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ESPNTopNews

Shane Battier

ESPN analyst | @ShaneBattier Final Four: Wichita State, Arizona, Duke, Northern Iowa National champion: Arizona

Paul Biancardi

ESPN Insider | @PaulBiancardi Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Iowa State, Virginia National champion: Arizona

Jay Bilas

ESPN analyst | @jaybilas Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke, Virginia National champion: Kentucky

Jeff Borzello

ESPN Insider | @jeffborzello Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Villanova, Iowa State National champion: Kentucky

Dane Bradshaw

SEC Network analyst | @DaneBradshaw Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, Duke National champion: Kentucky

Eamonn Brennan

ESPN.com | @eamonnbrennan Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Gonzaga, Villanova National champion: Kentucky

C.L. Brown

ESPN.com | @clbrownespn Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Iowa State, Villanova National champion: Kentucky

Dan Dakich

ESPN analyst | @dandakich Final Four: Kentucky, Duke, Wisconsin, Virginia National champion: Kentucky

Len Elmore

ESPN analyst | @LenElmore Final Four: North Carolina, Gonzaga, Virginia, Wichita State National champion: Gonzaga

Sean Farnham

ESPN analyst | @SeanFarnham Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Oklahoma, Gonzaga National champion: Kentucky

Adam Finkelstein

ESPN Insider | AdamFinkelstein Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke, Virginia National champion: Kentucky

John Gasaway

ESPN Insider | @JohnGasaway Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Villanova, Gonzaga National champion: Arizona

Jeff Goodman

ESPN Insider | @GoodmanESPN Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Gonzaga National champion: Wisconsin

Stan Heath

ESPN analyst | @StanHeath_ESPN Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Gonzaga National champion: Kentucky

Andy Katz

ESPN.com | @ESPNAndyKatz Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Gonzaga National champion: Kentucky

Myron Medcalf

ESPN.com | @MedcalfByESPN Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, Gonzaga National champion: Kentucky

Dana O’Neil

ESPN.com | @ESPNDanaOneil Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, Duke National champion: Wisconsin

Reggie Rankin

ESPN Insider | @ReggieRankin Final Four: Kentucky, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa State National champion: Kentucky

Craig Robinson

ESPN analyst | @CraigMalRob Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, Iowa State National champion: Kentucky

Dick Vitale

ESPN analyst | @DickieV Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Virginia, Gonzaga National champion: Kentucky

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Coming to a Theater Near You: Esports

Competitive gaming is ready for its close-up.

The Electronic Sports League and live event broadcaster BY Experience announced plans Tuesday to bring a series of live esports events to 1,500 to 2,000 movie theaters around the world.

The “Esports in Cinema” series will launch in July with the debut of an esports documentary from filmmakers Christine O’Malley and Patrick Creadon, followed by live competitive gaming and a Q&A session in front of a live studio audience.

The event will be broadcast from the ESL studio in Burbank, California, on July 23 for North American and Latin American audiences and from the ESL studio in Cologne, Germany, on July 28 for European and Asian audiences.

“I think this documentary and the broader partnership is symbolic of how far we’ve come,” said ESL managing director Ralf Reichert in a statement. “When we started out, I dreamt about us filling stadiums, but I never entertained the idea of filling cinemas.”

BY Experience plans to broadcast “ESL One Cologne 2015,” the league’s “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” tournament, to be held Aug. 22 and 23 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. The company is also expected to broadcast three to four other ESL events.

“The in-cinema broadcasts will afford esports fans an unprecedented opportunity to get together in their communities to enjoy several high-profile events throughout the year, as part of a global shared experience,” said BY Experience co-president Julie Borchard-Young. “Cinemas provide the optimal setting for spectators to watch their favorite players and teams compete across an array of gaming titles, broadcast live on a 70-foot cinema screen in surround sound.”

It’s the first foray into gaming for BY Experience, which has broadcast such live events as David Bowie concerts and Metropolitan Opera productions in movie theaters.

Last year, theater chain Cinemark beamed Riot Games’ “League of Legends” world championships into theaters in Plano, Texas; Evanston, Illinois; and Bellevue, Washington.

Over the past 10 years, esports has evolved from a niche genre of gaming to a lucrative sport capable of drawing tens of millions of spectators both online and in person to such arenas as Los Angeles’ Staples Center and Seoul’s World Cup Stadium.

The ESL was founded in 1997 and is the largest esports league with more than 5 million registered players.

———

Online:

http://www.esportsincinema.com

———

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .

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NCAA Hoping New Travel Policy Will Help Avoid Problems

The NCAA is hoping a new travel policy takes the air out of tournament complaints.

One year after dealing with late-night problems, angry coaches and surprised families, most teams in this year’s men’s tourney will be required to stay overnight after their games.

Previously, most losing teams flew home the same night, which sometimes led to red-eye flights. Under the new guidelines, any team with a flight and a starting time after 3 p.m. locally must stay in town. Any team within a 350-mile radius of the host city that traveled by bus will have the option to drive home immediately after a loss.

“I think what happened last year certainly was one of the factors for the change, but there are a number of factors,” Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president of championships and alliances, told The Associated Press recently. “When you talk about families coming to watch games and to have time with their sons or grandsons at dinner, that seems like an odd situation as well. So to give the teams some certainty that they can spend some time with their family members after the games, that’s also a plus.”

There were some glaring problems last year.

New Mexico State and San Diego State were told the loser would fly home following a second-round game in Spokane, Washington. Their game started late because the previous one went into overtime, and it ended later, too, because the Aggies and Aztecs also went into overtime.

Then, after both teams fulfilled their postgame media obligations, New Mexico State’s players, pep band and cheerleaders returned to the team hotel to pack. The contingent arrived at the airport at 1 a.m., departed at 2:15 a.m. and arrived in El Paso, Texas around 7 a.m. There, only one of two buses showed up at the airport.

Players, coaches and some boosters were driven to Las Cruces, New Mexico, on that bus while the rest waited for the vehicle to return following a 2 1/2-hour round trip. The NCAA issued an apology for the bus mix-up and believes that has been fixed.

But simply flying home that night drew criticism from San Diego State coach Steve Fisher, whose team had a similar experience in 2013 in Philadelphia. That day, the Aztecs waited so long on the tarmac that the teams from the next game took off first. In all, the Aztecs spent more than 10 hours on the plane.

“To have happen what happened to them (the Aggies) and really, to have happen to us when we played in Philly when we lost, I mean, it was after 1 (a.m.) when we got out of Philadelphia, to me, you can do better by the student-athletes,” Fisher said this week. “Now, I can understand they’ve got things to do and a lot of people to move around, but there are ways to do it in a fashion where they’re not treating them the way they’ve been treated, we’ve been treated.”

Transportation and arrival times have been only part of the problem.

Lewis said after Manhattan’s second-round loss to Louisville last year in Orlando, Florida, family members who paid to attend the game were surprised to learn the team was already on campus the next morning.

Lewis believes the changes will help alleviate some issues.

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AP Source: Reggie Bush Agrees to Contract With 49ers

Free-agent running back Reggie Bush has reached a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Saturday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity and didn’t provide details because nothing had been finalized. Bush visited the team Wednesday and could be seen touring outside Levi’s Stadium with new San Francisco coach Jim Tomsula. Bush joins a Niners team that lost Frank Gore in free agency to the Colts, left guard Mike Iupati to the Arizona Cardinals and a pair of cornerbacks who are now gone, too — Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox. Cox said in a text message to The Associated Press he had reached a three-year deal Saturday with the Titans.

The 49ers look a lot different already. Five-time All Pro linebacker Patrick Willis retired Tuesday.

Bush played in only 11 games with nine starts last season with the Lions because of injuries, including an ankle issue. He carried 76 times for 297 yards and two touchdowns.

He posted Saturday on Twitter, “The best is yet to come (hashtag)49ers.”

The 30-year-old Bush certainly hopes to return to his productive 2013 form.

Early last season, Bush shared time in the backfield with Joique Bell.

The Lions signed Bush as a free agent before the ’13 season, hoping he would boost their offense. Then he ran for 1,006 yards, the second-highest total of his career and finished with 1,512 total yards from scrimmage.

Drafted by New Orleans out of Southern California in 2006 with the No. 2 overall pick, he helped the Saints win a Super Bowl before spending two seasons in Miami.

Also Saturday, the 49ers announced they have signed cornerbacks Chris Cook and Shareece Wright to one-year contracts.

———

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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Women's Mid-Majors Could Be Poised for Breakthrough Tourney

Mid-major women’s basketball programs historically have much less success in the NCAA Tournament than their counterparts on the men’s side.

Perhaps this is the year that changes.

The latest Top 25 includes four mid-majors ranked 20th or higher: No. 13 Princeton, No. 17 Chattanooga, No. 19 George Washington and No. 20 Florida Gulf Coast. Gonzaga, Green Bay, James Madison and Western Kentucky also have appeared in the Top 25 this season.

“We just want to win and want to prove to people we can compete in March,” said Princeton guard Blake Dietrick.

All mid-majors share her sentiment, but few have been able to make a tournament run.

Only five schools from outside the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Big East or the American Athletic Conference have reached the regional semifinals over the last four years: Gonzaga in 2011 and 2012, Green Bay in 2011, St. Bonaventure in 2012, Delaware in 2013 and BYU in 2014. The lone regional finalist was Gonzaga in 2011.

On the men’s side, where there seems to be more parity, five teams from outside those conferences advanced to the regional semifinals in 2011 alone, with Butler reaching the national championship game that year as a Horizon League member and VCU getting to the Final Four out of the Colonial Athletic Association. The last women’s mid-major to reach a Final Four was Southwest Missouri State in 2001.

The mid-majors currently in the Top 25 have the ability to change that.

Princeton and Florida Gulf Coast feature 3-point attacks that can wreak havoc on any team. Princeton leads the nation in 3-point percentage (.406). Florida Gulf Coast entered the week ranked third nationally in 3-pointers per game (9.8).

Princeton also already has dealt with tournament-style pressure and attention because of its status as the nation’s lone unbeaten women’s team.

“When you play in a conference that isn’t on TV every night and doesn’t have press conferences every week… the NCAA Tournament can be a distraction because of all the wonderful media requests and people wanting to share your story,” Princeton coach Courtney Banghart said. “This is a team that’s been sharing its story for weeks. I think it’s absolutely a major help.”

Princeton and Chattanooga both play the type of defense that should make them competitive, even if their shots aren’t falling. Princeton ranks second nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.333), and Chattanooga is second in scoring defense (50.4).

Chattanooga, which has won 25 straight, won’t be easily intimidated. The Mocs beat Tennessee and Stanford when both were ranked in the top 10.

“We played the right schedule and we’ve had the success to be a better team, and we are a better team because we’re a more versatile team,” Chattanooga coach Jim Foster said. “We’re still a young team. We hang our hat on our defense because our offense can disappear for periods of time.”

While Chattanooga’s defense has helped the Mocs withstand a negative rebound margin, George Washington is dominant on the boards. The Colonials lead the nation with a plus-13.9 rebound margin, and junior forward Jonquel Jones ranks sixth individually with 12.4 rebounds per game.

“It’s a special group,” George Washington coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “We’re led by a pretty unassuming superstar in Jonquel Jones, who would rather not talk about anything individually and just wants the sum of the parts to be greater.”

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From Division III to NFL Prospect: Marpet's Path to Draft

Ali Marpet is one of the most unlikely prospects in this year’s NFL draft.

The Division III offensive lineman from Hobart College wowed scouts at the Senior Bowl against some of college football’s best, then measured up to other top prospects at the combine.

Marpet, 6-foot-4, 307 pounds, will share his path to the April 30-May 2 draft in Chicago with The Associated Press, starting with his reflections on an improbable rise, and his preparation for his pro day.

————

Q: How did an NFL prospect end up at Hobart?

A: “In high school, I think my senior year I was 235 pounds. My junior year, I was 205, so I even put weight on from my junior year to my senior year. I wasn’t rated an ESPN prospect or anything like that.

“I was playing offensive line and defense at Hastings High School (Hastings-on-Hudson, New York). So every other year we’ll send a guy to a D-III school at best.

“So I didn’t go to school thinking I was going to have an opportunity to go to the NFL. What I did was make an academic decision and went to the best academic school I could get into. I wanted to do finance, but we didn’t have a finance major, so I did economics. The one thing Hobart has is an excellent alumni base.”

Q: Were there any Division I schools interested in you?

A: “(FCS) Fordham, by the time I talked to them, they were willing to offer a scholarship and wanted me to play defensive line. Marist, Holy Cross. No scholarship or anything like this. Just walk-on opportunities.”

Q: Did you have a player you watched growing up, thinking: ‘I want to play like him.’

A: “There wasn’t anyone who I thought, I want to play like him, because it just wasn’t real. It’s funny because growing up — I think this is pretty weird — I would create a player in Madden, I would make an Ali Marpet, and make him an offensive lineman, usually for the Giants. I would usually make myself a 6-8 tackle; I never got to 6-8.

“I remember having a conversation with my mom. If I ever want to play offensive line, I’d have to get to 300 pounds, which just did not seem like … I’m not a 300-pound guy.”

Q: When did you realize professional football could be a possibility?

A: “After my junior season I was thinking I could actually play on, and I was talking with some alumni and some guys I played with and I was still deciding what I wanted to do, get an internship or work out in New Jersey. I worked at the DeFranco’s Gym in New Jersey.

“The summer after my junior year I did a workout for some scouts, Wunderlich test, measurables. Height and weight. My senior year, that’s when it started to get really real because there were scouts at our practice and stuff like that.

“After I got the Senior Bowl invite, I thought it would be a possibility.”

Q: Was there a moment at the Senior Bowl, where you were facing top players from the highest level of college football, where you thought you belonged?

A: “The first practice of Senior Bowl I was going against (Utah defensive end) Nate Orchard, who is a pretty good player.”

(Note: Orchard was second in the nation with 18 1-2 sacks last season).

“So that was the first rep I got in one-on-ones, with Nate Orchard. And I beat him on the first rep. And I was like ‘Ooooooh.’ I was kind of shocked myself a little bit. I was like, OK this is pretty cool. He was like the fastest D-lineman or something like that.

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French Olympians Among 10 Dead in Argentina Air Crash

Two helicopters carrying French sports stars filming a popular European reality show crashed in a remote part of Argentina, killing 10 people, including two Olympic medal winners and a sailing champion, authorities said.

The helicopters apparently collided in midair Monday near Villa Castelli in La Rioja province, about 730 miles (1,170 kilometers) northwest of Buenos Aires, La Rioja Secretary of Security Cesar Angulo told TN television. All 10 people on board — eight French nationals and two Argentine pilots — were killed.

“An explosion occurred and it’s believed that they collided,” said Angulo, referring to the helicopters. Photographs showed the burning and smoking wreckage of the helicopters on the ground in dry scrubland with people gathered nearby.

Among the dead were French Olympic gold medal swimmer Camille Muffat, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine and sailor Florence Arthaud, according to a statement from La Rioja’s government.

“The brutal demise of our compatriots is an immense sadness,” said French President Francois Hollande in a statement published on the website of the French daily Liberation.

Muffat, 25, won gold in the 400-meter freestyle, silver in the 200-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Vastine, 28, won a bronze medal in the light welterweight division at the 2008 games in Beijing. Arthaud is considered one of the best sailors in the world.

The statement identified the remaining victims as Laurent Sbasnik, Lucie Mei-Dalby, Volodia Guinard, Brice Guilbert and Edouard Gilles, as well as Argentine pilots Juan Carlos Castillo and Roberto Abate.

The athletes were part of a team filming the reality show “Dropped,” a survivalist program with several versions across Europe, said the mayor of Villa Castelli, Andres Navarrete.

The crew had arrived on Sunday in Villa Castelli, where it had previously filmed a version of the show for Switzerland and Denmark, said Navarrette.

Sylvain Wiltord, a former Arsenal footballer and reportedly one of the show’s contests who was not in either helicopter, tweeted: “I’m sad for my friends, I’m trembling, I’m horrified, I have no words, I don’t want to say anything.”

Argentine authorities were at the scene of the crash late Monday trying to determine its cause.

Angulo said one of the helicopters belonged to La Rioja province and the other belonged to neighboring Santiago del Estero province.

“The helicopter from La Rioja was a Eurocopter with a capacity to hold six people. It appears to have brushed against the other helicopter from Santiago del Estero shortly after takeoff,” the statement from the provincial government said.

A rugged, sparsely populated area is on the edge of the Andes mountain range that separates Argentina and Chile. The crash happened around 5:15 p.m. local time, according to Argentine news agency Telam. Parts of the wreckage were still on fire hours after the crash, according to Telam.

Several after-hours calls to various departments within the municipality of Villi Castelli were not answered.

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Photos: Family on Budget? Look No Further for Your Next Beach Vacation

TripAdvisor and Parents Magazine have teamed up to name the 10 best budget beach resorts for families in the U.S. and Caribbean. With affordable rates, high ratings from family travelers, plus many special features for families, these hotels are worth a look. The full article can be found on <a href=”http://www.parents.com/fun/vacation/ideas/best-budget-beach-resorts/”>Parents.com</a>. Pictured here is the Holiday Inn Resort, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

TripAdvisor

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Fla.

TripAdvisor

The Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel and Resort in Oxnard, Calif.

TripAdvisor

Franklyn D. Resort & Spa in Runaway Beach, Jamaica.

TripAdvisor

The Grand Lucayan Resort in Freeport, Bahamas.

TripAdvisor

The Hallmark Resort in Cannon Beach, Ore.

TripAdvisor

The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

TripAdvisor

The Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites in Ocean City, Maryland.

TripAdvisor

The Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

TripAdvisor

The Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown, Mass.

TripAdvisor

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Dog With Cancer Gets Sweet Ride From Home Depot Employee

Ike the dog may be getting old, but he has a sweet new ride thanks to a few Home Depot employees who volunteered to build him a custom wagon.

The 15-and-a-half-year old mutt has been owner Risa Feldman’s “baby boy” since she rescued him 12 years ago, so when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and given two-to-six months to live, she just wanted the rest of his life to be happy. He loves long walks along Manhattan Beach, California, where Feldman sits outside with a coffee and orders Ike a side of bacon, she said.

“He’s so happy to watch everybody,” Feldman told ABC News. “It’s his favorite thing to do. He’ll lay there in the sun.”

Courtesy Risa Feldman

PHOTO: Ike, a dog in Hawthorne Calif. who is battling cancer, is seen in this undated handout photo

Ike has cancer in one of his back legs, making it painful for him to get around, she said. To walk Ike, Feldman had been lifting his back legs off the ground in a kind of harness, but it’s been tough. And Ike has a wheelchair to hold up his back legs while he walks on his front paws, but he gets tired, she said.

So Feldman went to Home Depot and asked an employee for help modifying a cart for Ike. The employee, Ernesto Moran, told her he’d think about it and give her a call.

He and his coworker, Justin Wadman, eventually came up with a solution: a custom wagon with a ramp that was just Ike’s size. And they decided to do it for free.

Courtesy Risa Feldman

PHOTO: Ike, a dog in Hawthorne Calif. who is battling cancer, is seen with his owner Risa in this undated handout photo.

“I offered to build this for her and let her know that it’s something that Home Depot offers — giving back to our customers,” Moran told ABC’s Los Angeles station, KABC.

Feldman said she brought the story to the attention of KABC because, “I just wanted people to know that there are still people out there who do good things, really.”

The wagon still needs a few tweaks, but Feldman should be able to take it home in a couple days, she said. She’s looking forward to seeing her dog’s content face.

“It’s almost like a smile,” she told ABC News. “His face, it lights up.”

Courtesy Risa Feldman

PHOTO: Ike, a dog in Hawthorne Calif. who is battling cancer, is seen in this undated handout photo.

KABC

PHOTO: Ike is seen in a cart that was custom-built by two Home Depot employees.

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House Committee Subpoenas Clinton Emails in Benghazi Probe

A House committee investigating the Benghazi, Libya, attacks issued subpoenas Wednesday for the emails of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who used a private account exclusively for official business when she was secretary of state — and also used a computer email server now traced back to her family’s New York home.

The subpoenas from the Republican-led Select Committee on Benghazi demanded additional material from Clinton and others related to Libya, spokesman Jamal D. Ware said. The panel also instructed technology companies it did not identify to preserve any relevant documents in their possession.

The development on Capitol Hill came the same day The Associated Press reported the existence of a personal email server traced back to the Chappaqua, New York, home of Clinton. The unusual practice of a Cabinet-level official running her own email server would have given Clinton — who is expected to run for president in the 2016 campaign — significant control over limiting access to her message archives.

The practice also would complicate the State Department’s legal responsibilities in finding and turning over official emails in response to any investigations, lawsuits or public records requests. The department would be in the position of accepting Clinton’s assurances she was surrendering everything required that was in her control.

Late Wednesday, a message was sent on Clinton’s Twitter account that remarked on the growing controversy.

“I want the public to see my email. I asked State to release them,” according to the tweet from @Hillary Clinton. “They said they will review them for release as soon as possible.”

In response, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the department will review for release the emails Clinton provided.

“We will undertake this review as quickly as possible; given the sheer volume of the document set, this review will take some time to complete,” Harf said.

Congress said it learned last summer about Clinton’s use of a private email account to conduct official State Department business during its investigation of the Benghazi attacks on a U.S. mission in which four Americans died.

“It doesn’t matter if the server was in Foggy Bottom, Chappaqua or Bora Bora,” House Speaker John Boehner said. “The Benghazi Select Committee needs to see all of these emails, because the American people deserve all of the facts.”

The chairman of the Benghazi committee, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., told reporters: “I want the documents. Sooner rather than later.”

Democrats called it a fishing expedition.

“Everything I’ve seen so far has led me to believe that this is an effort to go after Hillary Clinton, period,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee.

The questions about Clinton’s email practices left the Obama administration in an awkward position. At one point, the State Department directed reporters to contact Clinton, who has not publicly commented about her emails. The White House said it was her responsibility to make sure any emails about official business weren’t deleted from her private server.

Meanwhile, the AP said it was considering legal action under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act against the State Department for failing to turn over some emails covering Clinton’s tenure as the nation’s top diplomat after waiting more than one year. The department has never suggested that it doesn’t possess all Clinton’s emails.

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Asia Stocks Down After US Fall as China Growth Goal Eyed

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Wednesday after Wall Street declined and investors looked ahead to U.S. economic data and China’s announcement of its annual growth target.

KEEPING SCORE: Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.9 percent to 18,643.71 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.4 percent to 24,600.52. Seoul’s Kospi fell 0.2 percent to 1,998.19 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.5 percent to 5,907.40. The Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.2 percent at 3,257.72.

U.S. OUTLOOK: Investors were looking ahead to Wednesday’s release of data on employment by ADP, a payroll processing company, and manufacturing data from the Institute for Supply Management. Those provide hints for the Labor Department’s release of monthly jobs data Friday; the report is an important influence on the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions and scrutinized by financial markets.

CHINA TARGET: China’s Premier Li Keqiang is expected to lower this year’s official growth target to 7 percent from last year’s 7.5 percent when he announces the government’s economic plans Thursday in an appearance before the national legislature. The lower target after a decade of double-digit expansion is part of the ruling Communist Party’s marathon effort to reduce China’s reliance on trade and investment and nurture more self-sustaining growth based on domestic consumption and service industries.

ANALYST’S TAKE: The U.S. economy appears strong despite data this week showing declines in construction spending and vehicle sales, according to Jim O’Sullivan of High-Frequency Economics. “We expect another fairly strong rise in payrolls and a drop in the unemployment rate in the February employment report on Friday,” said O’Sullivan in a report.

WALL STREET: U.S. stocks fell from record highs and the Nasdaq dropped below 5,000 a day after passing that milestone for the first time since the dot-com era 15 years ago. Losses were modest but broad, with eight industry sectors in the S&P index falling. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 85.26 points, or 0.5 percent, to 18,203.37. The Standard & Poor’s 500 declined 9.61 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,107.78. The Nasdaq gave up 28.20 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 4,979.90.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 11 cents to $50.63 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 93 cents on Tuesday to close at $40.42. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 32 cents to $60.70 after surging $1.48 to $61.02 on Tuesday.

CURRENCIES: The dollar was little changed at 119.65 yen from the previous session’s 119.66 yen. The euro edged down to $1.1174 from $1.1180.

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Watch: Officer's Failed Search Caught on Tape

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Transcript for Officer’s Failed Search Caught on Tape

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“id”:14042539,”title”:”Officer’s Failed Search Caught on Tape “,”duration”:”3:00″,”description”:”Nancy Garrido videotapes a parole officer as he conducts a surprise search.”,”section”:”2020″,”mediaType”:”Default”

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'Just So Tragic': Mom of Slain Hostage Pities 'Jihadi John'

The parents of an American journalist beheaded by terrorists on video expressed pity for the “tragic” choices by their son’s apparent killer, “Jihadi John,” but said ISIS must be destroyed.

Hours after the masked man’s identity was revealed Thursday by The Washington Post and confirmed by government officials, slain journalist James Foley’s mother Diane told ABC News that she was surprised to learn alleged ISIS “executioner” Mohammed Emwazi came from a “well-to-do” family in London.

“He had a privileged background, if you will,” Foley said, referring to Emwazi’s purportedly middle class background and college degree in computer science from the University of Westminster. “So, to me, it’s just tragic that he would, such a talented young man would lose his way and become part of such a brutal network as ISIS.”

“It’s not all about him. It’s about, you know, this whole culture of hate and brutality and all that ISIS is. I mean, if it hadn’t been this young man, it would have been another one. This young man is one of the very saddest,” she said.

Nicole Tung/AP Photo

PHOTO: In this Nov. 2012, file photo, posted on the website freejamesfoley.org, shows missing journalist James Foley while covering the civil war in Aleppo, Syria.

But that’s as much as Foley said she’s willing to think about Emwazi.

Asked how she reacted as a mom to the public disclosure of the name of the man who drew a knife across her son’s neck on video, she replied, “We would like, you know — ISIS needs to be stopped.”

James’s father, John Foley, agreed that Emwazi is only one of the terrorists who must face justice for brutally slaying their son and so many others. If ever captured alive, he might not attend his trial. “I doubt it. I really doubt it. I mean I’m not interested in who he is or what he’s done. I’m done with the guy,” he told ABC News in Tucson.

Obtained by ABC News

PHOTO: A masked man, who describes himself as a member of ISIS, appears to behead Western hostages in online videos.

The Foleys spoke to University of Arizona journalism students on Wednesday on a visit to the desert southwest state and said they may visit the family of another American killed while in ISIS hands, Kayla Mueller of Prescott.

Before Foley’s death, his family was able to assemble a team of hostage negotiators to hunt for their son.

When some Spanish and French hostages were ransomed in March and April last year, the team debriefed them and learned that all the Westerners, including James and Kayla, were held captive together as a group at sites near Raqqa, Syria — intelligence they feel the U.S. government didn’t act on fast enough.

“Obviously, at that point we wanted as much as possible to be done to secure his release and that obviously didn’t happen,” John Foley said on Wednesday in the interview.

A raid by an entire squadron of America’s elite Delta Force hit an aging oil refinery site on July 3. But President Obama recently told BuzzFeed News that they missed the hostages being moved by “one or two days.”

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Watch: Conservative Political Action Conference - Day 2 Recap

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Transcript for Conservative Political Action Conference – Day 2 Recap

The Republican hopefuls Jeb Bush. Rand Paul the libertarian warrior Marco Rubio the up and coming senator from Florida. All trying to make the case that top the GOP presidential ticket at C pack update you love what I’m Dan where in New York. Here with more is our political director Rick. That are at all I’ve seen and I hand them harm Ireland and Rick another big dead Republican tampering are highly anticipated speeches from Jeb Bush. Making the case or attempting to any way for a third bush presidency did he do so. He made the case he didn’t close the deal and I don’t think he could have possibly thought if this is a skeptical crowd when it comes to Jeb Bush a lot of folks. I don’t think of him is a true conservative he’s gonna have to make that Kate if it’s going to be successful Republican primaries. He began to do that today and I think not by talking down to the audience not by running away from his positions. He said rather Davis again recently that he knows he has to run as if he could lose the primary so he can win the general election I think this is the start of that and I think it was an effective speech. There’s a communicating that message that he’s got some positions that. Conservatives are can agree with he’s not backing down. And this is part of what he had to sit. But. Asked me about the ideas that I believe then to move our country forward so that we can have high sustained economic growth. Where more people have a chance of earned success because in America today one more people don’t think that’s system works for them anymore. And for conservatives to win we needed. Give them hope. That if we create the field of dreams that people can rise up again. So. Rick and that there was talk of a potential lockout did that in fact happened. From the floor. I’m calling it a meeting walk out then and there were a couple of dozen people. Who laughed out wanting to know about them some of them wearing costumes revolutionary war garb so. Not necessarily rank and file Republicans. And the people yes you most worried about if you’re Jeb Bush but they did make a show that it was all a stream of them walking out of of the room with chants of USA on their way out. Although it did appear that there were more reporters. Seeking to document that and we’re actual people involved in the walk out. Interest in a game Rand Paul spoke just before Jim hood he came out swinging against government wastes billions and. I say that the phone records of law abiding citizens are none of their damn president. Okay. Or. From went to end our freedom is threatened by debt and buy a government that regulates everything that no news. We borrow a million dollars a minute. The president says he doesn’t know where to cut. How about we start with a 2.4 million dollars they spent on origami condoms. Don’t tell me there’s no place to cut. It’s at rules. Favorite Rand Paul’s other he’s trying to get his third straw poll Tennessee tactic do it. I think he’s got a good shot at it when they start voting tomorrow you’re seeing everywhere sharks gains teacher to stand with ran. That is the the watch word and this is a younger crowd Dan is important realized. It’s not necessarily the same as that as an election. Pop population for Republicans younger crowd there energetic around some of the issues that he talks about they like his style they like that he comes out against NSA surveillance and likely gets he comes out against. Foreign intervention they like he talks about cutting in and following the constitution. There’s a lot to like it is Rand Paul for a younger demographic I don’t think that as much to do necessarily with how you win. Me and our primary in every year from now but it is an indication early on about how his appeal just a little bit different than the others in the field. Buses that are Marco Rubio of Florida are fairly crowd. Very well and the thing for marker revealed he is here to stake people listening all along had he run it Jeb Bush runs as well. He’s brushing past all of that any such a good communicators another young energetic dynamic speaker. I think he got when all well long waits are convincing people he’s in this thing for real. And you’re so many people came it was something to prove here Dan. And I think for the that the crowd around us. People were excited people were energized they were engaged they like the issues that they like the matchups and have a long way to go though before that there under the nominee’s going to be. In the thick of it all the Big Three still the area Rick Klein at BC back Rick thanks so much appreciate it. You can keep up with the story in real time I’d download an ABC news outlets star in the story for exclusive updates on ago. I’m Dan that’s learn New York.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

“id”:29282257,”title”:”Conservative Political Action Conference – Day 2 Recap”,”duration”:”4:52″,”description”:”Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio address CPAC day 2.”,”section”:”Politics”,”mediaType”:”Default”

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Pot Fight Between DC Mayor, Congress Could Cost the City

The new mayor of the nation’s capital gave her constituents what they wanted — the ability to legally grow and share marijuana in private.

Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had little choice, given the overwhelming voter support for the legalization initiative and the unanimous opinion from her legal team that Congress couldn’t block it.

“D.C. residents have spoken,” said Rica Madrid, 34, a public-relations consultant and activist who said she feels less anxious about smoking at home now that it’s legal. “People here in this urban area, we see that the harm of the drug war is much more intense than the harm of the drug itself.”

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences for the District of Columbia.

Republicans in Congress are angry that the city went ahead and legalized pot Thursday, despite their warnings that it would violate federal law. They’ve even suggested Bowser and other city officials could go to prison. While that’s highly unlikely, Republicans could get their point across by reducing or restricting some of the federal money that flows to the city every year.

“We provide half a billion dollars (annually) to the District. One would think they would be much more compliant with the wishes of Congress,” Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican and one of the most vocal pot opponents, said in an interview Thursday.

Actually, the District received more than $670 million in federal funding last year to support its $11 billion budget. The federal money is earmarked for specific programs — including the city’s court system.

Republicans will “find some areas where perhaps we have been very generous with the citizens of the District. That will all come with time,” Harris warned.

Harris didn’t mention any specific programs, but Congress could make another run at loosening the city’s tough gun-control laws. It could also reduce funding for school construction, HIV prevention or a popular program that gives District residents a break on tuition at public universities in other states.

Even top advocates of city autonomy are preparing for tough times on Capitol Hill.

“I do believe it’s likely this is a short-lived victory,” said Kimberly Perry, executive director of D.C. Vote. “Members of the House are going to come after D.C. with a vengeance on appropriations for 2016.”

The fight over pot illustrates the always-fractious relationship between the city’s elected local leaders and Congress, which has the final say over the city’s budget and laws. Bowser has pledged to strengthen the city’s relationships on Capitol Hill and work together to advance common goals. Now, that might not be possible.

Congress has already ensured that the District can’t allow marijuana to be sold legally, like in Colorado and Washington state. The new law makes it legal to possess up to 2 ounces of pot or up to three mature plants for use in the home. People can also give away up to 1 ounce.

Smoking in public and possession on federal property remain illegal. The main difference is that city police will no longer be issuing $25 civil fines for possession.

Before legalization took effect, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, sent Bowser a letter urging her to reconsider and warning her that the city is violating a law that bans federal agencies from spending money they don’t have.

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FCC Weighs Overriding State Laws to Expand Broadband Access

The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether to override state laws blocking city-owned broadband companies from expanding and competing with commercial Internet providers.

The FCC was scheduled to meet Thursday in Washington to consider pre-empting laws in two states that limit municipal broadband operations. City officials started the operations after their communities were overlooked by telecommunications companies deciding where to build their fastest services. City-run broadband services in Wilson, North Carolina, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, offer super-fast one gigabit-per-second Internet speeds at low cost but are barred by laws in those states from readily expanding to neighboring towns.

President Barack Obama supports FCC action to break down such laws in 19 states that the White House says stifle competition and economic development.

Supporters of those laws say they protect taxpayers from government bureaucrats botching business decisions. Municipalities that moved into broadband counter that they were at risk of being left behind economically as phone and cable companies delayed improvements.

Visual effects artist Brad Kalinoski moved to Wilson, about 50 miles east of Raleigh, specifically because it allowed him to continue working on Hollywood productions while freeing him from Southern California’s costs. He needs the Internet speed because he downloads bits of movies, TV shows and commercials; adds special effects around the actors; then shoots them back into the production cycle.

“The fiber is definitely one of the key factors that brought us here, that’s for sure. Especially for how much data we have to push, which is terabytes a day,” said Kalinoski, who was nominated in 2011 for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for his visual effects on the film “Black Swan.”

The average broadband speed in 2013 was 21.2 megabits per second, according to the FCC. A gigabit equals 1,000 megabits.

If the FCC acts Thursday, its decision will affect only the two cities in North Carolina and Tennessee — but could set a precedent for other communities.

Other municipalities seeking to expand broadband operations will need separate FCC action and decisions will depend on the facts of each case, said Guggenheim Securities telecom analyst Paul Gallant. Even in the 31 states without restrictions, cities and towns aren’t big competitors for broadband companies, Gallant said.

“The FCC’s move does indicate some of those other state laws might be in jeopardy,” he said. “But the details matter and it’s not obvious that every state law could be pre-empted.”

———

Emery Dalesio can be reached at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio .

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Egypt: Series of Blasts in Cairo Kill 1, Wound at Least 7

A series of blasts in Cairo on Thursday killed one person and wounded at least seven, Egyptian security officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks using homemade explosives that authorities blame on Islamist militants.

The officials said four bombs exploded in the residential districts of Imbabah and Mohandiseen in the Egyptian capital, which is home to some 18 million people. Later, a blast outside a police station in the nearby Warraq district wounded four people, including a police conscript.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Egypt has for years been battling a burgeoning insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, but the frequency of attacks against army and police there has spiked since the 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Small bombings have also been carried out in Cairo and other cities, targeting public transport, shopping malls and government buildings. They have caused few casualties, but have heightened tensions four years after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Militants have vowed to step up their campaign of violence in the run-up to a key economic conference scheduled for next month in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the military ouster of Morsi, is hoping to attract foreign investment to revive the ailing economy.

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