Red Bluff Daily News

June 16, 2016

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ByKenSweet TheAssociatedPress NEWYORK Thestockmar- ket fell for a fifth straight day Wednesday as inves- tors set aside the Federal Reserve's interest rate deci- sion and remained focused on next week's vote on whetherBritainwillremain in the European Union. TheDowJonesindustrial average fell 34.65 points, or 0.2percent,to17,640.17.The Standard&Poor's500index fell 3.82 points, or 0.2 per- cent, to 2,071.50 and the Nasdaq composite fell 8.62 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,834.93. As expected, the Federal Reserve's policymakers voted to keep interest rates unchanged at their current level of 0.25 percent to 0.50 percent. In their statement, the FedsaidthatwhileU.S.eco- nomic activity continues to strengthen,"thepaceofim- provementinthelabormar- ket has slowed," a reference to the April and May job re- portsthatwereweakerthan anticipated. "After that May jobs re- port, I think today's deci- sion was a fait accompli," said Kristina Hooper, head of U.S. investment strate- giesatAllianzGlobalInves- tors, after the decision was announced. "They needed to hit the pause button for June, but I think a July rate hike still remains a distinct possibility." Bond prices remained high, keeping yields low. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 1.58 percent from 1.61 per- cent a day earlier. Bond in- vestorssaidtheuncertainty about the British vote has forced European investors to buy up U.S. government bonds in a search for yield and security, pushing bond yields to their lowest levels in years. "Weareinararemoment where the highest quality creditor, the United States, is also the creditor with the highest interest rate," said Brandon Swensen, senior portfolio manager and co- head of U.S. fixed income at RBC Global Asset Man- agement. With the Fed decision re- vealed, most investors are focused on the other side of the Atlantic. There is grave uncertainty about whether Britishvoterswillchoose to leave the European Union in a June 23 referendum. Polls show the vote could go either way and investors are starting to worry about the consequences. A British exit from the EU, which investors have taken to referring to as "Brexit," would likely hurt the British economy most and destabilize the rest of Europe. The repercussions, however, are not clear and investorsarereactingtothe generaluncertaintyoverthe situation. During her press conference, Yellen said Fed policymakers said the up- coming vote was one of the reasons why the central bank kept interest rates unchanged. "The potential disruption from (a British exit from the EU) has not loomed as large with inves- tors as it should have. Now that the Fed decision over, the(votewillbeallthey'llbe talkingabout,"Hoopersaid. Among individual com- panies, Whole Foods Mar- ketfell$1.62,or5percent,to $30.90 after the Food and Drug Administration said there were "serious viola- tions" at a kitchen in Mas- sachusetts that may have resulted in contaminated food and the grocery chain hasn't done enough to fix them so far. WALL STREET A late decline erases gains for US stock indexes TOURIST DESTINATION REDHUBER—ORLANDOSENTINEL An Orange County Sheriff's helicopter searches for a young boy early Wednesday a er the boy was dragged into the water Tuesday night by an alligator near Disney's upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The boy's body was recovered Wednesday. By Jay Reeves and Terrance Harris The Associated Press LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. The body of a 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was snatched off a Walt Disney World beach by an alligator and dragged underwater was recovered Wednesday, ending a ghastly search at one of the world's most pop- ular tourist destinations. Divers found the body of Lane Graves about 16 hours after authorities first got the call that a reptile had taken the boy at Seven Seas Lagoon. Sheriff Jerry Demings said it appeared the ga- tor drowned the child and left the body near the spot where he was last seen. An autopsy was planned. "Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that his body was found in- tact," Demings told a news conference. The boy's parents were identified as Matt and Me- lissa Graves of Elkhorn, Ne- braska, a suburban area of Omaha. A family friend re- leased a statement on be- half of the couple thank- ing well-wishers for their "thoughts and hope-filled prayers." Disney World closed beaches around Seven Seas Lagoon during the search, and it was not immediately clear when they would re- open. While "no swimming" signs are posted at the beach where the boy was attacked, no signs warn about alligators. The com- pany representative said it would "thoroughly re- view the situation for the future." Demings said his agency and the state wildlife agency would look into the issue of warning signs. The sheriff said investigators would also review whether the boy's parents should be charged, but it's not likely. "There nothing in this case to indicate that there was anything extraordi- nary" in terms of neglect by the parents, Demings said. Wildlife officials said the attack was a rarity in a state with a gator popula- tion estimated at 1 million. But it still spooked visitors in a city built on tourism. "We have been to Yel- lowstone and encountered grizzly bears, but this is just freaky," said Minnesota tourist John Aho, who was staying at the park with his wife, Kim, and their 12-year-old son, Johnny. Kim Aho said their son was "a little freaked out about the gator." The child had waded no more than 1 or 2 feet into the water of the lagoon around nightfall Tuesday when he was taken from a small beach, authorities said. The boy's father desper- ately tried to fight off the gator, suffering lacerations on a hand, but he could not save his son. Neither could a nearby lifeguard, officials said. No other alligator at- tacks have been reported on the man-made lake, ac- cording to Demings. Some visitors were sur- prised to learn the reptiles lived on the property. "My question is why are there alligators in there?" said Michelle Stone, who lives near Detroit and was visiting Disney for 10 days with her two children. A Disney spokeswoman did not immediately re- turn a message seeking comment. The sheriff said the company has a wildlife management system and has "worked diligently to ensure their guests are not unduly exposed to wildlife here in this area." Nick Wiley with the Flor- ida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission said witnesses estimated that the alligator was 4 feet to 7 feet long. The beach where the reptile grabbed the child is part of the luxury Grand Floridian resort, across the lake from Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park. The lake stretches over about 200 acres and reaches a depth of 14 feet. It feeds into a series of canals that wind through the entire Disney property. More than 50 law en- forcement personnel searched the well-tended lagoon along with an alli- gator tracker and marine units equipped with sonar to search the lake's sandy, mostly flat bottom. Though Florida has grown to the nation's third- most populous state, fatal alligator attacks remain rare. Since 1973, 23 people have been killed by wild al- ligators in Florida, accord- ing to data compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The grim news was only the latest for a city buffeted by tragedy in the past few days. On Sunday, a gunman opened fire at a gay night- club in Orlando, leaving 49 people dead in the worst mass shooting in mod- ern U.S. history. On Friday night, Christina Grimmie, 22, a contestant on season six of "The Voice," was fa- tally shot as she signed au- tographs after a show in Orlando. Body of boy snatched by gator found in Disney lagoon By Garance Burke, Holbrook Mohr and Mitch Weiss The Associated Press RODEO, CALIFORNIA She was a sweet, pretty Cali- fornia girl with Palestinian roots who left an arranged marriage only to find love with a man who committed the worst mass shooting in modern U.S history. Little by little, details have begun to emerge about 30-year-old Noor Zahi Salman, who grew up in the small suburb of Rodeo, tucked in the dry hills near the oil refineries 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. Her romance with Omar Mateen — security guard, bodybuilder and devout Muslim — began online, ac- cording to a neighbor, and they were married on Sept. 29, 2011, near her home- town, according to public records. The couple has a 3-year-old son. Early Sunday, the 29-year-old Mateen opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, leav- ing 49 people dead and 53 wounded. Authorities believe Ma- teen's wife knew about the plot ahead of time, said an official who was briefed on the progress of the case but insisted on anonymity to discuss a continuing inves- tigation. The official said investigators are reluctant to charge her only on the basis of possible advance knowledge of her husband's plans. Three people identifying themselves as FBI agents visited Salman's childhood home in Rodeo on Tuesday and spoke with her mother, said Jessie Rojas, a next- door neighbor. In Fort Pierce, Florida, where Salman and Ma- teen lived, Salman made a brief visit to their first-floor apartment late Monday, es- corted by police and her brother-in-law. Her father- in-law said she came to re- trieve clothing. She did not speak with reporters. She has otherwise been in se- clusion. According to marriage documents on file in the Contra Costa County Re- corder's office, Salman was born in the United States while her parents' birth- places were listed as "Pal- estine." It's unclear when her parents, who served as witnesses for the wedding, came to the United States, but their naturalization pa- pers allowing them to stay in the country were ap- proved in 1984. No one answered the door at the Salman home Tuesday, but neighbors who know the 2004 graduate of John Swett High School in nearby Crockett said they find it hard to believe she had anything to do with the massacre. Jasbinder Chahal, who has lived across the street from Salman's childhood home for the last 15 years, said Salman is "very nice... not the smartest, but she was beautiful. "You know, some kids af- ter high school, they open up the box and the world is theirs. She was inside the box, just pack it up and get married," said Chahal. ORLANDO MASSACRE Details emerge about nightclub shooter's wife | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2016 8 A

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