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NATION/WORLD Tuesday, March 27, 2018 U.S., allies band together to expel Russians over spy case By JOSH LEDERMAN and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press WASHINGTON — From Washington to Warsaw, Western nations banded together Monday to expel more than 100 Russian diplo- mats they accused of being spies, punishing Moscow for its alleged poisoning of an ex-intelligence officer in Britain. President Donald Trump, under constant political heat for his reluctance to challenge Russia, ordered 60 of its diplomats out of the U.S. — all of them spies, the White House said. The United States called it the largest expulsion of Russian spies in American history, and also shuttered Russia’s consulate in Seattle, deeming it a counterintelli- gence threat. All told, at least 21 coun- tries have ousted more than 135 Russians, including 23 kicked out earlier by the U.K. “Together we have sent a message that we will not tolerate Russia’s continued attempts to flout interna- tional law and undermine our values,” British Prime Minister Theresa May told Parliament. The American moves illustrated an increased will- ingness by Trump’s admin- istration to push back on the Kremlin, even as the president himself steadfastly avoids challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin personally or directly. Less than a week ago, Trump congratulated Putin for his re-election but didn’t raise the March 4 spy poisoning, Russia’s alleged AP Photo/Elaine Thompson A metal fence surrounds the residence of Russia’s consul general Monday in Seat- tle. The United States and more than a dozen European nations kicked out Russian diplomats on Monday and the Trump administration ordered Russia’s consulate in Seattle to close, as the West sought joint punishment for Moscow’s alleged role in poisoning an ex-spy in Britain. election-meddling in the U.S. or its own tainted voting process, prompting dismayed critiques even from Trump’s fellow Republicans. In a choreographed show of trans-Atlantic unity, the U.S. and European allies care- fully timed their announce- ments for maximum effect. Within a few hours, at least 16 European Union nations expelled Russians, with more likely to follow. Germany, Poland and France each said it planned to boot four Russian diplomats, the Czech Republic and Lithu- ania ousted three and Italy, two. Canada also took action, kicking out four Russians and denying three who have applied to enter the country. The list included nations in Russia’s backyard that have perhaps the most at stake. Ukraine, a non-EU country with its own conflicts with Moscow, was expelling 13 Russians. All three Baltic states said they would make diplomats leave. Almost all of the coun- tries said publicly that those being expelled were actually Russian intelligence operatives working under diplomatic cover. Moscow threatened retaliation of the tit-for-tat variety, suggesting it would kick out an equal number of foreign diplomats. Russia’s Embassy in Washington responded to the Seattle consulate closure by asking its Twitter followers to “vote” which U.S. consulate should be shuttered in turn: St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg or Vladivostok. “This is an attempt on the lives of Russian citizens on the territory of Great Britain,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. “It goes without saying that this unfriendly move by this group of countries will not go unnoticed.” Yet it was unclear whether the expulsions, which may be inconvenient for Moscow but don’t take aim at its economy, would be enough to alter Putin’s behavior. “There is no actual deter- rence and squeeze,” said James Nixey, head of the Russia program at think-tank Chatham House. “There is, so far, no cyber-response, no financial response.” East Oregonian Page 7A BRIEFLY ‘60 Minutes,” Stormy Daniels get big ratings, some pushback LOS ANGELES (AP) — An interview with Stormy Daniels delivered for “60 Minutes,” giving the long- running CBS news magazine its highest ratings in a decade. But the story wasn’t a slam dunk, either in the reaction it produced or getting on the air in the first place. An estimated 22 million viewers tuned in Sunday to see the adult film star tell “60 Minutes” correspondent Anderson Cooper about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Donald Trump and the aftermath, which she said included efforts to silence her. Daniels also said she swatted Trump’s behind with a magazine bearing his photo to take his boasting down a peg. “I think people thought there was going to be a smoking gun here. Did we miss something?” Whoopi Goldberg asked Daniels’ attorney, Michael Avenatti, Monday on ABC’s “The View.” Avenatti responded that Daniels’ account of being threatened to keep quiet about the affair represents a “big, big accusation” and a “critical” fact. In other TV interviews, Avenatti said he was holding back certain details of the alleged affair, including the contents of a CD or DVD he tweeted a picture of last week, for strategic reasons. Jeff Fager, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” said the report included meaningful aspects of Daniels’ story, including what the $130,000 payment to her by Trump attorney Michael Cohen might mean in the context of federal campaign rules. Report: Level of fentanyl in Prince was exceedingly high MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A toxicology report from Prince’s autopsy, obtained Monday by The Associated Press, shows he had what multiple experts called an “exceedingly high” concentration of fentanyl in his body when he died. Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate on April 21, 2016. Public data released six weeks after his death showed he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin. A confidential toxicology report obtained by the AP provides some insight into just how much fentanyl was in his system. Experts who are not connected to the Prince investigation said the numbers leave no doubt that fentanyl killed him. “The amount in his blood is exceedingly high, even for somebody who is a chronic pain patient on fentanyl patches,” said Dr. Lewis Nelson, chairman of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He called the fentanyl concentrations “a pretty clear smoking gun.” Frontier gun maker Remington US stocks rally; Dow surges 669, clawing back lost ground seeks bankruptcy protection By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer News that the U.S. and China are open to negotiating to avert a trade war put investors in a buying mood Monday, giving the market its best day in more than two years and erasing about half of its huge losses last week. Technology companies accounted for much of the broad rally, which powered the Dow Jones industrial average to a gain of nearly 670 points. Microsoft was the biggest gainer in the 30-company Dow and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, climbing nearly 8 percent. Banks also notched solid gains, benefiting from a pickup in bond yields. Retailers, consumer goods companies and health care stocks were among the big gainers. The market rebound followed the worst week for U.S. stocks in two years as investors traded last week’s jitters for a more optimistic outlook on trade, and an opportunity to buy. “Certainly nothing’s settled,” said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Manage- AP Photo/Richard Drew Trader Tommy Kalikas works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. ment. “Investors are still viewing this as a glass half- full market and a constructive economy, so it’s not surprising to see them buy on value here, buy on dips to try to rebuild their positions.” The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 70.29 points, or 2.7 percent, to 2,658.55. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 669.40 points, or 2.8 percent, to 24,202.60. The Dow lost more than 1,400 points last week and is still down slightly for the year. The Nasdaq added 227.88 points, or 3.3 percent, to 7,220.54. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks picked up 33.63 points, or 2.2 percent, to 1,543.72. All told, the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted their best one-day gains since August 2015, making up slightly more than half of the market’s losses on Thursday and Friday. Global stock markets fell sharply last week amid fears of a trade war after President Donald Trump announced duties on $60 billion worth of Chinese goods in a dispute over technology policy. Remington, the storied gun maker that began turning out flintlock rifles when there were only 19 states in the Union, has filed for bankruptcy reorgani- zation amid years of slumping sales and legal and financial pressure over the Sandy Hook school massacre. In papers filed Sunday in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware, Remington outlined a plan to turn over control to its creditors and continue operating with up to $100 million from lenders. It remains unclear what will happen to its 3,500 or so employees as it tries to put its finances in order. Remington, whose roots SIMMONS INSURANCE AGENCY WE’VE MOVED! WE’VE MOVED! CHECK OUT OUR NEW OFFICE AND MEET OUR TEAM MICHAEL ARBOGAST, FELICIA OBORNIK, CAROLYN LANGFORD AND CONNIE SWALES. LET US HELP YOU WITH ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS. OUR PROMISE TO YOU IS EXCELLENT SERVICE AND A FRIENDLY KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF. 320 SW COURT AVE. PENDLETON. OR GIVE US A CALL! 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The Madison, North Caro- lina, company’s production of one of the best-known weapons in the world, the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, has also proved problematic. The young man who killed 20 first-graders and six educators in the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut in 2012 used a Bushmaster. An AR-15-style weapon made by a different manu- facturer, Smith & Wesson, was used last month in the rampage at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 people dead. That attack has led to huge protests around the country and a new student-led movement to tighten gun laws. Remington was sued by victims’ families after the Sandy Hook tragedy. That lawsuit was dismissed because of broad immunity granted to the gun industry, but the Connecticut Supreme Court is weighing whether to reinstate it.