Palestinian university expels Israeli visitor

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The expulsion of an Israeli journalist from an academic conference hosted by a top Palestinian university has unleashed a fierce debate about academic freedom in the West Bank.

It is also shining a spotlight on the apparent radicalization of some young Palestinians who are disillusioned by years of failed peace efforts and have grown up with little contact with Israelis.

While Bir Zeit University has apologized to journalist Amira Hass, some student activists say they support her expulsion and want the school to rescind its apology. In Israel, officials say such attitudes violate the spirit of academic freedom.

Hass, who writes for the liberal Israeli daily Haaretz, is a popular figure in Ramallah, one of a few dovish Israeli Jews who live in the Palestinian city. In Israel, she is well known — and reviled by some— for her scathing criticism of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

But when she attended a conference at Bir Zeit on Sept. 23, she ran into trouble when she listed Haaretz as her professional affiliation.

She said two professors asked her to leave. "They said, 'There is a law in the university that Israelis cannot enter the university,'" she said. One even told her that she should leave for her own safety. Hass, who said she has been to the university dozens of times previously, decided to leave.

"I was at that moment reminded of the image that Israelis commonly have of Palestinians: irrational hotheads," she wrote in Haaretz.

In an interview, Hass said she has received messages of support from many Palestinians. Hundreds signed a petition saying they were shocked by the expulsion, calling her a courageous defender of Palestinian human rights.

Ghassan Zaqatan, a prominent columnist, called the treatment of Hass "shameful."

Bir Zeit expressed regret and said it will work with students and faculty to help them understand university policies that "oppose discrimination based on identity."

The university "takes pride in observing the academic boycott of Israel," but this applies to institutions, not individuals like Hass who have "distinguished themselves by being on the side of justice and humanity," Bir Zeit said in a statement.

The affair has been hotly debated on campus. On Thursday, the student council demanded the university withdraw its apology. "We say that any Israeli Zionist is not welcome in Bir Zeit University," said Mustafa Mustafa, head of the student council.

He said that Israel should cease to exist, and "if Amira really supports the Palestinian struggle against the occupation, she needs to leave the country."

Baraa al-Qadi, another activist, said that while the general student body is apathetic, most student leaders reject the efforts by the Fatah-led Palestine Liberation Organization to pursue peace with Israel.

Ghassan Khatib, a senior university official, said the school has no official policy banning contact with Israelis, and plans to invite Hass back. He said that while he personally favors interaction with Israelis, the current attitude on campus is that "supporters of the occupation" should not be welcomed.

He said he could not remember the last time an Israeli official had spoken on campus and could not envision leaders of moderate Israeli parties being invited. Students are "willing to listen to views they are not happy with, but when it comes to the occupation, it's another category," he said.

Khatib, a former Palestinian government spokesman, blamed the downfall of Israel's "peace camp" for the hardening of Palestinian attitudes. "For the new generation in Palestine now, it is extremely difficult to notice the existence of any peace camp in Israel, which weakens the argument of the need for dialogue and interaction," he said.

Dovish Israeli political parties advocating broad withdrawals from lands occupied since 1967 have seen their fortunes tumble following a Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, repeated failures in peace negotiations and three wars against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians are disillusioned by two decades of failed negotiations, and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, occupied lands they seek for their independent state.

The political impasse is accompanied by growing separation.

Since a second Palestinian uprising began in 2000, Israel has imposed a number of restrictions that prevent most Palestinians from entering Israel and bar Israelis from Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

That contrasts sharply with the situation 20 years ago when thousands of Palestinian workers came to Israel on a daily basis, and many Israelis visited the West Bank for shopping, eating and sightseeing.

In consequence few young people on either side have much contact with the other — unless it is during clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian demonstrators.

Bir Zeit is considered the best university in the West Bank, and it has long been a center of political activism. Last year, protesters angry over British policies in the Middle East blocked the British consul general from entering the campus and forced him to cancel a speech.

Academic boycotts are nothing new to Israel. University associations in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere have attempted — and sometimes succeeded — to cut off ties with Israeli counterparts.

Israel's committee of university heads said it rejects any academic boycott.

Israel's Hebrew University, for instance, maintains a number of partnerships with the Palestinians, including a collaborative training program that trains dentists from the West Bank and a master's degree in public health that accepts Palestinian students.

Uri Savir, a former Israeli peace negotiator, said he believes the young Palestinians who reject contact with Israel arel a small but vocal minority.

But he warned that the continued failure by both sides to reach a peace agreement would only strengthen these voices. "The longer the time that there is no realistic horizon of the two-state solution, the secular minority of extremists will either go with Hamas or grow within the Fatah," he said.

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Federman reported from Jerusalem.

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Chrysler 200 stands out from crowd

The mid-sized sedan market is a challenge to shop as cars become indistinguishable when comparing features. Then there's the 2015 Chrysler 200, which stands out from the crowd with a comfortable, quiet ride and an abundance of state-of-the-art, easy-to-use technology.

Its rounded exterior corners and flowing lines give the Chrysler 200 a coupe-like appearance and a tasteful amount of chrome trim on the grille, bumpers and around the windows add just a touch of sophistication.

Chrysler offers the 200 with two engine choices, a 3.6-liter V6 that churns out 295 horsepower and a diminutive, fuel-sipping, 2.4-liter, inline-4 that produces 184 horsepower. My 200 with the smaller engine yielded 28 miles-per-gallon in combined city and highway driving, thanks in part to a 9-speed automatic transmission that reduces the gaps between shifts. While the boost in fuel economy was appreciated, it was short on punch. A smooth ride with lively handling through the corners compensated for the deficiency in power.

The Chrysler 200 starts at $21,700. The top-of-the-line C model, with the character of a luxury sedan, reached $30,475, which included a $1,295 safety technology package and a $1,395 package that bundled together navigation and an upgraded sound system.

The safety technology package is highlighted by lane departure warning with lane keep assist, forward collision warning, park assist with stop and adaptive cruise control. Adaptive cruise control, an advanced feature once reserved for the high-end segment is now available on just about everything, and is one feature that I'm finding difficult to live without.

The off-white soft leather interior was accentuated with conspicuous stitching. A blue bezel surrounding the instrument panel glowed from behind a leather-wrapped steering wheel. An 8.4-inch touchscreen provided easy access to the 200's radio and navigation features without overwhelming the center console.

Full electronic gear shifting via a rotary shift knob created additional storage space within the center console. The area was further enhanced with sliding cup holders that provided storage flexibility and an opening to run cables through for smartphone connections.

Both driver and passenger seats were firm, yet comfortable. While the back seats needed an inch or two of additional leg room, the trunk had plenty of storage space.

The 2015 Chrysler 200 is worth a test drive when considering the Accord, Camry, Fusion, Mazda 6 or Passat. I like the options that Chrysler has to offer with the 200. If the standard engine is too small, they offer a best-in-class for horsepower V6 and if you're worried that front-wheel-drive might be inadequate for New England winter driving, there's an all-wheel-drive model.

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Walsh eyes events fund that takes private donations

The Boston City Council will hold a public hearing Monday to consider creating a fund that would accept private donations to pay for special events.

In a letter to the council, Mayor Martin J. Walsh proposed the idea to support "civic, educational, recreational, literary, scientific, artistic, theatrical and musical functions throughout the city."

"In the climate of ever-decreasing state and municipal resources, it is more important than ever to maximize the support we can obtain from private sources to produce events that benefit not only the people of Boston, but also serve to elevate Boston's reputation and attract visitors," Walsh wrote.

"These would be large-scale events that typically envision fundraising needs and may be better supported by corporate donations and partners," Kate Norton, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said yesterday.

The so-called "Special Events Fund" would be controlled by a board of five people who would be appointed by the mayor for terms of no more than three years and who would serve without compensation.

Donations made for a particular event or function would have to be spent only for that purpose, and any money left at the end of the fiscal year would remain in the fund.

The city treasurer could deposit the fund's proceeds in a bank, trust company or federal savings and loan association, or invest it in securities allowed under state law, and any interest or revenue accrued or generated by the fund would be added to it.

"If the funds would be used for the benefit of the public, I'd have no objections to it," said Councilor Charles C. Yancey.

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Windows 10 will undo 8’s miscues

Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 platform is a promising attempt to make up for a trail of unhappy consumers and businesses who were force-fed a touchscreen-centric interface that they never asked for nor wanted.

Windows 8 constituted one of the most serious market misreads since Segways. But to Microsoft's credit, it has spent the past two years with its ear to the ground, if the early beta version of Windows 10 is an indication.

Although a preview of Windows 10 is available for download, don't rush to grab it. Only programmers and computer enthusiasts who have a throwaway PC lying around should even consider loading unfinished, buggy software onto their machines. What you see today isn't necessarily what you'll encounter when you go to buy your next PC.

Domestic sales of Macs and Google's Chromebooks are on the rise and Windows PC sales are declining. This year, Windows PCs slipped 4 percent in the U.S. — from 72 percent to an estimated 68 percent, according to the NPD Group.

But Microsoft's business model is much more dependent on the enterprise market. The success of Windows 10 will almost entirely rest on whether chief information officers decide to upgrade. Far too many took a pass on Windows 8. Of the 715 million copies of Windows installed in businesses worldwide last year, only 16 million — or just 2 percent — were running Windows 8.

If those 98 percent of businesses still clinging to old software don't like Windows 10, it's hard to imagine anything but a catastrophe taking hold in Redmond, Wash.

And it's hard to imagine that Google and Apple won't make a giant play for those business customers, that is if they aren't already preparing to do so.

Windows 10 appears to be a case of what's old is new again. The familiar start menu and desktop setup is back. The search option within the Start Menu is back, and it's in the task bar too.

One of the biggest problems with Windows 8 was that apps take up the entire screen when they're open. With Windows 10 they are resizable. And an improved "snap" feature allows users to more easily organize multiple tasks at once. A feature allowing users to create and open multiple desktops at once shows huge promise in a world where workers increasingly use their personal devices.

And by eliminating an awkward so-called "charms" feature for desktop users and keeping it only on touchscreens, Microsoft seems to have accepted a difficult truth: the market wants to keep its mouse and cursor.

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British retail boss sorry for anti-French remarks

LONDON — It was a speech that got lost in translation.

The boss of British retail chain John Lewis apologized Friday for saying France is "in decline" and "finished."

The Times newspaper reported that managing director Andy Street had made the critical comments at an event for entrepreneurs in London this week.

It said he described France as "sclerotic, hopeless and downbeat," and said "nothing works and worse, nobody cares about it."

Street also described the Gare du Nord station in Paris — terminus for Eurostar trains from London — as "the squalor pit of Europe" and told his audience: "If you've got investments in French businesses, get them out quickly."

In a statement Friday, Street said his comments "were supposed to be lighthearted views, and tongue in cheek."

"On reflection I clearly went too far," he said. "I regret the comments, and apologize unreservedly."

The French embassy in London was unamused by the comments. It told the Times that France had the world's fifth-largest economy, with world-class public services, a first-rate health care system and higher workforce productivity than many other developed countries.

John Lewis operates upmarket department stores in Britain. It does not have any stores in France but is planning to launch a website for French customers.

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Nearly century-old Lawrence business closes

LAWRENCE, Mass. — A nearly 100-year-old fish market in Lawrence is closing its doors for good later this month.

Siblings Tom Pappalardo and Mary Pappalardo-Raymond say they are getting old and want to step aside, and no one in their family wants to take over the business. The Boston Fish Market was founded in 1919 by their grandfather.

Tom Pappalardo is 68 and tells The Eagle-Tribune  he wants to retire. Mary Pappalardo-Raymond is 53 and has a career as a nurse.

They have sold the business but are not quite sure what the new owners have planned, but doubt it's a fish market.

The owners say the business has changed. All the seafood they sold 40 or 50 years ago used to be caught locally. Now most is imported.

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Information from: Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.), http://www.eagletribune.com

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Push by workers for paid sick days gathers steam

BOSTON — For a majority of Americans, a sick day is just that — a day to stay home, rest up and get better before returning to work. But supporters of a Massachusetts ballot question say for many low-income workers, getting sick means losing pay and perhaps even their jobs.

If approved by voters, the proposal would allow workers to accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick time in a given year, earning one hour for every 30 hours they put in. Companies with ten or fewer employees would be exempted, as would those with equally or more generous sick leave policies in place.

While sponsors say it would be the nation's strongest sick time law, business groups view it as a short-sighted, one-size-fits-all approach that ignores economic realities facing many employers.

Workers could take time off to care for themselves or a sick family member, though employers could demand a doctor's note for absences longer than three days.

Gabrielle Monteiro, 23, of New Bedford, said she once felt pressured by a supervisor to go to her job at a Laundromat just hours after being treated for a lung infection in a hospital emergency room.

"It was obvious that I was sick," said Monteiro, now a student at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and a volunteer for Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of unions and community groups spearheading the November ballot drive.

"If this law were in place, I think people would be able to take the time they need for themselves or their loved one without running the risk of threats or being fired," she said.

According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 61 percent of private sector workers receive paid sick time. But the numbers vary dramatically based on type of employment and average earnings, with managerial and office workers twice as likely to have paid sick leave as those in the service industry.

Among the top 10 percent of wage earners, nearly 9 in 10 had paid sick time; among the lowest ten percent, only 1 in 5 could say the same.

California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a law that would require most employers to provide up to three sick days a year. Connecticut, the only other state with a paid sick leave law, exempts businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Several cities, including New York, also have laws in effect.

Advocates frame it as an "economic justice" issue, paired with recent efforts to boost the minimum wage nationally and in states. It takes barely three unpaid sick days to threaten the ability of a typical low-wage worker to afford groceries, rent and other necessities, said Vicki Shabo, vice president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

Opponents in Massachusetts contend a paid sick time law would dump another expensive mandate on small businesses.

While employers in office settings can generally cover for sick workers without bringing in additional staff, the same is not true for many small businesses, including some who might be required by law to maintain certain staffing levels, according to Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

Those companies would have to pay both the sick worker and a replacement, he said.

"Where the real concerns lie is with small businesses that don't have the ability and frankly don't have the flexibility and financial wherewithal to really absorb all of the costs that we are looking at here," said Hurst.

The measure could also have implications for taxpayers, opponents note, since the Massachusetts proposal — unlike the California law — would not exempt home health care aides who often work for state-funded contractors.

Deb Fastino, co-chair of Raise Up Massachusetts — which led a successful effort to boost the state's hourly minimum wage from $8 to $11 over the next three years — counters that a sick time requirement would benefit businesses by reducing employee turnover and contagion.

"We all know when people go in sick, they're not very productive," Fastino said.

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Disney CEO Bob Iger could take home $60-million bonus

Walt Disney Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Iger, who inked a two-year contract extension on Thursday, could depart the company in 2018 with a bonus of up to $60 million.

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the performance-based retention bonus is tied to Disney meeting certain operating income targets.

Iger's bonus would be triggered if the company were to generate cumulative operating income of more than $76.010 billion over the five-year period ending Sept. 29, 2018. The bonus escalates linearly.

The bonus maxes out at $60 million, which Iger would receive if the company generates cumulative operating income of more than $78.314 billion over the stretch.

The bonus is by no means guaranteed. For Iger to receive it, Disney's operating income would have to increase dramatically. For the five-year period from 2009 to 2013, the company generated cumulative operating income of $43.771 billion.

However, the company's annual operating income has increased considerably in recent years. In 2013, Disney's operating income was $10.724 billion, up 8 percent from a year earlier when it was $9.964 billion. It increased by 13 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Save for the prospective bonus, Iger will continue to receive the same annual compensation as under his previous contract. A large portion of his pay is tied to Disney's financial performance. For the fiscal year that ended Sept. 28, 2013, Iger's base salary was $2.5 million, but his total compensation was $34.3 million.

Iger has been chief executive of Burbank-based Disney, the world's largest entertainment company, since 2005. Iger's new contract runs through June 2018, and he is expected to leave Disney at that time.

Before signing the contract extension, he'd been set to vacate his post at the end of June 2016.

He told The Times on Thursday it has been a "privilege" to run Disney and said he relished "having more time to do that."

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'Gone Girl' headed for $38 mil weekend win, 'Annabelle' tops Friday box office

Ben Affleck's star power is clearly here to stay.

"Gone Girl" opened to $13.2 million Stateside on Friday, on its way to a higher-than-anticipated $38 million this weekend.

Although the thriller stands to come out on top this weekend, it was overtaken by horror pic "Annabelle" at the Friday box office. New Line-Warner Bros.'s "Annabelle" launched to $15.5 million en route to an impressive $31 million weekend.

If estimates hold and both newcomers gross more than $30 million, it will mark the first time in two months that two releases have earned that sum since the second weekend of August when "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" went head to head.

"Gone Girl" could also become the best opening in director David Fincher's career, topping "Panic Room," which launched to $30 million in 2002.

Aside from capitalizing on Affleck's drawing power and costar Rosamund Pike's rising popularity (this is her first leading role), "Gone Girl" is also evidently effectively leveraging the popularity of Gillian Flynn's novel, which the film is based on.

Flynn herself adapted her best-selling 2012 mystery drama about a husband who's suspected in his wife's disappearance for the bigscreen.

"Gone Girl" -- produced by Fox and New Regency for $61 million -- has received rave reviews, earning 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Friday winner "Annabelle" is doing incredible business, especially considering its slim $6.5 million budget. The pic about a doll possessed by a demon who threatens a young couple with a newborn baby stars Annabelle Wallis,

The scarefest is following in the footsteps of "The Conjuring," which opened to a surprising $41.9 million on its way to $318 million worldwide. The creepy Annabelle doll was first introduced "The Conjuring," directed by James Wan

"Annabelle" is directed by Wan's longtime cinematographer John R. Leonetti and produced by Wan and Peter Safran.
Denzel Washington's "The Equalizer" led the pack of holdovers with $5.6 million on Friday. Last weekend's winner is shooting for $17 to $18 million in its second weekend, which would mark a 47% drop. This would raise the cume of the Sony actioner to an estimated $64 million for its first 10 days.

Fox's third weekend of "The Maze Runner" came in fourth with $3.4 million on Friday. It's likely to earn $11 million-plus this weekend, edging Focus' second weekend of "The Boxtrolls" at about $10.4 million. "The Boxtrolls" earned $2.7 million on Friday.

Nicholas Cage's faith-based movie "Left Behind," adapted from the book series of the same name, finished sixth with $2.4 million - a move back in the right direction for Freestyle Releasing, which was behind the surprise hit "God's Not Dead" and recent flop "The Identical." The Christian film, produced on a $16 million budget, will likely gross $7.4 million this weekend.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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GM recalls some Cadillac, Pontiac sedans

DETROIT — General Motors is recalling more than 60,000 vehicles in North America, the latest round of recalls this year for the automaker.

The company outlined three new recalls Saturday, the biggest of which affects 46,873 vehicles in the U.S.

The recalls are Pontiac G8s from the 2008 through the 2009 model years and 2011-2013 model Chevrolet Caprice PPV left-hand-drive sedans imported from Australia.

The ignition switch key may shift from the "run" position when touched by the driver's knee, GM said.

The company is aware of one crash related to the problem, but no injuries.

Another U.S. recall covers over 10,005 Cadillac CTS-V sedans from the 2004-2007 model years and 2006-2007 model Cadillac STS-Vs.

On some vehicles, the fuel pump module electrical terminal may overheat, causing the flange material to melt, GM said.

That can lead to a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a stall and fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

GM said it knows of no crashes or injuries related to the problem.

The automaker also issued a recall for 304 of the 2014 model-year Chevrolet Sonics in the U.S., saying the vehicles may have a loose electrical connection in the steering column that could affect the performance of the driver-side air bag.

GM is not aware of any crashes, injuries related to the potential malfunction.

All told, the latest recalls included 57,182 vehicles in the U.S. and 60,575 in North America.

GM's safety problems began earlier this year with the recall of 2.6 million small cars with faulty ignition switches.

The problem caused crashes that are responsible for at least 23 deaths. GM has admitted knowing about the problem for more than a decade yet it failed to recall the cars until February of this year.

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