upi--2020-01-17--OHCHR's Michelle Bachelet: Syria truce has failed 'yet again'

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- A new cease-fire in Syria has failed to protect citizens in the nation 's northwest , where civilians have been killed and displaced by protracted fighting this week that violated the terms of the truce , the United Nations ' top human rights official said Friday .
High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said despite efforts to establish `` safe corridors '' for Syrians trying to escape the violence , government forces and militias kept fighting after the cease-fire agreement took effect last week .
Bachelet called for a de-escalation of fighting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens and civilian infrastructure .
`` Our main concern is for the safety of civilians who remain at serious risk , '' Bachelet said in a statement .
`` While the pursuit of a cease-fire is , of course , to be encouraged , this agreement ... has yet again failed to protect civilians .
`` It is deeply distressing that civilians are still being killed on a daily basis in missile strikes from both the air and ground .
Women , men and children simply carrying out everyday activities at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools are being killed and maimed in senseless violence . ''
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday government airstrikes killed almost two dozen civilians in the Idlib province .
The Syrian Civil Defense force said 82 were injured .
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs estimated last month 235,000 civilians have been displaced in southern Idlib -- about 140,000 of whom are children .

Smoke rises during fighting in Ras al-Ein town, Syria. The top U.N. human rights official criticized a new cease-fire this week as ineffective. File Photo by Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A new cease-fire in Syria has failed to protect citizens in the nation's northwest, where civilians have been killed and displaced by protracted fighting this week that violated the terms of the truce, the United Nations' top human rights official said Friday. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said despite efforts to establish "safe corridors" for Syrians trying to escape the violence, government forces and militias kept fighting after the cease-fire agreement took effect last week. Advertisement
Bachelet called for a de-escalation of fighting in Idlib and for government leaders to protect citizens and civilian infrastructure.
"Our main concern is for the safety of civilians who remain at serious risk," Bachelet said in a statement. "While the pursuit of a cease-fire is, of course, to be encouraged, this agreement ... has yet again failed to protect civilians.
"It is deeply distressing that civilians are still being killed on a daily basis in missile strikes from both the air and ground. Women, men and children simply carrying out everyday activities at home, the workplace, in markets and at schools are being killed and maimed in senseless violence."
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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday government airstrikes killed almost two dozen civilians in the Idlib province. The Syrian Civil Defense force said 82 were injured.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs estimated last month 235,000 civilians have been displaced in southern Idlib -- about 140,000 of whom are children.


upi--2020-01-17--Watch: Martha Stewart responds to Chip Gaines' TIME 100 remarks

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Martha Stewart says Chip Gaines `` made up '' his story about their encounter at the TIME 100 gala .
The 78-year-old cooking and lifestyle guru responded on Thursday 's episode of Watch What Happens Live after Gaines said Stewart did n't know who he and his wife , Joanna Gaines , were at the gala in April .
`` Chip made a big story about it .
I knew exactly who they are , '' Stewart said of the former Fixer Upper stars .
`` I admire them ; I admire what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I was kind of taken aback that he made up that story .
They 're published by the same publisher as my magazine .
So , come on . ''
Gaines told Page Six at the TIME 100 gala that Stewart did not have `` a single clue '' who he and Joanna Gaines were while meeting them at the event .
`` We were so excited to meet Martha Stewart , but she did n't have the faintest idea who we are , not a single clue .
But we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so excited to meet Martha and so we asked someone to introduce us . ''
`` Martha was very gracious and supportive .
It was a really wonderful moment for us to meet her , '' he added .
`` And my gosh , does n't she look great ! ''
Gaines and Joanna Gaines came to fame on Fixer Upper , which ended in 2018 after five seasons on HGTV .
The couple will launch their own network , Magnolia , in October .
On WWHL , Stewart also weighed in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' candle from Gwyneth Paltrow 's company , Goop .
The candle is sold out and has a waiting list .
`` I 'm sure it 's sold out , '' Stewart said .
`` I mean , she does that kind of irritatingly ... she 's trying to zhoosh up the public to listen to her .
And that 's great !
Let her do her thing .
I would n't buy that candle . ''

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Martha Stewart says Chip Gaines "made up" his story about their encounter at the TIME 100 gala.
The 78-year-old cooking and lifestyle guru responded on Thursday's episode of Watch What Happens Live after Gaines said Stewart didn't know who he and his wife, Joanna Gaines, were at the gala in April.
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"Chip made a big story about it. I knew exactly who they are," Stewart said of the former Fixer Upper stars.
"I admire them; I admire what they've done," she added. "I was kind of taken aback that he made up that story. They're published by the same publisher as my magazine. So, come on."
Gaines told Page Six at the TIME 100 gala that Stewart did not have "a single clue" who he and Joanna Gaines were while meeting them at the event.
"We were so excited to meet Martha Stewart, but she didn't have the faintest idea who we are, not a single clue. But we don't mind at all, Joanna was so excited to meet Martha and so we asked someone to introduce us."
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"Martha was very gracious and supportive. It was a really wonderful moment for us to meet her," he added. "And my gosh, doesn't she look great!"
Gaines and Joanna Gaines came to fame on Fixer Upper, which ended in 2018 after five seasons on HGTV. The couple will launch their own network, Magnolia, in October.
On WWHL, Stewart also weighed in on the "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle from Gwyneth Paltrow's company, Goop. The candle is sold out and has a waiting list.
"I'm sure it's sold out," Stewart said. "I mean, she does that kind of irritatingly... she's trying to zhoosh up the public to listen to her. And that's great! Let her do her thing. I wouldn't buy that candle."


upi--2020-01-17--Chris Collins sentenced to 26 months in prison for insider trading

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Rep. Chris Collins of New York to 26 months in prison for insider trading .
The Republican pleaded guilty to two counts -- conspiring to commit securities fraud and making false statements -- after initially facing an 11-count indictment .
Federal prosecutors accused Chris Collins of encouraging his son , Cameron Collins , and Stephen Zarsky -- Cameron Collins ' prospective father-in-law -- to sell their shares in Australian biotech firm Innate Immunotherapeutics using insider information .
In addition to the prison time , U.S. District Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200,000 and sentenced him to one year of supervised release .
`` I violated my core values , '' Chris Collins said in court .
`` I am standing here , probably the last time I will do anything in public .
I left Buffalo .
I can not face my constituents . ''
Police arrested Chris Collins in August 2018 on the insider trading charges , to which he immediately pleaded not guilty .
He initially suspended his re-election bid but stayed on the ballot and secured his seat for a fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case until September when he resigned his seat in Congress .
He pleaded guilty in October .
Chris Collins was the first member of Congress to publicly endorse Donald Trump in his presidential election in February 2016 .
Cameron Collins and Zarsky also were indicted in the scheme and both pleaded guilty to charges in October .
Each faces between 37 months and 46 months in prison .

Former Rep. Chris Collins' son Cameron Collins, and the younger Collins' prospective father-in-law, Stephen Zarsky, also pleaded guilty to insider trading. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Rep. Chris Collins of New York to 26 months in prison for insider trading. The Republican pleaded guilty to two counts -- conspiring to commit securities fraud and making false statements -- after initially facing an 11-count indictment. Federal prosecutors accused Chris Collins of encouraging his son, Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky -- Cameron Collins' prospective father-in-law -- to sell their shares in Australian biotech firm Innate Immunotherapeutics using insider information. Advertisement
In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Court Judge Vernon Broderick fined Chris Collins $200,000 and sentenced him to one year of supervised release.
"I violated my core values," Chris Collins said in court. "I am standing here, probably the last time I will do anything in public. I left Buffalo. I cannot face my constituents."
Police arrested Chris Collins in August 2018 on the insider trading charges, to which he immediately pleaded not guilty. He initially suspended his re-election bid but stayed on the ballot and secured his seat for a fourth term.
He maintained his innocence in the case until September when he resigned his seat in Congress. He pleaded guilty in October.
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Chris Collins was the first member of Congress to publicly endorse Donald Trump in his presidential election in February 2016.
Cameron Collins and Zarsky also were indicted in the scheme and both pleaded guilty to charges in October. Each faces between 37 months and 46 months in prison.


upi--2020-01-17--Northeast next stop for juggernaut storm racing across U.S.

A weekend storm that originated as a bomb cyclone in the West earlier this week is destined to bring the most substantial snowfall of the season so far to parts of the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians in a winter where big snowfall amounts have been absent to this point .
Winter weather advisories have been issued for the northern and western suburbs of New York City into southeastern New England ahead of the weekend storm , and winter storm watches are in effect starting at 1 p.m. Saturday across portions of upstate New York and central New England .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with blizzard conditions on Friday is responsible for sending fresh Arctic air into the northeastern United States that will pave the way for wintry precipitation this weekend .
Snow and a wintry mix will first spread over the Midwest into Friday night before advancing across the Northeast on Saturday .
Forecasters say a major snowfall is not anticipated along the Interstate 95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and only a moderate snowfall is forecast for the central Appalachians to southern New England .
However , enough snow followed by a transition to an icy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slippery travel conditions and airline delays .
By 8 a.m. EST Friday , 375 flights had already been canceled in the Central states from the storm .
Travelers can expect more flights to be cancelled into Friday night in the Central states and then the East this weekend as crews and aircraft are displaced .
Airline delays are highly likely due to deicing operations .
Road conditions may deteriorate quickly on Saturday .
Even though the period of snow and wintry mix may be brief from Pennsylvania , New Jersey and southeastern New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precipitation may come down hard for a while .
Rising temperatures and lighter precipitation , in the form of rain and drizzle in some cases , should allow chemicals to work on the roads and create wet to slushy conditions later in the day and evening .
For those who must travel , meteorologists suggest allowing plenty of extra time to reach destinations .
As is often the case during winter storms , the accumulation of snow and sleet will vary from southeast to northwest across the major cities and their suburbs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to Philadelphia , New York City and Boston .
Enough snow to shovel and plow is likely from western Maryland to southeastern Pennsylvania , central New Jersey , locations close to New York City and in southern New England .
Farther north , most of and perhaps all of the storm will occur as snow .
This includes the northern tier of Pennsylvania , western , central and northern New York state and central and northwestern New England .
This storm system wo n't be the only source of wintry precipitation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Factoring in snow from the storm , as well as lake-effect snow that gets underway later Saturday night and Sunday near the Great Lakes , a general accumulation of 6-12 inches is forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 16 inches over the mountains and plateau areas , '' AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said .
Gusty northwesterly winds on the backside of the storm will drag progressively colder air southeastward from Canada later this weekend through the middle of next week .
Factoring in the duration of the cold weather , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harsh but typical conditions are in store for the second half of January .
The pattern will bring episodes of lake-effect snow , flurries and snow squalls .
Actual nighttime low temperatures will be in the teens , single digits and even below zero degrees Fahrenheit over the interior Northeast and in the 20s and teens along the coast .
Daytime highs may struggle to get out of the teens over parts of the interior and may struggle to reach the freezing mark in some of the I-95 cities of the mid-Atlantic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 20 degrees lower than the actual temperature when the wind is blowing , during cloudy episodes and at night .

A weekend storm that originated as a bomb cyclone in the West earlier this week is destined to bring the most substantial snowfall of the season so far to parts of the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians in a winter where big snowfall amounts have been absent to this point.
Winter weather advisories have been issued for the northern and western suburbs of New York City into southeastern New England ahead of the weekend storm, and winter storm watches are in effect starting at 1 p.m. Saturday across portions of upstate New York and central New England.
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The bomb cyclone hammering Newfoundland, Canada, with blizzard conditions on Friday is responsible for sending fresh Arctic air into the northeastern United States that will pave the way for wintry precipitation this weekend.
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Snow and a wintry mix will first spread over the Midwest into Friday night before advancing across the Northeast on Saturday.
Forecasters say a major snowfall is not anticipated along the Interstate 95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and only a moderate snowfall is forecast for the central Appalachians to southern New England. However, enough snow followed by a transition to an icy mix and rain will fall to generate slippery travel conditions and airline delays.
By 8 a.m. EST Friday, 375 flights had already been canceled in the Central states from the storm. Travelers can expect more flights to be cancelled into Friday night in the Central states and then the East this weekend as crews and aircraft are displaced. Airline delays are highly likely due to deicing operations.
This radar image, taken at 3 p.m. EST Friday, Jan. 17 shows snow (blue), ice (pink and purple) and rain (green and yellow) over the central United States.
Road conditions may deteriorate quickly on Saturday. Even though the period of snow and wintry mix may be brief from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and southeastern New York on south and west, the precipitation may come down hard for a while.
Advertisement
Rising temperatures and lighter precipitation, in the form of rain and drizzle in some cases, should allow chemicals to work on the roads and create wet to slushy conditions later in the day and evening.
For those who must travel, meteorologists suggest allowing plenty of extra time to reach destinations.
As is often the case during winter storms, the accumulation of snow and sleet will vary from southeast to northwest across the major cities and their suburbs of the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Enough snow to shovel and plow is likely from western Maryland to southeastern Pennsylvania, central New Jersey, locations close to New York City and in southern New England.
Farther north, most of and perhaps all of the storm will occur as snow. This includes the northern tier of Pennsylvania, western, central and northern New York state and central and northwestern New England.
This storm system won't be the only source of wintry precipitation in the Northeast in the coming days.
"Factoring in snow from the storm, as well as lake-effect snow that gets underway later Saturday night and Sunday near the Great Lakes, a general accumulation of 6-12 inches is forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 16 inches over the mountains and plateau areas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Advertisement
Gusty northwesterly winds on the backside of the storm will drag progressively colder air southeastward from Canada later this weekend through the middle of next week.
Factoring in the duration of the cold weather, wind and much lower actual temperatures, harsh but typical conditions are in store for the second half of January.
The pattern will bring episodes of lake-effect snow, flurries and snow squalls.
Actual nighttime low temperatures will be in the teens, single digits and even below zero degrees Fahrenheit over the interior Northeast and in the 20s and teens along the coast. Daytime highs may struggle to get out of the teens over parts of the interior and may struggle to reach the freezing mark in some of the I-95 cities of the mid-Atlantic.
AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures will dip to 10 to 20 degrees lower than the actual temperature when the wind is blowing, during cloudy episodes and at night.


upi--2020-01-17--Best Buy investigates CEO Corie Barry for allegations of misconduct

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Best Buy announced Friday it 's investigating allegations of misconduct against CEO Corie Barry months after she took over the leadership role at the electronics big box store .
A spokesperson for the company told The Wall Street Journal and CNBC that it 's probing accusations Barry had an inappropriate romantic relationship with another executive in the company -- former senior Vice President Karl Sanft -- before she became CEO .
The probe was prompted by an anonymous letter the company received .
`` Best Buy takes allegations of misconduct very seriously , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter 's author to come forward and be part of that confidential process .
We will not comment further until the review is concluded . ''
Barry joined Best Buy in 1999 and has held a number of financial and operational roles .
She was named CFO in 2016 and CEO in June .
She 's also a member of the board of directors .
`` The board has my full cooperation and support as it undertakes this review , and I look forward to its resolution in the near term , @ @ @ @

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Best Buy announced Friday it's investigating allegations of misconduct against CEO Corie Barry months after she took over the leadership role at the electronics big box store.
A spokesperson for the company told The Wall Street Journal and CNBC that it's probing accusations Barry had an inappropriate romantic relationship with another executive in the company -- former senior Vice President Karl Sanft -- before she became CEO. The probe was prompted by an anonymous letter the company received.
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"Best Buy takes allegations of misconduct very seriously," the spokesperson said. "We encourage the letter's author to come forward and be part of that confidential process. We will not comment further until the review is concluded."
Barry joined Best Buy in 1999 and has held a number of financial and operational roles. She was named CFO in 2016 and CEO in June. She's also a member of the board of directors.
"The board has my full cooperation and support as it undertakes this review, and I look forward to its resolution in the near term," Barry said.


upi--2020-01-17--California ski resort avalanche kills 1

California ski resort avalanche kills 1

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- An avalanche at a resort ski resort near Tahoe City , Calif. , left @ @ @ @ @ another injured , local law enforcement officials said .
The avalanche took place around 10:15 @ @ @ @ @ run at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort .
It was in an advanced ski @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff 's Office said a search and rescue operation confirmed a single fatality and a @ @ @ @ @ injuries . ''
The injured skier was transported to a hospital .
Officials concluded their @ @ @ @ @ The department said officials are treating the avalanche as an `` isolated incident , '' @ @ @ @ @ run at the resort .
The resort said the cause of the avalanche was under @ @ @ @ @ Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows team , including all of the first responders , extend their @ @ @ @ @ and friends of the deceased .
We are working closely with the families of all @ @ @ @ @ their continued care , '' the resort said in a statement .

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- An avalanche at a resort ski resort near Tahoe City, Calif., left one person dead Friday and another injured, local law enforcement officials said.
The avalanche took place around 10:15 a.m. near the Subway ski run at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort. It was in an advanced ski area.
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The Placer County Sheriff's Office said a search and rescue operation confirmed a single fatality and a second victim with "serious injuries." The injured skier was transported to a hospital.
Officials concluded their search around 11:45 a.m.
The department said officials are treating the avalanche as an "isolated incident," closing only the Subway ski run at the resort.
The resort said the cause of the avalanche was under investigation.
"The entire Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows team, including all of the first responders, extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased. We are working closely with the families of all the affected individuals to ensure their continued care," the resort said in a statement.


upi--2020-01-17--Scientists film chemical bond making, breaking

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Everything depends on chemical bonds .
Without chemical bonds , everything would fall apart .
And yet , scientists do n't entirely understand how chemical bonding works .
Now , for the first time , scientists have filmed chemical bond making and breaking in action .
The breakthrough -- described this week in the journal Science Advances -- promises to offer scientists new insights into this fundamental atomic phenomenon .
The main reason chemical bonding is n't well understood is that the processes happen on such a small scale .
But atoms and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're also unruly .
Atoms do n't like to sit still .
Luckily , a team of researchers from Britain and Germany have developed a way to trap atoms so they can be imaged using technologies like atomic force microscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy .
Nanocatalysts feature carbon nanotubes , the hollow cylinders of which feature diameters just wide enough to capture single molecules .
These nanotubes act like atomic test tubes .
`` Nanotubes help us to catch atoms or molecules , and to position them exactly where we want .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhenium ( Re ) atoms bonded together to form Re2 , '' study author Andrei Khlobystov , professor of chemistry at the University of Nottingham , said in a news release .
`` Because rhenium has a high atomic number it is easier to see in TEM than lighter elements , allowing us to identify each metal atom as a dark dot . ''
Scientists have previously used electron beams to simultaneously image and incite atomic activity -- to both catalyze and record chemical reactions .
The method is known as transmission electron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , scientists used the technique to watch Re2 bond with carbon nanotubes .
`` As we imaged these diatomic molecules by the state of the art chromatic and spherical aberration corrected SALVE TEM , we observed the atomic-scale dynamics of Re2 adsorbed on the graphitic lattice of the nanotube and discovered that the bond length changes in Re2 in a series of discrete steps , '' said Ute Kaiser , professor at Ulm University in Germany .
The imaging experiments showcased a pair of Re2 atoms walking across the surface of the nanotubes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two atoms move in pairs , clearly indicating a bond between them .
Importantly , as Re2 moves down the nanotube , the bond length changes , indicating that the bond becomes stronger or weaker depending on the environment around the atoms , '' said Ulm University researcher Kecheng Cao .
The recordings of the movements of the two atoms revealed a series of vibrations as their bond was stretched apart .
When the bond ultimately broke , the vibrations ceased .
These observations of bond making and breaking could help scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catalytic properties of materials .
`` To our knowledge , this is the first time when bond evolution , breaking and formation was recorded on film at the atomic scale .
Electron microscopy is already becoming an analytical tool for determining structures of molecules , '' said Khlobystov .
`` We are now pushing the frontiers of molecule imaging beyond simple structural analysis , and towards understanding dynamics of individual molecules in real time . ''

Scientists, for the first time, captured video of atomic bonds forming and breaking apart as two atoms moved across a carbon nanotube. Photo by University of Nottingham
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Everything depends on chemical bonds. Without chemical bonds, everything would fall apart. And yet, scientists don't entirely understand how chemical bonding works. Now, for the first time, scientists have filmed chemical bond making and breaking in action. The breakthrough -- described this week in the journal Science Advances -- promises to offer scientists new insights into this fundamental atomic phenomenon. Advertisement
The main reason chemical bonding isn't well understood is that the processes happen on such a small scale. But atoms and their bonds aren't just tiny, they're also unruly. Atoms don't like to sit still.
Luckily, a team of researchers from Britain and Germany have developed a way to trap atoms so they can be imaged using technologies like atomic force microscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy.
Nanocatalysts feature carbon nanotubes, the hollow cylinders of which feature diameters just wide enough to capture single molecules. These nanotubes act like atomic test tubes.
"Nanotubes help us to catch atoms or molecules, and to position them exactly where we want. In this case we trapped a pair of rhenium (Re) atoms bonded together to form Re2," study author Andrei Khlobystov, professor of chemistry at the University of Nottingham, said in a news release. "Because rhenium has a high atomic number it is easier to see in TEM than lighter elements, allowing us to identify each metal atom as a dark dot."
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Scientists have previously used electron beams to simultaneously image and incite atomic activity -- to both catalyze and record chemical reactions. The method is known as transmission electron microscopy, and for the latest research, scientists used the technique to watch Re2 bond with carbon nanotubes.
"As we imaged these diatomic molecules by the state of the art chromatic and spherical aberration corrected SALVE TEM, we observed the atomic-scale dynamics of Re2 adsorbed on the graphitic lattice of the nanotube and discovered that the bond length changes in Re2 in a series of discrete steps," said Ute Kaiser, professor at Ulm University in Germany.
The imaging experiments showcased a pair of Re2 atoms walking across the surface of the nanotubes.
"It was surprisingly clear how the two atoms move in pairs, clearly indicating a bond between them. Importantly, as Re2 moves down the nanotube, the bond length changes, indicating that the bond becomes stronger or weaker depending on the environment around the atoms," said Ulm University researcher Kecheng Cao.
The recordings of the movements of the two atoms revealed a series of vibrations as their bond was stretched apart. When the bond ultimately broke, the vibrations ceased. These observations of bond making and breaking could help scientists better understand the magnetic, electronic and catalytic properties of materials.
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"To our knowledge, this is the first time when bond evolution, breaking and formation was recorded on film at the atomic scale. Electron microscopy is already becoming an analytical tool for determining structures of molecules," said Khlobystov. "We are now pushing the frontiers of molecule imaging beyond simple structural analysis, and towards understanding dynamics of individual molecules in real time."


upi--2020-01-17--Supreme Court to hear case allowing electors to go against popular vote

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case in which electoral college members seek the right to vote for a presidential candidate who did n't win the popular vote in their state .
The high court will hear two similar cases brought by electors in Colorado and Washington .
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in those two states in 2016 , but some electors refused to vote for her .
The plaintiffs said the laws in those states requiring electors to vote along with the popular vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors voted against their state 's pledged candidate .
Three were invalidated and replaced with electors who complied , and the other seven were officially recorded .
As a result , Clinton lost five electoral votes ( three to former GOP Secretary of State Colin Powell , one to Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and one to Democratic South Dakotan activist Faith Spotted Eagle ) and Trump lost two ( one to Kasich and one to former Texas Rep. Ron Paul ) .
Four of the rogue electors belonged to Washington state , two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The invalidated votes belonged to electors in Maine ( for Sanders ) , Minnesota ( for Sanders ) and Colorado ( for John Kasich ) .
In September , a federal appeals court sided with the plaintiff in the Colorado case , Michael Baca .
The decision generated concern among state officials and advocates , who fear it gives individual electors all the power -- and voters none .
The Electoral College system has been a target of numerous activists over the years .
Presently , many states have changed or are considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A national movement , the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact , promotes a coalition of states that have already enacted laws to award their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote -- an effort aimed at democratizing the entire process .
The compact , however , wo n't enter legal force until states representing at least 270 electoral votes -- the number needed for a candidate to win -- join the coalition .
Presently , the compact has states with 196 electoral votes , and needs 74 more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case by June , with plenty of time before the 2020 U.S. presidential election in November .

In 2016, 10 electors voted or attempted to vote against the wishes of their state's popular vote. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case in which electoral college members seek the right to vote for a presidential candidate who didn't win the popular vote in their state. The high court will hear two similar cases brought by electors in Colorado and Washington. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in those two states in 2016, but some electors refused to vote for her. Advertisement
The plaintiffs said the laws in those states requiring electors to vote along with the popular vote are unconstitutional.
In 2016, 10 electors voted against their state's pledged candidate. Three were invalidated and replaced with electors who complied, and the other seven were officially recorded. As a result, Clinton lost five electoral votes (three to former GOP Secretary of State Colin Powell, one to Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and one to Democratic South Dakotan activist Faith Spotted Eagle) and Trump lost two (one to Kasich and one to former Texas Rep. Ron Paul).
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Four of the rogue electors belonged to Washington state, two to Texas and one to Hawaii. The invalidated votes belonged to electors in Maine (for Sanders), Minnesota (for Sanders) and Colorado (for John Kasich).
In September, a federal appeals court sided with the plaintiff in the Colorado case, Michael Baca. The decision generated concern among state officials and advocates, who fear it gives individual electors all the power -- and voters none.
The Electoral College system has been a target of numerous activists over the years. Presently, many states have changed or are considering changing how their electoral votes are awarded. A national movement, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, promotes a coalition of states that have already enacted laws to award their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote -- an effort aimed at democratizing the entire process. The compact, however, won't enter legal force until states representing at least 270 electoral votes -- the number needed for a candidate to win -- join the coalition. Presently, the compact has states with 196 electoral votes, and needs 74 more.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule in the case by June, with plenty of time before the 2020 U.S. presidential election in November.
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Daniel Uria contributed to this report.


upi--2020-01-17--Time of day may not matter for warfarin dose

Patients taking the blood thinner warfarin have been told that it should be taken at night , but a new study found the time of day does n't matter .
`` Whether warfarin is taken in the morning , or the evening , its therapeutic effect is the same , '' said lead researcher Dr. Scott Garrison , an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton , Canada .
`` Health care providers should stop telling patients to use their warfarin in the evening ; rather , warfarin should be taken whenever regular compliance would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
The drug is used to prevent blood clots that can cause strokes , heart attacks and blockages .
It is also used to treat the abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation .
Doctors have had a practical reason for telling patients to take warfarin in the evening , Garrison said .
Patients who use it must have blood tests every one to four weeks to determine if their dose is correct -- too much can lead to bleeding , too little wo n't prevent clots .
Taking the drug at night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result and adjusting the dose .
`` That is all the docs were really thinking about , '' Garrison said .
For the study , his team randomly assigned 217 patients to take their warfarin either in the morning or the evening .
Over seven months , the researchers tracked the amount of time patients ' blood levels were outside the range where warfarin is most effective .
No significant difference in effectiveness was seen regardless of when the drug was taken , the study found .
Warfarin is a difficult drug to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the stroke program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City .
He was not involved in the study .
`` It is difficult because it 's a drug that is so variable depending on what you eat , and what other medications you 're taking .
For example , the drug can change by diet like eating dark leafy vegetables and broccoli , or drugs like antibiotics , '' he said .
These vegetables contain vitamin K , which promotes clotting .
And antibiotics change the way warfarin is metabolized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azhar noted that other studies have found that patients using warfarin were in the therapeutic range only about 55 percent of the time .
That means they were not getting a benefit from the drug up to about 40 percent of the time , he said .
The difficulty in managing warfarin is the main reason doctors are switching their patients to newer anticoagulants , Azhar said .
These newer drugs , such as Xarelto ( rivaroxaban ) and Eliquis ( apixaban ) , do n't require frequent blood tests or other monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other drugs , Azhar said .
`` The biggest group of people who are getting anticoagulation are the people with atrial fibrillation , and almost all of them are eligible to get these new medications , '' he said , `` And quite frankly , I think most of us are putting people on these new medications and not electing to go the route of warfarin . ''
Warfarin is still the drug of choice for patients who have mechanical heart valves or a higher genetic risk of chronic bleeding or , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heart problem , just from something to do with their blood , Azhar said .
The report was published in the January issue of the Annals of Family Medicine .
Learn more about warfarin from the American Heart Association .

Patients taking the blood thinner warfarin have been told that it should be taken at night, but a new study found the time of day doesn't matter.
"Whether warfarin is taken in the morning, or the evening, its therapeutic effect is the same," said lead researcher Dr. Scott Garrison, an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
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"Health care providers should stop telling patients to use their warfarin in the evening; rather, warfarin should be taken whenever regular compliance would be easiest for patients," he added.
The drug is used to prevent blood clots that can cause strokes, heart attacks and blockages. It is also used to treat the abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.
Doctors have had a practical reason for telling patients to take warfarin in the evening, Garrison said. Patients who use it must have blood tests every one to four weeks to determine if their dose is correct -- too much can lead to bleeding, too little won't prevent clots. Taking the drug at night meant less time between getting a test result and adjusting the dose.
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"That is all the docs were really thinking about," Garrison said.
For the study, his team randomly assigned 217 patients to take their warfarin either in the morning or the evening.
Over seven months, the researchers tracked the amount of time patients' blood levels were outside the range where warfarin is most effective.
No significant difference in effectiveness was seen regardless of when the drug was taken, the study found.
Warfarin is a difficult drug to manage, said Dr. Salman Azhar, director of the stroke program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He was not involved in the study.
"It is difficult because it's a drug that is so variable depending on what you eat, and what other medications you're taking. For example, the drug can change by diet like eating dark leafy vegetables and broccoli, or drugs like antibiotics," he said.
These vegetables contain vitamin K, which promotes clotting. And antibiotics change the way warfarin is metabolized in the liver, Azhar said.
Azhar noted that other studies have found that patients using warfarin were in the therapeutic range only about 55 percent of the time. That means they were not getting a benefit from the drug up to about 40 percent of the time, he said.
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The difficulty in managing warfarin is the main reason doctors are switching their patients to newer anticoagulants, Azhar said.
These newer drugs, such as Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Eliquis (apixaban), don't require frequent blood tests or other monitoring and aren't affected by diet or other drugs, Azhar said.
"The biggest group of people who are getting anticoagulation are the people with atrial fibrillation, and almost all of them are eligible to get these new medications," he said, "And quite frankly, I think most of us are putting people on these new medications and not electing to go the route of warfarin."
Warfarin is still the drug of choice for patients who have mechanical heart valves or a higher genetic risk of chronic bleeding or, who tend to have more clotting not from a heart problem, just from something to do with their blood, Azhar said.
The report was published in the January issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
More information
Learn more about warfarin from the American Heart Association.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-01-17--Eighth Space Flag exercise wrapped as Space Force signed into law

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Space Flag exercise wrapped its eighth exercise at the Boeing Virtual Warfare Center on the day the U.S. Space Force was created .
The Space Force announced Thursday that the exercise , which started Dec. 9 at the Boeing Virtual Warfare Center under the auspices of the Air Force Space Command , finished on Dec. 20 , the day President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act , creating the Space Force as a separate branch of military .
`` The completion of Space Flag 20-1 on the same day as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really symbolic of the way we have evolved our understanding of , and approach to , operating in space , '' said Brig .
Gen. DeAnna Burt , director of operations and communications for the United States Space Force .
`` Simply put , this exercise exists to make this generation better warfighters in the space domain , '' said Maj. Neil Fournie , Space Flag exercise director .
`` Some of these Airmen have operated their specific systems for two to three years .
But here , they learn the bigger picture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can one day be contested , degraded , and operationally-limited or placed in a conflict scenario . ''
Space Flag , which began in 2017 and was modeled after the Air Force Red Flag exercises , is the branch 's sole large-force employment exercise .
During the exercise , participants are organized within `` blue '' and `` red '' cells in simulated maneuvers -- with the latter representing what the adversary wants to accomplish .
The National Reconnaissance Office , National Space Defense Center and the Combined Space Operations Center provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` white cell , '' a third participating group .
A total of 96 players participated in the exercise , including 64 blue cell , 19 white cell and 13 red cell participants , including active duty and reserve airmen from the 21st , 50th , 460th and 310th space wings as well as Air Combat Command , the Army , the Navy and the National Reconnaissance Office personnel .
Earlier this week Gen. John Raymond was signed in as head of the Space Force and L3Harris received a $ 12.9 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , amid assurances from the Pentagon that the acquisitions process would be unfettered despite the bureaucratic shakeup caused by the creation of the new branch .

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Space Flag exercise wrapped its eighth exercise at the Boeing Virtual Warfare Center on the day the U.S. Space Force was created.
The Space Force announced Thursday that the exercise, which started Dec. 9 at the Boeing Virtual Warfare Center under the auspices of the Air Force Space Command, finished on Dec. 20, the day President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, creating the Space Force as a separate branch of military.
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"The completion of Space Flag 20-1 on the same day as the establishment of the U.S. Space Force is really symbolic of the way we have evolved our understanding of, and approach to, operating in space," said Brig. Gen. DeAnna Burt, director of operations and communications for the United States Space Force.
"Simply put, this exercise exists to make this generation better warfighters in the space domain," said Maj. Neil Fournie, Space Flag exercise director. "Some of these Airmen have operated their specific systems for two to three years. But here, they learn the bigger picture of how to operate in a domain that can one day be contested, degraded, and operationally-limited or placed in a conflict scenario."
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Space Flag, which began in 2017 and was modeled after the Air Force Red Flag exercises, is the branch's sole large-force employment exercise.
During the exercise, participants are organized within "blue" and "red" cells in simulated maneuvers -- with the latter representing what the adversary wants to accomplish.
The National Reconnaissance Office, National Space Defense Center and the Combined Space Operations Center provide command and control functions as part of the "white cell," a third participating group.
A total of 96 players participated in the exercise, including 64 blue cell, 19 white cell and 13 red cell participants, including active duty and reserve airmen from the 21st, 50th, 460th and 310th space wings as well as Air Combat Command, the Army, the Navy and the National Reconnaissance Office personnel.
Earlier this week Gen. John Raymond was signed in as head of the Space Force and L3Harris received a $12.9 million contract for National Space Defense Center sustainment, amid assurances from the Pentagon that the acquisitions process would be unfettered despite the bureaucratic shakeup caused by the creation of the new branch.


upi--2020-01-17--25 years after war, a Bosnian city fights for democracy

MOSTAR , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- A European Court decision could open the way for residents of the Bosnian city of Mostar to vote in municipal elections and finally close an illegal landfill poisoning the city .
The European Court for Human Rights ruled Oct. 29 that Bosnia and Herzegovina must allow municipal elections in Mostar , which has not had an elected city council since 2012 .
The court gave the country six months to devise a solution -- a binding verdict because Bosnia is a member state of the Council of Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has had full control of the city 's $ 55 million monthly budget since the suspension of the council .
`` This is not a democracy , '' said Irma Baralija , a 35-year-old teacher and potential city council candidate who filed the suit in the European Court .
`` It 's an autocracy which benefits the major , his friends and family . ''
Devastated during the Bosnian war in the 1990s , Mostar had an unconventional elections system which aimed to please the warring sides -- Croats and Bosniaks ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court ruled in 2012 that the city 's electoral-college-like system was unconstitutional because the votes of Croatian majority were not worth as much as the votes of Bosniak minority .
The city of Mostar is split , Croats inhabiting one bank of the Neretva River and Bosniaks the other .
Each has its own hospital and fire brigade .
Even the high school , which sits near the river , holds classes for Bosniak students in the morning and Croat students in the afternoon .
A dispute between the Bosniak and Croat parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2012 , although the parties agreed to keep Beslic in place to handle the city budget .
The political paralysis in Mostar has prevented the city from addressing the long-running problems with the Uborak landfill , which was created in the 1960s and set to close in the 1990s .
The civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina prevented the closure of the landfill then , and conditions have steadily worsened in the last 25 years .
`` It is after so many years high time for politicians to show political maturity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgment to enable the citizens of Mostar to exercise their democratic right to vote in the fall of 2020 , '' said a statement from Valentin Inzko , the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , whose office overlooked the successful implementation of the 1995 peace agreement since the end of the war .
Dissatisfaction with the governing bodies led to a conflict between the city officials and Mostarians , both Croats and Bosniaks , over sanitary conditions in the north of the city .
In June , Uborak , which is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , filed for an extension of its environmental permit , but due to the lack of sanitary conditions the regional Ministry of Environment was unable to issue it .
The landfill continued operating without the proper permit until the residents decided to block the entrance to the dumping ground due to reports of unauthorized disposal of medical waste and fish dying in the nearby river .
The landfill used to belong to the city but is now a property of the regional government -- a legal transition that allowed the regional government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank representative in Bosnia .
Building a new landfill would be a long and costly process , which the city authorities try to avoid .
`` Sadly , the crisis we see today with the collection of garbage in Mostar is a recurring issue reflecting poor governance due to the absence of a city council in Mostar , '' Inzko said .
Protesters tried to block access to the landfill on Dec. 7 , which sparked a confrontation between police and the protesters in which some claimed they were injured .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back , and then a second and a third one , '' said Aisa Mujala , one of the protesters .
`` They were dragging me , while I protested and shouted for them to let me go and that they have no right to touch me . ''
Police officials have denied they caused any injuries , saying the blockade was ended with minimal force .
Delegation of European Union in Bosnia voiced their concern over the landfill as well .
A spokesperson of the EU said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Directive , and that right to freedom of assembly is the key element of a functioning democratic society .
For Bosnia and Herzegovina , a candidate for EU membership , an unauthorized landfill is a thorn in its side , because European integration requires complying to EU regulations .
Mostar residents met Jan. 10 with city officials to discuss possible sites for a new landfill to replace Uborak .
The talks are still in progress , although some participants did n't attend the last meeting , said Nijaz Hodzic , a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close the landfill .
Protesters plan another blockade of the landfill if the city does not act .
Meanwhile , Beslic , the mayor with almost total control of Mostar 's government , has been in hospitals outside the country for more than a month and left the city in the hands of various deputies .
Beslic 's spokespeople declined to say who was in charge during his absence , leaving Mostarians uncertain of who controlled city government .
City officials said Beslic was back at work last week .
`` I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' an official said .
`` It was a holiday season . ''

A view from the Neretva river and old town of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on October 3, 2019. Photo by Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE
MOSTAR, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A European Court decision could open the way for residents of the Bosnian city of Mostar to vote in municipal elections and finally close an illegal landfill poisoning the city. The European Court for Human Rights ruled Oct. 29 that Bosnia and Herzegovina must allow municipal elections in Mostar, which has not had an elected city council since 2012. The court gave the country six months to devise a solution -- a binding verdict because Bosnia is a member state of the Council of Europe. Advertisement
Mostar's mayor, Ljubo Beslic, has had full control of the city's $55 million monthly budget since the suspension of the council.
"This is not a democracy," said Irma Baralija, a 35-year-old teacher and potential city council candidate who filed the suit in the European Court. "It's an autocracy which benefits the major, his friends and family."
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Devastated during the Bosnian war in the 1990s, Mostar had an unconventional elections system which aimed to please the warring sides -- Croats and Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims). Bosnia's Constitutional Court ruled in 2012 that the city's electoral-college-like system was unconstitutional because the votes of Croatian majority were not worth as much as the votes of Bosniak minority.
The city of Mostar is split, Croats inhabiting one bank of the Neretva River and Bosniaks the other. Each has its own hospital and fire brigade. Even the high school, which sits near the river, holds classes for Bosniak students in the morning and Croat students in the afternoon.
A dispute between the Bosniak and Croat parties led to the city council's elimination in 2012, although the parties agreed to keep Beslic in place to handle the city budget.
The political paralysis in Mostar has prevented the city from addressing the long-running problems with the Uborak landfill, which was created in the 1960s and set to close in the 1990s. The civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina prevented the closure of the landfill then, and conditions have steadily worsened in the last 25 years.
"It is after so many years high time for politicians to show political maturity and ... focus on the implementation of the judgment to enable the citizens of Mostar to exercise their democratic right to vote in the fall of 2020," said a statement from Valentin Inzko, the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose office overlooked the successful implementation of the 1995 peace agreement since the end of the war.
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Dissatisfaction with the governing bodies led to a conflict between the city officials and Mostarians, both Croats and Bosniaks, over sanitary conditions in the north of the city. In June, Uborak, which is still used as the city's main landfill, filed for an extension of its environmental permit, but due to the lack of sanitary conditions the regional Ministry of Environment was unable to issue it. The landfill continued operating without the proper permit until the residents decided to block the entrance to the dumping ground due to reports of unauthorized disposal of medical waste and fish dying in the nearby river. The landfill used to belong to the city but is now a property of the regional government -- a legal transition that allowed the regional government to file for a loan from the World Bank representative in Bosnia.
Building a new landfill would be a long and costly process, which the city authorities try to avoid.
"Sadly, the crisis we see today with the collection of garbage in Mostar is a recurring issue reflecting poor governance due to the absence of a city council in Mostar," Inzko said.
Protesters tried to block access to the landfill on Dec. 7, which sparked a confrontation between police and the protesters in which some claimed they were injured.
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"I felt a strong kick across my lower back, and then a second and a third one," said Aisa Mujala, one of the protesters. "They were dragging me, while I protested and shouted for them to let me go and that they have no right to touch me."
Police officials have denied they caused any injuries, saying the blockade was ended with minimal force.
Delegation of European Union in Bosnia voiced their concern over the landfill as well. A spokesperson of the EU said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to align with the EU Landfill Directive, and that right to freedom of assembly is the key element of a functioning democratic society. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, a candidate for EU membership, an unauthorized landfill is a thorn in its side, because European integration requires complying to EU regulations.
Mostar residents met Jan. 10 with city officials to discuss possible sites for a new landfill to replace Uborak. The talks are still in progress, although some participants didn't attend the last meeting, said Nijaz Hodzic, a member of the Because We Care group pushing to close the landfill.
Protesters plan another blockade of the landfill if the city does not act.
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Meanwhile, Beslic, the mayor with almost total control of Mostar's government, has been in hospitals outside the country for more than a month and left the city in the hands of various deputies. Beslic's spokespeople declined to say who was in charge during his absence, leaving Mostarians uncertain of who controlled city government.
City officials said Beslic was back at work last week.
"I have no idea when he came back," an official said. "It was a holiday season."


upi--2020-01-17--Mike Pompeo: U.S. will keep pressure on Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro

WASHINGTON , Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- The United States and its Western allies will put additional pressure on the Venezuelan authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday .
`` More actions are coming .
Maduro certainly knows that we mean business , '' Pompeo told the permanent council of the Organization of American States in Washington .
`` It 's why he sought to withdraw Venezuela from this institution . ''
The political crisis in Venezuela began in January 2019 when the country 's opposition leader , Juan Guaidó , proclaimed himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swearing-in to a second term .
By the end of the month , the United States -- followed by several other countries , including Canada , Brazil and Argentina -- recognized Guaidó as the rightful head of state .
The Venezuelan people `` are so downtrodden and starving because of Maduro 's cruelty , '' Pompeo said .
He praised the OAS for leading efforts to help the Venezuelan people over the past year .
He cited the activation of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance -- a regional defense treaty known by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly the organization received Guastavo Tarre as the new Venezuelan ambassador , appointed by Guaidó .
`` This is multilateralism ; nations coming together in a way that truly does work , '' Pompeo said .
`` These have been landmark actions . ''
Pompeo attributed this to the leadership of OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro , and he strongly endorsed Almagro 's re-election in March .
Almagro , a former chancellor of Uruguay , tackled crises in Venezuela and Nicaragua , among other issues , during his five-year term .
`` Secretary Almagro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regimes , '' Pompeo said .
`` He believes in multilateralism that holds people accountable , that puts new ideas on the table and forces countries to take a position .
He is the leader we need for the organization to continue to proactively address the central challenges in the region . ''
Pompeo also urged other international organizations around the world to `` wake up '' because `` wishful thinking wo n't restrain authoritarian regimes '' like those in Caracas .
`` The people of the Americas have brought a new wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo said .
Only Cuba , Nicaragua and Venezuela still face `` stains of tyranny '' in the hemisphere .
On Monday , the secretary of state will depart for his seventh trip to Latin America and the Caribbean , visiting Colombia , Costa Rica and Jamaica .
The fight against terrorism and the crisis in Venezuela will dominate his agenda .

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Organization of American States that the Venezuelan people "are so downtrodden and starving because of [Nicolas] Maduro's cruelty." Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The United States and its Western allies will put additional pressure on the Venezuelan authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday. "More actions are coming. Maduro certainly knows that we mean business," Pompeo told the permanent council of the Organization of American States in Washington. "It's why he sought to withdraw Venezuela from this institution." Advertisement
The political crisis in Venezuela began in January 2019 when the country's opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, proclaimed himself interim president following socialist Maduro's contested swearing-in to a second term. By the end of the month, the United States -- followed by several other countries, including Canada, Brazil and Argentina -- recognized Guaidó as the rightful head of state.
The Venezuelan people "are so downtrodden and starving because of Maduro's cruelty," Pompeo said.
He praised the OAS for leading efforts to help the Venezuelan people over the past year. He cited the activation of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance -- a regional defense treaty known by its Spanish acronym TIAR -- and how quickly the organization received Guastavo Tarre as the new Venezuelan ambassador, appointed by Guaidó.
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"This is multilateralism; nations coming together in a way that truly does work," Pompeo said. "These have been landmark actions."
Pompeo attributed this to the leadership of OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro, and he strongly endorsed Almagro's re-election in March. Almagro, a former chancellor of Uruguay, tackled crises in Venezuela and Nicaragua, among other issues, during his five-year term.
"Secretary Almagro is fearless and guarding against our authoritarian regimes," Pompeo said. "He believes in multilateralism that holds people accountable, that puts new ideas on the table and forces countries to take a position. He is the leader we need for the organization to continue to proactively address the central challenges in the region."
Pompeo also urged other international organizations around the world to "wake up" because "wishful thinking won't restrain authoritarian regimes" like those in Caracas.
"The people of the Americas have brought a new wave of freedom, freedom-minded governments," Pompeo said. Only Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela still face "stains of tyranny" in the hemisphere.
On Monday, the secretary of state will depart for his seventh trip to Latin America and the Caribbean, visiting Colombia, Costa Rica and Jamaica. The fight against terrorism and the crisis in Venezuela will dominate his agenda.
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upi--2020-01-17--Trump administration proposes further rollbacks of school lunch standards

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- The Trump administration on Friday announced a rollback of regulations on school lunch standards , promising to put school officials `` back in the driver 's seat of their programs . ''
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue proposed two new rules he said would reduce food waste and paperwork .
Critics warn , though , that the changes could result in the nation 's children eating more foods high in calories , saturated fat and sodium .
Under one proposal , the Department of Agriculture said it would provide schools a larger variety of vegetables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools to serve entrees a la carte .
The schools would also be allowed greater control in customizing meal patterns and menus .
Finally , the rule implements a performance-based review process to cut down on time spent on paperwork .
`` Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals .
We listened and now we 're getting to work , '' Perdue said .
`` Our proposed changes empower schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children nationwide and have the potential to benefit nearly 100,000 schools and institutions that feed 30 million children each school day through USDA 's school meal programs .
Providing children with wholesome , nutritious food is part of our motto at USDA , which is to 'do right and feed everyone . '
''  The second rule concerns summer lunch programs , which service more than 2.6 million children each year .
Under the proposal , schools will be given more flexibility in choosing meal options , service times and the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items .
The proposals ultimately work to reverse a number of school lunch reforms championed by former first lady Michelle Obama to increase the number of vegetables school children eat and cut down on foods high in calories and sodium .
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said the new proposed rule changes will lead to more children choosing to foods higher in calories , such as pizza , hamburgers and french fries .
`` The Healthy , Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 has been called one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' CSPI Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Colin Schwartz said .
`` Yet the Trump administration seems intent on sabotaging it .
While there 's plenty of room to strengthen school nutrition further , these proposals instead are basically aiming a flamethrower at it . ''
This is n't the first effort the Trump administration has made to roll back the Obama administration 's nutritional standards in school meals .
Earlier efforts to reverse sodium limits and whole grain requirements in school lunches are currently being challenged in court by the attorneys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Columbia .

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The Trump administration on Friday announced a rollback of regulations on school lunch standards, promising to put school officials "back in the driver's seat of their programs."
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue proposed two new rules he said would reduce food waste and paperwork. Critics warn, though, that the changes could result in the nation's children eating more foods high in calories, saturated fat and sodium.
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Under one proposal, the Department of Agriculture said it would provide schools a larger variety of vegetables to serve and make it easier for schools to serve entrees a la carte. The schools would also be allowed greater control in customizing meal patterns and menus.
Finally, the rule implements a performance-based review process to cut down on time spent on paperwork.
"Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals. We listened and now we're getting to work," Perdue said.
"Our proposed changes empower schools to give their very best to our children nationwide and have the potential to benefit nearly 100,000 schools and institutions that feed 30 million children each school day through USDA's school meal programs. Providing children with wholesome, nutritious food is part of our motto at USDA, which is to 'do right and feed everyone.'"
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The second rule concerns summer lunch programs, which service more than 2.6 million children each year. Under the proposal, schools will be given more flexibility in choosing meal options, service times and the ability to send children home with non-perishable food items.
The proposals ultimately work to reverse a number of school lunch reforms championed by former first lady Michelle Obama to increase the number of vegetables school children eat and cut down on foods high in calories and sodium.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said the new proposed rule changes will lead to more children choosing to foods higher in calories, such as pizza, hamburgers and french fries.
"The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 has been called one of the most important obesity-prevention policy achievements in recent decades," CSPI Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Colin Schwartz said. "Yet the Trump administration seems intent on sabotaging it. While there's plenty of room to strengthen school nutrition further, these proposals instead are basically aiming a flamethrower at it."
This isn't the first effort the Trump administration has made to roll back the Obama administration's nutritional standards in school meals. Earlier efforts to reverse sodium limits and whole grain requirements in school lunches are currently being challenged in court by the attorneys general of multiple states and the District of Columbia.


upi--2020-01-17--Scientists pinpoint release of energy that powered series of solar flares

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Scientists have precisely pinpointed the explosive release of energy that powered a series of solar flares -- a first .
The solar flares were originally recorded in 2017 by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array , EOVSA , a radio telescope operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology .
While studying solar activity , the radio telescope spotted the birth of a new region of magnetic energy adjacent to an existing sunspot .
The explosion of energy sent extremely hot plasma spewing from the solar atmosphere out into space .
Recently , scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , looking for unique patterns recorded in microwave spectrum .
Until now , scientists have only been able to study solar flares by examining the electromagnetic signatures registered at the photosphere , the sun 's white light .
By studying the microwave spectrum at short time scales , scientists were able to study the movement of energy within in the corona -- at the base of the solar flare .
Researchers published their breakthrough research this week in the journal Science .
`` We have been able to pinpoint the most critical location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corona , '' study author Gregory Fleishman , a distinguished research professor of physics in NJIT 's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research , said in a news release .
`` These are the first images that capture the microphysics of a flare -- the detailed chain of processes that occur on small spatial and time scales that enable the energy conversion . ''
By measuring the dissipation of magnetic energy in the wake of the coronal explosion and the subsequent increase in the electric field , scientists were able to use the law of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinetic energy that sends a solar flare 's superheated plasma particles accelerating through the sun 's upper atmosphere and out toward space .
Authors of the new study suggest the same analytical techniques they deployed to characterize solar flares -- combined with the technological capabilities of EOVSA -- could be used to study the origins of other powerful cosmic phenomena , like gamma ray bursts .
The thirteen antennas that make up the EOVSA can capture images across a wide spectrum of frequencies at extremely short time-scales .
`` Microwave emission is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronal magnetic field environment , so the unique , high-cadence EOVSA microwave spectral observations are the key to enabling this discovery of rapid changes in the magnetic field , '' said study co-author Dale Gary , a distinguished professor of physics at NJIT and director of EOVSA .
`` The measurement is possible because the high-energy electrons traveling in the coronal magnetic field dominantly emit their magnetic-sensitive radiation in the microwave range . ''
More than just examining the local explosion of energy that fuels solar flares , EOVSA instruments can be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful shock waves that are propelled through space by coronal eruptions -- the kind of analysis that can help scientists better understand solar radiation and its impacts on Earth .
`` The connection of the flare-accelerated particles to those accelerated by shocks is an important piece in our understanding of which events are benign and which pose a serious threat , '' Gary said .

Scientists have for the first time been able to study the behavior of energy at the base of solar flares. Photo by New Jersey Institute of Technology
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Scientists have precisely pinpointed the explosive release of energy that powered a series of solar flares -- a first. The solar flares were originally recorded in 2017 by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array, EOVSA, a radio telescope operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Advertisement
While studying solar activity, the radio telescope spotted the birth of a new region of magnetic energy adjacent to an existing sunspot. The explosion of energy sent extremely hot plasma spewing from the solar atmosphere out into space.
Recently, scientists reexamined the data collected by the EOVSA, looking for unique patterns recorded in microwave spectrum.
Until now, scientists have only been able to study solar flares by examining the electromagnetic signatures registered at the photosphere, the sun's white light. By studying the microwave spectrum at short time scales, scientists were able to study the movement of energy within in the corona -- at the base of the solar flare.
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Researchers published their breakthrough research this week in the journal Science.
"We have been able to pinpoint the most critical location of the magnetic energy release in the corona," study author Gregory Fleishman, a distinguished research professor of physics in NJIT's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, said in a news release. "These are the first images that capture the microphysics of a flare -- the detailed chain of processes that occur on small spatial and time scales that enable the energy conversion."
By measuring the dissipation of magnetic energy in the wake of the coronal explosion and the subsequent increase in the electric field, scientists were able to use the law of energy conservation to calculate the thermal and kinetic energy that sends a solar flare's superheated plasma particles accelerating through the sun's upper atmosphere and out toward space.
Authors of the new study suggest the same analytical techniques they deployed to characterize solar flares -- combined with the technological capabilities of EOVSA -- could be used to study the origins of other powerful cosmic phenomena, like gamma ray bursts.
The thirteen antennas that make up the EOVSA can capture images across a wide spectrum of frequencies at extremely short time-scales.
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"Microwave emission is the only mechanism that is sensitive to the coronal magnetic field environment, so the unique, high-cadence EOVSA microwave spectral observations are the key to enabling this discovery of rapid changes in the magnetic field," said study co-author Dale Gary, a distinguished professor of physics at NJIT and director of EOVSA. "The measurement is possible because the high-energy electrons traveling in the coronal magnetic field dominantly emit their magnetic-sensitive radiation in the microwave range."
More than just examining the local explosion of energy that fuels solar flares, EOVSA instruments can be used to take a wide-angle view of the powerful shock waves that are propelled through space by coronal eruptions -- the kind of analysis that can help scientists better understand solar radiation and its impacts on Earth.
"The connection of the flare-accelerated particles to those accelerated by shocks is an important piece in our understanding of which events are benign and which pose a serious threat," Gary said.


upi--2020-01-17--Sepsis causes more deaths worldwide than previously thought

Sepsis kills more than twice as many people worldwide as once believed , and children in poor regions account for an excessive number of such deaths , researchers say .
Sepsis is an out-of-control immune response to infection that harms organs .
People who survive sepsis can have lifelong disabilities .
In 2017 , there were 48.9 million cases of sepsis and 11 million sepsis deaths worldwide -- that 's one in five deaths that year .
`` We are alarmed to find sepsis deaths are much higher than previously estimated , especially as the condition is both preventable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mohsen Naghavi , a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle .
Low- and middle-income countries had 85 percent of the cases , with the most in sub-Saharan Africa , the South Pacific islands near Australia , and South , East and Southeast Asia , the study found .
Sepsis was more prevalent among females than males , and more than 40 percent of cases occurred in children under age 5 , the researchers reported .
From 1990 to 2017 , the number of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million ( down 19 percent ) , and sepsis deaths fell from nearly 16 million to 11 million ( a 30 percent decrease ) .
Lower respiratory infection was the most common underlying cause of sepsis-related death in both 1990 and 2017 , according to the report published Jan. 16 in The Lancet journal .
Naghavi called for renewed focus on sepsis prevention among newborns and on tackling antimicrobial resistance , a key driver of the condition .
Lead study author Dr. Kristina Rudd said the study highlights the need for basic public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh .
`` Vaccines , making sure everyone has access to a toilet and clean drinking water , adequate nutrition for children and maternal health care would address a lot of these cases , '' she said in a University of Pittsburgh news release .
Rudd pointed out that the issue hits close to home : Sepsis remains the leading killer of hospital patients in the United States .
`` Everyone can reduce their odds of developing it by getting the flu shot , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said .
`` Beyond that , we need to do a better job preventing hospital-acquired infections and chronic diseases , like diabetes , that make people more susceptible to infections . ''
The U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences has more on sepsis .

Sepsis kills more than twice as many people worldwide as once believed, and children in poor regions account for an excessive number of such deaths, researchers say.
Sepsis is an out-of-control immune response to infection that harms organs. People who survive sepsis can have lifelong disabilities.
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In 2017, there were 48.9 million cases of sepsis and 11 million sepsis deaths worldwide -- that's one in five deaths that year.
"We are alarmed to find sepsis deaths are much higher than previously estimated, especially as the condition is both preventable and treatable," said senior author Dr. Mohsen Naghavi, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
Low- and middle-income countries had 85 percent of the cases, with the most in sub-Saharan Africa, the South Pacific islands near Australia, and South, East and Southeast Asia, the study found.
Sepsis was more prevalent among females than males, and more than 40 percent of cases occurred in children under age 5, the researchers reported.
From 1990 to 2017, the number of cases fell from 60 million to about 49 million (down 19 percent), and sepsis deaths fell from nearly 16 million to 11 million (a 30 percent decrease).
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Lower respiratory infection was the most common underlying cause of sepsis-related death in both 1990 and 2017, according to the report published Jan. 16 in The Lancet journal.
Naghavi called for renewed focus on sepsis prevention among newborns and on tackling antimicrobial resistance, a key driver of the condition.
Lead study author Dr. Kristina Rudd said the study highlights the need for basic public health strategies. She's an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
"Vaccines, making sure everyone has access to a toilet and clean drinking water, adequate nutrition for children and maternal health care would address a lot of these cases," she said in a University of Pittsburgh news release.
Rudd pointed out that the issue hits close to home: Sepsis remains the leading killer of hospital patients in the United States.
"Everyone can reduce their odds of developing it by getting the flu shot, and the pneumonia vaccine when appropriate," she said. "Beyond that, we need to do a better job preventing hospital-acquired infections and chronic diseases, like diabetes, that make people more susceptible to infections."
More information
The U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences has more on sepsis.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-01-17--Watch: Men caught on camera hitching a ride on back of Baltimore bus

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- A traveler on a Maryland road captured video of two young men catching a @ @ @ @ @ of a Maryland Transit Administration bus .
The video , posted to Twitter , shows @ @ @ @ @ on the rear bumper of the moving bus and holding onto the back of the @ @ @ @ @ around the same time as a photo showing two people sitting with their legs crossed @ @ @ @ @ an MTA bus in Baltimore .
The MTA said the hatch in the photo appears @ @ @ @ @ and safety precautions are being put into place to prevent back panels from being opened @ @ @ @ @ The safety of our operators and passengers is the first priority for the Maryland Transit @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement to WJZ-TV .

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Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A traveler on a Maryland road captured video of two young men catching a free ride on the back of a Maryland Transit Administration bus.
The video, posted to Twitter, shows the two young men standing on the rear bumper of the moving bus and holding onto the back of the vehicle.
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The video emerged around the same time as a photo showing two people sitting with their legs crossed in the back hatch of an MTA bus in Baltimore.
The MTA said the hatch in the photo appears to have been tampered with and safety precautions are being put into place to prevent back panels from being opened by unauthorized people.
"The safety of our operators and passengers is the first priority for the Maryland Transit Administration," the MTA said in a statement to WJZ-TV.


upi--2020-01-17--Brazil's culture minister Roberto Alvim fired after appearing to quote Nazi rhetoric

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Brazil 's culture minister Roberto Alvim was fired Friday after comments he made were found to be similar to those once made by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels .
Alvim , in a Twitter posting since removed , explained upcoming Brazilian arts awards and what was to be expected of the entries .
The $ 4.8 million prize fund for theater , art and music will prioritize conservative and Christian themes , he said .
`` Brazilian art in the next decade will be heroic and national , '' he said .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for emotional involvement and will be equally imperative , since it is deeply linked to the urgent aspirations of our people , or else it will be nothing . ''
The words are similar to those of Goebbels , a prominent member of Hitler 's government , in 1933 .
`` German art in the next decade will be heroic , steely but romantic , factual without sentimentality ; it will be nationalistic with a great depth of feeling ; it will be binding and it will unite , or it will cease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have told a group of theater managers and directors .
Alvim 's remarks came as operatic music by Richard Wagner , Hitler 's favorite composer , was played in the background .
A framed photograph of Brazil 's current president , Jair Bolsonaro , was prominent in the video .
The right-wing Bolsonaro has been criticized for cutting funding to the arts and insisting on a conservative agenda for the country 's direction .
Although Alvim , a born-again Christian who in the past suggested that Satanism and abortion are encouraged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` rhetorical coincidence '' in comparison to that of Goebbels .
Bolsonaro referred to it as an `` unfortunate statement '' in repudiating Alvim 's comments and dismissing him .

Brazilian culture minister Roberto Alvim was fired Friday after comments he made about the future of Brazilian arts and culture were noted to be similar to those made by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1933. Photo by Clara Angeleas /Flickr
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Brazil's culture minister Roberto Alvim was fired Friday after comments he made were found to be similar to those once made by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. Alvim, in a Twitter posting since removed, explained upcoming Brazilian arts awards and what was to be expected of the entries. The $4.8 million prize fund for theater, art and music will prioritize conservative and Christian themes, he said. Advertisement
"Brazilian art in the next decade will be heroic and national," he said. "It will be endowed with a great capacity for emotional involvement and will be equally imperative, since it is deeply linked to the urgent aspirations of our people, or else it will be nothing."
The words are similar to those of Goebbels, a prominent member of Hitler's government, in 1933.
"German art in the next decade will be heroic, steely but romantic, factual without sentimentality; it will be nationalistic with a great depth of feeling; it will be binding and it will unite, or it will cease to exist," Goebbels is reported to have told a group of theater managers and directors.
Alvim's remarks came as operatic music by Richard Wagner, Hitler's favorite composer, was played in the background. A framed photograph of Brazil's current president, Jair Bolsonaro, was prominent in the video. The right-wing Bolsonaro has been criticized for cutting funding to the arts and insisting on a conservative agenda for the country's direction.
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Although Alvim, a born-again Christian who in the past suggested that Satanism and abortion are encouraged by rock music, called his comments a "rhetorical coincidence" in comparison to that of Goebbels. Bolsonaro referred to it as an "unfortunate statement" in repudiating Alvim's comments and dismissing him.


upi--2020-01-17--Look: Wife's need for a lighter leads man to $500,000 lottery prize

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- A Virginia man scored a $ 500,000 jackpot from a scratch-off lottery ticket thanks @ @ @ @ @ for a new lighter .
Harland Dodson of Colonial Beach told Virginia Lottery officials the @ @ @ @ @ the local 7-Eleven was to buy a lighter for his wife , but while he @ @ @ @ @ display of Virginia Lottery Scratchers tickets caught his eye .
Dodson bought four tickets , @ @ @ @ @ for his wife .
He said one of his tickets , a Super 5s game @ @ @ @ @ a top prize winner .
`` I said to my wife , 'We just won @ @ @ @ @ he recalled .
`` She said , 'Let me see ! '
I said , @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Lottery said Dodson beat odds of 1 in 652,800 to win the top prize @

A Virginia man said running an errand to buy his wife a lighter paid off with a $500,000 lottery jackpot. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Lottery
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A Virginia man scored a $500,000 jackpot from a scratch-off lottery ticket thanks to his wife's need for a new lighter. Harland Dodson of Colonial Beach told Virginia Lottery officials the only reason he went to the local 7-Eleven was to buy a lighter for his wife, but while he was at the store a display of Virginia Lottery Scratchers tickets caught his eye. Advertisement
Dodson bought four tickets, two for himself and two for his wife. He said one of his tickets, a Super 5s game, turned out to be a top prize winner.
"I said to my wife, 'We just won $500,000!'" he recalled. "She said, 'Let me see!' I said, 'No!'"
The Virginia Lottery said Dodson beat odds of 1 in 652,800 to win the top prize.


upi--2020-01-17--In Photos: Moments from 2020 Paris Fashion Week

A model takes to the catwalk during Dior Homme 's presentation as part of the Fall-Winter 2020-21 fashion collections in @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Photo by Eco Clement/UPI

A model takes to the catwalk during Jean Paul Gaultier's show as part of the presentations of the Spring/Summer 2020 High Fashion collections in Paris on Wednesday. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI


upi--2020-01-17--LA sheriff's deputy Angel Reinosa arrested for allegedly lying about being shot by sniper

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Office arrested a former deputy accused of fabricating a story that he was shot by a sniper last year .
Officers arrested Angel Reinosa on Thursday on three counts , including filing a false police report , a misdemeanor , and two counts of insurance fraud related to a workers ' compensation claim , a felony .
The sheriff 's office 's Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau arrested Reinosa during a traffic stop in Sylmar .
He was released from Los Angeles County Jail on bond Friday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after officials determined the 21-year-old trainee lied when he reported that he was shot by a sniper as he walked to his vehicle at the sheriff 's station in Lancaster .
His report prompted a manhunt for a shooter .
`` He also told investigators he had caused the holes in his uniform by cutting it .
There was no sniper , no shots fired and no gunshot injury sustained to his shoulder , '' Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said .
Law enforcement officials told KNBC-TV in Los Angeles that Reinosa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been restricted to working inside the sheriff 's station in the hours before he made the false report .
`` Two felonies and a misdemeanor are a sad ending to a promising career , '' Villanueva said Thursday .
`` We have an ethical standard for every employee , one that I will always maintain in order to earn the public 's trust . ''

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office arrested a former deputy accused of fabricating a story that he was shot by a sniper last year.
Officers arrested Angel Reinosa on Thursday on three counts, including filing a false police report, a misdemeanor, and two counts of insurance fraud related to a workers' compensation claim, a felony.
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The sheriff's office's Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau arrested Reinosa during a traffic stop in Sylmar. He was released from Los Angeles County Jail on bond Friday.
The sheriff's office fired Reinosa in August after officials determined the 21-year-old trainee lied when he reported that he was shot by a sniper as he walked to his vehicle at the sheriff's station in Lancaster. His report prompted a manhunt for a shooter.
"He also told investigators he had caused the holes in his uniform by cutting it. There was no sniper, no shots fired and no gunshot injury sustained to his shoulder," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
Law enforcement officials told KNBC-TV in Los Angeles that Reinosa had received a poor work evaluation and had been restricted to working inside the sheriff's station in the hours before he made the false report.
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"Two felonies and a misdemeanor are a sad ending to a promising career," Villanueva said Thursday. "We have an ethical standard for every employee, one that I will always maintain in order to earn the public's trust."


upi--2020-01-17--Screenings to detect new coronavirus to begin at three U.S. airports

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Screenings to detect a new strain of the coronavirus from China begin Friday at three U.S. airports , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced .
Travelers from Wuhan , an interior Chinese province , will undergo entry screening for symptoms at international airports in San Francisco , New York and Los Angeles .
The CDC will add about 100 staff members at the airports to enhance existing staff at CDC quarantine stations .
`` The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security 's Customs and Border Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill travelers traveling to the United States on direct or connecting flights from Wuhan , China , '' the CDC said in a statement Friday .
`` This activity is in response to an outbreak in China caused by a novel [ new ] coronavirus [ 2019 nCoV ] , with exported cases to Thailand and Japan . ''
The Thailand and Japan cases involve travelers from Wuhan , where two people have died and at least 40 more have been sickened by the virus .
While most incidents involve patients who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animal market in Wuhan , some patients were not exposed to the market , suggesting a person-to-person spread of the virus .
The market has been closed since Jan. 1 .
`` Based on current information , the risk from 2019-nCoV to the American public is currently deemed to be low , '' the Friday statement added .
Nevertheless , CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions . ''
The disease has been identified as a new coronavirus infection which the World Health Organization said is similar to the virus behind severe acute respiratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which killed hundreds in Hong Kong and mainland China from 2002 to 2003 .
It can cause a low-grade cold or lead to more serious symptoms .

International airports in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, pictured, will provide on-site health screening of passengers arriving from Wuhan province, China, beginning Friday. The screenings are to detect the coronavirus virus, which has killed two people in China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Screenings to detect a new strain of the coronavirus from China begin Friday at three U.S. airports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. Travelers from Wuhan, an interior Chinese province, will undergo entry screening for symptoms at international airports in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. The CDC will add about 100 staff members at the airports to enhance existing staff at CDC quarantine stations. Advertisement
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection will implement enhanced health screenings to detect ill travelers traveling to the United States on direct or connecting flights from Wuhan, China," the CDC said in a statement Friday. "This activity is in response to an outbreak in China caused by a novel [new] coronavirus [2019 nCoV], with exported cases to Thailand and Japan."
The Thailand and Japan cases involve travelers from Wuhan, where two people have died and at least 40 more have been sickened by the virus. While most incidents involve patients who have a connection to a large seafood and animal market in Wuhan, some patients were not exposed to the market, suggesting a person-to-person spread of the virus. The market has been closed since Jan. 1.
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"Based on current information, the risk from 2019-nCoV to the American public is currently deemed to be low," the Friday statement added. Nevertheless, CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions."
The disease has been identified as a new coronavirus infection which the World Health Organization said is similar to the virus behind severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known as SARS, which killed hundreds in Hong Kong and mainland China from 2002 to 2003. It can cause a low-grade cold or lead to more serious symptoms.


upi--2020-01-17--Look: Crews rescue struggling dog from freezing Washington state river

Jan. 17 ( UPI ) -- Firefighters , police and animal rescuers responded to a freezing river in Washington state to save a dog that was unable to climb out of the water .
The Whatcon Humane Society said in a Facebook post its Animal Control Team responded Thursday alongside Ferndale Police and a Whatcom County Fire District # 7 crew when a dog was spotted struggling in the freezing waters of the Nooksack River at Vanderyacht Park in Ferndale .
The WHS said the dog had apparently fallen into the water and was unable to climb back up onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crews secured ladders to nearby trees and lowered themselves onto the riverbank to avoid a potentially treacherous climb on the steep surface .
The dog was plucked from the water and rushed to a local veterinarian for treatment .
`` Kudos and two paws up to the WHS Animal Control Team , Ferndale Police , and Whatcom County Fire District # 7 for their teamwork and efforts , '' the WHS said .
A person who identified themselves as the dog 's owner said in a comment on the Facebook post that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from hypothermia and the pet is now resting comfortably at home .

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Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Firefighters, police and animal rescuers responded to a freezing river in Washington state to save a dog that was unable to climb out of the water.
The Whatcon Humane Society said in a Facebook post its Animal Control Team responded Thursday alongside Ferndale Police and a Whatcom County Fire District #7 crew when a dog was spotted struggling in the freezing waters of the Nooksack River at Vanderyacht Park in Ferndale.
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The WHS said the dog had apparently fallen into the water and was unable to climb back up onto the steep and icy riverbank.
The crews secured ladders to nearby trees and lowered themselves onto the riverbank to avoid a potentially treacherous climb on the steep surface.
The dog was plucked from the water and rushed to a local veterinarian for treatment.
"Kudos and two paws up to the WHS Animal Control Team, Ferndale Police, and Whatcom County Fire District #7 for their teamwork and efforts," the WHS said.
A person who identified themselves as the dog's owner said in a comment on the Facebook post that the veterinarian determined the canine was not suffering from hypothermia and the pet is now resting comfortably at home.