Japanese police and prosecutors now required to record some interrogations

Abstract: Japanese police and prosecutors are now obliged to record interrogations of suspects in serious criminal cases as legal revisions fully came into force Saturday. Under the revisions, the entire interrogation process must be recorded in cases subject to lay judge trials, including cases of murder and robbery resulting in death, as well as cases investigated by special prosecutor squads, which often deal with corporate crimes and corruption. Interrogations of suspects who have mental disabilities will also have to be recorded in full. The revisions are designed to prevent illegal outcomes, such as forced confessions, and to protect people from facing false charges. Audiovisual recordings will be used to establish the credibility of defendants’ statements in trials. But cases subject to the change account for only about 3 percent of the total, and the introduction of the measure to improve transparency will be limited to the questioning of suspects who have been arrested or detained, not those who speak to investigators on a voluntary basis. Critics often point to a lack of transparency in interrogations conducted by Japanese police and prosecutors, as lawyers are not allowed to be present during questioning. Police and prosecutors have already started recording interrogations in most designated cases. In fiscal 2017, interrogations in 2,583 cases, or 98.4 percent, of those subject to citizen judge trials were fully recorded at prosecutors’ offices nationwide. As for cases investigated by special prosecutor squads, interrogations in all 83 cases they dealt with in the same year were recorded in their entirety, according to the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office. In fiscal 2018 through March this year, the police also recorded full interrogations in 2,860 cases, or 87.6 percent, of criminal cases bound for lay judge trials, the National Police Agency said. In addition to revisions to the Code of Criminal Procedure, a revised wiretapping law enacted in May 2016 also became fully effective Saturday, enabling investigators to wiretap phones and emails to probe organized and other crimes without the presence of telecommunications carrier personnel. In order to prevent tampering of evidence, the police will introduce special equipment to encrypt content they have intercepted. Recordings of the interrogation processes began on a trial basis by prosecutors in 2006 and the police in 2008 to prepare for trials involving citizen judges that started in May 2009. Calls to expand the scope of recordings gathered momentum after former senior members of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office were found in September 2010 to have covered up evidence tampering by a subordinate during the course of an investigation into abuse of a postal discount system. The cover-up came to light shortly after former senior welfare ministry official Atsuko Muraki was acquitted in the case of forging a document to enable an unqualified organization to take advantage of the postal discount system for people with disabilities. Among other legal revisions related to criminal proceedings, a plea bargaining system for those involved in organized crime and bribery cases was introduced in June 2018. Under the system, prosecutors can agree not to indict or to pursue lesser charges or lighter penalties if suspects or defendants provide evidence or depositions against alleged accomplices. Recently, a plea bargaining agreement was struck by prosecutors and senior officials of Nissan Motor Co. cooperating in investigations of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who was arrested last year for alleged financial misconduct.


National Police Agency data show 47 teachers were charged over child porn in Japan in 2018

Abstract: The number of teachers in Japan charged with child pornography more than doubled to 47 in 2018 from 21 the previous year, according to National Police Agency data viewed by Jiji Press. The number of people charged in overall child pornography cases in the country last year increased by 612, or 35.9 percent, from the previous year to a record 2,315. Of the 47 teachers, 16 were in their 30s, followed by 14 in their 20s, 10 in their 50s and seven in their 40s. Of the teachers, 23, or the largest number, were charged with possession of child pornography, followed by production, at 13. Nine teachers were charged with secret filming or photographing, which mostly took place in bathrooms and changing rooms at schools where they were working. The number of people charged in overall child prostitution cases in Japan in 2018 dropped to 725, down by 116, or 13.8 percent, from the previous year. But the number of teachers charged with child prostitution rose to 18 from the previous year’s 12. “Teachers can prepare for crimes without raising suspicion because they are well aware of students’ pattern of behavior and the structure of buildings,” said Arata Sakamoto, secretary-general of Lighthouse, a nonprofit organization in Tokyo that supports victims of human trafficking and other abuses. “Sex crimes against children are considered to have a high risk of recidivism. Measures to prevent recidivism, including a ban on convicts from taking jobs with a chance to make direct contact with children, need to be established,” Sakamoto said.


Elderly man involved in fatal Ikebukuro accident to have driver's license revoked

Abstract: The Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission will revoke the driver’s license of an 87-year-old man whose car hit and killed a 31-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district in April. The commission had set a hearing for Friday morning to gather the account of the man, Kozo Iizuka. But he did not appear, citing problems with his legs, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Iizuka’s license will be canceled after he or his proxy completes related procedures. On the afternoon of April 19, Iizuka’s car went through a red light and ran out of control for about 150 meters, killing the mother and the girl and injuring nine others. Iizuka also suffered injuries. The police believe that Iizuka mistakenly used his car’s accelerator rather than the brake. Iizuka has not been arrested for the accident, reportedly because there is no fear of him fleeing or destroying evidence. But anger grew online, with some suggesting that he escaped arrest because he is a former senior government official. Iizuka served as head of the former Agency of Industrial Science and Technology under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The agency and another MITI affiliate were integrated to create the current National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The police are still investigating the accident and suspect that Iizuka’s negligent driving resulted in the deaths and injuries. A dashboard camera in his car and other pieces of physical evidence have been confiscated. At a news conference held days after the crash, the husband of the woman killed in the incident asked elderly people to think twice about getting behind the wheel if they are unsure about their abilities.


2020 Tokyo Olympics torch relay to pass through disaster-hit areas, World Heritage sites

Abstract: The organizing committee of the 2020 Games said Saturday the Tokyo Olympics torch relay will pass through major Japanese landmarks, including World Heritage sites and areas devastated by recent natural disasters. According to the route revealed by organizers, the torch will travel to 857 municipalities in all of the country’s 47 prefectures, shining a light on the symbols of reconstruction from the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, and the subsequent nuclear disaster. About 10,000 torch bearers will participate over the 121-day relay, with the organizers revealing the specific routes later this year. The earliest application window will open June 17. Since the Tokyo Olympics have been dubbed the “reconstruction Olympics,” the torch will pass through municipalities heavily hit by the 2011 disaster which devastated parts of the Tohoku region. It will commence on March 26 next year at Fukushima Prefecture’s J-Village, a soccer training center that was an operational base for dealing with the nuclear crisis. The “Miracle Pine” monument, in a park dedicated to a tree that remained standing when all the other 70,000 around it were washed away by tsunami waves, is among the various landmarks from the northeastern region. On the first day, the torch will also travel through Okuma, where one part of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear complex is located. Organizers said they had selected a route that goes through “places in each region with great attraction” in a bid to introduce them to people in Japan and abroad. World Heritage sites designated by UNESCO, including Mount Fuji, the nation’s tallest mountain, and Hiroshima Prefecture’s Miyajima Island, home to the Itsukushima Shrine and its floating gate, are among major landmarks along the route. The torch will also visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to the victims of the world’s first atomic bombing in 1945. Tomioka Silk Mill, a factory building in Gunma Prefecture symbolizing the country’s industrialization from the 19th century, is on the itinerary on the seventh day of the relay. The flame will make its entrance at Tokyo’s New National Stadium on July 24 during the opening ceremony. Four Olympic sponsors will hold individual application windows for those wishing to become torch bearers, as well as the organizers in each of the 47 prefectures. Coca-Cola Japan Co. will open its application process on June 17. According to the organizers, people of all genders and nationalities are eligible to become torch bearers, as long as they were born before April 1, 2008, and have a connection with a prefecture they wish to participate in. Those who have not reached the age of 18 by March 1, 2020, need permission from a parent or guardian to participate. The organizers also unveiled the torch bearers’ uniforms. They are made using recycled plastic bottles in a bid to promote sustainability. Employing the torch relay’s theme, “Hope Lights Our Way,” the shirts have a graphic of a line that symbolizes the road of hope illuminated by the flame. The flame lighting ceremony will take place next March 12 in Olympia, Greece. Following an eight-day relay in Greece, the flame will be transported to Japan, where it will be displayed in Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, the three hardest hit by the 2011 catastrophe. The Olympics will be held in Tokyo for the second time, following the 1964 Games. Next summer’s extravaganza will feature 33 sports and 339 events between July 24 and Aug. 9, followed by the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6.

great east japan earthquake
2020 tokyo olympics
2020 tokyo paralympics


G7 to cooperate in regulating global tech giants to protect competition, Japan sources say

Abstract: Group of Seven nations will work together to boost the regulation of global information technology giants as criticism mounts that they are taking advantage of smaller companies by restricting entry to the market, Japanese government sources said Thursday. Antitrust regulators from G7 member nations have agreed on the need to cooperate on oversight and to crack down on violations as powerful tech companies expand operations globally through mergers and acquisitions, the sources said. The issue is set to be discussed at the G7 summit meeting in August in France, to be attended by leaders of the U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. The regulators have also confirmed they will share the results of independent investigations into the companies as well as know-how on ways to deal with violations, the sources said. Outcomes of the discussions to date may be reported at a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in July, the sources said, and an agreement could be included in a declaration from the G7 summit. The move comes as U.S. tech giants including Google LLC and Amazon.com Inc. face growing criticism that they are preventing newcomers from entering the market by monopolizing customer data through their platforms and takeovers. Concerns have also emerged that the companies are abusing their dominant position by enforcing contract terms and rules that are disadvantageous to smaller firms, leaving them to shoulder an unfair share of costs. Japan’s government said Wednesday it plans to submit a bill to the Diet next year to regulate large global and domestic IT firms. The bill is designed to enhance transparency in business transactions. The envisioned legislation will require Google, Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com, sometimes referred to collectively as GAFA, and other such IT firms to make contract terms public, according to the draft bill.

google
tech
microsoft
apple
g7
big data
personal information
amazon.com


Mitsubishi weighs buying Bombardier's regional-jet unit

Abstract: HONG KONG - Bombardier Inc. is in talks to sell its CRJ regional jet program to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., a move that would end the Canadian industrial champion’s involvement in commercial aircraft. Both sides confirmed they were in discussions after the Air Current reported Wednesday that negotiations were at an advanced stage. The aviation blog said an agreement could be announced as early as the Paris Air Show, which starts June 17. Mitsubishi said no decision had been made, while Bombardier said any agreement would be subject to further analysis by its own management and due diligence by the Japanese manufacturer. A deal would cap a strategic overhaul at Montreal-based Bombardier, which has already given up control of its single-aisle jetliner program and a turboprop business to focus on making private jets and rail equipment. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi, meanwhile, would further its ambitions to bolster manufacturing of smaller planes and challenge Embraer SA. The CRJ once produced the bulk of Bombardier’s revenue, but trains and business aircraft have since overtaken regional jetliners as the main drivers of profit for the company and generated 81 percent of sales in the first quarter. About 1,500 CRJ planes are in service worldwide. The unit could generate gross proceeds of $680 million (¥73.5 billion) according to Citigroup Inc., which compared the operation’s deliveries and average aircraft price to those of the Q400 turboprop operation. Bombardier’s stock rose the most in three months after the news. In July, Bombardier handed control of its C Series jetliner to Airbus SE. Last month the Canadian company said it would sell an Irish factory that makes wings for the plane, now known as the A220. Regional jets, with fewer seats and smaller fuselages, are a different class of aircraft from larger narrow-body planes such as Boeing’s 737 or the Airbus A320. The biggest variant of the CRJ can seat a little more than 100 passengers. For Mitsubishi, a deal would make it the biggest challenger to Embraer’s commercial-plane business, which is in the process of being absorbed by Boeing Co. A purchase would also help realize a goal the Japanese company has chased for more than a decade: breaking into the elite group of jet-makers. Mitsubishi’s efforts to build its own regional jet — named the MRJ — have been plagued by difficulties after aborted test flights and cost overruns. The program suffered a setback early last year when a U.S. carrier scrapped an order for 40 of the jets. ANA Holdings Inc.’s All Nippon Airways is set to take the first delivery of the MRJ around mid-2020, according to Mitsubishi Heavy. But a Bombardier sale to Mitsubishi might be complicated by escalating tensions between Beijing and Ottawa, as China — a potential major market for Mitsubishi — could exercise authority over deal approval. China has been squabbling with Canada since the December arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co., on a U.S. extradition request.

boeing canada mitsubishi mrj bombardier crj


Trump adviser and leading GOP senator both say Mexico tariffs might not happen

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A White House trade adviser and a leading Republican senator said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to impose tariffs on Mexican goods might not go into effect, offering hope for Mexico and American businesses concerned about economic damage from a new front in President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Adviser Peter Navarro told CNN that Trump’s threatened tariffs, due to come into force next week, might not be needed because the United States now has “the Mexicans’ attention” on stemming illegal immigration. Frustrated by the lack of progress on a signature issue from his 2016 election campaign, Trump unexpectedly told Mexico last week to take a harder line on curbing illegal immigration or face 5 percent tariffs on all its exports to the United States, rising to as much as 25 percent later in the year. Mexican officials will seek to persuade the White House in talks hosted by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday that their government has done enough to stem immigration and avoid looming tariffs. Pence is looking for a comprehensive suite of proposals from the visiting officials about stopping the flow of migrants from Central America, a White House official said. “Trade and all other aspects of our relationship are critically important, but national security comes first and the White House is dead serious about moving forward with tariffs if nothing can be done to stem the flow of migrants,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The vice president is eager to hear what tangible measures the Mexican government is prepared to take to immediately address this growing crisis,” the official added. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he was optimistic the talks can end in an agreement. “We believe that these tariffs may not have to go into effect precisely because we have the Mexicans’ attention,” Navarro said. Trump has faced significant resistance within his own Republican Party over the threatened tariffs, with many lawmakers concerned about the potential impact on cross-border trade and on U.S. businesses and consumers. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, predicted that the United States and Mexico would strike a deal to avert the tariffs. Mexican officials will offer a “long list of things” to avoid the duties in talks this week with their American counterparts, Grassley told reporters, adding that he thinks a possible deal could be announced on Thursday night. Grassley represents the farming state of Iowa, which exports pork and other agriculture products to Mexico and might be hit by Mexican retaliation in a prolonged trade dispute. Trump, who in Britain on a state visit this week, said in London on Tuesday it was likely that the first wave of tariffs, set for June 10, would go ahead. Some Republicans have told the White House not to count on the same level of support within the party that it received earlier this year when Trump declared a national emergency to divert funds to build barriers at the border. Democrats opposed that move. The proposed tariffs have also been criticized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and industry groups due to concerns about increased costs for U.S. businesses and consumers of imported Mexican goods from cars and auto parts to beer and fruit. U.S. authorities at the southern border with Mexico have faced in recent years an increase in mostly Central American families and unaccompanied minors seeking asylum to escape criminal violence in their home countries. Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard will attend the talks on tariffs and immigration, set to take place in Washington at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Wednesday. Ebrard has said the threatened tariffs would be devastating to Mexico’s economy and would not stop the waves of migrants from crossing the U.S. border. The Mexican delegation is expected to try to show the White House that authorities are taking steps to stem the flow of migrants, with Mexico detaining double the number each day than it was a year ago. But leftist Lopez Obrador has said he wants to persuade Washington to help tackle the causes of migration by investing in Central America to create jobs and speed up economic development. Mexico’s peso rose 0.2 percent on Wednesday ahead of the meeting on hopes of a resolution to the U.S.-Mexican trade friction. An industry source who has met with the Mexican delegation said that ideas being floated to solve the dispute are more border controls and joint security exercises on Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, which Central American migrants pass through on their way to the United States. “It is a resource issue at the end of the day in part and it is also a sovereignty issue for the Mexicans, how much they are prepared to let the Americans come in and manage some of these border issues with them,” the source said. The tariff threat has also raised questions over the future of a three-way deal with Canada to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democratic lawmakers have made clear to Mexican officials they wanted to move forward with the new trade pact. “The meeting that we had was very respectful, made clear that we’re trying to go to ‘yes’ on U.S., Mexico, Canada trade agreement,” Pelosi, the top Democrat in the U.S. Congress, told reporters of the lawmakers’ meeting with Mexican representatives on Tuesday.

u.s .
immigration
mexico
republicans
tariffs
peter navarro
chuck grassley
andres manuel lopez obrador


Japan holds its own debate on Modern Monetary Theory

Abstract: TOKYO/HONG KONG - The hottest economic doctrine around says governments should stop worrying and learn to love their public debt. Japan has been more relaxed than most — but a looming tax hike suggests it may be about to blink. Modern Monetary Theory, or MMT, posits that countries controlling their own currency can seek stronger economic growth via government spending, without risking default. The only limit on spending is inflation — a remote prospect in Tokyo, where steering clear of deflation is the priority and a 2 percent price target remains far out of reach. It’s a controversial idea that has detractors and admirers worldwide, and may even surface in next year’s U.S. election campaign. Japan is often cited as evidence the theory is accurate. Now the country is having its own version of the MMT debate. The world’s third-biggest economy has been running budget deficits for two decades and selling a chunk of the resulting debt indirectly to its own central bank with interest rates at around zero. The lines that usually divide fiscal and monetary policy have blurred — and MMT optimists say that’s fine. But Japan’s rulers have been looking to trim their budget deficit for several years as they seek to address the world’s biggest government debt load, now more than twice the size of the economy. The higher sales tax promised for October is central to their plan. For Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government, and the Bank of Japan under Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, the argument that extra taxation might not be needed is viewed as heresy. The tax hike is necessary to secure Japan’s welfare system, and another postponement risks a credit ratings downgrade, Finance Minister Taro Aso said Monday, dismissing the views of an MMT advocate in the Diet. “This isn’t a public debate, it’s a theory, though I’m not sure I should even call it a theory, it’s a line of argument,” Aso said. But the question came from a member of his own Liberal Democratic party, where some lawmakers think the government should be taking the opposite tack and spending more to shore up economic growth. The issue of austerity versus fiscal support resonates well beyond Japan, where central bankers and finance ministers will gather for a Group of 20 meeting this weekend. Many of them are under heightened scrutiny at home. Low interest rates in advanced economies haven’t done enough to kick-start economic growth, lift wages or alleviate inequality. And that’s raising questions about whether the standard policy tools have outlived their use — and fueled populist insurgencies that demand fundamental change. Advocates of MMT say it’s time for a complete rethink of the economic solar system — what money is, what taxes are for and what government spending can achieve. They say there’s no need to fixate on deficit and debt metrics when there’s no sign of discomfort in bond markets, like in Japan. Yields on 10-year sovereigns have stayed below 1 percent since 2013, when the BOJ ramped up its buying spree. Proponents say MMT isn’t like a switch you can turn on and off — it’s a descriptive framework that applies to governments in full control of their currency, whether or not they choose to use all their options. Such countries don’t need tax revenue to balance the books, MMTers say, though they may use taxes to restrain demand when it overheats. “There’s nothing wrong with the idea of MMT,” said Satoshi Fujii, who served as an economic adviser to Abe for six years. He’s called for a postponement of the tax increase and additional public spending of ¥15 trillion ($140 billion) a year over three years to jump-start inflation. Still, a more conventional explanation for why Japan has avoided flight from bond markets is that around 90 percent of the national debt is domestically held — something that separates it from peers such as the U.S., which relies on China and other foreign creditors. Mainstream economists, even when they’re generally supportive of more government spending to promote growth, warn that MMT risks letting public finances get out of control. Olivier Blanchard of MIT argues that it is only possible to finance large deficits by money creation without sparking inflation when interest rates are at zero. For now, the BOJ is running low on ammunition, proving the case that a central bank can’t simply conjure up price-growth out of nowhere without the help of government spending. Like Aso, Kuroda is dismissive of MMT. In April he described it as extreme, inappropriate and entirely unrelated to what Japan has been doing. Bill Mitchell, an MMT pioneer and co-author of a new macroeconomics textbook based on the theory, isn’t impressed. “Aso can deny it for all he is worth,” said Mitchell, a professor at the University of Newcastle in Australia. In fact, Japan has been a “laboratory to establish the principles of MMT and the consequences of different fiscal and monetary policy initiatives,” he said. Hiroshi Ando, a lawmaker from Abe’s LDP, is less squeamish about MMT than his leader. He’s organized study sessions for colleagues who support bigger budget deficits to learn more about the doctrine. About 10 of them attended a discussion on May 15. “If you understand this theory,” said Ando, “you will come to the conclusion that it’s utterly untrue to say Japan’s finances are in a critical state.”

shinzo abe
u.s .
inflation
economy
g20
bonds
modern monetary theory


Japan business lobby chief to undergo treatment for lymphoma

Abstract: Hiroaki Nakanishi, chief of the nation’s biggest business lobby, has been diagnosed with lymphoma and will undergo treatment, the Japan Business Federation said Wednesday. The 73-year-old chairman of Hitachi Ltd. has not felt well since early May and was hospitalized for a checkup at a Tokyo hospital. He said in a statement he will aim to return to work at the federation, known as Keidanren, this fall. “I will focus on treatment so that I can return as soon as possible,” he said. “The duration of hospitalization and the timing of my return will depend on the progress of the treatment,” said Nakanishi, who succeeded Sadayuki Sakakibara as chief of the lobby in May last year for a four-year term. Nakanishi did not attend the lobby’s annual meeting on May 30.


Airbnb listings in Japan rebound after regulatory freeze

Abstract: Airbnb Inc. says it’s back in business in Japan, a year after stricter short-term lodging regulations forced it to freeze a major portion of its listings in the country. There are 50,000 listings available in the country, with another 23,000 rooms in hotels and traditional inns known as ryokan , Airbnb said in a statement on Thursday. That compares with 60,000 total in June 2018, when the new short-term lodging rules went into effect. While Airbnb is no stranger to clashes with regulators, it had tried a more cooperative approach in Japan. Still, the government set a deadline for hosts to register and then in June 2018 forced those that were unregistered to cancel reservations two weeks ahead of that date. Listings plunged by almost 80 percent to just 13,800, the Nikkei newspaper reported at the time. Airbnb is preparing to go public by the end of the year and argues that Japan is an example of how its business model can withstand even the most restrictive regulatory regimes. “This shows that we can grow even in those environments,” said Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer, in an interview in Tokyo. “There are no more existential questions about Airbnb.” Legalization has opened doors for some of Japan’s largest corporations to enter the short-term lodging market. Local collaborators already include SoftBank Group Corp., convenience store operator FamilyMart UNY Holdings Co., electronics retailer Bic Camera Inc. and airline company ANA Holdings Inc. Airbnb said Thursday that partners in the market had grown to more than 117 companies, including property developer Panasonic Homes Co. and real estate brokerage HouseDo Co. While the exact details of the agreements are yet to be decided, the companies may help supply a pipeline of properties for lease or purchase that are home-sharing friendly, said Yasuyuki Tanabe, Airbnb’s country manager for Japan. “The tide has changed,” said Tanabe. “And there are particular challenges in Japan. Everybody is saying we are going to live to 100, but we won’t have enough money to live to 100. There is going to be more interest for people to start hosting for extra cash.”

housing
softbank
familymart
airbnb
minpaku
bic camera
sharing economy


YouTube to ban 'hateful,' 'supremacist' videos

Abstract: WASHINGTON - YouTube said Wednesday it would ban videos that promote or glorify racism and discrimination as well as those denying well-documented violent events, like the Holocaust or the Sandy Hook school shooting. The announcement by the Google-owned video-sharing platform was the latest of a series of industry moves to filter out hateful and violent content, which have spurred calls for tougher regulation. “Today, we’re taking another step in our hate speech policy by specifically prohibiting videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status,” YouTube said on its blog.

google
youtube
hate speech
videos
supremacists


Ai-Da, the humanoid robot artist, gears up for first solo exhibition in Oxford

Abstract: OXFORD, ENGLAND - Wearing a white blouse and her dark hair hanging loose, Ai-Da looks like any artist at work as she studies her subject and puts pencil to paper. But the beeping from her bionic arm gives her away — Ai-Da is a robot. Described as “the world’s first ultra-realistic AI humanoid robot artist,” Ai-Da opens her first solo exhibition of eight drawings, 20 paintings, four sculptures and two video works next week, bringing “a new voice” to the art world, her British inventor and gallery owner Aidan Meller said. “The technological voice is the important one to focus on because it affects everybody,” he said at a preview. “We’ve got a very clear message we want to explore: the uses and abuses of AI today, because this next decade is coming in dramatically and we’re concerned about that and we want to have ethical considerations in all of that.” Named after British mathematician and computer pioneer Ada Lovelace, Ai-Da can draw from sight thanks to cameras in her eyeballs and AI algorithms created by scientists at the University of Oxford that help produce co-ordinates for her arm to create art. She uses a pencil or pen for sketches, but the plan is for Ai-Da to paint and create pottery. Her paint works now are printed onto canvas with a human painting over. “From those coordinates from the drawing we’ve been able to take that into a algorithm that is then able to output it through a Cartesian graph that then produces a final image,” Meller said. “It’s a really exciting process never been done before in the way that we’ve done it. … We don’t know exactly how the drawings are going to turn out and that’s really important.” On show at the “Unsecured Futures” exhibition are drawings paying tribute to Lovelace and mathematician Alan Turing, abstract paintings of trees, sculptures based on Ai-Da’s drawings of a bee, and video works, one of which, “Privacy” pays homage to Yoko Ono’s 1965 “Cut Piece.” Ai-Da, whose construction was completed in April, has already seen her art snapped up. “It’s a sold out show with over a million pounds worth of artworks sold,” Meller said. The exhibition, which opens on June 12 at the Barn Gallery at the University of Oxford’s St. John’s College, looks at the boundaries between technology, AI and organic life. Asked by Meller about “all the AI going on at the moment,” Ai-Da, who has pre-programed speech, replied: “New technologies bring the potential for good and evil. It is a great responsibility to try to curb excesses of negative use, something that we all must consider.”

u.k .
robots
art
painting
oxford university
oxford
ai


Tokyo stocks turn lower amid vigilance over U.S.-Mexico tariff talks

Abstract: Stocks fell back in slow trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Thursday, as investors retreated to the sidelines to see developments associated with tariff negotiations between the United States and Mexico. The 225-issue Nikkei average edged down 2.06 points, or 0.01 percent, to end at 20,774.04, after jumping 367.56 points on Wednesday. The TOPIX index of all first-section issues finished down 5.17 points, or 0.34 percent, at 1,524.91. It gained 30.99 points the previous day. Despite an overnight rise in U.S. equities, the Tokyo market got off to a weak start after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that “progress is being made” in the tariff talks but “not nearly enough.” The Nikkei soon took an upturn and remained in positive territory until late afternoon trading thanks to buying in such heavily weighted component issues as clothing store chain Fast Retailing and technology investor SoftBank Group, brokers said. Meanwhile, the TOPIX fluctuated narrowly around the previous day’s closing level for the most of the session. The yen’s continued strength against the dollar also prevented active stock buying, brokers said. Expectations for a U.S. interest rate cut, as well as some rosy views on the U.S.-Mexico negotiations, helped Wall Street extend gains. But unlike the previous day, the Tokyo market was sluggish. “Investors have grown concerned about U.S. monetary easing’s effects of pushing up the yen via-a-vis the dollar,” said Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Naito Securities Co. Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan Inc., said players refrained from active trading ahead of the U.S. government’s release of jobs data for May on Friday. “They were bracing for a dismal figure, after Automatic Data Processing Inc.’s U.S. employment report showed far weaker-than-expected growth in nonfarm payrolls in the month,” he noted. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,400 to 649 in the TSE’s first section, while 92 issues were unchanged. Volume shrank to 1.068 billion shares from Wednesday’s 1.280 billion shares. Oil firms met with selling due to a fall in crude oil prices. They included Idemitsu, JXTG and Cosmo Energy. Automakers Nissan and Mitsubishi were lower after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV withdrew its merger offer to the Japanese firms’ French alliance partner Renault SA. Among other losers were chip making gear manufacturer Tokyo Electron and job information service firm Recruit Holdings. On the other hand, domestic demand-oriented issues drew buying, with drug maker Daiichi Sankyo rising 1.72 percent, daily goods maker Kao 1.25 percent and railway operator JR East 1.06 percent. Cybermall operator Rakuten and airline JAL also rose. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average gained 10 points to end at 20,740.


Dollar stuck in narrow range around ¥108.20 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar drifted in a tight range around ¥108.20 in Tokyo trading Thursday, amid a lack of major incentives. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥108.23-27, almost unchanged from ¥108.24-25 at the same time Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1231-1235, down from $1.1266-1267, and at ¥121.57, down from ¥121.96-97. The dollar fell below ¥108.20 in early trading, following media reports that U.S. and Mexican government officials failed to reach an agreement in their tariff negotiations, traders said. After rising back above ¥108.30, the greenback eased in line with falls in U.S. long-term interest rates in off-hours trading and the Nikkei stock average in late afternoon trading, a currency broker said. “If the U.S.-Mexico tariff talks make progress, the dollar may strengthen against the yen,” said a securities firm official. In addition to the talks, the U.S. government’s jobs data for May, due out Friday, has been attracting market attention, traders said.

exchange rates
foreign exchange
forex
currencies
fx


Coca-Cola to start using 100% recycled plastic bottles in Japan

Abstract: Coca-Cola (Japan) Co. has said it will start selling a beverage product next week packaged in bottles made entirely from recycled plastics. The move comes as beverage companies around the world are increasingly moving toward more sustainable packaging in a bid to protect the environment from plastic waste. Coca-Cola will use the new plastic bottles when it launches its revamped Hajime Ryokucha green tea brand, jointly developed with retailer Seven & I Holdings Co., on Monday. Coca-Cola will recycle plastic bottles collected at convenience stores and supermarkets operated by Seven & I, which plans to set up 1,000 recycling bins every year. The beverage-maker will also consider using the fully recycled plastic bottles for more of its products. “To solve the plastic (waste) problem, we need an extensive network of partners who share the same vision,” Cola-Cola Japan CEO Jorge Garduno said at a news conference on Wednesday. The government on Friday set a goal of reducing disposable plastic waste by 25 percent by 2030, and completely recycling or reusing all such waste by 2035.

coca-cola
seven-eleven japan
beverages
platics
bottles


Sharp considers moving laptop computer production from China to Vietnam to avoid U.S. tariffs

Abstract: OSAKA - Sharp Corp. is considering moving the group’s production of laptops bound for the U.S. market from China to Vietnam, sources with knowledge of the matter have said. Laptop PCs are among items that would be affected by the planned fourth round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Last month, Sharp officials said the company is considering transferring the production of multifunction printers in China to Thailand. At present, Sharp makes all of the group’s laptops in China. If the tariffs are implemented, Sharp would likely transfer the production of U.S.-bound laptops to Taiwan temporarily, according to the sources. The move would be followed by a transfer to Vietnam, where the group is building a PC plant slated to begin operations in the second half of fiscal 2019, the sources said. The group’s monthly laptop production for the U.S. market stands at about 10,000 units, which is some 10 percent of its total laptop output. Sharp runs its PC business through Dynabook Inc., formerly called Toshiba Client Solutions Co., which Sharp acquired from Toshiba Corp. in October last year.

china
vietnam
computers
manufacturing
sharp corp .


Hitachi and Bombardier to supply high-speed trains to Italy

Abstract: Hitachi said Wednesday that it has signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation to jointly manufacture 14 high-speed trains for an Italian railway operator. Under the €575 million (¥69.9 billion) deal concluded with operator Trenitalia SpA, the major Japanese machinery-maker and Bombardier Transportation, an affiliate of Canadian machinery giant Bombardier Inc., will also offer maintenance services for the trains. Hitachi’s share in the deal is some €342 million. Deliveries of the Frecciarossa 1000 trains will start in late 2020. Hitachi is aiming to boost its railway system business abroad. Each Frecciarossa 1000 train will have capacity for 460 passengers and travel at speeds of up to 360 kilometers per hour. The trains, equipped with facilities such as a meeting room, will be manufactured in Italy.


Toyota and Subaru agree to jointly develop electric SUVs

Abstract: Toyota Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. said Thursday they have agreed to jointly develop an electric sports utility vehicle to be sold under each company’s brand. The two automakers said they will co-develop a platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles for midsize and large passenger cars. They plan to combine their strengths, including Subaru’s all-wheel-drive technologies and Toyota’s know-how in vehicle electrification. The two companies aim to start selling the co-developed vehicle by the mid-2020s in the United States and other major auto markets, sources close to the matter said. Toyota and Subaru have been collaborating in development, production and sales since 2005. As part of their cooperation, they began selling their jointly developed sports car, branded by Toyota as the 86 and Subaru the BRZ, in both the domestic market and in the U.S. in 2012. The latest move comes as automakers have been pursuing car connectivity, autonomous or assisted driving, new mobility or car-sharing and electric powertrains and components. “Both Subaru and Toyota are required to conduct technological development with a sense of speed across a broader-than-ever spectrum of initiatives,” the two companies said in a statement.


Amazon's new drones to start delivering packages in months, but no specifics on where yet

Abstract: LAS VEGAS - Amazon.com Inc. has new drones that in coming months will deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less, a step toward a goal that has eluded the retailer for years. The new drone takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter, is more stable than prior models and can spot moving objects better than humans can, making it safe, Jeff Wilke, the chief executive of the company’s consumer business, said at the company’s “re:MARS” conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Wilke did not say where customers might see the drone in action, but Amazon made its first customer delivery by drone in the United Kingdom in 2016. For years, the world’s largest online retailer has promised that packages would be landing on shoppers’ doorsteps via these small aircraft, but hype around the service has long outpaced reality. The company has worked to ensure that hard-to-see wires would not trip up its vehicles, for instance, and it has faced tough regulations limiting commercial flights, particularly in the United States. The company’s announcement indicates its ambitions remain undiminished. Wilke said Amazon has been working to build the fully electric drones. They can fly up to 24 kilometers (15 miles), and the firm is adding new facilities closer to urban areas. They also can carry goods that weigh under 2.3 kilogram (5 pounds), which represent the majority of the items it sells. At the conference, Amazon also formally introduced “StyleSnap,” a feature on its smartphone app that lets shoppers upload a picture of an outfit they like and get recommendations for similar items to buy. The feature launched in April, Wilke said, noting that shoppers had struggled to find styles that they could not describe in words. When providing recommendations, StyleSnap considers factors such as the brand, price range and customer reviews, the company said in a blog post. Other announcements included a new warehouse sorting system already live in Denver, Colorado, that relies on small robotic vehicles topped with miniature conveyor belts that take packages to the correct chutes for delivery. These and another robot Amazon unveiled are updates to the Kiva “drive units” the company acquired years ago. Users of Amazon’s voice-controlled speakers may also see updates through “Alexa Conversations,” which the company has announced to help developers make their services on the virtual assistant Alexa more conversational.


Fiat Chrysler withdraws merger offer for Renault after France fails to win Nissan's outright support

Abstract: PARIS - Fiat Chrysler said Wednesday it was withdrawing its $35 billion merger offer for Renault, blaming French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world’s third-biggest automaker. A source close to the French carmaker’s board said Fiat Chrysler made the move after France sought to delay a decision on the deal in order to win the support of Nissan Motor Co., Renault’s Japanese alliance partner. French government officials had pushed for Nissan to support the merger. Nissan had said it would abstain. The French government, which owns a 15 percent stake in Renault, had also pushed Fiat Chrysler and Renault for guarantees that France would not lose jobs, and for a dividend to be paid to Renault shareholders, including the government, people familiar with the talks said. “It has become clear that the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully,” Fiat Chrysler said in a statement. Renault, in a separate statement, said its board was “unable to take a decision due to the request expressed by the representatives of the French state to postpone the vote to a later meeting.” The apparent collapse of merger talks leaves the two companies facing an array of issues, starting with the likely dismay of investors who bid up shares in both companies after Fiat Chrysler proposed a merger of equals just over a week ago. Fiat Chrysler had proposed that its shareholders receive a €2.5 billion (¥304 billion) special dividend as part of the merger, had it been completed. The two companies told investors a merger would cut running costs by €5 billion or more a year. Fiat Chrysler stood to gain access to Renault’s superior electric drive technology to meet mandates for zero-emission cars. Renault would have had a share of the Italian-American company’s lucrative Jeep sport utility vehicle and RAM pickup truck franchises. It is not clear what the two companies will do next to tackle the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes. Fiat Chrysler had held inconclusive talks with France’s PSA Group, which also has the French government as a shareholder. As Renault is already in an alliance with Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. the combined mega-group would have been by far the world’s biggest, selling some 15 million vehicles — surpassing Volkswagen and Toyota, which sell around 10.6 million each. The sudden end to the merger talks came after midnight in Paris, after Fiat Chrysler and French government officials had reached a tentative agreement that cleared the way for Renault’s board to consider moving forward, people familiar with the situation said. Renault’s previous alliance and cross-shareholding with Japanese automaker Nissan had loomed all along as a potential snag. Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa met last week with Renault Chief Executive Jean-Dominique Senard, and said he did not see “any particular negative aspect” to the proposed Renault-Fiat Chrysler merger. But people familiar with the situation said Nissan executives were blindsided by the merger proposal. A Nissan spokesman had no immediate comment. Nissan, a longtime Renault partner, feared being sidelined by the deal and Saikawa warned Monday that a merger “would significantly alter the structure of our partner.” Any new combination would require a “fundamental review” of their relationship, said the boss of Nissan, whose 15 percent stake in Renault would be diluted to 7.5 percent under the proposed deal. Behind the scenes at the Yokohama-based firm, some executives believed the merger talks would further strain relations with Renault, which have been hit by the arrest in Japan of former CEO Carlos Ghosn — the architect of their alliance. “It’s an ill thought-out and badly conceived plan,” one source close to Nissan said last week on condition of anonymity.

toyota
nissan
carmakers
mitsubishi motors
renault
volkswagen
mergers
fiat chrysler


Bernie Sanders accuses Walmart of paying 'starvation wages'

Abstract: ROGERS, ARKANSAS - Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Wednesday told Walmart Inc. shareholders and top executives that the world’s largest retailer should boost the “starvation”-level wages it pays its workers and stop fueling income inequality. Speaking at Walmart’s shareholder meeting, the U.S. senator said: “Despite the incredible wealth of Walmart’s owners” the company pays “starvation wages.” He presented a shareholder proposal at the event asking the company to give hourly employees a seat on its board and raise base wages to $15 an hour. Walmart’s “wages are so low, many of these employees are forced to rely on government programs like food stamps, Medicaid and public housing in order to survive,” Sanders said. “The American people are so tired of subsidizing the greed of some of the largest corporations in the United States,” he added. The proposal, filed by Walmart worker Carolyn Davis, was buried at the end of the annual proxy filing. It was not likely to pass as the family of founder Sam Walton owns a majority of shares and the retailer asked shareholders to vote against it. Walmart has raised its minimum wage twice since 2016, to $11 an hour. But it remains lower than the $15 an hour that rival Amazon.com Inc. pays employees. Retailers Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp. also pay higher rates than Walmart. Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said Walmart has raised wages in the United States by 50 percent in the past four years and continues to increase wages on a market-by-market basis to hire and retain talent. “We are not perfect, but together we are learning, we are listening and changing,” he said. Walmart has said it pays an average of $17.50 an hour to its hourly employees, including benefits. Sanders also complained about Chief Executive McMillon’s pay. “Walmart’s CEO is making a thousand times more than the average Walmart employee,” he said. The ratio of Walmart CEO Doug McMillon’s $23.6 million pay package last year compared with that of the median associate was 1,076 to 1. Sanders, whose presence at the meeting drew more attention to the campaign for higher hourly U.S. wages, had three minutes to present and make comments. Walmart, which employs nearly 1.5 million Americans and is the largest U.S. private-sector employer, drew sharp criticism from labor groups and unions when it changed the format of its annual meeting last year, splitting it into two separate events. The business meeting at which Sanders spoke is now held a few days before the big shareholder event, which draws thousands of employees. This year and the year before, the company rushed through shareholder proposals at the business meeting, which had a fraction of the attendees, in less than 30 minutes.

wages
shareholders
democrats
bernie sanders
walmart
2020 u.s. presidential election


Nomura to scrap 25 branches in urban areas

Abstract: Nomura Securities Co. said Wednesday that it will close 25 outlets in urban areas as part of its branch consolidation plan announced in April. Operations at the 25 branches, located in the Kanto, Chukyo and Kansai regions, will be taken over by respective nearby outlets between August and September, the major Japanese brokerage house said. Some of these branches have had a relatively small number of clients. Geographical proximity is another reason for the consolidation. Of the total, 14 are in Kanto, including an outlet in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, 10 are in Kansai, including a branch in Osaka Prefecture, and one is in the city of Nagoya, in the Chukyo region, according to the company. Nomura, a unit of Nomura Holdings Inc., plans to consider further branch consolidation mainly in metropolitan areas while continuing to operate at least one branch in each of the country’s 47 prefectures. For fiscal 2018, which ended in March, Nomura Holdings logged a group net loss of ¥100.4 billion, against a net profit of ¥196.6 billion in the previous year.

financial results
consolidation
nomura securities


Almost 400 migrants rescued from Mediterranean by Malta

Abstract: VALLETTA - Malta’s armed forces rescued nearly 400 migrants in four separate sea operations on Wednesday and brought them all ashore to the small Mediterranean island, the military said. A government official said it was one of the largest number of arrivals to Malta in many months. An army source said other migrant boats were being monitored in the central Mediterranean, and it was not immediately clear if the Maltese authorities planned to intervene. NGOs have reported that several boats are trying to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe. Sea Watch International said on Twitter that a rubber dinghy with at least 80 people on board was deflating about 50 nautical miles north of Garabulli in Libya. “Many people in the water, high probability of missing and drowned,” it said, adding that the Libyan Coast Guard was on the scene. Malta has repeatedly said its patrol boats will only rescue migrants when they are seen to be in distress. Malta and neighbouring Italy have closed their ports over the past year to charity ships that pick up migrants off the coast of Libya and have called on the European Union to share out any arriving migrants between the various member states.

europe
immigration
eu
libya
refugees
mediterranean
sea watch international


Migrant detentions at U.S.-Mexico border in May highest since 2007, at 132,887

Abstract: HOUSTON - The U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions of migrants at the border with Mexico hit their highest level in more than a decade in May, as officials warned they don’t have the money and resources to care for the surge of parents and children entering the country. Agents made 132,887 apprehensions in May, the first time that apprehensions have topped 100,000 since April 2007. It set a record with 84,542 adults and children apprehended. Another 11,507 were children traveling alone, and 36,838 were single adults. Those numbers underpin the problems across the border. Photos of families waiting in jam-packed cells and in outdoor enclosures have sparked outrage. Six children have died in the last year after being detained by border agents. Government inspectors last week announced they found one 125-person facility in El Paso, Texas, to have had 700 people one day and 900 another day. They were packed in so tightly that some resorted to standing on toilets. When the Border Patrol last made 100,000 or more apprehensions monthly, it was primarily detaining adults from Mexico trying to sneak past agents and enter the U.S. undetected. Now, most border crossers are from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, as those countries have been wracked by gangs, violence, and poverty. Many are expected to eventually request asylum. After crossing the border, they typically stop and wait for agents to pick them up. Border Patrol facilities are not designed to hold families with children as young as newborns. Authorities this week awarded a $544,000 contract to deliver diapers, baby bottles, shower shoes, and baby wipes to Donna, Texas, where the Border Patrol has opened a tent facility for 500 migrants. Children are routinely detained for longer than the 72 hours allowed by federal law and U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines. The agency cites long-term detention facilities for parents and children that are at or above capacity. “We are bursting at the seams,” said Randy Howe, CBP’s executive director of operations. “This can’t continue.” President Donald Trump has asked for $4.5 billion to address the influx of migrants, but Congress has yet to approve it. He’s also threatened to impose a 5 percent tariff on Mexican products if authorities there don’t curb migration from Central America. Mexican officials went to Washington this week to lobby the Trump administration not to comply with its threat. Mexico has offered more options to Central Americans to stay in the country legally and allowed the U.S. to return thousands of migrants who have asylum cases pending under a Trump administration initiative currently being challenged in court. Around 200 Mexican police and immigration agents blocked the advance of about 1,000 Central American migrants on a southern highway Wednesday. But the Border Patrol says agents in El Paso, Texas, encountered more than 1,000 people crossed into the U.S. in a single group just last week. Agents made 38,630 apprehensions in and around El Paso in May. Officials say they’re not counting on the hotter summer weather leading to a seasonal downturn in migration as it usually does. Already, agents have apprehended large groups of migrants in the first days of June. “We’re not seeing any signs of anything dropping off,” said Brian Hastings, the Border Patrol’s chief of law enforcement operations.

u.s .
immigration
mexico
latin america
refugees
u.s.-mexico border


Mexico officials prepare to intercept about 1,000 U.S.-bound migrants

Abstract: METAPA, MEXICO - Some 200 military police, immigration agents and federal police were awaiting a group of about 1,000 Central American migrants who were walking north along a southern Mexico highway on Wednesday. The group of migrants, including many women and children, set out early from Ciudad Hidalgo at the Mexico-Guatemala border and was headed for Tapachula, the principle city in the region. State and local police accompanied the caravan. It appeared Mexican officials planned to halt the migrants and break up the group as they have done repeatedly this year. The officials were waiting alongside the highway near the community of Metapa, about 11 miles (18 km) from Tapachula. They were unarmed and said their orders were to urge the migrants to board buses there that would carry them to a fairgrounds outside Tapachula that has been used to register and house migrants. In recent months Mexico has used raids and roadside checkpoints to discourage highway marches such as the massive migrant caravans that occurred in 2018 and early 2019. The migrants say they aim to reach the U.S. border, where many plan to request asylum. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on Mexican imports unless Mexico does more to stop the passage of migrants through its territory. Last year, migrants began traveling from Central America in large caravans that grew as they advanced through southern Mexico, drawing Trump’s ire. The caravans offer migrants a relatively safe way to travel and are far less expensive than hiring smugglers. They account for only a fraction of the normal migratory flow, but their visibility has given them an almost symbolic status in what Trump calls a migratory crisis at the U.S. border. The first caravans were warmly received in southern Mexico towns, but as they continued, towns complained they did not have the resources to continue feeding and caring for them. Many of the migrants say they’re fleeing gang violence, oppressive extortion and corruption in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. But a devastating drought is also gripping parts of the region and devastating farm families. Mexico has responded by offering more options to stay legally on its territory, but most still have the ultimate goal of arriving in the U.S., where they can earn better pay and in many cases reunite with relatives.

u.s .
immigration
mexico
donald trump
tapachula
metapa


Trump cuts English classes and legal services for immigrant kids in U.S. shelters

Abstract: PHOENIX, ARIZONA - Immigrant children in the care of the U.S. government may no longer have access to English-language courses and legal services, officials said Wednesday. The Health and Human Services department notified shelters around the country last week that it was not going to reimburse them for teachers’ pay or other costs such as legal services or recreational equipment. The move appears to violate a legal settlement known as the Flores agreement that requires the government to provide education and recreational activities to immigrant children in its care. But the agency says it doesn’t have the funding to provide those services as it deals with a soaring number of children coming to the U.S., largely from Central America. It’s now up to the various nonprofit and private organizations that care for the children to cover the cost of teachers, supplies, legal services and even recreational activities and equipment — if they can, or choose to. Health and Human Services says it currently has 13,200 children in its care, and more are coming. The Border Patrol said Wednesday that 11,500 children without a parent crossed the border just last month. The kids are transferred to the care of Health and Human Services after the Border Patrol processes them. Health and Human Services contracts out their care and housing to nonprofits and private companies. “As we have said, we have a humanitarian crisis at the border brought on by a broken immigration system that is putting tremendous strain (on the agency),” Health and Human Services spokeswoman Evelyn Stauffer said. “Additional resources are urgently required to meet the humanitarian needs created by this influx — to both sustain critical child welfare and release operations and increase capacity.” Health and Human Services is seeking nearly $3 million in emergency funding to cover more beds and provide basic care. An official at one of the shelter providers said the government notified them on May 30 that they wouldn’t be reimbursing costs of providing education and other activities. The providers pay for things like teacher salary upfront and are then reimbursed by the government. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said his employer was scrambling to figure out how it would cover the cost of teachers. The provider hasn’t laid anyone off. U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Arizona, was critical of the cuts. “By eliminating English classes and legal aid that are critical to ensuring children successfully navigate the asylum process, the Trump Administration is essentially condemning children to prison and throwing away the key until their imminent deportation,” Grijalva, who represents a district on the border, said in a statement.

u.s .
children
immigration
mexico
education
refugees
donald trump
flores agreement


Solved: The 40-year mystery of what shapes black holes' disks

Abstract: PARIS - Scientists on Thursday unveiled the most detailed simulation of a black hole yet, solving a mystery dating back more than four decades over how the star-devouring monsters consume matter. Coming fresh on the heels of the first photo of one of the giant objects, which are scattered across the universe, astrophysicists are now several steps closer to understanding how they form and develop. A black hole is born when a large star collapses in on itself. Far from being a “hole,” they are incredibly dense objects with a gravitational pull so strong that nothing, not even light, may escape them. As they suck in gas, dust and space debris, they form an accretion disk — a churning mass of superaccelerated particles that are among the brightest objects in the universe — around them. It is the accretion disk that can be seen as a blurry halo around the image of the black hole released in April from the Event Horizon Telescope. But the outside edges of accretion disks are nearly always tilted at an angle to the equatorial plane around the black hole. The outside and inside edges are connected by a smooth warp. In 1975, Nobel Prize-winning physicist John Bardeen and astrophysicist Jacobus Petterson theorized that a rotating black hole would cause the inner region of a tilted accretion disk to line up with the black hole’s equatorial plane. But no model could ever work out how, precisely, that would happen. Until now. A team of astrophysicists from Northwestern University, Oxford University and the University of Amsterdam used graphical processing units to crunch large sets of data and simulate how black holes interact with their accretion disks. Crucially, their approach gave them the computing power to account for magnetic turbulence, which occurs when different particles churn at different speeds within the accretion disk; this electromagnetic stirring causes matter to slow and fall into the black hole. Alexander Tchekhovskoy, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, likened matter accumulating near a black hole to throwing a dart toward the board at random. “If you don’t really aim, it will never hit the bull’s-eye,” he said. “In the same way, when (matter) falls into the black hole it has some rotation, but this rotation will have nothing generally to do with how the black hole rotates. The two rotations will not know anything about each other.” Previous simulations manually predicted the additional friction their creators believed was needed to make matter move toward the black hole. “Whereas now in our model, we don’t have to postulate this friction,” Tchekhovskoy said. “We put in magnetic fields and these actually cause an instability that then causes friction, and the disk falls in as a result.” This might seem like a small detail but it directly affects how fast black holes spin and, consequently, what effect they have on the galaxies that surround them. The simulation, which produces a disk with two jets of gas and magnetic fields protruding from the center like fountains, shows the inner part of the accretion disk aligning perfectly with the black hole’s equator even as the outer part remains at an angle. “Before now there was a worry that when you take into account all the complications that come with matter interacting with a black hole, such as magnetic fields, the turbulence in the disk, the swirling motions — those things might kill the alignment effect,” said Tchekhovskoy. “We found that, no, it doesn’t kill it, actually the inner parts of the disk do align with the black hole, and we can now more confidently make predictions about how black holes would look.”


U.S. moves to label nuclear waste as less dangerous to quicken cleanup, outraging critics

Abstract: SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - The U.S. government said Wednesday it will reclassify some of the nation’s most dangerous radioactive waste to lower its threat level, outraging critics who say the move will make it cheaper and easier to walk away from cleaning up nuclear weapons production sites in Washington state, Idaho and South Carolina. The U.S. Department of Energy said labeling some high-level waste as low-level will save $40 billion in cleanup costs across the nation’s entire nuclear weapons complex. Material that has languished for decades in the three states would be taken to low-level disposal facilities in Utah or Texas. “This administration is proposing a responsible, results-driven solution that will finally open potential avenues for the safe treatment and removal of the lower-level waste,” Energy Undersecretary Paul Dabber said. “This will accelerate cleanup and reduce risk.” The agency will maintain standards set by the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “with the goal of getting the lower-level waste out of these states without sacrificing public safety,” Dabber said. Critics said it is a way for federal officials to walk away from their obligation to properly clean up a massive quantity of radioactive waste left from nuclear weapons production dating to World War II and the Cold War. The waste is housed at the Savannah River Plant in South Carolina, the Idaho National Laboratory and Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state — the most contaminated nuclear site in the country. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democratic presidential candidate, and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the Trump administration is showing disdain and disregard for state authority. “Washington will not be sidelined in our efforts to clean up Hanford and protect the Columbia River and the health and safety of our state and our people,” they said in a joint statement. The new rules will allow the Energy Department to eventually abandon storage tanks containing more than 100 million gallons (378 million liters) of radioactive waste in the three states, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.The change means that some of the “most toxic and radioactive waste in the world” would not have to be buried deep underground, the environmental group said. “Pretending this waste is not dangerous is irresponsible and outrageous,” group attorney Geoff Fettus said. Tom Clements of Savannah River Site Watch, a watchdog group for the South Carolina nuclear production site, called the reclassification of waste “a cost-cutting measure designed to get thousands of high-level waste containers dumped off-site.” He said moving the waste to Utah or Texas is a bad idea involving “shallow burial.” The old definition of high-level waste was based on how the materials were produced, while the new definition will be based on their radioactive characteristics — the standard used in most countries, the Energy Department said. The old definition said high-level radioactive waste resulted from a military production stream, Dabbar said. That meant, for instance, that all the waste from plutonium production at Hanford was classified as high-level. It was a “one-size-fits-all approach that has led to decades of delay, cost billions of dollars, and left the waste trapped in DOE facilities in the states of South Carolina, Washington and Idaho without a permanent disposal solution,” the agency said. Hanford was established by the Manhattan Project during World War II to make plutonium, a key ingredient in the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. The nuclear site, 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Seattle, contains about 60 percent of the nation’s most dangerous radioactive waste, stored in 177 aging underground tanks, some of which have leaked. Cleanup at Hanford has been underway since the 1980s at a cost of more than $2 billion a year. The Energy Department said it will immediately begin studying one waste stream at the Savannah River Plant to see if it should be reclassified as low-level waste.

pollution
wwii
health
nuclear weapons
nuclear energy
nuclear waste
environment
donald trump
hanford nuclear reservation


Fishermen catch plastic in the Mediterranean as part of new Italian initiative

Abstract: SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO, ITALY - On a moonlit night off Italy’s coast, fishermen are hauling in the usual catch: cuttlefish, red mullet and plastic waste. But this time, they won’t throw the rubbish back. The trash instead is being collected, analyzed and, where possible, recycled in an initially monthlong experiment to try to provide a blueprint for cleaning up the sea. “A lot of the fishermen used to throw the rubbish back into the sea, because the law says they can’t bring it to land,” said Eleonora de Sabata, coordinator for Clean Sea Life, which runs the project. “They’re not authorised to carry waste, in ports there’s nowhere to put this kind of waste and it’s not clear who should dispose of it.” That dilemma will hopefully not be an issue for the around 40 fishing boats sailing off the Adriatic resort of San Benedetto del Tronto who are taking part in the initiative. Since it started, the fishermen have collected around a ton of waste a week for a month, of which 60 percent is plastic. Each day, volunteers catalogue and sort the smelly catch on the quayside. Some is recycled, some is disposed of along with household or industrial waste, but none goes back in the sea. The project had been due to wrap up on Friday, the day before World Oceans Day, but has now been extended through the summer months. Organizers hope it will offer waste management solutions that can be scaled up for the rest of Italy and beyond. Plastic jumble Much of the rubbish is single-use, such as bottles, plates and cutlery, but also includes old nets from fishing or mussel farming and assorted random plastic objects, from medical products to fax machine parts. Fisherman Claudio Uriani, 62, sorts the catch into different buckets, ready to be sold at market. The most voluminous species is the plastic, though. “Let’s say we didn’t always collect it. There didn’t used to be anyone on land to take the plastic,” said Uriani, who’s been fishing since 1972. “If the fish eat plastic, they get sick, and so we also can get sick.” The Mediterranean Sea faces the additional problem of being a virtually closed body of water surrounded by dense human populations. A study by the peer-reviewed Public Library of Science published in 2015 estimated that the Mediterranean contains 1,000 to 3,000 tons of floating plastic, with an unknown quantity on the seabed. The Nile River delivers at least 1,500 tons of plastic into the Mediterranean annually, according to the PLOS study. Sperm whales wash up regularly on Italian beaches, their stomachs full of plastic. “The rubbish that ends up in the sea all comes from people, from lakes and rivers — it’s essential to educate people that what they put in the water ends up in the sea,” said harbor master Mauro Colarossi. A political decision In March, European lawmakers approved a new law banning single-use plastic products in the EU from 2021. A draft bill is also before the Italian parliament on the handling of existing waste. Under current laws, if fishermen opt to retrieve and dispose of the rubbish they pull in with their catch they could face prosecution for illegally transporting it. “If fishermen provide a service to the community by bringing this waste to land, it shouldn’t be them who have to pay,” said Colarossi. It’s estimated that 80 percent of waste in the sea comes from land and 20 percent from boats and the fishing industry. “The value of this experiment is to find out what’s on the seabed, understand how much is recyclable and how to manage this waste,” said De Sabata. “All this information will help decision-makers to take a political decision and so continue.” So far up to a quarter of all the waste retrieved was recyclable, depending on whether the polymers in the plastic were still in good enough condition after being in salt water, De Sabata said. From alarm to action The pollution problem is not just about preventing plastics entering the food chain. If a tin of paint is brought up in the nets from 100 meters (328 feet) below, the whole catch is tainted and must be thrown away. Likewise, fishermen tell of getting so much plastic in their nets that it stops them being able to catch fish. “The problem is in the sea but the solution is and should be on land. There needs to be a political solution, we need to go from alarm to action,” said De Sabata. As the ship returns to port after a night of trawling, the fish and the waste are unloaded onto the quayside. “If we did this for a year instead of a month, the sea would be clean,” said captain Stefano Voltattorni, heaving yet another crate onto the dock.

italy
recycling
environment
plastic
mediterranean sea
plastic waste


Trump ending fetal tissue research by federal scientists in win for abortion foes

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Trump administration said Wednesday it is ending medical research by government scientists using human fetal tissue, a victory for abortion foes that comes despite impassioned pleas from scientists that some health problems can’t be studied any other way. Research using fetal tissue that otherwise would be discarded has been funded by the government, under leadership of both political parties, for decades — and has led to life-saving advances, including development of vaccines for rubella and rabies, and drugs for the HIV virus. Officials said government-sponsored research by universities will be allowed to continue, subject to additional scrutiny. But ongoing research at the National Institutes of Health involving fetal tissue from elective abortion would not be allowed to proceed. The policy change won’t affect privately funded research that uses human fetal tissue. “Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trump’s administration,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. But ending its use is a priority for anti-abortion activists, a core element of President Donald Trump’s political base. Trump casts himself as “strongly pro-life,” and his administration has taken many steps to restrict access to abortion, which remains a legal medical procedure. Trump has nominated federal judges who oppose abortion, attempted to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, and expanded legal protection for medical providers who object to abortion. Critics argue that modern science has alternatives to replace fetal tissue in the laboratory, such as using tissue from infants who undergo heart surgery or stem cells that grow into organ-like clumps in lab dishes. But leading scientific groups say there still are conditions where fetal tissue is the best, or even the only, option to get clear answers to some devastating disorders — because those substitutes don’t act the same as tissue from the exact developmental stage that needs to be studied.


Caribbean study finds invasive lizards can disrupt native species' habits and create 'landscape of fear'

Abstract: Invasive species can dramatically reshape environments and cause extinction, even when they do not prey on their newfound neighbors, according to new research that highlights the dangers of altering habitats. The six-year study of lizards on a string of remote islands found that the arrival of a predator can prompt species that previously co-existed peacefully to cluster in a shared refuge, creating competition that can be devastating. It challenges a long-standing theory that predators feeding on animals lower down the food chain prevent any one prey species from dominating a habitat, and so promote ecological diversity. “Our results suggest that we need to update conventional wisdom in a few ways,” said lead author Robert Pringle, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University. “We need to think about unexpected indirect impacts — the species at greatest risk of extinction might not necessarily be those with the greatest risk of being eaten,” he said. Understanding how species co-exist is one of the biggest challenges in biology, not least because it is hard to find or create control environments for experimentation. But Pringle and his team found a solution in the form of a string of 16 islands in the Caribbean, home to an unassuming lizard known as the brown anole, which largely hunts on the ground and in low branches. The islands provided the researchers with the perfect blank canvas to observe how the native brown anole population would react when different invasive species were introduced. They examined four scenarios: a control group of islands where the native population was left alone, a group where the competitor tree-dwelling green anole was introduced, a group where a top predator called a curly-tailed lizard was introduced, and a group where both new species joined the native brown anoles. The first test was to see if the ground-hunting brown and tree-dwelling green anoles could co-exist successfully. The study found that was possible: the green anoles rapidly multiplied, and while the brown anole population didn’t grow as much as on the control islands, it still expanded. The introduction of the curly-tailed predator lizard — a ground-dweller that can eat both the unfortunate brown anole and its prey — saw the native population change behavior. Brown anoles took to the trees, leaving behind much of their usual hunting grounds to stay beyond the reach of the new arrivals. This meant the brown anole population did not grow, but the native lizard at least remained static. But the most interesting results of the research, published Thursday in the journal Nature, came from the final scenario, where all three lizards were forced to share the same habitat. Under the existing theory, the curly-tailed lizard should have prevented either of the anoles from dominating and detente would have prevailed. But in fact, brown anoles moved up into the trees to escape the predators and found themselves in competition with the green anoles, with dire results. The brown anole population shrank more than 40 percent, and on two of the islands the green anoles went extinct. On a third their population was static and only on one did they grow moderately. The population collapses came despite the fact that the curly-tailed lizards were rarely eating the anoles — they were effectively driving themselves into extinction. “The ‘landscape of fear’ created by the predator forces prey species into intense competition,” Pringle said. “Introducing a predatory species can cause the extinction of prey species that never even encounter the predator.” The research leaves some questions unanswered, including why the green anoles suffered more than the brown anoles in their refuge from the curly-tailed predators. And the islands have more to offer: having documented how brown anoles altered their habits and diet to escape predators, the researchers now want to examine what evolutionary shifts these changes may have caused in the species.

nature evolution animals endangered caribbean lizards


Number of measles cases in U.S. this year surpasses 1,000

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The number of measles cases in the United States this year has reached 1,001, health officials said Wednesday, as they vowed to stop the spread of misinformation about vaccines. The announcement comes days after authorities declared the U.S. was in danger of losing its “elimination status” on the contagious respiratory disease if the current outbreaks continue. “The 1,000th case of a preventable disease like measles is a troubling reminder of how important” it is to ensure that people understand that vaccines are safe, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. Azar vowed to “continue our efforts to support local health departments and health care providers in responding to this situation, with the ultimate goal of stopping the outbreak and the spread of misinformation about vaccines.” “We cannot say this enough: Vaccines are a safe and highly effective public health tool that can prevent this disease and end the current outbreak.” The previous record number of cases came in 1992 when 963 cases were reported across the year — a figure now surpassed in less than the first six months of 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were giving health care providers guidelines for recognizing and preventing measles, and developing a toolkit for physicians to counter misinformation, Azar said. Authorities declared measles eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, a goal set in 1966 with the introduction of the vaccine. Measles is considered eliminated when there is an absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area, according to the CDC. An ongoing outbreak in and around New York that started last fall is threatening the nation’s “elimination status” — if it continues for four more months, the country will no longer be able to say it has eliminated measles. Even though New York city officials began requiring residents in heavily affected areas, many with large Orthodox Jewish communities, to be vaccinated starting in April, the city still had 173 cases that month and 60 in May. The U.S. has never counted zero measles cases. Since 2000, the number has fluctuated between a few dozen and a few hundred cases per year, with 667 cases recorded during a 2014 outbreak in Ohio, especially in Amish communities. The disease’s resurgence can mostly be traced back to un- or under-vaccinated travelers who brought the infection back with them from abroad — that’s what happened last year when cases were reported throughout the country, originating from the Philippines, Israel and Ukraine.

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medicine
disease
vaccinations
measles
cdc
alex azar


U.S. officials warn of climate risk to security as Trump dismisses it

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Senior U.S. officials warned Congress on Wednesday about the threat to national security from melting ice in the Arctic as Russia and other adversaries take advantage of the increasing possibilities for shipping and other commercial activity that will emerge as a result of a climate change. In a message that was at odds with a broader Trump administration effort to downplay the threat from climate change, officials from the State Department, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Pentagon sounded alarms over the prospect that an area of strategic importance to the U.S. would be free of ice cover starting in a little more than a decade. Among the effects would be increased opportunities for mining, fishing and shipping that U.S. adversaries, particularly Russia and China, would seek to exploit, said Peter Kiemel, a National Intelligence Council counselor at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “As a result, the Arctic is emerging as a new domain of strategic competition,” Kiemel told members of the House Intelligence Committee. “Russia, China and others are dramatically increasing their activities and investments in the region.” The assessments laid bare the disconnect between senior officials who regard climate change as a long-term, global threat and the views of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly broken from that message and even belittled his own government’s views. “I believe that there’s a change in weather, and I think it changes both ways,” Trump said in an interview on “Good Morning Britain” that aired on Wednesday. “Don’t forget it used to be called global warming. That wasn’t working. Then it was called climate change. Now it’s actually called extreme weather, because with extreme weather, you can’t miss.” That contrasted with the view of Rod Schoonover, a senior analyst focusing on global issues at the State Department. “We expect that climate change will affect U.S. national security interests through multiple concurrent and compounded ways,” Schoonover said. “…These include economic damage, threats to human health, energy security and food security.” Jeff Ringhausen, senior naval intelligence manager for Russia and Eurasia at the Office of Naval Intelligence, was more cautious in his assessment, but still conceded a potential threat to U.S. allies posed by a changing Arctic environment. He said Russia was working to modernize infrastructure on its northern coast and on some of its Arctic islands, with the goal of establishing itself as an economic force. Though Moscow believes there’s substantial economic potential in the Arctic, U.S. officials aren’t so confident, Ringhausen said. “Naval intelligence assesses that this economic potential exists, but that the Russian government appears overly optimistic regarding its development in the near and medium term,” he said. He said that while Arctic shipping is likely to increase as a result of thawing, the region will probably account for only a small portion of overall global shipping. The more direct threat is to U.S. allies in the Arctic rather than the U.S. itself, he said. “The Arctic has been a closed off arena from a defense perspective for years,” Ringhausen said. “And now it appears that the ice there is melting, and that’s going to open up, from a Russian perspective, a threat vector to them.” But, he added, “they’ve been fairly modest in their modernization.”

china
u.s .
security
russia
health
climate change
arctic
donald trump


'Mini monsters': Scientists crack secret of dragonfish's deadly transparent teeth

Abstract: NEW YORK - A deep-sea fish can hide its enormous, jutting teeth from prey because its chompers are virtually invisible — until it’s too late. What’s the dragonfish’s secret? The teeth are transparent, and now scientists have discovered how the fish accomplished that trick. Findings were published Wednesday in the journal Matter. The dragonfish is a small predator with jagged, needle-like teeth protruding from a jaw that can extend to bite into prey up to half its body size. “They look like monsters,” said Marc Meyers of the University of California, San Diego. “But they’re mini monsters” — about as long as a pencil. Despite their short stature, these fish are at the top of the food chain in their deep-ocean realm where it’s almost pitch black. To find food or mates, many animals carry bacteria that generate blue or red light. That’s called bioluminescence. Using microscopes, Meyers and his research team examined the teeth of dragonfish they had dredged up from about a third of a mile (500 meters) underwater off the coast of San Diego. Dragonfish teeth are made of the same materials as human teeth — a protective layer of enamel on the surface and a tough, deeper layer of dentin. But the minerals have a much finer microscopic structure that is organized more haphazardly. “That was very surprising to us,” Meyers said. The result is that light in the environment or from bioluminescence — even from dragonfish themselves — doesn’t reflect off the teeth. Instead, most light passes through the teeth so they’re almost completely concealed. This, the researchers believe, makes the dragonfish a stealthier hunter. Transparent teeth could be a common strategy among deep-sea predators, said Christopher Kenaley, a fish biologist at Boston College who wasn’t part of the study, noting that some other fish share this feature. Among the most well-known of the others are anglerfish, stubby creatures that wave a glowing rod-like growth from their heads to lure prey. Nobody has actually seen dragonfish feed in the wild, but the researchers make a good case that these transparent teeth are an evolutionary adaptation for hunting in the deep sea, Kenaley said.

nature oceans animals bioluminescence dragonfish


Opioid maker Insys Therapeutics to pay $225 million to settle U.S. probes into fentanyl marketing

Abstract: WASHINGTON - An opioid manufacturer has agreed to pay $225 million to resolve federal investigations into allegations that it paid kickbacks and used other illegal marketing tactics to sell a powerful fentanyl spray, authorities said Wednesday. The settlement stems from criminal and civil probes into Insys Therapeutics Inc.’s scheme to pay doctors in exchange for prescriptions of the drug meant for cancer patients with severe pain. It comes a month after Insys Founder John Kapoor and four other former executives of the Chandler, Arizona-based company were convicted of bribing doctors across the country to prescribe the drug known as Susbys. “For years, Insys engaged in prolonged, illegal conduct that prioritized its profits over the health of the thousands of patients who relied on it,” Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in an emailed statement. “Today, the company is being held responsible for that and for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic,” he said. Representatives for Insys Therapeutics did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Authorities have held Insys up as an example of their efforts to target those responsible for driving the drug crisis. Opioid overdoses claimed nearly 400,000 lives in the U.S. between 1999 and 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 2 million people are addicted to the drugs, which include both prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and illegal drugs such as heroin. As part of the agreement, Insys will enter into a five-year deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department and its operating subsidiary will plead guilty to five counts of mail fraud, authorities said. The company has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $2 million and forfeit $28 million. It will also pay $195 million to settle civil allegations, prosecutors said. Prosecutors say top Insys executives put patients at risk in order to boost sales for Subsys by paying doctors bribes and kickbacks in the form of speaker fees for programs billed as educational opportunities for other doctors. In reality, prosecutors say, the events were mainly social gatherings for doctors and their friends to enjoy a fancy meal. “Paying bribes and providing other incentives to prescribe opioids with little regard to patient welfare surely signals a company is more concerned with profits than patients,” Christian J. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. Kapoor and four other former Insys executives were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy charges after a lengthy trial in Boston that exposed such marketing tactics as using a stripper-turned-sales-rep to give a doctor a lap dance. The charge calls for up to 20 years in prison. Kapoor, 76, and the others denied all wrongdoing. An attorney for Kapoor said after the verdict that they would “continue the fight to clear Dr. Kapoor’s name.” His lawyers argued that the prosecutors were unfairly blaming the drug crisis on Insys as Subsys makes up a small fraction of the prescription opioid market. The company said after the executives’ convictions that “the actions of a select few former employees” are not indicative of the company’s work today.

u.s .
medicine
drugs
courts
fraud
opioids
john kapoor
insys therapeutics


Ohio doctor charged with murder in painkiller overdose deaths

Abstract: COLUMBUS, OHIO - An Ohio critical-care doctor was arrested and charged with murder Wednesday in the deaths of 25 hospital patients who authorities say were deliberately given overdoses of painkillers. Dr. William Husel, who was fired from the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System in December and stripped of his medical license after the allegations came to light, turned himself in for an arraignment on 25 counts of murder. Franklin County prosecutor Ron O’Brien said other medical staff who were interviewed were treated as witnesses, and he doesn’t anticipate anyone else will be charged. A lawyer for Husel has said he didn’t intend to kill patients. Messages seeking comment were left for that attorney. Mount Carmel Health System found Husel ordered potentially fatal drug doses for 29 patients over several years, including five who may have been given that pain medication when there still was a chance to improve their conditions with treatment. The hospital system said six more patients got doses that were excessive but likely didn’t cause their deaths. Many of the deceased patients were seriously ill. Any potential motive remains unclear. Police Sgt. Terry McConnell said none of the affected families police spoke with felt what happened was “mercy treatment.” Husel was fired after concerns arose, though Mount Carmel has said it should have expedited the process of investigating and removing Husel, who worked there for five years. The health system’s officials said Husel wasn’t removed from patient care until four weeks after a concern about him was raised last fall, and that three patients died during those weeks after getting excessive doses he ordered. After Husel was charged, Mount Carmel officials pledged to continue cooperating with authorities. More than two dozen wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against the doctor and the hospital system. Families alleged their loved ones were negligently or intentionally killed by painkiller overdoses ordered by Husel. Some also have questioned whether they were misled about the graveness of the patients’ conditions. Mount Carmel has publicly apologized and already settled some of the civil cases for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hospital system officials has said all employees who were part of administering medication for affected patients have been removed from patient care as a precaution. There were 48 nurses and pharmacists under review were reported to their respective boards. Thirty of those employees were put on leave, and 18 no longer work there, including some who left years ago, officials said. Husel previously was a supervised resident at the Cleveland Clinic, where his work is under internal investigation. It said a preliminary review found his prescribing practices there were “consistent with appropriate care.” The State Medical Board has suspended his license. Records show no prior disciplinary action against him, and the board won’t disclose whether it received any complaints that didn’t result in such action.

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medicine
murder
ohio
william husel