August 31, 2019

Turtle Rescue Saturday

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Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper

Wave of child sex abuse lawsuits threatens Boy Scouts TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America is facing a threat from a growing wave of lawsuits over decades-old allegations of sexual abuse.

The Scouts have been sued in multiple states in recent months by purported abuse victims, including plaintiffs taking advantage of new state laws or court decisions that are now allowing suits previously barred because of the age of the allegations.

More litigation is on the way.

A lawyer representing 150 people who say they were abused as Boy Scouts is planning a suit in New Jersey when the state's new civil statute of limitations law takes effect Dec. 1.

New Jersey was home to the Boy Scouts' headquarters for about 25 years until 1978.

Among the plaintiffs is Greg Hunt, 62, of St. Petersburg, Florida. He said he was abused during a camping trip in about 1969 in Pennsylvania, where his family lived at the time.

"It'd be nice to have the Boy Scouts account for their lack of ability to do the right thing," he said. "It would be nice for me to have the Scouts say we did wrong by you and by these other boys and by

In this Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 photo, Greg Hunt poses for a photo in St. Petersburg, Fla.

your parents." The lawsuits raise the possibility that the Boy Scouts, one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S., might be staring at many millions of dollars in settlements or judgments that could lead it to declare bankruptcy, as

several Roman Catholic dioceses have done amid litigation over abusive clergy.

The New Jersey suit will come on top of at least 24 that have been filed against the Scouts in New York since Aug. 14, when that state opened a one-

year window in which victims of child sex abuse will be able to sue over encounters outside the usual statute of limitations.

Another lawsuit was filed against the Boy Scouts this month in Philadelphia by lawyers who say they have

Associated Press

identified hundreds of victims, after a Pennsylvania appeals court ruled that the state’s statute of limitations could be set aside if a victim could prove that abuse was concealed by fraud.

Continued on Page 3

A2 UP

Saturday 31 August 2019

FRONT

APNewsBreak: Coming to national park trails: electric bikes

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and DAVID SHARP Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Motorized electric bicycles may soon be humming onto serene trails in national parks and other public lands nationwide. It's part of a new Trump administration order — hotly opposed by many outdoors groups — that will allow the so-called e-bikes on every federal trail where a regular bike can go.

Sales of the bikes, powered by both pedals and battery-driven small motors, are booming, and some aging or less fit people have sought the rule change. It will allow them to whirr up and down biking trails in the country's roughly 400 national parks and other federally managed backcountry areas.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed the order without fanfare Thursday, classifying e-bikes as nonmotorized bikes and giving agencies 14 days to adjust their rules.

The e-bikes "make bicycle travel easier and more efficient, and they provide

In this June 8, 2019 file photo, Janice Goodwin stands by her electric-assist bicycle at a gate near the start of the carriage path system where bikes such as her are banned inside Acadia National Park, in this photo June 8, 2018, in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Associated Press

an option for people who want to ride a bicycle but might not otherwise do so because of physical fitness, age, disability or convenience," National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith said in a state-

ment Friday.

Welcoming the change in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Friday, Gordon Goodwin, 69, said he and his wife look forward to riding the 57 miles (92 kilometers) of carriage paths that meander throughout Acadia National Park.

The paths, offering stunning views of lakes, mountains, forests and the ocean, are popular with bicyclists, but e-bikes have had to stay on the park's roads instead.

"We're stoked. We're really stoked," Goodwin said.

"There's just too much traffic on the main park roads that you can't enjoy them.

It'll be great to get in the park and see nature and all that stuff."

But more than 50 hiking, horse-riding and other outdoor and conservation associations, including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Pacific Crest Trail Association, objected in a July letter to the Interior Department. They say the administration is fundamentally changing the nature of national parks with little or no public notice or study.

"If you're hiking on a trail in Utah and you're rounding a bend and something's coming at you at 20 mph,

that really changes the experience," said Kristen Brengel, a vice president of the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit that advocates for the national park system.

"It's pretty jarring" to those who take to public lands to escape city noise and stress for nature, Brengel said. "You're adding significant speed and a throttle to those trails."

E-bikes are the fastestgrowing segment of the bicycle industry, with U.S. sales jumping 72% to $144 million last year, according to the NPD Group, which tracks bike sales. The motorized bikes are popular with commuters and aging baby boomers who might not otherwise get out on a bicycle.

The bikes, which can cost $2,000 or more, combine the frame of a regular bike with lightweight batteries and electric motors.

In parks and other public lands as on city streets and sidewalks, people moving on vehicles powered by electric or gasoline engines frequently jostle for the right of way with people on foot or traditional bikes. In the National Park Service, officials over the decades have tried to carefully sort

out rules and systems to minimize conflicts.

In their letter, the outdoor groups complained the decision to allow motorized bikes on bike trails breaks with policies dating back to the early 1970s confining cars, dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles and all other motorized vehicles to roads and designated areas or trails on public lands.

Interior's order allows motorized bikes that can go up to 28 mph to be classified as regular bikes.

Riders must use the motor only to boost their pedaling to ride on the bike trails, and not zip along on motor power alone, the Interior statement said.

Bernhardt's order gave agency officials 30 days to come up with public guidance on how the new policy will be carried out by the National Park and National Wildlife Refuge systems, and on land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

Adam Gariepy, manager of the Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, said Friday he's "tentatively happy" about the new rules. But he has reservations because some e-bikes like his can reach around 28 mph, he said.

That speed could be dangerous on trails that have a mix of bicycle riders, horses and carriages, hikers, families and pets.

"It's a two-edged sword. It'll be great for older folks who are afraid of the hills and want to continue riding.

But there should be some speed limit with them," he said.

Park Service Deputy Director Smith said the parks "should be responsive to visitors' interest in using this new technology wherever it is safe and appropriate to do."

But Brengel, the parks conservation association official, noted the order comes in a season when thousands of volunteers with trail groups have been in the parks all summer improving trails.

"You put a policy out like this, and it's a slap in the face," she said.q

U.S. NEWS A3

Saturday 31 August 2019

Continued from Front

Hundreds of other lawsuits filed in Guam and other states have already strained the Boy Scouts finances and have led the organization to consider bankruptcy, among other options.

"The Boy Scouts are going to have to come to grips with the issues of their past," said Michael Pfau, Washington state-based attorney planning the New Jersey lawsuit.

In a statement responding to the pending New Jersey suit, the Boy Scouts said it apologizes to the victims and encourages them to report abuse to law enforcement.

"We believe victims, we support them, we pay for counseling by a provider of their choice, and we encourage them to come forward," the organization said. It added that policies have also been changed to include mandatory criminal background checks.

It also added a rule that at least two adult leaders must be present with children at all times during activities.

New Jersey's law, signed in May, allows child victims to sue up until they turn 55 or within seven years of their first realization that the abuse caused them harm. The current statute of limitations is age 20 or two years after first realizing the abuse caused harm. The bill also opens up a twoyear window to victims who were previously barred by the statute of limitation. It also allows victims to seek damages from institutions.

That has opened the door to lawsuits by people like Charles Wright, 75, of Salt Lake City, who said he was sexually assaulted by a "Scout commissioner" in Southern California when he was about 11.

"I kept it all a secret for years. I became an alcoholic. I wanted to become

a Baptist minister. Instead I became an alcoholic. I became addicted to numerous types of drugs," he said. "It's not easy with this thought rolling through your head about what happened to you when you were a kid."

The Associated Press does not usually identify people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they give permission, as both Wright and Hunt have.

Plaintiffs' attorneys say estimating how much the Boy Scouts have paid out to date and could be liable for is hard because the organization seeks confidentiality in settlements.

Paul Mones, the plaintiff's lawyer in a 2010 case that resulted in a nearly $20 million judgment against the Boy Scouts, said the organization never expected to face such staggering financial liabilities because of statutes of limitations, which barred many purported victims from suing and which states are now beginning to change to help those who say they were abused.

"We are witnessing now, not just with the Boy Scouts, a major transformation (in) how victims of abuse and society view these institutions," Mones said.

The Boy Scouts also said in a statement that they're considering "all options available so we can live up to our social and moral responsibility to fairly compensate victims who suffered abuse during their time in Scouting."

If the suits in New Jersey and across the country lead the scouts to pursue bankruptcy, that would offer the organization a chance to come up with a plan to repay any plaintiffs, who would have to sign off on the plan, according to Pamela Foohey, a bankruptcy expert at the Maurer School of Law and Indiana University.q

In this Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 photo, Greg Hunt holds a school photo of himself in St. Petersburg, Fla. Associated Press

A4 U.S.

Saturday 31 August 2019

NEWS

DNC chairman effectively kills plans for virtual caucuses

In this June 27, 2019 file photo, DNC Chair Tom Perez speaks before the start of a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, in Miami.

Associated Press

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE, MICHELLE L. PRICE and BILL BARROW Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrats' plans for virtual presidential caucuses in Iowa and Nevada are effectively dead as the national party chairman said Friday the results would be vulnerable to hacking and abuse.

Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, declared his opposition to plans for telephone voting submitted by the key early voting states of Iowa and Nevada, envisioned as part of the national party's efforts to increase participation in the 2020 nominating fight.

"We concur with the advice of the DNC's security experts that there is no telecaucus system available that meets our standard of security and liability," Perez said in a statement joined by the co-chairs of the party's Rules and Bylaws Committee.

The Iowa and Nevada parties had planned to allow some voters to cast caucus votes over the telephone in February 2020 instead of showing up at traditional caucus meetings.

The powerful rules committee, which must approve all states' primary and caucus plans, still must meet in the coming weeks to make the final decision, but Friday's statement makes clear that will be a formality. The decision removes a potential cause of a flawed count on caucus night that could undermine the integrity of a process that has been criticized even in its traditional form.

The decision leaves the Iowa and Nevada state parties in limbo, without clarity on how they'll meet the national party's requirements to expand access to the caucuses.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price said he would comply with the DNC's decision, but that he wouldn't speculate on any potential alternatives

to the plan the party had originally put in place.

"We're going to take the time we need to explore the options available to us, recognizing we still have five months till the caucuses," he said.

Price also expressed confidence that Iowa would not have to scrap the caucuses overall, or lose its status as the first state in the nation to express a presidential preference.

It's unclear how exactly the elimination of the telecaucus option will affect candidate strategy. Conversations with campaign aides in Iowa and Nevada suggested most campaigns hadn't done much planning around the virtual caucus yet because the exact processes hadn't yet been approved by the DNC. But at least one candidate, former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, called the DNC's decision to scrap the virtual caucus an "affront to the principles of our democracy."

William McCurdy II, the Nevada Democratic Party chairman, expressed disappointment in the outcome but noted that his state still will have early caucus voting "to provide Nevada Democrats additional opportunities to participate in an important process that will have lasting effects on our country."

Nevada's plan to offer early, in-person caucusing is expected to meet the DNC's requirement that states offer some alternate means of participating in traditional neighborhood meetings.

The party has planned to offer four early nights where voters may show up at a location and fill out forms listing their preferred candidate and at least one alternate. The DNC has not given final approval to that plan, but Artie Blanco, a DNC rules and bylaws committee member from Nevada, said Friday that she had not heard any security concerns about the early caucusing plan.

Blanco said plans for the tele-caucus involved creating new technology that doesn't yet exist. The states had hoped to work with the DNC to develop the telephone-based voting system but questions about how secure the system could be were raised back in a June DNC meeting.

She said she's hopeful that Democrats will work to create it by 2024.

"I'm disappointed that we're not going to try to build this system this year.

The unfortunate thing is we're less than six months out," Blanco said. "We attempted to do this process to allow for others to participate and I'm hopeful that the DNC will work with the states to develop the technology."

The dynamics highlight competing priorities for Democrats. A high-profile party commission formed after the bitter primary fight in 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders recommended that the party find ways to increase voter participation in the nominating process. Caucus states historically have very low turnout for events that require in-person voting at local meetings around the state.

But Perez also has made it clear that Democrats must have a nominating process that doesn't leave the eventual nominee saddled with questions of legitimacy, as Clinton faced in 2016 from Sanders supporters convinced that the national party had weighted the process in her favor.

Democrats with knowledge of the deliberations said DNC's findings on the virtual caucuses came after a test of the planned systems revealed vulnerability to hacking. The party already is sensitive to hacking after Russian operatives infiltrated DNC servers during the 2016 election campaign, and Democrats say they could not abide having the Iowa and Nevada results delegitimized after the fact.q

U.S. NEWS A5

Saturday 31 August 2019

Appeals court reinstates lawsuit in S.C. church shooting case

By DENISE LAVOIE AP Legal Affairs Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A lawsuit over a faulty background check that allowed a South Carolina man to buy the gun he used to kill nine people in a racist attack at a Charleston church was reinstated Friday by a federal appeals court.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a ruling from a lower court judge who threw out the claims brought by relatives of people killed by Dylann Roof in the 2015 massacre, and by survivors.

The lower court judge found the government immune from liability. The judge said the families' claims did not fit into narrow exceptions to laws that shield government employees from liability while carrying out their official duties. But the appeals court panel disagreed.

The FBI has acknowledged that Roof's drug possession arrest in Columbia, South Carolina, weeks before the shooting at AME Emanuel Church should have prevented him from buying a gun. Roof has been sentenced to death for the slayings.

The 4th Circuit panel found that an examiner who conducted the background check on Roof failed to follow a mandatory procedure when she did not contact the arresting agency.

"Once the Examiner's in-

quiry revealed that the Columbia PD was the arresting agency and that it had the report, she was required to contact it. Her decision not to do so involved no permissible exercise of discretion," Judge Roger Gregory wrote for the federal panel in Friday's ruling.

"The Government can claim no immunity in these circumstances," he wrote.

The ruling means the lawsuit can move forward.

William "Billy" Wilkins, a lawyer who represented the families in their appeal, said the ruling signals recognition under the law that the government must live up to its responsibility to conduct thorough background checks for gun buyers.

"We're talking about those who are charged with the important responsibility of properly conducting background checks so that assassins like Roof are not able to obtain the weapon that he used to commit these terrible crimes," he said.

A series of clerical errors and missteps allowed Roof to buy the handgun he later used in the massacre.

In his ruling last year, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel sharply said a jail clerk wrongly listed the Lexington County Sheriff's Office as the arresting agency in the drug case. The examiner then sent a fax to the sheriff's office, which responded that it did not have the arrest report and directed her to Columbia police.

Gergel said that under the system's operating procedures, the examiner was directed to a federal listing of law enforcement agencies, but Columbia police did not appear on the list.

After trying the separate West Columbia Police Department and being told it was the wrong agency, the examiner did nothing more.

After a three-day waiting period, Roof went back to a West Columbia store to pick up the handgun.

The appeals court panel said the examiner was mandated to contact the Columbia Police Department.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the ruling.

During arguments before the 4th Circuit in May, Thomas Ward, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice's Civil Division, told the judges that the standard operating procedures are not binding. He said they are meant only as guidance for examiners who process about 22,000 inquiries per day and about 8.2 million a year.

The appeals court, however, said the National Instant Criminal Background Check System's standard operating procedures contain a set of requirements specifying the steps an examiner must take in conducting a background check.

/arubatoday/

In this June 18, 2015, file photo, Charleston, S.C., shooting suspect Dylann Storm Roof is escorted from the Cleveland County Courthouse in Shelby, N.C. Associated Press

South Carolina state Sen. Gerald Malloy, one of the attorneys representing the family of Pastor Clementa Pinckney, one of those killed in the shooting, said he believes the ruling means "that the United States government has some responsibility."

"At the end of the day, the bottom line is, had they followed their own procedures, then Mr. Roof would not have been able to purchase this gun and we would have been able to save nine innocent lives and the injury to the other victims," Malloy said.q

A6 U.S.

NEWS Dorian gains fury but could spare Florida a direct hit Saturday 31 August 2019

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and ELLIS RUA Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Dorian powered toward Florida with increasing fury Friday — but also indications that it might just skirt the U.S. coastline and spare it from the devastating direct hit that forecasters have been fearing for days.

Forecasters warned that no one is out of danger and Dorian could still wallop the state with "extremely dangerous" 140 mph (225 kph) winds and torrential rains late Monday or early Tuesday, with millions of people in the crosshairs along with Walt Disney World and President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

But some of the more reliable computer models predicted a turn northward that would have Dorian hug the coast, delivering a glancing blow, the National Hurricane Center said.

"We could still be talking about a notable loss but nothing remotely close to if we had a direct hit," said meteorologist Steve Bowen, global head of catastrophe insights for the reinsurance firm Aon. Weather Underground meteorology director Jeff Masters said: "There is hope."

The faint, encouraging signs came at the end of a day in which Dorian seemed to get scarier with each forecast update. It strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane in the afternoon, and there were fears it could prove to be the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida's east coast in nearly 30 years.

Late Friday, the National Hurricane Center's projected new track showed Dorian hitting near Fort Pierce, some 70 miles north of Mar-a-Lago , then running along the coastline as it moved north. But forecasters cautioned that the storm's track was still highly uncertain and even a small deviation could put Dorian offshore or well inland.

Trump declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized the Federal Emergency Management

Workers cover stained glass windows with plywood sections at the Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Flagler Beach, Fla. Associated Press

Agency to coordinate disaster-relief efforts.

"This is big and is growing and it still has some time to get worse," Julio Vasquez said at a Miami fast-food joint next to a gas station that had run out of fuel. "No one knows what can really happen. This is serious."

As Dorian closed in, it played havoc with people's Labor Day weekend plans.

Major airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without a fee. The big cruise lines began rerouting their ships.

Disney World and the other resorts in Orlando found themselves in the storm's projected path.

Jessica Armesto and her 1-year-old daughter, Mila, had planned to have breakfast with Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy at Disney World.

Instead, Armesto decid-

ed to take shelter at her mother's hurricane-resistant house in Miami with its kitchen full of nonperishable foods.

"It felt like it was better to be safe than sorry, so we canceled our plans," she said.

Still, with Dorian days away and its track uncertain, Disney and other major resorts held off announcing any closings, and Florida authorities ordered no immediate mass evacuations.

"Sometimes if you evacuate too soon, you may evacuate into the path of the storm if it changes," Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Homeowners and businesses rushed to cover their windows with plywood. Supermarkets ran out of bottled water, and long lines formed at gas stations, with fuel shortages reported in places. The governor said the Florida Highway Patrol

would begin escorting fuel trucks to help them get past the lines of waiting motorists and replenish gas stations.

At a Publix supermarket in Cocoa Beach, Ed Ciecirski of the customer service department said the pharmacy was extra busy with people rushing to fill prescriptions. The grocery was rationing bottled water and had run out of dry ice.

"It's hairy," he said.

As of 5 p.m. EDT, Dorian was centered about 595 miles (960 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach with winds of 115 mph (185 kph).

It was moving northwest at an ever-slower 9 mph (15 kph). Forecasters warned that its slow movement could subject the state to a prolonged and destructive pummeling from wind, storm surge and heavy rain.

Coastal areas could get

6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain, with 18 inches (46 centimeters) in some places, triggering life-threatening flash floods, the hurricane center said. FEMA official Jeff Byard said Dorian is likely to "create a lot of havoc" for roads, power and other infrastructure.

Also imperiled were the Bahamas , where canned food and bottled water were disappearing quickly and the sound of hammering echoed across the islands as people boarded up their homes. Dorian was expected to hit by Sunday with the potential for lifethreatening storm surge that could raise water levels 15 feet above normal.

"Do not be foolish and try to brave out this hurricane," Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. "The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life."

Florida's governor urged nursing homes to take precautions to prevent tragedies like the one during Hurricane Irma two years ago, when the storm knocked out the air conditioning at a facility in Hollywood and 12 patients died in the sweltering heat. Four employees of the home were charged with manslaughter earlier this week.

DeSantis said the timely message from those arrests is: "It's your responsibility to make sure you have a plan in place to protect those folks."

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, NASA moved a 380-foothigh mobile launch platform to the safety of the colossal Vehicle Assembly Building, built to withstand 125 mph (200 kph) wind.

The launcher is for the mega rocket that NASA is developing to take astronauts to the moon.

The hurricane season typically peaks between midAugust and late October.

One of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S. was on Labor Day 1935.

The unnamed Category 5 hurricane crashed ashore along Florida's Gulf Coast on Sept. 2. It was blamed for over 400 deaths.q

U.S. NEWS A7

Saturday 31 August 2019

This June 9, 2019, file photo shows the TSA security checkpoint in Pittsburgh International's Landside terminal in Imperial, Pa. Associated Press

Judges say travelers can sue TSA over screener mistreatment PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A U.S. appeals court says travelers can sue the government over mistreatment by federal airport screeners because the agents can act like law enforcement officers, including when they conduct invasive searches.

The 9-4 decision Friday by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned earlier rulings and is a setback for the Transportation Security Administration and its screeners.

The government is generally immune from lawsuits, but a federal law lets people sue over the actions of officers who can conduct searches and arrest people.

A district court and a threejudge panel of the same appeals court said TSA officers are just screeners who inspect passengers and bags.

The full appeals court said, however, that screeners aren't entitled to immunity from lawsuits because they

perform searches for violations of federal law.

The court majority noted that TSA calls the screeners officers, they wear uniforms with badges including that title, and hold positions of authority.

The judges also rejected the government's argument that airport screening is different from a search because airline passengers consent to it. They said it's indeed a search — noting that screeners can explore a passenger's entire body including sensitive areas.

A Florida woman, Nadine Pellegrino, sued over a search at the Philadelphia airport in 2006, saying screeners damaged her property and falsely claimed she hit them with a bag. She was arrested but found not guilty at trial.

Pellegrino and her husband asked the TSA for $951,200 in damages. When their claim was rejected, they sued the TSA and three TSA employees.q

In this Dec. 11, 1998 file photo, shows Jim Leavelle in Stafford, Kansas holding the iconic 1963 photograph, as he escorted Lee Harvey Oswald moments before he is shot in Dallas.

Associated Press

Jim Leavelle, lawman at Lee Harvey Oswald's side, dies at 99 DALLAS (AP) — Jim Leavelle, the longtime Dallas lawman who was captured in one of history's most iconic photographs as he escorted President John F. Kennedy's assassin as he was fatally shot, has died. He was 99.

Leavelle, distinctive in his light-colored suit and white Stetson, is seen in the photograph with his hand on Lee Harvey Oswald, Leavelle's body stiffening as nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot the handcuffed presidential assassin at close range on live TV in 1963. Leavelle appears shocked as Oswald grimaces in pain.

Leavelle's daughter Tanya Evers told The Associated Press her father died Thurs-

day while visiting her sister in Colorado. He fell earlier this week and broke his hip, requiring surgery at a Denver hospital, Evers said Friday. He responded well to the surgery, she said, but then later suffered a heart attack.

In the decades after the assassination, Leavelle regularly spoke at schools and before various groups because he believed "he had a responsibility to share his story," said Evers, who lives in San Antonio.

Her father through the decades received mail nearly every day from people asking questions about the assassination or invoking any one of several conspiracy theories, she said.

"He really felt a need to address the theories," Evers said. "He wanted to make sure that people knew there was no conspiracy and that one misguided person could take a shot at a president and succeed."

Leavelle joined the Dallas police force in 1950 and retired from active service in 1975. He was among the lead detectives assigned to investigate Kennedy's Nov. 22, 1963, assassination.

In 2013, Dallas police commanders honored Leavelle with the Police Commendation Award and announced the department's Detective of the Year Award would be named for him. q

A8 WORLD

Saturday 31 August 2019

NEWS

Over 150 migrants in Morocco climb fences to Spanish enclave MADRID (AP) — At least 155 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa successfully entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after climbing over fences or walking across a border post separating the territory from Morocco, authorities said Friday.

Seven of the migrants clung to the top of a 6-meter-tall (19.5 feet) fence for over two hours until law enforcement officers brought them down and handed them over to their Moroccan counterparts, said the Spanish central government's delegation in Ceuta.

A larger group of around 250 attempted the breach simultaneously at a breakwater where the 8.2-kilometer (5-mile) double fence meets the sea. Most of them were from West Africa's Guinea.

Morocco's official news agency MAP quoted local authorities in the northern M'diq Fnideq prefecture as saying that 400 migrants staying in the country illegally had attempted to cross the fences and that 90 of them had been immediately arrested. Nine of them were slightly injured and transferred to a hospital.

A Ceuta delegation

Spanish Guardia Civil officers cordon off the area as sub-Saharan migrants stand on top of a metallic fence that divides Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Spain, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

Associated Press

spokesman said that a dozen Civil Guard officers were treated for slight injuries after being hit with stones and sticks. One migrant with cuts from the barbedwire topping the fences was taken to the local hospital and seven more were treated by the Red Cross.

Video footage showed the migrants erupting in jubilee and screaming "Boza!

Boza!" — meaning "victory" in Western Africa's Fulani language — as they walked or ran toward a temporary migrant processing center in Ceuta. The migrants typi-

cally stay there while they apply for asylum or wait for an opportunity to travel to peninsular Spain.

Friday's was the first crossing attempt in Ceuta in over a year. In July, over 200 people tried to cross into Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave, though most of them were stopped by the authorities.

The handling of security on both sides of the border has been criticized by human rights organizations. Spain's Socialist government last year pledged to take down the controversial barbed

wire and instead raise the fences to 10 meters (32 feet) and add more surveillance and technology to stop the breaches.

There is no official timing for the changes, said the Ceuta delegation's spokesman, who wasn't authorized to be identified in media reports.

Also on Friday, 14 men and a woman arrived in southern Spain on a navy ship after their group was kept at sea for weeks in one of the latest European spats over the migrants' plight.

The Spanish Navy's Audaz

vessel returned to a port in Cadiz after picking up the migrants in Italy earlier this week.

They are part of a larger group of more than 150 rescued in the central Mediterranean Sea in early August by the Spanish aid group Open Arms but blocked from disembarking

by Italian authorities.

Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and Luxembourg have agreed to accept them and an Italian prosecutor ordered their emergency evacuation after 19 days at sea amid worsening conditions.

Spain's caretaker government said that the migrants have been granted a special entry authorization and will be informed of their right to apply for asylum at a temporary processing center.

Spain says it already rescues and takes in more migrants than any other nation in Europe. That's despite a 42.5% drop in arrivals by mid-August compared to the same period last year — less than 14,600 so far this year compared with more than 25,300 in 2018.

In the same period, the number of boats making the crossing fell from 1,054 to 542.q

German far-right hopeful faces new extremism claims Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A regional leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party on Friday dismissed new reports of ties to extremists groups that opponents say should disqualify him from being elected in a weekend vote.

Andreas Kalbitz, the party's leader in the eastern state of Brandenburg, confirmed in a statement reports by weekly Der Spiegel that he attended a 2007 far-right event in Athens, saying he took part out of "curiosity."

But Kalbitz denied being part of a delegation that included members of Germany's NPD party, which German authorities have tried unsuccessfully to ban on the grounds of extrem-

File-Picture taken Aug.4, 2019 shows Andreas Kalbitz, chairman of the AfD in Brandenburg, in Cottbus, Germany.

Associated Press

ism.

Der Spiegel quoted a German police report saying the NPD delegation in Greece draped a swastika

flag on a balcony, whereupon Greek anarchists firebombed the hotel.

Kalbitz, whose AfD party could come first in the Sept.

1 regional election in Brandenburg, said in an email that any suggestion he was linked to the flag incident was "simply a lie."

Earlier this week, public broadcaster rbb reported that the 46-year-old attended a camp organized by the HJ, a neo-Nazi youth movement, in 1993. Kalbitz has previously acknowledged attending a camp by the group's successor organization in 2007, but downplayed this and other ties to known extremist groups, insisting that he abides by the German Constitution.

Germany's finance minister criticized Kalbitz on Friday.

"Whoever surrounds themselves with neo-Nazis and marches with right-wing

radicals abroad, puts the boot into our democratic values," Olaf Scholz said on Twitter.

"The evidence against AfD's chief in Brandenburg weighs heavily," added Scholz, who is running to lead the center-left Social Democrats, urging Brandenburgers to vote against him.Recent polls put the ruling Social Democrats neckand-neck with AfD in Brandenburg, though other parties have made clear they won't consider working with the far right. A separate regional election takes place Sunday in the neighboring state of Saxony, where AfD is challenging Chancellor Angela Merkel's centerright Christian Democrats for first place.q

WORLD NEWS A9

Saturday 31 August 2019

UK's Boris Johnson faces mounting challenges to his plans

By GREGORY KATZ Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for part of the run-up to the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline faces mounting legal and political challenges ahead of a weekend of planned street protests.

There are three ongoing court tests to Johnson's plan, which he says is routine but which will shorten the time in which opponents in Parliament could seek to pass legislation blocking a disorderly "no deal" departure from the European Union.

A Scottish judge Friday declined to issue an immediate injunction to block the suspension of Parliament but set up a full hearing Tuesday on the legal bid launched by cross-party legislators determined to keep Parliament in session.

A separate case in London has also received the heavyweight backing of former Prime Minister John Major — a fellow Conservative from Johnson's party — and from Tom Watson, the deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party.

Major hopes to formally join the case started by activist Gina Miller so he can argue that Johnson has exceeded his authority by asking Queen Elizabeth II to shutter Parliament for several weeks during the crucial period before the Brexit deadline.

"If granted permission to intervene, I intend to seek to assist the court from the perspective of having

Anti-Brexit demonstrators wave banners and flags outside the Cabinet Office in London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

Associated Press

served in government as a minister and prime minister, and also in Parliament for many years as a member of the House of Commons," he said.

A case is being heard in Northern Ireland, as well.

The various courts are being asked to intervene in what is seen by Johnson's opponents as a power grab that undercuts the sovereignty of Parliament.

It is too early to gauge the possible impact of street protests planned for Saturday in London and other major British cities. Activists hope a massive turnout could influence vacillating members of Parliament when it reconvenes on Tuesday after a summer recess.

Organizers say more than 30 protests have been planned in cities through-

out the United Kingdom.

Opponents of a possible "no deal" Brexit will have to hustle to craft a bill in the constrained time period.

Success may depend on whether a significant number of legislators from Johnson's Conservative Party are willing to join forces with Labour and other parties to frustrate the prime minister's oft-stated goal of taking Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 regardless of whether a deal is in place.

Shami Chakrabarti, a senior adviser to the Labour Party on justice issues, told BBC radio that she is hopeful there is enough opposition in Parliament to block Johnson from carrying out a "no deal" departure.

"If they try any more of this stuff we will use any means necessary to prevent this undemocratic behavior —

that includes people taking to the streets, that includes people taking to the airwaves, that includes people going to court."

In Scotland, Judge Raymond Doherty turned down a bid for an immediate intervention but said a "substantive" hearing Tuesday would allow the case to be heard in a timely fashion. He did agree to move the full hearing from Sept. 6 to Tuesday to speed up the process.

"It's in the interest of justice that it proceeds sooner rather than later," he said.

The case was brought by a cross-party group of roughly 70 legislators seeking to broaden the period for parliamentary debate in a bid to prevent a disorderly departure by Britain from the European Union.

The legislators backing the

legal bid want Johnson to submit a sworn affidavit explaining his reasons for suspending Parliament. It is not clear if such a statement will be required.

The defiant prime minister warned Friday that opposition to his plans is weakening Britain's negotiating position by giving EU leaders the impression that Parliament may step in to block Brexit.

"I'm afraid that the more our friends and partners think, at the back of their mind, that Brexit could be stopped, that the U.K. could be kept in by Parliament, the less likely they are to give us the deal that we need," Johnson told Sky News. He claimed there is still time to make a deal with the EU. Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, reached an agreement with EU leaders, but Britain's Parliament repeatedly rejected the terms.

At a meeting in Helsinki, some senior EU officials expressed concern about Johnson's tactics and the rising possibility of a "no deal" Brexit.

"Westminster is the mother of all parliaments, and now you have a situation where that parliament is in danger of being sidelined," Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said.

He believes "no deal" would inflict needless pain.

"I'm worried," he said. "A no deal is a catastrophe.

It could cost thousands and thousands of jobs and needlessly create misery. I hope that political reason will prevail."q

A10 WORLD

NEWS EU urges Serbia not to stray from its membership path Saturday 31 August 2019

HELSINKI (AP) — European Union foreign ministers on Friday urged Serbia not to stray from its EU membership path as the Balkans country readies to sign a trade agreement with a Russian-led economic bloc.

Serbia is expected to sign the pact with the Eurasian Economic Union — made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan — on Oct. 25. But to join the EU, candidate countries such as Serbia must align their policies with their European partners, notably on trade.

At talks with his EU counterparts Friday, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak described Serbia's actions as "confusing."

"If you are serious about your European orientation then obviously you make political decisions that bring you closer to it. This is not one of them," Lajcak said.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said that "if countries want to join the

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, left, and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini attend a joint press conference after the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Helsinki, Finland on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

Associated Press

club they must comply with the rules, values, principles."

He said every country has a right to take its own trade and economic decisions but that "preferably it would be good to have

them in alignment with the policy of the Union they are going to join."

The EU remains Serbia's largest trade partner, with trade amounting to nearly 26 billion euros ($29 billion)

in 2018 — about eight times more than trade with all the EEU countries combined.

In an email statement, the office of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogerhini underlined that trade with

Russia is less than 10% of Serbia's total trade, compared to 63% for the 28-nation EU. It said Belgrade can sign agreements with whomever it wants before it joins, but that as part of its membership talks "Serbia committed to withdrawing from all bilateral free trade agreements on the day of its accession to the EU." The prospect of joining the European club has been a powerful driver of pro-democratic reform in the volatile Balkans region. But the bloc has been accused of not living up to its promises, particularly by delaying the start of membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia, despite the EU's executive arm recommending that they go ahead.

The EU has committed to deciding their fate by October, but Mogherini suggested Friday that the 28 member countries are not yet ready to hand down their verdict. q

Prime minister says Pakistan will respond if India attacks ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's prime minister said Friday he has warned the international community that India could launch an attack on Pakistani-held Kashmir in an effort to divert attention from human rights abuses in the portion of the disputed Himalayan region that it controls.

In a speech at a rally in Islamabad, Imran Khan said his country will give a "befitting response" to the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi if it attacked.

"Every brick will be countered with a stone," he said. "Our armed forces are ready" to respond to any such attack, he said.

Khan said any conflict between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India will not be confined to the South Asian region. "The whole world will be affected," he said, adding that he will raise the issue when he addresses the U.N. General Assembly next month.

Khan said people in Indian-

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, attends a Kashmir rally at the Prime Minister office in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

Associated Press

administered Kashmir have been living under a curfew for almost four weeks since New Delhi downgraded Muslim-majority Kashmir's autonomy on Aug. 5 and imposed a security clamp-

down to prevent any violent response.

Khan expressed his government's full support for Kashmiri people and said he hopes that Indian-administered Kashmir will soon get

independence.

He described Modi as a "fascist" and equated him with Adolf Hitler, saying he feared a "genocide of Muslims in Kashmir."

India on Thursday said it has

information that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate "terrorists" into the country. Pakistan's army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Ghafoor, rejected the Indian claims, saying Pakistan was a responsible state and "we would be insane to allow infiltration" across the Line of Control that divides the countries in Kashmir.

Rallies were held Friday in almost all cities, towns and villages in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir to express solidarity with Kashmiris in the Indian-held portion. Protesters in the eastern city of Lahore and elsewhere burned Indian flags and effigies of Modi.

In Bangladesh, another Muslim-majority nation, thousands of people marched after prayers Friday through the capital, Dhaka, to protest India's clampdown in Kashmir.

They demanded independence for Indian-held Kashmir and the restoration of the constitutional provision that gave it autonomy.q

WORLD NEWS A11

Saturday 31 August 2019

Hong Kong democracy activists get bail, protest march banned

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and another core member of a pro-democracy group were granted bail Friday after being charged with inciting people to join a protest in June, while authorities denied permission for a major march as they took what appears to be a harder line on this summer's protests.

The organizers of Saturday's march, the fifth anniversary of a decision by China against allowing fully democratic elections for the leader of Hong Kong, said they were calling it off after an appeals board denied permission. It was unclear whether some protesters would still demonstrate on their own.

The police commander of Hong Kong island, Kwok Pak Chung, appealed to people to stay away from any non-authorized rallies, warning that those caught could face a five-year jail term.

He told a daily news conference that he was aware of social media messages urging people to take strolls or hold rallies in the name of religion. Kwok urged the public to "make a clear break with all acts of violence and stay away from locations where violent clashes may take place."

Police have been rejecting more applications for rallies and marches, citing violence at or after earlier ones. They also are arresting people for protests earlier this summer, a step they said was a natural development as investigations were completed.

Andy Chan, the leader of a pro-independence movement, was arrested at the airport Thursday night under suspicion of rioting and attacking police. Three other protesters were taken in

earlier this week for alleged involvement in the storming of the legislative building on July 1, when protesters broke in and vandalized the main chamber.

A leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, which had called Saturday's march, said that Hong Kong residents would have to think about other ways to voice their anger if the police keep banning protests.

"The first priority of the Civil Human Rights Front is to make sure that all of the participants who participate in our marches will be physically and legally safe. That's our first priority," said Bonnie Leung.

"And because of the decision made by the appeal board, we feel very sorry but we have no choice but to cancel the march."

Police arrested Wong and Agnes Chow on Friday morning. They were charged with participating in and inciting others to join an unauthorized protest outside a police station on June 21. Wong was also charged with organizing it.

"We will continue our fight no matter how they arrest and prosecute us," Wong told reporters outside a courthouse after they were released on bail.

Wong, one of the student leaders of the Umbrella Movement in 2014, was released from prison in June after serving a two-month sentence related to that major pro-democracy protest.

Wong and Chow, both 22, are members of Demosisto, a group formed by Wong and others in 2016 to advocate self-determination for Hong Kong. Chow tried to run for office last year, but was disqualified because of the group's stance on self-determination. China does not consider independence an option for the semi-autonomous territory.

/arubatoday/

Pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, right, and Agnes Chow speak to media outside a district court in Hong Kong, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

Associated Press

Demosisto is not a leader of this year's movement, which describes itself as "leaderless," though Wong has spoken out regularly in support of the demonstrations.

The protests were set off by extradition legislation that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial and expanded to general concerns that China is chip-

ping away at the rights of Hong Kong residents.

The extradition bill was suspended but the protesters want it withdrawn and are also demanding democracy and an independent inquiry into police actions against protesters.

Demosisto first reported the arrests of Wong and Chow on its social media accounts, saying Wong was pushed into a private car as he was heading to a subway station around 7:30 a.m. and was taken to police headquarters. It later said Chow had also been arrested, at her home.

Chow echoed Wong's comments, saying "we Hong Kong people won't give up and won't be scared ... we will keep fighting for democracy."q

A12 WORLD

NEWS Mexico's new drug war may be worse than old one Saturday 31 August 2019

By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press COATZACOALCOS, Mexico (AP) — Mexico's drug war appears to be back — and it may be worse this time around than in the bloody years of the government's 2006-2012 offensive against drug cartels.

Back then, the worst of the violence was confined to a few cities. Now it is spread out throughout the country. Once it was not uncommon for gangs to kill adults but leave children unharmed. Now, the killing of children alongside their parents has become all too frequent.

Perhaps the most disconcerting change: Bloody cartel violence outraged Mexicans and captured international attention for the drug war, which saw 27,000 homicides during its peak in 2011. Today, even though the number of Mexico's homicides soared to near 35,000 last year, the bloodshed seems to draw less attention and indignation.

It has all left many Mexicans wondering which way to turn.

That was evident this week in Coatzacoalcos, an oil industry city in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz where residents say gangs have been fighting over turf and extorting business owners with threats of violence.

Late Tuesday, suspected members of the Jalisco cartel showed up at the Caballo Blanco nightclub, blocked its exits and set a fire that killed 28 people trapped inside, apparently because the owner had either refused to make extortion payments or sold drugs from another gang.

Vanessa Galindo Blas lost her common-law husband, Erick Hernández Enriquez, to the blaze. Both were natives of Coatzacoalcos, but had been discussing moving away.

"We had talked about leaving here for somewhere safer, so our kids could have a better future," Galindo Blas said Thursday as she stretched her hands out over Erick's bare metal coffin. On it rested a photo

In this June 2, 2019 file photo, the body of a bloodied man lies in the middle of a street where police and forensic workers secure the crime scene in Acapulco, Mexico.

Associated Press

of him wearing an "I Love Coatzacoalcos" T-shirt.

But they could never agree on a place to move, in part because violence is now a problem across much of Mexico, so no place is really safe.

From 2006 to 2012, much of the drug war killing occurred in a string of northern Mexico cities — Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Culiacan, Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo. "Now it is more dispersed, and that also makes it harder to control," said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst in Mexico.

But counting down all the similarities — deadly arson attacks, bodies left piled in heaps or hung from overpasses, massacres at parties, beheading videos posted on social media — the parallels between now and then are all too clear.

"It's like deja vu all over again," said Hope.

Another disturbing trend is that young children are being gunned down by killers targeting adults. The Sinaloa and Juarez cartels once prided themselves on their targeted killings, which riddled intended targets with bullets while leaving family members untouched.

Now, children are being killed with chilling frequency. In June, a young boy was killed along with his father in Sonora state. In July, a 10-year-old was killed during a robbery in Puebla state. In August, gunmen burst into a home in Ciudad Juarez and fired 123 bullets that killed three girls, aged 14, 13 and 4, along with an adult male who apparently was the real target.

Two years ago, Coatzacoalcos made headlines across Mexico when a man, his wife and three young children were gunned down by a drug cartel. In contrast, the shooting of the three Ciudad Juarez girls drew less attention.

"It seems like we are becoming accustomed to this, to people killing children. I don't want to become accustomed to that," said Lenit Enriquez Orozco, an activist in Coatzacoalcos.

Her brother, Jonith Enriquez Orozco, has been missing since he was abducted on Sept. 25, 2015. There has been no trace of him since, even though her group, the Mothers' Collective of Searchers, has hunted for traces in clandestine burial grounds across Veracruz.

Hope notes Mexico has a lamentable record in investigating and prosecuting killings — over 90 percent of crime go unpunished.

"The risk involved in killing a man, or killing his whole family, is the same," the analyst said. Under that logic, wiping out an entire family "has its advantages.

It is more intimidating, it is easier to carry out, and it makes escaping easier."

The relentless violence has numbed many people.

In 2010, gunmen burst into a party of high school students in Ciudad Juarez's Villas de Salvarcar neighborhood, killing 15 in what appeared to have been a case of mistaken identity.

The bloodbath provoked large, angry street protests and a visit by an apologetic President Felipe Calderón.

This year, in April, gunmen burst into a party in Minatitlan, near Coatzacoalcos, and killed 14 people. Days later, a few dozen people held a subdued peace march.

"It's politics as usual, nothing happened. This should generate generalized indignation" against cartels and government leaders alike, Hope said.

He attributes the muted response to new President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's high approval ratings, topping 70% in some polls nine months into his term. Such ratings "tend to intimidate expressions of indignation," Hope said.

Many Mexicans also are willing to give López Obrador the benefit of the doubt as even the president acknowledges that violent crime is the most serious challenge he faces.

To the extent possible, López Obrador has avoided violent confrontations with gangs that were often blamed for spawning violence during Calderón's 2006-2012 administration.

López Obrador has even personally congratulated troops who allowed themselves to be abducted and disarmed by vigilante groups that are often linked to cartels.

He insists his go-slow policies of reducing youth unemployment will eventually solve the root causes of the problem better than declaring another frontal offensive against drug cartels.

Carlos Ángel Ortiz is one of those who doesn't fault López Obrador.

"It is like the president says, 'Only the people can save the people," Ortiz said as he made plans to bury his niece, Xóchitl Irineo Gomez, a dancer at the nightclub who died of smoke inhalation, leaving behind a son and a daughter ages 7 and 3.

"We have to look out for each other, and report crimes more," Ortiz said.

The poor provide López Obrador's base, and it is that group who suffers the most from crime. Irineo Gomez was the sole support of not only her children, but her elderly parents. Erick Hernández Enriquez left little behind for his family aside from a modest, threeroom cinderblock house.

"There are a lot of empty houses in Coatzacoalcos, a lot of people have left," said Maria Fabiola Davila, a civic activist. "Those who can afford it move to another country."q

A13

Saturday 31 August 2019

Three heroic boys who saved a turtle: Luca, Ivan and Alexander immediately. After a couple of hours of treatment the turtle was released. For Philip it was the best feeling seeing that the turtle was out of danger.

Philip would like to address all fisherman out there and anyone who shares the ocean with these beautiful creatures to be always mindful of what you throw as waste in the ocean, you never know where it will end up and also you never NOORD — Thanks to the prompt reaction of three brave boys a turtle’s life was saved. The turtle was entangled and had problem breathing due to the consequences of throwing waste in the ocean.

Thanks to the prompt reaction and an act of caring these boys, Luca, Ivan and Alexander, were able to save the life of the turtle. The three boys were swimming in the Arashi area and saw a sea turtle that appeared to be entangled, and had problem breathing. It appeared it had something lodged in its throat.

They bravely approached the animal and took it out of the water.

They noticed that the turtle was wrapped in fishing line and a rope, even its fins and especially its throat forcing it to breathe with difficulty.

They contacted Phillip Merryweather of the Philip’s Animal Garden immediately. Philip rushed to the Contreras Veterinary Clinic (Convet) whose staff assisted

know what harm it can cause to others. What may seem as an innocent irresponsible act can have great consequences.

Should you see any animal in danger or needs rescuing, please contact Philip Merryweather any time of the day at 593-5363.

About Philip’s Animal Garden Philip’s Pet Collection Foundation, is a non-profit organization that fo-

cuses on rescuing exotic animals on Aruba and the region. It was established in 2009. This is the only organization rescuing and rehabilitating exotic animals in Aruba, which has resulted in an amazing collection of animals. They provide a suitable living environment for all the rescued animals. The owner, Philip, has built this shelter with his own hands_ from designing all structures, welding them to constructing all the cages from raw materials. His goal is to upgrade the facilities to a world-class animal shelter with veterinary care and round-the-clock staff. With the input from the Aruban community and visitors they provide the best care for these animals.

Philip’s Animal Garden is located at Alto Vista 116 in Noord. They are open Monday-Friday 9AM-5Pm and Saturday-Sunday 9AM-6PM.q

Honoring of Loyal and Friendly visitors at Aruba Beach Club EAGLE BEACH — Recently, Marouska Heyliger 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 honorees were Steve and Kristin Szettella from Massachusetts who have been coming to the island

for 10 years consecutively.

The Szettella’s stated that they love 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.

Heyliger together with the representatives of Aruba Beach Club 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

A14 LOCAL

Saturday 31 August 2019

NEW IN THE MARKET!! Your Own Beach Villa with a Backyard of Green Tranquility

Azure Beach Residences The Villas

EAGLE BEACH — Sometimes everything comes together. You’re looking for this special family place while vacationing, you’d like to make an investment that brings you a profit and you want to deal with a trustworthy and secure company. Azure Beach Residences has all of the above under one roof. The condominiums are already a big hit on the island and are selling like hotcakes. And now this success extends with a complete NEW opportunity: only six fantastic villas on the border of a bird sanctuary and opposite the white-sand Eagle Beach. Let’s take a close look at this hidden gem.

It has a modern architecture with panoramic windows where the green environment from the bird sanctuary (Bubali Plas) can flow freely inside.

That is the feel you get with the Azure Villas. Just behind the condominium towers we have found this quiet space where you can have your family’s second home. Big benefit: you will not only have a villa with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, but also an annex that has one bedroom and one bathroom which can be rented out to cover your villa’s expenses. You also have the option of having your own private pool.

Value for Money Picture this: in the morning the kids are playing in their rooms while you take your coffee outside to the patio to enjoy the birds singing in the lush greens that surround you. After breakfast you gather your stuff to walk to the residence pools or cross the street to jump into the Caribbean Sea. This is no movie, this is for real. You are in paradise, you own your own villa and you have a decent return-on-investment. Not to be forgotten: you can make use of all facilities and services that are offered by Azure Beach Residences and there is 24-hours security. Best of it all is that the prices are very reasonable, especially when compared to similar offerings in the market.

Upgraded Environment The environment of Azure Beach Residences and the Azure Villas will be improved as the government is extending the Linear Park, a lovely paved route that eventually connects the length of the island’s west coast from the Airport to Arashi Beach. The trail is lined with trees for shade and offers secure space for walkers, runners and cyclers. All together you will be assured to have your perfect picture here.

Are you curious? Azure Beach Residences welcomes you to step in and hear more about this great opportunity! Hear us out and see for yourself.q WINNING POINTS

• Closed gated community with all amenities Azure Beach Residences has to offer.

• Spacious villa with lots of light coming in and full privacy PLUS the annex can be rented out.

• Your backyard is the Bubali Bird Sanctuary and the whitesand Eagle Beach on the opposite side of the street.

• New walk-run-cycle trail and park right by the front of the property.

• Well-priced in comparison with equally sized offerings.

• Developer with a trustworthy image and proven track record of success.

For more information you can visit the website http:// www. azure-aruba.com. The sales office is open every week day from 9 AM -5 PM, Saturdays 10 AM - 1 PM.

LOCAL A15

Saturday 31 August 2019

Local Farmers Market & Ostriches MATIVIDIRI — There is an Ostrich Farm in Aruba, did you know? At this beautiful place where ostriches are kept and taken care of you can have double fun! This Sunday, September 1st, from 10:00AM-2:00PM, the Ostrich Farm organizes the monthly local farmers market.

The farmers market's goal is to promote products and artwork made and produced in Aruba. More and more local farmers are actively growing vegetables, fruits, farming animals such as chicken and pigs and selling them to the public. What to think of locally made Pica de Jello (hot sauce), a great souvenir to take home.

Or products handmade by Aruban artisans that offer jewelry and glass blowing handicrafts. Indulge in the local ambiance at the Savanna Lodge Bar & Restaurant that sits beneath a large, shady gondola, open on three sides to the cooling Aruban breezes and rugged countryside. Decorated with unique African figurines from Zimbabwe and with 27ft long wooden hand crafted tables you and your friends or family can admire the market’s offerings, relax and enjoy a great meal and an ice cold beer or tropical fruit shake. You may of course also join in on a tour of the ostriches.

Ostrich Farm Tours are daily every half hour 9 – 3:30 pm, no reservations needed for small groups. The guided tours are an activity that is both informative and interactive. For authentic souvenirs, guests can browse around the Framers Market and Art Shop. q Aruba Ostrich Farm Inc. Tel: (297) 5859630 Facebook: Aruba Ostrich Farm Website: www.ArubaOstrichFarm.com

A16 LOCAL

Saturday 31 August 2019

Aruba’s 25 Florin banknote nominated for “Banknote of the Year 2019” ORANJESTAD — After more than 7 years of intense preparation, recently the Centrale Bank van Aruba (CBA) held the official launch of the new 2019 series florin banknotes.

The International Bank Note Society revealed the nomination of the 25 Florin banknote for the “Banknote of the Year 2019 Award”. CBA congratulates the people of Aruba with this achievement and is looking forward to the announcement of the winning banknote in April 2020.

The 3 nominees for this award are the 25 Florin Aruba, the 5 Pound Northern Ireland and the 1000 Franc Switzerland.

January 31st of 2020 will be the last day to submit nominations. During the journey of the making of these banknotes, the CBA worked in close cooperation with several local artists, various local and international experts from central banks and private sector consultants, as well as the internationally renowned banknote producer Crane Currency. The main theme of these banknotes is “Life in Aruba”, containing elements of the Aruban flora, fauna, cultural heritage, monuments, and landmarks. Apart from the very colorful designs, these banknotes also contain the

most advanced security features available on the market.

With the introduction of the 2019 banknote series, the CBA aims to maintain con-

fidence in the florin and contribute in promoting the uniqueness and beauty of Aruba’s flora, fauna, cultural heritage, monuments, and landmarks.

For future generations to be able to appreciate this as well, it is of utmost importance to continue to promote public awareness for the adequate preservation and conservation hereof.q

A17

Saturday 31 August 2019

Coroner: Angels' Tyler Skaggs died of accidental overdose

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an accidental overdose from a toxic mix of the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone along with alcohol, a Texas medical examiner said in a report released Friday.

Skaggs' family issued a statement suggesting a team employee was part of the investigation into the death.

"That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League Baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much," the family said less than two hours after the coroner's report was made public. "We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them."

The 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed before the teams played the final three games.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office report said Skaggs died as a result of “mixed ethanol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents.”

It said simply: “Manner of death: Accident.” The coroner’s office didn’t comment further.

Continued on Page 20

NFL@100

Pass interference reviews main topic in season Green Bay Packers' Manny Wilkins leaps over Kansas City Chiefs' Mark Fields during the second half of a preseason NFL football game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Green Bay, Wis. Associated Press Page 22

A18 SPORTS

Saturday 31 August 2019

After US Open win, Federer bristles at idea he chose timing

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK (AP) — There was no slow start to this U.S. Open outing for Roger Federer, who bristled at the suggestion that he might have played a role in some favorable scheduling.

After dropping the opening set in each of his initial two matches for the first time in 19 appearances at Flushing Meadows, the No. 3-seeded Federer was back at his absolute best Friday in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Dan Evans, accumulating a 48-7 edge in winners as the opening act in the Arthur Ashe Stadium day session that began at noon.

Evans acknowledged 20time major champion Federer's superiority. How couldn't he?

But the 58th-ranked player from Britain also thought the timing was "a bit disappointing," because his rainpostponed second-round match was played Thursday, whereas Federer got to play Wednesday under the Ashe roof.

Being first up on Friday's program meant Evans had to be back on court about 18 hours after he'd left the tournament grounds.

"It was always going to be a competitive advantage for me. ... Luck was on my side," Federer said, although he did add that his team was asked about whether it had a preference for when to play.

"But that doesn't mean, like, 'Roger asks, Roger gets.' Just remember that, because I have heard this (stuff) too

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, returns a shot to Daniel Evans, of the United Kingdom, during round three of the US Open tennis championships Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in New York.

Associated Press

often now," he said, with a more colorful word choice.

"I'm sick and tired of it, that apparently I call the shots; the tournament and the TV stations do. We can give our opinion. That's what we do. But I'm still going to walk out (on court), even if they schedule me at 4 in the morning."

Tournament spokesman Chris Widmaier would not discuss specifics of conversations between tournament officials and representatives of any player.

"That was the schedule we put forth, and we're comfortable with the decision," Widmaier said.

When a reporter asked Evans whether he made any requests about a later start time, he replied: "You think a guy who has my ranking has any say in that?"

"There is probably about four people in this tournament who has a say when they play," Evans said.

"Maybe three."

Truth be told, this one could have been contested at any hour on any day and the outcome might not have changed. Evans has now faced Federer three times, each at a Grand Slam tournament, and lost all nine sets they've played.

"I guess he has every shot," Evans said, "so it's not ideal to have an opponent that has every shot."

Federer, who faces No. 15 David Goffin next, displayed a bunch of them, too.

The leaping, over-theshoulder volley packed with pace. The drop volley winners. The forehand passes. The serve with which he

won 21 consecutive points in one stretch. The returns that accumulated 14 break points, converting half.

Federer went from making 17 unforced errors in the first set of his previous match to finishing with 19 for the entire match against Evans.

"You almost tend to forget what happened," Federer said, "and you move forward."

That's exactly what Serena Williams did, too.

She lost the opening set of her second-round match against 17-year-old Caty McNally before coming back to win, then was much better in a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over Wimbledon quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova.

Williams seized control with a seven-game run that began after she trailed 3-2 at

the beginning.

"I knew what she could do," Williams said — after not allowing Muchova to do much.

She'll face No. 22 Petra Martic on Sunday for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Other women's winners Friday included No. 2 Ash Barty, No. 3 Karolina Pliskova, No. 5 Elina Svitolina, No. 10 Madison Keys and No. 16 Johanna Konta.

Keys, the 2017 runnerup in New York, had her blood pressure and pulse checked during a secondset medical visit but held on to beat No. 20 Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American matchup.

Men who advanced included 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka; Alex de Minaur, who knocked off 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori; and Dominik Koepfer, a German ranked 118th who defeated No. 17 Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1 to become only the second qualifier in the last decade to reach the men's fourth round at the U.S. Open The last match in Ashe at the end of the night featured defending champion Novak Djokovic against Denis Kudla of the United States.

During his win Wednesday, Djokovic was visited several times by a trainer for treatment on his painful left shoulder.

Whether or not he had any input — wink, wink — Djokovic surely must have been pleased to get such a late start, giving him a chance to rest that joint.q

Ko's record bogey-free streak ends at 114 holes in Portland PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Top-ranked Jin Young Ko finally made a bogey, ending a record run of 114 consecutive holes without dropping a shot, and finished with a 4-under 68 Thursday in the opening round of the Portland Classic, four shots off the lead.

Mi Jung Hur and Hannah Green each shot 8-under 64 to share the lead. Jane Park and 18-year-old Mon-

day qualifier Yealimi Noh were one shot back.

Ko, who went bogey-free over 72 holes and shot 26 under to win the CP Women's Open by five shots last week, began with four straight pars before an eagle and two birdies at Columbia Edgewater.

She missed a 3-foot par putt on the par-4 ninth hole, her only blemish of the day.

"I did 114 holes and then done. It's cool," Ko said.

"So I want to do again, 115 holes bogey-free round hopefully. But yeah, I'm free."

The South Korean, a fourtime winner this year including two major championships, had not made a bogey since early in the third round of the Women's British Open, where she finished third. Her streak

eclipsed Tiger Woods' PGA Tour record of 110 bogeyfree holes, set in 2000. It's also the longest known bogey-free streak in LPGA Tour history.

Ko was proud of her achievement, but the run was wearing on her.

"I can focus more on my shot and don't even think about, oh, bogey, bogey, no," she said. "Now I can more focus for tomorrow."

Defending champion Marina Alex was at 2 under.

Juli Inkster, captain of the U.S. Solheim Cup team, is playing for the 31st time in the 72-hole tournament that started in 1972 and is the tour's longest running non-major event. Inskster, who won in Portland in 1992, shot 75.

Joanna Klatten made a hole-in-one on the 167yard 13th hole.q

SPORTS A19

Saturday 31 August 2019

NHL informs union it won't terminate labor deal

By JOHN WAWROW and STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writers Citing what it called momentum from a sustained period of labor peace, the NHL said Friday it has informed the NHL Players' Association it will not use its option to terminate the existing collective bargaining agreement next year.

The league announced its decision two days before its deadline to notify the union whether it would reopen collective bargaining talks.

The union has until Sept. 15 to decide on whether to terminate the agreement as of September 2020, two years before the existing deal expires.

If the players opt to reopen the CBA, it would set the clock ticking toward a potential third work stoppage in the sport since 2004. If the players choose not to terminate the agreement, it remains in effect until 2022. The next Winter Olym-

pics are in Beijing earlier that year.

The NHLPA did not issue an immediate response.

"Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our players," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement issued by the league. "It is our hope that a continued sustained period of labor peace will enable us to further grow the game and benefit all constituent groups."

The players, however, have concerns, notably regarding the escrow issue, Olympic participation and the split of hockey-related revenue. The NHL and NHLPA are in agreement on wanting more international competition and are in talks about holding another World Cup of Hockey as early as February 2021.

The union's executive board is scheduled to meet in Chicago on Wednesday.

The league and union have been meeting through the summer and those discussions are scheduled to continue.

Escrow is a major concern for the players, according to a majority of union representatives surveyed by The Associated Press and Canadian Press last spring.

The current CBA has owners and players dividing hockey-related revenue 50/50, and if player salaries exceed that split a certain percentage is withheld in escrow to make it even.

Players have complained, saying some have lost upward of 10% of their pay to escrow over the past seven seasons.

"I don't know if we're going to eliminate it," New Jersey Devils player rep Cory Schneider said. "Obviously we'll figure that part out. But at least some way to mitigate

In this Jan. 9, 2019, file photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks during a news conference in Seattle.

Associated Press

it or control it better for us just to know what to expect."

The league has countered by saying escrow is a function of the salary-cap system, with the amount of money held back being higher when the upper limit on salaries is higher.

On Friday, Bettman stressed a desire to have a cooperative approach between owners and players.

"In any CBA, the parties

can always identify issues they are unhappy with and would like to see changed," Bettman said. "However, our analysis makes clear that the benefits of continuing to operate under the terms of the current CBA — while working with the Players' Association to address our respective concerns — far outweigh the disruptive consequences of terminating it following the upcoming season."q

A20 SPORTS

Saturday 31 August 2019

Twins set major league record for home runs on the road

By The Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Cave homered twice, C.J. Cron went deep and the surging Minnesota Twins set a major league record for home runs on the road in a 10-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Cave led off the third with drive off Dylan Cease (37) to give Minnesota 139 homers away from home, eclipsing the mark of 138 set by San Francisco in 2001. Cron, the next hitter, followed with a homer to center.

Cave added a shot in the seventh for his second career multi-homer game, increasing the Twins' overall total to 261. The record for homers in a season, 267, was set last year by the New York Yankees.

Cron doubled and had three RBIs in a three-hit game, and Nelson Cruz drove in three runs as the AL Central leaders won their fifth straight. In sweeping a three-game series with sliding Chicago, Minnesota (82-51) moved to 31 games above .500 for the first time since September 2010.

José Berrios (11-7) cruised to his first victory in nearly a month. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck Continued from Page 17

The death rocked baseball shortly before the All-Star Game and laid bare the emotions of Angels manager Brad Ausmus, star outfielder Mike Trout and fellow left-hander Andrew Heaney, his best friend on the team, along with the rest of his teammates and LA staff members.

The family statement thanked police in the Dallas suburb of Southlake for its investigation and said they "were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels." The family said it had hired Texas attorney Rusty Hardin to try to determine how Skaggs ended up with the drugs.

"We are heartbroken to learn that the passing of our beloved Tyler was the result of a combination of dangerous drugs and alcohol," the family said.

Minnesota Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario (20), center fielder Jake Cave (60) and right fielder Ehire Adrianza (13) walk in from the outfield after their win over the Chicago White Sox in a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Chicago.

Associated Press

out eight in six innings.

José Abreu had four hits for the White Sox. RAYS 9, ASTROS 8 HOUSTON (AP) — Ji-Man Choi hit a two-run double, Travis d'Arnaud homered and drove in four runs, and Tampa Bay beat Houston to avoid a three-game sweep.

Astros star Jose Altuve hit a tiebreaking solo leadoff homer in the sixth, his 25th, but Tampa Bay scored Southlake police said the investigation was ongoing and wouldn't release additional information.

The Angels said the club was cooperating with the investigation.

"We were unaware of the allegation and will investigate," MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said.

Skaggs wouldn't necessarily have been subject to testing by Major League Baseball for the drugs found in his system. Players on 40-man rosters are tested for drugs of abuse only if the player-management joint treatment board finds reasonable cause, if a player has been found to have used or possessed a drug of abuse, or if a player is subjected to testing under a treatment program.

The Southern California native was drafted by the Angels in the first round in 2009 and made his big

three runs in the seventh to make it 8-6. Tommy Pham had an RBI single off Chris Devenski (2-3), and Choi brought in two more with a drive to center.Houston ended a seven-game winning streak, and the Rays snapped a season-high four-game road skid.

Jose De Leon (1-0) earned the win for the Rays, who used seven pitchers. Emilio Pagan earned his 15th save.

The Rays and Astros exchanged solo homers in the third, with Austin Meadows hitting his 24th and George Springer answering with his 28th to make it 2-2.

Abraham Toro led off the bottom of the ninth with his first career homer to make it 9-8 before the Rays held on.

INDIANS 2, TIGERS 0 DETROIT (AP) — Mike Clevinger struck out 10 in eight innings, and Francisco Lin-

In this June 29, 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws to the Oakland Athletics during a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif.

Associated Press

league debut with Arizona three years later after being traded.

Skaggs returned to the Angels in 2014 and missed all of the next season recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. He also spent more than three

months on the disabled list in 2017 with a right oblique muscle strain. Skaggs was 28-38 with a 4.41 ERA in 96 career appearances, all starts.

The day before he died, Skaggs posted a picture on Instagram of him and

dor homered to lift Cleveland past Detroit.

Cleveland swept the threegame series and is 15-1 against the Tigers this year.

The Indians won 14 straight against Detroit.

Clevinger (10-2) allowed four hits and no walks in his longest outing of the season. He was lifted after 115 pitches, and Brad Hand worked a perfect ninth for his 33rd save in 38 chances.

Lindor opened the scoring in the third with a solo homer off Daniel Norris (311) and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

ATHLETICS 9, ROYALS 8 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jurickson Profar homered and drove in three runs and Seth Brown added two RBIs as Oakland beat Kansas City.

Everybody in the A's starting lineup had a hit or drove in a run, bailing out starter Chris Bassitt, who failed to survive the fifth before turning the game over to Yusmeiro Petit (4-3). Liam Hendriks earned his 17th save.

Glenn Sparkman (3-10) also failed to make it through the fifth for Kansas City, allowing seven runs, nine hits and a walk. He also hit a pair of batters in losing his fifth straight decision.q the Angels in cowboy hats and other western clothing outside their plane. Skaggs organized the effort because the club was stopping in both major league cities in Texas.

The first game after Skaggs died was played without music or the usual in-game promotions for the Rangers, who painted his number "45" on the back of the mound at Globe Life Park.

Ausmus and his players fought back tears talking about the death with reporters. In their first home game after Skaggs died, the Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 13-0 on a combined no-hitter from Taylor Cole and Félix Peña. All the LA players were wearing Skaggs' number and covered the mound with their jerseys after the victory.

It was a day before what would have been Skaggs' 28th birthday.q

SPORTS A21

Saturday 31 August 2019

Aquino breaks NL rookie record but Marlins beat Reds 4-3

By The Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Aristides Aquino broke the National League rookie record for homers in a month with his 14th in August, but Harold Ramirez homered leading off the 12th inning for Miami, which avoided a Cincinnati four-game sweep.

Aquino hit a two-run homer in the first for Cincinnati, and added a two-out RBI single in the eighth.

Miami's Jon Berti, Austin Dean and Starlin Castro hit solo home runs off Alex Wood. Ramirez pulled a 1-1 pitch for his third career walk-off RBI against closer Raisel Iglesias (2-10).

The Marlins finished 1-6 in the season series with the Reds.

Aquino broke the rookie record of 13 in a month set by the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger in June 2017. The major league record by a rookie is 18 by the Tigers' Rudy York in August 1937.

Tyler Kinley (3-1) pitched two perfect innings for the win.

CUBS 4, METS 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Caratini homered twice off ace Jacob deGrom,

including a tiebreaking, three-run drive in the seventh inning that powered Chicago past New York for a three-game sweep.

Jon Lester (11-9) limited the Mets to five hits and pitched six effective innings as the Cubs increased their lead for the second NL wildcard spot to 2 1/2 games over Philadelphia.

Caratini lofted a solo homer in the second that made it 1-all. That was the Cubs' only hit until they struck in the seventh.

DeGrom (8-8) got little run support as the Mets lost their sixth straight.

J.D. Davis homered for the third straight game in the series and Wilson Ramos doubled, singled and extended his hitting streak to 22 games, the longest in the majors this season.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 13th save in 15 chances.

PIRATES 11, ROCKIES 8 DENVER (AP) — Kevin Newman had two homers among his four hits and drove in three runs, Jose Osuna also homered and Pittsburgh beat Colorado.

Newman homered to lead off the game, ignit-

Cincinnati Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino bobbles a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Jorge Alfaro for a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Miami.

Associated Press

ing a seven-run first that he capped with his second hit of the inning, a two-out RBI single that chased Colorado starter Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-6). It was the second career leadoff home run for Newman, who also did it June 27 at Houston.

Adam Frazier added four hits, including a pair of runscoring singles, and Colin Moran had two hits, including a two-run double in the Pirates' big first inning.

Trevor Williams (7-6) went seven innings and allowed three runs on seven hits in helping the Pirates win for the fifth time in seven games. He struck out six

and walked none.

PADRES 5, GIANTS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chris Paddack rebounded from his worst start of the season, throwing one-run ball over seven innings and leading San Diego to the win over San Francisco.

Manuel Margot and Austin Hedges homered for San Diego, which had lost seven of eight against San Francisco. Josh Naylor added two hits and scored a run.

Brandon Belt hit his 15th home run for the Giants.

The Padres won after arriving in San Francisco around noon Thursday. San Diego

lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings on Wednesday night and missed curfew to make their flight at the airport.

Paddack (8-7) had eight strikeouts and gave up five hits.

Dereck Rodríguez (5-7) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 11, DODGERS 5 PHOENIX (AP) — Eduardo Escobar hit his 30th home run, Wilmer Flores had three hits and three RBIs and Arizona defeated Los Angeles' Hyun-Jin Ryu for the first time in four tries this season.q

Warriors bring back Pachulia as consultant, make promotions

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Former Golden State center Zaza Pachulia has rejoined the Warriors, no longer as a player but working as a consultant.

The team announced Pachulia's hiring Thursday along with naming Steve Kerr's entire coaching staff and the promotion of exforward Mike Dunleavy Jr. to assistant general manager.

Pachulia played for the back-to-back champion Warriors teams of 2017 and '18 before spending the final season of his 16-year

playing career with Detroit.

He is eager to be part of a new era beginning this season at San Francisco's Chase Center, which the Warriors have been showing off this week as opening nears next month.

"I'm super excited and looking forward to it," Pachulia said in a text message. "It's going to be a fun process."

While Pachulia only appeared in seven games during the 2018 run with no starts after starting 15 postseason games the previous year, his veteran presence and team-first mindset meant so much to Kerr and the Warriors. He will be used

as a consultant on both the business and basketball side of team operations.

Dunleavy came back to Golden State as a pro scout last season. He played for the Warriors from 2002 through part of '07.

Aaron Miles, who spent the past two seasons coaching the G-League Warriors in Santa Cruz and guided Golden State's summer league squad, earned himself a spot as a player development coach, and so did former Cal star Theo Robertson as he returns to the franchise and Luke Loucks and Seth Cooper, as well. Loucks had been

In this Oct. 30, 2017, file photo, Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia defends Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles.

Associated Press

the franchise's two-way coach also working with Santa Cruz.

The remainder of the staff under Kerr remains intact with assistants Mike Brown, Jarron Collins, Bruce Fraser, Ron Adams and assistant coach and direc-

tor of player development Chris DeMarco. Owner Joe Lacob's two sons also have new roles, executive vice president of basketball operations for Kirk Lacob after six years as an assistant GM, and Kent Lacob as director of team development.q

A22 SPORTS

Saturday 31 August 2019

NFL 2019: Pass interference reviews main topic in season 100

By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer The NFL would love the main focus of 2019 to be on the celebrations of its 100th season.

Sorry.

While the history of the league is a widespread and fun topic, what happened last January in the NFC championship game has guaranteed the spotlight will be shining on officiating and replays.

After an egregious missed penalty (or two) that basically kept the Saints from making the Super Bowl and helped the Rams get there instead, there was little chance attention could be diverted from the guys with the whistles and their impact on games. Commissioner Roger Goodell, the league's powerful competition committee and a vast majority of the owners recognized this — and did something about it.

Coaches can now challenge pass interference calls and non-calls as part of the replay review system.

Just as with other in-game instances, the replay booth will initiate any reviews in the final two minutes of both halves and for an entire overtime.

As former NFL defensive back Adam Archuleta, now a CBS game analyst, notes: "They have opened a huge can of worms."

Sure, the Browns' upgrades — some people envision Cleveland (yes, Cleveland) as a Super Bowl contender — provide a ripe subject.

So do the head coaching changes, including Bruce Arians returning to the sideline one year after retiring.

There are the aged quarterbacks, from 42-year-old Tom Brady to 40-year-old Drew Brees to late-thirtysomethings Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. And the fledging QBs such as Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.

Don't forget those big stars in new places: Le'Veon Bell, Odell Beckham Jr., Earl Thomas and Antonio Brown.

And let's ignore Brown's helmet complaints and frost-

In this May 22, 2019, file photo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media during the NFL football owners meeting in Key Biscayne, Fla. Associated Press

bitten digits.

But we all know what will hog the limelight.

INTERFERING WITH REPLAY Gene Steratore spent 13 years as an NFL referee and also was a college basketball official. Now with CBS as an officiating analyst, he knew some sort of change in the review system would emerge from the RamsSaints debacle.

"Understand first that they were making the call in real time," Steratore says. "That will remain the standard and base on which calls will be made on all plays.

Then we get to replays, which are in slow motion of course, and you are getting a different look (than an official might get in real time).

"Then there is the determination of what is significant contact. Did it impede someone from making a play? Was it incidental?

Some of that is adding subjectivity to the process."

Archuleta, not surprisingly for a former safety, adamantly disagrees with adding anything to the replay system, particularly pass interference penalties.

"It's not good for the game, which is not meant to be played in slow motion or officiated that way," he says.

"I don't want them stopping games in critical moments.

Pro football is an exciting and emotional sport and

stoppages take away from that."

A realist, Archuleta admits he knew something would happen after the New Orleans debacle. He accepts the coaches' challenge as the most logical means, but doesn't have to like it.

The addition of pass interference will change the strategies for using challenges. An early false spotting of the ball, for example, might not see a red flag thrown because a coach realizes a late DPI or OPI call or non-call would be far more impactful. Indeed, there might be fewer overall disruptions by challenges as coaches save them for second-half needs that maybe never arrive.

"Coaches are going to get burned on this, challenge plays that will not be overturned because of judgments, and they will be minus a timeout or a challenge later in the game," says Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy. "I think it is going to be a mess."

CAN ANYBODY PLAY DEFENSE? With spread offenses overtaking the college game — and college defenses — it was only a matter of time before scoring records fell in the pros. Nothing much is expected to change this season with rules designed to boost points production; players on that side of the

ball better prepared for the NFL when they reach it; and fans' insatiable appetite for shootouts. Fantasy football fanatics can rejoice.

Still, the Super Bowl final score was 13-3, and there are several teams whose defenses successfully can determine their fate. The Rams, Chargers, Ravens, Bears, Cowboys and Bills could fall into that category.

Chicago, which led the league with 27 interceptions in '18, believes the Monsters of the Midway have been reborn. The Bears are primed to prove it.

"Takeaways on the field and the practice field correlate to takeaways on the field in the game as well," star edge rusher Khalil Mack says. "You know what I mean? So it goes hand in hand. When you work on taking away the ball in practice, naturally it happens in the game."

OLD QBS, KID QBS Brady and Brees and Roethlisberger and Rivers and Manning equal 194 years of age, 87 seasons in the NFL. Each of them remains the starter, though Manning's hold on the Giants' job is tenuous.

It's fair to think that, except for Manning, seeing any of those four oldies but goodies in the Super Bowl next February — particularly

Brady, who is going for an unprecedented seventh Lombardi Trophy — would be no shock.

"I'm ready to go this year and that's really what matters. That's where my focus is," Brady says. "It's a unique situation I'm in. I'm in my 20th year with the same team. I'm 42 years old, so pretty much uncharted territory I think for everybody.

I'm going to go out there and do the best I can this year and see what happens."

At the other end of the maturity chart are the youngsters. We've already seen one prodigy, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, mesmerize the league and win MVP honors in his second year, first as a starter. Now the spotlight could be taken by Cleveland's Mayfield or the Jets' Darnold or the Ravens' Jackson , pro sophomores whose team's ascensions depend largely on their further progress.

CHANGES ON THE SIDELINE Eight clubs jumped on the coaching carousel, including one head man swapping teams as Adam Gase went from the Dolphins to the Jets. Also new on the job are Brian Flores (Miami), Zac Taylor (Cincinnati), Freddie Kitchens (Cleveland), Vic Fangio (Denver), Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay) and Arians (Tampa Bay).

Most intriguing might be the new boss with the Bucs, a proven QB guru who tries to mold Jameis Winston into a winner in a prove-it year for the 2015 top overall draftee.

"I'm going to work regardless, but it's always a plus when your head coach believes in you," Winston says of the 66-year-old Arians.

"Every coach brings something different. I'm just really excited to get to work with them."

CHANGES ON THE FIELD New faces in new places figure to have a major impact, and if those effects are positive, their teams could be playoff bound.

Bell would seem the perfect guy to bring in to help Darnold make the next big step. q

SPORTS A23

Saturday 31 August 2019

McIlroy fires 63, moves 1 shot off lead at European Masters CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Rory McIlroy picked up five shots in his last five holes for a 7-under 63 to move within a shot of the lead after the second round of the European Masters on Friday.

McIlroy surged to join Tommy Fleetwood (65) and three others on 10 under, one behind Gavin Green (64) on 11-under 129 at Crans-sur-Sierre club.

Green, first on the Severiano Ballesteros course with a 7:40 a.m. start, had eight birdies in his round to take sole possession of the lead.

"Going out this afternoon eight shots off the lead, you know there are scores out there but you don't want

to push too hard," McIlroy said. "Getting myself much closer to the lead going into the weekend was nice."

The lowest score of the day was a 61 by Andres Romero, lifting him into the group on 10 under. The Argentine played his first three holes in 1 over before making eight birdies and one eagle the rest of the way.

Veteran Miguel Ángel Jimenez (66) was four shots off the lead. Sergio Garcia (68) was a further shot back.

Lee Westwood's 2-over 72 kept him in the Swiss Alps for the weekend just on the right side of the cut at 1 under.q

Valverde wins 7th stage, Lopez regains overall Vuelta lead MAS DE LA COSTA, Spain (AP) — Veteran Spaniard Alejandro Valverde made a successful charge in the final 150 meters to win the seventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, with Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez finishing third to regain the overall lead.

The 39-year-old Valverde, wearing the defending world champion's jersey, remained strong in the challenging final climb to finish just ahead of secondplace Primoz Roglic at the end of the 183-kilometer (113-mile) stage from Onda to Mas de la Costa

in eastern Spain. Lopez crossed the line six seconds behind Valverde, followed

by Nairo Quintana and Rafal Majka.

It was the 12th stage win in the Vuelta for Valverde, who moved to third place overall, 10 seconds behind second-place Roglic and 16 seconds behind Lopez.

Quintana, Valverde's Movistar teammate, was 27 seconds off the lead in fourth place. "We kept a good rhythm throughout the stage and in the end we were able to pull off the victory," Valverde said. "I was feeling very confident.q

Portugal's Patrícia Morais (12) cannot stop a goal by United States' Morgan Brian during the first half of an international friendly soccer match Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Philadelphia.

Associated Press

Lloyd, U.S. women ease past Portugal in front of record crowd

By DAVE ZEITLIN PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carli Lloyd had a goal and an assist in front of her hometown fans, and the U.S. women's national team continued its post-World Cup victory tour with a 4-0 win over Portugal in front of a record crowd on Thursday night.

The announced attendance of 49,504 at Lincoln Financial Field was the largest ever for a stand-alone friendly game for the U.S. women, breaking the previous mark of 44,028 set in Pittsburgh during the team's 2015 victory tour.

Tobin Heath, Morgan Brian and Allie Long also scored for the U.S., which has won 15 consecutive matches for the first time since 1996.

Christen Press had two assists.

"It's fun to be a part of this, celebrating," coach Jill Ellis said. "Someone asked me out there, 'Oh, you seem so happy?' I'm like, 'Well, we won a World Cup and it's a victory tour.' It's cued up."

The five-city domestic tour to celebrate the Americans' fourth World Cup title, which they won in France this summer, began in Los Angeles on Aug. 3 with a 3-0 win over Ireland. It will continue with stops in St.

Paul, Minnesota (Sept. 3), Charlotte (Oct. 3), and Chicago (Oct. 6).

Lloyd, a Philadelphia-area native who made national news when she kicked a 55yard field goal at Philadelphia Eagles training camp last week, led the team out of the tunnel holding the World Cup trophy.

The two-time FIFA player of the year scored early in the second half to make it 3-0, before celebrating by flapping her arms like an eagle.

Her cross in the 82nd minute set up Long's goal and put a finishing touch on the rout.

"I don't play for goals. I just want to help the team and continue to improve as a player," Lloyd said. "But to have been able to score in front of a home crowd, in the Eagles' stadium, it's pretty awesome."

As for the possibility of kicking field goals in the NFL, which has been gaining steam over the past week, Lloyd said that her first priority is continuing her national team career and making the 2020 Olympic squad.

After that, she said she is eager about the opportunity to possibly become the first female NFL player.

"Nothing rattles me," the 37-year-old said. "I've got

ice through my veins. You can say what you want; I'll come back and make you look stupid."

The U.S. pounced on Portugal early, with Heath finishing a cross from Press in the fourth minute. Julie Ertz, whose husband Zach Ertz plays in the same stadium as a tight end for the Eagles, set the play up with a good ball to Press.

Brian netted her first goal since 2016, off Press' corner kick in the 18th minute.

Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, making her second international appearance, needed only to make one nice save against overmatched Portugal, FIFA's 30th-ranked side.

"In terms of just our popularity, I think this is a team that has not just captured his nation but has captured the world," said Ellis, who will step down following the victory tour after five-plus years in charge. "And that's basically what you're getting out there — you're feeling the love from the fans."

U.S. stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe did not play because of injury. Neither did Rose Lavelle, who scored the final goal of the World Cup final, a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands on July 7.q

A24 TECHNOLOGY

Saturday 31 August 2019

Researchers: Websites infected iPhones with spyware

By FRANK BAJAK AP Cybersecurity Writer Suspected nation-state hackers used malwareladen websites to infect iPhones with spyware in what security researchers are calling the worst general security failure yet affecting the Apple devices.

Announced late Thursday

by Google researchers, the vulnerabilities were quietly fixed by Apple in February but only after thousands of iPhone users were believed exposed over more than two years.

The researchers did not say who was behind the cyberespionage or what population was targeted but experts said the operation had the hallmarks of a nation-state effort.

Sensitive data accessed by the spyware included WhatsApp, iMessage and Telegram text messages, Gmail, photos, contacts and real-time location — essentially all the databas-

es on the victim's phone.

While the messaging applications may encrypt data in transit, it is readable at rest on iPhones.

"This is definitely the most serious iPhone hacking incident that's ever been brought to public attention, both because of the indiscriminate targeting and the amount of data compromised by the implant," said former U.S. government hacker Jake Williams, the president of Rendition Security.

Google researcher Ian Beer said in a blog posted late Thursday that the discovery should dispel any notion that it costs a million dollars to successfully hack an iPhone. That's a reference to the case of a United Arab Emirates dissident whose iPhone was infected in 2016 with so-called zeroday exploits, which have been known to fetch such high prices.

"Zero day" refers to the fact

This Sept. 12, 2018, file photo shows an Apple iPhone XR on display at the Steve Jobs Theater after an event to announce new products, in Cupertino, Calif.

Associated Press

that such exploits are unknown to the developers of the affected software, and thus they have had no time to develop patches to fix it.

The discovery was made

by Google researchers at Project Zero, which hunts security vulnerabilities in software and microprocessor firmware, independent of their manufacturer, that criminals, state-sponsored hackers and intelligence

agencies use. "This should serve as a wake-up call to folks," said Will Strafach, a mobile security expert with Sudo Security. "Anyone on any platform could potentially get infected with malware." Beer said his team estimated that the infected websites used in the "indiscriminate watering hole attacks" receive thousands of visitors per week. He said the team collected five

separate chains of exploits covering Apple's iOS system as far back as version 10, released in 2016.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why it did not detect the vulnerabilities on its own and if it can assure users that such a general attack could not happen again. Privacy assurance is central to the Apple brand.

Neither Google nor Beer responded immediately to questions about the attackers or the targets, though Beer provided a hint in his blog post: "To be targeted might mean simply being born in a certain geographic region or being part of a certain ethnic group." Williams, of Rendition Security, said the spyware implant wasn't written to transmit stolen data securely, suggesting an authoritarian state was behind it. He speculated that it was likely used to target political dissidents.q

Texas teams with Bumble to crack down on 'cyber flashing'

By CLARICE SILBER AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As states push to criminalize the sharing of intimate photos to get revenge on former sex partners, Texas is teaming with Bumble to crack down on people who send unsolicited nude images on dating apps and elsewhere in cyberspace.

The new Texas law banning so-called cyber flashing comes after state Rep. Morgan Meyer collaborated with the Austin-based social and dating application company to shepherd a bill earlier this year.

"They had a number of people who were using the app complaining about the sending of these images and they quickly realized there was no recourse," Meyer said, recalling how Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd approached him about crafting a measure. "There was nothing that could be done. It wasn't a criminal offense — although it was definitely digital sexual harassment."

The law set to take effect

A phone with an App Store selection of the dating app Bumble is pictured Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Oklahoma City.

Associated Press

Saturday forbids what is often characterized as technology-enabled sexual harassment. It makes electronic transmission of sexually explicit material a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 if the person who received it hasn't given consent.

Meyer said the law targeting unwanted images will apply to text messages, email, dating apps and social media.

A 2017 survey by Pew Research Center found wom-

en encounter sexual harassment online at much higher rates than men. The study found 21% of women ages 18 to 29 report being sexually harassed online compared to 9% of men in the same age group.

Roughly 53% of those women said someone has sent them explicit images they didn't ask for.

Caroline Ellis Roche, Bumble's chief of staff, said the company plans to take the legislation to the federal level and other states in

hopes of enacting it more broadly.

The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative reports that 46 states have laws tackling socalled revenge porn, but almost none combat unsolicited sexually explicit images.

A handful of other states have laws criminalizing the electronic messaging of lewd content, but most of them are linked to the sender's intentions.

Washington, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have laws against cyberstalking, which is defined by intent to harass, said Pam Greenberg, a senior fellow for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In South Carolina, it's illegal to anonymously send any lewd content without the consent of the person receiving it.

Bumble, which bills itself as a feminist dating app where women make the first move, isn't the first dating app company to take on a legislative effort.

Match Group, which owns

multiple dating app companies, helped pursue legislation that was passed in California and Vermont, according to its website.

The California legislation requires all online dating platforms to post safety tips, and Vermont's requires the platforms to notify users where they engaged with another user who was removed for fraud.

Austin-based attorney J.T. Morris, who specializes in First Amendment cases, said the Texas law will face enforcement difficulties as well as legal challenges for being overly broad and vague.

"It reaches things that arguably could cover images related to medical advice or moms sharing information about breastfeeding or their babies' health — things like that which certainly can't be criminalized," Morris said.

Roche said Bumble understands enforcing the law will be a challenge, but the Texas legislation is intended to serve as a deterrent.q

BUSINESS A25

Saturday 31 August 2019

How a credit card loan's fast and easy cash can cost you

By Steven Nicastro NerdWallet Associated Press Credit card companies want to turn your unused credit line into cash that you can borrow for things like home improvements or unexpected expenses.

But accepting this loan offer may not be the best choice for your wallet or your credit score.

In recent months, two of the largest credit card issuers, Citi and Chase, have announced they'll offer credit card loans to eligible cardholders. Citi is offering its Citi Flex Loan, while Chase plans to launch My Chase Loan in late 2019.

The new products appear to be aimed at taking a share of the ballooning market for personal loans, which hit a record $143 billion in the first quarter of 2019, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion, an increase of 19.2% year over year.

Credit card loans are fast, convenient and cheaper than cash advances. But personal finance experts say the loans are still costly and can lower your credit scores, making it more difficult to obtain credit with low interest rates in the future.

Before you accept this seemingly simple way to get cash, consider the risks and compare your alternatives.

HOW A CREDIT CARD LOAN WORKS Citi and Chase customers don't have to request a loan — or even apply. The companies are promoting their "flexible financing offering" or new "loan feature" via email, direct mail or on account log-in pages.

"It's very tempting because it's so fast and easy, with no application," says David Rae, a certified financial planner based in Los Angeles. "If you're already in debt, it can cause that debt to snowball and become a big problem."

The amount you can borrow depends on how much credit line you have available. Once you choose a loan amount and repayment term, the issuer trans-

fers the cash to your bank account within a couple of days. Citi will alternatively mail a check.

The loans have payback terms of one to five years, and monthly repayments are added to your card's minimum payment due.

Citi and Chase say they report payments to the credit bureaus as credit card payments, not as separate loan payments.

Having different types of credit on your reports can positively affect your scores. In this case, "there's no added benefit to your credit score, beyond just having a credit card and making a payment," Rae says.

You can continue using your credit card, but you'll want to track your balance and stay under the credit limit to avoid costly fees.

You also won't get cash back, miles or points with the Citi or Chase loan.

THE COSTS AND RISKS Rae advises the loans should only be considered for emergency expenses if you don't have savings, rather than discretionary purchases.

"If you're trying to book a vacation or shopping for clothes, I wouldn't recommend this product," he says.

Credit card loans may cost less than cash advances, but they aren't cheap.

Citi Flex Loans carry annual percentage rates that range from 7.99% to 8.99%, while My Chase Loan offers vary from 16.99% to 22.24% APR for borrowers with excellent FICO credit scores (over 720).

For example, a five-year, $5,000 Citi Flex Loan at 8.99% APR would have monthly payments of $104 and total interest of $1,226.

Taking the loan also increases your credit utilization rate — how much of your credit limit is used.

Most financial experts recommend keeping your total utilization below 30%.

This loan can push you above that threshold and lower your credit score, says Bruce McClary, spokesperson for the National Foundation for Credit

In this Aug. 11, 2019, photo, U.S. currency and credit cards sit on a table at a restaurant in New Orleans.

Associated Press

Counseling.

COMPARE ALTERNATIVES Whenever you borrow, compare interest rates on multiple loan options and

consider features that build your credit or offer flexible payment schedules.

— Personal loans may offer lower rates, especially if

you have excellent credit, and higher loan amounts.

They also show up as separate accounts on your credit reports, helping to diversify your accounts and indicate you can handle different types of credit, ultimately lifting your score s.

— If you qualify, a 0% APR credit card is an interestfree loan, as long as you pay the balance before the introductory offer period ends.

Also, you may earn cash back or travel rewards with this credit card.

"If you're able to get a credit card with no interest, and you pay it off within the time frame, you're going to be way better off financially," Rae says.q

A26 COMICS

Saturday 31 August 2019

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Blondie

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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

Saturday 31 August 2019

250 pigs escape; most back, some with help from hot dog buns

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press ORANGE, Vt. (AP) — About 250 pigs have been causing a ruckus in a Vermont town the past month after they escaped from their enclosure, but most of them had been returned as of Thursday thanks in part to a trail of hot dog buns and good ol' fashioned corralling.

Several farm workers and a couple of volunteers who heard about the loose pigs trudged up and down the dirt road hill Thursday trying to drive any pigs back into the Sugar Mountain Farm in Orange. They chased the animals into the brush, and ditches, working together to position themselves so that they could corral the large sows and boars, which frequently got away.

But farmer Walter Jeffries said most of his pigs have returned home.

"The pigs have been allowed and remain to be allowed in the town right of way so cars are unable to pass, people can't walk on the road because the pigs chase them," said Town Clerk Angela Eastman on Thursday.

Jeffries faces tens of thousands of dollars in fines from the town for the pigs that have been spotted on and alongside the town road for weeks, creating a nuisance for drivers and pedestrians, according to the town.

Jeffries said he believes the

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Associated Press

fence enclosure was damaged by vandalism on the night of Aug. 11, allowing about 50 adult pigs and 200 piglets to escape. He thinks it was the work of a former employee and said he reported it to the police.

The farm was also robbed recently of thousands of dollars in tools, he said.

Jeffries said his outdoor farm manager then got injured and wasn't able to repair the fencing.

"So we've been dealing with that ever since," he said Thursday, adding that about 99% of the pigs were back and the fence had been fixed.

Earlier in the day, Eastman said she spotted 16 pigs in the town right of way. A town official checks daily, counting and taking photos of the animals. The fine is based on the number of pigs in the right-of way. As

of Thursday the town tallied $81,955, Eastman said.

"It is a public hazard," she said of the pigs.

The pigs also got loose last year, she said.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to determine how much time is appropriate for the farmer to recover the animals before officials take any action, said agency spokesman Scott Waterman.

Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts told NECN that his agency is concerned about public safety as well as creating a feral population of pigs, which can be destructive to property.

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A28 SCIENCE

Saturday 31 August 2019

'This ain't your mother's marijuana,' surgeon general says By RICARDO ALONSOZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials issued a national warning Thursday against marijuana use by adolescents and pregnant women, as more states legalize the increasingly potent drug for medicinal and recreational use.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Surgeon General Jerome Adams made the announcement, with Azar calling marijuana "a dangerous drug." Officials said President Donald Trump has donated $100,000 — one-quarter of his annual government salary — toward a digital campaign to raise awareness of the risks. Trump has forgone his official salary since taking office.

The warning comes as legal marijuana has grown into a $10-billion industry in the U.S. with nearly twothirds of states legalizing it, mainly for medical uses.

Possessing small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use is legal in 11 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The list includes California, Colorado, Michigan and Maine.

Federal law still treats it as a controlled substance akin to opioids.

Adams said science shows that marijuana is harmful to the developing brains of teenagers and to the

In this Aug. 15, 2019, file photo, marijuana grows at an indoor cannabis farm in Gardena, Calif.

Associated Press

human fetus. The drug has also gotten stronger, with a three-fold increase in the concentration of the active ingredient THC in cultivated plants over the last 20 years.

"This ain't your mother's marijuana," Adams said.

The American Medical Association said it strongly supports the government's effort, adding that it for some time it has been recommending against marijuana use by teens, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding.

The surgeon general said his advisory is a direct result of scientific research that runs counter to changing social mores.

"Marijuana use is a risk to the developing brain," Ad-

ams said. "Over time there has been a change in attitudes about marijuana creating a false sense of security."

While the White House has made the opioid epidemic a top policy and political priority, marijuana previously had not gotten such high-level attention.

Federal officials say they fear the trend toward legalization may make it more enticing for teenagers to try marijuana. It's a commonly used drug among youths, they said, along with alcohol and ecigarettes. No states allow recreational marijuana use by teens. States with medical marijuana programs, Illinois among them, generally allow use by minors

with consent from a legal guardian and certification from a doctor.

Adams said that for teens it carries a risk of affecting brain development, which continues in the 20s. Frequent marijuana use by teenagers is associated with changes in parts of the brain that are involved with attention, memory, decision-making and motivation.

Among pregnant women, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, with about 7% reporting they had used it within the past month in a 2017 study.

Some women use it to help with morning sickness. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American

Academy of Pediatrics advise women not to use marijuana during pregnancy, and to discontinue the drug if they find out they are pregnant.

HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir said pregnant women taking marijuana to relieve morning sickness should stop.

"If you have morning sickness, talk to your physician," said Giroir. "There are FDAapproved drugs to help with morning sickness. Taking marijuana for morning sickness has never been shown to be safe and effective." The government's National Institute on Drug Abuse is paying for several studies on marijuana use in pregnancy, including one involving women who have chosen to continue using the drug to treat morning sickness despite warnings.

While some studies have suggested that marijuana may be harmful to the developing brain, the evidence isn't conclusive, explained NIDA Director Nora Volkow, who said she strongly supports the surgeon general's warning.

"We cannot close our eyes and say this is not happening. It's happening," said Volkow. It would be a missed opportunity not to continue the research to find conclusive evidence on how the drug affects the fetus, she said.

"My view is that the way that you change things is by providing evidence," she added.q

Mumps sickens hundreds of detained migrants in 19 states

By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer Mumps has swept through 57 immigration detention facilities in 19 states since September, according to

the first U.S. government report on the outbreaks in the overloaded immigration system.

The virus sickened 898 adult migrants and 33 de-

tention center staffers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its report Thursday. New cases continue as migrants are taken into custody or transferred between facilities, the report said. As of last week, outbreaks were happening in 15 facilities in seven states. In response to the report, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said medical professionals at detention facilities screen all new detainees within 24 hours of their arrival to en-

sure that highly contagious diseases are not spread.

Cox said some detainees come from countries where communicable diseases are less controlled than in the U.S. and carry with them the risk of spreading infection.

The CDC report said more than 80% of patients were exposed while in custody.

Mumps is a contagious virus that causes swollen glands, puffy cheeks, fever, headaches and, in severe cases, hearing loss and meningitis.

In the U.S., vaccines have

drastically reduced the number of mumps cases.

Only a few hundred cases are reported most years, with periodic outbreaks involving colleges or other places where people are in close contact. In the migrant center outbreaks, at least 13 people were hospitalized, the CDC reported.

The CDC did not identify detention facilities, but said 34 of them are operated by private companies. The report said migrants were being held in 315 facilities in mid-August.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A29

Saturday 31 August 2019

Women, late-in-life new authors expand Japanese literature TOKYO (AP) — The works receiving one of Japan's most coveted literary awards, the Naoki Prize, have something new in common: For the first time in 85 years, all six of the nominated authors are women.

Japan is home to what many consider the world's first novel, "The Tale of Genji," written in the 11th century by noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu. Its modern fiction has been defined mostly by long-established male writers such as past Nobel laureates Kenzaburo Oe and Yasunari Kawabata. And for decades it has been dominated by Haruki Murakami, whose surreal blend of magical realism and pop culture has made him an international bestseller.

But Japanese literature is beginning to look different as new voices, including young writers, women and the elderly, receive domestic and international recognition.

On Friday, two women, Natsuko Imamura and Masumi Oshima, are being presented with the Akutagawa and Naoki prizes. Since 1935 the Akutagawa and Naoki have recognized serious and popular fiction, respectively, and provided

In this July 17, 2019, photo, Natsuko Imamura, right, and Masumi Oshima pose with their books after Imamura and Oshima were awarded the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes at a Tokyo hotel.

Associated Press

their winners with a commemorative watch and 1 million yen (a little under $10,000). Even more valuable is the prestige its winners receive from media attention and, increasingly, a clear path to wider audiences through translation.

Consider, for instance, the 2016 rise of "Convenience Store Woman." Writer Sayaka Murata's novel inspired by her own jobs has sold more than 600,000 copies in Japan since it won

the Akutagawa Prize that year. Murata, then 36, and still working part-time at a convenience store, shared the stage with actress Naomi Watanabe, known as "the Japanese Beyoncé," as one of Vogue Japan's "Women of the Year."

Two years later, the English translation of Murata's novel was an editor's bestof-the-year choice by the New Yorker, the magazine that helped catapult Murakami to stardom.

"International markets grow when talent emerges," said John Freeman, who published work from Murata and Murakami as editor of the anthology "Freeman's." ''In the past two and a half decades, there's been an explosion of good writing coming from Japan. ... That wave is cresting now with writers just barely 40 years old."

Publishers in the United States and Britain are seeing a growing audience

for novels in translation, experts say. Translations of half a dozen prize-winning works by female authors from Japan were published last year in the United States, with Yoko Tawada's "The Emissary" taking a 2018 National Book Award for translated work.

"The number of new voices that have been made available to Anglophone readers over the last few years has been encouraging," said David Karashima, a professor at Waseda University who has translated Akutagawa-winning fiction.

Karashima said there are still not as many women published in Japan as men, but this may be changing, in part because there are more women on selection committees for literary prizes. He added that translated Japanese fiction is itself going through a "miniboom."

"Outside of Japan, over the last five years or so, there seems to be a great thirst for fiction by Japanese women writers," Karashima said.

And there's evidence of a demand in Japan for stories that look different from those mostly produced by men in the past. q

Kristen Stewart wants to elevate Jean Seberg beyond haircut

By LINDSEY BAHR VENICE, Italy (AP) — Kristen Stewart only knew Jean Seberg as an image.

The picture of the waif with the pixie haircut and the New York Herald Tribune shirt embodied the effortless chic associated with the ingénues of the French New Wave. But behind the haircut and her improbable ascent from obscurity to Hollywood stardom at age 17, there was a woman who was a passionate advocate for civil rights, surveilled by the FBI for years, driven to madness and who died well before her time.

It was a story that Stewart was keen to learn about and share with the world in with her portrayal of the "Breathless" actress in "Se-

berg," which premiered Friday at the 76th Venice Film Festival on the 40th anniversary of her death.

"Dismantling that (image) and seeing the unravelling of a woman is such a cool story to watch right now," Stewart said in a news conference. "To sacrifice something you really love for other people is a really admirable thing to see."

She described Seberg's story as "tragic for all the right reasons" and her subject as a "compassionate humanitarian in a time when people didn't want to stomach that."

"We should definitely know her for more than the short haircut," Stewart said.

Director Benedict Andrews had a similar revelation about Seberg and

Actress Kristen Stewart poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Seberg' at the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

Associated Press

described the film as an "American tragedy of a luminous life destroyed by an oppressive surveillance story."

"Seberg," which was in the

works for over 15 years, explores the FBI's surveillance program targeting Seberg in the late 1960s for her association with civil rights activist Hakim Jamal, played

by actor Anthony Mackie.

Andrews' goal was for the audience to "get to know her through the gaze of the FBI." It co-stars Zazie Beetz and Jack O'Connell and will be released by Amazon Studios at an unspecified date.

"Seberg," which will also be making a stop at the Toronto International Film Festival next week, marks the beginning of a busy stretch for Stewart, who after years of favoring smaller indies, has two bigger budget endeavors coming soon to theaters: "Charlie's Angels," on Nov. 15, and "Underwater," on Jan. 9.

When asked if she was more ready for fame than she was after "Twilight," Stewart responded: "I'm ready for all of it."q

A30 PEOPLE

Saturday 31 August 2019

& ARTS

Bong Joon Ho and 'Parasite' are coming for you

By JAKE COYLE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" may be the only film this fall that's already an award-winner and a box-office smash.

"Parasite" will arrive in U.S. theaters Oct. 11 after having already amassed $70.9 million in Bong's native South Korea, where the film notched one of the country's best opening weekends ever. In May, "Para-

site" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a first for a Korean film.

"When I wake up and see the Palme d'Or trophy, it's very curious and strange," says the 49-year-old director, speaking by phone from Seoul.

But for most, there was nothing odd about Bong's win. "Parasite," a class satire about two families — one of poor hustlers living in a subterranean dwelling sub-

This image released by Neon shows Sun-kyun Lee, left, and Yeo-jeong Jo in a scene from "Parasite."

Associated Press

sisting on their wits and stolen Wi-Fi, the other wealthy and residing in a stylish modern mansion — has been roundly hailed as a masterpiece and, perhaps, a culmination of Bong's already illustrious career as a filmmaker of mischievous genre subversions, warmhearted earnestness and stylistic daring.

Those qualities may sound almost contradictory but that's exactly the kind of head-spinning amalgamation you get in a Bong Joon Ho movie. They — and in particular "Parasite" — balance humor and horror, satire and sincerity with a magical ease. You never see anything coming. You might even giggle at his cunning. You'll laugh as he devours you.

"I try to be a like a parasite. I try to burrow and dig into the audience's minds," Bong says. "I love the feeling of infiltrating into the audience without them knowing. Instead of showing-off that I'm breaking the rules of genre, I want to creep into them quietly without making any blood so that they don't realize that I'm inside them."

That mastery of audiences, combined with a childlike sense of wonder and an ecstatic imagination (Bong's previous film, "Okja," featured glorious "super pigs")

has made Bong one of the few filmmakers who live up to the label of "Spielbergian." His ardent supporters include Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Quentin Tarantino, who attended the Cannes premiere of "Parasite." His devoted fans have adopted the proud moniker of the Bong Hive.

And for the Bong Hive, times are good. "Parasite" is poised to be that rare thing: a foreign language movie capable of drawing big crowds in theaters and contending at the Academy Awards. (South Korea has already made it its foreign language film submission.)

"We have huge ambitions for the film," says Tom Quinn, founder and chief executive of Neon, which will distribute "Parasite" in the U.S. "We think it's a multiple-category contender in this year's Oscars race."

Such a release might give Bong the kind of moment with American moviegoers that he hasn't exactly been missing, but has thus far often been marred by distraction.

His English-language debut "Snowpiercer," while it eventually emerged as an art-house hit, was tarnished by the attempted meddling of producer Harvey Weinstein. Bong was able to ultimately rebuff Wein-

stein's efforts to cut 20 minutes and add monologues, but it damaged the movie's release, which was ultimately overseen cut-free

by Quinn's Radius label.

"Okja" (2017), Bong's biggest budget film at $57 million, became enveloped in controversy as a Netflix release in Cannes, a festival that has since outlawed movies without a theatrical release from its main competition. And, besides, Bong is best experienced on the big screen.

"He's a spectacular visionary but he's also a humanist," says Quinn. "It's a magic trick. You keep sticking your hand in the hat and out comes another rabbit.

It continues to unfold in a way that is so unexpected."

Since his 2006 breakthrough "The Host" (a delirious hybrid of a monster movie and family drama) Bong has long been sought after by Hollywood with offers he's regularly dismissed.

He's written all seven of the movies he's directed.

"Especially after 'The Host,' with my previous agency, there were many proposals about directing films of that kind, even superhero films," says Bong. "Don't get me wrong. There are many great superhero films. I have respect for them. But I guess it's a personal paranoia. q

PEOPLE & ARTS A31

Saturday 31 August 2019

Residente worked with scientists to create his new album

By MESFIN FEKADU Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Grammy-winning rapper Residente has some new collaborators on his upcoming album: scientists.

The Puerto Rican performer said he studied intensely with professors at Yale University and New York University to read brain patterns in worms, mice, monkeys, fruit flies and even hitmaker Bad Bunny to create his second solo project. "(The album is) going to be about everything that I have inside of my head ... because of that I kept brainstorming and I said, 'Oh I have to study my brain, and then I have to study other people's brains, and then I have to study animals' brains,'" he said.

Daniel Alfonso ColónRamos, an associate professor of neuroscience at Yale, said Residente spent days at the school doing research: "We were joking that at that we should give him a diploma." On cam-

This July 12, 2019 photo shows Puerto Rican rapper, writer, and filmmaker René Pérez Joglar, known professionally as Residente, at his home in New York.

Associated Press

pus, they used electroencephalogram (EEG) tests on worms to track and record brain wave patterns.

"Without harming the animals we can actually see as the animal is thinking, as it's moving, as it's exploring its environment, we can

see individual cells talking into each other. It turns out when these cells, when these neurons talk to each other they're using rhythms to communicate — we call it rhythms of activity. But, at the end of the day, those rhythms can be turned into

music," Colón-Ramos said.

The untitled album will be released in November.

Residente, born René Juan Pérez Joglar, worked with Suzanne Dikker, a senior research scientist in NYU's Department of Psychology, to use EEG tests on himself

and Bad Bunny to produce the album's first single, "Bellacoso." The song is a return to Residente's reggaeton roots and the collaboration with Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, came as a surprise since the 41-year-old Residente is known to rap about politics, social justice and related topics, and he has been critical of the younger generation of Latin trap stars as well as the popularity of the reggaeton sound.

"I wanted to prove to the people that even though we are different in certain ways, we can connect with each other with our brain frequencies," Residente said. "For my fan base, they are very hardcore fans and I know they don't understand why I'm collaborating with Benito even though he's huge.

Because of the things that I stand for, and other stuff, the way I write lyrics, I wanted to show them that even though we're different, we can connect."q

Documentary looks at political comeback of Imelda Marcos

By LINDSEY BAHR Associated Press VENICE, Italy (AP) — Documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield started interviewing former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos four years ago thinking that it might be a redemption story for the then 85-yearold. What she found is that Marcos was not only standing by the controversial history of her family but defending it as well.

Greenfield's documentary about Marcos, "The Kingmaker," premiered Friday at the Venice International Film Festival.

Imelda Marcos's husband, the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos presided over the country for 20 years and declared martial law in 1972, which ultimately resulted in his being ousted by an army-backed "people power" revolt in 1986. He died in self-exile in Hawaii in 1989 but Imelda Marcos and her children returned to the Philippines where many have been

This image released by Showtime shows Imelda Marcos from the documentary "The Kingmaker," which premiered Friday at the Venice International Film Festival.

Associated Press

elected to political office.

"I started it attracted to Imelda Marcos because she was an iconic reference in the work I was doing on wealth," Greenfield said Friday in a press conference. She'd heard

about extravagances — her 3,000 pairs of shoes and the island she turned into a wildlife sanctuary for exotic animals — but came to understand that there was another story brewing beyond the decadence.

"I was taken in with her story and her history," Greenfield said. "(But I) soon realized that the political comeback story was what I wanted to focus on."

The film chronicles Marcos' efforts to help her son

Bongbong win the vicepresidency. It helped inform the title, "The Kingmaker," which she landed on a year into editing.

"It would be like (Richard) Nixon coming back and running for re-election," Greenfield said. "I was amazed that this family ... was welcomed back and into public office."

For Greenfield, known for documentaries like "The Queen of Versailles" and "Generation Wealth," it was a unique experience working with an "unreliable narrator" and she struggled with how to tell the audience that some of what Marcos was saying was incorrect. She also said he found Marcos, now 90, to be generous and kind and candid. She said Marcos has not yet seen the documentary.

"I think she is extremely confident about her story, her place in history and her legacy and that's what I wanted to hear from her," Greenfield said. q

A32 FEATURE

Saturday 31 August 2019

Banana industry on alert after disease arrives in Colombia

By MANUEL RUEDA and CANDICE CHOI Associated Press LA GUAJIRA, Colombia (AP) — It might not be obvious at the supermarket, but the banana industry is fighting to protect the most popular variety of the fruit from a destructive fungus.

A disease that ravages banana crops has made its long-dreaded arrival in Latin America, the biggest exporter of the crop. That's reigniting worries about the global market's dependence on a single type of banana, the Cavendish, which is known for its durability in shipping.

For years, scientists have said big banana companies like Chiquita and Dole would eventually need to find new banana varieties as the disease spread in countries in Asia and elsewhere. Then this month, the fungus was confirmed in Colombia, one of the top exporters in Latin America, prompting officials in the country to declare a state of emergency.

Banana industry watchers say it's more proof the Cavendish's days are numbered, but that there's still plenty of time to find alternatives.

"I don't think it's going to impact the availability of the Cavenidsh in supermarkets anytime soon," said Randy Ploetz, a retired scientist from the University of Florida who studied tropical plant diseases.

While all sorts of bananas are grown around the world for domestic consumption, the ones shipped to places including the United States and the European Union are mostly Cavendishes.

It may seem odd that the world banana market would hitch its fortunes to a single variety, but mass producing just one kind is a way to keep costs down, which also helps make bananas so widely available.

Bananas are also hard to breed, and finding varieties suited to global commerce isn't easy. In addition to being productive, Cavendish plants yield bananas that can survive the trip from warm climates to far-flung

Healthy Cavendish banana plants grow on a plantation between Riohacha and Santa Marta, Colombia, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019.

Associated Press

supermarkets, without ripening too quickly.

Still, history has shown the risks of relying on a single banana variety. Not that long ago, the world market was ruled by another banana, the Gros Michel, aka the Big Mike. Experts say it was even easier to ship than the Cavendish, and sweeter (though others contend it tasted similar).

Either way, the Gros Michel was ravaged by the 1950s by an earlier strain of the disease now stalking the Cavendish.

This time, there's no obvious backup banana waiting in the wings to take over.

In Asian countries hit by the

Tropical Race 4 disease, coping strategies have included planting less susceptible Cavendish varieties or moving to uninfected farmland, according to Ploetz. But those varieties aren't as productive and still eventually succumb to the fungus, which can survive in soil for decades.

Growers will also eventually run out of uninfected land.

In Colombia, special measures being taken to stop the disease from spreading include sanitary controls at the entrance to plantations and roadblocks where trucks traveling between banana farms and ports are disinfected by govern-

ment workers in scrubs and rubber boots.

The fungus travels on small particles of soil that can stick to truck tires, farm equipment or workers' shoes. And in Colombia, farmers fear that thieves who sneak into plantations to steal bananas could accidentally spread the disease. Some farms in Colombia are only lightly guarded and are separated from interstate roads by small fences. The situation has prompted police and Colombia's military to step up presence around banana plantations since the disease was detected.

"We are trying to make

A man sells bananas near a quarantined banana plantation affected by a destructive fungus near Riohacha, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019.

Associated Press

people understand that stealing bananas nowadays can have greater repercussions," said Francisco Zuniga, the president of Asbama, a Colombian banana farmers association.

So far, the fungus has been detected on six farms in Colombia. All are located in La Guajira, a province near the border with Venezuela. Officials say the affected area is still small at 490 acres (200 hectares), and is not making a dent on the country's exports.

But there are concerns that the arrival of the disease will change Colombia's banana industry forever, forcing farms and the government to spend more on sanitary measures.

In La Guajira, officials have uprooted plants where the fungus has been detected and covered the soil with black plastic sheets that raise the temperatures to levels that could stop the disease from spreading.

Healthy plants within a 60 foot (20 meter) radius of the affected areas are also killed with chemicals as a preventive measure.

"We will continue to work towards stopping this disease from spreading to the rest of Colombia," Agriculture Minister Andres Valencia told The Associated Press during a visit to La Guajira.

"But eventually we have to make the transition to other varieties of banana that will resist this disease."

Gert Kema, a plant scientist who studies bananas, also said the industry needs to diversify. He said there are many types of tomatoes and peppers, and that bananas should be no different.

"We have collectively accepted that we have just one banana," Kema said.

Banana diversity means higher costs, however, and it's not clear that people would be willing to pay more for the fruit.

Another challenge is that the fungus is lethal to a wide array of bananas. That's also a problem for places where starchier, cooked bananas are a food staple, including some countries in Africa and Latin America.q