August 30, 2019

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Trump declares new Space Command key to American defense WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring space crucial to the nation's defense, President Donald Trump said Thursday the Pentagon has established U.S. Space Command to preserve American dominance on "the ultimate high ground."

"This is a landmark day," Trump said in a Rose Garden ceremony, "one that recognizes the centrality of space to America's national security and defense."

He said Space Command, headed by a four-star Air Force general, will "ensure that America's superiority in space is never questioned and never threatened."

But there's still no Space Force.

Space Force, which has become a reliable applause line for Trump at his campaign rallies, has yet to win final approval by Congress.

The renewed focus on space as a military domain reflects concern about the vulnerability of U.S. satellites, both military and commercial, that are critical to U.S. interests and are potentially susceptible to disruption by Chinese and Russian anti-satellite

STAR WARS President Donald Trump watches with Vice President Mike Pence and Defense Secretary Mark Esper as the flag for U.S. space Command is unfurled as Trump announces the establishment of the U.S. Space Command in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.

Associated Press

weapons. The role of the new Space Command is to conduct operations such as enabling satellite-based

navigation and communications for troops and commanders in the field and providing warning of mis-

sile launches abroad. That is different from a Space Force, which would be a distinct military service like

the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Continued on Next Page

A2 UP

Friday 30 August 2019

FRONT

New challenge heard to Trump's emergency for border wall EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Legal groups are mounting another challenge to President Donald Trump's use of Pentagon funding for a border wall one month after the Supreme Court ruled in Trump's favor.

A judge heard arguments Thursday in El Paso, Texas, over a lawsuit filed by the local county government and an immigrant advocacy group, the Border Network for Human Rights.

U.S. District Judge David Briones didn't immediately rule on a request for a pre-

liminary injunction.

Kristy Parker, a lawyer for the legal group Protect Democracy Project, says the lawsuit makes broader arguments than the case presented to the Supreme Court.

The Justice Department argues Trump's declaration of a national emergency to fund the wall cannot be reviewed by any judge. The department declined comment Thursday.

Crews in Arizona and New Mexico are currently building sections of barriers.q

Defense Mark Esper holds a document he sign to establish the U.S. Space Command with Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, left, President Donald Trump, third from left, and Vice President Mike Pence, right, during an event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Washington.

Associated Press Continued from Front

Congress has inched toward approving the creation of a Space Force despite skepticism from some lawmakers of both parties.

The House and Senate bills differ on some points, and an effort to reconcile the two will begin after Congress returns from its August recess.

When Jim Mattis was defense secretary, the Pentagon was hesitant to embrace the idea of a Space Force. Trump's first Pentagon chief initially saw it as potentially redundant and not the best use of defense dollars. His successor, Mark Esper, has cast himself as a strong supporter of creating both a Space Force and a command dedicated to space.

"To ensure the protection of America's interests in space, we must apply the necessary focus, energy and resources to the task, and that is exactly what Space Command will do," Esper said Wednesday.

"As a unified combatant command, the United States Space Command is the next crucial step toward the creation of an independent Space Force as an additional armed service," he added.

Kaitlyn Johnson, a defense space expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said she considers it likely, but not

certain, that Congress will approve a Space Force in the 2020 defense bill.

The people in Space Force would be assigned to missions directed by Space Command, just as members of the Army and other services are assigned to an organization like U.S. Strategic Command.

Like other branches of the military, Space Force would be headed by a four-star general who would have a seat at the table with the other Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump wanted Space Force to be "separate but equal" to the other services, but instead it is expected to be made part of the Air Force, similar to how the Marine Corps is part of the Navy.

Reestablishing Space Command has been a less politically contentious matter.

There is a consensus that it is the most straightforward step among those proposed to shore up space defenses.

"This step puts us on a path to maintain a competitive advantage," Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a National Space Council meeting last week. He also endorsed creating Space Force, saying it would make a "profound difference."

Initially, the opening of Space Command will have little practical effect on how the military handles its

space responsibilities. Air Force Space Command currently deals with more than three-quarters of the military space mission, and it is expected to only gradually hand off those duties to the new command.

Johnson, the CSIS expert, said the attention to space during the Trump administration has led some to exaggerate the scope of change reflected in the moves to create Space Command and Space Force. These moves, she said, "seem very flashy and fun" but are not.

"It's really just a reorganization of functions that are already happening within the military," she said.

Air Force Gen. John "Jay" Raymond will serve as the first commander of U.S. Space Command.

He currently heads Air Force Space Command.

At his Senate confirmation hearing June 4, Raymond made the case for changing the way the military approaches its space mission.

"Unfortunately, our adversaries have had a front row seat into our many successes and have seen the advantages that they provide us," he said. "And to be honest, they don't like what they see. And they're rapidly developing capabilities to negate our use of space and to negate the advantage that space provides."q

U.S. NEWS A3

Friday 30 August 2019

Deaths caused by drivers running red lights at 10-year high DETROIT (AP) — The number of people killed by drivers running red lights has hit a 10-year high, and AAA is urging drivers and pedestrians to use caution at traffic signals.

In 2017, the latest figures available, 939 people were killed by vehicles blowing through red lights, according to a AAA study of government crash data.

It's the highest death toll since 2008 and 28% higher than in 2012.

AAA says two people are killed every day in the U.S. by drivers who don't stop for the signals.

"Drivers who decide to run a red light when they could have stopped safely are making a reckless choice that puts other road users in danger," David Yang, executive director of AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety, said Thursday.

AAA isn't sure why the numbers are on the rise or why they have increased at a

far higher rate than overall U.S. roadway deaths. Since 2012 the overall number of highway fatalities rose 10%, far short of the 28% increase in red-light running deaths.

There are more people driving more miles since the Great Recession, but that doesn't explain why redlight deaths are increasing at a faster rate, said Brian Tefft, senior researcher for the AAA Foundation. He said he suspects distracted driving played a role, as did traffic lights that weren't timed optimally, perhaps with a yellow caution cycle that's too short.

"I wish we had a better answer than we do," he said, adding that the answer was beyond the scope of the data in the study of fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In its analysis, AAA also found that 28% of crash deaths at intersections with signals happened because

a driver ran a red light.

The automobile club recommends that governments increase use of red light cameras directly supervised by authorities in order to boost enforcement where needed and not to raise revenue.

It also says drivers should prepare to stop as they are entering an intersection and tap their brakes while approaching a light to warn other drivers of a possible stop. AAA also recommends waiting a second after a light changes to green before proceeding, and checking to make sure crossing traffic has stopped.

For pedestrians and cyclists, AAA recommends taking a few seconds to make sure traffic has stopped before crossing a street. It also says to be visible, make eye contact with drivers and stay alert by not wearing headphones while walking or riding.q

In this March 30, 2018, file photo, a motorist waits at a traffic light while the waxing full moon rises in the distance in Overland Park, Kan. Associated Press

A4 U.S.

Friday 30 August 2019

NEWS

EPA moves to revoke rules on oil industry methane leaks

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration moved Thursday to revoke regulations on methane leaks from oil facilities, a proposal environmental advocates said would renounce key federal authority to regulate the climatedamaging gas.

The proposed rule follows President Donald Trump's directions to remove "unnecessary and duplicative regulatory burdens from the oil and gas industry," Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement.

Exxon Mobil and some other oil giants — wary of blowback from growing public concern over global warming — joined environmental groups in urging the Trump administration to drop the rollback on methane controls, although several state-level and national industry groups welcomed the easing.

The step would be the latest in a series unwinding the Obama administration's ef-

In this April 24, 2015, file photo, pumpjacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M. Oil industry and environmental groups say they expect the Environmental Protection Agency to release a proposed rule over the next few days that will roll back requirements on detecting and plugging methane leaks at oil and gas facilities.

Associated Press

forts to cut climate-changing emissions from the oil, gas and coal industries, including a 2016 rule regulating oil-industry methane leaks as a pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act.

Trump has pushed to open vast expanses of U.S. wilderness and coastline to oil and gas drilling, speed construction of petroleum pipelines and ease regulations on the industry, dis-

missing calls from scientists in and out of government for rapid cuts in oil, gas and coal emissions to stave off the worst of climate change.

Asked about global warming this week, Trump only lauded the United States' "tremendous wealth." ''The wealth is under its feet," he said, praising oil and gas production.

Methane, the main component of natural gas, frequently leaks or is intentionally released during drilling operations. It traps far more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, doing 25 times the damage over the long term despite surviving for less time, according to the EPA. The oil and gas industry is the nation's primary source of methane emissions, according to the EPA, accounting for nearly onethird in 2016.

Under Trump, both the Interior Department and the EPA have proposed a series of rules — some blocked by courts — to loosen regulation of methane emissions.

President Barack Obama's administration had cited legal authority under the Clean Air Act to require companies to detect and

stop methane leaks at oil and gas sites. The Trump administration contends that Obama's EPA skipped required legal steps in making that decision, and its proposal Thursday seeks public comment on the issue.

"Essentially, this is the umpteenth iteration of the EPA's exercise to define away its Clean Air Act authority ... to address air pollution and greenhouse gases," said Joseph Goffman, an EPA air official under Obama.

Methane levels globally have risen to historic highs, and the oil industry's U.S. shale gas boom has been the single largest driver of that, said Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology at Cornell University.

"The increase in methane has contributed significantly to the accelerated global warming and climate disruption the Earth has experienced in recent years," Howarth said in an email.

While environmental groups pointed to the longterm regulatory impact on methane overall, the oil industry said the direct immediate effect for methane emissions would be negligible.

Controls on other, regulated pollutants would also capture methane before it leaks from pipelines, said Erik Milito of the American Petroleum Institute.

The Obama-era requirements to find and fix methane leaks imposed "a disproportionate effect on small businesses" in the oil industry, Milito said. "A lot of mom and pops would have their wells shut in, elderly people with wells on their properties that could be shut down" under the rules to be rescinded.

But the rollbacks on emissions from oilfields, storage sites and pipelines have split the oil industry, worrying some in the industry about growing blowback in a world increasingly mindful of climate change.

Some oil majors this year urged the administration to crack down — not ease up — on the emissions.

They repeated that request Thursday.q

U.S. NEWS A5

Friday 30 August 2019

$

10

Watchdog: Comey violated FBI policies in handling of memos

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Director James Comey violated FBI policies in his handling of memos documenting private conversations with President Donald Trump, the Justice Department's inspector general said Thursday.

The watchdog office said Comey broke bureau rules by giving one memo containing unclassified information to a friend with instructions to share the contents with a reporter. Comey also failed to return his memos to the FBI after he was dismissed in May 2017, retaining copies of some of them in a safe at home, and shared them with his personal lawyers without permission from the FBI, the report said.

"By not safeguarding sensitive information obtained during the course of his FBI employment, and by using it to create public pressure for official action, Comey set a dangerous example for the over 35,000 current FBI employees — and the many thousands more former FBI employees — who similarly have access to or knowledge of non-public information," the report said.

The report is the second in as many years to criticize Comey's actions as FBI director, following a separate inspector general rebuke for decisions made during the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. It is one of multiple inspector general investigations undertaken in the last three years into the decisions and actions of Comey and other senior FBI leaders.

Trump, who has long re-

garded Comey as one of his principal antagonists in a law enforcement community he sees as biased against him, cheered the conclusions on Twitter. He wrote: "Perhaps never in the history of our Country has someone been more thoroughly disgraced and excoriated than James Comey in the just released Inspector General's Report.

He should be ashamed of himself!"

The White House in a separate statement called Comey a "proven liar and leaker."

But the report denied Trump and his supporters, who have repeatedly accused Comey of leaking classified information, total vindication. It found that none of the information shared by him or his attorneys with anyone in the media was classified. The Justice Department has declined to prosecute Comey.

Comey seized on that point in defending himself on Twitter, saying, "I don't need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a 'sorry we lied about you' would be nice."

He also added: "And to all those who've spent two years talking about me 'going to jail' or being a 'liar and a leaker' — ask yourselves why you still trust people who gave you bad info for so long, including the president."

At issue in the report are seven memos Comey wrote between January 2017 and April 2017 about conversations with Trump that he found unnerving or unusual.

These include a Trump Tower briefing at which Comey advised the president-elect

that there was salacious and unverified information about his ties to Moscow circulating in Washington; a dinner at which Comey says Trump asked him for loyalty and an Oval Office meeting weeks later at which Comey says the president asked him to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

One week after he was fired, Comey provided a copy of the memo about Flynn to Dan Richman, his personal lawyer and a close friend, and instructed him to share the contents with a specific reporter from The New York Times.

Comey has said he wanted to make details of that conversation public to prompt the appointment of a special counsel to lead the FBI's investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel one day after the story broke.

The inspector general's office found Comey's rationale lacking.

"In a country built on the rule of law, it is of utmost importance that all FBI employees adhere to Department and FBI policies, particularly when confronted by what appear to be extraordinary circumstances or compelling personal convictions.

Comey had several other lawful options available to him to advocate for the appointment of a Special Counsel, which he told us was his goal in making the disclosure," the report says.

"What was not permitted was the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive investigative information, obtained during the course of

In this Dec. 17, 2018, file photo, former FBI Director James Comey speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill Washington.

Associated Press

FBI employment, in order to achieve a personally desired outcome," it adds.

After Comey's firing, the FBI determined that four of the memos contained information classified at either the "secret" or "confidential" level. The memo about the Flynn interaction that Comey sent to Richman did not contain any classified information, the report said.

Comey said he considered his memos to be personal rather than government documents, and that it never would've occurred to him to give them back to the FBI after he was fired.

The inspector general's office disagreed, citing policy that FBI employees must give up all documents containing FBI information once they leave the bureau.q

A6 U.S.

Friday 30 August 2019

NEWS

'A big deal': Florida braces for Hurricane Dorian Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Florida residents picked the shelves clean of bottled water and lined up at gas stations Thursday as an increasingly menacing-looking Hurricane Dorian threatened to broadside the state over Labor Day weekend.

Leaving lighter-than-expected damage in its wake in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the second hurricane of the 2019 season swirled toward the U.S., with forecasters warning it will draw energy from the warm, open waters as it closes in.

The National Hurricane Center said the Category 1 storm is expected to strengthen into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 with winds of 130 mph (209 kph) and slam into the U.S. on Monday somewhere between the Florida Keys and southern Georgia — a 500-mile stretch that reflected the high degree of uncertainty this far out.

"If it makes landfall as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, that's a big deal," said University of Miami hurricane

Store shelves are empty of bottled water as residents buy supplies in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, in Doral, Fla., Thursday, July 29, 2019.

Associated Press

researcher Brian McNoldy.

"A lot of people are going to be affected. A lot of insurance claims."

President Donald Trump canceled his weekend trip to Poland and declared Florida is "going to be to-

tally ready."

With the storm's track still unclear, no immediate mass evacuations were ordered.

Along Florida's east coast, local governments began distributing sandbags,

shoppers rushed to stock up on food, plywood and other emergency supplies at supermarkets and hardware stores, and motorists topped off their tanks and filled gasoline cans. Some fuel shortages were reported in the Cape Canaveral area.

Josefine Larrauri, a retired translator, went to a Publix supermarket in Miami only to find empty shelves in the water section and store employees unsure of when more cases would arrive.

"I feel helpless because the whole coast is threatened," she said. "What's the use of going all the way to Georgia if it can land there?"

Tiffany Miranda of Miami Springs waited well over 30 minutes in line at BJ's Wholesale Club in Hialeah to buy hurricane supplies. Some 50 vehicles were bumperto-bumper, waiting to fill up at the store's 12 gas pumps.

"You never know with these hurricanes. It could be good, it could be bad. You just have to be prepared," she said.

As of Thursday evening, Dorian was centered about 330 miles (535 kilometers) east of the Bahamas, its winds blowing at 85 mph (140 kph) as it moved northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).

It is expected to pick up steam as it pushes out into warm waters with favorable winds, the University of Miami's McNoldy said, adding: "Starting tomorrow, it really has no obstacles left in its way."

The National Hurricane Center's projected track had the storm blowing ashore midway along the Florida peninsula, southeast of Orlando and well north of Miami or Fort Lauderdale. But because of the difficulty of predicting its course this far ahead, the "cone of uncertainty" covered nearly the entire state.

Forecasters said coastal areas of the Southeast could get 5 to 10 inches of rain, with 15 inches in some places, triggering lifethreatening flash floods.

Also imperiled were the Bahamas, with Dorian's expected track running just to the north of Great Abaco and Grand Bahama islands.

Jeff Byard, an associate administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, warned that Dorian is likely to "create a lot of havoc with infrastructure, power and roads," but gave assurances FEMA is prepared to handle it, even though the Trump administration is shifting hundreds of millions of dollars from FEMA and other agencies to deal with immigration at the Mexican border.

"This is going to be a big storm. We're prepared for a big response," Byard said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, clearing the way to bring in more fuel and call out the National Guard if necessary, and Georgia's governor followed suit.

Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian began rerouting their cruise ships.

Major airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without a fee.

At the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, NASA decided to move indoors the mobile launch platform for its new mega rocket under development.q

U.S. NEWS A7

Friday 30 August 2019

Alabama governor apologies for wearing blackface in college

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey apologized Thursday for wearing blackface decades ago, becoming the latest politician to face scrutiny over racially insensitive photos and actions from their university days.

Ivey, 74, issued the apology after a 1967 radio interview surfaced in which her now-ex-husband describes her actions at Auburn University, where she was vice president of the student government association.

"I offer my heartfelt apologies for the pain and embarrassment this causes, and I will do all I can - going forward - to help show the nation that the Alabama of today is a far cry from the Alabama of the 1960s," Ivey said.

Ivey released a recording of the college radio interview she and then-fiance Ben LaRavia gave. In the interview, LaRavia describes Ivey as wearing coveralls and "black paint all over her face" while pretending to search for used cigars on the ground in a skit at the Baptist Student Union party.

The skit was called "Cigar Butts."

Ivey and LaRavia were married for a short time and later divorced.

Ivey said Thursday that she did not remember the skit, but "will not deny what is the obvious."

"As such, I fully acknowledge - with genuine remorse - my participation in a skit like that back when I was a senior in college."

"While some may attempt to excuse this as acceptable behavior for a college student during the mid1960s, that is not who I am today, and it is not what my Administration represents all these years later."

Ivey is the latest politician to face scrutiny over wearing blackface decades ago.

A racist photo in the medical school yearbook of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam led to calls for his resignation. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring also acknowledged wearing blackface in college.

Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, who is African American, said he appreciated Ivey "owning" the incident and apologizing for it.

"While I think this is something that is disturbing in the African American commu-

Judge ends case against Epstein, with a nod to the accusers

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A judge formally ended the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, but not without a final tribute to the women who spoke out against the financier.

U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman took the procedural step of adding his initials to an order dismissing the indictment that charged the 66-year-old Epstein with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking of minors in the early 2000s in Florida and New York.

In requesting the action 10 days earlier, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman, who is not related to the judge, noted that the law required the dismissal after Epstein killed himself in jail Aug. 10 while he was awaiting trial.

Though anticipated, Berman's action included a reference to a Tuesday court hearing where 16 women spoke about their claims against Epstein of sexual abuse, some committed when they were under the age of consent.

Statements by several other women were read by their lawyers.q

nity, for someone to make a mockery of us and our culture, I appreciate her for at least owning it and coming out publically with it," Singleton said. He said Ivey called him Thursday morning to personally apologize.

"I said to the governor, 'I think this is a teachable moment.'"

Ivey's press secretary, Gina Maiola said Auburn University brought the recording to the attention of the governor's office, which decided to release it publicly.

University officials discovered the interview while working on a project to digitize and archive old university records, Maiola said.

In February, when The As-

In this March 4, 2019 file photo Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey speaks at a news conference in Beauregard, Ala. Associated Press

sociated Press asked Ivey about her sorority sisters wearing blackface in her 1967 yearbook, she said she had never worn blackface and didn't recall ever participating in a racially insensitive event. Maiola said Thursday that the governor did not remember, and still does not remember, the skit described on the radio.

The 1967 yearbook photo shows five members with black masks portraying "minstrels" in a rush skit. Its caption reads, "Alpha Gam Minstrels welcome rushees aboard their showboat."

The photo is on the same page as a description of the sorority and the accomplishments of its members. q

A8 WORLD

Friday 30 August 2019

NEWS

Italy's bitter political foes unite in bid to foil Salvini

BY COLLEEN BARRY GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Days after stepping down, Italy's expremier accepted the role of premier-designate on Thursday in a bid to cobble together a new coalition of long-time political foes aimed at blocking a power grab by Matteo Salvini, the right-wing leader whose anti-migrant crackdowns and euroskeptic provocations have dominated Italian politics for more than a year.

But even if Giuseppe Conte, a 55-year-old law professor whose political career spans 14 months at the helm of a mostly squabbling populist coalition, succeeds in building a new majority between the grass-roots 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party, political analysts warn it may not last.

"Weak leadership and significant intra-party cleavages ... will limit the shelflife" of any coalition government between the two parties, which were bitter

Designate premier Giuseppe Conte delivers his speech after a meeting with President Sergio Mattarella at Rome's Quirinale presidential palace, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.

Associated Press

enemies until just days ago, said Wolfango Piccoli, copresident of the Teneo consultancy.

Another government collapse would likely set the country back on course to new elections, which could play straight into the hands of Salvini, the leader of the right-wing, anti-migrant

League party.

Salvini, whose popularity soared as he grabbed the spotlight with hard-line policies blocking Italian ports to humanitarian rescue ships carrying migrants, is already crying foul, accusing the 5-Stars and the Democratic Party of engineering a plan to block his

ascent to power.

On Thursday, he called for a demonstration in Rome on Oct. 19 to protest any outcome that doesn't lead to fresh elections.

"We need to be heard against this theft of democracy," Salvini said in a Facebook direct video.

Salvini plunged Italy into

crisis when he withdrew support for Conte earlier this month in a bid to force new elections that he was convinced the League would win. Salvini was emboldened by his strong showing in this spring's European elections as well as local votes and political surveys that showed the League had nearly doubled its support since the 2018 elections, while that of the 5-Stars had fallen by half.

But Salvini didn't count on the former political foes closing ranks. And he is set to lose both his role as Italy's powerful interior minister in charge of migrant policy and his position as vice premier if a new government is installed. The 5-Star Movement and Democrats are an unlikely alliance. The two parties have long traded barbed insults and just last year, the Democratic Party refused to even consider talks with the 5-Star Movement after inconclusive March 2018 national elections that eventually led to the 5-Star coalition with the League.q

US, France to lead talks on a global digital tax PARIS (AP) — France and the United States agreed to take leading roles in talks aimed at reaching a deal on a global digital tax by mid-2020.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Thursday that both countries will be working in a task force with the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Le Maire will meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin next week in Washington.

Angel Gurria, OECD secretary general, said that about 130 countries are involved in the process.

France and the U.S. announced an agreement this week over a French tax on online giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook. France would

reimburse companies any excess taxes once an international deal is in place.

"No one can accept that companies make huge revenues in a country without being physically present there and therefore without paying taxes on that territory," Le Maire said.

"That's about justice and efficiency."

The 3% French tax, which primarily targets firms using consumer data to sell online advertising, has just entered into force. It had prompted threats from U.S. President Donald Trump about heavy tariffs on French wine.

Le Maire and Gurria said they hope to have draft agreement on the table by the end of the year so that a deal on the global tax can be reached in the first semester of 2020.q

WORLD NEWS A9

Friday 30 August 2019

Far-right party eyes big gains in German state elections

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BAUTZEN, Germany (AP) — As the sun sets over the medieval towers of Bautzen, crowds flock to the market square. Most are old, white men. A few wave German flags as they gather for a rally with leaders of the farright Alternative for Germany party.

Supporters of the party, which hopes to make big gains Sunday in two state elections, are quick to blame Chancellor Angela Merkel and her center-right Christian Democratic Union for their region's woes.

"We need a change," retiree Volker Nowak said as he stood among some 500 followers of the party known as AfD. "It's only the old people left behind here ... We don't have any doctors, any nurses, any teachers, any tradesmen and also any youth." The CDU "ruined everything."

The votes in Saxony — which includes Bautzen, a hilltop town of 40,000, and neighboring Brandenburg — threaten to deliver another blow to Germany's traditional big parties and further destabilize Merkel's national coalition government. Coming weeks before the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the elections are also likely to highlight the economic and social issues that still divide the country more than a generation after reunification.

The formerly communist east, and Saxony in particular, has become a stronghold for the 6-year-old AfD, which is eyeing a possible

In this Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019 photo, a crowd of people attend an election campaign rally of German Alternative for Germany, AfD, party for the Saxony state elections in Bautzen, Germany.

Associated Press

first-place finish in both states.

Many people in Germany's rural, eastern periphery feel left behind. Some never recovered from losing their jobs after the wall fell. Promises of equal living standards did not always become reality, and salaries in the east still lag behind those in the west.

Many young people left long ago.

The CDU has governed Saxony since reunification in 1990, first with an absolute majority and more recently with coalitions. Polls for a time showed it neckand-neck with the AfD, but recent surveys put it a few points ahead, with support around 30% — down from 39% five years ago. The AfD appears set to more than double its 9.7% score from

2014.

Neither Merkel's CDU nor the center-left Social Democrats — Merkel's partners in the tense national "grand coalition" — will form a coalition with the AfD. But the far-right party's strength could make forming new governments in both states difficult.

Saxony has been a hotbed of far-right groups. It is not only a bastion of the AfD, but also the state where the anti-migration group PEGIDA —Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West — rose to prominence with weekly protests in Dresden that brought tens of thousands of supporters into the streets at the height of the 2015 migration crisis.

Following a killing of a German man by a Syrian asy-

lum seeker last summer, the Saxon city of Chemnitz saw days of anti-foreigner riots by thousands of neo-Nazis and members of the AfD. "The AfD is offering something that the people in Saxony and in the east are missing in general: a sense of belonging and a sense of rebellion," said Johannes Staemmler, a political scientist from the Institute for Advanced Stability Studies in Potsdam.

There is also a strong sense of disillusionment, especially in villages where people feel that they don't "play a role" and that their own state government doesn't care about them anymore, Staemmler added.

Tapping into that mood, the AfD has put up election posters urging voters to "complete" the 1989 rebel-

lion against communist rule and proclaiming that "the east is rising up."

Saxony's 5.3% unemployment rate is only a little above the national rate of 5%, and below the east's average 6.3%. Its big cities, such as Dresden and Leipzig, have been widely renovated and attracted new companies. But rural regions have not yet recovered from de-industrialization three decades ago, when communist-era companies and agricultural collectives ceased to be competitive and tens of thousands of jobs were lost.

Older eastern voters in particular sometimes nourish nostalgic feelings about the past and are fearful of the future, particularly with an economic downturn looming in Germany and beyond. The AfD plays on those fears.

The AfD's leader in Saxony, Joerg Urban, pledged to the crowd in Bautzen that his party would improve rural infrastructure, achieve faster internet, improve cellphone reception, build new schools and attract more doctors. He also promised to hire more police and speed up deportations of rejected asylumseekers. Party members distributed flyers promoting increased border controls and a ban on the construction of mosques with minarets.

Bautzen has a relatively low proportion of foreigners, 4.6% compared with more than 11% nationally, a figure that encompasses everyone from European immigrants to war refugees.q

A10 WORLD

Friday 30 August 2019

NEWS

Satellite photos show burning Iran space center launch pad

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A rocket at an Iranian space center that was to conduct a satellite launch criticized by the U.S. apparently exploded on its launch pad Thursday, satellite images show, suggesting the Islamic Republic suffered its third failed launch this year alone.

State media and officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran's Semnan province.

However, satellite images

by Planet Labs Inc. showed a black plume of smoke rising above a launch pad there, with what appeared to be the charred remains of a rocket and its launch stand. In previous days, satellite images had shown officials there repainted the launch pad blue.

On Thursday morning, half of that paint apparently had been burned away.

"Whatever happened there, it blew up and you're looking at the smoldering remains of what used to be there," said David Schmer-

This satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows a fire at a rocket launch pad at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran's Semnan province, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.

Associated Press

ler, a senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Schmerler told The Associated Press that the images of the space center suggested that the rocket ei-

ther exploded during ignition or possibly briefly lifted off before crashing back down on the pad. Water runoff from the pad, likely from trying to extinguish the blaze, could be seen along with a host of vehicles

parked nearby.

NPR first reported on the satellite images of the apparent failed launch at the space center, some 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran.

Iranian satellite launches had been anticipated before the end of the year.

In July, Iran's Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi told the AP that Tehran planned three more launches this year, two for satellites that do remotesensing work and another that handles communications.

The Nahid-1 is reportedly the telecommunication satellite, which authorities plan to have in orbit for two-and-a-half months.

Nahid in Farsi means "Venus." The satellite, which had Iran's first foldable solar panels, was supposed to be in a low orbit around the Earth for some two-and-ahalf months.

The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Jahromi on Aug. 13 as saying that the Nahid-1 was ready to be delivered to Iran's Defense Ministry, signaling a launch date for the satellite likely loomed. Iran's National Week of Government, during which Tehran often inaugurates new projects, began Aug. 24.q

Syrian army presses on in Idlib province as death toll rises

This photo released Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 by the opposition Syrian Civil Defense rescue group, shows a man looking at burning cars after airstrikes hit the northern town of Maaret alNuman, in Idlib province, Syria.

Associated Press

By ZEINA KARAM Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces pressed ahead with their military offensive in Idlib, seizing a cluster of villages on the

southeastern edges of the province on Thursday as the overall civilian death toll from the campaign rose further.

The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Me-

dia said troops captured three small villages in the area, as they continued their assault with the next target appearing to be the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan, which lies near the Damascus-Aleppo highway.

Last week, the troops captured the town of Khan Sheikhoun, which also sits on the highway.

Idlib is the Syrian opposition's final stronghold in the country, and President Bashar Assad's forces, backed by Russia, are determined to recapture it. For now, their main aim is to reopen the M5 highway and they have been pounding towns and villages that lie near that route. Opening the highway would cut the trip between the country's two largest cities by two hours.q

WORLD NEWS A11

Friday 30 August 2019

Duterte in China amid expectation he'll raise sea disputes Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte held talks Thursday with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in which the Southeast Asian leader was expected to discuss a ruling on the disputed South China Sea. The 2016 Hague arbitration ruling mostly invalidated China's claim to virtually the entire South China Sea and found that it violated the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. The row over the waters — a major global shipping route thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves — has for years marred China's relationship with the Philippines and other neighboring countries with rival territorial claims. Beijing has transformed a string of disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases.

Duterte, however, has largely avoided the subject in favor of seeking warmer ties with Beijing. Philippine nationalists and left-wing groups have criticized the president for not demanding Chinese compliance with the arbitration ruling, which came the same year Duterte took office.

Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago "Chito" Santa Romana told reporters Thursday that Duterte has mentioned the ruling to Xi several times, but not in a direct discussion as he planned to do this meeting.

Duterte "has exerted a lot of diplomatic capital to build a reservoir of goodwill and friendship with President Xi," Santa Romana said. "So he has decided that it's time to include in the diplomatic agenda and in the discussions sensitive issues that may have caused misunderstanding if it were brought up in the

past."

Santa Romana added that Duterte is in Beijing "to build bridges, not to burn bridges with China."

It's unlikely that Duterte's move will have any effect on China, said Jay Batongbacal, a maritime affairs scholar at the University of the Philippines.

"China's position will not change just because Duterte changes tune," Batongbacal said. "At best, Duterte might be seen as using the arbitration discussion as a move to leverage other concessions. At worst, it may be just for show."

At the start of Thursday's meeting, Xi said he was willing to work with Duterte to "grasp the current situation" from a long-term, strategic perspective.

"This will not only benefit our two countries and our peoples, but also will provide positive energy to the region," Xi said.

Neither leader mentioned the South China Sea in their introductory remarks in the presence of reporters.

China refused to participate in the arbitration case initiated by Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, and has ignored the ruling. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said last week that the country's stance has not changed.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana asked Beijing this month to explain the activities of Chinese research vessels and warships in what the Philippines claims as its waters, and accused China of "bullying."

Lorenzana said China did not ask for permission to send several warships through the Sibutu Strait at the southern tip of the Philippine archipelago on four occasions between February and July. He said

two Chinese research ships have also been operating in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, Philippine military spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo accused China of "duplicity," saying the Chinese warships shut off their identification transponders while passing through Philippine waters to avoid radar detection.

China has said it is ready to work with the Philippines to jointly safeguard maritime security and order. q

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, second from left, speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.

Associated Press

A12 WORLD

Friday 30 August 2019

NEWS

Colombia FARC negotiators say they are taking up arms again

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The top peace negotiator for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia announced Thursday that he and a cadre of hardline supporters are taking up arms again, accusing President Iván Duque of failing to uphold the accord that sought to end a half century of bloody fighting.

In a video published before dawn, Luciano Marin appeared alongside some 20 heavily armed guerrillas dressed in camouflaged fatigues condemning the conservative Duque for standing by idly as hundreds of leftist activists and 150 rebels that have been killed since demobilizing as part of the peace deal.

"When we signed the accord in Havana we did so with the conviction that it was possible to change the life of the most humble and dispossessed," said Marin, better known by his alias Iván Márquez, in the more than 30 minute video. "But the state hasn't fulfilled its most important obligation,

In this June 12, 2019 file photo, former FARC rebel Seuxis Hernandez, also known as Jesus Santrich, flashes a victory sign at journalists as he attends a session of the Chamber of Representatives at the Colombian congress in Bogota, Colombia.

Associated Press

which is to guarantee the life of its citizens and especially avoid assassinations for political reasons."

In the video, Marin, speaking from what he said were Colombia's eastern jungles in the Amazon rainforest, stood alongside several

former FARC leaders, including ideologue Seuxis Hernández, alias Jesús Santrich, who abandoned the peace process after the U.S. ordered his arrest on drug charges.

The decision to return to arms angered many Co-

lombians, many of whom believe the FARC benefited from a sweetheart deal.

Patricia Linares, head of the special peace tribunal investigating the FARC's crimes, indicated that magistrates would move quickly to strip the desert-

ing rebels of benefits under the peace deal. Under the accord, rebels who confess their involvement in war crimes like the extortive kidnappings of civilians and recruitment of child soldiers will be spared jail time and protected from extradition to the U.S., which has charged the FARC's top leadership with cocaine trafficking.

"Whoever rearms will be expelled," Linares said.

It's unclear how the decision by Marin to rearm will affect Colombia's delicate security balance. Around 90% of the 7,000 rebels who handed over their weapons to United Nations observers in 2016 continue to live up to their commitments under the peace deal.

But a group of dissident FARC commanders never demobilized and have seen their ranks swell to around 2,500 fighters through recruitment. They continue to terrorize far-flung parts of the country and along Colombia's borders with Venezuela and Ecuador, profiting from drug trafficking and other crimes.q

Haitian president pledges to outlast troubles

Haiti's President Jovenel Moise pauses during an interview in his office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.

Associated Press

By CHRISTOPHER GILLETTE Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti's president says he will serve out his term despite rising violence, poor economic performance and months of protests over unresolved allegations of corruption in his predecessor's administration.

President Jovenel Moise pledged in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday to respect the findings of a commission investigating the corruption allegations.

"It takes a lot of courage to stay in power, but I am pledging to you to have the courage to continue

moving forward," Moise said, saying he would resist pressure to resign.

Moise was named in two reports resulting from a corruption investigation by judicial authorities into the spending of funds from Petrocaribe, a Venezuelan government program that provided subsidized oil to Caribbean nations. Protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets in recent months in demonstrations prompted by the findings of widespread fraud in government contracts awarded to contractors to build roads, buildings and administer social programs.

Moise was described as receiving potentially improper payments as a private contractor to build a road in northern Haiti before he became president.

The audits revealed millions of dollars of aid money siphoned off by contractors

for shoddy and substandard work, like an overpass built over busy Delmas avenue that cost more than $30 million, but should have cost around $2 million.

Once revealed, the extent of the corruption sparked widespread protests and street violence, and calls for Moise to step down.

Moise has refused to resign, though he promised to criminally charge anyone found by the audit board to have stolen funds from the government.

"Of course we must know the truth and the truth about this investigation must be released. That is very important. The investigation must reveal the truth so that justice can be served and the guilty jailed. Those who misspent the government's money, they should be arrested and locked up," Moise said Wednesday.

The protests, economic downturn and increasing insecurity and gang-related crime have made Moise's political future uncertain despite his determination to stay in power.

Moise said he was not concerned about more allegations of his involvement in potentially improper contracting, saying: "The judicial audit does not involve the executive branch. This is a concern of the judicial branch."

The president insisted that Haiti must move beyond the crisis and let the judicial process play out.

"We must go beyond talking about the survival of the government, because political stability in Haiti is the most important thing for us," he said. "If the opposition wants power they must participate in democratic elections and win the vote of the people."q

A13

Friday 30 August 2019

Joost Meijs officially took over the CEO position at Aruba Airport Authority N.V. for the development of management and the organization, maintaining contacts with external stakeholders, and will oversee the airport’s redevelopment, as it starts a significant 5-year capital investment and construction program with a value of 300 million USD. “I am ready to start this new journey with a lot of enthusiasm and determination to concretize what the entire team has visualized during

ORANJESTAD – After the announcement back in March 2019 by Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) that its CEO Mr. James Fazio has decided to pursue other career opportunities, it was later announced in April 2019 that Mr. Joost Meijs, ex-CEO of Eindhoven Airport, will take over the responsibilities of Mr. Fazio as the new AAA CEO. In the presence of his Excellency Governor of Aruba Mr. Alfonso Boekhoudt, her Excellency Prime Minister of Aruba Mrs. Evelyn Wever Croes, his Excellency Minister of Tourism Mr. Dangui Oduber, his Excellency Minister of Justice Mr. Andin Bikker, Chairperson of the Board of Supervisory Directors Mrs. Marion Kan together with other airport stakeholders and partners, the outgoing AAA CEO Mr. James Fazio symbolically handed over the vital airport position over to incoming AAA CEO Mr. Joost Meijs with a construction hard hat, safety vest and shovel.

“The airport is transitioning

from the planning to the construction phase of the Gateway 2030 project and I’m excited to hand over the CEO position to Mr. Meijs who will now lead, guide and motivate the entire team to reach the airport’s expansion goal. I am convinced that the tourism and aviation partners and stakeholders will provide Mr. Meijs with the same heartfelt guidance and trust that was given to me.

My five years at Aruba Airport couldn’t have been this successful without that support that I’m sure Mr. Meijs will also receive. I want to emphasize that I very much enjoyed my time in Aruba and I feel honored to have been trusted to lead Aruba’s national airport for the past 5 years,” said Mr. Fazio during his farewell speech.

All Excellences present expressed their gratitude for Mr. Fazio’s efforts and at the same time wished Mr. Meijs the best of luck in the years ahead leading the airport team to the next milestones, as Mr. Meijs will be responsible

the initial stages of the Gateway 2030 project.

I thank Mr. Fazio for his guidance provided to the airport team the last 5 years and it is now my commitment to ensure that

we cross the Gateway 2030 finish line with an airport we can all be very proud of, “ said Mr. Meijs during his first speech to all airport partners and stakeholders as the new AAA CEO. q

A14 LOCAL

Friday 30 August 2019

Catch & Release @ Pure Ocean

Pampering Package “The setting is in a super-relaxed lounge area style with live music from a saxophonist, violin player and percussion player all playing separately in combination with the DJ to build that chill-out vibe,” Chantal explains.

The cool combination of top shelf beverages, quality cigars, champagne, white & red wine, and food items like risotto with carving steak make your Friday night an experience. You can sit, stand, talk to the vendors behind their stands about the drinks and cigars or just gaze over the ocean and enjoy the moment of peace. “This is a gentleman’s club feeling, the dress code is business casual because we get people who come straight from work to chill out. We have allocated an area to the left of Pure Ocean restaurant that feels like you are on your own Tropical Island.” The scenery on its own is satisfying enough, but with this pampering package Pure Ocean indeed makes Life Tasty!

Reservations are not required, but seating is limited! This is a nice, intimate happening for adults only. Don’t miss it, you will not regret.q

‘There is a place I go to where no one knows me. It is a necessary thing’ the lyrics of Matt Simons’ song apply to The Sense, Taste Life event that is on tonight at restaurant Pure Ocean. In a nutshell this happening, from 6 to 10 PM, is where you get to catch a top shelf drink, a superb cigar, taste unlimited morsels for only $30. If this already sounds like a great deal, then check out the setting: on the beach outside of the buzz in a lounge-style décor. Release here from your work or active vacation day and indulge in your senses.

Chantal Beke, F&B Manager of the Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort sums up the impressive list of top beverages that are offered: Remy Martin VSOP, Bumbu Rum, Glenrothes Scotch, Diplomatico Rum, Diplomatico Single Vintage, selected red wines Linda Flor Malbec, Durugutti HD, Rutini Blend, Coastal Chardonnay, Evan Williams Bourbon and Rye and Cremant de Bourgogne Champagne. There are two types of cigars: Don Lucas or Padron with Natural or Maduro wrapper, giving you a 20-30 minutes delicious smoke. In case you would like to try different cigars outside of the package you can choose from a wide offering with Gurkha or Arturo Fuentes cigars from the Dominican Republic or Rocky Patels from Florida.

Pure Ocean Restaurant Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort J.E. IrausquinBlvd 75, Oranjestad, Aruba T: +297 586 6066 Pure Ocean ext. 7002 www.diviresorts.com

Honoring of a Loyal and Friendly family at Divi Phoenix Resort EAGLE BEACH — Recently, Marouska of the Aruba Tourism Authority had the great pleasure to honor Aruba’s loyal and friendly family as Goodwill Ambassadors of Aruba. The symbolic certificate is presented on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, as a token of appreciation to the guests who visit Aruba 20 years and more consecutively.

The honorees were Karina and Luis Patalano together with their daughter Lucia Patalano. The Patalano’s stated that they love the island very much, especially for the friendly people, great weather and very relaxing atmosphere.

De Cuba together with the representatives of Divi Phoenix Resort presented the certificates to the honorees, handed over some presents and also thanked them for choosing Aruba as their favorite vacation destination and as their home away from home.q

LOCAL A15

Friday 30 August 2019

GM Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort Gerrit Griffith says goodbye

PALM BEACH — 43 years he had been working for Divi Resorts and the last seven he was the General Manager of Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort. Gerrit Griffith left a footprint at the Divi and last Wednesday was his goodbye reception. With a full house of Divi associates it was evident that Mr. Griffith is in the heart of the Divi employees.

Managing director Alex Niemeyer thanked Griffith for his years of dedication and service to the Divi family followed by a video showing messages from the colleagues expressing their love for the newly retired GM. Griffith said that all employees matter within the Divi family and that you only need to grasp that one chance to make your way up. “So give your best every day and you can make it ending up as a manager or even General Manager.” He will miss the personal connection with his employees, but it is time for him to retire and be with his family. Pearl Lake will be his successor after holding the position of Rooms Manager for the past four years. q

A16 LOCAL

Friday 30 August 2019

POST ARUBA emits a new set of stamps “Medicinal Plants 2019”

ORANJESTAD — Today, Aruba Post Aruba N.V. will emit a new set of stamps called “Medicinal Plants 2019”.

The set consists of four (4) stamps namely 90c, 130c, 220c and 500c, for a total amount of Afl.9,40.

The first-day-envelope costs Afl. 11,15.

The stamps are designed

by Mr. Nigel Matthew and are printed by the Johan Enschedé Security Print.

90 cent - Oregano (Origanum vulgare) It is a culinary and medicinal herb from the mint, or Lamiaceae family.

It adds flavor, has a strong aroma, a warm pungent taste and it may have a number of health benefits.

The name of the herb comes from the Greek

words "oros," meaning mountain, and "ganos," meaning joy. It typically grows around 50 cm tall and has purple leaves around 2 to 3 cm in length.

Oregano is used for treating respiratory tract disorders, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, menstrual cramps, and urinary tract disorders. It is also used as a treatment for a number of skin conditions, such as acne and dandruff.

ache, cramps, arthritis, toothache, stress, common cold and sore throat.

It is high in antioxidants and also applied topically, to the skin, to help reduce swelling due to nerve or muscle pain.

It helps to speed and ease digestion and supports healthy cholesterol levels.

It can also limit the initiation of chronic inflammation and is also used as flavorings for foods.

130 cent - Menta (Mentha spicata) Menta is a calming and soothing herb to be aid with upset stomach or indigestion.

Some people use spearmint to help alleviate symptoms of nausea, indigestion, gas, headache, fatigue, tooth-

220 cent - Senneblar (Senna alexandrina) The leaves of the senneblar are used in teas to help relieve constipation.

It's also used to help with weight loss.

The fruits are broadly oblong and horned. They are flat and compressed and

contain about six seeds.

The entire plant finds use in medicine in the dried and stripped form.

It helps very quickly if something toxic has been consumed and the powerful laxative effects can clear out your colon.

Aside from its laxative properties, it can also help to soothe inflammation for people suffering from hemorrhoids.

500 cent - Malohi (Cymbopogon) Malohi (Lemongrass) contains substances that are thought to relieve insomnia, stomach – and respiratory disorders, pain and swelling, reduce fever, improve levels of sugar and cholesterol in the blood, stimulate the uterus and menstrual flow, and have antioxidant properties. (It is

used as a natural remedy to heal wounds, help prevent infection and it manages type 2 diabetes and promotes healthy skin.

It is extensively used in aromatherapy and helps combat fatigue, anxiety, and body odor.

These stamps will be available at all the Post Office locations, namely in Oranjestad, San Nicolas and Sta. Cruz. Make sure that you have this set in your collection as the stock is limited.

For more information on the “Medicinal Plants 2019” issue, please contact the Philatelic Department at 528-7678 / main office located at J.E. Irausquinplein # 9, Oranjestad or visit their Facebook page: Aruba Stamps and Webpage: postaruba.com.

Honoring of Loyal and Friendly visitors at La Quinta Beach Resort EAGLE BEACH — Recently, Darline de Cuba of the Aruba Tourism Authority had the great pleasure to honor Aruba’s loyal and friendly visitors as Distinguished Visitors of Aruba. The symbolic Distinguished visitor certificate is presented on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, as a token of appreciation to the guests who visit Aruba 10 years and more consecutively.

The honoree was Mrs. Satera Pollastro, who has been coming to the island for 10 years consecutively.

Pollastro stated that she loves the island very much, especially for the year-round sunny weather, nice sandy beaches, its safety, the delicious variety of foods and Aruba’s warm and friendly people.

De Cuba together with the representatives of La Quinta Beach Resort presented the certificates to the honoree, handed over some presents and also thanked her for choosing Aruba as her favorite vacation destination and as her home away from home.q

A17

Friday 30 August 2019

TAYLOR MADE United States' head coach Gregg Popovich gestures during their exhibition basketball game against Australia in Melbourne, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019.

Associated Press

For Gregg Popovich, leading USA Basketball is a true calling

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer SHANGHAI (AP) — Even now, U.S coach Gregg Popovich remains a military man.

Nearly a half-century after his graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy, it hasn't been uncommon in recent San Antonio Spurs offseasons for Popovich to return for workouts on the wooded trails of that campus in Colorado. He'd be gasping thin air found at 7,700 feet above sea level, lungs heaving, mind racing.

As a student, he'd go there to think. As a graduate, he's done the same.

"What you learn there is to get over yourself," said Popovich, a five-time NBA champion coach with the Spurs. "It's not about you."

Continued on Page 23

Unseeded American stuns No. 4 Halep at U.S. Open Taylor Townsend, of the United States, reacts after defeating Simona Halep, of Romania, during the second round of the US Open tennis championships Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in New York.

Associated Press Page 18

A18 SPORTS

Friday 30 August 2019

Surprise! 23-year-old Townsend of U.S. upsets Halep at Open

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The pure, raw emotion from Taylor Townsend came through after she delivered one last crisp forehand volley to complete her U.S. Open upset of two-time major champion Simona Halep, then clenched her fists, raised her arms and yelled, "Yes! Yes!" before patting her heart.

And there it was again, moments later, when Townsend's voice cracked and tears began to flow as she told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, "I mean, this means a lot. It's been a long journey. Just haven't been able to get over the hump."

Make way for another young American woman making Grand Slam waves.

Townsend, a 23-year-old qualifier ranked 116th, pulled off the biggest victory over her up-and-down career with an entertaining, net-rushing, serve-andvolleying brand of lefty tennis Thursday, surprising former No. 1 Halep 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the second round at Flushing Meadows.

"I just told myself this is an opportunity," Townsend said. "It's a chance, and you have nothing to lose."

She was able to put aside the early deficit of a set.

And get over that she wasted a pair of match points, one via double-fault, while serving for the win at 5-4 in the third. And steady herself nearly 15 minutes later, when Halep, who won Wimbledon in July and was seeded No. 4 at the U.S. Open, was a single point from winning this thing her-

Taylor Townsend, of the United States, reacts after defeating Simona Halep, of Romania, during the second round of the US Open tennis championships Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in New York.

Associated Press

self at 6-5.

Townsend was marked for greatness long ago: She was the singles and doubles junior champion at the 2012 Australian Open, turned pro later that year at age 16, then cracked the top 100 in the rankings while still a teenager. But there have been plenty of ups and downs since, including a drop out of the WTA's top 300, a 9-16 record at Grand Slam tournaments and an 0-10 mark against top-10 foes.

In sum, Townsend never let up and never gave up — on Thursday, even though she knew full well she lost all six sets the two women had contested previously.

"When I've played her before, I was just trying to make balls (in). I think I played not to lose," Townsend said. "And today

I played to win."

How did she do it?

By moving forward at every opportunity, something so rarely seen these days on tour. She won the point on 64 of her 106 trips to the net; Halep went 6 for 10.

And Townsend serve-andvolleyed 61 times, Halep once.

It was an attention-grabbing result on a busy day at the year's last major tournament, with all but nine of Wednesday's scheduled singles matches carried over because of rain.

The weather was just right Thursday, and so result after result poured in, including Andrea Petkovic's 6-4, 6-4 elimination of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and, among the men, unseeded American Denis Kudla's 7-5, 7-5, 0-6, 6-3 win over No. 27 Du-

san Lajovic, and unseeded Briton Daniel Evans' 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 defeat of No. 25 Lucas Pouille.

Three-time U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal reached the third round when his opponent, Thanasi Kokkinakis, withdrew with an injured right shoulder.

Townsend now will try to get to the fourth round at a Slam for the first time. For all that time various folks spent fretting about how U.S. women's tennis will do once the Williams sisters move on, the group looks to be in pretty good shape at the moment.

Later Thursday, 15-year-old Coco Gauff, who grabbed a ton of attention by reaching Wimbledon's fourth round, was supposed to play for a shot to face defending champion Naomi Osaka next in New York.

Caty McNally, 17, pushed Serena Williams to three sets Wednesday. Sofia Kenin, 20, beat Williams at the French Open and is into the third round in New York.

At Roland Garros, Amanda Anisimova, 17, became the first player born in the 2000s to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. And there are 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, 26, and runner-up Madison Keys, 24.

"I give all the credit to the players, because it's a healthy competition," said U.S. Fed Cup captain and head of women's tennis Kathy Rinaldi. "They're all pushing each other on and off the court. And so it's really fun to watch. But in the meantime, I think they're very supportive of one another as well."

Osaka moved on earlier Thursday with a couple of famous fans in her courtside guest seats: Colin Kaepernick and Kobe Bryant.

The No. 1 seed beat Magda Linette 6-2, 6-4.

Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who three years ago began kneeling during the national anthem at his team's games, has been working out in the New York area in hopes of getting another shot in the NFL. Bryant, the retired NBA superstar, came to the U.S. Open to promote a new book.

Osaka said this was the first time she'd met Kaepernick; she shares a sponsor with Bryant. "It's just funny to me," Osaka said. "You know, like, last year compared to this year, there is no way, like, Kobe would sit in my box.

Yeah, Kaepernick, too."q

Bush saves penalty, Impact rally to beat Whitecaps 2-1

Montreal Impact midfielder Lassi Lappalainen, right, deflects a kick from Vancouver Whitecaps' Tosaint Ricketts during the second half of an MLS soccer match Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, in Montreal.

Associated Press

MONTREAL (AP) — Evan Bush made six saves, including one from the penalty spot, and the Montreal Impact rallied to beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Maximiliano Urruti scored and Montreal (11-14-4) got an own goal from Vancouver as it snapped a four-

game winless skid in MLS and moved into seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Yordy Reyna scored and missed a penalty for the last-place Whitecaps (6-149), who were all but eliminated from playoff contention. Maxime Crepeau made eight saves against his old club.

Both Vancouver and Montreal have five games remaining in the regular season. Bush stopped Reyna on a penalty that ended up being re-kicked after Bush and Tosaint Ricketts were guilty of encroachment. Reyna re-took the penalty and Bush shut the door a second time.q

SPORTS A19

Friday 30 August 2019

Blues goalie Jordan Binnington no longer flies under radar TORONTO (AP) — Jordan Binnington used to fly under the radar during his summer training.

But after a head-turning, seemingly-out-of-nowhere rookie season capped by a Stanley Cup victory, those days are long gone for the St. Louis Blues goalie.

"It happened quickly, but it's been great," he said from BioSteel, an annual pre-training camp showcase for NHL players and others. "It's been a long process to get here, too."

Binnington, drafted by St. Louis in the third round in 2011, started last season No. 4 of the depth chart.

He had a solitary game of NHL experience before finally getting his shot for a struggling Blues team.

He proceeded to go an eye-popping 24-5-1 with a .927 save percentage and a 1.89 goals-against average. St. Louis went from last place overall to the playoffs.

But that was only the beginning.

Binnington backstopped the Blues through four postseason rounds, getting past Winnipeg, Dallas and San Jose in the Western Conference. Then St. Louis downed the Boston Bruins on the road in Game 7 of the Cup final.

The 26-year-old has been a regular at BioSteel, but he never attracted the kind of attention usually reserved for Connor McDavid or Tyler Seguin until this summer.

Seguin saw something in the once no-name goalie at previous camps.

"He doesn't get nervous," said Seguin, whose Stars fell to the Blues in the second round. "He's always had that swag, no matter what."

Binnington spent his time toiling in the minors and appreciates good words from his workout partners. "(Seguin) was one of the first people to believe in me around here (and in) the hockey world," he said. "Going against elite athletes and elite players, that's what it's about."

He says there was a different vibe in the group this summer.

"New respect level, for sure," Binnington said. "Being back in Toronto, being on the streets, it's really cool talking to people and seeing the influence you had.

I'm really happy with where I'm at right now."

That includes a two-year contract worth $8.8 million he signed with Blues as a restricted free agent after having to settle for three straight one-season pacts.

"You've got to understand the process and keep building and let the money chase you," he said.

Malcolm Subban has known Binnington since they were 15 and shared the crease for Canada at the 2013 world junior hockey championship. The Vegas Golden Knights backup sensed Binnington had

this in him.

"He's always been one of the best, if not the best, goalie in every league he's played in. ... Eventually people will see it and it will show." Subban said.

That belief has helped Binnington maneuver through some difficult moments.

"There were down times," he said. "I realized my back was against the wall and I had to work. No one's going to do it for me and I've got to find my own way.

You've got to be bold because fortune favors the bold."

Binnington and the Blues will take no one by surprise this season. It's the kind of challenge Binnington has relished during a meteoric rise eight years in the making.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington trains at the 2019 BioSteel Pro Hockey Camp in Toronto, Monday, Aug. 26, 2019.

Associated Press

"It's not always going to be perfect," he said. "It's how you handle it. The toughest will succeed and last.

I'm not too worried about proving stuff to anyone besides myself. I expect the best."q

A20 SPORTS

Friday 30 August 2019

Phillies pound out 17 hits, rout Pirates 12-3

By The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — J.T. Realmuto had three hits, including a homer and a triple, Corey Dickerson also went deep and the Philadelphia Phillies got 17 hits in a 12-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Cesar Hernandez contributed three hits and three RBIs. Rhys Hoskins doubled, tripled and drove in a run to help the Phillies stay close in the NL wild-card race.

Every position player who started for the Phillies had at least one hit and RBI. Starling Marte homered and had three hits for Pittsburgh, and Josh Bell hit a two-run shot.

Pirates rookie Bryan Reynolds, who began the day leading the NL in batting, went 0 for 3 to snap his seven-game hitting streak and drop his average to .330.

Vince Velasquez (6-7) went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Mitch Keller (1-3), a 23-yearold rookie making his seventh career start, pitched into the fifth for Pittsburgh and gave up eight runs on 11 hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.

BREWERS 4, CARDINALS 1 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Keston Hiura homered and drove in three runs, Jordan Lyles turned in another strong start and Milwaukee snapped St. Louis' six-game winning streak.

The NL Central-leading Cardinals had won 15 of 18 and were trying for a threegame sweep. The Brewers ended a three-game skid.

Hiura hit a solo home run in the fourth, sending a 3-0 fastball from Flaherty into the left-field seats. Hiura added an RBI double in the eighth.

Lyles (9-8) struck out five of the first seven Cardinals he faced. He fanned nine in 5 1/3 innings. Josh Hader struck out three in two scoreless innings to earn his 26th save.

Jack Flaherty (8-7) allowed five hits and three runs, two earned, in six innings. He struck out seven, walked one and took the loss.

Philadelphia Phillies' Rhys Hoskins runs to third base after hitting a triple off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, in Philadelphia.

Associated Press

DODGERS 6, PADRES 4, 10 INNINGS SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kiké Hernández scored the tiebreaking run on shortstop Luis Urias' throwing error with two outs in the 10th inning and Los Angeles beat San Diego after Kenley Jansen blew his seventh save on a wild pitch in the ninth.

The Dodgers' magic number for clinching their seventh straight NL West title is down to nine. They took two of three from the Padres after losing two of three to the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium last weekend.

Kirby Yates (0-5) got two outs in the 10th before walking Hernández, who

stole second. Urias made a tough, short-hop pickup of a ball hit sharply by Russell Martin, but then overthrew first base for an error that allowed Hernández to score. A.J. Pollock added an RBI single.

The Dodgers took a 4-3 lead into the ninth and Jansen (4-3) was trying for his 28th save. But he allowed Francisco Mejia's leadoff double to left field that fell just in front of a sliding Chris Taylor. Mejia advanced on Urias' flyout to right and scored on Jansen's wild pitch.

Casey Sadler pitched the 10th for his first major league save.

CUBS 10, METS 7

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit one of Chicago's three homers against a stunned Noah Syndergaard, and the Cubs built an early nine-run lead before closer Craig Kimbrel held off New York in the ninth.

Nicholas Castellanos and Ian Happ also took Syndergaard (9-7) deep in the worst start of the 2016 AllStar's career. Syndergaard allowed 10 runs and three homers — both his most in the majors — and was pulled after three miserable innings.

Kimbrel entered with a three-run lead and let his first two batters reach in the ninth. He escaped a

dicey 3-0 count against red-hot Amed Rosario with a fielder's choice, struck out Juan Lagares and got Todd Frazier to fly out for his 12th save.

Chicago climbed within two games of the NL Central-leading Cardinals, who lost 4-1 to the Brewers.

New York has dropped five straight, all at home.

Kyle Ryan (4-2) got the win.

REDS 5, MARLINS 0 MIAMI (AP) — Aristides Aquino tied a National League rookie mark with his 13th home run this month, powering Anthony DeSclafani and Cincinnati Reds over Miami.

Eugenio Suarez hit his 38th homer, connecting in the fourth straight game for the Reds. Aquino hit a three-run shot in the first. The 24-yearold outfielder matched the NL homer mark for rookies in a month set by Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers in June 2017.

The major league rookie record for homers in a month is 18 by Rudy York of Detroit in August 1937. Aquino, who got one at-bat in the majors last year, also doubled as the Reds beat Miami for the third straight day. DeSclafani (9-7) had his longest outing of the season, throwing seven innings of two-hit ball. He struck out eight and walked one.

Sandy Alcantara (4-12) gave up four runs and six hits, struck out eight and walked one in six innings.

NATIONALS 8, ORIOLES 4 WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer struck out eight to reach the 200 mark for an eighth straight season, Kurt Suzuki homered and drove in four runs and Washington beat Baltimore.

Scherzer allowed two runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. Wander Suero (5-7) followed Scherzer as the National won for the sixth time in seven games.

The Nationals scored five runs on five hits in the first inning against Asher Wojciechowski (2-7).

Chance Sisco and Chris Davis homered for the Orioles, who settled for a split of the four-game season series.q

SPORTS A21

Friday 30 August 2019

Yankees bash 4 more HRs, sweep Mariners with 7-3 victory

By The Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Aaron Judge hit the 101st homer of his career, Gary Sanchez, DJ LeMahieu and Mike Ford also went deep, and New York completed a three-game sweep of Seattle.

Sanchez hit a towering two-run homer in the first.

Ford snapped a 2-2 tie with his sixth home run in the past 14 games, and Judge broke the game open with a two-run shot as part of New York's four-run fifth inning. LeMahieu added his 23rd of the season in the ninth.

James Paxton (11-6) gave up just one hit but was done after five innings due to control problems. Paxton issued a season-high five walks.

Seattle had just one hit until Tom Murphy doubled in the ninth.

Justus Sheffield (0-1) allowed six hits and struck out five.

RED SOX 7, ROCKIES 4 DENVER (AP) — Xander Bogaerts went deep twice as Boston extended its home run streak to 18 games in a win over Colorado.

It's the third-longest streak in franchise history. Boston's best run was 22 straight games with a homer in 2016.

The heart of the order powered the Red Sox as they finished a two-game sweep of Colorado. Rafael Devers, Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez went a combined 8 for 14 with four home runs. Bogaerts had a tworun homer in the fifth inning and a solo shot in the seventh. Martinez got things rolling with a two-run drive in the third, and Devers went deep in the ninth.

Eduardo Rodriguez (16-5) lasted five innings and allowed three runs.

Brandon Workman struck out the side for his ninth save.

Rockies rookie Peter Lambert (2-5) gave up five runs over 4 1/3 innings. He hasn't won since June 11.

BRAVES 9, BLUE JAYS 4 TORONTO (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit his 36th home run and drove in a pair of runs, Matt Joyce homered and had two RBIs and Atlanta beat Toronto.

Ronald Acuña Jr. added a two-run double as the

A fan holds a sign that reads "All Rise" as New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, left, greets Gary Sanchez (24) after Judge hit a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, in Seattle.

Associated Press

NL East-leading Braves snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Atlanta reliever Luke Jackson (8-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings to win his fifth straight decision.

Toronto's Brandon Drury hit an RBI groundout off Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz in the fourth and a second run scored on a passed ball. Randal Grichuk hit an RBI double in the fifth and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it a one-run game with a two-out RBI single off Jackson in the

sixth.

Jacob Waguespack (4-2) lost for the first time since July 26 against Tampa Bay, ending a five-start unbeaten streak. The rookie allowed five runs, three earned, and six hits in three innings, his shortest start of the season.

INDIANS 4, TIGERS 2 DETROIT (AP) — Jason Kipnis homered twice and Francisco Lindor also went deep to lift Cleveland to another win over Detroit.

Cleveland is 14-1 against the last-place Tigers this year, and that's a big rea-

son the Indians are firmly in the postseason hunt.

Aaron Civale (2-3) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking none. Brad Hand finished for his 32nd save in 37 chances.

Detroit starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed two runs in six innings, but Buck Farmer (5-5) allowed Lindor's one-out solo shot in the eighth, which bounced of the top of the wall and over in center field. That gave the Indians a 3-2 lead.

Dawel Lugo homered for Detroit.q

Gardenhire says he'd like to return, but that's up to Tigers

By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer DETROIT (AP) — Ron Gardenhire doesn't seem terribly stressed about his future.

The Detroit manager said Wednesday he'd like to return next season, but he'll understand whatever decision the Tigers make.

Gardenhire is in his second season at the helm, and it was obvious when he took over that the team would be facing a significant rebuild. Detroit went 64-98 last year and is on pace to lose well over 100 games in 2019.

"I go day to day, that's all

we ever do," Gardenhire said. "I have a contract for next year. If they want me to come back next year, that's fine. If they don't want me to come back next year, so be it."

The Tigers were 39-90 entering Wednesday night's game against Cleveland.

Gardenhire said the season has obviously been difficult — "my name's stamped on this thing" — but he's been through this type of rebuilding process before. Minnesota was in a similar spot toward the end of his tenure there.

"We didn't have much pitching over there at the

end, bunch of kids, and it was pretty rough over there," he said. "But this year is probably as tough as I've ever had to come through. Just not being able to win at home is the most frustrating thing."

Detroit was 17-44 at home entering Wednesday's game and has the worst overall record in baseball.

The Tigers do have some prospects working their way through the minors.

Right-hander Casey Mize, the top pick in the 2018 draft, is one of a few pitchers who have turned heads for Double-A Erie.

Gardenhire said he'd like

Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire, right, argues with home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez (72) after being ejected during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 19, 2019, in Houston.

Associated Press

to enjoy the eventual fruits of this difficult rebuilding process.

"I like it here. I signed a three-year contract, but that's to be determined

... where they want to go and what they want to do," Gardenhire said. "I enjoy this. I love this city. It's been frustrating, so I understand either way."q

A22 SPORTS

Friday 30 August 2019

Suspended Browns RB Hunt undergoes sports hernia surgery

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns running back Kareem Hunt will spend part of his NFL suspension rehabbing after surgery.

Hunt, who will serve an eight-game ban for two physical off-field altercations in 2018 while he played for Kansas City, had a sports hernia operation Thursday — hours before the Browns played Detroit in their exhibition finale.

Hunt had been expected to play in what would have been his last game until his ban ends in November. The Browns said the 24-yearold is expected to be fully recovered by the time he's

eligible to return to their roster for the Nov. 10 game against Buffalo.

On Wednesday, the league said Hunt is not allowed inside the team's facility during his suspension, which goes into effect Saturday at 4 p.m. The Browns had asked for an exemption so Hunt could be around his teammates while serving his penalty.

Hunt, who is from the Cleveland area, will now have to rehab his injury elsewhere.

The Browns signed the league's 2017 rushing leader in February on the recommendation of general manager John Dorsey, who drafted Hunt in the third round in 2017 while he

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (27) tries to get past Indianapolis Colts strong safety Clayton Gathers (26) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Indianapolis, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

Associated Press

was Kansas City's GM. Hunt was punished by Commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league's personal-conduct policy following an investigation into the two incidents, one in which he shoved and kicked a woman during an argument in a hotel hallway in Cleveland where he was staying. The Chiefs

released him in the final weeks of their playoff push last season. The team was upset that Hunt had lied to them about his involvement in the incidents.

Hunt gained 1,327 yards rushing as a rookie. He had 824 yards rushing and 378 yards receiving in 11 games in 2018 before the Chiefs cut ties with him.q

Yankees join Amazon, Sinclair to buy YES from Disney

In this June 20, 2019, file photo, New York Yankees, from left, Didi Gregorius, Brett Gardner, Cameron Maybin, and Giancarlo Stanton celebrate after defeating the Houston Astros in a baseball game in New York.

By JAKE SEINER AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have reacquired the YES Network, joining Amazon and the Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy an 80% stake in the channel from The Walt Disney Co. The deal announced Thursday values YES at $3.47 billion, nearly $500 million less than when 21st Century Fox acquired a majority stake in 2014. Disney was required to sell off Fox's regional sports networks as part of its $71 billion deal to acquire Fox's entertainment assets, which triggered Yankee

Global Enterprises' rightof-first-refusal to buy back YES Network shares. That deal closed in March.

Sinclair said it would buy 21 of the regional sports networks in May, but the 80% stake in YES was sold separately. Yankee Global Enterprises already held a 20% stake in YES. The Associated Press reported the preliminary YES Network deal in March.

Yankees Global Enterprises will hold a 26% share in YES, with Sinclair owning 20%, Amazon getting 15% with the right to purchase more, and the rest split among the deal's other investors — RedBird Capital,

The Blackstone Group and Mubadala Capital.

Asked how the deal might affect the digital streaming rights to Yankees games within the team's market, club president Randy Levine said he expected Major League Baseball to announce changes to its policy soon. Teams cannot currently sell digital rights to local broadcasts.

"I think you should just stay tuned because I think the commissioner will be speaking about that in the near future," Levine said.

MLB declined to comment.

Yankees games have been streamed on the Fox Sports Go app, and Levine believes that arrangement will last through the season but "we expect it to" change. Levine said the network already has programming in the works related to Amazon's role in the deal, but "the specifics will come in the future."

YES is the country's most watched regional sports

network and airs Yankees games, Brooklyn Nets basketball games, Major League Soccer's New York City FC games and others, along with more programming specific to the Yankees.

The network was owned

by Yankee Global Enterprises, Goldman Sachs, Providence Equity and NJ Holdings (a company then controlled by former New Jersey Nets owners Louis Katz and Ray Chambers) when YES sold a 49% stake to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. in late 2012. News Corp. split into two companies the following year, with broadcast properties spun off to 21st Century Fox. 21st Century Fox raised its stake to 80% in early 2014 and Yankee Global Enterprises reduced its stake from 26% to 20% in a deal that valued the network at $3.9 billion.

YES Network President Jon Litner signed a new contract and will continue to lead the network.q

Herrada wins 6th Vuelta stage, Teuns takes overall lead ARES DEL MAESTRAT, Spain (AP) — A day after seeing his older brother miss out on a stage victory, Jesus Herrada came through with a strong late charge on the final climb to win the sixth leg of the Spanish Vuelta on Thursday, with Belgian rider Dylan Teuns coming in second to take the overall lead.

Herrada moved past Teuns with about 200 meters (yards) to go on the 198.9-kilometer (123.6mile) stage that finished on a mountain top in Ares del Maestrat in eastern Spain. The team Cofidis rider finished seven seconds ahead of his opponent from team Bahrain-Merida.

José Herrada was in the breakaway group on Wednesday but could not keep up with stage winner Angel Madrazo.

"This victory is for my brother, who came close to taking the victory yesterday," said Jesus Herrada, who couldn't hold back tears after crossing the finish line. "It was hard to get the break going. Halfway through the stage we didn't know if we were going to make it. When Teuns accelerated, I stuck to his wheel and saved energy for the sprint."

It was the first Grand Tour win for Herrada, who last year wore the leader's red jersey on two Vuelta stages. "This victory was my goal for the year, to get my first Grand Tour win," the 29-year-old rider said. "I can go home with peace in my mind, but I'll be looking for more opportunities and they'll come." The 27-year-old Teuns was looking for his second Grand Tour stage win this year. He won the sixth stage of the Tour de France in July.q

SPORTS A23

Friday 30 August 2019

Warholm runs 2nd fastest 400 hurdles ever at Diamond League ZURICH (AP) — Karsten Warholm ran the secondfastest time in history to win the men's 400 meters hurdles in 46.92 seconds at the Diamond League finals on Thursday.

The 23-year-old world champion from Norway took 0.20 seconds off his lifetime best, but was 0.14 behind the 27-year-old world record set by Kevin Young winning the 1992 Barcelona Olympics title.

Young was in Zurich for Thursday's race.

Warholm was pressed hard by Rai Benjamin who clocked 46.98, lifting the 22-year-old American into a tie for third all-time. Track great Edwin Moses is now fifth on that list with 47.02.

"It was crazy," Warholm said. "I knew that I will do a good time but this race and with this new (personal best), it*s just amazing."

Four world-leading marks were set on a warm evening at the storied Weltklasse meeting, one month before the world championships open in Qatar, where the 400 hurdles is shaping up to be a standout duel.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran 21.74 in the women's 200; Continued from Page 17

That is why Popovich's first stint as coach of the U.S. men's basketball team — it starts in earnest this weekend, when the Americans open their quest for a third consecutive basketball World Cup championship — has not become some sort of comeuppance tour for infamous previous attempts at gold that went awry.

As such, this World Cup isn't about avenging the disappointment that Popovich still carries over getting cut from the 1972 U.S. Olympic team as a player despite having a stellar few days at tryouts for the team that lost a controversial goldmedal game to Russia. It isn't about how the 2002 world championships team that he was an assistant on finished sixth, or how the 2004 Olympic team that he assisted managed only a bronze.

Karsten Warholm from Norway competes in the men's 400m hurdles race, during the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the stadium Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday, August 29, 2019.

Associated Press

Juan Miguel Echevarria's opening leap of 8.65 meters won the men's long jump; and Lijiao Gong's 20.31 meters took the women's shot put.

In the men's 100, Noah Lyles surged late to win in 9.98, leaving world champion Justin Gatlin back in fourth.

Racing into a slight headwind, Lyles trailed late in the race before blasting past

his American teammate Gatlin in the next lane.

"I followed my race plan, my execution was great," Lyles said. "The race was not as fast as I wanted."

Lyles will focus on the 200 at the Sept. 28-Oct. 6 worlds in Doha, where the 37-yearold Gatlin could be the best American hope for the 100 title.

Gatlin timed 10.08 behind

The Air Force Academy taught Popovich to focus on the current mission.

Right now, and that's guiding the U.S. to gold in the World Cup. "Pop is completely locked in on this one thing," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "He understands what the goal is, what we're playing for here."

The Americans arrived in Shanghai on Thursday, with Popovich one of the first to greet some fans who waited at the team hotel and sign a couple dozen autographs. He took his time with each, carefully scripting the cursive, telling those who camped out on a rainy morning that there was no need to rush.

His team opens play Sunday against the Czech Republic, then faces Turkey and Japan later next week in the last two groupstage games. Getting out

of group play shouldn't be difficult; two of those four teams will move on to the round of 16. But a loss in an exhibition at Australia last week suggested that this U.S. team could be more than a little vulnerable against the other World Cup contenders.

Popovich has been telling his team that winning the World Cup will be tough.

The loss only reaffirmed what he was saying.

"For a number of reasons, but ultimately the way he talks about us having these three U-S-A letters across our chest, we know what this means to him," U.S. guard Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets said. "He obviously has a tremendous amount of pride and respect for his country and you can feel it in how he goes about his business.

This isn't something he's just doing for the hell of it."

Popovich's backstory, at

runner-up Zhenye Lie of China, who clocked 10.04 and 2011 world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica, who was third in 10.07.

Miller-Uibo, the Olympic champion over 400, is now the 11th-fastest woman alltime in the 200. Sporting green-streaked hair, MillerUibo's personal best was a huge 0.26 faster than Elaine Thompson's previous world-

leading mark in 2019.

Dina Asher-Smith of Britain was second in 22.08 and Thompson, the Olympic 100 and 200 champion from Jamaica, clocked 22.44 in third.

In the long jump, Echevarria set a world-leading mark by 24 centimeters.

Gong took the women's shot put victory from Chase Easley of the U.S., who set a lifetime best of 19.68 meters. Gong's 20.31 mark was 47 centimeters beyond her own world's best this season.

Donavan Brazier of the United States won the 800 in a personal best 1:42.70 after overhauling Nijel Amos in the closing meters.

Salwa Eid Naser, the 2017 world silver medalist, won the women's 400 in 50.24.

The Nigeria-born runner who competes for Bahrain is unbeaten over 400 this season.

Sydney McLaughlin led an American podium sweep of the 400 hurdles in her season-best time of 52.85.

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won the 1,500 in 3.57.08. World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech took the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:01.71.q

U.S. head coach Gregg Popovich talks to player in a time-out during their exhibition basketball game in Melbourne, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019.

Associated Press

least the parts he wants to open up about, is wellchronicled. His undergraduate degree was in Soviet Studies. He considered a spy career and has gone through intelligence training. He's not shy about bringing up his opinions on anything, and in recent years he hasn't held back

on political criticism.

Economic relations right now between the U.S. and China are thorny, at best.

But when Popovich arrived Thursday, donning a blue jacket with the USA Basketball red, white and blue logo, the Chinese fans who came out to greet the Americans cheered him.q

A24 TECHNOLOGY

Friday 30 August 2019

In this June 4, 2018, file photo Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, speaks about Siri during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif.

Associated Press

Apple apologizes for use of contractors to eavesdrop on Siri

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is apologizing for allowing outsiders to listen to snippets of people's recorded conversations with its digital assistant Siri, a practice that undermined its attempts to position itself as a trusted steward of privacy.

As part of the apology posted Wednesday, Apple reiterated an earlier pledge to stop keeping audio recorded through Siri unless consumers give their permission.

When permission is granted, Apple said only its own employees will be allowed to review audio to help improve the service. Previously, the company hired contractors to listen to some recordings.

"We realize we haven't been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize," Apple said.

Apple would not say how it will seek permission. In the past, the Cupertino, California, company has typically requested permissions through prompts during software update installations.

In recent months, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple have all acknowledged that people have been reviewing users' interactions with artificial intelligence assistants in order to improve the ser-

vices. But users aren't typically aware that humans and not just computers are reviewing audio.

The use of humans to listen to audio recordings is particularly troubling to privacy experts because it increases the chances that a rogue employee or contractor could leak details of what is being said, including parts of sensitive conversations.

The backlash to the industry practice prompted Facebook and Google to stop relying on people to transcribe recorded conversations. Amazon is continuing the practice unless users of its digital assistant Alexa explicitly demand that humans be blocked from listening.

Microsoft also is still doing it, too, contending it has adequate privacy safeguards in place for the Cortana digital assistant.

Apple intends to continue to rely upon computergenerated transcripts of what's being said to Siri as part of effort to improve services, even if a user hasn't explicitly granted permission, or opted in.

Unlike Facebook, Google and Amazon, which track what people are doing and where they are going to sell ads and merchandise, Apple has conspicuously emphasized that that it has no interest in peering into its customers' lives.q

This March 29, 2018, file photo shows the Facebook moniker on screens at the Nasdaq MarketSite, in New York's Times Square.

Associated Press

Facebook tightens political ad rules, but leaves loopholes

By BARBARA ORTUTAY SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook is tightening its rules around political advertising ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, acknowledging previous misuse. But it's not clear if it will be enough to stop bad actors from abusing its system.

The changes include a tightened verification process that will require anyone wanting to run ads pertaining to elections, politics or big social issues like guns and immigration to confirm their identity and prove they are in the U.S. Beginning in mid-September, such advertisers confirm their group's identity using their organization's tax identification number or other government ID. The verified group name will be listed on the "paid for by" disclaimers that disclose the backers of ads.

Facebook says it will verify this information against government records and will note in the disclaimer for confirmed ads that they're placed by a "confirmed organization."

That process won't apply to everyone, as Facebook says it would bar some smaller but legitimate groups from advertising.

But a loophole that will al-

low small grassroots groups and local politicians to run political ads could also continue to allow bad actors to take advantage of the process.

Advertisers who don't have tax ID numbers, government websites or registrations with the Federal Election Commission will still be able to post ads by providing an address, verifiable phone number, business email and website. These advertisers won't get a "confirmed" designation. Previously, only a U.S. address was required. But it's not inconceivable that bad actors will find a way to spoof phone numbers and email addresses.

"We've acknowledged that these tools will not be perfect," Sarah Schiff, a Facebook product manager, said in an email. "But we are committed to making it more difficult for bad actors to misuse and abuse our platform" without penalizing smaller organizations.

Schiff also reiterated the company's calls for regulation of online political advertising. Critics have said that Facebook's attempts at self-regulation are merely a way for the company to pre-empt stricter government crackdowns.

Last month, Facebook was ordered to pay a $5 billion fine to the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations. It also faces a series of other investigations into its privacy practices in Europe and across the U.S., in addition to new investigations into its allegedly anticompetitive behavior, such as the social network's habit of buying would-be rivals like Instagram and blatantly duplicating features introduced by competing services.

While the company has beefed up its fight against misinformation and coordinated attacks by malicious nation-states, the same can be said for those trying to game its systems. After revelations that that Russians bankrolled thousands of fake political ads during the 2016 elections, Facebook and other social networks faced intense pressure to ensure that doesn't happen again.

In late 2017, Facebook said it will verify political ad buyers by requiring them to confirm their names and locations, the latter by receiving a postcard with a confirmation code at a U.S. address. Page administrators also had to be verified.

But critics said the rules were easy to evade.q

BUSINESS A25

Friday 30 August 2019

Stocks move broadly higher on hopes for US-China trade talks

By ALEX VEIGA Associated Press Stocks marched broadly higher in afternoon trading on Wall Street Thursday, adding to the market's solid gains from a day earlier.

The rally came as investors held out fresh hope that new talks between the U.S. and China set for September can lead to progress in the nations' ongoing trade war.

Technology companies accounted for a big slice of the gains. Microsoft rose 1.9% and Apple added 1.6%. Financial and communications services stocks also were big winners. JPMorgan climbed 2.5% and Facebook rose 2.1%.

Retailers were also doing well. Discount store chain Dollar General led the way after reporting quarterly results that topped Wall Street's forecasts. A broad swath of retailers was trading higher. Walmart gained 1.3%, Macy's rose 2.3% and Amazon added 1.6%.

In another sign that inves-

In this Aug. 21, 2019, file photo trader Jeffrey Vazquez works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Associated Press

tors were feeling more optimistic, demand for U.S. government bonds showed signs of waning after surging in recent weeks amid recession worries.

Even so, long-term bond yields remained even with

short-term ones, just shy of a so-called inversion in the U.S. yield curve that has correctly predicted previous recessions.

Bond prices fell, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury up to 1.52% from

US pending home sales slid 2.5% in July in sign of slowdown

By BANI SAPRA WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in July, signaling that the housing market has yet to enjoy a strong bounce from lower mortgage rates.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its pending home sales index fell 2.5% to 105.6 in July.

The index has slipped 0.3% from a year ago as uncertainty has mounted about the health of the economy.

With trade tensions and fears of a possible recession intensifying, a robust job market hasn't been enough to strengthen sales.

Sales have also been hampered by the lack of available homes on the market, which has contributed to home prices climbing faster than incomes and pricing out some would-be buyers. The long-standing shortage of sales listings and persistently high prices have blunted the benefits

This Aug. 15, 2019, photo shows a "sale pending" sign on a home in East Derry, N.H. Associated Press

of mortgage rates nearing all-time lows.

Ben Ayers, a senior economist at Nationwide, said the housing market was moving in fits and starts, reflecting the competing forces of low mortgage rates and a limited supply of homes, along with recession fears.

Still, his outlook for the housing market remains solid.

"Sales activity continues to be weaker than expected,

but there is nothing yet suggestive of a sharp pullback in the housing market," Ayers said.

The pace of signed contracts dropped in all four regions of the country in July, with the West experiencing the greatest decline in activity.

Pending sales is a measure of home purchases that are usually completed a month or two later.q

1.47% late Wednesday.

The 2-year Treasury rose to 1.52% from 1.49% the day before. The yield for the 10-year Treasury has been dipping below that of the 2-year this week.

While an inverted yield curve has preceded every U.S. recession, it is not a signal that one is imminent. It has taken 14 to 34 months for past recessions to begin following a yield curve inversion.

Uncertainty over the U.S.China trade conflict and it impact on corporate profits has rattled investors this month.

The market is on track to end the week with a gain after having declined the past four weeks in a row.

The major indexes are still down more than 2% as the month draws to a close.

If those losses hold, August would be the second monthly drop for the market this year after May. KEEPING SCORE: The S&P

500 was up 1.4% as of 12:38 p.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 359 points, or 1.4%, to 26,393. The Nasdaq gained 1.6%.

Investors favored smaller company stocks for the second straight day. The Russell 2000 index was up 1.5%.

Major stock indexes in Europe were broadly higher.

TRADE WAR OPTIMISM: A published report noted that China's commerce ministry said it is discussing the next round of in-person trade negotiations with the U.S. to held next month.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said talks with China are ongoing and are expected to continue in Washington, though he did not specify when.

Trade negotiators are due to meet in September for new negotiations, though there has been no sign of progress in recent days since an escalation by both sides earlier this month. Last week, the trade conflict escalated again with both sides threatening new tariffs on each other's goods, triggering a sharp sell-off in global markets. Investors worry the spiraling tariff war over trade and technology could tip the global economy into recession.

EYE ON THE ECONOMY: Investors shrugged off new data showing the U.S. economy grew at a slower pace in the second quarter. The government reported that gross domestic product, the broadest gauge of economic health, advanced at a moderate 2% annual rate in the AprilJune quarter, down from a 3.1% gain in the first quarter. q

A26 COMICS

Friday 30 August 2019

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

Friday 30 August 2019

Sharks to saiga, nations up support for endangered wildlife

By JAMEY KEATEN GENEVA (AP) — From towering giraffes to bottomfeeding sharks and many species in between, endangered species got new protections under an agreement finalized Wednesday by most of the world’s countries at a conference on saving plants and animals from the ravages of international trade.

The 11-day World Wildlife Conference on updating a convention known as CITES, which aims to ensure that trade doesn’t threaten the survival of endangered fauna and flora, adopted an array of measures and decisions about elephants, otters, star tortoises, saiga antelope, and rosewood — a cherished material for guitar makers — among many others.

The conference occurs every three years and took on added importance this year following a U.N. report on biodiversity in May warning that extinction looms for over 1 million species of plants and animals.

There are growing concerns that policymakers aren’t acting quickly enough to stop it.

Attendees agreed on protections for 18 more shark species that, while stopping short of a full ban, requires any trade in them to be sustainable.

Nations did ban trade of

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Associated Press

two types of otters, which are coveted as pets in places like Japan, and the popular Indian star tortoise — one of the most heavily trafficked illegally of all the tortoises for pet trade.

Rod Hay, chairman of a committee that handles new listing proposals, said that “we had a large number of reptile proposals and quite a significant number of reptiles and amphibians that were added to the list of CITES.” “That’s a reflection of pressure, particularly in pet trade, on strange and interesting reptiles,” he said, alluding to efforts by nongovernmental organizations, animal-rights groups and conservationists.

Controversy erupted over interpretation about science — the supposed

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Frustrations emerged among countries like Zimbabwe, which denounced international mandates about its 84,000-strong African elephant population without enough help from abroad in managing it, and Japan, which argued that mako sharks are only facing declining populations in the North Sea and not near the seafaring Pacific archipelago.

“There are a lot of controversies — particularly around the elephant,” said Susan Lieberman of the Wildlife Conservation Society. q

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A28 SCIENCE

Friday 30 August 2019

New genetic links to same-sex sexuality found in huge study

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer CHICAGO (AP) — The largest study of its kind found new evidence that genes contribute to same-sex sexual behavior, but it echoes research that says there are no specific genes that make people gay.

The genome-wide research on DNA from nearly half a million U.S. and U.K. adults identified five genetic variants not previously linked with gay or lesbian sexuality. The variants were more common in people who reported ever having had a same-sex sexual partner. That includes people whose partners were exclusively of the same sex and those who mostly reported heterosexual behavior.

The researchers said thousands more genetic variants likely are involved and interact with factors that aren't inherited, but that none of them cause the behavior nor can predict whether someone will be gay.

The research "provides the clearest glimpse yet into the genetic underpinnings of same-sex sexual behavior," said co-author Benjamin Neale, a psychiatric geneticist at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"We also found that it's effectively impossible to predict an individual's sexual behavior from their genome. Genetics is less than half of this story for sexual

In this Wednesday, July 15, 2015 file photo, a lesbian couple holds hands in Salt Lake City.

Associated Press

behavior but it's still a very important contributing factor," Neale said.

The study was released Thursday by the journal Science. Results are based on genetic testing and survey responses.

Some of the genetic variants found were present in both men and women.

Two in men were located near genes involved in male-pattern baldness and sense of smell, raising intriguing questions about how regulation of sex hormones and smell may influence same-sex behavior.

Importantly, most participants were asked about frequency of same-sex sex-

ual behavior but not if they self-identified as gay or lesbian. Fewer than 5% of U.K. participants and about 19% of U.S. participants reported ever having a same-sex sexual experience.

The researchers acknowledged that limitation and emphasized that the study's focus was on behavior, not sexual identity or orientation. They also note that the study only involved people of European ancestry and can't answer whether similar results would be found in other groups.

Origins of same-sex behavior are uncertain. Some of the strongest evidence of a genetic link comes from

studies in identical twins.

Many scientists believe that social, cultural, family and other biological factors are also involved, while some religious groups and skeptics consider it a choice or behavior that can be changed.

A Science commentary notes that the five identified variants had such a weak effect on behavior that using the results "for prediction, intervention or a supposed 'cure' is wholly and unreservedly impossible."

"Future work should investigate how genetic predispositions are altered by environmental factors,"

University of Oxford sociologist Melinda Mills said in the commentary.

Other experts not involved in the study had varied reactions.

Dr. Kenneth Kendler a specialist in psychiatric genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, called it "a very important paper that advances the study of the genetics of human sexual preference substantially. The results are broadly consistent with those obtained from the earlier technologies of twin and family studies suggesting that sexual orientation runs in families and is moderately heritable."

Former National Institutes of Health geneticist Dean Hamer said the study confirms "that sexuality is complex and there are a lot of genes involved," but it isn't really about gay people.

"Having just a single same sex experience is completely different than actually being gay or lesbian," Hamer said. His research in the 1990s linked a marker on the X chromosome with male homosexuality. Some subsequent studies had similar results but the new one found no such link.

Doug Vanderlaan, a University of Toronto psychologist who studies sexual orientation, said the absence of information on sexual orientation is a drawback and makes it unclear what the identified genetic links might signify. q

Alabama, Michigan researchers to study heat waves, causes TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A University of Alabama researcher and scientists at Michigan State University will study the relationship between the size of heat waves and what causes

them across the United States.

David Keellings, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Alabama, was recently awarded a three-year, $340,000 grant

from the National Science Foundation, The Tuscaloosa News reported .

The goal of the grant is to develop models to help predict when and where heat waves will occur. The research will also involve emergency response and public health with the aim of improved planning and response to heat waves, Keellings said.

Heat waves have become larger and more severe in the past 60 years. Climate change is a likely culprit for more severe heat waves, but there’s much more to

be learned about them, Keellings said.

“Temperature and extremes, such as heat waves, are the things we’re most certain about with climate change, and they have definitely become more frequent, higher in magnitude and longer in duration across many parts of the globe,” he said.

In general, a heat wave is defined as abnormally hot weather for the time of year for the location. They can be forecast, but it is difficult to predict the size, duration and intensity, the

Tuscaloosa newspaper reported.

The land also plays a role with factors such as soil moisture, urbanization and vegetation.

“We’re trying to get at the basic understanding,” Keellings said. “We’re trying to think about heat waves as events with spatial dimensions as opposed to simply thinking of its temperature.”

Researchers at Michigan State University will work with Keellings on the project. q

PEOPLE & ARTS A29 Beyoncé's music director on Emmy nod : 'It feels good' Friday 30 August 2019

NEW YORK (AP) — In true Beyoncé fashion, when her music director learned he earned his first-ever Emmy nomination for his work on the pioneering project, "HOMECOMING: A Film by Beyoncé," he was too busy to celebrate — because he was focused on producing the superstar's next album.

Derek Dixie has worked with Beyoncé for almost a decade, rising through the ranks from assisting the music director to eventually holding the title himself. His first credit as an MD for Beyoncé was her first concert since giving birth to Blue Ivy in 2012, where former first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia were among the attendees.

Now, Dixie is competing for outstanding music direction — shared with Beyoncé — at the Emmy Awards, slated for Sept. 22 (the creative arts Emmys, a precursor to the main ceremony, takes place Sept. 14).

"It feels good obviously. I haven't really digested it completely yet," Dixie said in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Los Angeles. "My family's looking at me like, 'Wow, my son is Emmy-nominated, my brother Emmy-nominated, so that part of it is really

This Aug. 24, 2019 photo shows Derek Dixie at NRG Studio in Los Angeles.

good. Like, I've kind of accomplished something for the home team and for the family."

When the Emmy nominations were announced in July, Dixie was adding the finishing touches to "The Lion King: The Gift," released days after the nominations were revealed. The Beyoncé-curated album was inspired by the 2019 film version of "The Lion King," where the singer voices the character Nala.

Though Dixie came on Beyoncé's team in music direction, he's also produced,

engineered and arranged songs for the singer.

"Just being on the road all the time, sometimes you might have to record an idea or something and need somebody to hop in there and record something quick. And I had those skills," said Dixie, who also produced songs on Beyoncé's epic "Lemonade" album, earning him his first-ever Grammy nomination at the 2017 awards show. "I think it's segued from the live world into the studio world in my case."

For "HOMECOMING," which

Associated Press

captured Beyoncé's brilliant and trailblazing 2018 Coachella performance that highlighted black college culture, Dixie said they planned months ahead of the performance, first by trading ideas over the phone. Then he went into the studio with a small band to churn out more concepts (the final performance included more than 100 performers onstage, including a full marching band, majorette dancers and steppers).

"Once she honed in on the HBCU (historically black

colleges and universities) idea ... it was a machine after that. It was just months and months of prep work, making it sound authentic," he said. "She has tons and tons of classic records that when putting the show together, you have to maintain the classic feel of the record but make it feel like you're in a stadium at homecoming."

Beyoncé's Coachella performance marked the first time a black woman headlined the famed festival and made the singer just the third woman to score the gig, behind Bjork and Lady Gaga. And it made history: "HOMECOMING" earned a whopping six Emmy nominations, including four for Beyoncé, giving the 23-time Grammy winner a good chance to snag her first-ever Emmy.

In addition to outstanding music direction, Beyoncé is nominated for outstanding directing for a variety special (shared with Ed Burke), outstanding writing for a variety special and outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), where she is nominated as the film's performer and executive producer (she shares the nomination with fellow EPs Erinn Williams, Steve Pamon and Burke). q

Leslie Jones exiting 'SNL,' Kate McKinnon back next season

By LYNN ELBER LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Saturday Night Live" cast member Leslie Jones is leaving the NBC show after five seasons, while Kate McKinnon is sticking around.

Jones' departure was confirmed by a person familiar with the change who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Jones' status with the long-running sketch series.

The exit comes as Jones is branching out into other projects.

McKinnon will return for her eighth season with the show, the person said.

McKinnon's portrayals of political figures including Hillary Clinton and Jeff Ses-

sions have become a "SNL" staple.

Whether departures or additions, cast changes have become a part of the comic institution's ritual as it gets ready for another season, this time around No. 45 starting Sept. 28.

Earlier this month, Jones announced she's doing a Netflix stand-up special. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show, the "Ghostbusters" star said it's great to be an actress but that she's really a "hardcore" stand-up comedian.

She hasn't abandoned acting: Jones is part of the voice cast of the recently released "The Angry Birds Movie 2" and reportedly has been in discussions to join Eddie Murphy's announced

This March 3, 2018 photo released by NBC shows Leslie Jones, center, flanked by Ice Hockey Olympian Hilary Knight, left, and Colin Jost during the "Weekend Update" segment on "Saturday Night Live," in New York.

Associated Press

"Coming to America" movie sequel. Murphy is scheduled to host "SNL" later this year, his first time back on

the show in 35 years .

Her tenure on "SNL" was marked by an exuberant style and portrayal of ce-

lebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, whom Jones has called an inspiration.

She started with "SNL" as a writer, hired after the show was criticized in 2013 for a lack of diversity, particularly the absence of an African American woman among 16 regular or featured players. Cast members Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah, who has since left the show, commented publicly about it and refused to dress in drag to portray black women.

Jones was promoted to cast member early in the 2014-15 season and received three Emmy nominations for her work. Her representatives did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.q

A30 PEOPLE

& ARTS Fall Movie Preview: 'Joker' gets a prestige makeover Friday 30 August 2019

By LINDSEY BAHR Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Joker has been around for almost 80 years and there's no shortage of portrayals. There are even some legendary ones by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. But by most accounts, Joaquin Phoenix's spin on the quintessential Batman villain is unlike anything audiences have seen.

It's why "Joker" isn't being

treated like a standard comic book movie release and instead getting the rollout of an Oscar contender with high-profile premieres at the most prestigious fall film festivals — Venice and Toronto — before it hits theaters on Oct. 4. Even Warner Bros., the studio with the keys to the DC Comics universe, largely left writer-director Todd Phillips alone to do what he wanted to do with the character: Make

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Joaquin Phoenix in a scene from "Joker," in theaters on Oct. 4.

Associated Press

a realistic character study in the vein of Martin Scorsese' 1970s films about how struggling stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck became the Joker.

"He doesn't fall into a vat of acid and come out laughing," Phillips said. "That's a comic book thing."

So, Phillips and his co-writer Scott Silver ("8 Mile," ''The Fighter") ran all the elements of what we know about the Joker, a character without an origin story, through a "real world filter" — his look, his laugh and his personality. For the most part that meant ditching the source material. Even the comedian element, which actually has some basis in the comics, was kind of accidental.

"We didn't even really know that when we wrote it," Phillips said of its convenient tie-in with "The Killing Joke" graphic novel.

He's a "villain" that is presented in an empathetic way.

"You're kind of on his side until you can't be any longer," Phillips said. That point has been different for everyone he's showed it to so far.

Their unique approach, and that their No. 1 choice agreed to do it, also helped attract talent who wouldn't necessarily do a movie based on a comic character, including two Scorsese mainstays: Robert De Niro and producer Emma

Tillinger Koskoff, who has been working with Scorsese since "The Departed."

"It's not my preferred genre, the comic book genre," Koskoff said. "I literally can't watch those movies. I try but I can't. I should but I can't. But I love this movie. Even if I didn't work on this movie I would love this movie."

She helped make "Joker" a real New York movie, bringing along some of her best crew from "The Irishman" and using her deep knowledge of filming in the city that she describes as both the best and the toughest.

They shot in over 30 locations in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and the surrounding areas, like Newark, New Jersey, which served as the "Times Square" of Gotham City.

"What Todd did here is really unique and special," she added. "I think it's going to catapult him to another level and take him out of the comedy world."

Phillips became a Hollywood success for making massively popular grownup frat boy comedies like "Old School" and "The Hangover" series. In other words, a serious spin on a comic book character is a departure for him too. And he's getting used to all the attention and scrutiny in the lead up to the release.

With a character this known and a film that doesn't seem to fit any mold of

what's come before, some wildly inaccurate information has circulated around the internet. For one, Scorsese was never set to produce. The two had emailed about the script privately, but Scorsese was always going to be tied up with post-production on "The Irishman" right when "Joker" was shooting. Also, Phillips didn't call the programming director of the Venice International Film Festival and ask for "Joker" to be in competition — they were simply invited and accepted. And that leaked script going around? If it's what Phillips thinks it is — a draft from April 2018 — he said, "They're in for a big surprise when they see the movie."

The script changed quite a bit between that version and when they began shooting last September.

Warner Bros. made him jump through "many hoops" before they said yes, but once they settled on a budget number, which Phillips will only say is low for the movie world and enormous for the real world, he said they stepped aside.

"They were incredibly bold in just saying, 'Ok there are no rules just go do your thing,'" he said. "It was amazing." It's fairly extraordinary considering the character happens to be tied up in the current iteration of the DC Extended Universe films and played

by Jared Leto.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A31 Marvel celebrates 80th anniversary with massive comic Friday 30 August 2019

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marvel Comics is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a massive issue that pays tribute to its history and introduces a new object with implications for the superhero universe going forward.

The Marvel Comics 1000 issue, available Wednesday, pays homage to many of Marvel's most recognizable characters, including Iron Man, the Hulk and SpiderMan, and also spotlights some lesser known ones.

Each page is devoted to a year in Marvel's history, with the first one recounting the creation of the Human Torch in Marvel Comics No. 1 in 1939.

A mix of serious and humorous stories follows, like the page devoted to 1944 in which Captain America explains why he fights, Dr. Strange's struggle to keep his magic cape smelling fresh (1951), the introduction of Groot (1960) and a page devoted to Iron Man's suit for 2008, the year Marvel's blockbuster film franchise launched.

"I definitely wanted this to be a range of experiences and not have it be an 80page chucklefest" nor "an 80-page downer," said Tom

Brevoot, the issue's editor.

Brevoot said he gave the issue's dozens of creators general guidance, but also the freedom to explore a character or story line in a single page. Many of the pages adopt what Brevoot called a "confessional" approach where a character is speaking to an interviewer. The page for 2017 features superheroes' answers to "What do you regret," or another in which Deadpool takes a little too long to answer one of the issue's recurring questions, "Why do you do what you do?"

Brevoot said: "Even if you don't like very single page, there's another page right after it that's different."

The artistic styles range from the simpler drawings of early comics to the hyper-detailed style of some contemporary titles. There are numerous guest writers, including authors Neil Gaiman and Brad Meltzer, basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabar and film directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Brevoot said he enlisted people he knew were fans of Marvel comics with the aim of adding a "cool flavor" to some of the pages and "show the reach that Marvel has had over 80 years that you don't really

This image provided by Marvel Comics shows the cover of Marvel Comics #1000, the publisher’s 80th anniversary issue.

Associated Press

see."

Controversy emerged Tuesday after The Hollywood Reporter posted a story noting that the text on Captain America's page representing 1944 had been al-

tered from an early version that pointed to inequalities in America and flaws in its systems. The revised text has Captain America talking about fighting injustice and how hatred, bigotry

and exclusion are not patriotic values.

Marvel did not comment on the changes and interviews for this story were completed before the Reporter's story was posted.

While many of the pages are one-offs, about a quarter of the issue is devoted to a story line that traces back to Marvel's infancy about a trio of men trying to harness the power of a black mask that has been passed down for centuries.

Whoever wears the mask gains powers that give them a fighting chance against even the strongest superheroes.

Before Marvel 1000, the trio called the Three Xs appeared in only a single Marvel issue from 1940. While other characters from Marvel's early days have been reimagined, writer Al Ewing said the old story of the Three Xs "had something very familiar about it" and provided a seed to bring a broad story that fit not only the anniversary issue, but one that will continue in upcoming comics. Ewing, who is credited as the issue's "mastermind," said he scoured old Marvel issues to make sure there were enough bread crumbs that Marvel 1000 could go back and find later. q

Scarlett Johansson says 'Marriage Story' felt fated VENICE, Italy (AP) — When Noah Baumbach asked Scarlett Johansson to meet with him about a new film he was going to write about a divorce, he didn't know she was going through one in real life.

"It felt fated in a way," Johansson said. "It came somehow at just the right time."

Johansson stars alongside Adam Driver in the Netflix film about a couple — she plays an actress and he plays a theater director — with an 8-year-old son managing a bi-coastal separation and divorce. It premiered Thursday at the Venice Film Festival, where it is competing for the Golden Lion award.

Although Johansson had her own experiences to draw on having most recently divorced French businessman Romain Dauriac in 2017, she said there was something of everyone behind the film in the brutally honest but tender character study.

Baumbach wrote the script knowing that Driver and Johansson would play the couple in question. He said he realized in the writing process that, "Through a divorce we could explore a marriage."

"Although they're coming apart, love always exists," he said. "It's in every scene, it's there."

Laura Dern, who plays Johansson's divorce lawyer,

Actors Laura Dern, from left, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Marriage Story' at the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.

Associated Press

added that it personifies "the business of divorce."

One scene, in which the two leads have a particu-

larly traumatic fight, had audiences at the Venice Film Festival buzzing. Driver said he didn't really ana-

lyze it afterward, but that it was two "pretty difficult" days. Baumbach added that it was "harrowing" and they'd often have to stop for a break, with the actors either going to their rooms or taking a walk around the block to regroup.

"They would run the whole scene almost every time.

It was like watching two of the best athletes compete," Baumbach said. "In many ways it was one of the most rewarding experience I've had as a director."

The film will make stops at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals before hitting theaters on Nov. 6, followed by its Netflix debut on Dec. 6.q

A32 FEATURE

Friday 30 August 2019

Old stone buildings and trendy cafes: The port city of Jaffa

By TALI ARBEL JAFFA, Israel (AP) — Just south of Tel Aviv's glass towers and concrete houses are the white stone buildings of Jaffa, the ancient port town.

Jaffa has existed for thousands of years, but today it is one unified city with Tel Aviv, which was founded in 1909. Both Jews and Arabs live in Jaffa, and that's reflected in the flavors of the neighborhood.

Visitors will find a luxury hotel, the Setai, built out of a Crusader fortress that was later a prison and police station. Trendy cafes, galleries, bars and boutiques line narrow streets, intersecting with Jaffa's wellknown Arab hummus spots and bakeries, along with mosques, churches and synagogues.

In and around Jaffa's famous flea market, Shuk Hapishpeshim, are streets dotted with cafes. On one of my visits, I sat in an alley and munched on Shaffa Bar's shakshuka, poached eggs baked in tomato sauce, while chickens clucked on the roof of a building down the street.

Cafe Puaa has comfy, chic but mismatched furniture, and will sell you the plates you eat off (nearly everything is for sale). Its menu is packed with the vegetable dishes that Israeli cuisine is known for. After settling into a couch in the alley in front of the restaurant, I had a deconstructed sabich, a breakfast sandwich of fried eggplant and hard-boiled egg of Iraqi origin that's a

In this Sunday, July 28, 2019 photo, a child plays next to a 100-year-old orange tree hanging above the ground in the old city of Jaffa, Israel.

Associated Press

popular Israeli street food.

(Try a regular sabich too, at Sabich Hasharon, a small storefront in Tel Aviv that specializes in them.)

The market itself, surrounded by Yefet, Beit Eshel and Yehuda Margoza streets, is a paradise for those itching to debate trash versus treasure. Across several alleys, vendors spread wares on the ground and stack them in stalls. There are antiques, furniture, clothing, trinkets,

In this Sunday, July 28, 2019 photo, people dance in Akbar, a bar located in the flea market in Jaffa, Israel. Israel's port city of Jaffa is an ancient place.

Associated Press

coins. On Friday mornings and summer Tuesdays, a pop-up market of crafts and jewelry gets added to the mix. In the afternoon, a party erupts in the outdoor bars.

But don't forget hummus. In Jaffa, you can't eat enough hummus, the chickpea puree that's a bedrock meal in Israel.

There's Ali Caravan's famous spot on HaDolphin Street, worth waiting on line for. Another crowded hummus disher is Ha'Asli on Yefet Street, cacophonous with families, workers and tourists, all seeking the platters of hummus, labne, kebab and salads delivered to tables minutes after ordering. You can watch the bakers at work at Abulafia, a popular bakery that stacks breads and other treasures in blue tile-lined glass cases by the sidewalk.

Jaffa's food offerings also stretch beyond the Mediterranean. Inside Tash and Tasha's romantic, stonewalled interior are delicious dips, dumplings and

breads from Georgia (the country, not the U.S. state).

Milk, a coffee shop with limited seating, has expensive coffee and pretty pastries.

Those interested in learning how to cook Arab food can also take a class with a local. Myasser Seri has for years been hosting tutorials in her small kitchen.

She can put together a multi-course meal for your group to cook, or you can suggest dishes you'd like to try. Among the dishes we

made were maqluba, a mound of rice or bulgur and vegetables inverted onto a plate; meatballs cooked in a sauce of tahini and yogurt; the parsley-and-bulgur salad, tabbouleh; and the Arabic dessert knafe.

Her version had thin shreds of pastry and nuts cooked in butter, sugar and lemon.

Seri also introduced us to what she called the "Arabic Parmesan": yogurt that had been dried in the sun to a rock-hard lump. She grated the block into a powder whose sharp, savory tang did indeed recall Parmesan cheese and added it to a salad of fried eggplant and thin-chopped celery.

Prices for her lessons vary per person according to group size.

One of Jaffa's most popular spots for tourists is the old port. Vessels have set sail here since ancient times; it's even mentioned in the Biblical story of Jonah, referred to as "Joppa," where Jonah embarked on the journey that led to his fateful encounter with a big fish — or, in some versions of the story, a whale.

The port is still used by local fishermen but it also offers seafood restaurants, shops and entertainment.

There's plenty to eat and to buy in Jaffa. But one of the best things to do there is simply wander and take in the contrasts. Doors set in old stone walls are catnip for Instagrammers; turn the corner, and there's a block of modern apartment buildings. Galleries abound, but the streets create their own art.q

In this Sunday, July 21, 2019 photo, people enjoy the day in the port of Jaffa, Israel. Israel's port city of Jaffa is an ancient place.

Associated Press