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ByMalcolmRitter TheAssociatedPress NEW YORK It was a spec- tacular discovery: Fossil remains in an Indonesian cave revealed a recent rel- ative of modern humans that stood about 3 feet tall. The creatures were quickly nicknamed "hobbits." With evidence that they had survived to just 12,000 years ago, the hobbits ap- peared to have been the last of our companions on the human branch of the evo- lutionary tree to go extinct. Now, a decade after they made headlines, they've lost that distinction. New inves- tigations indicate they ev- idently disappeared much earlier — about 50,000 years ago, before Neander- thals did, for example. The new date raises spec- ulation about whether hob- bits were doomed by the ar- rival of modern humans on their island. But it doesn't change much about their scientific significance, said Matt Tocheri of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He and others wrote the new paper with three of the researchers who'd first reported the discovery in 2004. The new paper was released Wednesday by the journal Nature. The hobbits are formally known as Homo floresien- sis, reflecting their home on the Indonesian island of Flores. With small, chimp- sized brains, the hobbits had skulls that resembled Homo erectus, which lived in Africa and Asia. But they also had long arms and short legs that harkened back to the much older evolutionary forerunners best known for the skele- ton dubbed Lucy. It's not clear where they fit in the human family tree. They may have de- scended from taller ances- tors who shrank because of their isolation on the is- land. Some scientists have argued they were diseased modern humans rather than a separate species, but experts called that a minority view and several said the new dates make it less likely. Hobbits evidently made the stone tools that were found along with skeletal remains in the Liang Bua cave. The new analysis says the remains are 100,000 to 60,000 years old, while the artifacts range in age from about 190,000 to 50,000 years. Researchers revised the original age estimates after new excavations revealed more about the geology of the cave. Sediments were sampled to date the arti- facts and bones. "I think it's a terrific pa- per," said Bernard Wood of George Washington Uni- versity, who had no role in the research. "They have done everything you can possibly ask." So did the arrival of modern humans spell the end for the hobbits, as is proposed for the demise of the Neanderthals in Eu- rope and Asia about 40,000 years ago? There's no evidence that modern humans occupied Flores until long after the hobbits were gone. But they are known to have lived not far away, in Australia, some 50,000 years ago — right about the time the hobbits evidently disappeared. "It is certainly sugges- tive," said anthropologist Karen Baab of Midwestern University in Glendale, Ar- izona, who studies the hob- bits but didn't participate in the new work. Richard Roberts of the University of Wollongong in Australia, a study au- thor, said in an email it is "certainly a possibility to be considered, but solid ev- idence is needed in order to demonstrate it. One thing we can be certain of, it will definitely be a major focus of further research." DISCOVERY Study:Indonesia'hobbit'fossilsolderthanfirstthought SMITHSONIANDIGITIZATION Liang Bua is a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, where the Liang Bua Team prepares for new archaeological excavations. By Kevin Freking The Associated Press WASHINGTON Donald Trump and Hillary Clin- ton agree on almost noth- ing. Except for their dislike of a sweeping agreement that would erase most tar- iffs and other trade barri- ers among the United States and 11 other nations. "Insanity," Trump calls the deal. Democrat Bernie Sanders describes it as "di- sastrous." Clinton and Re- publican Ted Cruz have used less colorful language, but ultimately opposed the pact. The final candidate still standing in the GOP presidential primary, Ohio Gov. Josh Kasich, supports the deal, but he is running a distant third. All the bashing from the presidential candidates has created more difficulties for the Trans-Pacific Part- nership, one of President Barack Obama's top prior- ities in his final year in of- fice. Some Democratic sup- porters of the TPP have come around to Senate Ma- jority Leader Mitch McCon- nell's position that it's best to wait until after the No- vember elections to have a vote during a lame-duck session of Congress. "I don't think anyone wants to take it up in the lame duck if there aren't the votes for it, but I don't see any chance of taking this up earlier than that. That's for sure," said Rep. Gerry Con- nolly, D-Va. Groups working behind the scenes in support of the agreement said many law- makers are cautious about staking out a positon on TPP. Another big challenge is the short legislative cal- endar as lawmakers spend more time at home cam- paigning and less in Wash- ington. "Make no mistake the presidential campaign is a huge factor. It presents a stream of challenges that's difficult for a trade associa- tion to deal with," said John Murphy, a senior vice presi- dent at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. While the trade pact is supposed to make products cheaper for consumers and help level the playing field for exporters, opponents say it includes giveaways to business lobbies and will cause downward pressure on wages and job losses in some industries. For the pact's support- ers, there's a huge incen- tive to try to get something done this year, knowing the next president will be hard- pressed to touch the issue at first. Congress approved leg- islation last year that al- lows TPP to be approved by a simple majority with- out opportunities to amend it. The Obama administra- tion believes that coalition remains largely intact. The real battle will be in the House, where last year's fast-track legislation passed by a narrow vote of 219-211. The administration is hop- ing that business and agri- culture groups can sustain Republican support and limit any dropouts among the 28 House Democratic lawmakers who supported fast-track trade legislation last year. Opponents say TPP is in big trouble. The more vot- ers hear about the deal, the less likely they are to sup- port it, said Lori Wallach, an international trade ana- lyst at Public Citizen, a non- profit public interest group. "The fact that it's be- come a centerpiece in the presidential primary is ex- tremely helpful," Wallach said. The Obama administra- tion has been working be- hind the scenes with law- makers to try to address concerns about particular facets of the deal. For ex- ample, senior officials re- cently met with Sen. Or- rin Hatch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Fi- nance Committee, who has objected to how the deal treats drugs called bio- logics — medicine derived from living matter such as human cells or bacteria. The United States provides 12 years of regulatory data protection for biologics. Un- der TPP, a county may limit the data protection to eight years, and possibly lower in some cases, the pharmaceu- tical industry fears. While the trade deal has already been negotiated, it's routine for lawmak- ers to seek informal com- mitments from the presi- dent to address their con- cerns, or side agreements between nations that would spell out additional obliga- tions above and beyond the trade pact itself. Hatch said that if Obama wants TPP to be approved, he will need to work with Congress to address various concerns. "I'm hopeful that, at the end of the day, I, along with many of my colleagues, will be able to support a strong TPP," Hatch said. "But this is a once-in-a-life opportu- nity and we have to make sure we get it right." The financial services in- dustry also has some con- cerns about TPP, as do to- bacco growers. Republican Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Caro- lina both voted for last year' fast-track legislation, but have announced their in- tentions to vote against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Murphy, who directs the Chamber of Commerce ad- vocacy efforts on trade, said he still sees "a lot of good will" to advance the trade pact, but he says he won't make any predictions on timing. "All our potential sup- porters on the Hill agree the substance has to drive the timing," Murphy said. SWEEPING AGREEMENT Presidential campaign roils Obama's free-trade plans SHIZUO KAMBAYASHI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE A protester holds a placard during a rally against the Trans- Pacific Partnership in Tokyo. By Amy Forliti and Steve Karnowski The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS Two white police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a black man last fall will not face criminal charges, a prose- cutor announced Wednes- day in a decision that drew outrage from community members who said the move showed that the legal system is rigged against Af- rican-Americans. Hennepin County At- torney Mike Freeman said his decision not to charge the officers in the death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark was based on forensic ev- idence that showed Clark was not handcuffed and had attempted to grab an officer's weapon, which made the officers believe they were in mortal danger. The prosecutor said Clark ignored warnings to take his hands off Mark Ringgenberg's gun be- fore he was shot and told Ringgenberg and offi- cer Dustin Schwarze: "I'm ready to die." Freeman painstak- ingly described his de- cision, starting with ac- counts from police reports and witnesses. Community members who attended the presentation said the pros- ecutor relied too heavily on police accounts and disre- garded what others said they saw. "This is a fairy tale. None of this happened," said Mel Reeves, an organizer for a group called Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Ja- mar Clark. "It's not justice. It sends us a clear message that the police are above the law." Police encountered Clark early on Nov. 15 after para- medics called for help from a scene where they were at- tempting to treat Clark's girlfriend after she was assaulted. The paramed- ics said Clark, the assault suspect, was interfering with their work, and they feared for their safety, Free- man said. When police arrived, Clark kept putting his hands in his pockets and refused orders to show his hands. Officers tried to handcuff Clark but couldn't, and the hand- cuffs were dropped, Free- man said. Ringgenberg then took Clark to the ground and ended up on top of Clark, who was lying on his back. Ringgenberg's back was to Clark's stomach, Freeman said. Ringgenberg felt his gun shift from his hip to the small of his back and reached back and felt Clark's hand on his weapon, Freeman said. JAMAR CLARK No charges for 2 officers in fatal shooting | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016 8 A