ICE News Briefing for Wednesday, April 16, 2014

ICE NEWS BRIEFING

DATE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014 8:00 AM EDT

TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEADING THE NEWS:
+ Obama Discusses Immigration Reform With Faith Leaders.

OPERATIONAL NEWS:
+ 40 Criminal Aliens Arrested In East Texas.
+ Aggravated Felon Sentenced For Illegal Re-Entry In Illinois.
+ ICE Hopes Phone App Will Help Apprehend California Fugitive.
+ HSI Seizes Sandstone And Bronze Artifacts Stolen From Indian Temples In New York.
+ Idaho Man Sentenced For Fake IDs, Aggravated Identity Theft.
+ Leader Of Human Smuggling Ring Sentenced.
+ HSI Participates In Raid Of Texas Stash House.
+ Coverage Continues Of Canadian Police Officer’s Drug Arrest.
+ Trinidad And Tobago Man Arrested For Heroin Smuggling At JFK.
+ Coverage Continues Of Drug Trafficking Investigation In Michigan.
+ HSI Investigation Leads To 11 Arrests In California Drug Bust.
+ Human Trafficking Suspect Wanted In Louisiana.
+ Atlanta Immigration Lawyer Pleads Not Guilty.
+ New York Man Faces 20 Years In Prison For Sharing Child Pornography.
+ California CEO Faces Child Porn Charges.
+ Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charge.
+ HSI Assists In Investigation Of Alleged Ponzi Scheme.
+ HSI Agent Testifies Against Escort In Florida.

POLICY AND ISSUES NEWS:
+ ICE Grants Humanitarian Release To Jailed Breast Cancer Patient In Arizona.
+ Young Arizonan Tells Of Fight To Allow Deported Mother To Return To US.
+ Family Of Sheriff’s Deputy Linked To Panama Unit Scandal Requests Leniency.
+ Vaughan: Administration’s Deportation Policies Should Be Reversed.
+ Administration’s Deportation Numbers “Disappointing” For Immigrant Rights Groups.
+ Attorney Discusses DHS PREA Regulations’ Impact On Transgender Detainees.
+ North Carolina Sheriff Discusses Immigration Enforcement.
+ Philadelphia Mayor Expected To Sign Order Limiting Cooperation With ICE Detainers.
+ Kerwin: Obama Administration “Has Ferociously Enforced” Immigration Law.
+ ACA Said To “Shut Out” Undocumented Immigrants.
+ House Democrats Continue Push For Discharge Petition.
+ American Legion: Leave Immigration Policy Out Of NDAA.
+ Bush’s Comments Highlight GOP’s Changing Tone On Immigration.
+ Hill: GOP Has Small Window To Act On Immigration Reform.
+ Tramonte: Stop Prosecuting Illegals For Entering Country.
+ Hunger Strikers Deported.
+ Judge Rules Oregon County Violated Woman’s Rights In Holding Her For ICE.
+ Texas Sheriff’s Collaboration With ICE Discussed.

IN BRIEF:
+ CBP Seizes Heroin At Texas Border.
+ CBP Makes Meth Bust In Arizona.
+ Man Arrested In Texas For Taking Pictures In Dressing Room.
+ Man Arrested In Kentucky For Assault, Evidence Tampering.

TOP DHS NEWS:
+ Holder Asks Congress For $15 Million For “Active Shooter” Training.
+ Search For Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 Continues.
+ Haitian Migrants Taken Into Custody After Landing In Florida.
+ TSA Employees Attend Sex Trafficking Training Session In Oakland, California.
+ EU To Begin Allowing Some Liquids Onto Flights.
+ Mudslide Death Toll Rises To 37.
+ FEMA Announces Flood Insurance Premium Relief.
+ Survival Craft Provision At Issue In Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill.
+ Coast Guard Unloads Seized Cocaine In Miami Beach.
+ US And Canada Increasing Waterway Patrolling Cooperation.
+ DC Police Chief Cautions Against Rushing To Judgment After Miriam Carey Autopsy.
+ No Change In Fertilizer Safety Rules In Year After Explosion.
+ Jacksonville, Florida Challenges DHS Compliance Review Of SAFER Grant.
+ Man Arrested After Dropping Backpacks Near Boston Marathon Finish Line.
+ Judge For 9/11 Case Begins Probe Into FBI’s Involvement.
+ Dutch Girl Could Face Criminal Charges For Tweet Threatening American Airlines.
+ Judge Rules Al-Masri’s Remarks May Be Used Against Him At Terror Trial.
+ NYPD Drops Unit That Spied On Muslims.
+ Pew Report: One In Five Internet Users Reported Theft Of Personal Information.
+ Government Cybersecurity Hiring Increase A “Tall Order.”

NETWORK TV NEWS COVERAGE:
+ NBC: Boston Marathon Bombing Anniversary.
+ NBC: Boston Bombing-Suspects.
+ NBC: Kansas Shooting Suspect.
+ NBC: Ukraine-Violence.
+ NBC: Malaysian Flight Search.
+ NBC: Severe Weather.
+ NBC: Google Glass For Sale.
+ CBS: Boston Marathon Bombing Anniversary.
+ CBS: Boston Bombing Suspects.
+ CBS: Kansas Shooting Suspect.
+ CBS: Ukraine-Violence.
+ CBS: Syrian Civil War-Americans.
+ CBS: White House-Medal Of Honor Announcement.
+ CBS: Boston Bombing-Solving Case.
+ CBS: Severe Weather.
+ ABC: Boston Marathon Bombing Anniversary.
+ ABC: Boston Bombing Suspect.
+ ABC: Ukraine-Violence.
+ ABC: Kansas Shooting Suspect.
+ ABC: Severe Weather.
+ ABC: Rising Food Prices.

Leading the News:

OBAMA DISCUSSES IMMIGRATION REFORM WITH FAITH LEADERS. The AP (4/16) reports President Obama met with six religious leaders at the White House yesterday to discuss immigration reform. The President told the leaders “that he has no plans to make unilateral changes to the nation’s immigration laws while there’s still a window for Congress to pass legislation.” He emphasized to the leaders that while the White House has some power over how current immigration laws are implemented, only Congress has the power to permanently fix the dysfunctional system. After the meeting, Luis Cortes, president of the faith-based organization Esperanza, said Obama stated “he would not be doing anything to change the law as it currently exists.”

The Wall Street Journal (4/16, Favole, 5.51M) reports that the meeting occurred as the Obama Administration looks to review its policies on deporting undocumented aliens, and whether those policies can be enforced in a more humane fashion. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said President Obama did not provide details on the progress of the review, although he did emphasize that no executive action was being planned. The Journal mentions that executive action on immigration would probably increase tension with Republicans; Cooperative Baptist Fellowship executive coordinator Suzii Paynter said in an interview that she urged the president against such action for that reason.

USA Today (4/15, Jackson, 5.82M) reports the President asked for the support of the faith leaders in applying pressure on the House to pass immigration reform. A White House statement on the meeting said all parties “expressed their longstanding commitment to immigration reform as a moral imperative.”

ABC News (4/16, Marshall, 3.58M) reports that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the meeting shows “that there is a broad... coalition that that supports comprehensive immigration reform.” He added that DHS’ review “of practices and the implementation of enforcement guidelines” is ongoing.

According to the Daily Caller (4/15, Munro, 408K), the meeting “ignored the impact of additional immigrants on actual Americans, according to the religious advocates” who were in attendance. The article highlights the economic worries of millions of Americans, and says that “a majority of Americans want the inflow of immigrants and guest-workers to be reduced.”

The Hill (4/15, Sink, 237K) and the Salt Lake (UT) Tribune (4/16, Burr, 470K) report the story as well.

Activists Pressure President For Action. The AP (4/16, Werner) reports Latinos and immigration activists have turned their efforts and frustration toward the President in an effort to get him to curb deportations. Activists have “all but given up on Republicans” and see Obama as their last hope for any type of immigration reform. They believe their efforts largely resulted in the President ordering a review of the nation’s deportation policy by DHS Secretary Johnson, but remain worried that the “review will produce only small measures aimed at slowing deportations and improving procedures.” The Administration hasn’t said when the review will be released, but activists “anticipate the final steps fairly soon.” Beyond halting deportations, the groups also desire an expansion of Obama’s deferred action program for illegals.

Options For Executive Action Analyzed. CNN (4/16, Abdullah, 77.95M) reports on its website that there are a number of executive actions the President could take regarding reform, including using prosecutorial discretion on deportation cases to shift “noncriminals and minor offenders to the lowest deportation priorities,” and instructing CBP and ICE agents to refrain from racial profiling. Obama recently asked DOJ to include DHS in its broader review of racial profiling inside Federal law enforcement. However, the President faces some pitfalls in using executive authority on immigration issues, including making it more difficult to pass reform legislation in Congress and setting a precedent that could be exploited by future Republican presidents.

USA Today Argues Against Executive Action On Immigration. In an editorial, USA Today (4/16, 5.82M) discusses pressure on President Obama to reduce the number of deportations by executive action. While noting that unilateral action to reduce deportations would be a political “slam dunk” for the Administration, the editorial argues that those being deported are breaking the law, and although some should be allowed to stay, “the way to do this is by changing the law, not by ignoring it.” USA Today says that executive action would could upset a “delicate balance” in Congress on immigration policy and encourage others to immigrate illegally. The editorial concludes that President Obama “has struck a reasonably good balance” on immigration so far, but “The last thing he should do now is go soft for political reasons.”

Column Defends Obama’s Immigration Policy. Writing for USA Today (4/16, 5.82M), Alan Gomez defends President Obama’s record on deportation, arguing that the number of deportations of undocumented aliens has declined every year he has been in office. Gomez writes that the President’s reputation as “deporter in chief” has “been muddled” as a result of his emphasizing the deportation numbers “to appease Republican critics” as well as criticism from immigrant advocates calling for an end to deportations. The column also details the measures the Obama Administration has taken to reduce deportations, and notes the President’s frustration with those who criticize him rather than Republicans who have taken no action on immigration reform.

Op-Ed: President Must Act On Immigration. In an opposing view, Lorella Praeli of immigration organization United We Dream writes in USA Today (4/16, 5.82M) that “This deportation crisis is a moral failing for our nation,” which President Obama must address through executive action. Praeli discusses the impact of deportation on families and notes President Obama’s advice for immigration advocates to put pressure on House Republicans. The piece counters that as head of the United States’ immigration enforcement agencies, Obama “has the demonstrated discretion, legal authority and moral responsibility to deliver relief now.” Praeli concludes that “As long as our community continues to be terrorized by an enforcement machine created only to separate us, we can’t wait or hope for a legislative breakthrough.”

Operational News:

40 CRIMINAL ALIENS ARRESTED IN EAST TEXAS. The AP (4/15) reports that 40 undocumented immigrants were arrested in East Texas in a three-day operation. According to an ICE announcement, the 37 men and three women all have criminal records for offenses including “assault with bodily injury, driving while intoxicated, burglary and injury to a child.”

The Longview (TX) News-Journal (4/16, 69K) reports that 12 were arrested in Longview, Texas. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office and various local police departments assisted ICE ERO Fugitive Operations teams with the arrests.

The Tyler (TX) Morning Telegraph (4/15, 78K) quotes ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok as saying, “of the individuals taken into custody, all were criminal aliens whose convictions include: driving while intoxicated and felony DWI (three or more convictions), assault with bodily injury, burglary, theft, injury to a child, failure to identify, and others. The group also included four previously deported aliens. Anyone who re-enters the United States after having been deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.”

On its website, KLTV-TV Tyler, TX (4/16, 36K) quotes Thomas P. Giles, field office director for ICE ERO Dallas: “these ICE operations target criminal aliens who prey upon and threaten our local communities...Ultimately, these operations help improve public safety by removing these criminals from our streets and from our country.”

KETK-TV Tyler, TX (4/15, 2K) also reports this story.

AGGRAVATED FELON SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY IN ILLINOIS. On its website, KMOX-TV St. Louis (4/15, 15K) reports that Fausto Sotelo-Estrada, a Mexican national in Madison County, Illinois, was sentenced to three years in prison “for illegal re-entry by an aggravated felon.” Sotelo-Estrada admitted to having been previously sentenced for narcotics trafficking in Illinois in 2008; Sotelo-Estrada was deported to Mexico in 2012 after being released from state prison. ICE agents from the St. Louis field office arrested Sotelo-Estrada in Madison County.

ICE HOPES PHONE APP WILL HELP APPREHEND CALIFORNIA FUGITIVE. The Pacifica (CA) Patch (4/14, Schiavone, 832) reported that fugitive Jose Alberto Centurion-Cruz of Sunnyvale, California has been added to ICE’s Operation Predator smartphone app that seeks tips on predators at-large. Centurion-Cruz, an El Salvadoran national, was indicted by a Federal grand jury in January 2013 for possession and distribution of child pornography. The suspect was scheduled to appear in Federal court in San Jose last month but never showed up. Clark Settles, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Francisco, said that the agency hopes the addition will produce some valuable leads in the case, noting that “Social media has proven to be an invaluable asset in HSI’s efforts to identify and locate offenders in child sexual exploitation cases.”

HSI SEIZES SANDSTONE AND BRONZE ARTIFACTS STOLEN FROM INDIAN TEMPLES IN NEW YORK. WLBZ-TV Bangor, ME (4/16, Dailey, 2K) reports on its website that Homeland Security Investigations agents searched storage units in Manhattan on Thursday and found $20 million worth of sandstone and bronze statues that had been stolen from temples in India. An arrest warrant was issued for the owner of the storage units, Subhash Kapoor, for possessing the items. James T. Hayes Jr., special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York said, “These seizures send a clear message to looters, smugglers and dealers to think twice before trying to profit from illicit cultural property in the United States.” Homeland Security Investigations has repatriated over 2,500 items to more than 23 countries since 2007.

IDAHO MAN SENTENCED FOR FAKE IDS, AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT. KIVI-TV Boise, ID (4/16, 861) reports on its website that Chief US District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Jordan Schoo on Tuesday to three years and three months in prison for possessing 10 false IDs and for aggravated identity theft. According to a plea agreement, “Schoo used, and intended to use, the documents to purchase goods on credit from various businesses participating in interstate commerce, such as Best Buy.” The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Grangeville Police Department.

LEADER OF HUMAN SMUGGLING RING SENTENCED. The Arizona Daily Star (4/16, McNamara, 389K) reports in its “Courthouse” blog, that US District Judge Susan R. Bolton sentenced Javier Rito-Martinez, a Mexican national, to 30 months in Federal prison after he pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens. ICE announced the sentencing of Rito-Martinez who was the leader of a Phoenix-based human smuggling ring that smuggled hundreds of people across the border using guides, drivers, and drop houses.

HSI PARTICIPATES IN RAID OF TEXAS STASH HOUSE. KRGV-TV Harlingen, TX (4/16, 11K) reports on its website that Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, and local law enforcement participated in a raid on a stash house in Hidalgo County and arrested 30 illegal immigrants and a suspected smuggler at house on Tuesday. Three guns and ammunition were also seized. KRGV-TV Harlingen, TX (4/15, 6:03 p.m. CDT, 50K) also broadcast this story.

COVERAGE CONTINUES OF CANADIAN POLICE OFFICER’S DRUG ARREST. The Detroit Free Press (4/16, Lawrence, 1.02M) continues coverage of David Bshouty’s arrest after he was found “with cocaine in his vehicle” upon attempting to cross into the US at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit. Bshouty, identified as “a five-year veteran of the Windsor Police Service” in Windsor, Canada, was arraigned “on a charge of carrying less than 25 grams of a narcotic.” Bshouty was off-duty and on his way to a “social activity” at the time of his arrest.

The AP (4/16) reports that Bshouty “was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security special agents after cocaine was found.”

The WJBK-TV Detroit (4/16, 83K) website reports that Windsor police began suspecting Bshouty of drug smuggling “after receiving an anonymous tip in February that Bshouty was smuggling drugs across the border.”

CTV News (CAN) (4/16, 74K) reports that Windsor police began an internal criminal investigation after receiving the tip; Bshouty’s arrest “brought a two-month-long investigation to a climax.” ICE spokesperson Khaalid Walls informed the publication in a statement that Bshouty “allegedly tried to smuggle three grams of cocaine into the US via the Ambassador Bridge” at the time of his arrest.

WDIV-TV Detroit (4/16, 178K) and WWJ-TV Detroit (4/15, 34K) also report this story on their websites.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO MAN ARRESTED FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING AT JFK. The New York Daily News (4/16, Marzulli, 4.36M) reports Bernard Charles, a Trinidad and Tobago citizen, was arrested April 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City after CBP officers discovered he was carrying two packages of heroin. According to HSI Agent Sean Gabay, officers initially observed Charles “walking awkwardly,” leading him to be detained for an examination that led to the discovery of the narcotics in his groin area. The heroin weighed about two pounds and was worth about $70,000. Robert Perez, CBP Field Operations Director for New York, said the seizure is “just another example of... officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of these illegal drugs.”

The New York Post (4/16, Prendergast, 2.77M) reports officers discovered a brown, paste-like substance in Charles’ underwear that was later determined to be heroin. The suspect was referred to HSI and will face narcotics smuggling charges.

WNBC-TV New York (4/15, 97K) and WCBS-TV New York (4/15, 190K) report the stories on their websites as well.

COVERAGE CONTINUES OF DRUG TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION IN MICHIGAN. The Oakland (MI) Press (4/15, Turk, 160K) continues coverage of HSI’s investigation into Oakland Furniture in Michigan, which “was found to be a front for moving nearly 3,000 pounds of marijuana from Mexico.” Jesus Hernandez, “the listed owner of the phony business,” Jorge Cruz-Diaz, and Jesus Sanchez-Ramirez have been convicted or pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in connection with the operation; two additional suspects are serving prison sentences in connection with the operation. The article recounts how CBP officers found marijuana in a delivery truck crossing the border in Laredo, Texas, with “an invoice that stated the destination of the shipment was Oakland Furniture.” Undercover HSI agents completed the delivery; the three men listed above “were arrested a few days later at the business while trying to unpack 2,796 pounds of marijuana hidden inside the furniture,” according to ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls, who said that “there’s no evidence that they every did any legitimate business out of that location.”

HSI INVESTIGATION LEADS TO 11 ARRESTS IN CALIFORNIA DRUG BUST. The Visalia (CA) Times-Delta (4/15, Woomer, 42K) reports that 11 people have been arrested since November in connection with a transnational criminal organization that was supplying methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana to the Nuestra Familia gang in California’s Central Valley. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA, and the California National Guard collaborated with local law enforcement in a six month investigation that produced the arrests and seized 56 pounds of methamphetamine, 4 kilograms of cocaine, 942 marijuana plants, a vehicle and $262,775.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING SUSPECT WANTED IN LOUISIANA. The Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser (4/15, 111K) reports that Emmanuel Bailey of Arkansas, wanted on human trafficking charges, “is believed to have been one of the suspects identified in an undercover prostitution sting” in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in March. HSI agents and those of state and local law enforcement agencies made contact with an adult female who informed them “that she was forced into prostitution under the threat to violence and harm” to her families, identifying Bailey as her pimp. Authorities have issued a warrant for Bailey’s arrest and “are asking for the public’s help in locating him.” The Bayou Buzz (LA) (4/15, 4K) and the WAFB-TV Baton Rouge, LA (4/15, 34K) and KATC-TV Lafayette, LA (4/15, 16K) websites also report this story.

ATLANTA IMMIGRATION LAWYER PLEADS NOT GUILTY. The Fulton County (GA) Daily Report (4/16, Hayes Tucker, 1K) reports that Bonnie Monique Youn, a well-known Atlanta immigration lawyer, pleaded not guilty to charges that she submitted false documentation on behalf of a client who was an alien seeking lawful permanent resident status in the US, induced her client to remain unlawfully in the US, and engaged in witness tampering. “The defendant stands accused of illegally attempting to manipulate our immigration system for her own personal gain,” HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Brock Nicholson said in the release. “Homeland Security Investigations and the partner agencies on our Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force work diligently to preserve the integrity of our immigration system by aggressively investigating these types of fraud.”

NEW YORK MAN FACES 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHARING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. The Staten Island (NY) Advance (4/16, Annese, 174K) reports that Daniel Mule of Great Kills, New York was arraigned Friday before Magistrate Judge Marilyn D. Go and faces up to 20 years in prison for keeping and sharing videos of child pornography. Mule “found himself on the radar of a Homeland Security Investigations agent who was looking for people actively sharing child pornography in New York,” according to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.

CALIFORNIA CEO FACES CHILD PORN CHARGES. The San Mateo (CA) Daily Journal (4/15, Durand, 46K) reports Gordon P. Bardet of Hillsborough, California pleaded not guilty Monday to two felony child porn charges. Bardet is the CEO of Pioneer Motor Bearing, a bearing and power transmission company whose clients include the US Navy. HSI originally began investigating Bardet after he was identified as a suspect in online postings about incest. Agents eventually searched his laptop, allegedly finding molestation images, and a search of his home yielded electronic items containing child porn. Bardet was due back in court yesterday to review his bail and set a preliminary hearing date.

TEXAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORN CHARGE. KRBC-TV Abilene, TX (4/16, 2K) reports on its website that Steven Edward Robb of Abilene, Texas pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in a Federal court yesterday. Robb faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 for the offense. Prosecutors had accused the defendant of knowingly receiving two video files depicting minor girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct back in July 2013. The case was brought by DOJ’s “Project Safe Childhood” and investigated by ICE’s HSI and the Abilene Police Department.

HSI ASSISTS IN INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED PONZI SCHEME. The MetroWest (MA) Daily News (4/15, O'Connell, 112K) reports that HSI is assisting in an investigation into TelexFREE, which Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin has accused in a complaint of being a “billion-dollar pyramid and Ponzi scheme.” Galvin indicated that the Securities and Exchange Commission and a US Attorney are also investigation the company at the Federal level. Federal agencies reportedly requested that Galvin not file his complaint “because they were worried about asset protection,” but such concerns vanished when he learned that TelexFREE had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US Bankruptcy Court of the District of Nevada. The article noted that Tuesday afternoon, HSI special agents searched TelexFREE’s offices in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and “there were no TelexFREE representatives inside.”

HSI AGENT TESTIFIES AGAINST ESCORT IN FLORIDA. The Orlando (FL) Sentinel (4/15, Pavuk, 850K) reports that Homeland Security Investigations Agent Louis Skenderis testified on Tuesday that he had listened to more than 100 phone conversations that Jennifer Helen Richmond had from jail with her former pimp Abdullah Hamid and her mother in which she discussed plans to flee to Virginia and then Jamaica. Richmond has refused to tell authorities where she has hidden $500,000 in earnings from an upscale escort service she provided in Central Florida and along the East Coast. She had asked to have her bond reduced so she could leave Orange County Jail and live with her mother.

Policy and Issues News:

ICE GRANTS HUMANITARIAN RELEASE TO JAILED BREAST CANCER PATIENT IN ARIZONA. The Huffington Post (4/16, Nevarez, 11.54M) reports that Ruth Alvarez, who is fighting stage 3 breast cancer while detained at Estrella Jail in Phoenix, has asked to be released so that she can undergo a mastectomy on April 23 with family support. Alvarez has been jailed since April for allegedly working with false documents. She was initially arrested in September 2013 for the same reason and was turned over to ICE but later released because there was insufficient evidence to establish probable cause and bring criminal charges against her.

KSAZ-TV Phoenix (4/15, 70K) reports on its website that ICE granted Alvarez a humanitarian release effective April 16. Under an agreement, Alvarez will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of criminal impersonating and will be sentenced to time served and a year of unsupervised probation.

YOUNG ARIZONAN TELLS OF FIGHT TO ALLOW DEPORTED MOTHER TO RETURN TO US. Cynthia Diaz writes in an op-ed for MSNBC (4/16, Diaz, 45.1M) about her fight to allow her mother to return to the US after she was allegedly “tricked into signing her voluntary deportation form” by ICE. Diaz traveled to Washington, DC years later and participated in a five day hunger strike in front of the White House. According to a press conference held by the DRM Action Coalition and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network on Tuesday, other people whose loved ones face deportation will now participate in this “indefinite rolling strike.”

FAMILY OF SHERIFF’S DEPUTY LINKED TO PANAMA UNIT SCANDAL REQUESTS LENIENCY. The McAllen (TX) Monitor (4/15, Hendricks, 149K) reports that friends and family of retired Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputy James Phil “J.P.” Flores, who has pleaded guilty in connection with the Panama Unit drug trafficking scheme, have written to US District Judge Randy Crane to request leniency for him. Court documents filed by HSI “linked Flores to drug trafficker Fernando Guerra Sr.,” and, working together, they “arranged fake traffic stops and took cocaine from other drug traffickers,” after which “Guerra Sr. would then redistribute the stolen drugs and split the profit with Flores and the others,” according the criminal complaint against Flores. Letters from Flores’ supporters paint a picture of him as having “anchored the family” by “providing critical care for an elderly father and disabled brother.”

VAUGHAN: ADMINISTRATION’S DEPORTATION POLICIES SHOULD BE REVERSED. Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies provides a “backgrounder” on immigration enforcement in Insider Online (4/15). Vaughan claims that under the Obama Administration’s “sweeping” prosecutorial discretion guidelines, “hundreds of thousands of deportable aliens who were identified in the interior of the country were released instead of removed.” Furthermore, Vaughan claims that in 2013, ICE agents “released 35 percent of all criminal aliens they encountered” and that these releases “typically occur without notice to local law enforcement agencies and victims.” Vaughan claims of an “urgent need to review and reverse the public safety and fiscal harm cause by the president’s policies.”

ADMINISTRATION’S DEPORTATION NUMBERS “DISAPPOINTING” FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS. KFOX-TV El Paso, TX (4/15, Veloz, 2K) reports on its website that reports of the Obama Administation having reached 2 million deportations “are disappointing especially for immigrant rights groups,” as they claim that many of those deported “are victims and not criminals of the law.” Monica Garcia, coordinator with the Border Network for Human Rights in the El Paso, Texas, area, contends that many deportees leave behind families with longstanding ties to the US, and that because of immigration enforcement, “sometimes we feel afraid to even go to the store, sometimes we feel afraid even to drop our kids to school.”

ATTORNEY DISCUSSES DHS PREA REGULATIONS’ IMPACT ON TRANSGENDER DETAINEES. Jael Humphreys, staff attorney at Lambda Legal, writes in the Windy City Times (4/16, 54K) about DHS’ new Prison Rape Elimination Act regulations. Humphreys says that the standards are “an important step forward” but “are not perfect” in that they do not “don’t prohibit retaliatory deportation of those who report abuse, and they apply to DHS contract facilities only when substantive contract modifications are negotiated,” which may mean substantially long delays. Humphreys notes that the regulations “prohibit searches for the sole purpose of determining genital characteristics” and forbid detention centers from assigning housing “based solely on identity documents or physical anatomy,” requiring them “to consider transgender detainees’ self-identification of gender and self-assessment of safety.” Humphreys concludes that “for LGBT immigrants, it is crucial that the new adopted DHS regulations be implemented fully and quickly.”

NORTH CAROLINA SHERIFF DISCUSSES IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. The Asheville (NC) Tribune (4/15, Zamplas) interviews Charlie McDonald, sheriff of Henderson County, North Carolina, about his enforcement policies in light of an upcoming election. Regarding illegal immigration, McDonald indicated that he has continued his predecessor’s “toughness on pursuing and arresting anyone for violent and drug crimes” as well as “those showing false identification.” The article says that “some see less zeal” in pursuing undocumented immigrants for “relatively minor offenses, such as driving without a license;” McDonald is quoted saying that “our agricultural business relies heavily on undocumented workers. We have them here...We (i.e. in local farming and landscaping sectors) invite them here. Yet we arrest them for driving without a license.” The article quoted McDonald saying that “immigration is the federal government’s problem. They’re passing the buck” to local law enforcement agencies.

PHILADELPHIA MAYOR EXPECTED TO SIGN ORDER LIMITING COOPERATION WITH ICE DETAINERS. The Philadelphia Daily News (4/16, Shaw, 1.64M) reports that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is expected to sign tomorrow an executive order to limit the city police’s cooperation with ICE detainer requests to “cases where a person is convicted of a first- or second-degree felony involving violence, and only when ICE secures a warrant to support the detainer.” Mark McDonald, spokesman for the mayor, would not comment on whether the order would be signed tomorrow. Nicole Kligerman, a community organizer with the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, is quoted saying that the order is a “huge step forward” for immigrant families, adding that immigrant advocates believe the order to be “one of the most progressive in the country.”

KERWIN: OBAMA ADMINISTRATION “HAS FEROCIOUSLY ENFORCED” IMMIGRATION LAW. Donald Kerwin, executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, writes in the Huffington Post (4/16, 11.54M) that the Obama Administration’s desire to balance support for immigration reform with increased enforcement is “strained, but not incoherent or without integrity.” Kerwin argues that the Administration’s approach gives it “substantial flexibility in implementing the law in ways that have defied the expectations of immigration reform proponents,” particularly in the increase in formal removals and a decrease in voluntary returns. According to Kerwin, “pro-enforcement activists treat the decrease in voluntary returns as evidence of a bad-faith, scofflaw administration,” but this shift has led to “more criminal prosecutions for offenses previously treated as civil violations” and higher rates of “criminal” removals. Kerwin concludes that the Administration “has ferociously enforced the law.”

ACA SAID TO “SHUT OUT” UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. USA Today (4/16, 5.82M) reprints a piece written for Zocalo Public Square by Miguel Molina, who attends East Los Angeles College and is a representative in the California Dream Network. In the piece, Molina argues that while the Affordable Care Act “is supposed to make sure everyone has health insurance,” it does not help his family. He notes that while the law helps his brothers who were born in the US, his parents “are completely shut out because of their legal status; Obamacare’s benefits do not extend to the undocumented community.” The ACA, Molina writes, “has left a hole in the health care system that’s big enough to swallow my parents,” who will “have to continue to work and pay out of pocket to visit a doctor for the foreseeable future.”

HOUSE DEMOCRATS CONTINUE PUSH FOR DISCHARGE PETITION. The Washington Post (4/15, Lowery, 4.22M) reports that “House Democrats are renewing their push” to get some 30 GOP members to sign a discharge petition that would force a vote on a proposed immigration reform package. Currently, the petition has 191 signatures, all Democrats, and is 27 short of the 218 needed to bring a vote. Democrats are targeting Republicans who “have said previously that they would vote for an immigration reform bill that includes a pathway to citizenship,” but many in the GOP fear taking up the issue would “doom” them in the upcoming midterm elections. The Post says that while getting enough signatures for the petition seems unlikely, Democrats feel “it is important to show they’ve exhausted all options to press for the reforms.”

Politico (4/15, Kim, 73K) reports the Democratic “pressure tactic” includes distributing a memo to the 30 or so districts of targeted members highlighting each Republican’s statements made in favor of reform. The memos also include a “district-specific economic impact of an overhaul” and are available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee said the Democrats’ strategy shows they “seem more interested in playing politics than fixing the problem in a way that will actually work.”

The Los Angeles Times (4/15, Mascaro, 3.46M) says Democrats framed the petition “as one last opportunity to engage in a legislative debate before President Obama begins taking executive actions.” The Times adds that the Administration is expected to “announce some changes in immigration law in the weeks ahead, and more if Congress fails to act this summer.”

The Hill (4/16, Lillis, 237K) reports that US Rep. Joe Garcia (D-Florida) said the effort is Democrats’ “last effort [this year] to do this as a legislative fix” before the President will be forced to act and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) called on targeted Republicans to “put their pen where their mouth is.”

Roll Call (4/15, Fuller, 76K) reports the story as well.

AMERICAN LEGION: LEAVE IMMIGRATION POLICY OUT OF NDAA. The Washington Times (4/16, Klimas, Dinan, 455K) reports the American Legion has stated it is against adding immigration legislation as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, suggesting the proposals amount to unacceptable “amnesty” and would only act to stall the entire defense measure. The Legion said immigration should be debated on its own and the Times says the organization’s opposition to an immigration amendment has dealt “a serious blow” to the Republicans who are pushing the move. Both US Reps. Mike Coffman’s (R-Colorado) and Jeff Denham’s (R-California) proposals would create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who serve in the US military.

BUSH’S COMMENTS HIGHLIGHT GOP’S CHANGING TONE ON IMMIGRATION. US News & World Report (4/15, Fox, 645K) reports Jeb Bush’s comments about some illegal immigration being “an act of love” are part of his “assumption that the Republican primary of 2016 is not going to look like 2012.” Despite a small group of conservatives who have been “going nuts” over Bush’s statements, the majority of the party has abandoned it’s hard-lined, “self deportation” type rhetoric regarding immigration. Recognizing the need for a greater appeal to Latinos, many GOP leaders have been advocating for at least some type of pathway to legal status for illegals. The piece says that if the GOP wants to fare better with Hispanics in 2016, “it will need to take seriously the words of a candidate who won 56 percent of the Hispanic vote in his 2002 re-election bid to be the governor of Florida.”

HILL: GOP HAS SMALL WINDOW TO ACT ON IMMIGRATION REFORM. In a piece for The Hill (4/16, 237K), David Hill, a longtime Republican pollster, writes that the GOP needs to move quickly after their primaries to pass, or at least lay “the groundwork for the legislative debate” on, immigration reform. Hill says if the deed is not done before Labor Day, November elections followed by Presidential primary concerns will “stymie action.” In order to reach a compromise with Democrats and still save face with their voters, he argues Republicans must avoid measures that could be called “amnesty” and suggests they “simply exchange border control for normalization of the status of those working here without proper documentation,” without any promise of citizenship.

TRAMONTE: STOP PROSECUTING ILLEGALS FOR ENTERING COUNTRY. In a piece for The Hill’s (4/16, 237K) “Congress Blog,” Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America’s Voice, calls on the DOJ to “using its discretion to criminalize and prosecute ordinary immigrants” and asserts that the department has “flown under the radar” for years while DHS has received an immense amount of criticism for its deportation practices. Tramonte says DOJ’s prosecution of immigrants who have re-entered the US after being deported, often to reunite with families, has tripled under Attorney General Holder and suggests the department instead “focus on drug dealers, human traffickers, and others who enter the US to commit crimes.”

HUNGER STRIKERS DEPORTED. In These Times (4/15, Lavender, 35K) reports that five Northwest Detention Center detainees who participated in a hunger strike were deported, according to supporters. Advocates for the detainees claim that the deportations were “further retaliation for the protest.” According to an FSRN report included on the website, the two main organizers of the hunger strike remain in medical isolation in the facility.

JUDGE RULES OREGON COUNTY VIOLATED WOMAN’S RIGHTS IN HOLDING HER FOR ICE. The Portland (OR) Mercury (4/15, 22K) reports that a Federal judge in Portland, Oregon has ruled that Clackamas County, Oregon, “violated a woman’s constitutional rights by agreeing to hold her for federal immigration authorities without probable cause.” The article speculates that the decision “might have far-reaching implications for suspected undocumented immigrants in Oregon and beyond;” Corinna Spencer-Sheurich, an attorney with the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, is quoted saying, “I think we should see the tide shift...Hopefully counties will stop honoring ICE holds.”

TEXAS SHERIFF’S COLLABORATION WITH ICE DISCUSSED. KRGV-TV Harlingen, TX (4/15, 11K) reports on its website that Travis County (Texas) Sheriff Greg Hamilton describes his collaboration with ICE as “simply following the law,” whereas critics “say he is looking for ways to track illegal immigrants and get them deported.” Hamilton is quoted as saying, “the issue now is immigration...I’m a true believer that there needs to be immigration reform, but I don’t have any control over that.” Hamilton refuses to release undocumented immigrants in the county jail, saying, “(If I) let those individuals out, and they go out and commit a more serious crime or kill someone, then that blood is on my hands.” KRGV-TV Harlingen, TX (4/15, 10:06 p.m. CDT, 72K) also broadcast this story.

In Brief:

CBP SEIZES HEROIN AT TEXAS BORDER. The El Paso (TX) Times (4/15, Martinez, 251K) reports that CBP arrested Herbert Garza of El Paso, Texas Monday at the Paso Del Norte Internation Bridge for trying to smuggle heroin into the US. After a drug sniffing dog detected the presence of drugs in Garza’s vehicle, officers performed a secondary inspection of his car, discovering about 17.7 pounds of the narcotic, worth about $566,000, hidden in the front floor area. The suspect was referred to HSI for further investigation. Hector Mancha, CBP Port Director for El Paso, said that “A substantial amount of heroin did not make it to its intended destination” and “While homeland security is our primary mission, keeping dangerous drugs off the streets of our communities makes for a safer nation as well.”

KFOX-TV El Paso, TX (4/15, 2K), KTSM-TV El Paso, TX (4/15, Litton, 970), and KDBC-TV El Paso, TX (4/15, Litton, 139) also report the story on their websites, and KFOX-TV El Paso, TX (4/15, 5:35 p.m. MDT, 8K) broadcast the story as well.

CBP MAKES METH BUST IN ARIZONA. KTRE-TV Lufkin, TX (4/14, Benson, 8K) reports on its website that CBP officers seized over 22 pounds of methamphetamine, worth about $65,000, at the San Luis Port of Entry in Arizona on Saturday. After a narcotics canine detected drugs in a vehicle, officers inspected the car and found 22 packages of the drug in three of the vehicle’s doors. The driver, Felipe Camacho of Phoenix, was arrested for the failed smuggling attempt and referred to HSI for further investigation.

MAN ARRESTED IN TEXAS FOR TAKING PICTURES IN DRESSING ROOM. KETK-TV Tyler, TX (4/15, 6:57 a.m. CDT, 4K) reported that Jesus Izquierdo was arrested by police at a Lufkin, Texas department store after he allegedly took pictures of a woman and her 10 year old daughter while they were changing in a dressing room. He was been charged with improper photo or visual recording and is being held at the Angelina County Jail. ICE has placed a hold on Izquierdo as well.

MAN ARRESTED IN KENTUCKY FOR ASSAULT, EVIDENCE TAMPERING. WTVQ-TV Lexington, KY (4/15, 6:08 a.m. EDT, 975) reported that Gustavo Hernandez was arrested in Lexington, Kentucky, Sunday and charged with assault and tampering with physical evidence in connection to a shooting the day before. The suspect is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center and ICE has placed a hold on him.

Top DHS News:

HOLDER ASKS CONGRESS FOR $15 MILLION FOR “ACTIVE SHOOTER” TRAINING. The AP (4/16) reports that Attorney General Holder “is urging Congress to approve $15 million for training law enforcement officers in handling shooting rampages.” Holder’s comments in a video message posted on the Justice Department’s website on Tuesday “follow the recent shootings at a Jewish Community Center in Kansas and at Fort Hood, Texas.” Holder “says training is critical since patrol officers who arrive first on the scene are increasingly being relied on to respond directly to shooters rather than waiting for SWAT teams.”

USA Today (4/16, Johnson, 5.82M) reports that Holder says on the video message, “In the face of this urgent and growing threat – when the lives of innocent people are at stake – those who stand on the front lines need our full and unwavering support. This critical funding would help the Justice Department ensure that America’s police officers have the tools and guidance they need to effectively respond to active shooter incidents whenever and wherever they arise.”

The Washington Post (4/16, Horwitz, 4.22M) reports that Holder said “that the FBI’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Center, which supports state, local and campus safety officials, has responded to a nearly 200 percent increase in requests for assistance in the past year and has helped detect and mitigate potential active-shooter threats. ‘But we must also be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to active-shooter incidents if and when they do occur,’ Holder said. ‘And in today’s world, the first response must often be led not by SWAT teams or specialized police units but by the very first patrol officers to arrive on the scene.’”

The Hill (4/15, Goad, 237K) reported in its “Regwatch” blog that Holder said “an average rate of five active shooting situations per year in the United States between 2000 and 2008 has roughly tripled since 2009.” The toll of those shootings, Holder said, “was in evidence Sunday at the Jewish Community Center in Kansas, where a gunman killed three people, and earlier this month at Fort Hood, where a shooting left four dead. ‘As a nation, we must confront this alarming rise and all of its underlying causes – honestly, factually, and without regard for political consequence,’ Holder said. ‘We must deal with these incidents whenever they happen – but, just as importantly, we must prevent them whenever we can.’”

Holder To Speak At Memorial Service For Kansas Shooting Victims. The AP (4/16) reports that Holder will travel to Overland Park, Kansas on Thursday “to pay tribute to the victims in the shootings at Jewish community sites.”

The Hill (4/15, Trujillo, 237K) reported in its “Blog Briefing Room” blog that Holder “is slated to speak at a Thursday memorial service for the victims of Sunday’s shootings at two Kansas Jewish community centers.” Holder announced on Tuesday that “he will give remarks at an interfaith service ‘of unity and hope’ in Overland Park.”

Kansas Shooting Suspect Appears On Court. ABC World News (4/15, story 4, 2:00, Sawyer) reported that the suspect in the shootings, Frazier Glenn Cross, 73, appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. Looking “disheveled and disoriented,” Cross “had to be wheeled to his video-feed court appearance.” The judge assigned him counsel and set bond at $10 million. ABC adds that Cross, also known as Glenn Miller, is “a life-long anti-semite, a former grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan,” who in the 1980s, “led the white patriots party, 5,000 strong.” ABC (Osunsami) added that state prosecutors, “armed with the death penalty, charged him with first degree and capital murder for three shooting deaths at the Jewish community center.”

The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 3, 0:40, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that police say Cross “was targeting Jews, but the victims, it turned out, were not Jewish.” NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 3, 0:25, Williams, 7.86M) reported that Cross, “was charged with one charge of capital murder and a first degree murder charge.”

The New York Times (4/16, Yaccino, Subscription Publication, 9.65M) reports that Kansas US Attorney Barry Grissom “said that his office was pursuing federal hate crime charges and would present evidence to a grand jury soon.” The Wall Street Journal (4/16, Subscription Publication, 5.51M) reports that Grissom said it will probably be a week or more before Federal charges are brought.

The Christian Science Monitor (4/16, Guarino, 566K) reports that legal experts say the reason for that delay “is that proving hate crimes requires a careful examination of what” Cross “may have said that day, before and immediately after his arrest,” and that complicating matters “is that, despite his history of directing hate speech against Jews, the three people he killed were Christian – one a Catholic, and two others Methodist – which may help his defense in arguing he was not driven by hate.”

The Kansas City (MO) Star (4/16, Rizzo, 1.48M) reports that a Federal conviction “could carry a death penalty, depending on what charges are filed and whether the Department of Justice decides to seek the death penalty a decision that would be made in Washington, Grissom said.”

CNN (4/16, Ahmed, Fantz, Shoichet, 77.95M) reports that the capital murder count “is connected to the deaths of William Lewis Corporon and Reat Griffin Underwood, said Steve Howe, district attorney for Johnson County,” while the “premeditated murder count is linked to the death of Terri LaManno.”

The AP (4/16, Draper) reports that Howe said “specific details about actions that led to the charges against Cross are contained in an affidavit, which under Kansas law is not considered public information.” The criminal complaint released on Tuesday “describes the charges and includes a list of witnesses, but nothing else.” Cross’ state case “would have to be resolved before he could be moved to a federal trial. ‘Our system is more nimble, we can move a little bit quicker than the federal system. ... This isn’t about retribution, this is about seeking justice,’ Howe said.”

The Los Angeles Times (4/16, Hennessy-Fiske, 3.46M) reports that Howe “said he had not decided Tuesday whether to seek the death penalty, saying it was too early.” Howe “declined to comment about an FBI search of a trailer near Cross’ home in southern Missouri on Monday night,” and he “also refused to comment about how Cross, a convicted felon, obtained the shotgun police say was used in the shooting, or whether he would face charges related to possession of that gun.”

Records Suggest Suspect Had Been In Federal Witness Protection Program. The Kansas City (MO) Star (4/16, Helling, Thomas, Morris, 1.48M) reports that the Federal government “appears to have shielded” Cross “in the early 1990s as part of its witness protection program, potentially providing money for his family and causing lingering confusion over his name.” Federal authorities on Tuesday “would not confirm his participation in the program, as is their policy,” but “records strongly suggest he has spent at least some time under the government’s protective umbrella.”

More Commentary. In an op-ed for the New York Times (4/16, Subscription Publication, 9.65M) , Kathleen Belew, a postdoctoral fellow in history at Northwestern University who is working on a book on Vietnam veterans and the radical right, writes that Cross is “a soldier of the white power movement: a groundswell that united Klansmen, neo-Nazis and other fringe elements after the Vietnam War, crested with the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, and remains a diminished but potent threat today.” Belew writes that the number of Vietnam veterans in the white power movement is was small, a “tiny proportion of those who served,” but “Vietnam veterans forged the first links between Klansmen and Nazis since World War II,” and “were central in leading Klan and neo-Nazi groups past the anti-civil rights backlash of the 1960s and toward paramilitary violence.” Belew argues that the fact that Corss “was able to carry out an act of domestic terror at two locations despite his history of violent behavior should alarm anyone concerned about public safety.”

SEARCH FOR MALAYSIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 370 CONTINUES. On NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 3, 1:10, Williams, 7.86M), it was reported that “for a second day today a small robotic submarine was launched deep in the Indian ocean to search for any sign of that missing Malaysian jetliner on the sea floor off the Australian coast.”

The New York Times (4/16, Semple, Subscription Publication, 9.65M) reports that the unmanned submersible’s inaugural mission “was cut short because it reached its maximum operating depth of about 2.8 miles, triggering a safety mechanism that forced it back to the surface, the Australian agency coordinating the search said.” According to a statement from the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, data captured during the vehicle’s shortened mission on Monday “yielded ‘no objects of interest.’”

Chinese MH 370 Search Efforts Frustrate Other Countries. According to the Wall Street Journal (4/15, Areddy, Paddock, Stacey, Subscription Publication, 5.51M), China’s engagement in the MH 370 search is indicative of how it interacts with its neighboring countries in times of crisis, and also of the Chinese government’s desire to show the positive aspects of its military expansion, which has caused concern among its neighbors. An unnamed source close to the investigation in Malaysia contrasted the US’ substantive engagement with the search, including the provision of search equipment, with China’s release of mistaken information, questionable search protocols, and criticism of Malaysia; the article notes that Chinese and Malaysian officials have criticized each other for mishandling the investigation. A Western military official source said that China’s centralized command structure delayed the release of information regarding the detection of underwater pulses, possibly from the aircraft’s equipment, to the frustration of other searchers; the information was later determined to be false.

HAITIAN MIGRANTS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER LANDING IN FLORIDA. The Palm Beach (FL) Post (4/16, Isger, 535K) reports that authorities in Highland Beach, Florida have taken nine Haitians into custody and are searching for several more after they came ashore yesterday morning. Frank Miller, an Operations Officers with the US Border Patrol, stated the migrants were likely smuggled from the Bahamas. The Post says that “Several local police agencies are combing the area from Boca Raton to Delray Beach” in the search for others.

TSA EMPLOYEES ATTEND SEX TRAFFICKING TRAINING SESSION IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. The San Francisco Chronicle (4/16, Lee, 3.33M) reports that TSA agents and other Oakland International Airport employees attended a training session on recognizing potential sex trafficking victims and traffickers. Shamere McKenzie, “a former sex trafficking victim,” informed those assembled that abused children “are psychologically unable to escape their predators’ clutches” and will not “go running to the first TSA agent or officer they see at an airport.” US Rep. Jackie Speier is quoted saying, “Airports are magnets for sex trafficking...Keep your eyes open, and if you see something, say something.”

Inside Bay Area (CA) (4/16, Fraley, 20K) reports that Oakland, California “is known for having a sex trade problem” as street gangs “are increasingly using sex trafficking as a moneymaking enterprise.” Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley and the city’s police department are “aggressively” confronting the problem, with O’Malley’s sex trafficking cases “accounting for almost 50 percent of such prosecutions in the entire state” of California.

EU TO BEGIN ALLOWING SOME LIQUIDS ONTO FLIGHTS. The Los Angeles Times (4/16, Martin, 3.46M) reports that TSA officials “are looking into several technologies for liquid screening,” as the European Union will begin allowing “some liquids, aerosols and gels onto planes under a phased timetable.” However, a TSA statement advised that “liquid explosives are a serious threat, and we aren’t ready to move away from the ban on liquids.” The article discusses a new screening device developed by Ohio company Battelle to test liquids carried by passengers; Heathrow airport in London is “to use the device starting in January.”

MUDSLIDE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 37. The AP (4/16) reports the Washington mudslide death toll has risen to 37 after “one more victim was recovered” from the wreckage. According to the sheriff’s office, seven still remain on the missing list. Governor Jay Inslee “and other state officials” met at the steps of the Capitol in Olympia on Tuesday to lower the flag, with Inslee instructing that “flags at all state facilities be lowered to half-staff until the end of the day next Tuesday.” Department of Transportation officials told residents that it could take “one to three months to clear all the mud, trees and other debris.”

Reuters (4/16, Kaminsky) and The Los Angeles Times (4/16, Dave, 3.46M) also covered the story.

FEMA ANNOUNCES FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUM RELIEF. The New Orleans Times-Picayune (4/16, Alpert, 678K) reports FEMA announced yesterday that as of May 1, anyone “who purchased new homes after Biggert-Waters became law... who didn’t have insurance before that date, or whose insurance lapsed” won’t face premiums assessed on the full risk for their homes as mandated by the act. The move is the agency’s first step in implementing the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, which cancelled some of Biggert-Waters’ controversial premium hikes. FEMA’s announcement was met with praise from Louisiana lawmakers Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) and Rep. Bill Cassidy (R), who both also vowed to keep pressure on the agency to fully implement the new law quickly.

SURVIVAL CRAFT PROVISION AT ISSUE IN COAST GUARD REAUTHORIZATION BILL. USA Today (4/16, Stoller, 5.82M) reports that “marine safety experts are angry about” a provision in the Coast Guard reauthorization bill that eliminates a provision in a 2010 law requiring boats already required to carry survival craft to “be outfitted with out-of-the-water survival craft by 2015.” Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Diaz indicated that the agency declines to comment on “pending legislation.” The Passenger Vessel Association, which supports passage of the bill in the House of Representatives, said in a statement that out-of-the-water survival craft “may not be appropriate or necessary in geographic areas where vessels operate in warm water” or other areas with “readily available third-party help.”

COAST GUARD UNLOADS SEIZED COCAINE IN MIAMI BEACH. The Miami Herald (4/16, Teproff, 822K) reports that crew members of the Coast Guard cutter Legare unloaded 127 bales of cocaine, “seized in two separate cases in Southwestern Caribbean waters,” in Miami Beach, Florida. Lt. Junior Grade Meaghan Gies is quoted saying, “we can safely assume that these drugs probably would have ended up here” had they not been interdicted. Gies adds, “between the two, this is probably the biggest offload we have had in a year.” The seizures were from a fishing vessel south of Jamaica and a go-fast boat between Colombia and Honduras. The article says that the seizures were conducted as part of Operation Martillo; Coast Guard deputy public affairs officer Marilyn Fajardo says that “we hope with these drug offloads that we are sending a clear message that the Coast Guard means business...Our crews are out there every day risking their lives to protect our U.S. borders.”

The South Florida Sun Sentinel (4/15, Clary, 779K) reports that six crew members were rescued from the vessel in the first seizure, in which the bales of cocaine were found floating in the water. As it “was unclear if those drugs came from the fishing vessel,” none of the vessel’s crew were charged. Five Colombian nationals found in the go-fast boat in the second seizure “were turned over to Colombian authorities for prosecution,” according to the Coast Guard. The article notes that Operation Martillo is conducted by “the US Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and law enforcement agencies of other nations.”

AFP (4/16) quotes Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney saying that the combined amount of cocaine is “one of the largest in a long time.”

On its website, WFOR-TV Miami (4/15, 31K) quotes Gies as saying, “this is the main goal of the Coast Guard, to stop this bulk contraband, this bulk cocaine from coming in and further deteriorating the crime and the violence in South Florida.”

NBC News (4/16, 7.5M) provides a video on its website of the unloading.

US AND CANADA INCREASING WATERWAY PATROLLING COOPERATION. The AP (4/16, Smith) reports the US Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been training together since last year and are riding together when patrolling select waterways along the US-Canada border. The joint-initiative, called “Shiprider,” consists of eight-day training courses in Charleston, South Carolina and has the countries operating full-time together in two locations. Two additional full-time operations will begin next year in other locations. Coast Guard Lt. Shannon Scaff said that prior to the program, both countries might of had vessels on their respective sides of the border “mirroring each other” and Gary Doer, Canadian Ambassador to the US, said the program will increase border security while cutting costs to taxpayers.

DC POLICE CHIEF CAUTIONS AGAINST RUSHING TO JUDGMENT AFTER MIRIAM CAREY AUTOPSY. The Washington Post (4/16, Hermann, 4.22M) reports that Washington, DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier cautioned against “[rushing] to judgment” after an autopsy of Miriam Carey showed that she was shot in the back by Federal agents after leading police “on a chase to the US Capitol.” Lanier added that “the investigation is not over and is being reviewed by the US attorney’s office.” Attorney Eric Sanders, representing the Carey estate, has claimed that the autopsy “prove that the agents with the US Secret Service and the US Capitol Police fired unnecessarily, and with no pressing threat.”

NO CHANGE IN FERTILIZER SAFETY RULES IN YEAR AFTER EXPLOSION. The Wall Street Journal (4/16, Koppel, Berzon, Subscription Publication, 5.51M) reports that safety regulations for the storage of ammonium nitrate have not changed in the year following a blast at a storage facility in West, Texas. The Journal highlights the disagreement among industry groups, safety experts, and regulators over what changes should be made, even after President Obama’s order last year for Federal regulators to review guidelines for chemical safety. The article details some of the proposed rule changes as well as disagreement to those proposals.

Texas Legislator Wants Tier II Reports To Be More Useful For Fire Departments. The Dallas Morning News (4/16, Drew, 1.18M) reports on a hearing held by the Texas state House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee on the anniversary of the West Fertilizer Co. explosion. Committee chairman Joe Pickett would like to “ensure that fire departments get copies of” Tier II reports filed by hazardous chemical businesses “and are trained in how to use them in emergency preparedness.” Pickett would also like to amend the deadline for filing the reports from 90 days to “48 or 72 hours” in an ammonium nitrate safety bill to be introduced in the state House this summer.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA CHALLENGES DHS COMPLIANCE REVIEW OF SAFER GRANT. WTEV-TV Jacksonville, FL (4/16, 22K) reports on its website that the city of Jacksonville, Florida “is firing back at the Department of Homeland Security” after DHS “launched a civil rights compliance review of a SAFER grant for” the city’s fire department in the amount of $6 million. The department informed city leaders that they did not mention in their grant application that the fire department faced two lawsuits alleging “Title VII violations in JFRD’s hiring and promotion practices.” Jacksonville general counsel Cindy Laquidara responded in a letter to DHS civil rights and civil liberties officer Megan Mack that DHS “did not request any information on pending litigation,” and that even if it had done so, that information is prohibited from release by Federal law. Laquidara also accused DHS of ignoring a 1994 court finding that the fire department did not exhibit discrimination in its promotion practices, but rather focusing on a statement claiming discrimination that fell outside the grant’s three-year reporting period requirement.

WJXT-TV Jacksonville, FL (4/16, 112K) also reports this story on its website.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER DROPPING BACKPACKS NEAR BOSTON MARATHON FINISH LINE. The Boston Herald (4/16, McGovern, Moura, Dwinell, 783K) reports that “a man dressed all in black and chanting ‘Boston strong! Boston strong!’ dropped two backpacks near the marathon finish line” Tuesday evening. The suspect “was arrested at about 6:50 p.m.” The Boston Globe (4/15, Caesar, 1.62M) says police “said the backpacks were tied to a man who goes by Kayvon Edson.” The 25-year-old Boston man “was taken into custody and will be charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and possession of a hoax device.”

Biden: “We Own The Finish Line.” All three broadcast networks opened their Tuesday evening newscasts with the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. ABC World News (4/15, lead story, 3:40, Sawyer) reported that “heroes and survivors gathered at the finish line bringing their surprising stories of what has happened in this comeback year.” The CBS Evening News (4/15, lead story, 3:00, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “One year ago today, terrorists tried to strike fear into the hearts of the people of this city, but those hearts were filled with courage and determination and compassion.” NBC Nightly News (4/15, lead story, 3:30, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “In Boston they observed a moment of silence at 2:49 p.m. At the same moment the President bowed his head in the Oval Office.”

The Boston Herald (4/16, McCluskey, 783K) reports Vice President Biden “capped an afternoon of tributes and prayers for Boston Marathon victims telling terrorists – ‘We own the finish line.’” The Boston Globe (4/16, Ellement, Finucane, 1.62M) reports Biden “said that when the Marathon is run again next Monday, ‘You will send a resounding message around the world...that we will never yield, we will never cower. America will never, ever, ever stand down.’”

The New York Times (4/16, Seelye, Subscription Publication, 9.65M) reports that “as speaker after speaker rose to the podium...each offered testimony to the power of a city working together, and of neighbors and strangers rushing to help those who were injured.” Thomas Menino, who was mayor at the time of the attack, said, “We long to be anywhere but here, 365 days after hate and violence interrupted a beautiful day.”

The Washington Post (4/16, Bernstein, Berman, 4.22M) says “among the crowd were survivors of the blasts and family members. ... Police and firefighters lined the street, where wreaths stood in front of Marathon Sports, where the first of two homemade pressure cooker bombs exploded, and Forum, a restaurant where the second device went off 12 seconds later.”

The AP (4/16), Bloomberg News (4/16, Fairweather, Moroney, 2.76M), Wall Street Journal (4/16, Levitz, Subscription Publication, 5.51M), Los Angeles Times (4/16, Semuels, 3.46M), Chicago Tribune (4/16, Clair, 2.3M), Christian Science Monitor (4/16, Swan, 566K), and the CNN (4/15, Liptak, 77.95M) website also have reports.

Sinema To Run In Marathon To Honor Young Victim. USA Today (4/16, Camia, 5.82M) reports that Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) will be running in Monday’s marathon on a team “that honors 8-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest victim of the bombings. Sinema and Courtney La Vinus, also of Phoenix, are the only Arizonans on the team, which has already raised $20,000 for the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation.”

Dzhokar Tsarnaev Remains In Isolation In Prison. ABC World News (4/15, story 2, 1:10, Sawyer) reported that “as the city of Boston stands in strength tonight, the accused Boston bomber, the younger brother, is in a prison cell.” ABC (Ross) added that Dzhokar Tsarnaev is “in isolation in a small cell in a prison hospital outside of Boston. He’s 20 years old now. His visitors have included lawyers and his sisters. No radio and TV. We haven’t heard anything publicly, and no apology.” On NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 2, 2:25, Williams, 7.86M), Pete Williams said that “in recent court filings, his lawyers have signaled they will make his age an issue.”

Tsarnaev’s Legal Defense Tactics Examined. NBC News (4/16, Williams, 7.5M) reports that two “big decisions await the lawyers for suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev before his November trial — whether to seek a change of venue and whether to have the defendant change his plea to guilty.” NBC notes moving the trial out of the Boston Federal courthouse, “less than two miles from the marathon’s finish line, would get away from a city still traumatized by the attack, but one poll showed a majority of Boston residents oppose the death penalty for Tsarnaev,” and Massachusetts “is one of 18 states that have abolished capital punishment,” so “a change of venue might not be to his advantage.” NBC adds Tsarnaev’s attorneys “must also decide whether to urge him to plead guilty, if the government would agree to not seek the death penalty,” and notes many “high-profile terror defendants end up pleading guilty, including would-be underwear bomber Umar Abdulmutallab and Faisal Shazad, who attempted to set off a car bomb in New York’s Times Square in 2010.”

JUDGE FOR 9/11 CASE BEGINS PROBE INTO FBI’S INVOLVEMENT. In continuing coverage, the Miami Herald (4/16, Rosenberg, 822K) reports that the 9/11 judge, Army Col. James L. Pohl, must now determine whether defense lawyers’ claims that FBI agents sought to use a member of the defense team as an informant “could compromise the integrity of the [defense] lawyers.” Pohl asked the defense team to put together a proposal of what evidence they think that he should gather and who he should question. The Herald notes that it is “unclear...whether the FBI would cooperate.” The Herald also notes that a lead case prosecutor, Ed Ryan of the Justice Department, warned Pohl that “The commission would be greatly mistaken to go down a road of trying to look inside an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation if, in fact, one exists.”

The Los Angeles Times (4/16, Serrano, 3.46M) writes that the 9/11 judge “may order FBI agents to describe their secret investigation.” Defense lawyers reportedly have until 5 p.m. today to inform Pohl “which FBI agents and other government officials they want him to question as part of the probe.”

The AP (4/16) notes that Pohl plans to reconvene the court on Thursday to consider the next step in the investigation. The AP also notes, though, that the FBI agents questioned the security officer specifically regarding the release of an essay by the lead defendant in the case, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to several media outlets.

Reuters (4/16, Johnson) also reports on Tuesday’s proceedings.

DUTCH GIRL COULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR TWEET THREATENING AMERICAN AIRLINES. The New York Times (4/16, Bilefsky, Subscription Publication, 9.65M) provides continuing coverage of the arrest of a 14-year-old Dutch girl after she sent a tweet to American Airlines impersonating a terrorist and threatening to do “something big” on June 1. The airline quickly replied that it had forwarded her information to the FBI and that it “takes these threats very seriously.” The girl replied with “frantic” apologies and later turned herself in to the Rotterdam Police Department. She could face criminal charges for posting “a false or alarming statement.” Matt Miller, a spokesman for American Airlines, declined to discuss whether the airline will pursue those charges, however.

JUDGE RULES AL-MASRI’S REMARKS MAY BE USED AGAINST HIM AT TERROR TRIAL. Reuters (4/16, Ax) reports that US District Judge Katherine Forrest ruled Tuesday in New York that Federal prosecutors may use Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri’s inflammatory remarks against him during his terror trial. Judge Forrest made her ruling two days before opening statements are scheduled to begin in Manhattan Federal court. Attorney for Abu Hamza had argued that recordings of the defendant’s remarks would unfairly affect jurors’ emotions, but Judge Forrest said the tapes can be played to show the defendant’s state of mind.

Bloomberg News (4/16, Hurtado, 2.76M) reports that Judge Forrest ruled that Federal prosecutors “can play at least 18 recorded audio and video statements made by” al-Masri. Defense attorneys had argued that his statements, “made following the 2001 terrorist attacks, in which he said Osama bin Laden was a ‘reformer,’ and ‘terrorism is a tool,’ were unduly prejudicial and irrelevant.” Judge Forrest “reviewed each statement for its admissibility, concluding the majority were relevant.”

The AP (4/16, Neumeister) reports that Judge Forrest “rejected the introduction of several statements that she found cumulative or insufficiently relevant to the charges,” but “allowed the majority of the government’s proposed videos, audios and written statements.”

The New York Post (4/16, 2.77M) reports that Judge Forrest “in a 47-page opinion said she found most of the government’s evidence admissible – including a series of video and audio tapes in which al-Masri spews hateful comments against the West and openly supports the World Trade Center attacks.” Her ruling “significantly helps the feds make their case that the one-eyed hook-handed terror suspect was very willing to support al Qaeda.”

NYPD DROPS UNIT THAT SPIED ON MUSLIMS. The New York Times (4/16, Apuzzo, Goldstein, Subscription Publication, 9.65M) reports that the New York Police Department said on Tuesday that it “has abandoned a secretive program that dispatched plainclothes detectives into Muslim neighborhoods to eavesdrop on conversations and built detailed files on where people ate, prayed and shopped.” The decision “to shutter the controversial surveillance program represents the first sign that William J. Bratton, the department’s new commissioner, is backing away from some of the post-9/11 intelligence-gathering practices of his predecessor,” according to the Times. The Police Department’s tactics, “which are the subject of two federal lawsuits, drew criticism from civil rights groups and a senior official with the Federal Bureau of Investigation who said they harmed national security by sowing mistrust for law enforcement in Muslim communities.”

The AP (4/16) reports that the “surveillance program by the NYPD Intelligence Division had come under fire by community activists who accused the department of abusing civil rights.” The program “relied on plainclothes officers to eavesdrop on people in bookstores, restaurants and mosques.” The program “was detailed in a series of stories by The Associated Press and became the subject of two federal lawsuits.”

PEW REPORT: ONE IN FIVE INTERNET USERS REPORTED THEFT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION. USA Today (4/16, Santana, 5.82M) reports that, according to the Pew Research Center, 18 percent of Internet users reported that “they’ve had their personal information stolen as a result of online activities.” The article says that this percentage is “a jump of 7 percentage points within just six months.” Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, is quoted saying, “unfortunately, for Americans, the loss of data is becoming a much more common event...But the good news is we are starting to see a lot of consumers doing some of the basic stuff” to protect their information. Pew researchers originally scheduled the release of their results “as part of a larger study” but, according to researcher Mary Madden, “people are paying closer attention. At the same time, we see a bunch of reports that cyberattacks are on the rise.”

GOVERNMENT CYBERSECURITY HIRING INCREASE A “TALL ORDER.” Bloomberg BusinessWeek (4/15, Lawrence, 4.91M) reports that FBI and Defense Department plans to hire 6,000 cybersecurity personnel within the next two years is “a very tall order.” The article notes that university scholarships for cybersecurity students are restricted to US citizens, which “eliminates more than 70 percent of those receiving master’s degrees in computer engineering at U.S. schools,” according to lead CyberCorps program director Victor Piotrowski. Furthermore, starting salaries for government cybersecurity analyst positions are not competitive with private sector salaries. Government reliance on private contractors, a “mismatch between government bureaucracy and the culture of cybersecurity researchers,” and the “reputational issue” caused by Edward Snowden’s disclosures are also barriers to increasing cybersecurity talent within the government.

Network TV News Coverage:

NBC: BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING ANNIVERSARY. NBC Nightly News (4/15, lead story, 3:30, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “Good evening. On this night exactly one year ago there were only theories along with the crushing news of the staggering number of wounded and dead after an American institution had been attacked that day. Today in Boston they observed a moment of silence at 2:49 P.M. At the same moment the President bowed his head in the Oval Office. The numbers are still staggering a year later. Three dead. Two hundred sixty wounded. Sixteen people lost limbs. It led to the eventual shutdown of Boston for a time, the death of one suspect, the capture of another. Today there was time to look back. Tonight, however, Boston looking forward to patriot’s day on Monday, the marathon and a proper finish to what was started last year. We begin here tonight with NBC’s Ann Thompson in Boston. Good evening.” NBC (Thompson) added, “Good evening, Brian. This was a day for gratitude. For giving thanks. For the super human efforts that saved some lives and remembering the three that were lost here. In Boston today you could not escape the rain or the sadness. But even through its tears Boston showed resilience is the best revenge. At an invitation only tribute survivors of the bombing stood to praise the city. Patrick Downs and his wife Jessica, newlyweds a year ago each lost a leg.” Patrick Downs, victim: “We chose to love, and that made all the difference.” Thompson: “Adrian Davis, a dancer, lost her foot.” Adrian Davis, victim: “No milestone is too small to celebrate, even walking into a non-handicapped bathroom stall for the first time doing a happy dance.” Thompson: “Teenager David Yepez still has hearing loss.” David Yepez, victim: “The crowd applauded the first responders, doctors and nurses and rose for the former mayor who made this promise.” Tom Menino, former Boston Mayor: “Know the support and love for you will never waiver.” Thompson: “Vice President Joe Biden brought theme to their feet again with a rallying cry.” Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States: “We’re Boston, we’re Americans, we respond, we endure, we overcome and we own the finish line.” Thompson: “The day began near that finish line where the families of those who died laid wreaths, including eight-year-old Jane Richard, walking on a new leg. Here, Crystal Campbell, Lingzi Liu and Martin Richard lost their lives. This the afternoon families came back again. Joined by thousands for a moment of silence at 2:49 when the first bomb went off. The day’s events happened under extraordinary and visible security, one of the many things that is different now. Yet the marathon endures, stepping off next Monday the final 26.2 miles in a difficult year. Now today many people tried to define what’s become the city’s motto Boston strong. Massachusetts Governor said in the end it’s a triumph of community, of people who turned to each other when they easily could have turned on each other. Brian?”

NBC: BOSTON BOMBING-SUSPECTS. NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 2, 2:25, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “As for the man accused for carrying out these attacks along with his deceased brother his lawyers and the government are preparing for his trial this fall and the prosecution indicated it will seek the death sentence if convicted. We get more tonight from our justice correspondent, Pete Williams.” NBC (Williams) added, “The lawyers brought in to defend Tsarnaev faced two big decisions. The first a change of venue in hopes of avoiding the death penalty. Moving the trial out of the Boston courthouse which is under two miles from last year’s marathon finish line would get away from city traumatized by the attack. But one poll showed a majority of residents oppose the death penalty. His lawyers must also decide whether to urge him to plead guilty if the government would agree not to seek the death penalty. He’s now 20 held without bail at a federal medical prison and in recent court filings his lawyers have signaled they will make his age an issue. At the time of the bombing they say his older brother, Tamerlan was 26 and he was 19. Tamerlan Tsarnaev had a longer and deeper engagement than his younger brother.” Pete White, former federal prosecutor: “They are trying preview some sort of a defense for him that limits his culpability for what occurred.” Williams: “That legal strategy saved Leroy Malvoy from the death penalty. He was 17 when he and another man carried out the Washington, DC sniper shootings 12 years ago. The government insists it has strong evidence in the Boston case. Photographs of the brothers carrying backpacks and video of the younger Tsarnaev appearing to set his backpack down and walk away at the spot where the second bomb went off. Retired FBI agent Richard Delauria said finding that video was the key.” Richard Delauria, former FBI agent: “I knew when they saw the video shortly after I did we knew we had the video image of one of the bombers.” Williams: “Prosecutors filed 18 separate counts for the four murders committed. Tsarnaev’s lawyer said that’s unfair duplication. They will be in court tomorrow asking the judge to throw some of those charges out.”

NBC: KANSAS SHOOTING SUSPECT. NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 3, 0:25, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “Near Kansas City, Kansas the first court appearance for the man held in the killing of three people outside of that Jewish community center and retirement home on the eve of Passover. Frazier Glenn Cross, a white supremacist who yelled ‘Heil Hitler’ was charged with one charge of capital murder and a first degree murder charge.”

NBC: UKRAINE-VIOLENCE. NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 2, 2:20, 7.86M) reported, “Over the past few weeks Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in a kind of slow motion conflict. The Russians are suspected of being behind this building by building, town by town struggle for hearts and minds and real estate of Ukrainians who live in the eastern part of the country where many speak Russian and identify themselves as Russian. Ukraine has been vowing and warning to take a stand and now they have. Jim Maceda is there for us tonight.” NBC (Maceda) added, “Today very carefully Ukraine’s military fought back. It mobilized helicopters, tanks, armored personnel carriers and Ukrainian special forces and retook a small airfield in eastern Ukraine which had been seized last week by pro Russian militants. It was a risk, Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned Ukraine’s new government not to use force against the protesters. Raising fears Russia will invade if violence does break out. Protesters seizing one government building after another in as many as a dozen towns in eastern Ukraine some say with plenty of Russian help Ukraine’s acting president felt he had to act. ‘ Responsibly and cautiously,’ he said, ‘to protect citizens, stop terror and stop attempts to tear the country apart.’ Ukrainian forces have been mobilized but so far they have not retaken any of those occupied buildings. And angry protesters make it clear they aren’t leaving. The barricades grow larger, the protesters more defiant. Sergei Graveli, a teacher said he fears civil war was about to begin.” Sergei Graveli: “We do not want to die like every normal people. But what more can we do in this situation?” Maceda: “This is really where it all began about ten days ago, this building was one of the first to be occupied by pro Russian protesters. Tonight the barricades have been reinforced. People are singing songs, bracing themselves because they fear that tonight is when there could be an attack by the Ukraine police. The battle lines are drawn and this could be the calm before a very dangerous storm. Jim Maceda, NBC news.”

NBC: MALAYSIAN FLIGHT SEARCH. NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 3, 1:10, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “For a second day today a small robotic submarine was launched deep in the Indian ocean to search for any sign of that missing Malaysian jetliner on the sea floor off the Australian coast. We get the latest tonight from Katie in Perth.” NBC (Tur) added, “Not a promising start to what could be their last best effort. Bluefin-21 is back in the water today but its first mission was aborted after only six hours, six hours into what should have been a 16 hour scan as it reached a depth that was beyond its operating capabilities. Now it’s back on ocean shield. Once back on they downloaded the data and unfortunately it had not seen anything. So it is rescanning again. Fifteen square mile segments. It will continue to do that for the coming weeks. If it sees something, if it finds something and that’s a very big if they will talk about extraction efforts. It’s 2,000 miles deeper than air France was so it’s unclear what will be feasible, if anything to bring back up to the surface. Brian?”

NBC: SEVERE WEATHER. NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 6, 1:10, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “Back here in this country the weather is making news again tonight. So many people especially east of the Mississippi just planting seeds preparing for the garden to come. In come the temperatures in 20s as far south as Nashville. Three inches in Detroit enough to set a final record for this season, just three inches of snow. Let’s bring in meteorologist Janice Huff who is in the weather studio. Janice, good evening.” NBC (Huff) added, “Even in New York City there will be a bit of light snow in the next few hours. Temperatures will be dropping fast across the northeast and a lot of people already put away their winter weather gear. You have to dig it back out once again even though the snow will be light. The freeze warning stretch from New York city down to Alabama and Mississippi. Montgomery, Natchez, Jackson, your temperatures will drop to 32 or below. If you already put your plants out then you got to protect them. Thirty two degrees in Nashville by 11:00 tonight. Tomorrow morning at 6:00 A.M. In the 20s. There Louisville, Indianapolis, Washington, DC 32 degrees in New York City. Winter makes an appearance once again this spring, Brian.”

NBC: GOOGLE GLASS FOR SALE. NBC Nightly News (4/15, story 7, 2:20, Williams, 7.86M) reported, “For the first time today Google Glass – and let’s go ahead and establish some people are going to call them Google Glasses – went on sale to the general public. And while some could not wait for this day to arrive there is something about the wearable technology for the looker that makes being looked at uncomfortable. Perhaps people feel like they are being constantly goggled. The company says it’s no more distracting or invasive than a regular camera. Our report tonight from CNBC’s John Forte.” NBC (Forte) added, “It’s one of the most hyped tech products that most people couldn’t buy. A wearable computer that takes photos and video, searches the web and responds to voice commands. For one day only Google is letting anyone buy a pair for a mere 1500 dollars. First thing that Jay did this morning was place his order.” Jay Waxenburg, customer: “I’m excited to have the GPS on my eye. I’m excited to pull up the image if I can Google something.” Forte: “An estimated 10,000 people in a pilot program are already users. Some rave about the gadget. Alex says it helps her live a fuller life.” Alex Blascucks, customer: “I can’t build a camp fire but if we figure out how to do it I can certainly look it up now.” Forte: “Wearing Google Glass allows you to record every second of your life something that those around you might not appreciate. Critics worry a device worn for your own amusement might be an invasion of other people’s privacy.” Anand Giridharadas, The New York Times: “If you terrify people that anything that happens outside of their bedroom could be part of the permanent record of human history, you’re going to really change how a lot of us live.” Forte: “A San Francisco woman posted this video on YouTube claiming she was attacked at a bar for wearing it. In San Diego a woman was cited for wearing them while driving but the ticket was dismissed. And then there’s this. It’s been mocked by ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Clearly a gadget for those who have to have the coolest new tech even if it means taking some heat.”

CBS: BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING ANNIVERSARY. The CBS Evening News (4/15, lead story, 3:00, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “Good evening, from a blustery, rainy Copley square, one year ago today, terrorists tried to strike fear into the hearts of the people of this city, but those hearts were filled with courage and determination and compassion. That was the theme of this day of tributes to the victims of the Boston marathon bombings. The more than 260 who were wounded-- at least 16 lost limbs – and, of course, the three who died also police officer Shaun Collier who was shot dead in cold blood allegedly by the bombing suspects. Jeff Glor begins our coverage.” CBS (Glor) added, “The day began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the marathon’s finish line, for the families of the four who were killed. The Richard family was there with their daughter, Jane, who lost a leg that day. Later, the larger tribute at a city convention center. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.” Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts: “There are no strangers here. We are not strangers. We are all connected to each other, to events beyond our control, to a common destiny.” Glor: “First responders, families of the injured, medical staff, and survivors gathered. Patrick Downs and his wife, Jessica, both lost legs.” Patrick Downs, victim: “We’ll always remember our guardian angels. I am so proud to be a Bostonian because I’m so proud to be connected to all of you.” Glor: “There was music, even laughter. Adrianne Haslet-Davis is a dancer. She lost a foot.” Adrianne Haslet-Davis, victim: “No milestone is too small to celebrate, even walking into a non-handicapped bathroom stall for the first time doing a happy dance.” Glor: “Vice President Joe Biden delivered a rousing close.” Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States: “America will never, ever, ever, stand down. We are Boston. We are America. We respond. We endure. We overcome, and we own the finish line.” Glor: “The group took a rainy walk down Boylston Street. A moment of silence, then bells rang out, and the flag was raised at the finish line. Keep in mind, the marathon itself is six days away still, Scott, always held on the third Monday in April.” Pelley: “Well, marathon Monday they’re expecting 36,000 runners and a million spectators. What are they going to do about security?” Glor: “And keep in mind one million spectators over 26 miles. They’re telling people not to bring backpacks. If you must bring a bag, make it see-through.”

CBS: BOSTON BOMBING SUSPECTS. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 2, 2:35, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “As the bombing suspects attempted to get out of town that week, they hijacked a driver. At his request, we will refer to him only as ‘Danny.’ He told his story to Chip Reid.” CBS (Reid) added, “Three days after the bombing, Danny, a 26-year-old Chinese entrepreneur, pulled over in his new Mercedes to text a friend when a man forced his way into his car at gunpoint.” Unidentified speaker: “He asked me, ‘do you know the Boston marathon bombing?’ I said, ‘yes, I know.’ He asked then, ‘do you know who did this?’ I said no, he said, ‘I did that.’” Reid: “What was your reaction then?” Unidentified speaker: “I couldn’t believe it.” Reid: “The man was Tamarlan Tsarnaev. He and his brother, Dzhokar, took Danny on a terrifying, 90-minute ride.” Unidentified speaker: “I think about family, friends, dreams. I thought I cannot, I cannot die tonight.” Reid: “So this is the intersection right up here.” Unidentified speaker: “Yes.” Reid: “They stopped at this Shell station to fill up for what was going to be a long drive to New York to set off more bombs. Danny believes the brothers were going to kill him somewhere along the way.” Unidentified speaker: “I was asking, should I put life in the hands of the terrorist or in my own self?” Reid: “And you decided to put your life in the hands of yourself?” Unidentified speaker: “Yes.” Reid: “Tamerlan briefly tucked his gun in the pocket of his door while Dzhokar was paying for gas. Danny silently counted to four then made his move. He quickly unbuckled his seat belt and was gone in a flash. He ran to this convenience store across the street and ideal to the cashier for help.” Unidentified speaker: “I begged him to call 911, please. I think he thought I was crazy.” Reid: “Still, the attendant did call the police.” Unidentified speaker: “A carjacking at the Shell, 1001 Cambridge street. The victim fled the car.” Reid: “When the police arrived Danny said they could track the Tsarnaevs’ with the car’s technology. It was a turning point in a three-day manhunt leading to a shoot-out with police that left Tamerlan dead and Dzhokar wounded, soon to be captured.” Unidentified speaker: “Don’t feel like a hero because from my opinion, I was trying to save myself.” Reid: “But whatever motivate him, Danny’s quick thinking almost surely prevented more bloodshed and terror. Chip Reid, CBS News, Cambridge, Massachusetts.”

CBS: KANSAS SHOOTING SUSPECT. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 3, 0:40, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “Today, the white supremacist charged with murdering three people outside Kansas city was ordered held on 10 million dollar bond. The shootings occurred outside a Jewish community center and a Jewish retirement home. Seventy three-year-old Frazier Glenn Miller made a video court appearance from jail.” Dan Vokins, judge: “Do you have finance resources to hire your own attorney or are you requesting a court-appointed attorney?” Frazier Glenn Miller, suspect: “I don’t have the money.” Pelley: “The police say that Miller, a former Ku Klux Klan leader, was targeting Jews, but the victims, it turned out, were not Jewish.”

CBS: UKRAINE-VIOLENCE. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 2, 2:05, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “Today, Ukraine’s military made a move to dislodge militants who had taken over government buildings in 10 eastern cities. Ukraine and the US both blame Russia, perhaps setting the stage for an invasion as it did in Crimea. Holly Williams is in eastern Ukraine.” CBS (Williams) added, “Ukrainian troops were helicoptered in and then tried to flush out pro-Russian separatists who had taken over an airfield and other government buildings but as they forced to remove mill at that points in one city, 80 miles away, another group took over peacefully. The men now in charge told us no shots were fired. They simply walked into the mayor’s office, and took control. Ukraine’s government claims the insurgency has been instigated by Russia, but it also has popular support here in the east of the country. Many of the protesters are blue-collar workers who accuse the central government in Kiev of discriminating against Russian-speaking Ukrainians. Shakhtersk is a coal mining town that has fallen on hard times. Andre told us they had a better life when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union and they want more independence from the central government. Nikolai took us up to the roof to show us the flag they raised. The flag of the autonomous eastern Ukraine they hoped for. He said he prays Russia will help them if things turn violent here, too. The regional governor here in Donetsk told us today he fears the use of force could provoke a military intervention from Russia, just like we saw in Crimea last month. And, Scott, he believes the only solution is to negotiate with the separatists.”

CBS: SYRIAN CIVIL WAR-AMERICANS. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 3, 2:45, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “Turning to Syria’s civil war, which is now in its fourth year, tomorrow, a British university will put out the first report detailing a remarkable number of westerners who have joined the fight there, including Americans. Many of them are inspired by fiery speeches on the internet, and Clarissa Ward got a preview.” CBS (Ward) added, “He is known as Abu Dujana al Amriki, the American, and he’s one of an estimated 100 US citizens who have gone to fight in Syria’s civil war. On Twitter and Facebook, westerners now brag openly about their exploits on the battlefield and try to recruit their friends to join them. Sharaz Maher is coauthor of the groundbreaking report that looks at the fighters’ messages on social media.” Sharaz Maher, report author: “I think what surprised us is the level of openness from these guys. We see a lot of pictures, video of people fooling around, relaxing. It’s like a summer camp for Jihadists.” Ward: “But the biggest surprise for Maher and his team was the role played by this man Ahmed Musa Jabril, and online cleric from Dearborn, Michigan, a leading source of inspiration. Joseph Carter showed us the connections he found.” Joseph Carter, study member: “The large section you see here is Jabril, and those are followers from foreign fighters.” Ward: “So what is his appeal?” Maher: “He is charismatic. He is knowledgeable, and all of these things put together make him accessible to foreigners who live in the west who don’t necessarily speak Arabic, he bridges the gap.” Ward: “In his sermons, Jabril, who has been jailed in the US on fraud and weapons charges, never explicitly calls for jihad in Syria, but he doesn’t have to.” Ahmed Musa Jabril, American jihadist: “If their women, our women are, being raped and you don’t get mad, then your faith is at stake.” Ward: “His popularity is reminiscent of another American extremist cleric, al Awlaki, who inspired the Boston marathon bombers. Al Awlaki was killed by a US drone strike in Yemen. Now many fear the westerners fighting in Syria will return home with deadly new skills. We reached out repeatedly to Jabril, and event sent a member of our team to knock on his door in Michigan but received no response. And interestingly you saw in our report, his Twitter account, that has been taken down and a new one open with no content in his name.”

CBS: WHITE HOUSE-MEDAL OF HONOR ANNOUNCEMENT. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 6, 0:30, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “The White House announced today that a former army sergeant will receive the nation’s highest military award, the medal of honor. Kyle White, now 27, risked his life to rescue fellow soldiers while dodging Taliban bullets during a battle in northeast Afghanistan in 2007. White called in air support and helped treat the wounded. He’ll receive his medal at the White House next month.”

CBS: BOSTON BOMBING-SOLVING CASE. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 7, 2:55, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “It took about 100 hours for Bostons terrorism task force to crack the bombing case. It turned out that the critical evidence had been collected before the first bomb went off. In an interview for ‘60 minutes,’ we talked about that with former FBI executive assistant director Stephanie Douglas, and Rick Delaurier, who was special agent in charge of Boston. They told us about the wealth of surveillance video that paint aid picture of the crime. Was there a eureka moment in terms of the video, where at some point somebody said, ‘hey, boss, have a look at this?’” Rick Delaurier, former special agent: “Yes, there was. I believe it was Wednesday morning and we watched that video hundreds and hundreds of times.” Stephanie Douglas, former FBI Assistant Director: “You can see an individual, a tall man, wearing a white ballcap, walk into the frame. He has a backpack slung over one of his shoulders. He puts the backpack down very nonchalantly. He joins the crowd. You clearly see everybody look very, very definitely to the left, like they’ve heard something, they’ve seen something, so you know that first blast has gone off. He does not do that. He does not do what everybody else in that video does. He does not turn to his left. He instead stands there fair second or two and walks very deliberately back the same protection that he came in.” Pelley: “The eureka video hasn’t been seen by the public. It is being kept for the trial, but this still photo shows much the same view of the suspect and the people who would be torn apart by the blast. Let me ask you to describe what you see in that picture.” Delaurier: “I see the subject, the individual who has been charged in the investigation, and I see people who were grievously injured in that blast, and I see people who died in that blast.” Pelley: “The people along the fence line there, several of them, yes.” Douglas: “I believe I see his backpack on the ground, and then I see one of the people that was killed as a result of that bomb.” Pelley: “Do you know the name?” Douglas: “This is Martin Richard.” Pelley: “Martin Richard was eight years old. His seven-year-old sister, Jane, lost a leg. Their father, Bill, suffered hearing damage from the bomb in the backpack laid at their feet. Only two days had passed. Now they were looking for every image of the suspect they called ‘white hat.’ Massachusetts state police analysts found him with a man in a black hat. Which turned out to be his older brother.” Pelley: “New you have the Tsarnaev brothers?” Douglas: “Yes.” Pelley: “But they didn’t yet know their identities. Once the suspects’ pictures were released to the public, they fled. Now the surviving suspect, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, faces a federal trial and possible death penalty.”

CBS: SEVERE WEATHER. The CBS Evening News (4/15, story 8, 0:20, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, “It’s rained most all day here in Boston, and there is severe weather up and down the East Coast. That system tore through the south last night. In Mississippi, 80-mile-per-hour winds destroyed at least 17 trailers at a campground. Two people suffered minor injuries.”

ABC: BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING ANNIVERSARY. ABC World News (4/15, lead story, 3:40, Sawyer) reported, “Good evening to you and we are all Boston strong on this Tuesday night as we honor a great American city one year after a terror attack on the marathon. One year of resilience and rededication. Heroes and survivors gathered at the finish line bringing their surprising stories of what has happened in this comeback year. ABC’s Dan Harris is there for us tonight as he was one year ago. Dan.” ABC (Harris) added, “The courage and compassion we saw in response to the attacks should vastly out weigh the intentions of the attackers themselves. Even the children’s choir was an eloquent rebuttal to hatred. As was Patrick Downs. He and Jessica each lost a leg.” Patrick Downs, victim: “We would never wish any of this pain on any of you. However, we wish that all of you at some point in your lives feel as loved as we have felt over this last year.” Harris: “Adrian also lost a leg.” Adrian Davis, victim: “No milestone is too small to celebrate even walking into a non-handicapped bathroom stall for the first time doing a happy dance.” Harris: “Yes, there were laughs today as well as the crying.” Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States: “We are Boston. We are America. We respond. We endure. We overcome and we own the finish line.” Harris: “After the tribute, a moment of silence in the driving rain at the finish line of the marathon at 2:49 P.M., the exact moment those bombs wept off one year ago. The first explosion took the life of Crystal Campbell. Twelve seconds later the bomb that killed Lingzi Lu and eight-year-old Martin Richards whose family placed a wreath at the very spot today. That second blast also took the lower left leg of Heather Abbott who in the past year has learned to walk, even run again. She now has four prosthetics including a water proof one. Do you know how tough you were?” Heather Abbott, victim: “No I think if someone told me this was going to happen to me, I would have been devastated. I had no idea I had it in me.” Harris: “So much strength over the past year. Jeff rescued by a complete stranger in a cowboy hat. Now he and his fiance are expecting their first baby in July. Roseanne Stoia dating the firefighter who held her hand in the ambulance on her way to the hospital. Jarrod Clowery whose body was littered with shrapnel told me today the attack had changed his view of the world.” Jarrod Clowery, victim: “The bomb is only one split second. You know, but it’s followed by endless seconds of the best leading up to today.” Harris: “Coming up this Monday another big display of Boston strong. The 118th running of the Boston marathon. They’re expecting 9,000 more runners than last year and a crowd of spectators estimated one million. Double the average. We will run again and we will be here covering it.”

ABC: BOSTON BOMBING SUSPECT. ABC World News (4/15, story 2, 1:10, Sawyer) reported, “As the city of Boston stands in strength tonight, the accused Boston bomber, the younger brother is in a prison cell and ABC’s Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross is here with more.” ABC (Ross) added, “He is in isolation in a small cell in a prison hospital outside of Boston. He’s 20 years old now. His visitors have included lawyers and his sisters. No radio and TV. We haven’t heard anything publicly and no apology. His lawyers say his defense will be he was under the sway of his older brother.” Sawyer: “That bomb was sophisticated. Those bombs were sophisticated. Is there anything new about who helped them?” Ross: “They made three or four separate devices much more sophisticated than first thought, than what they could have found online and there is concern that they were trained or at least he was trained on his trip to Russia where he met with Chechen rebels.” Sawyer: “When is the trial?” Ross: “November third in Boston. ABC World News (4/15, story 2, 1:10, Sawyer)He faces a number of counts including some applying the death penalty.”

ABC: UKRAINE-VIOLENCE. ABC World News (4/15, story 2, 1:25, Sawyer) reported, “Next we head overseas to chaos in Ukraine. Russian president Vladimir put ton has said it’s a country on the brink of a civil war. So what happens now? ABC’s Alex Marquardt takes us to Ukraine tonight.” ABC (Marquardt) added, “Striking back. Ukraine’s military launching and offensive today to stomp out pro-Russian violence. This is Ukraine’s anti-terrorist operation in full swing, those helicopters loaded with Ukrainian special forces, we presume going to take back what has been seized by pro-Russian protestors. Their first target, an occupied airfield, quickly won back. Reports of wounded protestors raising fears in Washington that Moscow will use bloodshed as an excuse to invade, drawing America deeper into this dangerous standoff. Most here find themselves caught in the middle.” Unidentified speaker: “I don’t want troops to be here. Really, it’s really dangerous for our people.” Marquardt: “For now, life goes on. Afternoon TV today still airing steamy soap operas as the operation got underway. That May soon change. Tonight, the US is threatening more sanctions against Russia for meddling in Ukraine, seemingly a last-ditch effort to stop the March to war. Alex Marquardt, ABC News in eastern Ukraine.”

ABC: KANSAS SHOOTING SUSPECT. ABC World News (4/15, story 4, 2:00, Sawyer) reported, “Back here at home to Kansas and the hate fueled rampage at two Jewish centers over the weekend. The 73-year-old man charged in that shooting appeared in court for the first time. And ABC’s Steve Osunsami shows us what happened.” ABC (Osunsami) added, “He looked disheveled and disoriented – 73-year-old Frazier Glenn Cross had to be wheeled to his video-feed court appearance. He had no friends or family in the courtroom. The judge assigned him a free lawyer and set his bond at 10 million dollars. Glenn Miller as he’s known in his world started hating young. He’s a life-long anti-semite, a former grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. In the 1980s, he led the white patriots party, 5,000 strong. In 2006, he told a Jewish reporter that he hated Jews for controlling the media and the government.” Frazier Glenn Cross, suspect: “And I hate you. You a Jew, and I hate you.” Unidentified speaker: “Do you advocate violence against Jews?” Cross: “What’s your definition of advocate?” Osunsami: “Today, state prosecutors armed with the death penalty, charged him with first degree and capital murder for three shooting deaths at the Jewish community center. Prosecutors say he intended to kill Jews, but say what he didn’t know was that all three victims were Christian.” Heidi Beirich, Southern Poverty Law Center: “Hate groups are rising because there are some trends happening. The biggest thing is this country has become increasingly diverse.” Osunsami: “Their home is on the internet. The gunman filed more than 12,000 posts to racist discussion boards which have been filled with congratulations since the killings. Steve Osunsami, ABC News, Kansas.”

ABC: SEVERE WEATHER. ABC World News (4/15, story 5, 0:30, Sawyer) reported, “We turn to a note about the weather across the country. Which will it be today, shorts or snow suits? Severe storm sweeping across the south. In Georgia, toppled this huge tree and more than three inches of snow fell in Detroit. And Detroit, they have had the snowiest season in recorded history. This message on a car windshield says it all. Not cool.”

ABC: RISING FOOD PRICES. ABC World News (4/15, story 6, 1:45, Sawyer) reported, “Tonight rising food prices. Sticker shock at the grocery. For some items, four times the price we pay just a few months ago. When will this end? ABC’s Linzie Janis breaks it down and shows us the surprise. Some foods are quietly getting cheaper.” ABC (Janis) added, “Items once taken for granted are fast becoming delicacies. Like limes. Prices have quadrupled over the last couple months. Floods and a tree disease in Mexico turning these fruits into gold. Restaurant owners say they’re getting squeezed.” Mike Dale, El Centro restaurant assistant manager: “Prices have gone up a lot. It takes a hit on them.” Janis: “These small fruits are becoming precious. People across the country having to improvise. Some of them using lemons, roughly have the price. And beef hasn’t cost this much since 1987. Under the sea, it’s shrimp. A disease limiting supply and driving up prices by more than 60 percent since last year. But there are bargains out there. Lobsters are actually dropping in price. Lettuce, too. It’s 17 percent cheaper. Coffee, peanut butter and ice cream down as well. A small silver lining in a marketplace of rising prices. Linzie Janis ABC News, New York.”


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