A reputed Colombian drug lord more used to a life of luxury than solitary confinement wants out of his cramped maximum security cell in New York City.
A lawyer for Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia said Friday he's asked a federal judge to move his client to the general population at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The attorney, Paul Navel, says Ramirez Abadia has suffered from …
BRENTWOOD Town boss Les Whitton was angry with his team'sdefensive lapses after they threw away a 2-1 lead at home to WalhamAbbey.
But despite those frailties the Blues manager is more thansatisfied with Town's start to the season as they sit top of theRyman League Division One North table and unbeaten so far thisseason.
"The two goals we gave away were from set-pieces," said Whitton.
"A few of the players seemed to switch off and you just can't dothat - we are going to work on it in training it just wasn't goodenough.
"The start we have had, well, it's going really well at themoment, you can't ask for much better than being top of the …
LONDON - Iran said a female British sailor seized with 14 other crewmembers would be released Wednesday or Thursday, softening Tehran's position by suggesting their boats' alleged entry into Iranian waters may have been a mistake.
Britain, meanwhile, said it was freezing talks on all other issues with Iran until it freed all 15 crew members seized last week, and the British military released what it said was proof its boats were within Iraqi territorial waters when they were seized.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki discounted the possibility of an escalation in the crisis, suggesting the British vessels may have made a mistake.
"This is a violation …
Kyle Kendrick kept himself in the race for the final spot in Philadelphia's rotation.
The 24-year-old right-hander pitched his best game of spring training Saturday in the Phillies' 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Kendrick allowed two runs and five hits in five innings.
He called his latest outing "a step forward." Kendrick is competing with veteran Chan Ho Park, rookie …
Injured Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky have been included in the Czech Republic squad for next week's friendly against Latvia.
Cech tore a calf muscle in his right leg in training July 20 and Czech Republic coach Michal Bilek said he will arrive for the game only if he plays the Aug. 8 Community Shield match against Manchester United. Otherwise, he would call up Jan Lastuvka as replacement.
Rosicky is back after missing friendlies against Turkey and the United States in May due to an ankle injury.
Striker Milan Baros is not available due to an Achilles tendon problem.
The Aug. 11 game in Liberec is …
ABSTRACT
For single channel recordings, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of kinetic rates and conductance is well established. A direct extrapolation of this method to macroscopic currents is computationally prohibitive: it scales as a power of the number of channels. An approximated MLE that ignored the local time correlation of the data has been shown to provide estimates of the kinetic parameters. In this article, an improved approximated MLE that takes into account the local time correlation is proposed. This method estimates the channel kinetics using both the time course and the random fluctuations of the macroscopic current generated by a homogeneous population of ion …
| All Times EST |
| EASTERN CONFERENCE |
| Atlantic Division |
| W L Pct GB |
| Boston 28 3 .903 _ |
| Toronto 17 16 .515 12 |
| New Jersey 16 16 .500 12 1/2 |
| Philadelphia 14 19 .424 15 |
| New York 8 23 .258 20 |
| Southeast Division |
| W L Pct GB |
| Orlando 22 13 … |
God Bless America.
No one is denying that the violence in Chicago is obscene and unacceptable -- but flooding the streets with National Guardsmen could make a bad situation even worse. What happens if shots ring out, and a National Guard member opens fire and accidentally kills an innocent bystander? Or God forbid, we end up having a funeral for a National Guard member who comes home from a tour in Afghanistan, only to be gunned down on …
EFFORT FAILS AT DEPAUL TO BAN 'ZIONIST THEFT1
It's not as ubiquitous as mayonnaise or ketchup, but hummus, once exotic, is now widely available at supermarkets and restaurants.
This Middle Eastern chickpea paste has also gained a place in the antiIsrael arsenal, used by those seeking to isolate the Jewish state.
In 2005, Joseph Massad, then assistant professor at New York's Columbia University, included hummus in his anti-Israel remarks. He accused Zionists of the "theft of Palestinian Arab food (e.g., hummus, falafil)," according to a report at the time in The New York Sun.
In 2009, an anti-Israel group unsucessfully tried to persuade the Trader Joe's …
Joyous fans lit flares and waved Spain's red and yellow flag after a 1-0 victory over Germany in the European Championship final on Sunday ended a 44-year gap between major titles.
Fernando Torres sparked the celebration with his 33rd-minute goal and the 35,000 spectators packed into the public viewing area at Madrid's Colon square continued in a frenzy until the final whistle.
Fireworks and car horns rang out across the Spanish capital after the final whistle blew. Spain, always a favorite at nearly every major tournament it plays at, had failed to match the expectations since lifting the 1964 European Championship, with a finals appearance in 1984 the …
A puppy left for hours in a van at Ford City Mall died Tuesdayafternoon -- strangled by its leash as it thrashed around in theheat.
Authorities charged Coret Cruz, of the 4300 block of WestMarquette, with cruelty to an animal. He faces a fine of up to $500and six months in jail if convicted, according to Cleo Cavin, asupervisor with Chicago Animal Care and Control.
Cruz, 26, could not be reached for comment.
"It was an extremely critical situation for the dog to be in thecar," said Mark Dygan, the supervising veterinarian for Animal Careand Control.
According to a witness who declined to be named, the …
WASHINGTON - About 13 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries have private insurance that should pay their health care bills, but that isn't always the case, congressional auditors said Tuesday.
Federal law requires Medicaid, the nation's health care program for the poor, to be the payer of last resort. That means that if a beneficiary has health care coverage from another source, that source should pay before Medicaid does.
But Census Bureau data shows that many poor people report having Medicaid coverage year-round while having private insurance for at least a portion of that year. That raises the question of who gets billed for their trips to the doctor, and whether taxpayers are needlessly getting stuck with medical bills in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Medicaid, which is paid for by the states and the federal government, pays for health care for about 56 million poor people. The estimated tab for 2004 was $298 billion.
Officials suspect people turn to Medicaid because their out-of-pocket expenses are less than under private insurance.
In a survey of 39 states, the Government Accountability Office found that 27 states had difficulty trying to verify whether their beneficiaries also had private coverage. Some insurers, citing privacy law, do not grant states electronic access to their customer information. Ten of those states estimated their total losses as at least $54 million annually.
In almost all the states, officials reported problems collecting payments from private insurers even after they or a contractor determined that Medicaid paid for a service it shouldn't have. Fourteen of those states estimated their total losses as at least $184 million annually.
"Third parties denied claims because they were not filed within a certain time frame," the GAO stated. "Others reported that these entities simply refused to acknowledge or respond to claims the states had submitted."
A recently enacted law says states must require insurers to provide coverage data for their customers as a condition of doing business in that state. That data can then be matched against the Medicaid rolls.
The GAO recommended that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers both health care programs, give states guidance on when their new laws should take effect and which businesses would be required to provide them with coverage information. CMS officials agreed with the recommendation.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the programs, urged the government to help states be more aggressive about recovering payments.
"It's not fair for taxpayers to get stuck with bills that private insurers are liable for," he said.
The percentage of people with both Medicaid and private insurance ranged from lows of 9 percent in Alabama, Arizona and California to highs of 22 percent and 23 percent for Iowa, South Dakota and Wyoming.
---
On the Net:
Government Accountability Office report: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06862.pdf
Sea Cuisine
Stuffed Fillet of Flounder
Price: $3.99 for 10-ounce box (two 5-ounce servings)
1 serving: 250 calories, 12 g fat, 680 mg sodium
(STAR)
Here's a fish story for you: "Delicately seasoned scallop andcrabmeat stuffing" rolled in a "perfectly prepared and flash frozen"fillet of flounder. "Gourmet seafood made easy." That's what the boxsaid.
Wait, there's more: "Sea Cuisine Stuffed Fillet of Flounder ishandmade using only the finest ingredients, the nutritiouscenterpiece of a unique and elegant meal." On the box was a gorgeouspicture of the cooked fillets, the scallops so plentiful they burstfrom the stuffing, drizzled in a cream sauce, nestled in a medley ofasparagus, mushrooms and pearl onions. Mouth-watering, yet theskeptic still hesitated-until noting that Sea Cuisine is distributedto Certified Grocers in the Midwest by Fishery Products InternationalInc. of Danvers, Mass., which is practically in the Atlantic Ocean.
Outta took the bait.
Alas, a serving was the size of an egg. The stuffing was bread,more bread and one scallop, the approximate size of a pencil eraser.If there was crab meat, it was so sparse as to be unidentifiable.
Following directions, we microwaved one fillet on high for 4minutes; we baked the other at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Neithermethod produced much: a flavorless piece of fish, neither flaky nordelicate, around a ball of damp seasoned breadcrumbs. The nutritionwas swimming in four kinds of oil and butter, plus natural andartificial butter flavor.
The cats did not care for it, either.
Maria Eugenia Anguiano y Ana Mar�a L�pez Salas (editoras) Migraciones y fronteras. Nuevos contornos para la movilidad internacional Barcelona: Icaria/CIDOB, 2010, 351 pp.
La globalizaci�n ha trastocado la territorialidad de los estados nacionales y con ello se han redefinido las fronteras siguiendo la tensi�n entre el incremento de los flujos internacionales y el cierre selectivo del tr�nsito fronterizo. El libro que Mar�a Eugenia Anguiano y Ana Mar�a L�pez nos presentan tiene como objetivo poner en perspectiva distintas miradas de la interrelaci�n entre migraci�n y fronteras. Las editoras re�nen trabajos que tienen como referentes diversos contextos, lo cual permite imaginar un mapamundi en el que la movilidad poblacional se especifica seg�n los factores de atracci�n y expulsi�n que entran en juego entre territorios que ocupan una posici�n asim�trica dentro de las relaciones de poder. La obra permite entender la migraci�n internacional y las fronteras en sus dimensiones contextual y relativa, para as� pensarlas a trav�s de sus m�ltiples interrelaciones. Una muestra de la riqueza de estos trabajos corresponden a los casos de las fronteras de M�xico-Estados Unidos, Nicaragua-Costa Rica y Argentina-Bolivia.
El cap�tulo de Mar�a Eugenia Anguiano inicia con una semblanza hist�rica de la emigraci�n de mexicanos hacia Estados Unidos, en primer lugar, se�ala que se trata de emigraci�n laboral con car�cter masivo, que se ha mantenido en el tiempo y en la misma direcci�n, pues solamente entre los trabajadores y residentes no autorizados, en el 2008, se contabilizaban m�s de siete millones de mexicanos. Otro rasgo que defini� a los emigrantes, sobre todo hasta los a�os sesenta, fue su temporalidad y circularidad: cruzaban fundamentalmente hombres j�venes a trabajar en cultivos de temporada. Los principales cambios de la pol�tica migratoria de Estados Unidos han obedecido a distintas orientaciones: formalizaci�n de los flujos a trav�s del Progama Bacer� (hasta 1964); control selectivo por un sistema de cuotas por pa�s de origen (hasta 1982); disminuci�n de inmigrantes indocumentados mediante la amnist�a y la regularizaci�n; y, a partir de los noventa, securitizaci�n de la frontera. En este �ltimo periodo hay un incremento sin precedente del presupuesto asignado al Servicio de Inmigraci�n y Naturalizaci�n y se multiplican los controles fronterizos, sobre todo a ra�z de los atentados del septiembre del 2011, cuando los muros existentes se refuerzan y se construyen nuevos; al mismo tiempo que se hace un uso intensivo de tecnolog�as de punta para la vigilancia; y el personal de la patrulla fronteriza triplica su n�mero para alcanzar los 12,00 efectivos en 2006. Adicionalmente, Estados Unidos desarrolla una estrategia para promover, fortalecer y expandir acuerdos bilaterales en materia de seguridad con sus pa�ses vecinos, de tal forma que la noci�n de frontera se extendi� del norte al sur de M�xico. Frente a ello, este pa�s ha puesto en pr�ctica un plan para controlar los flujos de migrantes, estupefacientes y armas, destinando recursos para incrementar y modernizar los puntos de control existentes en el sureste y sur del territorio. En la frontera sur de M�xico, que colinda con Guatemala y Belice, el flujo principal de personas lo han conformado los guatemaltecos, sobre todo, a ra�z de los conflictos armados ocurridos en el siglo pasado, cuando entraban al pa�s en calidad de refugiados. Adem�s se ha conformado un mercado laboral de jornaleros, as� como un flujo importante de personas de Centroam�rica que atraviesan el pa�s rumbo a Estados Unidos. La pol�tica migratoria de M�xico ha implicado el registro de los trabajadores agr�colas, la firma de acuerdos para permitir el desplazamiento de visitantes temporales, as� como la restricci�n de permisos de trabajo de acuerdo a la demanda existente en los estados del sur y sureste.
El texto de Abelardo Morales tiene como objetivo analizar la frontera de Nicaragua y Costa Rica desde la perspectiva de las regiones transfronterizas. Tiene como punto de partida que lo transfronterizo forma un espacio que traspasa las l�neas de separaci�n y origina una integraci�n entre los territorios colindantes, debido a que los procesos sociales tienen una naturaleza extraterritorial. En este an�lisis el autor define las tramas socioterritoriales en Am�rica Central, integrada por Guatemala, Belice, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panam�, y se�ala los efectos de la posici�n marginal que ocupan frente a los centros de poder, en las condiciones sociales de vulnerabilidad y en la situaci�n de pobreza de sus habitantes. Los problemas de estas poblaciones han cambiado aceleradamente por los procesos de integraci�n de la regi�n a la econom�a mundial, mediante megaproyectos internacionales de construcci�n de infraestructura, como el Plan PueblaPanam� y la Red Internacional de Carreteras Mesoamericanas. El caso de la frontera de Nicaragua con Costa Rica se ha definido por las tensiones entre los pa�ses desde el periodo colonial. En 1888 se ratific� el Tratado de L�mites para delimitar la l�nea fronteriza entre estos pa�ses, pero la funci�n demarcatoria no se concluy� hasta un siglo despu�s de este tratado, pues la zona fronteriza se mantuvo como un espacio relativamente integrado por su unidad ecoambiental y cultural; al mismo tiempo que se conserv� aislada y marginada del resto de los territorios de ambos pa�ses. En la actualidad, se encuentra habitada por m�s de un mill�n de personas, la mayor�a nicarag�enses, se caracteriza por ser un espacio binacional organizado en tres ejes, reconocidos por centros urbanos que proporcionan servicios a las regiones colindantes: el eje occidental, el oriental caribe�o y el eje central. El autor identifica un momento de quiebre en la regi�n fronteriza que se configuraba a partir de su l�mite difuso entre los dos pa�ses, cuando a finales de los setenta el territorio fue parte de las operaciones militares de las guerras en Nicaragua, en las que particip� los Estados Unidos. M�s recientemente, en 1990, se produjo otro cambio en la situaci�n pol�tica de Nicaragua y Costa Rica, se inici� un proceso de pacificaci�n y de reformas econ�micas, y la frontera recuper� su funci�n en el tr�nsito de mercanc�as y personas. En este nuevo momento el lado nicarag�ense qued� rezagado frente a la din�mica de desarrollo de Costa Rica y su inserci�n en la econom�a mundial.
En el caso de la frontera de Argentina con Bolivia, Susana Mar�a Sassone y Genevi�ve Cortes, se proponen explicar las relaciones entre las pol�ticas migratorias de Argentina y el control de las fronteras, as� como las respuestas de los migrantes a las condiciones del cruce resultantes. Por lo que en este cap�tulo se articulan tres enfoques: la frontera como l�mite y espacio de control pol�tico, la frontera como un lugar material del cruce y la frontera como objeto de representaciones ligadas a las pr�cticas y experiencias propias del migrante. En principio es importante considerar que la presencia de extranjeros ha sido parte del proceso de poblamiento argentino. Sin embargo, el n�mero de poblaci�n no nativa se mantuvo por un largo periodo debajo de los tres millones, alcanz� el punto m�s alto en 1960, cuando inici� un descenso que dio lugar a la argentinizaci�n de la poblaci�n en las d�cadas siguientes. A partir de 1991, empez� una din�mica distinta pues el peso relativo de las personas nativas disminuye y cambia la composici�n de las personas extranjeras: los inmigrantes de origen lim�trofe aumentaron en relaci�n a los no lim�trofes. La pol�tica migratoria de Argentina se ha dise�ado siguiendo tres etapas: la primera etapa comprendi� un siglo de la vida institucional del pa�s y se orientaba a la b�squeda de agricultores y mano de obra cualificada de origen europeo, mientras tanto los inmigrantes de origen no europeo entraban al pa�s en calidad de indocumentados por lo que, entre 1949 y 1981, se sucedieron cuatro regulaciones migratorias para esta poblaci�n. La segunda etapa, se caracteriz� por ser m�s cerrada y restrictiva, aumentaron los controles fronterizos, y -en 1992- se abri� otro proceso de regularizaci�n de indocumentados. La tercera etapa ha sido contradictoria e incierta, pues no respond�a a la composici�n de los flujos integrada principalmente por bolivianos, paraguayos y chilenos, en lugar de ello se manten�an los privilegiando a la inmigraci�n europea. En 2004, se presenta un giro en la pol�tica internacional al ajustarse a la realidad de la din�mica de inmigraci�n argentina, se promulga una ley que permite mejores condiciones para los extranjeros, se apega al reconocimiento de los derechos humanos, y busca superar la discriminaci�n existente hacia los inmigrantes lim�trofes. Hoy en d�a, los lugares de control de la inmigraci�n son administrados mediante la combinaci�n de medidas internas y externas m�s o menos estrictas. En particular, el cruce de la frontera argentino-boliviana se torna una marca en la experiencia de vida de migrantes bolivianos, desde su perspectiva la frontera representa una barrera pero tambi�n un recurso para lograr mejores condiciones de vida; por lo que el desaf�o de cruzar se enfrenta siguiendo diversas estrategias.
El com�n denominador en estos cap�tulos es el eje diacr�nico como ordenador de la reflexi�n, al presentar un recuento hist�rico de las pol�ticas migratorias y su relaci�n tanto con los cambios en los perfiles y la din�mica de los flujos migratorios, como con los nuevos controles y formas de cruce de las fronteras territoriales y simb�licas entre pa�ses.
[Author Affiliation]
Marlene Solis, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte
INDIANAPOLIS There's no shortage of things to mention aboutChristian Laettner, Duke's 6-11 junior center who has been called theperfect college basketball player.
Like most of the Blue Devil players he's bright, industrious,appears freshly scrubbed and is more than happy to live up to theschool's spit-and-polish image on and off the floor.
He's rapidly become one of the best big men in the country. Hewas named first team all-ACC, first-team All-America by BasketballTimes and a second-team All-America by AP and UPI.
He's also the one player UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian keptmentioning over and over as creating the most problems for theRunnin' Rebels during Duke's stunning 79-77 upset Saturday. Thatvictory, of course, vaulted the Blue Devils into tonight's title gameopposite Kansas in the Hoosier Dome.
Laettner, who was named after the Marlon Brando character in themovie "The Young Lions," had 28 points vs. Vegas, including the winning free throws with12.7 seconds remaining.
But the one thing you mustn't fail to mention about Laettner, whohails from Angola in upstate New York, is that he's a leg man all theway.
It seems that Laettner's favorite pursuit these days, besidesputting his tremendous talents to good use on the basketball court,is a biology class he's taking that involves the lower extremeties.
"What we're doing right now is dissecting a human leg," Laettnersaid. "That has been the most fun I've had in a class since I'vebeen at Duke.
"I can tell you about every muscle, every nerve, every artery inthe leg. It's really been good."
Laettner has been cutting up most every opponent with equalpanache, leading Duke in scoring (19.6 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rbg),steals, blocked shots and field goal percentage (.577).
Plus, as Laettner himself points out, he's able to move his feet,run the floor, dribble like a guard and find open teammates with theball.
On the eve of Duke's second straight appearance in the titlegame, Laettner is feeling a tad grumpy.
Seems that in the locker-room celebration that ensued followingthe slaying of Vegas, Laettner had to leave early to fulfill theNCAA's drug-testing requirements. He also had to fill a bottle, and,as a lyrics from a hit song once suggested, "You know it don't comeeasy."
One hour and 15 minutes later, Laettner finally met hisobligation. But by that time the bus carrying his teammates back tothe hotel had also left.
"I couldn't be in the atmosphere, I couldn't be in the shower, Icouldn't really be part of any of it," Laettner said. "I wanted tobe there and I missed it. It made me mad."
This is the same Laettner who was once accused by his teammatesof being too somber, too emotionless, too much of a robot. Laettnerhas learned that his exuberance rubs off on his teammates.
"I thought all they cared about were my scoring and rebounding,"Laettner said. "But Coach (Mike Krzyzewski) told me it went beyondthat, that it was my enthusiasm, my excitement on the court, that gotthe team into the game."
That revelation came to Laettner just after the Blue Devils hadbeen eliminated in the second round of last year's ACC postseasontournament.
"Now, I know it's my responsibility," he said. "I must beexcited out there."
Being pumped should be no problem tonight, although Laettnerinsists a loss wouldn't be the end of the world because Duke is soyoung.
"It's sitting right there for us," Laettner said. "We're theteam that's been there."
Which, you could say, gives Duke a leg up.
The president's national security adviser made hermuch anticipatedappearance before the panel investigating the attacks Thursday. Buther testimony did not resolve central points about what thegovernment knew and what it should have done before Sept. 11.
The Obama administration is stepping up pressure on Iraqi leaders to overcome a five-month political impasse that has prevented the formation of a new government.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday the U.S. was growing increasingly concerned about the deadlock and that there was a "critical need" for Iraqi politicians to put national interests ahead of personal ones and assemble a government quickly. She spoke to reporters after meeting Iraq's foreign minister at the State Department.
Iraqi politicians have been unable to agree on a new government since March 7 elections, which did not give any party a majority in the 325-member parliament. For the past several months, major coalitions have been engaged in intense negotiations to win enough allies to form a government.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli troops backed by tanks and bulldozers crossed into southern Gaza to strike at Palestinian militants on Thursday, a day after Israel's defense minister said a broad operation inside the territory was inevitable. Three militants were killed and 12 people were wounded in the fiercest clash.
Israel's Security Cabinet on Wednesday rejected calls for a large-scale Gaza invasion. But the government is under mounting public pressure to stop the crude Palestinian rockets that fall daily in southern Israel - including a projectile that struck the yard of a nursery school earlier this week.
No one was hurt in that attack, but images of panicking parents rushing to collect their children from school have prompted renewed calls for government action.
Early Thursday, troops and vehicles crossed into Gaza in what the army called a routine operation against militants. The sides provided conflicting reports of a deadly showdown in the southern town of Khan Younis.
The army said troops inside Gaza opened fire at a group of militants who approached them, sparking an exchange of fire. Gaza's Hamas rulers said militants were targeted either by an Israeli tank shell or missile fire from the air. And Dr. Muawiya Hassanin of the Palestinian Health Ministry reported shrapnel wounds consistent with heavy artillery fire.
Ten militants were among the wounded, Hamas said.
In lieu of a large-scale invasion of Gaza, Israel's Security Cabinet threatened on Wednesday to cut water, electricity and fuel supplies to the strip. Later in the day, however, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told a gathering of top defense officials that "there is recognition that in the end, Israel will have to operate inside the Gaza Strip," participants at the meeting said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was confidential.
Israel has mounted such operations in the past, with casualties on both sides, but the large-scale military strikes have failed to quell the rocket fire.
Israeli military experts have said that short of recapturing all of Gaza, there is no military solution to the rocket fire. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
Israel's Cabinet is to further discuss options at its next meeting.
Vice Premier Haim Ramon, who first floated the idea of cutting off fuel and electricity, said the takeover of Gaza in June by Islamic Hamas militants sworn to Israel's destruction has turned the strip into an "enemy country," and Israel has no obligation to help.
"Imagine if al-Qaida took over Gaza," Ramon said. "Would anybody suggest we provide them with infrastructure?"
The tactic could backfire, however, Cutting off vital supplies could cause widespread suffering and would likely bring harsh international condemnation.
Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said his group was "looking with great concern at this serious and dangerous Israeli threat," which he termed "a new escalation against our people."
Parents in the rocket-scarred Israeli town of Sderot kept their children home again Thursday, demanding better protection. About 250 Sderot residents demonstrated Wednesday across from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office during the Security Cabinet meeting, demanding that he resign.
Also Thursday, a Palestinian policeman was shot dead by gunmen in the northern West Bank town on Jenin. Police said Akram Abu Sba, 40, was shot in the chest by members of the Islamic Jihad militant group after he stopped their car for a routine check. Police fired back, injuring two of the passengers.
The moderate government led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been trying to establish its authority in the West Bank since Hamas' Gaza takeover and crack down on lawlessness.
Illusionists Siegfried and Roy _ and the Bengal tiger that ended their careers _ shared the stage again Saturday night for a haunting final performance.
The brief charity show saw Roy Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher side by side with Montecore, the massive white tiger that brutally mauled Horn during a 2003 performance.
Horn re-emerged Saturday dressed in black robes, his face covered with a skeletal mask. The dark stage was covered in smoke. Horn limped slowly onstage, often steadying himself on Fischbacher's shoulder.
The two slowly performed a signature illusion as Fischbacher, dressed in white robes and a mask, stood inside a cage, which was then cloaked in drapes. As Horn removed the curtain seconds later, Fischbacher appeared across stage, a hulking tiger in his place.
As the crowd took to its feet, the men removed their masks. Fischbacher standing between the tiger and Horn. They waved and blew kisses at the audience, but said nothing.
An announcer left the crowd with this final thought: "Within all of us there is an illusive melody, which when heard and followed will lead you to the fulfillment of your fondest dreams."
The performers' manager, Bernie Yuman, later confirmed the tiger was Montecore.
In October 2003, the tiger sank its teeth into Horn's neck, dragging him offstage in front of a horrified audience. The illusionist, now 64, was partially paralyzed, suffering a damaged neck artery and crushed windpipe.
After 13 years and more than 5,000 performance, "Siegfried & Roy" show at The Mirage immediately went dark, ending one of the most successful shows in Las Vegas history.
The Saturday performance at the Bellagio hotel-casino was the highlight of a lavish benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The center, which will treat brain disorders like those Horn now suffers, is set to open later this year in a building designed by architect Frank Gehry.
Siegfried and Roy's performance will air Friday in a one-hour special on ABC's "20/20."
During Horn's long rehabilitation, both men remained devoted to their exotic habitat on the Las Vegas Strip. The Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage hotel-casino houses lions, tigers and leopards. Fischbacher, 69, has called it Horn's "reason to get up in the morning."
The pair have said they believe Montecore sensed Horn was having a mini-stroke and was dragging him to safety, rather than attacking him. Animal experts have disputed that theory.
After a two-year review, federal investigators never determined what set off the tiger.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture did find that the "Siegfried & Roy" show failed to protect the audience because it had no barrier separating the exotic animals from the crowd.
The illusionists' production company, S&R Productions, received a letter of noncompliance but was not fined.
___
On the Net:
Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat: http://tinyurl.com/b4oget
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Cruz Azul will look to keep its bid for a first title in 13 years on track when it opens the quarterfinal playoffs of the Mexico Apertura tournament against popular club Pumas.
The other first-leg quarterfinal on Wednesday has America against San Luis. On Thursday, Santos face Jaguares and Monterrey is up against Pachuca.
The second-leg games are set for the weekend. Cruz Azul lost only two matches all season, one of them against Pumas.
"We don't feel like the favorites," Cruz Azul midfielder Cesar Villaluz said. "We are only trying to do what we can and the fans will decide who is the favorite. We are relaxed and focused on getting out of the first match with the advantage."
Cruz Azul finished the regular season with 39 points from 17 matches, 17 more points than Pumas.
America, another one of Mexico's most popular clubs, is trying for its first league title since 2005.
"For America and all of the players, the only object is to be champions," midfielder Pavel Pardo said. "There is nothing else — and that's the truth."
America has been knocked out of the quarterfinals in the last two seasons.
Monterrey, which finished behind Cruz Azul in the overall standings, has struggled in three of its last four matches and will be without three starters who were sent off in the final match against Guadalajara Chivas. Monterrey will also be without Chilean forward Humberto Suazo and Ecuador midfielder Walter Ayovi on Wednesday. Both will be away playing with their national teams.
"We're going to see what we are made of," Monterrey sporting director Luis Miguel Salvador said. "Nobody doubts this is a difficult test, but I think we have the squad to do it."
In the other quarterfinal, Santos will start without top forward Christian Benitez of Ecuador, who is also away with his national team.
The real cause of a 34-year-old West Side man's shooting death has the Chicago Police Department and parts of the Black community at odds again.
A man in a light-colored Cadillac was stopped by police about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 199 block of North Lorel Avenue for a traffic violation, according to liana Rosenzweig, chief administrator for the Independent Police Review Authority, formerly known as the Office of Professional Standards.
Three of the four officers on the scene fired multiple shots, killing a man standing at the driver's side door of the Cadillac, Rosenzweig said. There were two officers each in two squad cars.
Freddie L. Wilson, of the 1600 block of South Homan Ayenue, was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:30 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. The medical examiner would not confirm how many shots hit Wilson, nor what part of the body was hit, but autopsy results stated he died of "multiple gunshot wounds - homicide."
Rosenzweig said police recovered a gun on the ground near the car, but was not certain if Wilson aimed it at the officers or if the gun had been fired. She said none of the officers were injured and that Wilson was alone in the car.
The reason for the alleged traffic stop and why the three officers fired their weapons is under investigation. That investigation may take up to six months and no comment will be made by IPRA until the investigation is complete, Rosenzweig said.
The IPRA was on the scene to act as the spokesman, ensure that evidence was not compromised or tainted, and to immediately interview the officers and witnesses. That is the new procedure for every policeinvolved shooting.
The fatal shooting comes less than a week after Rosenzweig announced that her office will take over the role as spokesman for police-involved shootings. The police will remain spokesman for incidents where a cop has been shot
Residents dispute the police's version of the incident and said the evidence was tampered with before the IPRA got to the scene.
"There was no traffic stop because the car was parked in the same spot for at least an hour prior to'the shooting," prace Hazzard told the Defender while standing in the same spot Wilson laid dead hours before.
Hazzard and other witnesses said the father of two was a local music artist and often sold his CDs inside of Mac Arthur's Restaurant a few blocks away.
"That's where he was before they killed him. He came around the corner and was walking to his car to get into it on the driver's side when the officers came from the other side of the street and started shooting. I heard about nine shots," Hazzard said. "After he fell to the ground, they handcuffed him. Why did they handcuff him? He was already dead and they knew it."
Hazzard asked again, "Why would the police say it was a traffic stop when the man wasn't driving yet?"
Another resident who prefers to remain anonymous told the same story.
"I saw it go down and it terrified me. He wasn't doing anything wrong and he didn't have a weapon. The police just rushed upon him and murdered him," the resident said.
Clergy leaders from the Leaders Network on the West Side held a news conference yesterday at the crime scene and said that by the way the IPRA is handling this incident, they are not convinced that there will be a completely independent investigation.
"The statement that it was a traffic violation is already in dispute by credible witnesses. So is the claim that the witnesses did not see the man with a gun at all during the incident," said Rev. Marshall Hatch of New Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church and the Leaders Network.,
The sole reason why Hatch and Rev. Ira Aeree said the investigation was "immediately botched" is because there is no community representative present during the 'roundtable'
A roundtable is called within hours of a shooting and the officers involved are questioned by a panel of police officials, prosecutors and OPS.
"If there is a community person present to sit in on the discussion, we can have confidence in the front-end of the process. We need to have some degree of trust," Aeree said.
The network plans to have another meeting with Rosenzweig next week about the IPRA's process.
[Author Affiliation]
by Kathy Chaney
Defender Staff Writer
Due to late developments at Arlington International Racecourseafter presstime, some preprinted editions of WeekendPlus include apreview of the Arlington Cup Challenge that is now incomplete.Updated coverage is featured in today's Sports section.
LONDON (AP) — More than two dozen of Britain's most successful Olympians will serve as mentors for the British athletes preparing for the 2012 London Games.
Five-time rowing gold medalist Steve Redgrave, two-time middle distance champion Kelly Holmes and boxing silver medalist Amir Khan are among the 27 "ambassadors" who will support athletes and their families and hold workshops ahead of next year's games.
The 27 mentors have won 51 medals in total.
Holmes, who won gold in the 800 and 1,500 meters in Athens in 2004, says "what we can bring is our experience in how we dealt with the pressures of competing in the Olympics."
BOA chairman Colin Moynihan adds Monday that the ambassadors "will create an important connection between our Olympic heroes of yesterday with the stars of today and tomorrow."
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. Pitcher-turned-House member Jim Bunning usedhis Hall of Fame podium Sunday to campaign for baseball to hire acommissioner, saying the sport must solve its problems "before theCongress of the United States gives up on you and intervenes."
With banned Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott applauding in theaudience, Bunning (R-Ky.) asserted that "for over four years,baseball has been rudderless. Get a rudder."
Before Bunning gave his 29-minute speech, the annual inductionceremonies had been a pleasant blend of reminiscing and givingthanks.
Earl Weaver playfully jibed fellow Hall member Jim Palmer, whostood when his former manager with the Baltimore Orioles wasintroduced. But Weaver, whose "acerbic wit" was noted on his plaque,made sure to include Palmer on the list of the game's greatestpitchers.
"I don't want to forget Jim Palmer," he said, "or he'll writeanother bad book about me."
His raspy voice steady after a couple of shaky moments early inhis 13-minute speech, Weaver also praised the umpires who ejected himso often and drew a laugh from the pro-Orioles crowd of 10,000.
"They made a million calls when I was there," he said. "Andexcept for the 91 or 92 times I disagreed, they got them right."
Ned Hanlon, a turn-of-the-century manager, was remembered by hisgrandson, Edward, one of 118 Hanlon family members on hand.
Bill Foster, a star pitcher in the Negro Leagues in the 1920sand '30s, was recalled by his son, Bill, who said he wished he wouldhave had the opportunity to say, `Dad, you made it.' "
Stan Musial, Yogi Berra and Tom Seaver were among the 33 Hallmembers on stage for the 2 1/2-hour festivities on a sunny afternoon.The crowd was only about half the total that turned out last year tosee Philadelphia Phillies favorites Richie Ashburn and Mike Schmidtbe inducted.
Like Schmidt, who used part of his speech to endorse formerCincinnati Reds star Pete Rose for the Hall, Bunning had a point tomake. After thanking his family, teammates, coaches and others whohelped him be successful, Bunning turned his attention to the troublethat has plagued baseball for a few years.
"Get your house in order," he told owners, his voice rising."Find a way to share revenue without asking players to foot thebill."
He also called on players to act responsibly off the field andurged the sides to sign a 10-year labor deal and to "pick acommissioner, a real commissioner."
In a news conference after his induction, Bunning said he hadabsolutely no interest in being that commissioner.
"It has no power," he said. "It's been gutted."
It's not likely that owners would accept him, either. Bunningwas an original sponsor of a bill in Congress to get rid ofbaseball's antitrust exemption. Before that, he served as a playeragent and helped form the union's pension program. He was his team'splayer representative for 12 of his 17 seasons in the major leagues.
Bunning was 224-184 with a 3.27 ERA, primarily for the Philliesand Detroit Tigers. He and the other three new Hall members wereelected in March by the Veterans Committee.
No players were selected in January by the Baseball Writers'Association of America, its first shutout since 1971. Left out were300-game winners Don Sutton and Phil Niekro.
Bunning, 64, drew a big cheer from the crowd when he askedwriters in attendance: "Do you have any clue how hard it is to win300 games in the major leagues?"
Weaver, who will turn 66 in two weeks, won six American LeagueEast titles, four pennants and the 1970 World Series. He had four ofhis former players on the Hall stage with him - Palmer, BrooksRobinson, Frank Robinson and Reggie Jackson.
Weaver said his induction capped 35 years in baseball "that flewby so fast I didn't even know I was getting old."
Foster, who died in 1978 at age 74, won more games than Hall ofFamer Satchel Paige. Hanlon, who died in 1937 at 79, was creditedwith bringing squeeze plays and hit-and-runs to baseball.
Julia Chisholm of Boise became a U.S. citizen on December 15, 2006. In a conversation after the ceremony, she shared with BW her thoughts on her homeland of Ukraine, and about growing up in the former Soviet Union and on becoming a citizen of the U.S.
Julia, who is 31, teaches English to refugees at the English Language Center in Boise. She lives with her husband James and their 3-year-old bilingual daughter, Maya on Boise's west side.
BW: You were in the Soviet Union during perestroika and glasnost. What was that like?
In 1985 when Gorbachev came to power, I remember my parents fighting over articles in magazines because everything came out: the corruption, about Stalin, how he tortured people and killed so many people. I remember the whole family reading the articles and listening to the news and all. It was an eye-opening experience. That was a bad side effect of the Union falling apart.
How did you end up here?
I was wishing to come to America to get my masters' degree. When I came here and got my transcripts evaluated, it turns out I already did have my masters. My friend [in Ukraine] told me, "I can get you in touch with tons of Americans." What she did was she put me on this marriage Web site. I didn't know what the Web was. It was 1997. I had never used it. So James wrote, his letter was first, so I wrote to him and then I got tons of letters that I never responded to. I had to go to the library, and the guy at the library had to set it up for me because I had no idea how to do it (use the Internet), I would just type the letter and he would send it. It's funny to think about it now. James came and visited and then he proposed, and then I moved here the following January.
Was that hard leaving your family?
Oh my gosh, that was the hardest thing of all. It still is. It still is. It is very hard. I call them every week. We send e-mails practically every day. Now I always tear up when I talk about it.
What did you learn about the United States while you were in school?
When I was in the second grade there was a project, and we all wrote letters to President Reagan begging him not to blow us up, and then I think it was when Andropov was president, an American schoolgirl, Samantha Smith, came to the Soviet Union. She was huge influence. That is when I changed my whole opinion of America. We were taught that American kids had to work and that there was huge unemployment, which there was none of in the Soviet Union, and that people were just struggling in the U.S. and that we were so fortunate to live in the Soviet Union where the government takes care of us. Nobody really takes care of Americans, and they are just really very unlucky to be born there. And then Samantha Smith, when she came, to me she changed everything.
What made you decide to become a U.S. citizen?
It took me a while. I could have done it two years ago, but I didn't because I felt that I'd be burning all the bridges behind me because I would have to get a visa to travel back home. I gave it a lot of thought. Then I had my daughter and she is an American citizen.
I realized I really love America and have a lot of respect for people who live here and very importantly I really wanted to start voting, especially with all the last six years of chaos that has been going on. I really like where I live; I like Boise. I am so lucky to have made great friends here that mean so much to me, and I just realize I feel at home here. I can call it home without any reservation. In my heart I will always be part Ukrainian or Soviet or whatever you want to call it. I will always be from over there.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Few deny that Pope John Paul II was a towering figure of the 20th century, a great pope of great consequence. His record-fast beatification, though, has prompted questions even from some supporters who suggest the Vatican should first answer lingering concerns about the flaws of his papacy.
John Paul's holiness and accomplishments aren't much in dispute: The second-longest living pope helped bring down communism, steered the Catholic Church through the tumultuous decades after the Second Vatican Council, and seemingly made being Catholic hip for a generation of young faithful who flocked to his Masses around the globe.
Those attributes and more are being highlighted in the runup to the May 1 beatification, which organizers estimate will bring as many as a million pilgrims to Rome. It's the last formal step before being canonized as a saint. A prayer vigil on the Circus Maximus, an all-night prayer session in downtown Rome churches and the beatification Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI top the agenda for the three-day event.
Perhaps it's inevitable that the record speed of the process has raised questions about whether the Vatican is rushing to judgment and merely ceding to the calls for "Santo Subito!" or "Sainthood Immediately!" that erupted during his 2005 funeral Mass.
Some point out many of the crimes and coverups of the clerical sex abuse scandal occurred during his 27-year watch — a scandal that has convulsed the church for the past decade and done seemingly irreparable harm to the faith in Ireland, in particular.
Some conservatives and traditionalists accuse John Paul of failing to stem the decline of Catholicism in the West by allowing, and in some cases encouraging, certain liturgical abuses they say have contributed to the waning of the faith. They point to dancing during papal Masses, an interfaith peace prayer in Assisi that the pope organized and other Vatican II-inspired liturgical trends in churches around the world.
And many Vatican watchers — priests and laymen alike — point to the scandal of the Legionaries of Christ as perhaps the greatest failure. The pope held up the wealthy, conservative religious order as a model of orthodoxy. Yet for years, he and his advisers actively or passively ignored allegations that its founder was a pedophile who created a twisted cult-like movement so secretive and oppressive that his crimes went unchecked for decades.
Benedict has spent much of his first six years as pope trying to undo the damage from such failures, prompting suggestions that it might have been wiser to wait longer before declaring that John Paul had lived a life of "heroic" Christian virtue, a key requirement for beatification.
Church historian Michael Walsh recently questioned whether it was "necessary or fitting" to beatify John Paul so soon after his death, noting that most of the people involved in the process — Benedict included — owe their jobs in some way to the late pontiff and can't be expected to be impartial.
"He was undoubtedly a charismatic figure, and at his funeral there had been chants of 'Santo Subito,'" Walsh wrote earlier this year in the liberal British Catholic magazine The Tablet. "But that is scarcely enough on its own for the traditionally cautious Congregation for the Causes of Saints to have hurried through the process with what seems like unseemly haste."
It was Benedict himself who dispensed with the typical five-year waiting period and allowed the beatification process to begin just weeks after John Paul's death on April 2, 2005. And it was Benedict who signed off on the decree attesting to John Paul's heroic virtues and then confirmed that a miracle occurred thanks to his intercession.
Cardinal Angelo Amato, who runs the Vatican's saint-making office, told a recent conference that the case for John Paul's beatification was as thorough as any, and especially rigorous because he was a pope and would face the greatest scrutiny.
While John Paul's case was on a preferential track __ "he didn't have to wait on the supermarket line," Amato quipped — no shortcuts were taken in the investigation of his life and virtues, a study that produced volumes of analysis and testimony from admirers and detractors alike.
"Sainthood immediately, yes, but above all, surely a saint," Amato said.
Asked about how the sex abuse scandal had affected the pope's legacy and beatification cause, Amato told reporters: "Sin exists. Our sins exist. But this doesn't impede the holiness of others."
John Paul's longtime spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, has argued that beatification isn't so much a historic judgment about how John Paul administered the church but rather an assessment of whether he lived a saintly life of Christian virtue. And on that score, he said, there was no doubt.
Having read the entire beatification case study, Navarro-Valls said: "I think it is enough to be certain that he lived the Christian virtues in an heroic way."
Others say it's impossible to separate the man from mandate, and that any investigation of John Paul's personal virtues must also include a frank assessment of his papacy. A small, tradition-minded U.S. publication "The Remnant" has issued a statement expressing reservations about the beatification because of the sex abuse scandal, the Legion debacle and concerns about the liturgy under John Paul. To date, some 1,500 people have signed on.
"When the candidate for beatification is a pope — the Holy Father of the universal church — the question is not simply his personal piety and holiness but also his care of the vast household of the faith that God has entrusted to him," the petition reads.
Even John Paul's biographer, George Weigel, says the Vatican would do well to make public how it resolved the questions about the Legion in its investigation for the beatification. Maciel was eventually sanctioned by the Vatican a year after Benedict became pope, a decade after the first allegations reached the Vatican that Maciel had molested young seminarians.
The beatification dossier is secret, and there are no indications the Vatican plans to open it up to public scrutiny.
Weigel argued in The Tablet that making public the Vatican's rejection of allegations that John Paul was complicit in Maciel's misdeeds "would help clear the air" prior to the May 1 beatification.
Nevertheless, Weigel has no doubts about the worthiness of the cause or its timing.
In his recent sequel biography of John Paul "The End and the Beginning," Weigel wrote that it will take centuries to understand the full measure of John Paul's accomplishments and failures.
"Yet the universal outpouring of sympathy and gratitude at his death suggested that large parts of the world had already rendered a verdict: this was a great man and a great pope, whose greatness came from his ability to summon men and women to a nobler vision of their own possibilities, under the grace of God."
On this date, as reported in the Chicago Daily News:
100 years ago:
*Cook County Hospital interns demanded modification of thehospital's regulations in order to be allowed to conduct majorsurgical operations.
*Two alleged burglars tried to escape detection in a Lake Viewhome by jumping into a bathtub full of water and ducking their heads.
75 years ago:
*Plans were under way to steal 75,000 to 100,000 votes on ElectionDay for favorite candidates in Crowe-Thompson strongholds through theuse of "floaters" and "stingers," bands of armed hoodlums and corpsof ballot crooks.
*Cook County State's Attorney Bob Crowe punished only 3 percent ofChicago's criminals in one year, according to Chicago CrimeCommission Chairman Frank J. Loesch.
50 years ago:
*Allied and communist truce negotiators opened talks on theexchange of sick and wounded prisoners of war in a test of good faiththat could lead to ending the 33-month-old war in Korea.
Fenwick senior Kelly Ostler came to the plate three timesThursday with the bases loaded. The third time proved to be thecharm.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Ostler lined a 2-1 pitchwith no outs that scored Bridget Hayes and Sarah Chillo with thewinning runs as the second-ranked Friars rallied to beat No. 15 Benet3-2 in their East Suburban Catholic Conference opener in RiverForest.
"There was a little more pressure the last time," Ostler said."I asked coach (Dave) Power what I was doing wrong. He said, `Thenext time, all you need is a sacrifice fly.' "Ostler drove in all three of Fenwick's runs and handed juniorMeghan Ward (5-1) her first loss of the …
Jarome Iginla scored twice, giving him his third 40-goal season, and Kristian Huselius …
SMALL BUSINESS MAKEOVER
Removing pack rats from homes can be physically demanding andvery time consuming, especially when you are trying to save thedesert.
Consultant Robin Peel is helping the owner of Mr. Pack Ratmaximize his resources to find new business.
The story
Mr. Pack Rat, a niche business specializing in pack ratelimination, was started in January by Kris Brown, who has 29 yearsof pest control experience.
He spent 22 years with Truly Nolen Pest Control, advancing froman after-school part-time employee to vice president. In 1997, heleft to start KSB Pest Prevention, which he later sold to TrulyNolen.
He then decided …
Pack rat expert should focus on target marketSMALL BUSINESS MAKEOVER
Removing pack rats from homes can be physically demanding andvery time consuming, especially when you are trying to save thedesert.
Consultant Robin Peel is helping the owner of Mr. Pack Ratmaximize his resources to find new business.
The story
Mr. Pack Rat, a niche business specializing in pack ratelimination, was started in January by Kris Brown, who has 29 yearsof pest control experience.
He spent 22 years with Truly Nolen Pest Control, advancing froman after-school part-time employee to vice president. In 1997, heleft to start KSB Pest Prevention, which he later sold to TrulyNolen.
He then decided …
On March 1, six months after its ratification by the 40th state, the Ottawa Convention banning the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines (APLs) will enter into force. Sixty-seven states out of 135 signatories have now ratified or acceded to the treaty. European countries account for nearly one-third of the ratifications, while 16 African and 15 Latin American and Caribbean states have ratified the treaty.
By September 1999 and annually thereafter, the first 40 states to have ratified the treaty (shown below in bold) must report to the UN Secretary-General their total APL stockpiles, the technical characteristics of their APLs, the location of all …
Auto Business News-January 3, 2012--Mercedes Benz India to launch 2012 M-Class at 2012 Auto Expo(C)1994-2012 ENPublishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk
Auto Business News - 03 January 2012
Mercedes Benz India, a subsidiary of Daimler AG (NYSE: DAI) (FWB; DAI), is launching its all-new 2012 M-Class at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi.
The model was initially launched in the European market in June, and was launched at the …
Byline: Jay Jochnowitz Staff writer
Third Ward Democratic leader Rodney Littles on Monday got the backing he needs to remain at his post, but his political opponent, Alderman Nebraska Brace, said he still plans to lobby for Littles' ouster.
Meanwhile, the Democratic committee member who mustered the support behind Littles predicted Brace will have trouble gaining an endorsement from Arbor Hill Democratic officials when he comes up for re- election.
Committee member Donna Robinson said she decided to draft a letter to the Democratic county chairman after Brace called for Littles' dismissal. The call for Littles' ouster came last week after his county …
Byline: Los Angeles Times
If U.S. troops go to war against Iraq, the deadliest weapon unleashed on them by Saddam Hussein's forces could be stamped "made in America."
Over the objections of its own engineers, Honeywell Inc. provided Iraqi agents with technology for developing fuel-air explosives, devices 10 times more powerful than conventional weapons and considered by some experts to be "a poor man's nuclear weapons."
Along with design data for a missile warhead armed with fuel-air explosives, the 300-page Honeywell study obtained by Iraq described ways to inflict the maximum damage and listed the most vulnerable targets - personnel, air bases, …
President Vladimir Putin fast-tracked the transfer of power to his newly elected protege and signaled the Kremlin won't back down from its pull-no-punches foreign policy or ease up on its critics at home.
President-elect Dmitry Medvedev credited his overwhelming election victory Sunday to Putin's policies that have "so effectively been pursued in recent years."'
Medvedev has stressed he will pursue Putin's foreign and domestic agenda, and in a sign that little would change, Russia squeezed natural gas supplies to Western-leaning Ukraine, and police in Moscow manhandled opposition protesters who denounced the election as a farce.
Also in …
CHAMPAIGN Just before he left to keep his Thursday date withdestiny in Austin, Texas, John Mackovic was sitting in his office atthe Memorial Stadium football complex when senior guard Tim Simpsonand senior fullback Kameno Bell stopped by.
Simpson, who made the Kodak/Coaches' All-America team, said heand Bell, the team's MVP, just wanted to thank Mackovic foreverything the coach had done for them during their careers atIllinois.
"He told us that his decision to take the Texas job was thehardest thing he's ever done," Simpson said. "He said it was evenharder than being fired by Kansas City."
As the two prepared to leave, they each offered Mackovic a …
CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Public relations and communications veteran Susan Henderson has joined Rite Aid Corp. as senior vice president and chief communications officer.
She replaces Karen Rugen, who retired last month.
Henderson joins Rite Aid after serving as a consultant for Chicago-based Gagen MacDonald, a strategy execution and employee engagement company.
Prior to that she was vice president of communications for Harley-Davidson Inc.
Earlier in her career, Henderson was vice president of corporate communications at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., vice president of public relations at Kohl's Department Stores and director of marketing communications for …
Byline: MARY McDANIEL
Public school teachers from other states who move to New York pay a price when it comes to retirement benefits.
New York, according to the School Administrators Association of New York, is the only Northeastern state that does not allow some sort of retirement credit for out-of-state public school teaching service.
Charles Case, the association's director of government relations, listed Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jer sey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont as states that allow teachers to purchase credit for out-of-state service.
How is it possible for those states to treat their …
The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza in Guilderland reports this list of its overall top-selling books for 1999, from sales through Dec. 26.
1. ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,'' J. K. Rowling (Scholastic, $5.99, paper)
2. ``Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,'' J. K. Rowling (Scholastic, $17.95, hardcover)
3. ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,'' J. K. Rowling (Scholastic, $17.95, hardcover)
4. ``Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,'' J. K. Rowling (Scholastic, $19.95, hardcover)
5. ``Guilderland,'' Alice Begley (Arcadia, Images of America Series, $18.99, paper)
6. ``Tuesdays with Morrie,'' Mitch …
Byline: Alecs Iancu
Oct. 13--Both chambers of Parliament passed yesterday their budgets for next year, but not without controversy and wide debates on the expenses included in the budget plans.
The Chamber of Deputies passed its budget, totaling 251.68 million RON (almost 72 million euros), after wide debates on expenses for accommodation and toilet paper.
The budget plan was passed with 131 votes in favor and 41 against.
Debates on next year's budget for the Chamber triggered disputes among lawmakers after Social Democrat Victor Ponta announced his party would not vote in favor of the budget draft. The topics debated the most included …
The leader of a Palestinian faction says Iran's president will meet with the leaders of 10 hard-line Palestinian groups on a visit to Syria's capital in a message to the new right-wing Israeli government.
Khaled Abdul-Majid of the Syrian-based Popular Struggle Front says President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will meet the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and other groups …
The Japan Textiles Importers' Association reported that May apparel imports increased by 3% in volume from the same month of last year to 258.78 million units, thus increasing for the third straight month. However, the value decreased by 3% to 112.0 million yen.
Imports from China headed downward last year, but began to grow this year and have come to account for 90% …
Union Carbide has started its 300-million lbs/year butanol unit at Taft, LA. Carbide now has capacity of 1.2 billion lbs/year, pushing it ahead of BASF as the largest global butanol producer; BASF produces 1.14 billion lbs/year.
BASF has begun constructing its 550-million lbs/year oxo alcohols plant at Kuantan, Malaysia, which includes butanol production. The plant will be completed …
American National Bank of Texas, a $1.5 billion-asset Terrell subsidiary of A.N.B. Holding Co. Ltd., has a deal to acquire DNB Bancshares Inc. in Dallas.
The deal, announced last week, would bring American National into the heart of uptown Dallas, where DNB's $85 million-asset Dallas National Bank has its only branch.
Lynn Prude, American National's regional president, said in a press release that …
Byline: Associated Press
SARATOGA SPRINGS Go For Gin, the Kentucky Derby winner, will run for the first time since the Belmont Stakes on June 11, when he makes his debut against older horses in the seven-furlong Forego Handicap at Saratoga on Wednesday.
``The Triple Crown was tough on him,'' trainer Nick Zito said of his decision to give the 3-year-old colt a good rest and skip the 1 1/4 -mile Travers, which was won Saturday by Holy Bull.
Go For Gin followed his Derby win May 7 with seconds in the Preakness and Belmont.
``If everything goes right, the Forego should set him up perfectly for the Woodward,'' Zito said Sunday.
…
Paola Espinosa of Mexico upset Olympic champion Chen Ruolin for the gold medal in women's 10-meter platform diving at the world championships Saturday.
Espinosa scored 428.25 points through five dives from the highest diving board. Chen took the silver medal with 417.60 points and Kang Li of China was third with 410.35.
Espinosa scored a 10 on her second dive, a back 3 1/2 somersault tuck, and another perfect score in round 3 with a reverse 3 1/2 somersault tuck.
During the post-event news conference, Espinosa received a congratulatory call from Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
"I have worked hard all my life, my ambition is confirmed with a gold medal," said …
The city all-stars made it a clean sweep, defeating the suburbanall-stars 111-102 Wednesday in the late game of The Foundation forStudent-Athletes' Chicago-Suburban high school boys basketballall-star games. In the earlier game, the city rolled over thesuburban team 107-87. The games were held at DePaul's Alumni Hall.
In the nightcap, which featured the headliners, King's AnthonyJohnson broke a 102-102 tie with a …
