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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2017)
Thursday, November 2, 2017 OFF PAGE ONE CIA releases more files from bin Laden raid INSURANCE: Free help available WASHINGTON (AP) It was the fourth trove — Never-before-seen video of documents, images and to assist in the sign-up process of Osama bin Laden’s son computer files recovered Page 8A East Oregonian and potential successor was released Wednesday by the CIA in a trove of material recovered during the May 2011 raid that killed the al-Qaida leader at his compound in Pakistan. The video offers the first public look at Hamza bin Laden as an adult. Until now, the public has only seen childhood pictures of him. In recent years, al-Qaida has released audio messages from Hamza bin Laden. And to mark a recent anniversary of 9/11, al-Qaida superim- posed a childhood photo of him over a photo of the World Trade Center. He is expected to rise to prominence in the jihadist movement and is being closely watched as the rival Islamic State organiza- tion suffers setbacks in the Middle East. One hourlong video shows CIA via AP In this image from video released by the CIA, Ham- za bin Laden is seen as an adult at his wedding. Hamza bin Laden, sporting a trimmed mustache but no beard, at his wedding. He is sitting on a carpet with other men. A man chanting Quranic verses can be heard in the background. Sporting a traditional white headdress, he verbally accepts his marriage to his bride “on the book of God and the example of the prophet. Peace be upon him.” “Takbeer!” the others shout, marking his marriage with a kind of religious hooray. during the raid of bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Earlier materials were released in May 2015, March 2016 and in January of this year. The CIA said the nearly 470,000 additional files offer insights into the inner workings of the terrorist organization responsible for 9/11 and detail its clashes with the Islamic State group, a spin-off of al-Qaida’s operation in Iraq. They also shed light on hardships that al-Qaida faced at the time of bin Laden’s death. Included is a 228-page, handwritten personal journal of bin Laden and about 79,000 images and audio files, including practice reels of public speeches. Also released were home videos and more than 10,000 video files. Continued from 1A That may be particularly true this year. Changes by the Trump administration, including a decision to end government payments to insurance companies to cover the cost of people who struggle to afford their co-payments and deduct- ibles, have cause the insur- ance marketplace to behave differently than usual. Some “silver” plans will be more expensive than some “gold” plans with better coverage, for example. Anyone shopping for insurance on the exchanges or seeking help to do so should be ready to provide information about their income, and should bring a list of any doctors that they want to continue seeing. Shoppers can enter providers into healthcare. gov to narrow down their plan options to ones that include those providers in their network. For those who want help navigating the system, a list of licensed health insurance agents in the area can be found online at oregon- healthcare.gov/gethelp. The website also lists commu- nity partners who will assist in the sign-up process for free, including Good Shepherd Medical Center, St. Anthony Hospital and Umatilla County Human Services offices in Hermiston, Pendleton and Milton-Freewater. Oregon Health Insurance Market- place staff can also answer questions by phone toll free at 1-855-268-3767. Repeated attempts by Republicans in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as well as sharp cuts to advertising and “navigators” helping people enroll, have caused some confusion for consumers about whether they can still sign up for health insurance. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Or- egon) said in a statement that it was “disappointing that people out there are sowing confusion and trying to dissuade fellow Americans from getting health coverage.” “It’s critical that everyone in our communi- ties knows that this is the window to sign up through the ACA marketplace,” he said. “With the financial assistance available through the exchange, many Americans will be able to find affordable, quality coverage.” BILL: Will allow logging trees more than 21 inches in diameter Continued from 1A The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture to create a pilot program for resolving lawsuits against forest management projects through arbitration, as opposed to going to court. Plaintiffs would not be able to recover their attorney fees in such cases under the Equal Access to Justice Act. Finally in Eastern Oregon, the bill lifts the prohibition on logging trees more than 21 inches in diameter, a rule that county officials argue “has no basis in science.” Opponents of the Resilient Federal Forests Act criticize the bill as a way to maximize the interests of logging companies while severely undermining environmental review laws. Andy Kerr, former conservation director for Oregon Wild, has written the bill would essentially gut the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and Equal Access to Justice Act to advance the interests of logging. Walden said the proposal now heads to the Senate with a strong bipartisan vote out of the House. Unlike the previous four years, he said the administration in Wash- ington, D.C. seems more receptive to advancing the bill to the President’s desk. “I think we have a good opportunity this time,” he said. “This time, we’re not fighting the head winds of an administration that wasn’t supportive. That changes the dynamics.” Say “yes!” to iPhone 8 for $0. Say “no!” to hidden fees. Switch to U.S. Cellular ® and get iPhone 8 for net $0 when you turn in your old phone. Plus, get a stronger signal in the Middle of Anywhere. HOUFMUSE: Claims Cragun’s death was accidental Continued from 1A nian is declining to identify the officer because it can’t substantiate them. Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston said he had not been made aware of the letters until last week, and neither the defense nor the prosecution informed him of the letters or their contents. “I find it interesting that (Houfmuse is) reaching out to the judge, but I’ve seen that a number of times in my career,” Edmiston said. “People facing charges have no problem throwing mud at a wall and seeing if it sticks.” Edmiston said he takes accusations against his staff members seriously, but that he was not in a position to disclose exactly what he’d do with the information from the letter other than he would follow up. In the second letter, Houfmuse writes in the third- person to give an account of the night Cragun died and the events he says led up to it. He states he is not responsible for Cragun’s death, which he claims was accidental. Hermiston police officer Victor Gutierrez wrote the application and affidavit to collect Houfmuse’s DNA after the shooting. In the document, Gutierrez asserted Houfmuse’s statements to police about what happened “appear to be untruthful as they are inconsistent with the physical evidence and the trajectories of the bullets as they passed though Cragun’s body and clothing.” In the document, Gutierrez also describes interviews he and other officers conducted with Houfmuse and witnesses of the shooting. In the inter- view, Houfmuse states that Cragun came toward him with a gun in his hand, and that the gun went off as they fought over it. The others interviewed say they do not remember Cragun having a gun in his hand. Houfmuse’s court-ap- pointed attorney, Kara Davis, said she was aware of the letters. She said similar docu- ments may have been public in other cases, but they have only been available online since last summer when the county switched to a new e-courts computer system. Before that, she said, people had to go to the courthouse to look at a case file. Davis said she didn’t think the letters would have much of an impact on the case. “It’s too early to tell if the letters will have an effect or not,” she said. “A lot of it was, frankly, irrelevant.” Deputy District Attorney Jaclyn Jenkins said the district attorney’s office did not bring the letters to the attention of the Hermiston Police Depart- ment because they felt no need to do so. “There’s no truth to it, and (the claim) has been made by an individual who’s been indicted for murder,” said Jenkins. “If we had a complaint from a defendant that did cause concern, we’d talk to the agency. But there’s no truth in this case.” Temple, to whom the letters were addressed, said she had read at least one of the letters, but could not comment on a pending case. Roy Blaine, trial court administrator for the local circuit courts, said typically a judge makes a decision of what goes into the case file, but in this case, court staff made the decision. Houfmuse has twice before been arrested for violent disputes in the area. In 2014, he was involved in a shooting outside a nightclub in Kennewick, which left another man paralyzed. He was arrested in Hermiston, but in 2015 a jury decided he acted in self-defense. In 2005, Houfmuse allegedly fired shots into a moving vehicle with three people in it, and was charged with attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty. No one was injured in the incident and the attempted murder charge was dismissed, but Houfmuse was charged with menacing, assault in the third degree, unlawful use of a weapon against another, crim- inal mischief and unlawful possession of a firearm. He also has an attempted murder charge from 2000 that was dismissed. –—— Contact Jayati Ramakrishnan at 541-564- 4534 or jramakrishnan@ eastoregonian.com. iPhone 8 is a new generation of iPhone. Designed with the most durable glass ever in a smartphone and a stronger aerospace grade aluminum band. Charges wirelessly. 1 Resists water and dust. 2 4.7-inch Retina HD display with True Tone. 3 12MP camera with new sensor and advanced image signal processor. Powered by A11 Bionic, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone. Supports augmented reality experiences in games and apps. With iPhone 8, intelligence has never looked better. Promotional pricing is net $0. Requires select Postpaid Plan, new customer port-in, credit approval, Device Protection+, qualifying Smartphone turn-in and a 30-month Retail Installment Contract. Net zero offer comes via a monthly bill credit of $19.97 plus a $100 U.S. Cellular Promotional Card. Things we want you to know: Offer valid on base-memory model. New consumer or small business (20 lines or less) port-in and a select Postpaid Plan required. 2GB Total Plan and 3GB Shared Connect Plan excluded. Purchase of device via 0% APR 30-month Retail Installment Contract, credit approval, qualifying Smartphone turn-in (for “On Us” promotional pricing) and Device Protection+ required. A $25 Activation Fee may apply. Tax due at sale. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (currently $2.02) applies; this is not a tax or government required charge. Additional fees (including Device Connection Charges), taxes, terms, conditions and coverage areas may apply and vary by plan, service and phone. Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details. Minimum monthly price of Device Protection+ is $8.99 ($9.99 on/after 11/2/2017) per Smartphone. A service fee/deductible per approved claim applies. You may cancel anytime. Property insurance is underwritten by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida and provided under a Master Policy issued to U.S. Cellular. You will be the certificate holder on U.S. Cellular’s Master Policy for loss/theft benefits. Service Contract Obligor is Federal Warranty Service Corporation in all states except CA (Sureway, Inc.) and OK (Assurant Service Protection, Inc.). Limitations and exclusions apply. Ask an associate for more details. Smartphone turn-in: Smartphone must power on and cannot be pin locked. Device must be in fully functional working condition without any liquid damage or broken components, including, but not limited to, a cracked display or housing. 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Card must be used by expiration date shown on card. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited-time offer. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. © 2017 U.S. Cellular 1 Charging mat sold separately. 2 iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge a wet iPhone; refer to the user guide for cleaning and drying instructions. Liquid damage not covered under warranty. 3 Display size is measured diagonally.
