Gunmen break into Lebanese official's house
Gunmen broke into Deputy Parliament Speaker Farid Makari's home Saturday and stole two rifles, the National News...
Friday, 5 September 2014
Fire Department volunteers tougher to come by
DENVER -- More than two decades ago, when Stephen Trujillo made his first run as a volunteer firefighter for the Del Norte Fire Department, there was a waiting list for those wanting to join. Now, "when guys retire there is nobody to replace them. We don't have people coming through the door to be volunteers, and that is nationwide," said Trujillo, president of the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association.
Fire departments that rely on volunteers in Colorado and across the nation are struggling to attract and keep personnel, said Garry Briese, executive director of Colorado State Fire Chiefs.
The shortage has been a problem for 30 years, Briese said.
But challenges have escalated as demands on potential volunteers' time have increased, costs for training have climbed, and businesses have become reluctant to allow employees to leave work for fire service, said Ken Willette of the National Fire Protection Association.
Years ago, single-income families were the rule. One parent, usually the wife, stayed home and cared for children, allowing the other to run to an emergency at a moment's notice, Willette said.
Both members of a couple generally work today, and they may be caring for children and their own parents as well.
People also place a higher premium on recreation, education and other activities and are unwilling to give those up, Willette said.
"Overall, people's personal time today is so tightly scheduled, they don't have the time," Willette said.
While the mills and factories of industrial America often were willing to give workers time to leave the job to help with an emergency, today's businesses, many of them based far from the local community, are less willing to do so, Willette said.
Although Colorado doesn't require special training for firefighters, most departments in the state do at least some training.
But especially in rural departments, it isn't always enough.
"There is an urban-rural divide. The departments that are generally more rural than urban have generally less training requirements," Briese said. "Training on a statewide basis is generally inadequate to provide a safe environment for volunteers."
Someone who wants to volunteer at the Jackson 105 Fire Department in Sedalia, which conforms to national voluntary training standards, must learn basic firefighting, hazardous material handling and emergency medical skills.
Personnel can spend more than 50 hours training in the first year, and in most cases they have to do it while working a full-time job, said Jarrod Lamb, Jackson 105 fire chief. Jackson 105 doesn't allow volunteers to respond to emergencies until they have completed their initial firefighting training.
In succeeding years, they have to take 36 hours of continuing education each year.
Some departments provide training locally, but often volunteers must travel to learn, Trujillo said. "If you want top-notch training, you're going to have to leave and go up to different training facilities. Some of the departments will pay for the class, and then volunteers have to pay for their room and board."
The Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department, in Eagle County, which handles only 40 calls a year, provides some training, said Chief Brita Horn. But it isn't as comprehensive as that offered at larger departments.
While departments generally issue turn-out gear and other essential firefighting equipment, volunteers have to dig into their own bank accounts for flashlights and other equipment, Trujillo said.
Departments in the state that depend entirely on volunteers are never fully staffed, Trujillo said. At Del Norte, where 34 volunteers make a full complement, 26 are presently on staff, he said.
"Colorado needs to recruit approximately 3,500 additional volunteer emergency responders to be fully protected," according to the CSFFA website.
To make up for the lack of volunteers, departments like the Jackson 105, a few miles west of Castle Rock, have hired part-time paid staffers and use them during the hours it is hardest to get volunteers.
Jackson was "purely volunteer until about six years ago," Lamb said. "When volunteers were at work, we didn't have anybody to respond."
While most departments are part of special taxing districts that can, with voter approval, levy or increase a tax, 50 non-governmental volunteer fire departments have no taxing authority and are the most dependent on contributions from communities and state and federal grants, Briese said. "They're the ones that do the bake sales and chili suppers."
Fundraising events can take significant time to arrange and hold, said Lamb, whose department holds a community garage sale to raise money.
For many smaller departments, fundraising can consume a lot of time. "Usually a couple of volunteers take that on," Lamb said.
Horn, the chief of the Rock Creek Fire Department in McCoy, said her department receives donations of fire trucks from other, larger departments that are replacing them with new vehicles.
She sells the trucks to local ranchers who want to protect their property and don't have access to regular fire hydrants. She teaches them to get water from dry hydrants that suck water from ponds.
"You tell me, is there any man you know that doesn't want to own their own fire truck?" she quips.
More money comes from grants and fundraisers, she said.
Horn said she is always looking for volunteers.
"They're mostly kids who are really energetic and really want to do it, but they are all looking for a paying job and go on to something else," Horn said.
Colorado will give those who pledge to volunteer two years reimbursement for college tuition of up to $5,000.
For every year that a volunteer receives tuition reimbursement, he or she must commit to membership at a volunteer fire department for two years.
If the volunteer has college-age kids, they can use the money for their education while the parent does the work. "That has helped out a lot," Horn said.
Janice Michael, a software developer who retired two years ago, has volunteered at Jackson 105 for the past four years. "It was pretty time-consuming while I was still working," she said.
It was worth it, the 62- year-old added. "I think it is probably the most rewarding thing I did in my life. You are taking somebody's worst day and trying to make it better."
Thirty Syrians wounded in refugee camp clash
Thirty Syrians wounded in refugee camp clash
About 30 Syrian refugees were wounded during a clash that erupted in a refugee camp in south Lebanon Friday, although...
Arrest warrants issued against suspects tied to Jomaa case
Arrest warrants issued against suspects tied to Jomaa case
A Lebanese judge issued arrest warrants Friday for one Lebanese and two Syrians accused of being involved in similar...
Wake Forest to sell beer, wine at football games
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest says it will sell beer and wine at its football games this year.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported (http://bit.ly/1oM8TWK) that school officials on Thursday announced the opening of the Top Hat Tavern at BB&T Field.
The tavern is behind the video board and Deacon Hill on the south side of the stadium. It will sell beer and wine, as well as soft drinks and water.
There will be a limit of three drinks per person. Sales will start 90 minutes before kickoff and end at the end of the third quarter.
Athletics Director Ron Wellman said the school is always looking for ways to enhance the game-day experience for fans.
Wake Forest plays Gardner-Webb in its home opener at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Record export year for the Port of Lake Charles
LAKE CHARLES, La. -- The Port of Lake Charles was the 49th-largest export market in the United States last year, a new government report shows.
Merchandise exports in 2013 totaled $5.7 billion. Export growth from 2012 to 2013 was up $912.3 million from the $4.7 billion in merchandise exported in 2012, a 19.2 percent increase, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Bill Rase, the port's executive director, told the American Press (http://bit.ly/1lEyWnP) the port could jump to the top 20 export markets within the next five years because of the $77 billion worth of capital investments in the region.
"Every project that is slated to come online is an export project, so I expect us to leap to the top 10 in total tonnage and easily to the top 20 for export commodities," he said. "This is great news for the port and all the companies associated with the Calcasieu Ship Channel."
In five years, Rase said, the number of ships that transit the channel is expected to double.
The Port of Lake Charles made up 12.3 percent of Louisiana's exports in 2013, according to the report. Merchandise exported from Louisiana supported more than 282,000 jobs in 2013, Commerce Department data show.
The state's three major port cities — New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lake Charles — had record exports for the year, along with 23 other metro areas in the nation.
The New Orleans area ranked No. 8 in the nation with $30 billion in merchandise exports, up 23.3 percent from 2012. Baton Rouge ranked No. 45, with exports increasing 8 percent to $6.3 billion.
Competing views on IRS treatment of tea party
WASHINGTON -- After investigating the IRS for more than a year, two key senators — a Democrat and a Republican — disagree on whether the tax agency treated conservative groups worse than their liberal counterparts when they applied for tax-exempt status.
The Senate's subcommittee on investigations released competing reports Friday on how the IRS handled applications from political groups during the 2010 and 2012 elections.
The Democratic report, released by Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, said both liberal and conservative groups were mistreated, revealing no political bias by the IRS.
The Republican report, issued by Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said conservative groups were clearly treated worse.
The IRS inspector general set off a firestorm last year with a report that said IRS agents singled out conservative groups for inappropriate scrutiny.
Initial public offerings scheduled to debut next week
NEW YORK -- The following is a list of initial public offerings planned for the coming week. Sources include Renaissance Capital, Greenwich, CT (http://bit.ly/1noLGfa) and SEC filings.
Week of September 8:
Affimed Therapeutics B.V. - Heidelberg, Germany, 6.25 million common shares, priced $11 to $13, managed by Jefferies, Leerink, and BMO Capital Markets. Proposed Nasdaq symbol AFMD, Business: Biotech developing immunotherapies for lymphomas, leukemia and other cancers.
ReWalk Robotics Ltd. - Yokneam, Israel, 3.35 million ordinary shares, priced $14 to $16, managed by Barclays and Jefferies. Proposed Nasdaq symbol RWLK. Business: Maker of recently-approved exoskeletons that enable paraplegics to walk.
Lebanon Army denies terrorist presence in Jabal Sannine
Lebanon police detain 14-year-old boy for ISIS slogan
The Internal Security Forces detain a 14-year-old boy who wrote statements in support of ISIS in the southern village...
Lebanese General Security head calls for a culture of preemptive security
BEIRUT: Lebanon's security forces are adamant about fighting takfiri terrorism the head of General Security said Friday, at the launch of the agency’s new magazine.
On General Security's 69th anniversary, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim urged the promotion of a “culture of preemptive security,” saying that the development of a “proactive risk monitoring” process along with the detection of possible national threats, would allow security forces to “control the threat” and “paralyze” any danger the country faced.
Speaking of the danger he believes is imminent, Ibrahim said that a terrorist threat was approaching the country, one that would carry out plans to divide Lebanon and expand Israeli territory.
The General Security head said that the military would spare no effort in fending off any threat to state stability, especially during this critical phase that has engulfed the Arab region.
Lebanon is facing a two sided war - one with the “Israeli enemy” and another with terrorism, Ibrahim argued.
“This requires us all to work on the establishment of a culture of security that is based on close and permanent cooperation between all official forces,” he added.
Concluding on a more hopeful note, Ibrahim said that the upcoming phase would be “full of activities and achievements,” ranging from the “expansion of electronic services” to the “adoption of biometric passports” in 2015, as well as the establishment of “magnetic identity cards.”
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Alaska Guard commander resigns over handling of sexual misconduct
WASHINGTON -- The head of the Alaska National Guard has resigned in the wake of an investigation that confirmed the command’s mishandling of reported rapes and other offenses.
The federal National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations found in a newly released report that the Alaska National Guard is “not properly administrating justice” and that victims did not trust the system because of a lack of confidence in the command to act.
The findings come a year after members of the Alaska National Guard, including two senior chaplains, told McClatchy Newspapers that victims do not trust commanders to help them because of a history of mishandled complaints. They described a serious sexual assault and harassment problem and said the governor’s office had been informed of the problems as far back as 2010.
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell earlier this year asked the federal National Guard Bureau to investigate.
Parnell gave a press conference in Alaska on Thursday night in which he apologized to those who had been victimized. The governor also said that he has asked for and received the resignation of the commander of the Alaska National Guard, Maj. Gen. Thomas Katkus.
Meat, cheese maker to build New Castle plant
NEW CASTLE, Ind. -- Boar's Head Brand plans to build a meat processing plant in central Indiana that company executives say will create more than 200 new jobs over the next few years.
The Sarasota, Florida-headquartered maker of premium delicatessen meats and cheeses announced Friday that it will build the new plant on 66 acres at an industrial park in New Castle.
The plant about 40 miles east of Indianapolis is expected to be operational by early spring of 2016 and will produce turkey, ham and chicken delicatessen products.
Boar's Head Brand plans to begin hiring workers for the next plant next year.
New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp. President Corey Murphy told The Courier-Times that the project includes an initial investment of $80 million.
Lebanon police detain 14-year-old boy for ISIS slogan
Lebanon police detain 14-year-old boy for ISIS slogan
The Internal Security Forces detain a 14-year-old boy who wrote statements in support of ISIS in the southern village...
Apple to add more security measures
NEW YORK -- Apple is planning to add more security measures to help protect its users following a celebrity photo hacking incident.
CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal that Apple Inc. will use email and push notifications to let users know when someone tries to restore iCloud data on a new device, change an account password or attempts an initial log on to an account with a new device. Previously there were no notifications for restoring iCloud data, but users did receive an email when someone tried to change a password or log in for the first time from a new device.
Apple expects to start sending notifications in two weeks. The iPhone maker said the new security being implemented will allow users to change passwords to reclaim control of an account or notify Apple's security team about a potential problem.
An Apple spokesman confirmed the report Friday but declined to comment further than what was said in the interview.
On Tuesday Apple acknowledged computer hackers broke into the accounts of several celebrities, a security breakdown that the company blamed on the intruders' ability to figure out passwords and bypass other safeguards.
Apple said that it found no evidence of a widespread problem in iCloud or its Find my iPhone service. Instead, the affected celebrity accounts were targeted by hackers who had enough information to know the usernames, passwords and answers to personal security questions designed to thwart unauthorized entries, according to Apple. Knowing this crucial information would enable an outsider to break into Apple accounts, including iCloud, and many other types of online accounts.
Apple's plans to add more security measures comes just days before the company is expected to unveil new products in Cupertino, California. A larger iPhone, a possibly a computerized watch, are among the items being anticipated.
On Wednesday rival Samsung showed off two new smartphones at a Berlin trade show. Samsung announced the Galaxy Note Edge phone, which has a side display for quicker access to the flashlight, Twitter, news and other apps. It also unveiled a new Galaxy Note 4 phone and a virtual-reality headset for the phone called Gear VR to watch concerts or play games.
Shares of Apple added 85 cents to $98.97 in Friday morning trading.
New Jersey governor visits constituents' hometown
PUEBLA, Mexico -- Government officials and local residents alike were to meet with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Friday, as he put his people skills to the test in the city of Puebla. It's one of the last stops on the last day of his trip to Mexico.
Puebla state Gov. Rafael Moreno Valle greeted Christie and his eldest son, Andrew, who has accompanied his father on the three-day trip.
After a brief meeting, Christie joined the Mexican governor, his cabinet members and other local officials for a breakfast in the governor's residence complex. As the breakfast began, Christie said he had already invited Moreno Valle to come to New Jersey for a joint visit to the City of Passaic, where many immigrants from Puebla live.
"I look forward to him coming to the U.S. and for me to return the favor," Christie said.
The visit to Puebla gives Christie a chance to talk with local residents at a park and school children after two days of back-to-back meetings, receptions and speeches with officials and business leaders in the country's capital.
Christie's trip is seen as part of a larger effort to burnish his foreign policy credentials and build his appeal with Latino voters ahead of a potential run for president in 2016.
He has appeared more reserved than usual during the trip.
Son of Tigers, Red Wings owner pleads in drug case
DETROIT -- A son of Detroit Tigers and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch has pleaded guilty to a drug charge and will serve a year of probation.
Fifty-seven-year-old Ronald Ilitch entered the plea Friday in a Detroit courtroom to a misdemeanor charge of using cocaine. Under an agreement with prosecutors, a felony drug possession charge is being dropped.
He told the court it was "a big wake-up call for me." He also is required to undergo substance abuse treatment.
Authorities say Ronald Ilitch was driving with a female passenger near a hotel on Detroit's northwest side on Aug. 27 when police conducted a traffic stop and found cocaine in his possession. Police released the woman at the scene.
The Ilitch family also owns Little Caesars Pizza and the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Southern Express Airways expands regional service
OILVE BRANCH, Miss. -- Southern Airways Express is expanding regional passenger service from Memphis, Tennessee.
The Olive Branch, Mississippi-based company said Thursday it is adding more flights to Atlanta and upgrading its Destin, Florida, service from seasonal to year-round.
Stan Little, Southern's chairman and CEO, says Thursday in a statement that over next few weeks, the airline will offer new service to Knoxville and Chattanooga in Tennessee and to Madison/Jackson, Mississippi.
"We are very pleased to be restoring nonstop service from Metropolitan Memphis to three additional cities which the dominant carrier at Memphis International dropped as part of its cuts over the past few years," said Little.
Over the coming four weeks, Southern Airways will initiate new service from Memphis to Knoxville and Chattanooga in Tennessee, and Madison/Jackson, Mississippi. The Memphis to Madison flights began Friday.
"Once again, they will be available by a 60- to 90-minute direct flight from Memphis," said Little.
Southern will increase service to Atlanta/DeKalb-Peachtree Airport from five to six days per week starting Sunday. The Memphis-Atlanta shuttle will operate every day except Saturday. Atlanta's PDK Airport will also see the addition of weekend flights to and from Oxford, Mississippi.
Little said flights from Memphis to Destin are not year-round. Weekend connections from Destin to Oxford also will be upgraded to year-round service, he said.
Service from Memphis to Chattanooga will begin Oct. 1; and Memphis to Knoxville service will launch Oct. 2.
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Online:
Southern Express Airways, http://bit.ly/WnQBoa
Family Dollar bucks Dollar General bid again
CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- Family Dollar is rejecting Dollar General's latest acquisition offer, and Dollar Tree says it will now divest as many stores as needed to get antitrust clearance for its deal to buy Family Dollar.
Family Dollar rejected an earlier offer of nearly $9 billion from Dollar General, with the Goodlettsville, Tennessee, discounter then boosting its bid to $9.1 billion. Family Dollar said Friday that it still has antitrust concerns.
Family Dollar Stores Inc. accepted an $8.5 billion deal with Dollar Tree Inc. in July. The two companies said Friday that they anticipate the transaction closing as early as the end of November.
Dollar Tree's willingness to shed more stores comes three days after Dollar General Corp. said it would divest up to 1,500 stores to get a deal done.
Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar General shares fell slightly in premarket trading.
The Employment Situation in August
With today’s report, the economy has now added 10 million private-sector jobs over 54 straight months of job growth. This figure is a marker of the progress that has been made, but also a reminder that more must still be done to create jobs, especially for the long-term unemployed, and grow the middle class. Although the pace of job gains in August was below recent months, the broader trends are moving in the right direction. To continue to support the progress our economy has made, the President will act wherever he can to create good jobs, facilitate investments in American infrastructure and manufacturing, and make sure that hard work pays off with higher wages.
FIVE KEY POINTS IN TODAY’S REPORT FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
1. The private sector has added 10 million jobs over 54 straight months of job growth, extending the longest streak on record. Today we learned that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 142,000 in August, mainly reflecting a 134,000 increase in private employment. Private-sector job growth was revised up for July and down for June for little total revisions. Over the past twelve months, private employment has risen by a total of 2.4 million.
Italian official offers condolences over slain Lebanese soldier
BEIRUT: Italy will stand by Lebanon as it works to resolve the hostage crisis, Italian Defense Commission head Nicola Latorre pledged Friday as he visited the family of slain soldier Ali al-Sayyed, who was beheaded by ISIS last month.
During his visit to Sayyed's house in the northern town of Fnaydeq, Latorre said Islam stood against terrorism, expressing his country's support for Lebanon and the Army in the face of the growing threat.
"We are following up on the Lebanese government's efforts in the hostage crisis and we are ready to offer any help that would end this case."
Sayyed's father, Ahmad, thanked the Italian official for his visit, saying: "I hope you can help secure the release of the rest of the captured soldiers."
Earlier this week, ISIS handed over the body of Sayyed to the government after the group beheaded the soldier in a bid to pressure negotiations in their favor. Sayyed was among at least 15 soldiers and policemen who ISIS captured during battles with the Lebanese Army last month in the border town of Arsal.
ISIS and Nusra Front attacked Army and police posts with the aim of seizing the town, known for its support for the Syrian opposition.
An ISIS-affiliated man released an image of the soldiers, saying the group was sharpening its knife with a caption that read: “Are you going to negotiate or not?”
Thousands attended Sayyed’s funeral Wednesday in his hometown, while families of the rest of the soldiers held protests in several parts of the country, demanding the government negotiate with militants to release their loved ones.
Hezbollah blows up Israeli spy device in s. Lebanon
Hezbollah blows up Israeli spy device in s. Lebanon
Hezbollah blows up an Israeli spy device planted on the party’s telecommunications network in south Lebanon, sources...
Unemployment rate falls a notch in jobs report
McClatchy Newspapers
Employers added a disappointing 142,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate ticked down a notch, the government said Friday in a jobs report that undershot expectations.
The number of jobs added was well below the average monthly rate of 212,000 over the past 12 months. It comes despite a sizzling second-quarter economic growth rate of 4.2 percent.
The unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percentage point to 6.1 percent in August.
The number of long-term unemployed also fell by almost 200,000, the report from the Labor Department said.
The weak numbers come just as the White House has ramped up campaign talk about the improving economy.
Lufthansa nixes over 200 flights as pilots strike
BERLIN -- Lufthansa has canceled more than 200 short-haul flights as a result of a planned six-hour strike by pilots at Frankfurt airport, its main hub.
The Vereinigung Cockpit union called pilots on Lufthansa's short-haul fleet out on strike from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (1500 to 2100 GMT) Friday. The airline canceled a raft of flights to and from Frankfurt, the last on Saturday morning.
The walkout is part of a dispute over the pilots' demand that Lufthansa keep paying a transition payment for those wanting to retire early. The airline, which faces tough competition from European budget airlines and major Gulf airlines, wants to cut those payments.
The pilots are also asking for a salary increase of 10 percent. They staged a strike last week at Lufthansa's Germanwings subsidiary.
Michigan AG on committee for General Motors probe
LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says he's among the state attorneys general on a committee overseeing an investigation into General Motors Co.'s recall and safety procedures.
Schuette told The Detroit News (http://bit.ly/Za3cNj ) Thursday he and 44 other state attorneys general are investigating ignition switch problems. He says states and the federal government are working together to determine the investigation's course.
Schuette says the investigation, previously announced by GM, would be "exhaustive and fair."
GM in February began recalling 2.6 million cars. The ignition switches, when jostled, can shut off the engine, cutting power steering and brakes and potentially causing drivers to lose control. GM says at least 13 people have died in 54 crashes linked to the problem.
GM spokesman Jim Cain says the automaker is cooperating with all investigations.
Lebanon’s Muslim officials sign petition against Christian exodus
BEIRUT: Muslim Lebanese officials signed a petition Friday to condemn the assault on Christians of the region, calling on religious figures, political heads, civil society and the international community to mobilize efforts to restore the rights and property of assaulted Christians.
The exodus of Christians from their cities and villages is an “unjust aggression” that violated the "sanctity of their Churches," the petition said.
In further condemnation, the petition said the assault against Christians “constitutes a crime against humanity and a [crime] against religion and the nation.”
Mohammad al-Sammak, the secretary-general of the Islamic Spiritual Summit in Lebanon, organized the petition, which was signed by Speaker Nabih Berri, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and Sidon MP Bahia Hariri, alongside several other ministers and lawmakers.
The Islamic Spiritual Summit represents members from the Shiite, Sunni and Druze sects in Lebanon.
Through the petition, Sammak called on Islamic groups to denounce both the crimes as well as the actors committing them.
He also appealed to Islamic religious references in the Arab World in order to free Islam from “the grip of its captors.”
Sammak called on Arab governments to assume “ethical and constitutional responsibility toward its citizens” who have fallen prey to groups that don’t know the “sanctity of humanity and the holiness of religion.”
The statement urged civil society actors to offer necessary humanitarian aid to Christians, while pressing allied states to refrain from facilitating the emigration of the region’s Christians, arguing that such a move would serve the terrorist goal of tearing up the versatile social fabric in the Arab world.
Appealing to the Islamic Cooperation Council and the Arab League, Sammak urged both organizations to cooperate with the United Nations and the Security Council, as to launch a joint international initiative to ward off “the dangerous terrorist” threat.
Asiri invites Bassil to conference on terrorism
'A dozen' Americans fighting with ISIS: Pentagon
The United States believes about "a dozen" Americans are fighting with ISIS extremists in Iraq and Syria, a Pentagon...
Vermont School's Homecoming Dance Cancelled Due To Twerking
Oh Miley, now look what you’ve done. School officials in puritanical New England haven Bennington, Vermont, have done gone and canceled the homecoming dance, citing the local farm girls and boys’ passion for Cyrus-inspired twerking as the cause. In a letter to the local paper, Mount Anthony Union High School principal and guardian of virtue Sue Maguire said:
Over the past couple of years, since Miley Cyrus took the stage "twerking" at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, our students' dancing behavior has crossed the line of what we can condone as appropriate behavior at a school. Twerking is dancing to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving a low squatting stance and thrusting movements. Students do not face one another or remain with the same person for the length of the song.
If you haven't seen twerking, I would encourage you to research this online.
We have been asked why we don’t just stop it. Try to picture our cafeteria, with 400 to 500 students in tight clusters of about 80 students. It is very difficult to get into the middle of the clusters to monitor every student who is dancing inappropriately.
Well, we all know how this one is gonna end, ‘cause you can’t stop / won’t stop the kids when it comes time to dance.
But seriously. Do we really live in a time where school administrators think that by canceling the homecoming dance they can wield cultural control over their students? Are the powers that be in Vermont so ensconced in their all-American farmhouse fever dream that they don’t realize that A) the kids already know what twerking is, and you can bet they’re just gonna go throw back some Boones Farm or Natty Lite and get their grind on in the barn, B) admitting that you can’t control your student population is probably not the smoothest political / bureaucratic move, and C) now they have to deal with Kevin Bacon. And he’s gonna be pissed. Didn't we learn anything from '80s-era movies?
Here’s hoping the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana sees what her name hath wrought and decides to give 'em the best of both worlds by heading to Vermont for her own homecoming dance. Your move, Miley.
BP ‘reckless,’ ‘profit-driven’ in 2010 Gulf oil spill, judge rules
WASHINGTON -- A federal judge ruled Thursday that oil giant BP was grossly negligent in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout, which killed 11 workers and resulted in the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier’s decision could force BP to pay up to $18 billion in fines under the Clean Water Act.
“BP’s conduct was reckless,” Barbier said in his 153-page ruling.
Barbier found that BP, rather than its contractors, is primarily to blame for the rig blowout, explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The judge assigned 67 percent of the blame to BP, with Transocean and Halliburton bearing 30 percent and 3 percent of the blame, respectively. Transocean owned the rig, and Halliburton did the well cement work.
The decision followed years of legal wrangling over blame for the disaster, which led to millions of barrels of oil spilling over almost three months.
BP said in a statement that it would immediately appeal the ruling and that “an impartial view of the record does not support the erroneous conclusion reached by the district court.”
BP already has spent more than $24 billion on oil spill response, cleanup and payments for legal claims by individuals, businesses and government authorities. The company’s stock dropped 5 percent Thursday afternoon after the gross-negligence ruling.
Barbier wrote in the ruling that a series of “profit-driven decisions” by BP led to the disaster.
“These instances of negligence, taken together, evince an extreme deviation from the standard of care and a conscious disregard of known risks,” he wrote.
The finding that multiple acts of “ordinary negligence” can add up to gross negligence _ with much higher penalties _ will have a broader impact on oil companies and other industries, said Blaine LeCesne, a law professor at Loyola University in New Orleans who’s followed the case closely.
Companies that operate with risk, whether it be fracking for oil or mining for coal, are going to need to be a lot more careful, he said.
“They are going to have to more closely monitor their operations every step along the way,” he said.
For the Deepwater Horizon case, it could mean increased punitive damages for BP, as well as the higher fines under the Clean Water Act, LeCesne said.
“BP’s ultimate liability for this has just gone up another $20 (billion) to $40 billion,” he said. “It has a very significant financial impact for BP.”
The judge has not ruled on how much oil was released in the spill, an important factor in determining the size of BP’s liability.
BP will try to limit that liability.
“During the penalty proceedings, BP will seek to show that its conduct merits a penalty that is less than the applicable maximum,” the company said in a statement.
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey said it was clear during his investigation of the spill that “BP compromised safety for speed” in its drilling operations.
“BP should be fully held to account, and should not be allowed to low-ball the size of its spill or take other actions that could reduce their financial liabilities for this disaster,” said Markey, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
ECB action alone can't lift gloom over Europe
LONDON -- Europe has gotten another dose of stimulus. But the latest medicine by itself will not bring life to an economy that over the past six years has slid from crisis to crisis.
Though the European Central Bank surprised markets Thursday with the broad thrust of its stimulus measures, most economists think the 18-country eurozone will continue to lag its counterparts, including the United States, for years.
Several eurozone countries are still grappling with high public debt that keeps a lid on spending that would otherwise help growth — new roads and schools, for example. And the No. 2 and No. 3 economies, France and Italy, have been slow in reforming their economies to make it easier for companies to do business and hire.
Meanwhile, low inflation threatens to turn into an outright fall in prices — something that could hurt consumer spending as shoppers wait for prices to drop. The economy is expected to grow slowly at best, after not expanding at all in the second quarter, when the crisis in Ukraine also weighed on confidence. Unemployment is proving hard to bring down — at 11.5 percent it is only marginally down from the peak 12 percent last summer.
That's why the ECB, the central bank for the eurozone, came up with another rescue package just three months after its previous one. As well as cutting its benchmark interest rate from 0.15 percent to a record low of 0.05 percent, it announced a program to buy bundles of bank loans that aims to stimulate bank lending to businesses and households. Details of the program — in particular, its size — remain to be filled in.
The measures are likely to provide some immediate support to the economy by reducing the value of the euro, a boon to the region's exporters. On Friday, the euro languished a little above the 14-month low of $1.2920 it struck in the wake of the ECB's announcements.
Beyond that, however, economists say the latest measures alone cannot heal the economy. As ECB President Mario Draghi keeps saying, the ECB can only do so much. Governments need to make reforms — and spend more where possible.
"The truth of the matter remains this: no amount of ECB 'action' will change the grim outlook for the eurozone if politicians do not confront the need for, and implementation of radical reforms," said Marc Ostwald, market strategist at ADM Investor Services International.
CHANGE NEEDED: Until 2012, when politicians and the ECB were fighting to keep the euro alive, the single currency zone was held back by countries that were hit hard by the debt crisis, such as Greece, Portugal and Spain. Now, following years of reform, those countries are slowly improving, and it's the larger, richer countries that are being blamed for the current economic morass: France, Italy and even Germany.
France's economy is stagnating. Its Socialist president, Francois Hollande, is trying to cut taxes for businesses and reduce government spending but is facing so much political resistance he had to reform a new government this summer.
Italy, which has the second-highest debt burden in the eurozone after Greece, has seen its economy shrink in 11 of the past 12 quarters. Matteo Renzi, the youthful premier, is under pressure to deliver on big promises to overhaul the economy and legal system. The clogged courts, which hinder resolution of contract disputes, and tough worker protections, for example, continue to discourage investment.
Germany, meanwhile, has low unemployment and a balanced budget but is balking at calls to spend more on infrastructure and reduce taxes to boost consumption, measures that could help growth across the region.
In the end, it's all about confidence. Employers are reluctant to hire when they know they can't adjust their workforces for the ups and downs of the economy. Starting a business in many parts of Europe takes time because of the paperwork and permissions required. And taxes tend to be high to pay for social welfare.
Spain has been one of the standouts of late in reforming its economy — and has seen stronger growth as a result, though unemployment remains sky-high at 24.5 percent.
ECB BACKSTOP: As some governments delay reforms, and Germany continues to insist on fiscal restraint, the ECB risks being asked to help out again. That means it may have to use the last weapon in its armory — creating massive amounts of new money to buy large amounts of government bonds.
Thursday's stimulus will create new money, but at a small scale. The market for the assets it will buy — asset-backed securities, which are essentially bundled bank loans — is nowhere near as large as that for government bonds.
Draghi confirmed Thursday the ECB had discussed buying government bonds, a policy other central banks such as the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of England have pursued.
Such a program, commonly referred to as quantitative easing, or QE, can drive down market interest rates, making it cheaper for businesses and consumers to borrow.
Some think the ECB won't go for it. The idea is unpopular in Germany, the biggest eurozone member. Its benefits are uncertain at a time when the interest rates on an array of bonds are already low. And, some argue, that it would take the pressure off governments to enact the very reforms Draghi has been harping on.
Yet the 24 members of the ECB's governing council might not feel they have a choice if the economy does not improve and inflation doesn't edge higher in coming months.
"More stimulus now suggests the Council is likely to want to pause and evaluate the impact of these measures before taking further steps of any kind in the near future, buying time for the outlook to improve," said Royal Bank of Scotland economist Richard Barwell.
Students’ passing certificates available at Liban Post
Students’ passing certificates available at Liban Post
Students can pick up their passing certificates from Liban Post, Lebanon’s private postal service company says.
Lebanon minister willing to sacrifice own freedom for soldiers
Nusra Front: Lebanon will pay price for Hezbollah's role
Nusra Front releases a video of the nine policemen and soldiers they are holding captive, warning that Sunnis, Shiites...
NYC special education contractor sentenced
NEW YORK -- A man who ran special education pre-K programs in New York City has been sentenced to two years in prison after admitting he stole more than $2 million from the company.
Cheon Park, of Manhasset, Long Island, owned Bilingual SEIT in Queens.
According to The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/1t7BGJ2 ), he pleaded guilty in March to mail fraud and agreed to pay $2.1 million in restitution. He also agreed to forfeit another $1.9 million.
The 46-year-old preschool director was sentenced Thursday.
Park's company received state and city funds to manage the programs for children ages 3 to 5 out of five centers.
Prosecutors say he kicked back much of the money to himself and relatives.
His contracts with the city were canceled at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year.
Hale meets Bassil over Lebanese Army support
Hale meets Bassil over Lebanese Army support
David Hale hands the foreign minister a memo detailing the U.S. arms and equipment shipment to the Lebanese Army.
Run-Up To Midterm Elections Overshadowed By Other News
Don Gonyea talks to with NPR Senior Political Correspondent Mara Liaison and Robert Costa of The Washington Post about the issues and key races in this fall's midterm elections.
Nusra Front: Lebanon will pay price for Hezbollah's role
BEIRUT: Nusra Front Friday released a video of the nine policemen and soldiers they are holding captive, warning that Sunnis, Shiites and the rest of Lebanon’s sects would be pay the price for Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria.
The 27-minute video posted on the YouTube channel that usually carries the radical group’s well-produced videos began by showing footage of Hezbollah’s Chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah speaking about his party’s role in Syria.
The title of the video - “Who will pay the price?” - is seemingly answered by the graphic footage of dead and bloodied children and women, allegedly killed by Hezbollah fighters.
The video also showed footage of women who said they were sexually assaulted by men with Lebanese accents, accusing Hezbollah of being behind the attacks.
“They [Hezbollah] killed innocent people in Arsal camps. They asked the Army for a cease-fire but rockets were fired from Labweh,” a man dressed in the Internal Security Forces uniform said as he sat in front of the Nusra flag.
Labweh, located a few kilometers away from Arsal, is a predominantly Shiite town that supports the resistance group.
“They pushed the Lebanese Army to the forefront of the battle [in Arsal], the Army lost 50 people and 50 others were kidnapped, and Nusra Front confiscated tanks and vehicles ... We were the scapegoat.”
The Nusra Front and ISIS captured at least 30 soldiers and ISF personnel during the five-day battle with the Lebanese Army in the northeastern town of Arsal. Dozens of soldiers were killed in the clashes that erupted on Aug. 2 after an ISIS commander was arrested by the military.
The Lebanese Army has said that the battle was a systematic plan to seize the border town, which houses thousands of Syrian refugees and known for its support for the Syrian uprising.
Nusra has so far released seven of its captured Sunni soldiers, saying it would hold on to the Shiite and Christian soldiers to exchange them with Islamist detainees held since 2007 in Roumieh Prison.
The government has refused to agree to any swap, saying instead it would seek the help of countries that might have leverage over radical groups.
In the video, Nusra issued a warning for Sunnis, urging them to join their ranks and stand against the Lebanese Army, which the Islamist group has long accused of working with Hezbollah.
"We are one, support your people in Syria ... before you pay the price of your involvement in a war on the side of the Lebanese Army against mujahideen, or you will pay the price as those before you from the Sunni community did.”
“For the rest of the sects in Lebanon: Don't dare support Iran's party. Your silence toward their crimes will be counted against you and you will pay the price. Beware of the oppressed [man’s] anger.”
“To the Shiites: Our battle with you will go on as long as you violate the mothers [of the mujahideen] ... your support for the party will have you pay double the price.”
“To the Muslim scholars in the world: We ask you to reveal the truth about the Lebanese Army so that the Sunni community would not be confused. The next phase will be final, God willing, against those who support or belong to these crimes.”
The Nusra Front in Lebanon, an offshoot of the radical group fighting in Syria, has claimed responsibility for a number of suicide car bombings that targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area that supports Hezbollah.
The video also showed what the group said were footage of Lebanese soldiers kicking and torturing Islamist detainees.
Killing of Lebanese man, mother stirs anti-Syrian sentiments
'A dozen' Americans fighting with ISIS: Pentagon
The United States believes about "a dozen" Americans are fighting with ISIS extremists in Iraq and Syria, a Pentagon...
Lebanon Cabinet pushes back against threats from hostages' families
BEIRUT: Lebanese officials pushed back against the street protests organized by families of captured soldiers, with Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas saying that some of the relatives' remarks were frightening.
Speaking to Al-Akhbar in remarks published Friday, Derbas said the government strongly resented statements made by the families during protests in the north and the capital.
"Protesters in the Qalamoun accused the government of being too strict and demanded negotiations while others asked for a military solution and accused the Cabinet of cowardice. This was a scary scene,” he said.
"What's with the families of the captured soldiers threatening [to incite] a civil war while their sons are still safe?"
During a protest in Beirut outside the Grand Serail as the Cabinet was meeting to discuss the crisis, their families warned that a civil war could erupt if more soldiers were slaughtered.
Others hinted that some of the soldiers belonged to prominent clans in the Bekaa Valley that could take matters into their own hands, referring to possible retaliatory attacks against Syrian refugees there.
Some of them also asked Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi to trade the 24 Cabinet ministers for the soldiers and policemen held by ISIS and Nusra Front for nearly a month.
Fears for the lives of the captured soldiers grew after ISIS slaughtered one of the soldiers, 1st Sgt. Ali al-Sayyed, in a bid to pressure the government to negotiate with them.
“They should learn from the father of Ali al-Sayyed, who rose above his pain and placed his confidence in the efforts the government was exerting to release the soldiers,” Derbas told An-Nahar.
Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi also expressed his concern over the street protests, saying some parties were provoking sectarian sentiments to incite chaos.
Nusra Front released five Sunni soldiers last week, saying it would hold on to Shiite and Christian soldiers to exchange them with Islamist detainees held since 2007 in Roumieh Prison.
ISIS released a photo earlier this week showing the captured soldiers with a caption that read: “ ISIS is sharpening its knife. Are you going to negotiate or not?
The government has refused to agree to a swap deal, saying the government would seek the help of countries that might have leverage over radical groups.
New operation in Louisville to employ up to 750
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A new operation opening in Louisville will offer customer services for financial products for current and former members of the military, employing up to 750 people.
Gov. Steve Beshear and Mayor Greg Fischer announced Thursday that TPUSA Inc. expects to invest $13.2 million into the project. The company is moving into a 50,000-square-foot facility in eastern Louisville and expects to be operational next month.
TPUSA has 20,000 employees in the U.S., while its parent company, Teleperformance USA, employs 149,000 in 230 centers in 62 countries.
The state has given preliminary approval for incentives up to $3.8 million for the project.
Jury Finds Virginia's Former First Couple Guilty Of Corruption
Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen were convicted on Thursday of federal corruption charges. They were acquitted only on a handful of lesser charges.
Efforts made to save historic Michigan barns
LANSING, Mich. -- Events planned for this month and October put the spotlight on Michigan's historic barns and agriculture.
The Lansing State Journal reports ( http://on.lsj.com/1pLlsIa ) that there is growing interest in preserving old barns as part of the state's agriculture heritage.
Mason County in western Michigan will kick off two new self-guided driving tours of agriculture sites on Sept. 19. And the Michigan Barn Preservation Network is holding a self-guided driving tour of five historic barns on Oct. 11 in Tuscola County in Michigan's Thumb.
That's not all. A new, 10-stop Quilt Barn Trail is being developed in Mason County. It features historic barns decorated with large quilt squares. There also is an Agricultural Trail that features 17 stops, including an elk ranch, dairy farm, winery, farmers market and orchards.
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Information from: Lansing State Journal, http://on.lsj.com/1dU2p9q
This is an AP Member Exchange shared by the Lansing State Journal.
Gulf of Mexico residents hail ruling against BP
NEW ORLEANS -- Environmentalists, recreational fishermen and people who make their living on the Gulf of Mexico are hailing a federal judge's ruling that could mean $18 billion in additional fines for BP over the nation's worst offshore oil spill.
Lisa Smith cheered and gave an emphatic "yes" Thursday afternoon when she heard about the decision as she fished off a beach bridge in Florida.
"BP should have to pay, they've done a lot of damage," Smith said.
In the town of Lafitte, Louisiana, David Robin said he hopes the oil company pays dearly, money that would not only mitigate damage from the spill, but also help restore Louisiana wetlands lost to erosion that experts blame in part on coastal oil and gas activity.
"If we could get ahold of that money, we could carefully plan a coastal erosion battle," said Robin, a plumber who owns a fishing camp in Lafitte.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier (BAHR'-bih-aye) ruled Thursday that BP acted with "gross negligence" in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster.
Under the federal Clean Water Act, a polluter can be forced to pay a maximum of $1,100 in civil fines per barrel of spilled oil, or up to $4,300 per barrel if the company is found grossly negligent. Barbier's finding exposes BP to the much-higher amount.
Even as the oil giant vowed to appeal, BP stock fell $2.82, or nearly 6 percent, to $44.89, reducing the company's market value by almost $9 billion.
"Everybody talks about how big they are, but it's staggering," David Uhlmann, a University of Michigan law professor and former chief of the Justice Department's environmental crimes section, said of the price tag for the spill.
BP previously agreed to pay a record $4 billion in criminal fines and penalties over the Deepwater Horizon disaster, plus more than $27 billion in cleanup costs and compensation to people and businesses harmed by the spill.
The company made $24 billion in profits last year but could be forced again to sell off some assets to cover the additional fines, analysts said.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Barbier's ruling "will ensure that the company is held fully accountable for its recklessness" and will "serve as a strong deterrent to anyone tempted to sacrifice safety and the environment in the pursuit of profit."
Barbier held a nonjury trial last year to identify the blowout's causes and apportion blame for the disaster. He ruled Thursday that BP bears 67 percent of the responsibility; Swiss-based drilling rig owner Transocean Ltd. 30 percent; and Houston-based cement contractor Halliburton Energy Services 3 percent.
BP made "profit-driven decisions" during the drilling that led to the blowout, the judge concluded in his 153-page ruling. "These instances of negligence, taken together, evince an extreme deviation from the standard of care and a conscious disregard of known risks," he wrote.
Among other things, the judge cited a misinterpreted safety test that should have warned the drilling crew that the well was in danger of blowing out.
In a statement, BP said the evidence did not meet the "very high bar" to prove gross negligence.
James Roy and Stephen Herman, who represented oil spill victims in the trial, said: "We hope that today's judgment will bring some measure of closure to the families of the 11 men who tragically lost their lives, and to the thousands of people and businesses still trying to recover from the spill."
Government experts estimated 4.2 million barrels, or 176 million gallons, spilled into the Gulf. BP urged the judge to use an estimate of 2.45 million barrels, or nearly 103 million gallons, in calculating any Clean Water Act penalties. Barbier hasn't ruled yet on how much oil spilled.
If he goes with the government's estimate, BP could be hit with close to $18 billion in fines.
The crude that gushed from the sea floor killed wildlife, stained beaches and polluted marshes. BP ultimately sealed the well after several methods failed.
BP pleaded guilty in 2013 to manslaughter in the rig workers' deaths. Two BP supervisors aboard the rig are awaiting trial on federal manslaughter charges.
Darlene Kimball, who runs Kimball's Seafood on the docks in Pass Christian, Mississippi, said she hopes Thursday's ruling, and the likelihood of huge penalties, will prompt all oil companies to pay more attention to safety.
"Sometimes something has to happen for people to realize, 'I don't want that to happen with our company. Let's go back and look at how we are doing things,'" she said.
BP faces still another set of potential penalties, under the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Uhlmann said those claims could cost BP more than $10 billion. He said those claims could be difficult to resolve because of varying assessments of how much damage was done to the environment.
"We may not know for years how badly the Gulf of Mexico and its shorelines were damaged by the spill," he said.
Kunzelman reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press writers Holbrook Mohr in Jackson, Mississippi; Kevin McGill in New Orleans; Stacey Plaisance in Lafitte, Louisiana; and Melissa Nelson in Pensacola, Florida, contributed to this report.
Tesla CEO: "Nevada is it;" $1.3B package offered
RENO, Nev. -- The Biggest Little City in the World is about to get a new neighbor: the biggest lithium battery factory in the world that Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval asserted will create more than 22,000 new jobs and pump $100 billion into the state's economy over the next 20 years.
Tesla Motors Inc. CEO Elon Musk declared the Silver State the winner Thursday of a high-stakes battle with California and three other states for the $5 billion "gigafactory" he says they need — and need fast — to mass produce cheaper batteries for its next line of more-affordable electric cars.
Sandoval unveiled the package of tax breaks and incentives worth as much as $1.3 billion that his economic development team negotiated with Tesla in secret for nearly a year to bring the plant to an industrial park 15 miles east of Sparks, a Reno suburb founded along the Union Pacific Railroad a century ago.
The package still must be approved by lawmakers during a special session of the Legislature, which appears inclined to do so and could take action as early as next week. But Sandoval called it a "monumental announcement that will change Nevada forever."
Musk confided Nevada's wasn't the most lucrative among the offers from California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
But "it wasn't just about incentives," he said, citing Nevada's pro-business regulatory climate and his "high confidence" the plant will be ready to open in 2017. "That was truly the most important thing."
Later, Musk told reporters that Tesla would stop looking for another state as a backup, as the company had said earlier it would do in case Nevada did not come through.
"Nevada is it," he said.
Musk, who had just flown in from London, briefly bungled the pronunciation of "Nevada" during the ceremony — a big no-no for locals — but recovered and twice received standing ovations from more than 200 dignitaries on the Capitol lawn.
"It's a real get-things-done state," Musk said, explaining how Nevada prevailed in a "relatively close" competition.
Steve Hill, executive director of Sandoval's Office of Economic Development, drew a laugh from the crowd when he said:
"That's the first I've heard incentives weren't the most important thing."
Earlier Thursday, at least a half-dozen road graders, bulldozers and dump trucks were working at the site at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center along I-80 where Musk said the plant would cover an area equal to 174 football fields and produce more lithium batteries than all the existing factories in the world combined last year.
"It's difficult to describe in words, but it's a heck of a big factory," he said.
Also a heck of a lot of jobs for a state that had the nation's worst unemployment rate during the depths of the Great Recession.
Hill said the 22,000 jobs would include 6,500 permanent ones at the factory with hourly wages above $25 and a peak of 3,000 construction jobs before the 2017 opening.
But Greg LeRoy, executive director of the research group Good Jobs First, said the factory would bring a total of 19,500 jobs, and not the 22,000.
Tesla's choice for the facility takes it a big step closer to mass producing an electric car that costs around $35,000 and can go 200 miles on a single charge. That range is critical because it lets people take most daily trips without recharging, a major barrier to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.
A man who stopped at an I-80 truck stop Thursday to refuel across the street from the access road to the site told a reporter he'd consider buying an electric car someday.
"But right now they don't have enough of those places to charge," said Donald Hopkins, headed from his home in Rio Vista, California to vacation in Indianapolis. "Maybe if they get one where you can drive from here to Detroit."
Solid economic data lift hopes for Aug. job report
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- After a week of mostly positive economic news, analysts have forecast that the August jobs report being released Friday will show a seventh straight month of solid gains.
Economists predict that the government's report will show that employers added 220,000 jobs in August, according to a survey by FactSet. The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent in July.
The Labor Department will issue the jobs report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Employers have added an average of 230,000 jobs this year, up from an average of 194,000 in 2013. The increased hiring has boosted consumers' confidence and should support healthy growth for the second half of this year.
Most economists doubt that another strong jobs report would by itself alter Fed Chair Janet Yellen's timetable for raising short-term interest rates. Economists generally expect Fed policymakers to start raising rates by roughly mid-2015. The short-term rate the Fed controls has been at nearly zero for almost six years.
Still, with hiring steady, Yellen and private economists are examining other measures to develop a deeper sense of the job market's health. Yellen has said the unemployment rate, which has fallen by over a percentage point in the past 12 months, might be overstating the improvement in hiring.
Other measures that Yellen has said she monitors include: The number of people unemployed for more than six months; the number who are working part time but would prefer full-time work; and average hourly wages. Those measures remain less than healthy.
Average hourly pay has been rising at about a 2 percent annual rate — barely ahead of inflation — since the recession ended more than five years ago. That's below the historical average of about 3.5 percent.
Still, most recent economic data have pointed to an economy that's steadily improving.
Services firms expanded in August at the fastest pace since 2008, according to a survey by the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers. The survey covers businesses that employ 90 percent of the American workforce, including retail, construction, health care and financial services firms.
Last month, services companies added jobs at the fastest pace since 2006, the institute found.
Factories expanded last month at the strongest rate in more than three years, the ISM found in a separate survey. Manufacturers said they added jobs at a healthy clip but slightly below July's pace.
Factory output is being driven in part by auto sales. Americans bought 1.58 million cars in August, 5.4 percent more than a year earlier and the best August showing in 11 years.
Fewer Americans are also seeking unemployment benefits. Applications for benefits remained near seven-year lows last week. And the number of people who are continuing to receive benefits fell to 2.46 million, the fewest since June 2007.
In July, builders ramped up spending on construction projects by the most in more than two years, the government said this week. That is likely supporting economic growth in the July-September quarter.
And U.S. exports rose in July, narrowing the trade deficit. A smaller trade deficit can boost growth because it indicates that more of the goods and services that consumers and businesses buy were made in the United States.
The encouraging reports suggest that the economy will grow at about a 3 percent annual pace in the second half of this year. That would mark a sharp improvement from the 1.1 percent annual rate in the first half.
Still, consumer spending dipped in July, the first drop since January. That showed that Americans remain cautious despite steady job gains. Most economists expect spending to pick up as long as hiring remains healthy.
German factory production rebounds in July
BERLIN -- Official data show that German factory production rebounded in July, another sign that Europe's biggest economy should return to growth in the third quarter.
The Federal Statistical Office said Friday that production rose 1.9 percent compared with June. It revised the previous month's increase up to 0.4 percent from an initial reading of 0.3 percent.
July's increase was driven by all sectors except for energy.
The latest figures follow data Thursday showing that factory orders were up 4.6 percent in July, indicating that production should continue to rise.
Germany's economy shrank by 0.2 percent in the second quarter but is still expected to grow overall this year.
Jeans face an uncertain future amid yoga wear rage
NEW YORK -- Americans' obsession with jeans is beginning to wear thin.
Jeans long have been a go-to staple in closets across the country. After all, not many pieces of clothing are so comfortable they can be worn daily, yet versatile enough to be dressed up or down.
But sales of the iconic blues fell 6 percent during the past year after decades of almost steady growth. Why? People more often are sporting yoga pants and leggings instead of traditional denim.
The shift is partly due to a lack of new designs since brightly colored skinny jeans were a hit a couple years back. It's also a reflection of changing views about what's appropriate attire for work, school and other places that used to call for more formalwear.
"Yoga pants have replaced jeans in my wardrobe," said Anita Ramaswamy, a Scottsdale, Arizona high-school senior who is buying more leggings and yoga pants than jeans. "You can make it as sexy as skinny jeans and it's more comfortable."
To be sure, the jeans business isn't dead: Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy, estimates denim accounts for 20 percent of annual sales at the nation's department stores.
But sales of jeans in the U.S. fell 6 percent to $16 billion during the year that ended in June, according to market research firm NPD Group, while sales of yoga pants and other "active wear" climbed 7 percent to $33.6 billion.
And Levi Strauss, which invented the first pair of blue jeans 141 years ago, is among jean makers that acknowledge their business has been hurt by what the fashion industry dubs the "athleisure" trend. That's led them to create new versions of classic denim that are more "stretchy" and mimic the comfort of sweatpants.
BIRTH OF THE BLUES
It's one of the few times jeans haven't been at the forefront of what's "trending." Businessman Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis invented jeans in 1873 after getting a patent to create cotton denim workpants with copper rivets in certain areas like the pocket corner to make them stronger. By the 1920s, Levi's original 501 jeans had become top-selling men's workpants, according to Levi's corporate website.
Over the next couple of decades, the pants went mainstream. In 1934, Levi's took advantage of the rise in Western movies and launched its first jeans aimed at affluent women who wanted to wear them on dude ranches. Then teens boosted popularity of the pants, first among the greasy-hair-and-leather-jacket-set in the 1950s and then, the hippies in the 1960s.
But teens' biggest contribution to jeans' rise was the name itself: Until the 1950s, the pants were called overalls or waist overalls, but in the following decade, teens started referring to them as jeans. During that time, jeans took on a bad-boy image — popularized by teen rebels like James Dean and Marlon Brando — which led many schools to ban kids from wearing them to class.
In 1960, Levi's began using the 'jeans' name in ads and packaging. And over the next few decades, jeans became even more of a way for people to express themselves. In the 1960s to early 1970s, hip-huggers and bell bottoms became an anti-establishment statement. Then in the 1970s and early 1980s, jeans became a status symbol when designers like Jordache rolled out more chic versions. More recently, names like 7 For All Mankind made $200 jeans, helping to push sales up by 10 percent to $10 billion in 2000, NPD said.
IRONING IT OUT
Jeans have faced other rough patches. One came in the mid-1970s, when denim sales fell three to four percent, while corduroy pants surged in popularity, with sales rising 10 to 12 percent, according to NPD estimates.
NPD declined to offer more historical sales data because of changes it made in its methodology recently, but the group's chief industry analyst Marshal Cohen says jean sales fell about 3 percent again with the resurgence of khakis 12 years ago. That was the last decline until now.
Fashion watchers say the latest decline could be the longest. The "athleisure" trend is the biggest threat jeans have faced because it reflects a fundamental lifestyle change, said Amanda Hallay, assistant clinical professor of fashion merchandising at LIM College in Manhattan. "Everyone wants to look like they're running to the gym, even if they're not," she said.
As a result of jeans' waning popularity, retailers and designers are focusing more on activewear and less on denim. For instance, J.C. Penney recently has doubled its selections in casual athletic looks and scaled back growth of its denim business.
And designers are pushing new versions of jeans. Both Levi's and VF Corp., the maker of Wrangler and Lee jeans, are rolling out jeans that they say are stretchier. And many brands are making so-called jogger pants, a loose-fitting, sweatpant style that has elastic cuffs at the bottom of the leg.
"If casualization is what everyone is looking for, we can push the innovation," said James Curleigh, president of the Levi's brand.
It's too early to tell whether the new styles will help jeans regain popularity. Jennifer Romanello, for one, said she's not interested in them.
"If I want yoga pants, I will buy yoga pants," said the publishing executive from Rockville Centre, New York. "I just don't see jeans crossing the line to be yoga pants."
Park City ski season on the line in Friday hearing
SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah judge is expected to issue a ruling Friday in a long-running court battle between two ski titans that will determine whether the lifts stand idle this season at one of the state's largest ski resorts.
The judge is expected to decide how much Park City Mountain Resort must pay to cover back rent and court costs so it can stay operational through April 2015.
Vail Resorts, Inc. stands ready to take over the property following a May ruling that the Park City fixture missed a deadline to renew its decades-old sweetheart lease deal.
The two sides are also trying to hash out a settlement through mediation, but they were more than $100 million apart on the amount of a bond at a hearing last week.
Detroit CFO to return to stand in bankruptcy trial
DETROIT -- Detroit's chief financial officer is set to return to the witness stand for a second day in the city's historic bankruptcy trial.
Attorneys for creditors opposed to Detroit's bankruptcy and the city's debt restructuring plan will resume their cross-examination of John Hill on Friday. Hill was questioned Thursday by an attorney representing the city and a lawyer representing bond insurer Syncora Guarantee.
Detroit wants to cut $12 billion in unsecured debt to about $5 billion through its plan of adjustment, which federal Judge Steven Rhodes must approve.
Most creditors, including more than 30,000 retirees and city employees, have endorsed it. Syncora and some other financial creditors say the plan is unfair.
Hill said Thursday that the plan can work if it's followed and expected revenues come through.
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