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Big Band concert commemorates 1943 Benny Goodman performance at Springfield Armory

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SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Armory rear lawn was filled with music from the Big Band era while an estimated 700 visitors enjoyed commemorating the music of Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Count Basie and much more. In September of 1943, during World War II, Benny Goodman performed at the Springfield Armory to honor the contributions of workers. Each year, the Springfield...

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Armory rear lawn was filled with music from the Big Band era while an estimated 700 visitors enjoyed commemorating the music of Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Count Basie and much more.

In September of 1943, during World War II, Benny Goodman performed at the Springfield Armory to honor the contributions of workers. Each year, the Springfield Armory commemorates this Goodman concert with a local big band performance.
The two-hour Saturday evening concert featured music from the Heritage Pops Orchestra, a dance performance by the Small Planet Dancers of Westfield, and free swing dance lessons from professional dance instructors Joe and Michele Barker, of East Longmeadow.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 79, of Saint Barnabas, of Springfield, were on hand to provide snacks and refreshments. The event was co-sponsored by the National Park Service, the Springfield Armory, and Springfield Technical Community College. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno provided the opening introductions.


Wilbraham Hill Climb an Up Hill Success

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The Wilbraham Hill Climb went off without a hitch Saturday as vintage cars and their drivers took to the pavement on Monson Road to see who could complete the course with the best time. First to take on the challenge was well-known car enthusiast and restorer Wayne Carini from Portland Connecticut, host of the Velocity Channel's popular show "Chasing Classic...

The Wilbraham Hill Climb went off without a hitch Saturday as vintage cars and their drivers took to the pavement on Monson Road to see who could complete the course with the best time.

First to take on the challenge was well-known car enthusiast and restorer Wayne Carini from Portland Connecticut, host of the Velocity Channel's popular show "Chasing Classic Cars".
Wayne took at least two attempts at the course which starts on Monson Road, close to Main Street and up to the finish line near Glendale Road.

A reenactment of the 1908 historic hill climb up Monson Road was known as an unofficial proving ground for the many early automobile manufacturers in and around Springfield during that era.

 

Most of the drivers who take part in the hill climb are from the Vintage Sports Car Club of America, the oldest preservation club in the United States. Spectators on hand were able to watch from the starting line as well as a location further up the hill at Green Meadow Farm.

Along with the hill climb, a collection of other vintage cars were on display along Main Street in front of the Wilbraham United Church and at Gazebo Park there were more collector cars.


Vermont State Police: Cyclist killed after losing control of bike

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Police said the cyclist was wearing a helmet.

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RUPERT, Vt. — A cyclist who lost control of his bicycle on a curved road was killed Saturday afternoon in Rupert, according to Vermont State Police.

Officials said Michael Munson, 51, of Peru, began to travel down a hill, eastbound, in the area of Derby Hill Road when he encountered a curve in the road. It appears he lost control, was thrown from the bike, struck the ground with his head and side and came to rest a distance from the bicycle.

Police said Munson suffered a head injury to the back of his head, facial injuries, and injuries to the left side of his body. He was wearing a helmet at the time but it was damaged and came off during the crash.

An autopsy is scheduled to take place in Burlington at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

This cycling crash remains under investigation. If anyone has information contact Det. Sgt. Daniel Elliott at (802) 773-9101.

Silicon Valley company making online courts a reality

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A Silicon Valley company is working on technology in which the law is turned into computer code that can solve legal battles without the need for a judge or attorney.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Imagine working out a divorce without hiring an attorney or stepping into court or disputing the tax assessment on your home completely online.

A Silicon Valley company is starting to make both possibilities a reality with software that experts say represents the next wave of technology in which the law is turned into computer code that can solve legal battles without the need for a judge or attorney.

"We're not quite at the Google car stage in law, but there are no conceptual or technical barriers to what we're talking about," said Oliver Goodenough, director of the Center for Legal Innovation at Vermont Law School, referring to Google's self-driving car.

The computer programs, at least initially, have the ability to relieve overburdened courts of small claims cases, traffic fines and some family law matters. But Goodenough and other experts envision a future in which even more complicated disputes are resolved online, and they say San Jose, California-based Modria has gone far in developing software to realize that.

"There is a version of the future when computers get so good that we trust them to play this role in our society, and it lets us get justice to more people because it's cheaper and more transparent," said Colin Rule, Modria's co-founder.

Officials in Ohio are using Modria's software to resolve disputes over tax assessments and keep them out of court, and a New York-based arbitration association has deployed it to settle medical claims arising from certain types of car crashes.

In the Netherlands, Modria software is being used to guide people through their divorces.

The program walks couples through more than two dozen questions, including how they want to co-parent any children they have. It suggests values for spousal support and notes areas of agreement. A second module allows them to negotiate areas of disagreement. If they reach a resolution, they can print up divorce papers that are then reviewed by an attorney to make sure neither side is giving away too much before they are filed in court.

Hundreds of couples have gone through the system since it launched in February, said Larry Friedberg, Modria's chief marketing officer.

Modria's founders initially developed their software to help eBay and PayPal solve customer complaints about damaged goods or late deliveries without employing teams of customer service representatives. At eBay, Rule said his system was resolving 60 million disputes a year.

He co-founded Modria in 2011. Although the company's focus is on selling its technology to e-commerce businesses, Rule said he is passionate about deploying it to courts.

"I can build great tools that represent the cutting edge of technology and extend it into the legal sector where none of that expertise resides," he said.

A Michigan company, Court Innovations, is using similar technology to resolve traffic disputes. In four court districts in the state, people ticketed on suspicion of running a red light or speeding can go online and provide an explanation in hopes of getting the ticket thrown out or a lower fine. Prosecutors review the information and make a decision that can be transmitted electronically to the alleged scofflaw for acceptance or rejection, said MJ Cartwright, the company's CEO. The system has had more than 800 users so far, almost all of whom have resolved their cases online, she said.

"When you're online, there's a lot you don't know about that person such as their race and other things that can cloud the decision-making process," she said.

Technology such as Modria's can provide legal support to people and businesses that have written off lawyers and the court system as too expensive and tedious and would otherwise try to resolve their disputes on their own, said Larry Bridgesmith, a law professor at Vanderbilt Law School in Tennessee who focuses on dispute resolution strategies.

The American Bar Association recommended Bridgesmith as an expert on the subject.

The technology won't do away with attorneys, but it will require them to adapt, he said.

"If lawyers begin to understand that those are tools they can use to lower the costs of entry into the legal system ... they can get back in the business of serving clients who are presently not served," he said.

Northampton protesters denounce the transportation of crude oil

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In 2013 a truck carrying crude oil exploded killing 47 people in a Quebec town.

NORTHAMPTON — For 47 seconds protesters gathered outside Memorial Hall on Main Street stood in silence remembering the 47 people killed in Lac Megantic, Quebec two years ago when a train carrying crude oil exploded.

The protest was organized by the Climate Action Now, made up of members from across the Pioneer Valley, said Irvine Sobelman, a volunteer with the group.

About 40 protesters gathered Sunday holding signs reading, "Oil trains explode and kill," "Stop the pipeline," and "Remember Lac Megantic."

Daniel Ritchie, another volunteer for the Climate Action Now group, said the event was meant to bring awareness to these accidents and to the transportation of crude oil across North America.

"The transporting of crude oil by rail is an issue that is very important to the work we're doing to organize people in a mass movement to stop the worst effects of climate change," he said. "We are against the transportation of crude oil by any means whether that's rail or truck or pipeline or ship and we want to make sure people understand the risks of transporting crude oil."

The event was also an opportunity to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the deaths of 47 people and the destruction of the town of Lac Megantic, Quebec when a train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed and exploded there.

Ritchie said there has been an enormous increase in the number of what he calls "bomb trains" carrying crude oil throughout the United States.

The New York Times reported in January 2014 that about 400,000 carloads of crude oil had traveled by rail the previous year to the nation's refineries, up from 9,500 in 2008. Regulations governing the fragile tank cars and the nation's deteriorating railway infrastructure are widely seen as inadequate. One hundred thirty-five trains a day run within a mile of the homes of over 25 million people.

"A lot of the people living in these communities are low income and people of color which makes this a social justice issue as well," Ritchie said.

The number of accidents has also climbed steeply. From 1975 to 2012, federal records show, railroads spilled 800,000 gallons of crude oil. Last year alone, they spilled more than 1.15 million gallons, according to an analysis of data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

ForestEthics, a nonprofit environmental coalition, designated July 6-12 as a week of awareness and action against the oil trains in memory of the victims of Lac Megantic. More than 100 events like the one in Northampton were organized across North America, Ritchie said.

"Climate change sounds benign or normal, but there is nothing benign or normal about it," Sobelman said. "We are facing climate destruction, climate chaos, climate catastrophe on a worldwide scale."

Man killed in Berkshire County rollover accident

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The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

WINDSOR - A 26-year-old man was killed when his car rolled over in a car accident in Berkshire County Saturday night.

Nicholas A. Daniels, of Hinsdale, lost control of his 1999 Toyota Camry on Route 9 at about 10:28 p.m., Saturday. The car rolled over and Daniels was ejected from the vehicle, according to Massachusetts State Police officials.

Daniels, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was the only person involved in the crash, police said.

A witness saw the accident and alerted Trooper Amy Shaugnessy, who was patrolling on Route 9 a distance from the crash, police said.

Route 9 in Windsor remained closed from the Dalton line to the intersection of Route 8A until about 4:30 a.m. so investigators could gather evidence in the accident.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Troopers from the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office are assisting in the examination of the crash, police said.

Photos: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society Celebration was Sunday in Springfield

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SPRINGFIELD - The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was held Sunday, July 12. Members of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society carried the statue of the Blessed Mother from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Williams St. to Winthrop St. in Springfield's South End. Along the way people and local businesses were invited to pin money to...

SPRINGFIELD - The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was held Sunday, July 12. Members of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society carried the statue of the Blessed Mother from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Williams St. to Winthrop St. in Springfield's South End.

Along the way people and local businesses were invited to pin money to the statue to be used for the society's many charitable events.

A brunch followed featuring cold cuts sandwiches and Italian pastries.

'El Chapo' escapes: US authorities concerned over free Mexican drug lord (photos, video)

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Reactions in the United States to the escape from Mexican prison of a reputed drug lord ranged from disbelief to outrage, with some observers saying it dramatically illustrated the need for captured cartel kingpins to be promptly extradited to the U.S.

CHICAGO -- Reactions in the United States to the escape from Mexican prison of a reputed drug lord ranged from disbelief to outrage, with some observers saying it dramatically illustrated the need for captured cartel kingpins to be promptly extradited to the U.S.

A former administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency said he was dismayed by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's weekend escape -- apparently through a mile-long tunnel -- from the Altiplano prison, 55 miles west of Mexico City.

"It is a shock that the most dangerous cartel leader in the world has escaped," Peter Bensinger said Sunday. "He ought to have been housed in an American prison."

Washington's official response was diplomatic, as Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement Sunday that the U.S. shared "Mexico's concern regarding the escape" and stood by to help in the manhunt.

But one Mexico expert said American officials likely expressed more frustration behind the scenes.

"I think this will add to the distrust many U.S. agencies feel (toward the Mexican government) -- even if that's not publicly voiced," said David Shirk, San Diego-based fellow for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

At least some observers said they weren't surprised by Guzman's escape given Mexican prisons' reputation, including Gal Pissetzky, a defense attorney who has represented suspected drug trafficker in U.S. courts nationwide.

"I'm surprised he stayed locked up in there as long as he did," Pissetzky said.

The Chicago Crime Commission, an influential crime-fighting group in Illinois, said Sunday that the prison break meant Guzman will regain his title as Public Enemy No. 1 in Chicago, where his Sinaloa cartel has long dominated the cocaine and heroin trade.

When the group attached the Public Enemy label to Guzman a year before his capture, it was the first time it had been used since it was applied in 1930 to Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone. The Chicago Crime Commission planned to formally restore the title to Guzman this week, said John Pastuovic, a spokesman for the non-governmental body.

Several U.S. attorneys' offices have indicted Guzman on trafficking charges, including in Chicago, where several Guzman lieutenants were successfully extradited, prosecuted and imprisoned. The U.S. had said after Guzman's 2014 capture that it would file an extradition request, though it's unclear if that already happened.

For its part, Mexico's government at the time denied the need to extradite Guzman even as many expressed fears he would inevitably escape. He had escaped before, in 2001, while serving a 20-year sentence in another maximum-security prison in Mexico.

That air of self-confidence among Mexican authorities will be harder to maintain if and when Mexico recaptures Guzman or nabs some other cartel leader, Shirk said.

"The calls for extradition (to the U.S.) will be more intense" in the wake of Guzman's escape, he said. "It'll be more difficult for the Mexican government to say, 'No, no. We have this under control.'"

Added Shirk, "It is clear that maximum security prisons in Mexico are anything but."


Cat freed from truck engine after 28-mile trip from N.J. has new Pa. home

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A cat rescued from the engine of a pickup truck after a 28-mile ride from Pennsylvania to New Jersey now has a new home.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (AP) -- A cat rescued from the engine of a pickup truck after a 28-mile ride from Pennsylvania to New Jersey now has a new home.

NJ.com reports that the cat was given to Jennifer Blunts and her boyfriend, John Tegethoff, at a ceremony Sunday. They will take the cat back their Kunkletown, Pennsylvania home.

The adoption ends a tale that began earlier this month, when the orange and white feline crawled into the pickup's engine compartment. Not knowing the cat was there, the driver traveled from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, to the Mars Chocolate North America plant in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Employees there heard the cat's meows and called police. It was freed with the help of the town's public works department and Mars employees.

The unhurt cat was dubbed Mars.

Red Sox fan recovering from foul ball to her head: 'It was like it knew who I was'

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Stephanie Wapenski, a Red Sox fan from Massachusetts, was sitting along the third base line with her fiance when she was struck by a foul ball.

BOSTON -- A woman hit by a foul ball at Fenway Park during Friday night's Red Sox-New York Yankees game is recovering at home after getting three dozen stitches in her forehead.

Stephanie Wapenski, a Red Sox fan from Massachusetts, was sitting along the third base line with her fiance, a Yankees fan who proposed to her last year at ballpark. They live in Branford, Connecticut.

Wapenski said she was paying attention, but had no time to react when Yankees'
shortstop Didi Gregorius hit the ball in the fifth inning, striking her between the eyes.

"It just came right at me before I could think or react," she told CBS Boston.

Yankees Red Sox BaseballRed Sox fan Stephanie Wapenski, lower center toward right, holds her head after being hit by a foul ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in Boston, Friday, July 10, 2015.  

She told The Boston Globe, "It was like it knew who I was and had a vendetta."

Afterward, she said, she had a massive headache.

Gregorius sent her one of his bats. The Red Sox also sent flowers and a promise of a safer seat at an upcoming game.

Last month, another woman was hospitalized several days after she was hit in the face by a broken bat at Fenway.

Eric Garner's police chokehold death, one year later: Sadness and anger, but change

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The 43-year-old father of six, accused of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes — sick of being hassled by cops — told police to leave him alone. When he refused to be handcuffed, the 6-foot-2, 395-pound man was taken to the ground. Watch video

NEW YORK -- It was nearly a year ago when Eric Garner, standing outside a convenience store on July 17, had the encounter with New York City police that led to his death. 

The 43-year-old father of six, accused of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes -- sick of being hassled by cops -- told police to leave him alone. When he refused to be handcuffed, the 6-foot-2, 395-pound man was taken to the ground.

In cellphone videos viewed more than 2.5 million times, Garner is heard yelling "I can't breathe!" 11 times before he loses consciousness. An autopsy concluded he died in part from neck compressions from the chokehold restraint by police. 

Since then, the officer involved avoided criminal prosecution but a federal probe is ongoing. The family has become national advocates for police reform, and the department is reworking how it relates to the public it serves. Here's a look at a year of anger, sadness and change:

THE FAMILY

Garner's children and grandchildren are doing their best to heal, but it's challenging -- and they miss him every day, said his mother, Gwen Carr. She said she's been using her sadness and anger as fuel for reform, and it's helping.

But she's still sad. And angry. And she wants justice for her son.

"I want to see all of those officers stand trial and stand accountable for their gross misconduct," she said.

Carr said the family is planning a memorial in Brooklyn to commemorate Garner's life on the anniversary of his death. She said she can picture her son's response -- he'd tell her not to worry too much and not to make a fuss. She said she can picture his face, smiling.

"I want people to be aware of what's happened. I want to make sure they never forget the name of Eric Garner," she said. "I'm going to keep that name alive."

THE COP

Officer Daniel Pantaleo remains assigned to desk duty, doing crime analysis.

Supporters say he's been the target of at least one death threat. As a precaution, the police department has posted patrol cars outside his home and that of his parents on Staten Island around-the-clock. Pantaleo's attorney, Stuart London, said his client still denies intending to harm Garner or even using a chokehold. The officer, despite being demonized by some protesters, also wants get back to full duty.

"He was a dedicated, hard-working cop and, all of a sudden, because of one street encounter, his life has been put on hold," London said. "He understands why, but he's frustrated. It's something he hopes can be cleared up so he can get back to helping the people of this city."

THE QUEST FOR ANSWERS

After a grand jury in December refused to indict Pantaleo, a groundswell of requests grew from the public and city officials seeking access to the secret testimony and exhibits shown to the jury by the Staten Island District Attorney's Office.

Public Advocate Letitia James argued the secrecy of the proceedings breeds mistrust in prosecutors and contempt for the justice system. But a judge disagreed and refused to release the proceedings, which are kept secret by law. The New York Civil Liberties Union and other agencies have appealed the decision.

The Civilian Complaint Review Board, the police watchdog agency investigating the misconduct claim against Pantaleo and others, is also seeking the minutes -- not for public use but for private investigative reasons. And Garner's family has said it intends to sue the city.

THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION

Once the state case fizzled late last year, the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn -- then led by current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch -- and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division launched in inquiry into Garner's death to determine whether there's enough evidence to bring a federal case.

In recent weeks, federal investigators have re-interviewed witnesses, including police officers who were at the scene. Despite the video, there's enough ambiguity to the case that a prosecution accusing the officer of deliberately violating Garner's civil rights looks like a long shot. Such cases following grand jury inaction or acquittal at state level are rare, as evidenced by the Justice Department's decision not to file charges against the white policeman who shot to death an unarmed young black man last summer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Even if there's no federal case against Pantaleo, he could still face departmental charges and dismissal.

THE DEPARTMENT

The New York City Police Department has undergone a series of reforms after the case, including the installation of three-day training for all officers on how to better communicate with the public. More than 20,000 officers were trained on how to de-escalate confrontations in order to avoid physical contact unless necessary.

Police officials said the training was in the works before Garner's death, but was sped up.

Commissioner William Bratton unveiled a new policing plan that puts cops back on the beat, walking their precincts to get better acquainted with shopkeepers and residents. And Bratton has retooled how rookies enter into the academy, eliminating the practice of funneling new cops to the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in favor of spreading them out around the city so they can learn from other officers.

Low-level arrests, like the charge for selling untaxed cigarettes, and summonses have plummeted.

THE MOVEMENT

Garner's death, along with the deaths of other black men at the hands of white police officers, has helped catalyze a national movement urging police reform. "Black Lives Matter" and "I Can't Breathe" have become rally cries around the country.

Nationwide, departments are scrutinized like never before when an officer kills a civilian -- and some have undergone federal probes. Garner's mother and other mothers of men killed by police pressured Gov. Andrew Cuomo to agree to a special prosecutor to investigate deaths by law enforcement and got results: Cuomo signed an order this week putting the state attorney general's office in charge of such probes.

Carr sees more people of all races protesting the treatment of minorities by police than ever before.

"Before when something happened, it was basically people of color because that's who they were targeting, but now everybody, people of color, different races, they all stand up. Because they see this as wrong," she said. "It's not about black or white, it's wrong or right. They see the things are happening wrong."

"Maybe my son's death brought a certain awareness to them."

Former Bruins player Tyler Seguin poses nude for ESPN: What people are Tweeting

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Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the ESPN Body Issue.

Fans of Tyler Seguin lit up social media after ESPN released nude photos of the former Boston Bruins center in its annual Body Issue.

Seguin, who's now thriving with the Dallas Stars, struck some whimsical poses on a Zamboni and with a rubber duck strategically placed. The only thing he is wearing is a hat.

This is not the first New England star to pose for the magazine's body issue. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski did the same recently.

Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the Body Issue:

Former Bruins player Tyler Seguin poses nude for ESPN: What people are Tweeting

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Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the ESPN Body Issue.

Fans of Tyler Seguin lit up social media after ESPN released nude photos of the former Boston Bruins center in its annual Body Issue.

Seguin, who's now thriving with the Dallas Stars, struck some whimsical poses on a Zamboni and with a rubber duck strategically placed. The only thing he is wearing is a hat.

This is not the first New England star to pose for the magazine's body issue. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski did the same recently.

Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the Body Issue:

Rescue teams searching for man in Deerfield River

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The accident is near the Stillwater Bridge in Deerfield.

DEERFIELD - Police and Fire officials are searching for a 20-year-old swimmer who went under the water while swimming in the Deerfield River Sunday.

Public Safety officials are confirming the man has died, according to Western Mass News, media partners to Masslive and The Republican.

The search and rescue team is near the Stillwater Bridge in Deerfield, according to Western Mass News.

Police have referred all questions to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office.

Masslive will update as more information becomes available.

Why is the 2016 GOP field so big? Here are a few theories

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After all the candidate announcements, after all the speculation about who'd go first and who's yet to jump in, one question remains in this summer BEFORE the election year: Why are so many Republicans running for president?

WASHINGTON -- Who yelled "everybody into the pool?"

After all the candidate announcements, after all the speculation about who'd go first and who's yet to jump in, one question remains in this summer BEFORE the election year: Why are so many Republicans running for president?

Surely, the soon-to-be-17 announced GOP candidates don't all think they will become president.

But it's easy for a politician to get caught up in the hype and yell "cowabunga!" in a year when there's no incumbent seeking re-election and no Republican who seems to have an inside track to the nomination.

Plus, it's easier than ever to make a credible run for president, thanks to the equalizing effects of social media and digital fundraising, and with looser federal rules in place on raising money.

The apt question for an ambitious Republican this year seems to be: Well, why not?

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker adds his name to the list on Monday, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore to follow in coming weeks, bringing the total by summer's end to at least 17.

"Every now and then you have an election cycle that is defined by what can be best described as me-too-ism," says Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown's Institute of Politics and Public Service and a onetime spokesman for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

With any number of theoretical pathways to the GOP nomination, second-tier candidates may well have surveyed the field and said to themselves, "Why can't I burst into that top tier?" says Elleithee. "Everybody is sitting there with their advisers, slicing and dicing the electorate, and either finding a potential path or deluding themselves into finding a potential path."

Tony Fratto, a Washington consultant who worked for President George W. Bush, says there's far more than delusions motivating candidates. Beyond the generally easier mechanics of running for office, he says, there are all sorts of incentives to run that have nothing to do with actually being president.

"You have the opportunity to become a personality in a relatively short period of time," says Fratto. "You get on the national stage, your name ID is elevated and that can translate into writing books, giving speeches and getting an opportunity to go on TV." Not to mention a potential job as vice president or in the Cabinet.

It worked for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who's running again after parlaying his losing candidacy in the 2008 primaries into political celebrity, including TV and radio shows and book deals.

The should-I-run equation is different on the Democratic side, where Clinton is dominant, but even there, four other notable candidates have joined the against-the-odds race.

A look at some of the reasons so many candidates are running this year:

WAITING FOR A STUMBLE

Some candidates run just in case. If top-tier candidates suddenly falter, these challengers want to make sure they're positioned to step right up.

These types "genuinely think things can fall apart" for the top candidates, says Princeton historian Julian Zelizer.

He puts New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kasich in that category.

In Christie's case, says Zelizer, "I think part of him hopes that people will see how great he is -- according to him" if an opening emerges.

THE OBAMA EFFECT

The election of a junior Illinois senator with a funny name as president in 2008 has heartened candidates who might not otherwise have thought of themselves as ready to run.

"What Barack Obama proved in 2008 is that you don't need all that much experience," says Fratto. "You can take on a presumed front-runner, and you can raise money and improve your name ID very quickly. That possibility wasn't imaginable in the past."

Obama's precedent has to hearten Marco Rubio from Florida and Ted Cruz from Texas, both 44-year-old freshman senators, and 52-year-old rookie Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

TAKING TURNS

Senior politicians may look at relative newcomers who've gotten into the race, and think, "Wait, it's my turn."

Elleithee envisions veterans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kasich asking themselves, "Why should these young up-and-comers be seen as more credible than me?"

IDEA GUYS

Some candidates run to get their ideas in the mix even if their candidacies face long odds.

Graham is pushing the Republicans to focus on national security. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is pressing Democrats to do more to address income inequality.

BIG MONEY

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling that loosened fundraising rules, says Zelizer, "all you need is a few wealthy people and you can be a presidential candidate." Candidates may not have enough money to go the distance, but a supportive billionaire or super PAC can bankroll a candidacy that otherwise might not go far.

Casino titan Sheldon Adelson's millions kept Newt Gingrich's 2012 candidacy afloat long after it otherwise would have gone under. Super PACs will file paperwork later this month that will help show who's benefiting from big donors this time around.

SMALL DOLLARS

No sugar daddy? No problem.

Online fundraising and social media have made it cheaper and easier for candidates to haul in lots of small contributions.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is relying on small contributions to propel his GOP campaign. And on the Democratic side, Sanders' upstart challenge to Clinton is pulling in millions mostly through small donors on the Internet.

BUILDING THE "ME" BRAND

Businessman-showman Donald Trump has to know he's not going to be president.

His self-promotional candidacy helps keep him in the news, something he's clearly relishing even if it's triggered a backlash that's going to cost him. 

Companies and organizations are lining up to cut ties to Trump after his much-criticized comments about Mexican immigrants.

Gallery preview 

Amherst Police officer attacked, bitten by pit bull

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The police officer was treated for minor wounds to his leg.

AMHERST - A police officer was attacked by an unleashed dog, knocked to the ground and bitten Sunday night.

The officer was conducting a security check at a downtown business at about 7 p.m., when he saw an unconscious woman on a bench. After calling to the person and receiving no response, he approached her to check on her well being, Sgt. Brian Johnson said in a written statement.

When he approached, the officer was attacked by the unleashed pit bull dog.

"As officers arrived to assist, the dog became aggressive towards them, lunging at several of them," Johnson said.

The police officer was treated at Cooley Dickinson Hospital for minor wounds to his leg and was released, he said.

The dog was owned by the woman, who is homeless. It was eventually controlled and turned over to the Amherst Animal Welfare officer and will remain with animal control for observation and vaccination verification.

Police recover body of Deerfield River drowning victim

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A 20-year-old Nigerian UMass student drowned in the Deerfield River Sunday, as he tried to swim across to a rope swing.

DEERFIELDMassachusetts State Police divers recovered the body of a 20-year-old Nigerian student who apparently drowned in the Deerfield River shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

The Greenfield Recorder reported that the University of Massachusetts at Lowell student was with friends near a popular rope swing approximately a quarter of a mile upstream from the Stillwater Bridge on Stillwater Road. The victim and a friend were trying to swim across the river to the swing when the victim slipped beneath the surface.

Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek, Jr. told reporters that the victim's friend tried to support him as he began to have trouble in the water but lost hold of him and he went under water.

There were a number of people at the rope swing who saw the drowning unfold.

The State Police Dive team, the Northfield Dive Team, and the Greenfield, Deerfield and South Deerfield fire departments responded to the scene. Firefighters launched boats and put divers in the river to try to recover the victim.

Deerfield Police along with State Police detectives attached to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office are investigating the incident.

PM News Links: Escaped drug kingpin's relative faces judge nearby, man denies touching child in pool, and more

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The story of a Connecticut teen who may have saved her friend's life by pushing him away from the car that struck and killed her on July 2 is sweeping the world and inspiring people to commit acts of kindness in her name, according to posts on a memorial Facebook page set up by her family.

A digest of news stories from around New England.



Jesus Guzman 2015.jpgJesus Manuel Gutierrez Guzman 
  • Cousin of escaped Mexican drug kingpin being sentenced for New England operation [Boston Herald] Photo at left, related video above


  • Watertown man denies inappropriately touching 11-year-old girl in public swimming pool [CBS Boston.com] Related video below


    Rebecca Townsend facebook.jpgRebecca D. Townsend 
  • Story of Connecticut girl, 17, credited with saving friend's life by pushing him out of way of car that killed her, inspires people worldwide [Hartford Courant] Photo at left, video below



  • Off-duty Vermont police officer accused of driving under the influence in car crash [MyChamplainValley.com] Video below


  • Alleged drug dealer in critical condition after being shot by police officer in Lynn [WFXT-TV, Fox25, Dedham]


  • UMass Lowell student who drowned in Deerfield River was former Fitchburg High School track star [Sentinel & Enterprise]




    Joseph Ramos mug.jpgJoseph Ramos 
  • Connecticut father accused of driving drunk with child sleeping in back seat [NECN] Photo at right


  • Massachusetts homeowners to face higher insurance premiums in wake of winter's storms [Boston Globe]


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  • Vermont police department removes mug shots from Facebook posts because of nasty comments [Burlington Free Press]


  • Dozens of unidentified remains baffle Bay State Investigators [Boston Herald] Photo at left


    WCAX-TV, CBS3, Vermont




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  • Ohio bartender who threatened to kill House Speaker John Boehner ruled insane

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    A former Cincinnati-area bartender who said he believed House Speaker John Boehner was the devil was found not guilty by reason of insanity Monday of threatening to kill the Republican lawmaker.

    CINCINNATI (AP) -- A former Cincinnati-area bartender who said he believed House Speaker John Boehner was the devil was found not guilty by reason of insanity Monday of threatening to kill the Republican lawmaker.

    Federal Judge Timothy Black found Michael Hoyt not guilty of a charge of threatening to kill a U.S. official.

    Authorities had accused Hoyt of threatening to kill Boehner, either with a gun or by poisoning his drink.

    Michael HoytMichael Hoyt (AP Photo/Hamilton County Sheriff's Department, File) 
    The judge ruled that Hoyt was insane at the time of the alleged offense and ordered him to a federal medical facility for evaluation.

    Black scheduled an Aug. 21 hearing to determine whether Hoyt, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is mentally stable enough to be released or could be dangerous to others. Hoyt could have been sentenced to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Hoyt sat quietly through the proceedings, responding yes the judge's questions about whether he understood the court proceedings.

    Boehner's office declined to comment on the verdict.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Grimes would not comment after the trial, but said in court that prosecutors accepted the forensic psychologist's report on Hoyt's mental state at the time of the alleged offense.

    "We believe this was the right verdict in this type of case," defense attorney Candace Crouse said.

    The judge read from court documents Monday saying Hoyt, of the Cincinnati suburb of Deer Park, had a history of mental illness since he was struck on the head in 2012. Black in April ruled Hoyt competent to stand trial based on a report from the federal medical facility where he was sent for evaluation and treatment after his arrest in November.

    Hoyt was indicted in January. A separate criminal complaint filed in November 2014 said he was fired last fall from a suburban country club where Boehner is a member. Hoyt said he began hearing voices after his firing, telling him Boehner was evil, according to court documents cited Monday.

    Hoyt was treated for a psychotic episode after his head injury and later stopped taking prescribed medication. Court documents said Hoyt came to authorities' attention when he called 911 on Oct. 29. Hoyt told the operator: "This is Mike. I messed up." He then asked the operator to call his father and let him know he was OK and was sorry he had made mistakes.

    When asked for his location and how to reach his father, Hoyt provided his home address and said his father is "everywhere."

    Hoyt later told officers dispatched to his home in the Cincinnati suburb of Deer Park that he had been fired from the country club and "did not have time to put something in John Boehner's drink."

    Hoyt told the officer he was Jesus Christ and was going to kill Boehner because Boehner was mean to him and because Boehner was responsible for Ebola. Hoyt also said he had a loaded gun and was going to shoot Boehner, according to the documents.

    Boehner is second in line for the presidency in the event of a vacancy.

    Pentagon considers lifting ban on transgender people serving in military

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    Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered a six-month study aimed at formally ending one of the last gender- or sexuality-based barriers to military service.

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon's current regulations banning transgender individuals from serving in the military are outdated, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday, ordering a six-month study aimed at formally ending one of the last gender- or sexuality-based barriers to military service.

    Carter said he is creating a working group that will review the policies and determine if lifting the ban would have any impact on the military's ability to be ready for battle. But he said the group will begin with the presumption that transgender people should be able to serve openly "without adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness, unless and except where objective, practical impediments are identified."

    The plan, which was first reported by The Associated Press, gives the services time to methodically work through the legal, medical and administrative issues and develop training to ease any transition, and senior leaders believed six months would be sufficient.

    "The Defense Department's current regulations regarding transgender service members are outdated and are causing uncertainty that distracts commanders from our core missions," Carter said in a statement released Monday. "At a time when our troops have learned from experience that the most important qualification for service members should be whether they're able and willing to do their job, our officers and enlisted personnel are faced with certain rules that tell them the opposite."

    Carter asked his personnel undersecretary, Brad Carson, to lead the working group of senior military and civilian leaders to take an objective look at the issue, including the costs, and determine whether it would create any insurmountable problems that could derail the plan. The group would also develop uniform guidelines.

    During the six months, transgender individuals would still not be able to join the military, but any decisions to force out those already serving would be referred to Carson. One senior official said the goal was to avoid forcing any transgender service members to leave during that time. That official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

    Some of the key concerns involved in the repeal of the ban include whether the military would conduct or pay for the medical costs of surgeries and other treatment associated with any gender transition, as well as which physical training or testing standards transgender individuals would be required to meet during different stages of their transition.

    Officials said the military also wants time to tackle questions about where transgender troops would be housed, what uniforms they would wear, what berthing they would have on ships, which bathrooms they would use and whether their presence would affect the ability of small units to work well together. The military has dealt with many similar questions as it integrated the ranks by race, gender and sexual orientation.

    Transgender people -- those who identify with a different gender than they were born with and sometimes take hormone treatments or have surgery to develop the physical characteristics of their preferred gender -- are banned from military service. But studies and other surveys have estimated that as many as 15,000 transgender people serve in the active-duty military and the reserves, often in secret but in many cases with the knowledge of their unit commander or peers.

    "Obviously this isn't finished, but Secretary Carter's clear statement of intent means that transgender service members should and will be treated with the same dignity as other service members," said Allyson Robinson, Army veteran and policy director for an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel called Service Members, Partners and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All, or SPARTA.

    Brynn Tannehill, who was a Navy pilot before leaving the force and transitioning to a woman, recalled the difficulties when serving.

    "It was stressful and it was something that I couldn't talk with anyone about, because if you even breathed a word of it you didn't know what was going to happen," said Tannehill, who still serves in Individual Ready Reserve. "You could lose your career, that I'd worked so hard for."

    Several Congress members, including Rep. Adam Smith, ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, expressed support for Carter's decision. But the more conservative Family Research Center questioned the change.

    "Considering the abysmal condition of our military and a decline in readiness, why is this a top priority for the Obama administration?" said retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, the council's executive vice president. "The Pentagon must answer whether this proposed policy makes our military more capable of performing its mission. The answer is a very clear and resounding no."

    The move follows several weeks of high-level meetings in the Pentagon among military chiefs, secretaries and Defense Department leaders, including one Monday involving Carter and the chiefs of the various services.

    Military leaders have pointed to the gradual -- and ultimately successful -- transition after the ban on gays serving openly in the military was lifted in 2011. Although legislation repealing that ban passed Congress in late 2010, the military services spent months conducting training and reviews before the decision actually took effect the following September.

    The latest Pentagon move comes just weeks after the Supreme Court upheld the right of same-sex couples to marry.

    Officials familiar with the Pentagon meetings said the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force did not express opposition to lifting the ban. Instead, they said the military leaders asked for time to figure out health care, housing and other questions and also to provide information and training to the troops to ensure a smooth transition.

    Although guidelines require that transgender individuals be dismissed from the military, the services in recent months have required more senior leaders to make the final decisions on those cases, effectively slowing the dismissal process.

    The transgender issue came to the fore as the military struggled with how to deal with convicted national security leaker Chelsea Manning's request for hormone therapy and other treatment while she's in prison. Manning, arrested as Bradley Manning, is the first transgender military prisoner to request such treatment, and the Army approved the hormone therapy, under pressure from a lawsuit.

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