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Outreach Program Aims to Reduce Hot Car Deaths

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Leaving a child in a hot car can be deadly. That’s why one hospital is trying to spread awareness of the problem by enlisting the help of hundreds of day cares and preschools across the state.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is sending an outreach worker to the locations to remind people how dangerous it can be to leave a child in a hot car.

Twenty-three children have died in hot cars across the country this year, according to Kevin Borrup, Associate Director of the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. None of those deaths this year have been in Connecticut, but in the summer of 2014 15-month-old Benjamin Seitz of Ridgefield died after he was left in a car by his father when he went to work.

To prevent the same thing from happening to other children, consultants for Connecticut Children’s are visiting about 300 daycares and preschools across the state – including at Kidco day care center in Newington -- passing out important information for parents.

It’s part of their “Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock” campaign.

“With the heat wave that we’ve recently in the middle of it certainly comes to mind more often and we definitely want to see the number decrease to zero," said Kidco day care director, Maria Bomely.

Tineisha Pino is a consultant visiting the day cares and preschools.

“Maybe before they drop off their children they’ll just kind of see the pamphlet and have the image in the memory and be like wait – is my kid in here?” said Pino.

The pamphlet is a reminder for parents like Doug Haines.

“I don’t think people really understand how hot it actually gets inside the car so any information is great to help inform and save children’s lives pretty much," said Haines.

And inside the pamphlet are suggestions for parents: If you’re strapping a child into a car seat, leave a reminder -- take off one of your shoes, even leave your cellphone in the back so it’ll make you check before you leave the car.


Facebook Beats Analyst Expectations in Second Quarter

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Facebook beat Wall Street expectations, posting stronger earnings for the second-quarter, NBC News reported. 

The company reported $6.44 billion in revenue, according to a release posted at the end of the trading day. Analysts expected Facebook to earn $6.02 billion. The boost was due to strong user engagement and dominance in mobile and digital advertisements. 

The company reported 1.71 billion users. Daily active users were 1.13 billion on average for June 2016, amounting to a 17 percent increase year over year. Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook will now focus on expanding the community. 

"We have five billion people left to connect," Zuckerberg said. "The biggest thing we can do to help people and grow the business is to focus on improving and expanding this already dynamic and large community we have using the Facebook app."



Photo Credit: File--AP

Tim Kaine Dad Jokes Take Twitter by Storm

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The Democratic Party may be losing the beloved goofiness of "Uncle" Joe Biden, but they could be gaining a new cult hero.

Tim Kaine, who was tapped by Hillary Clinton as her running mate, introduced himself to the Democratic Party at large Wednesday night at their national convention. And upon doing so, he struck a chord with many for what they interpreted as his ability to crack a corny dad joke.

"We all should feel the Bern. And we should all not want to get burned by the other guy," Kaine said.

Kaine, a dad of three kids, also attempted an impression of Donald Trump, repeating "believe me" a popular line from Trump's stump speeches.

"It’s gonna be great—believe me!" We’re gonna build a wall and make Mexico pay for it—believe me! We’re gonna destroy ISIS so fast—believe me! There’s nothing suspicious in my tax returns—believe me! By the way, does anyone here believe that Donald Trump’s been paying his fair share of taxes?"

Many to took to Twitter to offer their commentary on Kaine's dad humor:

[[388497542, C]]



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#DemsInPhilly Social Reaction: Kaine, Obama, Biden and Bloomberg

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One night before Hillary Clinton addresses the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, a powerhouse lineup of speakers made the case for her to be the next president.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Vice Presidential Nominee Tom Kaine and Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg headlined Day 3 of the convention. 

Obama called Clinton the most qualified candidate ever. Kaine introduced himself to the country before questioning Republican Donald Trump's trustworthiness. Biden and Bloomberg both hammered Trump's judgement, temperament and qualifications for the job.

On social media, reaction was swift.  



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Clinton Joins These Female 'Firsts'

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Tuesday marked a historic moment as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the first woman nominated for president by a major political party. Clinton joined good company when she claimed the "first" title. Here are 13 powerful women who chipped away at the glass ceiling by achieving historic firsts.

Computer Scientist: Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) is considered to be the first female computer scientist. She worked with close friend Charles Babbage on plans for a computing machine in 1834 — they were some of the first people to come up with the concept.

Editor of Major U.S. Newspaper: Cornelia Walter became the first woman to serve as editor of a major U.S. newspaper when she took over as editor of the Boston Transcript in 1842. She was 27 at the time.

American Doctor: In 1849, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to get a medical degree at an American university.

American Lawyer: Arabella Mansfield of Iowa became the first woman officially recognized as a lawyer in the United States when she passed the bar exam in 1869. Although she did not go on to practice law, she taught at several colleges.

Presidential Candidate: Though she received no electoral votes, Victoria Woodhull ran for president in 1872 as the People's Party candidate — nearly 50 years before women could even vote. She was jailed on Election Day on obscenity charges.

Prime Minister: Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first female prime minister or president of a country when she was elected as prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960.

In Space: Valentaina Tereshkova was the first woman to fly in space when Russia's Vostok 6 launched June 16, 1963. Almost exactly 20 years later, Sally Ride became the first American woman to accomplish the feat when the Challenger launched June 18, 1983.

CEO of Fortune 500 Company: Serving as CEO of The Washington Post from 1963 to 1991, Katharine Graham was the first woman to lead a Fortune 500 Company.

Boston Marathon Runner: When Bobbi Gibb's 1966 application to run the Boston Marathon was rejected because she was a woman, she decided to join in anyway. After sneaking into the starting gate, she ran the marathon in 3:21:40.

Military Academy Graduate: Andrea Hollen was the first of 62 women to graduate from West Point University in the class of 1980. She also received a Rhodes scholarship.

Oscar-Winning Director: Winning an Oscar in 2010 for "The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director at the Academy Awards. She was the fourth woman to be nominated for that award.

Head of Major U.S. Sports Magazine: ESPN hired Alison Overholt to be editor of ESPN The Magazine in January, making her the first woman to lead a major American sports magazine.

SEAL Candidates: In light of the recent law change that allows women to serve in more combat military roles, the first female SEAL candidates could start training in late August, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. That means a female Navy SEAL could be just a couple of years away.



Photo Credit: National Library of Medicine / Mathew Brady, Harvard Art Museum/Fogg Museum

Police Are Investigating Shooting in New Haven

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Police are investigating the shooting of a 24-year-old man in New Haven on Wednesday morning and said the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening. 

Police responded to 43-45 Kensington Street at 10:34 a.m. to investigate and were told that a man who was leaning up against a car started shooting,

Then they learned that 24-four-year-old Jaray Turner, of New Haven, was shot in the leg.  

Police recovered ballistic evidence and believe at least two people were shooting at each other from between houses.

Turner was transported to the hospital and police are looking for the shooter, who was dressed in black or dark colors, and ran toward Edgewood Avenue. 

Police are investigating.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Obama: Clinton More Qualified Than Me, Bill to Be President

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Their political fates now entwined, President Barack Obama implored with voters Wednesday to elect Hillary Clinton, appealing to the women, minorities and young people who powered his rise and are now crucial to hers.

Obama told delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia there has never been a man or a woman — "not me, not Bill" — who's more qualified than his former secretary of state to be president of the United States and endorsed her as the woman to finish the job he started eight years ago. 

"Nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. Until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war," Obama said. "But Hillary's been in the room and knows what's at stake."

Exactly 12 years to the day after the obscure Senator from Illinois delivered a rousing speech to the Democratic convention, Obama defended his White House legacy and argued that the former secretary of state would be the best choice to bequeath those policies.

Obama cast Clinton as a candidate who believes in the optimism that fuels the nation's democracy and warned against the "deeply pessimistic" vision of Republican Donald Trump.

"America is already great. America is already strong," he declared to cheering delegates Wednesday night at the Democratic convention. "And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump."

In addition to party loyalty, a big motivation for Obama's robust support is deep concern that the Republican nominee can win in November and unravel the president's eight years in office.

Obama acknowledged the economic and security anxieties that have helped fuel Trump's rise, but he argued they don't define the country.

"Through every victory and every setback, I've insisted that change is never easy, and never quick; that we wouldn't meet all of our challenges in one term, or one presidency, or even in one lifetime," Obama said, adding that he's "more optimistic of the future of America then ever before."

Wednesday night's Democratic lineup was aimed at emphasizing Clinton's own national security credentials, a shift from two nights focused more on re-introducing her to voters as a champion for women's issues, children and families. Among those were former Pentagon and CIA chief Leon Panetta, who served alongside Clinton in Obama's Cabinet.

Panetta, citing his experience working alongside nine U.S. presidents, said he believes, in this election, Hillary Clinton "is the only candidate that has the experience, judgment and temperament to be Commander in Chief."

Obama, too, was vouching for Clinton's national security experience, recalling their work together during trying times and saying she won't relent until ISIL is destroyed.  

"And she'll do it without resorting to torture, or banning entire religions from entering our country," Obama said. 

Touting Clinton's experience and judgment, Obama's speech was a direct rebuttal to Trump's attacks on Clinton at last week's Republican convention in Cleveland, when he claimed her tenure as secretary of state was marked by "death, destruction and weakness."

In a statement, Trump's campaign called the Democratic Party "disconnected from what's happening in our world," and said Democrats described a vision of America that "doesn't exist for most Americans."

"They resorted to the politics of fear, trying to convince Americans not to vote for change — they spoke on behalf of the big banks and the big elites, not on behalf of suffering Americans," Trump's campaign said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Forrest E. Mars, Jr., CEO of Confectionery Empire, Dies at 84

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Forrest E. Mars Jr., the billionaire scion of the Mars Inc., died Tuesday at the age of 84, the company confirmed in a statement Wednesday.

Mars is survived by his wife, four children, eleven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

He inherited the business together with his brother and sister and grew it into a confectionery empire.

"Forrest was a great inspiration to all of us at Mars, Incorporated," said Grant F. Reid, CEO and Office of the President for Mars, Incorporated. "He was instrumental in building our business, while remaining committed to the founding principles of the Company. Forrest will be sorely missed, but his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind at Mars will be long-lasting."

Mars began his career in 1955 as a certified public accountant, working as an auditor for Price Waterhouse after serving in the United States Army for two years. He joined Mars, Incorporated - then, a business of less than $100 million in revenue - as a Financial Staff Officer for M&M's Candies in 1959.

Two years later, Mars was appointed General Manager of a new confectionery factory — now one of the largest chocolate factories in the world — in Veghel, Netherlands. Over the next two decades Mars exploded expanding Mars presence globally.

According to Forbes magazine, the Mars family, with an estimated worth of $78 billion, is the third-richest in the United States, behind only the Waltons of Walmart and the Kochs of Koch Industries.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Fact Check: Democratic National Convention Day 3

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The president headlined the night’s speeches, and a few of his boasts of his record headline our fact-checking report:

  • President Barack Obama claimed that under his administration, “we finally began to wean ourselves off foreign oil,” but dependency on imported oil had begun to drop years before he took office.
  • The president repeated a frequent boast that the U.S. “doubled our production of clean energy” during his tenure. Monthly renewable energy production has gone up 40 percent.
  • Obama said deficits have “come down” under his administration. That’s true, but they are expected to rise again soon under his proposed budget.
  • Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine falsely referred to economist Mark Zandi as “John McCain’s chief economic adviser during the ’08 race,” in touting an estimate of job loss under Donald Trump’s proposals. In fact, Zandi is a Democrat.
  • Rev. Jesse Jackson wrongly said “we have not lost a single job, a single month” since Obama became president, and he was also off in saying the U.S. trades “more with Mexico than we do with China.”
  • Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta falsely claimed that Trump “says he gets his foreign policy experience from … running the Miss Universe pageant.” Trump didn’t say that was his foreign policy experience.
  • Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid claimed that the GOP ticket wanted to “gamble” Social Security “in the stock market.” But Trump’s campaign has called for making no changes to Social Security.
  • Kaine claimed that Trump said he “wants to abandon” our NATO allies. Trump has said that he doesn’t want the U.S. to leave NATO, but has suggested he would not automatically defend NATO allies that do not pay their share of defense costs.

Note to Readers

This story was written with the help of the entire staff, including some of those based in Philadelphia who are at the convention site. As we did for the Republican National Convention, we intend to vet the major speeches at the Democratic National Convention for factual accuracy, applying the same standards to both.

Article

Foreign Oil Dependency

President Obama made a misstep when he said, “After decades of talk, we finally began to wean ourselves off foreign oil” under his administration.

Actually, U.S. dependency on imported oil had already begun to decline years before Obama first took office.

According to official figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, dependency peaked in 2005, when the nation imported 60.3 percent of the crude oil it consumed. But that percentage dropped to 57 percent in 2008, the year before Obama was sworn in.

It’s true that U.S. dependency had continued to drop during Obama’s time — down to 24 percent last year.

But the fact is the decline “began” well before Obama entered the White House. Also, dependency has now begun to rise again due to low oil prices and reduced U.S. drilling. The U.S. imported 26.6 percent of its crude oil in the first half of 2016.

And Clean Energy Growth

Obama also repeated his frequent, and inflated, boast that during his time in office the U.S. “doubled our production of clean energy.”

Monthly renewable energy production has increased by about 40 percent from January 2009 to April 2016, far from the 100 percent increase Obama claimed. While it is true that wind and solar power have more than doubled since 2008 (they’ve nearly quadrupled, in fact), they represent only part of the renewable energy picture. Less than a third of renewable energy consumption in April came from wind and solar.

As we wrote back in 2012 when Obama made a similar claim, the largest category of renewable energy is biomass, such as ethanol that is blended in gasoline. And the second-biggest category is hydropower — electricity generated from dams. Together, hydroelectric power and biomass accounted for nearly 70 percent of renewable energy consumption in April.

Deficits to Rise Again

Boasting of his post-recession record, President Obama said that “we’ve seen deficits come down.” They have, but deficits will soon begin to rise again under the president’s proposed budget unless his successor cuts revenues or increases taxes, or both.

It’s true that annual federal deficits have declined since peaking at $1.4 trillion in fiscal year 2009 — a deficit Obama largely inherited from a budget signed into law by his predecessor, George W. Bush. The decline was slow at first with deficits stubbornly remaining above the $1 trillion mark for four straight years.

Since then, the yearly deficits have declined markedly. In fiscal year 2015, which ended last Sept. 30, the deficit was $438 billion, a drop of 69 percent from FY 2009.

In an analysis of Obama’s fiscal year 2017 budget, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects deficits will continue to fall for two more years. But it also warned about the return of growing deficits in the 10-year period covered by the analysis.

CBO, March: Under the President’s proposals, CBO estimates, the deficit would total $529 billion in 2016. It would fall to $433 billion in 2017, fall further to $383 billion in 2018, and then increase in most subsequent years, eventually growing to $972 billion in 2026.

In its analysis of the presidential budget proposal, the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the plan would “stabilize the debt as a share of the economy,” but it “does not go far enough” to reduce the debt “from its current record-high levels.”

The CBO analysis showed that federal debt owed to the public was 73.6 percent of GDP in 2015, and will creep up under the budget plan to 77.4 percent by 2026.

Kaine Wrong on McCain Adviser

Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine repeated a shopworn Democratic falsehood when he referred to economist Mark Zandi as “John McCain’s chief economic adviser.”

Kaine: John McCain’s chief economic adviser during the ’08 race … estimates that Trump’s promises would cause America to lose 3.5 million jobs.

It’s true that Moody’s Analytics, where Zandi is chief economist, issued a report last month concluding that the combined effects of Trump’s policy proposals on taxes, government spending, immigration and international trade — if fully implemented — would cause “a decline of 3.4 million jobs” during the four years of a Trump presidency.

Zandi was lead author of that study, and he’s a well-respected business economist. But he wasn’t the 2008 GOP nominee’s “chief” economic adviser. He’s not even a Republican. Kaine and other Democrats have adopted the bad habit of referring to him that way in the hope that it will give added weight to whatever Zandi says that’s critical of Republican policy.

Kaine is a serial offender in this bit of petty deceit. Nearly six years ago, in September 2010, Kaine described Zandi that way in a Sunday talk show, when Kaine was chairman of the Democratic National Committee. What we wrote then still goes:

FactCheck.org, Sept. 7, 2010: Kaine got it wrong when he called economist Mark Zandi “John McCain’s chief economics adviser.” … It’s true that Zandi was one of those who offered advice to McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. But as we’ve reported before, he says he’s a registered Democrat, and he was just one of several economists who advised McCain. His chief economic adviser was Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

What we reported prior to that was that Zandi said in a 2009 interview: “I’m a registered Democrat.” Zandi said in that same 2009 Washington Post interview that he had agreed to advise McCain at the request of an old friend, McCain’s chief economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin. Zandi also advises Democrats.

And last year, Zandi gave $2,700 — the legal maximum — to Hillary Clinton’s primary campaign.

Jesse Jackson, Off-Script

Rev. Jesse Jackson — departing from his prepared remarks — made two false claims, about trade and about Obama’s record on jobs.

Jobs: Jackson said: “He came in office, we lost 800,000 jobs. We have not lost a single job, a single month since Barack has been president.”

That’s off by a mile.

It’s true that the U.S. was losing jobs at the rate of hundreds of thousands per month at the time Obama first took office, but that hemorrhaging continued for months afterward as well.

The loss in total nonfarm employment, officially measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 769,000 in November 2008, 695,000 in December and 791,000 in January 2009.

Every month of Obama’s first year in office showed losses, and there were five months in 2010 that also showed losses. In all, the U.S. lost close to 4.4 million jobs in the months before Obama took office, but it lost a little more than 4.3 million more in the opening months of Obama’s term — not hitting bottom until February 2010.

Trade: Jackson said, “We trade more with Mexico than we do with China and Japan every day.”

Not so. It’s true that the U.S. trades more with Mexico than with Japan — but not more than it trades with China.

Total trade in goods (the value of all exports plus the value of all imports) between Mexico and the U.S. was $214 billion in the first five months of this year, according to the U.S Census Bureau. That’s a bit less than the $216 billion total trade with China.

And that’s been true for years. Trade in goods with China has exceeded that with Mexico for all of 2015, and for all of 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 as well. We had to go back more than a decade, to 2005, to find a year in which trade with Mexico exceeded that with China.

Foreign Policy and Pageants

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta falsely claimed that “Donald Trump says he gets his foreign policy experience from … running the Miss Universe pageant.”

Panetta was referring to a Trump interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier in May. As we’ve written before, Baier asked Trump whether he had talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump refused to answer, and went on to say that “I know Russia well” because “I had a major event in Russia two or three years ago,” referring to the 2013 pageant.

But Trump didn’t go so far as to say that the pageant was an example of his foreign-policy experience, and Baier never asked him that question.

Hillary Clinton has made similar claims, saying that Trump “says he’s qualified to be commander in chief because he took Miss Universe to Moscow.”

Reid’s Outdated Social Security Claim

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid dredged up an old Democratic talking point in claiming that, “Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to gamble with your retirement benefits in the stock market.” But Trump has said he wants to “leave [Social Security] the way it is.”

Pence supported a plan more than a decade ago that would have allowed younger workers to voluntarily invest part of their Social Security taxes in private mutual funds. Trump advocated something like that 16 years ago, but not now.

We’ve seen Reid’s claim over and over again, and it usually refers to a lawmaker’s support for President George W. Bush’s 2005 proposal for private accounts. And, in fact, Pence, then a congressman, did back Bush’s plan. But that called for voluntary private accounts and limiting how much workers could put into them — plus the accounts would have been government-approved mutual funds. The plan wouldn’t have forced anyone to have their Social Security taxes “gamble[d]” on the stock market.

Trump, however, hasn’t called for any such thing in this campaign. In fact, he said in a March GOP debate, “I will do everything within my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is.” And in response to an AARP request for information on his stance, Trump said, “The key to preserving Social Security and other programs that benefit AARP members is to have an economy that is robust and growing.” He went on to talk about “tax reform” and “immigration reform.” He didn’t outline any changes to Social Security.

Back in 2000, Trump did advocate private Social Security accounts, writing in his book “The America We Deserve”: “The solution to the Great Social Security Crisis couldn’t be more obvious: Allow every American to dedicate some portion of their payroll taxes to a personal Social Security account that they could own and invest in stocks and bonds.”

But 16 years later, that’s not a plan he has pushed on the campaign trail.

Abandonment Issues

Kaine said that Trump said he “wants to abandon” our NATO allies. Trump has said that he doesn’t want the U.S. to leave the international security alliance. However, he has recently suggested that he would not automatically defend NATO allies that do not pay their share of defense costs.

Kaine: I want to start off thanking my wife, Anne, and my three beautiful children, Nat, Woody and Annella. … You know, my son, Nat, deployed with his Marine battalion just two days ago. He deployed overseas to protect and defend the very NATO allies that Donald Trump says he now wants to abandon.

Trump’s most recent comments on NATO came during a July interview with David E. Sanger and Maggie Haberman of the New York Times. Trump said that he would be willing to defend fellow NATO members, “if they fulfill their obligations to us.”

Sanger, July 21: My point here is, Can the members of NATO, including the new members in the Baltics, count on the United States to come to their military aid if they were attacked by Russia? And count on us fulfilling our obligations.

Trump: Have they fulfilled their obligations to us? If they fulfill their obligations to us, the answer is yes.

Haberman: And if not?

Trump: Well, I’m not saying if not. I’m saying, right now there are many countries that have not fulfilled their obligations to us.

Throughout his campaign, Trump has been critical of NATO, which was established in 1949 by the U.S., Canada and 10 Western European nations to defend against the former Soviet Union. One of Trump’s main criticisms of NATO, which now has 28 member nations, is that it is too costly to the U.S., which pays about 22 percent of direct spending by NATO, and an even larger share of indirect costs, according to budget information. In addition, only five member nations, including the U.S., spend the 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense called for by NATO guidelines, according to a CNN Money analysis.

But Trump didn’t actually tell the Times reporters that “he wants to abandon” allies that don’t make the required payments. He declined to say what he would do if countries had not fulfilled their financial obligations.

And as we wrote in May, Trump, despite his criticisms of NATO, has said that he doesn’t want the U.S. to leave the NATO alliance. Although, he also said that he would “certainly look at” doing so. But in his more recent interview with the Times, Trump at least suggested that he’s open to not defending those nations that don’t pay more.

— Eugene Kiely, with Brooks Jackson, Lori Robertson, Robert Farley, D’Angelo Gore and Zachary Gross

Sources

Congressional Budget Office. “Federal Budget Deficit Totals $1.4 Trillion in Fiscal Year 2009.” 6 Nov 2009.

Office of Management and Budget. “Fiscal 2017 Budget of the United States, Historical Tables: “Table 1.1—Summary of Receipts, Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits (-): 1789–2021.” 9 Feb 2016.

Congressional Budget Office. “An Analysis of the President’s 2017 Budget.” Mar 2016.

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “Analysis of the President’s FY 2017 Budget.” 9 Feb 2016.

DNCC Announces Third Night Program for Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.” Press release. Democratic National Convention Committee. 27 Jul 2016.

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “Board Members.” Undated, accessed 28 Jul 2016.

Zandi, Mark and Chris Lafakis, Dan White and Adam Ozimek. “The Macroeconomic Consequences of Mr. Trump’s Economic Policies.” Moody’s Analytics. 20 Jun 2016.

Henig, Jess. “Sunday Replay.” FactCheck.org. 7 Sep 2010.

Keily, Eugene. “Sunday Replay.” FactCheck.org. 9 Aug 2010.

Murray, Shailagh. “Moody’s Economist Has Become a Go-To Guy on Stimulus Plan.” Washington Post. 3 Feb 2009.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Table 3.3a. Monthly Energy Review.” 26 Jul 2016.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics survey (National); Total Nonfarm Employment, Seasonally Adjusted.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – May 2016.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – December 2015.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – December 2014.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – December 2013.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – December 2012.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – December 2011.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – Total Trade, Exports, Imports; Year-to-Date December 2010.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Census. “Top Trading Partners – Total Trade, Exports, Imports; Year-to-Date December 2005.” Data extracted 27 Jul 2016.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. Total Energy: Monthly Energy Review.

Jackson, Brooks. “Obama’s Numbers April 2016 Update.” FactCheck.org. 06 Apr 2016.

Robertson, Lori. “Renewable Energy ‘Doubled’?” FactCheck.org. 14 Sep 2012.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. Biomass Explained.

Robertson, Lori. “A Decade-Old Democratic Claim.” FactCheck.org. 31 Aug 2015.

Washington Times. “House conservatives harden backing for Social Security plan.” 4 Feb 2005.

CNN. “Transcript of Republican debate in Miami, full text.” 15 Mar 2016.

AARP Bulletin. “Trump & Clinton: Find Out Where They Stand On Social Security.” 27 Jun 2016.

Excerpts from “The America We Deserve.” Ontheissues.org. accessed 28 Jul 2016.

New York Times. “Transcript: Donald Trump on NATO, Turkey’s Coup Attempt and the World.” 21 Jul 2016.

Gore, D’Angelo. “What’s Trump’s Position on NATO?” FactCheck.org. 28 Jul 2016.

Kottasova, Ivana. “These NATO countries are not spending their fair share on defense.” CNNMoney.com. 8 Jul 2016.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Funding NATO. Updated 3 Jun 2015, accessed 27 Jul 2016.

Rucker, Philip and Costa, Robert. “Trump questions need for NATO, outlines noninterventionist foreign policy.” Washington Post. 21 Mar 2016.

New York Times. “Transcript: Donald Trump Expounds on His Foreign Policy Views.” 26 Mar 2016.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mysterious Light Seen Streaking Across California Sky

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A mysterious light streaked across the sky Wednesday night, igniting a social media firestorm from California to Nevada and Utah.

Videos and photos from across Southern California poured into NBCLA's Twitter feed after the light went streaking across the sky.

The light was seen in skies around 9:30 p.m. PST over the Inland Empire, Ventura County, Orange County and beyond. Social media users also reported seeing it in Nevada and Utah.

Matt Holt, a Bay Area resident, shot video in San Jose of a large cluster of lights shooting across the sky to the bemusement of a large crowd.

"Anytime you have a report of a luminous object, it's a fair bet it's a natural event," said Ed Krupp, Griffith Observatory's director of 45 years. "It's likely space debris or a meteor produced by interplanetary debris."

Krupp said it wasn't so much what the object was composed of that caused the light, but what the atmosphere around it was doing.

"Typically a small pebble that enters the Earth's atmosphere at that high altitude and is heated up by the friction that it encounters will become so hot that it will in fact cause the air around it to glow -- kind of a tube of glowing air -- maybe as much as 10 miles in diameter."

But Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, told the Los Angeles Times the fireball was debris from a Chinese rocket launched on June 25 that was re-entering the earth's atmosphere.



Photo Credit: Matt Holt
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Rollover on Route 44 in West Hartford

Ex-NFL Star Warren Sapp Bitten By Shark While Lobster Fishing

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For over a decade and a half, Warren Sapp was a force to be reckoned with in both the college game with the University of Miami Hurricanes and later during his Hall of Fame career in the NFL.

This week, the former defensive lineman met something with just as much bite as he had on the field – all while trying to catch his dinner.

Sapp posted a photo on his Facebook page showing a bite he received from a shark while fishing for lobsters in the Florida Keys during mini-season (warning: some may find the image disturbing):

Jack Carlson, the captain of the charter company Two Conchs that Sapp used for his mission, said the boat was about seven miles away from Marathon in nine feet of water. Sapp reportedly reached into the water for a lobster when the shark, believed to be a nurse shark about four feet long, attacked.

Carlson told the Tampa Bay Times that Sapp may need some stitches, but the group kept fishing after the incident.

"We bandaged it up, put some gauze on there, some black electrical tape and hit a couple more spots, then headed in," Carlson said.

Sapp posted a photo to his Twitter page confirming that one bite wasn’t going to stop him from continuing on his journey to stock up on the delicacy:



Photo Credit: Getty Images

DNC Day 3 Top Moments: Obama Backs Clinton, Knocks Trump

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President Barack Obama excoriated Donald Trump's vision of America Wednesday night as he endorsed Hillary Clinton, telling Democrats Trump was betting he could get win in November by scaring enough people into voting for him. 

"That is another bet that Donald Trump will lose," Obama said. "Because he's selling the American people short."

Here are the top moments of Obama's speech and of the rest of the third day of the Democratic National Convention, inside the convention hall and out.

"We Don't Look to Be Ruled"

Obama told the DNC he was ready to pass the baton to Clinton and asked his audience to reject cynicism and fear and summon what was best in the country.

"Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me," he said. "I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me. Because you're who I was talking about 12 years ago, when I talked about hope. It's been you who've fueled my dogged faith in our future, even when the odds are great, even when the road is long."

This election was not a typical one between Democrats and Republicans, he said. Republicans at their convention last week had presented a deeply pessimistic vision of a country turning against each other and away from the rest of the world.

"And that is not the America I know," he said. "The America I know is full of courage, and optimism and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous."

The United States does not depend on any one person, Obama said. It has never been about what one person says he will do but about what the country can achieve together, he said.

"We don't look to be ruled," he said. "Our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper right here in Philadelphia all those years ago. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that together, We, the People, can form a more perfect union."

There had never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president, he said, not him, not Bill Clinton.

He acknowledged that Clinton had critics and had made mistakes, but compared her to the kind of citizen Teddy Roosevelt had once described — not timid souls on the sidelines but in the arena.

"Hillary Clinton is that woman in the arena," he said. "She's been there for us - even if we haven't always noticed. And if you're serious about our democracy, you can't afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue. You've got to get in the arena with her, because democracy isn't a spectator sport. America isn't about 'Yes he will.' It's about 'Yes we can.'"

"Lying Is Second Nature to Him"

Vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine of Virginia, a U.S. senator and the state's former governor, mocked Trump's credibility and his repeated use of the phrase "believe me."

"Believe me?" Kaine asked. "Believe me?"

Trump's ghostwriter on "The Art of the Deal" has said that lying was second nature to him, Kaine said. U.S. Sen. John McCain's former economic adviser said that Trump's policies would result in the loss of 3.5 million jobs. His tax plan would leave the country $30 trillion debt, according to an independent assessment, he said. Charity after charity believed Trump when he said he would contribute to them, he said.

"Folks, you cannot believe one word that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth," he said as the audience chanted "Not one word."

"Our nation is too great to put it in the hands of a slick-talking, empty-promising, self-promoting one-man wrecking crew," he said.

Bloomberg: "I’m a New Yorker and I Know a Con When I See One"

Vice President Joseph Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, another billionaire businessman from New York, went on the attack, calling Trump in succession a man of unbounded cynicism and a hypocrite.

His lack of compassion and empathy can be summed up in one of Trump's favorite phrases, Biden said: "You’re fired."

"He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle-class," Biden said. "Give me a break. That's a bunch of malarkey."

America is strong and has held together because of its middle class, Biden said. When the middle class does well, the rich do very well and the poor has hope, he said.

"This guy doesn’t have a clue about the middle class, not a clue," Biden said.

"He has no clue period," he added and the phrase quickly became a refrain on the convention floor.

Trump is appealing to fear, but Americans never bow, never bend and never break, Biden said.

"We are America, second to none, and we own the finish line," he said.

Bloomberg spoke to the convention as an independent. He was there, he said, to urge other independents to unite around the candidate who could defeat a dangerous demagogue.

"I built a business, and I didn't start it with a million-dollar check from my father," he said.

Bloomberg belittled Trump's business experience, calling attention to his bankruptcies, the lawsuits brought against him and the contractors who said he had cheated them. 

He said he watched Clinton work with Republicans in Congress to get the money New York City needed to recover from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. He did not always agree with her, but she always listened, he said.

"Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy," he said. "He wants you to believe that we can solve our biggest problems by deporting Mexicans and shutting out Muslims. He wants you to believe that erecting trade barriers will bring back good jobs. He's wrong on both counts."

"Russia, If You're Listening"

Far from the Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump caused a stir on Wednesday when - at a time Russia is suspected of trying to interfere in the U.S. presidential election - he appeared to ask Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails.

"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said during a news conference in Florida. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press."

His comments immediately drew condemnation, with the Clinton campaign accusing Trump of encouraging a foreign power to conduct espionage against his opponent.

"This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue," Jake Sullivan, a Clinton spokesman, said.

Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House, called Putin a "devious thug" who should stay out of the U.S. election.

Trump has said he doubted Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee computer servers, but U.S. intelligence believe it was.

Clinton has said she deleted 30,000 emails from her personal email server, received while she was secretary of state, before turning others over to the U.S. State Department. FBI Director James Comey criticized Clinton's use of a private email server but recommended against her prosecution.

"Strong Women Get Things Done"

Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the head when a man opened fire at a constituent meeting five years ago, walked onto the stage on the convention's third night to endorse Clinton as the candidate who would be able to stand up to the gun lobby.

"Speaking is difficult for me, but come January I want to say these two words: 'Madame President,'" she said.

She described Clinton as a tough and courageous woman who would fight to make families safer.

"In Congress I learned a powerful lesson: Strong women get things done," she said.

Giffords was among those touched by gun violence to speak — survivors or the relatives of whose who had been killed. They demanded what they called common-sense gun legislation, expanded background checks and other similar measures.

Giffords' husband, former astronaut U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, said Clinton would work to close loopholes governing who could buy weapons. Clinton is ready to take on one of the country's greatest moral failings at home -- the gun violence that is tearing up so many communities, Kelly said. 

Erica Smeglieski, the daughter of the Sandy Hook Elementary School principal who was shot to death with five other staff members and 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Connecticut, said she did not want to be addressing the convention. She wanted to be at home watching the convention with her mother, Dawn Hochsprung, with whom she had planned her wedding, she said.

"My mom was murdered so I'm here," she said. "I'm here for the mothers and daughters who are planning weddings so you get to watch your daughter walk down the aisle."

Felicia Sanders and Polly Sheppard, survived the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, during Bible studies. Sanders said her son’s last words were, "We mean you no harm." Two days later she forgave the shooter, she said.

Sheppard said the shooter, like those in Orlando and Dallas, had hate in his heart.

"Love never fails and so I choose love," she said.

Christine Leinonen's son was killed in the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. It takes five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times for the victims but only a minute to fire 30 rounds with the weapon used to shoot her son, she said.

When she went into labor with her son, said Leinonen, who was then a Michigan state trooper, her weapon was placed in a safe. She did not object because she knew common sense gun policy saves lives, she said.

"Where was that common sense the day that he died," she asked.

Emilie Plesset contributed information to this article.



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Sewage, Black Algae Found at West Haven Beaches

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Officials are asking people not to swim at West Haven beaches after sewage and black algae appeared in the water on Wednesday.

Beachgoers saw a "large, dark area" across a mile-long stretch in the water heading toward land around 2 p.m., West Haven Fire Department Chief Robert Schwartz said. 

Responding firefighters said the dark area, spanning from Oak Street and Savin Rock, appeared to be sewage and black algae.

Crews are investigating, but said black algae can develop when it's very hot and a boat might have discharged the sewage.

West Haven Health Department, DEEP and the U.S. Coast Guard are asking people to stay out of the water as they investigate and execute tests. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Man Takes Woman Hostage, Robs Bristol Bank: Police

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A 65-year-old Bristol woman working at a local business was abducted, blindfolded and held hostage while her captor robbed a bank on Wednesday, police said.

Robert Duperry, 51, allegedly walked into the Bristol business with a gun before tying up and blindfolding the only employee there, Bristol police said.

Duperry placed the woman in her own car and used her cell phone to make false bombing threats to Hartford police, saying several municipal buildings were in danger, police said. The victim told officers that Duperry told her several times that he had bombs with him.

After driving around, Duperry pulled into the drive-thru of the TD Bank at 414 Broad Street with his gun aimed at the victim's head and told the teller that if she did not hand over money, he would kill his hostage, police said.

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of money.

Police located a car that matched the description of the victim's car and Duperry led officers on a pursuit into Wolcott, police said. At one point, he slowed down and ordered the victim out of the car. Eventually, Duperry abandoned the vehicle and ran off, police said.

Bristol, Wolcott and Southington officers were able to locate Duperry in a heavily wooded area and took him into custody. No bomb or materials used to make bombs were found.

The hostage sustained minor scrapes and bruises. 

Duperry was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree larceny, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, assault of victim over 60, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a pistol without a permit, first-degree burglary, first-degree threatening, engaging an officer in a pursuit and reckless driving.

Police said the charges do not include the bomb threat allegations.

Duperry is being held on $750,000 bond and will be arraigned in Bristol Superior Court today. It was unclear if he had a lawyer. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut and Bristol Police

Humpback Whales Spotted in Long Island Sound

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Are humpback whales returning to Long Island Sound?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it believes several humpbacks are feeding on small fish close to shore.

Harvey Thompson from Ansonia has forty years of boating experience off the Connecticut Coast.

“I’ve seen porpoises out here,” he said, “there are seals in the wintertime, but never a whale.”

Even though he’s never seen a whale, Thompson knows, “you can watch them, but don’t harass them it’s against the law to get too near them.”

Recently, there have been several sightings of humpbacks in the western stretch of Long Island Sound.

“These humpback whales are fascinating,” said Curt Johnson, the executive director of Connecticut Fund for the Environment’s Save the Sound. “What they do is they dive under a school they blow bubbles and pull them up then they open up their mouths to like 12 feet wide and gobble up a huge amount.”

Investments by the state to clean up the water are setting the table for the return of whales searching for food, Johnson said.

“Now the sound is starting to be able to support these tens of thousands of additional fish,” he added.

While humpbacks are not harmful, harming them is a federal offense. Boaters should never chase them, Johnson said.

“Keep 150 feet away, cut your motor, stop and enjoy one of the true miracles of living on this great earth of ours,” he said.

Next time Thompson goes for a ride in the sound, he’ll be watching for whales.

“They are a beautiful thing to look at,” he said.

If you spot a whale or see someone harassing one of these majestic marine mammals, the NOAA would like to hear from you.

For sightings call, 866-755-NOAA (6622). For harassment complaints, call at 800-853-1964.



Photo Credit: Nick Nistico

Granby Police Warn of 'Highly Aggressive' Fox

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Granby police are warning residents to be on the lookout for a “highly aggressive” fox that remains on the loose after attacking a man on his deck.

Police said Wednesday afternoon they received a report that a fox had attacked a resident of Silver Brook Lane.

In an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut the victim described the attack.

"It had this kind of vicious little snarl and it just lunged at me - it just kept coming at me," said Larry Coxon.

Coxon said the fox was relentless.

"I kicked it with my right foot a couple times as he came back after me," said Coxon.

Coxon said he's getting several shots because authorities are unsure if the animal has rabies.

Police said a few hours after the attack, someone moving a lawn on nearby Silver Street was charged by a fox. Police also received a report that a fox jumped into a pool with small children in it on Silver Brook Lane. The fox did not make direct human contact in those incidents.

Until the fox is caught neighbors said they're staying indoors. Neighbor Christopher Kempf said his mother called him to warn him.

"They told her there's a dangerous fox in the area get back inside!" Kempf said.

Police said Animal Control officers have set traps for the animal and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been informed. Two more sightings were reported on the Silver Brook Lane Thursday morning.

Anyone who sees this animal should report it to police immediately by calling (860) 844-5335.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Peru Swears in Kuczynski as New President

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After winning just over 50 percent of the vote, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will be sworn in on Thursday as Peru’s new president, NBC News reported. 

Peru's economy has been on the rise and candidates like Kuczynski were pushing the country in a different direction, according to a recent Forbes article. PPK, as he's also known, promised that he would restore fiscal health and the country’s security. 

He has a long career in politics, having served as the Minister of Energy and Mines, Minister of Economy and Finance and most recently as Prime Minister. An Ivy-league graduate, PPK has a bachelors degree from the University of Oxford and a masters from Princeton, where he studied economics. 

Kuczynski was born in Peru — his Polish-German father was an accomplished doctor noted for his research on health issues in South America.



Photo Credit: AP

North Korea Warns US Over Kim Jong Un Sanctions

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North Korea said Washington has declared war by putting leader Kim Jong Un on its list of sanctioned individuals, according to a diplomat who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday, NBC News reported. 

Although the country has been sanctioned internationally for its nuclear weapons and long-range missile development programs, Washington announced for the first time that Kim was personally sanctioned on July 6. 

Pyongyang cut off its official means of communication with Washington, saying it was the final straw. Director-general of the U.S. affairs department at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Han Song Ryol, said everything between the two must now be death with under “war law.” 

Han also warned about a possible showdown if the U.S. and South Korea conduct joint military exercises next month. The two countries regularly conduct exercises, and Pyongyang usually responds with tough talk and threats of retaliation.



Photo Credit: AP

Trump Jr. Says Obama Lifted Line From His RNC Speech

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Donald Trump Jr. suggested Thursday that President Obama lifted a phrase from his Republican National Convention speech. Donald Trump's son pointed out that his RNC speech and Obama's remarks at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, included the line "That's not the America I know."

It's a line Obama, along with other past presidents, has used frequently in the past, NBC News reported. Other than the brief sentiment about the version of America known to both men, the context of their statements are very different.

Turmp Jr.'s charge comes after Melania Trump was criticized for lifting portions of her address to the RNC from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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