upi--2020-01-08--NASA: 'Joint, independent team' will probe Boeing Starliner orbital glitch

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- NASA is establishing a `` joint , independent team '' to probe the failure of Boeing 's Starliner space capsule to reach the International Space Station during a test flight .
The investigation comes as NASA is feeling pressure to stop relying on Russian Soyuz capsules to carry astronauts to the station .
Boeing and its competitor , SpaceX , are years behind schedule in developing a new spacecraft to carry people .
Starliner was launched Dec. 20 without a crew , and a problem with its mission clock caused it to burn fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to reach the orbit necessary to catch up with the space station .
Despite the problem , Boeing and NASA said the test mission accomplished most of its goals .
Initial data showed the capsule was a safe environment in which to carry people .
Astronauts said they could have taken control of the craft had they been on board , guiding it manually to the space station .
Once the investigation team is chosen , the probe could take two months to complete , NASA said .
The agency has n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capsule for a future mission without another test flight .
`` NASA is evaluating the data received during the mission to determine if another uncrewed demonstration is required , '' the agency said Tuesday .
`` This decision is not expected for several weeks . ''
NASA said data from the uncrewed test is essential for certification , but other ways might exist to demonstrate the capsule 's full capabilities .
The probe also comes as a federal watchdog , the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel , said NASA needs a new approach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's because NASA is relying more on those contractors than ever before .
`` This is a whole new era , '' said Marco Cáceres , senior analyst for aerospace consultants at the Teal Group , based in Fairfax , Va. `` In the past , any vehicle carrying astronauts was owned and mostly operated by NASA .
There were contractors , but NASA was firmly in charge .
That 's different today . ''
Cáceres said his concern is that once NASA gets involved , politics is involved .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the shuttle era under a climate of political pressure , '' he said .
`` In the end , if a mission fails and someone dies , that would set everything back for a serious long-term delay . ''
The Starliner capsule that flew is being transported to the company 's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center , Fla. , for more tests and refurbishment .
It is expected to arrive Sunday .

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The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is seen after it landed in White Sands, N.M., on Dec. 22. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- NASA is establishing a "joint, independent team" to probe the failure of Boeing's Starliner space capsule to reach the International Space Station during a test flight. The investigation comes as NASA is feeling pressure to stop relying on Russian Soyuz capsules to carry astronauts to the station. Boeing and its competitor, SpaceX, are years behind schedule in developing a new spacecraft to carry people. Advertisement
Starliner was launched Dec. 20 without a crew, and a problem with its mission clock caused it to burn fuel needlessly. That meant it wasn't able to reach the orbit necessary to catch up with the space station.
Despite the problem, Boeing and NASA said the test mission accomplished most of its goals. Initial data showed the capsule was a safe environment in which to carry people. Astronauts said they could have taken control of the craft had they been on board, guiding it manually to the space station.
Once the investigation team is chosen, the probe could take two months to complete, NASA said. The agency hasn't decided whether to put astronauts on the capsule for a future mission without another test flight.
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"NASA is evaluating the data received during the mission to determine if another uncrewed demonstration is required," the agency said Tuesday. "This decision is not expected for several weeks."
NASA said data from the uncrewed test is essential for certification, but other ways might exist to demonstrate the capsule's full capabilities.
The probe also comes as a federal watchdog, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, said NASA needs a new approach to investigating private contractors like Boeing and SpaceX. That's because NASA is relying more on those contractors than ever before.
"This is a whole new era," said Marco Cáceres, senior analyst for aerospace consultants at the Teal Group, based in Fairfax, Va. "In the past, any vehicle carrying astronauts was owned and mostly operated by NASA. There were contractors, but NASA was firmly in charge. That's different today."
Cáceres said his concern is that once NASA gets involved, politics is involved.
"We understand now that NASA overlooked things during the shuttle era under a climate of political pressure," he said. "In the end, if a mission fails and someone dies, that would set everything back for a serious long-term delay."
The Starliner capsule that flew is being transported to the company's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for more tests and refurbishment. It is expected to arrive Sunday.
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upi--2020-01-08--Oscars to air without a host for a second consecutive year

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- The Academy Awards will air without a host for a second consecutive year , @ @ @ @ @ Burke , president of ABC Entertainment , announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Association press @ @ @ @ @ been made together with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to forgo a @ @ @ @ @ Academy Awards ceremony Feb. 9 .
The Academy confirmed the move on Twitter , with @ @ @ @ @ , '' `` performances '' and `` surprises , '' but no host .
Burke @ @ @ @ @ following the success of last year 's Oscars ceremony , which was the first since @ @ @ @ @ a host .
Comedian Kevin Hart had originally been slated to host the 2019 ceremony @ @ @ @ @ controversy over the performer 's old tweets , which were criticized as homophobic .

ABC Entertainment and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that the 92nd Academy Awards will air Feb. 9 without a host for the second consecutive year. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- The Academy Awards will air without a host for a second consecutive year, ABC Entertainment announced. Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment, announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Association press tour that the decision had been made together with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to forgo a celebrity host for the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony Feb. 9. Advertisement
The Academy confirmed the move on Twitter, with a tweet promising "stars," "performances" and "surprises," but no host.
Burke said the decision was made following the success of last year's Oscars ceremony, which was the first since 1989 to be staged without a host.
Comedian Kevin Hart had originally been slated to host the 2019 ceremony, but stepped down following controversy over the performer's old tweets, which were criticized as homophobic.


upi--2020-01-08--U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled since 1999

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- Alcohol-related deaths in the United States have doubled in the past two decades , a study contends , with the largest increase coming among women and middle-aged adults .
The study , published Wednesday in Alcoholism : Clinical & Experimental Research , was published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , an agency of the National Institutes of Health .
Researchers report that 35,914 alcohol-related deaths occurred in 1999 , a rate of 16.9 deaths per 100,000 people over 16 , and by 2017 the figure had increased to 72,558 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 people .
The 2017 figure is higher than the estimate for that year of deaths from illegal drug use , including heroin and fentanyl , a situation regarded as a public health crisis , researchers say .
Liver damage was cited as the leading cause of alcohol-related death , taking 30.7 percent of the total , and overdoses with alcohol or alcohol mixed with other drugs accounted for 17.9 percent .
Rates were highest among males and people in 45-to-74 age group , although the largest annual increase occurred among non-Hispanic white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk than men at comparable levels of alcohol exposure for alcohol-related cardiovascular diseases , certain cancers , alcohol-related liver disease and acute liver failure due to excessive drinking , '' study authors Aaron M. White , I‐Jen P. Castle , Ralph W. Hingson and Patricia A. Powell wrote .
The study relied on mortality data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics , but since death certificates sometimes do not mention the involvement of alcohol in a cause of death , `` the scope of alcohol-related mortality in the United States is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writers concluded .

Alcohol-related deaths in the United States have doubled since 1999, a study published Wednesday indicates. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Alcohol-related deaths in the United States have doubled in the past two decades, a study contends, with the largest increase coming among women and middle-aged adults. The study, published Wednesday in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, was published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, an agency of the National Institutes of Health. Advertisement
Researchers report that 35,914 alcohol-related deaths occurred in 1999, a rate of 16.9 deaths per 100,000 people over 16, and by 2017 the figure had increased to 72,558 deaths in 2017, or 25.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
The 2017 figure is higher than the estimate for that year of deaths from illegal drug use, including heroin and fentanyl, a situation regarded as a public health crisis, researchers say.
Liver damage was cited as the leading cause of alcohol-related death, taking 30.7 percent of the total, and overdoses with alcohol or alcohol mixed with other drugs accounted for 17.9 percent.
Rates were highest among males and people in 45-to-74 age group, although the largest annual increase occurred among non-Hispanic white females.
"Women are at greater risk than men at comparable levels of alcohol exposure for alcohol-related cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, alcohol-related liver disease and acute liver failure due to excessive drinking," study authors Aaron M. White, I‐Jen P. Castle, Ralph W. Hingson and Patricia A. Powell wrote.
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The study relied on mortality data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, but since death certificates sometimes do not mention the involvement of alcohol in a cause of death, "the scope of alcohol-related mortality in the United States is likely higher than suggested," the writers concluded.


upi--2020-01-09--At least 20 dead, dozens injured in Iran bus crash

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- Iranian authorities said at least 20 people were killed and several others were hurt @ @ @ @ @ in northern Iran .
The accident occurred in Mazandaran Province , about 100 miles north @ @ @ @ @ news agency ILNA reported .
The cause has n't been determined but an initial investigation @ @ @ @ @ functioning brakes when it crashed .
Officials said the bus was traveling nearly 90 miles @ @ @ @ @ of impact .
Iran 's Entekhab newspaper reported the bus was heading from Tehran to @ @ @ @ @ northeast of the capital near the Turkmenistan border .
The crash occurred just one day @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine Airlines Flight PS752 when it went down near the Tehran airport .
Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ caught fire and was attempting a return to the airport when it crashed .

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Iranian authorities said at least 20 people were killed and several others were hurt Thursday in a bus crash in northern Iran.
The accident occurred in Mazandaran Province, about 100 miles north of Tehran, semi-official Iranian news agency ILNA reported.
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The cause hasn't been determined but an initial investigation said the bus had no functioning brakes when it crashed.
رییس پلیس راه استان مازندران : نقص فنی در ترمز، علت سقوط اتوبوس به دره در محور سوادکوه بود. pic.twitter.com/Ry1dMAhA7E— ILNA/خبرگزاری ایلنا (@ilnanews) January 9, 2020
Officials said the bus was traveling nearly 90 miles per hour at the moment of impact.
Iran's Entekhab newspaper reported the bus was heading from Tehran to Gonbad, about 310 miles northeast of the capital near the Turkmenistan border.
The crash occurred just one day after 176 people died aboard Ukraine Airlines Flight PS752 when it went down near the Tehran airport. Thursday, investigators said the plane had caught fire and was attempting a return to the airport when it crashed.


upi--2020-01-09--Iran: Ukrainian jetliner was returning to airport when it crashed

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- A Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed Wednesday and killed all 176 people on board had caught fire and was trying to return to the airport in Tehran when it went down , Iranian investigators said Thursday .
Ukraine Airlines Flight PS752 crashed minutes after taking off from Khomeini International Airport , about 35 miles southwest of Tehran .
The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization announced the findings in a preliminary report Thursday .
`` The aircraft , which was initially heading westward from the airport boundary , circulated to the right following a problem and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airport at the time of the crash , '' said Ali Abedzadeh , head of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization .
`` According to eyewitness reports ... a fire was observed in the aircraft . ''
Abedzadeh said the Boeing 737-800 airliner first climbed to an altitude of 8,000 feet before disappearing from radar .
Despite the reported fire on board , the pilots sent no messages reporting the situation .
Investigators have recovered the `` black boxes '' -- the plane 's flight data and cockpit voice recorders .
Officials said both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crash and fire , but the data is intact , Abedzadeh said .
Earlier , he 's said the boxes would n't be turned over to U.S.-based Boeing .
Ukraine International Airlines has dismissed the possibility that the crash was the result of pilot error .
`` Given the crew 's experience , error probability is minimal .
We do not even consider such a chance , '' said UIA Vice President Operations Ihor Sosnovsky in a statement , adding that the pilots ' experience on the aircraft ranged from 7,600 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the top priority now is finding the cause of the crash .
`` We will surely find out the truth , '' he said .
`` For this purpose , a thorough and independent investigation will be conducted in accordance with international law . ''
Forty-five specialists have arrived in Iran to participate in the investigation that is to be lead by the International Civil Aviation Organization , he said .
`` We expect that they will all be included in the work of the commission , in particular , the decoding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
Boeing , which for nearly a year has been dealing with the crashes of two 737 Max 8s that grounded the model worldwide , said in a statement it 's `` ready to assist in any way needed . ''
Officials said 82 Iranians , 63 Canadians , 11 Ukrainians , 10 Swedes , four Afghans , three Germans and three Britons all died in Wednesday 's crash .
Ukraine declared Thursday a day of mourning .
The crash comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , for which Tehran retaliated by firing at least a dozen missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq .

An official walks amid wreckage from a Ukrainian Boeing 737 about 30 miles south of Tehran on Wednesday. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazi/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that the country has intelligence indicating a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Tehran this week was shot down by an Iranian missile. He made the statement during a televised news conference about the crash, in which 63 people carrying Canadian passports died. None of the 176 people on board the plane survived. Advertisement
"We have intelligence from multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence," Trudeau said. "The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. This may well have been unintentional."
The prime minister didn't offer any details about the evidence, but said he and the families of the victims want answers about what happened.
"That means closure, transparency, accountability and justice," he said. "This government will not rest until we get that."
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U.S. intelligence officials also disputed Iranian investigators' claim, that a technical failure is most likely to blame. CNN, CBS News, NBC News and Newsweek all reported Thursday that intelligence officials believe the airliner was accidentally downed by an Iranian missile.
After analyzing satellite and radar data, U.S. officials said a "working theory" indicates Ukraine Airlines Flight PS752 was mistakenly attacked by Iranian forces. The crash occurred shortly after Iran launched two missile attacks at a pair of U.S. bases in Iraq.
U.S. satellites detected two surface-to-air missile launches shortly before the plane went down, the CBS News report said.
The New York Times also obtained footage purporting to show an Iranian missile hitting the plane near the airport. The newspaper said it verified the authenticity of the video.
In the video, a missile appears to strike the aircraft, causing a small explosion. The plane continued to fly and attempted to turn back toward the airport before experiencing a larger explosion and crashing.
Speaking at a White House event Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he isn't so sure the crash resulted from mechanical trouble.
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"I have my suspicions," he said. "Somebody could have made a mistake on the other side. ... Something very terrible happened."
Trump noted the plane was flying in a "rough neighborhood."
Iranian officials immediately rejected U.S. suspicions. Tehran's chief civil aviation chief called the U.S. suspicions "illogical rumors."
What is certain is the jetliner crashed a few minutes after departing Khomeini International Airport, about 35 miles southwest of Tehran.
The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization said in a preliminary report earlier Thursday the plane was attempting a return to the airport when it crashed, and that witnesses saw the 737 on fire. Immediately following the crash on Wednesday, Iranian officials said a technical failure on board was likely responsible.
The agency said the plane climbed to an altitude of 8,000 feet before disappearing from radar. However, it noted, neither of the pilots on board reported trouble to ground controllers.
Investigators have recovered the "black boxes" -- the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders -- and said both were damaged, but usable. Iran has refused to turn the recorders over to U.S.-based Boeing.
The Ukrainian airline and officials in Kiev have dismissed the possibility the crash was the result of pilot error.
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"Given the crew's experience, error probability is minimal. We do not even consider such a chance," UIA Vice President of Operations Ihor Sosnovsky said in a statement, adding that the pilots' experience on the aircraft ranged from 7,600 to 12,000 hours.
"We will surely find out the truth," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "For this purpose, a thorough and independent investigation will be conducted in accordance with international law."
Forty-five specialists from Ukraine are working with Iranian investigators at the site.
"We expect that they will all be included in the work of the commission, in particular, the decoding of the 'black box' records," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian officials are also looking into the possibility the plane was downed by a missile. Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danylov said investigators are eyeing several possible causes -- including an anti-aircraft missile, like the Russian-made Tor -- after reports of potential missile fragments found at the crash site.
Other scenarios being discussed, Danylov said, included a collision with a drone, the technical failure of an engine or terrorist sabotage.
Boeing, which for nearly a year has been dealing with the crashes of two 737 Max 8s that grounded the model worldwide, said in a statement it's "ready to assist in any way needed."
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Officials said 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons all died in Wednesday's crash. Ukraine declared Thursday a day of mourning. Swedish and British officials said they are actively looking into the possibility of a missile shoot down.
The crash comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Last week, Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, for which Tehran retaliated by firing at least a dozen missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq.


upi--2020-01-09--AEW Dynamite: Jon Moxley fools Chris Jericho

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- Jon Moxley responded to AEW World Champion Chris Jericho 's request to join his group The Inner Circle on Dynamite .
Jericho , who was joined by Inner Circle members Sammy Guevara and Jake Hager on Wednesday , had a table inside the ring filled with his own brand of Bubbly in order to celebrate Moxley 's decision .
Moxley , who was previously offered a Ford GT and a 49 percent stake in The Inner Circle for joining , said yes and unzipped his jacket to reveal an Inner Circle t-shirt .
Jericho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple bottles of Le Champion 's Bubbly and spraying it around the ring .
Moxley was then gifted the keys to the Ford GT and embraced his new teammates .
Moxley was lying , however , and eventually told Jericho that he ca n't be bought and the only thing he wants is the AEW World Championship .
Moxley then smashed a bottle of Bubbly onto Jericho and took out Guevara and the champion with a Paradigm Shift before he exited out of the ring .
Moxley , as he escaped through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shirt and displayed the car keys .
Also on Dynamite , AEW Women 's World champion Riho defended her titled against Kris Statlander .
The competitive match was interrupted by members of the The Nightmare Collective including Awesome Kong , Mel and Brandi Rhodes who was a guest commentator .
Statlander , who had previously said no to joining the group , crashed onto Awesome Kong and approached Brandi Rhodes before until Japanese wrestling legend Luthor made a surprise apperance to stop the attack .
Riho took out Luthor after leaping from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Statlander , while lifting up Riho , had her leg pulled by Kong which allowed Riho to quickly roll her up and pin Statlander for the victory .
The Nightmare Collective then attacked Statlander but she was saved by Big Swole , Sunny Kiss and Shida who was watching from the audience .
Dr. Britt Baker was also viewing the match but chose not to help out .
MJF demanded to know if Cody accepted his list of stipulations for a match at the Revolution pay-per-view event on Feb. 29 .
Cody had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhodes to defeat The Lucha Bros where his coach Arn Anderson stated that a decision would be made at a later date .
MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow were instead greeted by professional wrestling legend Diamond Dallas Page .
DDP teased having one more match to face MJF who was then joined by The Butcher , The Blade and The Bunny .
Page attacked Butcher and Blade with Diamond Cutters after MJF joked about getting intimate with the legend 's daughter .
MJF then took out Page with a low blow before Dustin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's rescue .
Other moments from Dynamite included Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page defeating Private Party before Pac attacked Omega 's friend Michael Nakazawa backstage ; Guevara defeating Christopher Daniels ; Daniels denying entry into The Dark Order before attacking the group alongside his SCU teammates and The Young Bucks ; and Jurassic Express defeating The Best Friends and Orange Cassidy .

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Jon Moxley responded to AEW World Champion Chris Jericho's request to join his group The Inner Circle on Dynamite.
Jericho, who was joined by Inner Circle members Sammy Guevara and Jake Hager on Wednesday, had a table inside the ring filled with his own brand of Bubbly in order to celebrate Moxley's decision.
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Moxley, who was previously offered a Ford GT and a 49 percent stake in The Inner Circle for joining, said yes and unzipped his jacket to reveal an Inner Circle t-shirt.
Jericho and his friends celebrated by opening up multiple bottles of Le Champion's Bubbly and spraying it around the ring. Moxley was then gifted the keys to the Ford GT and embraced his new teammates.
Moxley was lying, however, and eventually told Jericho that he can't be bought and the only thing he wants is the AEW World Championship. Moxley then smashed a bottle of Bubbly onto Jericho and took out Guevara and the champion with a Paradigm Shift before he exited out of the ring.
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Moxley, as he escaped through the crowd, ripped off his Inner Circle shirt and displayed the car keys.
Also on Dynamite, AEW Women's World champion Riho defended her titled against Kris Statlander.
The competitive match was interrupted by members of the The Nightmare Collective including Awesome Kong, Mel and Brandi Rhodes who was a guest commentator. Statlander, who had previously said no to joining the group, crashed onto Awesome Kong and approached Brandi Rhodes before until Japanese wrestling legend Luthor made a surprise apperance to stop the attack.
Riho took out Luthor after leaping from the top turnbuckle and the bout continued. Statlander, while lifting up Riho, had her leg pulled by Kong which allowed Riho to quickly roll her up and pin Statlander for the victory.
The Nightmare Collective then attacked Statlander but she was saved by Big Swole, Sunny Kiss and Shida who was watching from the audience. Dr. Britt Baker was also viewing the match but chose not to help out.
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MJF demanded to know if Cody accepted his list of stipulations for a match at the Revolution pay-per-view event on Feb. 29. Cody had just teamed up with his brother Dustin Rhodes to defeat The Lucha Bros where his coach Arn Anderson stated that a decision would be made at a later date.
MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow were instead greeted by professional wrestling legend Diamond Dallas Page. DDP teased having one more match to face MJF who was then joined by The Butcher, The Blade and The Bunny.
Page attacked Butcher and Blade with Diamond Cutters after MJF joked about getting intimate with the legend's daughter. MJF then took out Page with a low blow before Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall came to Page's rescue.
Other moments from Dynamite included Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page defeating Private Party before Pac attacked Omega's friend Michael Nakazawa backstage; Guevara defeating Christopher Daniels; Daniels denying entry into The Dark Order before attacking the group alongside his SCU teammates and The Young Bucks; and Jurassic Express defeating The Best Friends and Orange Cassidy.


upi--2020-01-09--Cities, states face costly cybersecurity landscape after attacks spiked in 2019

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- After numerous costly cyberattacks against cities , towns and court systems worldwide in 2019 , digital security is now an even greater -- and costlier -- priority for municipal entities at the start of a new decade .
Dozens of governments were confronted with serious ransomware attacks last year , and researchers observed significant growth in destructive malware .
Cities like Baltimore and Greenville , N.C. , were targeted in 2019 and saw critical systems crippled for most of the year .
Most still have n't fully recovered .
Security experts from antivirus provider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more than 3,000 subset organizations were targeted by ransomware throughout 2019 -- a 60 percent increase from 2018 .
Additionally , IBM reported that destructive malware attacks that delete data from target computers rose by 200 percent over the first half of the year .
The attacks shuttered government systems for extended periods of time , and , for those that paid the ransom , cost cities hundreds of millions of dollars to recover data and strengthen digital infrastructure .
Now , at the start of a new decade , the surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a grim scenario -- pay to beef up their digital security , or risk having to pay the hackers .
Cybersecurity expert Jacob Doiron , an information systems lecturer at San Diego State University , said government entities , healthcare institutions and school districts are some of the most common targets for these kinds of attacks because they have important data but often do n't properly focus their budget on addressing IT and security needs .
`` A lot of the time criminal agents or cyber actors know that the service they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to pay , '' he said .
`` Because at the end of the day , this is a criminal enterprise and there 's a profit motive that 's generating all of this stuff . ''
Last summer , two small cities in Florida agreed to pay hackers ransoms totaling more than $ 1 million , hoping to quickly regaining control of their hijacked files -- which experts say is a risky endeavor because there 's no guarantee they 'll actually recover .
Christopher Scott , global lead for IBM X-Force 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay ransoms should ultimately boil down to weighing whether they can risk their systems being offline for an extended period of time .
`` If you have all of this information that 's inaccessible and you ca n't run your business without it -- [ and ] have thousands of people who could lose their job if you do n't pay ... you 're going to pay that ransom , '' he said .
Doiron warns , however , that paying off cybercriminals creates a self-fulfilling cycle .
`` Even though they 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing now is paying into that system and making it more profitable , '' he said .
`` So these bad actors are more likely to carry out this type of behavior . ''
Scott and Doiron said RYUK and MegaCortex were some of the most commonly deployed forms of malware for larger targets last year .
Additionally , they said , such ransomware schemes are most commonly distributed through `` phishing '' campaigns that con unsuspecting employees into giving hackers access by clicking on a dubious link .
`` These smaller attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're just trying to see who falls for it , '' Doiron said .
`` That 's often more effective against governments , healthcare or public institutions .
`` { For ] larger companies that would pay out more , it takes a little more sophistication to get in . ''
Scott said the best way to prevent repeat attacks in 2020 is to isolate data backups , protect security credentials and install multiple layers of defense to isolate individual computers .
`` At some point you 're going to get a spearfish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to click it , '' he said .
`` Losing one machine to an attacker is different than losing an entire environment .
`` That 's really what the focus has to be on -- focusing on detecting early and responding quickly . ''

After a tremendous spike in ransomware attacks in 2019, city and state governments are faced with new cybersecurity questions. File Photo by Markus Spiske/Pixabay
Jan. 9 (UPI) -- After numerous costly cyberattacks against cities, towns and court systems worldwide in 2019, digital security is now an even greater -- and costlier -- priority for municipal entities at the start of a new decade. Dozens of governments were confronted with serious ransomware attacks last year, and researchers observed significant growth in destructive malware. Cities like Baltimore and Greenville, N.C., were targeted in 2019 and saw critical systems crippled for most of the year. Most still haven't fully recovered. Advertisement
Security experts from antivirus provider Kaspersky said at least 174 municipal institutions with more than 3,000 subset organizations were targeted by ransomware throughout 2019 -- a 60 percent increase from 2018. Additionally, IBM reported that destructive malware attacks that delete data from target computers rose by 200 percent over the first half of the year.
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The attacks shuttered government systems for extended periods of time, and, for those that paid the ransom, cost cities hundreds of millions of dollars to recover data and strengthen digital infrastructure.
Now, at the start of a new decade, the surge of ransomware attacks have forced municipalities into a grim scenario -- pay to beef up their digital security, or risk having to pay the hackers.
Cybersecurity expert Jacob Doiron, an information systems lecturer at San Diego State University, said government entities, healthcare institutions and school districts are some of the most common targets for these kinds of attacks because they have important data but often don't properly focus their budget on addressing IT and security needs.
"A lot of the time criminal agents or cyber actors know that the services they're providing are critical so they're more willing to pay," he said. "Because at the end of the day, this is a criminal enterprise, and there's a profit motive that's generating all of this stuff."
Last summer, two small cities in Florida agreed to pay hackers ransoms totaling more than $1 million, hoping to quickly regaining control of their hijacked files -- which experts say is a risky endeavor because there's no guarantee they'll actually recover.
Advertisement
Christopher Scott, global lead for IBM X-Force's remediation services, said the decision to pay ransoms should ultimately boil down to weighing whether they can risk their systems being offline for an extended period of time.
"If you have all of this information that's inaccessible, and you can't run your business without it -- [and] have thousands of people who could lose their job if you don't pay ... you're going to pay that ransom," he said.
Doiron warns, however, that paying off cybercriminals creates a self-fulfilling cycle.
"Even though they've paid the ransom, all they're doing now is paying into that system and making it more profitable," he said. "So these bad actors are more likely to carry out this type of behavior."
Scott and Doiron said RYUK and MegaCortex were some of the most commonly deployed forms of malware for larger targets last year. Additionally, they said, such ransomware schemes are most commonly distributed through "phishing" campaigns that con unsuspecting employees into giving hackers access by clicking on a dubious link.
"These smaller attacks are more scattershot blanket attacks where they're just trying to see who falls for it," Doiron said. "That's often more effective against governments, healthcare or public institutions.
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"[For] larger companies that would pay out more, it takes a little more sophistication to get in."
Scott said the best way to prevent repeat attacks in 2020 is to isolate data backups, protect security credentials and install multiple layers of defense to isolate individual computers.
"At some point, you're going to get a spearfish that's well crafted enough that someone is going to click it," he said. "Losing one machine to an attacker is different than losing an entire environment.
"That's really what the focus has to be on -- focusing on detecting early and responding quickly."


upi--2020-01-09--Australian fires: Victoria extends state of disaster ahead of worsening weather conditions

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- Premier Daniel Andrews extended Victoria 's first-ever state of disaster on Thursday as worsening weather conditions are forecast to further inflame ongoing bushfires that have ravaged southeastern Australia for months .
`` We do n't lightly extend the state of disaster .
We 've done it because we believe that it will save lives and that , after all , is the most important thing , '' Andrews said during a press conference .
At least 25 people have died , thousands of homes have been destroyed and some 10 million hectares of land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southeastern Australia , and officials in three states on Thursday are bracing for increasing temperatures and strong winds that will continue into the weekend after a short respite of milder weather .
`` While there 's been a few days of much-needed relief from the heat and dangerous fire weather , communities in the south and east of the country should once again be preparing for some challenging fire weather conditions , '' said Meteorologist Andrea Peace of Australia 's Bureau of Meteorology .
Daniels extended the state of disaster , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expire , to give state officials additional emergency powers to combat the `` very significant fire activity '' expected in the coming days , he said .
Authorities said Thursday 23 fires were burning across Victoria .
`` We 've every reason to believe there will be significant fire activity over the next 48 hours and that means it is appropriate that we continue the state of disaster , '' he said .
Authorities said they will be messaging those in the so-called fire zone throughout the day informing them that if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuate .
`` We will not be able to guarantee their safety , '' he said .
Text alerts have been received in the Kangaroo Island township of South Australia where some residents were being evacuated Thursday as the Australian Defence Force arrives to assist with the fire effort .
The Country Fire Service is advising island residents to `` act now '' as a fire is heading toward the town of Parndana .
`` The CFS urges people not to wait for an Emergency Warning to be issued as it will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Controller Ian Tanner said in a statement .
In New South Wales on Thursday , more than 2,500 firefighters were battling 122 bush and grass blazes throughout the state that has seen at least 20 deaths , 1,870 homes destroyed and some 5 hectares of land burned .
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced Thursday that her government will spend $ 687.44 million over the next two years to jump-start the recovery process from the devastating fires .
`` This money will provide an immediate source of funding to ensure key infrastructure is restored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their feet as soon as possible , '' she said .
`` The bushfire season is far from over but we know how important it is for communities to start the recovery process where possible . ''
The funding will come in addition to the $ 1.4 million Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday , she said .
State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the money will come from capital reserves .
`` This [ $ 687.44 million ] investment today will help repair , restore and rebuild communities that have been affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We do n't want simply to rebuilt these communities , we want them to thrive . ''
Meanwhile , ambulances have been dispatched to assist the pilot of a waterbombing helicopter that crashed into a dam at Ben Boyd National Park at around 4 p.m. , the service said in a media release .
The aircraft , working with NSW RFS , was transitioning from fighting fires at Clyde Mountain to the east coast town on Eden located near the state border with Victoria when it ditched into the Bey Boyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however the pilot was able to free himself from the aircraft and is safely onshore , '' said NSW RFS .

A bushfire sweeps through Stokes Bay in Kangaroo Island, Australia, on Thursday. Photo by David Mariuz/EPA-EFE
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Premier Daniel Andrews extended Victoria's first-ever state of disaster on Thursday as worsening weather conditions are forecast to further inflame ongoing bushfires that have ravaged southeastern Australia for months. "We don't lightly extend the state of disaster. We've done it because we believe that it will save lives and that, after all, is the most important thing," Andrews said during a press conference. Advertisement
At least 25 people have died, thousands of homes have been destroyed and some 10 million hectares of land have been scorched this fire season throughout southeastern Australia, and officials in three states on Thursday are bracing for increasing temperatures and strong winds that will continue into the weekend after a short respite of milder weather.
"While there's been a few days of much-needed relief from the heat and dangerous fire weather, communities in the south and east of the country should once again be preparing for some challenging fire weather conditions," said Meteorologist Andrea Peace of Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.
Daniels extended the state of disaster, which was declared last Thursday and was set to expire, to give state officials additional emergency powers to combat the "very significant fire activity" expected in the coming days, he said.
Authorities said Thursday 23 fires were burning across Victoria.
"We've every reason to believe there will be significant fire activity over the next 48 hours and that means it is appropriate that we continue the state of disaster," he said.
Authorities said they will be messaging those in the so-called fire zone throughout the day informing them that if they're able to leave, they should evacuate.
"We will not be able to guarantee their safety," he said.
Text alerts have been received in the Kangaroo Island township of South Australia where some residents were being evacuated Thursday as the Australian Defence Force arrives to assist with the fire effort.
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The Country Fire Service is advising island residents to "act now" as a fire is heading toward the town of Parndana.
"The CFS urges people not to wait for an Emergency Warning to be issued as it will be too late to leave," Incident Controller Ian Tanner said in a statement.
In New South Wales on Thursday, more than 2,500 firefighters were battling 122 bush and grass blazes throughout the state that has seen at least 20 deaths, 1,870 homes destroyed and some 5 hectares of land burned.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced Thursday that her government will spend $687.44 million over the next two years to jump-start the recovery process from the devastating fires.
"This money will provide an immediate source of funding to ensure key infrastructure is restored so that communities can get back on their feet as soon as possible," she said. "The bushfire season is far from over but we know how important it is for communities to start the recovery process where possible."
The funding will come in addition to the $1.4 million Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday, she said.
State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the money will come from capital reserves.
Advertisement
"This [$687.44 million] investment today will help repair, restore and rebuild communities that have been affected by these fires," he said. "We don't want simply to rebuilt these communities, we want them to thrive."
Meanwhile, ambulances have been dispatched to assist the pilot of a waterbombing helicopter that crashed into a dam at Ben Boyd National Park at around 4 p.m., the service said in a media release.
The aircraft, working with NSW RFS, was transitioning from fighting fires at Clyde Mountain to the east coast town on Eden located near the state border with Victoria when it ditched into the Bey Boyd Reservoir.
"The aircraft remains submerged however the pilot was able to free himself from the aircraft and is safely onshore," said NSW RFS.


upi--2020-01-09--On This Day, Jan. 9: Palestinians elect Mahmoud Abbas

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- On this day in history : In 1768 , Philip Astley , regarded as the `` father of the modern circus , '' staged the first event in an open field at what is now the Waterloo area of London .
In 1788 , Connecticut became the fifth U.S. state .
In 1861 , Mississippi seceded from the Union , becoming a founding member of the Confederate States of America .
In 1916 , the Ottoman Empire claimed victory in the Battle of Gallipoli following the evacuation of Allied forces from the peninsula .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , U.S. troops landed on the Philippine island of Luzon , beginning a battle that would rage on for eight months .
In 1947 , Elizabeth Short , more commonly known as the Black Dahlia , disappears .
Her body was found six days later .
To this day , the investigation into her death remains unsolved .
In 1951 , the U.N. headquarters opened in New York .
In 1972 , the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth was gutted by fire while docked in Hong Kong .
In 1982 , Angelo Buono Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was sentenced to life in prison .
He and his cousin Kenneth Bianchi raped , tortured and killed 10 women in Los Angeles from 1977-78 .
In 1996 , rebels in the Russian republic of Chechnya overran the town of Kizlyar and took 2,000 hostages at a hospital and in nearby homes .
In 2005 , Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip elected Mahmoud Abbas their new president .
He succeeded the late Yasser Arafat .
In 2007 , the world changed when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell almost 19 percent -- the biggest drop on record -- and its currency lost almost one-third of its value after President Hugo Chavez pledged to nationalize the country 's utilities .
In 2011 , an Iran Air Boeing 727 with 105 people aboard crashed shortly before it was scheduled to land in northwestern Iran .
Authorities said there were 50 survivors .
In 2014 , as part of an agreement to end a political deadlock , Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh resigned to let a caretaker government oversee the next elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , became acting PM .
In 2018 , at least 20 people died as a result of heavy rains that triggered flooding and mudslides in fire-ravaged parts of Southern California .

1/4
Interim Palestinian leader and presidential front-runner Mahmoud Abbas speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip on January 4, 2005. He was elected president five days later. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 9 (UPI) -- On this day in history: In 1768, Philip Astley, regarded as the "father of the modern circus," staged the first event in an open field at what is now the Waterloo area of London. Advertisement
In 1788, Connecticut became the fifth U.S. state.
In 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union, becoming a founding member of the Confederate States of America.
In 1916, the Ottoman Empire claimed victory in the Battle of Gallipoli following the evacuation of Allied forces from the peninsula.
In 1945, in World War II, U.S. troops landed on the Philippine island of Luzon, beginning a battle that would rage on for eight months.
In 1947, Elizabeth Short, more commonly known as the Black Dahlia, disappears. Her body was found six days later. To this day, the investigation into her death remains unsolved.
In 1951, the U.N. headquarters opened in New York.
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
In 1972, the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth was gutted by fire while docked in Hong Kong.
Advertisement
In 1982, Angelo Buono Jr., one of the so-called Hillside Stranglers, was sentenced to life in prison. He and his cousin Kenneth Bianchi raped, tortured and killed 10 women in Los Angeles from 1977-78.
In 1996, rebels in the Russian republic of Chechnya overran the town of Kizlyar and took 2,000 hostages at a hospital and in nearby homes.
In 2005, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip elected Mahmoud Abbas their new president. He succeeded the late Yasser Arafat.
In 2007, the world changed when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone.
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
In 2007, Venezuelan stock prices fell almost 19 percent -- the biggest drop on record -- and its currency lost almost one-third of its value after President Hugo Chavez pledged to nationalize the country's utilities.
In 2011, an Iran Air Boeing 727 with 105 people aboard crashed shortly before it was scheduled to land in northwestern Iran. Authorities said there were 50 survivors.
In 2014, as part of an agreement to end a political deadlock, Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh resigned to let a caretaker government oversee the next elections. Mehdi Jomaa, the minister of industry, became acting PM.
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In 2018, at least 20 people died as a result of heavy rains that triggered flooding and mudslides in fire-ravaged parts of Southern California.


upi--2020-01-09--Greater sage grouse could be declared endangered

DENVER , Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- The Greater sage grouse -- a chubby , high-altitude chicken with an elaborate mating ritual -- might be headed to the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service 's Endangered Species List despite 10 years of efforts by Western states to bolster the fowl 's population .
The federal wildlife agency will re-evaluate the bird 's survival prospects this year .
Listing the bird as endangered could have the same polarizing effect that the 1990s listing of the northern spotted owl had on public lands logging in the Pacific Northwest , experts worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in critical danger , livestock and energy extraction might be severely restricted on more than 170 million acres of public lands in 11 states from North Dakota to Washington .
`` The biggest fear of an [ endangered ] listing would be instead of 11 states and agriculture , energy and mining commissions all working to protect the bird , it would be down to half a dozen federal employees , '' said Brian Rutledge , director of the National Audubon Society 's Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative .
The greater sage grouse is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flashy fan of distinctive pointy tail feathers .
Birds can grow up to 30 inches long and can weigh up to 7 pounds .
Strutting males attract females during mating season by expanding balloon-like sacs on their chests and prancing in clearings called leks .
The showoff birds make a whooping sound that carries across the prairie .
`` It 's like hearing a wolf howl in the wild .
There 's a sense of comfort to know that they 're there , '' said Boise , Idaho-based nature writer Niels Sparre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] also makes me chuckle a bit . ''
As federal agencies prepared to reassess the sage grouse 's situation , the Bureau of Land Management proposed a 2019 revision of sage grouse management plans in seven states .
Conservation groups sued , arguing that new rules weakened or eliminated sage grouse protections in favor of oil and gas drilling .
The Trump administration last month appealed a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill of Idaho in favor of conservation groups , which successfully claimed that the federal agency did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and environmental assessments .
The shy birds avoid humans and require several different habitats at different life stages , but they mostly favor large , uninterrupted tracts of sagebrush , often in areas with an elevation between 4,000 feet and 9,000 feet .
Roads , fences and power lines , as well as the clearing of sagebrush for agriculture , energy extraction and development caused the birds to disappear from the landscape in Oregon , Washington , northern California , Nevada , Idaho , Montana , Wyoming , Colorado , Utah and North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. sage grouse existed 200 years ago .
The population has dropped today to between 250,000 and 400,000 from 500,000 when Fish and Wildlife 's 2015 public land plans were put in place .
A species variant , the Gunnison sage grouse , is down to fewer than 5,000 birds in Colorado and Utah .
In Wyoming , the first state to implement a sage grouse plan , and the state with the most of these birds , birth levels have dropped to below replacement rates , initial 2019 counts of hunter-harvested bird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department show .
`` We see ups and downs in sage-grouse populations in a cycle , '' Leslie Schreiber , the agency biologist , said in a statement .
`` So far , data shows there were 1.1 chicks per hen . ''
Chick survival rate must be at 1.2 chicks per hen to maintain population and 1.5 chicks to grow , Schreiber said .
The bird 's troubles also illustrate the disappearing and delicate sagebrush steppe ecosystem , which is also the home to about 350 other wildlife and plant species .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ranchers and developers cleared sagebrush from the land , even using defoliant chemicals to break up more than 200 million acres of uninterrupted `` sagebrush sea '' that once covered the northern West .
`` The truth is no one thing is going to save the sage grouse , '' David Dahlgren , assistant professor in Utah State University 's Wildland Resources Department told UPI in May .
`` What matters to sage grouse is they 're a landscape species , meaning that they need large intact landscapes of sagebrush habitat if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since the sage grouse crisis has been identified , states have adopted plans to bring back sagebrush .
These include feeding sagebrush seeds to grazing cattle and using prison crews to plant new sagebrush seedlings after fires .
More than 80 million acres of private land with unfragmented sagebrush tracts has been protected with conservation easements paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Natural Resources Conservation Service , said Bozeman , Mont.-based Tim Griffiths of the Sage Grouse Initiative 's landscape initiatives team .
But even with those protections , sagebrush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 million acres of sagebrush ecosystem burned in invasive grass fires in the past three years .
`` It 's thin , alluvial soil , in a high , dry desert , and once it 's disturbed , getting the chemistry back is quite a game , '' the Audubon Society 's Rutledge said .
Going forward , it 's unclear whether the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service will consider listing the greater sage grouse as an endangered species after the agency evaluates five years of state-managed plans .
`` What we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Jennifer Strickland , spokeswoman for the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service .
`` Are the habitat conditions what the bird needs , and are we going to have those conditions going forward ?
`` Then we look at the best available science to assess the status of the species , and what the science shows us is what 's on the table [ for an endangered listing ] . ''
Added Audubon 's Rutledge : `` I 'd rather see [ a potential endangered listing ] used as a motivator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is in their best interest , anyway .
It 's the locals who have pulled together to try to do some things that work , and I 'm hoping it 's not too late . ''

The population of greater sage grouse in the western United States is dropping despite state wildlife agencies' attempts to improve the birds' habitat. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
DENVER, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The greater sage grouse -- a chubby, high-altitude chicken with an elaborate mating ritual -- might be headed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species List despite 10 years of efforts by Western states to bolster the fowl's population. The federal wildlife agency will re-evaluate the bird's survival prospects this year. Listing it as endangered could have the same polarizing effect that the 1990s listing of the northern spotted owl had on public lands logging in the Pacific Northwest, experts worry. Advertisement
If the species is found to be in critical danger, livestock and energy extraction might be severely restricted on more than 170 million acres of public lands in 11 states from North Dakota to Washington.
"The biggest fear of an [endangered] listing would be instead of 11 states and agriculture, energy and mining commissions all working to protect the bird, it would be down to half a dozen federal employees," said Brian Rutledge, director of the National Audubon Society's Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative.
Advertisement
The greater sage grouse is a ground-nesting chicken with round wings and a flashy fan of distinctive pointy tail feathers. Birds can grow up to 30 inches long and can weigh up to 7 pounds.
Strutting males attract females during mating season by expanding balloon-like sacs on their chests and prancing in clearings called leks. The showoff birds make a whooping sound that carries across the prairie.
"It's like hearing a wolf howl in the wild. There's a sense of comfort to know that they're there," said Boise, Idaho-based nature writer Niels Sparre Nokkentved. "And [the sound] also makes me chuckle a bit."
As federal agencies prepared to reassess the sage grouse's situation, the Bureau of Land Management proposed a 2019 revision of sage grouse management plans in seven states. Conservation groups sued, arguing that new rules weakened or eliminated sage grouse protections in favor of oil and gas drilling.
The Trump administration last month appealed a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill of Idaho in favor of conservation groups, which successfully claimed that the federal agency didn't correctly follow processes for public input and environmental assessments.
Shy birds
The shy birds avoid humans and require several different habitats at different life stages, but they mostly favor large, uninterrupted tracts of sagebrush, often in areas with an elevation between 4,000 feet and 9,000 feet.
Advertisement
Roads, fences and power lines, as well as the clearing of sagebrush for agriculture, energy extraction and development caused the birds to disappear from the landscape in Oregon, Washington, northern California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and North and South Dakota.
Some 16 million U.S. sage grouse existed 200 years ago. The population has dropped today to between 250,000 and 400,000 from 500,000 when Fish and Wildlife's 2015 public land plans were put in place. A species variant, the Gunnison sage grouse, is down to fewer than 5,000 birds in Colorado and Utah.
In Wyoming, the first state to implement a sage grouse plan, and the state with the most of these birds, birth levels have dropped to below replacement rates, initial 2019 counts of hunter-harvested bird wings from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department show.
"We see ups and downs in sage grouse populations in a cycle," Leslie Schreiber, the agency biologist, said in a statement. "So far, data shows there were 1.1 chicks per hen." Chick survival rate must be at 1.2 chicks per hen to maintain population and 1.5 chicks to grow, Schreiber said.
The bird's troubles also illustrate the disappearing and delicate sagebrush steppe ecosystem, which is also the home to about 350 other wildlife and plant species.
Advertisement
Starting in the 1930s, U.S. farmers, ranchers and developers cleared sagebrush from the land, even using defoliant chemicals to break up more than 200 million acres of uninterrupted "sagebrush sea" that once covered the northern West.
"The truth is no one thing is going to save the sage grouse," David Dahlgren, assistant professor in Utah State University's Wildland Resources Department told UPI in May. "What matters to sage grouse is they're a landscape species, meaning that they need large intact landscapes of sagebrush habitat if they're going to persist."
Since the sage grouse crisis has been identified, states have adopted plans to bring back sagebrush. These include feeding sagebrush seeds to grazing cattle and using prison crews to plant new sagebrush seedlings after fires.
More than 80 million acres of private land with unfragmented sagebrush tracts has been protected with conservation easements paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, said Bozeman, Mont.-based Tim Griffiths of the Sage Grouse Initiative's landscape initiatives team.
But even with those protections, sagebrush habitat has shrunk. In Nevada, 5 million acres of sagebrush ecosystem burned in invasive grass fires in the past three years.
"It's thin, alluvial soil, in a high, dry desert, and once it's disturbed, getting the chemistry back is quite a game," the Audubon Society's Rutledge said.
Advertisement
Going forward, it's unclear whether the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will consider listing the greater sage grouse as an endangered species after the agency evaluates five years of state-managed plans.
"What we're looking at is habitat condition," said Jennifer Strickland, spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Are the habitat conditions what the bird needs, and are we going to have those conditions going forward?
"Then we look at the best available science to assess the status of the species, and what the science shows us is what's on the table [for an endangered listing]."
Added Audubon's Rutledge: "I'd rather see [a potential endangered listing] used as a motivator to have the states support the wildlife, which is in their best interest, anyway. It's the locals who have pulled together to try to do some things that work, and I'm hoping it's not too late."


upi--2020-01-09--Ukrainian Boeing 737 airliner crashes after takeoff in Iran, killing 176

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- Investigators have located the `` black boxes '' from a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran Wednesday and killed all 176 people aboard , state media reported .
Broadcaster IRIB said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were found at the crash site near Parand , about 35 miles southwest of Tehran .
The Boeing 737 went down shortly after it left Imam Khomeini International Airport .
The head of Iran 's civil aviation authority said Tehran would not give the recorders to U.S.-based Boeing , Iran 's semiofficial news agency Mehr reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nine crew aboard .
`` Unfortunately , all the passengers died , '' Pir-Hossein Koulivand , Iran 's Emergency Medical Service chief , said .
Among the dead were 82 Iranians , 63 Canadians , 11 Ukrainians , 10 Swedes , four Afghans , three Germans and three Britons , Ukraine 's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said in a tweet .
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook post he would cut short a visit in Oman and return to Kiev .
Ali Khashani , a senior official at Imam Khomeini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely the result of a technical failure .
The Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran initially agreed with that assessment , ruling out the possibility of an attack , but subsequently said it could not rule out any potential cause and deferred to an official commission to investigate .
Meanwhile , United International Airlines said it uses the Tehran airport to train on Boeing 737s and the crash was most probably not the result of the crew 's error .
`` Given the crew 's experience , error probability is minimal , '' UIA Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
`` We do not even consider such a chance . ''
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said in a statement an operational headquarters has been set up to investigate and Iranian consulate officials were at the site .
Zelensky declared Thursday a day of mourning , ordering all flags to be lowered and concerts and other entertainment performances to be banned .
In Canada , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a press conference the country was `` shocked and saddened '' to wake up to the news of the crash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I want to express my deepest condolences to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one .
Your loss is indescribable , this is a heartbreaking tragedy .
While no words will erase your pain , I want you to know an entire country is with you , we share your grief , '' he said .
Canada will work with its partners to `` thoroughly '' investigate the incident and it would not rule out any possible cause of the crash , he said .
`` Canadians have questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they deserve answers . ''
Boeing said it was gathering information about the crash .
The crash is the latest blemish for the U.S. aviation giant , which will install new President and CEO David Calhoun on Monday to succeed Dennis Muilenburg , who was dismissed last month amid ongoing fallout related to trouble with Boeing 's 737 Max fleet , which has been grounded worldwide for nearly a year .
Boeing has absorbed significant financial losses and damage to its reputation since two 737 Max 8s crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia and @ @ @ @ @

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Workers are seen Wednesday amid wreckage from a Boeing 737 jetliner about 30 miles south of Tehran, Iran. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazi/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Investigators have located the "black boxes" from a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran Wednesday and killed all 176 people aboard, state media reported. Broadcaster IRIB said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were found at the crash site near Parand, about 35 miles southwest of Tehran. The Boeing 737 went down shortly after it left Imam Khomeini International Airport. Advertisement
The head of Iran's civil aviation authority said Tehran would not give the recorders to U.S.-based Boeing, Iran's semiofficial news agency Mehr reported.
The flight crashed with 167 passengers and nine crew aboard.
"Unfortunately, all the passengers died," Pir-Hossein Koulivand, Iran's Emergency Medical Service chief, said.
Among the dead were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said in a tweet.
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook post he would cut short a visit in Oman and return to Kiev.
Ali Khashani, a senior official at Imam Khomeini International Airport, said the crash was likely the result of a technical failure. The Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran initially agreed with that assessment, ruling out the possibility of an attack, but subsequently said it could not rule out any potential cause and deferred to an official commission to investigate.
Meanwhile, United International Airlines said it uses the Tehran airport to train on Boeing 737s and the crash was most probably not the result of the crew's error.
"Given the crew's experience, error probability is minimal," UIA Vice President Operations Ihor Sosnovsky said in a statement. "We do not even consider such a chance."
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said in a statement an operational headquarters has been set up to investigate and Iranian consulate officials were at the site.
Zelensky declared Thursday a day of mourning, ordering all flags to be lowered and concerts and other entertainment performances to be banned.
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a press conference the country was "shocked and saddened" to wake up to the news of the crash.
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"On behalf of all Canadians, I want to express my deepest condolences to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. Your loss is indescribable, this is a heartbreaking tragedy. While no words will erase your pain, I want you to know an entire country is with you, we share your grief," he said.
Canada will work with its partners to "thoroughly" investigate the incident and it would not rule out any possible cause of the crash, he said.
"Canadians have questions," he said. "And they deserve answers."
Boeing said it was gathering information about the crash.
We are aware of the media reports out of Iran and we are gathering more information.— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) January 8, 2020
The crash is the latest blemish for the U.S. aviation giant, which will install new President and CEO David Calhoun on Monday to succeed Dennis Muilenburg, who was dismissed last month amid ongoing fallout related to trouble with Boeing's 737 Max fleet, which has been grounded worldwide for nearly a year.
Boeing has absorbed significant financial losses and damage to its reputation since two 737 Max 8s crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia and killed nearly 350 people.


upi--2020-01-09--Senators introduce resolution stressing Congress has not authorized war with Iran

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- Senators have introduced a bipartisan resolution underscoring that President Donald Trump does not have congressional authorization to pursue military action against Iran .
Announced Wednesday by Sens .
Jeff Merkley , D-Ore. , and Rand Paul , R-Ky. , the resolution stresses that neither the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists nor the 2002 AUMF Against Iraq legally permits the use of military force against Iran .
`` The American people do not want another endless war in the Middle East -- yet , what we 've seen in recent days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military decisions bringing us closer to war without consulting Congress or recognizing that our Constitution gives war-making power to Congress , not the president , '' Merkley said in a statement .
The resolution states that the two AUMFs may not be interpreted as `` a statutory authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran . ''
The 2001 AUMF authorized the use of the U.S. Armed Forces against those responsible for the Sept. 11 , 2001 , attacks and the 2002 AUMF authorized military conduct against Saddam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress needs to stop using these AUMFs as an excuse for abdicating its constitutional responsibly of declaring war to the president .
`` We can take a major step toward reasserting our voice by making it clear the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs do not authorize war with Iran , '' he said .
The resolution comes as tensions skyrocket between the United States and Iran following Trump directing the military to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani , a top military official .
In retaliation , Iran fired at least a dozen missiles at two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Merkley and Paul said they announced the resolution following a classified briefing concerning the operation to kill Soleimani .
`` To say [ the meeting ] was frustrating is an understatement , '' Merkley said on Twitter .
`` They did n't present anything suggesting a comprehensive understanding of how the consequences of this decision could hurt all of our strategic interests in the region . ''
Merkley and Wyden also introduced on Wednesday the so-called anti-war crimes resolution condemning recent threats by Trump to target cultural sites in Iran .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to bomb Persian cultural sites it would be an abomination on the level of what the Taliban did to Buddhist relics in Afghanistan , '' Wyden said in a statement .
`` Congress can not let Trump commit war crimes that further endanger Americans at home and abroad . ''

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Senators have introduced a bipartisan resolution underscoring that President Donald Trump does not have congressional authorization to pursue military action against Iran.
Announced Wednesday by Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., the resolution stresses that neither the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists nor the 2002 AUMF Against Iraq legally permits the use of military force against Iran.
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"The American people do not want another endless war in the Middle East -- yet, what we've seen in recent days is a president willing to make significant military decisions bringing us closer to war without consulting Congress or recognizing that our Constitution gives war-making power to Congress, not the president," Merkley said in a statement.
The resolution states that the two AUMFs may not be interpreted as "a statutory authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran."
The 2001 AUMF authorized the use of the U.S. Armed Forces against those responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the 2002 AUMF authorized military conduct against Saddam Hussein's Iraq government.
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Paul said Congress needs to stop using these AUMFs as an excuse for abdicating its constitutional responsibly of declaring war to the president.
"We can take a major step toward reasserting our voice by making it clear the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs do not authorize war with Iran," he said.
Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., sponsored the resolution.
The resolution comes as tensions skyrocket between the United States and Iran following Trump directing the military to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top military official. In retaliation, Iran fired at least a dozen missiles at two Iraqi military bases that house U.S. forces.
Merkley and Paul said they announced the resolution following a classified briefing concerning the operation to kill Soleimani.
"To say [the meeting] was frustrating is an understatement," Merkley said on Twitter. "They didn't present anything suggesting a comprehensive understanding of how the consequences of this decision could hurt all of our strategic interests in the region."
Merkley and Wyden also introduced on Wednesday the so-called anti-war crimes resolution condemning recent threats by Trump to target cultural sites in Iran.
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"If Donald Trump follows through on his threat to bomb Persian cultural sites it would be an abomination on the level of what the Taliban did to Buddhist relics in Afghanistan," Wyden said in a statement. "Congress cannot let Trump commit war crimes that further endanger Americans at home and abroad."


upi--2020-01-09--Federal appeals court lifts stay on Trump's border wall funds

Jan. 9 ( UPI ) -- A federal appeals court on Wednesday lifted an injunction blocking the Trump administration from spending $ 3.6 billion in military construction funds on building physical barriers along the U.S. southern border .
Divided along party lines , the three-judge panel voted 2-1 in favor of President Donald Trump who made the request against a permanent injunction issued last month in Texas preventing the government from using the military construction funds as it appeals a lower court 's decision that the funds ' reallocation was unlawful .
Judges Edith Jones and Andrew Oldham , Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as there was `` the substantial likelihood '' that the plaintiffs the City of El Paso and the Border Network for Human Rights , represented by Protect Democracy , lacked legal standing and that the Supreme Court had earlier stayed a similar injunction .
The sole dissenting voice , Judge Stephen Higginson , said that while he agrees there is substantial merit to the case , he does n't believe the Trump administration has proven the stay is causing the government harm as it has claimed .
`` Although I agree with my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial case on the merits ' and involves a 'serious legal question , ' ...
I am unable to agree , without focused panel deliberation and discussion -- possibly aided by dialogue with counsel -- that the government presently has shown either a likelihood of success on the merits or irreparable harm in the absence of a stay .
Therefore , I dissent , '' he wrote .
The decision follows President Donald Trump last February declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border and reallocating money from the military to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions he requested for inclusion in the federal budget to do so .
A court ruled in October that the national emergency declaration and the reallocation of funds was unlawful with an injunction issued two months later .
On Dec. 16 , the Trump administration requested that the injunction be lifted as it would cause `` substantial and irreparable harm to the government and public interest in border security and drug interdiction . ''
`` A court has already determined that the government ca n't lawfully use military construction funds to build Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer Kristy Parker said in a statement .
`` It 's unfortunate that the people of El Paso will continue to suffer harm while the government appeals , but we 're confident that we 'll prevail again in this next stage of litigation . ''

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court on Wednesday lifted an injunction blocking the Trump administration from spending $3.6 billion in military construction funds on building physical barriers along the U.S. southern border.
Divided along party lines, the three-judge panel voted 2-1 in favor of President Donald Trump who made the request against a permanent injunction issued last month in Texas preventing the government from using the military construction funds as it appeals a lower court's decision that the funds' reallocation was unlawful.
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Judges Edith Jones and Andrew Oldham, Republican president appointees, granted Trump's request as there was "the substantial likelihood" that the plaintiffs the City of El Paso and the Border Network for Human Rights, represented by Protect Democracy, lacked legal standing and that the Supreme Court had earlier stayed a similar injunction.
The sole dissenting voice, Judge Stephen Higginson, said that while he agrees there is substantial merit to the case, he doesn't believe the Trump administration has proven the stay is causing the government harm as it has claimed.
"Although I agree with my colleagues that this matter presents 'a substantial case on the merits' and involves a 'serious legal question,' ... I am unable to agree, without focused panel deliberation and discussion -- possibly aided by dialogue with counsel -- that the government presently has shown either a likelihood of success on the merits or irreparable harm in the absence of a stay. Therefore, I dissent," he wrote.
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The decision follows President Donald Trump last February declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border and reallocating money from the military to build a border wall after he was denied billions he requested for inclusion in the federal budget to do so.
A court ruled in October that the national emergency declaration and the reallocation of funds was unlawful with an injunction issued two months later.
On Dec. 16, the Trump administration requested that the injunction be lifted as it would cause "substantial and irreparable harm to the government and public interest in border security and drug interdiction."
Protect Democracy said Wednesday's ruling was "unfortunate."
"A court has already determined that the government can't lawfully use military construction funds to build Trump's border wall," Protect Democracy lawyer Kristy Parker said in a statement. "It's unfortunate that the people of El Paso will continue to suffer harm while the government appeals, but we're confident that we'll prevail again in this next stage of litigation."


upi--2020-01-08--Orioles reliever Miguel Castro robbed at gunpoint: 'They wanted to kill me'

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- Miguel Castro , a 25-year-old relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles , announced on social media that he was robbed at gunpoint in his native Dominican Republic .
In an Instagram post written in Spanish on Tuesday , Castro said he was attacked and robbed by two people over his chain .
The reliever , who was on his way to train , wrote that he 's `` alive by the mercy of God . ''
`` Thank God that their gun got jammed , '' a translation of the post read .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God .
`` This has to stop .
They took my chain and they wanted to kill me .
It 's unbelievable , I was at a training field trying to help those who want to make it to the big leagues and these two guys jumped on me to take my chain with also the intention of putting a bullet in me .
This has to stop . ''
In a statement released Tuesday night , Orioles general manager Mike Elias said the organization has been in contact with Castro about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very thankful that he is safe . ''
The agency that represents Castro also issued a statement following the incident , saying : `` Miguel is safe .
He is shaken .
He feels extremely blessed and fortunate to still be alive and thanks everyone for their support .
He will continue to use his platform to be a role model . ''
Castro made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in April 2015 .
After a short stint with the Colorado Rockies , the right-hander has spent the last three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 1-3 record and 4.66 ERA in 65 appearances with Baltimore last season .

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Miguel Castro said he was robbed by two people at gunpoint in his native Dominican Republic. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Miguel Castro, a 25-year-old relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, announced on social media that he was robbed at gunpoint in his native Dominican Republic. In an Instagram post written in Spanish on Tuesday, Castro said he was attacked and robbed by two people over his chain. The reliever, who was on his way to train, wrote that he's "alive by the mercy of God." Advertisement
"Thank God that their gun got jammed," a translation of the post read. "I'm alive by the mercy of God.
"This has to stop. They took my chain and they wanted to kill me. It's unbelievable, I was at a training field trying to help those who want to make it to the big leagues and these two guys jumped on me to take my chain with also the intention of putting a bullet in me. This has to stop."
In a statement released Tuesday night, Orioles general manager Mike Elias said the organization has been in contact with Castro about the incident in La Romana and are "very thankful that he is safe."
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The agency that represents Castro also issued a statement following the incident, saying: "Miguel is safe. He is shaken. He feels extremely blessed and fortunate to still be alive and thanks everyone for their support. He will continue to use his platform to be a role model."
Castro made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in April 2015. After a short stint with the Colorado Rockies, the right-hander has spent the last three seasons with the Orioles.
Castro posted a 1-3 record and 4.66 ERA in 65 appearances with Baltimore last season.


upi--2020-01-08--Milwaukee Brewers extend manager Craig Counsell through 2023 season

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- The Milwaukee Brewers awarded manager Craig Counsell with a three-year contract extension , the club announced Wednesday .
The extension will keep Counsell , who was entering the final year of his contract , with the Brewers through the 2023 season .
`` Look , you know this job does n't have much security .
That 's what it tells you , right ? ''
Counsell told reporters Wednesday .
`` I think we 've taken steps to put the franchise in a good place , and that 's going to be the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good place and to keep us contending for playoff appearances and World Series titles .
`` That 's our mission going forward , and hopefully with some stability , that helps us do that . ''
Counsell , 49 , was hired to replace former manager Ron Roenicke in May 2015 .
After two seasons rebuilding , Counsell became the first manager in franchise history to guide the Brewers to consecutive postseason appearances .
Milwaukee posted a 96-67 record in 2018 and won the National League Central title .
The Brewers reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that season , losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers .
Counsell finished second in NL Manager of the Year voting in each of the past two seasons .
He is 405-381 in the regular season with the Brewers since taking over .

Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell had one season remaining on his contract. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- The Milwaukee Brewers awarded manager Craig Counsell with a three-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday. The extension will keep Counsell, who was entering the final year of his contract, with the Brewers through the 2023 season. Advertisement
"Look, you know this job doesn't have much security. That's what it tells you, right?" Counsell told reporters Wednesday. "I think we've taken steps to put the franchise in a good place, and that's going to be the job moving forward -- to keep it in a good place and to keep us contending for playoff appearances and World Series titles.
"That's our mission going forward, and hopefully with some stability, that helps us do that."
Counsell, 49, was hired to replace former manager Ron Roenicke in May 2015. After two seasons rebuilding, Counsell became the first manager in franchise history to guide the Brewers to consecutive postseason appearances.
Manager Craig Counsell has been signed to a 3-year contract extension through the 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/Xlsq7gCaOI— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) January 8, 2020
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Milwaukee posted a 96-67 record in 2018 and won the National League Central title. The Brewers reached Game 7 of the NL Championship Series that season, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Counsell finished second in NL Manager of the Year voting in each of the past two seasons. He is 405-381 in the regular season with the Brewers since taking over.


upi--2020-01-08--HHS declares public health emergency in earthquake-rattled Puerto Rico

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico after the island was shaken by two significant earthquakes in two days .
The declaration allows health care facilities in Puerto Rico the flexibility to ensure sufficient health care and services are available to meet the needs of individuals involved in plans such as Medicare , Medicaid and Children 's Health Insurance Program .
`` We are concerned about potential impacts of this week 's earthquakes on the lives of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico .
Across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory 's health and human services authorities on disaster recovery and will continue to do everything we can to help ensure the health and well-being of people across the island , '' said Azar .
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also activated the Disaster Distress Helpline in the U.S. territory , which provides 24/7 counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters .
The scientific agency of the federal government also said Wednesday that it 's sending sensing and monitoring equipment to Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geological Survey 's National Earthquake Information Center said it will deploy new probes to supplement seismometers already in the U.S. territory as part of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network .
The USGS said the monitors should be operational by the end of this week and improve the agency 's ability `` to characterize and forecast earthquakes , which will help protect lives and property . ''
The center already works with the Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program at the University of Puerto Rico in collecting seismic data .
Puerto Rico was shaken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 5.8 and 6.4 , respectively .
A smaller magnitude-4.2 quake was recorded 10 miles southeast of Guanica on Wednesday .
At least one person died following Tuesday 's event , which also triggered an island-wide power outage and damaged roads and bridges .
The White House said Wednesday President Donald Trump approved an emergency for Puerto Rico , and ordered federal aid to help recovery efforts due to earthquakes that have hit the island since late December .
The action authorizes the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to @ @ @ @

A bicyclist passes houses buckled by a magnitude-6.4 earthquake that shook Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday. Photo by Thais Llorca/EPA-EFE
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico after the island was shaken by two significant earthquakes in two days. The declaration allows health care facilities in Puerto Rico the flexibility to ensure sufficient health care and services are available to meet the needs of individuals involved in plans such as Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program. Advertisement
"We are concerned about potential impacts of this week's earthquakes on the lives of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico. Across HHS, we have worked closely with the territory's health and human services authorities on disaster recovery and will continue to do everything we can to help ensure the health and well-being of people across the island," said Azar.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also activated the Disaster Distress Helpline in the U.S. territory, which provides 24/7 counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
The scientific agency of the federal government also said Wednesday that it's sending sensing and monitoring equipment to Puerto Rico after the earthquakes.
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The U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center said it will deploy new probes to supplement seismometers already in the U.S. territory as part of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network.
The USGS said the monitors should be operational by the end of this week and improve the agency's ability "to characterize and forecast earthquakes, which will help protect lives and property."
The center already works with the Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program at the University of Puerto Rico in collecting seismic data.
Puerto Rico was shaken by two earthquakes Monday and Tuesday with magnitudes of 5.8 and 6.4, respectively. A smaller magnitude-4.2 quake was recorded 10 miles southeast of Guanica on Wednesday.
At least one person died following Tuesday's event, which also triggered an island-wide power outage and damaged roads and bridges.
The White House said Wednesday President Donald Trump approved an emergency for Puerto Rico, and ordered federal aid to help recovery efforts due to earthquakes that have hit the island since late December. The action authorizes the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts.


upi--2020-01-08--Vikings add Adam Thielen to injury report with ankle issue; Stefon Diggs sits out

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered an ankle injury that limited him in Wednesday 's practice , while fellow wideout Stefon Diggs sat out for a second straight day .
Thielen , whose overtime reception set up the Vikings ' game-winning touchdown during a 26-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Sunday 's NFC wild-card game , was on the field with the team for the beginning of the workout .
Thielen was added to Minnesota 's official injury report after practice , indicating that he was hurt during Wednesday 's session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't expected to impact his availability for Saturday 's NFC divisional game against the San Francisco 49ers .
The sixth-year wideout was n't listed on the Vikings ' injury report Tuesday .
According to ESPN , his official status for Saturday 's matchup will be determined on the final injury report Thursday .
Thielen , a two-time Pro Bowl selection , was sidelined for close to half of the regular season because of a hamstring injury .
He recorded seven catches for 129 yards in the Vikings ' win over the Saints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice for the second consecutive time because of an illness .
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Wednesday that `` he 'll be fine . ''
Minnesota was also without safety Jayron Kearse and nickel cornerback Mackensie Alexander on Wednesday .

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen snags a 43-yard pass during overtime against the New Orleans Saints during the NFC wild-card game Sunday in New Orleans. Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered an ankle injury that limited him in Wednesday's practice, while fellow wideout Stefon Diggs sat out for a second straight day. Thielen, whose overtime reception set up the Vikings' game-winning touchdown during a 26-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Sunday's NFC wild-card game, was on the field with the team for the beginning of the workout. Advertisement
Thielen was added to Minnesota's official injury report after practice, indicating that he was hurt during Wednesday's session. According to ESPN, the injury isn't expected to impact his availability for Saturday's NFC divisional game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The sixth-year wideout wasn't listed on the Vikings' injury report Tuesday. According to ESPN, his official status for Saturday's matchup will be determined on the final injury report Thursday.
Thielen, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, was sidelined for close to half of the regular season because of a hamstring injury. He recorded seven catches for 129 yards in the Vikings' win over the Saints last week.
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Meanwhile, Diggs missed practice for the second consecutive time because of an illness. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Wednesday that "he'll be fine."
Minnesota was also without safety Jayron Kearse and nickel cornerback Mackensie Alexander on Wednesday.


upi--2020-01-08--Short-form video streaming service Quibi to launch in April

Jan. 8 ( UPI ) -- Executives for the upcoming streaming platform Quibi announced the price and other details about the service at CES on Wednesday .
Quibi , which is short for `` quick bits '' will provide short-form videos ranging from 4 minutes to 10 minutes when it launches on April 6 and will cost $ 4.99 per month with 2.5 minutes of ads or $ 7.99 per month for an ad-free version .
`` Today we are living through another revolution in entertainment , this time on our mobile phones , '' Quibi CEO Meg Whitman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network capability mean that we now have billions of users watching billions of hours of content every day on their mobile phones . ''
Quibi has raised more than $ 1 billion in venture funding and has secured deals with Oscar-winning directors Steven Spielberg , Guillermo del Toro and Steven Soderbergh , celebrities including Reese Witherspoon , Bill Murray and Chrissy Teigen as well as studios such as BBC , ESPN and NBC News to produce content including movies broken into smaller chapters , serialized shows and news reports .
The platform plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and offer 3 hours of new content each day .
`` Mobile phones are the most highly democratized platforms for entertainment we 've ever seen , '' said founder Jeffrey Katzenberg .
`` As 5G ramps up network speed , consumers will watch even more . ''
Quibi has made deals with Google Cloud for its streaming technology and with T-Mobile , which will bundle the service in with plans for its subscribers .
It has also signed on with 10 advertising partners for the launch including Procter & Gamble , Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Progressive .

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CEO Meg Whitman addresses members of the media during the Quibi Keynote at the 2020 International CES, at the Park MGM Theatre in Las Vegas. Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Executives for the upcoming streaming platform Quibi announced the price and other details about the service at CES on Wednesday. Quibi, which is short for "quick bits" will provide short-form videos ranging from 4 minutes to 10 minutes when it launches on April 6 and will cost $4.99 per month with 2.5 minutes of ads or $7.99 per month for an ad-free version. Advertisement
"Today we are living through another revolution in entertainment, this time on our mobile phones," Quibi CEO Meg Whitman said. "Innovations in mobile technology and network capability mean that we now have billions of users watching billions of hours of content every day on their mobile phones."
Quibi has raised more than $1 billion in venture funding and has secured deals with Oscar-winning directors Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro and Steven Soderbergh, celebrities including Reese Witherspoon, Bill Murray and Chrissy Teigen as well as studios such as BBC, ESPN and NBC News to produce content including movies broken into smaller chapters, serialized shows and news reports.
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The platform plans to release 8,500 episodes in its first year and offer 3 hours of new content each day.
"Mobile phones are the most highly democratized platforms for entertainment we've ever seen," said founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. "As 5G ramps up network speed, consumers will watch even more."
Quibi has made deals with Google Cloud for its streaming technology and with T-Mobile, which will bundle the service in with plans for its subscribers.
It has also signed on with 10 advertising partners for the launch including Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Pepsi, Google, Anheuser Busch and Progressive.
Tech highlights from CES 2020