CNN reporter suspended for opinionated tweet

CNN reporter suspended for opinionated tweet

NEW YORK

CNN correspondent Elise Labott has been suspended for two weeks after tweeting that the Statue of Liberty “bows head in anguish” following House passage of a bill making it tougher for refugees from Syria and Iraq to enter the United States.

A CNN executive who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to comment on personnel issues confirmed the suspension on Friday.

The Washington-based Labott covers U.S. foreign policy and international affairs for CNN. Her tweet included a link to CNN’s story on the House action Thursday.

Labott later apologized on Twitter, saying her previous message was inappropriate and disrespectful.

Ore., Wash. delay crab season

PORTLAND, Ore.

Oregon and Washington have joined California in delaying the start of their commercial crab seasons after dangerous toxin levels were found in the crabs.

Officials say elevated levels of domoic acid were found in crabs in all three states. The toxin is produced by a massive bloom of microscopic algae that’s caused by warming ocean conditions.

California had already delayed the Nov. 15 start of its season.

Oregon on Friday delayed the Dec. 1 start along the entire coast, and Washington officials delayed the season start for the central coast.

Dungeness crabs are a tradition at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. In 2014, the industry harvested nearly $170 million worth of Dungeness crab.

Officials say crabs sold in stores and restaurants remain safe to eat.

Zuckerberg will take paternity leave

MENLO PARK, Calif.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says he’s planning on taking two months of paternity leave when his daughter is born.

He said in a Facebook post that “outcomes are better for children and families” when working parents take time off to be with their newborns. He called the decision “very personal.”

He announced in July that he and wife Priscilla Chan were expecting a baby girl following three miscarriages.

Facebook offers its U.S. employees up to four months of paid parental leave. It’s among several high-tech companies that offer generous benefits around childbirth.

Netflix Inc. said in August it was giving U.S. workers up to a year of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. Adobe Systems Inc. and Microsoft Corp. bolstered their parental benefits following the move.

Armed bandits steal paintings from Verona museum

ROME

Verona’s mayor says armed bandits stole 17 paintings, including works by Tintoretto, Rubens and Mantegna, from the city’s art museum.

Mayor Flavio Tosi said Friday the robbers struck just as the Castelvecchio Museum was closing on Thursday evening in the northeastern Italian city and just before the nighttime alarm system was activated. Museum director Paola Marini estimated the value of the 17 paintings at $16.5 million.

One of the bandits threatened the cashier and an armed guard at gunpoint while two accomplices took the paintings, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The last visitors had already left the museum before the robbery.

Associated Press