upi--2020-01-29--Impeachment: Senators discuss Trump's motive in questioning phase of trial

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- With opening arguments completed , the Senate received an opportunity Wednesday to ask questions on both sides of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump .
Trump 's legal team on Tuesday finished defending the president against charges that he abused his power -- when he asked Ukraine last year to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden -- and obstructed the congressional investigation that followed .
Trump 's attorneys argued for an acquittal .
Democratic managers spent three days last week arguing why Trump 's conduct in withholding vital Ukrainian aid and pressing Kiev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his removal from office .
Republican Sens .
Susan Collins , Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney asked the first question in written form Wednesday : '' If President Trump had more than one motive for his alleged conduct , such as the pursuit of personal political advantage , rooting out corruption and the promotion of national interests , how should the Senate consider more than one motive in its assessment of article one ? ''
Deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin answered by saying the possibility of there being a public interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden `` destroys [ Democrats ' ] case '' that Trump did so only for personal political gain .
Under the rules for the questioning stage , the Senate will spend a total of 16 hours -- 8 hours for each side -- making inquiries of both sides .
Both sides have about 5 minutes to answer each question .
The phase should offer at least some insight as to the mindset of potential Republican `` swing '' voters .
Democrats need at least four Republican senators to side with them in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses and new evidence in the case .
That , and other motions , will receive a vote following the questioning phase .
Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Tex.
, asked whether it mattered if there was a quid pro quo between Trump and the Ukrainian government , to which Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz replied that it did not if the president believed that he was acting in the nation 's interest in making an effort to secure re-election .
`` If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment , '' Dershowitz said .
Senators were not allowed to speak during the weeklong opening arguments , and that was also the case Wednesday .
Senators ' queries were instead submitted in writing and read aloud by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts , who is presiding over the trial .
The process gives senators a chance to bring attention to aspects of the case they hope to highlight , but McConnell on Tuesday advised them to get right to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question period of the [ 1999 Bill ] Clinton trial , senators were thoughtful and brief with their questions , and the managers and counsel were succinct in their answers , '' he said .
`` I hope we can follow both of these examples during this time . ''
More than 150 questions were asked during Clinton 's trial more than 20 years ago .
Senate Republicans have largely opposed Democrats ' calls for witnesses and evidence , but some have indicated that position may soften after a New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from former national security adviser John Bolton about how Trump handled the aid to Ukraine and calls for Kiev to investigate Biden and his son .
The information , the report said , is contained in Bolton 's forthcoming book .
Trump denied the details of the Times report .
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , asked house managers if there is `` any way to render a verdict in this case without hearing from Bolton '' and lead House manager Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calf.
, said there was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a fair trial without witnesses and when you have a witness who is as plainly relevant as John Bolton , who goes to the heart of the most serious and egregious of the president 's misconduct , who has volunteered to come and testify -- to turn him away , to look the other way , I think is deeply at odds with being an impartial juror , '' Schiff said .
Philbin responded by saying the question at hand was not whether they would `` just hear one witness . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is : What is the precedent that is going to be set for what is the acceptable way for the House of Representatives to bring an impeachment of the president of the United States to this chamber and can it be done in a hurried , half-baked partisan fashion ? ''
Philbin said .
Lev Parnas , attended the impeachment trial Wednesday after a federal judge gave him permission to leave New York City .
The judge , though , declined to remove Parnas ' ankle GPS monitoring device , meaning it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate gallery .
Parnas and his business partner Igor Furman -- both associates of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani -- were arrested Oct. 9 and charged with conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud , making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsifying records as part of a supposed scheme to `` funnel foreign money to U.S .
candidates . ''
He 's accused of helping to pressure Ukraine to obtain negative information about former Vice President Biden and his son , Hunter Biden , who was on the board of Ukrainian energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joseph Bondy , said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer obtained tickets for the two to attend .
Trump and Giuliani have both said they have encouraged Ukraine to carry out the investigation into the Bidens .
They accused Joe Biden of pressuring Ukraine to fire Shokin , who was investigating Burisma .
Shokin 's successor , Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko told Bloomberg in May that the investigation into the company began before Hunter Biden joined the board , and he was n't specifically a target of the probe .

1/6
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell walks into the Senate chamber for the continuation of the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- With opening arguments completed, the Senate received an opportunity Wednesday to ask questions on both sides of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Trump's legal team on Tuesday finished defending the president against charges that he abused his power -- when he asked Ukraine last year to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden -- and obstructed the congressional investigation that followed. Advertisement
Trump's attorneys argued for an acquittal. Democratic managers spent three days last week arguing why Trump's conduct in withholding vital Ukrainian aid and pressing Kiev to investigate a political rival is grounds for his removal from office.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney asked the first question in written form Wednesday:
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"If President Trump had more than one motive for his alleged conduct, such as the pursuit of personal political advantage, rooting out corruption and the promotion of national interests, how should the Senate consider more than one motive in its assessment of article one?"
Deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin answered by saying the possibility of there being a public interest in the request for Ukraine to investigate Biden "destroys [Democrats'] case" that Trump did so only for personal political gain.
Under the rules for the questioning stage, the Senate will spend a total of 16 hours -- 8 hours for each side -- making inquiries of both sides. Both sides have about 5 minutes to answer each question.
The phase should offer at least some insight as to the mindset of potential Republican "swing" voters. Democrats need at least four Republican senators to side with them in their plan to file a motion to include witnesses and new evidence in the case. That, and other motions, will receive a vote following the questioning phase.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., asked whether it mattered if there was a quid pro quo between Trump and the Ukrainian government, to which Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz replied that it did not if the president believed that he was acting in the nation's interest in making an effort to secure re-election.
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"If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment," Dershowitz said.
Senators were not allowed to speak during the weeklong opening arguments, and that was also the case Wednesday. Senators' queries were instead submitted in writing and read aloud by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial.
The process gives senators a chance to bring attention to aspects of the case they hope to highlight, but McConnell on Tuesday advised them to get right to the point with their queries.
"During the question period of the [1999 Bill] Clinton trial, senators were thoughtful and brief with their questions, and the managers and counsel were succinct in their answers," he said. "I hope we can follow both of these examples during this time."
More than 150 questions were asked during Clinton's trial more than 20 years ago.
Senate Republicans have largely opposed Democrats' calls for witnesses and evidence, but some have indicated that position may soften after a New York Times report this week that detailed firsthand knowledge from former national security adviser John Bolton about how Trump handled the aid to Ukraine and calls for Kiev to investigate Biden and his son. The information, the report said, is contained in Bolton's forthcoming book. Trump denied the details of the Times report.
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Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., asked house managers if there is "any way to render a verdict in this case without hearing from Bolton" and lead House manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calf., said there was not.
"There's no way to have a fair trial without witnesses and when you have a witness who is as plainly relevant as John Bolton, who goes to the heart of the most serious and egregious of the president's misconduct, who has volunteered to come and testify -- to turn him away, to look the other way, I think is deeply at odds with being an impartial juror," Schiff said.
Philbin responded by saying the question at hand was not whether they would "just hear one witness."
"For this institution, the question is: What is the precedent that is going to be set for what is the acceptable way for the House of Representatives to bring an impeachment of the president of the United States to this chamber and can it be done in a hurried, half-baked partisan fashion?" Philbin said.
Lev Parnas, attended the impeachment trial Wednesday after a federal judge gave him permission to leave New York City. The judge, though, declined to remove Parnas' ankle GPS monitoring device, meaning it's unlikely he'll be allowed inside the Senate gallery.
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Parnas and his business partner Igor Furman -- both associates of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani -- were arrested Oct. 9 and charged with conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsifying records as part of a supposed scheme to "funnel foreign money to U.S. candidates." He's accused of helping to pressure Ukraine to obtain negative information about former Vice President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who was on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
Parnas' lawyer, Joseph Bondy, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer obtained tickets for the two to attend.
Trump and Giuliani have both said they have encouraged Ukraine to carry out the investigation into the Bidens. They accused Joe Biden of pressuring Ukraine to fire Shokin, who was investigating Burisma.
Shokin's successor, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko told Bloomberg in May that the investigation into the company began before Hunter Biden joined the board, and he wasn't specifically a target of the probe.


upi--2020-01-29--Pentagon releases names of Airmen killed in Afghanistan jet crash

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- The Pentagon released the names Wednesday of the two Air Force members who were killed in a jet crash in Afghanistan earlier this week .
Lt. Col. Paul K. Voss , 46 , of Yigo , Guam , and Capt .
Ryan S. Phaneuf , 30 , of Hudson , N.H. , died in the crash of a Bombardier E-11A aircraft in Ghazni Province , Afghanistan Monday .
Voss was assigned to Headquarters Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis , Virginia , and Phaneuf was assigned to the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause of the crash is under investigation , the Department of Defense said .
On Tuesday U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett announced via Twitter that U.S. Navy forces had recovered the remains of the two Airmen and recovered the aircraft flight data recorder , then destroyed the remnants of the aircraft .
`` It 's really hard to describe how sad we are at the loss of two great airmen , '' ACC commander Gen. Mike Holmes said .
`` Lt. Col. Paul Voss was our brother and teammate .
The men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put themselves in harm 's way , and I 'm thankful for great Americans like them .
Our thoughts and prayers are with their family members and our fellow airmen during this difficult time . ''

A turbine and part of the landing gear lie near the wreckage of a US Air Force E-11A plane on Tuesday, a day after it crashed in Deh Yak district of Ghazni, Afghanistan . The Pentagon has released the names of two Airmen who were killed in the crash. EPA-EFE/STR
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Pentagon released the names Wednesday of the two Air Force members who were killed in a jet crash in Afghanistan earlier this week. Lt. Col. Paul K. Voss, 46, of Yigo, Guam, and Capt. Ryan S. Phaneuf, 30, of Hudson, N.H., died in the crash of a Bombardier E-11A aircraft in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, Monday. Advertisement
Voss was assigned to Headquarters Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, and Phaneuf was assigned to the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the Department of Defense said.
On Tuesday, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett announced via Twitter that U.S. Navy forces had recovered the remains of the two Airmen and recovered the aircraft flight data recorder, then destroyed the remnants of the aircraft.
"It's really hard to describe how sad we are at the loss of two great airmen," ACC commander Gen. Mike Holmes said. "Lt. Col. Paul Voss was our brother and teammate. The men and women of our Air Force knowingly put themselves in harm's way, and I'm thankful for great Americans like them. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family members and our fellow airmen during this difficult time."
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Voss and Phaneuf are the third and fourth U.S. service members to be killed in Afghanistan this year after Staff Sgt. Ian P. McLaughlin, 29, and Pfc. Miguel A. Villalon, 21, were killed Jan. 11 when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar Province.


upi--2020-01-29--Lakers' Quinn Cook to change jersey number for Kobe, Gianna Bryant

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Quinn Cook will change his jersey number as a tribute to both Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter , Gianna .
League sources told ESPN and The Athletic on Wednesday that Cook is changing his uniform number from No .
2 to No .
28 .
The No .
8 represents Bryant , who famously wore No .
8 and No .
24 during his illustrious 20-year career with the Lakers .
The No .
2 honors Gianna , who wore the number in her youth basketball games .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
Bryant , 41 , and Gianna were among nine killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas , Calif .
The group was headed to Mamba Sports Academy , a facility that Bryant created and coached at , for a girls basketball game when their helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances .
There were no survivors .
Cook , who grew up a Lakers fan , visited the Bryant memorial that was set up on the L.A. Live plaza across the street from Staples Center on Monday .
He was seen next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his hands .
`` I 'm completely crushed .
I have n't cried this much or been in this much pain since I lost my dad in 2008 , '' Cook wrote on Instagram Monday .
`` [ Sunday ] I lost my hero , my idol , & the main reason my love for this game is where it is today .
Ca n't really process this but we all are devastated and heartbroken about what happened to my hero Kobe & his beautiful daughter Gianna . ''
As players and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cope with the tragedy , multiple players have started to informally retire Bryant 's jersey numbers as a tribute .
Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Orlando Magic swingman Terrence Ross both announced Tuesday they will switch from No .
8 .
Earlier this week , the Dallas Mavericks said the franchise will retire No .
24 in honor of Bryant .

Los Angeles Lakers guard Quinn Cook (L) will change his jersey number from No. 2 to No. 28. File Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Quinn Cook will change his jersey number as a tribute to both Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. League sources told ESPN and The Athletic on Wednesday that Cook is changing his uniform number from No. 2 to No. 28. Advertisement
The No. 8 represents Bryant, who famously wore No. 8 and No. 24 during his illustrious 20-year career with the Lakers. The No. 2 honors Gianna, who wore the number in her youth basketball games. She intended to play for UConn in the future.
Bryant, 41, and Gianna were among nine killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas, Calif. The group was headed to Mamba Sports Academy, a facility that Bryant created and coached at, for a girls basketball game when their helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances. There were no survivors.
Cook, who grew up a Lakers fan, visited the Bryant memorial that was set up on the L.A. Live plaza across the street from Staples Center on Monday. He was seen next to fans while clutching a Bryant jersey in his hands.
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"I'm completely crushed. I haven't cried this much or been in this much pain since I lost my dad in 2008," Cook wrote on Instagram Monday. "[Sunday] I lost my hero, my idol, & the main reason my love for this game is where it is today. Can't really process this but we all are devastated and heartbroken about what happened to my hero Kobe & his beautiful daughter Gianna."
As players and coaches from around the NBA attempt to cope with the tragedy, multiple players have started to informally retire Bryant's jersey numbers as a tribute.
Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Orlando Magic swingman Terrence Ross both announced Tuesday they will switch from No. 8. Earlier this week, the Dallas Mavericks said the franchise will retire No. 24 in honor of Bryant.


upi--2020-01-29--Americans evacuated from China screened for coronavirus, quarantined

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- All 195 people flown on a U.S. government-chartered plane from Hubei province in China have been screened for coronavirus and will remain at March Air Reserve Base for three days , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday .
The flight landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County , Calif. , around 11:00 a.m. EST , instead of its original destination , Ontario airport .
A team of 20 CDC officers met the aircraft to assess the health of the passengers .
All of the passengers were screened , monitored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then again during the flight , during a refueling stop in Anchorage , Alaska , and then after arrival in California .
Those flown from China have voluntarily agreed to stay at the base for three days for further evaluation and risk assessment , the CDC said , with those found to be at low risk for infection possibly permitted to leave early .
In a statement , CDC officials said they are working with the California Department of Public Health and Riverside County Public Health to transport any passengers exhibiting symptoms to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None have symptoms so far , all have been given assigned living quarters at the base and all have agreed to remain there voluntarily , '' said Nancy Messonnier , director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases .
The passengers had been trapped in the city of Wuhan , which the Chinese government effectively placed on lockdown last week .
Residents living near Ontario had expressed concerns over their safety after the U.S. State Department initially announced plans to use the airport for the charter flight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ though there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission of the 2019 novel coronavirus , or 2019 n-CoV , reported in the United States to date .
`` Expect more cases , '' Messonnier added .
`` Maybe travelers from Hubei or people who have had close contact with the five already confirmed cases . ''
The CDC currently has 165 people under investigation for possible infection , with 68 testing negative so far and the remainder either in transit to the CDC lab or still being tested .
The agency has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of the World Health Organization team investigating the outbreak , Messonnier said .
The move by U.S. officials follows a similar decision in Britain , where officials announced Wednesday that British citizens in Wuhan would be evacuated from the city and likely kept in quarantine at a military facility .
The exact location to be used was still to be determined as of this morning .
Also on Wednesday , Australia conducted a similar evacuation of more than 100 of its citizens from Wuhan , bringing them to Christmas Island , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national park , for evaluation and quarantine .
Governments are not the only entities making changes on the fly in response to 2019 n-CoV .
So far , 16 airlines have suspended or canceled flights to or from China , including Air Canada , Air India , Air Seoul , Air Tanzania , American , Asiana , Austrian , British Airways , Cathay Pacific , Finnair , IndiGo , JetStar , Lion Air , Lufthansa , Swiss International and United .
Apple , as part of its quarterly earnings announcement Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from China and temporarily closing one of its stores in the country .
Meanwhile , the city of Palo Alto , Calif. has cancelled its upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations due to coronavirus concerns .
Facebook has instructed employees to suspend non-essential travel to mainland China and told staffers who had recently returned from the country to work from home for an undetermined period of time .
Investment firm Goldman Sachs has issued similar directives , while automaker Ford has banned travel to , from and inside China , asking employees who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days after returning .
Meanwhile , Johnson & Johnson employees have been told they can only travel to China for `` business critical situations '' based on approval from senior leadership , according to reports .
The company has also asked staff returning from Hubei to work from home , at least temporarily .
Japanese automaker Nissan is reportedly also evacuating employees from its Wuhan-based facilities .
Semesters at Sea , a U.S.-based non-profit that places hundreds of students in foreign countries for educational exchanges each year , announced earlier this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excursion involving dozens of students from a planned port stop in Shanghai and , instead , extend the group 's planned stay in Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam , by six days .
`` The health and safety of our voyagers remains our first priority , '' the organization said in a statement .
`` Impacted students will receive additional information regarding the field class changes in the coming days .
Additional field programs in Ho Chi Minh City may be added to what is currently offered and voyagers will be informed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

80 people are dead and more than 2,700 cases have been confirmed in China, as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- All 195 people flown on a U.S. government-chartered plane from Hubei province in China have been screened for coronavirus and will remain at March Air Reserve Base for three days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The flight landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, Calif., around 11:00 a.m. EST, instead of its original destination, Ontario airport. Advertisement
A team of 20 CDC officers met the aircraft to assess the health of the passengers. All of the passengers were screened, monitored and evaluated before leaving China, and then again during the flight, during a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska, and then after arrival in California.
Those flown from China have voluntarily agreed to stay at the base for three days for further evaluation and risk assessment, the CDC said, with those found to be at low risk for infection possibly permitted to leave early.
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In a statement, CDC officials said they are working with the California Department of Public Health and Riverside County Public Health to transport any passengers exhibiting symptoms to a hospital for further evaluation.
"None have symptoms so far, all have been given assigned living quarters at the base and all have agreed to remain there voluntarily," said Nancy Messonnier, director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The passengers had been trapped in the city of Wuhan, which the Chinese government effectively placed on lockdown last week.
Residents living near Ontario had expressed concerns over their safety after the U.S. State Department initially announced plans to use the airport for the charter flight. Officials decided to change the itinerary even though there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission of the 2019 novel coronavirus, or 2019 n-CoV, reported in the United States to date.
"Expect more cases," Messonnier added. "Maybe travelers from Hubei or people who have had close contact with the five already confirmed cases."
The CDC currently has 165 people under investigation for possible infection, with 68 testing negative so far and the remainder either in transit to the CDC lab or still being tested.
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The agency has also been invited to send experts to China as part of the World Health Organization team investigating the outbreak, Messonnier said.
The move by U.S. officials follows a similar decision in Britain, where officials announced Wednesday that British citizens in Wuhan would be evacuated from the city and likely kept in quarantine at a military facility. The exact location to be used was still to be determined as of this morning.
Also on Wednesday, Australia unveiled a similar evacuation plan to fly its citizens from Wuhan to Christmas Island, a territory off its coast that includes a national park, for evaluation and quarantine.
Governments are not the only entities making changes on the fly in response to 2019 n-CoV.
So far, 16 airlines have suspended or canceled flights to or from China, including Air Canada, Air India, Air Seoul, Air Tanzania, American, Asiana, Austrian, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, IndiGo, JetStar, Lion Air, Lufthansa, Swiss International and United.
Apple, as part of its quarterly earnings announcement Tuesday, said it is restricting employee travel to and from China and temporarily closing one of its stores in the country. Meanwhile, the city of Palo Alto, Calif. has cancelled its upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations due to coronavirus concerns.
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Facebook has instructed employees to suspend non-essential travel to mainland China and told staffers who had recently returned from the country to work from home for an undetermined period of time.
Investment firm Goldman Sachs has issued similar directives, while automaker Ford has banned travel to, from and inside China, asking employees who had traveled there to quarantine themselves for 14 days after returning.
Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson employees have been told they can only travel to China for "business critical situations" based on approval from senior leadership, according to reports. The company has also asked staff returning from Hubei to work from home, at least temporarily.
Japanese automaker Nissan is reportedly also evacuating employees from its Wuhan-based facilities.
Semesters at Sea, a U.S.-based non-profit that places hundreds of students in foreign countries for educational exchanges each year, announced earlier this week that it had decided to divert an excursion involving dozens of students from a planned port stop in Shanghai and, instead, extend the group's planned stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, by six days.
"The health and safety of our voyagers remains our first priority," the organization said in a statement. "Impacted students will receive additional information regarding the field class changes in the coming days. Additional field programs in Ho Chi Minh City may be added to what is currently offered and voyagers will be informed when we have updates to share."


upi--2020-01-29--Dusty Baker agrees to short-term deal with Houston Astros to become manager

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Former Washington Nationals skipper Dusty Baker agreed to a short-term deal with the Houston Astros to become the club 's next manager .
League sources told ESPN and USA Today Sports on Wednesday that Baker and the Astros reached a one-year agreement .
The contract also includes a team option for the 2021 season .
Baker , 70 , will become the oldest manager in Major League Baseball in the upcoming season .
He last managed the Nationals in 2017 and ranks 15th in all-time victories with a 1,863-1,636 record across 22 seasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as a special adviser to San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer .
Baker , a three-time National League Manager of the Year , worked in both the baseball and business operations of the franchise .
During Baker 's managerial career , he guided the Giants ( 1993-2002 ) to an 840-715 overall record and the NL pennant in 2002 .
He then spent four seasons with the Chicago Cubs ( 2003-06 ) and six seasons with the Cincinnati Reds ( 2008-13 ) before a two-year stint in Washington ( 2016-17 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the playoffs this season , he would become the first manager in MLB history to guide five different clubs to the postseason .
Baker will replace A.J .
Hinch , who was fired along with general manager Jeff Luhnow on Jan. 13 after a league investigation discovered the Astros cheated during the regular season and postseason of their World Series-winning 2017 campaign .
According to MLB , the Astros used an illegal camera-based system to steal signs of opposing teams .
Before being fired , Hinch and Luhnow were suspended for one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's investigation .
The Astros were also fined $ 5 million and forced to forfeit multiple draft picks .

Former Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker, 70, will become the oldest manager in Major League Baseball this season. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Former Washington Nationals skipper Dusty Baker agreed to a short-term deal with the Houston Astros to become the club's next manager. League sources told ESPN and USA Today Sports on Wednesday that Baker and the Astros reached a one-year agreement. The contract also includes a team option for the 2021 season. Advertisement
Baker, 70, will become the oldest manager in Major League Baseball in the upcoming season. He last managed the Nationals in 2017 and ranks 15th in all-time victories with a 1,863-1,636 record across 22 seasons.
Since the 2018 season, Baker has served as a special adviser to San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer. Baker, a three-time National League Manager of the Year, worked in both the baseball and business operations of the franchise.
During Baker's managerial career, he guided the Giants (1993-2002) to an 840-715 overall record and the NL pennant in 2002. He then spent four seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2003-06) and six seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2008-13) before a two-year stint in Washington (2016-17).
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If Baker were to lead the Astros to the playoffs this season, he would become the first manager in MLB history to guide five different clubs to the postseason.
Baker will replace A.J. Hinch, who was fired along with general manager Jeff Luhnow on Jan. 13 after a league investigation discovered the Astros cheated during the regular season and postseason of their World Series-winning 2017 campaign. According to MLB, the Astros used an illegal camera-based system to steal signs of opposing teams.
Before being fired, Hinch and Luhnow were suspended for one season as a result of the league's investigation. The Astros were also fined $5 million and forced to forfeit multiple draft picks.


upi--2020-01-29--At least 11 injured in fire at California apartment complex

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- At least 11 people were injured in a fire at a 25-story apartment building in Los Angeles , fire officials said Wednesday .
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt .
Erik Scott said the most serious cases were both 30-year-old males , one of whom was in grave condition and another in critical condition .
Nine other people , including a 3-month-old infant , were treated for smoke inhalation and burns .
The fire broke out at the Barrington Plaza apartment complex at around 8:30 a.m. and was contained just before 10 a.m. Scott said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 to 1,000 patients were evacuated .
LAFD Deputy Chief Armando Hogan said 15 other people were rescued by helicopters off of the roof and flown to the West L.A. Veterans Affairs Medical Center helipad .
At the height of the blaze four LAFD rescue helicopters and 335 firefighters were deployed to the area .
Hogan said crews had been fighting a separate fire at a 26-story building three blocks away when they noticed flames coming from a balcony on the sixth floor of the Barrington Plaza .
Arson investigators are working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known but LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said it appeared to be suspicious .

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- At least 11 people were injured in a fire at a 25-story apartment building in Los Angeles, fire officials said Wednesday.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said the most serious cases were both 30-year-old males, one of whom was in grave condition and another in critical condition. Nine other people, including a 3-month-old infant, were treated for smoke inhalation and burns.
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The fire broke out at the Barrington Plaza apartment complex at around 8:30 a.m. and was contained just before 10 a.m.
Scott said the building contains 240 units and that 500 to 1,000 patients were evacuated.
LAFD Deputy Chief Armando Hogan said 15 other people were rescued by helicopters off of the roof and flown to the West L.A. Veterans Affairs Medical Center helipad.
At the height of the blaze four LAFD rescue helicopters and 335 firefighters were deployed to the area.
Hogan said crews had been fighting a separate fire at a 26-story building three blocks away when they noticed flames coming from a balcony on the sixth floor of the Barrington Plaza.
Arson investigators are working to determine whether the two fires are related.
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The cause of the blaze was not immediately known but LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said it appeared to be suspicious.


upi--2020-01-29--Roger Goodell on low minority hiring in NFL: 'We need to change'

MIAMI , Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday the league needs to modify a key rule to encourage more hiring of minority head coaches and front office executives .
Goodell was in Miami to help oversee preparations for Sunday 's Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers .
`` Clearly , we are not where we want to be on this level , '' Goodell said at his annual state of the league address at the Hilton Miami Downtown .
`` We have a lot of work that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but our policies overall .
It 's clear we need to change and do something different . ''
The Rooney Rule requires each franchise to interview at least one minority candidate for open head coach and front office positions .
No black head coaching candidate came aboard during the NFL 's most-recent hiring cycle , following the 2019 regular season .
Only two minority general managers lead NFL teams .
Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores , Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn are the only black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Carolina Panthers fired Ron Rivera , who is Hispanic , in December .
The Washington Redskins hired Rivera Jan. 1 , increasing the league 's minority head coach total to four .
A record eight minority head coaches led NFL teams at the start of the 2017 season , while about 70 percent of the players in the league are black .
`` I think it 's weird when they say minority coaching candidates are n't getting jobs because we 're [ NFL players ] majority African American and minority people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night .
`` These coaches would be among our majority .
And for these coaches not to get jobs ?
Minority players in our league are getting jobs . ''
NFL teams hired a total of 36 head coaches , offensive coordinators , defensive coordinators and general managers between Feb. 5 , 2018 , and Feb. 3 , 2019 , with just six minority candidates receiving those jobs .
It has also been harder for minority head coaches to find NFL jobs after their first head coaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Report .
Since the start of the 1963 season , 112 white candidates have been hired as a head coach , offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator after one year of previous experience as an NFL head coach compared to 18 minority candidates with one year of head coach experience .
In that same time frame , 24 white candidates , were hired for those same positions after serving twice as an NFL head coach compared to only three minorities with that experience .
Goodell 's comments came almost exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 2019 state of the league address that the NFL does n't `` look at the success or failure of the Rooney Rule in one-year increments . ''
`` There 's no reason to expect we 're going to have a different outcome [ of hires ] next year without those kinds of changes , and we 've already begun engaging in those changes , '' Goodell said Wednesday .
`` Not just with our diversity committee , not just with the Fritz Pollard Alliance , but others .
And trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would lead to better outcomes .
The Fritz Pollard Alliance is an an advocacy group that works to increase minority representation in NFL front offices , coaching staffs and scouting departments .
Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue formed the NFL 's first diversity committee , composed of team owners , in 2002 .
The committee was formed after late attorney attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. criticized in a report the league 's hiring practices related to black head coaches .
Cochran also threatened to sue the NFL .
More than 20 franchises have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rule was established in 2003 .
The rule was named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney , who also was chairman of the league 's diversity committee .
Steelers owner Art Rooney II , Dan Rooney 's son , told NFL Network on Jan. 14 that the league is not in the right place when it comes to its number of minority coaches .
`` I think where we are right now is not where we want to be , not where we need to be , '' Rooney said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and look at what 's happening with our hiring processes . ''

1/2
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday in Miami that the league is not where it "wants to be" as far as minority candidates being hired for front offices and head coach jobs. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
MIAMI, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday the league needs to modify a key rule to encourage more hiring of minority head coaches and front office executives. Goodell was in Miami to help oversee preparations for Sunday's Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Advertisement
"Clearly, we are not where we want to be on this level," Goodell said at his annual state of the league address at the Hilton Miami Downtown. "We have a lot of work that's gone into not only the Rooney Rule, but our policies overall. It's clear we need to change and do something different."
The Rooney Rule requires each franchise to interview at least one minority candidate for open head coach and front office positions.
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No black head coaching candidate came aboard during the NFL's most-recent hiring cycle, following the 2019 regular season. Only two minority general managers lead NFL teams.
Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn are the only black head coaches in the 32-team league. The Carolina Panthers fired Ron Rivera, who is Hispanic, in December. The Washington Redskins hired Rivera Jan. 1, increasing the league's minority head coach total to four.
A record eight minority head coaches led NFL teams at the start of the 2017 season, while about 70 percent of the players in the league are black.
"I think it's weird when they say minority coaching candidates aren't getting jobs because we're [NFL players] majority African American and minority people," San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night.
"These coaches would be among our majority. And for these coaches not to get jobs? Minority players in our league are getting jobs."
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NFL teams hired a total of 36 head coaches, offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators and general managers between Feb. 5, 2018, and Feb. 3, 2019, with just six minority candidates receiving those jobs.
It has also been harder for minority head coaches to find NFL jobs after their first head coaching opportunity, the league admitted in its 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Report.
Since the start of the 1963 season, 112 white candidates have been hired as a head coach, offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator after one year of previous experience as an NFL head coach compared to 18 minority candidates with one year of head coach experience.
In that same time frame, 24 white candidates, were hired for those same positions after serving twice as an NFL head coach compared to only three minorities with that experience.
Goodell's comments came almost exactly a year after he told reporters during his 2019 state of the league address that the NFL doesn't "look at the success or failure of the Rooney Rule in one-year increments."
"There's no reason to expect we're going to have a different outcome [of hires] next year without those kinds of changes, and we've already begun engaging in those changes," Goodell said Wednesday. "Not just with our diversity committee, not just with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, but others. And trying to figure out what steps we could take next that would lead to better outcomes.
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The Fritz Pollard Alliance is an an advocacy group that works to increase minority representation in NFL front offices, coaching staffs and scouting departments.
Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue formed the NFL's first diversity committee, composed of team owners, in 2002. The committee was formed after late attorney attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. criticized in a report the league's hiring practices related to black head coaches. Cochran also threatened to sue the NFL.
More than 20 franchises have hired minority head coaches since the Rooney Rule was established in 2003. The rule was named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who also was chairman of the league's diversity committee.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II, Dan Rooney's son, told NFL Network on Jan. 14 that the league is not in the right place when it comes to its number of minority coaches.
"I think where we are right now is not where we want to be, not where we need to be," Rooney said. "We need to take a step back and look at what's happening with our hiring processes."
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Miami prepares for Super Bowl LIV


upi--2020-01-29--U.N. warns of Islamic State's 'increasingly bold insurgent attacks'

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Though largely defeated in Iraq and Syria , the Islamic State militant group has reasserted itself in the region amid new leadership , the United Nations said in a report made public Wednesday .
The U.N .
Monitoring Team , which tracks Islamist terror threats , said the militant group has mounted `` increasingly bold insurgent attacks . ''
Leadership also has called for planning the breakout of IS fighters from detention facilities and the exploitation of weaknesses in security in Iraq and Syria .
The report , submitted to the U.N. Security Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership has changed with the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the succession of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi , much of the strategic direction of IS has n't .
`` The reduction of forces of the United States of America has raised concerns among member states regarding the ability of security forces currently active in the northeast of the Syrian Arab Republic to maintain adequate control over a restive population of detained ISIL fighters , as well as family members , numbering more than 100,000 , '' the report said , using an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials in August warned that though the Islamic State has lost much of its foothold in Iraq and Syria , the militant group was still a global threat with up to $ 300 million in its coffers .
The group has influence through a network of affiliates from West Africa to Southeast Asia .
Al-Qaida dominates Syria 's Idlib province , but also plays host to relocated IS fighters and their families .
And the U.N. report describes security in Iraq 's Anbar province as `` permissive , '' allowing for the movement @ @ @

The Islamic State terror organization killed at least 183 people, both combatants and civilians, in fighting and suicide bombings in southern Syria in July 2018. The United Nations said Islamic State attacks are increasing. File Photo courtesy of SANA/EPA-EFE
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Though largely defeated in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State militant group has reasserted itself in the region amid new leadership, the United Nations said in a report made public Wednesday. The U.N. Monitoring Team, which tracks Islamist terror threats, said the militant group has mounted "increasingly bold insurgent attacks." Leadership also has called for planning the breakout of IS fighters from detention facilities and the exploitation of weaknesses in security in Iraq and Syria. Advertisement
The report, submitted to the U.N. Security Council on Jan. 20, said that though leadership has changed with the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the succession of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, much of the strategic direction of IS hasn't.
"The reduction of forces of the United States of America has raised concerns among member states regarding the ability of security forces currently active in the northeast of the Syrian Arab Republic to maintain adequate control over a restive population of detained ISIL fighters, as well as family members, numbering more than 100,000," the report said, using an alternate acronym for IS.
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U.N. counterterrorism officials in August warned that though the Islamic State has lost much of its foothold in Iraq and Syria, the militant group was still a global threat with up to $300 million in its coffers.
The group has influence through a network of affiliates from West Africa to Southeast Asia.
Al-Qaida dominates Syria's Idlib province, but also plays host to relocated IS fighters and their families. And the U.N. report describes security in Iraq's Anbar province as "permissive," allowing for the movement of militants.


upi--2020-01-29--Scientists share highest resolution image of the sun's surface

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Scientists have released the first images captured by the National Science Foundation 's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope -- the highest-resolution images of the sun 's surface yet to be captured .
The record photographs , captured by the 4-meter solar telescope from the summit of Haleakala , Maui , in Hawaii , reveal a `` boiling '' pattern of intense turbulence within the plasma layer that encircles the sun .
The surface of the roiling plasma appears broken into cell-like panels .
Each of the panels contain cycles of convection , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then moving to the edges before sinking as it cools .
Scientists with the National Science Foundation expect the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope -- which features a 13-foot mirror , a record for solar telescopes -- to usher in a new era of solar science and provide fresh insights into the electromagnetic dynamics that fuel the sun 's most energetic phenomena .
`` Since NSF began work on this ground-based telescope , we have eagerly awaited the first images , '' France Córdova , director of the National Science Foundation , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can now share these images and videos , which are the most detailed of our sun to date . ''
`` NSF 's Inouye Solar Telescope will be able to map the magnetic fields within the sun 's corona , where solar eruptions occur that can impact life on Earth , '' Córdova said .
`` This telescope will improve our understanding of what drives space weather and ultimately help forecasters better predict solar storms . ''
Observations made by the Inouye Solar Telescope will help scientists study the behavior of the highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sun 's plasma .
By modeling the electromagnetic process playing out on the sun 's surface , researchers hope to improve their ability to predict space weather .
More accurate space weather predictions can help engineers better protect satellite communication systems and power grids from interference .
While the accuracy of terrestrial weather forecasting continues to improve , scientists have struggled to improve the best space weather models .
`` Our predictions lag behind terrestrial weather by 50 years , if not more , '' said Matt Mountain , president of the Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which manages the new Hawaiian telescope .
`` What we need is to grasp the underlying physics behind space weather , and this starts at the sun , which is what the Inouye Solar Telescope will study over the next decades . ''
The new telescope can capture the intricacies of the sun 's tiny panels of electromagnetic energy in greater detail than ever before .
These intricacies could hold the secrets to the processes that power phenomena like sunspots and solar flares .
`` It 's all about the magnetic field , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Inouye Solar Telescope .
`` To unravel the sun 's biggest mysteries , we have to not only be able to clearly see these tiny structures from 93 million miles away but very precisely measure their magnetic field strength and direction near the surface and trace the field as it extends out into the million-degree corona , the outer atmosphere of the sun . ''
The construction of the Inouye Solar Telescope was no easy feat .
The massive mirror produces a lot of heat .
Engineers had to construct seven miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expansive observatory .
`` The focus of the telescope mirror is hot enough to melt metal within a short time , '' Rimmele said .
`` To deal with these heat problems we make the equivalent of a swimming pool full of ice every night to provide cooling for the optics and structure during the day . ''

The broke appearance of the roiling plasma on the surface of the sun resemble a collection of cell-like panels. Each of the panels is roughly the size of Texas. Photo by NSO/AURA/NSF
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Scientists have released the first images captured by the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope -- the highest-resolution images of the sun's surface yet to be captured. The record photographs, captured by the 4-meter solar telescope from the summit of Haleakala, Maui, in Hawaii, reveal a "boiling" pattern of intense turbulence within the plasma layer that encircles the sun. The surface of the roiling plasma appears broken into cell-like panels. Advertisement
Each of the panels contain cycles of convection, with the hottest plasma rising to the center and then moving to the edges before sinking as it cools.
Scientists with the National Science Foundation expect the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope -- which features a 13-foot mirror, a record for solar telescopes -- to usher in a new era of solar science and provide fresh insights into the electromagnetic dynamics that fuel the sun's most energetic phenomena.
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"Since NSF began work on this ground-based telescope, we have eagerly awaited the first images," France Córdova, director of the National Science Foundation, said in a news release. "We can now share these images and videos, which are the most detailed of our sun to date."
"NSF's Inouye Solar Telescope will be able to map the magnetic fields within the sun's corona, where solar eruptions occur that can impact life on Earth," Córdova said. "This telescope will improve our understanding of what drives space weather and ultimately help forecasters better predict solar storms."
Observations made by the Inouye Solar Telescope will help scientists study the behavior of the highly variable magnetic fields that flow through the sun's plasma. By modeling the electromagnetic process playing out on the sun's surface, researchers hope to improve their ability to predict space weather. More accurate space weather predictions can help engineers better protect satellite communication systems and power grids from interference.
While the accuracy of terrestrial weather forecasting continues to improve, scientists have struggled to improve the best space weather models.
"Our predictions lag behind terrestrial weather by 50 years, if not more," said Matt Mountain, president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, which manages the new Hawaiian telescope. "What we need is to grasp the underlying physics behind space weather, and this starts at the sun, which is what the Inouye Solar Telescope will study over the next decades."
Advertisement
The new telescope can capture the intricacies of the sun's tiny panels of electromagnetic energy in greater detail than ever before. These intricacies could hold the secrets to the processes that power phenomena like sunspots and solar flares.
"It's all about the magnetic field," said Thomas Rimmele, director of the Inouye Solar Telescope. "To unravel the sun's biggest mysteries, we have to not only be able to clearly see these tiny structures from 93 million miles away but very precisely measure their magnetic field strength and direction near the surface and trace the field as it extends out into the million-degree corona, the outer atmosphere of the sun."
The construction of the Inouye Solar Telescope was no easy feat. The massive mirror produces a lot of heat. Engineers had to construct seven miles of piping to pump coolant throughout the expansive observatory.
"The focus of the telescope mirror is hot enough to melt metal within a short time," Rimmele said. "To deal with these heat problems we make the equivalent of a swimming pool full of ice every night to provide cooling for the optics and structure during the day."
Advertisement


upi--2020-01-29--White House warned John Bolton's lawyer of classified information in book manuscript

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- The White House sent a letter to John Bolton 's lawyer saying the former national security advisor 's book contains classified information that must be removed before publishing .
In the letter , obtained by news outlets including NBC News and Politico , a National Security Council aide told Bolton 's lawyer , Charles Cooper , that a preliminary review of the manuscript appeared to contain `` significant amounts of classified information '' including some at the top-secret level .
`` Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information , '' the letter stated .
The letter was dated Jan. 23 , days before a New York Times report that a manuscript of Bolton 's book said President Donald Trump told Bolton that about $ 400 million in aid to Ukraine , at the center of his impeachment trial , would not be released until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden .
An attorney for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somehow obtained the contents of the book as a result of the review process .
Trump on Wednesday sent a series of tweets criticizing Bolton and describing the book as `` nasty and untrue . ''
He has also denied that the conversation with Bolton ever happened .
On Monday , at least two Republican senators indicated the report may persuade some key members of their party to allow witnesses to be called for Trump 's impeachment trial .

The White House sent a letter to former national security adviser John Bolton's lawyer warning that a manuscript of his book contains classified information from his time working in the Trump administration. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI. | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The White House sent a letter to John Bolton's lawyer saying the former national security advisor's book contains classified information that must be removed before publishing. In the letter, obtained by news outlets including NBC News and Politico, a National Security Council aide told Bolton's lawyer, Charles Cooper, that a preliminary review of the manuscript appeared to contain "significant amounts of classified information" including some at the top-secret level. Advertisement
"Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition for gaining access to classified information, the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information," the letter stated.
The letter was dated Jan. 23, days before a New York Times report that a manuscript of Bolton's book said President Donald Trump told Bolton that about $400 million in aid to Ukraine, at the center of his impeachment trial, would not be released until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
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An attorney for Bolton said it was clear the Times somehow obtained the contents of the book as a result of the review process.
Trump on Wednesday sent a series of tweets criticizing Bolton and describing the book as "nasty and untrue."
He has also denied that the conversation with Bolton ever happened.
On Monday, at least two Republican senators indicated the report may persuade some key members of their party to allow witnesses to be called for Trump's impeachment trial.


upi--2020-01-29--Lockheed nabs $185M to produce SEWIP systems for Navy

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Lockheed Martin was awarded a $ 185 million contract for production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Programs that defend the Navy 's aircraft carriers , cruisers and destroyers from missiles , the Pentagon announced .
The contract funds a one-year period but includes options that could extend the contract four additional years , for a potential cumulative value of $ 812 million .
The bulk of work -- 78 percent -- will take place at Lockheed 's worksite in Liverpool , New York , with the remaining 22 percent taking place in Lansdale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not intend to do any additional hiring to fulfill the contract , though the company recently held a job fair to recruit for up to 118 positions in upstate New York .
SEWIP is an upgrade to the existing AN/SLQ-32 ( V ) electronic warfare system , which provides Navy ships with protection from anti-ship missiles by upgrading early detection , analysis , and threat warning capabilities .
The systems entered full-rate production in September 2016 and in March 2017 Lockheed received a $ 98 million contract modification to continue producing SEWIP systems @ @ @ @

Lockheed Martin was awarded a $185 million deal to continue production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program systems for the U.S. Navy. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin was awarded a $185 million contract for production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Programs that defend the Navy's aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers from missiles, the Pentagon announced. The contract funds a one-year period but includes options that could extend the contract four additional years, for a potential cumulative value of $812 million. Advertisement
The bulk of work -- 78 percent -- will take place at Lockheed's worksite in Liverpool, New York, with the remaining 22 percent taking place in Lansdale, Penn.
Lockheed told syracuse.com it does not intend to do any additional hiring to fulfill the contract, though the company recently held a job fair to recruit for up to 118 positions in upstate New York.
SEWIP is an upgrade to the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system, which provides Navy ships with protection from anti-ship missiles by upgrading early detection, analysis, and threat warning capabilities.
The systems entered full-rate production in September 2016 and in March 2017 Lockheed received a $98 million contract modification to continue producing SEWIP systems for the Navy.


upi--2020-01-29--Chiefs confident against 49ers' running game game

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- The Kansas City Chiefs are confident they can handle the San Francisco 49ers ' dynamic running game entering Super Bowl LIV after collecting `` rent '' from Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry in the AFC Championship game .
Rent is a metaphorical payment for the effort players must put forth to have success against the Kansas City defense .
`` We were playing with swagger before [ stopping Henry ] and played with swagger after , '' Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark said .
`` We play with swagger when it 's all said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just another player .
He had to pay rent .
Everybody has to pay rent . ''
San Francisco had a first-round bye as the top seed in the NFC , but mashed Minnesota Vikings defenders for 186 rushing yards and two scores in their first playoff game .
They galloped over Green Bay Packers defenders for 285 yards and four touchdowns in the NFC Championship game .
Tevin Coleman led the attack against Minnesota , running for 105 yards and two scores .
Coleman dislocated his shoulder the next week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who then rumbled for 220 yards and four scores against the Packers .
Mostert set a franchise postseason record and had the second-highest rushing total in NFL playoffs history .
`` It 's a combination of the guys up front , the skill guys buying into it , [ 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan ] calling great plays and getting us into the right place , '' 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said .
`` It takes a whole team to run the ball , and we 've been doing pretty good at it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of the regular season before carrying his dominance into the postseason .
He published rushing totals of 182 yards and 195 yards before the Chiefs held the All-Pro to 69 yards in the AFC title game .
Part of the Chiefs ' strategy in Super Bowl LIV could be to sell out in defending the 49ers ' rushing attack , loading the area around the line of scrimmage with extra defenders and giving Garoppolo more control of the game as a passer .
The 49ers are 5-1 this season when they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 100 yards .
Balance has been the key ingredient in the rushing recipe , as Mostert , Coleman and Matt Breida each had two 100-yard performances this season .
The 49ers did not have a two-game stretch this season when the same running back ran for 100 yards in back-to-back contests .
Coleman 's shoulder injury could hamper his workload if he suits up for the Super Bowl .
Breida has n't had more than eight carries in a game since a Nov. 11 loss to the Seattle Seahawks .
Forcing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well for the Chiefs , as the 49ers are just 3-2 in games in which Garoppolo has 34 or more passing attempts this season .
Despite the statistical correlations , Chiefs coach Andy Reid is n't going into the game underestimating Garoppolo .
`` I would n't slight Jimmy because Jimmy can throw the ball if they need him to , '' Reid said .
`` Jimmy 's percentages , the passer rating over the last couple of years here , it 's up there , in really every situation .
`` So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as well as they make you honor every gap , every zone on the field , you ca n't slight the pass game either . ''
Shanahan pointed toward Garoppolo 's success on third downs in 2019 .
The 49ers had the fourth-best third-down conversion rate in the NFL this season .
Garoppolo completed 69.2 percent of his passes on third down in 2019 , the best in the NFL for quarterbacks with 50 or more pass attempts .
`` I 'd also say one thing you can always look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is you ca n't run the ball if you do n't do good on third down , '' Shanahan said .
`` Jimmy has been as good as anyone on third down this year .
When we needed him to bring us back at the end of games he 's done it . ''
The battle between the trenches of the offensive and defensive lines most likely will determine the outcome of Super Bowl LIV .
The 49ers maintaining a solid running game will keep Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes off of the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kyle Shanahan said Monday that playing the entire 60 minutes is vital in limiting the Kansas City quarterback and winning the game .
`` It 's still a huge challenge , '' Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones said of stopping the 49ers ' rushing attack .
`` They are so tricky and dynamic on offense .
The run game is a huge problem .
They scored like 30 points in the NFC Championship game while throwing the ball just eight times .
That shows you how pivotal it is to stop this run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trust our game plan and try to execute as much as we can . ''

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Coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs held Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry to 69 rushing yards in the AFC Championship game. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Kansas City Chiefs are confident they can handle the San Francisco 49ers' dynamic running game entering Super Bowl LIV after collecting "rent" from Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry in the AFC Championship game. Rent is a metaphorical payment for the effort players must put forth to have success against the Kansas City defense. Advertisement
"We were playing with swagger before [stopping Henry] and played with swagger after," Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark said. "We play with swagger when it's all said and done. ... [Henry] was just another player. He had to pay rent. Everybody has to pay rent."
San Francisco had a first-round bye as the top seed in the NFC, but mashed Minnesota Vikings defenders for 186 rushing yards and two scores in their first playoff game.
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They galloped over Green Bay Packers defenders for 285 yards and four touchdowns in the NFC Championship game. Tevin Coleman led the attack against Minnesota, running for 105 yards and two scores.
Coleman dislocated his shoulder the next week, handing the load to Raheem Mostert, who then rumbled for 220 yards and four scores against the Packers. Mostert set a franchise postseason record and had the second-highest rushing total in NFL playoffs history.
"It's a combination of the guys up front, the skill guys buying into it, [49ers coach Kyle Shanahan] calling great plays and getting us into the right place," 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. "It takes a whole team to run the ball, and we've been doing pretty good at it."
Henry punished defenders in the second half of the regular season before carrying his dominance into the postseason. He published rushing totals of 182 yards and 195 yards before the Chiefs held the All-Pro to 69 yards in the AFC title game.
Part of the Chiefs' strategy in Super Bowl LIV could be to sell out in defending the 49ers' rushing attack, loading the area around the line of scrimmage with extra defenders and giving Garoppolo more control of the game as a passer.
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The 49ers are 5-1 this season when they have had a running back run for at least 100 yards. Balance has been the key ingredient in the rushing recipe, as Mostert, Coleman and Matt Breida each had two 100-yard performances this season.
The 49ers did not have a two-game stretch this season when the same running back ran for 100 yards in back-to-back contests.
Coleman's shoulder injury could hamper his workload if he suits up for the Super Bowl. Breida hasn't had more than eight carries in a game since a Nov. 11 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Forcing the game into Garoppolo's hands could bode well for the Chiefs, as the 49ers are just 3-2 in games in which Garoppolo has 34 or more passing attempts this season. Despite the statistical correlations, Chiefs coach Andy Reid isn't going into the game underestimating Garoppolo.
Don't slight Garoppolo
"I wouldn't slight Jimmy because Jimmy can throw the ball if they need him to," Reid said. "Jimmy's percentages, the passer rating over the last couple of years here, it's up there, in really every situation.
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"So as well as they run the football, and as well as they make you honor every gap, every zone on the field, you can't slight the pass game either."
Shanahan pointed toward Garoppolo's success on third downs in 2019. The 49ers had the fourth-best third-down conversion rate in the NFL this season. Garoppolo completed 69.2 percent of his passes on third down in 2019, the best in the NFL for quarterbacks with 50 or more pass attempts.
"I'd also say one thing you can always look at quarterbacks regardless of how's it going is you can't run the ball if you don't do good on third down," Shanahan said. "Jimmy has been as good as anyone on third down this year. When we needed him to bring us back at the end of games he's done it."
The battle between the trenches of the offensive and defensive lines most likely will determine the outcome of Super Bowl LIV.
The 49ers maintaining a solid running game will keep Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes off of the field and control the clock. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that playing the entire 60 minutes is vital in limiting the Kansas City quarterback and winning the game.
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"It's still a huge challenge," Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones said of stopping the 49ers' rushing attack. "They are so tricky and dynamic on offense. The run game is a huge problem. They scored like 30 points in the NFC Championship game while throwing the ball just eight times. That shows you how pivotal it is to stop this run game.
"We are just going to trust our game plan and try to execute as much as we can."
Miami prepares for Super Bowl LIV


upi--2020-01-29--NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft recovering from glitch

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- The Voyager 2 spacecraft suffered a glitch over the weekend , according to a news release from NASA , but the probe is now recovering and will soon resume scientific activities .
`` Engineers for NASA 's Voyager 2 spacecraft are working to return the mission to normal operating conditions after one of the spacecraft 's autonomous fault protection routines was triggered , '' the space agency wrote in an update .
On Jan. 25 , Voyager 2 failed to make a scheduled 360 degree rotation , a maneuver that helps the probe calibrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused a pair of software programs that consume a lot of energy to run at the same time , overdrawing the probe 's power supply .
Thankfully , Voyager 2 's software was designed to accommodate such a failure .
The probe 's fault protection system triggered the shutoff of the spacecraft 's scientific instruments in order to conserve power .
On Tuesday , engineers successfully powered off one of the high-energy programs and turned back on the scientific instruments .
However , the probe 's suite of science instruments are n't yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now reviewing the status of the rest of the spacecraft and working on returning it to normal operations , '' NASA said .
Last fall , scientists confirmed that Voyager 2 had broken through the wall of hydrogen at the edge of the solar system and was speeding through interstellar space .
At last calculation , the probe was 119.7 astronomical units from the sun , or more than 11 billion miles from the center of the solar system .
Voyager 2 's predecessor , Voyager 1 , crossed the edge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probes were launched in 1977 .
During their epic journeys through the solar system , the two spacecraft studied a variety of planetary bodies .
Voyager 1 conducted flybys of Jupiter and Saturn , while Voyager 2 executed close encounters with Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus and Neptune .

The illustration shows NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft breaking through the wall of hydrogen at the edge of the heliosphere and entering interstellar space. Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Voyager 2 spacecraft suffered a glitch over the weekend, according to a news release from NASA, but the probe is now recovering and will soon resume scientific activities. "Engineers for NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft are working to return the mission to normal operating conditions after one of the spacecraft's autonomous fault protection routines was triggered," the space agency wrote in an update. Advertisement
On Jan. 25, Voyager 2 failed to make a scheduled 360 degree rotation, a maneuver that helps the probe calibrate its magnetic field instrument. The failure caused a pair of software programs that consume a lot of energy to run at the same time, overdrawing the probe's power supply.
Thankfully, Voyager 2's software was designed to accommodate such a failure. The probe's fault protection system triggered the shutoff of the spacecraft's scientific instruments in order to conserve power.
On Tuesday, engineers successfully powered off one of the high-energy programs and turned back on the scientific instruments. However, the probe's suite of science instruments aren't yet recording data.
"The team is now reviewing the status of the rest of the spacecraft and working on returning it to normal operations," NASA said.
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Last fall, scientists confirmed that Voyager 2 had broken through the wall of hydrogen at the edge of the solar system and was speeding through interstellar space. At last calculation, the probe was 119.7 astronomical units from the sun, or more than 11 billion miles from the center of the solar system.
Voyager 2's predecessor, Voyager 1, crossed the edge of the solar system in 2012.
Both Voyager probes were launched in 1977. During their epic journeys through the solar system, the two spacecraft studied a variety of planetary bodies. Voyager 1 conducted flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, while Voyager 2 executed close encounters with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.


upi--2020-01-29--Jude Law, Carrie Coon made a marriage story without divorce

PARK CITY , Utah , Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Jude Law and Carrie Coon play a married couple going through a rough patch in The Nest .
In light of films about divorce , from Kramer vs. Kramer to Marriage Story , these two actors wanted to portray a tumultuous relationship with hope of reconciliation .
`` We were both excited to play a couple who went through such drama and intense change , and yet were operating from a real bedrock of love , '' Law said at a question-and-answer session after the film 's premiere at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families survive these kind of journeys . ''
Rory O'Hara ( Law ) moves wife Allison ( Coon ) and their children ( Charlie Shotwell and Oona Roche ) to England in the 1980s to pursue a business opportunity .
Allison resists the move right away , and tension escalates when Rory 's job does n't pan out as he had hoped .
`` I have not seen many egalitarian marriages represented on stage , but those are the marriages that I experienced in my life : my parents , my grandparents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It was really exciting to see a couple where they had had these agreements that they made .
They had to keep remaking them and reinventing them or doubling down on them .
It just felt really true to me . ''
A Sundance audience member called Law 's character a modern-day Willy Loman , from Death of A Salesman .
Loman was a traveling salesman who lost income and ultimately his job in the play .
`` I like that , '' Law said .
`` I think you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on my press tour . '
I kind of see him as a modern Willie Loman . ''
Law agreed the comparison was apropos , because Rory put his own success over his family 's well-being .
Loman 's career also kept him at a distance from his wife and sons .
`` The right dreams would be that the family was happy and that they were really being listened to and recognized , '' Law said .
`` It would be more of a world in which he listens and perhaps attends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of whirlpool of aspirations that he gets sucked into . ''
The Nest is not just a movie about Rory and Allison arguing .
It also shows them making love passionately and taking pride in their children .
That 's why the stakes are so high when Allison begins to crack under the pressure of sustaining the house and Rory is not around to support her .
`` I think there are little moments at the beginning , certainly , where you realize there 's a lot of passion , a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Yet , they are full of faults , too .
Both really want the best for the family .
Sometimes you think something is the best for family and you 're so busy trying to achieve that that you take the eye off the family and the family falls apart . ''
Writer/director Sean Durkin returned to Sundance with The Nest after his 2011 film , Martha Marcy May Marlene .
Durkin said he made the film a period piece because he moved back and forth between the United States and England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt the adjustment for a family was more drastic then than it might be today .
`` Now , the two countries are much more seamless , '' Durkin said .
`` I wanted to make something about that , about what a move like that can do to a marriage and do to a family when you take everyone out of their routine and change the scenery .
These things bubble up . ''
The O'Haras move to a giant house in England that Rory ultimately can not afford .
Law suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the O'Haras ' turmoil .
`` I always had a feeling that the house took on a sort of personality , that it started to haunt them , '' Law said .

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Jude Law stars in the film, "The Nest," which opened at Sundance Film Festival. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Jude Law and Carrie Coon play a married couple going through a rough patch in The Nest. In light of films about divorce, from Kramer vs. Kramer to Marriage Story, these two actors wanted to portray a tumultuous relationship with hope of reconciliation. "We were both excited to play a couple who went through such drama and intense change, and yet were operating from a real bedrock of love," Law said at a question-and-answer session after the film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Advertisement
"Often families survive these kind of journeys."
Rory O'Hara (Law) moves wife Allison (Coon) and their children (Charlie Shotwell and Oona Roche) to England in the 1980s to pursue a business opportunity. Allison resists the move right away, and tension escalates when Rory's job doesn't pan out as he had hoped.
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"I have not seen many egalitarian marriages represented on stage, but those are the marriages that I experienced in my life: my parents, my grandparents, my own marriage," Coon said.
"It was really exciting to see a couple where they had had these agreements that they made. They had to keep remaking them and reinventing them or doubling down on them. It just felt really true to me."
A Sundance audience member called Law's character a modern-day Willy Loman, from Death of A Salesman. Loman was a traveling salesman who lost income and ultimately his job in the play.
"I like that," Law said. "I think you're going to see that quoted a lot on my press tour. 'I kind of see him as a modern Willie Loman.''
Law agreed the comparison was apropos, because Rory put his own success over his family's well-being. Loman's career also kept him at a distance from his wife and sons.
"The right dreams would be that the family was happy and that they were really being listened to and recognized," Law said. "It would be more of a world in which he listens and perhaps attends to their needs as opposed to the sort of whirlpool of aspirations that he gets sucked into."
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The Nest is not just a movie about Rory and Allison arguing. It also shows them making love passionately and taking pride in their children. That's why the stakes are so high when Allison begins to crack under the pressure of sustaining the house and Rory is not around to support her.
"I think there are little moments at the beginning, certainly, where you realize there's a lot of passion, a lot of love," Law said. "Yet, they are full of faults, too. Both really want the best for the family. Sometimes you think something is the best for family and you're so busy trying to achieve that that you take the eye off the family and the family falls apart."
Writer/director Sean Durkin returned to Sundance with The Nest after his 2011 film, Martha Marcy May Marlene. Durkin said he made the film a period piece because he moved back and forth between the United States and England in the '80s and '90s. He felt the adjustment for a family was more drastic then than it might be today.
"Now, the two countries are much more seamless," Durkin said. "I wanted to make something about that, about what a move like that can do to a marriage and do to a family when you take everyone out of their routine and change the scenery. These things bubble up."
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The O'Haras move to a giant house in England that Rory ultimately cannot afford. Law suggested that perhaps the house sowed the seeds of the O'Haras' turmoil.
"I always had a feeling that the house took on a sort of personality, that it started to haunt them," Law said.


upi--2020-01-29--Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- The Federal Reserve 's Open Market Committee agreed Wednesday to hold its benchmark funds rate at the current level in a unanimous vote .
The rate sets the standard for overnight lending by banks and also has effects on consumer debt .
It has remained at 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent since the second half of 2019 , following three rate reductions in the early part of the year .
The committee 's statement Wednesday noted that it encouraged a modest increase in the rate of inflation , in line with what it regards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It called its decision not to change the funds rate consistent with `` inflation returning to the committee 's symmetric 2 percent objective . ''
The committee 's typical statements refer to getting inflation nearer to the funds rate .
While inflation keeps prices low for consumers , the Federal Reserve is concerned that low inflation leads to below-normal interest rates that can not be reduced during economic downturns .
`` We wanted to underscore our commitment to 2 percent not being a ceiling , to inflation running symmetrically around 2 percent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below 2 percent , '' Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said after the decision .
The committee report , which followed the Federal Reserve 's two-day meeting , also characterized current consumer spending as `` moderate , '' compared to its assessment `` strong '' in December , and announced an increase in the interest paid on the excess reserve rate , or funds stored at the central bank .
While the benchmark rate was held steady , an adjustment was made to the interest paid on funds stored at the central bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five basis points to 1.6 percent .

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell anounced on Wednesday that the Open Market Committee's benchmark funds rate will remain unchanged. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee agreed Wednesday to hold its benchmark funds rate at the current level in a unanimous vote. The rate sets the standard for overnight lending by banks and also has effects on consumer debt. It has remained at 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent since the second half of 2019, following three rate reductions in the early part of the year. The committee's statement Wednesday noted that it encouraged a modest increase in the rate of inflation, in line with what it regards as healthy for a growing economy. It called its decision not to change the funds rate consistent with "inflation returning to the committee's symmetric 2 percent objective." Advertisement
The committee's typical statements refer to getting inflation nearer to the funds rate. While inflation keeps prices low for consumers, the Federal Reserve is concerned that low inflation leads to below-normal interest rates that cannot be reduced during economic downturns.
"We wanted to underscore our commitment to 2 percent not being a ceiling, to inflation running symmetrically around 2 percent and we're not satisfied with inflation running below 2 percent," Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said after the decision.
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The committee report, which followed the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting, also characterized current consumer spending as "moderate," compared to its assessment "strong" in December, and announced an increase in the interest paid on the excess reserve rate, or funds stored at the central bank.
While the benchmark rate was held steady, an adjustment was made to the interest paid on funds stored at the central bank, known as IOER, raising it five basis points to 1.6 percent.


upi--2020-01-29--Look: Rescued owl found to be too obese to fly

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Animal rescuers in Britain said an owl found stranded in a ditch was initially feared to be injured , but turned out to be merely too fat to fly .
The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary said a member of the public reported spotting a possibly injured owl stranded in a ditch a few weeks ago , but rescuers took the female bird for an examination and discovered she was n't injured , just overweight .
The sanctuary said the owl , who they named Plump , weighed 8.6 ounces , about 1/3 heavier than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her species .
Officials said they initially suspected Plump may have lived in captivity or received food from humans , but her eating habits at the sanctuary showed she prefers the dark mice she would feast on in the wild , indicating her weight is `` an unusual case of natural obesity . ''
The area where Plump was found was discovered by rescuers to have an unusually high population of mice and voles .
Plump was put on a two-week diet and lost nearly 1 1/2 ounces , enough to allow her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers in Britain said an owl found stranded in a ditch was initially feared to be injured, but turned out to be merely too fat to fly.
The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary said a member of the public reported spotting a possibly injured owl stranded in a ditch a few weeks ago, but rescuers took the female bird for an examination and discovered she wasn't injured, just overweight.
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The sanctuary said the owl, who they named Plump, weighed 8.6 ounces, about 1/3 heavier than the average weight for a healthy female of her species.
Officials said they initially suspected Plump may have lived in captivity or received food from humans, but her eating habits at the sanctuary showed she prefers the dark mice she would feast on in the wild, indicating her weight is "an unusual case of natural obesity."
The area where Plump was found was discovered by rescuers to have an unusually high population of mice and voles.
Plump was put on a two-week diet and lost nearly 1 1/2 ounces, enough to allow her to be released back into the wild.


upi--2020-01-29--Watch: Alligator caught window shopping outside Florida stores

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Police in Florida responded to a shopping center to apprehend an alligator spotted doing @ @ @ @ @ The Vero Beach Police Department said officers responded about 1:30 p.m. to a report of @ @ @ @ @ outside stores at a local shopping plaza .
The department shared a video of its @ @ @ @ @ reptile with help from two police officers .
The alligator was released into a nearby @ @

Police in Florida caught an alligator outside a shopping plaza and returned it to a nearby canal. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Police in Florida responded to a shopping center to apprehend an alligator spotted doing some afternoon window shopping. The Vero Beach Police Department said officers responded about 1:30 p.m. to a report of a 4-foot alligator wandering just outside stores at a local shopping plaza. Advertisement
The department shared a video of its animal control officer capturing the reptile with help from two police officers.
The alligator was released into a nearby canal.


upi--2020-01-29--Sen. Elizabeth Warren proposes criminal penalties for election disinformation

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday proposed implementing criminal and civil penalties for spreading election-related disinformation .
She laid out multiple ways she , as president , would work to stop the spread of false information online , specifically on social media .
The plan comes after multiple U.S. intelligence agencies and special counsel Robert Mueller determined Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election , mostly through the use of social media .
`` As the 2020 election approaches , Russian disinformation is not the only threat we face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news release .
`` The same tactics employed by the Russian government are just as easily accessible to domestic groups seeking to promote or oppose candidates and political or social issues . ''
Earlier this month , the elections czar of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that Russia wo n't be the only concern in the 2020 election -- China , Iran , North Korea and non-state `` hacktivists '' will also target American voters .
Shelby Pierson said this year 's efforts will be more sophisticated .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold technology companies -- Facebook , Twitter , Google , TikTok and Reddit -- responsible for their roles in spreading disinformation .
She called on each to take steps to fight false information by working with the government to share resources , clearly label state-created content , alert users to disinformation campaigns , create consequences for accounts that interfere with voting and open up data for research purposes .
Warren also called for clear consequences for those responsible for spreading disinformation .
`` In both the 2016 and 2018 elections , online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling people they could vote via text , giving people the wrong date for election day , and more , '' Warren said .
`` I will push for new laws that impose tough civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating this kind of information , which has the explicit purpose of undermining the basic right to vote . ''
For her own part , Warren promised her campaign wo n't knowingly spread false information or doctored images , promote content from fraudulent online accounts or allow staff or surrogates to do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are too high -- we need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy .
I 'll do my part -- and I 'm calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part too . ''

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., promised her presidential campaign won't knowingly involve itself in spreading false information or doctored images. Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday proposed implementing criminal and civil penalties for spreading election-related disinformation. She laid out multiple ways she, as president, would work to stop the spread of false information online, specifically on social media. The plan comes after multiple U.S. intelligence agencies and special counsel Robert Mueller determined Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, mostly through the use of social media. Advertisement
"As the 2020 election approaches, Russian disinformation is not the only threat we face online," Warren said in a news release. "The same tactics employed by the Russian government are just as easily accessible to domestic groups seeking to promote or oppose candidates and political or social issues."
Earlier this month, the elections czar of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that Russia won't be the only concern in the 2020 election -- China, Iran, North Korea and non-state "hacktivists" will also target American voters. Shelby Pierson said this year's efforts will be more sophisticated.
Among the key elements in her plan is to hold technology companies -- Facebook, Twitter, Google, TikTok and Reddit -- responsible for their roles in spreading disinformation. She called on each to take steps to fight false information by working with the government to share resources, clearly label state-created content, alert users to disinformation campaigns, create consequences for accounts that interfere with voting and open up data for research purposes.
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Warren also called for clear consequences for those responsible for spreading disinformation.
"In both the 2016 and 2018 elections, online disinformation sought to depress voter turnout by telling people they could vote via text, giving people the wrong date for election day, and more," Warren said. "I will push for new laws that impose tough civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating this kind of information, which has the explicit purpose of undermining the basic right to vote."
For her own part, Warren promised her campaign won't knowingly spread false information or doctored images, promote content from fraudulent online accounts or allow staff or surrogates to do so.
"The stakes of this election are too high -- we need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy. I'll do my part -- and I'm calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part too."


upi--2020-01-29--Watch: GFriend teases 'Crossroads' video

Jan. 29 ( UPI ) -- South Korean girl group GFriend is giving a glimpse of its new music video .
The K-pop stars shared a preview Wednesday of their video for the single `` Crossroads . ''
The teaser shows different shots of the GFriend members and a group scene around a campfire .
The preview ends with a shot of a glass ball , potentially a reference to GFriend 's debut single , `` Glass Bead . ''
`` Crossroads '' is the lead single from GFriend 's forthcoming EP , Labyrinth .
The group will release the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video Feb. 3 .
GFriend shared a tracklist for Labyrinth last week .
The album includes the songs `` Crossroads , '' `` Labyrinth , '' `` Here We Are , '' `` Eclipse , '' `` Dreamcatcher '' and `` From Me . ''
GFriend announced its comeback this month on its fifth anniversary as a group .
Labyrinth will be GFriend 's first release since its label , Source Music , was acquired by Big Hit Entertainment , the same agency as BTS .
GFriend consists of Sowon , Yerin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group is known for the singles `` Rough , '' `` Navillera , '' `` Love Whisper '' and `` Fever . ''

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- South Korean girl group GFriend is giving a glimpse of its new music video.
The K-pop stars shared a preview Wednesday of their video for the single "Crossroads."
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The teaser shows different shots of the GFriend members and a group scene around a campfire. The preview ends with a shot of a glass ball, potentially a reference to GFriend's debut single, "Glass Bead."
"Crossroads" is the lead single from GFriend's forthcoming EP, Labyrinth. The group will release the EP and the full "Crossroads" video Feb. 3.
GFriend shared a tracklist for Labyrinth last week. The album includes the songs "Crossroads," "Labyrinth," "Here We Are," "Eclipse," "Dreamcatcher" and "From Me."
GFriend announced its comeback this month on its fifth anniversary as a group. Labyrinth will be GFriend's first release since its label, Source Music, was acquired by Big Hit Entertainment, the same agency as BTS.
GFriend most recently released the Japanese album Fallin' Light.
GFriend consists of Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB and Umji. The group is known for the singles "Rough," "Navillera," "Love Whisper" and "Fever."