upi--2020-02-20--NFL owners approve terms of new collective bargaining agreement proposal

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- NFL owners approved the negotiated terms of a new collective bargaining agreement proposal between the league and the NFL Players Association , the NFL said in a statement Thursday .
All 32 NFL owners met Thursday in New York City for an update on the current CBA proposal .
With league ownership accepting the terms , the vote will be sent to the players union ahead of a potential agreement between the parties .
Three-fourths of the owners must agree to the collective bargaining agreement for it to be ratified .
According to ESPN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval but garnered enough support to pass .
The league 's statement Thursday read , `` Following more than ten months of intensive and thorough negotiations , the NFL Players and clubs have jointly developed a comprehensive set of new and revised terms that will transform the future of the game , provide for players -- past , present , and future -- both on and off the field , and ensure that the NFL 's second century is even better and more exciting for the fans .
`` The membership voted today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principal elements of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement .
The Players Association would also need to vote to approve the same terms for there to be a new agreement .
`` Since the clubs and players need to have a system in place and know the rules that they will operate under by next week , the membership also approved moving forward under the final year of the 2011 CBA if the players decide not to approve the negotiated terms .
Out of respect for the process and our partners at the NFLPA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this time . ''
NFLPA team player representatives and the players union 's executive council are expected to hold a conference call Friday to vote on whether to approve or deny the NFL owners ' proposal .
If two-thirds of the NFLPA 's player reps accept the terms , the proposal would advance to the next stage , in which all players in the league would vote and a simple majority would be needed to approve it .
According to an NFLPA memo obtained by ESPN and NFL Media , some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the elimination of any game suspensions for positive marijuana tests , a reduction in the number of players tested for marijuana , `` gambling definitions '' that ensure players receive a portion of gambling revenue and alterations to training camp .
The proposed CBA also would allow the NFL to expand the regular season from 16 games to 17 at some point in the next four years , according to ESPN .
Under the proposal , the playoff field would expand to 14 teams starting in 2020 , and the preseason would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of four .

All 32 NFL owners met Thursday in New York City for an update on the current proposal. The vote will now be sent to the NFLPA for a potential agreement. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- NFL owners approved the negotiated terms of a new collective bargaining agreement proposal between the league and the NFL Players Association, the NFL said in a statement Thursday. All 32 NFL owners met Thursday in New York City for an update on the current CBA proposal. With league ownership accepting the terms, the vote will be sent to the players union ahead of a potential agreement between the parties. Advertisement
Three-fourths of the owners must agree to the collective bargaining agreement for it to be ratified. According to ESPN, the proposal didn't receive unanimous approval but garnered enough support to pass.
The league's statement Thursday read, "Following more than ten months of intensive and thorough negotiations, the NFL Players and clubs have jointly developed a comprehensive set of new and revised terms that will transform the future of the game, provide for players -- past, present, and future -- both on and off the field, and ensure that the NFL's second century is even better and more exciting for the fans.
"The membership voted today to accept the negotiated terms on the principal elements of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Players Association would also need to vote to approve the same terms for there to be a new agreement.
Advertisement
"Since the clubs and players need to have a system in place and know the rules that they will operate under by next week, the membership also approved moving forward under the final year of the 2011 CBA if the players decide not to approve the negotiated terms. Out of respect for the process and our partners at the NFLPA, we will have no further comment at this time."
NFLPA team player representatives and the players union's executive council are expected to hold a conference call Friday to vote on whether to approve or deny the NFL owners' proposal.
If two-thirds of the NFLPA's player reps accept the terms, the proposal would advance to the next stage, in which all players in the league would vote and a simple majority would be needed to approve it.
According to an NFLPA memo obtained by ESPN and NFL Media, some of the key terms included in the proposal are the elimination of any game suspensions for positive marijuana tests, a reduction in the number of players tested for marijuana, "gambling definitions" that ensure players receive a portion of gambling revenue and alterations to training camp.
The proposed CBA also would allow the NFL to expand the regular season from 16 games to 17 at some point in the next four years, according to ESPN. Under the proposal, the playoff field would expand to 14 teams starting in 2020, and the preseason would eventually be shortened to three games instead of four.
Advertisement


upi--2020-02-20--Harvey Weinstein trial: Jurors start 3rd day with defense witness testimony

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- Jurors on Thursday ended their third day of deliberations in the sexual assault trial of former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein .
The jury did not reach a conclusion in the case but began Thursday morning by reviewing the testimony of Paul Feldsher , the first witness called by Weinstein 's attorneys who challenged a claim by prosecution witness Annabella Sciorra that she was raped by the Hollywood executive in the early 1990s .
On Thursday afternoon , jurors requested to read the cross-examination and `` everything afterward '' from Sciorra 's testimony .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury on Friday but a second item -- an exhibit showing the list of people spoke to about the alleged rape -- was not received in evidence and will not be provided to jurors .
The jury will also review exhibits presented with the testimony of forensic psychologist Dr. Barbara Ziv , and more communications between Weinstein and the private spy agency that he hired to monitor his accusers .
Wednesday , jurors read email correspondence between Weinstein and Sciorra as it related to actress Rosie Perez .
In testimony last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces two charges -- one for an assault accusation prosecutors say occurred in 2013 and another seven years earlier .
Sciorra 's claim is not part of the charges against Weinstein , but prosecutors introduced her claims to establish a predatory pattern .
Weinstein has said the encounters were consensual and the women willingly participated , hoping it might advance their careers in Hollywood .
If convicted , the former producer could spend the rest of his life in prison .

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein arrives Thursday at Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City for a third day of deliberations in his sex assault trial. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Jurors on Thursday ended their third day of deliberations in the sexual assault trial of former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. The jury did not reach a conclusion in the case but began Thursday morning by reviewing the testimony of Paul Feldsher, the first witness called by Weinstein's attorneys who challenged a claim by prosecution witness Annabella Sciorra that she was raped by the Hollywood executive in the early 1990s. Advertisement
On Thursday afternoon, jurors requested to read the cross-examination and "everything afterward" from Sciorra's testimony.
A transcript will be read to the jury on Friday but a second item -- an exhibit showing the list of people spoke to about the alleged rape -- was not received in evidence and will not be provided to jurors.
The jury will also review exhibits presented with the testimony of forensic psychologist Dr. Barbara Ziv, and more communications between Weinstein and the private spy agency that he hired to monitor his accusers. Wednesday, jurors read email correspondence between Weinstein and Sciorra as it related to actress Rosie Perez. In testimony last month, Perez corroborated Sciorra's accusation.
Advertisement
Weinstein faces two charges -- one for an assault accusation prosecutors say occurred in 2013 and another seven years earlier.
Sciorra's claim is not part of the charges against Weinstein, but prosecutors introduced her claims to establish a predatory pattern.
Weinstein has said the encounters were consensual and the women willingly participated, hoping it might advance their careers in Hollywood.
If convicted, the former producer could spend the rest of his life in prison.


upi--2020-02-20--Detroit Lions to cut veteran DT Damon 'Snacks' Harrison

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- The Detroit Lions are releasing former All-Pro defensive tackle Damon `` Snacks '' Harrison after two seasons .
League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that the 31-year-old interior lineman wants to continue playing in the league .
Along with Harrison , Lions defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels are scheduled to become free agents .
The Lions will save at least $ 6.75 million in cap space with Harrison 's release .
According to Spotrac , he had no guaranteed money remaining on his contract but had $ 3.5 million of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injury only .
After his release , Detroit will take a $ 5 million dead cap hit .
The Lions traded a conditional fifth-round draft pick to the New York Giants for Harrison on Oct. 25 , 2018 .
Prior to joining the Giants , he spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets .
Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of William Penn in 2012 , Harrison has appeared in 117 career games ( 110 starts ) between the Jets , Giants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tackles , 11 sacks , one interception , 10 passes defensed and four forced fumbles .

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Damon Harrison (98) had 49 total tackles and two sacks last season. File Photo by Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The Detroit Lions are releasing former All-Pro defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison after two seasons. League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that the 31-year-old interior lineman wants to continue playing in the league. Along with Harrison, Lions defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels are scheduled to become free agents. Advertisement
The Lions will save at least $6.75 million in cap space with Harrison's release. According to Spotrac, he had no guaranteed money remaining on his contract but had $3.5 million of his $8.5 million base salary guaranteed for injury only. After his release, Detroit will take a $5 million dead cap hit.
The Lions traded a conditional fifth-round draft pick to the New York Giants for Harrison on Oct. 25, 2018. Prior to joining the Giants, he spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets.
Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of William Penn in 2012, Harrison has appeared in 117 career games (110 starts) between the Jets, Giants and Lions. He has recorded 485 total tackles, 11 sacks, one interception, 10 passes defensed and four forced fumbles.


upi--2020-02-20--Bethenny Frankel to star in business competition series

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- The Real Housewives of New York City icon Bethenny Frankel is set to host The Big Shot with Bethenny , a business competition show for HBO Max .
WarnerMedia said it ordered eight episodes of the half-hour , unscripted series for the streaming service .
Contestants will compete for a chance to work on the Skinnygirl founder 's executive team .
The project is a collaboration from HBO Max , MGM Television , Mark Burnett and Frankel 's B Real Productions .
`` Aside from motherhood , what truly defines me as a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard-working woman determined to make the impossible possible , '' Frankel said in a statement .
`` My mantra is to come from a place of 'yes ' and to find and create the solution .
I am an executor of visions , and I share and impart that information to those who work with me .
MGM has been neck-in-neck with me with ideas and their execution .
I could n't be more thrilled to continue my longstanding relationship with Mark Burnett on this series and pay this American Dream story forward @ @

Bethenny Frankel is set to star in a new business competition show for HBO Max. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The Real Housewives of New York City icon Bethenny Frankel is set to host The Big Shot with Bethenny, a business competition show for HBO Max. WarnerMedia said it ordered eight episodes of the half-hour, unscripted series for the streaming service. Advertisement
Contestants will compete for a chance to work on the Skinnygirl founder's executive team.
The project is a collaboration from HBO Max, MGM Television, Mark Burnett and Frankel's B Real Productions.
"Aside from motherhood, what truly defines me as a person is being a driven, passionate and hard-working woman determined to make the impossible possible," Frankel said in a statement.
"My mantra is to come from a place of 'yes' and to find and create the solution. I am an executor of visions, and I share and impart that information to those who work with me. MGM has been neck-in-neck with me with ideas and their execution. I couldn't be more thrilled to continue my longstanding relationship with Mark Burnett on this series and pay this American Dream story forward."


upi--2020-02-20--Jude Law to star in Taika Waititi's Showtime horror-comedy

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit writer Taika Waititi is collaborating with Fantastic Beasts : The Crimes @ @ @ @ @ on a half-hour series for Showtime called The Auteur .
Waititi will direct the episodes @ @ @ @ @ with Peter Warren .
Based on the graphic novel by Rick Spears , James Callahan @ @ @ @ @ horror-comedy is about a desperate-for-a-hit film producer who accidentally traps his cast and crew on @ @ @ @ @ serial killer , a synopsis from the cable network said .
`` The Auteur unites @ @ @ @ @ Waititi and the barbed wit of Peter Warren with the undeniable Jude Law in a @ @ @ @ @ movies that will make you simultaneously die laughing and want to run for your life @ @ @ @ @ Israel said in a statement .

1/2
Jude Law is set to star in "The Auteur," a new horror-comedy series on Showtime. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit writer Taika Waititi is collaborating with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald star Jude Law on a half-hour series for Showtime called The Auteur. Waititi will direct the episodes he writes and executive produces with Peter Warren. Advertisement
Based on the graphic novel by Rick Spears, James Callahan and Luigi Anderson, the horror-comedy is about a desperate-for-a-hit film producer who accidentally traps his cast and crew on a back lot with a serial killer, a synopsis from the cable network said.
"The Auteur unites the wildly imaginative filmmaker Taika Waititi and the barbed wit of Peter Warren with the undeniable Jude Law in a bloody love letter to the movies that will make you simultaneously die laughing and want to run for your life," Showtime's Amy Israel said in a statement.


upi--2020-02-20--Browns' Jarvis Landry expected to be ready for 2020 season after hip surgery

Landry revealed the procedure on his Instagram account Thursday .
Dr. Chris Larson performed the surgery Feb. 4 in Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ and Cleveland.com that Landry is expected to return during training camp .
The team expects @ @ @ @ @ make a full recovery for the 2020 season .
Landry , who was selected to @ @ @ @ @ season , opted to undergo the operation after the Pro Bowl when he realized the @ @ @ @ @ ailment .
`` I realized how much pain I was in , '' Landry said @ @ @ @ @ I was kind of happy I went to the Pro Bowl , because that was @ @ @ @ @ I needed the surgery . ''
Despite the nagging injury , Landry recorded 83 receptions @ @ @ @ @ touchdowns last season .
He did n't miss a game but was frequently listed on @ @ @ @ @ as a limited participant in practice .

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) underwent hip surgery earlier this month to repair a nagging hip injury. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Jarvis Landry underwent surgery earlier this month to fix a nagging hip injury. Landry revealed the procedure on his Instagram account Thursday. Dr. Chris Larson performed the surgery Feb. 4 in Minnesota. Advertisement
League sources told ESPN and Cleveland.com that Landry is expected to return during training camp. The team expects the Pro Bowl wideout to make a full recovery for the 2020 season.
Landry, who was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl last season, opted to undergo the operation after the Pro Bowl when he realized the pain level of the hip ailment.
"I realized how much pain I was in," Landry said in the video. "I was kind of happy I went to the Pro Bowl, because that was more of an indication that I needed the surgery."
Despite the nagging injury, Landry recorded 83 receptions for 1,174 yards and six touchdowns last season. He didn't miss a game but was frequently listed on the Browns' injury report as a limited participant in practice.


upi--2020-02-20--North Carolina prepares for wintry blast as 437-day snow drought ends

Rain began turning into snow Thursday afternoon in Raleigh , N.C. , officially bringing an end the snow drought in the central portion of the state .
By Thursday evening , the snow had spread across more of the region , including Greenville , S.C. , and Richmond , Va .
Despite deicing efforts at Charlotte Douglas International Airport , 230 flights at the airport have been canceled and another 300 flights delayed , according to FlightAware .
By 7:45 p.m. EST , nearly 12,000 customers were without power in the state , according to PowerOutage.US .
The inclement weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mecklenburg County Board of Elections early voting sites and other county-sponsored evening programs .
By 6:45 p.m. EST , at least 4 inches of snow had fallen over Waynesville , N.C. , and Mt .
LeConte , Tenn. Philadelphia , Baltimore and Washington , D.C. have combined for a total of 2.7 inches of snow this winter .
Earlier in the day , the state ramped up preparations to mitigate as many hazards as possible as the rain and snow moved in .
For many areas , that has meant school being canceled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside .
As the storm progressed into Thursday night , North Carolina school districts announced delays or closings for Friday as well .
On Thursday morning , Gov .
Roy Cooper said 29 school districts in the state would be closed for the day while 55 others were releasing students early in advance of the snow .
Because the total number of days since the last measurable snowfall in much of the state stood at 437 days , excitement for the snow abounded among residents and students , such as the ones running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Browns Summit , N.C. , to see the flakes falling .
`` Naturally , as a Southern person , you 're excited because it 's snow and we do n't normally have it , '' Rayna Yvars , a Raleigh resident told AccuWeather national reporter Bill Wadell .
`` But at the same , the whole state shuts down . ''
Others , such as Jenny Berry , said they never know what to expect in February , as one year the weather might allow for time on the beach and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I love snow , I just do n't like the ice that follows , '' Raleigh resident Sam Regaldo said .
`` It just melts a little , then it freezes again . ''
Despite the excitement , however , officials urged people to take the warnings seriously and prepare for what could be a messy end to the week .
The last time North Carolina received extensive snowfall , hundreds of accidents swept the state , thousands of power outages left the state in the dark and three fatalities were tied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snow began days ago Jason Dunigan , a Wake County Maintenance Engineer , said .
`` This past week , we put the tanks on and made the decision to first hit hot spots like bridges and overpasses , so we loaded the trucks up [ on Tuesday and Wednesday ] , '' Dunigan told Wadell .
`` Started hitting bridges , hot spots , overpasses and exit ramps then the forecast changed from 1 inch to 3 inches , so we made the call to hit all of our bare pavement routes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road by 11 on Thursday morning , with an extra crew of contracted drivers coming in later in the day .
`` There 's definitely going to be some slick spots because temperatures are going to fall to 26 , 27 degrees by [ Friday ] morning , '' Dunigan said .
`` We 're just going to be here , we 're going to be here all night long and throughout the morning ... we 'll be ready for those . ''
`` The entire state is under either a winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Cooper said .
`` This winter storm will affect most parts of North Carolina .
Effects could be minor in many places but will be more significant in other places .
We expect the heavy snow after sunset . ''
Snow accumulation totals are expected to be in the 3- to 6-inch range for many places with some spots possibly picking up as much as 8 inches , but Cooper pointed to whiteout conditions near the coast as a weather threat of specific concern .
`` We can expect whiteout conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gusty winds , '' Cooper said .
`` Snowy roads can be deadly if you are n't careful ... Our Department of Transportation crews have been preparing since earlier this week .
The State Highway Patrol troopers are ready ; they 're out on the roads to assist motorists and keep the traffic moving .
And you can help them by staying off the roads when conditions deteriorate . ''
Glenn McNeill , commander of the State Highway Patrol , also urged people to stay off the streets come dusk .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice in the areas we expect heavy snowfall accumulation , '' McNeill said .
`` Avoid traveling if at all possible ...
Right now , it 's beautiful outside , so please do n't let your guard down , because that will change come nightfall . ''
For a state which has n't seen measurable snow since Dec. 10 , 2018 , every precautionary measure is necessary .
The lack of icy conditions will hopefully keep power outages at a minimum , but gusty winds could cause some issues .
Forecasters expect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain before succumbing to the stormy weather , which has crawled northeastward .
Reports and footage of snowfall from eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia trickled in throughout Thursday morning .
In Crossville , Tenn. , snow made for slick lanes on Interstate 40 while elevated surfaces in the area measured 2 inches of accumulation .
North of the Alabama border , in Cornersville , Tenn. , 1 inch of snow was recorded in grassy areas .

Rain began turning into snow Thursday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C., officially bringing an end the snow drought in the central portion of the state.
By Thursday evening, the snow had spread across more of the region, including Greenville, S.C., and Richmond, Va.
Advertisement
Despite deicing efforts at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 230 flights at the airport have been canceled and another 300 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
By 7:45 p.m. EST, nearly 12,000 customers were without power in the state, according to PowerOutage.US.
The inclement weather also lead to the early closing of Mecklenburg County Board of Elections early voting sites and other county-sponsored evening programs.
By 6:45 p.m. EST, at least 4 inches of snow had fallen over Waynesville, N.C., and Mt. LeConte, Tenn. Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. have combined for a total of 2.7 inches of snow this winter.
Advertisement
Earlier in the day, the state ramped up preparations to mitigate as many hazards as possible as the rain and snow moved in. For many areas, that has meant school being canceled, businesses being closed and residents staying inside. As the storm progressed into Thursday night, North Carolina school districts announced delays or closings for Friday as well.
On Thursday morning, Gov. Roy Cooper said 29 school districts in the state would be closed for the day while 55 others were releasing students early in advance of the snow.
Because the total number of days since the last measurable snowfall in much of the state stood at 437 days, excitement for the snow abounded among residents and students, such as the ones running to the window at McNair Elementary School in Browns Summit, N.C., to see the flakes falling.
"Naturally, as a Southern person, you're excited because it's snow and we don't normally have it," Rayna Yvars, a Raleigh resident told AccuWeather national reporter Bill Wadell. "But at the same, the whole state shuts down."
Advertisement
Others, such as Jenny Berry, said they never know what to expect in February, as one year the weather might allow for time on the beach and another year could bring snow.
(AccuWeather / Bill Waddell)
"Oh, I love snow, I just don't like the ice that follows," Raleigh resident Sam Regaldo said. "It just melts a little, then it freezes again."
Despite the excitement, however, officials urged people to take the warnings seriously and prepare for what could be a messy end to the week.
The last time North Carolina received extensive snowfall, hundreds of accidents swept the state, thousands of power outages left the state in the dark and three fatalities were tied to the storm.
Preparations for the snow began days ago Jason Dunigan, a Wake County Maintenance Engineer, said.
Jason Dunigan, the Wake County Maintenance engineer, spoke with AccuWeather's Bill Wadell about the region's snow preparation. (AccuWeather/ Bill Wadell)
"This past week, we put the tanks on and made the decision to first hit hot spots like bridges and overpasses, so we loaded the trucks up [on Tuesday and Wednesday]," Dunigan told Wadell. "Started hitting bridges, hot spots, overpasses and exit ramps then the forecast changed from 1 inch to 3 inches, so we made the call to hit all of our bare pavement routes."
Advertisement
Dunigan added that trucks hit the road by 11 on Thursday morning, with an extra crew of contracted drivers coming in later in the day.
"There's definitely going to be some slick spots because temperatures are going to fall to 26, 27 degrees by [Friday] morning," Dunigan said. "We're just going to be here, we're going to be here all night long and throughout the morning ... we'll be ready for those."
"The entire state is under either a winter storm advisory or warning through tomorrow morning," Cooper said. "This winter storm will affect most parts of North Carolina. Effects could be minor in many places but will be more significant in other places. We expect the heavy snow after sunset."
Snow accumulation totals are expected to be in the 3- to 6-inch range for many places with some spots possibly picking up as much as 8 inches, but Cooper pointed to whiteout conditions near the coast as a weather threat of specific concern.
"We can expect whiteout conditions on the coast due to heavy snows and gusty winds," Cooper said. "Snowy roads can be deadly if you aren't careful ... Our Department of Transportation crews have been preparing since earlier this week. The State Highway Patrol troopers are ready; they're out on the roads to assist motorists and keep the traffic moving. And you can help them by staying off the roads when conditions deteriorate."
Advertisement
Glenn McNeill, commander of the State Highway Patrol, also urged people to stay off the streets come dusk.
"Troopers have been positioned mobile in moments notice in the areas we expect heavy snowfall accumulation," McNeill said. "Avoid traveling if at all possible... Right now, it's beautiful outside, so please don't let your guard down, because that will change come nightfall."
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper briefed reporters on Thursday about preparations state and local officials were taking ahead of a winter storm that was expected to bring measurable snow to much of the Tarheel State. (AccuWeather / Bill Waddell)
For a state which hasn't seen measurable snow since Dec. 10, 2018, every precautionary measure is necessary. The lack of icy conditions will hopefully keep power outages at a minimum, but gusty winds could cause some issues.
Forecasters expect the day's tumultuous precipitation to begin with rain before succumbing to the stormy weather, which has crawled northeastward.
Reports and footage of snowfall from eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia trickled in throughout Thursday morning. In Crossville, Tenn., snow made for slick lanes on Interstate 40 while elevated surfaces in the area measured 2 inches of accumulation.
Advertisement
North of the Alabama border, in Cornersville, Tenn., 1 inch of snow was recorded in grassy areas.


upi--2020-02-20--Boxing: Nevada State Athletic Commission bans Wilder-Fury faceoff after weigh-in

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- After a heated press conference between the two boxers , the Nevada State Athletic Commission has barred heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury from taking part in a traditional faceoff during their weigh-in .
Wilder and Fury are scheduled to weigh in Friday at 6 p.m. EST ahead of their championship rematch Saturday in Las Vegas .
`` The reason the decision was made , on behalf of the commission , is because the press conference [ Wednesday ] spoke for itself , '' NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-fight press conference , Wilder and Fury got into each other 's faces .
The confrontation eventually erupted into pushing and shoving , prompting security to separate the two fighters .
`` The actions of the two fighters pushing each other , which was not staged , is not indicative of the image of our sport as a major league sport , thus having a faceoff is not in the best interest in the health and safety of the fighters , the public and the event , '' Bennett said .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where you have two professional athletes pushing each other where somebody could get hurt , is not keeping with the image of a major league sport and we 're a major league sport . ''
According to ESPN , Bennett told commission chairman Anthony Marnell III on Wednesday night that he wanted to cancel the faceoff , a decision that Marnell supported .
Bennett said he also spoke to Wilder promoter Tom Brown of TGB Promotions and Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum , Fury 's co-promoter , and both `` were OK '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to put the public or the fighters or the event in harm 's way , because everybody is looking forward to a spectacular event , '' Bennett said .
`` This decision is in the best interest of the fighters , the fans and the event . ''
Wilder ( 42-0-1 , 41 KOs ) and Fury ( 29-0-1 , 20 KOs ) fought to a draw in their previous matchup in 2018 .

Tyson Fury (pictured) and Deontay Wilder are scheduled to weigh in Friday. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- After a heated press conference between the two boxers, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has barred heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury from taking part in a traditional faceoff during their weigh-in. Wilder and Fury are scheduled to weigh in Friday at 6 p.m. EST ahead of their championship rematch Saturday in Las Vegas. Advertisement
"The reason the decision was made, on behalf of the commission, is because the press conference [Wednesday] spoke for itself," NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told ESPN on Thursday.
During the final pre-fight press conference, Wilder and Fury got into each other's faces. The confrontation eventually erupted into pushing and shoving, prompting security to separate the two fighters.
"The actions of the two fighters pushing each other, which was not staged, is not indicative of the image of our sport as a major league sport, thus having a faceoff is not in the best interest in the health and safety of the fighters, the public and the event," Bennett said.
"And, quite frankly, that image, where you have two professional athletes pushing each other where somebody could get hurt, is not keeping with the image of a major league sport and we're a major league sport."
Advertisement
According to ESPN, Bennett told commission chairman Anthony Marnell III on Wednesday night that he wanted to cancel the faceoff, a decision that Marnell supported. Bennett said he also spoke to Wilder promoter Tom Brown of TGB Promotions and Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, Fury's co-promoter, and both "were OK" with the idea.
"I'm not going to put the public or the fighters or the event in harm's way, because everybody is looking forward to a spectacular event," Bennett said. "This decision is in the best interest of the fighters, the fans and the event."
Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) and Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) fought to a draw in their previous matchup in 2018.


upi--2020-02-20--Laura Neal named lead writer for 'Killing Eve' Season 4

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- Sex Education and Secret Diary of a Call Girl scribe Laura Neal has signed on as lead writer and executive producer for Season 4 of the BBC America thriller Killing Eve .
Season 3 of the series -- which stars Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh as a globe-trotting assassin and the woman obsessed with bringing her to justice -- is slated to debut on April 26 .
`` Laura is frighteningly bright , takes no prisoners and can laugh at anything , '' executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle said in a statement Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional and provocative .
The stories we are already creating for Season 4 promise a pitch-black riot . ''
Previous lead writers for the show include Phoebe Waller-Bridge , Emerald Fennell and Suzanne Heathcote .
The series is based on Luke Jennings ' novels .
`` Killing Eve smashes television tropes in every way , both on the screen and behind it , '' said Sarah Barnett , president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios .
`` We have a remarkable squad of ferociously smart women writers passing the baton to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around a coherent vision but bringing it to life with their own specific sparkle and brilliance .
Laura Neal is the latest incredible leader of the pack on Killing Eve . ''
Production on Season 4 is to begin later this year .

1/2
Jodie Comer's BBC America show "Killing Eve" is getting a new lead writer -- Laura Neal -- for Season 4. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Sex Education and Secret Diary of a Call Girl scribe Laura Neal has signed on as lead writer and executive producer for Season 4 of the BBC America thriller Killing Eve. Season 3 of the series -- which stars Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh as a globe-trotting assassin and the woman obsessed with bringing her to justice -- is slated to debut on April 26. Advertisement
"Laura is frighteningly bright, takes no prisoners and can laugh at anything," executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle said in a statement Thursday. "She's wicked and wild, emotional and provocative. The stories we are already creating for Season 4 promise a pitch-black riot."
Previous lead writers for the show include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell and Suzanne Heathcote. The series is based on Luke Jennings' novels.
"Killing Eve smashes television tropes in every way, both on the screen and behind it," said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios. "We have a remarkable squad of ferociously smart women writers passing the baton to each other on this show, aligned around a coherent vision but bringing it to life with their own specific sparkle and brilliance. Laura Neal is the latest incredible leader of the pack on Killing Eve."
Advertisement
Production on Season 4 is to begin later this year.


upi--2020-02-20--Poll: 77% of Americans confident government can handle coronavirus outbreak

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- A majority of Americans are at least somewhat confident in the U.S. government to adequately handle an outbreak of the coronavirus , a Gallup poll released Thursday indicates .
The survey found that 31 percent of Americans are `` very confident '' in the federal government 's ability to handle an outbreak of the virus known as COVID-19 and 46 percent are `` somewhat confident '' while 22 percent were `` not too confident '' or `` not confident at all . ''
The 77 percent of Americans who were very or somewhat confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was higher than previous outbreaks , topping 67 percent support for the government during the H1N1/swine flu outbreak in 2009 .
To date there have been nearly 75,000 cases of COVID-19 and 2,000 deaths in China alone along with 1,076 cases in other locations throughout the world .
Americans ' overall concern about COVID-19 was on par with levels from other outbreaks .
Thirty-six percent said they were very/somewhat worried about the virus , compared to 37 percent during the 2003 SARS outbreak and 32 percent in response to Anthrax in 2001 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , low-income households and women as more than 40 percent of each group said they were very or somewhat concerned about the virus .
The survey was conducted from Feb. 3-16 with a random sample of 1,028 adults , aged 18 and older living in all 50 states and Washington , D.C .
It was conducted with a 4 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level .

A Gallup poll found that 77 percent of Americans were confident in the federal government's ability to handle an outbreak of the coronavirus, which is known officially as COVID-19. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A majority of Americans are at least somewhat confident in the U.S. government to adequately handle an outbreak of the coronavirus, a Gallup poll released Thursday indicates. The survey found that 31 percent of Americans are "very confident" in the federal government's ability to handle an outbreak of the virus known as COVID-19 and 46 percent are "somewhat confident" while 22 percent were "not too confident" or "not confident at all." Advertisement
The 77 percent of Americans who were very or somewhat confident in the government to handle the virus was higher than previous outbreaks, topping 67 percent support for the government during the H1N1/swine flu outbreak in 2009.
To date there have been nearly 75,000 cases of COVID-19 and 2,000 deaths in China alone along with 1,076 cases in other locations throughout the world.
Americans' overall concern about COVID-19 was on par with levels from other outbreaks. Thirty-six percent said they were very/somewhat worried about the virus, compared to 37 percent during the 2003 SARS outbreak and 32 percent in response to Anthrax in 2001 and 2002.
Concern was greatest among non-whites, low-income households and women as more than 40 percent of each group said they were very or somewhat concerned about the virus.
Advertisement
The survey was conducted from Feb. 3-16 with a random sample of 1,028 adults, aged 18 and older living in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. It was conducted with a 4 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level.


upi--2020-02-20--Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar resigns as Dail struggles to elect new leader

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar resigned as leader Thursday after the country 's parliament failed to select a new premier .
Varadkar told Irish President Michael Higgins he 'd stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new leader is selected .
The lower house of parliament , Dáil Éireann , failed to select a new taoiseach after no single political party won enough of a majority to secure a mandate to govern in the Feb. 8 election .
The center-left Sinn Fein Party won a slim lead in seats , while the Fianna Fail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 percent of the vote .
Fine Gael , Varadkar 's party , currently leads a minority government in the wake of the election with support from Fianna Fail .
Both are center-right parties .
The newly elected members of the Dáil voted on candidates to be taoiseach -- the equivalent of prime minister -- on Thursday .
To win , a candidate needed to receive at least 80 votes .
Varadkar received 36 votes , while Fianna Fail 's Micheal Martin won 41 votes and Sinn Fein 's Mary Lou McDonald won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was bolstered by support from lawmakers in a variety of smaller left-wing parties .
After failing to elect a new leader , the Dáil adjourned until March 5 to give party leaders time to agree on a ruling coalition .
The Dáil elected Varadkar as its first openly gay prime minister in 2017 .

Leo Varadkar said he would stay on in a caretaker capacity until Ireland's parliament elects a new leader. File Photo by Olivier Douliery/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar resigned as leader Thursday after the country's parliament failed to select a new premier. Varadkar told Irish President Michael Higgins he'd stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new leader is selected. Advertisement
The lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann, failed to select a new taoiseach after no single political party won enough of a majority to secure a mandate to govern in the Feb. 8 election. The center-left Sinn Fein Party won a slim lead in seats, while the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties each earned about 22 percent of the vote.
Fine Gael, Varadkar's party, currently leads a minority government in the wake of the election with support from Fianna Fail. Both are center-right parties.
The newly elected members of the Dáil voted on candidates to be taoiseach -- the equivalent of prime minister -- on Thursday. To win, a candidate needed to receive at least 80 votes.
Varadkar received 36 votes, while Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin won 41 votes and Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald won 45. McDonald's lead in votes was bolstered by support from lawmakers in a variety of smaller left-wing parties.
Advertisement
After failing to elect a new leader, the Dáil adjourned until March 5 to give party leaders time to agree on a ruling coalition.
The Dáil elected Varadkar as its first openly gay prime minister in 2017.


upi--2020-02-20--Tennessee death row inmate Nick Sutton executed in electric chair

Feb. 20 ( UPI ) -- The state of Tennessee executed Nicholas Todd Sutton in its electric chair on Thursday evening for the 1985 slaying of a fellow prison inmate , corrections officials said .
He was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. , the Tennessee Department of Corrections said .
The execution came less than an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Sutton 's request for a stay of execution .
His lawyers sought the stay after Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee denied a clemency request Wednesday .
Court documents indicated Sutton sought the reprieve based on the grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him `` shackled in heavy chains '' during his capital murder trial .
The petition said this violated the Constitution 's Fifth , Eighth and 14th amendments .
Sutton , sentenced to death for killing a fellow prisoner in 1985 , chose to die by electric chair at Riverbend Maximum Security Institute .
The Tennessee Department of Corrections said he chose fried pork chops , mashed potatoes with gravy , peach pie and ice cream for his last meal .
Though Sutton was convicted of killing three people in 1979 , including his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murder of Estep at Morgan County Correctional Facility .
That 's where Sutton was serving prison time for his earlier convictions when he stabbed Estep 38 times .
His clemency petition included affidavits by multiple corrections officials , including former Lt. Tony Eden , who said Sutton protected him during a riot in 1985 in Tennessee State Prison .
Eden said Sutton confronted a group of five inmates who attempted to take him hostage .
`` I firmly believe that the inmates who tried to take me hostage intended to seriously harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risked his safety and well-being in order to save me from possible death .
I owe my life to Nick Sutton , '' Eden said .
Suttons ' victims ' families also supported clemency , including Estep 's oldest daughter , Rosemary Hall , who said his execution would worsen the suffering her family has endured since her father 's death .
`` It breaks my heart that Mr. Sutton has lost so much of his life on death row for killing my father , '' Hall said in an affidavit .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sutton was serving time for killing his 58-year-old grandmother .
After he was convicted of her murder , he also confessed to killing a friend from high school , John Large , 19 , and a Knoxville , Tenn. , man named Charles Almon , 46 .
He said he beat Large to death in August 1979 and then shot Almon two months later .
After Lee 's decision not to intervene , Sutton 's clemency lawyer , former U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp , said the defense team planned to `` seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr .
Sutton . ''
Sutton 's scheduled execution comes amid a recent resumption of executions in Tennessee .
The state Supreme Court halted all executions in 2015 after legal challenges by death row inmates .
States began using midazolam to replace pentobarbital in their lethal injection protocols after European makers of the latter drug halted sales to the United States for use in executions .
Critics of midazolam 's use in lethal injections question its effectiveness , blaming it for prolonged and apparently painful executions , including that of Dennis McGuire in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee resumed executions in 2018 with that of Billy Ray Irick for the 1985 death of Paula Dyer .
State law requires lethal injection for all crimes committed after Dec. 31 , 1998 , while those before that date can select electrocution .
Tennessee 's lethal injection protocol uses three drugs : midazolam , a sedative ; vecuronium bromide , a paralytic ; and potassium chloride , which stops the heart .
If his death sentence is carried out Thursday , Sutton will be the fourth person executed in the United States in @ @ @ @ @ @

Nicholas "Nick" Sutton was sentenced to death for the 1985 slaying of Carl Estep at Morgan County Correctional Facility. File Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Corrections
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The state of Tennessee executed Nicholas Todd Sutton in its electric chair on Thursday evening for the 1985 slaying of a fellow prison inmate, corrections officials said. He was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m., the Tennessee Department of Corrections said. Advertisement
The execution came less than an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Sutton's request for a stay of execution. His lawyers sought the stay after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee denied a clemency request Wednesday.
Court documents indicated Sutton sought the reprieve based on the grounds that the jury in his case saw him "shackled in heavy chains" during his capital murder trial. The petition said this violated the Constitution's Fifth, Eighth and 14th amendments.
Sutton, sentenced to death for killing a fellow prisoner in 1985, chose to die by electric chair at Riverbend Maximum Security Institute.
Advertisement
The Tennessee Department of Corrections said he chose fried pork chops, mashed potatoes with gravy, peach pie and ice cream for his last meal.
Though Sutton was convicted of killing three people in 1979, including his grandmother, his death sentence came for the murder of Estep at Morgan County Correctional Facility. That's where Sutton was serving prison time for his earlier convictions when he stabbed Estep 38 times.
His clemency petition included affidavits by multiple corrections officials, including former Lt. Tony Eden, who said Sutton protected him during a riot in 1985 in Tennessee State Prison. Eden said Sutton confronted a group of five inmates who attempted to take him hostage.
"I firmly believe that the inmates who tried to take me hostage intended to seriously harm, if not kill me. Nick risked his safety and well-being in order to save me from possible death. I owe my life to Nick Sutton," Eden said.
Suttons' victims' families also supported clemency, including Estep's oldest daughter, Rosemary Hall, who said his execution would worsen the suffering her family has endured since her father's death.
"It breaks my heart that Mr. Sutton has lost so much of his life on death row for killing my father," Hall said in an affidavit.
Advertisement
At the time of Estep's murder, Sutton was serving time for killing his 58-year-old grandmother. After he was convicted of her murder, he also confessed to killing a friend from high school, John Large, 19, and a Knoxville, Tenn., man named Charles Almon, 46. He said he beat Large to death in August 1979 and then shot Almon two months later.
After Lee's decision not to intervene, Sutton's clemency lawyer, former U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp, said the defense team planned to "seek every available avenue of possible relief for Mr. Sutton."
Sutton's scheduled execution comes amid a recent resumption of executions in Tennessee. The state Supreme Court halted all executions in 2015 after legal challenges by death row inmates.
States began using midazolam to replace pentobarbital in their lethal injection protocols after European makers of the latter drug halted sales to the United States for use in executions. Critics of midazolam's use in lethal injections question its effectiveness, blaming it for prolonged and apparently painful executions, including that of Dennis McGuire in Ohio and Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma.
Tennessee resumed executions in 2018 with that of Billy Ray Irick for the 1985 death of Paula Dyer. State law requires lethal injection for all crimes committed after Dec. 31, 1998, while those before that date can select electrocution.
Advertisement
Tennessee's lethal injection protocol uses three drugs: midazolam, a sedative; vecuronium bromide, a paralytic; and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.
If his death sentence is carried out Thursday, Sutton will be the fourth person executed in the United States in 2020 and first in Tennessee.


upi--2020-02-21--As U.S.-Taliban near agreement, fate of intra-Afghan talks remains unclear

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- WASHINGTON -- With the possible signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal in the works , the disputed results of the recent Afghan election could complicate the ability of government representatives to negotiate with the Taliban , experts on the 19-year U.S. involvement in Afghanistan say .
After weeks of discussions , the United States reached an `` understanding '' with the Taliban , negotiating a `` significant , nationwide reduction in violence , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said .
The week of reduced violence in the region is expected to begin midnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a successful implementation of this understanding , signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward , '' Pompeo added .
`` We are preparing for the signing to take place on Feb .
29 . ''
A key part of any peace deal , however , would be talks between the Taliban and the elected Afghan government , which Pompeo said would start after the signing of any deal between the United States and the Taliban .
`` Getting the intra-Afghan talks successfully off the ground is an enormous mountain to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst at the Middle East Institute , said .
The Taliban have maintained that it would only participate in intra-Afghan talks after the completion of a deal with the United States .
The Taliban have never recognized the legitimacy of either the Afghan government or President Ashraf Ghani , who was acknowledged Tuesday as the winner of the presidential elections conducted in September .
Neither the Taliban nor Ghani 's political opponents are happy with the result .
`` The Muslim Afghan nation shall make decisions about their domestic affairs and chart their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupation , '' Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement Abdullah Abdullah , Afghanistan 's chief executive and Ghani 's main opponent in the election , dismissed the result and said he would `` form an inclusive government . ''
`` The election results could spell trouble for Afghanistan at the worst possible time : A moment when it 's closer than ever before to launching a peace process to end a rapidly intensifying war , '' said Michael Kugelman , an expert at The Wilson Center , a liberal think tank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect the bilateral U.S.-Taliban talks , future efforts to `` launch an intra-Afghan dialogue could be set back if not ruled out , because of a serious crisis that divides the political class and even in a worst-case scenario risks some form of civil war , '' Kugelman said .
The last time the United States was this close to signing a peace deal with the Taliban was in September .
However , after the Taliban bombing of Kabul , which resulted in the death of a U.S. service member and 11 others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal .
At the time , the Taliban said that since no cease-fire had been announced they did n't believe they were violating any agreements with the United States .
However , in the recent negotiations , the insurgent group has said that `` both parties will create a suitable security situation in advance of agreement signing date . ''

The re-election of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani could jeopardize the chance of intra-Afghan negotiations with the Taliban. File Photo by Jawad Jalali/EPA-EFE
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- WASHINGTON -- With the possible signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal in the works, the disputed results of the recent Afghan election could complicate the ability of government representatives to negotiate with the Taliban, experts on the 19-year U.S. involvement in Afghanistan say. After weeks of discussions, the United States reached an "understanding" with the Taliban, negotiating a "significant, nationwide reduction in violence," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Advertisement
The week of reduced violence in the region is expected to begin midnight Friday, officials said.
"Upon a successful implementation of this understanding, signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward," Pompeo added. "We are preparing for the signing to take place on Feb. 29."
A key part of any peace deal, however, would be talks between the Taliban and the elected Afghan government, which Pompeo said would start after the signing of any deal between the United States and the Taliban.
"Getting the intra-Afghan talks successfully off the ground is an enormous mountain to climb," Marvin Weinbaum, an analyst at the Middle East Institute, said.
Advertisement
The Taliban have maintained that it would only participate in intra-Afghan talks after the completion of a deal with the United States. The Taliban have never recognized the legitimacy of either the Afghan government or President Ashraf Ghani, who was acknowledged Tuesday as the winner of the presidential elections conducted in September.
Neither the Taliban nor Ghani's political opponents are happy with the result.
"The Muslim Afghan nation shall make decisions about their domestic affairs and chart their own political course following the end of occupation," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement
Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's chief executive and Ghani's main opponent in the election, dismissed the result and said he would "form an inclusive government."
"The election results could spell trouble for Afghanistan at the worst possible time: A moment when it's closer than ever before to launching a peace process to end a rapidly intensifying war," said Michael Kugelman, an expert at The Wilson Center, a liberal think tank.
While the internal divisions won't affect the bilateral U.S.-Taliban talks, future efforts to "launch an intra-Afghan dialogue could be set back if not ruled out, because of a serious crisis that divides the political class and even in a worst-case scenario risks some form of civil war," Kugelman said.
Advertisement
The last time the United States was this close to signing a peace deal with the Taliban was in September. However, after the Taliban bombing of Kabul, which resulted in the death of a U.S. service member and 11 others, President Donald Trump called off the deal.
At the time, the Taliban said that since no cease-fire had been announced they didn't believe they were violating any agreements with the United States.
However, in the recent negotiations, the insurgent group has said that "both parties will create a suitable security situation in advance of agreement signing date."


upi--2020-02-21--Lockheed Martin receives $12.3 million to develop underwater drone

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin with a $ 12.3 @ @ @ @ @ of the the Manta Ray program .
The contract funds research , development and demonstration @ @ @ @ @ .
According to DARPA , the purpose of the Manta Ray program is to create @ @ @ @ @ duration , long range , payload-capable undersea drones -- underwater vessels that could operate without @ @ @ @ @ or maintenance from human staff .
More than half -- 52 percent -- of work @ @ @ @ @ place in West Palm Beach , Fla. , with other work taking place in Cherry @ @ @ @ @ a variety of locations in the U.S .
This contract has an estimated completion date @ @ @ @ @ and development funds in the amount of $ 1.15 million are obligated at the time @ @ @ @ @ contract was awarded through a competitive bidding process after bids were solicited in June 2019 @

DARPA has awarded Lockheed Martin with a $12.3 million contract for phase one of the Manta Ray program to create an extra-large underwater drone. Photo courtesy of DARPA
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin with a $12.3 million contract for phase one of the the Manta Ray program. The contract funds research, development and demonstration of an extra-large underwater drone. Advertisement
According to DARPA, the purpose of the Manta Ray program is to create a new class of long duration, long range, payload-capable undersea drones -- underwater vessels that could operate without the need for logistic support or maintenance from human staff.
More than half -- 52 percent -- of work on the contract will take place in West Palm Beach, Fla., with other work taking place in Cherry Hill, N.J., and a variety of locations in the U.S.
This contract has an estimated completion date of January 2021.
Research and development funds in the amount of $1.15 million are obligated at the time of the award.
This contract was awarded through a competitive bidding process after bids were solicited in June 2019.


upi--2020-02-21--Bumblebees can recognize objects across different senses

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- The ability to recognize objects across different senses is an important part of the human brain 's ability to produce mental images of the world and sustain conscious awareness .
It turns out , insects and their tiny brains have the same ability .
According to a new study , published Friday in the journal Science , bumblebees can learn about an object using one sense and recognize it later using another .
In the lab , scientists trained the bumblebees to distinguish between cubes and spheres without being able to touch the objects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reward for the correct selection , while those that chose the wrong shape got a bitter quinine solution .
The initial training sessions were lit , allowing the bees to use their vision .
During followup tests , researchers cut the lights and forced the bees to make their selections in the dark .
The bumblebees were allowed to spend as much time with the objects as they wanted , and this time , they were n't prevented from touching the objects .
Bees that learned to associate squares with sugar water returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only by feel .
Likewise , bees that got their sugar water from spheres felt their way to the spheres in the dark .
When scientists repeated the experiments in reverse , training bees in the dark and repeating the experiment in the light , they got the same results .
The findings suggest the ability known as cross-modal recognition is shared by humans and insects .
`` The results of our study show that bumblebees do n't process their senses as separate channels -- they come together as some sort of unified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cwyn Solvi , who conducted the research while at Queen Mary University of London but is now at Macquarie University in Australia .
`` We 've long known that bees can remember the shapes of flowers , '' said study co-author Lars Chittka , head of the lab at Queen Mary University of London .
`` But a smartphone can recognize your face , for example , and does so without any form of awareness .
Our new work indicates that something is going on inside the mind of bees that is wholly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can conjure up mental images of shapes . ''
The study 's authors suggest future studies of the neural circuitry underlying the bee 's cross-modal recognition could help scientists better understand how the human brain produces mental images of the world .

Bees that learned to recognize a certain shape using vision were able to feel their way to the same shape in the dark, proof that bees possess an ability known as cross-modal recognition. Photo by Lars Chittka/QMUL
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The ability to recognize objects across different senses is an important part of the human brain's ability to produce mental images of the world and sustain conscious awareness. It turns out, insects and their tiny brains have the same ability. Advertisement
According to a new study, published Friday in the journal Science, bumblebees can learn about an object using one sense and recognize it later using another.
In the lab, scientists trained the bumblebees to distinguish between cubes and spheres without being able to touch the objects. Scientists used sugar water as a reward for the correct selection, while those that chose the wrong shape got a bitter quinine solution.
The initial training sessions were lit, allowing the bees to use their vision. During followup tests, researchers cut the lights and forced the bees to make their selections in the dark. The bumblebees were allowed to spend as much time with the objects as they wanted, and this time, they weren't prevented from touching the objects.
Bees that learned to associate squares with sugar water returned to the square when forced to navigate only by feel. Likewise, bees that got their sugar water from spheres felt their way to the spheres in the dark.
Advertisement
When scientists repeated the experiments in reverse, training bees in the dark and repeating the experiment in the light, they got the same results.
The findings suggest the ability known as cross-modal recognition is shared by humans and insects.
"The results of our study show that bumblebees don't process their senses as separate channels -- they come together as some sort of unified representation," said lead study author Cwyn Solvi, who conducted the research while at Queen Mary University of London but is now at Macquarie University in Australia.
"We've long known that bees can remember the shapes of flowers," said study co-author Lars Chittka, head of the lab at Queen Mary University of London. "But a smartphone can recognize your face, for example, and does so without any form of awareness. Our new work indicates that something is going on inside the mind of bees that is wholly different from a machine -- that bees can conjure up mental images of shapes."
The study's authors suggest future studies of the neural circuitry underlying the bee's cross-modal recognition could help scientists better understand how the human brain produces mental images of the world.


upi--2020-02-21--Chicago Bears release WR Taylor Gabriel, CB Prince Amukamara

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- The Chicago Bears released wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara , the team announced Friday .
The roster moves free up $ 13.5 million in salary-cap space for the Bears in the 2020 season .
Chicago entered Friday with only $ 5.5 million in cap room .
Gabriel , 29 , recorded 29 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns with the Bears last season , his second in Chicago .
In his first season with the Bears , he had 67 catches for 688 yards and two receiving scores .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first two NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns before joining the Atlanta Falcons .
He played in Atlanta for two seasons , posting a career-best six receiving touchdowns in 2016 .
The New York Giants selected Amukamara in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Nebraska .
During his rookie season , he was part of the Giants ' Super Bowl XLVI-winning team .
Amukamara , 30 , spent three seasons with the Bears after a one-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016 .
He joined the Bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , $ 27 million extension with the team in March 2018 .
Amukamara posted 53 total tackles , one forced fumble and 10 passes defensed last season .
During the 2018 campaign , he recorded 66 combined tackles and tied his career highs in interceptions ( three ) and forced fumbles ( two ) .

Chicago Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (18) recorded 29 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns last season. File Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Chicago Bears released wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara, the team announced Friday. The roster moves free up $13.5 million in salary-cap space for the Bears in the 2020 season. Chicago entered Friday with only $5.5 million in cap room. Advertisement
Gabriel, 29, recorded 29 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns with the Bears last season, his second in Chicago. In his first season with the Bears, he had 67 catches for 688 yards and two receiving scores.
Gabriel, a six-year veteran, spent his first two NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns before joining the Atlanta Falcons. He played in Atlanta for two seasons, posting a career-best six receiving touchdowns in 2016.
Details on the release of Prince Amukamara and Taylor Gabriel. : https://t.co/lzw9vA1cJ8 pic.twitter.com/uX2I3YNXk1— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 21, 2020
The New York Giants selected Amukamara in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. During his rookie season, he was part of the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI-winning team.
Advertisement
Amukamara, 30, spent three seasons with the Bears after a one-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. He joined the Bears in 2017 and later signed a three-year, $27 million extension with the team in March 2018.
Amukamara posted 53 total tackles, one forced fumble and 10 passes defensed last season. During the 2018 campaign, he recorded 66 combined tackles and tied his career highs in interceptions (three) and forced fumbles (two).


upi--2020-02-21--Raytheon awarded $17 million for dual band radar spares for USS Ford

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- The Navy has awarded Raytheon with a $ 17 million fixed-price price order for @ @ @ @ @ the USS Gerald Ford .
The deal modifies an ordering agreement awarded in March 2019 @ @ @ @ @ the dual band radar is the first radar system in the U.S. Navy fleet capable @ @ @ @ @ and X-band frequency at the same time .
DBR systems allow unmanned operation of and @ @ @ @ @ signal and data processing .
All work on the contract will take place in Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ performed in Andover , 15 percent in Marlboro and 15 percent in Tewksbury .
The @ @ @ @ @ Nimitz-class aircraft carriers but has been troubled by cost overruns and delays , including problems @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday General Atomics was awarded two contracts , totaling $ 35.6 million , for @ @ @ @ @ system .

The future USS Gerald R. Ford sails on its own power for the first time out of Newport News, Virginia in this April 2017 file photo. Raytheon has received a $17 million order for dual band radar spares for the vessel. Photo by Ridge Leoni/U.S. Navy | License Photo
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Navy has awarded Raytheon with a $17 million fixed-price price order for dual band radar spares for the USS Gerald Ford. The deal modifies an ordering agreement awarded in March 2019. Advertisement
According to Raytheon, the dual band radar is the first radar system in the U.S. Navy fleet capable of operating on the S-band and X-band frequency at the same time.
DBR systems allow unmanned operation of and uses commercial off-the-shelf technology for signal and data processing.
All work on the contract will take place in Massachusetts, with 70 percent being performed in Andover, 15 percent in Marlboro and 15 percent in Tewksbury.
The USS Gerald Ford began aircraft compatibility testing in January.
The vessel is intended to replace Nimitz-class aircraft carriers but has been troubled by cost overruns and delays, including problems with its electromagnetic elevators.
On Tuesday General Atomics was awarded two contracts, totaling $35.6 million, for work on the elevator launch system.


upi--2020-02-21--HBO Max confirms 'Friends' reunion special, cast returning

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- HBO Max confirmed Friday that a Friends reunion special is officially happening , with original cast members Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow , Matt LeBlanc , Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer participating .
Aniston fueled rumors of a reunion when she posed for a selfie with her five Friends co-stars .
Later , on an appearance on Ellen on Oct. 28 , she told Ellen Degeneres and singer Charlie Puth , `` We would love for there to be something , but we do n't know what that something is .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ HBO Max Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly has been trying to secure the special .
He told the Television Critics Association on Jan. 15 that it was still a `` maybe . ''
On Friday , HBO Max confirmed the special in a news release .
The six original Friends will reunite on Stage 24 on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank , Calif. , where the original NBC series filmed for 10 seasons .
The special will be available at the launch of HBO Max in May .
HBO Max will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 seasons of Friends .
The episodes were previously on Netflix .
TBS currently broadcasts reruns on TV and streams them on the TBS app .
`` Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together , '' Reilly said in the news release .
He was making a reference to the naming of every Friends episode whose titles began either `` The One With ... '' or `` The One Where ... '' Creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane return as executive producers , along with Kevin Bright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will direct the special .
Friends began in 1994 and anchored NBC 's Thursday night comedy lineup for 10 years .
Rachel ( Aniston ) , Monica ( Cox ) , Phoebe ( Kudrow ) , Joey ( LeBlanc ) , Chandler ( Perry ) and Ross ( Schwimmer ) lived in New York apartments across the hall from each other and gathered at the coffee shop Central Perk .
Ross and Rachel were a series-long will they/wo n't they .
Chandler and Monica ended up married by the show 's end .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like `` Smelly Cat . ''
And a Joey spinoff ran two years after Friends ended .

1/2
Jennifer Aniston will join her "Friends" costars in a reunion special for HBO Max. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- HBO Max confirmed Friday that a Friends reunion special is officially happening, with original cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer participating. Aniston fueled rumors of a reunion when she posed for a selfie with her five Friends co-stars. Later, on an appearance on Ellen on Oct. 28, she told Ellen Degeneres and singer Charlie Puth, "We would love for there to be something, but we don't know what that something is. We're working on something." Advertisement
HBO Max Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly has been trying to secure the special. He told the Television Critics Association on Jan. 15 that it was still a "maybe." On Friday, HBO Max confirmed the special in a news release.
The six original Friends will reunite on Stage 24 on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, Calif., where the original NBC series filmed for 10 seasons. The special will be available at the launch of HBO Max in May.
Advertisement
HBO Max will also become the streaming home for all 10 seasons of Friends. The episodes were previously on Netflix. TBS currently broadcasts reruns on TV and streams them on the TBS app.
"Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together," Reilly said in the news release. He was making a reference to the naming of every Friends episode whose titles began either "The One With..." or "The One Where..."
Creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane return as executive producers, along with Kevin Bright and Ben Winston as EPs. Winston will direct the special.
Friends began in 1994 and anchored NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup for 10 years. Rachel (Aniston), Monica (Cox), Phoebe (Kudrow), Joey (LeBlanc), Chandler (Perry) and Ross (Schwimmer) lived in New York apartments across the hall from each other and gathered at the coffee shop Central Perk.
Ross and Rachel were a series-long will they/won't they. Chandler and Monica ended up married by the show's end. Phoebe was a singer with fan-favorite tunes like "Smelly Cat." And a Joey spinoff ran two years after Friends ended.


upi--2020-02-21--Sen. Bernie Sanders informed Russia trying to help his campaign

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders said Friday that U.S. officials briefed his campaign that Russia has attempted to meddle in the 2020 presidential election , specifically to boost his bid .
The Washington Post was the first to report on the interference , citing unnamed people familiar with the matter .
Speaking to reporters in Bakersfield , Calif. , Sanders said officials told him about the attempted interference a month ago .
`` It was not clear what role they 're going to play .
We were told that Russia , maybe other countries , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and look , here 's the message to Russia : Stay out of American elections , '' he said .
`` And what they are doing , by the way , the ugly thing that they are doing , and I 've seen some of their tweets and stuff , is they try to divide us up , '' he added .
`` That 's what they did in 2016 and that is the ugliest thing they are doing -- is they are trying to cause chaos , they are trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ugly business and all of us have got to say , sorry , you 're not going to do this in this election and again , as president of the United States , Mr. [ Russian President Vladimir ] Putin , you will not interfere in our elections . ''
Sanders implied during Wednesday 's debate in Las Vegas that Russia -- or a similar effort -- could be behind discord between apparent Sanders supporters and a culinary union in Nevada that declined to support the senator .
`` All of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our elections and divide us up .
I 'm not saying that 's happening , but it would not shock me , '' he said Wednesday when asked about the dust-up .
Special counsel Robert Mueller , investigating the 2016 presidential election on behalf of the Justice Department , and multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russia attempted to meddle in the 2016 presidential campaign .
The state-driven action largely involved the use of social media accounts spreading false or incendiary @ @ @

1/3
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses the media prior to a Get Out the Early Vote rally at Valley High School in Santa Ana, Calif., on Friday. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders said Friday that U.S. officials briefed his campaign that Russia has attempted to meddle in the 2020 presidential election, specifically to boost his bid. The Washington Post was the first to report on the interference, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. Advertisement
Speaking to reporters in Bakersfield, Calif., Sanders said officials told him about the attempted interference a month ago.
"It was not clear what role they're going to play. We were told that Russia, maybe other countries, are going to get involved in this campaign, and look, here's the message to Russia: Stay out of American elections," he said.
"And what they are doing, by the way, the ugly thing that they are doing, and I've seen some of their tweets and stuff, is they try to divide us up," he added. "That's what they did in 2016 and that is the ugliest thing they are doing -- is they are trying to cause chaos, they are trying to cause hatred in America. It's an ugly business and all of us have got to say, sorry, you're not going to do this in this election and again, as president of the United States, Mr. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, you will not interfere in our elections."
Advertisement
Sanders implied during Wednesday's debate in Las Vegas that Russia -- or a similar effort -- could be behind discord between apparent Sanders supporters and a culinary union in Nevada that declined to support the senator.
"All of us remember 2016, and what we remember is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our elections and divide us up. I'm not saying that's happening, but it would not shock me," he said Wednesday when asked about the dust-up.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, investigating the 2016 presidential election on behalf of the Justice Department, and multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russia attempted to meddle in the 2016 presidential campaign. The state-driven action largely involved the use of social media accounts spreading false or incendiary information online.


upi--2020-02-21--Wells Fargo to pay $3B to settle fake customer account scam

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- Wells Fargo agreed to pay $ 3 billion to resolve allegations the bank pressured employees to meet `` unrealistic '' sales goals , leading to the creation of millions of fake customer accounts , the Justice Department announced Friday .
In the settlement , the company admitted it collected millions of dollars in fees and interest through the fake accounts and other products to which it was n't entitled .
The U.S. Attorney 's Office in the Central District of California said Wells Fargo also harmed the credit ratings of some customers and unlawfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .
`` This case illustrates a complete failure of leadership at multiple levels within the bank .
Simply put , Wells Fargo traded its hard-earned reputation for short-term profits , and harmed untold numbers of customers along the way , '' U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said .
`` We are hopeful that this $ 3 billion penalty , along with the personnel and structural changes at the bank , will ensure that such conduct will not reoccur . ''
Wells Fargo came under scrutiny for its practices in 2015 after a lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The lawsuit pointed to a brochure encouraging employees to make sure customers on average had eight open accounts with Wells Fargo as part of its `` Going for gr-eight '' campaign .
Employees created thousands of phony accounts and manipulated some real accounts to boost sales figures and earn bonuses .
The bank responded by firing more than 5,000 workers and pledged to end sales goals .
CEO John Stumpf resigned a year later amid backlash over the scandal and last month was fined $ 17.5 million for his role .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department said it wo n't prosecute Wells Fargo for the scam during a three-year period if the company complies with certain conditions , including cooperating with ongoing investigations .

Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Wells Fargo agreed to pay $3 billion to resolve allegations the bank pressured employees to meet "unrealistic" sales goals, leading to the creation of millions of fake customer accounts, the Justice Department announced Friday.
In the settlement, the company admitted it collected millions of dollars in fees and interest through the fake accounts and other products to which it wasn't entitled. The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California said Wells Fargo also harmed the credit ratings of some customers and unlawfully used customers' personal information in the process.
Advertisement
"This case illustrates a complete failure of leadership at multiple levels within the bank. Simply put, Wells Fargo traded its hard-earned reputation for short-term profits, and harmed untold numbers of customers along the way," U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said. "We are hopeful that this $3 billion penalty, along with the personnel and structural changes at the bank, will ensure that such conduct will not reoccur."
Wells Fargo came under scrutiny for its practices in 2015 after a lawsuit accused the company of illegal sales tactics. The lawsuit pointed to a brochure encouraging employees to make sure customers on average had eight open accounts with Wells Fargo as part of its "Going for gr-eight" campaign.
Advertisement
Employees created thousands of phony accounts and manipulated some real accounts to boost sales figures and earn bonuses. The bank responded by firing more than 5,000 workers and pledged to end sales goals.
CEO John Stumpf resigned a year later amid backlash over the scandal and last month was fined $17.5 million for his role.
As part of the settlement, the Justice Department said it won't prosecute Wells Fargo for the scam during a three-year period if the company complies with certain conditions, including cooperating with ongoing investigations.


upi--2020-02-21--Financial Action Task Force blacklists Iran for bankrolling terror

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- An international antiterrorism group voted to keep Iran on its blacklist for failing to stop financing terrorism , the group announced Friday .
The Financial Action Task Force made the decision during its three-day meeting in Paris .
The monitoring group had given Tehran a February deadline to halt the bankrolling of terror groups and individuals by passing legislation on the issue .
Since it did n't , the FATF moved Iran back onto its blacklist , imposing sanctions on Iran from the member countries .
The FATF had temporarily moved Iran onto a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it more access to the international banking system as it worked toward passing legislation .
The move will likely complicate Tehran 's efforts to do business in the European Union after the United States re-imposed sanctions after breaking from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- the so-called Iran nuclear deal .
The FATF also voted to move several other countries onto its gray list of non-compliant nations , including Albania , Barbados , Jamaica , Mauritius , Myanmar , Nicaragua and Uganda .
It removed Trinidad and Tobago from the gray list @ @

President of Iran Hassan Rouhani speaks at the 74th General Debate at the United Nations General Assembly on September 25. The Financial Action Task Force had given Iran until February to pass anti-terrorism legislation, but it didn't. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- An international antiterrorism group voted to keep Iran on its blacklist for failing to stop financing terrorism, the group announced Friday. The Financial Action Task Force made the decision during its three-day meeting in Paris. Advertisement
The monitoring group had given Tehran a February deadline to halt the bankrolling of terror groups and individuals by passing legislation on the issue. Since it didn't, the FATF moved Iran back onto its blacklist, imposing sanctions on Iran from the member countries.
The FATF had temporarily moved Iran onto a so-called gray list in 2016 to give it more access to the international banking system as it worked toward passing legislation.
The move will likely complicate Tehran's efforts to do business in the European Union after the United States re-imposed sanctions after breaking from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- the so-called Iran nuclear deal.
The FATF also voted to move several other countries onto its gray list of non-compliant nations, including Albania, Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nicaragua and Uganda. It removed Trinidad and Tobago from the gray list entirely.
Advertisement


upi--2020-02-21--RSPCA officers find reported snakes were inanimate objects

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- Animal rescuers in Britain said officers responding to separate reports of snakes needing to be removed found the reported reptiles were inanimate objects .
The RSPCA said inspector Jan Edwards responded to a report of a stray snake inside an apartment building Thursday in Fleet , Hampshire .
`` The woman spotted the snake in the communal hallway of her block of flats on Tuesday and said it had slithered up the wall .
The following day she spotted it on the windowsill and contacted us to say she was worried because it did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edwards said .
The reported snake was still where the woman had spotted it when Edwards arrived .
`` I went down to help and , when I arrived , it quickly became clear that it was n't an escaped pet snake -- but a child 's plastic toy .
I think someone may have been playing a prank on the poor woman .
She had been so frightened that she had n't left her flat , '' she said .
Meanwhile , RSPCA animal collection officer Jessica Pierce responded that same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where a man reported seeing two snakes in his bedroom .
`` The caller said they 'd first spotted the large red and black snakes playing in his bedroom but that they 'd since disappeared .
Our call center staff asked them to ring us back if they spotted the snakes again , '' Pierce said .
Pierce visited the home when the man called again and he showed her where he had seen the reptiles .
`` When I arrived I quickly established that the snakes were in fact a piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giggle about it ; another case of hiss-taken identity , '' she said .
The `` snakes '' appeared to be pieces of a worn-out cloth strap .

1/2
A reported snake on a windowsill inside a Fleet, Hampshire, England apartment building turned out to be a children's toy. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers in Britain said officers responding to separate reports of snakes needing to be removed found the reported reptiles were inanimate objects. The RSPCA said inspector Jan Edwards responded to a report of a stray snake inside an apartment building Thursday in Fleet, Hampshire. Advertisement
"The woman spotted the snake in the communal hallway of her block of flats on Tuesday and said it had slithered up the wall. The following day she spotted it on the windowsill and contacted us to say she was worried because it didn't appear to be moving," Edwards said.
The reported snake was still where the woman had spotted it when Edwards arrived.
"I went down to help and, when I arrived, it quickly became clear that it wasn't an escaped pet snake -- but a child's plastic toy. I think someone may have been playing a prank on the poor woman. She had been so frightened that she hadn't left her flat," she said.
Meanwhile, RSPCA animal collection officer Jessica Pierce responded that same day to a home in Manchester, England, where a man reported seeing two snakes in his bedroom.
Advertisement
"The caller said they'd first spotted the large red and black snakes playing in his bedroom but that they'd since disappeared. Our call center staff asked them to ring us back if they spotted the snakes again," Pierce said.
Pierce visited the home when the man called again and he showed her where he had seen the reptiles.
"When I arrived I quickly established that the snakes were in fact a piece of material. We all had a giggle about it; another case of hiss-taken identity," she said.
The "snakes" appeared to be pieces of a worn-out cloth strap.


upi--2020-02-21--Earliest evidence of hominin interbreeding revealed by DNA analysis

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- According to a new study , hominin populations were interbreeding at least 700,000 years ago .
The revelation was made possible by statistical models and sophisticated genetic analysis methods developed by researchers at the University of Utah .
In 2017 , anthropologist Alan Rogers claimed to have found genetic evidence of an early separation of Neanderthal and Denisovan lineages and a population bottleneck among their ancestors .
When anthropologists Fabrizio Mafessoni and Kay Prüfer analyzed the same DNA data , they arrived at a different interpretation .
Rogers agreed that his original analysis was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under discussion were missing something , but what ? ''
Rogers asked in a news release .
Rogers returned to the data in search of patterns of mutations or shared genes that he missed the first time .
His efforts revealed an interbreeding event .
According to the newest analysis , published this week in the journal Science Advances , the Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestor interbred with a separate hominin group , dubbed super-archaics , some 700,000 years ago .
`` We 've never known about this episode of interbreeding and we 've never been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super-archaic population , '' said Rogers , lead author of the new study .
`` We 're just shedding light on an interval on human evolutionary history that was previously completely dark . ''
By studying patterns of shared genes among modern Africans and Europeans , as well as ancient Neanderthals and Denisovans , Rogers and his research partners realized there were five instances of interbreeding over the course of hominin evolution , one of which was previously unknown .
The most famous instances of interbreeding , between modern Eurasians and Neanderthal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When they began interbreeding , the lineages of modern humans and those of Neanderthals and Denisovans were separated by 750,000 years .
Prior to the newly discovered interbreeding event , the lineages of super-archaics and Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestors were separated by more than a million years .
`` These findings about the timing at which interbreeding happened in the human lineage is telling something about how long it takes for reproductive isolation to evolve , '' said Rogers .
According to the new analysis , super-archaics first emerged as a distinct species 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrated into Eurasia and expanded to boast a population size of between 20,000 and 50,000 individuals .
Around 700,000 years ago , Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestors arrived in Eurasia .
The two groups interbred shortly afterwards .
Until now , this period of early human evolution was unknown .
`` I 've been working for the last couple of years on this different way of analyzing genetic data to find out about history , '' said Rogers .
`` It 's just gratifying that you come up with a different way of looking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people have n't been able to see with other methods . ''

Several hundred thousands years before humans and Neanderthals interbred, another pair of hominin populations interbred -- the earliest instance of hominin interbreeding yet discovered. Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- According to a new study, hominin populations were interbreeding at least 700,000 years ago. The revelation was made possible by statistical models and sophisticated genetic analysis methods developed by researchers at the University of Utah. In 2017, anthropologist Alan Rogers claimed to have found genetic evidence of an early separation of Neanderthal and Denisovan lineages and a population bottleneck among their ancestors. Advertisement
When anthropologists Fabrizio Mafessoni and Kay Prüfer analyzed the same DNA data, they arrived at a different interpretation. Rogers agreed that his original analysis was flawed.
"Both of our methods under discussion were missing something, but what?" Rogers asked in a news release.
Rogers returned to the data in search of patterns of mutations or shared genes that he missed the first time. His efforts revealed an interbreeding event.
According to the newest analysis, published this week in the journal Science Advances, the Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestor interbred with a separate hominin group, dubbed super-archaics, some 700,000 years ago.
"We've never known about this episode of interbreeding and we've never been able to estimate the size of the super-archaic population," said Rogers, lead author of the new study. "We're just shedding light on an interval on human evolutionary history that was previously completely dark."
Advertisement
By studying patterns of shared genes among modern Africans and Europeans, as well as ancient Neanderthals and Denisovans, Rogers and his research partners realized there were five instances of interbreeding over the course of hominin evolution, one of which was previously unknown.
The most famous instances of interbreeding, between modern Eurasians and Neanderthal and Denisovan predecessors, occurred 50,000 years ago. When they began interbreeding, the lineages of modern humans and those of Neanderthals and Denisovans were separated by 750,000 years.
Prior to the newly discovered interbreeding event, the lineages of super-archaics and Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestors were separated by more than a million years.
"These findings about the timing at which interbreeding happened in the human lineage is telling something about how long it takes for reproductive isolation to evolve," said Rogers.
According to the new analysis, super-archaics first emerged as a distinct species 2 million years ago. This early group migrated into Eurasia and expanded to boast a population size of between 20,000 and 50,000 individuals. Around 700,000 years ago, Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestors arrived in Eurasia. The two groups interbred shortly afterwards.
Until now, this period of early human evolution was unknown.
"I've been working for the last couple of years on this different way of analyzing genetic data to find out about history," said Rogers. "It's just gratifying that you come up with a different way of looking at the data and you end up discovering things that people haven't been able to see with other methods."


upi--2020-02-21--Watch: Bear relocated after wandering suburb for two days

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- A bear was tranquilized in a Los Angeles suburb after wandering the streets for @ @ @ @ @ visit to the outside of an elementary school .
Authorities said the bear was first @ @ @ @ @ trash cans near Mayflower Elementary School in Monrovia .
The bear was sighted again before @ @ @ @ @ morning wandering through residential neighborhoods .
The bear was spotted wandering up driveways and peering @ @ @ @ @ .
California Fish & Wildlife said the bear was tranquilized Friday and transported to the @ @ @ @

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A bear was tranquilized in a Los Angeles suburb after wandering the streets for two days, including a visit to the outside of an elementary school.
Authorities said the bear was first spotted Thursday morning sniffing around trash cans near Mayflower Elementary School in Monrovia.
Advertisement
The bear was sighted again before dawn Friday and spent the morning wandering through residential neighborhoods.
The bear was spotted wandering up driveways and peering into homes, residents said.
California Fish & Wildlife said the bear was tranquilized Friday and transported to the Angeles National Forest.


upi--2020-02-21--Harvey Weinstein trial: Jurors deadlocked on 2 charges; judge orders more deliberations

Feb. 21 ( UPI ) -- The judge in Harvey Weinstein 's sexual assault trial ordered jurors to resume deliberations after they told him they were deadlocked on two of the charges Friday .
New York Supreme Court Judge James Burke said the jurors should continue deliberations on a verdict Monday .
If they 're unable to come up with a unanimous decision , they can return a verdict on the three counts they agreed upon -- first-degree rape , third-degree rape and criminal sex act .
`` It is not uncommon for a jury to believe they will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliberation , they are often able to reach a unanimous verdict , '' the judge said .
Burke dismissed the jurors for the weekend after four days of deliberations .
Jurors told the judge they were n't in agreement on the two counts of predatory sexual assault -- the two most serious charges the former Hollywood producer faces .
If found guilty on those counts , Weinstein faces up to life in prison .
Weinstein 's defense team said they 're willing to accept a partial verdict , while prosecutors said they wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The charges stem from two accusers who say they were assaulted by Weinstein years ago .
Former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haleyi said Weinstein assaulted her in 2006 and actor Jessica Mann said he raped her in a Manhattan hotel suite in 2013 .
Jurors also heard testimony from other women who said they were victims .
Defense attorneys countered that the sexual encounters were consensual and done to advance their careers in Hollywood .

Harvey Weinstein arrives at Manhattan Supreme Court for Day 4 of deliberations in his rape trial on Friday. Photo by Louis Lanzano/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The judge in Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial ordered jurors to resume deliberations after they told him they were deadlocked on two of the charges Friday. New York Supreme Court Judge James Burke said the jurors should continue deliberations on a verdict Monday. If they're unable to come up with a unanimous decision, they can return a verdict on the three counts they agreed upon -- first-degree rape, third-degree rape and criminal sex act. Advertisement
"It is not uncommon for a jury to believe they will never reach a unanimous verdict but on further deliberation, they are often able to reach a unanimous verdict," the judge said.
Burke dismissed the jurors for the weekend after four days of deliberations.
Jurors told the judge they weren't in agreement on the two counts of predatory sexual assault -- the two most serious charges the former Hollywood producer faces. If found guilty on those counts, Weinstein faces up to life in prison.
Weinstein's defense team said they're willing to accept a partial verdict, while prosecutors said they wanted a decision on all five counts.
Advertisement
The charges stem from two accusers who say they were assaulted by Weinstein years ago.
Former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haleyi said Weinstein assaulted her in 2006 and actor Jessica Mann said he raped her in a Manhattan hotel suite in 2013. Jurors also heard testimony from other women who said they were victims.
Defense attorneys countered that the sexual encounters were consensual and done to advance their careers in Hollywood.