March 10, 2016

On Top Of The News Email:news@arubatoday.com website: www.arubatoday.com Tel:+297 582-7800 Thursday, March 10, 2016

America Mourns

Mourners Pay Respect for Former First Lady Nancy Reagan The casket carrying the former first lady Nancy Reagan leaves a small ceremony at a mortuary, Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Santa Monica, Calif.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Page 3

A2 UP

Thursday 10 March 2016

FRONT

US commander previews revised rebel training effort in Syria RICHARD LARDNER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s choice to be the next U.S. commander for the Middle East sought to assure lawmakers a revised effort to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels for the fight against the Islamic State group won’t repeat the same mistakes that doomed a similar program last year.

Testifying Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Gen. Joseph Votel described the new approach as a “thickening effort” as opposed to the raising of a large, decisive force.

“I do think it is helpful to have people who have been trained by us, who

have the techniques, who have the communications capability and the resources to link back into our firepower,” Votel said.

The trained fighters, Votel added, will present the Islamic State with added “dilemmas.”

If confirmed, Votel would take over leadership of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in Iraq, Syria and 18 other countries. He would succeed Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, who is retiring.

Austin told the committee Tuesday that he’s already requested permission from the Obama administration for the retooled Syrian train and equip effort.

Austin emphasized that the new program will focus on training smaller numbers of

Gen. Joseph L. Votel, currently the head of the Special Operations Command, left, and Lt. Gen. Raymond A. Thomas III, arrive on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 9, 2016, to testify before the Senate Armed Services confirmation Committee hearing to elevate their positions. Votel has been nominated to become the commander of U.S. Central Command which oversees military operations in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State Group. Thomas has been nominated to replace Gen. Votel as leader of the secretive Special Operations Command.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

fighters for shorter periods.

During a wide-ranging confirmation hearing, Votel said he does not have all the people and equipment required to eliminate the Islamic State. He said he anticipates needing “additional resources” to retake the group’s strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, although he didn’t specify what he has in mind.

The only U.S. ground forces in Syria are a contingent of roughly 50 special operations troops who deployed last year to work with local Syrian fighters trying to break the Islamic State’s grip on Raqqa, the group’s self-declared capital.

A separate U.S. commando force is in Iraq dedicated to capturing and killing the group’s leaders and gathering intelligence that can be used to conduct follow-on raids and strikes.

Votel pledged to push for the “right resources for our people to have to accomplish the missions that we are asking them to do.”

Skeptical lawmakers questioned Votel about how potential rebel recruits

in Syria would be vetted and whether they would be constrained from attacking Syrian President Bashar Assad troops. The general said that individual fighters would not be vetted prior to the training, but the leaders of those fighters would be.

The Islamic State would be their target.

“We’re trying to avoid is the problem that we had the last time, where we didn’t know what their allegiances are,” Votel said. “Certainly our mission is (the Islamic State) and so it is our intent that they help with the (Islamic State) mission.”

Votel acknowledged that approach might limit the pool of recruits.

The committee’s Republican chairman, Sen. John McCain, said it’s unrealistic to limit Syrian fighters after Assad’s forces have repeatedly attacked civilians with barrel bombs, a crude weapon used to inflict mass casualties.

The Islamic State “isn’t barrel bombing the men, women and children,” McCain said. “Bashar Assad is.”q

U.S. NEWS A3

Thursday 10 March 2016

Mourners pay respect for former first lady Nancy Reagan JOHN ROGERS Associated Press SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Three days of formal mourning for former first lady Nancy Reagan began Wednesday as her casket was taken in a police-escorted motorcade up an empty freeway for a public viewing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The procession from Santa Monica passed beneath a large American flag on a stretch of normally congested highway and then turned onto the Ronald Reagan Freeway where firefighters in dress blues saluted from atop fire trucks parked on overpasses and other observers held their hands over their hearts.

As the procession turned up the long, steep driveway to the library in the hills of Simi Valley, more than 100 docents held small flags.

Members of the armed services carried the casket past a gurgling courtyard fountain into the library, where daughter Patti Davis, dressed in black, was among about 20 family members and close friends who attended a short prayer service at the closed casket.

“May angels surround her and saints release her to Jesus,” the Rev. Stuart Kenworthy, vicar at the Washington National Cathedral, said during the 10-minute service.

The Rev. Donn Moomaw, the Reagan family’s pastor, read from the 23rd Psalm, which begins, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Attendees included the children of Ronald Reagan’s son Michael and Dennis Revell, the widower of the president’s late daughter Maureen.

Michael Reagan and the president’s other son, Ron Prescott Reagan, are expected at Friday’s funeral.

After the private service, House Speaker Paul Ryan paid his respects, bowing his head in prayer aside the casket and making the sign of the cross.

The casket was covered in

The casket of Nancy Reagan rest at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Simi Valley, Calif.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Pool)

white roses and peonies, Mrs. Reagan’s favorite flower.

Earlier in the day, after a short private service at a Santa Monica funeral home, the casket was carried by pallbearers that included members of Reagan’s Secret Service detail to a hearse for the final 45-mile journey to the hill country northwest of Los

Angeles where two days of public viewing precede the funeral.

Several hundred onlookers stretched along the boulevard leading away from the Tudor-style funeral home, holding up cellphones and cameras to capture photos.

“She was just a very classy woman, always,” said Jeanie Maurello, a medi-

cal assistant at Providence St. John’s Health Center.

“I thought she did a wonderful job. ‘Just Say No’ to drugs, she was behind all that.”

Another medical assistant, Lupe Salazar, said she was also an admirer. “She did a lot of work that helped the country,” Salazar said.

Maurello added: “There’s always a great woman be-

hind every great man.”

Friday will be the funeral, which was planned down to the smallest details by the former first lady herself.

Just as she was always by his side in life, Nancy Reagan will be laid to rest just inches from her husband on a hillside tomb facing west toward the Pacific Ocean.

Before her death she planned the funeral’s flower arrangements, the music to be played by a Marine Corps band and the people who received invitations to the private memorial. Among those who had RSVP’d for the service were former President George W. Bush and his wife, former first lady Laura Bush; former first lady Rosalynn Carter; first lady Michelle Obama; and former first lady Hillary Clinton. “No doubt about it, the most important of her special requests was that she be laid to rest right next to the president, as close as possible,” said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library.

A4 U.S.

Thursday 10 March 2016

NEWS

Reid pounds GOP united against Obama Supreme Court choice DONNA CASSATA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is going out punching.

Never one to back down from a political fight, the five-term Nevada Democrat has been relentlessly pounding Republicans over their insistence that President Barack Obama’s successor fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Each day of the Senate session, the 76-year-old Reid, who is retiring at the end of his term, stands on the floor and rails against the GOP, casting them as obstructionists and lackeys of presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

“Republicans have not always been this irrational and vicious,” Reid said Wednesday, calling the GOP the “party of Trump, the caucus of Trump, the conference of Trump.”

Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., remain united. They

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., joined by, from left, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington following a closed-door policy meeting.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

counter that the American people should decide in November who will choose the next justice, especially with primary votes already cast in nearly half

the states. An Obama pick would tilt the ideological balance of what has been a mostly conservative court for decades, and the GOP base wants none of it.

So no confirmation hearing, no vote, no meeting with Obama’s pick to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

“I think it’s very important

that we continue to harp on the fact that all we’re asking people to do is their job,” Reid told The Associated Press in an interview in his Senate office on Tuesday.

The Democrat said he has talked to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough about a possible nominee, but declined to disclose his recommendation.

Reid, a former middleweight boxer and U.S. Capitol police officer, is famous — or infamous if you talk to Republicans — for bare-knuckles politics. The election-year fight over the Supreme Court nominee underscores that the stakes extend beyond the court to the presidency and majority control of the Senate.

At play is Reid’s own Nevada seat where Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, the state’s former attorney general and Reid’s choice, likely will face Republican Rep. Joe Heck in a costly and competitive race.q

U.S. NEWS A5

Thursday 10 March 2016

Seattle blast levels buildings, causes no serious injuries MARTHA BELLISLE MANUEL VALDES Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Shop owners on Wednesday inspected walls that were ripped to shreds by an early morning natural gas explosion in Seattle and marveled that the blast had caused no serious injuries.

Crews were responding to reports of a gas leak when the explosion occurred about 1:40 a.m. along a main thoroughfare in a neighborhood north of downtown.

“The most important thing is that no one died and this happened at two in the morning and not two in the afternoon,” said Chris Maykut, owner of Chaco Canyon Organic Café. “If it had happened at two in the afternoon, things would be really bad right now.”

The blast sent nine firefighters to a hospital. All were treated and released. There were no reports of other injuries or missing people. Still, dogs searched the rubble.

The cause of the explosion that damaged 36 businesses was under investigation.

Video surveillance from the Olive and Grape Mediterranean Restaurant showed a bright flash at 1:43 a.m. and then the room shook as debris fell from the ceiling. A large garage door covering the restaurant’s front windows protected it from extensive damage.

“The Olive and Grape was lucky,” owner Paola Kossack said in an email.

Bike shop owner Davey Oil said he arrived soon after the fire trucks.

“There were tons of flames leaping over what was already the rubble of Neptune coffee, which as you can see now totaled, gone,” he said.

The initial emergency calls revealed the initial chaos.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” a fire dispatcher screamed immediately after the explosion, calling for a full response. “I have firefighters missing.”

Eight firefighters and a battalion chief were later treated at Harborview Medical Center. Several were hurt by falling debris.

None were admitted.

“We didn’t have anybody with burns, nothing lifethreatening, nothing major,” hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.

Kenny Stuart, president of the Seattle firefighters union, said it was “extremely fortunate” that no first responders were seriously injured or killed.

Residents and shop owners in the Greenwood neighborhood spent the morning surveying damage and cleaning up rubble and glass that littered the streets. Workers from one cafe damaged in the blast poured coffee for firefighters.

Among the businesses

Firefighters stand near the smoldering rubble left from an early morning explosion Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Seattle. The explosion heavily damaged buildings and injured multiple firefighters.

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

damaged or destroyed were Neptune Coffee, Mr. Gyro and the bike shop G&O Family Cyclery.

An apartment building and another nearby residential structure were evacuated.

“I know neighbors will do

everything they can to support these businesses as they begin the long and challenging task to recover and repair from this incident,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said in a statement.

Puget Sound Energy spokeswoman Akiko Oda said it will take time to de-

termine what caused the explosion, and the utility will be working with the Seattle Fire Department in the investigation.

Pipeline safety investigators from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission were also at the scene.

Suspect in 5 Missouri, Kansas killings captured JIM SUHR Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) — A Mexican national suspected of killing his neighbor and three other men at his neighbor’s Kansas home before killing another man in Missouri was arrested early Wednesday, authorities said.

Pablo Antonio SerranoVitorino was captured without resisting following a manhunt. He had a rifle with him, said Lt. Paul Reinsch of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

“He looked exhausted,”

patrol Sgt. James Hedrick told The Kansas City Star.

Serrano-Vitorino, who has been living in Kansas City, Kansas, was caught shortly after someone called the authorities to report that he had fled from an armed man who had approached him, the patrol said.

Serrano-Vitorino is in the country illegally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement. He was deported from the U.S. in April 2004 and illegally re-entered the country on an unknown date. ICE said it would

place a detainer on Serrano-Vitorino.

Authorities allege that Serrano-Vitorino gunned down his neighbor, 41-year-old Michael Capps, and three other men at Capps’ home late Monday before fleeing, leading to a manhunt.

Authorities allege that Serrano-Vitorino then killed 49-year-old Randy Nordman on Tuesday morning at Nordman’s rural home.

Serrano-Vitorino has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the Kansas killings and one count of first-degree mur-

der and other charges in the Missouri killing.

He was being held Wednesday in a Montgomery County, Missouri, jail on $2 million bond linked to the Kansas charges. Neither the county sheriff nor county prosecutor immediately responded to calls seeking comment.

Authorities haven’t discussed a motive for any of the killings.

Reinsch has said that investigators weren’t aware of any connection between Serrano-Vitorino and Nordman.

A6 U.S.

Thursday 10 March 2016

NEWS

American Living:

Tampon tax: Does being female in the US carry unfair costs?

COLLEEN LONG JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Margo Seibert and Natalie Brasington don’t think women should have to pay a “period tax,” and like a growing number of other women, they are publicly questioning whether being female in the U.S. carries unfair costs.

The pair are among five New York City women who filed a lawsuit last week arguing that it was unconstitutional for the state to levy sales tax on tampons and sanitary napkins while offering medical product exemptions to many other items used by both genders, like lip balm, foot powder and dandruff shampoo.

The case, they say, is about more than the few cents in tax levied on each pack.

Sick of the social taboo, and frustrated by a lack of access for some to a staple, these women and others are talking very publicly about menstruation and gaining political traction that would have been impossible a generation ago.

A national push to abolish sales tax on tampons is gathering steam, led by social media campaigns like #periodswithoutshame. At least seven states are now considering legislation. Illi-

This photo shows attorney Zoe Salzman, left, and plaintiff Natalie Brasington, who have brought a class action lawsuit to end New York sales tax on feminine hygiene products, in New York. The lawsuit filed on Thursday, March 3, 2016 argues that it is unconstitutional for the state to levy sales tax on tampons and sanitary napkins while offering medical product exemptions to many other items used by both genders, like lip balm, foot powder and dandruff shampoo.

(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

nois lawmakers were holding a hearing on the latest proposal Wednesday.

Connecticut legislators dis-

cussed the issue Monday.

Cosmopolitan magazine launched an online petition, and even President

Barack Obama has questioned why the items are taxed.

“I tend to talk about my period quite a bit, to anyone who will listen,” said Seibert, a 31-year-old actress and founder of an online campaign that promotes a “shame-free” period.

Brasington, a 31-year-old photographer, said the tax affects women disproportionately and is a genuine burden for poorer women.

“Being a woman is so expensive,” she said.

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, a vice president at the NYU School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice, said she began writing articles and op-eds on “menstrual equity” when she discovered food pantries were desperate for sanitary napkins and tampons because poor women can’t afford them.

The tax campaign reflects a broader debate over “gender pricing,” or charging women and men different rates for similar products and services, from haircuts to razors to T-shirts.

New York City’s consumer protection agency studied the cost of 800 common household items last year and found that products marketed to women cost, on average, 7 percent more than similar products for men.

Obama commends Vermont for paid sick leave MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — President Barack Obama is commending Vermont and Gov. Peter Shumlin for guaranteeing paid sick leave for working Vermonters. Shumlin, a Democrat, signed the bill into law Wednes-

day. Supporters say about 60,000 Vermont workers do not have paid sick time.

The law requires employers to provide a minimum of three paid days off a year for employees to use when they are sick or to care for

a child or family member.

Employers with more than five employees must provide the benefit next year while those with five or fewer have until 2018.

The mandatory amount increases to five days in 2019.

Vermont joins California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Oregon as states mandating paid sick leave.

More than 20 cities and the District of Columbia also have mandatory paid sick leave.

“Women’s outcry over this issue isn’t just about the tax on tampons. It’s a reflection of the routine unfairness that seeps into our everyday lives,” said Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women in New York. “At the end of the day, the tampon tax movement is one small way to challenge the broader sexism that still persists. Because that’s the real taboo here.”

While women’s advocates have long lamented that many women’s products cost more, their providers say there can be legitimate reasons — a more decorative product or more complicated haircut, for instance. And some have noted that women sometimes pay less: for life and auto insurance, for example.

Nationwide, 40 states tax feminine hygiene products, deeming them non-necessities or even “luxury items,” while making exceptions for products as similar as adult incontinence pads.

Currently, five U.S. states exempt tampons and other feminine hygiene products from their sales tax, which varies around the country from about 2.9 percent to as high as 7.5 percent. Another five states have no sales tax.

New York taxes tampons and sanitary napkins as tools “to control a normal bodily function and to maintain personal cleanliness.”

The 4 percent state sales tax on the products costs New York women millions of dollars a year; estimates range from about $7 million to twice that, a minute fraction of the state’s $142 billion budget.

U.S. NEWS A7

Thursday 10 March 2016

US Financial Front: Millennials are finally arriving in the car market DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Millennials were once a source of panic in the auto industry.

Dubbed the “go nowhere” generation, they weren’t getting driver’s licenses, never mind buying cars.

Headlines declared it was “The End of Car Culture.”

New data suggests at least some of that worry was misplaced. Millennials — especially the oldest ones — are these days buying cars in big numbers. They just had a late start.

Now the largest generation in the U.S., millennials bought 4 million cars and trucks in the U.S. last year, second only to the baby boomers, according to J.D. Power’s Power Information Network, which defines millennials as those between 21 and 38 in 2015.

Millennials’ share of the new car market jumped to 28 percent. In the country’s biggest car market, California, millennials outpaced boomers for the first time.

Industry watchers say it’s been hard to get a read on millennials because the generation is big and diverse, ranging from recent college graduates to settled-down suburbanites. Automakers were also unsure about the impact of new transportation choices, like ZipCar and Uber, which helped millennials delay car buying. But as they got jobs and started families,

millennials headed into car dealerships just like previous generations.

“This whole idea that they’re not going to need cars is absolutely ridiculous,” said Steven Szakaly, the chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association. “The new car buyer age is just happening much later.”

It’s a very different story from 2010, when millennials — who make up around 30 percent of the population — bought just 17 percent of new cars. Auto executives wondered aloud if the trend would be permanent.

In 2011, a University of Michigan study showed a steady decline in the number of young people getting their driver’s licenses. In 1983, the survey found, 87 percent of 19-year-olds had a license.

By 2010, that had fallen to 69 percent. Millennials told the study’s authors that they were too busy to get licenses and were happy to hitch rides from others.

But there was more to the story. The advent of graduated licensing laws — which make teens practice driving in stages before granting a full license — was one reason millennials were getting their licenses later. An even bigger reason? The economy.

For many millennials, the Great Recession hit just as they were getting their first job or graduating from college. By 2010, millennials’ unemployment

Lucy Mueller poses with her 2015 Fiat 500 in Los Angeles. Mueller lived in Los Angeles for eight years without a car before she finally bought one in July. Mueller took buses and trains, hitched rides with friends and used ride-sharing services like Lyft. Her commutes lasted more than an hour each way.

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

rate reached 13 percent — four percentage points higher than the national average — according to a report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers. For teens, things were even worse. The teen unemployment rate rose from 15 percent to 26 percent between 2006 and 2012.

Millennials’ unemployment rate has improved to around 8 percent. Add low interest rates and low gas prices to the mix and the car market suddenly looks more enticing to young buyers.

Lucy Mueller, 26, lived in Los Angeles for eight years without a car. She took

buses and trains, hitched rides with friends and used ride-sharing services like Lyft. Her commutes lasted more than an hour each way. Finally, last July, she bought a slightly used 2015 Fiat 500.

“Now that I have a car, it’s almost bewildering to me. I feel like a grown-up,” said Mueller, a project manager and video producer for financial software maker Intuit.

Several things kept Mueller out of the car market.

She didn’t have a credit card until a year ago; without any credit history, financing a car would have been difficult. Also,

like many recession-weary millennials, Mueller wanted to avoid accruing debt, so she saved enough for a substantial down payment.

Szakaly says it will take millennials another four to five years to match the spending power of boomers. According to government data, the median household income for people ages 25-34 is $54,243. For those ages 5564, it’s more than $60,000.

In addition, the average 25-year-old has more than $20,000 in student debt, according to Goldman Sachs. That’s enough to buy a new Kia Optima sedan.

A8

Thursday 10 March 2016

WORLD NEWS

Europe effectively shuts its borders, stranding thousands BECATOROS Associated Press IDOMENI, Greece (AP) — After welcoming hundreds of thousands of people into its heartland, Europe seems to be finally closing its doors.

The thousands of people massing at Greece’s northern border are incredulous they won’t be allowed onward to its prosperous countries, but after a year of dithering European leaders seem resolved now to keep all but a select few from going any further.

“This is horrible, unbelievable, unbearable. There is war in my country, and they are closing the border,” said Mahmoud Hassan, a 23-year-old Syrian.

“Where are we supposed to go? Please if you can do anything — help us. The situation is very, very terrible.”

A relentless rain Wednesday after an overnight thunderstorm added to the misery in the overflowing camp at Idomeni, which now consists of thousands of small camping tents set up in nearby fields and along railway tracks.

The camp turned into a sodden, muddy mess, with refugees huddling

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei visits the Greek border camp near Idomeni, Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Ai Weiwei has visited the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border, where about 14,000 people, mostly Syrian and Iraqi refugees, have found themselves stranded after Macedonia shut its border. The artist has been focusing on the plight of refugees in recent months, and had spent time living on the Greek island of Lesbos, where many of the refugees arrive from the nearby Turkish coast.

(AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

in tents and under ponchos handed out by volunteers to ward off the worst of the wet and cold.

Parents covered their children with whatever they could, sometimes resorting to plastic bags. In the brief intervals in the rain, long lines formed in the mud for sandwiches, tea and soup.

A lucky few managed to set up their tents on the train station platform, whose awning provides some shelter, while others slept in disused train carriages.

EU and Turkish leaders agreed at a summit Monday to the broad outlines of a deal that would essentially outsource Europe’s refu-

gee emergency. They said people arriving in Greece having fled war or poverty would be sent back to Turkey unless they apply for asylum. For every migrant sent back, the EU would take in one Syrian refugee, thus trying to prevent the need for people to set out on dangerous sea journeys,

Watchdogs express concern about UK extremism plans LONDON (AP) — British government plans to crack down on nonviolent extremism may go too far and could backfire, Britain’s current and former watchdogs over terrorism legislation said Wednesday.

The governing Conservative Party has proposed new powers to criminalize extremist speech and behavior that stops short of advocating violence, in a bid to prevent young people being radicalized,

whether by Muslim extremists or far-right groups.

The legislation has not yet been published, but the proposals include measures to ban extremist groups, shut down extremist broadcasts and ban people labeled as extremists from working with children.

The plans have been criticized by religious and civil liberties organizations, who say they could limit freedom of speech and religion.

Giving evidence to Parlia-

ment’s human rights committee, Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation David Anderson said trying to define extremist speech would be all but impossible and might “do more harm than good” by alienating Muslim communities.

He said Britain had never made it illegal to be a communist during the Cold War, and the current proposals were “not too far away from that territory.”

Anderson’s predecessor,

Alex Carlile, said he was “very concerned about making unlawful that which we have always taken to be lawful. ” He said the law could potentially be used against Creationism and other nonmainstream views as well as against Islamic extremism.

Both Anderson and Carlile are lawyers tasked with scrutinizing anti-terrorism laws. Carlile held the post between 2001 and 2011, and Anderson has held it since then.

often arranged by unscrupulous smugglers.

But Greece has a notoriously slow asylum process, and a crippling six-year financial crisis that has left unemployment at about 25 percent. Few of those stuck in Idomeni could envisage a future in Greece as a viable option.

“Greece is a poor country, for us and for (its) people,” said 17-year-old Ahmed Merza from Syria’s Qamishli, who had been in the camp for eight days.

“I don’t know anything.

It’s bad news for us, like a bomb.” Shortly after the summit, countries along the Balkan route decided to allow through only people with valid EUvisas and nobody has crossed through the gate in the razor wire-reinforced fence in Idomeni since 6 a.m. Monday. For the nearly 14,000 people in and around the camp, the news about the border closures was a crushing blow, with many just unable to fathom how Europe could turn away people fleeing war. A few dozen sat on the railway tracks in protest — a frequent occurrence in the camp, where refugees occasionally try to block the passage of freight trains to press their point.

“We’re not here to stay.

We are here to pass only,” said Sami Yanes, a 24-yearold information technology student from the Syrian capital of Damascus hoping to continue his studies in Germany.

“We are going to keep protesting and keep doing what we are doing until they know we are human beings and we deserve simple human rights,” he said as he sat on the tracks in the pouring rain after seven nights spent in the camp.

WORLD NEWS 9

Thursday 10 March 2016

Iraqi officials: US captured top IS chemical arms engineer QASSIM ZAHRA SUSAN GEORGE Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. special forces captured the head of the Islamic State group’s unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq, Iraqi and U.S. officials told The Associated Press, the first known major success of Washington’s more aggressive policy of pursuing IS militants on the ground.

The Obama administration launched the new strategy in December, deploying a commando force to Iraq that it said would be dedicated to capturing and killing IS leaders in clandestine operations, as well as generating intelligence leading to more raids.

U.S. officials said last week that the expeditionary team had captured an Islamic State leader but had refused to identify him, saying only that he had been held for two or three weeks and was being questioned.

Two Iraqi intelligence officials identified the man as Sleiman Daoud al-Afari, who worked for Saddam Hussein’s now-dissolved

Military Industrialization Authority where he specialized in chemical and biological weapons. They said al-Afari, who is about 50 years old, heads the Islamic State group’s recently established branch for the research and development of chemical weapons.

He was captured in a raid near the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, the officials said.

They would not give further details. In Washington, U.S. officials confirmed al-Afari’s identity.

The officials, who both have first-hand knowledge of the individual and of the IS chemical program, spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to talk to the media. No confirmation was available from U.S. officials.

A U.S. official said Wednesday that one or more follow-up airstrikes were conducted against suspected IS chemical facilities in northern Iraq in recent days.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence-related operations, was unfamiliar with details of the airstrikes but indicated that they did not fully eliminate IS’s sus-

Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, center, arrives at a military a base outside Tikrit, 80 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, March 9, 2016. US special forces captured the head of the Islamic State group’s unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq, Iraqi and US officials told The Associated Press.

(AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

pected chemical threat.

The U.S.-led coalition began targeting IS’ chemical weapons infrastructure with airstrikes and special operations raids over the past two months, the Iraqi intelligence officials and a Western security official in

Baghdad told the AP. Airstrikes are targeting laboratories and equipment, and further special forces raids targeting chemical weapons experts are planned, the intelligence officials said. They and the Western official also spoke

on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

IS has been making a determined effort to develop chemical weapons, Iraqi and American officials have said.

Iran fires 2 missiles marked with ‘Israel must be wiped out’ JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran testlaunched two ballistic missiles Wednesday emblazoned with the phrase “Israel must be wiped out” in Hebrew, Iranian media reported, in a show of power by the Shiite nation as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s visited Jerusalem.

The new missile firings were the latest in a series of tests

in recent days, aimed at demonstrating that Iran will push ahead with its ballistic program after scaling backing its nuclear program under the deal reached last year with the U.S. and other world powers.

Israel, long an opponent of Iran, offered no comment on the test, though Biden issued a strong warning over any possible violation of the nuclear deal.

“A nuclear-armed Iran is an absolutely unacceptable threat to Israel, to the region and the United States. And I want to reiterate which I know people still doubt here. If in fact they break the deal, we will act,” he said.

Biden’s comments came after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who strongly opposed the nuclear deal.

The tests, however, don’t

violate the accord. The landmark deal, which led to Iran dramatically scaling back its nuclear program, does not include provisions against missile launches.

Also, when the nuclear accord came into effect on Jan. 16, the Security Council lifted most U.N. sanctions against Tehran including a ban it had imposed in 2010 on Iran testing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads — a ban that

likely would have covered some of the missile fired this week. To deal with the restrictions in the nuclear agreement, the councill adopted a resolution last July which among other measures “calls on” Iran not to carry out such tests.

At the United Nations, there is likely to be a debate about whether Iran is still required to abide by the ballistic missile test ban under council resolutions.

A10 WORLD

Thursday 10 March 2016

NEWS

Kim Jong Un poses beside possible nuclear warhead mock up SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has caused a new stir with photos on the front page of its ruling party newspaper Wednesday that show the country’s leader Kim Jong Un standing beside a purported mock-up of a miniaturized nuclear warhead during a meeting with his top nuclear scientists.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper for the Workers’ Party said Kim met his nuclear scientists for a briefing on the status of their work and declared he was greatly pleased that warheads had been standardized and miniaturized for use on ballistic missiles.

The party newspaper photos showed Kim and the scientists standing by what outside analysts say appears to be the model warhead — a small, silverish globe presented on a low table in a hangar with a ballistic missile or a model ballistic missile in the background.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it was analyzing the objects shown in the North Korean photos.

Pyongyang has previously said it has nuclear warheads small enough to put on long-range missiles, but experts have questioned such claims.

This was the first time the North has publicly portrayed what its designs look like, though it remains unclear whether the North has a functioning warhead of that size or if it is simply trying to develop one.

North Korea warned Monday of pre-emptive nuclear strikes after the United States and South Korea began holding their biggestever war games, which will go on until the end of April.

Tensions have been high after North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch, which prompted the United Nations to adopt tough new sanctions.

The North claims it tested

A South Korean army soldier walks by a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with superimposed letters that read: “North Korea’s nuclear warhead” during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 9, 2016.

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

its first H-bomb in the Jan. 6 nuclear test, which was followed last month by the launch of a rocket that put a satellite into orbit but which is seen as a violation of U.N. resolutions because it contains dual-use technology that could also be applied to long-range bal-

listic missiles.

Its development of smaller nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that could be used to deliver them to targets overseas has long been a matter of concern and could potentially shake up the security balance in Asia.

If the North succeeds in developing a credible warhead and missile, it would most deeply impact the United States, South Korea and Japan, but Russia and China, which are friendlier to the North, have strongly denounced its nuclear program.

Philippines to lease Japanese planes to patrol disputed sea MANILA, Philippines (AP) — President Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday his country will lease five aircraft from Japan to help the Philippine navy patrol Manila’s territory in the disputed South China Sea. The Asian allies, which have separate territorial conflicts with Beijing, have been deepening their security ties. They signed an agreement last month to allow Japan to supply defense

equipment and technology to the Philippines, Tokyo’s first such pact with any Southeast Asian country.

Aquino said without elaborating that the TC-90 training planes from Japan would be used to help patrol the Philippine territory in the South China Sea. Tokyo and Manila have expressed alarm over China’s aggressive assertion of its territorial claims, including its massive

construction of islands in the disputed Spratly archipelago.

Aquino spoke at a ceremony where the new Philippine Air Force chief, Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina, assumed his post. Aquino, whose six-year term ends in June, outlined the progress in efforts to modernize his country’s underfunded military, one of Asia’s most ill-equipped.

“Were they not saying that

our air force before was ‘all air and no force?’” he asked.

Aquino cited how two FA50 fighter jets escorted his commercial plane as it entered Philippine airspace as he flew back home from a recent U.S. trip. The FA-50s from South Korea were the country’s first fighter jets in a decade since it retired its F5 jets in 2005.

In addition to leasing the TC-90 training planes, the

Philippines will also acquire a dozen military aircraft this year and in 2017 from other countries, including two more of a dozen FA-50 fighter jets and two C-130 cargo planes, he said.

Aquino said the government has spent more than 58 billion pesos ($1.2 billion) from 2010, when his term started, to February this year to modernize the country’s ill-equipped armed forces.

WORLD NEWS A11

Thursday 10 March 2016

CDC chief Frieden visits Puerto Rico, warns of Zika crisis DANICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday that the Zika crisis gripping Puerto Rico is likely to accelerate without quick action and said his agency is helping the U.S. territory find insecticides best-suited to the fight mosquito-borne disease.

Visiting the U.S. territory to help boost the fight against the virus, Dr. Tom Frieden urged local officials to create a robust and long-term mosquito surveillance and control program.

“Zika is likely to spread very quickly, so time is of essence,” he said, noting that the virus is different from the dengue and chikungunya epidemics that have gripped Puerto Rico. “It can bring many problems to families, to the community, to the island for many years to come.”

Frieden said the island needs new insecticides that are efficient in killing the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries Zika and other diseases, and he noted that CDC officials are helping test nine different insecticides for that purpose.

Researchers are trying to determine if Zika may be linked to a variety of serious outcomes for developing babies, including microcephaly, which causes babies to have unusually small heads and brain damage. Those threats can affect a woman at any stage of pregnancy, officials have said.

Puerto Rico has 157 confirmed Zika cases, but many other people are believed to be infected. q

Santos: Colombia may miss peace deal deadline BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos acknowledged Wednesday that his government may miss a fast-approaching deadline to sign a peace deal with rebels and end the main part of the country’s decades-long conflict.

“I’m not going to sign a bad agreement to meet a date,” he Santos said at a public event.

It was his first public statement acknowledging that the two sides may miss the March 23 deadline they agreed to last year.

Santos says if the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have not come up with an acceptable deal, they will simply set a new deadline.

The two sides have come to agreements on many key issues in recent months during talks in Havana, but still have to hammer out a plan for disarming the guerrillas. A smaller rebel group has not joined the

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos talks in Quito, Ecuador. Santos acknowledged on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, that his government may not be ready to sign a peace deal with rebels to end the country’s decades-long civil war by March 23.

(AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

talks.

Because of the progress, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed veteran U.N. envoy Jean Arnault of France to head the new U.N. political mission in Colombia that will monitor and

verify a future cease-fire.

The announcement was made Wednesday.

Arnault has been leading U.N. preparations for deployment of the mission and has been working closely with negotiating teams for the govern-

ment and the rebels on a sub-commission dealing with issues on ending Latin America’s longest-running guerrilla conflict.

Arnault previously led U.N. missions in Georgia, Afghanistan, Burundi and Guatemala.

Puerto Rico:

Ruling raises doubts over same-sex marriages

DANICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — An unexpected ruling from a federal judge in Puerto Rico is raising doubts and creating confusion about the future of samesex couples seeking to get married on the island.

Judge Juan Perez-Gimenez ruled that a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows gay couples to marry anywhere in the United States does not apply on the island because it is a U.S. territory and not a state. The ruling also rejects a motion filed by Lambda Legal and Puerto Rico’s government

to stop enforcement of the island’s ban on same-sex marriage. Lambda Legal attorney Omar Gonzalez said Wednesday the group is seeking to have the ruling vacated as soon as possible.

“We believe this order is erroneous,” Gonzalez said in a phone interview. “It’s something that we cannot let stand.”

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he would not observe Tuesday’s ruling by the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico but rather follow rulings that higher courts have previously issued on the matter.

Garcia authorized gay marriage through an executive order shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in June 2015.

However, legislators did not amend Puerto Rico’s civil code to allow for same-sex marriages, and activists on Wednesday called on them to do so.

“It was a shame that samesex marriage was imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court and not authorized by Puerto Rico’s legislature,” said rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano.

It is unclear if legislators will take up that petition. A

spokeswoman for Senate President Eduardo Bhatia did not return a message seeking comment.

Bhatia had earlier condemned the ruling.

“It is unbelievable that the federal court itself ignores that rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution apply in Puerto Rico,” he said.

Gonzalez said the ruling does not invalidate the dozens of same-sex marriages that have taken place on the island.

The U.S. territory recently extended other rights to same-sex couples, in December ruling that they can adopt children.

A12 WORLD

Thursday 10 March 2016

NEWS

Venezuelans make taxing trek to seek health care in Colombia HANNAH DREIER Associated Press URENA, Venezuela (AP) — They gather by the hundreds at border bridges before dawn, in wheelchairs and surgical masks. They clutch X-rays and bundles of medical records they hope will persuade Venezuelan officials to let them join the few allowed to cross into Colombia each day.

Six months after Venezuela’s socialist government shut its border with Colombia to fight smuggling, thousands of patients continue to make an arduous trek to get treatment in Colombian hospitals.

The closure has reshaped daily life for everyone along the frontier, but for sick Venezuelans hoping to escape their country’s collapsed medical system, the consequences have been painful and sometimes deadly.

Dany Cubides, a 33-yearold dialysis patient, collapsed early this year on the bridge connecting this town of brightly painted shacks with the Colombian city of Cucuta as he made his way back home after treatment.

Before the border closing, the trip had taken him 30 minutes on a motorcycle.

But vehicles are no longer allowed to pass between the two countries, and patients who get special permission to cross must do so on foot. Cubides’ trips to a dialysis center in Cucuta turned into multi-hour ordeals that left him too tired to eat dinner. He gave up his job as a city gardener.

Then, one hot afternoon shortly after New Year’s Day, he stumbled and fell on the bridge. He was dead by the time he arrived at a Cucuta hospital,

Colombian national Carmenza Conde helps her husband Oscar Lopez with his dialysis treatment at their home in Urena, Venezuela. Lopez receives his medicines from Colombia after Venezuelan authorities allowed the monthly doses to be brought across the border so that he may receive his treatment at home. Most have to apply for a one-day pass the morning of their appointments.

(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

his medical records and death certificate show.

“This never would have happened if not for the closure. It was day after day of fatigue for him,” said his mother, Elvira Cubides, wiping away tears. “This country has lost its heart.”

Perhaps the only thing worse than slogging to a clinic in Colombia is slogging through the Venezuelan health care system, which is beset by the economic chaos ravaging the country as a whole. Public hospitals here no longer have consistent running water and electricity, and medical supplies are scarce. The country is making due with 20 percent of the medications it requires, according to the opposi-

tion-leaning pharmaceutical association.

In San Cristobal, the Venezuelan city closest to Urena, six infants died during a single week in February because of a lack of respiratory machines. This month, a congressman accused the city’s largest hospital of using expired drugs. Private clinics run their dialysis machines in three shifts to accommodate as many people as possible, and still have no room for new patients. Noe Leal, a 66-yearold taxi driver in Urena whose kidneys are failing, shuns San Cristobal’s chaotic hospitals, preferring instead to grapple with officialdom as he crosses the border three times a week for treatment in Cucuta.

He wakes with his roosters before dawn and braces himself for an interrogation at the border checkpoint despite having the proper papers, and then the long walk across the 1,050-foot (320-meter) bridge spanning the Tachira river.

“You feel like you’re filled with liquid, and your legs don’t want to move. But you have to walk or you won’t get your treatment,” he said.

As a terminal patient, Leal was able to get permanent permission to cross. Most Venezuelans have to apply for a one-day pass the morning of their appointments.

Officials issue about 200 medical passes a day for this town of 40,000 people.

Patients stood in line for hours last week only to find the National Guard had added new requirements.

The director of the permissions center was as outraged as they were.

“They’re playing with people’s lives, making grandfathers, people who can barely walk, come and wait like this all day,” center director Luis Hernando said, drawing cheers.

The National Guard says smuggling of price-controlled gasoline and food into Colombia, where it can be sold at much higher prices, has fallen 70 percent since President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency along the 1,400-mile (2,260-kilomber) border last August.

Officials on the Colombian side also say the tide of cheap Venezuelan goods has slowed.

Before the border was shut, more than 100,000 people daily used the two main crossings in the region that includes Urena, according to the Venezuelan government. That number has shrunk to just 3,000 a day, nonprofit groups working in the region say.

In addition to the sick, Venezuela allows students, some workers and any Colombians wishing to selfdeport to cross.

Parents leading small children in school uniforms and sleepy undergraduates join the sick in trying to get through the barbedwire checkpoints early. By 8 a.m., confusion reigns.

On one recent morning, a National Guard officer told a family hoping to enroll their daughter in a Colombian high school that they would have to go to a different crossing. Asked why, he responded, “Because I say so.”q

LOCAL A13

Thursday 10 March 2016

Following a Contemporary Make Over: The Sunset Grille Continues to serve the Best Food on the Planet, Prepared Just Right PALM BEACH - The awardwinning Sunset Grille at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino enjoyed a contemporary makeover, which coincided with the arrival of its new Executive Chef, the recently recruited Gerard Coste.

Aruba’s community of foodies, loves and appreciates the French-born culinary wizard who made Aruba his home, and the

globe. The stylish wine boxes created by the wineries to store and protect their precious cargo all carry unique logos and careful notations where the wine was produced. Many of these logos are masterpieces of traditional design, endorsed by royalty and cherished as historical documents.

Dinner experience at the Sunset Grille is now great-

kitchen of the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino the place where practices his creativity and good taste.

The new décor at the Sunset Grille is themed around fine wine and focuses on genuine reclaimed wooden wine boxes of both rare and popular selections from wine-producing countries around the

ly enhanced by the new color scheme and the elegant furnishings, capturing the imagination of visiting and local wine and food lovers.

The tasteful makeover also embraces the layout and seating at Mira Solo Martini Bar, maximizing guests’ tree top view of Palm Beach, overlooking the resort’s waterfalls, against a

backdrop of perfect sunsets. Chef Coste reports that his American Steakhouse menu at the Sunset Grille complements the stylish interior. “We buy the best food on the planet,” he states,” and prepare it just right, including premium seafood and superb steaks, in full view of the dining room in our exhibition kitchen.”

Among starters, the chef features many steakhouse classics such as Shrimp Cocktail, using the largest shrimp available on the market, Lobster Bisque and Spinach salad, all served with a special contemporary twist. Some of the chef’s signature dishes such as Pumpkin Ravioli and Martini Chopped Salad are proudly listed, receiving warm compliments from diners, nightly.

The restaurant’s selection of seafood includes Alaskan Salmon, and the popular Chilean Sea Bass. Notwithstanding, the chef’s traditional Baked Stuffed Shrimp, is the most popular dish on the menu, rivaled only by the twin Lobster Tails with drawn butter.

The restaurant’s charcoal grill offers 100% certified American Black Angus beef with a variety of de-

lectable homemade sauces. From Cowboy Steak to Rib Eye and Filet Mignon, the Sunset Grille earned its reputation by serving some of the best steaks on Aruba. And for those in search of the ultimate taste-bud experience, the Veal Tenderloin a La Oscar, said to have been created for Swedish Royalty in the late 180s, is a veritable feast, and an unforgettable choice.

Chef Coste pays equal attention to side dishes and desserts, even the bread basket is exceptional, and the service at the Sunset Grille is truly Aruban, welcoming, personable, attentive and congenial.

The Sunset Grille delivers quality food and service, with seating indoor, in the air-conditioned dining room, and seating outdoor on the open air terrace.

Open seven days a week, from 6pm to 11pm.q

A14 LOCAL

Thursday 10 March 2016

At Costa Linda Beach Resort:

Teddy’s 11th Annual Horse Shoe Classic Tournament a Ringer!

EAGLE BEACH - Costa Linda Beach Resort hosts two classic horseshoe tournaments each year. Participants start practicing for the events in December as they are owners of multiple weeks. The guests go back

to the United States after practicing and then return to Aruba in February when the tournament starts.

Today we put the spotlight on Teddy’s 11th Annual Horse Shoe Classic Tournament. This annual event

started in 2005 with Teddy Pappas and Pietro di Pietro playing horseshoes just having a good time and since 2009 it became a classic.

Continued on page 16

LOCAL A15

Thursday 10 March 2016

Loyal Guests Honored by the Aruba Tourism Authority EAGLE BEACH - Recently the Aruba Tourism Authority had the great pleasure of honoring a very loyal couple as Goodwill Ambassadors at Paradise Beach Villas.

The symbolic honorary title is presented in the name of the Minister of Tourism as a token of appreciation to guests who visit Aruba for 20to-34 consecutive years.

The honorees were Mr. Michael and Mrs. Julie Engel of Ontario, Canada.

Michael and Julie are regular guests at the Paradise Beach Villas and they love Aruba very much because of the friendly people, the climate, beaches, restaurants, relaxation and being on Aruba and staying at the Paradise Beach Villas is like being home for them. The certificate was presented by Mr. Jonathan Boekhoudt representing the Aruba Tourism Authority together with Walter from the Paradise Beach Villas team.q

A16 LOCAL

Thursday 10 March 2016

Continued from page 14 The original participants from Boston, Jim Grady and Doug Cohoon brought in the trophy.

The participants numbered over 32 this year.

The horseshoe competition goes on for one week with the finals of the tournament being held in one full day.

Pete di Pietro, Teddy Pappas and Ross Trovato are the organizers of the event together with Hetty Herts, Activities Coordinator. Ribs, chicken and corn are served, beers, sodas and the famous Grappa. Their generosity extends to the Costa Linda employees sharing the B-B-Q with them. Teddy, Ross and Di Pietro surprised Hetty with a Birthday cake.

This year they played for two consecutive weeks as there were a lot of participants and enthusiasm!q

SPORTS A17

Thursday 10 March 2016

Circuit of the Americas: U.S. Grand Prix will run in 2016 JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Grand Prix will run in 2016 after months of speculation that its financial struggles could scuttle Formula One’s only race in the United States.

Circuit of the Americas President Bobby Epstein said race officials had paid Formula One its rights fee last week.

“We’re excited,” Epstein said Wednesday. “I’m proud of our team and those who stuck with us up to this point.”

Epstein said he got a “good job” message from Formula One commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone, who had predicted the Oct. 23 race would run but gave no wiggle room to track officials to meet their financial obligations.

Epstein also the “subject to confirmation” asterisk next to the race on the official Formula One calendar should be removed soon.

Losing the race would have been a blow to Formula One’s efforts to expand in the American market.

Formula One didn’t race in the U.S. from 2008-2011 and its return to a specialized facility was seen as a major move to gain a longterm foothold in a country where NASCAR is the most popular motor series by far.

And the 2016 season will include Haas F1, the first American-led team on the grid in 30 years.

The race has enjoyed a prominent late-season place on the Formula One calendar, which has made it an important stop in the season championship.

Continued on Page 18

GETTING RIPPED

Lillard’s 41 lead Blazers to OT win Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard reacts after hitting a shot during overtime of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Lillard scored 41 points as the Blazers won 116-109.

Associated Press Page 19

A18 SPORTS

Thursday 10 March 2016

Pound: Sharapova guilty of ‘willful negligence’ in drug test STEPHEN WILSON AP Sports Writer LONDON (AP) — Maria Sharapova was guilty of “willful negligence” for using meldonium, and international tennis officials were aware that many players were taking the drug before it was banned this year, former World AntiDoping Agency president Dick Pound said Wednesday.

Pound told The Associated Press that Sharapova could face a ban of up to four years unless she can prove mitigating circumstances to explain her positive test for meldonium at the Australian Open in January.

Meldonium, a Latvianmanufactured drug designed to treat heart conditions, was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list on Jan. 1 after authorities noticed widespread use of the substance among athletes.

In announcing her positive test at a news conference in Los Angeles on Monday, Sharapova said she had been using the drug for 10 years for various medical issues. The five-time Grand Slam champion and world’s highest-earning female athlete said she hadn’t realized meldonium had been prohibited this

This is a Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. file photo of Canadian Dick Pound, Chairman of WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Independent Commission (IC), presents the findings of his Commission’s Report surrounding allegations of doping in sport, during a press conference in Munich, Germany.

Associated Press

year, taking full responsibility for her mistake.

“An athlete at that level has to know that there will be tests, has to know that whatever she or he is taking is not on the list, and it was willful negligence to miss that,” Pound said. “She was warned in advance I gather. The WADA publication is out there. She didn’t pay any attention to it. The tennis association issued several warnings, none of which she apparently read.”

“I am sorry, if you are running a $30 million a year

sole enterprise you better make sure the basis for that commercial success, if nothing else, remains unassailable,” Pound added in the interview with the AP on the sidelines of the Tackling Doping in Sport conference at Twickenham Stadium.

Current WADA president Craig Reedie questioned why Sharapova was prescribed meldonium.

“If the reports are true and this was happening when she was a teenager, then you begin to wonder why

Continued from Page 17

In this Oct. 31, 2014, file photo, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, of Germany, drives through the course during the first practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.

Associated Press

“As an American team, it’s very important to have a

race on home soil. It helps cultivate a fan base that

not only follows Haas F1 Team, but Formula One as a whole,” said Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner.

Epstein declined to disclose how much the track paid Ecclestone and F1, but money has been the root of the track’s struggles to keep the race afloat.

Severe weather and flooding swamped the 2015 race weekend and all but wiped out attendance at the race where Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton clinched his third consecutive championship.

And soon after the race, state officials had more bad news.

Track officials expected up to $25 million per year for 10 years from the state’s Ma-

a drug that is basically to help heart problems was administered,” he said.

Pound disclosed that international tennis officials had flagged up the use of meldonium to the WADA committee that monitors the use of various drugs and recommends whether to put them on the banned list.

“Clearly, within the tennis circle at least, they were aware that a lot of the players were using it (meldonium) and said that there must be something to this, so they referred it to the WADA list committee,” Pound said.

So far, Sharapova is the only tennis player with a known positive test for meldonium.

Meldonium, which is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was banned by WADA because it aids oxygen uptake and endurance.

Several other athletes in various international sports have already been caught using it since it was banned Jan. 1.

A study published Wednesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that up to 490 athletes may have been taking meldonium during last year’s inaugural European Games in

Baku, Azerbaijan. The drug was not banned at that time.

The study found that 13 winners or medalists were taking meldonium, 66 athletes tested positive for it, and the drug was detected in athletes in 15 of the 21 sports on the program.

The research contributed to WADA’s decision to add meldonium to the banned list.Sharapova is being provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation, which will hold hearings on the case and decide on any long-term ban.

“She faces up to four years sanction for this,” Pound said. “There will have to be a review of whatever mitigating factors there may be, and not many leap to mind.” Pound said he did not understand why Sharapova would have been taking the drug for so long.

The player said Monday that she had taken meldonium for a decade following various health problems including regular sicknesses, early signs of diabetes and “irregular” results from echocardiography exams.

“Looking at it from 10,000 feet and from outside, you say, ‘I am sorry but that doesn’t hold together,’” Pound said.q

jor Events Trust Fund, public money spent largely to pay Formula One’s rights fees. \ But that money was cut by nearly $6 million last year when the fund was put under control of Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and state officials tweaked the formulas used to calculate reimbursement.

Epstein said track officials determined they could meet the state’s new guidelines for reimbursement in order to recover the entire $25 million. And the track recently got a significant local tax break on its property value.

“It was in pretty great jeopardy for the first 60 days after the last (race),” Epstein told The Associated Press.

“We had major obstacles to clear and it took clearing all of those to get us to

today.”

The track also booked a race weekend concert by pop superstar Taylor Swift, which Epstein said should draw even more fans.

“We’re investing in our future to bring new fans out,” Epstein said.

And to lure back fans scared away by last year’s rain, the track is offering ticket holders a 105 percent refund if it rains 2 inches or more in the 24 hours before the race.

Epstein said track officials are confident they can make the race financially viable “for a long time.”

“We think that this year’s event will restore funding to the level we need.

If we’re wrong, it’s a bad miscalculation and I can’t assure you it’s going to go forward,” Epstein said.q

SPORTS A19

Thursday 10 March 2016

NBA Capsules

Lillard has 41 and Blazers beat Wizards 116-109 in OT PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — Damian Lillard had 41 points and 11 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 116109 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

It was Lillard’s 15th straight game with 20-plus points, the second-longest streak in the NBA behind Kevin Durant’s 48. CJ McCollum added 18 points for Portland, which moved into sixth place in the Western Conference.

John Wall had 20 points and 11 assists for the Wizards, who have lost three straight. Ramon Sessions added 21 points off the bench, while Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Wall hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in regulation to give Washington a 104-102 lead, but McCollum hit a pull-up jumper with 5.4 seconds to go to tie it at 104.

The game went to overtime when Gerald Henderson swatted away Gortat’s attempted layup.

SPURS 116, TIMBERWOLVES 91 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and seven rebounds to help San Antonio bounce back from a rare loss.

The Spurs (54-10) led by as many as 26 points in a

game they played without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich. David West scored 18 points as the Spurs shot 55.3 percent and only turned the ball over nine times.

Andrew Wiggins had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves. KarlAnthony Towns had 19 points and nine boards, and Zach LaVine scored 15 points.

The Spurs haven’t dealt with much losing this season, and they responded to their 10th defeat of the season with a workman-like dismantling of the Timberwolves defense. Even with their three mainstays out of the lineup and their peerless coach at home tending to a family issue, they didn’t miss a beat.

HAWKS 91, JAZZ 84 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jeff Teague scored 24 points to lead Atlanta to the road win.

The Hawks moved within 1 1/2 games of idle Miami for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Jazz fell two games behind Houston for the eighth and final spot in the West.

Teague added six assists, while Paul Millsap finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 22 points, and Derrick Favors scored 16.

RAPTORS 104, NETS 99 TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan had 25 points for Toronto, and Kyle Lowry added 23 points and nine assists.

Brook Lopez had 35 points, one shy of his season high, for the Nets, who lost the season series to the Raptors for the first time since 200910.

The Raptors rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to get back on track at home after their franchise-record, 12-game home win streak ended Sunday against Houston.

The Raptors got within two courtesy of a 22-9 run over the final 5:55 of the third quarter and finally jumped in front on Patrick Patterson’s 3-pointer to open the fourth.

LAKERS 107, MAGIC 98 LOS ANGELES (AP) — D’Angelo Russell scored 27 points, Jordan Clarkson added 24 and the Lakers won consecutive games for the second time since Jan. 3.

Julius Randle matched his career high with 23 points and had 11 rebounds in the Lakers’ first game since their jaw-dropping victory over defending champion Golden State on Sunday.

Los Angeles followed up that shocker with an outstanding group effort from the three key members of the club’s young core. Rus-

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket on Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) during overtime of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Lillard scored 41 points as the Blazers won 116-109.

Associated Press

sell, Randle and Clarkson scored 20 points apiece in the same game for the first time.

Victor Oladipo scored 26 points and Evan Fournier had 23 for the Magic, who have lost three straight.

NUGGETS 110, KNICKS 94 DENVER (AP) — Kenneth Faried had 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the Nuggets to their eighth straight win over the Knicks at the Pepsi Center.

Nikola Jokic scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as Denver had six

players in double figures.

Carmelo Anthony finished with 30 points against his former team. He is now 0-3 when playing at his old stomping grounds since being traded to New York in February 2011.

New York rookie Kristaps Porzingis was limited to six points in his return after missing a game with a bruised left leg. The Knicks were dealt a blow before the game when forward Lance Thomas hurt his left knee in warmups.q

20 SPORTS

Thursday 10 March 2016

Bruins win at Lightning to take share of Atlantic lead TAMPA, Florida (AP) — Brad Marchand scored 10 seconds into overtime, Jonas Gustavsson made 42 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0 on Tuesday night in a matchup of Atlantic Division leaders.

Patrice Bergeron sent a pass from the right wing through the slot that Marchand redirected past Ben Bishop.

Boston and Tampa Bay both have 83 points but the Bruins have played one more game.

Bishop stopped 32 shots.

ISLANDERS 2, PENGUINS 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Anders Lee scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, Jaroslav Halak stopped 31 shots before leaving late in the third period and got his 200th career victory and surging New York beat Pittsburgh.

Halak left the game with 4:22 left with a possible injury. Thomas Greiss replaced him and stopped all three shots he faced. Halak, in his second season with the Islanders, improved to 200115-37 in his career.

John Tavares scored in the first period for the Islanders, who improved to 11-2-1 in their last 14 games in their first time back at Barclays Center since Feb. 18. New York was coming off a 6-10 trip that ended with 6-4 win against the crosstownrival Rangers on Sunday.

Kris Letang had the Penguins’ goal and Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 25 saves.

CANADIENS 4, STARS 3, OT MONTREAL (AP) — Alex Galchenyuk got his second goal of the game 1:59 into overtime and Montreal beat Dallas to end a four-game skid.

Max Pacioretty and Phillip Danault also scored for Montreal. Ben Scrivens made 30 saves.

Cody Eakin, Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky had goals for the first-place Stars. Kari Lehtonen stopped 24 shots.

The 13th-place Canadiens are 6-0-1 in their last seven home games.

Galchenyuk one-timed in a pass from Andrei Markov from the faceoff circle.

Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Brown (13) moves in on Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen as Stars’ Alex Goligoski (33) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 8. 2016, in Montreal.

Associated Press

RANGERS 4, SABRES 2 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Mats Zuccarello had a goal and two assists and New York edged Buffalo after nearly blowing a three-goal lead.

J.T. Miller sealed the victory with a backhander into an empty net with a minute left after he lost a glove on the rush up the right wing.

Derrick Brassard and Jesper Fast also scored for New York, which extended its winning streak over Buffalo to nine.

The Rangers haven’t lost to the Sabres since a 3-1 decision on March 12, 2013.

They improved to 13-2 in their past 15 meetings.

Sam Reinhart and Johan Larsson scored for Buffalo.

SHARKS 3, OILERS 0 EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — James Reimer made 31 saves in his first shutout of the season, Logan Couture scored twice and San Jose beat Edmonton.

Joe Pavelski also scored for

the Sharks, who won their second in a row. They’ve now won five of their last six and have gone 19-5-4 since Jan. 9.

Cam Talbot stopped 19 shots for Edmonton, which had won four of its previous five games.

The Sharks started the scoring just 1:33 into the game when a puck bounced around before landing between the legs of Talbot, who spun around in vain trying to find it before Couture swatted it into the net.

PREDATORS 4, JETS 2 WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Craig Smith scored twice and Nashville hung on to beat Winnipeg.

Colton Sissons and Ryan Johansen also scored for the Predators, and Sissons added an assist and Colin Wilson had a pair of helpers.

Pekka Rinne turned aside 21 shots. Nashville is 9-0-4 in its last 13 games.

Forward Drew Stafford

and defenseman Jacob Trouba had goals for Winnipeg, while Ondrej Pavelec made 27 saves.

The loss ended Winnipeg’s five-game homestand with only one victory (1-3-1).

BLUE JACKETS 5, RED WINGS 3 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cam Atkinson scored twice in the third period and Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist while Columbus held off Detroit.

David Clarkson and David Savard also scored for the Jackets, and Joonas Korpisalo made 32 saves. Atkinson’s empty-netter with 17.5 seconds left secured the win.

Tomas Tatar and Andreas Athanasiou scored 46 seconds apart late in the third to pull Detroit within 4-3.

Darren Helm thought he’d tied it less than a minute later, but the puck careened off the post behind Korpisalo.

Justin Abdelkader also scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard made 27 saves.

HURRICANES 4, SENATORS 3, SO RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Jaccob Slavin scored in the fourth round of the shootout, and Carolina beat Ottawa.

Jeff Skinner scored twice for Carolina, including one with 0.2 seconds remaining to force overtime, and Jay McClement had a shorthanded goal.

Cam Ward made 21 saves for the Hurricanes, who won a shootout for the first time this season. They’ve earned points in three straight.

Zack Smith, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel scored for the Senators, who have lost five of seven.

Andrew Hammond made 34 saves for Ottawa, but Slavin beat him high with a backhand in the tiebreaker. Ward then stopped Smith to end it.q

SPORTS A21

Thursday 10 March 2016

Hope Solo calls attention to field conditions in Boca Raton ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer U.S. national team goalkeeper Hope Solo took to Twitter to show her concern about the field conditions at FAU Stadium for Wednesday night’s match against Germany.

Solo posted a photo of worn grass at the Boca Raton, Florida, stadium on Tuesday, writing, “This is what the top two women’s teams in the world will play on tomorrow night.” She added “(hashtag) EqualMeansEqual.”

Her complaint marks the second time that national team players have drawn attention to field conditions since the United States won the Women’s World Cup last year.

A December match in Hawaii was called off a day before the game because of problems with the artificial turf. U.S. Soccer said the Aloha Stadium surface was “not suitable to hold an international soccer match,” while the players pointed to inequality between field standards for men’s and women’s games.

Playing surface and gender equity were also an issue at last summer’s World Cup in Canada, which was played on artificial turf.

A group of players, led by U.S. forward Abby Wambach, filed a legal com-

In this Jan. 23, 2016, file photo, United States goalkeeper Hope Solo warms up before a women’s international friendly soccer game against Ireland in San Diego.

Associated Press

plaint in Canada before the event, claiming that playing on what some consider an inferior surface amounted to gender discrimination, because the men’s tournament is held on real grass.

The players later dropped the claim to focus on preparation for the World Cup, but their protest generated widespread support.

Even Kobe Bryant and Tom Hanks were critical.

Following the cancellation of the match in Hawaii, the players went to The Players’ Tribune website with a post that spoke to the inequality of playing conditions.

“We have become so accustomed to playing on whatever surface is put in front of us. But we need to realize that our protection

— our safety — is priority No. 1. At the end of the day, we expect to be treated equally as our male counterparts. And we hope that, in the future, our fields and our venues will be chosen and inspected at the standard of an international match — whether it’s men or women playing on the field,” the players wrote in the post titled “Equal Foot-

ing.”

The call for gender equity comes as U.S. Soccer and the players’ union seek a new collective bargaining agreement.

The federation filed a lawsuit in federal court in Illinois last month seeking to clarify whether the previous agreement is in force through the end of the year. q

Serena Williams beats Caroline Wozniacki in exhibition at Garden RACHEL COHEN AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams beat good friend Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-4 in an exhibition at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. The 21-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played a match since losing the Australian Open final Jan. 30, pulling out of two tournaments because of illness. She’s scheduled to return to competition at Indian Wells this week.

“I’m headed out to the desert, and we’ll see what happens,” Williams said in an on-court-interview.

There were plenty of mistakes — many punctuated by a shriek — for Williams early on Tuesday, but as she does so often, she somehow was still ahead at the end of the set. The game started to look more familiar: the court coverage, the well-rounded repertoire, the big serves to escape trouble. She even tried quite a few drop shots with mixed results.

“I never miss one in practice, ever,” she insisted.

Proving she was moving just fine, Williams earned her first set point when she sprinted to the net to run

down a drop shot, and then immediately raced back to chase down a lob.

With her dogged defense, Wozniacki forced Williams into some long rallies. But as was the case in 10 of their 11 career meetings — which includes the 2014 U.S. Open final a few miles away — Williams’ offense was too much.

In the first match of the BNP Paribas Showdown, 16th-ranked Gael Monfils of France beat two-time major champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (6), 6-3. Two games midway through the second set were played as

Serena Williams returns a shot to Caroline Wozniacki during a BNP Paribas Showdown tennis match, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in New York.

Associated Press

mixed doubles — Williams and Wozniacki came onto the court in their warmups,

and Williams teamed with Wawrinka and Wozniacki with Monfils.q

A22

Thursday 10 March 2016

SPORTS

Can cousin of marijuana plant ease NFL’s concussion problem?

JIM LITKE AP Sports Writer Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon calls himself “old school,” including his use of marijuana both during and after his career.

Yet McMahon’s stab at self-medicating could be ahead of its time. Researchers at Johns Hopkins plan to test whether a compound found in hemp — and its notorious cousin, cannabis — proves as effective in treating brain injuries as testimonials claim.

Some former players believe cannabidiol, or CBD, could help millions who suffer brain injuries each year, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease caused by repeated concussions and found in many former NFL players whose brains have been autopsied.

“I don’t think any of us regret what we did,” said Jake Plummer, who played 10 seasons before retiring in 2007. “But there’s no question it comes at a real cost.”

Along with a handful of other retired players, Plummer felt strongly enough about the benefits of using CBD to appear in a public-service campaign titled “When the Bright Lights Fade.” It was sponsored by Realm of Caring, a nonprofit research organization and CW Botanicals, a dietary supplements company specializing in hemp products. It was released Wednesday as part of National Brain Injury Awareness month with the goal of raising $100,000 to begin the Johns Hopkins study.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXe40I1sU&feature=youtu.be “I’ve had friends, guys I played alongside, whose mood changed from night to day. I know others who’ve replaced hellacious amounts of painkillers with CBD ... and I hope this gets even more guys involved,” Plummer said. “The bigger the number, the better chance we have to get in front of (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodell and say, ‘You need to fund this.’ Not just

In this Jan. 28, 2016 photo, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahons smokes medical marijuana in Chicago. McMahon calls himself “old school,” including his use of marijuana both during and after his career.

Associated Press

tive as CBD seems to be ... and it was non-psychoactive, non-addictive and non-toxic, and had none of the stigma attached to it that marijuana does.

We’d be all over it,” said Joel Stanley, co-founder of CW Botanicals and the eldest of six brothers working in the family’s medical marijuana business in Colorado. “We think we already have it.”

They began growing medical marijuana in 2009 and soon after produced a strain they called “Hippie’s Disappointment,” because it was high in CBD but low in THC. There was no market for it until 2012, when Page Figli, whose 5-yearold daughter Charlotte suffered from intractable epilepsy, came searching for CBD-rich oil. Soon after using it, according to her parents. Charlotte’s seizures dropped from hundreds per day to almost none. The Stanleys, who said their waiting list for treatment once numbered 12,000 families, renamed the strain Charlotte’s Web. “I can’t think of a better, safer thing to look at helping players dealing with a range of injuries and pain,” Stanley said. “They’re already pumping dangerous pills into these guys like it’s candy.”

McMahon, 56, has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and struggles with many of the attendant symptoms: depression, memory loss, vision and speech impairment and severe headaches.

In this Nov. 15, 2015, file photo, former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer smiles on the sidelines during an NFL football game between the Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver.

Associated Press

encouraged by a CNN documentary on medical marijuana, thousands of parents whose children’s diagnoses range from autism to epilepsy mounted a Facebook campaign to sing its praises. They were soon joined by adults suffering from cancer or Parkinson’s disease. Many reported better pain management, impactful mood changes and significant decreases in seizures.

Some families even relocated to Colorado to use CBD legally.

“Imagine if we’d suddenly found a plant extract in the Amazon that was as effec-

for football players, but for the millions of others it could help.”

Because of a lack of research and varying federal and state regulations, the science and the law on CBD are far from settled.

Major medical organizations have not supported marijuana to treat concussions, but many also say what the U.S. government patent on cannabinoids, including CBD, states: They act as “neuroprotectants” and have shown to be effective at limiting damage in cases of stroke or trauma and to treat degenerative

In this Jan. 28, 2016 photo, medicinal marijuana and the pipe that former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon uses to smoke it are seen in Chicago.

Associated Press

diseases.

Versions of the CBD compound are available in some stores and online in creams, pills and oils. Some claim to be rich in CBD, with little or no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive agent that produces a “high.” At least one manufacturer says its CBD product won’t trip a positive NFL drug test. According to the Food and Drug Administration, none are approved for the “diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease.”

But in the last three years,

TECHNOLOGY A23

Thursday 10 March 2016

Phishing season in full swing as tax deadline looms BREE FOWLER AP Technology Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Tax day is a little more than a month away, which means phishing season is in full swing.

The IRS says it’s seen a “surge” this year in phishing emails, with thieves baiting special hooks for payroll and human-resources workers in hopes of snagging a company’s entire stash of employee Social Security numbers and other personal information.

Meanwhile, tax-season phishing attacks against individuals are also up.

Last month, the IRS said it had seen a quadrupling of phishing- and malwarerelated incidents for this year’s tax season.

Experts warn that phishing emails often masquerade as legitimate communication from your bank, human resources department or email provider. But in reality, they’re part of a scheme designed to steal the confidential information stored in your computer, or to gain access to the network it’s attached to.

And this time of year, that information can be used to file a false tax return.

While people are more aware of the danger of phishing more than ever before, the lures continue to evolve and increase in sophistication, making it tough for the average person to discern which emails are legitimate and which ones aren’t.

Here are a few answers to common questions about phishing: ___ WHY IS IT SO BAD THIS TIME OF YEAR? Phishing peaks during tax season, partially because it’s a time of year that many people are accustomed to entering their most personal information — such as their Social Security number or bank account information — on websites, Satnam Narang, senior security-response manager for security software maker Symantec, says.

Thieves can then use that captured information to file a false return.

Phishing also spikes around

Christmas, with attacks in the form of fake delivery notifications. Thieves also often tie phishing emails to major sporting events, or natural disasters like overseas earthquakes, says Raj Samani, chief technology officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Intel Security.

“They’re very much up with the latest news and information,” Samani says. “If they can spend a little more time and get a 0.1 percent increase in click-throughs, then their campaign becomes hugely more profitable and successful.” ___ WHAT’S THE DIFERENCE BETWEEN PHISHING AND SPEAR FISHING? Narang likens phishing to a person casually throwing a rod in a lake and waiting for a bite. Phishing emails don’t contain a lot of specifics, but are quick and easy to send out in mass quantities.

“Spear phishing” is much more targeted and personalized. The people behind those attacks spend time researching their targets in order to create highly customized emails that look much more legitimate and are much more likely to be clicked on.

The rise of social media has made this a lot easier.

Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, details including a person’s place of employment, where they bank, like to shop and the names and ages of their children are just a few clicks away. ___ WHAT OTHER RED FLAGS SHOULD I BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR? In an effort to get more people to click on a link before thinking about the possible consequences, many phishing emails will give an impression of scarcity, or include some kind of time limit.

For example, an email made to appear to be from a person’s bank or email provider may state that if that person doesn’t click on the enclosed link within 24 hours, they will be locked out of their account.

This screen grab from the Internal Revenue Service website shows a sample W-2 form. Employers are being tricked into sending detailed employee tax information to scammers as part of an emerging tax fraud campaign. Two prominent technology firms, Seagate Technologies and Snapchat, are among recent victims.

Associated Press

And while poor English and long, complex web links were previously sure signs of phishing, they’re not as prevalent anymore. Many overseas hackers are no longer using clunky translation websites, because there are fluent English speakers who specialize in translating phishing emails for a fee, Samani says.

Meanwhile, it’s become easier to shorten the Web links that direct a people to fake websites, he says.

Narang adds that people should be wary of emails purported to be from

banks, or other companies they do business with, but didn’t opt into emails from.

He also notes that banks generally don’t include Web links in emails.

Those links will likely take a person to a fake website where they will be asked to login and those credentials will ultimately be stolen, he says.

And attacks don’t just come in the form of email.

They can come as text messages too, with those links often containing viruses, Samani says. ___

IS THERE ANY WAY TO PREVENT IT? Basic cyberhygiene can go a long way toward preventing a data breach, even if a link in a phishing email gets accidentally clicked on.

Using different passwords for different accounts, twofactor authentication and changing passwords frequently all can be a big help. In addition, companies should test their employees by periodically sending out fake phishing emails to see who falls for them, Narang says.q

Amazon leases 20 jets to build out logistics network NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is taking to the skies.

The e-commerce powerhouse has finalized an agreement to lease 20 Boeing jets from Air Transport Services Group Inc. as it builds out its U.S. delivery capabilities.

Amazon has been investing heavily in its shipping infrastructure, adding sorting centers, which sort packages by zip code and deliver them to post offices.

And it has started to roll out thousands of trucks to speed up package delivery from its warehouses to the sorting centers.

Amazon says the goal is not to compete with package delivery carriers such as FedEx Corp. and UPS but work on improving its own

logistics to offer faster delivery for customers as well as providing shipping services for third-party sellers on the site, a service called Fulfilled

by Amazon. Amazon’s $99 annual Prime loyalty program offers free two-day shipping on many items. Air Transport Services said the company had been working on the agreement with Amazon since last summer.

Amazon will lease 20 747 freighter jets.

The 20 leases are for five to seven years. The agreement for the operation of the aircraft will be for five years.

Amazon is also taking a stake in the Wilmington, Ohio-based company. It will get warrants to buy during a five-year period up to

19.9 percent of the company’s shares at $9.73 per share.

Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations and customer service, said in an emailed statement that the agreement will help supplement its existing delivery network and ensure the company has the air cargo capacity to support one- and two-day delivery for its customers.

Shares of Air Transport Services jumped 17 percent to close at $13.73. Earlier the stock reached $14.90, an all-time high. Amazon.com Inc. shares dipped 79 cents to $559.47. Shares of FedEx and UPS both edged down about 1 percent, to $141.98 and $99.56, respectively.q

A24 BUSINESS

Thursday 10 March 2016

US stocks post slight gains, led by oil and gas firms BERNARD CONDON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose on the seventh anniversary of the bull market on Wednesday as crude oil resumed its climb from a 13-year low.

The gains were modest as investors await key policy decisions from Europe’s central bank on Thursday and from the U.S. Federal Reserve next week. Energy companies rebounded from big drops the day before, gaining 1.5 percent.

The stock market has been climbing for three weeks as reports on hiring, retail spending and manufacturing suggest the U.S. economy is strengthening and that fears that a slowdown in China would tip the U.S. into recession are overblown. The Standard and Poor’s 500 index is up 9 percent from its mid-February low.

“People are becoming more optimistic and markets are recovering,” said Seth Masters, chief investment officer at AB Bernstein. The hope is that “monetary authorities are committed to doing what it takes and not derail it.”

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 36.26 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,000.36.

The Nasdaq composite increased 25.55 points, or 0.6

percent, to 4,674.38. The S&P 500 climbed 10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,989.26.

The gains were broad, with nine of 10 industry sectors of the S&P 500 rising. The jump in crude sent several

unprecedented efforts to encourage investors to take more risk by lowering interest rates on bonds and other safer assets.

The current bull market is the third-longest of the 11

Trader Tommy Kalikas works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks rose on the seventh anniversary of the bull market on Wednesday as crude oil resumed its climb from a 13-year low.

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

energy companies soaring. Chesapeake Energy climbed 8 percent, Devon Energy rose 7 percent and Newfield Exploration rose 6 percent.

The S&P 500 has tripled since bottoming out at 676.53 exactly seven years ago during the financial crisis. Stocks have been pushed up by higher corporate earnings, though not in the past year, and by the Federal Reserve’s

since World War II, according to research firm S&P Capital IQ. Chief Investment Officer Krishna Memani of Oppenheimer Funds said he’s optimistic the bull market will extend its run because modest economic growth means little inflation, and no need for the Federal Reserve to move too quickly to reverse its stimulus policies.

“We believe this will be one

of the longest economic expansions, and thus one the longest bull markets, we have experienced,” he said. “Easy money still rules.”

The Federal Reserve meets next week, but most investors do not think it will raise short-term interest rates it controls from near zero. It raised them for the first time in nine years in December.

At the end of its policy meeting on Thursday, the European Central Bank is widely expected to announce more efforts to stimulate the 19-country eurozone.

Possible moves include another cut in the deposit rate for funds from commercial banks to even further below zero. The hope is that will get banks to stop holding onto their money and lend more.

The ECB also could increase its bond-buying program to pump more money into the region’s economy.

Among U.S. stocks making big moves Wednesday, Air Transport Services jumped $1.96, or 17 percent, to $13.73 after turning in solid results and saying it will operate an air transport network for Amazon. Pet-food company Blue Buffalo Pet Products rose $4.19, or 23 percent, $22.75 after posting strong earnings.

Cathay Pacific profit nearly doubles as fuel cost falls KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer HONG KONG (AP) — Cathay Pacific Airways said Wednesday that its an-

nual profit nearly doubled in 2015 as passenger demand grew and tumbling oil prices cut its fuel bill.

Hong Kong’s biggest air-

line said that net income jumped 90.5 percent from the year before to 6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($773 million). Cathay and other airlines are among the biggest beneficiaries of the drop in the price of crude oil, which has fallen from more than $100 a barrel in mid-2014 to the $30 level in recent months.

The airline said the amount it spent on jet fuel, which is its single biggest expense, fell 18 percent to HK$33 billion ($4.2 billion) last year.

That’s even after taking into account bigger losses from taking out contracts aimed at minimizing fuelbill volatility that locked the carrier into higher prices.

The losses from such fuel cost hedging ballooned last year to HK$8.5 billion

($1.1 billion) from HK$911 million in 2014.

The company, which also operates Asian regional carrier Dragonair, said passenger numbers grew 7.9 percent but revenue slipped 3.4 percent to HK$102.3 billion ($13.2 billion). Chairman John Slosar said operating conditions improved last year but he expected some challenges to persist into 2016.

“Strong competition from other airlines in the region, foreign currency movements and weak premium class passenger demand will put pressure on passenger yield,” Slosar said in a statement.

Cathay said that the first of 12 A350 jets ordered from Airbus will be delivered in May.

Amazon leases 20 jets to build out logistics network NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is taking to the skies.

The e-commerce powerhouse has finalized an agreement to lease 20 Boeing jets from Air Transport Services Group Inc. as it builds out its U.S. delivery capabilities.

Amazon has been investing heavily in its shipping infrastructure, adding sorting centers, which sort packages by zip code and deliver them to post offices.

And it has started to roll out thousands of trucks to speed up package delivery from its warehouses to the sorting centers.

Amazon says the goal is not to compete with package delivery carriers such as FedEx Corp. and UPS but work on improving its own logistics to offer faster delivery for customers as well as providing shipping services for third-party sellers on the site, a service called Fulfilled by Amazon. Amazon’s $99 annual Prime loyalty program offers free two-day shipping on many items.

Air Transport Services said the company had been working on the agreement with Amazon since last summer.

Amazon will lease 20 747 freighter jets. The 20 leases are for five to seven years.

The agreement for the operation of the aircraft will be for five years.

Amazon is also taking a stake in the Wilmington, Ohio-based company. It will get warrants to buy during a five-year period up to 19.9 percent of the company’s shares at $9.73 per share.

Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations and customer service, said in an emailed statement that the agreement will help supplement its existing delivery network and ensure the company has the air cargo capacity to support one- and two-day delivery for its customers.

In midday trading, shares of Air Transport Services jumped 18 percent to $13.91.

BUSINESS A25

Thursday 10 March 2016

Banks now giving access to credit scores for free KEN SWEET AP Business Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It might be the most important piece of financial information about you — and it’s finally easier for you to actually get a look at it.

Big banks and credit card companies are increasingly offering customers free access to their FICO score.

This score, named after the software and analytics company that developed it, is used by lenders to determine how risky you are when they are deciding whether to issue a new credit card, mortgage or auto loan.

Banks have been able to make scores available to customers for four years, a result of a FICO initiative, but they have been slow to do so. Discover Financial was the first major credit card issuer to give its customers access to their FICO scores in 2013. But banks like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup among others have adopted the program in the past year.

“This is a piece of information that grades you and judges your ability to borrow, and because it is so crucial, you should be entitled to have it,” said Chi Chi Wu, an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

It’s the latest move by the banks to give credit information to consumers since Congress required that the three credit bureaus offer credit reports to individuals once a year. Credit reports

contain much of the information that goes into determining your score, but not the actual number.

A borrower’s FICO score is used in 90 percent of lending decisions, but until re-

that only half of Americans have accessed their score in the past year and far more don’t know what their score is.

Fair Isaac Corp. created the FICO score in the late

This photo shows logos for MasterCard and Visa credit cards at the entrance of a New York coffee shop. Big banks and credit card companies are increasingly offering customers free access to their FICO scores, which are used by lenders to determine how risky you are when they are deciding whether to issue you a new credit card, mortgage or auto loan.

cently a person had to pay for it — if it was available at all. Worse, borrowers looking for their credit score would sometimes be provided what’s known as an “educational score” which guesses a person’s FICO score but is not the score used to determine a person’s ability to borrow.

Knowing your credit score can help you negotiate for better rates and shop for better loan deals. Also, if you know your score is weak, you can work to improve it and possibly save hundreds of dollars on a future loan, or thousands of dollars on a mortgage.

Because of the lack of availability, FICO estimates

1980s. Jim Wehmann, executive vice president of scores for FICO, said the company recently developed what it calls its “Open Access” program partly because banks were already paying for borrowers’ FICO scores and there was little to no cost for banks to pass along the score.

“There was lots of confusion out there about what a FICO score is, and those educational scores were not helping. We felt the banks were the natural conduit to get consumers FICO scores, because that’s where the credit process begins,” Wehmann said.

Wehmann estimates 100

million Americans now have access to their FICO score through a credit card or their bank.

There are a number of different types of credit scores that FICO calculates, but the most common is a number between 300 and 850 points. The higher the score, the more creditworthy that borrower is. The average U.S. credit score is about 695, FICO says. FICO uses a formula — it does not share the exact calculations — that factors a borrower’s payment history, how much debt the person has, if they have ever filed for bankruptcy and other financial behavior.

Free FICO scores have become a selling feature for banks. When Chase added free FICO score access to its Slate card in March 2015, applications and usage rose, said Pam Codispoti, president of consumer branded cards at Chase.

Codispoti said the bank is considering adding the FICO score feature to its other cards.

Getting your credit score through your bank won’t impact your credit score, FICO says, since the borrower is not actively looking to get new credit. Some credit card companies, like Chase and Discover, also provide tips on how a customer can improve their credit score, like making sure you don’t max out credit cards or miss payments.

Valeant Pharma adds hedge fund exec to board Associated Press (AP) - Embattled drug company Valeant Pharmaceuticals has added three directors to its board, including an executive from activist investor Bill Ackman’s hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management.

Its shares rose more than 2 percent in morning trading Wednesday.

The Canadian drugmaker said that Pershing Vice Chairman Stephen Fraidin has joined the board, along with pharmaceuti-

cal executive Dr. Fred Eshelman and former University of North Carolina president Thomas W. Ross.

Dr. Anders Lonner also is leaving, so these moves will bump the board’s size to 14 members, 12 of whom are independent.

Pershing Square holds a 6.3 percent stake in Valeant, as one of its biggest shareholders, according to FactSet. Fraidin is an attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions.

Eshelman is the founder

and former CEO of Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc. and has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 35 years, Valeant said.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. is facing a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and, separately, scrutiny from Congress over its drug pricing. CEO Michael Pearson also recently returned to work after missing two months due to some health problems.

Valeant will discuss its pre-

liminary fourth-quarter results and update its forecast for 2016 on March 15.

The company had said last month it was delaying that announcement due to Pearson’s return to work.

The company also has said it would delay filing its 2015 annual report with regulators while it sorts out its former relationship with the mail-order pharmacy Philidor, which has raised questions about the accuracy of Valeant’s financial reporting.

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A26 COMICS

Thursday 10 March 2016

Mutts

Conceptis Sudoku

6 Chix

Blondie

Mother Goose & Grimm

Baby Blues

Zits

Yesterday’s puzzle answer

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

CLASSIFIED A27

Thursday 10 March 2016

Classifieds TIMESHARE FOR SALE Gold Coast Property TIME SHARE RESALE RENAISSANCE FOR SALE

Townhouse 2 floor, 2 bedrooms, 35000 points Gold Member 3 bathrooms, kitchen, dinning room, withsecurity lue Green patio, 24/7,Time pools,Share club alas La Cabana house.

SunsetPrice Residences $45.000,00 For Sale Tel. Here till 20Beach, of March Apartment at Eagle 3 mins from beach 2583-0440 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, pool. Info 594-1496 E-mail: klausyblitzy@aol.com 204808 204746 ___________________________

TIME SHARE For Rent /Sale

Divi Golf and Beach wk 12, 3/19 starts Studio Rm 4107. Affinity pool +bar Deluxe furnishings king bed. Eagle 2 $4975 seller sp pay 2016 assessment buyer pays 2016 maintenance fee of $650.= and 2017 assessment of aprox $525,= 28 weeks left on contract e-mail: rmwjmw@aol.com or us 508-651-0016

TIME SHARE RESALE

Marriott Surf Club

2 Bedroom G.V. Platinum $15,000 2 Bedroom O.V. Platinum $16,000 2 Bedroom O. Side Platinum $18,000 2 Bedroom O. Front Platinum $27,500 3 Bedroom O.V. Platinum $29,000 Call: (297) 630-1370 info@arubatravel.com 204802

TIME SHARE RESALE

TIME SHARE RESALE Marriott Ocean Club Dutch Village

Non Mandatory Maintenance Fee one bedroom week 10 room #27 12 week reminon the on the contact $400 Two Bedroom Lock-out week 12 $8500 Call: (297) 630-1370 info@arubatravel.com

204802

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1 Bedroom O.V. Platinum $11,500 2 Bedroom O.V. Platinum $17,000 2 Bedroom O. F. Platinum $29,000 Call: (297) 630-1370 info@arubatravel.com

204802

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La Cabana BRC

One Bedroom week 11 & 12 Room # 414A one of the best ocean view Sunday check in, Call: (297) 630-1370 info@arubatravel.com

Renaissance th

WK 9 5 floor US. $8.500 Call Yankee Bob anytime USA - 1401-828-1322 Membership includs island Privilges Roundtrip trance portacion every 20 min

204802

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Casa del Mar

204748

FOR SALE

#2 Divi Dutch Village for sale week 27 June 25 Start 3 Room Suite, Lock Off Master bed RM withlock off Studio with small kitchen 1 other room with Queen sofa, full kichen dining area 4900$ if used in 2016 buyer pays M fees of 839, and 2017 special Assessement, Seller Pays 2016, (For Renovations) rmwjmw@aol.com 5086510016 204717

Two Bedroom week 9 #1208 Pool/Ocean View $ 16,500 Tropicana Resort One Bedroom week 9 #5567G Pool View $6,500 Call: (297) 630-1370 info@arubatravel.com

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Week room price wk 38 room 529 $4,750 wk 40 room 336 $3,750 wk 40 room 105 $5,000 wk 42 room 338 $4,000 wk 43 room 329 $3,250 wk 49 room 144 $5,500 wk 50 room 546 $6,000 wk 49 room 2571 $3,750 wk 48 room 517 $3,750 wk 48 or 49 room 119 $4,750 wk 48 or 49 room 551 $5,500 wk 49 or 50 room 203 $5,500 wk 21 or 22 room 347 $4,000 wk 1or2 room 517 $9,500 each Contact Brian Cell: 593-0200 vr.realty@mac.com

204343 ____________________________

FOR SALE

204725 ____________________________ by owner Marriott Surf Club FOR SALE 2 br O.V. lock off unit Gold season Divi Village price $16.000 1 bdrm / renovated unit groun floor in Marriott Ocean Club front of pool and tennis court, reserved 2 Br O.V. Gold season 5 floor parking. 26 yrs contract premiun wks lock off unit 8+9 $14.000 for a wk weeks are Price $16.000 negotiated.

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fifth floor US$8500 Call Yankee Bob Renaissance Hotel 5836000 Rm 2561 leave number will call back Membership includes island privileges.

Roundtrip transportation every 20 minute 204748 ___________________________

Dr.Habibe Cayama Dr. Tel.:588-9660 588-9660 Tel. San Nicolas Dr. Luchman Tromp Dr. Tel.: 584-6427 Tel. 84-6427

EMERGENCIA

911

POLICE

100

ORANJESTAD NOORD STA. CRUZ SAN NICOLAS POLICE TIPLINE FIRE DEPT. FIRE DEPT. HOSPITAL DENTAL CLINIC AMBULANCE CENTRO MEDICO

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PHARMACY Oranjestad: Kibrahacha Tel: 582-2007 San Nicolas: San Lucas Tel: 584-5119 INFORMATION TAXI-TAS PROF. TAXI TAXI D.T.S. SERVICE ARUBA

MASSAGE Are you tired of tripping the whole day let us come to you with a good massage Call 667202 For an appointment 204738 _________________________

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FOR SALE Condo in Gold Coast Everything’s included in this 2 Br 2 1/2 bath unit check it out now at www.arubarental.info or call 562-0735 free pick up

FOR SALE Townhouse 4 Bedroom Orlando, Fl. 1862 Sq. Ft. 3 bathroom 2 stories, Year 2014pool on house with City of property Medic Lake Nona land in32827 E-mail: gustavorf28@gmail.com West Punt. Furnished _________________________ $275.000,00 204361

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CRUISESHIP

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one bed deluxe fixed week 9 Non Mandatory AI. This is an old contract so all the great original benefits are included. $15,000 email at macalh@aol.com or 610 724 6323 204619 _____________________________ Time Share Resale Aruba Divi Phoenix One Bedroom week 7 Room # 824 35 weeks remain on the contract 10 can be accelerated $27,000 One Bedroom Week 8 Room # 754 10 can be accelerated $23,000 call:(297)6301307 info@arubatimetravel.com 204727 _____________________________

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DOCTOR ON DUTY

A28 SCIENCE

Thursday 10 March 2016

NASA salvages Mars mission that should have launched by now MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s next Mars mission is still alive.

Instead of scrapping the grounded Mars InSight spacecraft, the space agency announced Wednesday it’s shooting for a 2018 launch.

The robotic lander was supposed to lift off this month, but ended up sidelined in December by a leak in a key French instrument. Project managers said the device should be redesigned in time.

May 2018 represents the next available launch window. Opportunities to launch to Mars arise just every two years, based on the alignment of Earth and its neighbor.

The InSight spacecraft aims to study the interior of Mars by drilling deep within. The sensors for the French seismometer need to operate in a vacuum chamber in order to measure subtle ground movements.

The vacuum chamber was leaking. The other main science instrument, a German heat-flow probe, was ready to fly.

It’s unknown how much the two-year delay will cost. NASA’s only other option was to kill the project.

John Grunsfeld, head of NASA’s science mission directorate, said the scientific goals are compelling and the repair plans are

This August 2015 artist’s rendering provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech depicts the InSight Mars lander studying the interior of Mars. On Wednesday, March 9, 2016, NASA said it’s shooting for a 2018 launch of the InSight spacecraft.

Associated Press

sound. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will take over the redesign, building and testing of the vacuum chamber, while the French space agency focuses on the science instrument itself.

“The quest to understand the interior of Mars has been a long-standing goal of planetary scientists for

decades,” Grunsfeld said in a statement. “We’re excited to be back on the path for a launch, now in 2018.”

Mars is NASA’s prime focus these days. Just last week, astronaut Scott Kelly completed a 340-day mission at the International Space Station that’s considered a scientific steppingstone for

sending humans to the red planet in the 2030s.

Another NASA Mars lander — this one a car-sized, wheeled rover — is scheduled for a 2020 launch.

The red planet already is teeming with active spacecraft, including NASA’s Opportunity and Curiosity rovers on the surface, and Odyssey, Mars Reconnais-

sance Orbiter and Maven orbiter from high above.

Europe has its Express spacecraft in orbit around the red planet.

Europe is launching another Mars mission Monday from Kazakhstan — an orbiter for measuring atmospheric gases and a lander collectively known as ExoMars 2016.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A29

Thursday 10 March 2016

Town hall meetings now a campaign staple for networks

DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The 19 sanctioned presidential debates — so far — haven’t been enough.

Town hall meetings with candidates are popping up like mushrooms on the schedules of television networks, anxious for political programming at a time viewers’ appetites seem voracious.

Three more are scheduled for Wednesday alone: Marco Rubio on MSNBC, with Donald Trump and John Kasich having separate forums on Fox News Channel.

Formats vary, but the theory behind the town halls is to have candidates address questions posed by voters. Usually the candidates are onstage without their opponents, although some town halls have candidates on back-to-back.

“Voters are engaged,” said Dafna Linzer, managing editor of politics at NBC News and MSNBC. “The town halls, at least for us, offer voters a good sense of the candidates. Not every voter is a New Hampshire or Iowa voter that gets candidates to come in and sit on their sofa.”

The 2016 campaign has been a boon to networks, as a glance at the wall-towall coverage on CNN, Fox and MSNBC illustrates. The 11th Republican debate was the most-watched program on all of TV last week, the Nielsen company said. Fox News is on a seven-week winning streak as the top-rated cable network, its longest ever. The networks stoke the excitement by running “countdown clocks” to the next primary results.

Each of the five town halls shown by CNN has reached between 2.2 million and 3.2 million viewers; the network’s primetime average last year was 812,000.

While the debates are the subject of intense negotiations over rules and format, town halls are relatively easy to put together. The candidates are less on edge, since they’re spend-

In this Feb. 18, 2016, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with Anderson Cooper, right, during a commercial break at a CNN town hall at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Town hall meetings with candidates are popping up like mushrooms on the schedules of television networks, anxious for political programming at a time viewers’ appetites seem voracious.

Associated Press

ing less time addressing sharp questions from journalists and responding to attacks from their opponents.

During a CNN town hall last month, a woman with five daughters and stepdaughters in their 20s told Hillary Clinton that the young women were “feeling the Bern.” What could the woman do to convince them that Clinton, and not Bernie Sanders, was worth their vote?

“It was a very human moment,” said Sam Feist, CNN’s senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. “It was something that could have never been asked that way by an interviewer and have the same impact.”

When the voters ask questions, “they usually have a story to tell,” he said.

Feist grew up in New England, where town hall meetings have a deep history. He tends to be more of a traditionalist by giving voters the largest role in these events; some competitors give more of a spotlight to their moderators.

CNN’s next town meeting involves the Democratic candidates Sunday from Columbus, Ohio.

During a Democratic forum on MSNBC last fall, Rachel Maddow showed the can-

didates pictures of themselves in much younger days and asked what was going through their minds then. “It’s definitely a different vibe,” Linzer said, and a chance for more personal insights than usually come through in debates.

“It’s more freewheeling, there’s more time and it’s not as pressurized,” said veteran campaign consultant Mark McKinnon, cohost of the Showtime series “The Circus.” ‘’Because it’s more informal, it allows them to show their human side. They can unwind a little and contextualize and go beyond a 30-second answer.

“It’s good for the candidates and it’s good for the networks,” McKinnon said.

A30 PEOPLE

Thursday 10 March 2016

& ARTS ABC’s Muir takes prime-time hour for heroin report

In this Sept. 13, 2012 file photo, ABC News anchor David Muir speaks before retired boxing champion Muhammad Ali received the Liberty Medal during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Associated Press

DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) — ABC News is devoting an hour in prime time on Friday to a program anchored by David Muir on the alarming rise in heroin overdoses in New Hampshire.

The special “20/20” episode will focus on several families, including one where each member of a couple reacts differently to rehab and another where a young mother and her newborn baby are dependent on the drug.

New Hampshire has been one of the hardest-hit states for heroin and synthetic opiate abuse. The heroin problem has received significant attention lately: CBS’ “60 Minutes” looked at drug use in Ohio last fall, HBO aired a documentary in December focused on Cape Cod, Mass.; and NBC

and CNN have both done stories recently on New Hampshire.

Muir said the attention helps the families who are going through the problem.

“It helps begin a conversation out there,” he said, “and the more we can be part of the conversation, the better. I don’t look at it from a competitive standpoint at all.”

The problem is so much a part of life now in northern New England that Muir said ABC News made certain to ask presidential candidates about heroin during debates before the New Hampshire primary.

Being there for more than a year of reporting brought the statistics to life. ABC spent some time with an emergency patrol when they were called to the scene of a heroin user

slumped over the wheel of his car in a busy intersection. The call to authorities came from a man at the scene who had lost his own son to heroin.

At a middle school in Manchester, paramedics teach 11- and 12-year-olds how to administer Narcan, the drug that can revive overdose victims.

ABC News asked whether any of the kids had seen discarded needles or other evidence of heroin use, and Muir said virtually all of them had.

“When you realize that nearly everyone you meet has been touched by the drug in some way, that’s really eye-opening,” he said.

Through its web site, ABC News is working with its affiliates across the country to do local stories about what is going on in their communities.q

Second Wachowski sibling comes out as transgender LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four years after “Matrix” filmmaker Lana Wachowski revealed she was transgender, her sibling and filmmaking partner, formerly known as Andy Wachowski, has also come out as transgender, and her name is Lilly, according to a statement posted Tuesday on the websites of the Windy City Times and advocacy group GLAAD. In her statement, the Chicago-born director — known for the richly constructed worlds of the “Matrix” series, “V for Vendetta” and “Cloud Atlas” — said she had already come out to family, friends and colleagues.

Lilly Wachowski, 48, has been married to Alicia Blasingame since 1991 and thanked her for her love and support.

“Everyone is cool with it,” Wachowski wrote. “Yes, thanks to my fabulous sister they’ve done it before, but also because they’re fan-

In this Oct. 24, 2012, file photo, co-directors Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski pose for a photo at the Los Angeles premiere of “Cloud Atlas” in Los Angeles.

Associated Press

tastic people.”

Lana Wachowski, 50, came out in 2012 and received the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award that year. “GLAAD is thrilled that Lilly Wachowski is able to be her true and authentic self today,” wrote Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of

Programs for Transgender Media. Representatives for the Wachowskis did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

The Wachowskis’ Netflix series “Sense8” is currently in production for its second season.q

PEOPLE & ARTS

A31

Thursday 10 March 2016

Nearing 70, Sally Field plays a woman still coming of age JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — It sounds like a misprint, but it’s not: Sally Field has headlined just one movie in the last two decades.

The reasons why are many.

Hollywood doesn’t exactly churn out good parts for middle-aged or older actresses, even for beloved two-time Oscar winners.

Field has also been drawn elsewhere, back to television, where she got her start in the 1960s on “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun.” And then there’s the fact that Field isn’t much inclined to play, as she says, “the traditional mother thing.”

“I’m certainly at a point in my life where I don’t do anything that I don’t want to do,” Field says. “There are things that come to me, maybe the script is good but you don’t really need me in this movie to stand at the door and say, ‘Drive carefully.’”

“Hello, My Name Is Doris” is a reminder of what the movies have been missing out on. In the film, directed and co-written by Michael Showalter, Field stars as a spinsterish, daydreaming New York accountant who, after her mother dies, cautiously begins seeking out new experiences and pursuing — comically, awkwardly, sweetly — a much younger man: an art director at her Manhattan office played by Max Greenfield.

The film, which opens Fri-

In this March 2, 2016 photo, Sally Field poses for a portrait while promoting her new film “Hello, My Name Is Doris,” at The Four Seasons in Los Angeles.

Associated Press

day, is a blend of tones — broadly funny, dramatically tender — and populated by veteran performers like Tyne Daly, Stephen Root and Peter Gallagher.

Holding it all together is the ever-plucky Field, outfitted with two pairs of eyeglasses around her neck and a nest of hair, Field’s intentionally messy version of a Brigitte Bardot doo.

Made for only about $1 million and shot in three weeks, it’s an unusually indie project for Field, who jumped at the chance to play Doris. The hunt for such characters in a male-dominated industry, Field says,

has been the story of her career.

“It’s always been a struggle. It’s not a new struggle to me,” she said in a recent interview. “But certainly as I’ve gotten older, put it this way, it doesn’t get easier.”

Field has followed the rising outrage over gender equality in the movie industry with a mix of optimism and wariness. She’s spent years watching women filmmakers fail to land big movies and female-led films be passed over by studios.

“Certainly you can’t say that nothing has happened. There has been

a lot of movement,” says Field. “But it has been SO gradual. I’ve been here for going on 53 years. It’s been so incredibly, incrementally gradual.”

In person, Field, aside from looking stunning for a woman nearing 70, is disarmingly direct.

Those who work with her say that straightforward matter-of-factness is how she approaches making a movie, too.

“As soon as you say anything to her that has to do with her status or stature, she’ll just say ‘Oh shut up!’” says Greenfield. “She doesn’t let you treat her

that way for more than half a second.”

“Hello, My Name Is Doris” began as an eight-minute short by Laura Terruso, then a film student at New York University. Her teacher, Showalter, thought it was worth developing and the two stretched the story into a feature screenplay.

Showalter, an alum of the sketch comedy troupe “The State,” considered Field the “pie-in-the-sky” casting option, and was flabbergasted when she agreed. Her presence and focus, he says, led the cast and crew to “raise their game to meet her.”

“She walked into a situation — a tiny little indie movie with a bunch of young people wet behind the ears — and she came in so funny, so crisp and so brilliant,” says Showalter. “She hasn’t lost it one bit.”

Field would seem to have little in common with the timid Doris, but she acknowledges having “terrible social anxiety.” ‘’I am incredibly shy and I am sort of a notorious hermit,” she says. “My sons push me, and I have a few friends that say, ‘OK, time’s up. We’re coming to get you.’”

Field, who has three sons, splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, where she’s expected to return to Broadway this fall in a production of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” q

Review: ‘Peacekeeping’ transcends pre-quake Haiti setting JENNIFER KAY Associated Press While plenty has been written, fiction and nonfiction, about Haiti’s political disgraces, natural disasters, cultural enigmas and entrenched dysfunction, Mischa Berlinski’s new novel stands out for doing far more than dramatizing news headlines about the beleaguered Caribbean nation.

On its surface, “Peacekeeping” is about international intervention in Haiti.

It also would be tidy to sum up his debut, “Fieldwork,”

a finalist for the National Book Award, as a novel about anthropological studies in Thailand. Neither description really covers the ways in which Berlinski probes the failures of language when stories told by foreigners converge with stories told by locals.

Berlinski writes from personal experiences that he has transported to an alternate reality. He adds a disclaimer to “Peacekeeping” that he has reimagined recent Haitian history: the novel hinges on an election that

did not happen before an earthquake crippled Haiti in 2010, and the U.N. peacekeeping mission he describes doesn’t share the same scandals or successes as the U.N. force in Haiti now.

“Peacekeeping” revolves around a failed Florida cop looking for a life reboot as a U.N. policeman, a lightskinned, diaspora-educated Haitian judge making a run in local politics and the judge’s dark-skinned wife whose deportee status has left her feeling trapped

by her own homeland. It playfully picks apart cliches about Haitian resilience and mysticism to toy with the idea of suffering and whether wanting to do good creates its own kind of hell and absurdist theater for everyone involved.

Berlinski immerses the reader in an environment so richly detailed that one almost hears the buzz of insects through the pages, but the novel’s plot transcends its tropical setting, resulting in a deeper exploration of what it means to be an observer.q

This book cover image released by Sarah Crichton Books/FSG shows “Peacekeeping,” by Mischa Berlinski.

Associated Press