Monday, August 10, 2015
Police shooting, protests put Ferguson back on edge after anniversary of Michael Brown's death
FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Ferguson was a community on edge again Monday, a day after a protest marking the anniversary of Michael Brown's death was punctuated with gunshots and police critically wounded a black 18-year-old accused of opening fire on officers.
Police, protesters and people who live and work in the St. Louis suburb were bracing for what nightfall might bring following more violence along West Florissant Avenue, the same thoroughfare that was the site of massive protests and rioting after Brown was fatally shot last year in a confrontation with a white Ferguson officer.
"Of course I'm worried," said Sandy Sansevere, a retired health care worker who volunteers at the retail store operated by the nonprofit group I Love Ferguson, which was formed after Brown's death to promote the community. "What scares me are the guns."
The father of the suspect who was shot called the police version of events "a bunch of lies." He said two girls who were with his son told him he was unarmed and had been drawn into a dispute involving two groups of young people.
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency, which authorizes county Police Chief Jon Belmar to take control of police emergency management in and around Ferguson.
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New step in Donald Trump's feud with Fox News; Hillary Clinton weighs in
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's turbulent relationship with Fox News showed signs of improvement Monday even as Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton seized on the billionaire businessman's clash with the network to cast his Republican rivals as being bad for women.
Trump and Fox News, one of the most powerful voices in Republican and conservative circles, have been in a bitter feud since last week's presidential debate. While he leads recent polls, the former reality television star has drawn heated criticism from many in his own party for saying Fox moderator Megyn Kelly had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.
The network's chairman, Roger Ailes, reached out to Trump directly Monday, assuring him he'll be "treated fairly" by the station, Trump tweeted Monday.
"Roger Ailes just called. He is a great guy & assures me that 'Trump' will be treated fairly on (at)FoxNews. His word is always good!" wrote Trump, whose unorthodox campaign is dominating the race and summertime polls.
In a statement Monday evening, Ailes described the conversation as "blunt but cordial" and said the air had been cleared.
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10 Things to Know for Tuesday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:
1. FERGUSON, MISSOURI, AGAIN ON EDGE
Turmoil spreads after police — acting, they say, in self-defense — critically wound a black 18-year-old during a protest marking the anniversary of Michael Brown's death.
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The Latest: New Mexico governor declares emergency, calls mine spill a catastrophe
DENVER (AP) — The latest in the Colorado mine spill (all times local):
4:25 p.m.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has declared an emergency that frees up state funds to address a massive spill of wastewater from a Colorado mine into the Animas and San Juan rivers.
Federal officials say more than 3 million gallons of water tainted with lead, arsenic and other heavy metals contaminated the rivers following last week's spill.
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Japan restarts reactor after break from nuclear power due to Fukushima meltdowns
TOKYO (AP) — A power plant operator in southern Japan has restarted a reactor, the first to begin operating under new safety requirements following the Fukushima disaster.
Kyushu Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it had restarted the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant as planned. The restart marks Japan's return to nuclear energy four-and-half-years after the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan following an earthquake and tsunami.
The national broadcaster NHK showed plant workers in the control room as they turned the reactor back on. Tomomitsu Sakata, a spokesman for Kyushu Electric Power, said the reactor was put back online as planned without any problems.
The disaster displaced more than 100,000 people due to radioactive contamination in the area and spurred a national debate over this resource-scarce country's reliance on nuclear power.
Dozens of protesters, including ex-Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who was in office at the time of the disaster and has become an outspoken critic of nuclear power, were gathered outside the plant as police stood guard.
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In Pakistan, horror grows over allegations of children being sexually abused by blackmail ring
HUSSAIN KHAN WALA, Pakistan (AP) — In this dusty town near Pakistan's border with India, families kept quiet for years about the blackmail gang that locals believe filmed some 270 children being sexually abused, fearful the videos could appear online or sold in markets for as little as 50 cents.
Those living in Hussain Khan Wala say the gang forced children at gunpoint to be abused or drugged them into submission. It was only after one family spoke up that others rose against the gang, with police later arresting 11 suspects.
But as Pakistan recoils in horror at the scope of the abuse, the case shows the dangers here facing poor children, many of whom work as domestic servants and face abuse at the hands of their employers. It also raises questions about how such a gang could operate for years, with some questioning Pakistan's police and political elite.
"They destroyed me," one victim said. "They destroyed my family. They just killed me"
The Associated Press does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
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AP EXCLUSIVE: Study that FAA wouldn't release shows chronic fatigue among traffic controllers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Air traffic controllers' work schedules often lead to chronic fatigue, making them less alert and endangering the safety of the national air traffic system, according to a study the government kept secret for years.
Federal Aviation Administration officials posted the study online Monday, hours after The Associated Press reported the findings — and noted that agency officials had declined to furnish a copy despite repeated requests over the past three months, including a Freedom of Information Act filing.
The AP was able to obtain a draft of the final report dated Dec. 1, 2011. The report FAA posted online was dated December 2012, although the findings appear to be nearly identical to the draft.
The impetus for the study was a recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board to the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to revise controller schedules to provide rest periods that are long enough "to obtain sufficient restorative sleep."
The study found that nearly 2 in 10 controllers had committed significant errors in the previous year — such as bringing planes too close together — and over half attributed the errors to fatigue. A third of controllers said they perceived fatigue to be a "high" or "extreme" safety risk. Greater than 6 in 10 controllers indicated that in the previous year they had fallen asleep or experienced a lapse of attention while driving to or from midnight shifts, which typically begin about 10 p.m. and end around 6 a.m.
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Texas woman texted her mother with plea for help before she and 7 family members fatally shot
HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston woman being held captive by a man she had once been in a relationship with sent a text to her mother saying she was being held at gunpoint and pleading for help before the man fatally shot her, six children and her husband.
"My heart goes out to the mother who received the text from her daughter that she was in trouble, and the mother was many states away but of course did what any mother would do and called 911," Harris District Attorney Devon Anderson said Monday.
Valerie Jackson's mother placed that call to the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston. Deputies eventually forced their way into the home where a man with a violent criminal history, David Conley, had held the family captive on Saturday but retreated when Conley fired on them. Hours later, Conley gave himself up, allowing deputies to enter the home and make the gruesome discovery of the bodies. All had been shot in the head and most had been handcuffed.
"Anytime you hear about something that's this heinous, anytime you hear about the death of this many children in a single event, it is hard. It's hard," said Alycia Harvey, the lead prosecutor in the case.
Conley, 48, who has been charged with capital murder, stood handcuffed, shackled and wearing a yellow jumpsuit during his first court appearance on Monday. His court appointed attorney, Joseph Scardino, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
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Brother of football player killed by police perplexed by video footage from outside dealership
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The brother of a college football player killed by police at a Texas car dealership questioned Monday whether deadly force was needed in the confrontation, which can't be seen on video because there were no surveillance cameras inside the showroom.
Joshua Taylor, 23, told The Associated Press that he's not angry with police but thinks "things could have been handled differently." He's also perplexed by security footage showing his brother, Christian Taylor, breaking into a car in the dealership lot and crashing his vehicle into the glass showroom before police arrived.
The lack of video footage from inside the dealership makes it difficult to have a clear picture of how the events leading up to the unarmed 19-year-old's death transpired, Joshua Taylor said.
"It's pretty much their story against somebody who's not here anymore," he said. "It's kind of hard to I guess justify or clarify, but at the end of the day I know my brother. I know he wouldn't attack any officer or anybody in authority at all, or attack anybody for that matter."
In interviews with the AP, Taylor's parents declined to talk about the fatal confrontation because they are waiting on additional information from authorities.
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Google changing operating structure, it will be part of holding company called 'Alphabet'
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of tech's biggest names, Google, is reorganizing under a new moniker — "Alphabet" — in a move underscoring its founders' ambitions to pursue ventures far beyond the company's Internet search core, from self-driving cars to cutting-edge medical research.
It will still use the Google name for its popular Internet search engine, mapping service and related products. But CEO and co-founder Larry Page said Monday the creation of the new holding company called Alphabet will provide more independence for divisions like Nest, which makes Internet-connected home appliances, and Calico, which is researching ways to prolong human life.
Analysts said the move may also be a nod to Wall Street demands for more fiscal accountability: As part of the reorganization, Page said the company will begin reporting financial results by segments. That should give a clearer picture of how Google's core Internet business is performing, separate from other ventures, said analyst Colin Gillis of the investment firm BGC Partners.
"They promised to give us more information," Gillis said. "Now we'll get a chance to see."
Google reported more than $14 billion in profit on $66 billion in sales last year, most of it from lucrative Internet advertising, while other ventures have required large investments without showing immediate returns. The company's stock has surged in recent weeks after a new chief financial officer announced other moves to rein in corporate spending.
