SOCHI, Russia (AP) ? The cost of the 2014 Winter Games in the Russian city of Sochi now stands at $51 billion, making it the most expensive Olympics in history. More than half of the bill is being footed by Russian state-controlled companies and business tycoons. A look at what the major players are building in Sochi:
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
The government is building five of the six arenas in the coastal cluster, which will host indoor competitions such as ice skating, for about $10 billion. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who is overseeing the Sochi preparations, said the government will spend a total of about $18 billion before the games begin in February 2014.
GAZPROM
The world's largest natural gas producer, a publicly traded company, has many Olympic projects in Sochi, including building a cross-country skiing and biathlon center, one of the three Olympic villages and an Alpine ski resort. Gazprom is also building a power station in a Sochi suburb for about $740 million and a pipeline to bring gas supplies to the Sochi area for about $1 billion. The total price tag for Gazprom stands at roughly $3 billion.
POTANIN
Metals tycoon Vladimir Potanin, whose fortune is estimated at $14.3 billion, started building the Roza Khutor ski resort before Sochi was picked to hold the 2014 Olympics. Infrastructure required by the International Olympic Committee cost $500 million, boosting his total bill in Sochi to $2.5 billion. In addition to the Alpine ski runs at Roza Khutor, Potanin's holding company, Interros, has built an Olympic village and a snowboarding and freestyle park.
DERIPASKA
Metals tycoon Oleg Deripaska, estimated to be worth $8.5 billion, is mainly involved in infrastructure development in Sochi. His holding company, Basic Element, is building an Olympic village, a sea port and has just finished revamping the Sochi airport. Basic Element expects to spend a total of $1.4 billion in Sochi.
SBERBANK
The state-controlled bank is set to spend at least $1.3 billion building a media center in Sochi, as well as a ski jump complex.
NEW YORK (AP) ? The college student was being held in a headlock by a masked intruder with a loaded gun to her head, police said. Then the gunman took aim at an officer.
A moment later both Hofstra University junior Andrea Rebello and the intruder were dead ? killed after a split-second decision that is perhaps the most harrowing in law enforcement: when to pull the trigger.
"The big question is, how do you know, when someone's pointing a gun at you, whether you should keep talking to them, or shoot?" said Michele Galietta, a professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice who helps train police officers. "That's what makes the job of an officer amazingly difficult."
She spoke Sunday as Hofstra University students honored Rebello, a popular 21-year-old public relations major, by wearing white ribbons at their graduation ceremony.
Rebello's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Sleepy Hollow, north of New York City.
The news that she died from a police bullet came as "a second shock" for the already devastated family, said Henry Santos, Rebello's godfather.
Her life ended in the seconds that forced the veteran police officer to make a fatal decision, but the questions surrounding the student's death are just beginning, along with an internal investigation by the Nassau County Police Department.
Rebello and the intruder, Dalton Smith, died early Friday when the officer fired eight shots, hitting him seven times and her once in the head, according to county homicide squad Lt. John Azzata.
With a gun pointed at her, Smith "kept saying, 'I'm going to kill her,' and then he pointed the gun at the police officer," according to Azzata.
The officer acted quickly, saying later that he believed his and Rebello's lives were in danger, according to authorities.
No doubt, he was acting to try to save lives ? his own and that of the young woman, Galietta said.
"What we're asking the cop to anticipate is, 'What is going on in the suspect's mind at the moment?'" she said. "We're always trying to de-escalate, to contain a situation, but the issue of safety comes in first, and that's the evaluation the officer has to make."
Eugene O'Donnell, a former New York City police officer and professor of law and police studies at John Jay College, said the crucial issue may be whether or not police had deemed it a hostage situation. If so, he said, there are protocols police follow to buy time, slow down, isolate and assess.
But O'Donnell said the officers may have had few options because of "an eyeball to eyeball confrontation between the officer and the offender."
"It may have been too fluid to deteriorate for the officers to do anything else," O'Donnell said. "It underscores that there's no two of these that are exactly alike."
Police tactical manuals are meant to assist officers in making the best decision possible, but in the end, "they're not 100 percent foolproof," Galietta said. "In a situation like that, you can follow procedure, and it doesn't mean it comes out perfectly."
Hofstra student John Kourtessis told the New York Post that he'd gone to a bar with Rebello and a few other friends to celebrate the end of school. When they got back to Rebello's house, she asked him to move his car and he went upstairs to get his keys.
When he came back down, he said, Smith was there. He said Smith kept talking about "the Russian guy," insisting the house's residents owed a Russian man money and that he was outside waiting.
"He was saying ... that he just needed us to cooperate. I said, 'Listen, we have all this money here.'"
Kourtessis said the students offered Smith computers, jewelry and other items from the house but that Smith kept demanding more money.
The officer who fired the shots is an eight-year NYPD veteran and has been with Nassau County police for 12 years.
He is now out on sick leave, Azzata said.
Procedurally, the Nassau County district attorney would determine whether an officer's use of deadly force was justified, O'Donnell said. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said Monday it is monitoring the ongoing police investigation.
___
Associated Press writers Frank Eltman in Mineola, N.Y., and Jake Pearson in New York City contributed to this report.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ? A Saudi newspaper says a vegetable seller who set himself on fire in Riyadh after police confiscated his goods for standing in an unauthorized area has died.
The website for newspaper Sada reported that the man, identified only by the family name of Sureihi, died in hospital late on Friday.
The self-immolation emulated that of a street vendor in Tunisia, whose 2011 death sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.
Family members were seen outside the hospital Saturday demanding answers about why police confiscated the man's goods. Witnesses say the family wants to know what led him to douse himself in gasoline and set himself ablaze on Thursday.
Saudi officials refused to comment. They did not disclose the man's name or age.
Despite Saudi Arabia's oil wealth, many of its people live in poor conditions. Protests in the conservative kingdom are rare.
Academy of Natural Sciences to guide coordinated region-wide watershed protectionPublic release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Ewing raewing@drexel.edu 215-895-2614 Drexel University
PHILADELPHIA (May 20, 2013) The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University has received a major grant from the William Penn Foundation to support watershed protection and restoration in the Delaware watershed that is intended to coordinate and demonstrate a region-wide impact on improving water quality.
The Academy of Natural Sciences has been performing watershed and aquatic science research since the 1940s. For the past year, Academy scientists have provided scientific guidance to the William Penn Foundation as it began plans to focus its environmental funding on watershed protection and restoration. The new one-year grant award of $880,000 will take this advisory role to a new level.
The grant heralds an unusual degree of collaboration between the Academy and the Foundation to guide the scientific measurement and evaluation of conservation efforts across a wide region and to ensure the Foundation's other grants are coordinated with one another and with the larger context of regional watershed conservation activities. The Academy's guidance will therefore influence the activities of other organizations working across the Delaware Valley region to protect and restore water quality.
"It's exciting to have the opportunity to work with an expansive, coordinated effort like this to protect the Delaware basin with a particular focus on water quality," said George W. Gephart, Jr., president and CEO of the Academy of Natural Sciences. "The Academy has a long history in the science of protecting watersheds, rivers and streams to keep high water quality in the area."
The Academy's role in the coming year will be to take baseline measurements of environmental conditions in designated sites across the Delaware basin. As other organizations work with the William Penn Foundation to secure funding for their own conservation programs at specific sites, the Academy will serve in an outreach and mentoring role to guide the development of these projects. Academy scientists will also coordinate a process to identify research questions that might emerge from the funded projects. For example, some research questions might compare the effectiveness of different restoration methods.
Ultimately, the Academy's scientific expertise and measurements will guide coordinated, region-wide work to address major environmental stressors in the watershed, demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions, and ensure these efforts can be replicated at other sites.
These activities will also entail active collaboration among conservation groups and scientists in the coming year. To encourage this process, the Academy will host regular monthly seminars with Drexel University faculty to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers and students to address watershed conservation.
"With the launch of new grantmaking guidelines, the Foundation is focused more than ever on supporting environmental work that is rooted in data and strong science," said Laura Sparks, Vice President for Philanthropic Programs at the William Penn Foundation. "The Academy's deep experience and national recognition for hydrological research make it an invaluable partner in water quality monitoring and analysis. Together, we will focus on impacts that are both meaningful and measurable, helping stakeholders across the Delaware River Basin to better understand, adapt, and innovate when it comes to a shared mission for watershed protection."
The Foundation selected the Academy for this key scientific role on the basis of the Academy's strong history of watershed research. The Academy's Patrick Center for Environmental Research has a history of more than 70 years of national leadership in using science to inform the protection of environmental quality in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The Academy's watershed research uses field and laboratory studies to analyze and simulate the functioning of aquatic systems, integrating mapping with hydrologic, bioenergetic, ecological and other methods of measurement and analysis at multiple spatial scales.
###
Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a world-class natural history museum dedicated to advancing to advancing research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science.
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, works to close the achievement gap for low-income children, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. With assets of nearly $2 billion, the Foundation distributes approximately $80 million in grants annually.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Academy of Natural Sciences to guide coordinated region-wide watershed protectionPublic release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Ewing raewing@drexel.edu 215-895-2614 Drexel University
PHILADELPHIA (May 20, 2013) The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University has received a major grant from the William Penn Foundation to support watershed protection and restoration in the Delaware watershed that is intended to coordinate and demonstrate a region-wide impact on improving water quality.
The Academy of Natural Sciences has been performing watershed and aquatic science research since the 1940s. For the past year, Academy scientists have provided scientific guidance to the William Penn Foundation as it began plans to focus its environmental funding on watershed protection and restoration. The new one-year grant award of $880,000 will take this advisory role to a new level.
The grant heralds an unusual degree of collaboration between the Academy and the Foundation to guide the scientific measurement and evaluation of conservation efforts across a wide region and to ensure the Foundation's other grants are coordinated with one another and with the larger context of regional watershed conservation activities. The Academy's guidance will therefore influence the activities of other organizations working across the Delaware Valley region to protect and restore water quality.
"It's exciting to have the opportunity to work with an expansive, coordinated effort like this to protect the Delaware basin with a particular focus on water quality," said George W. Gephart, Jr., president and CEO of the Academy of Natural Sciences. "The Academy has a long history in the science of protecting watersheds, rivers and streams to keep high water quality in the area."
The Academy's role in the coming year will be to take baseline measurements of environmental conditions in designated sites across the Delaware basin. As other organizations work with the William Penn Foundation to secure funding for their own conservation programs at specific sites, the Academy will serve in an outreach and mentoring role to guide the development of these projects. Academy scientists will also coordinate a process to identify research questions that might emerge from the funded projects. For example, some research questions might compare the effectiveness of different restoration methods.
Ultimately, the Academy's scientific expertise and measurements will guide coordinated, region-wide work to address major environmental stressors in the watershed, demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions, and ensure these efforts can be replicated at other sites.
These activities will also entail active collaboration among conservation groups and scientists in the coming year. To encourage this process, the Academy will host regular monthly seminars with Drexel University faculty to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers and students to address watershed conservation.
"With the launch of new grantmaking guidelines, the Foundation is focused more than ever on supporting environmental work that is rooted in data and strong science," said Laura Sparks, Vice President for Philanthropic Programs at the William Penn Foundation. "The Academy's deep experience and national recognition for hydrological research make it an invaluable partner in water quality monitoring and analysis. Together, we will focus on impacts that are both meaningful and measurable, helping stakeholders across the Delaware River Basin to better understand, adapt, and innovate when it comes to a shared mission for watershed protection."
The Foundation selected the Academy for this key scientific role on the basis of the Academy's strong history of watershed research. The Academy's Patrick Center for Environmental Research has a history of more than 70 years of national leadership in using science to inform the protection of environmental quality in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The Academy's watershed research uses field and laboratory studies to analyze and simulate the functioning of aquatic systems, integrating mapping with hydrologic, bioenergetic, ecological and other methods of measurement and analysis at multiple spatial scales.
###
Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a world-class natural history museum dedicated to advancing to advancing research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science.
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, works to close the achievement gap for low-income children, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. With assets of nearly $2 billion, the Foundation distributes approximately $80 million in grants annually.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
With the Justice Department investigating whether IRS employees criminally misused their power by targeting conservative groups, tea party leaders see the scandal as a teaching tool about what tyranny looks like.
By Patrik Jonsson,?Staff Writer / May 15, 2013
The John Weld Peck Federal Building, shown May 14 in Cincinnati, houses the main offices for the Internal Revenue Service in the city. The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was 'inappropriate' targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see whether they were violating their tax-exempt status.
Al Behrman/AP
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Americans who snickered at the tea party movement?s warnings about the slow creep of tyranny may have paused this week after the IRS apologized for inappropriately giving special scrutiny to conservative groups.
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?I told you so,? says Larry Nordvig, whose organization, the Richmond Tea Party, complained for two years about over-the-top scrutiny by the IRS. ?It?s time to put the monster back in its cage.?
Attorney General Eric Holder has begun a probe into whether IRS employees criminally misused their power by unfairly targeting so-called ?constitutional conservative? groups, and President Obama has called the practice ?inexcusable.?
At the same time, the circumstances have breathed new life into the tea party, whose national support had dropped from 41 to 21 percent since 2011. The scandal has presented the movement in a largely sympathetic light, raising serious questions about the ?tyranny? of Big Government and firing up a national debate about what The Boston Globe termed the ?core principles? of a democracy.
More broadly, the IRS backlash also presents a unique moment, tea party activists say, to revive the brand and renew their current goals of educating Americans about the Constitution while working for a conservative majority in the Senate in order to defeat Obamacare.
?This is galvanizing; we?re sharpening our spears,? says Ron Hei, a tea party activist in Alabama whose organization has not sought tax-exempt status.
Most immediately, some groups targeted by the IRS have threatened to sue, and congressional testimony starting Friday is bound to raise the personal and political stakes for those involved, as well as keep the story on the evening news.
But the broader question tea party activists are asking is why groups arguing against Big Government were then targeted by said Big Government. The question of whether the IRS?s behavior constituted political bullying or not, activists say, could form the basis for a broader revival of the tea party?s antitax ideals, especially if the scandal can be used to raise more questions about the nature of Democratic leadership in Washington.
The IRS has denied that the special scrutiny was politically motivated. The problem, according to an Inspector General report issued Tuesday, is that groups espousing progressive causes were not targeted in the same way, creating at least the appearance of political motivation or direction.
Jodi Arias appears for the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The same jury that convicted Arias of murder one week ago took about three hours Wednesday to determine that the former waitress is eligible for the death penalty in the stabbing and shooting death of her one-time lover in his bathroom five years ago. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)
Jodi Arias appears for the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The same jury that convicted Arias of murder one week ago took about three hours Wednesday to determine that the former waitress is eligible for the death penalty in the stabbing and shooting death of her one-time lover in his bathroom five years ago. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)
Tanisha Sorenso truns away as autopsy photos of her brother Travis Alexander are displayed on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)
Tanisha Sorenso closes her eyes as autopsy photos of her brother Travis Alexander are displayed on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 during the sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting to death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)
Jodi Arias looks at the family of Travis Alexander as the jury arrives on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)
Prosecutor Juan Martinez addresses the jury on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)
PHOENIX (AP) ? The jury deciding the fate of convicted murderer Jodi Arias heard dramatic and emotional testimony Thursday from the family of the man she killed as they described how their lives were ripped apart by his death.
Siblings of Travis Alexander broke down in tears as they made an impassioned plea to jurors that Arias be executed for stabbing him to death in 2008.
Steven Alexander said he suffered ulcers, went on antidepressants, was separated from his wife and cannot sleep because of the horrible dreams.
"I don't want these nightmares anymore," Steven Alexander told the jury, at times almost sneering with anger as he recalled what happened to his beloved brother. "I don't want to have to see my brother's murderer anymore."
The testimony came as the trial's penalty phase opened in a Phoenix courtroom, with attorneys giving arguments on whether Arias should get a life sentence or be executed. The same jury convicted Arias of first-degree murder last week.
The prosecutor displayed family portraits as the siblings spoke, prompting Arias to break down in tears herself.
Sister Samantha Alexander became emotional as she described how their grandmother, who raised the victim, saw her health fail after the killing and died around the time of jury selection.
"Travis was the glue in our family," Samantha Alexander said. She also recalled her brother's charisma, sense of humor, insight and "huge smile."
"I thought my brother was bulletproof," Steven Alexander said. "I thought he was stronger than anyone. He couldn't be cut down or knocked down."
Meanwhile, defense lawyer Kirk Nurmi said Arias will testify as he listed several factors that the jury can consider in deciding to grant mercy, including her age, troubled upbringing, lack of criminal history before the killing, and even her skills as a talented artist.
Prosecutor Juan Martinez went through each factor and sought to turn the attention to the gruesome killing, asking what her age, background and art skills have to do with what happened the day Travis Alexander was stabbed nearly 30 times.
Other witnesses in the penalty phase will include Arias' friends and an ex-boyfriend who lived with her for several years in California.
Arias' attorneys earlier asked to step down from the case, but a judge denied the request.
Details about the motion were sealed, but legal experts said Arias complicated efforts for her defense when she gave an interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ minutes after her conviction, saying she preferred death over life in prison.
"I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it," Arias said.
During a closed-door meeting with the judge on Tuesday, Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott sought permission to withdraw from the case, according to court minutes released Thursday.
Los Angeles-area criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos said Arias' attorneys have a conflict of interest with their efforts to keep their client off death row and Arias' assertion that she'd rather die for her crime.
"It's not highly unusual," he said. "There are cases where defendants make decisions that they're better off on death row, but that puts the lawyer in a conflicted position. You've got a duty as a lawyer to bring the conflict of interest to the courts and disclose it."
Added Phoenix criminal defense lawyer Julio Laboy: "It would be something I would do in my major felony cases if I found that a client was actually working against me and not working with her defense."
Arias cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to determine a sentence.
On Wednesday, the panel took less than three hours to determine that Arias should be eligible for death in the killing of her one-time lover after prosecutors proved the murder was especially cruel.
Arias, 32, acknowledged killing Travis Alexander at his suburban Phoenix home after a day of sex. She initially denied any involvement then later blamed the attack on masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she settled on self-defense.
The victim suffered nearly 30 knife wounds in what prosecutors described as an attack fueled by jealous rage after Alexander wanted to end his affair with Arias and prepared to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Some highlights of CBS' moves in its schedule for next season.
WHAT'S NEW: Not too much. CBS has such a successful lineup ? tops in total viewers and advertiser-favored young adults this season ? that it is bringing aboard just eight new series. But it is toying with the limited-series format that looks like broadcasting's flavor du jour next year. CBS' experiment: "Hostages" and Intelligence," which will get shorter consecutive runs in the 10 p.m. Eastern time slot on Mondays.
WHAT'S GONE: "CSI: N.Y.," ''Vegas," ''Golden Boy" and "Rules of Engagement."
BIG MOVE: Keeping sitcom "Mike & Molly" and its red-hot movie star, Melissa McCarthy ("Bridesmaids," ''Identity Thief"), off the air until midseason. Network executives said they love the show, are thrilled about McCarthy's summer flick "The Heat" with Sandra Bullock, but wanted the flexibility of having 22 episodes of fresh product available later in the season to avoid rerun fatigue for viewers.
STAR POWER: Robin Williams, who gained fame with "Mork & Mindy" in the late 1970s, will return to sitcom life in "The Crazy Ones," starring opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") as his daughter and ad-agency partner. Another big name involved: David E. Kelley, who's shifting from his brand of hour-long dramedy ("Ally McBeal," ''Boston Legal") to the half-hour format.
QUOTE: "I don't care if you bow to the gods of demographics ? that's a huge victory," CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves said of CBS' expansive lead in total viewers over competitors ABC, NBC and Fox. While CBS has long touted its focus on that number over advertiser-favored young adults, its executives acknowledged they are making a stronger play for youth next season. One example: "We Are Men," with Kal Penn and Jerry O'Connell among four newly single men sharing temporary digs.
AMAZING FACTOID: The Tuesday-night lineup of "NCIS," ''NCIS: Los Angeles" and "Person of Interest" is the first time since 1982 that a network has had TV's three top-rated dramas on a single night, said Kelly Kahl, CBS prime-time senior executive vice president. The last trio to accomplish that feat: CBS' "The Dukes of Hazzard," ''Dallas" and "Falcon Crest."
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Public release date: 20-May-2013
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