Lunsford MD

Brian King Killed on I-35

2010-10-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

King died Thursday morning at the scene of a hit-and-run accident in south Oklahoma City, troopers said.

King was a pedestrian crossing Interstate 35 near SE 89 about 1:50 a.m. when a southbound motorist struck him, the patrol reported.

Troopers said the driver left the scene, and the patrol still was investigating Thursday.

Southbound I-35 was closed at the scene for about two hours early Thursday, the patrol reported.
from the Oklahoma

I knew Brian King , we worked together the four years. He was going through some ruff times . He will be missed . And To be killed from a hit and run. Is a Damn shame.

I hope the catch the person or persons who was in the car. And find out what happened. I know that accidents do happen. But to drive off is wrong.

Please turn yourself in. So , Brian family and his friends can find out what happened that night , on 10-07-2010.

Rest in Peace Brain you are missed.

Richest lawmakers became wealthier as economy faltered

2010-09-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

The rest of the country is still struggling with high unemployment amid a sluggish-at-best economic recovery -- but the wealthiest members of Congress are in high cotton. Indeed, the top 50 wealthiest lawmakers saw their combined net worths increase last year, according to the Hill's annual analysis of financial disclosure documents.

Combined, the 50 lawmakers were worth $1.4 billion in 2009 -- an $85.1 million increase over their 2008 total -- the Hill reports. The members' total combined assets depreciated by nearly $36 million last year -- but Congress' well-to-do set also reduced their debts by a combined $120 million.

The list of 50 lawmakers spans both parties (27 Democrats and 23 Republicans) and both chambers of Congress (30 House members, 20 senators), the Hill reports.

Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts topped the list for the second year in a row; Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas made his debut in the top 10.

Here are profiles for the 10 most flush Hill power-and-money brokers:

1. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.): $188.6 million. Kerry's worth, which grew by $20 million in 2009, stems from his wife's assets. Teresa Heinz Kerry, of the Heinz ketchup family, inherited hundreds of millions upon the death of her previous husband, Sen. John Heinz.

2. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.): $160.1 million. Issa actually saw his minimum net worth drop by $4 million, partly due to the poor performance of a single investment fund. Issa's fortune stems from investments he and his wife made in the electronics market. Their company eventually became the largest producer of car anti-theft devices in the country. They sold the business in 2000.

3. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.): $152.3 million. Harman is married to audio-equipment mogul Sidney Harman; stock holdings from his company, Harman International Industries, helped Harman's net worth grow by $40 million last year. Sidney Harman is in the process of purchasing Newsweek; the magazine's massive debts will presumably drag down Harman's 2010 disclosure numbers a bit.

4. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa.): $83.7 million. No surprise here: The Rockefeller family name has for generations been a byword for fabulous riches. (Rockefeller's great-grandfather John Rockefeller was an oil magnate; inflation-adjusted figures still peg the founder of the Rockefeller fortune as the wealthiest man in history.) But the senator's uptick in personal wealth last year came mainly from his wife's investments.

5. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas): $73.8 million. McCaul saw his net worth double last year, mostly owing to stocks held by his wife. McCaul's father-in-law founded the radio empire Clear Channel Communications.

6. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.): $70.2 million. Warner made millions through investments in the cell phone industry, including the Nextel company.

7. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.): $56.5 million. Before his 2008 election to Congress, Polis made a fortune in online enterprises, transforming his family's greeting card company into BlueMountain.com and founding ProFlowers.com.

8. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.): $53.5 million. Buchanan grew wealthy as the owner of multiple auto dealerships in Florida.

9. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.): $49.7 million. Lautenberg co-founded a payroll services company in the 1950s that became one of the industry's global leaders

10. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.): $46.1 million. Most of the California lawmaker's wealth comes from real-estate holdings and investments made by her husband.

from yahoo news

New York Knicks Blame Lose to Oklahoma Thunder to Ghost in The Hotel

2010-01-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Knicks were afraid, very afraid. And it had nothing to do with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For two days, several players had trouble sleeping because they were convinced that their downtown hotel is haunted.

"I definitely believe it," Jared Jeffries said. "The place is haunted. It's scary."

Eddy Curry claims he slept for only two hours Sunday night because he couldn't stop thinking about ghosts roaming the hotel.

For years, guests staying at the Skirvin Hilton have reported ghost sightings and strange noises. Legend has it that sometime in the 1930s, a woman jumped to her death while holding her baby in her hands.

"They said it happened on the 10th floor and I'm the only one staying on the 10th floor," Curry said. "That's why I spent most of my time in (Nate Robinson's) room. I definitely believe there are ghosts in that hotel."

Assistant coach Herb Williams teased Jeffries and Curry for believing that the Skirvin is haunted, but Curry wasn't laughing.

"There are too many stories," Curry said. "Something is going on there."

Oprah Winfrey is ending her show

2009-11-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

Oprah Winfrey will announce on Friday that her popular daytime talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," will end its run in 2011, Tim Bennett, the President of Harpo, announced in a letter released to ABC affiliates on Thursday.

"Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history," he wrote in the letter, obtained by Access Hollywood. " The sun will set on the 'Oprah' show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011."

Bennett said he was sending out the letter to keep the affiliates from being surprised at tomorrow's announcement.

"Before she speaks to her loyal viewers, we wanted to share her decision first with you - our valued partners for more than two decades," he wrote.

And he urged the stations to "share this news this evening with your colleagues and viewers."

"Oprah's personal comments about this on tomorrow's live show will mark a historic television moment that we will all be talking about for years to come," he added.

Just a few weeks ago, a rep for Oprah said the TV queen planned to make an announcement by year's end about whether she was planning to make a leap from her current daytime talk show to her previously announced cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

It appears the decision was one that was made only recently. Just two weeks ago -- at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards in New York City -- Oprah's best friend, Gayle King, said Oprah was still weighing her options.

"I know she's thinking," Gayle told Access. "I know she's thinking."

But Gayle said she wasn't playing advisor over the decision, just longtime friend.

"Listen, Oprah and I have been friends since we were 21 and 22 and now we're 54 and 55," she said, citing her and Oprah's ages, respectively. "We talk about everything but she's a big girl. She will make the decision that is right for her. No question about that. Whatever that is. It'll be the right decision for her."

Previously, at the September Toronto premiere for "Precious," a film Oprah executive produced, Oprah revealed she was still putting in the deliberation hours.

"I haven't made a decision yet and I have until the end of the year," she said. "But you know I think that deserves more thoughtful consideration than a red carpet."

No details were available about the rumored move to OWN and a rep for Discovery was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Access.

from yahoo tv

Sarah Palin, by the People

2009-11-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin by the numbers
The public's take on Sarah Palin remains deeply split along partisan and gender lines, according to the new Washington Post-ABC News poll, and among women, the gap between Democrats and Republicans is even wider.

Crosstabs on these questions below.

Q. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of Sarah Palin?

---Favorable-- -Unfavorable--
NET Strongly NET Strongly
All 43 20 52 34

Democrat 21 9 77 57
Independent 45 18 47 32
Republican 76 42 20 6

Men 48 20 46 29
Women 39 20 57 39

Among women:

White 45 23 51 37
White/Suburb 50 26 46 33

Democrat 17 8 81 62
Independent 41 16 52 36
Republican 78 49 20 6
Q. If Palin runs for president in 2012, would you definitely vote for her, would you consider voting for her, or would you definitely not vote for her?

Definitely Would Definitely
would consider would not
All 9 37 53

Democrat 5 19 75
Independent 8 41 50
Republican 17 58 24

Men 11 38 50
Women 8 36 55

Among women:

White 9 39 52
White/Suburb 6 45 49

Democrat 4 16 79
Independent 6 44 50
Republican 16 61 23
Q. Regardless of whether or not you'd vote for her, do you think Palin is or is not qualified to serve as president?

Is Is not
qualified qualified
All 38 60

Democrat 22 76
Independent 37 59
Republican 61 36

Men 42 55
Women 33 64

Among women:

White 36 62
White/Suburb 38 60

Democrat 16 83
Independent 34 63
Republican 62 35

from the washington post

The width strains against the failing hate.

2009-11-16T09:05:00.001-08:00

The width strains against the failing hate.

Gunman caught after killing in Orlando

2009-11-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

ORLANDO, Fla. – A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, killing one person and injuring five others. Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered to police about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother's home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said.

She said investigators did not know why Rodriguez targeted the engineering firm where he once worked.

"This is a tragedy no doubt about it, especially on the heels of the tragedy in Fort Hood that is on our minds," she said. "I'm just glad we don't have any more fatalities or any more injuries than we currently have."

People streamed out of the 16-story Legion Place office building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices while the gunman was on the loose.

Mike Bernof, a spokesman for Reynolds Smith & Hill, the transportation engineering consulting firm where Rodriguez was an engineer, told CNN Rodriguez was released in June 2007 for performance issues. He could not say what those issues were. The firm performs transportation engineering work for the Florida Department of Transportation.

Gerry Gilgo, who works on the floor where the shooting occurred, told The Associated Press she was meeting a co-worker at the elevators for lunch.

"She yelled, 'There are gunshots! There are gunshots! Get back in your office,'" Gilgo said.

Will Halpern, an attorney on the building's 17th floor, was among the last group to be evacuated. He said the lobby was filled with about 20 officers in SWAT gear, carrying assault weapons, ready to search.

Interstate 4 was closed in both directions through downtown and nearby schools were locked down until the gunman was caught.

Rows of ambulances lined up outside the building as police snipers took up positions around the building and officers on foot and horseback searched the area.

by the associated press

Military doctor kills 11 at Fort Hood

2009-11-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

FORT HOOD, Texas – A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army base on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.

The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood.

"It's a terrible tragedy. It's stunning," Cone said.

A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Two other soldiers taken into custody following the deadly rampage were later released, the office of a Texas congressman said. A spokesman for Rep. John Carter says Fort Hood officials informed Carter's office of the release. Carter's congressional district includes the Army base.

A Fort Hood spokesman could not confirm that the two had been released.

It was unclear what the motive was. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, though it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.

Military officials say Hasan, 39, was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July. The officials, who had access to Hasan's military record, said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.

The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.

Officials were investigating whether Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name, possibly as part of a conversion to Islam. However, they were not certain of his religion.

The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.

A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.

Greg Schanepp, Carter's regional director in Texas, was at Fort Hood, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter. Schanepp was at a graduation ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.

The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.

Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. "We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly," Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn't provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.

Pfund said Bahr joined the reserves when she was 17 to earn money for school and loved being in the military even though none of her friends were interested in joining the Army.

A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.

"I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.

The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in April, 10 killed during a gunman's rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.

"The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn't yet been defined, and we're reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility," said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting "a horrific outburst of violence." He said it's a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," the commander in chief said. "We are going to stay on this."

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood.

by the associated press

Suspected Fort Hood shooter set to deploy

2009-11-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

FORT HOOD, Texas — Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison says the Army major accused of the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, was about to deploy overseas.

Hutchison says she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood. But it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and exactly when he was scheduled to leave.

Military officials in Washington say the suspected shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July.

The soldier is accused of opening fire on the base on Thursday in a shooting that left 11 other people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman and apprehended two other soldiers.

___

Associated Press Writer Pamela Hess in Washington contributed to this report.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — An Army officer opened fire Thursday with two handguns at the Fort Hood military base in an attack that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman and apprehended two other soldiers in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base.

There was no immediate word on a motive. The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He said all the casualties took place at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.

"It's a terrible tragedy. It's stunning," Cone said.

A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan. The official said Hasan, believed to be in his late 30s, was killed after opening fire at the base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

A defense official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hasan was a mental health professional — an Army psychologist or psychiatrist. Officials say it was not clear what Hasan's religion was, but investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name and converted to Islam at some point.

A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.

Greg Schanepp, U.S. Rep. John Carter's regional director in Texas, was representing Carter at the graduation, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter, whose district includes the Army post.

Schanepp was at the ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.

The base was locked down after the shootings. The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said. Nine were taken to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. A hospital spokeswoman says all had been shot and are adults. A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.

Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. "We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly," Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn't provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.

"I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.

The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in March, 10 killed during a gunman's rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.

"The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn't yet been defined, and we're reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility," said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting "a horrific outburst of violence." He said it's a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," the commander in chief said. "We are going to stay on this."

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

About a mile from Fort Hood's east gate, Cynthia Thomas, director of Under the Hood Cafe, a coffee house and outreach center, was calling soldiers and friends on the post to make sure they're OK.

"It's chaotic," Thomas said, as a SWAT team just drove by. "The phones are jammed. Everybody is calling family members and friends. Soldiers are running around with M-16s."

Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood. It has been continuously used for armored training and is charged with maintaining readiness for combat missions.

by the associated press

White House vs. Fox News

2009-10-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Fox News commentators like Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly have attacked the Obama administration for its aggressive posture toward the cable news network. On radio yesterday, Mr. Beck even compared the White House decision to shun his network to the seeds of the Holocaust. But it is notable that the White House is making hay of the network’s news coverage, not just its opinion programs.

Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, asserted in recent interviews that there is little difference between the news and opinion shows, save for exceptions like the White House correspondent Major Garrett and the anchor Shepard Smith.

After Fox covered the back-and-forth with the White House in a news report Monday afternoon, the White House raised an eyebrow. James Rosen, the reporter on the segment, was the State Department correspondent for Fox — until the channel shut down its bureau there recently.

Bill Burton, a deputy White House press secretary, said in an e-mail message, “Apparently covering the State Department at a time when there are two wars and important foreign policy issues that emerge every day, there are other things that Fox News thinks those reporters ought to be covering.”

Fox rebutted by saying that it moves resources regularly, “as any news organization would,” to follow the news.

Said Michael Clemente, the senior vice president for news, in a statement, “But when the top military commander is calling for more troops, and the White House is coming down on the military for putting out parts of the troops recommendations, why are they talking about where James Rosen hangs his hat each day, rather than about the strategy for Afghanistan?”

Fox noted that when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled abroad this week, it had a correspondent with her. CNN reassigned its State Department correspondent last year, according to reports at the time.

Separately on Tuesday, a White House representative said that “many stories” on Fox are false. Asked about the volley of volatile exchanges between the administration and the network at a press briefing, the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said, “I have watched many stories on that network that I have found not to be true.”

from the new york times

Schwarzenegger tells Shriver: Put down the cell phone

2009-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is calling out his wife, Maria Shriver, for apparently violating a state law he signed — holding her cell phone while driving.

The celebrity Web site TMZ.com posted two photographs Tuesday showing Shriver holding a phone to her ear while she's behind the wheel. It says one was snapped Sunday and the other in July.

The Web site later added a video it said was shot Tuesday in Brentwood, where the family lives. It shows Shriver holding a cell phone to her ear while driving a large SUV that appears to be a Cadillac Escalade. She then puts the phone down while the camera is rolling.

The first lady's office said it would have no comment.

On his Twitter feed, Schwarzenegger wrote to TMZ.com founder Harvey Levin: "Thanks for bringing her violations to my attention. There's going to be swift action."

Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear says that by "swift action," the governor means he'll ask his wife not to hold the phone while driving.

In a note accompanying the video, TMZ responded to Schwarzenegger's tweet by saying, "... your scofflaw wife was at it again."

A law that took effect in July 2008 requires California drivers to use a handsfree device when talking on cell phones.

Since then, the California Highway Patrol has issued more than 150,000 citations. That figure does not include citations issued by local police.

Drivers who are spotted by law enforcement officers holding a cell phone to their ear are subject to fines of at least $20 for the first ticket and $50 for subsequent tickets, plus additional fees.

In Los Angeles County, where Brentwood is located, the Superior Court has set the cost at about $93 for the first ticket and $201 for the next one, meaning Shriver would owe at least $300 in fines and court fees had she been caught by police.

Schwarzenegger has previously praised the regulation and said he warned his then-16-year-old daughter that if she ever violated the law, "she'll be taking the bus."

by the associated press

Taliban criticize Obama's peace Nobel

2009-10-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD — The Pakistani Taliban has criticized the decision to award Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize saying the U.S. president should have received a "villain of peace" award instead.

Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq said Wednesday the president who has beefed up the U.S. military presence in neighboring Afghanistan did not deserve the peace prize.

Tariq said Obama's "hands are tainted with the blood of thousands of human beings."

by the associated press

Change of plans

2009-10-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ok , I am going to hawaii , however I have to push back my vaction. I already called the Hotl and the Airline .
The reason why i am pushing it back by a couple a mouths , ia my mom . My mom's house needs to have work done . A lot of work , like the plummimg , Water and Gas .

And I am trying to get her bathroom and kitchen , worked on aswell. I am the only son , and I have to try to take care of my mom , before I pack my bags and go on vaction .

So have you ever had to put off , your plans for your mom and dad ?

Pirates attack French military flagship

2009-10-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

NAIROBI (AFP) – Somali pirates attempted to storm the French navy's 18,000 tonne flagship in the Indian Ocean after mistaking it for a cargo vessel, the French military said on Wednesday.

The crew of La Somme, a 160-metre (525-foot) command vessel and fuel tanker, easily saw off the brazen night-time assault by lightly armed fighters on two lightweight skiffs and captured five pirates, a spokesman said.

"The pirates, who because of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs," Admiral Christophe Prazuck said in Paris.

La Somme is the French command vessel in the Indian Ocean, overseeing French air, sea and land forces fighting Somali pirates and hunting terrorists under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

Officers on the ship have directed commando operations to free French hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.

The pirates tried to flee when they realised their mistake but were pursued by French forces who, after an hour-long chase, caught one of the skiffs, Prazuck said.

On it they found five men but no weapons, water or food as the pirates had apparently thrown all of the boat's contents overboard, the spokesman said.

A Western official at sea in the area, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that there had been an exchange of fire between the warship and the pirate launches.

"One of the skiffs managed to get away in the night because La Somme was busy with the first pirate boat," he said.

"Despite the arrival of other vessels, they haven't yet managed to find the second boat," he said, adding that many warships in the area were busy hunting another group which attacked a cargo ship off the Seychelles on Sunday.

The world's naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates in one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.

La Somme was operating 250 nautical miles (460 kilometres) off the Somali coast, on its way to resupply fuel to frigates patrolling shipping lanes as part of the European Union's Operation Atalanta anti-piracy mission.

This was not the first time that Somali pirates have mistakenly attacked a French naval vessel. Several pirates were captured in May when they attempted to board a frigate in the area.

Somalia has had no proper government since it plunged into lawlessness after President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

The country is riven by factional fighting and pirate gangs operate freely from several ports along its Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coasts.

According to the environmental watchdog Ecoterra International, at least 163 attacks have been carried out by Somali pirates since the start of 2009 alone, 47 of them successful hijackings.

Last year, more than 130 merchant ships were attacked, an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Pirates have in recent weeks resumed attacks with the end of the monsoon season. Last week Somali gunmen captured Spanish fishing boat The Alakrana with 36 crew members in the Indian Ocean.

The US Maritime Administration warned last month that the end of the monsoon season was likely to bring an increase in piracy off Somalia and urged shipping companies to be vigilant.

Calmer waters allow pirates, who often operate in small fibreglass skiffs towed out to sea by captured fishing vessels, to hijack freighters, trawlers and private yachts. Cruise vessels have also been attacked.

from yahoo news

Feds limit Arizona sheriff's immigration powers

2009-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX — An Arizona sheriff known for aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration has been stripped of some of his special power to enforce federal immigration law, and he claims the Obama administration is taking away his authority for political reasons.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose office faces racial profiling allegations over crime and immigration sweeps in some heavily Latino areas of metro Phoenix, said officials from Washington won't let him renew a deal that let his deputies make federal immigration arrests.

"Let them all go brag that they took away the sheriff's authority. Let them all do that. That doesn't bother me. I don't have an ego. I will continue doing the same thing," the Republican sheriff said, noting he can still enforce state immigration laws. "What has changed, other than the politics and the perception emanating from Washington?"

The U.S. government, which does most of the nation's immigration enforcement, is changing its rules for allowing local police to enforce more expansive federal immigration laws. Nationally, more than 1,000 local police and jail officers have been granted the power since 2002 to make immigration requests and speed up deportations.

Arpaio has more officers with the special powers than any other local police agency in the country. For more than two years, 100 of his deputies have made immigration arrests and another 60 jail officers have identified inmates who are illegal immigrants.

Even though federal officials declined to let the sheriff keep making immigration arrests, Arpaio last week renewed a deal that will let his jail officers determine inmates' immigration status.

Arpaio said federal officials offered no explanation of why his powers were cut in half.

Vinnie Picard, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which grants the special powers, declined to comment on the curtailment of Arpaio's powers or whether any of the other 62 participating local agencies across the country have been denied renewals.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement will make no final decisions on the agreements until Oct. 14, which is the deadline for renewing the agreements. So far, at least three agencies have dropped out of the program.

Giving federal powers to local police helps supplement the small staff of federal agents who enforce immigration laws in the country's interior, said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors tougher immigration enforcement.

He said it's hard to tell whether the limits on Arpaio's authority will extend to other agencies and would hamper the movement for local police to confront illegal immigration.

"I suspect there is some effort there to send a warning to other police departments: Don't get too aggressive with this, because we will yank it out from under you," Mehlman said.

Joan Friedland, immigration policy director for the National Immigration Law Center, said the federal government wasn't making a serious attempt to rein in Arpaio, because his jail officers still have the power to question jailed people about their immigration status.

"All he has to do is get people to the jail, rather than being able to question them about their immigration status on the street," said Friedland, whose group advocates for low-income immigrants.

For his part, Arpaio said he plans to continue cracking down illegal immigration by enforcing state laws that prohibit immigrant smuggling and ban employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

Arpaio said his deputies can still detain suspected illegal immigrants who haven't committed state crimes, as long as his officers call Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to pick them up.

Critics say some of Arpaio's deputies racially profiled people during immigration sweeps. Arpaio maintains that people pulled over in the sweeps were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.

His office is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations of discrimination and unconstitutional searches and seizures.

A September 2008 audit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the relationship between that agency and the sheriff's office was good, but noted that most rank-and-file patrol deputies who had the special training and who weren't part of a special smuggling unit had rarely used their federal powers, because they didn't have the experience — or didn't want to take the time — to process illegal immigrants.

The review also noted that the local FBI office received no complaints against officers with the special training.

Arpaio's approach to immigration has frustrated other public officials.

The mayor of Mesa complained in 2008 that Arpaio didn't warn his city of raids by deputies who were looking for illegal immigrants working at his city's library and City Hall.

And as Arpaio's sweeps began to draw heavy criticism in 2008, then-Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, cut off immigration enforcement dollars to his office.

Napolitano, who as the country's homeland security secretary now oversees the federal government's immigration agencies, had said it wasn't an attempt to change Arpaio's approach to cracking down on illegal immigration. Rather, she said the funding was reallocated to try to clear a backlog of thousands of outstanding felony warrants across the state.

by the associated press

AP Top News

2009-10-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The fever has broken. The patient is out of intensive care. But if you're President Barack Obama, you can't stop pacing the waiting room. Health care overhaul is still in guarded condition. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll has found that opposition to Obama's health care remake dropped dramatically in just a matter of weeks. Still, Americans remain divided over complex legislation that Democrats are advancing in Congress.

by the associated press

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss teen violence

2009-10-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are set to discuss youth violence in Chicago in the wake of the beating death of a 16-year-old honor student whose attack was caught on cell phone video.

Holder and Duncan plan to meet privately Wednesday with students, parents and school officials. They'll hold a news conference later with Ron Huberman, who replaced Duncan as chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools.

President Barack Obama sent the two federal officials to Chicago after images emerged of the fatal beating of high school sophomore Derrion Albert. Four teenagers have been charged in his death.

by the associted press

Court hears arguments on cross on park land

2009-10-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is taking up a long-running legal fight over a cross honoring World War I soldiers that has stood for 75 years on public land in a remote part of California.

The cross, on an outcrop known as Sunrise Rock in the Mojave National Preserve, has been covered in plywood for the past several years following federal court rulings that it violates the First Amendment prohibition against government endorsement of religion.

The justices were to hear arguments Wednesday in a case the court could use to make an important statement about its view of the separation of church and state. The Obama administration is defending the presence of the cross, which court papers describe as being 5 feet to 8 feet tall.

A former National Park Service employee, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued to have the cross removed or covered after the agency refused to allow erection of a Buddhist memorial nearby. Frank Buono describes himself as a practicing Catholic who has no objection to religious symbols, but he took issue with the government's decision to allow the display of only the Christian symbol.

Easter Sunrise services have been held at the site for decades.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has repeatedly ruled in Buono's favor. Congress has intervened on behalf of the cross, prohibiting the Park Service from spending money to remove the cross, designating it a national memorial and ultimately transferring the land to private ownership.

The appeals court invalidated the 2004 land transfer, saying that "carving out a tiny parcel of property in the midst of this vast preserve — like a doughnut hole with the cross atop it — will do nothing to minimize the impermissible governmental endorsement" of the religious symbol.

Veterans groups are on both sides of the case, with some worrying that other religious symbols that serve as war memorials could be threatened by a ruling in Buono's favor. Jewish and Muslim veterans, by contrast, object that the Mojave cross honors Christian veterans and excludes others.

The administration wants the court to rule that Buono had no right to file his lawsuit because, as a Christian, he suffers no harm from the cross. His main complaint is that others may feel excluded, the government says.

Alternatively, the administration says the land transfer took care of any First Amendment problem.

The case is Salazar v. Buono, 08-472.

by the asssociated press

Obama weighs Afghanistan options

2009-10-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is gathering his national security team for another strategy session on Afghanistan after signaling that a troop withdrawal is not under consideration.

Obama's White House session Wednesday comes eight years after the war started and amid new poll statistics showing that support for the conflict in this country is waning.

Obama, who inherited the war when he took office last January, is examining how to proceed with a worsening combat situation that has claimed nearly 800 U.S. lives and sapped American patience. Launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to defeat the Taliban and rid al-Qaida of a home base, the war has lasted longer than ever envisioned.

House and Senate leaders of both parties emerged Tuesday from a nearly 90-minute conversation with Obama with praise for his candor and interest in listening. But politically speaking, all sides appeared to exit where they entered, with Republicans pushing Obama to follow his military commanders and Democrats saying he should not be rushed.

Public support for the war now stands at 40 percent, down from 44 percent in July, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. A total of 69 percent of self-described Republicans in the poll favor sending more troops, while 57 percent of self-described Democrats oppose it.

Obama said the war would not be reduced to a narrowly defined counterterrorism effort, with the withdrawal of many U.S. forces and an emphasis on special operations forces that target terrorists in the dangerous border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two senior administration officials say such a scenario has been inaccurately characterized and linked to Vice President Joe Biden, and that Obama wanted to make clear he is considering no such plan.

The president did not show his hand on troop increases. His top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has bluntly warned that more troops are needed to right the war, perhaps up to 40,000 more. Obama has already added 21,000 troops this year, raising the total to 68,000.

Obama also gave no timetable for a decision, which prompted at least one pointed exchange.

Inside the State Dining Room, where the meeting was held, Obama's Republican opponent in last year's presidential race, Sen. John McCain, told Obama that he should not move at a "leisurely pace," according to people in the room.

That comment later drew a sharp response from Obama, they said. Obama said no one felt more urgency than he did about the war, and there would not be nothing leisurely about it.

Obama may be considering a more modest building of troops — closer to 10,000 than 40,000 — according to Republican and Democratic congressional aides. But White House aides said no such decision has been made.

The president insisted that he will make a decision on troops after settling on the strategy ahead. He told lawmakers he will be deliberate yet show urgency.

"We do recognize that he has a tough decision, and he wants ample time to make a good decision," said House Republican leader John Boehner. "Frankly, I support that, but we need to remember that every day that goes by, the troops that we do have there are in greater danger."

What's clear is that the mission in Afghanistan is not changing. Obama said his focus is to keep al-Qaida terrorists from having a base from which to launch attacks on the U.S or its allies. He heard from 18 lawmakers and said he would keep seeking such input even knowing his final decision would not please them all.

Obama's emphasis on building a strong strategy did not mean he shed much light on what it would be. He did, though, seek to "dispense with the more extreme options on either side of the debate," as one administration official put it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the closed-door meeting.

The president made clear he would not "double down" in Afghanistan and build up U.S forces into the hundreds of thousands, just as he ruled out withdrawing forces and focusing on a narrow counterterrorism strategy.

"Half-measures is what I worry about," McCain, R-Ariz., told reporters. He said Obama should follow recommendations from those in uniform and dispatch thousands of more troops to the country — similar to what President George W. Bush did during the 2008 troop "surge" in Iraq.

The White House said Obama won't base his decisions on the mood on Capitol Hill or eroding public support for the war.

"The president is going to make a decision — popular or unpopular — based on what he thinks is in the best interests of the country," press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.

by the associated press

Great, photo a hit for Westminster birder

2009-10-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Pat Gaines actually felt sorry for the red-tailed hawks at Bonny Lake State Park this summer.

Despite their aggressive reputation, loud screams and fierce, piercing looks, the red-tailed hawks at the park north of Burlington, just west of the Colorado-Kansas border, were being bullied when Gaines saw them.

"I've never seen red-tails harassed so much. They all seemed hoarse. I felt kind of sorry for them," said Gaines of the sight of dozens of little birds dive-bombing the hawks.

The hawks were minding their own business, Gaines recalled.

But the western kingbirds at the park were upset.

Highly territorial, the kingbirds felt the hawks were intruding on their space, said Gaines, a Westminster scientist who helps develop vaccines and tests used in veterinary medicine.

Gaines had focused his camera on one red-tailed hawk because the bird had been screaming. As he followed the hawk across the sky, a kingbird dive-bombed the hawk.

The hawk, which is not a predator of the kingbird, flew as fast as it could from the kingbird. For a moment it appeared the kingbird had stopped attacking. But then it began the pursuit again and — to Gaines amazement — landed on the hapless red-tail's back.

"He rode the hawk for 25 yards. The hawk was not trying to fight back — it was just trying to get out of there," said Gaines.

As the kingbird rode bareback on the hawk, it pecked away at the hawk's head.

"They (the kingbirds) are not afraid of anything," said Gaines. "Until this happened, I had never seen one perch on a hawk's back."

Gaines posted his photo at the Colorado Birder website last month, where he is a frequent contributor.

Other sites, including some in the United Kingdom, have picked up the photo.

The comment posted by Colorado Birder Sarah E sums up the reaction to the image: "Awesome photo!"

from the denver post.com

Italian scientist reproduces Shroud of Turin

2009-10-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

ROME (Reuters) – An Italian scientist says he has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, a feat that he says proves definitively that the linen some Christians revere as Jesus Christ's burial cloth is a medieval fake.

The shroud, measuring 14 feet, 4 inches by 3 feet, 7 inches bears the image, eerily reversed like a photographic negative, of a crucified man some believers say is Christ.

"We have shown that is possible to reproduce something which has the same characteristics as the Shroud," Luigi Garlaschelli, who is due to illustrate the results at a conference on the para-normal this weekend in northern Italy, said on Monday.

A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, Garlaschelli made available to Reuters the paper he will deliver and the accompanying comparative photographs.

The Shroud of Turin shows the back and front of a bearded man with long hair, his arms crossed on his chest, while the entire cloth is marked by what appears to be rivulets of blood from wounds in the wrists, feet and side.

Carbon dating tests by laboratories in Oxford, Zurich and Tucson, Arizona in 1988 caused a sensation by dating it from between 1260 and 1390. Sceptics said it was a hoax, possibly made to attract the profitable medieval pilgrimage business.

But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the image was left on the cloth.

Garlaschelli reproduced the full-sized shroud using materials and techniques that were available in the middle ages.

They placed a linen sheet flat over a volunteer and then rubbed it with a pigment containing traces of acid. A mask was used for the face.

PIGMENT, BLOODSTAINS AND SCORCHES

The pigment was then artificially aged by heating the cloth in an oven and washing it, a process which removed it from the surface but left a fuzzy, half-tone image similar to that on the Shroud. He believes the pigment on the original Shroud faded naturally over the centuries.

They then added blood stains, burn holes, scorches and water stains to achieve the final effect.

The Catholic Church does not claim the Shroud is authentic nor that it is a matter of faith, but says it should be a powerful reminder of Christ's passion.

One of Christianity's most disputed relics, it is locked away at Turin Cathedral in Italy and rarely exhibited. It was last on display in 2000 and is due to be shown again next year.

Garlaschelli expects people to contest his findings.

"If they don't want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world's best laboratories they certainly won't believe me," he said.

The accuracy of the 1988 tests was challenged by some hard-core believers who said restorations of the Shroud in past centuries had contaminated the results.

The history of the Shroud is long and controversial.

After surfacing in the Middle East and France, it was brought by Italy's former royal family, the Savoys, to their seat in Turin in 1578. In 1983 ex-King Umberto II bequeathed it to the late Pope John Paul.

The Shroud narrowly escaped destruction in 1997 when a fire ravaged the Guarini Chapel of the Turin cathedral where it is held. The cloth was saved by a fireman who risked his life.

Garlaschelli received funding for his work by an Italian association of atheists and agnostics but said it had no effect on his results.

"Money has no odor," he said. "This was done scientifically. If the Church wants to fund me in the future, here I am."

from Reuters

Thinking About Moving

2009-10-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Thinking About Moving.

Now , i have posted a few weeks ago , that I was planning to take a vaction in Hawaii. Now , i am thinking about moving to Hawaii.

I can a job transfer their and all , I have to is having enough money to get into a place their.
I have looked into a bedroom Condo . They start of around $98,000 , so i am thinking why not ?

i am still very young , and I want to travel . So why not ?

Well it is food for thought.

Now , that I am making real money , from Buying Stocks and ETF's.

I can do it. I just want to make sure that Hawaii , is where I want to live.

Top Reason why Men Break-Up with Women

2009-10-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through a Women's Health recently (I admit it), and I noticed an interesting poll. Women cited the following as the most common breakup reasons:

He changed
We weren't compatible
He cheated on me
When I was little, it drove me crazy when my parents supported "no" with "because I said so." I always wanted a reason. I'm not sure if knowing why always helps, but perhaps if you know common reasons guys break up with girls, you'll at least be able to see it coming. So, here are mine:

I Got Bored: I've read many different hypotheses on attention span, but my favorite is (Wikipedia):

"Continuous attention span, or the amount of time a human can focus on an object without any lapse at all, is very brief and may be as short as 8 seconds. After this amount of time, it is likely that an individual's eyes will shift focus, or that a stray thought will briefly enter consciousness."

My attention span (unless it's a football game or a song) may be worse. I know a relationship is not supposed to be exciting all the time, so getting through those flatline moments between the sparks is critical. If I start having more fun with other activities, the relationship is doomed.

One of Us Was Too Serious: This could be as simple as she wanted to see me three times a week, and I only wanted to see her once a week. If she's flirting with other guys, flighty, or not as into it as I am, then I'm too serious for her.

Burnout: I'm a big believer in pacing and rhythm in dating. A relationship can suffer burnout if certain milestones occur too fast: Being exclusive, sex, meeting parents. When that happens, I get that feeling the colonists must have gotten after they won the Revolutionary War: "Ok, we did it...so now what?"

I Was Tempted To Cheat: I do my best not to cheat, so when I have recurring urges to cheat on my girlfriend, I figure it's time to break up with her. I don't need to go through with cheating; the constant urge is enough for me to end things.

All My Friends Broke Up With Their Girlfriends: This is by far the most immature reason on this list. While my girlfriend and I are curled up on the couch watching "The Devil Wears Prada," my newly single guy friends are out shredding the karaoke waves with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" and tearing up the town. That conflict gives me wanderlust. It's much easier when we are all in for a quiet Saturday night with the significant others.

Divergent Lives: If someone moves to another town, or work is taking over, or other life changes are driving you apart, sometimes it's best to end it.

Feeling Selfish: Dating is selfless because you're giving your time and yourself up to a relationship. "Me time" is necessary at some point to work on career/living situation, travel, or whatever. When I'm in a "selfish period," it's tough to participate in a relationship.

I "Misread" My Feelings: This is the most unfair of all the reasons. Both genders make this mistake—you get into a relationship and everything seems so great. Then, a few weeks later, you realize you got wrapped up in something for the wrong reason, dated for the sake of dating, or whatever, and you need to get out.

My Friends Or Family Didn't Like Her: I pay close attention to friend/family opinions because they know me best, and they've earned the right to have their say. Also, friends and family may be able to see things inside the relationship that I'm too blinded to see.

I Took Her For Granted: Great relationships should be easy, but there has to be some tension too—especially in the beginning. If it's too easy, there's a lack of challenge. If I feel like I could have her heart any time any place, sometimes I'll let her go. This almost always ends up coming back to haunt me later, though. I never learn.

She Was Too Negative: All too often, I end up with the brooding, depressed, uptight type who is constantly complaining. I don't expect someone to be happy all the time, but if she makes me unhappy every time I see her, why stay with her?

What reasons have guys used to break up with you, and which make you most angry? What reasons have caused you to break up with guys? Which reasons do you think are the most common cause of breakups- do they differ for guys and women?

from Shine , Yahoo

Anglo-Saxon treasure uncovered

2009-09-24T23:42:00.000-07:00

LONDON – It's an unprecedented find that could revolutionize ideas about medieval England's Germanic rulers: An amateur treasure-hunter searching a farmer's field with a metal detector unearthed a huge collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver artifacts.

The discovery sent a thrill through Britain's archaeological community, which said Thursday that it offers new insight into the world of the Anglo-Saxons, who ruled England from the fifth century until the 1066 Norman invasion and whose cultural influence is still felt throughout the English-speaking world.

"This is just a fantastic find completely out of the blue," Roger Bland, who managed the cache's excavation, told The Associated Press. "It will make us rethink the Dark Ages."

The treasure trove includes intricately designed helmet crests embossed with a frieze of running animals, enamel-studded sword fittings and a checkerboard piece inlaid with garnets and gold. One gold band bore a biblical inscription in Latin calling on God to drive away the bearer's enemies.

The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes who invaded England starting in the wake of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Their artisans made striking objects out of gold and enamel, and their language, Old English, is a precursor of modern English.

The cache of gold and silver pieces was discovered in what was once Mercia, one of five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and is thought to date to between 675 and 725.

For Terry Herbert, the unemployed metal-detecting enthusiast who made the discovery on July 5 while scouring a friend's farm in the western region of Staffordshire, it was "more fun than winning the lottery."

The 55-year-old spent five days searching the field alone before he realized he needed help and notified authorities. Professional archaeologists then took over the find.

"I was going to bed and in my sleep I was seeing gold items," Herbert said of the experience.

The gold alone in the collection weighs 11 pounds and suggests that early medieval England was a far wealthier place than previously believed, according to Leslie Webster, the former curator of Anglo-Saxon archaeology at the British Museum.

She said the crosses and other religious artifacts mixed in with the military items might shed new light on the relationship between Christianity and warfare among the Anglo-Saxons — in particular a large cross she said may have been carried into battle.

The hoard was officially declared treasure by a coroner on Thursday, which means it will be valued by experts and offered up for sale to a museum in Britain. Proceeds will be split 50-50 between Herbert and his farmer friend, who has not been identified. The find's exact location is being kept secret to deter looters.

Bland said he could not give a precise figure for the value of the collection, but said the two could each be in line for a "seven-figure sum."

Kevin Leahy, the archaeologist who catalogued the find, said the stash includes dozens of pommel caps — decorative elements attached to the knobs of swords — and appeared to be war loot. He noted that "Beowulf," the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, contains a reference to warriors stripping the pommels of their enemies' weapons as mementoes.

"It looks like a collection of trophies, but it is impossible to say if the hoard was the spoils from a single battle or a long and highly successful military career," he said.

"We also cannot say who the original, or the final, owners were, who took it from them, why they buried it or when? It will be debated for decades."

Experts said they've so far examined a total of 1,345 items. But they've also recovered 56 pieces of earth that X-ray analysis suggests contain more artifacts — meaning the total could rise to about 1,500.

The craftsmanship was some of the highest-quality ever seen in finds of this kind, Leahy said, and many British archaeologists clearly shared his enthusiasm.

Bland, who has documented discoveries across Britain, called it "completely unique." Martin Welch, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon archaeology at University College London, said no one had found "anything like this in this country before."

Herbert said one expert likened his discovery to finding Egyptian Pharoah Tutankhamen's tomb, adding: "I just flushed all over when he said that. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up."

The collection is in storage at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where some of the items are to go on display starting Friday.

It's unclear how the gold ended up in the field, although archaeologists suggested it may have been buried to hide the loot from roving enemies, a common practice at the time. The site's location is unusual as well — Anglo-Saxon remains have tended to cluster in the country's south and east, while the so-called "Staffordshire hoard" was found in the west.

In the meantime, archaeologists say they're likely to be busy for years puzzling out the meaning of some of the collection's more unusual pieces — like five enigmatic gold snakes or a strip of gold bearing a crudely written and misspelled Biblical inscription in Latin.

"Rise up, O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face," reads the inscription, believed to be from the Book of Numbers.

Also of interest is the largest of the crosses, which experts say may have been an altar or processional piece. It had been folded, possibly to make it fit into a small space prior to burial, and the apparent lack of respect shown to such a Christian symbol may point to the hoard being buried by pagans.

"The things that we can't identify are the ones that are going to teach us something new," Leahy said.

For England, a country at the edge of Europe whose history owes an enormous debt to the Anglo-Saxons, the find has the potential to become one of its top national treasures, according to Webster.

Caroline Barton, assistant treasure registrar at the British Museum, said objects over 300 years old and made up of more that 10 percent precious metal are only offered for sale to accredited museums in Britain, so the collection will not be leaving the country.

by the associated press

Oral Sex and Womens Health

2009-09-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Women who perform the act of fellatio and swallow semen on a regular basis, one to two times a week, may reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 40 percent, a North Carolina State University study found.

Doctors had never suspected a link between the act of fellatio and breast cancer, but new research being performed at North Carolina State University is starting to suggest that there could be an important link between the two.

In a study of over 15,000 women suspected of having performed regular fellatio and swallowed the ejaculatory fluid, over the past ten years, the researchers found that those actually having performed the act regularly, one to two times a week, had a lower occurance of breast cancer than those who had not. There was no increased risk, however, for those who did not regularly perform.

"I think it removes the last shade of doubt that fellatio is actually a healthy act," said Dr. A.J. Kramer of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research. "I am surprised by these findings, but am also excited that the researchers may have discovered a relatively easy way to lower the occurance of breast cancer in women."

The University researchers stressed that, though breast cancer is relatively uncommon, any steps taken to reduce the risk would be a wise decision.

"Only with regular occurance will your chances be reduced, so I encourage all women out there to make fellatio an important part of their daily routine," said Dr. Helena Shifteer, one of the researchers at the University. "Since the emergence of the research, I try to fellate at least once every other night to reduce my chances."

The study is reported in Friday's Journal of Medical Research.

In 1991, 43,582 women died of breast cancer, as reported by the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Len Lictepeen, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said women should not overlook or "play down" these findings.

"This will hopefully change women's practice and patterns, resulting in a severe drop in the future number of cases," Lictepeen said.

Sooner said the research shows no increase in the risk of breast cancer in those who are, for whatever reason, not able to fellate regularly.

"There's definitely fertile ground for more research. Many have stepped forward to volunteer for related research now in the planning stages," he said.

Almost every woman is, at some point, going to perform the act of fellatio, but it is the frequency at which this event occurs that makes the difference, say researchers. Also key seems to be the protein and enzyme count in the semen, but researchers are again waiting for more test data.

The reasearch consisted of two groups, 6,246 women ages 25 to 45 who had performed fellatio and swallowed on a regular basis over the past five to ten years, and 9,728 women who had not or did not swallow. The group of women who had performed and swallowed had a breast cancer rate of 1.9 percent and the group who had not had a breast cancer rate of 10.4 percent.

"The findings do suggest that there are other causes for breast cancer besides the absence of regular fellatio," Shafteer said. "It's a cause, not THE cause."

by the associated press

Linda McMahon running for U.S. Senate

2009-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

STAMFORD, Conn., Sep 16, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Linda McMahon has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer after announcing her candidacy for the United States Senate, representing the state of Connecticut. Vince McMahon assumes the duties of Chief Executive Officer in addition to his current position as WWE(R) Chairman. McMahon will be supported by the seasoned executive management team already in place and led by Chief Operating Officer and board member, Donna Goldsmith.

As a shareholder , I am glad for Linda McMahon . This is good for shareholders. Good for our company , good for America.

Planet on Deadly Crash spiral into star

2009-08-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Astronomers have found what appears to be a gigantic suicidal planet.

The odd, fiery planet is so close to its star and so large that it is triggering tremendous plasma tides on the star. Those powerful tides are in turn warping the planet's zippy less-than-a-day orbit around its star.

The result: an ever-closer tango of death, with the planet eventually spiraling into the star.

It's a slow death. The planet WASP-18b has maybe a million years to live, said planet discoverer Coel Hellier, a professor of astrophysics at the Keele University in England. Hellier's report on the suicidal planet is in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

"It's causing its own destruction by creating these tides," Hellier said.

The star is called WASP-18 and the planet is WASP-18b because of the Wide Angle Search for Planets team that found them.

The planet circles a star that is in the constellation Phoenix and is about 325 light-years away from Earth, which means it is in our galactic neighborhood. A light-year is about 5.8 trillion miles.

The planet is 1.9 million miles from its star, 1/50th of the distance between Earth and the sun, our star. And because of that the temperature is about 3,800 degrees.

Its size — 10 times bigger than Jupiter — and its proximity to its star make it likely to die, Hellier said.

Think of how the distant moon pulls Earth's oceans to form twice-daily tides. The effect the odd planet has on its star is thousands of times stronger, Hellier said. The star's tidal bulge of plasma may extend hundreds of miles, he said.

Like most planets outside our solar system, this planet was not seen directly by a telescope. Astronomers found it by seeing dips in light from the star every time the planet came between the star and Earth.

So far astronomers have found more than 370 planets outside the solar system. This one is "yet another weird one in the exoplanet menagerie," said planet specialist Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

It's so unusual to find a suicidal planet that University of Maryland astronomer Douglas Hamilton questioned whether there was another explanation. While it is likely that this is a suicidal planet, Hamilton said it is also possible that some basic physics calculations that all astronomers rely on could be dead wrong.

The answer will become apparent in less than a decade if the planet seems to be further in a death spiral, he said.

by the associated press

Ted Kennedy, A Prince among Kings, Remembered

2009-08-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The once-indefatigable Ted Kennedy was in a wheelchair at the end, struggling to speak and sapped of his energy. But from the time his brain cancer was diagnosed 15 months ago, he spoke of having a “good ending for myself,” in whatever time he had left, and by every account, he did.

As recently as a few days ago, Mr. Kennedy was still digging into big bowls of mocha chip and butter crunch ice creams, all smushed together (as he liked it). He and his wife, Vicki, had been watching every James Bond movie and episode of “24” on DVD.

He began each morning with a sacred rite of reading his newspapers, drinking coffee and scratching the bellies of his beloved Portuguese water dogs, Sunny and Splash, on the front porch of his Cape Cod house overlooking Nantucket Sound.

If he was feeling up to it, he would end his evenings with family dinner parties around the same mahogany table where he used to eat lobster with his brothers.

He took phone calls from President Obama, house calls from his priest and — just a few weeks ago — crooned after-dinner duets of “You Are My Sunshine” (with his son Patrick) and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” (with Vicki).

“There were a lot of joyous moments at the end,” said Dr. Lawrence C. Horowitz, Mr. Kennedy’s former Senate chief of staff, who oversaw his medical care. “There was a lot of frankness, a lot of hugging, a lot of emotion.”

Obviously, Dr. Horowitz added, there were difficult times. By this spring, according to friends, it was clear that the tumor had not been contained; new treatments proved ineffective and Mr. Kennedy’s comfort became the priority.

But interviews with close friends and family members yield a portrait of a man who in his final months was at peace with the end of his life and grateful for the chance to savor the salty air and the company of loved ones.

Befitting the epic life he led, Mr. Kennedy was the protagonist of a storybook finale from the time of his diagnosis in May 2008. It was infused with a beat-the-clock element: his illness coincided with the debate over health care (“the cause of my life”) and the election of a young president he championed.

Mr. Kennedy raced to complete his legislative work and his memoirs (“I’ve got to get this right for history,” he kept saying), leaned heavily on his faith, enjoyed (or endured) a procession of tributes and testimonials and just recently petitioned Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts to push for a speedy succession so his Senate seat would not be vacant long.

The knowledge that his death was approaching infused Mr. Kennedy’s interactions with special intensity, his friends say.

“He was the only one of the Kennedy boys who had a semi-knowledge that his end was near,” said Mike Barnicle, the former Boston Globe columnist and an old friend who lives nearby on Cape Cod and visited the senator this summer. “There was no gunman in the shadows, just an M.R.I. It was a bad diagnosis, but it allowed for the gift of reflection and some good times.”

Even as Mr. Kennedy’s physical condition worsened over the summer, he still got out of bed every day until Tuesday, when he died in the evening, said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and one of Mr. Kennedy’s closest friends in the Senate.

“I’m still here,” Mr. Kennedy would call colleagues out of the blue to say, as if to refute suggestions to the contrary. “Every day is a gift,” was his mantra to begin conversations, said Peter Meade, a friend who met Mr. Kennedy as a 14-year-old volunteer on Mr. Kennedy’s first Senate campaign.

Some patients given a fatal diagnosis succumb to bitterness and self-pity; others try to cram in everything they have always wanted to do (sky-diving, a trip to China). Mr. Kennedy wanted to project vigor and a determination to keep on going. He chose what he called “prudently aggressive” treatments.

“He always admired people who took risks, like Teddy and Kara did,” Mr. Dodd said, referring to two of Mr. Kennedy’s children, who both beat cancer with bold treatments. And he vowed to work as hard as he could to lead a legislative overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

“He was the irrepressible Ted Kennedy,” said Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, who visited with his longtime colleague last week. “He was determined to get things done, but he also understood he had limitations.”

Mr. Kennedy deputized Dr. Horowitz, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, to research all treatment options before deciding on an intensive regimen of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation — hardly a clear-cut choice with an almost inevitably lethal disease and a patient of Mr. Kennedy’s age. Some physicians assembled at Massachusetts General Hospital considered his tumor inoperable — and measured his likely survival time between six weeks and a few months.

Before he traveled by private plane from Cape Cod to Duke University Medical Center for his surgery in June 2008, Mr. Kennedy made sure to put his affairs in order — his will, his medical directives and even his legislative instructions, family members say.

On the way to the airport, he called two Democratic colleagues: Mr. Dodd, telling him to take over a mental health bill he had been working on, and Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, instructing her to take over a higher education bill he had been shepherding.

“Barbara,” he boomed over the phone, “as if he was at a Red Sox-Orioles baseball game,” Ms. Mikulski said in an interview. Just days after the surgery, Mr. Kennedy began following up with Ms. Mikulski. “He was Coach Ted,” she said.

Mr. Kennedy took no comfort, friends say, in hearing how missed he was in Washington, or how in his absence he had been become something of a “spiritual leader” on issues with which he is identified, like health care. He kept in close touch with his staff and colleagues, and he was engaged in a running conversation with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, on the delicate subject of whether Mr. Kennedy would be available to vote.

Mr. Reid assured him that he would not ever ask him to come to Washington unless his vote was essential. (His disease and treatments made Mr. Kennedy vulnerable to infections, so wading into crowded areas was risky.) When a crucial Medicare provision came up last summer, Mr. Reid asked Mr. Kennedy if he could make it down.

Mr. Kennedy’s family and staff debated the issue until the senator ended it. “I’ll be there,” he said, according to a member of his staff who was involved in the decision. He received a standing ovation when he returned to the Senate floor, and the bill passed easily after he helped break a Republican filibuster.

Vicki Kennedy fiercely guarded her husband’s privacy, but Mr. Kennedy’s illness had an undeniably public component. His setbacks and hospital visits often drew news media attention. After his emotional speech at last summer’s Democratic Convention in Denver, it was disclosed that he had been suffering from kidney stones and had barely been able to get out of his hospital bed a few hours earlier.

He had to memorize the text of his speech because he struggled to see the teleprompter (his surgery had left him with impaired vision). The seizure Mr. Kennedy had at an Inaugural luncheon at the Capitol led his son Patrick to joke that his father was trying to overshadow Mr. Obama on his big day.

Mr. Kerry remembers Mr. Kennedy telling him on the Senate floor in March that he was having trouble preparing for an event he had been extremely excited for — throwing out the first pitch on opening day at Fenway Park.

While Mr. Kennedy typically told people he felt well and vigorous, by spring it was becoming clear that his disease was advancing to where he could not spend his remaining months as he had hoped, helping push a health care plan through the Senate.

He left Washington in May, after nearly a half-century in the capital, and decamped to Cape Cod, where he would contribute what he could to the health care debate via phone and C-Span. He would sail as much as possible, with as little pain and discomfort as his caretakers could manage.

He also told friends that he wanted to take stock of his life and enjoy the gift of his remaining days with the people he loved most.

“I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said repeatedly, friends recalled.

Mr. Dodd, in an interview, said: “At no point was he ever maudlin, ever ‘woe is me.’ I’m confident he had his moments — he wouldn’t be Irish if he didn’t — but in my presence, he always sounded more worried about me than he was about himself.”

Starting in late July, Vicki Kennedy organized near-nightly dinner parties and singalongs at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port. The senator was surrounded in the dining room by his crystal sailing trophies and a semiregular cast of family members that included his three children, two stepchildren and four grandchildren. Jean Kennedy Smith, Mr. Kennedy’s sister, had rented a home down the street this summer and became a regular, too. Instead of singing, she would sometimes recite poetry.

Even as Mr. Kennedy became frustrated about his limitations, friends say his spirit never flagged. “This is someone who had a fierce determination to live, but who was not afraid to die,” said Representative Bill Delahunt, a Democrat and a Kennedy friend whose district includes Cape Cod. “And he was not afraid to have a lot of laughs until he got there.”

In recent years, friends say, Mr. Kennedy had come to lean heavily on his Roman Catholic faith. In eulogizing his mother, Rose Kennedy, in 1995, he spoke of the comfort of religious beliefs. “She sustained us in the saddest times by her faith in God, which was the greatest gift she gave us,” Mr. Kennedy said, his voice stammering.

He attended Mass every day in the year after his mother’s death and continued to attend regularly, often a few times a week.

The Rev. Mark Hession, the priest at the Kennedys’ parish on the Cape, made regular visits to the Kennedy home this summer and held a private family Mass in the living room every Sunday. Even in his final days, Mr. Kennedy led the family in prayer after the death of his sister Eunice on Aug. 11. He died comfortably and in no apparent pain, friends and staff members said.

His children had expected him to hold on longer — Mr. Kennedy’s son Patrick and daughter Kara could not get back to Hyannis Port in time from California and Washington.

But the senator’s condition took a turn Tuesday night and a priest — the Rev. Patrick Tarrant of Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville, Mass. — was called to his bedside. Mr. Kennedy spent his last hours in prayer, Father Tarrant told a Boston television station, WCVB-TV.

Mr. Kennedy had told friends recently that he was looking forward to a “reunion” with his seven departed siblings, particularly his brothers, whose lives had been cut short.

“When he gets there, he can say ‘I did it, I carried the torch,’ ” Mr. Delahunt said. “ ‘I carried it all the way.’ ”

from the new york times

The Doctor, says Jackson was Murdered !!!!

2009-08-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Pop star Michael Jackson died from a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol given in a cocktail of drugs, leading authorities to suspect his doctor of manslaughter, court documents showed on Monday.

The "Thriller" singer suffered cardiac arrest and died on June 25 at age 50. Since then, an investigation by state and federal agencies have focused on Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal doctor who was at his bedside the day he died.

The findings, contained in a warrant to search Murray's home and offices, paint a picture of an insomniac pop star who could not sleep without heavy medication. Jackson sought out propofol -- routinely used to sedate patients and anesthetize them before surgeries such as a colonoscopy -- and called it his "milk."

"The Los Angeles Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr. (Lakshmanan) Sathyavagiswaran, indicated that he had reviewed the preliminary toxicology results and his preliminary assessment of Jackson's cause of death was due to lethal levels of propofol (diprivan)," according to a warrant to search Murray's offices issued by California.

The document was unsealed and released by the Harris County District Clerk in Houston, where Murray has an office. U.S. agents raided the office on July 22.

In an affidavit seeking the warrant, Houston police officer E.G. Chance said U.S. agents had gathered "items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense."

Murray's attorney, Ed Chernoff, was not available to comment.

In a statement, a representative said Jackson's family has "full confidence in the legal process, and commends the ongoing efforts of the L.A. County Coroner, the L.A. District Attorney and the L.A. Police Department."

Murray, who was with Jackson on June 25 administering drugs to ease the pop star to sleep, gave him a range of medication including a 25-milligram dose of propofol via an intravenous drip at 10:40 a.m. PDT, the state search warrant said.

Jackson was "very familiar" with propofol and referred to it as his "milk" because of its milky appearance, the warrant said. Murray, who had been treating Jackson for about six weeks leading up to his death, was worried that Jackson was addicted to propofol. Murray was trying to wean him off the drug by giving him smaller doses, it said.

Jason Hymes, an assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California who is not associated with the case, said the drug was a true anesthetic. "You administer it to somebody and then operate on them ... This concept of giving somebody a general anesthetic for sleep disturbance strikes me as just bizarre and astoundingly inappropriate."

In the early hours of June 25, Murray also gave Jackson doses of anti-anxiety medications Valium and Ativan and sedative Versed, the filing said.

Jackson went to sleep after Murray gave him the propofol, and Murray stayed by his side for about 10 minutes, then left "to go to the restroom and relieve himself," the search warrant said.

Murray was out of Jackson's room for about 2 minutes and when he returned, Jackson was no longer breathing, the warrant said.

from http://www.reuters.com/

Glenn Beck Show's Lost some Advertisers on his Fox Show

2009-08-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK – Glenn Beck returns to Fox News Channel on Monday after a vacation with fewer companies willing to advertise on his show than when he left, part of the fallout from calling President Barack Obama a racist.

A total of 33 Fox advertisers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., CVS Caremark, Clorox and Sprint, directed that their commercials not air on Beck's show, according to the companies and ColorofChange.org, a group that promotes political action among blacks and launched a campaign to get advertisers to abandon him. That's more than a dozen more than were identified a week ago.

While it's unclear what effect, if any, this will ultimately have on Fox and Beck, it is already making advertisers skittish about hawking their wares within the most opinionated cable TV shows.

The Clorox Co., a former Beck advertiser, now says that "we do not want to be associated with inflammatory speech used by either liberal or conservative talk show hosts." The maker of bleach and household cleaners said in a statement that it has decided not to advertise on political talk shows.

The shows present a dilemma for advertisers, who usually like a "safe" environment for their messages. The Olbermanns, Hannitys, O'Reillys, Maddows and Becks of the TV world are more likely to say something that will anger a viewer, who might take it out on sponsors.

They also host the most-watched programs on their networks.

"This is a good illustration of that conundrum," said Rich Hallabran, spokesman for UPS Stores, which he said has temporarily halted buying ads on Fox News Channel as a whole.

Beck can bring the eyeballs. With the health care debate raising political temperatures, his show had its biggest week ever right before his vacation, averaging 2.4 million viewers each day, according to Nielsen Media Research.

He was actually on another Fox show July 28 when he referred to Obama as a racist with "a deep-seated hatred for white people." The network immediately distanced itself from Beck's statement, but Beck didn't. He used his radio show the next day to explain why he believed that. He would not comment for this article, spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said.

ColorofChange.org quickly targeted companies whose ads had appeared during Beck's show, telling them what he had said and seeking a commitment to drop him. The goal is to make Beck a liability, said James Rucker, the organization's executive director.

"They have a toxic asset," Rucker said. "They can either clean it up or get rid of it."

It's not immediately clear how many of the companies actually knew they were advertising on Beck's show. Sometimes commercial time is chosen for a specific show, but often it is bought on a rotation basis, meaning the network sprinkles the ads throughout the day on its own schedule. Sometimes ads appear by mistake; Best Buy said it bought commercial time for earlier in the day, and one of its ads unexpectedly appeared in Beck's show.

One company, CVS Caremark, said it advertises on Fox but hadn't said anything about Beck. Now it has told its advertising agency to inform Fox that it wanted no commercials on Beck.

"We support vigorous debate, especially around policy issues that affect millions of Americans, but we expect it to be informed, inclusive and respectful," said spokeswoman Carolyn Castel.

Besides the unpredictability of the opinionated cable hosts, the rapid pace of today's wired world complicates decisions on where to place ads, said Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokeswoman for Sprint. She said she was surprised at how fast the Beck issue spread across social media outlets and how quickly advertiser names were attached to it.

UPS' Hallabran said the decision to pull commercials "should not be interpreted as we are permanently withdrawing our advertising from Fox." He said the company wants to reach viewers with a wide spectrum of opinions.

Except for UPS Stores, there's no evidence that any advertisers who say they don't want to be on Beck's show are leaving Fox. Network spokeswoman Irena Briganti said the companies have simply requested the ads be moved elsewhere and that Fox hasn't lost any revenue.

She wouldn't say whether Fox was benefiting from any anti-anti-Beck backlash, with companies looking to support him. Some Beck supporters have urged fans to express their displeasure at companies for abandoning their man.

Beck supporters have suggested that retaliation might have something to do with ColorofChange.org's campaign. One of the group's founders, Van Jones, now works in the Obama administration and has been criticized by Beck. But Rucker said Jones has nothing to do with ColorofChange.org now and didn't even know about the campaign before it started.

Beck's strong ratings — even at 5 p.m. EDT he often outdraws whatever CNN and MSNBC show in prime-time — make it unlikely Beck is going anywhere even as the list of advertisers avoiding him approaches three dozen.

But it could mean advertising time becomes cheaper on his show than such a large audience would normally command. Some of his show's advertisers last week included a male enhancement pill, a law firm looking to sue on behalf of asbestos victims, a company selling medical supplies to diabetics and a water filter company.

Rucker said ColorofChange.org has contacted about 60 companies regarding Beck, and is heartened by the response.

"It's causing a certain conversation around Beck, which I think is important," he said.

from the associated press

Jackson portrait auction enters last day

2009-08-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. — A New York art gallery is expecting some brisk last-minute bidding on an Andy Warhol portrait of Michael Jackson.

The Vered Gallery in East Hampton, N.Y., is selling the 30-by-26-inch painting. It shows a smiling Jackson in a red jacket from his 1980s "Thriller" days.

The auction, which is being conducted online, by phone and at the gallery, was scheduled to close at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The seller is a private collector.

Gallery co-owner Janet Lehr says many potential buyers have registered for the sale. But, she says, few bids have been received since the painting went on the block last month.

Lehr says she isn't concerned, noting "bidding is very last minute in the art world."

by the associated press

Britney Spears shows her new figure

2009-08-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK — What would a President Spears administration be like? Apparently, very tasty.

Britney Spears appeared on David Letterman's "Late Show" on Tuesday to deliver a Top Ten list of ways the country would be different if she were president.

"Free pie for everybody," Spears declared.

For No. 10 on the list, Spears said she'd be "the first president to wear eye shadow since Nixon."

The 27-year-old pop star appeared eager to show off her buff new body. She delivered the list in a bikini.

Spears also joked that her situation room would be a cabana at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, and she'd challenge the U.S. to put a nightclub on the moon within a decade.

Her top reason?

"Finally," she said, "the media would pay some attention to me."

by the associated press

Richard Hatch was sent back to jail over an interview

2009-08-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The sister of "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch said Wednesday she thinks her brother was sent back to jail over an interview, and a radio station host said Hatch called in to his show twice without the station first getting permission from the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Hatch, who had been serving out the remainder of his prison term for tax evasion on home confinement in Newport, was taken into custody and jailed Tuesday, just hours after interviews aired on WPRO-AM, NBC's "Today" show and WJAR-TV. In those interviews, Hatch said the judge in his tax evasion case discriminated against him because he was gay. He also accused the prosecutor of misconduct.

Hatch's sister told NBC's "Today" show on Wednesday that when a sheriff's deputy came to bring her brother to the Barnstable County Jail in Massachusetts on Tuesday, she overheard him say that Hatch was being jailed because "he did an interview."

The federal Bureau of Prisons would not comment on Hatch's case. But spokeswoman Traci Billingsley said prisoners on home confinment cannot grant interviews without first getting permission. She said approval typically takes a few days and is sought by and granted to the media outlet.

WPRO host John DePetro said the radio station didn't get the permission because Hatch called in on his own, twice. DePetro said Hatch was angry about comments made on the show by former U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, who oversaw Hatch's prosecution. Corrente had called Hatch "delusional."

"When he heard the Corrente interview, that's what set him off," DePetro said. "He was hot when he called in."

"Today" show host Matt Lauer said on the show Wednesday that he had permission for his interview. WJAR-TV, the local NBC affiliate, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Hatch's lawyer and sister did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Hatch was convicted in 2006 of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he was awarded for winning the first season of the CBS reality show. He was given extra prison time for lying on the stand.

His term is scheduled to end on Oct. 7.

by the associated press

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, tours devastation after prison riot

2009-08-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday toured the Southern California prison where 175 inmates were injured in a riot earlier this month, likening the devasation to a scene from one of his movies.

More than 1,000 inmates were involved in the Aug. 8 riot at the California Institution for Men in Chino. The melee left dormitories so badly damaged that inmates have been shipped to other prisons while the dorms are being repaired. One unit was burned, while toilet seats, pipes and other materials were ripped out to be used as weapons.

"Entire housing units were burned," Schwarzenegger said during a news conference after surveying the damage. "It looks like a scene from one of my movies, except this is real danger here and real destruction."

The Republican governor said California's strict sentencing laws have contributed to inmate overcrowding, which is at the heart of several lawsuits that have led to federal oversight of the state prison system.

Schwarzenegger seeks to cut the inmate population by 27,000 this fiscal year, which would allow the state to reduce the corrections budget by $1.2 billion. He seeks another reduction of 10,000 inmates in the fiscal year that will begin next July.

Diverting that many inmates from state prison cells also will help California comply with a ruling made earlier this summer by a federal judicial panel. The judges ordered the state to reduce its inmate population by 40,000 inmates over two years.

The federal courts have ruled that overcrowding has been the leading cause of unconstitutional inmate medical and mental health care.

"Politicians in Sacramento have swept the problem under the rug for so long," Schwarzenegger said. "We must be measured and smart about how we go about and create these reductions."

It's not clear whether overcrowding played a role in the riot at the Chino prison because various investigations into the incident have yet to be completed. Prison officials said it began with a fight between black and Hispanic inmates.

The governor's plan includes releasing older or physically frail inmates to home confinement, allowing more inmates to earn early release by completing rehabilitation programs and reducing certain thefts and other crimes to misdemeanors, which would keep more convicts in county jails and out of state prisons.

Schwarzenegger promised he would not relax the state's three-strikes law for repeat offenders or allow the widespread early release of violent criminals or sex offenders.

The state Senate has scheduled a debate on his plan for Thursday. Majority Democrats could approve the plan without support from Republicans, who oppose early release programs.

Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth disagreed that the Chino riot demonstrated the need to reduce the prison population. Rather, he said it shows the state needs more prisons and guards, not fewer inmates.

"The message I get from it is these are dangerous people who should not be roaming the streets," said Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta.

by the associated press

Storm fells hundreds of trees in NY's Central Park

2009-08-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK — Hundreds of century-old trees lay snapped in half and uprooted throughout Central Park on Wednesday after a severe thunderstorm with winds as high as 80 mph barreled through the city overnight.

"I've never seen a wind of that velocity in New York City," Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said. "It looks like pictures that I've seen of war zones where artillery shells have shredded trees."

The storm swept through the area Tuesday night, snapping the park's famous American elm trees in half while uprooting others. One tree lay across the tennis courts at West 96th Street, and a few lampposts stood at a slant after trees crashed into them.

Several parked cars were also destroyed when branches hurtled through the air and landed on them.

Steve Sherman, a 50-year-old photographer, cycled through Central Park on Wednesday morning and counted dozens of fallen trees around him. He compared the devastation to the aftermath of a tornado.

"Central Park is our oasis. It's our only saving grace living in an urban center like New York," Sherman said. "To see Mother Nature up front and realize her power, it's phenomenal. You just don't expect it in an urban setting."

Dorothy London has spent years sketching the area's towering American elm trees. On Tuesday night, the artist stood by her apartment window worrying about how the trees were faring in the fierce storm.

"I heard the screaming of the wind. I heard crashing," London said. "I was worried if all those beautiful trees were all dying."

On Wednesday morning, she toured the park, looking for her favorite American elm near the tennis courts. She found the elm split in two.

"It's dead," she said, bursting into tears.

Parks employees were cleaning up streets and travel lanes Wednesday and identifying any hazardous areas of trees with hanging limbs that could still come down. The Central Park Conservancy also brought in emergency contractors.

Benepe urged the public to stay away from any trees in the park marked hazardous. He said some of the heavier-hit sections, like the North Meadow and the area around the tennis courts, might have to be cordoned off.

"The landscape has changed forever," he said.

The American elm can grow up to 125 feet tall, with a spread spanning 65 feet at the top. Benepe said he wasn't sure if new saplings would ever be able to reach the size and maturity of the trees that were lost.

"My grandchildren might be able to enjoy those trees in time," Sherman said. "But they won't be able to see the tree I just looked at yesterday. We've lost friends here."

The storm swept in after two sweltering days of temperatures above 90 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday evening.

by the associated press

Increase in women who drink and drive

2009-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The number of women arrested for drunken driving has jumped nearly 30 percent in the past decade, a dangerous trend that was all too evident when a wrong-way crash involving a woman in New York killed eight people.

The Transportation Department said the number of women arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased 28.8 percent between 1998 and 2007. The number of men arrested under the influence fell 7.5 percent during the same period.

"If you're over the limit, you're under arrest. This is a matter of life and death," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Despite the new trend, drunken driving arrests remain dominated by men. In 1998, 676,911 men were arrested for being under the influence, compared with 626,371 arrests in 2007. More than 126,000 women were arrested for DUI in 1998, a number which increased to 162,493 in 2007.

The Associated Press initially reported the figures earlier this month.

Laura Dean-Mooney, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said it was unclear why there has been an increase in the number of women arrested for impaired driving. "There's no hard data on that. What you're hearing more is that women are under more pressure, they're now perhaps the breadwinner because of the unemployment rate," she said.

"We need to make sure women understand that if you're a drinking driver, you're just as likely as a male to hit or kill or injure someone or perhaps even kill yourself, as we saw in the horrible Taconic Parkway crash," she said.

In New York's Westchester County, Diane Schuler drove the wrong way for nearly two miles on the Taconic State Parkway last month before her minivan slammed into an SUV, killing 8 people.

Schuler, her 2-year-old daughter, three young nieces and three men in the SUV were killed. Schuler's 5-year-old son survived.

A smashed bottle of vodka was found in the wreckage of Schuler's minivan. An autopsy found she had a 0.19 blood-alcohol reading at the time of the crash, well above the legal limit of 0.08, and had smoked marijuana no more than an hour before the wreck.

Transportation officials said the number of impaired women involved in a fatal crash increased in 10 states from 2007 to 2008. The states are: Ohio, New Hampshire, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, West Virginia, Indiana, Washington state, Kansas and Tennessee.

About 2,000 alcohol-related deaths involve women every year.

The government released the new statistics in connection with its anti-drunk driving enforcement campaign, which targets drivers leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend. The enforcement campaign runs from Aug. 21 through the Labor Day weekend and involves 11,000 police departments and law enforcement agencies around the country.

by the associated press

Obama. honors NASCAR champions, drivers

2009-08-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson had the gas to get to the White House on Wednesday, where President Barack Obama honored the 2008 winner as well as auto racing.

"NASCAR is a uniquely American sport," Obama said in the Rose Garden, flanked by drivers.

Obama said the drivers work to support U.S. troops, local schools and environmental innovation. Obama said the sport certainly has grown since "moonshiners" raced in Daytona Beach, Fla., to become a service-oriented organization known around the globe.

"That's the face of America you show to the world," he said.

In a race on Sunday, Johnson took the lead with two laps to go but he gambled on his fuel and ran out of gas. Instead of winning, he finished 33rd. It was the third time this season that Johnson has run out of gas, but that wasn't a problem on Wednesday.

Joining Johnson at the White House were other Sprint Cup drivers and past champions. Special guests included wounded soldiers from a Washington hospital and campers from a North Carolina facility for terminally or chronically ill children.

Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet also was parked at the White House.

Obama joked he wanted to take it out for a spin, but the Secret Service told him no.

by the associated press

Rep. Barney Frank, lashes out at protester for Nazi remark

2009-08-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Rep. Barney Frank lashed out at protester who held a poster depicting President Barack Obama with a Hitler-style mustache during a heated town hall meeting on federal health care reform.

"On what planet do you spend most of your time?" Frank asked the woman, who had stepped up to the podium at a southeastern Massachusetts senior center to ask why Frank supports what she called a Nazi policy.

"Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it," Frank replied.

He continued by saying her ability to deface an image of the president and express her views "is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated."

Frank, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, sought to assure more than 500 people attending the rowdy meeting that the average taxpayer wouldn't be hurt by plans currently under consideration in Congress.

Some of those attending the meeting organized by the Democratic Town Committee of Dartmouth shouted and booed as Frank and others addressed the crowd.

At one point, Frank asked the crowd: "Which one of you wants to yell next?"

Several people wanted to know how the government would pay for the reforms without worsening a growing federal budget deficit.

At least two dozen protesters gathered in small groups outside, handing out pamphlets and holding signs criticizing the overhaul, Obama and Frank. Some of the posters read: "It's the economy stupid, stop the spending" and "Healthcare reform yes, government takeover, no. Tort Reform Now"

Audrey Steele, 82, from New Bedford, said she does not want the government to get involved with health care because "they just make a mess of everything," referring to the $700 billion bailout of financial institutions that was used to pay for lavish conferences and hefty executive compensation.

Others at Tuesday's meeting were more supportive of reform.

Dr. Sheila Leavitt, a physician from Newton, said she hoped for changes that would support primary care physicians who aren't paid as much as specialists. She said some of the rowdy critics at Tuesday's meeting appeared to be using the same "talking points" as those who showed up at similar meetings around the country.

by the associated press

Winds rip through Minneapolis, could be a tornado

2009-08-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS — Weather experts are looking into tornado reports after powerful winds ripped through Minneapolis, tearing off part of a 90-year-old metal church steeple.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning Wednesday afternoon after receiving reports of a tornado just north of downtown. The city has received no immediate reports of injury.

The winds toppled trees and scattered large outdoor tents and chairs set up downtown for the national Evangelical Lutheran Church in America convention. The steeple at the Central Lutheran Church next door was damaged as 120 people were inside, though a church spokesman said no one was injured

Hennepin County sheriff's officials said trained weather spotters also reported seeing a tornado.

by the associated press

Don Hewitt, who started '60 Minutes,' dies at 86

2009-08-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK — Don Hewitt, the CBS newsman who invented "60 Minutes" and produced the popular newsmagazine for 36 years, died Wednesday. He was 86.

He died of pancreatic cancer at his Bridgehampton home, CBS said. His death came a month after that of fellow CBS legend Walter Cronkite.

Hewitt joined CBS News in television's infancy in 1948, and produced the first televised presidential debate in 1960.

He made his mark in the late 1960s when CBS agreed to try his idea of a one-hour broadcast that mixed hard news and feature stories. The television newsmagazine was born on Sept. 24, 1968, when the "60 Minutes" stopwatch began ticking.

He dreamed of a television version of Life, the dominant magazine of the mid-20th century, where interviews with entertainers could co-exist with investigations that exposed corporate malfeasance.

"The formula is simple," he wrote in a memoir in 2001, "and it's reduced to four words every kid in the world knows: Tell me a story. It's that easy."

Hard-driven reporter Mike Wallace, Hewitt's first hire, became the journalist those in power did not want on their doorsteps. Harry Reasoner, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley and Diane Sawyer also reported for the show.

"60 Minutes" won 73 Emmys, 13 DuPont/Columbia University Awards and nine Peabody Awards during Hewitt's stewardship, which ended in 2004.

After Cronkite's death at 92 on July 17, Hewitt said, "How many news organizations get the chance to bask in the sunshine of a half-century of Edward R. Murrow followed by a half-century of Walter Cronkite?"

Hewitt often said the accepted wisdom for television news writers before "60 Minutes" was to put words to pictures. He believed that was backward.

A Sunday evening fixture, "60 Minutes" was television's top-rated show four times, most recently in 1992-93. While no longer a regular in the top 10 in Hewitt's later years, it was still TV's most popular newsmagazine.

CBS News "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer recalls Hewitt saying that the show tip-toes to the edge between news and show business, "and I know right where that edge is."

"Had he not been a television news producer, I think he would have been a circus ringmaster," Schieffer said. "Just this great showman. Don Hewitt understood that to tell the news, to get people to understand what they need to know about, you have to get them into the tent."

"You hear a lot of stories about him being flamboyant and being a showman, but he really was a great news editor, first and foremost," said Jeff Fager, current "60 Minutes" executive producer. "He always had the ability to make a story better."

"I learned everything from him," Fager said.

Upon the launch of "60 Minutes," Hewitt recalled that news executive Bill Leonard told him to "make us proud."

"Which may well be the last time anyone ever said `make us proud' to anyone else in television," he wrote in his memoir. "Because Leonard said `make us proud' and not `make us money,' we were able to do both, which I think makes us unique in the annals of television."

As executive producer, Hewitt was responsible for deciding each week which stories would make it on the air. Correspondents and producers alike would wait nervously in screening rooms for his verdict on their work.

Among his other jobs, Hewitt directed the first network television newscast on May 3, 1948. He originated the use of cue cards for news readers, now done by electronic machines. He was the first to "superimpose" words on the TV screen for a news show.

Before the 1960 presidential debate, Hewitt asked John F. Kennedy if he wanted makeup. Tanned and fit, Kennedy said no. Richard Nixon followed his lead. Big mistake.

"As every student of politics knows, that debate — like a Miss America contest — turned on who made the better appearance, not with what he said but with how he looked," Hewitt recalled later. "Kennedy won hands down."

Hewitt did not retire completely. In 2007, he produced a televised version of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular," bringing the venerable show to a national TV audience for the first time — on NBC.

Donald Shepard Hewitt was born in New York on Dec. 14, 1922, and grew up in the suburb of New Rochelle. He dropped out of New York University to become a copy boy at the New York Herald Tribune. He joined the Merchant Marines during World War II and worked as a correspondent posted to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's London headquarters.

After the war and a few brief journalism jobs, he took a job as an associate director at CBS News in 1948.

During his tenure, "60 Minutes" was often a place where people came to make news. Presidential candidate Bill Clinton addressed questions of infidelity in 1992, and Al Gore used the show to announce he wouldn't run for president in 2004.

Hewitt often said he was proud of his show's ability to exonerate innocent people through investigations, such as when a Texas man sent to jail for life for robbery was freed after Safer discredited the evidence against him.

When "60 Minutes" showed a tape of Dr. Jack Kevorkian lethally injecting a patient in 1998, it ignited a debate on euthanasia and the proper role of a TV news show.

Hewitt was the subject of an unflattering portrait in the 1999 movie "The Insider," which depicted him caving to pressure from CBS lawyers and not airing a whistleblowing report about the tobacco industry. The full report eventually aired.

Although bitter at the former "60 Minutes" producer who became a hero of "The Insider" for fighting to air the story, Hewitt later said he wasn't proud of his actions.

Hewitt had said he wanted to "die at my desk," creating a delicate situation for CBS. The show's ratings were declining and it had the oldest audience in television, as well as some of the oldest correspondents.

Hewitt, then 80, was persuaded to announce in January 2003 that he would step down at the conclusion of the 2003-2004 season, which he did. In return, CBS gave him a contract that would pay him through age 90.

Hewitt is survived by his wife of 30 years, journalist Marilyn Berger, two sons from his first marriage and two daughters from his second marriage. Berger, who worked for The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC, was his third wife.

by the associated press

Milwaukee mayor said attack got 'ugly' quickly

2009-08-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

MILWAUKEE — A bloodied scab on his face and his shattered hand bound by a bulky cast, Milwaukee's mayor said Wednesday his decision to intervene in a domestic dispute got "very ugly" quickly but he did what any good citizen should have done.

Tom Barrett spoke for the first time Wednesday about being attacked by a man as he attempted to help a woman and her 1-year-old granddaughter near the Wisconsin State Fair on Saturday night. The popular 55-year-old mayor suffered a shattered hand, got two of his teeth knocked out and had gashes on his face and the back of his head.

Speaking in the front yard of his home where he has been recuperating since he left the hospital on Monday, Barrett said he initially thought something was wrong with the baby before realizing the 20-year-old man was agitated.

"I think it's fair to say things got very, very ugly, very, very quickly," Barrett said.

The mayor declined to discuss details of the attack, saying he didn't want to jeopardize the ongoing criminal investigation.

The 20-year-old man has been arrested, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern expected charges to be filed Thursday morning. The grandmother has said the suspect is the girl's birth father.

Barrett said he was most concerned about his hand injury but his overall prognosis was good.

"We're on the mend, everything's heading in the right direction, and I just wanted to let you know I'm still standing," he said.

About 100 neighbors and friends gathered and applauded the mayor Wednesday as he emerged with his wife, Chris, sister Betsy Barrett-Flood, and his 20-year-old niece, Molly Barrett-Floodwho called 911 for help after her uncle was attacked.

As he's been recovering, Barrett has gotten calls from many well-wishers, including President Barack Obama. He said he was happy to get the call — but told the president he'd prefer "to be called for pitching a perfect game" instead.

A reporter told Barrett her television station had received hundreds of get-well wishes from people who called the mayor a hero.When asked to respond, the mayor said simply: "I'll say Molly's my hero."

Kathleen Hubing, 58, was among the neighbors who came to hear Barrett speak. She said she was impressed that he spent so much time praising his family, as well as police and hospital officials.

"That's our mayor. He's always giving honor and praise to those who need it rather than himself," said Hubing, a retired schoolteacher.

On Tuesday, Brew City Brand Apparel started selling black and yellow T-shirts in honor of Barrett that read, "Our Mayor Ain't No Cream Puff." Cream puffs are enormously popular at the state fair, which ended Sunday.

Barrett's name has been circulating as a possible Democratic candidate for governor in 2010 after Gov. Jim Doyle announced this week he will not seek a third term. Reporters didn't ask Barrett about those rumors because a mayoral spokesman requested before the news conference that questions pertain only to the mayor's condition.

Barrett was elected Milwaukee mayor in 2004 and re-elected last year with nearly 80 percent of the vote. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1992 to 2002.

by the associated press

Barack Obama on ESPN

2009-08-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will be interviewed live during ESPN2's NASCAR Now, originating from the White House at 4:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

ObamaPresident Obama is honoring three-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson as well as other current NASCAR drivers and some past champions of the sport in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.

NASCAR Now will cover the festivities live, marking the first time in ESPN's 30-year history that a regularly-scheduled ESPN program will originate and air in its entirety from the White House.

Following the ceremony, the President will join NASCAR Now host Nicole Manske and ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty for a live interview.

ESPN analysts Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace, both Cup Series champions, will be among the drivers participating in ceremonies that include a tour of the White House and photo opportunities.

from Nascar.com

36 Percent of Republicans Say Obama Was Born in America

2009-08-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Public Policy Polling has a new study of the “birther” movement and finds that by a 44-36 margin, Republicans don’t believe that “Barack Obama was born in the United States.” Twenty percent are unsure. For comparison, both Democrats (82-12) and independents (64-18) know that the president was born in this country. (Self-identified “conservatives” are split on the question, 39-39.)
So where do Republicans think he was born? For whatever reason, 19 percent of them say Indonesia, where Obama lived after his mother re-married and moved there with her husband Lolo Soetoro. (”Birthers” often attack the president as “Barry Soetoro,” which I’ve never quite understood; is that really a stranger name than “Obama”?) Thirteen percent of Republicans say he was born in Kenya, birthplace of Barack Obama Sr. Mystifyingly, 2 percent of Republicans say the president was born in the Philippines, a country he has no connection to whatsoever.

And how do the numbers break down by race?

from the washongton post

TV contestant sought in death of CA model

2009-08-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

BUENA PARK, Calif. — The mother of a former swimsuit model found dead in a trash bin says a former reality television contestant wanted for questioning in the case was briefly married to her daughter.

Lisa Lepore says her 28-year-old daughter Jasmine Fiore married Ryan Jenkins in Las Vegas in March but had the marriage annulled in May. However, she says Jenkins convinced her daughter to take him back.

Fiore's nude body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a Buena Park trash bin on Saturday. Officials say she may have been strangled.

Jenkins appeared on the reality TV show "Megan Wants a Millionaire." Police say he may be heading to his native Canada.

Lepore says her daughter modeled about two years ago but had left the business.

by the associated press

Obama's health fight

2009-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — As public pitchman, President Barack Obama accuses special interests of fighting to block his health care overhaul. "They run their ads. And let's face it, they scare people," he told one weekend audience.

Yet Obama has spent months assembling a formidable lineup of special interests of his own, an essential element of a plan to remake the health care system and succeed where President Bill Clinton memorably failed.

"We have the American Nurses Association, we have the American Medical Association on board," Obama told the weekend crowd in Grand Junction, Colo. "We have an agreement from drug companies to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. ... The AARP supports this policy."

In the parlance of Washington, the organizations on both sides are special interests — the insurance industry and business groups strongly opposed to the direction health care legislation is taking in Congress, as well as the groups of doctors, nurses, drug makers and labor unions working to pass an overhaul despite any misgivings they may have.

Part of the permanent landscape in the capital, they all lobby Congress and federal agencies on the issues they care most about. Many purchase political ads in campaign season or try to turn out their own memberships to vote for preferred candidates. They have enormous sums at stakes in the outcome of the struggle over Obama's proposed remaking of the health care system.

Take just two:

_ America's Health Insurance Plans has emerged as a leading opponent of the portion of Obama's plan that calls for the government to sell insurance in competition with private companies.

_ The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association is unhappy about the same provision but has pledged to spend a staggering $150 million on television commercials in support of the administration's quest for legislation.

What's the difference?

"They're stakeholders when they're with you, and they're interest groups when they're against you," Mary Matalin, a Republican, said recently, a tongue-in-cheek explanation that hints at the unappealing aroma associated with the label "special interests."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs seemed to understand as much when he said the administration is benefiting from the help of "interest groups," avoiding the more unsavory term "special interests."

"It'd be sort of odd to go to a town hall meeting and rail against interest groups that are supporting reform ... who have acknowledged that it's time for health care reform," he said. The president's criticism is aimed at "interest groups that are aligned to keep the status quo either because it benefits them or they have a vested interest."

Far more than semantics is involved.

Eager to succeed where Clinton failed, Obama nailed down agreements with deep-pocketed drug makers and others. The effect was not only to secure allies who could pay for grass-roots and advertising campaigns but also to drive a wedge between Republicans and organizations that have supported them in the past.

Despite the obvious turbulence surrounding Obama's proposals, there is evidence the strategy is working. GOP discomfort was obvious when Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader, accused the drug industry of trying to protect its own profits by "cutting a deal with the bully" on health care.

It marked a turnabout from the days when congressional Republicans received two-thirds of the political contributions handed out by the pharmaceutical industry.

Ken Johnson, a senior vice president at PhRMA, sought the high ground in response. "We have been working diligently for more than a year to advance bipartisan health care reform. We're proud of those efforts, and they are completely consistent with our core principles."

The drug makers went first in making a deal with the White House, agreeing to pick up $80 billion in additional costs over the next decade to help defray the expenses of the legislation.

The American Hospital Association agreed to shoulder an additional $155 billion.

In exchange, both won assurances the White House would protect them against attempts in Congress to seek additional cuts in their projected Medicare and Medicaid payments.

The American Medical Association's key issue was different. Doctors hope the legislation will allow them to avoid a looming 21 percent cut in payments under Medicare. The cost to the government for that would be about $230 billion over a decade.

Obama also agreed to require individuals to purchase insurance, reversing a position he held during his campaign. "My thinking on the issue of mandates has evolved. And I think that that is typical of most people who study this problem deeper," he said.

It was a bow to the special interests — some now with Obama, others not — that suddenly opened up the possibility of millions of new customers with insurance to help pay for their health care.

by the associated press

Stoner Dog

2009-08-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

The real Lion King, 2

2009-08-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

The real Lion King

2009-08-19T11:22:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Bill stocking over Atlantic at Category 4

2009-08-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

MIAMI – Hurricane Bill became a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday as it howled through the open Atlantic's energizing waters, which could further boost the storm's power as it moves north.

Forecasters said Bill should begin pushing large swells toward Bermuda and parts of the southeastern U.S. coast by the weekend, but it wasn't yet clear how close the storm will come to land.

The National Hurricane Center also said people in the Leeward Islands should keep an eye on the storm, though its core was expected to pass well to the northeast of the chain in the next 24 hours. Fishermen in Antigua were advised to dock their boats.

"The wind shear is light and the waters are warm," Todd Kimberlain, a forecaster at the center, said Tuesday. "Those are two essential ingredients not just for the formation, but also the maintenance, of hurricanes."

Bill was maintaining a top wind speed of 135 mph Wednesday, and forecasters said it could get stronger. The storm's center was located 380 miles east of the Leeward Islands — or more than 1,500 miles southeast of Miami — and it was moving west-northwest near 18 mph.

The most significant threat could be to Bermuda, which the storm could pass in three or four days, Kimberlain said. But it also could move directly between Bermuda and the eastern coast of the U.S. without making landfall.

Regardless of how close Bill comes to land, it should begin sending stronger waves toward Bermuda and parts of the southeastern U.S. coast Friday and Saturday, hurricane specialist Eric Blake said.

It was too early to tell if Bill would veer close to shore over the weekend or swing away from the East Coast of the U.S., but the five-day forecast predicted its center would pass well offshore of the North Carolina-Virginia line Sunday.

A cold front was expected to turn Bill to the northeast, but it wasn't clear when that would happen, Blake said.

by the associated press

Everyone can can change

2009-08-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Why ? Is it that people thing that if you , I did some bad things in your life . That you are still that person .

I went to court , stood their took my punishment, like a man . I never changed my story , not once . Even when I was looking for a job , I let them know about my past .

So my heart goes out to Vick . Yes , he did the crime and he paid the price for his crime . If the Eagles want him to play for them , then let him play .

It jusy makes me sad to know , that even in this day and age . That we still get judged from our past sins .

And I will say it again , the one without sin cast the first stone .

And on that note , I will stop right their .

Thank You again for your time .
Mike D Lunsford

Vick and anyone who has done a crime

2009-08-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Vick and anyone who , has done a crime , including myself. Should get a second chance . I know how it feels to have people that I have known for years turn their backs , on me .

I know what it is like being judged for things I have done in the past . However , I have paid my dues. And I am still payig them now still . And I ask you , for how long , do I have to pay for my mistake ?

A year , 2 two more years ? That is Bullshit !!!!!! I am busting my ass , everyday !!!!!! To improve my life . The work is hard , but the people that keep throwing it back my face makes it even harder . Very Fucking Hard on me !!!!!

I keep paying for the past when is it going to end ? I am spent , I am tired , give me a break .

If you do not walk through my shoes , then shut your mouth !!!!!!

One without sin cast the first stone !!!!!! We all fall short !!!!! Ok !!!!!!!

So Vicks can play football again , for the Eagles .
And for myself , I can be able to work without the courts taking my money , and take a vaction to Maui , and move. And buy a new a car .

I went to the dealer ship, to trade in my 97 F150 4x4 , and they asked me for a cosigner and I had one my girlfriend that lives with me . And they still turned me down .

And my girlfriend has Moridate Credit !!!!!!

So I say what is the problem ? I am paying off my bad credit , and I make enough money , not including my girlfriend's pay from her job.

So I ask what in the hell , is the problem ? And he said you bring us another cosighner , why ?

But my bank will most likely give me the loan. So when it is all said and done , I will get the car and move and take my girlfriend to Hawaii .

And for my exfriends and some family members that keep throwing my mistake back in my face I will just smile and say don't judge me. Only God can judge me.

Thank you for your time and reading my post.

Mike D Lunsford

Meteor Shower Expected Tonight

2009-08-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.

The Perseids are always reliable, and sometimes rather spectacular. The only things that puts a damper on the August show are bad weather or bright moonlight. Unfortunately this week, as the Perseids reach their peak Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the moon will be high in the sky, outshining the fainter meteors.

Still, skywatchers around the globe will have a good chance of spotting the brighter meteors. Some already are enjoying the show.

Already underway

The Perseids are bits of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has laid down several streams of debris, each in a slightly different location, over the centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these debris streams, which spread out over time.

"They are typically fast, bright and occasionally leave persistent trains," says Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist. "And every once in a while, a Perseid fireball will blaze forth, bright enough to be quite spectacular and more than capable to attract attention even in bright moonlight."

Low numbers of Perseids, including some bright fireballs, have already been reported as Earth began entering the stream in late July. Seasoned observers have counted up to 25 per hour already, or nearly one every two minutes.

Most meteors are no bigger than a pea. They vaporize as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating bright streaks across the sky.

The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which rises high in the sky around midnight and is nearly overhead by dawn. Like most meteor showers, the hours between midnight and daybreak are typically the best time to watch, because that's when the side of Earth you are on is rotating into the direction of Earth's travels through space, so meteors are "scooped up" by the atmosphere at higher rates, much like a car's windshield ends the lives of more bugs than does the rear bumper.

Astronomers expect up to 200 meteors per hour in short bursts of up to 15 minutes or so. But many of the fainter meteors will simply not be visible due to moonlight, and rates will go down even more for those in urban areas. More likely a typical observer under reasonably dark skies might hope to see a meteor every couple minutes when the bursts come, and fewer during lulls.

When to watch

The best time to watch is between midnight and dawn Wednesday. Forecasters say the best stretch could come between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET (1-2 a.m. PT), which would be after daybreak in Europe. Some Perseids might be visible late Tuesday night, and Wednesday night into Thursday morning could prove worthwhile, too.

Meteor forecasting is still in its infancy, however, so the best bet for anyone truly hungry to spot shooting stars is to get in as much observing time as possible from around 11 p.m. Tuesday night until dawn Wednesday, and if you miss that show, try the same time frame Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Meteors should be visible in the pre-dawn hours, weather permitting, all around the Northern Hemisphere.

"Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on Aug. 12," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Then, you could see dozens of meteors per hour."

Viewing tips

The best location is far from city and suburban lights. Ideally, find a structure, mountain or tree to block the moon. Then scan as much of the sky as possible. The meteors can appear anywhere, heading in any direction. If you trace their paths backward, they'll all point to the constellation Perseus.

People in locations where any chill might occur should dress warmer than they think necessary to allow for prolonged viewing.

Seasoned skywatchers advise using a blanket or lounge chair for comfort, so you can lie back and look up for long periods. Allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. Then expect meteors to be sporadic: You might see two in a row, or several minutes could go by between shooting stars.

Avid meteor watchers might want to try scanning the northeastern horizon from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time (your local time, wherever you are) for Perseids that graze the horizon.

"Earthgrazers are meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond," Cooke explained. "They are long, slow and colorful – among the most beautiful of meteors." He notes that an hour of watching may net only a few of these at most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile.

from space.com

Saturn's Rings to Disappear

2009-08-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

In a celestial feat any magician would appreciate, Saturn will make its wide but thin ring system disappear from our view Aug. 11.

Saturn's rings, loaded with ice and mud, boulders and tiny moons, is 170,000 miles wide. But the shimmering setup is only about 30 feet thick. The rings harbor 35 trillion-trillion tons of ice, dust and rock, scientists estimate.

The rings shine because they reflect sunlight. But every 15 years, the rings turn edge-on to the sun and reflect almost no sunlight.

"The light reflecting off this extremely narrow band is so small that for all intents and purposes the rings simply vanish," explained Linda Spilker, deputy project scientist for the Cassini Saturn mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Mysterious rings

The rings remain a bit of a mystery. Scientists are not sure when or how they formed, though likely a collision of other objects was involved.

Saturn's equator is tilted relative to its orbit around the sun by 27 degrees – similar to the 23-degree tilt of the Earth. As Saturn circles the sun, first one hemisphere and then the other is tilted sunward. This causes seasons on Saturn, just as Earth's tilt causes seasons on our planet.

While Earth goes around the sun once every 365 days or so, Saturn's annual orbit takes 29.7 years. So every 15 years, the attitude shift puts the gas giant planet's equator, and its ring plane, directly in line with sunlight. Scientists call it an equinox, and this one marks the arrival of spring to the giant planet's northern hemisphere. (On Earth, equinoxes occur in March and September.)

"Whenever equinox occurs on Saturn, sunlight will hit Saturn's thin rings, the ring plane, edge-on," Spilker said.

Galileo puzzled

Galileo Galilei was the first to notice the rings and their then-mysterious transformation in the 17th century. Through one of the first telescopes, which he built himself, Galileo discovered Saturn's rings. He didn't know what they were, though, since all he could see were two lobes attached to the planet like ears. He entered the newfound setup in his notebook as a tiny drawing, mid-sentence, to serve as a noun.

By December 1612, Galileo had studied the phenomenon for more than two years, and the lobes (he thought they might be moons) were getting thinner. Then they disappeared.

"I do not know what to say in a case so surprising, so unlooked for and so novel," he wrote in a letter.

Dutch mathematician Christiaan Huygens, using a better telescope, figured out what the rings were in 1655.

"Galileo had every right to be mystified by the rings," Spilker said. "While we know how Saturn pulls off its ring-plane crossing illusion, we are still fascinated and mystified by Saturn's rings, and equinox is a great time for us to learn more."

Up-close view

The edge-on setup casts shadows across the rings in a unique way that can reveal moonlets and other structures otherwise not visible.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has a front-row seat to the event.

Cassini is watching for topographic features – perhaps some tiny moons or warps in the rings, and it has already spotted some mystery features in the days leading up to the equinox. In one new image, an object seems to have punched through one of the rings, dragging material with it to leave a visible scar. The craft's near-infrared and ultraviolet instruments will be on the hunt for signs of seasonal change on the planet.

"We are not sure what we will find," Spilker said. "Like any great magician, Saturn never fails to impress."

from space weekly

Police hits pickup, killing 7

2009-08-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

FRESNO, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol says a car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup, killing three people in the car and four young children in the truck.

The patrol says police in Dinuba, southeast of Fresno, were trying to stop the car Saturday afternoon for a traffic infraction.

The patrol says the truck was carrying two adults and their five children. Four of the children — ages 1, 3, 4 and 7 — were ejected and died at the scene. The fifth child — age 8 — and the parents were taken to a hospital. The adults were identified as 29-year-old Carlos Salazar Jr. and 26-year-old Jennifer Salazar of Orange Cove.

All three men in the car being chased were killed. Their identities and ages weren't known.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Central California police say a fleeing car ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup truck, killing three people in the car and four children in the truck.

The California Highway Patrol says police in Dinuba, southeast of Fresno, were trying to stop the car Saturday afternoon for a traffic infraction.

The Fresno Bee reports that the truck was carrying two adults and five children. The newspaper reports that four of the children were ejected and died at the scene. It says the other child and the adults were taken to a hospital.

The newspaper also says all three people in the car being chased were killed.

A highway patrol dispatcher refused to discuss the accident with The Associated Press and said the agency would be able to answer questions later Sunday.

by the associated press

5 bodies discovered from Hudson after midair crash

2009-08-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Divers recovered a piece of a submerged helicopter and a fifth body Sunday as investigators searched the Hudson River for wreckage from the helicopter and a small plane that collided in midair, killing nine people.

Investigators also were searching for pictures and video of Saturday's accident, which was seen by thousands out enjoying a beautiful summer day.

Nine people — three members of a Pennsylvania family in the private plane, five Italian tourists and a pilot from New Jersey in the Liberty Tours helicopter — died in Saturday's collision, the city's worst air disaster since a 2001 commercial jet crash in Queens that killed 265 people.

One of the Italian victims was a husband celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary, a family friend said. His wife had stayed behind, but their 16-year-old son was also in the helicopter.

On Sunday morning, divers recovered a torso stuffed in the fuselage of the helicopter wreckage, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because all the bodies have not yet been recovered or identified.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a fifth body was also recovered Sunday.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Debbie Hersman said a nearby helicopter pilot saw the plane approaching the in-flight helicopter and tried to alert his fellow pilot. He radioed the doomed helicopter and said, "You have a fixed-wing behind you," but there was no response from the pilot, Hersman said.

The pilot then saw the plane's right wing clip the helicopter, and both aircraft split apart and fell into the river, she said.

The two aircraft went down just south of the stretch of river where a US Airways jet landed safely seven months ago. But this accident was, in Bloomberg's words, "unsurvivable."

On Sunday morning, New York Police Department boats about 100 yards from Hoboken's waterfront circled three buoys that marked the wreckage of the helicopter, and three New Jersey State Police divers were in the choppy waters. The plane had not yet been found.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crane was moved up the river near the helicopter wreckage, which authorities hoped to remove by Sunday.

The river's strong currents and poor visibility hampered recovery efforts.

"The current and undertow are very strong in the Hudson, plus the murky conditions underneath," Hoboken Police Capt. Anthony Romano said. The river bottom is full debris dumped from cruise and other ships decades ago, which makes the searching more difficult, he added.

Hersman said she did not know if there were black boxes or other recording devices on the two aircraft. Aircraft of their size are not required to have such equipment.

She said investigators were hoping to find photos and video of the accident that could help them determine what happened. A handful of photos have surfaced in the media, including at least one showing the moment of impact.

The helicopter company, Liberty Helicopters, released the name of the pilot in the crash: Jeremy Clark, of Lanoka Harbor, N.J.

The plane's pilot was 60-year-old Steven Altman, of Ambler, Pa., the two law enforcement officials told the AP. Also in the plane were 49-year-old Daniel Altman, of Dresher, Pa.; and his 16-year-old son, Douglas, the officials said.

The five tourists were from the Bologna, Italy, area. The two officials identified them as Michele Norelli, 51; his son Filippo Norelli, 16; Fabio Gallazzi, 49; his wife, Tiziana Pedroni, 44; and their son Giacomo Gallazzi, 15.

"The trip was a gift from one of Norelli's sisters to mark the 25th anniversary of his marriage," Giovanni Leporati, a friend of the Norelli family, told the AP by phone. "The anniversary already happened but they took advantage of the August holidays and went."

The accident happened in a busy general aviation corridor over the river where pilots are generally free to pick their own route, as long as they stay under 1,000 feet and don't stray too close to Manhattan's skyscrapers.

The skies over the river are often filled with pleasure craft, buzzing by for a view of the Statue of Liberty.

Saturday's accident recalled another crash involving New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor, who died when their plane hit a skyscraper while flying a popular sightseeing route in 2006.

In January, the river was the scene of a spectacular aircraft landing after a US Airways flight taking off from LaGuardia Airport, in Queens, slammed into a flock of birds and lost power in both engines. The plane crash-landed in the river, and all 155 people on board were pulled to safety.

The NTSB has long expressed concern that federal safety oversight of helicopter tours isn't rigorous enough. The Federal Aviation Administration hasn't implemented more than a dozen NTSB recommendations aimed at improving the safety of the tours, called on-demand flight operations.

A report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general last month found that 109 people died in accidents involving on-demand flights in 2007 and 2008, while no one died in commercial airline accidents.

The plane, a Piper PA-32, was registered to LCA Partnership in Fort Washington, Pa. The address is shared by a real estate company run by Steven Altman.

Two police cars were stationed at driveway of the gated community of large single-family homes where Steven Altman lived and officers were blocking reporters.

Liberty Tours runs sightseeing excursions around the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan at costs ranging from $130 to about $1,000.

Two years ago, a Liberty helicopter fell 500 feet from the sky during a sightseeing trip. The pilot was credited with safely landing the chopper in the Hudson and helping evacuate her seven passengers.

In 1997, a rotor on one of its sightseeing helicopters clipped a Manhattan building, forcing an emergency landing. No one was hurt.

by the associated press

Fastfoods

2009-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Man wins big in lottery for 2nd time in '09

2009-08-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

WICHITA, Kan. – Edward Williams is the definition of lucky after winning the lottery for a second time in a year. Williams, 47, of Wichita won $75,000 in September playing a $10 scratch ticket. Then on Wednesday, he defied the odds again when matched all the numbers in the Super Kansas Cash drawing to win a jackpot worth nearly $900,000.

"When I hit $75,000, I figured lighting struck once, it won't ever hit again," Williams said in a prepared statement released by Kansas Lottery officials. "This one knocked me flat!"

He traveled Friday to Topeka to collect his winnings. Super Kansas Cash jackpots are paid in a single cash lump sum. After taxes are withheld, the jackpot is worth $627,541. Also, Yogi's Grill & Bar in Wichita will be eligible for a $1,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.

"When I won the $75,000, I bought a car and put the rest of the winnings into a CD," Williams said. "This time, I'm saving it for retirement, which I hope to do at 55."

Williams, who is single, has worked for almost 17 years ago for Johnson Controls. Before that, he served in the Marines.

He said he has been playing Super Kansas Cash, Powerball and other lottery games consistently for 17 years.

"Just keep on playing," advised Williams, who buys a $5 Quick Pick for every Super Kansas Cash drawing. "That's the best advice I have for other people looking for that big win."

Williams isn't the first repeat lottery winner.

Keith Selix, of Waterloo, Iowa, gained notoriety in 2006 after winning three lottery prizes totaling $81,000.

At the time, he said his fortune mysteriously changed after his wife died, and he was convinced he was being "led from above."

Ironically, Selix's wife had often scolded him for wasting his money on the "those cotton-picking tickets."

by the associated press

Largest declines in babies born in California, Florida

2009-08-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA — There aren’t just fewer jobs in a recession. There are fewer babies, too.

U.S. births fell in 2008, the first full year of the recession, marking the first annual decline in births since the start of the decade and ending an American baby boomlet.

The downturn in the economy best explains the drop in maternity, some experts believe. The Great Depression and subsequent recessions all were accompanied by a decline in births, said Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health and epidemiology.

And the numbers never have rebounded until the economy pulled out of it, she said, calling the 2008 recession the most likely culprit for fewer babies.

It’s not clear that it’s the only explanation, however. Another expert noted a recent decline in immigration to the U.S. may also be a factor.

The nation recorded about 4,247,000 births last year, down about 68,000 from 2007, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

This recession began in December 2007, and since then the economy has lost almost 7 million jobs. Housing foreclosures worsened in 2007 and fell into a state of crisis in 2008.

The largest decline in births were in California and Florida, two states hit hardest by the housing crisis.

But the downturn’s effect on the public psychology — and families’ willingness to have babies — may not have really hit until the fall of 2008, said Stephanie Ventura of the health statistics center, the agency that put out the report.

The new report is an early count of births from each state and does not contain demographic breakdowns.

Births were up in January, February and April of 2008 compared with 2007, but were down every month after that except September. The largest declines were recorded in October and November.

Births were down in all but 10 states, primarily the northwest quadrant of the country, including North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington and Alaska.

In contrast, births in California were down by 15,000 and in Florida, by 8,000, compared with 2007.

While the recession probably played a role, another factor may be the net decline in immigration, said Population Reference Bureau demographer Mark Mather.

by the associated press

Oklahoma F5 Torando, Power of Mother Nature

2009-08-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma F5 Torando

Katrina, power of Mother Nature 12

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Katrina, power of Mother Nature

2009-08-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Fire Cat

2009-08-05T20:09:00.001-07:00

Extreme heat and cold

2009-08-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

BUFFALO — In the past four months, weather in the northwestern Oklahoma community of Buffalo has included a blizzard, brutally hot temperatures, temperatures below normal and a "severe drought.”

On Monday, the high hit 105 degrees making it the 13th time this year the Oklahoma Mesonet Station at Buffalo has had the highest temperature in the state, said Gary McManus, of the the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.

It marks yet another swing in an active weather year.

Harper County Emergency Management Director Conyetta Lehenbauer remembers shivering in late March as Buffalo received a 23-inch snowfall with one drift reaching the hood of her husband’s pickup.

But on June 17 the temperature reached triple digits, and the heat was on.

"The difference this year is that it got so hot, so early,” she said. "And it was that kind of heat that takes your breath away.”

The Mesonet on July 9 recorded an actual temperature of 115 degrees, which was matched the following day at Freedom.

That July 9 reading began a six-day span in which Buffalo reached 110 degrees or higher five times. The good news was cooler weather was on the way. This included lows of 58 degrees July 18 and 57 degrees July 19. Temperatures were cooler than normal in Buffalo 13 days in July.

This week they returned to 100s. But that’s only part of the problem.

They are in an area of the state with a drought intensity listed as "severe” by the U.S. Drought Monitor, a federal effort that categorizes drought status.

"We just can’t get any rain,” said Buster Record Jr., a rancher who has lived in the Buffalo area for 30 years. "The grass is burned up.”

Buffalo is one of the driest areas in Oklahoma with only 8.8 inches of precipitation this year. They’ve only received a half inch of rain in the past 30 days. The last time they received at least a quarter inch of rain was 1.09 inches on June 20.

McManus, who is a native of Buffalo, said "Drought tends to fuel that heat. That’s High Plains weather in a nutshell. You’re baking one week and digging in the closet for your jacket the next week.”

from the oklahoman

THE WAR ON TERRORISM

2009-08-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

BAGHDAD — The deputy commander of a radical Sunni Islamic group linked to al-Qaida has been arrested in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said Tuesday.

The group, Ansar al-Islam, is believed by the military to be behind attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops in Mosul, considered the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq, and elsewhere in the country.

Fakri Hadi Gari, also known as Abu Abbas and Mullah Halgurd, and nine other suspected members were arrested July 24 during a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation, the U.S. military said.

Gari is accused of organizing attacks as well as recruiting and financing operations, the military said. He also is accused of coordinating the movement of insurgents across the borders of Iraq.

Spanish authorities have said a cell connected to a group also named Ansar al-Islam was behind the March 11, 2004, Madrid bombings that killed 191 people and wounded about 1,800. It is not clear that the two groups are the same.

Man identified
Meanwhile, the Iraqi military identified the man suspected of killing a well-known Iraqi TV journalist, who was abducted while covering the Feb. 22, 2006, bombing of a Shiite mosque north of Baghdad. Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi told reporters that Yasser Mohammad al-Takhy was arrested Saturday in Baghdad along with three others. Al-Moussawi released a videotaped confession of the man in which he said he was working with an al-Qaida-backed group.

by the associated press

Democrats to organize rally

2009-08-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The Senate held a history-making debate Tuesday on confirming Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice, with Republican opponents asserting she would bring bias to the bench and Democratic supporters saying she was a mainstream moderate.

There was little doubt that President Barack Obama’s first high court nominee would be confirmed with bipartisan support as early as Thursday, but senators lined up to weigh in on her fitness for the bench anyway, with an eye toward the Hispanic electorate and perhaps the next Supreme Court battle.

Nearly three-quarters of GOP senators have lined up against Sotomayor, but a handful support her.

Democrats are preparing to claim a big victory with Sotomayor’s confirmation. They planned a midday rally today on Capitol Hill with civil rights, minority and women’s groups.

by the associated press

Gym shooting

2009-08-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. — A Pittsburgh hospital spokesman says one of the victims of a shooting at a suburban health club has died there. St. Clair Hospital spokesman Rich Sieber says the woman who died was shot in the chest. He says two other victims were taken to his hospital, both in stable condition. The woman who died would be the fifth from the shooting. A Pittsburgh television station said earlier the Tuesday evening shooting at a suburban health club had left four people dead, including the shooter. KDKA reports the killings were at the L.A. Fitness Center in Bridgeville, a community of about 5,000 residents not far from downtown Pittsburgh.

the associated press

food stamps may boost

2009-08-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday passed a $124.3 billion agriculture spending bill that pays to add millions of people to the food stamp rolls. Money for the federal school lunch program is going up 12 percent as well. House and Senate leaders no must resolve differences in their bills.

by the associated press

Representive Dan Borem targets GOP for defeat

2009-08-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dan Boren, the only Democrat in Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, has been targeted by the national Republican Party, despite his electoral success in his eastern Oklahoma district and a large amount of campaign cash.

Boren, of Muskogee, appears on a list of 80 House Democrats the National Republican Congressional Committee is aiming to defeat in next year’s elections.

Gary Jones, chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, said Tuesday that six Republicans in the 2nd congressional district have said they want to run next year. He called them "very talented, well-educated individuals.”

Despite being about 70 percent registered Democrats, Boren’s district voted overwhelmingly last year for Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee.

Jones said 66 percent of voters in the 2nd district favored McCain, the second highest percentage among the five congressional districts. Jones acknowledged that Boren often votes against the majority of the Democratic Party but said he’s still "part of the team.”

Boren spokesman Cole Perryman said Boren "has been on similar lists since entering Congress, but has won convincingly in each of his elections by reflecting his district’s views.”Boren, who has been in the House since 2005, won re-election last year with 70 percent of the vote. In 2006, he got 73 percent of the vote.

Karina Henderson, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said despite the McCain support, the district is still loyal to state Democrats.

And, she said, "Congressman Boren has done a lot of service to the district and he represents the people that live there tremendously well. He listens to them and he listens to their needs.”

Boren is sitting on a large campaign warchest — more than $1.2 million. Jones said any Republican challenging Boren would need "a significant amount of resources.”

Boren’s placement on the GOP’s hit list follows a recent decision by the national party to run a radio ad in Boren’s district questioning his health care position. Boren scoffed at the amount spent to broadcast the ad — $1,700 — saying the party would get more publicity from the news release announcing it.

from the oklahoman

Asthma, stress lingers on for 9/11 surviors

2009-08-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK — People who were heavily exposed to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center still had elevated risks of developing post-traumatic stress disorder even five years later, according to a study released Tuesday by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The study contained better news about asthma. While those who developed respiratory symptoms soon after the attacks were still being diagnosed with asthma some years later, rates among people who first showed symptoms after 2003 were consistent with normal asthma rates.

The study, based on data from a health registry that tracks the health effects of 9/11, found elevated levels of post-traumatic stress disorder among the more than 46,000 people who were surveyed in 2006-2007.

While asthma cases rose most sharply right after attacks, they were still being diagnosed after some years had passed.

by th eassoiated press

Lupus, Vitamin Dconnects Oklahoma Scientist

2009-08-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

For people genetically predisposed to lupus, a deficiency of vitamin D may be a catalyst for developing the disease, say scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

The research by Dr. Judith James and graduate student Lauren Cole could be useful in treating lupus, which has no cure and strikes up to 2 million Americans.

"Vitamin D could be beneficial to lupus patients and people who are at increased risk of developing the disease, such as their family members,” James said. "With vitamin D supplements, doctors might be able to reduce the chances of an autoimmune attack,” which occurs when the body mistakes its own tissue for foreign invaders.

James and Cole presented their findings at the annual Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies Conference in Boston.

Cole said their research found that in both lupus patients and healthy individuals, low levels of vitamin D correlated with increased autoantibodies — proteins that attack the body’s own tissue.

"By boosting vitamin D levels, we’d hope to see a drop in autoantibodies,” Cole said.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system turns its defenses against itself. It can affect any part of the body, but it most commonly attacks the skin, joints, blood and kidneys of sufferers.

Sunlight serves as the primary source of vitamin D, which is formed when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet B radiation. But because skin sensitivity to light is a symptom of lupus, James said, patients would likely need supplements to keep their vitamin D levels up.

from the oklahoman

IronKids compete Lake hefner

2009-08-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

Children from across the country will have a chance to compete in the IronKids Triathlon Sunday at Lake Hefner.

The event is the fifth in a series of eight races giving participants a shot at qualifying for the national championship race Oct. 4 in Tucson, Ariz. If athletes place in the top five for their age group they qualify for the race in Tucson.

"I think it’s good for kids to be around other kids who lead healthy, active lifestyles,” said Catie Case, public relations coordinator for World Triathlon Corporation. "Healthy competition is a good thing, but we don’t want kids to be upset if they don’t get first. We encourage them to have a good time, but also to learn how to use the healthy competition.”

Children can compete in the event in three age groups: junior, ages 6-8; intermediate, ages 9-11; and senior, ages 12-15.

The senior race starts at 8 a.m. Sunday and consists of a 300-yard swim, 8-mile bike ride and a 2-mile run. The intermediate race starts at 9 a.m. and features a 150-yard swim, 4-mile bike ride and a 1-mile run. The junior event starts at 10 a.m. with a 50-yard swim, 2-mile bike ride and 500-yard run.

Competitors can register at www.ironkids.com or from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday or 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Sunday at Lake Hefner. The cost is $50 per child. For families with more than one child, the cost for subsequent participants is $35 each.

An IronKids expo will take place Saturday at Lake Hefner. A nutrition clinic will be featured, along with product samples and triathlon materials.

from the Oklahoman

Arthritis poses cancer risk

2009-08-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Tuesday added stronger warnings to a group of best-selling drugs used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, saying they can increase the risk of cancer in children and adolescents.

After more than a year of review, Food and Drug Administration scientists said the drugs appear to increase the risk of cancer after they are used beyond 2 ½ years.

The agency studied several dozen reports of cancer in children taking the drugs, some of which were fatal. Half of the cases were lymphomas, a cancer that attacks the immune system.

The drugs are known as tumor necrosis factor blockers and work by neutralizing a protein that, when overproduced, causes inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage and other tissue.

The drugs are prescribed to children with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorder and Crohn’s disease.

The FDA will bolster the "black box” warning on the five drugs sold in the U.S., including Abbott Laboratories’ Humira, Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade and Simponi, and Enbrel which is co-marketed by Amgen Inc. and Wyeth. All the products are multibillion-dollar sellers. Enbrel was the biggest moneymaker of the group with sales of $3.4 billion last year.

The action also affects Belgian drugmaker UCB’s Cimzia, which launched in May.

Shares of North Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories and New Brunswick, N.J.-based J&J fell after the FDA announcement.

Along with updating the drugs’ labels, the FDA is requiring companies to add information about cancer risks to the medication guides given to patients. The FDA said it is also working with the manufacturers to further define the scope of the cancer risk.

J&J said in a statement it "will coordinate closely with the FDA to ensure that health care providers, patients and caregivers are properly informed.”

Amgen and Wyeth said they will continue working with regulators to evaluate "the potential risks and benefits” of their drug.

by the associated press

Oklahoman's begins treating Guatemalans

2009-08-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

LAS LOMAS, GUATEMALA — Las Lomas is a village high in the Sierra Madres of southern Guatemala.

The homes are made of cinderblock with sheet metal roofs.

To get to Las Lomas we took a treacherous mountain road, much of it dirt, and the members of the medical missionary team I am traveling with spotted cows and people sharing the same water sources. An old school bus from Omaha, Neb., rested beside the road.

When our bus loaded with medical supplies arrived after the three-hour journey from Chichicastenango, the waiting villagers got their first look at Americans. Once the clinic was set up, many received the first medical care they had ever had.

A small building behind a church was provided for the clinic. Two of the rooms, where the dentists and triage nurses worked, had electricity. The physician worked in a room with a single lightbulb.

The patients were, as group leader and retired dentist Bill Brewer said, the "have-nots” of the world. Women in ornate dresses smiled at us, showing chipped teeth. Children hid behind wooden posts, peeking out only to giggle at the flash of a digital camera.

We handed out numbers to try to organize the chaos. I worked in the pharmacy, helping a nurse fill prescriptions and trying to explain the dosage in Spanish. The Guatemalans smiled and thanked me as I butchered Spanish to tell them to take the ibuprofen three times a day, or to take the sleep medication once, just before bed.

I found out later that the patients went to our translators and asked for the instructions in Ki’che. Rosetta Stone doesn’t offer a course in Mayan.

Most of the patients suffered from the same ailments: headaches, foot pain and intestinal problems. These are societal problems.

"You saw all the people walking with poor shoes, with stuff on their back and head, and poor nutrition,” said Dr. Matt Crespo, my father and a team physician.

Dr. Brewer spent the day hunched over, pulling teeth. There was little more he could do for their mouth pain, but his patients were appreciative.

The volunteers from Texas and Oklahoma treated about 60 patients Monday, including many children. Everyone who saw the doctor left with at least a pack of vitamins.

The church asked for money to help cover the costs of operating the lights, but those who couldn’t pay were treated anyway. We left expecting larger crowds on Tuesday as news of the area’s first medical clinic spreads.

"Bring them on,” my father said with a smile as we jostled along the rough road on the way back to our hotel.

from the oklahoman

Agents seek answers about shoot out

2009-08-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

DEL CITY — The rifle used in the shooting deaths of two Seminole County sheriff’s deputies was bought by the suspect at a military surplus store in Del City.

The 9 mm Kel-Tec rifle was purchased by Ezekiel Holbert five years ago today at Brigadoon military surplus, The Oklahoman has learned.

Holbert, 26, is accused of killing deputies Chase Whitebird, 23, and Marvin Williams, 43, on July 26 when they tried to arrest him at a home in Seminole.

Pontotoc County District Attorney Chris Ross said Tuesday that Holbert had been keeping the rifle at a relative’s home, but retrieved it weeks before the shooting.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents are trying to track the history of the rifle, including how Holbert was able to pass a federal background check with his criminal and mental health history, Ross said.

Past troubles
Ross said it’s unclear whether Holbert’s criminal and mental issues dated back far enough that he shouldn’t have been able to buy a gun in 2004.
Ross said if Holbert lied on the federal firearms application, he could face additional charges in Oklahoma County or federal court.

Holbert’s mother, Patsie Holbert, said she signed paperwork on three occasions in recent years to have Holbert committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Holbert was charged in 2002 with felony assault in Dallas County, Texas, but it was reduced to a misdemeanor under a plea agreement, court records show.

At the time of his arrest on murder complaints, he faced a domestic abuse charge in Seminole County.

Brigadoon owner Rita Leffler said the 9 mm Kel-Tec rifle is a favorite among gun collectors and is used mostly for target practice.

Leffler said she doesn’t remember Holbert, but she is confident he passed the FBI’s background check or they wouldn’t have sold him the gun.

Everyone who buys a firearm must complete an application from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said Jeff Cochran, resident agent in charge at the ATF’s Tulsa office.

The form has more than a dozen questions and many cover criminal and mental health history. The application is forwarded by the gun dealer to the FBI for a computer generated background check before a potential buyer is allowed to take possession of a gun, Cochran said.

from the oklahoman

Suspect brings lite to Oklahoma City Killing

2009-08-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

Kathy Sue Engle’s family had almost given up.

For more than two decades, they’d waited for police to locate the men who kidnapped Engle from Shepherd Mall and killed her. They’d seen good suspects come and go. They’d seen other cases solved.

But for them? No justice.

On Tuesday, the hope they’d fostered for so long — that her killers would be identified, that someone would pay for taking her away from them — finally had reason to blossom.

At an emotional news conference, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater announced that a DNA match had identified a suspect. Kyle Richard Eckardt, 44, was charged with first-degree murder in Engle’s death.

A case that had long been as cold as the grave is now red hot.

Abducted, abandoned
About dusk April 23, 1986, Engle — a 41-year-old married mother of two — parked her Dodge Colt outside the mall. Before she could go inside, two men approached. One struck her on the back of the neck before both pushed her into the back seat and drove off, a witness said.
Twenty-eight hours later, the car was found at a Shell truck stop about 390 miles away in Tucumcari, N.M. Police found Engle’s ripped clothes in the blood-smeared car, along with cigarette butts and a soda bottle.

On April 30, oil-field workers discovered her bound, nude body in a rural Beckham County field. The remains were badly decomposed, obscuring the cause of death, but the manner was ruled a homicide.

About a year later, detectives identified two suspects. An Oklahoma City man and his half-brother were implicated in the 1987 death of a New Mexico woman who’d been abducted from a shopping mall under similar circumstances. The men remained the top suspects in Engle’s death until 1999, when they were exonerated through DNA evidence.

The case languished for nine years. No good leads. No suspects.

Then detectives caught a break.

Tulsa case helped
On Jan. 22, 2007, Eckardt accompanied Terry Welch, 40, to her Tulsa apartment.
The next day, Welch’s young son asked neighbors if he could use their bathroom because his mother wouldn’t get out of the bathtub, Oklahoma City cold case Inspector Kyle Eastridge said. The neighbors found Welch dead in the bath.

Witnesses told police they’d seen Eckardt beating Welch, the Tulsa World reported. He admitted to being at her apartment until about 11 p.m. Jan. 22, but he denied hitting her. Nevertheless, the body bore signs of sexual abuse and "obvious blunt force trauma,” and some of Welch’s teeth had been knocked out, Eastridge said.

Eckardt was arrested on a murder complaint but was charged with rape by instrumentation and aggravated assault and battery. A pathologist could not determine what killed Welch — the beating, the high level of alcohol in her blood, asphyxiation or even drowning. Under the circumstances, her death could not be ruled a homicide.

Eckardt entered into a plea agreement with the state. The rape charge vanished, replaced by a second aggravated assault count. Eckardt pleaded no contest and received two five-year sentences.

When he entered the prison system, Eckardt had to submit a DNA sample. On July 26, 2008, his DNA profile was matched to DNA taken from the cigarette butts and bottle in Engle’s car, Eastridge said.

Later, court records show, Eckardt’s fingerprints were compared with unidentified prints from the Dodge Colt. They matched.

‘Completely shocked’
Engle’s family was told about Eckardt last summer. Detectives notified her husband, Dawson A. Engle, who still lives in the same Yukon home he shared with her 23 years ago. He called their son and daughter.
"I was just completely shocked,” said Dawson R. Engle, who was 13 when his mother died. "My mindset at that time was that we weren’t ever going to know who did it.”

A special judge in Lincoln and Pottawatomie counties, Dawson R. Engle gathered information about Eckardt from the Internet and shared it with his father and sister, Kristine Ervin, who was 8 when the abduction occurred. Weeks later, he talked to police, who were in no rush to seek charges since Eckardt already was incarcerated at Mack Alford Correctional Center in Stringtown.

"At that point, they had been to interview him (Eckardt),” he said. "They talked about where he had lived and that he kind of lived up and down the I-40 corridor, that he hitchhiked and got rides from truckers a lot. But as soon as they got to anything specific about Mom’s case, he asked for a lawyer.”

Eckardt was born in Pasadena, Texas, Eastridge said. He grew up around Tulsa and Cleveland, OK, but hitchhiked between Las Vegas and Chattanooga, Tenn., for years.

Until Welch died, he had only a minor arrest record, Eastridge said.

Offering support
At Tuesday’s news conference, the victim’s husband struggled to retain his composure as he read a prepared statement.
Beside him, his son fought back tears.

Kristine Ervin tried to comfort both.

After so much time — after so much pain — it would seem the family has every right to be bitter. They’re not. For 23 years, they have leaned upon each other and upon friends, relatives, teachers and neighbors. Tuesday, they offered thanks and talked of gratitude.

If Eckardt is convicted, Dawson A. Engle said, the family may find peace of mind in knowing that he "will not have the opportunity to kill another woman.”

But nothing, he said, will end their grief.

from the oklahoman

Moon Landing Restored

2009-07-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON – NASA could put a man on the moon but didn't have the sense to keep the original video of the live TV transmission.

In an embarrassing acknowledgment, the space agency said Thursday that it must have erased the Apollo 11 moon footage years ago so that it could reuse the videotape.

But now Hollywood is coming to the rescue.

The studio wizards who restored "Casablanca" are digitally sharpening and cleaning up the ghostly, grainy footage of the moon landing, making it even better than what TV viewers saw on July 20, 1969. They are doing it by working from four copies that NASA scrounged from around the world.

"There's nothing being created; there's nothing being manufactured," said NASA senior engineer Dick Nafzger, who is in charge of the project. "You can now see the detail that's coming out."

The first batch of restored footage was released just in time for the 40th anniversary of the "one giant leap for mankind," and some of the details seem new because of their sharpness. Originally, astronaut Neil Armstrong's face visor was too fuzzy to be seen clearly. The upgraded video of Earth's first moonwalker shows the visor and a reflection in it.

The $230,000 refurbishing effort is only three weeks into a monthslong project, and only 40 percent of the work has been done. But it does show improvements in four snippets: Armstrong walking down the ladder; Buzz Aldrin following him; the two astronauts reading a plaque they left on the moon; and the planting of the flag on the lunar surface.

Nafzger said a huge search that began three years ago for the old moon tapes led to the "inescapable conclusion" that 45 tapes of Apollo 11 video were erased and reused. His report on that will come out in a few weeks.

The original videos beamed to Earth were stored on giant reels of tape that each contained 15 minutes of video, along with other data from the moon. In the 1970s and '80s, NASA had a shortage of the tapes, so it erased about 200,000 of them and reused them.

How did NASA end up looking like a bumbling husband taping over his wedding video with the Super Bowl?

Nafzger, who was in charge of the live TV recordings back in the Apollo years, said they were mostly thought of as data tapes. It wasn't his job to preserve history, he said, just to make sure the footage worked. In retrospect, he said he wished NASA hadn't reused the tapes.

Outside historians were aghast.

"It's surprising to me that NASA didn't have the common sense to save perhaps the most important historical footage of the 20th century," said Rice University historian and author Douglas Brinkley. He noted that NASA saved all sorts of data and artifacts from Apollo 11, and it is "mind-boggling that the tapes just disappeared."

The remastered copies may look good, but "when dealing with historical film footage, you always want the original to study," Brinkley said.

Smithsonian Institution space curator Roger Launius, a former NASA chief historian, said the loss of the original video "doesn't surprise me that much."

"It was a mistake, no doubt about that," Launius said. "This is a problem inside the entire federal government. ... They don't think that preservation is all that important."

Launius said federal warehouses where historical artifacts are saved are "kind of like the last scene of `Raiders of the Lost Ark.' It just goes away in this place with other big boxes."

The company that restored all the Indiana Jones movies, including "Raiders," is the one bailing out NASA.

Lowry Digital of Burbank, Calif., noted that "Casablanca" had a pixel count 10 times higher than the moon video, meaning the Apollo 11 footage was fuzzier than that vintage movie and more of a challenge in one sense.

Of all the video the company has dealt with, "this is by far and away the lowest quality," said Lowry president Mike Inchalik.

Nafzger praised Lowry for restoring "crispness" to the Apollo video. Historian Launius wasn't as blown away.

"It's certainly a little better than the original," Launius said. "It's not a lot better."

The Apollo 11 video remains in black and white. Inchalik said he would never consider colorizing it, as has been done to black-and-white classic films. And the moon is mostly gray anyway.

The restoration used four video sources: CBS News originals; kinescopes from the National Archives; a video from Australia that received the transmission of the original moon video; and camera shots of a TV monitor.

Both Nafzger and Inchalik acknowledged that digitally remastering the video could further encourage conspiracy theorists who believe NASA faked the entire moon landing on a Hollywood set. But they said they enhanced the video as conservatively as possible.

Besides, Inchalik said that if there had been a conspiracy to fake a moon landing, NASA surely would have created higher-quality film.

Back in 1969, nearly 40 percent of the picture quality was lost converting from one video format used on the moon — called slow scan — to something that could be played on TVs on Earth, Nafzger said.

NASA did not lose other Apollo missions' videos because they weren't stored on the type of tape that needed to be reused, Nafzger said.

As part of the moon landing's 40th anniversary, the space agency has been trotting out archival material. NASA has a Web site with audio from private conversations in the lunar module and command capsule. The agency is also webcasting radio from Apollo 11 as if the mission were taking place today.

The video restoration project did not involve improving the sound. Inchalik said he listened to Armstrong's famous first words from the surface of the moon, trying to hear if he said "one small step for man" or "one small step for A man," but couldn't tell.

Through a letter read at a news conference Thursday, Armstrong had the last word about the video from the moon: "I was just amazed that there was any picture at all."

by the associated press

Congress asked to probe troops

2009-07-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the country's main monitors of hate groups asked Congress Friday to investigate possible racial extremism in the military, after finding U.S. service members participating on a social networking site advertised as being for white people only.

Researchers from the Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Ala., identified about 40 personal profiles of people who list the military as their occupation on the Web site New Saxon, according to the group's founder, Morris Dees.

The site, run by the Detroit-based National Socialist Movement, describes itself as an "online community for whites by whites." He said some of the participants are wearing military uniforms in profile photos, although it was not possible to verify whether any of them are actually serving in the armed forces.

Examples that Dees cited from the Web page include:

_A person claiming to be in Iraq, who writes that he "hate(s) illegal immigrants with a passion and feel(s) every true red-blooded, white American should do whatever it takes to stop the foreign invasion."

_One who said he was serving in Afghanistan lists as his favorite book, "The Turner Diaries." The novel is a favorite of white supremacists.

"We urge your committees to investigate the threat posed by racial extremists who may be serving in the military to ensure that our armed forces are not inadvertently training future domestic terrorists," Dees wrote in a letter addressed to four congressional committee chairmen.

Dees said existing Pentagon regulations that prohibit active participation in extremists groups should be strengthened further.

Lt. Col. Les' A. Melnyk, a Pentagon spokesman, said in an e-mail that current policy is believed to be sufficient. Under it, military personnel "must reject" participation in organizations that espouse supremacist causes.

"We believe the policy ... is broad and inclusive in its definition of 'active participation,' and encourages commanders to pursue and weed out service members who actively participate in these types of groups," Melnyk said.

Jeff Schoep, commander of the National Socialist Movement, said there are members of the military who participate on the site, but not all are members of his organization. He could not say how many there are.

When violent material is found on the site, Schoep said, it is removed and the offender faces losing future privileges.

He said there are more "racialists" in the military now, but those who are members of his organization are advised not to recruit others.

"If they just mind their P's and Q's in there, and are good soldiers and do their jobs, then they have every right to be there just like anybody else," Schoep said.

Julie Ziegenhorn, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that as a matter of policy the Department of Defense doesn't block or prohibit access to Web sites on the basis of content. But she said commanders in the field have the option to block access on governmeny computers to sites they deem inappropriate.

by the associated press

Obama plane emergency

2009-07-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — Skillful piloting may have prevented a disaster for President Barack Obama and his campaign last summer, a former federal safety official said Friday.

A report released by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates an inflated slide may have pressed against critical control cables, forcing the emergency landing of Obama's campaign plane on July 7, 2008.

The slide inflated inside the tail cone of the campaign's McDonnell Douglas MD-81 shortly after takeoff from Chicago's Midway International Airport, the report said.

Investigators found evidence that the slide and a broken walkway railing inside the tail cone may have pressed against elevator cables that run the length of the plane. The cables are used to control whether the plane points up or down.

The plane's flight crew struggled to level the aircraft's nose, which continued to point upward after takeoff, but regained control by manipulating the control column and adjusting the trim on the plane's tail, the report said. However, the flight crew noted the pitch control pressure required to level the airplane was higher than normal, the report said.

Former NTSB member John Goglia said the problem, had it continued, had the potential to cause a stall "at a critical point in flight."

"It did have the potential of causing a catastrophic event," Goglia said.

Normal control returned after the plane began it's descent for an emergency landing at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, said the report, which lays out evidence uncovered by investigators but doesn't reach a conclusion on the cause of the incident.

The report doesn't say why the slide inflated, but notes the air carrier, Midwest Airlines, suggested the slide's cover may not have been secured properly.

There were no injuries to the two pilots, four flight attendants, two airline representatives, and 43 passengers, including Obama.

At the time of the incident, the pilot told passengers they were never in danger, and the Federal Aviation Administration said no emergency had been declared.

However, audiotapes released about a month later showed that after the pilot discovered he no longer had full control of the plane, he told an air traffic controller: "At this time we would like to declare an emergency, and also have CFR (crash equipment) standing by in St. Louis."

Asked which runway he wanted to use, the pilot replied, "Well, which one is the longest?"

by the associated press

University chief proposes to cut costs

2009-07-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Tens of thousands of University of California employees would be forced to take furloughs and lose pay under a plan proposed Friday to offset deep funding cuts to the 10-campus system.

UC President Mark Yudof proposed the furloughs for roughly 80 percent of the system's 180,000 employees as part of a broader plan to deal with an anticipated 20 percent reduction in state funding.

"There is no question that the cuts to come will hurt," Yudof said. "But we have worked hard to bring fairness to the process."

The UC Board of Regents is scheduled to discuss and vote on Yudof's plan when it meets in San Francisco next week. If approved, the furlough plan would go into effect Sept. 1.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature are proposing unprecedented cuts to state colleges and universities to help close a $26 billion budget deficit.

Many state offices were closed Friday after the governor imposed furloughs for many state employees, effectively cutting their pay by 14 percent. Some offices will close three days a month.

The governing board of the 23-campus California State University system is also considering a plan to furlough nearly all of its employees for two days a month to offset a 20 percent cut in state funding.

Under Yudof's plan, UC employees would see pay reductions ranging from 4 percent to 10 percent, with higher paid workers taking bigger pay cuts and receiving more days off. Most furloughed employees would have flexibility in deciding when to take their days off.

The furlough plan would not apply to employees who receive funding from the federal government or other outside source or employees at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

UC officials would have to reach agreements on furloughs with unions that represent about 35 percent of university employees.

The University Professional and Technical Employees union, which represents more than 10,000 workers, issued a statement denouncing the furlough plan, saying UC should instead tap its reserves or find new ways to raise funds.

"For me, it's going to be devastating," said Elizabeth Wilks, an accountant at UC Santa Barbara who protested with other union members outside UC headquarters in downtown Oakland.

If approved, the furloughs would offset about a quarter of an anticipated $813 million reduction in state funding. The remainder of the funding shortfall would be made up by refinancing debt, a previously approved 10 percent student fee increase and about $300 million in cuts at individual campuses.

UC campuses are already taking action to cut costs. More than 700 employees have been laid off, and most campuses are deferring at least half of planned faculty hires, UC officials said.

In addition, UC Irvine has halted admissions to its education doctoral program, the UC Davis Medical Center has eliminated its liver transplant program, and UC San Francisco is closing its poison control center.

"There will be real pain on every campus," Yudof said. "There is no way that we are going to be able to look every student in the eye and say the University of California will be the same as it was yesterday."

Yudof unveiled the furlough plan after several weeks of consultations with UC employee groups. He said his office received thousands of letters and e-mails after he released his initial proposals for possible furloughs and salary reductions last month.

Furloughs were preferred over straight salary cuts because they are temporary, preserve pension benefits and give employees extra time off, Yudof said.

Mary Croughan, a UC San Francisco professor who heads the UC Academic Senate, said the furloughs would make it more difficult for the university to retain and recruit faculty.

"We're going to have to really work hard to come up with creative means to retain our exceptional faculty that we have now and to look forward on how to recruit people so we don't fall further behind," Croughan said.

Russell Gould, new chairman of the Board of Regents, said he was launching a new commission to explore new revenue sources and UC's future.

"We can't keep limping along like this from budget cycle to budget cycle," Gould said.

by the associated press

Homeland Security Department unveils immigration enforcement plan

2009-07-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department has revamped a program using local and state law enforcement to help round up immigrants who have committed crimes.

The department says 11 law enforcement agencies are ready to participate in the redesigned program.

Government investigators had criticized the program for not clearly spelling out when officers could use their arrest authority or whether it was meant for the pursuit of serious offenders.

The department says a new agreement with participating agencies spells out the extent of local officers' authority.

by the associated press

CIA director terminated program

2009-07-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congresswoman says CIA Director Leon Panetta has terminated the covert program the spy agency had been conducting for eight years without the knowledge of Congress.

Illinois Democrat Jan Shakowsky, the chairwoman of the House Intelligence Committee's subcommittee on oversight, is pressing for an immediate committee investigation of the covert program.

In an Associated Press interview, Shakowsky described the program as "very, very serious" and said it "certainly deserved a serious debate at the time and through the years."

She says, "Now it's over."

Democrats revealed late Tuesday that CIA Director Leon Panetta had informed Congress in late June that the spy agency had been withholding important information about a secret program begun after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairwoman of a House Intelligence panel says it's imperative that lawmakers launch an immediate investigation on the CIA's admission that it misled Congress multiple times over the last eight years.

Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Shuh-COW'-ski) of Illinois said the CIA systematic lied to Congress, and called that inexcusable in a letter obtained by The Associated Press Friday.

Democrats revealed late Tuesday that CIA Director Leon Panetta informed Congress in late June that the spy agency had been withholding important information about a secret program begun after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

House Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes (Syl-VES'-ter RAY'-ess) said Tuesday night he is considering an investigation. Panetta has launched an internal probe at the CIA to determine why Congress was not told about the program. Exactly what the classified program entailed is still unclear. Reyes is a Texas Democrat.

by the associated press

Palin appears on radio talk show, for gun rights

2009-07-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Gun rights enthusiasts welcomed Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as she made an appearance Friday on a radio talk show, whose callers included rock n' roller turned avid hunter Ted Nugent.

Palin spoke on the Michael Dukes' "Firearms Friday" show on KFAR radio in Fairbanks. She was in Alaska's second largest city to sign a gun rights bill and several resolutions.

Nugent, well-known for the 1970s hit "Cat Scratch Fever," told Palin from his home in Michigan that he was firing up the grill to cook up some Alaskan black bear backstrap in her honor.

The governor told Nugent that she thought that was "awesome."

Palin announced last Friday she is resigning, saying it was the best thing for the state and for her family. Her resignation takes effect July 26 when Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell takes over.

Nugent signed off by saying, "Sarah Palin, God bless you and your family."

Since her announcement, Palin has mostly been traveling around Alaska and visiting towns and signing bills.

After talking with Nugent, Palin took some questions from listeners. Most of them said they supported her decision to resign but were disappointed.

"I chose not to play their game," Palin explained.

She wanted instead to free herself of the constraints of the governor's job so that she could again "get out there and fight," she said.

As governor, she was forced to answer ethics complaints filed by anonymous people, Palin said.

"They do things like that," Palin said. "I can handle it but not when it cost the state the time and money it has cost."

The state said this week it has spent $1.9 million on the ethics complaints.

The bill she signed in Fairbanks aimed at helping people with permits to carry concealed weapons to remember to renew their permits. The permits used to have a renewal date based on the day the permit was issued. The law changes the renewal date to the permit holder's birthday.

In Alaska, residents are allowed to carry weapons either openly or concealed without a permit. However, if they want to carry their guns in other states that have concealed carry laws they may need a permit recognized by that state.

by the associated press

Women's groups gives no support for Sotomayor

2009-07-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — Women's groups, euphoric when President Barack Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, have been remarkably quiet in the weeks since on the judge who would be the court's third woman ever.

Sotomayor's few rulings on reproductive issues have made abortion rights activists unwilling to crusade on her behalf, and other liberal women's organizations say they're waiting to voice full-throated support until they know more about her record.

Their relative silence may be helping Sotomayor — who's been accused of letting her personal experiences interfere with her judging — more than it hurts her.

"She's been able to rise above some of that interest group politics," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a member of the Judiciary Committee that will begin questioning Sotomayor next week in a marathon set of highly publicized hearings.

Prominent Republicans may have made that job easier for Sotomayor, Klobuchar said, by attacking her early on as racist, unintelligent and temperamental — criticisms that were quickly rejected by the party's senators.

"If I were her, I'd rather have Republican senators having to defend me against completely over-the-top complaints than women's groups doing rallies."

Hispanic groups have led the charge in promoting and defending Sotomayor, who would be the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.

And in the weeks since Sotomayor was nominated, civil rights organizations, law enforcement leaders and some environmental groups have come out in enthusiastic support, some holding news conferences, calls with reporters, and launching new Web sites to champion her nomination. Several have written letters to the Judiciary Committee advocating her confirmation.

Most women's groups, by contrast, have hung back. Aside from issuing favorable statements the day she was chosen, they have done little publicly to press for her confirmation.

Melody Drnach, the vice president of the National Organization for Women, said it's a question of resources for her group, which has been electing new leaders and is embroiled in the debate over health care reform.

"We're doing everything we can do in terms of supporting her," Drnach said, adding that the group will soon step up its efforts behind the scenes, counting votes for Sotomayor and lobbying if necessary to get senators to support her. The group's D.C. chapter plans a rally Monday outside the confirmation hearings.

Drnach acknowledged that early on, NOW talked internally about whether and how strongly to support Sotomayor given her unknown record on abortion rights and the lack of specific indications in her rulings about how she would handle issues important to women.

"We had that conversation, but we also talked about the fact that it would be very, very surprising if the president and his team would nominate somebody who was not going to believe in full equality for women and girls to be a part of the highest court in the land," Drnach said. "It came down to the fact that it's incredibly important to have women's voices at the table and certainly on the" Supreme Court.

Some outside observers say women's groups may be loath to weigh in on Sotomayor's nomination for fear of seeming to confirm her critics' accusations that she would let her own feelings or biases interfere with the law.

"You don't want to do anything that would actually hurt her chances by making it seem like if we get this woman, she'll be sympathetic to women," said Debbie Walsh, director of Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics. "Then she'd be called a sexist, and that doesn't help."

Marcia D. Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center said organizations like hers are not holding back in any way on support for Sotomayor, but they're busy delving into her record to see what kind of a justice she would be.

"There was certainly initial euphoria that such an extraordinary woman was identified with her background and her experiences and her long record, but then the hard work begins for any nominee — including a woman of her stature and her accomplishment — to really look in a very careful way at how she would be on the Supreme Court," Greenberger said.

The center is working on a report on Sotomayor that will be made available after the conclusion of her confirmation hearings.

The National Association of Women Lawyers rated her "highly qualified" this week, but in a letter to the Judiciary panel, its president, Lisa Horowitz, noted that in certain areas important to women — including domestic violence and reproductive choice — the group had "no decisions to review."

Horowitz said Sotomayor shows she's sensitive to the impact of racial and sexual comments and behavior on the job, but doesn't always rule for plaintiffs in such cases unless their claims have a solid legal basis.

Don't expect to hear from NARAL Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group. Its leaders clammed up about Sotomayor once she was nominated, and the group is spending its time and resources pressing senators to ask her questions about the right to privacy during the hearings.

Women senators have stepped into the breach. They held a kind of speak-in on the Senate floor late last month and a news conference last week to champion Sotomayor.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she's been hearing plenty from women who strongly back the appeals court judge, but so far there's been no need for "muss or fuss" from groups who represent them.

"Things are going really well. I would predict that she's going to be confirmed. There is no need for groups to get all geared up and go out and tell people to write," Boxer said. "If things take a turn for the worse ... that's a whole other story."

by the associated press

Obama staffers meet pope

2009-07-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

VATICAN CITY (AP) — If one career highlight was getting Barack Obama elected president, another might be meeting the pope.

Several senior White House staffers had the honor Friday, after President Barack Obama's private audience with Pope Benedict XVI. First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha also met the pontiff.

Among the top aides who got to meet the leader of the Roman Catholic church were senior adviser David Axelrod, deputy chief of staff Mona Sutphen, national security adviser James Jones and one of his deputies, Denis McDonough, and press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Obama introduced them to the pope, one by one, almost like a proud father.

He even noted that McDonough has a brother who is a priest.

McDonough and Gibbs clasped the pontiff's hand and kissed his ring.

___

Don't expect to see any photos or video of Malia and Sasha meeting the pope.

In keeping with the Obamas' practice of protecting their daughters' privacy at certain times, the girls were ushered out of the meeting room before reporters and photographers were allowed back in for the final moments.

The first lady's mother, Marian Robinson, also had a moment with Benedict.

___

The pope gave the president reading material for the flight to Ghana, the final stop on his trip: a copy of a Vatican document on bioethics. Issued in December, the tome hardened the church's opposition to using embryos for stem cell research, cloning and in-vitro fertilization. Obama supports stem cell research.

"Yes, this is what we had talked about," Obama said, telling the pope he'll read it en route to Africa.

The pope's secretary, the Rev. Georg Ganswein, had told reporters the document would "help the president better understand the position of the Catholic church."

The papal gifts to Obama also included a mosaic representing St. Peter's Square, and a pontifical medal.

Obama was to give Benedict a stole that had been placed on the remains of St. John Neumann, a 19th-century Redemptorist and the first male naturalized U.S. citizen to become a saint.

___

It wasn't a gift in the traditional sense, but Obama hand-delivered to the pope a personal letter from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Kennedy, the patriarch of one of America's most prominent Roman Catholic families and a key Obama supporter, was diagnosed a year ago with terminal brain cancer.

Obama and Benedict discussed the Massachusetts senator at the end of their meeting.

Obama asked the pope to pray for Kennedy, said White House national security aide Denis McDonough.

Press secretary Gibbs told reporters that Obama telephoned Kennedy after the meeting, and they talked for about 10 minutes before Air Force One took off for Ghana.

Gibbs and McDonough spoke to reporters en route.

___

Gibbs said he didn't think Obama and the pope prayed together. Just before leaving the Vatican, Obama did say to the pontiff: "God Bless You."

Gibbs said Obama "said that he asked the pope to pray for his family, that's what he specifically asked for."

___

It's a statement sure to delight Africans across the continent: Obama hinted Friday that he'll attend next year's World Cup soccer championship in South Africa.

After a photo with South African President Jacob Zuma, Obama was asked whether he'll attend the matches.

His reply? "That's my goal."

The White House has said a final decision about attending has yet to be made. But Obama's response suggested that he wants to.

After answering the question, the U.S. president playfully asked, "Did you get that?"

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has invited Obama to the World Cup opening ceremony and has said Obama will try to make it. The White House said Obama has agreed to meet with the head of FIFA, the governing body of the sport, about the World Cup.

The tournament runs from June 11-July 11.

by the associated press

Wiretapping Showed 'Limited' Results, Report

2009-07-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, July 10 (UPI) -- Only three U.S. Justice Department lawyers were briefed initially on the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping, a report released Friday said.

The summary prepared for Congress by five inspectors general described the way the program was handled as "extraordinary and inappropriate," The Washington Post reported. President George W. Bush authorized the warrantless wiretaps soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

John Ashcroft, the attorney general in Bush's first term, former Office of Legal Counsel lawyer John C. Yoo and James Baker, a specialist on intelligence policy, were the only Justice Department lawyers aware of the program, the report said. Jay S. Bybee, who was Yoo's boss, told investigators he was not briefed on it.

When more Justice Department employees were told about the program, several threatened to resign.

The report also said the effectiveness of the program could not be determined, The New York Times said. The inspectors general said other means of gaining information were more effective.

Though some of the intelligence gathered "had value in some counterterrorism investigations, it generally played a limited role in the FBI's overall counterterrorism efforts," the report said.

by United Press International

World has avoided economic disaster

2009-07-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

L'AQUILA, Italy (AP) — Lasting worldwide recovery "is still a ways off," President Barack Obama declared Friday, but he also said at the conclusion of a global summit that a disastrous economic collapse apparently has been averted.

Obama said world leaders had taken significant measures to address economic, environmental and global security issues.

"Reckless actions by a few have fueled a recession that spans the globe," Obama said of the meltdown that began in the United States with a tumble in housing prices and drastic slowing of business lending. The downturn now threatens superpowers and emerging nations alike.

Obama urged national leaders to unite behind a global recovery plan that includes stricter financial regulation and sustained stimulus spending.

"The only way forward is through shared and persistent effort to combat threats to our peace, our peace, our prosperity and our common humanity wherever they may exist. None of this will be easy," Obama told a news conference at the end of the Group of Eight summit of major economic powers.

The president rejected suggestions that the summit fell short of expectations by failing to call for tough new sanctions on Iran for its crackdown on democracy advocates after its disputed presidential election.

"What we wanted is exactly what we got — a statement of unity and strong condemnation," Obama said. He said the leaders' declaration was even more significant because it included Russia, "which doesn't make statements like that lightly."

Obama said world leaders will reevaluate their posture toward Iran at a meeting in Pittsburgh in September of the world's 20 major industrial and developing economies.

He cited "the appalling events of Iran's presidential election" and said the world would "take stock of Iran's progress" and watch its behavior.

Leaders have made clear that for Iran to take its "rightful place" in the world, the country must adhere to international standards and behave responsibility, Obama said.

The president was next turning to more photogenic events: a meeting with the pope and a stop in Africa.

Obama, his wife and senior advisers met Pope Benedict XVI and exchanged gifts shortly before leaving Italy late Friday for Ghana. Obama and Benedict had spoken by phone but had not met before.

"It's a great honor for me. Thank you so much," Obama said as he met the pontiff.

Benedict asked Obama about the G-8 summit, eliciting Obama's assessment that it was "very productive."

The cameras clattered while that sat down at the pope's desk.

"Your Holiness, I'm sure you're used to having your picture taken. I'm getting used to it," Obama said.

Later in the day, Obama was to fly to Ghana on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president, but second visit to Africa. He gave a speech in Egypt last month.

On a pressing issue back home, Obama acknowledged that his top legislative priority — health care overhaul — had encountered rocky going in Congress during his overseas trip, with opposition building among both Republicans and economically conservative Democrats.

But he said he still was confident of getting the measure passed before Congress begins its August recess.

Asked if that timetable was "do or die," Obama responded: "I never believe anything is do or die. But I want to get it done by the August recess."

On the world economy, Obama said that rising food prices mean millions more are falling into desperate poverty "and right now, at this defining moment, we face a choice. We can either shape our future or let events shape it for us."

"While our markets are improving and we appear to have averted global collapse, we know that too many people are still struggling. So we agree that full recovery is still a ways off." He said the world leaders felt "it would be premature to begin winding down our stimulus plans."

Earlier in the week, the 186-nation International Monetary Fund released an updated economic forecast, predicting that the global economy will shrink 1.4 percent this year, the worst performance in the post-World War II period. That forecast was slightly worse than the 1.3 percent decline the IMF predicted in April.

The international lending agency did see prospects improving for next year with global growth forecast to climb to 2.5 percent, up from an April projection of 1.9 percent.

Leaders at Friday's meetings also committed themselves to a $20 billion initiative to help farmers in poor countries boost production.

Asked about his appeal to fellow leaders for the aid, Obama said he talked about his father, who was born in Kenya.

"The telling point is when my father traveled to the United States from Kenya to study ... the per capita income of Kenya was higher than South Korea's."

Now, Obama said, South Korea is industrialized and relatively wealthy while Kenya, as well as much of Africa, is still struggling economically.

"There is no reason why African countries can't do the same" and rise out of poverty with modern and open institutions, Obama said.

On nuclear weapons, Obama said the U.S. and Russia must show they're "fulfilling their commitments" to lead global efforts to curb the spread. If the two superpowers show they can limit or eliminate these weapons, it would strengthen their moral authority to speak to other potential nuclear nations such as North Korea and Iran.

Obama said there is a need to build "a system of international norms" for nuclear weapons. With respect to North Korea and Iran, he said, "It's not a matter of singling them out ... but a standard that everybody can live by."

Six months in office, Obama said he supports a streamlining of summits — the G-8, G-20 and NATO — and attending fewer of those meetings. He said the United Nations is in need of reform, but international summits fill a gap left by a U.N. structure that doesn't leverage its power as effectively as it could.

by the associated press

Activists arrested for banner on Mount Rushmore

2009-07-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (AFP) – Greenpeace activists were arrested Wednesday for scaling Mount Rushmore and hanging a banner next to the carved face of Abraham Lincoln urging President Barack Obama to get tough on climate change.

A video posted on the environmental group's website showed the massive banner hanging on the South Dakota mountain face.

Its message -- "America honors leaders not politicians: Stop Global Warming" and an unfinished portrait of Obama -- was barely visible as it was whipped by wind.

"Doing what it takes to solve global warming demands real political courage," Greenpeace USA deputy campaigns director Carroll Muffett said in a statement.

"If President Obama intends to earn a place among this country's true leaders, he needs to show that courage, and base his actions on the scientific reality rather than political convenience."

The protest comes as Obama meets with other G8 leaders in Italy.

G8 leaders agreed to bear the brunt of steep global cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, saying developed countries should reduce their pollution by 80 percent by 2050, a summit declaration said.

Greenpeace said the 11 climbers "took special care not to damage the monument, using existing anchors placed by the National Park Service for periodic cleaning."

Park officials said they were still investigating whether the iconic monument -- a restricted area which is closely monitored -- suffered damage.

"Early this morning visitors saw these individuals on the mountain," said Amy Bracewell, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service.

"They got up next to Abraham Lincoln and unfurled the large banner," she told AFP.

"As soon as our people were mobilized we took down the banner and apprehended them and got them safely down the mountain."

by the AFP

NY gov names lieutenant governor

2009-07-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. David Paterson shocked Albany and risked a constitutional fight Wednesday by picking a crisis manager with Democratic credentials dating to the 1960s to fill the vacant lieutenant governor's post and end a monthlong state Senate standoff.

But whether it will end what Paterson called the embarrassing spectacle over control of the chamber, or prolong it in the courts, was unknown in the unpredictable political saga.

Paterson chose 76-year-old Richard Ravitch, a former Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman, to be his lieutenant governor, who can preside over the Senate and break at least some tie votes.

In a televised address, the Democratic governor made the announcement and said he did it because the state is in crisis over the Senate's 31-31 split in a power struggle now in its fifth week.

It had been widely assumed since the 1940s that a vacancy in the largely ceremonial lieutenant governor's job could only be filled in a general election. But Paterson said an unorthodox approach is needed after he failed to force the Senate to act after calling 18 special sessions and denying their pay and expenses.

"Now, New Yorkers are starting to suffer," Paterson said. "This is the right thing to do, I have no doubt of that."

Pending a likely court battle, Paterson's decision appears to give the Democratic Party he heads control of the Senate again, after the Republican-dominated coalition seized it June 8.

Ravitch intends to work for no compensation in the job, which normally pays $151,500 a year, said Peter Kauffmann, a spokesman for the governor.

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos said Paterson violated the constitution and acted illegally and recklessly to serve his political prospects in 2010. Skelos said the appointment "will create even more chaos that will result in more lawsuits and more government gridlock."

Ravitch is a partner in the law firm Ravitch Rice & Company LLC. He started his work in federal government in 1966 with the National Commission on Urban Problems under President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1975, Gov. Hugh Carey put him in charge of the independent authority helping build low-income apartments that eventually became the Empire State Development Corp.

Paterson's rare televised address was promoted through his 2010 campaign committee.

New York has been without a lieutenant governor since Paterson rose from the position to become governor in March 2008 after Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace.

by the associated press

Saying Goodbye to Michael Jackson

2009-07-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

They sang his songs among the stars and imagined him dancing across the moon, and for a few hours, during this most public of memorials, all eyes were on Michael Jackson for one last time.

Twenty thousand people gathered inside the Staples Center on Tuesday for a somber, spiritual ceremony, watched by untold millions more around the world as they celebrated a man whose immense talents almost drowned beneath the spectacle of his life and fame.

A star-studded lineup of performers closely linked to Jackson’s life and music reached back for the essence of the man. They remembered Jackson as an unparalleled singer, dancer and humanitarian whose music united people of all backgrounds.

"Don’t focus on the scars, focus on the journey,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose fiery eulogy was an emotional high point of the service. "Every time he got knocked down, he got back up,” Sharpton said, and the applauding crowd again jumped to its feet.

Daughter’s message
Sharpton rode the moment, building to a crescendo. "There wasn’t nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with!” he said to Jackson’s three children in the front row, drawing the longest ovation of the service.
Jackson’s daughter, Paris-Michael, later provided the surprise of the service: the first public statement of her 11 years.

"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father I could imagine,” she said, dissolving into tears and turning into the embrace of her aunt Janet. "I just want to say I love him so much.”

Unlike Jackson’s life, the ceremony was not spectacular, extravagant or bizarre. Outside the arena, however, the celebrity-industrial complex that Jackson helped create flourished.

More than 3,000 police officers massed downtown to keep the ticketless at bay, and helicopters followed the golden casket as it was driven over blocked-off freeways.

by the associated press