//

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — The former mayor of Bridgeport, who spent seven years in federal prison for public corruption, was sworn in again on Tuesday as mayor of Connecticut’s largest city.

Joe Ganim’s inaugural ceremony capped off a stunning political comeback. Just five years out of prison, he defeated incumbent Mayor Bill Finch in the Sept. 16 primary and then easily won the general election, defeating seven opponents. His campaign was fueled a wave of goodwill from voters who fondly remembered his years in office, from 1991 until 2003.

On Tuesday, Ganim told the hundreds of onlookers who gathered for the ceremony that he planned to “bring Bridgeport back together.”

Ganim promised a more approachable city hall, a diverse government and better morale at the city’s police department. Ganim said he knows how to create new jobs and take the city to new heights.

The 56-year-old father of three accepted the oath of office from his father, George Ganim. The younger Ganim acknowledged that just a year ago he wouldn’t have dreamt or conceived of being sworn in as Bridgeport’s 54th mayor. He said his life has taught him lessons “about how a person can fall and get back up,” a theme that appeared to resonate with many voters who said Ganim deserved a second chance.

Since his election night victory, Ganim has been busy meeting with state and federal officials, rebuilding relationships that may have been bruised during the campaign. Few elected officials endorsed Ganim. Also, he has made some initial appointments and created a 75-member transition task force with seven committees.

Those committees have been focusing on economic development, community neighborhood services, education and youth, government operations and financial policies, government accountability and transparency, and public safety and emergency services. They have until Feb. 1 to make a formal presentation to the new mayor.

On Monday, Ganim announced he was appointing 10 people, most of whom supported him during the campaign, to positions in the mayor’s office. He tapped former FBI agent Edward Adams to serve as his senior adviser and director of governmental accountability and integrity. Adams, who said he played a leading role in the corruption probe that sent Ganim to prison, was actively involved in the Democrat’s efforts to win back his old job.

.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1HBYa1u

//

The Cleveland police officers who sparked nationwide protest after shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice have given prosecutors their side of the story for the first time.

Investigators have been asking the officers for statements on the shooting for over six months, though the officers are under no obligation to do so.

In a signed statement released by Cuyahoga County prosecutors on Tuesday, Officer Timothy Loehmann said he and his training officer Frank Garmback were responding to a 911 call about someone waving a gun at people at a local park on November 22, 2014, and that he saw Rice reach into his waistband.

Rice was carrying an airsoft pellet gun, which Loehmann said he thought was a real gun.

“With his hands pulling the gun out and his elbow coming up, I knew it was a gun and it was coming out,” Loehmann said in his statement. “I saw the weapon in his hands coming out of his waistband and the threat to my partner and myself was real and active.”

Loehmann said that Rice “appeared to be over 18 years old and about 185 pounds.” Garmback said in his statement that he thought the suspect was “over 18 years old.”

A dispatcher failed to tell the officers that the suspect may have been a child playing.

Subodh Chandra, an attorney for the family of Tamir Rice, has blasted the officers’ statement as unfair and inconsistent.

“No ordinary citizen who is under investigation would be afforded this special treatment … Submitting self-serving, unsworn written statements—rather than appearing live before the grand jury so that the officers’ versions of events are subject to vigorous cross examination—shows that these officers know their story will not withstand real scrutiny,” Chandra said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Chandra further asserted that the officers’ account of the incident was “physically impossible.”

Surveillance video from the shooting shows Loehmann and Garmback’s police car pulled within feet of Rice and, within seconds, Loehmann got out of the squad car and fired on Rice.

The officers said in their statements that they continuously shouted for Rice to raise his hands, although Garmback said he wasn’t sure if the police car windows were up.

In the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, Rice’s death ignited another nationwide outcry of police violence against unarmed black people across the US.

A grand jury will determine if Loehmann will face criminal charges.

Here’s the full statement from Loehmann:

And Chandra’s response:

For the prosecutor to allow police officers who are supposed to be targets of a criminal investigation to submit unsworn statements in response to grand-jury subpoenas requiring live testimony is yet again a stunning irregularity that further taints these proceedings. No ordinary citizen who is under investigation would be afforded this special treatment.

The officers’ statements do not establish that their conduct in shooting Tamir Rice was reasonable. Submitting self-serving, unsworn written statements—rather than appearing live before the grand jury so that the officers’ versions of events are subject to vigorous cross examination—shows that these officers know their story will not withstand real scrutiny. The officers’ statements are inconsistent with one another and the objective video footage contradicts the officers’ claims. Loehmann, for example insists that he observed things and took action that would have been physically impossible for any human being to do in the under 2 seconds it took him to shoot a 12-year-old child. While Loehmann claims to have issued at least three commands in under two seconds, Garmback admits the windows to the police vehicle were up, demonstrating that his partner’s claims are false.

And of course, neither officer explains why they left a 12-year-old boy bleeding and dying on the ground after shooting him. The Rice family hopes that the grand jury will see through this and seek justice for Tamir with an indictment.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A former Planned Parenthood employee describes the violence she faced regularly

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1RkZ4l2

//

Google just lost another long-time manager to Uber, continuing a series of high-profile poaches from the search giant to the ride-hailing service over the last year

Manik Gupta, who announced his move on LinkedIn, worked on Google Maps for seven years, most recently as the director of product management, and joins Uber as the director of its Maps product. 

He may have been recruited by Brian McClendon, who ran Google Maps for many years before joining Uber in July. Or perhaps Tom Fallows, a former founder of Google Express and current Uber exec. Or maybe Rachel Whetstone, Google’s communications and policy SVP, who has carried the same title at Uber sin May. 

The exodus from Google to Uber has been so noticable that Fallows recently said on stage at a recent StrictlyVC event that one out of three people he works with at the $50-billion startup is a former Google colleague.

A quick LinkedIn search reveals more than 300 Xooglers now at Uber. 

Meanwhile, the two company’s are increasingly becoming rivals. Google’s venture division, Google Ventures, invested roughly $250 million in Uber in 2013, but the two companies’ expanding ambitions mean they are increasingly eyeing each other’s turf. Uber used to use Google Maps data to power its apps, but now its working on its own mapping product (hence Gupta’s role). 

Both companies are also experimenting in the speedy-delivery space and harbor ambitions for self-driving cars. 

The concept of employees from legacy tech companies jumping ship to hot startups isn’t new — as a Facebook employee recently put it, last year it was Dropbox, this year it’s Uber, next year it will probably be someone else — the number of high-profile leaks from Google to Uber is likely starting to hit some nerves. 

SEE ALSO: Google is ramping up hiring for its ambitious plan to make ‘energy kites’

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How To Leave Work On Time If You Want To Have A Life Outside The Office

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1NpjHeg

//

WASHINGTON (AP) — Black Friday set a record for the number of firearms background check requests received by the FBI.

The FBI says it processed 185,345 gun background checks last Friday, more than two a second.

FBI background checks are required for gun purchases from federally licensed gun dealers and for permits to carry guns. But a background check does not mean that a gun was purchased.

The FBI started processing background checks for potential gun owners in 1998.

The record volume of background checks came the same day that three people were killed and nine others wounded in shooting at a Planned Parenthood office in Colorado.

President Barack Obama renewed calls for changes to gun laws to limit access to weapons in the wake of the shootings.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1jxC3gT

//

Oklahoma is No. 3 in the College Football Playoff selection committee rankings, putting the Sooners safely in position to be in the final four with their season completed.

The Sooners locked up the Big 12 championship with a blowout victory at Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Clemson is still No. 1 and Alabama remained No. 2. Both the Tigers (12-0) and Crimson Tide (11-1) head into their conference championship games Saturday needing just a victory to lock up a playoff spot.

“The committee debated long and hard about the No. 1 and No. 2 teams,” committee chairman Jeff Long said.

The top seed gets to play closest to home, so for Clemson a semifinal game at the Orange Bowl in Miami is also on the line against North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. The Tar Heels (11-1) are No. 10.

Iowa is No. 4 (12-0) and Michigan State (11-1) is No. 5, setting up a playoff play-in game in Saturday’s Big Ten title game.

Hoping for an upset by the Tar Heels against Clemson or Florida against Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game is No. 6 Ohio State (11-1) and No. 7 Stanford (10-2).

The Buckeyes’ season is over. The Cardinal can win the Pac-12 championship Saturday by beating Southern California for the second time this year.

___

WHAT HAPPENS IF …

— Clemson loses to North Carolina and Stanford wins?

The most intriguing possible debate for the selection committee. It would put Ohio State back in play and the committee would have to slice and dice the resumes of the Tar Heels, trying to make a huge jump after winning a title, the Cardinal, a two-loss conference champion with a top-10 win against Notre Dame, and the defending national champion Buckeyes.

— Alabama loses to Florida?

The SEC is out. The Gators dropped to No. 18 after losing 27-2 and an upset will almost certainly reflect poorly on the Crimson Tide, even though it nearly moved into the top spot this week.

__

GROUP OF FIVE

The American Athletic Conference championship game between Houston and Temple should also send the winner to a New Year’s Six bowl game, probably the Peach Bowl.

The Cougars (11-1) will host the AAC title game and are No. 19 in the new rankings. The Owls (10-2) are No. 22.

The only other team from the Group of Five conferences — Mountain West, Sun Belt, Mid-American and Conference USA — is Navy at No. 23, which is also from the American.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1jxC58I

//

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Police in Alaska’s capital city have tentatively ruled out gunshots, drugs or suicide in the death of the newly elected mayor but have not determined whether he died from a natural event or foul play.

The adult son of Stephen “Greg” Fisk, 70, found the mayor’s body Monday afternoon and alerted police.

Fisk was found with injuries that police did not describe. Police are awaiting autopsy results to announce a possible cause of death.

“It’s not clear what the cause of those injuries are,” said police spokeswoman Erann Kalwara.

Fisk lived alone. There was no sign of forced entry into Fisk’s home above Juneau’s downtown. Police are hoping the state medical examiner in Anchorage will complete the autopsy in a couple of days, she said.

Fisk had scheduled appointments Monday and when he missed them, his adult son, Ian, went to his father’s home and spotted the body.

In their official statement, police acknowledged rumors of an assault but said those rumors were “speculation.”

An attack was “one of the possibilities out there, but there’s others that could have happened,” Police Chief Bryce Johnson told the Juneau Empire newspaper. “There could’ve been a fall. There’s lots of things that would cause it.”

The department has fielded media inquiries from around the country, Kalwara said. Sometimes, it’s obvious at the scene that a person died of natural causes.

“In this case, we just can’t confirm that yet or rule anything out,” she said Tuesday afternoon.

Citing Johnson, however, Kalwara said there was no apparent gunshot wound and “nothing at the scene to indicate there were drugs involved.”

Likewise, “There’s nothing on scene to indicate it was a suicide,” she said.

Fisk’s son, Ian, in an email statement said his family is grieving privately.

“We sincerely appreciate the support of the community and we recognize that, as would be the case with any public figure, his death brings a lot of attention,” Fisk said. “At this time we have no reason to speculate as to the cause of his death and are awaiting the results of his autopsy. Meanwhile I will not be responding to any further media requests of any kind, and ask for your understanding.”

Greg Fisk, a fisheries consultant, handily defeated incumbent Merrill Sanford in the Oct. 6 election to become mayor.

Bob King, a veteran of Alaska politics who worked as press secretary to former Gov. Tony Knowles and as a fisheries aide to former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, was Fisk’s next-door neighbor, friend and campaign manager.

“He wanted to focus on strengthening Juneau’s role as Alaska’s capital city,” King told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Fisk wanted to encourage development of Juneau’s waterfront and pledged to push the federal government to restore jobs that had been moved to Seattle from Juneau, King said.

Fisk also intended to work for more affordable housing in the city whose downtown is bounded on one side by the ocean and on the other by mountainsides.

“He had a lot of different thoughts and he really jumped into it,” King said.

Fisk had served on boards and commissions but had never run for office. When he asked King to be his campaign chairman, King didn’t give Fisk much of a chance but helped out in minor ways, he said. Fisk ran an active campaign, going door-to-door to speak to voters and hear their concerns. Fisk ended up taking nearly two-thirds of the vote.

“He earned every one of those votes that he got,” King said.

Fisk was sworn in Oct. 20, said city clerk Laurie Sica. Deputy Mayor Mary Becker was named acting mayor.

“I think this was a terrible day for all of Juneau,” Downtown Business Association president Jill Ramiel told the Juneau Empire. “He was never afraid to say what he thought.”

A small crowd Monday night placed candles in the center of a public sculpture near Fisk’s home, the newspaper reported.

“That makes me feel better,” D.J. Thomson said after lighting the candles in Fisk’s memory.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1NonmsO

//

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic brought several guns, ammunition and propane tanks that officials say he assembled around a car.

For hours, he holed up inside the clinic, unleashing a fusillade that wounded nine others and sent shoppers scattering inside surrounding buildings during a standoff with police.

To some in the community, the attack resembled an act of domestic terrorism, sparking a debate over what to call Robert Lewis Dear’s rampage even before he was taken into custody.

But the legal system may not resolve that question.

Dear faces state charges of first-degree murder, and the federal criminal code has no specific, catchall charge for acts of domestic terrorism. That means federal prosecutors pursuing charges for ideologically motivated violence often turn to other statutes — such as those for firearms, explosives, hate crimes or murder — to cover offenses that could arguably be labeled as terror. The punishment may be the same, but generally without the branding more often associated with international terrorism.

“There has long been some interest in defining acts of domestic terrorism as terrorism. It’s become quite a partisan issue,” said William Yeomans, a former high-ranking official in the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

But given the number of laws already available to federal prosecutors, he added, “Whether it’s domestic terrorism or not, it doesn’t really matter.”

Police have not yet detailed a motive in the Friday killings of one police officer and two civilians at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, though a law enforcement official said Dear said “no more baby parts” during rambling comments after his arrest.

Dear used a rifle in the shooting and also brought other firearms and ammunition, according to an official familiar with the case who was not authorized to talk publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has called the killings a “form of terrorism,” and Planned Parenthood has said witnesses believe the gunman was motivated by opposition to abortion. But Dear also has been described by acquaintances as a loner who once gave neighbors anti-Obama literature but never any indication he would target a clinic.

A coalition of advocacy groups is calling on the Justice Department, which is reviewing the case, to investigate violence against abortion clinics as domestic terrorism. Federal authorities have the option of filing their own charges but haven’t yet said whether they will do so. Among the federal government’s potential avenues is a 1994 law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a crime to injure or intimidate abortion clinic patients and employees.

Federal law defines domestic terrorism as dangerous acts that take place inside the U.S. that are intended to intimidate the public or coerce government policy or conduct — a description meant to encompass, among others, anti-government anarchists, white supremacists and animal-rights activists.

But without one all-encompassing statute, the actual charges can vary.

In the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, for instance, Timothy McVeigh faced charges including conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction, malicious destruction of federal property and the murders of law enforcement officials. A Florida man in 2012 was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of arson and damaging a reproductive health facility after firebombing an abortion clinic.

While the Justice Department consistently charges individuals who look to join organizations like the Islamic State with providing material support for a foreign terror organization, there’s no comparable statute for prosecuting domestic crimes motivated by extremist ideologies and no catchall “domestic terrorism” charge or offense in the federal criminal code.

That lack of clarity can make it hard to count the number of domestic terror prosecutions, or differentiate that crime from other illegal activity, according to a 2013 Congressional Research Service report.

“Individuals considered to be domestic terrorists by federal law enforcement may be charged under nonterrorism statutes, making it difficult to grasp from the public record exactly how extensive this threat is,” the report said.

The issue arose in July when the Justice Department brought federal hate crime charges against Dylann Roof in the massacre a month earlier at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Asked at a news conference about the absence of domestic terrorism charges, Attorney General Loretta Lynch replied, “Well, as you know, there is no specific domestic terrorism statute.” But she did describe hate crimes as “the original domestic terrorism.”

The Justice Department in the last year has paid added public attention to the domestic terrorism threat. Last year, it revived a domestic terrorism executive committee that had fallen into disuse after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as the government shifted focus to international terrorism. More recently, officials appointed a domestic terrorism counsel to coordinate the flow of information.

Heidi Beirich, director of the intelligence project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said Dear “should be charged with crimes that take him away forever” and that the federal government has many tools to do just that.

But, she added, “I think it’s very important for the government to call a terrorist, a terrorist. I think a reluctance to do that is a terrible thing.”

____

Gurman reported from Denver.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1Tj6QdN

//

Brick-and-mortar retailers are scrambling to win back consumers who are increasingly turning to the web to make their purchases.

To catch up with changing consumer behavior, physical retailers are adopting digital technologies — from beacons to interactive fitting rooms — to keep customers engaged and coming back for more. These in-store technologies are interactive, productive tools designed to catch the attention of increasingly tech-savvy consumers.

In this new report from BI Intelligence, we explore the top-five in-store technologies that represent the future of retail. To test out some of these hi-tech upgrades ourselves, we visited several New York City-based retailers that have implemented these technologies in their stores. We take a close look at these technologies, assess their user-friendliness, and project their potential benefits.

The report also lays out some potential barriers and drawbacks for these tools as the lines between online and physical retail continue to blur.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• To keep up with online retailers, traditional brick-and-mortars are adopting digital technologies meant to enhance the in-store experience. E-commerce sales in the US were up 14% in the second quarter of this year, according to the data from the US Commerce Department, compared to growth of just 1% for total retail. Retailers are turning to better technology to draw more consumers into stores and help improve slow growth.
• Brick-and-mortars already have a distinct advantage over online retailers, but they need to start leveraging it. Physical stores offer the ability to actually get up close to a product. Sixty percent of consumers say they would rather shop in stores instead of online because it gives them the ability to touch and feel a product, according to a report from PwC.
• Many brick-and-mortar retailers have been testing out a number of new digital technologies aimed at bringing the connected experience into the store. These technologies include interactive fitting rooms, beacons, interactive storefront displays, mobile devices in store associates’ hands, and heat mapping.
• Though the brick-and-mortar retailers that have recently implemented new technologies within their stores have largely reported positive customer feedback, it’s too early to tell if these technologies will actually boost sales and be worth the tech investment. Retailers need to stay cognizant of their customer bases to make sure their technologies are actually resonating with shoppers.

In full, the report:

• Lays out some exciting new technologies that retailers are using in their physical stores in five separate case studies of their real-world applications.
• Includes what customers are currently looking for in a shopping experience and how this affects where they decide to purchase.
• Explores the key characteristics of what makes an in-store technology useful vs. gimmicky.
• Posits potential drawbacks and concerns when it comes to integrating the tools and how consumers might perceive them.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. » Purchase & Download Now
2. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you’ll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. » Learn More Now

​

PS. Did you know…

Our BI Intelligence INSIDER Newsletters are currently read by thousands of business professionals first thing every morning. Fortune 1000 companies, startups, digital agencies, investment firms, and media conglomerates rely on these newsletters to keep atop the key trends shaping their digital landscape — whether it is mobile, digital media, e-commerce, payments, or the Internet of Things.

Our subscribers consider the INSIDER Newsletters a “daily must-read industry snapshot” and “the edge needed to succeed personally and professionally” — just to pick a few highlights from our recent customer survey.

With our full money-back guarantee, we make it easy to find out for yourself how valuable the daily insights are for your business and career.  Click this link to learn all about the INSIDER Newsletters today.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1IKaZjy

//

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Comedian and Ball State University graduate David Letterman is donating memorabilia from his career in television to his alma mater.

Ball State President Paul Ferguson made the announcement Monday night before Letterman spoke to a sold-out crowd at Emens Auditorium with filmmakers Spike Jonze and Bennett Miller. Ferguson said Letterman plans to donate Emmy Awards, a talk-show set, props and other items to create “The David Letterman Experience” at the Muncie school.

“‘We are proud to call David Letterman one of our own, and even more so, David is proud to call Ball State home,” Ferguson said.

Letterman graduated from Ball State in 1969 and has since returned to the school for a lecture series with other celebrities. He shared the stage at Emens Auditorium with Oprah Winfrey in 2012, Rachel Maddow in 2011 and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone in 2010.

Onstage Monday, Letterman, who has grown a bushy beard, joked about how meaningful something called “The David Letterman Experience” might be.

“So you can sit at a desk and pretend to talk to an actor?” he said.

Letterman’s contributions to Ball State include scholarships, a lecture series and helping start a student-run radio station in 1986. The campus also has the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, which will house the new exhibit.

Letterman signed off in May as host of CBS’ “Late Show.” He hosted NBC’s “Late Night” from 1982 to 1993.

Join the conversation about this story »

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1lsf1cF

//

Yahoo’s board is considering a potential sale of its internet business, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The board, set to meet Wednesday through Friday, will reportedly decide whether to sell Yahoo’s web properties or continue with plans to spin off its stake in e-commerce company Alibaba (or potentially do both). 

The decision comes more than three years after CEO Marissa Mayer took over at Yahoo in the hopes that she could turn around the company. In spite of numerous efforts, Yahoo has struggled to create popular apps and services under her leadership.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The best way to clear out a ton of space on your iPhone superfast

from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1Nphtvl