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San
José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 239
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Cuban problem
not seen as priority
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
President Luis Guillermo Solís is going to Cuba Dec. 15 for the first visit by a Costa Rican chief executive since Fidel Castro took over. Yet, the plight of perhaps as many as 4,000 Cubans stuck in Costa Rica is not very high on the agenda. Sources at Casa Presidencial said that there are many more important topics to discuss with Cuban officials. The Cuban government most likely is pleased that the exodus of young workers has been stopped at the Nicaraguan border. At the last count released Friday, the national emergency commission said there were 2,886 Cuban migrants in public shelters. The government has been largely ineffective in obtaining help from other countries to ease the crisis. Now there are fears that the masses of humanity in some 11 shelters are primed for outbreaks of diseases. The Cubans hope to reach the United States where Cold War legislation gives them entry and a way to gain residency. One Cuban was unsuccessful Tuesday in trying to make his own way north. The Policía Profesional de Migración said they detained one man because he had fake stamps in his passport and carried a fake Spanish identity card. The man, who was identified by the last names of Rodríguez Rodríguez, went from Juan Santamaría airport to the fiscalía de flagrancia de Alajuela. The immigration agency said the man was trying to board a flight to México Tuesday afternoon. Officials said they had no record of the man entering Costa Rica. The arrest raises the possibility that the Cuban migrants are being offered fake documents to continue on their journey. Policeman, one other shot in stickup By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Gunmen stuck up a lottery vendor just north of Hospital San Juan de Dios Wednesday morning and then wounded a policeman and a relative of the victim. Other police officers on bikes chased suspects on a motorcycle and caused their arrest a short time later. But the Judicial Investigating Organization reported later that the pair were not involved in the robbery and shooting. The crime took place at Plaza Rofas, which is on Calle 16 a short distance from the hospital's emergency entrance. The 30-year-old woman, Victoria Brenes, had come to the city from San Antonio de Escazú by bus and carried 800,000 colons to make Christmas purchases, police said. Two policemen nearby intervened in the robbery, and one, identified by the last name of Quirós, suffered a bullet wound to the knee. The robbers fled but not before relatives of Ms. Brenes chased them. One relative, identified by the last name of Gómez, also was shot. Four police officers on bikes chased motorcycle riders in the belief that the two were the robbers. They managed to identify the motorcycle so that other officers detained the pair in La Uruca. The Judicial Investigating Organization said later in the day that the pair had been cleared. During the daytime there are about 36 police officers on bikes in the downtown. The crime resulted in a blockade of major streets and caused delays for persons headed to work in the morning.  2015 telethon
begins Friday evening
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The 2015 telethon begins its 27-hour run Friday. The Club Activo 20-30 Internacional de San José seeks to raise about $1.35 million for four of the nation's hospitals. The annual event takes place at the Ciudad Deportiva in Hatillo 2, but the entertainment and personal stories are broadcast all over the country. Those seeking to help have been collecting money in public places for at least two weeks. The slogan for the telethon is "open your heart," Abre tu corazón in Spanish. Organizers promise personal stories by those who have been helped by the donations that will leave imprints on viewers hearts. Performers compete to be part of the program. The Teletón 2015 Web page is HERE! and donations can be made by bank deposit. This year there are mini-telethons planned in various communities with local performers and the goal of collecting funds. The proceeds will purchase portable x-ray equipment for the Hospital Nacional de Niños and devices to move children safely and comfortably at Hospital de Ciudad Neily and the Hospital Tomas Casas in Ciudad Cortes. Money also will go for medical care in San Ramón, organizers said. For the first time Fuerza Pública officers will be participating, and collections will be made at the various police stations, said the agency. Nandayure festival starts early Friday By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Municipalidad de Nandayure plans a Christmas festival in the community of Carmona starting at 5 a.m. Friday through Sunday at midnight. Residents will be awakened by the sounds of marimbas and those cimarronas, the street bands at 5 a.m. Friday, said organizers. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 239 | |
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| Tree lighting at children's hospital is scheduled for tonight |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Another holiday tradition will have an effect on downtown traffic again today. Officials at the Hospital Nacional de Niños will be lighting the giant live evergreen on the north lawn at 6 p.m. There are some 22,000 lights hung on the tree. In anticipation of the crowds, traffic police will be reducing the flow on Paseo Colón that runs along the north side of the hospital and on Calle 20 on the west side. The tree lighting is a tradition, and hospitalized children will be able to see the event and the accompanying performances from the balconies of the hospital. Traffic also faced delays Wednesday. The Museo Nacional de Niños put on the annual lighting of its facade, and traffic on Avenidas 9, 7 and five were subject to delays and Calle 4 was closed off for pedestrians. |
 Museo de los Niños photo
Fireworks burst over the
Museo de los Niños Wednesday. |
| Lawyer faces trial on allegation of practicing while
suspended |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A lawyer who failed to make his last court date in October most likely will be there Dec. 15. A judge imposed preventative detention on the man, identified by the last names of Prendas Matarrita, Nov. 19, and judicial agents picked him up. He faces allegations of practicing law while he was suspended and creating false documents, said the Poder Judicial. The |
trial is in
the Tribunal Penal de Pérez Zeledón. The accusations stem from 2010 when the man was suspended by the Colegio de Abogados. Prosecutors contend he still functioned as a lawyer. Another lawyer working for the Banco Nacional in Pérez Zeledón noticed the problem when a customer presented documents in 2011. Prendas also is accused of creating a false mortgage on property and collecting notary fees and failing to do the work, said the Poder Judicial. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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be
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 239 | |||||
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| Swiss detain Americas regional soccer conference president | |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
with staff reports Swiss authorities detained early today Alfredo Hawit Banegas of Honduras, president of the soccer federation that covers the Caribbean, and North and Central America. This is the federation to which Costa Rica belongs. Also detained was Juan Ángel Napout of Paraguay, president of the South American soccer governing body. The men are being investigated for taking millions of dollars involving Latin American marketing rights for World Cup preliminaries and other soccer tournaments. They are expected to be extradited to the United States. Swiss officials said that the U.S. Justice Department was involved in the case. The arrests came at the same Zurich hotel where the first round of arrests took place in May. The New York Times reported today that more than a dozen people were expected to face charges after the latest arrests at the Baur au Lac hotel. |
The officials
of the Fédération Internationale de Football
Association were gathered at the hotel to discuss proposals aimed at
reforming soccer's governing body after long-term allegations of
corruption that culminated in criminal investigations by the United
States and Switzerland. Costa Rica soccer federation president Eduardo Li was among the individuals detained at the same hotel in May. Li still is in prison in Switzerland and appealing an extradition order sought by the United States. On Nov. 18, suspended federation president Sepp Blatter and European football chief Michel Platini lost their appeals against provisional 90-day bans by the federation ethics committee. The provisional ban stops Platini from working as European president and halted his candidacy for the federation presidential election Feb. 26. Blatter is also barred from his office after 17 years. Platini's lawyers quickly criticized a "uniquely one-sided, unjust and biased" investigation against him. Blatter and Platini were suspended in October, engulfed by the deepening corruption scandal. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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contents of this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
Colorado
S.A. 2015 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica's
Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 239 | |||||||
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| California man sentenced for his revenge porn site Special to A.M. Costa Rica
A Northern California man who operated the Internet’s best-known revenge porn Web site was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in federal prison for hiring another man to hack into e-mail accounts to steal nude photos that were later posted on his website. The man, Hunter Moore, 29, of Woodland, California, operated the now-defunct isanyoneup.com. He was sentenced by U. S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee. In addition to the prison term, which Moore was ordered to begin serving by Jan. 22, Judge Gee ordered the defendant to pay a $2,000 fine. In sentencing Moore, Judge Gee called the conduct particularly reprehensible. Moore pleaded guilty in February to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information for purposes of private financial gain and one count of aggravated identity theft. The hacker, Charles Evens, 26, of Studio City, California, was sentenced last month to 25 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to the same two felony counts. Moore operated the Web site where he posted, among other things, nude or sexually explicit photos of victims. The pictures were submitted by individuals, without the victim’s permission, for purposes of revenge, Moore admitted in court. However, to obtain more photos for the Web site, Moore instructed Evens to gain unauthorized access to hack into Google e-mail accounts, according to Moore’s plea agreement. Moore sent payments to Evens in exchange for nude photos unlawfully obtained from the victims’ accounts. Moore then posted the illegally obtained photos on his Web site, without the victims’ consent, he admitted in the plea agreement. The plea agreement discusses one specific incident in late 2011 when Moore sent an email to Evens that stated Moore would like as many nude pictures from hacked email accounts as possible. In response, Evens accessed a victim’s e-mail account without authorization and obtained pictures, Evens provided the pictures to Moore, and Moore paid $145.70 to defendant Evens using Pay Pal. One of the nude photos was posted on isanyoneup.com on Dec. 29, 2011, according to the plea agreement. Evens admitted that he hacked into email accounts belonging to hundreds of victims. Sergeant who shielded Jews honored by Yad Vashem By the A.M. Costa Rica wire service
A deceased U.S. Army sergeant has become the first American soldier to be named a Righteous Among Nations by Israel's official Holocaust memorial. The rare title bestowed by Yad Vashem goes to non-Jews who risked their lives to protect Jews from certain death at the hands of the Nazis in World War II. Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, who died in 1985, was given the honor Wednesday. It was accepted by his son. Edmonds was taken prisoner by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. When a Nazi officer attempted to separate the Jewish prisoners from the rest of the American prisoners, Edmonds ordered all the men to step forward, declaring "We are all Jews." The enraged Nazi officer threatened to shoot Edmonds on the spot, but the American sergeant refused to back down and told the German that under the rules of war, prisoners are only required to give their names, ranks and serial numbers, not their religious beliefs. The Nazi officer shuffled away in defeat. The Americans who were imprisoned with Edmonds say the sergeant knew of the murderous Nazi policy towards Jews and say he likely saved hundreds of lives by his refusal to kowtow to the Germans. Hitler's book is triggering controversy again in Germany By the A.M. Costa Rica wire service
Adolf Hitler's manifesto "Mein Kampf" is expected to be published in Germany next year for the first time since the death of the World War II dictator held responsible for the Holocaust. With the expiration of a 70-year copyright hinged on the 1945 suicide death of the anti-Semitic ruler, the manuscript enters the public domain, and plans to publish an annotated version of the two-volume work in German have sparked public controversy. Jewish groups say the work, which outlines the development of Hitler's anti-Semitism, is dangerous and should never be published in Germany again. But the publishers of "Hitler, Mein Kampf. A Critical Edition" say their version surrounds the hate speech of Adolf Hitler with context, explaining how the most famous villain of the 20th century formed his ideas and pointing out the flaws and untruths in his arguments. "Mein Kampf" has not been published in German since 1945, out of respect for the millions of Jews, Roma, and others who died in Nazi concentration camps during the war. It has been available in other languages, published in other countries. Adolf Hitler wrote the book in two volumes. He began the first volume, published in 1925, while in prison after a failed putsch in Munich. The second volume came out a year later. The work rose in popularity as Hitler gained power, reaching sales of some 12 million copies in 18 languages by his death in 1945. Meanwhile, the copyright to another seminal book of the World War II era, "The Diary of Anne Frank," is also set to run out by the end of the year, inspiring an effort by the Swiss foundation holding the copyright to extend it to keep the book from entering the public domain. The Anne Frank Fonds last month announced its intention to add Anne's father Otto Frank as a co-author, which would extend the copyright to 2050. Otto Frank is responsible for getting the diary published after his teenaged daughter died in a concentration camp in 1945. The organization argues that his involvement with the editing of the diary was extensive enough to consider him a co-author. Extending the copyright to 2050 would ensure that the foundation keeps receiving profits from the rights to the diary for the next 35 years. The foundation donates proceeds from book sales to various charitable causes, funding education and other types of support for needy children and teenagers worldwide. But the plans are contested by those who believe Frank's writings should enter the public domain as originally expected. A French lawmaker and a lecturer at the University of Nantes have both announced they will go ahead and publish the text, in the original Dutch, online in January. The Amsterdam-based Anne Frank House has also objected the copyright extension, as it had been planning to release an online edition when the copyright expired. "The Diary of Anne Frank," which details the young Jewish author's two years in hiding with her family in Amsterdam, is one of the most widely read books of the 20th century, selling some 30 million copies to date. Trump increasing poll lead despite growing scrutiny By the A.M. Costa Rica wire service
Less than two months before voters begin the process of choosing the next U.S. president, real estate mogul Donald Trump has widened his lead among Republican White House contenders, according to a new nationwide poll by Quinnipiac University. Trump has 27 percent support in the latest survey, well ahead of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 17 percent, and Ben Carson and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, each with 16 percent. Carson’s support dropped seven points from last month’s poll. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, once the odds-on favorite to win the nomination, languishes well behind at 5 percent. Trump’s continued surge comes less than two weeks before the fifth Republican presidential debate, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The debate looms as a crucial test for Trump’s rivals, who so far have had little success in denting his momentum either nationally or in the key early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Iowa begins the process Feb. 1 and the New Hampshire primary follows eight days later. Despite his success in the polls, Trump finds himself increasingly on the defensive and the subject of greater scrutiny. This is particularly true after continuing to insist that Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks in New Jersey, even though no credible evidence has come to light. “I said very strongly and very correctly, I said there are people over there and they were dancing in the street and they were dancing on rooftops,” Trump told supporters recently at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Past attempts to challenge Trump have not worked out for many of his rivals. During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, however, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie saw an opening with Trump’s claim. “It didn’t happen, and you know, the fact is, people can say anything, but the facts are the facts and that did not happen in New Jersey that day and hasn’t happened since,” Christie told reporters. Trump refused to back down, and he said hundreds of people had called or tweeted confirming his recollection. “You know what, there is nothing wrong with an apology, but you have to be wrong. I believe in apologizing, but you have to be wrong,” Trump told supporters in South Carolina. Jeb Bush also has intensified his criticism of Trump in recent weeks. Bush told an audience of Republican activists in Florida that he represents a different approach to governing. “If you want a talker, maybe I’m not the guy. But if you want a doer, someone who’s done it, someone who’s taken on the tough challenges, I am your candidate,” said Bush. So far, the renewed scrutiny on Trump’s claims and angry rhetoric does not seem to be having much impact on his supporters, who are angry with and disappointed in Washington. “People are frustrated with the inability of government to get things done. They are anxious about the future. They are fearful about overseas threats,” said scholar Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution. Trump’s rhetoric and aggressive style have set him apart from the rest of the Republican field for months, beginning with his opposition to illegal immigration and his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Analysts say Trump also has hit a broader chord, though, that is resonating with Republican primary voters. “It’s partly because he puts himself out there as a kind of truth-teller against all those who are politically correct or wishy-washy, and that gets you a good slice of the Republican vote,” said John Fortier, an analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. The New York Times reported that many establishment Republicans are increasingly worried about Trump’s apparent strength in the presidential race. Many fear not only losing the White House race next year, but possibly control of the Senate as well if Trump heads the Republican ticket. The Times report said there was no consensus among Republican Party leaders as to how to stop Trump or whether anyone should even try. Trump’s staying power has surprised many political pundits who predicted his campaign would self-destruct earlier this year. Many analysts continue to insist it is unlikely Trump will wind up winning the Republican nomination next year. “Early on in the election it is really easy to vote your anger,” said analyst Stuart Rothenberg, founder of the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report. “It is really easy to get it off your chest and to say, 'yeah, I’m really angry and I want this person.' But the closer you get to the election, the more people think, 'hmm, yeah I want change, but I want safe change.'” So far, it remains unclear who from the crowded Republican field will assume the risk of taking on Trump directly. The next best opportunity for that comes in the Dec. 15 debate in Las Vegas, perhaps the last chance for Republican contenders to make their pitch to the public before Americans turn their focus to the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period. U.S. firearm sales booming, FBI sales statistics confirm By the A.M. Costa Rica wire service
By most accounts last week’s Black Friday sales were tepid at best, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed one product that was flying off the shelves in the United States: guns. According to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, 185,345 requests for background checks were processed Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, which is considered the biggest shopping day of the year. "This was an approximate 5 percent increase over the 175,754 received on Black Friday 2014," according to Stephen Fischer, the FBI's chief of multimedia productions, who wrote to USA Today newspaper. "The previous high for receipts were the 177,170 received on 12/21/2012." The FBI also said that Black Fridays from 2012 to 2014 also were among the bureau’s top 10 days of most background checks. Since 1998, when the FBI started keeping the data, some 220 million firearms have been purchased. Gun sales are also known to spike after mass shootings. The previous record came one week after the December 2012 murder of 26 people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. While gun laws differ among the various states, common reasons for someone to fail a background check can include having a criminal background or domestic violence convictions. Spurred by the mass shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood location last week, President Obama sought more control of firearms sales. "This is not normal," Obama said. "We can't let it become normal. If we truly care about this — if we're going to offer up our thoughts and prayers again, for God knows how many times, with a truly clean conscience — then we have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period. Enough is enough." One pro-gun group, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told the Web site Guns.com that they could not point to the reason for the trend, but according to a spokesman, the group thinks the trend is caused by more individuals making the decision to exercise their right to keep and bear arms and a rising interest in target shooting. Washington Post reporter reaches 500 days in custody By the A.M. Costa Rica wire service
Iran's detention of U.S. journalist Jason Rezaian hits 500 days today with The Washington Post saying that its Tehran correspondent is in immediate danger as his health deteriorates. The newspaper said Wednesday that it had made a new appeal to the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for help in securing the release of the 39-year-old reporter, who holds dual Iranian and U.S. citizenship. The newspaper said Rezaian suffers from high blood pressure and other ailments as Iran's mistreatment of him has intensified. Iran announced last month that Rezaian had been sentenced to an undisclosed prison term following his conviction on espionage and other charges in October. But no details of the verdict or sentence have been released. Post editor Martin Baron called Rezaian's 500th day of detention the grimmest of milestones. It meant he'd been held 56 days longer than Tehran held U.S. Embassy workers following the 1979 Islamic revolution. "Five hundred days robbed of his life, 500 days deprived of his family, 500 days denied any semblance of justice," Baron said in a statement. Today Rezaian's brother, Ali, is planning to deliver a petition to Iran's U.N. mission with more than 500,000 signatures calling for Rezaian's immediate and unconditional release. Child-friendly TB treatment debuts with optimistic hopes By the A.M. Costa Rica wire service
Researchers at the annual Union World Conference on Lung Health on Wednesday announced the debut of a child-friendly tuberculosis treatment, a move they hope will strike a serious blow in the fight against this often-deadly disease. It sickens at least 1 million children a year, according to the World Health Organization. Mel Spigelman, president and CEO of the TB Alliance, an international nonprofit organization, said the treatment is a major advance. "For the first time, we have appropriate treatment for the million children who have tuberculosis, with a formulation of drug that is easy for kids to take, that tastes good and that will hopefully make the disease much easier to treat," Spigelman said at the conference in Cape Town. Until now, children have been given cut-up adult pills, which they often reject because of the bad taste, the doctor said. The new medicine is dissolvable in water and comes in flavors like strawberry and raspberry in precise doses. The treatment was developed with the help of international aid groups including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Spigelman said that’s because major pharmaceutical companies have little financial incentive to develop medicine for TB, which is largely a disease of the poor. "TB is a disease that is intimately linked with socioeconomic status," he said. "It’s intimately linked with poverty, with crowding, with poor nutrition." The airborne respiratory illness remains one of the world’s biggest killers, despite the fact that nearly all cases can be cured, World Health says. It reported 1.5 million TB deaths in 2014. Of those, 140,000 were child victims. Lucica Ditiu, executive director of the Stop TB Partnership in Geneva, said TB is a very modern threat. She said the disease is on the rise, with the emergence of multiple drug-resistant strains. "TB is coming back. And TB's coming up is a sign of global failure, because TB is a sign of poverty, and misery and lack of nutrition and lack of basic things and people living in bad conditions and being so desperate or unwell that health remains as the last of their priorities," she said. She urged international donors and leaders to do more and invest more to fight the disease. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 239 | |||||||||
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Two Calif.
massacre suspects identified
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Authorities have identified two of the suspects in Wednesday's shooting at a social services agency in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 people dead and 17 others wounded. News outlets say they have learned from various law enforcement sources that an American citizen named Syed Farook. 28, was one of at least two heavily armed assailants who stormed a conference center at the Inland Regional Center wearing assault-style clothing and opened fire at participants at a Christmas party. Also named was a 27-year-old woman, Tashfeen Malik. Hours later, two of the suspects, believed to be Farook and Ms. Malik, were killed in a shootout with police after the SUV they fled the scene in was spotted in the nearby town of Redlands. A police officer was wounded during the shootout, but is expected to survive. A third suspect was arrested while trying to flee the shootout, but San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan told reporters it is unclear if he was involved in the massacre. The Christmas party was being held on the campus of the Inland Regional Center, which provides services for developmentally disabled people, for employees of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. Public records show Farook was employed by the department as an environmental health specialist. Little is known about Ms. Malik. Burguan described the shootings as a case of domestic terrorism, but said he does not know what the motive might have been. He said the possibility of a workplace dispute is being looked at. Burguan did not say if the dead and wounded worked at the handicapped center or were clients. David Bowdich, an assistant director for the FBI's Los Angeles office, said it was unclear if the attack had anything to do with terrorism, but added that "we are definitely making some movements that it is a possibility." Early today, late Wednesday night California time, Farook's brother-in-law, Farhan Kahn, offered his condolences for the victims at a press conference held by the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Kahn said he had no idea why Farook carried out the attack. "We unequivocally condemn the horrific act that happened today," the council executive director, Hussam Ayloush, told reporters. "We stand in solidarity in repudiating any possible ideology or mindset that could have led to such horrific act." Bomb disposal technicians were dispatched to the center after one device believed to be an explosive was discovered on the grounds. Police also deployed a robot at a house in Redlands linked to Farook to search for possible explosives. In comments to CBS television, President Barack Obama said the U.S. has a pattern of mass shootings that has no parallel anywhere else in the world. He said there are steps that can be taken to make Americans safer, adding that officials in every level of government should come together on a bipartisan basis to make such shootings rare instead of normal. One suggestion is that the U.S. Congress should pass legislation that prohibits anyone being on the Department of Homeland Security's no-fly list from purchasing a firearm. The two leading U.S. presidential candidates reacted by Twitter. Democrat Hillary Clinton said she refuses "to accept this as normal. We must take action to stop gun violence now." Republican Donald Trump said the shooting looks very bad. He wished good luck to officers on the scene and said this is when police are so appreciated. This shooting comes less than a week after a gunman killed three people and wounded nine in a shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In October, a gunman killed nine people at a college in Oregon and in June a white gunman killed nine black churchgoers in South Carolina. |
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| From Page 7: Chairwoman Yellen hints again at rate hike By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The head of the U.S. central bank says she expects the U.S. job market to continue improving and the rate of inflation to rise closer to the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target rate. Many economists interpret that as a signal that Fed officials will raise the key interest rate Dec. 16, a change that has been under consideration for a long time. In a speech to the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, the Fed chairwoman, Janet Yellen, said she expects the economic drag from the strong U.S. dollar and faltering foreign markets to diminish over time. She cautioned that bad economic reports could still delay a rate increase. The next major economic report comes Friday, and it is expected to show the unemployment rate at a relatively low 5 percent, with a net gain of 190,000 jobs nationwide. The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate to a record-low near zero during the financial crisis. The idea was to make it cheaper for business to borrow the money needed for new equipment, to create jobs, and cut unemployment. Since the stimulus effort, unemployment has fallen from 10 percent to 5 percent, and a new report from Georgetown University says under-employment has also been cut sharply, particularly for people with college degrees. Some economic studies published Wednesday may increase the likelihood of a rate hike. ADP, a company that processes 24 million paychecks for companies across the United States, says employment rose by 217,000 in November. A separate Gallup survey of U.S. workers shows the number saying their companies are hiring is far higher than the number worrying about layoffs. CoreLogic, which tracks the housing industry, says its newest analysis shows a decline in the portion of home sales due to foreclosure or other kinds of distress. Foreclosures and other problems soared during the financial crisis, so a decline in distressed sales shows an improving housing sector. |
