The County Press Digital Daily

Suspected U.S. air strikes in Yemen kill 14 militants: residents, medics Air raids killed 14 men suspected of belonging to al Qaeda in southern Yemen on Sunday, medics and local residents said, in one of the largest U.S.-led assaults on the group since a civil war broke out a year ago.

The air strikes took place as fresh signs emerged that tensions were easing between the Iran-allied Houthis who control most of northern Yemen and Saudi-led forces after a year of fighting that has killed more than 6,200 people.

Residents in southern Yemen said an aircraft bombed buildings used by al Qaeda in the southern coastal Abyan province and destroyed a government intelligence headquarters in the provincial capital Zinjibar that the militants had captured and were using as a base. Medics said six people were killed.

Earlier on Sunday a suspected U.S. drone attack killed eight militants gathered in courtyards in the villages of al-Hudhn and Naqeel al-Hayala in Abyan, residents told Reuters by phone.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has taken advantage of a war pitting the Houthis against forces loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to seize territory and operate more openly.

The group has carried out attacks against the Yemeni state for years, plotted to blow up U.S.bound airliners and claimed responsibility for the January 2015 attack in Paris on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people.

ROAD WORKS BAY COUNTY Drivers are reminded to practice caution while traveling in and around the work zones in Northwest Florida, the week of Sunday, March 27 to Saturday, April 2.:

Bay County:

$100 million from World Bank to create 100,000 Jordan jobs

By KARIN LAUB Mar. 27, 2016 4:35 PM EDT

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan will get a cheap $100 million loan to help create 100,000 jobs for Syrian refugees and its own citizens, the World Bank president said Sunday.

The long-term loan, almost interest free, is part of an attempt by the international community to improve conditions for refugees in overburdened regional host countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.

More than 4.8 million Syrians have fled their country since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011. Jordan hosts about 640,000 registered Syrian refugees and Lebanon more than 1 million.

Cheap loans by the World Bank and other donors are among the new tools meant to help finance education and job creation for refugees in the region. Such support is also meant to slow the migration of refugees to Europe.

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Yahoo Melania Trump, On The Road To The White House In A Little Black DressStyleBistro World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have been visiting the region since last week, first stopping in Lebanon.

Kim announced the $100 million loan for job creation in Jordan on Sunday, after Lebanon was also awarded $100 million to ensure universal school enrolment for Lebanese and Syrian refugee children by 2017.

The bank president said the money for Jordan and Lebanon — both middle income countries — is from a special fund normally reserved for the poorest countries.

"We are taking money from that fund and giving it to a middle income country because Jordan has taken such extraordinary measures" in hosting refugees, he said.

Kim did not say how soon the 100,000 jobs could be created and how many of them would go to refugees.

Jordan has set aside special economic zones where it hopes improved trade arrangements with Europe will lead to greater investment and eventually more jobs. However, the trade arrangements have not yet been worked out, and the entire job creation scheme is expected to take several years.

• State Road (S.R.) 30 (U.S. 98) at S.R. 368 (23rd Street), 23rd Street Flyover- Construction workers are clearing and grading on the south side of U.S. 98 between Port Panama City and Liddon Avenue.

Access to Collegiate Drive at the intersection of U.S. 98 in Bay County will close beginning Wednesday, April 6 until June 2016.

• S.R. 77 between County Road (C.R.) 388 and C.R. 2300 – Watch for workers as crews construct the weigh in motion bypass detection pull-off area. A barrier wall is erected parallel to the southbound lanes to secure the work zone.

• S.R. 30A (U.S. 98/15th Street) from west of Jenks Avenue to east of East Avenue – Workers will be performing driveway and sidewalk work.

• S.R. 22 from U.S. 98 to Star Avenue – Construction activities will resume along the corridor.

• C.R. 390 Public Workshop – Meeting to be held Tuesday, April 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Lynn Haven Sports Complex, Community Room, 2201 Recreation Drive, Lynn Haven.

• U.S. 98 Tyndall Parkway Public Hearing – Hearing to be held Thursday, April 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 6 :30 p.m. a t the Spring field Community Center, 3728 East Third Street, Springfield. Presentation at 6 p.m.

The Florida Department of Transportation proposes to construct an overpass on U.S. 98/Tyndall Parkway at Tyndall Drive and Airey Avenue.

Survey Shows Veterans Are Desirable Candidates For Civilian Workforce (NAPSI)—As U.S. companies continue to find new and innovative ways to conduct business, produce better products, offer the most efficient customer service, or unveil the latest gadget, one skill set employers look for is experience, or, more specifically, readiness.

The U.S. military is a tremendous example of a ―readiness incubator,‖ instilling within its members leadership, problem-solving and technical skills that translate well into private-sector employment. And the word is out among corporate America that hiring a military veteran is a good strategic move.

An online survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix® in fall 2015 of more than 500 hiring managers found that 80 percent of those hiring managers have employed a military veteran, and approximately 82 percent recognize the ways in which the skills of employees or applicants with military experience are superior to those who have never served. Approximately two-thirds of hiring managers cited teamwork (69 percent) and responsibility (65 percent) among the top military skills that would contribute to the leadership of their organizations. ―Military veterans are well disciplined and possess an incredibly strong work ethic,‖ said Adam Such, University of Phoenix Military Relations vice president and retired Army lieutenant colonel. ―Hiring managers

have definitely taken notice of the skills that military members bring to the civilian workplace as a result of their service, which is critical now that many of our nation’s service members are returning home from overseas.‖ This is good news for the 24,000 to 360,000 men and women who are transitioning out of the U.S. military each year. The reason is simple: Corporate America is not only looking, but hiring more than just a few good men and women. The same University of Phoenix survey found that when compared with civilian counterparts, hiring managers noted that discipline and the ability to work both under pressure (47 percent) and as part of a team (43 percent) set veteran candidates apart. ―These are individuals who served their country honorably. The discipline and hands-on experience they’ve learned in the military are qualities that are very much sought after and translate to civilian life,‖ said Such. ―What’s more, hiring a veteran carries an intrinsic value to a company—former service members have faced and met challenges that few others have; they perform well under pressure, and their sense of purpose can serve as examples to others in the workplace.‖ Learn More For employers interested in learning more about hiring veterans, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched Hiring Our Heroes, a program that brings together hiring employers with military job seekers through its Hiring Fairs held at more than 200 cities nationwide. Learn more at www.uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes.

ARIES March 21-April 19 When stress and anxiety govern your thinking, you tend to run away from things or run out of time, resources, or options. Try to find the positives in your life when you’re feeling most vulnerable, Aries. You’re likely to be feeling all the feels with the Lunar Eclipse in your opposite sign on the 23rd. Don’t take your emotions at face value because you’re likely to be dealing with some deep themes. Be kind when you aren’t clear this week.

TAURUS April 20-May 20 Stick your flag in the sweet, sweet ground, Taurus. This week is all about staking your claim, and if you are willing to work hard on not only what you do but also how you do it, you’re likely to be thrilled with the results. Approach your life with diligence and kindness; when you look for the best in people and situations, you’ll find it’s easier to find solutions that work. Forgiveness and compassion will improve every aspect of your life if you let them, lover.

GEMINI May 21-June 21 Dig deep, Twinny. The Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd is here to dredge up some stuff from your past, and it’s on you to not repeat the mistakes you made there. It’s time to show up for reals, not distracted, not faking it, not with a script. Just be here, now, and be honest about whatever that means for you. You’re changing and so is the world, your community, and your relationships.

You can’t stop the tides; you can only rise to meet them.

CANCER June 22-July 22 The Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd may unhinge you, but that isn’t such a bad thing, Moonchild.

You’ve been holding onto crap that you’re hella identified with but that you know you’ve outgrown. Let it go; I mean it literally: put it down. Forgive your grudges, drop your expectations, and release your fears. If life is gonna kick you in the ass, there’s no good that will come from stressing about it in advance; and if things aren’t as awful as you fear, then you’ve wasted all that precious stress on nothing.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22 This is the week to take big-hearted, life-affirming actions, Leo. If you allow your fear of being alone, or being wrong to direct you, you’ll end up in a cage of what ifs, and that will lead to all kinds of resentments and problems. Own your heart’s truth, even if it’s scary. You’ve got so much available to you. It’s time to stop fixating on what you don’t or can’t have. Make peace with your inner demons, so you can gently coax them out the door, pal.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 There’s analyzing, discerning, and figuring things out; and then there’s just grasping at straws. If you don’t like the answer, that doesn’t mean that you haven’t understood it correctly; sometimes things just suck. Honor your feels this week, even if it gives you a heavy case of the sads. Your integrity is based in the truth, and that truth might be different than what you’d prefer. Step up to what’s real so that it can change you or be changed by you, my friend.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 You deserve to be big, Libra. Take up space, have your own perspective, and do your own thing.

How have you been keeping yourself small? Where have you been going through the motions instead of showing up for reals? The Lunar Eclipse in your sign will bring up themes of authenticity for you, and that’s a good thing. You can’t have peace if you’re not whole. Show up for yourself so that you can truly show up in the rest of your life, lover.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 The path is rough sometimes to be sure, but you’ve got the tools to cope if only you remember to use them, Scorpio. This week is set to be helly intense as it starts off with a Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd that will kick your feels up in a deep way. Use your body as the tool it’s meant to be; refer to it to check in with where you’re at and to help you get grounded when you need it. You’re capable, strong, and ready; do what you’ve gotta do, my friend.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Being vulnerable isn’t the greatest feeling in the world, but if you try to avoid it, you’ll end up missing out on some really awesome experiences in life, ‘Tarius. Having healthy boundaries requires that you know what you need before you tell everyone what you’re thinking. Mean what you say and say what you mean this week, even when it’s complicated. The heart doesn’t move in a straight line, so be open to some emo twists and turns, pal.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 When you’re overwhelmed, it’s time to say no, Cappy. There’s a whole lot of stress in this world, and it’s getting to you. How you handle feeling overwhelmed and scared will determine whether you can trust yourself or not. The Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd may unsettle you in a serious way; and if you can carve out some space to take care of your self, it will allow you to stay functional in the whole of your life. If you try to power through, you’re likely to feel helly anxious. Choose wisely, my friend.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 You’re moving through some deep feels, and it’s not likely to be particularly fun; but it can hugely improve your life. The Eclipse on the 23rd offers you a chance to jumpstart some deep emo healing. Look to the big patterns playing themselves out in your personal life, Aquarius. You can act the way you always do and expect the same general outcomes, or you can take some real risks. Show up truly openhearted, and stop hiding behind your ideas this week.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 True growth doesn’t mean everything right away; it means the right things in their perfect time.

Be a friend, Pisces, and know your limits. if you’re not ready, don’t assume that there’s a problem with that! Trust in the flow of your life, even when the next phase isn’t clear to you. You don’t need to apologize for where you’re at or what you need. Just be honest and clear, and let your life unfold this week.

HEALTH AWARENESS

Know Your Risk For Prediabetes (NAPSI)—While many people are familiar with type 2 diabetes, fewer are aware of prediabetes, a serious health condition that affects 86 million Americans— more than one in three— and can often lead to type 2 diabetes.

The Problem Nearly 90 percent of those with prediabetes don’t know they have it.

People with prediabetes have higher than normal blood glucose (sugar), but not at levels high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes.

When you have prediabetes, you’re at increased risk for other serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease. If left untreated, current research estimates that 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years.

Know Where You Stand Find out if you may have prediabetes by taking the short online test at www.DoIHavePrediabetes.org. You can also text RISKTEST to 97779 to take the test through your phone or mobile device.

Take Steps To Reverse The Condition You can take steps to reduce your risk by managing your weight, getting active, eating healthier and quitting smoking.

Here are hints that can help: 1. Losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can slow or even reverse prediabetes. For a person who weighs 200 pounds, that’s only 10 to 15 pounds.

2. Set realistic goals. Start with one change in your diet and build from there.

3. Get at least 2½ hours of light aerobic activity per week. This could be as simple as going for a brisk 30-minute walk five days a week.

Even 10 minutes at a time adds up.

4. Find simple ways to be more active throughout the day.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away from the entrance of a storefront when you shop.

5. Try to cut down on foods with saturated fat or trans fat, and hydrogenated fat or partially hydrogenated fat. Check labels to help you make healthy choices. Just remember, low-fat doesn’t have to be low on flavor. Roast, broil,

The Good News Fortunately, prediabetes can often be reversed through weight loss, diet changes and increased physical activity. The key is to find out early whether you’re at risk. That’s why the American Diabetes Association, the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have partnered with the Ad Council to launch a public service campaign to raise awareness of prediabetes and help those who have the condition take steps to reverse it.

Learn The Risk Factors There are a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of prediabetes. These include race and ethnicity (African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders and some Asian Americans are at higher risk); being overweight; not being physically active; having a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes; having high blood pressure; and being over the age of 40.

grill, steam or bake instead of fry.

6. If you smoke, talk with your doctor about treatments or programs that can help you quit.

Free Help, Facts And Stats Visit www.DoIHavePrediabetes.org for more tips and information about CDC-recognized diabetes prevention programs.

High Court Appears Divided on ContraceptionMandate Reboot

By TIM RYAN

WASHINGTON (CN) - Without a ninth justice to break the tie, the Supreme Court appeared deadlocked Wednesday on the latest challenge to President Barack Obama's health care law.

Nearly two years since its 5-4 split on curbing Obamacare's so-called contraception mandate for closely held companies, the court looked today at a similar challenge by religious nonprofits. The lead plaintiff in the appeal, Rev. David Zubik, is a Catholic bishop in Pittsburgh.

While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act lets religious organizations opt out of the contraception mandate, Zubik and fellow opponents of the law claim that the framework still makes them complicit in contraception use since individual insurers or third-party administrators take up that mantle for their employees.

Zubik's is one of eight cases the Supreme Court took up from the Third, Fifth, 10th and D.C. Circuits, all of which found that the contraception mandate serves a compelling government interest, while giving religious groups an acceptable way out.

It didn't take long at today's hearing for the delineations between the eight justices on the bench to show, as the four more liberal justices grilled the attorneys for the nonprofits, while the conservative justices returned the favor to the government.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan compared the nonprofits' desire not to fill out a form to conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War, with Sotomayor wondering how the government could exempt an organization from an activity without knowing if that organization wanted to opt out.

Paul Clement, who argued for the Little Sisters of the Poor as well as three Christian colleges, said the government is demanding more than just an objection, because the opt-out form is actually an authorization to provide contraception. He later referred to the form as a "permission slip."

"There is the fact that the government demands more than an objection, the fact that it enforces it with massive penalties, and the realty that if that happens, then they are going to hijack our health plans and provide the coverage against our will," Clement said.

In closing the arguments, Clement called Sotomayor and Kagan's comparisons wishful thinking.

"Just in closing, my clients would love to be a conscientious objector, but the government insists that they be a conscientious collaborator," Clement said. "There is no such thing."

Clement claimed the intangible nature of health plans was stopping the justices from seeing

how the nonprofits could think they are complicit in providing contraception under the current arrangement.

The attorney painted a hypothetical where the insurers - instead of giving a nonprofit's workers contraception separate of their employers' plan showed up at the Little Sisters' home, paid rent for a room and set up a clinic handing out contraception.

It would be clear then why Little Sisters would see itself as helping to violate a core religious tenant, Clement said.

But Justice Stephen Breyer countered that religious objection is not a catch-all for people to avoid complying with laws they oppose.

"Sometimes when a religious person who isn't a hermit or a monk is a member of society, he does have to accept all kinds of things that are just terrible for him," Breyer said.

To Clement, however, there is a line that reasonable people can try to find between religious people accepting some infringement on their faith and what the government is doing with the contraceptive mandate.

Specifically mentioning the Little Sisters, Clement told the court he would like his clients to receive the same exemption given to churches, which do not have to cover contraception for their employees or go through the work-around created for the nonprofits.

But as Kagan pointed out, this could incentivize Congress to stop writing religious exemptions into laws, opening the floodgates of groups asking to skip out on complying with new laws.

"And if you're saying that every time Congress gives an exemption to churches and synagogues and mosques, that they have to open that up to all religious people, then the effect of that is that Congress just decides not to give an exemption at all," Kagan said.

Noel Francisco, who argued for the Rev. Zubik and the Catholic dioceses, said the government has show it does not have a substantial interest in providing contraception by allowing a wide swath of exemptions, including allowing employers to keep old health plans that did not include coverage of contraception.

When Kagan pressed him on what his clients would prefer, Francisco said they would accept an arrangement where employees could purchase a separate health plan for contraception, further separating them and the group providing the contraception.

"I think the more distance you put between the petitioners on the one hand and the provision of the objectionable coverage to their employees on the other, the less problematic it is from their particular perspective," Francisco said.

Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. warned that Francisco's idea contravenes the intent of the contraception mandate, which is to make women more likely to use contraception by making it easier to get.

He called Francisco's proposal "jerry-rigged" and warned that a woman's regular doctor might not be able to help her get access to contraception, because she would have to maintain two plans.

That "defeats the very purpose" of the

contraception mandate, Verrilli said.

But Justice Samuel Alito challenged Verrilli's claim that a woman's primary doctor wouldn't also accept her contraception plan, and suggested the government could help ensure women get access to these supplemental plans.

"Could the executive say, as a matter of our enforcement discretion, we are not going to take any action against insurers who offer contraception-only policies, and in fact, we are going to subsidize those insurers at 115 percent, just as we do in the situation of self-insured plans?" Alito asked.

Chief Justice John Roberts agreed with Clement's contention the government would be "hijacking" the employers' health plans and said the arrangement would force the employers to be complicit in "sinful" behavior.

Verrilli later told Roberts forcing people to seek a second health care policy just for contraception would itself be a substantial burden.

"What type of burden does that impose?"

Roberts shot back. "Is it because those exchanges are so unworkable, even with the help of a navigator, that a woman who wants to get free contraceptive coverage simply has to sign up for that on one of the exchanges?"

If the arguments inside were lively by Supreme Court standards, the demonstrations outside were raucous.

By 8:30 Wednesday morning, a large group of roughly 20 students from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, one of the schools involved in the case, stood outside the courthouse wearing bright orange shirts and forming a wide semicircle around a podium that read "let them serve."

Two sisters from the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne order in Philadelphia stood near the students, waiting for more of their religious sisters to arrive.

"We're here to support the Little Sisters of the Poor in their cause, which is really out cause also, to be able to live our faith, to give witness to values of morality and being fully human to the height that we can be," Sister Mary DuPaul said.

As the students gathered, speakers near the podium played a slow, hymnlike arrangement of "America the Beautiful," featuring a male voice and piano.

Outside the semicircle of students, a sparse group of women's health advocates began to gather. When the students began playing "America the Beautiful," their opponents countered by blaring Ariana Grande's "Break Free."

By the time arguments ended, however, the demonstrations had ramped up significantly, with groups for both sides crowding the plaza at the bottom of the Supreme Court steps holding brightly colored signs and wearing slogan-clad Tshirts. Nuns in full habits stood out among their fellow demonstrators.

The students sang songs while the women's health advocates blasted pop music and cheered for lawyers coming down the steps. Those on the side of the religious groups shouted "let them serve," while the other side chanted "pro-birth control, pro-family."