Marie Tillman, the widow of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, says that her husband's service "should never be politicized in a way that divides us." Marie Tillman released a statement to CNN (http://cnn.it/2y4M955 ) on Monday after President Donald Trump retweeted an account referencing Pat Tillman and using the hashtag #StandForOurAnthem. Trump has criticized NFL players for kneeling during "The Star-Spangled Banner" to protest police treatment of blacks and other social injustices. More than 200 NFL players knelt or sat during the anthem this weekend. Tillman walked away from the NFL to join the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. "As a football player and soldier, Pat inspired countless Americans to unify," Marie Tillman said. "It is my hope that his memory should always remind people that we must come together. Pat's service, along with that of every man and woman's service, should never be politicized in a … [Read more...]

A woman who recently moved to New York says she was attacked by a knife-wielding man for no apparent reason outside a downtown restaurant. Twenty-eight-year-old Tova Rachel Gold was slashed on her right shoulder Friday night. The Daily News reports (http://nydn.us/2xtXrz8 ) 43-year-old Mark Hunter was arrested and charged with assault a few minutes after the slashing. Hunter has no previous arrest record and made bail. His lawyer declined to comment. Gold says she had just finished her shift at the restaurant when the suspect approached her and slashed her shoulder. Gold says she was shoved to the ground by Hunter after a struggle and he walked away. Gold needed 14 stiches to close the wound, which she says is still sore as of Monday. ___ Information from: Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. … [Read more...]

It is no secret that the bulk of Ivanka Trump's merchandise comes from China. But just which Chinese companies manufacture and export her line is more secret than ever, an Associated Press investigation has found. Since Ivanka Trump became an official adviser to her father, public information about companies importing her branded goods to the U.S. has become harder to find. Information that once routinely appeared in private trade tracking data has vanished, leaving the identities of companies involved in 90 percent of shipments a mystery. Even less is known about her manufacturers. Trump's brand, which she still owns, declined to disclose the information. The deepening secrecy means it's unclear who Ivanka Trump's company is doing business with in China, even as she and her husband, Jared Kushner, have emerged as important conduits for top Chinese officials in Washington. The lack of disclosure makes it difficult to understand whether foreign governments could use business ties to try … [Read more...]

It is no secret that the bulk of Ivanka Trump's merchandise comes from China. But just which Chinese companies manufacture and export her handbags, shoes and clothes is more secret than ever, an Associated Press investigation has found. In the months since she took her White House role, public information about the companies importing Ivanka Trump goods to the U.S. has become harder to find. Information that once routinely appeared in private trade tracking data has vanished, leaving the identities of companies involved in 90 percent of shipments unknown. Even less is known about her manufacturers. Trump's brand, which is still owned by the first daughter and presidential adviser, declined to disclose the information. The deepening secrecy means it's unclear who Ivanka Trump's company is doing business with in China, even as she and her husband, Jared Kushner, have emerged as important conduits for top Chinese officials in Washington. The lack of disclosure makes it difficult to … [Read more...]

New York state lawmakers are planning to hold a hearing on recent flooding along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The state Senate announced the hearing on Monday. It will be held Oct. 10 in the community of Mexico in Oswego County. The spring and summer floods damaged homes and businesses, eroded shoreline and hurt the area's tourism economy at a critical time. Many upstate officials and lakefront property owners blame the flooding on the International Joint Commission, the U.S.-Canadian panel that controls the outflow of water from Lake Ontario. The commission says heavy rain was to blame. Republican state Sen. Tom O'Mara says the hearing is intended to help residents and officials alike understand the factors that caused the flood, and ways officials can prevent future problems. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. … [Read more...]

A century before the fight to end Jim Crow segregation laws, Octavius Valentine Catto was leading a civil rights movement in Philadelphia. The 19th-century educator and activist fought for a better education for black students, led efforts to desegregate the city's street cars and pushed for equal voting rights — all before he was killed at age 32. His contributions to American democracy rival some of the country's most celebrated patriots, yet his story has remained largely unknown. "We know more about Rocky — who's not even a real person — than we know about Octavius, which says a lot," said Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney, who first learned of Catto's story as a young city councilman. "Of course, we all know about Benjamin Franklin and all the things that he did, because we're taught about him. There were scores of these people throughout history, and it's important to understand that there were people other than the Founding Fathers who contributed greatly to this … [Read more...]

When a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck central Mexico, toppling buildings and leaving hundreds of people trapped, Mexicans quickly mobilized a mammoth rescue operation involving police, firefighters, soldiers and other professionals bolstered by an army of everyday civilians. The volunteer workers have come from all walks of life, and they include large numbers of women, underlining social changes in recent years that have seen Mexican women move into roles traditionally restricted to men. Women did participate in rescue work after the devastating 1985 quake that killed thousands in Mexico City, but only in relatively small numbers. Juana Huitron, the most famous of the female "topos," as Mexican volunteer searchers were known, has said she faced machismo back then. Since then, even though women still make up a smaller percentage of the workforce than their male counterparts, they have become leaders in education, business and the arts. And since the deadly Sept. 19 quake, … [Read more...]

Asian stocks were little changed Tuesday as investors watched U.S.-North Korean tensions after a decline in tech shares dragged down Wall Street. KEEPING SCORE: Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 0.1 percent to 20,377.29 points while the Shanghai Composite Index was unchanged at 3,340.53. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained less than 0.1 percent to 27,514.44 and Seoul's Kospi was down less than 0.1 percent at 2,379.60. Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 gained less than 0.1 percent to 5,687.40. Benchmarks in Taiwan and New Zealand gained modestly while Singapore and Jakarta edged down. WALL STREET: Losses for technology stocks overshadowed gains in other areas to send broad U.S. indexes lower. Tech stocks in the Standard & Poor's index lost 1.4 percent — more than three times the loss of any of the other 10 sectors that make up the index. Facebook fell 4.5 percent, Nvidia lost 4.5 percent and video-game developer Electronic Arts lost 3.6 percent. The S&P dropped 0.2 percent to 2,496.66. The Dow … [Read more...]

Addison Russell hit a three-run double in the first inning, then made a food run for a fan in enemy territory while the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-2 Monday night to move within a victory of clinching a second straight NL Central title. Chicago can wrap up the division with a win Tuesday against the Cardinals or a loss by Milwaukee against Cincinnati. Russell helped the Cubs get to starter Luke Weaver (7-2) early, then made some friends out of rival fans. After diving into the stands down the third-base line and spilling a fan's tray of chips, Russell emerged from the dugout a few innings later with a plate of nachos and delivered it to the fan. Russell stopped to take a selfie before heading back to play shortstop. The loss eliminated St. Louis from NL Central contention and dimmed the Cardinals' wild-card hopes. Colorado entered Monday leading Milwaukee by two games and St. Louis by 2 1/2. The Brewers were idle Monday, and Miami played at Colorado. … [Read more...]

A day later, there were signs that some around the NFL already were ready to move on from their anthem-related gestures prodded by President Donald Trump 's profane broadside against such actions. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion, said Monday — after a sleepless night — that he regretted that most of his team remained in the tunnel during "The Star-Spangled Banner" instead of appearing on the sideline before a 23-17 loss at Chicago on Sunday. "Moving forward, we will be on the field," Roethlisberger said. "What we do when we're out there is yet to be determined." Other players and coaches indicated that their teams would discuss as a group how they want to proceed next weekend during the anthem. But there seemed to be a sentiment that fewer people would participate. "I would anticipate maybe this one was stronger this week than it's ever been, because (Trump's) comments affected people on such a different … [Read more...]