 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will mean a decline of 180 million tons, or 18 percent, in U.S. coal production, according to Bernstein Research. That would hurt miners such as Peabody Energy, Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal.

— Railroads. U.S. railroads depend on shipping coal for a significant percentage of their revenue. If utilities use less, railroads will ship less.

— Coal generators. Companies such as NRG Energy and Dynegy that generate electricity with coal-fired powered power plants in unregulated markets may either have to pay for power plant upgrades or pollution allowances, which would reduce profits.

— Electric customers. Power prices and power bills are influenced by many factors, but environmental regulations tend to push power prices up.

COULD WIN, COULD LOSE

— Regulated electric utilities. If, as expected, regulators allow utilities to charge customers for new equipment and technology needed to reduce emissions, regulated utilities that now rely heavily on coal could benefit. Among them: American Electric Power, PPL Corp., Ameren Corp., Southern Company and Duke Energy. But if the price increases are too extreme, customers would consume less electricity in response and the companies could lose revenue.

— Unregulated electric utilities. As coal plants close or reduce their output, the lower power supply could lead to higher prices and revenues for utilities that sell power into competitive markets. However, if states help customers reduce demand for electricity with efficiency programs, or encourage the production of renewable power such as wind and solar, that could lower wholesale power prices.

Panera swears off artificial ingredients

NEW YORK -- Panera says it will remove artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives from its food by 2016, a reflection of the growing distaste people are showing for such ingredients.

The chain of bakery cafes, which has about 1,800 U.S. locations, is making the pledge as part of a "Food Policy" it is unveiling Tuesday that outlines its commitment to "clean" and "simple" ingredients.

The announcement comes at a time when Panera Bread Co. is facing slowing sales growth and working to jumpstart its business through a variety of means, such as revamping the sometimes confusing way people order and get food and switching baking hours to the daytime to create a homier feel in cafes.

The unveiling of Panera's sweeping "Food Policy" also underscores how positioning foods as natural has become a marketing advantage, regardless of whether it brings any nutritional benefits. Part of the attraction for customers is that they feel better about what they're eating, sometimes because they don't feel as guilty about how many calories they're consuming.

Chipotle, for instance, has gained in popularity in part by portraying itself as a more wholesome alternative to traditional fast-food chains like McDonald's. Even Subway recently said it would stop using azodicarbonamide in its breads. The ingredient was dubbed the "yoga mat" chemical after a petition by Vani Hari, who runs FoodBabe.com, noted it was used to make yoga mats.

Still, declaring foods as being natural or free of artificial ingredients has the potential to invite criticism and even legal troubles. A lawsuit filed in November, for instance, alleges that Whole Foods Market uses a "spectacular array" of artificial ingredients in some of its store-brand products, despite the grocer's promise that the products contain "nothing artificial."

Panera also isn't swearing off genetically modified ingredients, another issue that is gaining attention in certain circles. Unlike Chipotle, which says its menu will soon be free of GMOs, Panera uses too many different ingredients to be able to make that claim. And neither chain has any plans to stop selling fountain sodas from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, even though the drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

As for the rest of its menu, Panera says it's about halfway through the removal of artificial ingredients. It's still looking for ways to removes the artificial colors used in its bakery icings, for instance, and is testing a smoked ham in select markets that doesn't use artificial preservatives.

"We decided it was time to put all this into a clear and concise policy," Ron Shaich, Panera's founder and CEO, said in an interview.

Ten years ago, for instance, Panera announced that it would use chicken raised without antibiotics, a move Shaich said helped significantly drive sales.

Panera's new policy also states the chain's commitment to "transparency," meaning it will make it easy for people to see the ingredients and nutritional content of its food. It also says it will work to have a "positive impact" on the food system, such as by supporting North American suppliers whenever possible.

Whether the new policy helps attract more customers is yet to be seen.

Last year, Panera's sales rose 2.6 percent at company-owned locations open at least a year. That was down from 6.5 percent in 2012 and 4.9 percent in 2011.

This year, the St. Louis-based company is forecasting sales growth of 2 to 3.5 percent.

Study: Teacher absences cost students, districts

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- About one in six teachers in some of the country's largest public school districts are out of the classroom at least 18 days, or more than 10 percent of the time, for illness, personal reasons and professional development, according to a report out Tuesday that urges districts to make teacher attendance a higher priority.

Even teachers in line with the average of 11 days out may be hurting their students' progress, the National Council on Teacher Quality said.

"Given the time and attention spent on school programs, new curriculum and strategies to strengthen teacher quality," the report's authors wrote, "we may be overlooking one of the most basic, solvable and cost effective reasons why schools may fail to make education progress."

The Washington-based think tank examined data provided by 40 large school districts for the 2012-13 school year and found that, on average, teachers were in the classroom 94 percent of the 186-day school year. About 71 percent of the time taken was because of illness or personal leave, with the rest for school business.

The American Federation of Teachers' president, Randi Weingarten, said "an overall 94 percent attendance rate shows the extraordinary dedication of teachers across the country."

The report cited studies showing students suffer when teachers are out 10 days.

"Yet in the average classroom in this study, teachers exceed this level of absence, often for perfectly legitimate reasons and even in pursuit of becoming a more effective instructor," it said.

About 16 percent of teachers missed 18 or more days and were considered chronically absent, accounting for almost a third of all absences. The same percentage missed 3 days or less.

The National Education Association said the report alone would not change the way school districts approach attendance but that the single-year snapshot fit with larger discussions about why teachers miss school and how to give them time out to collaborate and improve.

Some districts have raised standards for substitute teachers to accommodate for such "productive absences," said Segun Eubanks, director of teacher quality for the National Education Association union, but others still require only a high school diploma.

To train teachers only while students are off is prohibitively expensive at more than $2 million a day for a large district, he said.

The NCTQ report found districts spend an average of $1,800 per teacher to cover absences each year.

New Hampshire social studies teacher Ben Adams said it's rare he's anywhere but his classroom when school is in session because his consistent presence is part of the learning environment he cultivates.

"Attendance for a teacher, it's not curriculum, it's not the star of the show, but it's one of those subtle things that goes a long way to dealing with other parts of teaching — classroom management, trust, risk," the Salem High School teacher said.

Omaha, Nebraska, teacher Maddie Fennell, on the other hand, said her national work around professional development and policy took her out of the classroom 20 to 30 days some years and her students and the others in her building have benefited by posting measurable academic gains.

"When I go out and do this work, I come back and bring the learning with me back to my school," she said, adding that a consistent substitute teacher has helped.

Among the report's other findings, while some districts, including Indianapolis and the District of Columbia, had both higher rates of teachers with excellent attendance — three or fewer days absent — and lower rates of chronically absent teachers, that wasn't the rule.

Buffalo Public Schools, for example, had the second-highest rate of excellent attendance (30 percent) of the 40 districts studied but also the highest rate of chronically absent teachers (37 percent) in 2012-13. The district did not respond to requests for comment.

The report also found no measurable relationship between teacher absence and the poverty levels of a school's students, nor any difference in absentee rates among districts with policies meant to encourage attendance, such as paying teachers for unused sick time, and districts without those incentives.

John Green criticizes Amazon.com in book dispute

NEW YORK -- John Green is the latest author lashing out at Amazon.com.

"What's ultimately at stake is whether Amazon is going to be able to freely and permanently bully publishers into eventual nonexistence," Green, whose "The Fault In Our Stars" tops Amazon's best-seller list, said Monday.

Green was commenting on the dispute between Amazon and Hachette Book Group, where authors include J.K. Rowling and James Patterson. Amazon has restricted sales and slowed deliveries for Hachette books, reportedly because of a disagreement over terms for e-book sales. Patterson and fellow Hachette author Malcolm Gladwell are among those who have strongly opposed Amazon's tactics.

Green, a frequent critic of bullying, is published by an imprint of Penguin Random House.

"The breadth of American literature and the quality of American literature is in no small part due to the work that publishers do, and it's very unfortunate, in my opinion, to see Amazon refuse to acknowledge the importance of that partnership," said Green, in town to promote the film adaptation of "The Fault In Our Stars," set to open Friday.

An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment Monday. The Seattle-based company issued a statement last week saying that the standoff was unlikely to be resolved soon and suggesting that customers searching for Hachette works try Amazon's competitors.

Hachette said about 5,000 titles are affected.

Mount Tom power plant closing in October

HOLYOKE, Mass. -- The company that owns the coal-fired Mount Tom Power Station announced Monday it will officially close in October after three years of off-and-on operation, and the future of its 28 workers is unclear.

A spokeswoman for GDF SUEZ Energy North America, Carol Churchill, told The Republican of Springfield (http://bit.ly/U822jd) the decision to close its only coal-burning plant in New England is economic. She said the company is exploring another use for the facility, including solar power.

"We are trying to determine what we are going to do with the facility and determine what needs to be done as part of that," she said. She said the company will work with the state Department of Environmental Protection, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the city of Holyoke among other agencies on closing the plant and deciding on a new use for the property.

She said workers will be encouraged to apply for any vacancies at its other plants. The company has several hydroelectric facilities in New England and other plants around the country.

Brian Kenney, business manager and financial secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International 455, which represents the workers, said their contract expiring in October has a severance package.

"These employees are life-long career people and those jobs are cradle-to-grave jobs and they will be tough to replace," he said.

He said he hopes the many workers close to retirement can somehow still qualify for retirement benefits. It's hoped some can be kept on to help with the closing.

Kenney said the only vacancies the union is aware of now are at plants in Texas.

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

Longtime Dallas Cowboys executive Hardy to retire

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When George Strait wraps up his farewell tour here Saturday, the country music superstar won't leave the stage alone.

The Dallas Morning News (http://bit.ly/1hrDwUO ) reports another Texas legend — also a Cowboy — will ease into retirement after decades as an entertainment industry icon.

Bruce Hardy, a Dallas Cowboys executive and longtime Texas Stadium general manager, is stepping down after 30 years and more than 1,200 games and events.

The 67-year-old turned Texas Stadium into a concert venue for music's biggest stars and also helped make it an attainable dream for a generation of high school football players. A friend of Strait's since the early 1990s, Hardy decided the Cowboy Rides Away tour at AT&T Stadium was the perfect moment for him to also ride away from his backstage corner of team history.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world," Hardy said, not once but countless times. "I've had the greatest life of all: entertainment and what I've done with young people."

A little unsteady due to multiple sclerosis, Hardy will leave AT&T Stadium this summer with a career full of memories and stories that could be mistaken for scenes from a movie script or excerpts from a Rolling Stone article.

There's a late night with Axl Rose, New Year's Eve with Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, hugs from Taylor Swift, a stage collapse, a fire, as well as moments that seem at home in a Disney-produced inspirational sports movie.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Hardy's sharp wit, creativity and resourcefulness made him an important part of the team. And his Rolodex and relationships were so deep, Jones said, that top entertainers were attracted as much to Hardy as to the team's stadium in Irving.

"His fingerprints are all over the success we've had," Jones said.

Garth Brooks, who sold out three record-setting shows at Texas Stadium in 1993, counts Hardy as one of his dearest friends.

"He disarms you with his honesty," Brooks said. "From Day One, I don't have to figure him out. This guy is just honest and loves people."

Hardy was hired by the Cowboys in 1984, but his history with the franchise dates to its beginnings.

He grew up in Highland Park playing with the children of Bedford Wynne, who was part of the Cowboys' first ownership team. In those days, the teenage Hardy hung around the Wynnes and often gave them rides.

That turned into a job chauffeuring Pat Summerall and Chris Schenkel when they came to town to broadcast Cowboys games. Hardy is certain he didn't even have a driver's license, but no one bothered to ask.

That was just fun and games for Hardy. It would take another couple of decades before the Cowboys were a living rather than a sideline.

He briefly attended Lon Morris College in East Texas before returning home following his father's death.

Putting his marketing skills to work, Hardy started in the screen printing business and eventually co-founded Image Builders. The firm landed major corporate contracts with American Airlines, Trailways bus line, the Dallas Mavericks and others.

Hardy and business partner Holly Boggess also created T-shirts capturing the zeitgeist of the late 1970s and early '80s.

When Gov. Bill Clements announced that men should wear short sleeves and no tie during the summer, the partners designed a "Texas Dress Shirt" T-shirt with a collar and tie printed on it. They produced "Killer Bees" shirts memorializing the Democratic state senators who fled the Capitol in 1979 to bust a legislative quorum.

After years of chasing corporate contracts, Hardy said, he was just "worn out." The 37-year-old left the screen printing business without plans for what to do next.

That changed suddenly when attorney Jim Francis, who lived nearby, pulled up to his curb one day in the spring of 1984. The two attended Highland Park High School together but were only casual acquaintances.

"Every morning at 7 o'clock, he'd come down my street," Hardy said. "We'd almost hit each other, religiously, for seven years."

Francis eventually noticed Hardy's schedule had changed and guessed he "might not be doing much." The lawyer, who represented Dallas oilman H.R. "Bum" Bright, told Hardy that he might have a job possibility.

A few days later, the news was official. Bright was part of a group that had just bought the Cowboys, and Hardy landed a Texas Stadium marketing job.

"They told me to fix it, and I looked at it like it was mine," Hardy said about the stadium, which was losing money.

The new owners decided to construct 120 suites at Texas Stadium and put Hardy in charge of selling them. The stadium was one of the most famous in the NFL, but it had fallen behind in amenities.

"I knew he was hungry; he was a hard worker; he had a great personality," Francis said. "You size people up, and you make a decision based on instincts."

Hardy helped design the suites and sold more than $20 million worth in the first year.

In searching for other revenue sources, Hardy was determined to turn Texas Stadium into a concert venue despite its reputation for not being musician-friendly.

Louis Messina was then a music promoter known for the now-legendary Texxas Jam hard rock and heavy metal festivals at the Cotton Bowl, the Cowboys' original home. But he had long wanted to follow the team to Irving and make that his home base for stadium shows.

"There's only one Texas Stadium," Messina said. "It was prestigious. . I always wanted to play it, but I couldn't get anyone's attention."

After his hiring, Hardy and Messina met for lunch.

"I begged him just to give me a try," Hardy said. "I promised him that he would not have one problem."

Hardy and Messina brought Madonna's "Who's That Girl" tour to Texas Stadium in 1987. That started a business relationship and friendship that continues today.

The biggest performers made stops in Irving. There was George Michael, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Strait and 'N Sync. And the performers, from Swift to U2, kept coming to Arlington when AT&T Stadium opened.

"Not many people like him (Hardy) come around that often," Messina said. "He's always been a business partner, but he's also my friend."

As Hardy was getting established, Bright decided to get out of the football business after only a few years. The new buyers came in with more oil money, this time from Arkansas.

Francis, who was involved in negotiating the sale of the Cowboys, urged the Jones family to keep Hardy.

"I made a point to Jerry that the success of the stadium operations was contingent on Bruce," Francis said. "I said: 'Bruce won't let you down. He's a crown jewel for you there.'"

The concerts kept coming.

But there was also tragedy. Three workers died at Texas Stadium over the years. There was a fire that damaged some of the suites. At the Brooks shows, a lighting and sound grid collapsed, injuring workers.

Brooks quoted a church sign he saw in Memphis that reminded him of Hardy: "Character is not created in crisis. It is revealed."

"This is a friendship forged out of the fire," Brooks said. "Now, time can't touch it."

Although Hardy has enjoyed the glamorous life — weekend getaways organized by Brooks and concert after-parties — he said he'll miss high school football the most. He estimates that more than 700 games have been played at Cowboys' stadiums during his tenure.

Texas Stadium hosted high school football playoff games before he arrived on the scene. But the frequency increased from a few games a year to 30 or so.

Hardy said he still remembers a moment in 1985, when he watched a burly high school player staring at his nameplate hanging above his locker in Texas Stadium.

"He was patting his nameplate," Hardy said, remembering that the teen had tattered shoes. "I went to talk to his coach, and when I came back, he was still there. The kid was still patting the nameplate and tears are running down his face."

Betsy Hardy, a retired teacher, said it's been a memorable three decades with her husband and the Cowboys.

Even with the perks, Betsy Hardy said she won't entirely miss that world.

"Both of us feel like it's time. If we want to go (to an event), we can go," she said. "But if we don't want to go, we don't have to."

After retirement, Hardy plans to continue help with efforts to create a Texas high school football hall of fame. There's a scattering of high school helmets throughout his office as he tries to collect ones from each championship team.

He points out those helmets to visitors with the same enthusiasm as he shows his three Super Bowl rings and autographs by Brooks, Strait, Paul McCartney, members of Pink Floyd and Alabama and others.

In other ways, Hardy's post-work plans sound ordinary for someone who has lived such a colorful life. Hardy wants to spend more time with his grandchildren, miss fewer milestones and exercise more.

If he can strengthen his legs, he'll take his wife — who studied Italian in college — to Italy.

"I might go over there and just sit in a hotel and let her walk around to fulfill her dream," Hardy said. "I've already fulfilled my dreams."

---

Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://bit.ly/1gXHwJN

This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Dallas Morning News

Ballmer brings cheer, competitiveness to Clippers

LOS ANGELES -- For decades, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was the technology giant's biggest cheerleader. His booming voice and energetic high-fives are famous around Seattle. Now that he's agreed to buy the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, Ballmer is expected to bring that boosterism to the hardwood down south.

Ballmer's days of sports fandom go back to childhood. An avid pick-up basketball player who lacked the athleticism to excel at it, he channeled his passion into being team manager at the Country Day high school in his hometown of Detroit.

There, he supported players and was a perfectionist with stats. He made sure towels and balls were in order, and that water bottles were ready when the players stepped off the court. "And, of course, he cheered," then coach John Hansen told author Fredric Alan Maxwell for his 2002 book "Bad Boy Ballmer."

He didn't have a hoop in his backyard, but neighborhood kids knew from his bellows when he wanted a game.

"He'd be so loud, calling out to see if anyone wanted to play," childhood friend Rob Mason told the author. In the game, he was no less determined. "You could see how Steve ended up where he did. He just kept driving toward the basket. He was hugely competitive."

That kind of background makes Ballmer, 58, the "perfect owner" for the Clippers, says author Maxwell.

Ballmer is a huge basketball fan, but is organized and analytical enough to manage a large organization.

"He knows how to hire talent. He won't get in the way of that," said Maxwell.

But just wait for the courtside excitement, he said.

"When they play the Lakers, (Jack) Nicholson will be sitting down and Ballmer will be jumping all over the place," he said. "That's the maniacal side of him."

Apart from the flamboyant rah-rah displays of emotion Ballmer was known for at Microsoft, his career credentials are significant.

He helped build Microsoft into a software juggernaut after dropping out of Stanford's MBA program to help his college friend Bill Gates. He joined as the company's 30th employee in June 1980. Since Microsoft's initial public offering in 1986, the company's stock has climbed some 41,000 percent, helping build Ballmer's vast fortune, which Forbes estimates is roughly $21 billion.

Ballmer stepped down from the chief executive post in February as investors grew impatient with the company's slow progress adapting to a new era of mobile computing dominated by tablets and smartphones. One of Microsoft's key businesses —selling its still dominant Windows operating systems— is buffeted by a slowdown in demand for personal computers, even as the business and cloud services are gaining strength.

Ballmer has a reputation for being intensely competitive and persistent. That could help a team that just finished the second deepest playoff run of its 44-year history.

As for persistence, this isn't the first time Ballmer tried to buy a team.

Last year, he and partner Chris Hansen failed in their bid to buy the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof family and bring them to Seattle, a city that hasn't had an NBA team since the SuperSonics left in 2008 to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. Microsoft's headquarters are in the Seattle suburb of Redmond.

Ballmer has also reportedly made similar bids to buy the Hornets, now in Charlotte, in 2010, and the Bucks in Milwaukee as recently as last month.

And to whet his competitive appetite, Ballmer's former colleague and friend, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, not only owns NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, but his Seattle Seahawks just won the Super Bowl this year. Both men are multibillionaires through Microsoft stock.

"I encouraged him to consider acquiring an NBA team because of his strong passion for the game," Allen said in a statement released over the weekend, along with a photo of the two men chatting about sports at this year's Super Bowl. "Once the deal is finalized, I look forward to welcoming him to the league."

George Maloof Jr., who backed Ballmer's offer for the Kings, described Ballmer as a "true gentleman" throughout the six-month sale process. The team was ultimately sold to a group led by TIBCO Software chairman Vivek Ranadive.

Maloof said he's not surprised Ballmer kept trying.

"He's a competitive guy and a good guy," Maloof said in an interview. "You couldn't pick a better guy to own the team."

Ballmer's winning bid for the Clippers — which still needs to be approved by the NBA — comes after team owner Donald Sterling made racist statements that were made public.

Black athletes — including Magic Johnson, the subject of some of Sterling's remarks — have come out in support of Ballmer's ownership.

Johnson played for Michigan State — and Ballmer followed his career closely growing up. The NBA Hall of Famer tweeted congratulations to "my friend," telling fans "you'll love Steve Ballmer as your owner!"

Former NBA star Kevin Johnson, who as Sacramento mayor helped thwart Ballmer's bid for the Kings, said in a statement that news of the retired CEO's successful bid was "great news for the city of Los Angeles and the entire NBA."

Ballmer said in a statement he doesn't intend to move the team, and instead vowed to ensure the Clippers "continue to win — and win big — in Los Angeles." He didn't reply to requests for an interview.

Dan Jiggetts, a former lineman for the Chicago Bears, remembers Ballmer from when he managed Harvard's football team in 1975, Jiggetts' senior year as captain. That year, Harvard won its first Ivy League championship.

Ballmer "was as excited as anybody was," Jiggetts said.

He said it's interesting that Ballmer is buying the Clippers. Not only was the team eliminated this year by the Thunder — the team that left Seattle — but they are "two or three decisions away from being a championship ball club."

"That would be wonderful to see that in Los Angeles," Jiggetts said. "I'll be rooting for him, that's for sure."

AP Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

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

NEW YORK -- Wholesale cash prices Monday:

Mon. Fri.

F

Broilers FOB Ga. ice-packed lb. 111.33 109.73

Eggs large white NY Doz. 1.36 1.36

Flour hard winter KC cwt 18.75 18.75

Cheddar Cheese Chi. 40 block per lb. 2.5250 2.5250

Coffee parana ex-dock NY per lb. 1.7369 1.7369

Coffee medlin ex-dock NY per lb. 2.0352 2.0352

Cocoa beans Ivory Coast $ metric ton 3434 3377

Cocoa butter African styl $ met ton 8154 7963

Hogs Iowa/Minn barrows & gilts wtd av 108.99 106.33

Feeder cattle 550-600 lb Okl av cwt 222.75 222.75

Pork loins 13-19 lb FOB Omaha av cwt 141.81 139.92

Corn No. 2 yellow Chi processor bid 4.75½ 4.75¾

Soybeans No. 1 yellow 15.20½ 15.23¼

Soybean Meal Cen Ill 48pct protein-ton 530.70 530.70

Wheat No. 2 Chi soft 6.20¾ 6.37¼

Wheat N. 1 dk 14pc-pro Mpls. 8.22¼ 8.31½

Oats No. 2 heavy or Better 4.21¼ 4.21

Corn oil crude wet/dry mill Chi. lb. .40¼ .40¼

Soybean oil crude Decatur lb. .38½ .38½

Aluminum per lb LME .8270 .8094

Antimony in warehouse per ton 9810 9810

Copper Cathode full plate 3.1729 3.1614

Gold Handy & Harman 1247.25 1250.50

Silver Handy & Harman 18.755 18.730

Lead per metric ton LME 2084.50 2075.00

Platinum per troy oz. Handy & Harman 1437.00 1464.00

Platinum Merc spot per troy oz. 1436.70 1452.70

Zinc (HG) delivered per lb. 0.9407 0.9284

Cotton 1-1-16 in. strict low middling 80.13 79.91

Coal Central Appalachia $ per short ton 60.70 62.17

Natural Gas Henry Hub, $ per mmbtu 4.520 4.473

b-bid a-asked

n-Nominal

r-revised.

n.q.-not quoted

n.a.-not available

GE Healthcare to cut 90 Milwaukee jobs

MILWAUKEE -- GE Healthcare plans to eliminate about 90 jobs from its operations in Milwaukee next year.

The General Electric Co. unit plans to cut the jobs starting around March 30, 2015, and continue through March 30, 2016, according to a notice filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1l1Efel ) reports the factory and offices are part of Life Care Solutions, a unit of GE Healthcare based in Milwaukee.

Geagea: Campaigns against Rai obstruct coexistence

BEIRUT: The attacks on Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai over his controversial visit to Israel are cruel and an assault on the national coexistence formula, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Monday.

During a phone call to congratulate Rai on safely returning to Lebanon after his trip to the Holy Land, Geagea expressed his disapproval of the campaigns waged against the patriarch, calling them “cruel and overstepping the institutions ... of Lebanon,” according to a statement from the LF leader’s office.

Geagea added that in some places the negative campaigns “even obstruct the pact of co-existence.”

Rai’s trip to Israel and the West Bank has received repeated criticism in Lebanon, especially from Hezbollah who view the visit as a “historic mistake” and the beginning of normalizing relations with Israel.

The patriarch has also been condemned for suggesting that the families of former members of the South Lebanon Army – who colluded with Israel during its 22-year occupation of the country – should be able to return home and not be considered agents of the enemy.

Geagea also told Rai of his severe dissatisfaction with parliamentary blocs that have been blocking the presidential vote and the two discussed what should be done to prevent a possible vacancy.

They agreed to keep channels open to try to thwart the present gridlock, with Geagea saying that “a vacancy would not be tolerated” in the highest post in the country.

Ky. won't seek $20 million judgment from company

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kentucky is not seeking to collect a $20 million judgment the state won in court from a now-bankrupt oil company found to have bilked its customers in a drilling scam.

Instead, funds from a court-ordered auction of Young Oil's assets will go to an Ohio-based bank and other creditors holding collateral as the Kentucky firm seeks to end its long-running bankruptcy.

A federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved the sale of Young Oil's remaining leases and assets with the funds to pay secured creditors, including FirstMerit Bank, an Akron, Ohio-based company, which holds a $1.7 million claim and is at the head of the line to collect.

Under the settlement, FirstMerit Bank shall take 75 percent of all the proceeds of the auction, with 25 percent going to the company's bankruptcy trustee, Thomas Duddy. Duddy already has $351,000 from a garnishment placed on Young and the sale of an automobile.

Because the state's claim is unsecured, Kentucky would only collect after all the secured debts are paid off, meaning it would likely receive little, if any, money.

"We're not going to pursue any claim that would interfere with the investors," said Jennifer Doom, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions. "We're not contesting anything or objecting to anything."

Anthony L. Young of Knob Lick ran Young Oil Corp. as it collapsed into bankruptcy in 2009, two months before Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate concluded that the CEO and his company committed fraud and violated the Kentucky Securities Act. The Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions sued Young Oil and froze its assets in 2008 after receiving investor complaints. Young Oil raised nearly $20 million from investors through the sale of 57 partnerships from 1997 through 2008 in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Young and the company owe the state a $20 million judgment. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Joan Lloyd suspended attempts by the state to collect the judgment in November 2009 because of the pending bankruptcy case.

No date has been set for the auction of the company's remaining leases and assets. Duddy said once the sale is done, he'll issue a report to the judge.

"She would divvy up the money," Duddy said. "There's not much probably there."

Doom said any move by Kentucky to collect the fund would interfere with investors who lost money to Young.

"I don't know if the unsecured creditors will get anything," Doom said.

Young is also facing a sentencing in federal court on June 17 in three criminal cases. The charges, including mail fraud, failing to report income taxes and making false statements to a firearms dealer and stem in part from Young soliciting $750,000 from investors for a trio of oil drilling partnerships — identified as Prospects 54, 55 and 56 — with three potential wells in each prospect.

Prosecutors say Young fraudulently told investors that $650,000 of the money covered the cost of drilling and the other $100,000 took care of organizational costs for the three wells at each of the prospects. Young also told investors he would cover any costs above $750,000, prosecutors said.

The drilling and organizational costs were "substantially less" than $750,000 and Young did not invest the majority of the money in the prospects, prosecutors said.

Young has pleaded guilty in all three cases.

Follow Associated Press reporter Brett Barrouquere on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1giQWPj

Cold winter fuels demand for firewood in Maine

WINDHAM, Maine -- Summer isn't officially here yet but Maine residents who heat their homes with wood are already thinking about next winter.

Mark Killinger, owner of Atlantic Firewood, and other firewood dealers say homeowners are calling early and ordering more wood than normal, while memories of last winter's brutal cold are still fresh.

Wait too long to order firewood this year, dealers warn, and it may be hard to get come fall. By late summer, some say, seasoned wood may be especially hard to find.

Killinger tells the Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1hribLh ) that if someone calls him today to order green firewood, he'll deliver at the end of June.

Wood heat is in favor again because based on British thermal units, it's currently far cheaper than oil.

Stocks fall after US manufacturing slows

NEW YORK -- Stocks were moving slightly lower in early trading Monday following the release of a closely watched report that showed an unexpected slowdown in U.S. manufacturing last month. The market is coming off record highs last week.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 20 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,695 as of 10:10 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost seven points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,917 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 31 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,213. The Dow and S&P 500 both closed at record highs on Friday.

MANUFACTURING: The Institute for Supply Management said that its manufacturing index fell to 53.2 in May, short of what economists had expected. The index was expected to come in at 55.5, up from April's reading of 54.9, according to FactSet. The index indicates that U.S. manufacturing is still expanding, but at a slower pace.

MADE IN CHINA: The economic news out of Asia was a little more encouraging. A Chinese manufacturing index edged up to 50.8 in May from 50.4 in April. Asian stocks rose on the report. Japan's Nikkei increased 2.1 percent.

ANOTHER HEALTHCARE DEAL: The real-estate investment trust Ventas said it has reached a deal to buy American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust Inc. in a $2.6 billion cash-and-stock deal. The companies each own medical care offices along with other properties. A.R.C.'s stock rose 97 cents, or 10 percent, to $10.91 while Ventas fell $1.41, or 2 percent, to $65.39.

BONDS PULL BACK: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.51 percent from 2.48 percent on Friday. Even with the modest increase, bond yields are still trading near their lows for the year.

US probes effectiveness of Chrysler air bag recall

DETROIT -- U.S. safety regulators are investigating whether a recall to fix air bags on nearly 745,000 Chrysler SUVs is working properly.

The company recalled older-model Jeep Grand Cherokees and Libertys in 2012 because the air bags could inflate without a crash, causing injuries.

Chrysler installed an electrical filter to eliminate electrical spikes on air bag circuits and thought that would solve the problem.

But since the recall, the company has received six reports of air bags inflating without a crash on SUVs that had the recall repairs.

No crashes were reported, but owners said there were some cuts and burns, according to documents posted Monday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

The safety agency says it's investigating whether the recall is working. Chrysler says it's cooperating but hasn't determined whether the recall is working.

The investigation affects Libertys from the 2002 and 2003 model years and Grand Cherokees from 2002 to 2004.

The company says customers with concerns can call (800) 853-1403.

By the Numbers: The EPA's Proposed New Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants

Today, as part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the EPA proposed new carbon pollution standards for power plants. These standards represent a commonsense proposal that will have huge benefits for all Americans. In fact, for every dollar of investment spurred by this proposal, there is roughly seven dollars’ worth of health benefits in return.

Here are some numbers that help explain today’s announcement:

read more

Billy Sims plans milk powder processing plant

BANGOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Former Detroit Lions running back Billy Sims is planning a milk powder processing plant in Michigan.

Sims tells The Bay City Times (http://bit.ly/1rC3x87 ) that those working on the project are close to purchasing a facility and that Chinese officials will likely travel to Bay County for a July presentation. He says they hope to fill some of China's demand for milk powder.

A facility in Bangor Township, about 90 miles northwest of Detroit, could be used for the plant. Sims says a state inspection will determine if that's appropriate.

Sims says the building also could house a packaging plant and refrigerated storage area, to keep cherries, apples and blueberries for shipment to China.

Sims' other business interests include the Billy Sims Barbecue chain, which operates in several states including Michigan.

New digital music store to cater to theater fans

NEW YORK -- The digital age virtually wiped out specialty theater record stores, where show-tune lovers could happily browse aisles bursting with cast albums and sheet music. Now some entrepreneurs are hoping to bring back such an experience — online, of course.

Monday marks the launch of BwayTunes.com, which promises to become the Internet's most comprehensive catalog of digital musical theater music.

The website will have Broadway-related songs, albums and compilations on sale, as well as better ways to search for music, a personal locker to hold all downloads, a player to listen, access to AccuRadio curated Broadway-dedicated radio channels, links to sheet music and several blogs. It will even feature music for2 shows in development.

The new, ad-supported site is the brainchild of theater marketing professional Jim Russek, an executive creative director at theater advertising agency AKA-NYC, and Erik Hartog, a Wall Street strategist. They have partnered with 7digital, a fast-growing music and content digital platform with broad licenses with record companies.

"Every time I'd go on Amazon or iTunes, what I was looking for was hidden in 25 million songs and it was a long search," said Russek, who with Hartog has spent three years on the project. The result is free-floating location for casual fans and music buffs: "As the specialty music store was on the corner of a side street in a city, we're on every street corner in America."

While he didn't want to divulge the full costs of the project, Russek said the site becomes viable if it attracts 50,000 users a year, and direct mail invites will soon be going out to 600,000 theater fans. Music prices, which are set by the record companies, are the same as in iTunes — $1.29 for many songs and $8.99 and up for albums.

Some differences from other Internet locations include that fact that MP3 downloads at BwayTunes.com will be provided at a bit rate of 320 Kbps, compared with the 256 Kbps at other locations. The creators also have added the production credits for cast albums to allow searchers to find even the most obscure figures. Down the road, they'd like to offer gift cards.

Russek, who as a young man used to race over to the Colony Record store near Times Square to get recordings or sheet music as a low-level employee of the "Ed Sullivan Show," now finds himself recreating that fabled store, which closed in 2012.

"In a lot of ways, that's true," he said, adding that revenue streams will come from the music, banner ads and offers from shows. "We'll try to stay a profitable business so that we don't have to be the online version of Colony going away."

---

Online: http://bit.ly/1rCqkkb

EPA To Unveil New Proposal Targeting Greenhouse Gases

i i

hide captionThe EPA is proposing rules that would govern carbon dioxide gas emissions by U.S. power plants. Here, coal is transported via conveyor belt to the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyo., in March.

Jim Urquhart/Reuters /Landov

The EPA is proposing rules that would govern carbon dioxide gas emissions by U.S. power plants. Here, coal is transported via conveyor belt to the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyo., in March.

Jim Urquhart/Reuters /Landov

New federal regulations will be announced Monday that aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The draft proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency has sparked opposition from industry groups who say the changes would be prohibitively expensive. But the proposal's backers say the rules are needed to cut carbon pollution that scientists say contributes to climate change.

The regulations aren't expected to become final until at least 2015; potential legal squabbling could delay them even further. They would reportedly force power plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The rules would set guidelines that states could choose how to follow.

"The EPA says the regulations will be flexible," NPR's Jeff Brady reports on today's Morning Edition. "When I talk with environmental groups, they say that means states will have a variety of options for meeting those overall targets. They could choose to promote energy efficiency. Or states could choose to upgrade the pollution control systems on some of those coal plants."

The rules proposal comes at a time when the coal industry "is already under pressure from natural gas, which burns cleaner — and it's a lot cheaper these days," Jeff says.

Jeff filed this report for our Newscast unit:

"Coal-fired power plants still produce more electricity in the U.S. than other fuel. And burning coal releases a lot of carbon pollution. The National Mining Association and U.S. Chamber of Commerce argue the new rules will raise utility bills. But environmentalists and the president say the country needs to take action to address climate change.

"It could be a year or more before the new rules take effect. The EPA must first gather public comments and then publish final rules. Then states will need more time to implement the regulations."

The Obama administration is slated to announce the new rules this morning; news briefings about the rules are slated for Monday afternoon. We'll update this post with a link to the proposal.

The announcement comes two years after a White House deadline for introducing carbon dioxide regulations, as the AP reports:

"Despite concluding in 2009 that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare, a finding that triggered their regulation under the 1970 Clean Air Act, it has taken years for the administration to take on the nation's fleet of power plants. In December 2010, the Obama administration announced a 'modest pace' for setting greenhouse gas standards for power plants, setting a May 2012 deadline."

The EPA says its recent report on climate change found that average temperatures rose in the the contiguous U.S. since 1901, "with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998."

The agency says the report found evidence of rising sea levels along the eastern U.S., as well as an increase in tropical storms and large wildfires.

Seattle council expected to OK $15 minimum wage

SEATTLE -- The Seattle City Council is expected to approve an ordinance Monday to phase in a $15 hourly minimum wage — the highest in the nation.

The ordinance passed a committee last week with a few changes. It would take effect next April and allow a sub-minimum wage for teens.

The ordinance was drafted by an advisory group of labor, business and nonprofit representatives convened by Mayor Ed Murray. It would phase in wage increases over three to seven years, depending on the size of the business and employee benefits.

Meanwhile, a group called 15 Now led by Socialist Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant (CHAH'-mah SAH'-want) is collecting signatures for a ballot measure that would create an immediate wage hike for large businesses and a three-year phase-in for small business.

Syria conflict costs Lebanon $7.5 bln: World Bank

JEDDAH: The conflict in Syria has cost Lebanon $7.5 billion as it struggles to cope with hosting more than a million refugees from the neighbouring country, according to World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim.

"We estimated last summer that the impact of the crisis on Lebanon was $7.5 billion," Kim said late on Sunday in the Saudi city of Jeddah, which he visited in the first stop of a regional tour.

He said the conflict has had a "profound" impact on Lebanon and Jordan, which also hosts around 600,000 Syrian refugees.

The conflict that broke out in March 2011 with demonstrations against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad descended into a civil war that has killed more than 160,000 people, and driven millions from their homes.

Kim said the World Bank is trying "as much as possible" to help the two countries that host the largest Syrian refugee populations.

Lebanon's gross domestic product dropped 2.9 percent annually between 2012 and 2014, according to World Bank estimates, while 170,000 Lebanese fell into poverty and the unemployment rate doubled to more than 20 percent.

The World Bank warned that refugees in Lebanon and Jordan are putting extra strain on services such as water, electricity, waste disposal, primary education and health, while increasing competition for scarce jobs.

"The international community needs to step up its support to the Jordanian and Lebanese hosting communities," said Kim in the statement. "The people of these countries have demonstrated unprecedented generosity. They should not be left to shoulder this crisis alone."

After visiting Saudi Arabia, Kim will travel to Lebanon and Jordan.

Judge refers bombing cases to Judicial Council

BEIRUT: Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghayda Monday referred two bombing cases to the Judicial Council, in line with the Cabinet's decision to transfer such cases from the military's judicial system to the civilian one.

Abu Ghayda issued a decision saying that the military judiciary did not have jurisdiction over two of the cases he presided over - the twin suicide attacks against the Iranian embassy in Beirut, which took place on Nov. 19, 2013, and the Jan. 16 bombing in the northeastern town of Hermel.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s government has agreed to transfer the bombing cases from the Military Tribunal to the Judicial Council, which will, along with Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, appoint judicial investigators and other judges to preside over them.

Last week, Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr asked judges overseeing cases of bombings that have taken place since June of last year to hand over their files to him or refer them directly to the Judicial Council.

Jumblatt: Rai's trip was necessary

BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt Monday defended Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai’s visit to occupied Jerusalem and Israel, saying regional developments affecting Christians necessitated such a trip.

“Although I did voice my reservation with regards to the visit ... I wonder why all this commotion? And more importantly, why this questionable silence by some politicians who abandoned Rai without defending him,” Jumblatt wrote in his weekly statement.

He said the prelate sought to give hope to Arabs and Palestinians living in dire circumstances in Israel, adding that Rai refrained from saying anything that Israel could have used in its favor or that could be seen as an attempt to normalize ties with the Jewish state.

“The political and security developments in the region from Palestine to Syria and Iraq and the negative repercussions on Christians necessitated this trip, which highlighted the need for people to hold on to their land,” Jumblatt said, praising Rai for his “courageous and brave stances.”

Rai’s trip to the Holy Land sparked controversy in Lebanon even before the patriarch embarked on his journey, with some describing it as a “historical mistake.”

The patriarch has rejected criticisms of his visit and repeatedly said that he went to Jerusalem to both welcome Pope Francis to the region and to visit Maronite parishes there.

Hezbollah has been particularly critical of Rai’s meeting with former South Lebanese Army members who fled into Israel in 2000 after the Israeli army withdrew from south Lebanon ending 22 years of occupation.

“As for the issue of Israeli agents, it is worth noting that they belong to various sects. The agents should be tried, but their families and their children who were forced to deal with the enemy should not be called agents,” Jumblatt said.

“Although I am against normalization ... we must look into new policies that urge Palestinians to commit to their villages and not leave,” he added.

American Realty REIT spends $1.93B on hotel deal

American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust is spending nearly $2 billion to buy the Equity Inns portfolio of 126 hotels from Whitehall Real Estate Funds.

American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust says the deal gives it a large-scale and geographically diverse lodging portfolio, with locations in 35 states. The portfolio is franchised by hotel brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International.

The deal totals $1.93 billion, and the companies expect it to close in the fourth quarter.

American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust is a publicly registered, non-traded real estate investment trust. Whitehall Real Estate Funds is sponsored by The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Delta orders 15 new Airbus planes

ATLANTA -- Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday that it has agreed to buy 15 new Airbus A321 planes to replace older, less-efficient jets in its domestic fleet.

The Atlanta-based airline didn't say how much it was paying for the new planes, but each one had a list price of $110.1 million, according to the Airbus website. That would value the order at about $1.65 billion, but discounts for buyers of multiple airplanes are common.

Delivery of the 15 planes is expected to begin in 2018.

Delta now has a total of 45 A321s on order from the French aircraft maker. The first one will begin start service in early 2016, and has 169 seats, live satellite TV and in-flight wireless Internet service.

Russia gives Ukraine more time to reach gas deal

BRUSSELS -- Russia and Ukraine are holding new talks aimed at resolving their dispute over gas prices and prevent a possible supply cutoff this week by Moscow.

Monday's negotiations will be chaired by European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger and feature both countries' energy ministers.

Russia urges Kiev to settle its outstanding gas debts — the amount of which is being disputed — and says it wants payment up front for future deliveries or it might restrict supplies starting Tuesday.

Ukraine said after a first meeting last week it has transferred $786 million to Russia's state energy company Gazprom to cover February and March deliveries.

Ukraine, which saw price discounts granted by Russia canceled following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has been seeking a new price agreement before settling debts.

Malaysia says Cadbury chocolates free from pork

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Cadbury chocolates sold in Malaysia have been cleared of containing pork, the country's top Islamic body said Monday in a statement that should lessen calls for a boycott of the British confectionary company after earlier tests suggested two types of chocolate bar contained pig DNA.

The now apparently discredited findings last month by the Ministry of Health sparked outrage among some Islamist groups in Malaysia, who called for a boycott of all Cadbury's products. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is also testing Cadbury chocolates, although the two products at issue in Malaysia are not sold there.

Under Islamic Shariah law, halal products should not contain pork or alcohol. Retailers in Muslim countries, as well as consumers, are highly likely to shun any product that is subject to questions over its halal status.

On Monday, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department said new tests on Dairy Milk Hazelnut and Dairy Milk Roast Almond bars as well as other products taken from Cadbury's factory showed no traces of pork.

The department, which had suspended the "halal" certification of the two Cadbury bars, said it will review that decision after a visit to the factory for further tests on the production line to ensure the company fully complies with requirements.

The Association of Islamic Consumers was maintaining its call for a boycott of Cadbury but said it would be rescinded if the health ministry acknowledged its test results were wrong.

Noor Hisham Abdullah, the director-general of the health ministry, said there could be a "possibility of contamination" from another source as the initial samples didn't come direct from the Cadbury factory. He said the ministry would investigate.

Noor Hisham also said there was a need to have one set of standards for lab testing to ensure the results are accepted by all parties.

Cadbury Malaysia said last week it had proactively recalled the products alleged by the Ministry of Health to be contaminated.

It insisted it had no reason to believe that there were pork-derived ingredients in the chocolates and said that it "stood by its halal certification."

Some Islamist groups, keen to be seen defending the faithful from danger, demanded a boycott and accused the company of trying to "weaken" Muslims in Malaysia. It was unclear how much Cadbury sales fell as a result of the publicity.

Roy Sparingga, who heads Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency, said the agency on Friday took 10 different Cadbury products for lab testing. Sparingga said the agency was also checking supermarkets across Indonesia to ensure that Cadbury hazelnut and roast almond bars are not being sold.

Cadbury Indonesia said in a statement that its products have been certified halal by Islamic authorities.

Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia contributed.

Lebanon approves policy to limit refugee influx

BEIRUT: Lebanon Monday formalized its policy to govern the overwhelming presence of Syrian refugees, saying the country would work with the international community to build camps in Syria or in no man’s land along the border.

Speaking after the end of the ministerial committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said the committee agreed unanimously on three primary decisions that outlined the country’s policy.

“The committee agreed to drop the link between the Syrian refugee case with the ongoing battles in areas close to the Lebanese border,” Derbas told reporters at the Grad Serail.

“Second, the committee agreed to drop the refugee status from those who leave Lebanon for Syria,” he added, noting that some of these decisions had already gone into effect.

He also said that his ministry was tasked with following up on Syrian residents in Lebanon carrying identification documents as refugees, “which is against international law.”

Derbas also said that the Cabinet decided to launch contacts “aimed at creating the appropriate circumstances to build Syrian refugee camps in Syria or in no man’s land.”

Lebanon is estimated to be home to more than 1.5 million refugees, nearly a third of the country’s population. The government has repeatedly asked the international community, particularly Arab countries, to share the refugee burden but the aid has not been sufficient.

During the brief news conference, Derbas described the presence of refugees as “the most danger crisis in Lebanon’s history,” saying all political parties had come to realize that the crisis was a “Lebanese affairs rather than sectarian or partisan” issue.

“Our budget, political differences over the crisis in Syria and the size of Lebanon does not qualify us to house more than what we already have,” he said.

The minister said Lebanon used to have “no stance with regards to the Syrian crisis but now we have an opinion and a policy.”

Derbas was referring to the policy of disassociation from the crisis in Syria that was adopted by former Prime Minister Najib Mikati and backed by the international community.

Lebanon's education minister postpones official exams by one week

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Education Minister Monday postponed official exams for Grade 9 and Grade 12 students by one week to give Parliament a chance to discuss a modified salary scale draft law for civil servants and public sector teachers.

“Brevet exams will be postponed from June 7 to June 12 while Baccalaureate exams will be postponed from June 12 to June 16,” Elias Bou Saab told a news conference at the Education Ministry.

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New allergy tablets offer alternative to shots

By LINDA A. JOHNSON The Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. -- For decades, seasonal allergy sufferers had two therapy options to ease the misery of hay fever. They could swallow pills or squirt nasal sprays every day for brief reprieves from the sneezing and itchy eyes. Or they could get allergy shots for years to gradually reduce their immune system's over-reaction.

Now patients can try another type of therapy to train their immune system, new once-a-day tablets that dissolve quickly under the tongue and steadily raise tolerance to grass or ragweed pollen, much like the shots.

"It's been several decades since the last big breakthrough," Cleveland Clinic allergy specialist Dr. Rachel Szekely said.

The downside: The pills must be started a few months before the grass or ragweed pollen season. That means it's too late for people with grass allergies, but the time is now for ragweed allergy sufferers.

The Food and Drug Administration in April approved two tablets from Merck, Grastek for grass pollen and Ragwitek for ragweed, plus a grass pollen tablet called Oralair from Stallergenes.

The tablets could become popular with people who dislike pills that can make them drowsy or don't provide enough relief. They'll likely appeal even more to patients with severe allergies who fear needles or can't make frequent trips to the allergist, key reasons that only about 5 percent of U.S. patients who would benefit from allergy shots get them.

Meanwhile, new treatments for other types of allergies, including to peanuts and eggs, are in various stages of testing and could turn out to be big advances.

Drugmaker Merck & Co. has a tablet for house dust mite allergies in final patient testing that could hit the market in two or three years, and it's considering other therapies. France's Stallergenes SA is testing a tablet for birch tree allergies and, with partner Shionogi & Co. Ltd. in Japan, tablets for allergies to dust mites and Japanese cedar pollen. Britain's Circassia Ltd. has a cat allergy treatment in final testing and six others in earlier testing.

A handful of companies also are looking at possible new ways to administer immunotherapy, including drops under the tongue, capsules and skin patches, said Fort Lauderdale, Florida, allergist Dr. Linda Cox, former president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The new tablets are not right for everyone, particularly patients with allergies to multiple substances, Szekely cautioned.

That was the case with one of her patients, 10-year-old Samantha Marshall of Mentor, Ohio, who has been getting allergy shots since last fall.

"She's not loving them," said her mother, Rachel, who recently asked Szekely about switching to the tablets. Szekely explained that shots are more effective because Rachel is also allergic to weeds and dust mites, and the shots she receives are a customized mix of extracts to all those substances.

The tablets are also pricey: Merck, based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, is charging about $8.25 per daily tablet and Stallergenes about $10. Insurers are expected to cover most of the cost, as they usually do with allergy shots. Those generally cost only $15 to $25 per visit without insurance, because they're given by a nurse.

Allergy tablets are less likely to trigger a dangerous allergic reaction than shots, which have been used for a century, Cox said.

In Merck's testing, about 5 percent of patients experienced tingling, itching or swelling in the mouth or tongue, said Dr. Sean Curtis, Merck's head of respiratory and immunology research. Less than 1 percent had serious reactions, nearly all after the first dose.

Longtime hay fever sufferer Kim Steen of Sidman, Pennsylvania, participated in one of Merck's studies last year.

"After the second, maybe third week, I started noticing a difference in the symptoms," said the 41-year-old contracts administrator. "It was pretty significant, not feeling like you have a cold all the time."

Prevalence of hay fever in the U.S. has declined slightly since 2000, according to National Center for Health Statistics data. In 2012, about 17.6 million adults, or 7.5 percent, reported having hay fever, as did about 6.6 million children, or 9 percent. Millions more don't see a doctor and get by with nonprescription medicines like Benadryl or Claritin.

Treatment can be tricky because of body chemistry differences and the complexity of the immune system, which is still poorly understood.

"You can't just have one size fits all," Szekely said.

For people with mild hay fever, inexpensive pills that suppress immune chemicals called histamines work well. Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin and Zyrtec are available without prescription, often competing with store brands.

Other patients fare better on prescription pills or nasal sprays. But for patients with severe allergies, those aren't enough. They suffer — though hardly in silence — or try allergy shots.

Rarely, the shots cause systemic allergic reactions, from hives and itching to dangerous airway narrowing, because small amounts of allergen circulate in the bloodstream. That's why patients must be observed by a nurse for a half-hour after each shot.

With the new tablets, as they dissolve, the grass extract inside drains into lymph nodes in the neck, which produce protective antibodies against the effects of pollen that's inhaled or gets in the mouth. Since the extract is unlikely to enter their blood, patients need only be watched the first time, then can take the pills at home.

Typically, patients get allergy shots of gradually increasing dosage two or three times a week initially, then once a week for up to nine months, then monthly. After three years, at least two-thirds have minimal symptoms, while most of the rest have reduced symptoms.

With the tablets, patients start at the top dose, at least three months before allergy season, and continue through the season or even year-round.

The grass pollen tablets aren't likely to take off until next spring, although Stallergenes' U.S. marketing partner, Greer Laboratories Inc. of Lenoir, North Carolina, made Oralair available and began promoting it to allergy specialists in May.

Merck has followed study participants through three years of treatment and then two years after that, when patients still reported significantly reduced symptoms.

But Cox, the Florida allergist, expects that benefit to last at least eight years after treatment ends, nearly as long as with allergy shots.

It won't be clear whether the tablets will be a hit with patients or big moneymakers for their manufacturers until next spring, when patients and more doctors will be familiar with them.

Follow Linda A. Johnson at http://bit.ly/S6Tmsv