skynewsus--2020-01-29--'88 days of hell': How the 1996 Olympic bombing hero was turned into a villain

In the immediate aftermath of the bomb exploding , security guard Richard Jewell was a hero .
When the 33-year-old discovered the khaki green military-style backpack containing the device - a pipe bomb weighing at least 18kg that would turn out to be the biggest of its kind ever seen by the FBI at the time - he did everything he had been trained to do .
It was 12.55am , Saturday 27 July 1996 .
In the early hours of that morning , about 50,000 people were gathered at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta , Georgia , celebrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concert .
With the Olympics in full swing , this might easily have turned out to be one of the worst terror attacks in US history .
After raising the alarm , Jewell , with the help of other guards , began evacuating the immediate area .
Unbeknown to him , at 12.58am a 911 warning call had also been made from a payphone : `` There is a bomb in Centennial Park .
You have 30 minutes . ''
But there was n't time to stop it .
The bomb exploded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing one woman , 44-year-old mother Alice Hawthorne , and cameraman Melih Uzunyol , who suffered a heart attack , and injuring more than 100 other victims .
If not for Jewell 's quick thinking , the numbers would have been far higher .
Now , the security guard 's story has been dramatised by director Clint Eastwood in the new film Richard Jewell , billed as `` a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth '' .
Because just three days after being hailed a hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front pages for all the wrong reasons ; the FBI was treating him as `` a person of interest '' .
`` FBI suspects 'hero ' guard may have planted bomb , '' the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ( AJC ) , the first news outlet to carry the story , reported on Tuesday 30 July .
This was a bombing at the Olympics , the biggest story on the planet .
The world was demanding to know who was responsible .
The headline was n't untrue .
The security guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the start of what Jewell , who always maintained his innocence , would later describe as his `` 88 days of hell '' .
Richard Jewell , the film , presents a David and Goliath-type case : the innocent , hapless security guard who idolised law enforcement and only wanted to do the right thing , versus the FBI and the media , two of the most powerful forces in America .
Jewell was an early example of trial by the court of public opinion before social media even existed .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong ?
Kent Alexander , the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics , who spent hundreds of hours in meetings with the FBI following the bombing , and Kevin Salwen , who ran the Wall Street Journal 's ( WSJ ) southeastern section and reported on the story during the Games , unravel the events in their book The Suspect , a source for the film .
`` I met Richard Jewell that morning a few hours after the explosion and I shook his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` He was still there , at the park , talking to FBI agents , and I heard what he had done so I shook his hand to thank him . ''
Had Jewell not spotted the bomb and acted so quickly , he says , there is no doubt many more people would have died .
`` Could have been a lot worse ?
No , it definitely would have been a lot worse , '' he says .
`` That bomb was the largest type of that kind the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives ) had ever seen .
And it had a directional plate .
`` During the course of events which [ Jewell ] triggered , the plate ended up facing skywards instead of straight out into the crowd .
He certainly saved a lot of lives .
It was devastating , but it would have been far more devastating . ''
In the hours that followed , Jewell , the hero of Centennial Park , appeared on CNN , and took part in other interviews , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was considering him as a potential suspect .
`` You always look at the guy who found the bomb , just like you always look at the guy who found the body , '' as one FBI agent says in the film .
Looking into someone close to the crime was n't unusual .
There was information that needed to be investigated ; comments Jewell had made , certain behaviour , a call received about him .
Officers would n't have been doing their job properly had they not at least looked into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international news , and Jewell the world 's hero , it had to be handled delicately .
`` My thought at the time was wait and see , '' says Alexander .
`` There were already two suspects .
So wait and see .
`` There was an entire investigative plan in place , to interview Jewell quietly .
That went out of the window as soon as his name appeared in the media .
Obviously , there was a leak . ''
And the leak - whose identity Salwen and Alexander went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their book , but is given a fictional identity in the film - must surely have been aware of the consequences ?
`` I do n't know what was going through his mind , '' says Alexander .
`` But I knew the consequences .
I was furious .
It was the biggest story in the world at the time . ''
Jewell , who had not even been arrested , let alone charged , found himself in the eye of a media storm of which it is hard to overestimate the magnitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest peacetime event in history : 197 nations , two million visitors to Atlanta , 15,000 journalists in town to cover the Games .
`` And 1996 was this really interesting year for the media .
CNN was up and running but MSNBC and Fox News went on-air that year .
The WSJ and NYT ( New York Times ) and a number of other US publications went online for the first time .
So there was this acceleration in media and a change in news consumption and expectation ; immediacy started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you think about the way we now race to judgement I often think of Richard Jewell as patient one for the virus of social media overreach . ''
Like Alexander , Jewell first came to Salwen 's attention as a hero .
When it emerged that he was a suspect , the WSJ , he says , took a `` careful , wait-and-see perspective '' when it came to reporting the progression in the case .
`` But I will say that was largely because of decisions made in New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor talked us off the ledge .
Several of us in Atlanta were very unhappy that we were falling behind on the story .
`` Luckily , our editors were far smarter than we were .
Caution ended up being the right decision . ''
So were the press outlets who reported the suspect status really the archetypal baddies , as they are depicted in Eastwood 's film ?
This is where the story is perhaps presented a little too simplistically , with the film showing that Jewell fitted a profile and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bomber .
With the hindsight of knowing his innocence , it is easy to present the authorities and media as if they were out to get him .
Reporting that Richard Jewell was suspected of committing the crime is of course very different to reporting that Richard Jewell did commit the crime .
Legally in the US , what was reported was okay because it was true .
`` In the US , with libel law , truth is essentially the ultimate defence , '' says Salwen .
`` Richard Jewell was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you could legally report that .
But I 've spent a lot of time speaking to journalism classes and I say that if you 're just settling for the libel benchmark you 're appealing to the lowest common denominator .
`` In this case I would say that yes , the facts were accurate .
But the broader truth was not necessarily accurate .
Richard Jewell was not the bomber .
Richard Jewell was never arrested .
Richard Jewell was never charged .
And he certainly was n't convicted .
`` The danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court of opinion in Richard Jewell 's case was truly disruptive . ''
Richard Jewell died of a diabetes-related heart attack 11 years after the bombing , in August 2007 .
He was 44 .
`` You could make the argument that it was the suspect status and media coverage that hastened his death , '' says Salwen .
`` He certainly had undiagnosed PTSD . ''
It was n't long after the bombing before it became apparent , both Alexander and Salwen say , that Jewell was unlikely to have been responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was officially exonerated .
`` It took so long for three reasons , '' says Alexander .
`` Firstly , there was an investigation to be conducted on the unusual things Richard Jewell had said and done .
For instance , he took his first break away from the tower on the night the bomb was placed .
He had asked if another tower would withstand a blast .
He told others at the park to take a picture of him because ' I 'm going to be famous ' .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second , the FBI needed to investigate all the new leads .
When someone 's name is out in public - in today 's world like going viral - you get a lot of calls from all over the country , all over the world , even .
Calls to say people have heard horrible things Jewell had done , and seen him using explosives and trying to buy more .
All of those had to be traced and investigated .
None panned out .
`` Finally , Richard Jewell was understandably reluctant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By late September we had questions that only Richard Jewell could answer : Where was his green backpack that closely resembled the one holding the Olympic bomb , but was never found in searches of his property ?
Why did he ask such strange questions ?
Why did he so strongly resist being transferred away from the tower a few days before the bombing ? ''
After weeks of suspicion , and headlines - but no charges - Jewell 's mother , Bobi , issued an appeal to then president Bill Clinton to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaking down in tears at a news conference .
Alexander worked with Jack Martin , Jewell 's criminal defence attorney , to encourage the security guard to meet with the FBI once again .
`` On 6 October , Richard Jewell came in with Jack Martin and met with an FBI agent and others for six hours , '' he says .
`` They asked him every question remaining .
The deal from there was they would have three weeks to investigate further , based on his answers , and by then we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target of the investigation . ''
On 26 October 1996 , Alexander took the unusual step of publicly exonerating Jewell , even though he had never been charged , delivering a letter to Martin .
Jewell went on to file law suits against the news outlets he accused of libelling him .
These included NBC , CNN and the New York Post , which settled , and the AJC , which did not .
The case against the AJC was eventually dismissed in 2011 , four years after Jewell 's death and 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wrote the story , Kathy Scruggs .
The Court of Appeals concluded that `` because the articles in their entirety were substantially true at the time they were published - even though the investigators ' suspicions were ultimately deemed unfounded - they can not form the basis of a defamation action '' .
The AJC had been vindicated .
So when Richard Jewell , the film , was released in the US in November 2019 , it was shrouded in controversy , with the AJC seeking public acknowledgement and a `` prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were imagined for dramatic purposes '' .
The paper said it took `` particular exception '' to the film 's portrayal of the late Scruggs , and the suggestion that she slept with an FBI agent to get what a recent AJC report looking back at Jewell 's story describes as `` the biggest scoop of her career '' .
The backlash over Scruggs ' portrayal has dominated headlines surrounding the film , somewhat overshadowing the story of Jewell himself .
In an interview with Sky News promoting the film , Paul Walter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the controversy .
`` I guess my realistic take on the Kathy Scruggs controversy is I 'm not a historian of Richard Jewell or Kathy , I was a historian of the screenplay and just trying to tell the story .
What I would say is if people are frustrated by that element I hope it does n't take away from the overall impact of what we 're trying to right , the wrongs we 're trying to right , in the movie we 're telling .
`` And I would also say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're watching a movie [ based on a true story ] like Foxcatcher or Spotlight , there are composite characters , there are elements where you ca n't know the exact truth .
`` There is no exactitude when two of your leads have since passed - Kathy and Richard .
We did our best and I 'm very proud of it . ''
Both Salwen and Alexander met Scruggs and interviewed a lot of sources connected to her for their book .
She was an `` extremely divisive force '' , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , incredibly entertaining as a character to write ; she dressed provocatively , drank a lot , smoked a lot , used profanity a lot '' , says Salwen .
`` She kept a gun in her purse next to her perfume .
And she had a reputation - because of the way she dressed and the way she comported herself - of sleeping with her sources .
`` That said , we never say that she did sleep with her sources and we certainly did n't say she slept with an FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked everyone we interviewed , specifically : who did she sleep with ?
What do you know versus rumour ?
`` As one source summed it up well : Kathy sold the sizzle and not the steak .
In other words , she did n't sleep with these people , she was just a great flirt .
There 's a leap to go from there to saying she slept with her sources .
`` The film ... goes beyond where we were .
But the rest of the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they enjoyed the film .
`` I think the movie is terrific and I do n't say this just as I was involved in it , '' says Salwen .
`` I think it 's a really fun piece of entertainment that makes a strong point about how we as a society often rush to judge .
It 's a great biopic of an unsung hero . ''
`` It 's a movie , it has different characters and it changes things a bit but generally they did a really good job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was pleasantly surprised to see his signature make a cameo when the exoneration letter is delivered on screen .
Salwen , grateful that his own editors talked him down from the same story as Scruggs , says Jewell 's story encouraged a lot of thought among journalists in the aftermath .
When it comes to reporting , just because it is legally sound it does n't always make it right , he says .
`` So much of the coverage that happened afterwards was just awful , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ' a failed , fat sheriff 's deputy ' .
On Jay Leno , The Tonight Show , he was referred to as the 'Una Doofus ' ( in a reference to terrorist Ted Kaczynski , known as the Unabomber ) .
`` He was compared to Shawn Eckardt , the guy who attacked [ ice-skater ] Nancy Kerrigan . ''
( Eckardt , coincidentally , was played by Hauser in the film I , Tonya in 2017 ) .
`` Leno held up pictures of both and said , 'What is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fat , stupid guys ? '
`` In the court of public conviction , Richard Jewell did the crime .
`` Fast-forward to today and you see it so often now with our current social media behaviour .
People retweet things without even checking . ''
`` The reality is , as a society we absolutely need to slow down and recognise that certain things are not knowable right away , '' says Salwen .
`` Things can just take time .
`` We 're all publishers now .
If you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're in the publishing business .
And if you 're posting without checking , you 're part of the problem .
And I include myself in this , by the way .
I 'm not always as slow and mindful as I could be .
`` We as a society rush to judgement and the person on the other end is the human toll . ''
Another journalist , Henry Schuster , who was a producer for CNN at the time of the bombing and arranged Jewell 's first interview as a hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest article for the Washington Post - `` I helped make Richard Jewell famous - and ruined his life in the process '' - he describes the apology he left it too late to make .
Schuster politely declined to comment further , saying he had said everything he wanted to in his article , but was happy for it to be quoted .
Law enforcement sources were leaking to several media outlets , not just the AJC , that Jewell was under investigation , he says .
`` Instead of going with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ CNN president Tom ] Johnson had the anchors on set hold up the front page of the Journal and read the headlines .
`` By the time Jewell 's lawyer heard the news reports and managed to get through the FBI switchboard to his client , telling him to get out of the field office , the collective weight of law enforcement and the media had begun turning Jewell from a hero to a villain . ''
Writing about `` making sense of it all these years later , when I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's coverage from those first 24 hours '' , Schuster concludes : `` We in the media got it wrong , even though our reporting was right .
There 's the paradox : Jewell really was the FBI 's main suspect .
Yes , the FBI has a lot to answer for , but this is about our responsibility .
`` Suppose that CNN had been more nuanced and called Jewell a person of interest ; our repetitive and relentless coverage would still have made it look like the authorities thought he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting , I 've learned to be more sceptical of sources , especially when they claim to speak for government - especially at its highest levels .
My stories these days do n't go to air without relentless fact-checking , and my scripts have more footnotes than any term paper I did in college .
`` But the lesson is , that is n't always enough .
It 's also how you report it and how everyone else is reporting it , too .
Someone else 's guilty plea and several court settlements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back .
Maybe the film finally will . ''
NBC correspondent Tom Brokaw also apologised for his coverage in a tweet posted in December , saying he `` deeply '' regrets what Jewell and his mother went through , and said : `` I hope we all learned a lesson , including the FBI which was my principal source . ''
Law enforcement also got things wrong , says Alexander .
`` First and foremost , there was a leak .
Leaks like that should be criminalised .
Second there was confirmation bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time .
A profile suggested Jewell was the likely bomber and too much of the investigation centred on trying to prove that conclusion was correct .
That said , hindsight is of course 20-20 . ''
The bomber turned out to be 29-year-old Eric Rudolph , who went on to commit three further attacks against abortion clinics and a gay bar in Georgia and Alabama in the two years that followed before he was identified in 1998 .
It would be five more years until he was caught .
The timing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was realised fairly early in the investigation , meant Jewell could n't possibly have made the call .
In fact , it was an AJC journalist who spent the time working out the timings and realising they could n't work , and reported the story .
However , when it came to the content of the call , the audio was never released by the FBI to the public .
`` This is n't a grand epiphany or anything but one thing I would have done differently is push even harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made warning of the bombing to be released , '' says Alexander .
`` The decision was made not to publicise and it was a missed opportunity at the time .
`` Had the FBI played that tape during the broadcasts of the Olympic Games there 's a pretty good chance someone in the public would have recognised Eric Rudolph 's voice .
`` If Eric Rudolph had been found then , there are three more bombings that would n't have happened . ''
And Richard Jewell may have remained the true hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years later , in the digital age , the story of the security guard who went from unknown to global hero to public enemy in the space of a few days feels perhaps even more relevant now .
So how do we reverse the world 's relentless thirst for immediate information ?
`` I think we really need to think about - and I say this as a journalist , as someone who 's absolutely a defender of the freedom of the press - maybe we need to take a hard look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Salwen .
`` Maybe we need to protect people a little more than we have been . ''
Richard Jewell stars Paul Walter Hauser in the titular role , alongside Jon Hamm as the lead FBI investigator , Sam Rockwell as Jewell 's attorney , Olivia Wilde as AJC reporter Kathy Scruggs and Kathy Bates , who has been nominated for an Oscar , as Jewell 's mother .
It is out in UK cinemas now The Suspect : An Olympic Bombing , the FBI , the Media , and Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle , by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen , is also available to buy now

In the immediate aftermath of the bomb exploding, security guard Richard Jewell was a hero.
When the 33-year-old discovered the khaki green military-style backpack containing the device - a pipe bomb weighing at least 18kg that would turn out to be the biggest of its kind ever seen by the FBI at the time - he did everything he had been trained to do.
It was 12.55am, Saturday 27 July 1996. In the early hours of that morning, about 50,000 people were gathered at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, celebrating the previous day's sporting achievements at a concert. With the Olympics in full swing, this might easily have turned out to be one of the worst terror attacks in US history.
Image: This image shows the crater caused by the bomb blast in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park on 27 July 1996
After raising the alarm, Jewell, with the help of other guards, began evacuating the immediate area. Unbeknown to him, at 12.58am a 911 warning call had also been made from a payphone: "There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have 30 minutes."
But there wasn't time to stop it.
The bomb exploded near a sound tower at 1.20am, killing one woman, 44-year-old mother Alice Hawthorne, and cameraman Melih Uzunyol, who suffered a heart attack, and injuring more than 100 other victims. If not for Jewell's quick thinking, the numbers would have been far higher.
Now, the security guard's story has been dramatised by director Clint Eastwood in the new film Richard Jewell, billed as "a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth".
Because just three days after being hailed a hero, Jewell's face was splashed across front pages for all the wrong reasons; the FBI was treating him as "a person of interest".
"FBI suspects 'hero' guard may have planted bomb," the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), the first news outlet to carry the story, reported on Tuesday 30 July.
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This was a bombing at the Olympics, the biggest story on the planet. The world was demanding to know who was responsible.
Image: The Atlanta Journal ran this headline on the front page on 30 July 1996
Image: ATF and FBI agents and police officers mark evidence following the attack
The headline wasn't untrue. The security guard had become a suspect. But it was the start of what Jewell, who always maintained his innocence, would later describe as his "88 days of hell".
Richard Jewell, the film, presents a David and Goliath-type case: the innocent, hapless security guard who idolised law enforcement and only wanted to do the right thing, versus the FBI and the media, two of the most powerful forces in America.
Jewell was an early example of trial by the court of public opinion before social media even existed. So how exactly did it all go so wrong?
Kent Alexander, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics, who spent hundreds of hours in meetings with the FBI following the bombing, and Kevin Salwen, who ran the Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) southeastern section and reported on the story during the Games, unravel the events in their book The Suspect, a source for the film.
Image: Kent Alexander was the US Attorney General for northern Georgia at the time of the bombing
"I met Richard Jewell that morning a few hours after the explosion and I shook his hand," Alexander tells Sky News. "He was still there, at the park, talking to FBI agents, and I heard what he had done so I shook his hand to thank him."
Had Jewell not spotted the bomb and acted so quickly, he says, there is no doubt many more people would have died.
"Could have been a lot worse? No, it definitely would have been a lot worse," he says. "That bomb was the largest type of that kind the FBI and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) had ever seen. And it had a directional plate.
"During the course of events which [Jewell] triggered, the plate ended up facing skywards instead of straight out into the crowd. He certainly saved a lot of lives. It was devastating, but it would have been far more devastating."
Image: Paul Walter Hauser stars as Jewell in Clint Eastwood's new film. Pic: Warner Bros
In the hours that followed, Jewell, the hero of Centennial Park, appeared on CNN, and took part in other interviews, too. But by the Sunday, the FBI was considering him as a potential suspect.
"You always look at the guy who found the bomb, just like you always look at the guy who found the body," as one FBI agent says in the film.
Looking into someone close to the crime wasn't unusual. There was information that needed to be investigated; comments Jewell had made, certain behaviour, a call received about him. Officers wouldn't have been doing their job properly had they not at least looked into Jewell.
But with the bombing making international news, and Jewell the world's hero, it had to be handled delicately.
"My thought at the time was wait and see," says Alexander. "There were already two suspects. So wait and see.
"There was an entire investigative plan in place, to interview Jewell quietly. That went out of the window as soon as his name appeared in the media. Obviously, there was a leak."
And the leak - whose identity Salwen and Alexander went on to discover and is reported in their book, but is given a fictional identity in the film - must surely have been aware of the consequences?
"I don't know what was going through his mind," says Alexander. "But I knew the consequences. I was furious. It was the biggest story in the world at the time."
Image: In initial reports and TV appearances, including this interview on The Today Show, Jewell was hailed a hero...
Image: ... but he quickly became the main suspect in the FBI's investigation
Jewell, who had not even been arrested, let alone charged, found himself in the eye of a media storm of which it is hard to overestimate the magnitude, says Salwen.
"This was the largest peacetime event in history: 197 nations, two million visitors to Atlanta, 15,000 journalists in town to cover the Games.
"And 1996 was this really interesting year for the media. CNN was up and running but MSNBC and Fox News went on-air that year. The WSJ and NYT (New York Times) and a number of other US publications went online for the first time. So there was this acceleration in media and a change in news consumption and expectation; immediacy started to take precedent over accuracy.
"When you think about the way we now race to judgement I often think of Richard Jewell as patient one for the virus of social media overreach."
Like Alexander, Jewell first came to Salwen's attention as a hero. When it emerged that he was a suspect, the WSJ, he says, took a "careful, wait-and-see perspective" when it came to reporting the progression in the case.
"But I will say that was largely because of decisions made in New York," Salwen admits. "Our main editor talked us off the ledge. Several of us in Atlanta were very unhappy that we were falling behind on the story.
"Luckily, our editors were far smarter than we were. Caution ended up being the right decision."
So were the press outlets who reported the suspect status really the archetypal baddies, as they are depicted in Eastwood's film?
Image: Richard Jewell director Clint Eastwood has defended the film against criticism
This is where the story is perhaps presented a little too simplistically, with the film showing that Jewell fitted a profile and that authorities were under huge pressure to find the bomber. With the hindsight of knowing his innocence, it is easy to present the authorities and media as if they were out to get him.
Reporting that Richard Jewell was suspected of committing the crime is of course very different to reporting that Richard Jewell did commit the crime. Legally in the US, what was reported was okay because it was true.
But mud sticks.
"In the US, with libel law, truth is essentially the ultimate defence," says Salwen. "Richard Jewell was in fact the lead suspect, so you could legally report that. But I've spent a lot of time speaking to journalism classes and I say that if you're just settling for the libel benchmark you're appealing to the lowest common denominator.
"In this case I would say that yes, the facts were accurate. But the broader truth was not necessarily accurate. Richard Jewell was not the bomber. Richard Jewell was never arrested. Richard Jewell was never charged. And he certainly wasn't convicted.
"The danger of dropping that information into the public court of opinion in Richard Jewell's case was truly disruptive."
Richard Jewell died of a diabetes-related heart attack 11 years after the bombing, in August 2007. He was 44.
"You could make the argument that it was the suspect status and media coverage that hastened his death," says Salwen. "He certainly had undiagnosed PTSD."
Image: Alexander (left) and Kevin Salwen are the authors of The Suspect, which tells Richard Jewell's story. Pic: Allison Shirreffs
Image: An FBI mock-up of the pipe bomb used in the attack
It wasn't long after the bombing before it became apparent, both Alexander and Salwen say, that Jewell was unlikely to have been responsible. But it would be months before he was officially exonerated.
"It took so long for three reasons," says Alexander. "Firstly, there was an investigation to be conducted on the unusual things Richard Jewell had said and done. For instance, he took his first break away from the tower on the night the bomb was placed. He had asked if another tower would withstand a blast. He told others at the park to take a picture of him because 'I'm going to be famous'. All that had to be investigated.
"Second, the FBI needed to investigate all the new leads. When someone's name is out in public - in today's world like going viral - you get a lot of calls from all over the country, all over the world, even. Calls to say people have heard horrible things Jewell had done, and seen him using explosives and trying to buy more. All of those had to be traced and investigated. None panned out.
"Finally, Richard Jewell was understandably reluctant to speak with the FBI again. By late September we had questions that only Richard Jewell could answer: Where was his green backpack that closely resembled the one holding the Olympic bomb, but was never found in searches of his property? Why did he ask such strange questions? Why did he so strongly resist being transferred away from the tower a few days before the bombing?"
After weeks of suspicion, and headlines - but no charges - Jewell's mother, Bobi, issued an appeal to then president Bill Clinton to have the FBI drop the investigation, breaking down in tears at a news conference.
Alexander worked with Jack Martin, Jewell's criminal defence attorney, to encourage the security guard to meet with the FBI once again.
"On 6 October, Richard Jewell came in with Jack Martin and met with an FBI agent and others for six hours," he says. "They asked him every question remaining. The deal from there was they would have three weeks to investigate further, based on his answers, and by then we would know if he was still considered target of the investigation."
On 26 October 1996, Alexander took the unusual step of publicly exonerating Jewell, even though he had never been charged, delivering a letter to Martin.
Image: Jewell and his mother Bobi pictured at a media conference after he was cleared
Jewell went on to file law suits against the news outlets he accused of libelling him.
These included NBC, CNN and the New York Post, which settled, and the AJC, which did not. The case against the AJC was eventually dismissed in 2011, four years after Jewell's death and 10 years after the death of the reporter who wrote the story, Kathy Scruggs.
The Court of Appeals concluded that "because the articles in their entirety were substantially true at the time they were published - even though the investigators' suspicions were ultimately deemed unfounded - they cannot form the basis of a defamation action".
The AJC had been vindicated. So when Richard Jewell, the film, was released in the US in November 2019, it was shrouded in controversy, with the AJC seeking public acknowledgement and a "prominent disclaimer" admitting that "some events were imagined for dramatic purposes".
The paper said it took "particular exception" to the film's portrayal of the late Scruggs, and the suggestion that she slept with an FBI agent to get what a recent AJC report looking back at Jewell's story describes as "the biggest scoop of her career".
The backlash over Scruggs' portrayal has dominated headlines surrounding the film, somewhat overshadowing the story of Jewell himself.
Image: Hauser told Sky News he hopes the film helps 'right the wrongs' suffered by Jewell. Pic: Warner Bros
In an interview with Sky News promoting the film, Paul Walter Hauser, who plays Jewell, addressed the controversy.
"I guess my realistic take on the Kathy Scruggs controversy is I'm not a historian of Richard Jewell or Kathy, I was a historian of the screenplay and just trying to tell the story. What I would say is if people are frustrated by that element I hope it doesn't take away from the overall impact of what we're trying to right, the wrongs we're trying to right, in the movie we're telling.
"And I would also say that Hollywood in general, whether you're watching a movie [based on a true story] like Foxcatcher or Spotlight, there are composite characters, there are elements where you can't know the exact truth.
"There is no exactitude when two of your leads have since passed - Kathy and Richard. We did our best and I'm very proud of it."
Both Salwen and Alexander met Scruggs and interviewed a lot of sources connected to her for their book. She was an "extremely divisive force", a woman who was "larger than life, incredibly entertaining as a character to write; she dressed provocatively, drank a lot, smoked a lot, used profanity a lot", says Salwen. "She kept a gun in her purse next to her perfume. And she had a reputation - because of the way she dressed and the way she comported herself - of sleeping with her sources.
"That said, we never say that she did sleep with her sources and we certainly didn't say she slept with an FBI agent to get this story. We asked everyone we interviewed, specifically: who did she sleep with? What do you know versus rumour?
"As one source summed it up well: Kathy sold the sizzle and not the steak. In other words, she didn't sleep with these people, she was just a great flirt. There's a leap to go from there to saying she slept with her sources.
"The film... goes beyond where we were. But the rest of the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs is accurate."
Image: The film does not portray the FBI in a good light. Pic: Warner Bros
Both Alexander and Salwen say they enjoyed the film.
"I think the movie is terrific and I don't say this just as I was involved in it," says Salwen. "I think it's a really fun piece of entertainment that makes a strong point about how we as a society often rush to judge. It's a great biopic of an unsung hero."
"It's a movie, it has different characters and it changes things a bit but generally they did a really good job," says Alexander, who says he was pleasantly surprised to see his signature make a cameo when the exoneration letter is delivered on screen.
Salwen, grateful that his own editors talked him down from the same story as Scruggs, says Jewell's story encouraged a lot of thought among journalists in the aftermath.
When it comes to reporting, just because it is legally sound it doesn't always make it right, he says.
"So much of the coverage that happened afterwards was just awful," he says. "Jewell was called the 'Village Rambo' and 'a failed, fat sheriff's deputy'. On Jay Leno, The Tonight Show, he was referred to as the 'Una Doofus' (in a reference to terrorist Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber).
"He was compared to Shawn Eckardt, the guy who attacked [ice-skater] Nancy Kerrigan." (Eckardt, coincidentally, was played by Hauser in the film I, Tonya in 2017).
"Leno held up pictures of both and said, 'What is it about the Olympics that brings out the fat, stupid guys?'
"In the court of public conviction, Richard Jewell did the crime.
"Fast-forward to today and you see it so often now with our current social media behaviour. People retweet things without even checking."
Image: After being cleared, Jewell went on to testify against the FBI and sued several media outlets
So what's the answer?
"The reality is, as a society we absolutely need to slow down and recognise that certain things are not knowable right away," says Salwen. "Things can just take time.
"We're all publishers now. If you have Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, you're in the publishing business. And if you're posting without checking, you're part of the problem. And I include myself in this, by the way. I'm not always as slow and mindful as I could be.
"We as a society rush to judgement and the person on the other end is the human toll."
Another journalist, Henry Schuster, who was a producer for CNN at the time of the bombing and arranged Jewell's first interview as a hero, agrees. In an open and honest article for the Washington Post - "I helped make Richard Jewell famous - and ruined his life in the process" - he describes the apology he left it too late to make.
Schuster politely declined to comment further, saying he had said everything he wanted to in his article, but was happy for it to be quoted.
Image: Alice Hawthorne was killed in the attack
Law enforcement sources were leaking to several media outlets, not just the AJC, that Jewell was under investigation, he says.
"Instead of going with the more neutral language we favoured, [CNN president Tom] Johnson had the anchors on set hold up the front page of the Journal and read the headlines.
"By the time Jewell's lawyer heard the news reports and managed to get through the FBI switchboard to his client, telling him to get out of the field office, the collective weight of law enforcement and the media had begun turning Jewell from a hero to a villain."
Writing about "making sense of it all these years later, when I have an Emmy on my shelf for CNN's coverage from those first 24 hours", Schuster concludes: "We in the media got it wrong, even though our reporting was right. There's the paradox: Jewell really was the FBI's main suspect. Yes, the FBI has a lot to answer for, but this is about our responsibility.
"Suppose that CNN had been more nuanced and called Jewell a person of interest; our repetitive and relentless coverage would still have made it look like the authorities thought he was the culprit.
"In my own reporting, I've learned to be more sceptical of sources, especially when they claim to speak for government - especially at its highest levels. My stories these days don't go to air without relentless fact-checking, and my scripts have more footnotes than any term paper I did in college.
"But the lesson is, that isn't always enough. It's also how you report it and how everyone else is reporting it, too. Someone else's guilty plea and several court settlements didn't give Jewell his good name back. Maybe the film finally will."
NBC correspondent Tom Brokaw also apologised for his coverage in a tweet posted in December, saying he "deeply" regrets what Jewell and his mother went through, and said: "I hope we all learned a lesson, including the FBI which was my principal source."
Law enforcement also got things wrong, says Alexander.
"First and foremost, there was a leak. Leaks like that should be criminalised. Second there was confirmation bias, although it wasn't called that at the time. A profile suggested Jewell was the likely bomber and too much of the investigation centred on trying to prove that conclusion was correct. That said, hindsight is of course 20-20."
Image: Eric Rudolph later confessed to the bombing
The bomber turned out to be 29-year-old Eric Rudolph, who went on to commit three further attacks against abortion clinics and a gay bar in Georgia and Alabama in the two years that followed before he was identified in 1998. It would be five more years until he was caught.
The timing of the payphone warning of the bomb, it was realised fairly early in the investigation, meant Jewell couldn't possibly have made the call. In fact, it was an AJC journalist who spent the time working out the timings and realising they couldn't work, and reported the story.
However, when it came to the content of the call, the audio was never released by the FBI to the public.
"This isn't a grand epiphany or anything but one thing I would have done differently is push even harder for the 911 call that had been made warning of the bombing to be released," says Alexander. "The decision was made not to publicise and it was a missed opportunity at the time.
"Had the FBI played that tape during the broadcasts of the Olympic Games there's a pretty good chance someone in the public would have recognised Eric Rudolph's voice.
"If Eric Rudolph had been found then, there are three more bombings that wouldn't have happened."
And Richard Jewell may have remained the true hero he always was.
More than 20 years later, in the digital age, the story of the security guard who went from unknown to global hero to public enemy in the space of a few days feels perhaps even more relevant now.
So how do we reverse the world's relentless thirst for immediate information?
"I think we really need to think about - and I say this as a journalist, as someone who's absolutely a defender of the freedom of the press - maybe we need to take a hard look at changing our laws in the US," says Salwen.
"Maybe we need to protect people a little more than we have been."
Richard Jewell stars Paul Walter Hauser in the titular role, alongside Jon Hamm as the lead FBI investigator, Sam Rockwell as Jewell's attorney, Olivia Wilde as AJC reporter Kathy Scruggs and Kathy Bates, who has been nominated for an Oscar, as Jewell's mother. It is out in UK cinemas now
The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the man caught in the middle, by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen, is also available to buy now


skynewsus--2020-02-02--Joaquin Phoenix urges people to 'go vegan' at London protest

Phoenix : 'We have to do something drastic' Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix has urged people to `` go vegan '' as he led an animal rights protest in central London .
Phoenix - an Oscar and BAFTA Award nominee - joined activists at Tower Bridge as they dropped a 390-square foot banner from the landmark declaring : `` Factory farming destroys our planet .
Go vegan . ''
The 45-year-old actor attended the demonstration ahead of Sunday 's BAFTA Award ceremony , where he is in the running for the best lead actor prize for his starring role in Joker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Phoenix , who is a staunch animal rights activist and has been a vegan since he was three years old .
Speaking to Sky News ' Lucy Cotter , he said : `` People are not in a panic in the way they should be .
These are very dire times and so I felt like I had to do something .
`` We have a personal responsibility to take action right now .
`` One way we can mitigate climate change is by adjusting our consumption and by going plant based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being talked about enough .
`` This is an emergency .
We have to do everything we can to try to cut down our impact on climate change . ''
Phoenix also responded to mounting criticism that people in glamour-filled industries , like top actors , are not in a position to preach about climate change because they live in a world of frequent flights and high carbon footprints .
He said : `` We are all hypocrites in some ways .
We all struggle with what the right thing to do is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry does consume a lot of power and a lot of resources so the way to mitigate that for me is to maintain a vegan lifestyle . ''
Phoenix convinced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , the organisation that runs the Golden Globes , to serve its first all-vegan menu at the ceremony 's star-studded dinner last month .
He said : `` I think that is part of our appeal to the award ceremonies because there are so many people flying in to the awards and the cars they use - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the meal plant-based .
: : A New Climate is a series of special podcasts from the Sky News Daily .
Listen on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker '' I think we just have to try and find that balance .
Nobody is perfect but we are all trying to figure it out .
`` Instead of being judgmental and attacking each other , we should try to help each other and educate each other about how we can change .
`` There are many improvements I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am trying to do that . ''
Phoenix turned up at the protest in support of Animal Equality , which is an international organisation working with society , governments , and companies to try and end cruelty to farmed animals .

Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix has urged people to "go vegan" as he led an animal rights protest in central London.
Phoenix - an Oscar and BAFTA Award nominee - joined activists at Tower Bridge as they dropped a 390-square foot banner from the landmark declaring: "Factory farming destroys our planet. Go vegan."
The 45-year-old actor attended the demonstration ahead of Sunday's BAFTA Award ceremony, where he is in the running for the best lead actor prize for his starring role in Joker.
Image: The actor is staunch animal rights activist
Image: Protesters unveiled a banner on Tower Bridge
It is the latest protest campaign by Phoenix, who is a staunch animal rights activist and has been a vegan since he was three years old.
Speaking to Sky News' Lucy Cotter, he said: "People are not in a panic in the way they should be. These are very dire times and so I felt like I had to do something.
"We have a personal responsibility to take action right now.
"One way we can mitigate climate change is by adjusting our consumption and by going plant based. I feel sometimes that's not being talked about enough.
"This is an emergency. We have to do everything we can to try to cut down our impact on climate change."
Phoenix also responded to mounting criticism that people in glamour-filled industries, like top actors, are not in a position to preach about climate change because they live in a world of frequent flights and high carbon footprints.
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He said: "We are all hypocrites in some ways. We all struggle with what the right thing to do is and we make mistakes.
Image: The demonstration was held in support of the Animal Equality organisation
"The industry does consume a lot of power and a lot of resources so the way to mitigate that for me is to maintain a vegan lifestyle."
Phoenix convinced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organisation that runs the Golden Globes, to serve its first all-vegan menu at the ceremony's star-studded dinner last month.
He said: "I think that is part of our appeal to the award ceremonies because there are so many people flying in to the awards and the cars they use - the one thing they can do is to make the meal plant-based.
:: A New Climate is a series of special podcasts from the Sky News Daily. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
"I think we just have to try and find that balance. Nobody is perfect but we are all trying to figure it out.
"Instead of being judgmental and attacking each other, we should try to help each other and educate each other about how we can change.
"There are many improvements I can make in my own life and I am trying to do that."
Phoenix turned up at the protest in support of Animal Equality, which is an international organisation working with society, governments, and companies to try and end cruelty to farmed animals.


skynewsus--2020-02-02--Tom Hanks mocked over tweet celebrating Aston Villa's cup 'win'

Tom Hanks carried an Aston Villa scarf at a London premiere in 2008 Tom Hanks has been mocked after appearing to celebrate Aston Villa winning the Carabao Cup - weeks before the final has been played .
The Hollywood star , who has long claimed to be a supporter of the West Midlands football club , posted a message on Twitter suggesting he thought the team had already won the league cup competition .
`` Aston Villa took the Carabao Cup , '' Hanks tweeted .
`` Up the Villa .
Hanx . ''
Former England striker Gary Lineker was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with many pointing out that Villa 's opponents Manchester City are heavy favourites to win the cup .
Empire magazine writer Chris Hewitt wrote : `` If Tom Hanks says Aston Villa have won the Carabao Cup , several weeks before the final takes place , then Villa have won the Carabao Cup .
`` How are the Reds doing with the League , Tom ? ''
James Coleman added : `` Major upset .
Congratulations to Villa .
Few predicted they would win , let alone this many weeks before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about why he supports Villa , revealing he had listened to football scores being read out on television during his first trip to the UK .
`` I said , 'Aston Villa - what a lovely vacation spot ? '
'' he told talk show host James Corden .
`` It turns out it 's in Birmingham - there 's nothing wrong with that ?
It 's not a town for the lighthearted .
`` I 'm a dedicated Aston Villa fan .
I 've seen them play once in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hanks is not the only famous fan of Villa .
Prince George and Princess Charlotte were pictured cheering on the Premier League club with their parents , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge , earlier this season .
William and Kate took the youngsters to an away match against Norwich City in October and saw their side win 5-1 .
Meanwhile , William revealed he was worried about Villa 's Premier League survival hopes during an honours ceremony at Buckingham Palace last month .
Former Manchester chief executive David Gill said the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was collecting a CBE .
: : Listen to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Villa play Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 1 March .
The match offers Villa a chance to win their first major trophy since 1996 .

Tom Hanks has been mocked after appearing to celebrate Aston Villa winning the Carabao Cup - weeks before the final has been played.
The Hollywood star, who has long claimed to be a supporter of the West Midlands football club, posted a message on Twitter suggesting he thought the team had already won the league cup competition.
"Aston Villa took the Carabao Cup," Hanks tweeted. "Up the Villa. Hanx."
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Former England striker Gary Lineker was among those to highlight Hanks' mistake, with many pointing out that Villa's opponents Manchester City are heavy favourites to win the cup.
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Empire magazine writer Chris Hewitt wrote: "If Tom Hanks says Aston Villa have won the Carabao Cup, several weeks before the final takes place, then Villa have won the Carabao Cup.
"How are the Reds doing with the League, Tom?"
James Coleman added: "Major upset. Congratulations to Villa. Few predicted they would win, let alone this many weeks before the final."
Hanks spoke last year about why he supports Villa, revealing he had listened to football scores being read out on television during his first trip to the UK.
"I said, 'Aston Villa - what a lovely vacation spot?'" he told talk show host James Corden.
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Image: Aston Villa beat Leicester City to secure a place in the Carabao Cup final
"It turns out it's in Birmingham - there's nothing wrong with that? It's not a town for the lighthearted.
"I'm a dedicated Aston Villa fan. I've seen them play once in the United States - a friendly against Portland."
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Hanks is not the only famous fan of Villa.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte were pictured cheering on the Premier League club with their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, earlier this season.
William and Kate took the youngsters to an away match against Norwich City in October and saw their side win 5-1.
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Meanwhile, William revealed he was worried about Villa's Premier League survival hopes during an honours ceremony at Buckingham Palace last month.
Former Manchester chief executive David Gill said the future king expressed his concerns to him while he was collecting a CBE.
:: Listen to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Villa play Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 1 March.
The match offers Villa a chance to win their first major trophy since 1996.


skynewsus--2020-02-01--Kobe Bryant death: Helicopter firm 'was not licensed to fly in fog'

Kobe Bryant death : Helicopter company was not licensed to fly in fog , says official Kobe Bryant death : Helicopter company was not licensed to fly in fog , says official Kobe Bryant , his daughter Gianna and seven other people died in the crash The owner of the helicopter that was carrying basketball great Kobe Bryant and eight other people when it crashed was not licensed to fly in foggy conditions , an official has said .
Island Express Helicopters was limited to operating under visual flight rules , meaning pilots must be able to see clearly outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ) spokesman Keith Holloway .
While pilot Ara Zobayan was licensed to fly using only cockpit instruments , he did not have legal authority for that specific flight because the charter company did not have the necessary certification , sources told the New York Times .
The aircraft was reportedly equipped for instrument flying but Mr Holloway told Reuters news agency that it was not known if Mr Zobayan was doing so at the time of the crash .
He added that a preliminary report on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 days , may provide answers .
`` The preliminary information is Island Express 's 135 certificate did not allow for IFR [ instrument flight rules ] flight , '' Mr Holloway said .
Island Express Helicopters has not commented on the NTSB 's statement but has previously said it is suspending all services .
The company said : `` The shock of the accident affected all staff , and management decided that service would be suspended until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers . ''
Former Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people in the helicopter crash in Calabasas , California , last Sunday .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Zobayan revealed in his last message to air traffic control that he was attempting to clear the clouds , and had minutes before just been given special clearance to fly in the heavy fog that had blanketed the area .
On Friday , LA Lakers star LeBron James led tributes to Bryant in the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thousands of fans chanted `` Kobe !
Kobe !
`` , while red roses were left on the courtside seats where Bryant and his daughter Gianna sat at the last Lakers game they attended earlier this season .
`` As I look around this arena , we 're all breathing , hurt and heartbroken , '' James told the crowd .
`` The best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family .
`` Kobe is a brother to me .
`` The one thing we always shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win .
I want to continue his legacy , not just this year , but as long as we continue to play basketball . ''
Following the tributes , which also included a performance from music star Usher , the LA Lakers lost the game against the Portland Trail Blazers 127-119 .

The owner of the helicopter that was carrying basketball great Kobe Bryant and eight other people when it crashed was not licensed to fly in foggy conditions, an official has said.
Island Express Helicopters was limited to operating under visual flight rules, meaning pilots must be able to see clearly outside the aircraft in daylight, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesman Keith Holloway.
While pilot Ara Zobayan was licensed to fly using only cockpit instruments, he did not have legal authority for that specific flight because the charter company did not have the necessary certification, sources told the New York Times.
Image: The helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California last Sunday
The aircraft was reportedly equipped for instrument flying but Mr Holloway told Reuters news agency that it was not known if Mr Zobayan was doing so at the time of the crash.
He added that a preliminary report on the crash, which is expected in about 10 days, may provide answers.
"The preliminary information is Island Express's 135 certificate did not allow for IFR [instrument flight rules] flight," Mr Holloway said.
Island Express Helicopters has not commented on the NTSB's statement but has previously said it is suspending all services.
The company said: "The shock of the accident affected all staff, and management decided that service would be suspended until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers."
Former Los Angeles Lakers star Bryant died along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, last Sunday.
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:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Zobayan revealed in his last message to air traffic control that he was attempting to clear the clouds, and had minutes before just been given special clearance to fly in the heavy fog that had blanketed the area.
On Friday, LA Lakers star LeBron James led tributes to Bryant in the team's first game since the helicopter crash.
Image: LA Lakers star LeBron James spoke to the crowd at the Staples Centre
Image: LA Lakers player Quinn Cook was overcome with emotion
Thousands of fans chanted "Kobe! Kobe!", while red roses were left on the courtside seats where Bryant and his daughter Gianna sat at the last Lakers game they attended earlier this season.
"As I look around this arena, we're all breathing, hurt and heartbroken," James told the crowd.
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"The best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family.
"Kobe is a brother to me.
Image: The names of the victims of the crash were displayed
Image: Thousands of LA Lakers fans paid tribute to Bryant on Friday
Image: Tributes have been left outside the Staples Centre, where the LA Lakers play
"The one thing we always shared was that determination to just want to win. I want to continue his legacy, not just this year, but as long as we continue to play basketball."
Following the tributes, which also included a performance from music star Usher, the LA Lakers lost the game against the Portland Trail Blazers 127-119.


skynewsus--2020-02-03--Man admits hacking Nintendo and leaking details of unreleased products

A 21-year-old man has admitted hacking Nintendo servers and leaking details about unreleased products .
Ryan Hernandez , from Palmdale in California , and an associate used a phishing technique to steal the credentials of a Nintendo employee in 2016 , according to records .
Phishing refers to obtaining sensitive information such as usernames and passwords by disguising yourself as a legitimate or trustworthy user .
Hernandez , who had the online moniker `` RyanRocks '' , used the credentials to gain access to , and download , confidential Nintendo files related to its consoles and games .
The stolen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nintendo Switch console , was leaked to the public .
FBI agents contacted Hernandez and his parents at their home in October 2017 after an investigation into the hack .
Hernandez , who is also known as Ryan West , promised to stop his behaviour and confirmed he understood the consequences of any future hacking .
However , he returned to hacking from at least June 2018 to June 2019 .
He hacked into multiple Nintendo servers and stole confidential information about various popular computer games , gaming consoles and developer tools .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ several online and social media platforms , such as Twitter and Discord , and leaked some of the stolen information to others .
The hacker operated an online chat forum called `` Ryan 's Underground Hangout '' in which he and others discussed Nintendo products and shared information about possible Nintendo network vulnerabilities .
Hernandez shared some of the confidential information he had stolen on the chat forum .
FBI agents searched Hernandez 's home and seized numerous electronic devices , including computers , hard drives , and circumvention devices used to access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered thousands of confidential Nintendo files on the devices .
Hernandez has also admitted possessing hundreds of child sex abuse images .
Forensic analysis of his devices revealed he had used the internet to collect more than one thousand videos and images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct .
The images were stored and sorted in a folder directory called `` Bad Stuff '' .
Hernandez pleaded guilty in a US District Court in Seattle on Friday .
He is due to be sentenced on 21 April 2020 .
Prosecutors and defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plea agreement , will recommend three years in prison .
The judge will decide the sentence which could be up to the statutory maximum of five years in prison for computer fraud and abuse , and 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography .
Hernandez has agreed to pay $ 259,323 ( £199,460 ) to Nintendo for the remediation costs caused by his hacking .
He will also be required to register as a sex offender following his conviction .

A 21-year-old man has admitted hacking Nintendo servers and leaking details about unreleased products.
Ryan Hernandez, from Palmdale in California, and an associate used a phishing technique to steal the credentials of a Nintendo employee in 2016, according to records.
Phishing refers to obtaining sensitive information such as usernames and passwords by disguising yourself as a legitimate or trustworthy user.
Hernandez, who had the online moniker "RyanRocks", used the credentials to gain access to, and download, confidential Nintendo files related to its consoles and games.
The stolen information, including pre-release information about the Nintendo Switch console, was leaked to the public.
FBI agents contacted Hernandez and his parents at their home in October 2017 after an investigation into the hack.
Hernandez, who is also known as Ryan West, promised to stop his behaviour and confirmed he understood the consequences of any future hacking.
However, he returned to hacking from at least June 2018 to June 2019.
He hacked into multiple Nintendo servers and stole confidential information about various popular computer games, gaming consoles and developer tools.
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Hernandez boasted about his hacking exploits on several online and social media platforms, such as Twitter and Discord, and leaked some of the stolen information to others.
Image: Hernandez leaked some of the stolen information online. File pic
The hacker operated an online chat forum called "Ryan's Underground Hangout" in which he and others discussed Nintendo products and shared information about possible Nintendo network vulnerabilities.
Hernandez shared some of the confidential information he had stolen on the chat forum.
FBI agents searched Hernandez's home and seized numerous electronic devices, including computers, hard drives, and circumvention devices used to access pirated video games and software.
They discovered thousands of confidential Nintendo files on the devices.
Hernandez has also admitted possessing hundreds of child sex abuse images.
Forensic analysis of his devices revealed he had used the internet to collect more than one thousand videos and images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The images were stored and sorted in a folder directory called "Bad Stuff".
Hernandez pleaded guilty in a US District Court in Seattle on Friday. He is due to be sentenced on 21 April 2020.
Prosecutors and defence lawyers, under the terms of the plea agreement, will recommend three years in prison.
The judge will decide the sentence which could be up to the statutory maximum of five years in prison for computer fraud and abuse, and 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Hernandez has agreed to pay $259,323 (£199,460) to Nintendo for the remediation costs caused by his hacking.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender following his conviction.


skynewsus--2020-02-04--'A farce': Bizarre and confusing Democratic caucus descends into chaos

Democratic candidates make their final pitch to voters , as Iowa caucus results get delayed due to “ quality checks ” and “ inconsistencies ” in reporting .
Results in the Iowa Democratic caucuses have been delayed due to `` inconsistencies '' - creating widespread confusion among the campaigns .
Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said : `` This is simply a reporting issue , the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion . ''
Iowa Democrats packed more than 1,600 schools , community centres and other public venues on Monday to choose their preferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But those contenders will have to wait to find out who emerged on top in what is the first major contest for the Democrats in the race for the White House .
In the 12th district of Ankeny , a suburb of Des Moines , I witnessed my first caucus .
It was many things - heartening , amusing , bizarre and confusing .
But the night will probably be marked in the history books for the chaos and disarray it created , with results delayed across the board as quality checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mess and it is n't good for the Democratic Party or American democracy .
Arguably , the only person it does serve is Donald Trump .
He won the Republican caucus in a largely symbolic victory given that he faced no significant opposition .
He tweeted : `` Big WIN for us in Iowa tonight .
Thank you ! ''
He now has a chance to chide the Democratic Party for being incompetent .
: : Listen to Divided States on Apple podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker But there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was , a packed sports hall inside Faith Baptist bible college .
It was packed with people , many wearing retro branded t-shirts and holding bright placards for their preferred candidates .
Some though were still open to switching sides .
Others still undecided .
They sat with wide smiles and eager ears on the bleachers , looking genuinely excited to be there .
A few people addressed their neighbours , passionately trying to persuade them to switch sides .
The groups looked a little tribal , but it was all good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy in action and without the cynicism we so often see later in the presidential race .
Pete Buttigieg 's supporters wore bright yellow t-shirts and waved their arms vigorously , Bernie Sanders ' followers often broke out into passionate monologues .
Biden 's team were far smaller in size , quieter and older .
Elizabeth Warren 's group , like Mr Buttigieg 's , grew in number through the night as people were given the chance to change their minds .
They both appeared to have cross-over appeal .
After the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pick their candidate again , a handful of individuals got a chance to deliver a speech to convince people to flip .
There was a forceful case made for Mayor Pete 's centrist vision , another for Senator Warren 's detailed policy plans and Joe Biden 's extensive experience in government .
But the man who chose to speak for Amy Klobochaur sounded surprisingly lukewarm about her .
He admitted he 'd voted Trump in 2016 and had been undecided until the night before .
The room erupted minutes later , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete Buttigieg 's side .
The dynamics were fascinating .
When another woman walked into the middle of the room to declare she was undecided , everyone excitedly rushed over to try and make their pitches .
It was quite something to see how good spirited the discussion was , given how coarse political discourse in America has become .
These people earnestly attended multiple rallies for many different candidates before coming here .
In the end , Pete Buttigieg won this caucus - his corner of the sports hall - animated and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was clear , there were big problems elsewhere .
Results were n't coming through .
The Democratic Party said it had found `` inconsistencies '' .
I was struck at our caucus , how old fashioned it all felt - even folksy .
People were counting preferences with their hands and a pen .
But it seems a new app was now being blamed for the issues in reporting numbers .
For a party which has looked adrift and is trying to decide on its identity and how to beat Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Voters may well feel failed and frustrated .
But there was one advantage for the many contenders .
In the absence of any results , the confusion allowed every candidate to claim momentum as they delivered what should have been post-results speeches .
Some of their teams resorted to tweeting images of paper results .
A very serious process had become a farce .
However brief , it 's not a good look .

Donald Trump now has a chance to chide the Democratic Party for being incompetent, writes Sky's Cordelia Lynch.
Democratic candidates make their final pitch to voters, as Iowa caucus results get delayed due to “quality checks” and “inconsistencies” in reporting.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Results in the Iowa Democratic caucuses have been delayed due to "inconsistencies" - creating widespread confusion among the campaigns.
Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said: "This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion."
Iowa Democrats packed more than 1,600 schools, community centres and other public venues on Monday to choose their preferred candidate from a field of 11 contenders.
But those contenders will have to wait to find out who emerged on top in what is the first major contest for the Democrats in the race for the White House.
In the 12th district of Ankeny, a suburb of Des Moines, I witnessed my first caucus.
It was many things - heartening, amusing, bizarre and confusing.
But the night will probably be marked in the history books for the chaos and disarray it created, with results delayed across the board as quality checks were carried out.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:50 Democrats begin to choose election candidates
It was a mess and it isn't good for the Democratic Party or American democracy.
Arguably, the only person it does serve is Donald Trump. He won the Republican caucus in a largely symbolic victory given that he faced no significant opposition.
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He tweeted: "Big WIN for us in Iowa tonight. Thank you!" He now has a chance to chide the Democratic Party for being incompetent.
:: Listen to Divided States on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Spreaker
But there was little sign of those problems where I was, a packed sports hall inside Faith Baptist bible college.
It was packed with people, many wearing retro branded t-shirts and holding bright placards for their preferred candidates.
Image: Former mayor of South Bend in Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, forecast the results will 'shock the nation'
Some though were still open to switching sides. Others still undecided.
They sat with wide smiles and eager ears on the bleachers, looking genuinely excited to be there.
A few people addressed their neighbours, passionately trying to persuade them to switch sides.
The groups looked a little tribal, but it was all good humoured - an uplifting display of raw democracy in action and without the cynicism we so often see later in the presidential race.
Pete Buttigieg's supporters wore bright yellow t-shirts and waved their arms vigorously, Bernie Sanders' followers often broke out into passionate monologues.
Image: Former vice president Joe Biden is a front runner in the contest
Biden's team were far smaller in size, quieter and older.
Elizabeth Warren's group, like Mr Buttigieg's, grew in number through the night as people were given the chance to change their minds.
They both appeared to have cross-over appeal.
After the second alignment, where people have a chance to pick their candidate again, a handful of individuals got a chance to deliver a speech to convince people to flip.
There was a forceful case made for Mayor Pete's centrist vision, another for Senator Warren's detailed policy plans and Joe Biden's extensive experience in government.
Image: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said he had a 'good feeling' about the Iowa caucus
But the man who chose to speak for Amy Klobochaur sounded surprisingly lukewarm about her. He admitted he'd voted Trump in 2016 and had been undecided until the night before.
The room erupted minutes later, when he suddenly walked over to sit with Pete Buttigieg's side. The dynamics were fascinating.
When another woman walked into the middle of the room to declare she was undecided, everyone excitedly rushed over to try and make their pitches.
It was quite something to see how good spirited the discussion was, given how coarse political discourse in America has become. These people earnestly attended multiple rallies for many different candidates before coming here.
In the end, Pete Buttigieg won this caucus - his corner of the sports hall - animated and delighted.
But as we left, it was clear, there were big problems elsewhere.
Image: Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren addresses her supporters
Results weren't coming through. The Democratic Party said it had found "inconsistencies".
I was struck at our caucus, how old fashioned it all felt - even folksy.
People were counting preferences with their hands and a pen. But it seems a new app was now being blamed for the issues in reporting numbers.
For a party which has looked adrift and is trying to decide on its identity and how to beat Donald Trump, it was not a good start.
Voters may well feel failed and frustrated.
But there was one advantage for the many contenders. In the absence of any results, the confusion allowed every candidate to claim momentum as they delivered what should have been post-results speeches.
Some of their teams resorted to tweeting images of paper results.
A very serious process had become a farce. However brief, it's not a good look.


skynewsus--2020-02-04--Weinstein accuser breaks down over 'father issues' email

Weinstein accuser Jessica Mann breaks down in court after reading 'father issues ' email Weinstein accuser Jessica Mann breaks down in court after reading 'father issues ' email Jessica Mann left Manhattan Criminal Court after the trial was adjourned for the day A woman who says she was raped by Harvey Weinstein left court sobbing uncontrollably after breaking down during questioning .
Jessica Mann , 34 , was overcome as she read an email in which she described the former Hollywood producer as a `` pseudo father '' figure after the alleged attack .
She began crying as she read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of Weinstein 's lawyers , Donna Rotunno .
Ms Mann was still crying after a short break , prompting the judge to adjourn the trial for the day .
She testified on Friday that the Hollywood film producer raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in March 2013 and described her relationship with him as `` extremely degrading '' .
She said the relationship had continued to form for some years afterwards .
Weinstein , 67 , has pleaded not guilty to raping Ms Mann and to sexually assaulting another woman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison if found guilty of predatory sexual assault - the most serious charge .
Ms Mann 's email - written to an actor she was dating at the time - revealed she was working through `` father issues '' when she was with Weinstein .
`` Harvey was my father 's age and he gave me all the validation I needed , '' she wrote .
The former actress is expected to be cross-examined further on Tuesday .
During Monday 's court session , Weinstein 's lawyer repeatedly suggested that Ms Mann had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to advance her career .
At one point she asked if Ms Mann `` manipulated '' Weinstein when she sent him friendly messages and asked to see him , even though she was not attracted to him .
Ms Mann replied : `` How I handled it to survive and process it , yeah , I guess you could say manipulation . ''
Ms Rotunno also showed Ms Mann friendly emails she sent Weinstein after the alleged rape , including one in which she gave him her new contact information and said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smile '' .
Ms Mann said she sent Weinstein flattering messages to avoid making him angry and show she was `` not a threat '' .
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct and the trial is widely seen as a milestone in the # MeToo movement .
Weinstein has insisted any sexual activity was consensual .
Ms Mann previously told the court she met Weinstein at a party after she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting .
The producer behind such Oscar-winning films as Shakespeare In Love and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said , asking her to meet him at a bookstore to learn about movie business history .

A woman who says she was raped by Harvey Weinstein left court sobbing uncontrollably after breaking down during questioning.
Jessica Mann, 34, was overcome as she read an email in which she described the former Hollywood producer as a "pseudo father" figure after the alleged attack.
She began crying as she read the 2014 message aloud under cross-examination by one of Weinstein's lawyers, Donna Rotunno.
Image: Harvey Weinstein, shown arriving at court on Monday, denies the charges
Ms Mann was still crying after a short break, prompting the judge to adjourn the trial for the day.
She testified on Friday that the Hollywood film producer raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in March 2013 and described her relationship with him as "extremely degrading".
She said the relationship had continued to form for some years afterwards.
Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to raping Ms Mann and to sexually assaulting another woman, Mimi Haleyi.
He faces life in prison if found guilty of predatory sexual assault - the most serious charge.
Ms Mann's email - written to an actor she was dating at the time - revealed she was working through "father issues" when she was with Weinstein.
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"Harvey was my father's age and he gave me all the validation I needed," she wrote.
The former actress is expected to be cross-examined further on Tuesday.
During Monday's court session, Weinstein's lawyer repeatedly suggested that Ms Mann had willingly had sex with the film producer to advance her career.
At one point she asked if Ms Mann "manipulated" Weinstein when she sent him friendly messages and asked to see him, even though she was not attracted to him.
Ms Mann replied: "How I handled it to survive and process it, yeah, I guess you could say manipulation."
Ms Rotunno also showed Ms Mann friendly emails she sent Weinstein after the alleged rape, including one in which she gave him her new contact information and said she would be "happy to see your smile".
Ms Mann said she sent Weinstein flattering messages to avoid making him angry and show she was "not a threat".
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct and the trial is widely seen as a milestone in the #MeToo movement.
Weinstein has insisted any sexual activity was consensual.
Ms Mann previously told the court she met Weinstein at a party after she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
The producer behind such Oscar-winning films as Shakespeare In Love and Pulp Fiction offered to help her, she said, asking her to meet him at a bookstore to learn about movie business history.


skynewsus--2020-02-04--Rapidly thawing permafrost could double carbon emissions

A new study has found that the abrupt thawing of permafrost in the Arctic will double the carbon emissions suggested by previous estimates .
Scientists at the University of Colorada at Boulder have analysed the permafrost regions towards the Earth 's polar north , which is already dramatically altered by climate change .
Dr Merritt Turetsky , director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research ( INSTAAR ) at CU Boulder , said the `` fast and dramatic '' thawing in the Arctic was `` affecting landscapes in unprecedented ways '' .
In her research paper , published in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote : `` Forests can become lakes in the course of a month , landslides occur with no warning , and invisible methane seep holes can swallow snowmobiles whole . ''
`` Systems that you could walk on with regular hiking boots and that were dry enough to support tree growth when frozen can thaw , and now all of a sudden these ecosystems turn into a soupy mess , '' Dr Turetsky added .
Permafrost - the permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the layers which thaw and freeze based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all exposed land in the northern hemisphere .
It contains rocks , soil and sometimes pockets of pure ice - and crucially it stores twice as much carbon as is in the atmosphere because it is where life that once flourished in the Arctic is buried - from dead plants and animals through to microbes .
: : Listen to A New Climate podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Podcasts , and Spreaker This carbon-based matter has never fully decomposed but instead been frozen and locked away beneath the reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of years .
According to current estimates , the permafrost contains an estimated 1,500 petagrams of carbon - basically equivalent to 1.5 trillion metric tons of carbon .
The change in emissions between previous estimates and those in the new study comes from the researchers ' distinguishing gradual permafrost thaw - which slowly releases the carbon stores - from abrupt thaws .
The issue is that 20 % of the Arctic permafrost layer is rich in ice , meaning it is more susceptible to temperature changes and could thaw more rapidly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon , particularly carbon dioxide but also methane , which is an even more potent greenhouse gas .
According to the researchers , even though less than 5 % of the Arctic permafrost is going to be rapidly thawing at any given time , emissions from that rapid thawing will equal the emissions from all of the other areas thawing more gradually .
Although there are a number of ways that abrupt permafrost thaw can happen , the results are always a dramatic change to the ecology .
The new study 's findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include permafrost-stored carbon in climate models , along with implementing strong climate policy and mitigation , Dr Turetsky added .
But the news is n't all bad .
`` We can definitely stave off the worst consequences of climate change if we act in the next decade , '' she said .
`` We have clear evidence that policy is going to help the north and thus it 's going to help dictate our future climate . ''

A new study has found that the abrupt thawing of permafrost in the Arctic will double the carbon emissions suggested by previous estimates.
Scientists at the University of Colorada at Boulder have analysed the permafrost regions towards the Earth's polar north, which is already dramatically altered by climate change.
Dr Merritt Turetsky, director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at CU Boulder, said the "fast and dramatic" thawing in the Arctic was "affecting landscapes in unprecedented ways".
In her research paper, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, Dr Turetsky wrote: "Forests can become lakes in the course of a month, landslides occur with no warning, and invisible methane seep holes can swallow snowmobiles whole."
Image: Trees struggle to remain upright in a lake formed by abrupt permafrost thaw. Credit: David Olefeldt
"Systems that you could walk on with regular hiking boots and that were dry enough to support tree growth when frozen can thaw, and now all of a sudden these ecosystems turn into a soupy mess," Dr Turetsky added.
Permafrost - the permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the layers which thaw and freeze based on the season - is present in 25% of all exposed land in the northern hemisphere.
It contains rocks, soil and sometimes pockets of pure ice - and crucially it stores twice as much carbon as is in the atmosphere because it is where life that once flourished in the Arctic is buried - from dead plants and animals through to microbes.
:: Listen to A New Climate podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Spreaker
This carbon-based matter has never fully decomposed but instead been frozen and locked away beneath the reach of the rest of the Earth for thousands of years.
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According to current estimates, the permafrost contains an estimated 1,500 petagrams of carbon - basically equivalent to 1.5 trillion metric tons of carbon.
The change in emissions between previous estimates and those in the new study comes from the researchers' distinguishing gradual permafrost thaw - which slowly releases the carbon stores - from abrupt thaws.
The issue is that 20% of the Arctic permafrost layer is rich in ice, meaning it is more susceptible to temperature changes and could thaw more rapidly.
Image: There are permafrost regions in the Antarctic as well
Abrupt thaws are a large emitter of carbon, particularly carbon dioxide but also methane, which is an even more potent greenhouse gas.
According to the researchers, even though less than 5% of the Arctic permafrost is going to be rapidly thawing at any given time, emissions from that rapid thawing will equal the emissions from all of the other areas thawing more gradually.
Although there are a number of ways that abrupt permafrost thaw can happen, the results are always a dramatic change to the ecology.
The new study's findings suggest it is an urgent matter to include permafrost-stored carbon in climate models, along with implementing strong climate policy and mitigation, Dr Turetsky added.
But the news isn't all bad.
"We can definitely stave off the worst consequences of climate change if we act in the next decade," she said.
"We have clear evidence that policy is going to help the north and thus it's going to help dictate our future climate."


skynewsus--2020-02-04--Iowa caucus: Initial results show Pete Buttigieg ahead amid voting 'farce'

Pete Buttigieg is leading the Iowa caucus with 62 % of the precincts reporting , with former vice president Joe Biden falling back to fourth spot .
The former South Bend mayor received 26.9 % with Bernie Sanders close behind with 25.1 % , according to partial results from the first vote to pick a Democratic White House candidate .
Elizabeth Warren was third on 18.3 % and Joe Biden fourth on 15.6 % .
The day was marred by a long delay due to what Iowa 's Democratic Party called `` inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the app used by the party has been blamed for the delays .
Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said : `` This is simply a reporting issue , the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion . ''
Earlier , Iowa Democrats met at more than 1,600 schools , community centres and other public locations to choose their preferred candidate from a field of 11 contenders .
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and Mr Biden had been front runners ahead of what is the nation 's first presidential contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the results , the candidates delivered what should have been post-election speeches .
Mr Biden said : `` We feel good about where we are , so it 's on to New Hampshire '' , adding that he would `` walk out of here with our share of delegates '' .
Mr Sanders said he had `` a good feeling we 're going to be doing very , very well here in Iowa '' once results were posted .
He said : `` Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Divided States on Apple podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker

Pete Buttigieg is leading the Iowa caucus with 71% of the precincts reporting, with former vice president Joe Biden falling back to fourth spot.
Earlier, when 62% of precincts had returned results, the former South Bend mayor received 26.9% with Bernie Sanders close behind with 25.1%, according to partial results from the first vote to pick a Democratic White House candidate.
Elizabeth Warren was third on 18.3% and Joe Biden fourth on 15.6%.
The vote share has not yet been released since the number of precincts reporting went up.
The day was marred by a long delay due to what Iowa's Democratic Party called "inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results".
A coding error in the app used by the party has been blamed for the delays.
Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said: "This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion."
Earlier, Iowa Democrats met at more than 1,600 schools, community centres and other public locations to choose their preferred candidate from a field of 11 contenders.
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and Mr Biden had been front runners ahead of what is the nation's first presidential contest before November's election.
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While waiting for the results, the candidates delivered what should have been post-election speeches.
Mr Biden said: "We feel good about where we are, so it's on to New Hampshire", adding that he would "walk out of here with our share of delegates".
Mr Sanders said he had "a good feeling we're going to be doing very, very well here in Iowa" once results were posted.
He said: "Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump."
:: Listen to Divided States on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Spreaker