Online World News

Early Beatles recordings trigger legal fight

2008-03-21T23:30:00.001-07:00

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Lawyers for the Beatles sued Friday to prevent the distribution of unreleased recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr's first performance with the group in 1962.

The dispute between Apple Corps Ltd., the London company formed by the Beatles that helps guard their legacy, and Fuego Entertainment Inc. of Miami Lakes stems from recordings the Fab Four apparently made during a performance at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.

Eight unreleased tracks are said to be among the recordings, including Paul McCartney singing Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" and McCartney and John Lennon singing "Ask Me Why."

Apple Corps claims that the songs were taped without the consent of the band and that Fuego and sister companies Echo-Fuego Music Group LLC and Echo-Vista Inc. have no right to distribute them.

"This appears to us to be a garden-variety bootleg recording," said Paul LiCalsi, an attorney for Apple Corps.

But Fuego Entertainment says the recordings were legally made.

"Don't claim that these were just bootlegged," said Fuego president Hugo Cancio. "It's not like today, that you just go in with a phone or a blackberry and you record."

The lawsuit contends that the recordings are of poor quality and that circulating them "dilutes and tarnishes the extraordinarily valuable image associated with the Beatles."

Cancio said that he had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit, but that the filing demanding at least $15 million in damages was not expected.

"I'm surprised because up to a few weeks ago, we were in good-faith conversations with Apple," he said.

Also named in the lawsuit is Jeffrey Collins, a partner of Cancio who obtained the recordings. It's unclear how Collins obtained the recordings.

Cancio intended to release the songs as "Jammin' with The Beatles and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962."

"It's unfair to millions of Beatles fans not to allow this recording to be put out. The world deserves to hear these tracks," he said. "The fact is that we have it; they don't, and that is what's bothering them."
News Source: CNN

Passport cases 'imprudent curiosity,' spokesman says

2008-03-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The passport file of any American could be exposed, but there have been only a few breaches of the Passport Office's security system, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.

Those few incidents were likely "imprudent curiosity," he said.

"I don't have exact numbers for you, but every single year there's probably a handful of cases where you have unauthorized access to passport data," McCormack told a news briefing.

The issue of exposed passport files came to light during the past two days as the State Department revealed the files of the three presidential contenders, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, had been accessed without authorization.

A State Department source said passport files contain scanned images of passport applications, birth date and basic biographical information, records of passport renewal and possibly citizenship information.

McCormack called the incidents "inexplicable" and "over the line."

He said whatever the circumstances, those responsible had ample warning to stay out of the files.

"Every single time they access a computer there's a reminder that comes up that says: The information you are about to access has Privacy Act restrictions on it and you are acknowledging that you have a need to know in order to do your job to access this file; and that if you are accessing it in an unauthorized manner, then there are potential penalties."

McCormack said the files of politicians and celebrities are flagged for extra attention on unauthorized access, but "the same kind of vigilance applies to every other passport application that we handle."

Clinton's file was accessed in a training situation as the passport office handled a "surge" of applications last summer, McCormack said, when a trainee was "encouraged to enter a family member's name, just for training purposes."

"This person chose Sen. Clinton's name. It was immediately recognized, they were immediately admonished. And it didn't happen again," he said.

The circumstances of the Obama and McCain incidents were under investigation.

In each instance, a computer-monitoring system, triggered when employees access the file of a high-profile person, caught the breaches, McCormack said, emphasizing the department's system "worked."

He said lower-level managers had thought they had taken care of the problems and did not report them to senior levels in the State Department.

Department employees were re-evaluating procedures and working to make sure senior managers are told about breaches, he said.

"They are going to take a look at these particular unauthorized accesses ... in the case of these three presidential candidates, but they're also going to take a look at whether or not there are any systemic issues that need to be addressed," McCormack said.
News Source: CNN

Police: Obese relative may have crushed boy

2008-03-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

LA JOYA, Texas (AP) -- A 2-year-old boy who died with a fractured skull might have been accidentally crushed by a morbidly obese relative, authorities say.

Investigators believe that the woman fell on the child, who was pronounced dead Tuesday, said Bobby Contreras, Hidalgo County justice of the peace.

"It didn't look like there was any foul play from what I saw," he said.

An autopsy was scheduled, with the cause of death to be announced Monday.

Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño, who called the death "suspicious," said he would wait for an announcement on the cause before deciding whether to file charges.

The child was believed to have been dropped off by his mother to spend the day with the bedridden relative, The McAllen Monitor reported Friday
News Source: CNN

Pregnant woman tortured to death

2008-03-21T23:10:00.001-07:00

ALTON, Illinois (AP) -- Banished to the basement, the 29-year-old mother with a childlike mind and another baby on the way had little more than a thin rug and a mattress to call her own on the chilly concrete floor.

Dorothy Dixon ate what she could forage from the refrigerator upstairs, where housemates used her for target practice with BBs, burned her with a glue gun and doused her with scalding liquid that peeled away her skin.

They torched what few clothes she had, so she walked around naked. They often pummeled her with an aluminum bat or metal handle.

Dixon -- six months pregnant -- died after weeks of abuse. Police have charged two adults, three teenagers and a 12-year-old boy with murder in the case that has repulsed many in this Mississippi River town.

"This is heartbreaking," police Lt. David Hayes said. "It was almost as though they were making fun of the abuse they were administering. This woman was almost like living in a prison."

Investigators put much of the blame on Michelle Riley, 35, who they said befriended Dixon but pocketed monthly Social Security checks she got because of her developmental delays.

Dixon saw little, if any, of the money, Hayes said. For months she weathered the torment to keep a roof over her head and that of her year-old son, who weighed just 15 pounds when taken into state custody after his mom's death.

"I've never seen an almost conspiratorial effort by a group of people to continuously torture someone until she finally died, then not really show any remorse," Hayes said. "It was just a slow, torturous, tragic way to die. I highly doubt Dorothy Dixon even knew she was dying."

Riley, 43-year-old Judy Woods and three teenagers, including Riley's 15-year-old daughter, LeShelle McBride, are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated and heinous battery, intentional homicide of an unborn child, and unlawful restraint. Riley's 12-year-old son is charged as a juvenile.

Riley, her daughter, Woods and 16-year-old Benny Wilson have public defenders who did not immediately return messages for comment. An 18-year-old defendant, Michael Elliott, planned to get his own attorney, court records show.

All remain in jail on $1 million bond.

Messages left with a Chicago-area sister of Dixon went unreturned, but neighbors, Hayes and newspaper accounts offer a mosaic of the months leading to Dixon's demise inside the small, white, blue-shuttered house.

Riley and Dixon, police said, had lived in Quincy, a Mississippi River town about 100 miles north of St. Louis, Mo. Quincy is where Riley worked as a coordinator for a regional center that helps the developmentally disabled with housing and other services. Dixon was a client.

For years, an impoverished Riley struggled raising her children. Her use of methamphetamine and cocaine brought drug convictions in 2002 and 2004. But with treatment and housing help from the Quincy YWCA, Riley put her life in order -- so much that in February of last year, the Quincy Herald-Whig did a story on her comeback.

Last summer, Dixon and Riley moved into the $800-a-month, three-bedroom rental in Alton about 15 miles north of St. Louis. From the start, neighbors Chad Hudson and Terri Brandt considered Riley trouble.

"Michelle was evil, vindictive. Manipulative," said Hudson, convinced the teenagers were Riley's powerless minions.

"She was angry, vicious," added Brandt.

Riley considered Dixon her slave, making her rub Riley's feet until Riley fell asleep and forcing her to run naked around the house when she got in trouble, the neighbors said.

"Being in their house was like being in a prison day room," Hudson said. "They just sat around the kitchen table and fought."

There was little question that Riley ruled the roost.

While doing fix-ups on the home last fall, landlord Steve Atkins saw Riley "barking orders" at the children and everyone else. Atkins joked to her whether he needed to call the Army and see if they wanted their drill sergeant back.

"She didn't laugh about it at all," Atkins said. "Obviously, I hit a nerve."

Atkins said Dixon generally kept to herself "but was always nice when she spoke to you." He saw no hints she'd been suffering or tortured.

"I would have never, ever suspected something like this," he said. "It's definitely shocking."

Police said Dixon was allowed out of the house but didn't say under what conditions. Hayes didn't know who the father of Dixon's fetus is.

Hayes said things apparently came to a head Jan. 30, when investigators believe that Woods, during a dispute, beat Dixon on the head with an object Hayes wouldn't identify. The next day Woods found her dead.

Hayes watched the autopsy and found her injuries disturbing. X-rays revealed roughly 30 BBs lodged in her. Deep-tissue burns covered about one-third of her body -- her face, her chest, her arms and feet -- and left her severely dehydrated. Her face and body showed signs of prolonged abuse. Many of her wounds were infected.

None of the injuries, Hayes said, proved singly fatal to Dixon. Her system already was taxed by her unborn baby.

"The autopsy sort of indicates her immune system just shut down," he said. "It was not capable of fending off any more."

In the rental home's basement, Atkins said, he found spots of blood in a shower and tiny smears on the concrete floor, washer and dryer.

"It's disgraceful the way this girl died, as kind and as sweet as this girl was," he said. "She didn't deserve to die the way she did. It's just terrible, senseless. It's just a total shame."
News Source: CNN

Star explodes halfway across universe

2008-03-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The explosion of a star halfway across the universe was so huge it set a record for the most distant object that could be seen on Earth by the naked eye.

The aging star, in a previously unknown galaxy, exploded in a gamma ray burst 7.5 billion light years away, its light finally reaching Earth early Wednesday.

The gamma rays were detected by NASA's Swift satellite at 2:12 a.m. "We'd never seen one before so bright and at such a distance," NASA's Neil Gehrels said.

It was bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

However, NASA has no reports that any skywatchers spotted the burst, which lasted less than an hour.

Telescopic measurements show that the burst -- which occurred when the universe was about half its current age -- was bright enough to be seen without a telescope.

"Someone would have had to run out and look at it with a naked eye, but didn't," said Gehrels, chief of NASA's astroparticles physics lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The starburst would have appeared as bright as some of the stars in the handle of the Little Dipper constellation, said Penn State University astronomer David Burrows. How it looked wasn't remarkable, but the distance traveled was.

The 7.5 billion light years away far eclipses the previous naked eye record of 2.5 million light years. One light year is 5.9 trillion miles.

"This is roughly halfway to the edge of the universe," Burrows said.

Before it exploded, the star was about 40 times bigger than our sun. The explosion vaporized any planet nearby, Gehrels said.
News Source: CNN

Jamie Lee Curtis takes shirt off for magazine

2008-03-21T23:01:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jamie Lee Curtis went shirtless to pose for AARP The Magazine.

Curtis is shown sporting gray hair and wading in water up to her chest on the cover of the magazine's May/June issue, which will be available Monday.

The star of "True Lies," "A Fish Called Wanda" and other films becomes eligible for membership in AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and over, when she celebrates her birthday November 22.

"I want to be older," she tells the magazine. "I actually think there's an incredible amount of self-knowledge that comes with getting older. I feel way better now than I did when I was 20. I'm stronger, I'm smarter in every way, I'm so much less crazy than I was then."

Curtis, who is married to Christopher Guest and the mother of two children, says she reached a turning point two years ago when a tabloid published a photo of her and gave her weight as 161 pounds.

"I was like, 'How dare you -- I'm not 161 pounds!' I was indignant. I got home and I went on a scale and I was 161 pounds. I was in denial about it," she says.

"So I started a really healthy way of eating, just avoiding things that I had been shoving in my mouth. Over the course of a year, I dropped about 20 pounds," Curtis says.

"Now, I get up at (5 a.m.) every day, filled with energy. I play tennis three times a week, and I do yoga."

Curtis says growing older means paring down to an essential version of yourself.

"I've let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I've given away all my jewelry, because I don't wear it," she says.

What about her life would she do over?

"I've been an inconsistent parent at times, and it's my greatest regret," she says. "When my daughter was small, I worked too much. I was replicating what my own mother (Janet Leigh) did."
News Source: CNN

Storms slash states from Maine to Missouri

2008-03-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

DUTCHTOWN, Missouri (AP) -- Flood-weary residents in Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio fought to save their homes Friday after heavy rainstorms pushed swollen rivers out of their banks, and a fresh snowstorm blew through parts of the Upper Midwest, canceling flights and some Good Friday services.

Along the Meramec River in eastern Missouri, residents of Valley Park hoped the town's $49 million earthen levee, built in 2005 to withstand a 100-year flood, would pass its first big test. The surging Meramec was expected to crest at a record 40 feet Saturday -- 24 feet above flood stage.

The Army Corps of Engineers and Missouri Public Safety said the levee was in good shape, but some residents decided to leave for higher ground just in case.

"The biggest thing is not knowing what to expect," said Donna Gerstein-Russell, who moved to the area in January.

Heavy snow fell or was expected from Minnesota to Ohio. Milwaukee got 14 inches Friday and 10 inches fell in Red Wing, Minnesota.

The timing of the storm was disappointing for dozens of Wisconsin church officials who decided to cancel Good Friday services.

"It was a hard decision but for the safety of everybody, especially of the elderly, we think it was prudent to make this decision," said the Rev. Jonathan Jacobs of Ascension Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. "Most people are grateful -- they say they would have been torn otherwise."

Snow forced the cancellation of more than 450 flights and delayed numerous others at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of the world's busiest. Many flights were also canceled at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan, where up to 12 inches of snow was expected in areas.

Northern Ohio residents prepared for an expected 3 to 6 inches of snow, while flood victims in the southern parts of the state began the arduous task of cleaning up after some of the heaviest rain in years. Watch man describe "river in the basement" »

A blizzard warning remained in effect in northern Maine, where fierce winds scattered snow, uprooted trees and brought down power lines.

"Even though it was spring yesterday, we still have winter on our doorstep," spokeswoman Ginny Joles of Maine Public Service Co., northern Maine's major electric company, said Friday.

Parts of the Midwest got a foot of rain in 36 hours this week, causing widespread flooding. The worst flooding happened in smaller rivers across the nation's midsection. Major channels such as the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers saw only minor flooding.

In Arkansas, residents of the tiny prairie community of Georgetown along the White River were warned to leave the area Friday after forecasters said a backwater slough would cut off access by late evening and leave them stranded well into next week.

"Stock up or get out. You may be there a few days," said Steve Bays, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service at North Little Rock.

Georgetown Fire Chief Eddie Stephenson said about half the town's 126 residents were getting out, but he played down the danger.

"I've been here all my life. We've been through this for years and years and years. It don't get us excited. We just take it as it goes," said the 65-year-old Stephenson, who also is a city councilman.

Rivers receded Friday in Ohio, but several areas remained under flood warnings. About 60 state roads were closed or partly blocked by flooding; crews were trying to pump water off a major route into Columbus, according to the State Highway Patrol.

In Missouri, eyes were on the levee in Park Valley. With nearly one-third of the town's 6,500 residents at risk if the levee breaks or is topped, authorities were taking no chances. They set up a staging area full of rescue trucks and a boat in a school parking lot near the town, said Chesterfield Fire Department Capt. Steve Smith.

"They were a little uneasy about the levee, if it was going to hang in there or not," Smith said.

Army Corps of Engineers spokesman George Stringham said some water had seeped through the levee, but the leakage was not unusual and posed no danger to the levee's structural integrity. He said the Corps expects the levee to hold throughout the weekend as floodwaters are expected to crest at 40 feet, which is below the top of the levee.

"We're 100 percent confident with how it's working out out there," Stringham said.

Maj. Byron Medloch of the Salvation Army said 1,000 people displaced by the Meramec were housed in shelters. Another 1,000 had been in shelters near Poplar Bluff in far southeast Missouri, where the surging Black River breached several levees, though Medloch said many began returning home Friday.

"People are tired," Medloch said. "Tired of fighting and tired of waiting."

Dutchtown residents picked through belongings and pumped water from flooded homes a day after the small town was evacuated and covered by 3 feet of water.

In Fenton, a St. Louis suburb, dozens of volunteers filled sandbags and piled them against downtown businesses near the fast-rising Meramec, which was expected to reach more than 20 feet above flood stage in some spots.

"The river is continuing to come up," Mayor Dennis Hancock said. "It continues to come up rapidly."

Government forecasters warned that some flooding could continue in the coming days because of record rainfall and melting snow pack across much of the Midwest and Northeast.

At least 16 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past few days, and at least two people whose vehicles were swept away by rushing water Tuesday were still missing in Arkansas.
News Source:CNN

Top five celebrity hairstyles

2008-03-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

(InStyle.com) -- Thousands of InStyle readers voted on the hottest hair in Hollywood, and the tally is in. Here are five winners--plus great insider tips from their personal stylists. Drumroll, please...

Reese Witherspoon's tapered bangs

Witherspoon has long layers--all below the chin--and choppy bangs that end around her eyebrows. To keep bangs from looking too severe, hairstylist Mark Townsend cuts them a half inch longer on each side, rather than straight across.

"This way she can wear them to either side or straight down," he says. After cutting the shape of the bangs, he holds the scissors vertically to chop into the ends, creating subtle layers. "This makes bangs softer and less blunt," he says, "so they look modern and edgy."

Her Expert's Styling Secrets

1. Raise the volume

For fullness, Townsend blow-dries with a medium-size round brush. Holding the brush horizontally, he rolls the bangs under and pulls toward the nose; then, with the brush vertical, he½ dries them to the side.

2. Go soft, not stiff

Townsend applies hairspray to an eyebrow brush and grazes over bangs. "This little brush gets to the base so bangs stay in the direction you want them to go," he says. Plus, if you don't spray directly onto bangs, they won't look or feel stiff.

3. Bend the ends

Finish the fringe with a domed flatiron. Start 1/2 inch from roots and bend the iron toward the ends of the bangs. "The plates help round out the ends, rather than giving a flat, straight look," says Townsend.

4. Take a powder

Bangs that sit on your skin can get oily. For a quick clean sans shampoo, Townsend dusts his hands with baby powder, rubs them together, and runs them through hair. "This keeps hair from looking greasy--the powder absorbs the oil," he says.

Jennifer Aniston's sleek, shiny layers

"Jennifer has long layers with a slightly A-line shape," explains her longtime hairstylist Chris McMillan, "so there's less height and more fullness at the bottom." When he trims her hair, he combs it back and cuts it straight across. After her hair dries, he holds the scissors vertically and snips into the ends of the front pieces so they're slightly jagged. "Just a little layering creates a softer edge," he says. If you have fine hair, McMillan suggests you go a little blunter with the cut to accentuate fullness.

Her expert's styling secrets

1. Keep it light

Too much product can make this style appear lank and heavy. To control frizz and protect from heat, McMillan rubs a drop of smoothing serum on his hands and runs them through damp ends before blow-drying. "I use a little more on the ends after the hair is dry to create shine and nice separation," he says.

2. Make movement

McMillan blow-dries with a large round brush to smooth and straighten Aniston's natural waves. His technique: "When her hair is almost dry, I wrap each section around the brush like a roller, let it cool, then pull it down. You get a slight bend and swing, but not a curl."

3. Don't iron roots

Prevent a pressed-straight look by flatironing only from mid-shaft to the ends. "You don't want to lose fullness at the crown by ironing the roots," says McMillan. His tension on the iron starts loose and gets firmer toward the ends to maintain a bit of bounce throughout the mid-section of the hair.

4. Smooth flyaways

Heat from blow-drying and ironing can create flyaways. To keep them under control without shellacking Aniston's swingy strands, McMillan spritzes some hairspray onto his fingertips--not directly onto the hair--then passes them gently over the sections around the face.

Eva Longoria's glamorous curls

Longoria's hair falls to the middle of her back. Instead of chopping her long hair, stylist Ken Paves uses shorter hairpieces to create different looks. "It's a modern, long shag with lots of layers," he says, noting that the shortest pieces end at her nose. "This much layering reduces the weight on Eva's thick hair and adds movement that enhances her naturally wavy texture."

Her expert's styling secrets

1. Protect from heat

A conditioning spray on damp hair shields strands from heat damage. "It also helps to smooth and seal the cuticle so it reflects light, which adds shine," says Paves, who recommends misting thick hair from mid-shaft down. If you have fine hair, try a volume-building spray instead.

2. Blow-dry a base

Blow-dry using a large round brush to get height at the crown and a smooth, polished texture on top, says Paves. On the sides, he holds the brush at a 45-degree angle ("closer to horizontal than vertical") as he blow-dries hair, rolling sections up and back to give the face an open and lifted look.

3. Reinforce the curl

To give longevity to Eva's curls, Paves starts on the sides, wrapping 2-inch sections around a large-barrel curling iron (1 1/2-inch) and spiraling back, away from the face (at the same angle he round-brushed the hair). The top sections are wrapped away from the face and angled down.

4. Set with spray

Paves smoothes over the top section with a paddle brush that has been spritzed with hairspray. On the sides "I use a wide-tooth comb to separate and lift curls in the same direction I rolled them," he explains, "while I mist hairspray into the hair to give it volume and movement."

Angelina Jolie's bombshell blowout

Jolie had four inches trimmed to get this subtly layered, below-the-shoulder cut. Hairstylist David Babaii, who often works with the actress, says "it's a classic Vidal Sassoon 'round layer cut,' which creates cascading layers that reduce some of the weight in her hair so it flows better. The key is not to over-frame the face with too many choppy layers."

Her expert's styling secrets

1. Raise the volume

"Angelina's hair is so silky it needs product to give it just a bit of texture," Babaii says. "Wave spray does that, so long, straight hair gets an instant lift." He sprays the roots of damp hair, then blow-dries starting on top with a medium round brush, rolling sections away from the face.

2. Vary the curl

On top, he wraps 1- or 2-inch sections of hair around the barrel of a 1½-inch curling iron, hot-roller-style, curling hair away from the face. On the sides, he holds the iron vertically to wrap sections back, then slides the iron out and hair-clips the underside of each curl close to the scalp.

3. Give it a lift

Once the curl has cooled and he unwraps the clips, he uses a flat, firm-bristle toothbrush that has been spritzed with a little hairspray to back-comb the base of each section. He starts about 1 inch from the roots and brushes back toward the scalp. The friction builds fullness and hold.

4. Loosen the set

Babaii uses a boar-bristle paddle brush to gently brush through the hair. The bristles graze the top layers so you don't lose the lift at the base. He then shakes the hair out using his fingers. "This smooths the hair and opens it up but doesn't flatten it," Babaii explains.

Jessica Simpson's tousled waves

Skimming below her shoulders, Simpson's hair is "lightly layered, with a few shorter pieces in the front curving around the face," explains her hairstylist, Ken Paves. The strands gradually blend into a longer, less choppy length toward the back, which "pulls hair away from the face and allows it to lie better." Paves wanted to give Simpson something "touchable" that would "never be fussy"; he believes this lightly layered look is "versatile and universally flattering on any woman." But, he warns, "don't over-layer the sides and base or you'll end up with a long shag."

Her expert's styling secrets

1. Keep waves in

For this look, don't blow-dry hair smooth. "There's no reason to take out the natural wave that will hold this curl," explains Paves, who starts by applying a mousse to damp hair. While diffusing, he uses his fingers to tousle hair instead of a round brush, which can straighten. "This leaves the wavy texture in," he says.

2. Use two irons

Paves relies on two sizes of curling irons (1-inch and 1 1/2-inch barrels) to simulate a more natural curl pattern. "I use the larger iron on the top sections, from the temple up, to create volume and a looser wave," he says. Curl sections randomly to keep the look slightly uneven and imperfect.

3. Don't clamp down

To create a looser, undone feel, Paves pulls a 2-inch section of hair toward the face, and twirls it with his finger twice before wrapping it lightly around the iron, then rolling it back away from the face. "Winding hair around the barrel, rather than clamping the ends and rolling, prevents ringlet curls that are too defined," he says.

4. Break it up

Once the hair has cooled, use your fingers to gently loosen and break up the curls. Paves lifts and shakes hair while simultaneously misting a light spray wax to add fullness and hold. "But don't touch the finished style when it's still warm," he warns, "or you'll get fuzz and flyaways."
Story Source: CNN

Hey Madonna, don't give up the day job!

2008-03-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

LONDON, England (CNN) -- She is arguably the most influential female recording artist of all time. With hits spanning over three decades and her recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Madonna has had a staggeringly successful music career.

From ripped denim street-punk, lipstick lesbian, English countrywoman, stage actress, yummy mummy, children's writer, bendy disco diva to Kabbalah devotee, mother of re-invention, as far as her image goes, Madonna has left no stone unturned.

Now on the verge of turning 50, she could be forgiven for slowing down a little.

But there is one thing eluding the eternally driven Queen of Pop: a successful film career.

Apart from a role in Evita, for which she won a Golden Globe best actress award, Madonna's contribution to the film world can be, at best, described as forgettable.

She has worked on a string of notorious flops including "Shanghai Surprise," "Body of Evidence" and "Swept Away," directed by husband Guy Ritchie.

Madonna also has a record haul of Golden Raspberry awards for Worst Actress, with 15 nominations and nine wins. Two years ago, fans breathed a sigh of relief when she vowed never to star in another film again.

She told Hollywood.com: "I hate to admit it, but I've decided to give that up. What film can survive people saying it's going to be a bomb from the second it's announced?"

Yet, like an indefatigable phoenix rising from the ashes, Madonna is back making movies and more determined than ever to make her mark.

Only this time, she is behind the camera.

And in typical confident Madonna fashion, she compares herself to great European directors like Godard and Fellini.

Unveiling her directorial debut, "Filth and Wisdom," at the Berlinale Film Festival last month, Madonna said: "I have always been inspired by the films of Godard, Visconti, Pasolini and Fellini and hope that I may one day make something that comes close to their genius."

Described as a romantic musical comedy, "Filth and Wisdom" tells the story of a Ukrainian immigrant who finances his dreams of becoming a rock star by moonlighting as a cross-dressing dominatrix.

Set in London it stars Eugene Hutz, the lead singer of wildly popular New York gipsy punk band Gogol Bordello, in the main role of a philosophizing S&M escort. Other characters include Holly, a ballet dancer who works as a stripper and pole-dancer at a local club and Juliette, a pharmacy assistant who dreams of going to Africa to help starving children.

Madonna compared the characters' struggles to her own early career. "One of the themes that I explore in the film is struggle, and if I look back to the beginning of my career, I can recall those moments of struggle like it was yesterday," she said.

But with the depressing predictability that follows the words "Madonna" and "movies," the reviews have not been kind.

Peter Bradshaw of Britain's Guardian newspaper said: "She has made a movie so incredibly bad that Berlin festivalgoers were staggering around yesterday in a state of clinical shock, deathly pale and mewing like maltreated kittens."

In Germany, Die Welt proclaimed: "Time and again she thrusts herself on to the big screen, and each time she is spurned and ridiculed by audiences and critics alike."

The London Evening Standard's Derek Malcolm suggested the Material Girl had some way to go "before she can breathe the same air as Godard, Pasolini, Fellini and Visconti."

But The Hollywood Reporter's Ray Bennett was a little kinder, saying "the film's cockeyed optimism and likable leads conspire to bring a smile by the time it's done."

Known for her remarkable chutzpah, the fiercely ambitious Madonna is unlikely to be deterred by this wave of criticism for her directorial debut.

She has several film projects in the pipeline including a documentary about Malawi, "I Am Because We Are," which will be shown at the Cannes film festival in May.

"It's definitely not a one-off," Madonna said in Berlin. "I made the film because I wanted to learn how to make films and I've wanted to be a filmmaker for many years. I had to find the right moment. 'Filth and Wisdom' was essentially my way of putting myself through film school."

But for now this debut is unlikely to see a cinema release and will go straight to iTunes as Madonna believes the low-budget movie will be a bigger hit as an Internet download.

Despite her relative lack of success in the movies, you cannot doubt Madonna's incredible drive.

Eugene Hutz told CNN working with her was "fantastic because she has a lot of energy ... For me, it's a key part to work with anybody, to have a very open and flowing brain-storming. That's when some of the best stuff happens."

Ultimately what makes Madonna a successful artist is her uncanny knack for reading the musical pulse and choosing the best producers like Mirwais, William Orbit and Stuart Price, thereby making her relevant to a young audience.

But what works in her music does not necessarily translate to the big screen.

It is telling that all the critics agree that the "Filth and Wisdom" soundtrack, which features some of her music plus Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time," is excellent.

Her latest album, "Hard Candy," also features production by hip producers like Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and an appearance by Justin Timberlake, and which Madonna says will "kick our ass."

Shame the same cannot be said for Madonna's forays into the movies.
News Source: CNN

Producer 'optimistic' about more 'Lights'

2008-03-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "Friday Night Lights" just may score another season.

Executive producer Jason Katims said he's "incredibly optimistic" about a third season for the drama, which has been in limbo since the writers strike ended.

"There's no deal yet for the show," Katims said Wednesday at the William S. Paley Television Festival. "But we are being incredibly optimistic that's going to happen and happen soon."

Although a critical hit, ratings were low for the show, which depicts small-town Texas life where high school football is king.

When viewers last saw the Dillon Panthers, the team was gearing up for the playoffs. Because of the writers strike, which halted most TV production, seven of the 22 episodes NBC ordered for season two weren't produced.

Fans have fought to keep the show on the air, launching www.SaveFridayNightLights.tv and asking viewers to send donations to fill NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman's mailbox with miniature plastic footballs.

"I think the answer is going to be pretty soon," Katims said. "I have a feeling we're two or three weeks away from knowing."

Katims said a third season would likely pick up after the planned events of season two. However, the series would integrate unused story lines into the new season, which he said could begin filming as soon as July.
News Source: CNN

'Transformers' star pleads not guilty in smoking case

2008-03-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Shia LaBeouf has pleaded not guilty to an unlawful smoking charge.

Attorney Michael Norris entered the plea on behalf of the 21-year-old actor Wednesday, a day after a judge issued a $1,000 bench warrant for LaBeouf's arrest.

The bench warrant, which didn't contain details on the circumstances or the location of the offense, was dismissed.

LaBeouf, who was cited last month, was scheduled to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charge but he failed to appear at Tuesday's hearing.

A hearing is set for April 24. If convicted, the "Transformers" star faces a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

LaBeouf was arrested in November for refusing to leave a Chicago drugstore, but prosecutors later dropped charges because Walgreen Co. and a security company indicated they didn't want to continue the case.

He starred on the Disney Channel show "Even Stevens" and can next be seen on the big screen opposite Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
News Source: CNN

T.I., under house arrest, can go to Easter services

2008-03-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- T.I. didn't get to host a Thanksgiving gathering at the suburban home where he is under house arrest, but he will be able to attend Easter services.

A federal magistrate judge ruled Thursday that the 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, can be away from home from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday for services by New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

Harris is awaiting trial on weapons charges. He must be accompanied by a court-approved monitor and one of his attorneys, the judge said.

He was arrested October 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. Harris was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers.

He is charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was released on bond, but is under house arrest.

Harris faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the weapons charges filed against him.

He had asked to host a Thanksgiving Day gathering at the home where he's staying, but the plan was scrapped after the government opposed it. His bond conditions require court approval of visitors.
News Source: CNN

7 killed in raid by Somalia's Islamic militants

2008-03-21T04:44:00.001-07:00

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Insurgents briefly overran two government bases Thursday after hours of fighting killed at least seven people, including a 7-year-old boy, witnesses said.

The insurgent attack was the latest brazen move by fighters linked to an Islamic extremist group that was driven out in December 2006 by Somalia's Western-backed government and its Ethiopian allies.

In recent weeks, the insurgents have taken over government positions, marched into towns and even released prisoners from jail before retreating.

"Insurgents were firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, and the soldiers were using mortars and heavy artillery," said Shuceyb Ali, a resident of the capital, Mogadishu.

She and other witnesses said the insurgents drove government soldiers from two bases before retreating.

About 20 people were being treated for wounds at two hospitals in the capital, officials said. A 7-year-old boy died of his wounds at Medina Hospital, said Fadumo Osman, a nurse.

On Wednesday, Islamic militants in Somalia welcomed being added to the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations, saying they only wished the designation had come sooner.

Abdullahi Yasin Jama, who lives near the bases and witnessed the fighting in Mogadishu, says insurgents seized a government pickup truck mounted with anti-aircraft missiles.

Somalia has been ravaged by violence and anarchy since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The current government has struggled to assert any real control.
News Source: CNN

X Prize offering $10M purse for 100-mpg vehicle

2008-03-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) -- The X Prize Foundation, best known for its competitions promoting space flights, is offering $10 million to the teams that can produce the most production-ready vehicles that get 100 miles per gallon or more.

The foundation was to announce the size of the purse and its sponsor, Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., on Thursday at the New York International Auto Show.

More than 60 teams from nine countries have signed up for the competition so far, including California electric carmakers Aptera Motors and Tesla Motors, German diesel carmaker Loremo and a team from Cornell University.

Teams will be able to sign up through mid-2008, when applicants will be narrowed to those who can prove they would build production-ready, consumer-friendly cars.

Those that qualify will race their vehicles in cross-country races in 2009 and 2010 that will combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance.

The purse will be split between two categories: mainstream and alternative cars. Mainstream cars must carry four or more passengers and have climate control, an audio system and 10 cubic feet of cargo space.

They also must have four or more wheels, hit 60 miles per hour in less than 12 seconds and have a minimum top speed of 100 miles per hour and a range of 200 miles.

Alternative vehicles will be required to carry two or more passengers and five cubic feet of cargo, have a top speed of at least 80 miles per hour and have a range of at least 100 miles.

"The environmentally friendly technologies created as a result of this competition will affect everyone who drives in ways we can't even imagine today," X Prize Chairman and Chief Executive Dr. Peter Diamandis said in a statement.

British Columbia-based Fuelvapor Technologies is among the competitors. Vice President Todd Pratt said the six-person company, which has funding from 47 shareholders, has spent more than two years developing its car.

The car has three wheels and two seats and has the aerodynamic design of a jet cockpit. It is gas powered but saves fuel through a proprietary technology that replaces traditional fuel injection.

The car currently gets 92 miles per gallon, Pratt said, but the company thinks a hybrid version could achieve up to 400 miles per gallon.

"It's kind of like the X Prize was designed for us," Pratt said. "We're just six guys who are really passionate about doing something different."

The Santa Monica, California-based X Prize Foundation, which was founded in 1995, gained fame in 2004 when it awarded $10 million to the first private vehicle to fly into space.

The foundation since has launched a $10 million prize for rapid human genome sequencing and a $30 million prize for sending a robot to the moon.
News Source: CNN

France searches its soul after euthanasia plea woman dies

2008-03-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

PARIS, France (AP) -- A woman with a rare tumor that had eaten away at her face is accomplishing in death what she could not do while alive: reviving the debate over euthanasia in France.

Chantal Sebire failed to convince a court to allow her to undertake a "doctor-assisted suicide" with a lethal dose of barbiturates to forever end her suffering. Her sudden death on Wednesday -- two days after the court refused her request -- brought calls to re-evaluate French law to assure the right to die.

"The demand to calm suffering is a legitimate demand," Justice Minister Rachida Dati said Thursday.

A French law adopted in 2005 allows terminally ill people to refuse treatment in favor of death but stops short of allowing active euthanasia.

Dati said the law needs to be revisited for "necessary adaptations" but other government ministers disagree, highlighting the difficulties raised in legislating an ethical issue.

Not all European countries ban euthanasia. In neighboring Belgium, 78-year-old Belgian writer Hugo Claus, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, ended his life in an Antwerp hospital by euthanasia -- on the day Sebire died.

"He himself picked the moment of his death and asked for euthanasia," not wanting to extend his suffering, his wife, Veerle De Wit, said in a statement.

Euthanasia is also legal in the Netherlands. In Switzerland, counselors or physicians can prepare the lethal dose, but patients must take it on their own. Luxembourg is in the process of passing a law to allow euthanasia.

Sebire, a former teacher who died at age 52, was diagnosed nearly eight years ago with esthesioneuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. A tumor had burrowed through her sinuses and nasal cavities, causing her nose to swell to several times its original size and pushing one eyeball out of the socket, completely exposing it.

"Some of my bones are eaten into. I don't have upper and lower jaws anymore," she said on Februay 28. "At the moment, we don't know by what miracle my teeth are still holding. ... I ask to be helped to die because I don't want this tumor to have the last word."

She had difficulty eating, slept sitting up and often suffered hemorrhages, according to her lawyer, Gilles Antonowicz.

It was not immediately known what killed Sebire or whether there would be a full investigation. She was found in her home in the Dijon region east of Paris by the eldest of her three children, who are aged 29, 27 and 13, prosecutor Jean-Pierre Alacchi said.

The prosecutor said Wednesday night that several samples had been taken from her body and "normally we will know what she died of in the near future, I hope."

An investigation into her death would amount to a "judicial grenade," Antonowicz warned.

"Let us not be hypocritical," the lawyer said in an interview with Associated Press Television News. "Understand there is a canal 30 meters (about 100 feet) from Madame Sebire's house. If Madame Sebire had thrown herself into the canal, they would have said she drowned ... and there would have been no other inquiries."

The 2005 law was also born of dramatic circumstances: the 2003 death of a 22-year-old man who had begged for the right to die after a traffic accident left him deaf, mute and paralyzed.

Vincent Humbert died after his mother allegedly gave him a dose of sedatives that induced a coma, and doctors then cut off his life support.

After a lengthy trial, the law easing earlier restrictions was passed.

Jean-Luc Romero, president of France's Association for the Right to Die in Dignity, said the law as it stands would have allowed Sebire to go into a drug-induced coma, then die slowly of thirst and starvation -- an option he calls "unimaginable" -- and which Sebire refused.

Didier Sicard, former head of a national ethics committee, said he is opposed to a new law on euthanasia "based on a particular situation." But Family Affairs Minister Nadine Morano pressed for a committee on the "euthanasia exception" that would treat "very specific" cases like that of Sebire.

Socialist lawmaker Gaetan Gorce, co-author of the 2005 law, agreed with Morano.

"You cannot leave families, the ill, in such dramatic situations with no way out. On the other hand, you cannot create a right to die, a right to death," he said. "That would be contrary to our principles and our values."
News Source: CNN

Coast Guard hunts drug-running semi-subs

2008-03-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sophisticated submarine-like boats are the latest tool drug runners are using to bring cocaine north from Colombia, U.S. officials say.

Although the vessels were once viewed as a quirky sideshow in the drug war, they are becoming faster, more seaworthy, and capable of carrying bigger loads of drugs than earlier models, according to those charged with catching them.

"They tend to be one of a kind," U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen said. "They cost up to a million dollars to produce. Sometimes they are put together in pieces and then reassembled in other locations. They're very difficult to locate."

The boats are built in the Colombian jungle. They sail largely beneath the surface of the water but cannot submerge completely like a true submarine.

But they are the latest escalation of a tactical race between smugglers and the U.S. Coast Guard.

In the past three months the Coast Guard has learned of more semi-submersible vessels smuggling drugs than it did in the previous six years, when there were 23 cases, officials said.

U.S. Coast Guard intelligence officers predict 85 cases this year and 120 next year.

In some instances, the semi-subs are towed behind other vessels and are scuttled if they are detected, Allen said. Authorities are investigating reports that some semi-subs are unmanned and are operated remotely, he said.

Diplomatic agreements give the U.S. Coast Guard drug-interdiction jurisdiction in partner countries' waters.

Encounters have become so frequent -- and the dangers of boarding the vessels so pronounced -- that the Coast Guard is pushing for legislation that would make the use of "unflagged" semi-submersibles in international waters a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, even if authorities can't recover drug evidence because the smugglers scuttle the transports.

"There's really no legitimate use for a vessel like this," Allen said.

An unflagged vessel is one not registered with a government.

Allen believes the semi-subs are a response to the Coast Guard's tactic of using snipers in helicopters to shoot out engines on smugglers' speedboats. The submersibles' engines are beneath water level.

"We're seeing an evolution in the construction," he said. "Early on we saw fiberglass and now we're seeing steel."

Early semi-subs were capable of carrying 4 or 5 metric tons of cargo; newer ones can carry 12 metric tons, Allen said. Their speed has increased to 12 knots, which is "a pretty good speed on the ocean."

Despite the increase in the use of the semi-subs, Drug Enforcement Administration officials say most drugs still are transported by traditional methods -- fishing boats, speedboats and airplanes.

But Frankie Shroyer, deputy chief of the DEA's Office of Enforcement Operations, called the use of semi-subs "an emerging threat and we are attacking it through our investigations and working with the interagency community."

The DEA's main focus, however, "is to dismantle entire organizations," he said. "So we are looking at the organizations that are building these things. ... These are the same organizations that are using containers, the same organizations that are using airplanes, same organizations using go-fast boats."

Allen said the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and others are working on how to board the vessels. "In many cases, they don't stop. And it's difficult to slow them down," he said.

The Coast Guard says drug runners also are resorting to putting refueling vessels far offshore so drug-carrying boats can avoid coastal areas, and even liquefying cocaine and concealing it in fuel.

The semi-subs are "another adaptation ... that we're going to have to adapt to ourselves," Allen said.

Last year, the Coast Guard seized a record 355,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $4.7 billion -- a 2 percent increase over 2006.

The Coast Guard's largest cocaine bust ever came in 2007 -- 42,845 pounds stacked in large bundles on the deck of a freighter off the coast of Panama
News Source: CNN

U.S. House speaker critical of China over Tibet

2008-03-21T04:24:00.000-07:00

DHARAMSALA, India (CNN) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday criticized China for its crackdown on anti-government protesters in Tibet and called on "freedom-loving people" worldwide to denounce China.

"As a freedom-loving people, if we don't speak out about the Chinese oppression, then we have lost our right to speak on human rights," Pelosi told reporters.

She made the comments during a meeting with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, noting that she was voicing her personal opinion and not U.S. government policy.

Pelosi also offered words of support for the people of Tibet, saying it is time to shed a bright light on what is happening in Tibet and insisting that the world know the truth.

Pelosi told the crowd at the temple in Dharamsala that it must be karma that brought her to India at such a difficult time. The Dalai Lama and Pelosi held hands as he escorted her around the temple.

"There's a great relationship between the United States and his holiness, the Dalai Lama," she said.

Pelosi is the first high-level U.S. official to meet with Tibet's spiritual leader in Dharamsala in the aftermath of deadly clashes that broke out a week ago in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The clashes involved Chinese security forces and anti-Chinese protesters. There were also reports of Tibetans attacking ethnic Han Chinese who live in Tibet.

Pelosi's visit was scheduled well ahead of the recent outbreak of violence. She is part of a U.S. congressional delegation in the country for bilateral meetings with the Indian government and to discuss climate change in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Tibetan exile groups say at least 80 people were killed by Chinese security forces in clashes, but Chinese authorities insist they acted with restraint and killed no one. Instead, China says 13 "innocent people" were killed, some brutally burned, by the Tibetan rioters.
In India, Tibet's government-in-exile said 19 Tibetans died in China's Gansu province in recent days, raising the total death toll from the unrest to 99.
Over the last week, the violence has spread beyond Tibet into at least two neighboring Chinese provinces -- Gansu and Sichuan -- both with large Tibetan populations.
Beijing responded by mobilizing security forces and barring members of the international media from the region.
News Source: CNN

U.N. report: Darfur attacks broke human rights law

2008-03-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

Attacks in January and February by Sudanese forces on Darfur villagers are described in a U.N. report as "violations of international humanitarian and human rights law."

Between January and February, Sudanese forces killed 115 people -- including women, children and elderly -- in air and ground attacks on four Darfur villages, according to the report.

Prepared by the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur, the report says attacks in January and February point to a deliberate plan to destroy civilian infrastructure.

Helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft targeted the villages while armed militias rode in on horses and camels to force about 30,000 people from their homes, according to the report.

The attacks were "carried out during a major military push by the Sudanese government to regain control of West Darfur's northern corridor, and drive out an insurgent group," it said.

The village of Saraf Jidad, Sudan, was attacked three times in January, while the villages of Sirbal, Silea and Abu Suruj were attacked within hours of each other on February 8, UNAMID said in the report.

The militias and the Sudanese armed forces looted, vandalized and burned homes, schools, shops, community centers and other buildings in the villages, the report said.

Sometimes, buildings were burned with people inside, it said.

The attacks "amount to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law," they said.

"The scale of destruction of civilian property, including objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population, suggests that the damage was a deliberate and integral part of a military strategy."

The Sudanese government had no immediate response. However, last week, Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir accused the international media of "exaggerating" the situation in Darfur to detract from atrocities in Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Somalia.

He said the crisis in Darfur is a "media fabrication" and that in most of the region there is little or no conflict and people are living normal lives, he said.

Citing Sudanese government statistics, el-Bashir said fewer than 10,000 people have died in the conflict and fewer than 500,000 have been displaced.

International figures, including U.N. data, put the death toll in Darfur at 200,000, with another 2.5 million people displaced.

The conflict began five years ago when ethnic African tribesmen took up arms, complaining of decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese government.

Sudan's Arab-dominated government is accused of responding by unleashing tribal militias known as Janjaweed, which have allegedly committed the worst atrocities against Darfur's local communities.

Rebels fighting the government-backed militias have also been accused by the United Nations of widespread human rights abuses. El-Bashir rejects claims that the Darfur conflict is being fought along ethnic lines.

At the start of this year, more than 9,000 UNAMID peacekeeping troops were deployed to the region to address the fighting and humanitarian suffering. Plans are for the force to eventually number 26,000.
News Source: CNN

Report: World Ignoring Iraqi Refugee Crisis

2008-03-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

"Mr. B" and his family dodged militias by moving from house to house in Baghdad -- but they couldn't escape being Sunni or the fact that Mr. B had served in Saddam Hussein's military.

Their home eventually was bombed, injuring Mr. B's second youngest son, who now bears a scar from belly to breastbone. Friends and neighbors were kidnapped, some killed. A friend's brother was tortured, his mutilated corpse dumped in the neighborhood, Mr. B told an aid group.

Mr. B, his wife and five children finally fled for Syria in 2006, according to the International Rescue Committee, which issued a report this week detailing the plight of Iraqi refugees on the five-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

"How can we go back and live there after what we have seen?" Mr. B asked.

Like the other refugees interviewed for the report, Mr. B asked that his real name not be used, for fear of retribution.

Mr. B and his family now live in a two-room apartment, bare but for two tattered divans, a small TV and thin mats on the floor, the IRC reported. Two of his children have heart problems. Another has diabetes. The son injured in the blast still suffers from trauma.

Mr. B fears letting his children, ages 4 to 12, play outdoors, he told the agency. He is supporting the family on a daily wage of about $4, which he musters by peddling gum and cigarettes on 11- to 12-hour shifts.

The story of Mr. B is hardly anomalous, according to the IRC. The group's report, "Five Years Later, a Hidden Crisis: Report of the IRC Commission on Iraqi Refugees," said more than 4 million Iraqis have been uprooted by the violence that has wracked their nation.

Many fled Iraq after their friends or family members were kidnapped, raped, tortured or murdered, the report said. There are also large numbers suffering from anxiety and depression; others are struggling to find ways to pay for food, basic services and health care.

The report accuses the international community, especially the United States, of ignoring "one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time."

"We believe the United States has a special responsibility to Iraqi refugees, if only to restore its credibility. The violence they flee is an unplanned-for byproduct of the American invasion of Iraq, and its chaotic aftermath," the report said.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has said the Iraqi refugee crisis is the most significant population displacement in the Middle East since Israel was established in 1948.

The Iraqi refugee population is the third largest in the world, the IRC says, topped only by the Afghan and Palestinian refugee populations. About 2 million Iraqis have fled, mostly to Syria and Jordan, and about 2.5 million more are displaced inside Iraq.

"Neither the U.S. nor the rest of the world is paying sufficient heed: External help provided by regional countries and major international donors has been half-hearted and woefully insufficient," according to an IRC statement.

The report calls for countries -- particularly European nations and the U.S. -- to grant asylum to thousands of refugees and asks that the United Nations hold a conference with government officials and international donors to assess the crisis.

It also suggests that the international community provide billions of dollars in aid, while working to improve conditions in Iraq so refugees can return.

"Contrary to media reports that indicate refugees are repatriating because of improved safety in Iraq, all Iraqis in Syria and Jordan queried by the commission found unimaginable the prospect of returning any time soon to ruined and occupied homes in still-volatile communities," the statement said.

In Amman, Jordan, the group spoke to "Mr. E," a logistician who fled Iraq after militants bombed the company he worked for, killing three staffers. He moved to the Jordanian capital to live in his uncle's house.

Asked by the IRC if he would return to Iraq, he replied, "Why? I'll just be kidnapped and killed. I get death threats on my phone."

The IRC compiled the report after meeting with refugees, aid workers and officials from the United Nations, U.S., Iraq, Jordan and Syria. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was among the officials interviewed.

The report praises Syria and Jordan for their generosity, but the IRC asks that both nations do more to facilitate aid deliveries and to find employment for the refugees.

The report paints a picture of a refugee population living in fear and poverty.

"The ever-present fear of detention and deportation forces many of them to live hidden from society," the report said. "Worse, many feel they have no future, and that their lives and those of their children are hopeless."

In Amman, a widow who went by "Mrs. T" told the IRC that she left Baghdad after her daughter was sexually assaulted and her husband was tortured and murdered. She now lives in a cold, cramped apartment with her two daughters, their husbands and several grandchildren.

No one in the household is permitted to work legally, and they survive largely on help from aid agencies. But the handouts don't cover all their needs -- Mrs. T recently went blind because she was not able to afford treatment for her high blood pressure, she told the IRC.

The report said there generally are only three options for refugees: return home, remain abroad or resettle elsewhere.

"None of these is a good option. It is still too dangerous for many to go back, they cannot afford to remain as they become increasingly destitute, and yet only a very few will be resettled in other countries," it said.

The report was issued Tuesday, the same day that James Foley, the State Department's senior coordinator for Iraqi refugee issues, said he's confident that the U.S. can hit its goal of letting in 12,000 Iraqi refugees by October.

This fiscal year, the United States has had 1,876 arrivals. That number, however, is about 1,500 higher than reported in early February.

Foley -- who says the U.S. has a moral obligation to help Iraqis -- said the process is "getting faster and will get a lot faster as the year progresses."

Congress has criticized the slow pace of resettling Iraqi refugees. Only 1,608 Iraqi refugees came into the U.S. in the previous fiscal year, the State Department has said. The target was 7,000.

The IRC said the Bush administration's goal of resettling 12,000 Iraqis in the U.S. this year is "extremely meager" compared with those granted asylum from other war-torn regions -- such as Vietnam and the Balkans -- and from religious minorities, such as Russian Jews during the Cold War.

The commission, all of whose members hail from the United States, includes Morton Abramowitz, a former assistant secretary of state and ambassador to Turkey and Thailand; Jean Kennedy Smith, former ambassador to Ireland; and James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank
News Source: CNN

Bill Richardson to endorse Obama

2008-03-21T04:12:00.000-07:00

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic race for president Friday, an Obama campaign spokesperson told CNN.

Richardson plans to join Obama at a rally in Portland, Oregon, at 12:30 p.m. Friday.

In an e-mail to supporters, Richardson said Obama will be a "historic and a great President, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad."

Richardson also said in the e-mail that he was touched by Obama's recent speech on race in America, saying he "understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans."

Richardson is the nation's only Hispanic governor. Hispanics have tended to support Obama's rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Richardson said the country is blessed to have two great American leaders and great Democrats running for President.

"My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver," Richardson wrote in his e-mail. "It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall."

Richardson, who served as United Nations ambassador and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination on January 10.

He drew 5 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary and 2 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses
News Source : CNN

Investment Firms Tap Feb for Billions

2008-03-21T01:16:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) - Big Wall Street investment companies are taking advantage of the Federal Reserve's unprecedented offer to secure emergency loans, the central bank reported Thursday.

The lending is part of a major effort by the Fed to help a financial system in danger of freezing.

Those large firms averaged $13.4 billion in daily borrowing over the past week from the new lending facility. The report does not identify the borrowers.

The Fed, in a bold move Sunday, agreed for the first time to let big investment houses get emergency loans directly from the central bank. This mechanism, similar to one available for commercial banks for years, got under way Monday and will continue for at least six months. It was the broadest use of the Fed's lending authority since the 1930s.
Source: AOL

Aloha Airlines Files for Bankruptcy

2008-03-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

HONOLULU (AP) - Aloha Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday, a little more than two years after emerging from bankruptcy.

Aloha said it will continue to fly as long as a bankruptcy court accepts the airline's financial plan to keep operating.

The airline said in its filing that it was unable to generate sufficient revenue due to what it called "predatory pricing" by Mesa Air Group Inc.'s go! airline.

Aloha Airgroup Inc. emerged from bankruptcy protection in February 2006, just 14 months after filing under Chapter 11.

Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group launched go! into the interisland market later in 2006 to compete with Aloha, as well as Hawaiian Airlines Inc.

In January, go! reported a $20 million operating loss in its first 16 months of operations. Meanwhile, Aloha and Hawaiian reported combined losses of nearly $65 million since go! began operating.

Aloha said it was forced to match go!'s below-cost fares at a time when the airline industry was facing unprecedented increases in the cost of jet fuel.

"It is a travesty and a tragedy that the illegal actions of a competitor and other factors completely beyond our control have forced us to take this action," said David A. Banmiller, Aloha's president and chief executive officer.

Mesa Air Group CEO Jonathan Ornstein declined comment, saying the company had not yet read the filing.

In October, a U.S. bankruptcy judge ordered Mesa to pay Hawaiian Airlines $80 million for using confidential information it obtained from Hawaiian's own bankruptcy proceedings to launch go!. Mesa is appealing the ruling. Hawaiian emerged from bankruptcy in June 2005.
Aloha said it will ask a bankruptcy court to approve a financing arrangement with General Motors Acceptance Corp. that will allow the privately held airline to continue operating.

"Through this filing, we hope to achieve a successful outcome that will protect the jobs of 3,500 dedicated employees who have made extraordinary sacrifices for Aloha, and to continue to earn the support of our loyal customers, business partners, vendors and financial backers."

Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, said Aloha's bankruptcy filing reflects the difficult operating environment in Hawaii's airline industry.

"It is extremely challenging and marked by high operating costs, record high fuel prices and a very competitive pricing structure," Dunkerley said.

Gov. Linda Lingle said she was concerned over the future of Aloha's employees in the wake of the airline's bankruptcy filing.

"I am hopeful that this action will allow Aloha Airlines to successfully emerge from reorganization as they have done in the past," she said. "The continued, uninterrupted service of the airline is in the best interest of the employees, Hawaii residents and visitors and our state's economy."

Aloha operates a fleet of 26 Boeing 737s to serve five Hawaiian airports and six mainland U.S. destinations.
News Source: AOL News

China Orders Video Web Sites to Close

2008-03-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG (AP) - China has ordered more than two dozen video entertainment Web sites to shut down under new rules governing such sites, a broadcast regulator said on its Web site Friday.

The new rules, which took effect Jan. 31, bans providers from broadcasting video that involves national secrets, hurts the reputation of China, disrupts social stability or promotes pornography. Providers are required to delete and report such content under the rules.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, said in a statement on its Web site Friday that officials have completed a two-month audit on video entertainment and video sharing Web sites based on the new rules and decided to shut down 25.

Another 32 have been slated to be "punished" - although it wasn't immediately clear what that entailed. Popular video sharing Web site Tudou.com was one of those listed for punishment. The list included few major players.

SARFT said in its statement dated Thursday that most of the punished sites broadcast video containing pornography or violence, or showed movies or documentaries that "endangered national security and national interest."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
News Source: AOL News

Panel Probes Troops' Electrocution Deaths

2008-03-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

PITTSBURGH (March 20) - A U.S. House committee chairman has begun an investigation into the electrocutions of at least 12 service members in Iraq, including that of a Pittsburgh soldier killed in January by a jolt of electricity while showering.

Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Wednesday he has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to hand over documents relating to the management of electrical systems at facilities in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, died January 2 of cardiac arrest after being electrocuted while showering at his barracks in Baghdad.

Also Wednesday, Maseth's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Allegheny County Court against KBR Inc., the Houston-based contractor responsible for maintaining Maseth's barracks.

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and costs, alleges that KBR allowed U.S. troops to continue using electrical systems "which KBR knew to be dangerous and knew had caused prior instances of electrocution."

"I expected that if I lost one of my sons [in the war], it would be due to an [improvised explosive device] or firefight," Maseth's mother, Cheryl Harris, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I never expected to hear he would be electrocuted, that something so senseless happened to him."

An Army investigation found that his death was due to improper grounding of the electric pump that supplied water to the building, Waxman said. Maseth died after an electrical short in the pump sent a current through the pipes, the California Democrat wrote in his letter.

Chris Isleib, a Defense Department spokesman, said that the Pentagon has turned the matter over to the department's inspector general for a full investigation.

Since 2003, at least 12 service members have died in Iraq as a result of electrocution, according to the Army and Marine Corps.

In October 2004, Waxman said in his letter, the Army issued a safety alert that noted five soldiers had been electrocuted that year and improper grounding was a factor in nearly all of the cases.

The letter did not give the names of victims other than Maseth. Waxman asked that his committee be provided investigative reports on the dead soldiers and reports and communications regarding electrical grounding in military facilities in Iraq.

In a January 21 memo responding to questions from Maseth's family, the Army's criminal investigations division said the Chinese-made pump was acquired before KBR took over maintenance of the building and did not meet U.S. safety standards.

KBR declined to comment on the lawsuit Wednesday, but said it would cooperate with agencies investigating Maseth's death. The company was formerly owned by Halliburton Co., the oil services conglomerate once led by Vice President Cheney.

Harris said the military initially did not tell her that her son was electrocuted, and then told her he died "with a small electrical appliance in the shower." Only later did she learn the truth, she said.

The investigation was sought by Rep. Jason Altmire, a Democrat who represents a district north of Pittsburgh.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Source: AOL News

Heavy Rains Hit Northeast and Ohio Valley, As Forecasters Predict More to Come

2008-03-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

OLUMBUS, Ohio — Residents warily watched as rivers continued to rise Thursday from heavy storms that dumped as much as a foot of rain in the Midwest and left behind more than a dozen deaths.

Meanwhile, government forecasters said the floods washing over large parts of the Midwest are just a taste of things to come, with one meteorologist complaining about a jet stream "on steroids."

Record rainfall and melting snow packs will continue to cause rivers to overflow in large areas of the country, the National Weather Service said.

While the first day of spring brought much needed sunshine Thursday to Ohio and other states, authorities warned that many rivers would crest well above flood stage.

Flooding also was reported in parts of Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.

The greatest flooding danger includes much of the Mississippi River basin, the Ohio River basin, the lower Missouri River basin, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, most of New York, all of New England and portions of the West, including Colorado and Idaho.

On Thursday morning, high water closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 — a major east-west highway — for about 4 miles in central Ohio's Licking County, the State Highway Patrol said. The flooding was receding by midmorning, but there was no estimate of when the lanes would reopen.

Morning commuters trying to reach downtown Columbus from the south were being detoured off heavily traveled U.S. 23, because its northbound lanes were flooded at Interstate 270.

Numerous traffic accidents were reported early Thursday in the Dayton area when water on roadways froze. The American Red Cross provided hotel vouchers for eight people who were flooded out of their apartments Wednesday in the Dayton suburb of Kettering. Cincinnati picked up 4.7 inches of rain and then traces of snow on Wednesday.

Days of rain turned the Midwest into a soggy mess, flooding roads, stranding motorists and displacing residents — with a cleanup bill likely to run in the millions.

"Overall moisture is unprecedented for this time of year over an area that extends over 1,000 miles," said Doug LeComte, a meteorologist at the government's Climate Prediction Center.

LeComte noted that a La Nina, an unusual cooling of the tropical Pacific Ocean has been under way and that often leads to wetter conditions in the U.S. Midwest — but this weather pattern has been out of the ordinary.

"What's happened in the last few months has not been a typical La Nina, the jet stream's been on steroids," he added.

The area recovered quickly from two days of heavy rain, said Mike Mantel, director of the Service Dept. in Miami Township, east of Cincinnati. One township road closed Wednesday because of high water was reopened Thursday, and streams were receding, he said.

"We're in really good shape, considering the rainfall we had," Mantel said.

President Bush declared a major disaster in Missouri on Wednesday night and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by flooding. Seventy counties and the city of St. Louis also are eligible for federal funding for emergency protective measures.

Much of Ohio was under a flood warning Thursday, with some areas cautioned to watch for flash floods. Most of southwest Ohio had received more than 4 inches of rain, and officials in Butler County declared a state of emergency because of the rising waters.

Flooding along the Scioto River in Pickaway, Ross and Pike counties was expected to be the worst since January 2005. The river near Circleville was expected to remain over the 14-foot flood stage through Sunday, and Pickaway County authorities asked the Red Cross to prepare shelters for possible flood victims.

In Findlay in northwest Ohio, authorities closed off streets Wednesday after the Blanchard River had once again gone over the 11-foot flood level — the 10th time it has done so in the last 15 months. The National Weather Service predicted the river would crest Thursday afternoon at 12.3 feet.

"It is going to take some time to dry out with this type of rain put down on saturated ground," said Beverly Poole, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky. "It's going to take a few days for the rivers and the creeks to recover."

The Ohio River at Cincinnati was expected to rise about 2 feet above flood stage by Friday. In nearby Whitewater Township, rescue workers with boats helped 16 people to safety and urged 40 to 45 more families to leave their homes.

"American citizens should be on high alert to flood conditions in your communities. Arm yourselves with information about how to stay safe during a flood and do not attempt to drive on flooded roadways," said Vickie Nadolski, deputy director of the weather service.

Judy Booth, who's lived in a low-lying area of the township for 11 years, said Wednesday was the first time she's had to flee from flooding.

"You don't have no choice, you've got to go," said Booth, who was helped by fire-rescue squads who brought an inflatable boat to her water-surrounded home.

Retired truck driver George Slayton, 65, said he just wasn't sure how much water from the Black River flowed into his home in Piedmont, Mo. He only had time to grab some medication and a change of clothes.

"I believe in God and everything, but he does things sometimes that make you wonder," said Slayton, who found shelter at a church and slept on a padded pew.

Crews rescued a man clinging to a tree in the Ohio River after his truck was swept away at a boat ramp near Evansville, Ind. He showed signs of hypothermia and could not speak clearly.

"It's hard for anybody to say how long he could have survived there," Knight Township Fire Chief Chris Wathen said. "But I do think it was fair to say he was within minutes of losing his life."

At least 13 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past few days, and three people were missing.

Five deaths were blamed on the flooding in Missouri, five people were killed in a highway wreck in heavy rain in Kentucky and a 65-year-old Ohio woman appeared to have drowned while checking on a sump pump in her home. Most of the flood water had subsided in western Kentucky by Thursday.

In southern Illinois, two bodies were found hours after floodwaters swept a pickup truck off a rural

Searches were under way in Texas for a teenager washed down a drainage pipe, and two people were missing Thursday in Arkansas after their vehicles were swept away by rushing water on Tuesday. Flood water remained standing in many places in Arkansas Thursday.

The town of Fenton, Mo., put out a call asking volunteers to help put down sandbags against the floodwaters Thursday. Gov. Matt Blunt said state workers were checking on nursing homes and hospitals, mobilizing rescues, opening shelters, closing highways and working to ensure safe drinking water.

Original source: Fox News

Jennifer Lopez's Twins Make Their Debut

2008-03-21T00:39:00.001-07:00

Jennifer Lopez's twins have made their debut.

The singer and her babies, Max and Emme, born Feb. 22 in Long Island, N.Y., appear in Friday's issue of People magazine and at People.com.

The magazine spread features 12 pages of photos of the pop star with husband Marc Anthony and their 1-month-olds inside their Long Island home and nursery.

Last month, 5-pound, 7-ounce Emme arrived about 15 minutes before her 6-pound brother.

Lopez's rep said then that Jennifer, a first-time mother at 39, was "thrilled" at the babies' arrival. The 38-year-old Anthony has three other children.

The Latin music power couple married in 2004.

Source: Fox News

Cops Find Man's Stolen Mustang 37 Years Later

2008-03-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

After 37 years a Los Angeles man may finally get his stolen Mustang back.

Eugene Brakke was recently told by the San Diego Police Department auto theft unit that his 1965 Mustang was found in their city, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

In 1970 Brakke reported it stolen and filed a report with the Burbank Police Department, the newspaper reported.

Police told the newspaper that a San Diego woman was given the Mustang as a high school graduation gift from her father in 1970. When she recently tried to sell it, she learned it was stolen.

But, according to the woman, it is unclear if Brakke wants to car back, because he told her it is

News Source: Fox News

Judge Orders Starbucks to Pay More Than $100 Million in Back Tips

2008-03-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO — A Superior Court judge ordered Starbucks Thursday to pay its California baristas more than $100 million in back tips that the coffee behemoth had paid to shift supervisors.

Saying baristas were entitled to $86 million plus interest in back tips, San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett also issued an injunction that prevents Starbucks' shift supervisors from sharing in future tips.

Cowett said the practice was a violation of a state law that prohibits managers and supervisors from sharing in employee tips.

Starbucks spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil said the company planned an immediate appeal of the ruling, calling it "fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason."

News Source: Fox News

Investment Houses Borrow Billions From Fed's Emergency Lending Program

2008-03-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Big Wall Street investment companies are taking advantage of the Federal Reserve's unprecedented offer to secure emergency loans, the central bank reported Thursday.

The lending is part of a major effort by the Fed to help a financial system in danger of freezing.

Those large firms averaged $13.4 billion in daily borrowing over the past week from the new lending facility. The report does not identify the borrowers.

The Fed, in a bold move Sunday, agreed for the first time to let big investment houses get emergency loans directly from the central bank. This mechanism, similar to one available for commercial banks for years, got under way Monday and will continue for at least six months. It was the broadest use of the Fed's lending authority since the 1930s.

Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley said Wednesday they had begun to test the new lending mechanism.

On Wednesday alone, lending reached $28.8 billion, according to the Fed report.

The Fed created a way for financially strapped investment firms to have regular access to a source of short-term cash. This lending facility is seen as similar to the Fed's "discount window" for banks. Commercial banks and investment companies pay 2.5 percent in interest for overnight loans from the Fed.

Investment houses can put up a range of collateral, including investment-grade mortgage backed securities.

The Fed, in another rare move last Friday, agreed to let JP Morgan Chase secure emergency financing from the central bank to rescue the venerable Wall Street firm Bear Stearns from collapse. Two days later, the Fed back a deal for JP Morgan to take over Bear Stearns.

Thursday's report offered insight on how much credit was extended to Bear Stearns via JP Morgan through the transaction the Fed approved last Friday. Average daily borrowing came to $5.5 billion for the week ending Wednesday.

Separately, the Fed said it will make $75 billion of Treasury securities available to big investment firms next week. Investment houses can bid on a slice of the securities at a Fed auction next Thursday; a second is set for April 3.

The Fed will allow investment firms to borrow up to $200 billion in safe Treasury securities by using some of their more risky investments as collateral.

By allowing this, the Fed is hoping to take pressure off financial companies and make them more inclined to lend to people and businesses.

The housing collapse and credit crunch have led to record-high home foreclosures and forced financial companies to rack up multibillion losses in complex mortgage investments that turned sour.

In the past day and weeks, the Fed has taken extraordinary moves aimed at making sure that problems in credit and financial markets do not sink the economy.

New Source: Fox News

Ready Easter baskets Spring Fest

2008-03-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny and a gigantic armadillo will help local kids make the most of this year's Spring Fest Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Young Park.

Easter egg hunts will be available for three children's groups ( ages 5 to 8, ages 9 to 12, and special needs children).

Prospective hunters should be ready to go at 10 a.m.

The city of Las Cruces recreation department will have games for the kids to play. There will also be a bicycle rodeo and a fire engine.

The Bunny, and Texas Roadhouse's Andy the Armadillo may be joined by characters from El Paso Electric and Sonic.

Food and drinks will also be available at the event, which is sponsored by the city of Las Cruces and 101 Gold.

Source: Sun News

'English Patient' director dead at 54

2008-03-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

LONDON, England (AP) -- Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, who turned such literary works as "The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain" into acclaimed movies, has died. He was 54.

Minghella's death was confirmed Tuesday by his agent, Judy Daish. According to reports, Mingella died of a hemorrhage after a routine operation on his neck.

"The English Patient," the 1996 World War II drama, won nine Academy Awards, including best director for Minghella, best picture and best supporting actress for Juliette Binoche.

Based on the celebrated novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje, the movie tells of a burn victim's tortured recollections of his misdeeds in time of war.

Minghella (pronounced min-GELL'-ah) also was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay for the movie and for his screenplay for "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
His 2003 "Cold Mountain," based on Charles Frazier's novel of the U.S. Civil War, brought a best supporting actress Oscar for Renee Zellweger.

The 1999 "The Talented Mr. Ripley," starring Matt Damon as a murderous social climber, was based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. It earned five Oscar nominations.

Among his other films were "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1990), and last year's Oscar-nominated "Michael Clayton," on which he was executive producer.

Minghella was recently in Botswana filming an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." It is due to air on British television this week.

The book is the first in a series about the adventures of Botswanan private eye Precious Ramotswe; a 13-part television series was recently commissioned by U.S. network HBO.

Producer David Puttnam said Minghella was "a very special person."

"He wasn't just a writer, or a writer-director, he was someone who was very well-known and very well-loved within the film community," Puttnam told the BBC. "Frankly he was far too young to have gone."

Minghella also turned his talents to opera. In 2005, he directed a highly successful staging of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the English National Opera in London. The following year, he staged it for the season opener of New York's Metropolitan Opera. It was the first performance of the Met's new era under general manager Peter Gelb.

Jeff Ramsay, press secretary to Botswanan President Festus Mogae, called Minghella's death a "shock and an utter loss."

He said the director had been coming to the country ahead of the detective film and learning about Botswana.

Ramsay said Minghella had told him how he had been forced to shoot "Cold Mountain" in Romania and that it had "seemed wrong." He said this made the director "more sure that the film could only be shot in Botswana."

Born the second of five children to southern Italian emigrants, Minghella came to moviemaking from a flourishing playwriting career on the London "fringe" and, in 1986, on the West End with the play, "Made in Bangkok," a hard-hitting look at the sexual mores of a British tour group in Thailand.

He worked as a television script editor before making his directing debut with "Truly, Madly, Deeply," a comedy about love and grief starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman.

In a 1996 interview with The Associated Press, Minghella said "English Patient," which starred Binoche, Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, was the pinnacle of his career at the time.

"I feel more naked and more exposed by this piece of work than anything I've ever been involved with," Minghella said.

He said too many modern films let the audience be passive, as if they were saying, "We're going to rock you and thrill you. We'll do everything for you."

"This film goes absolutely against that grain," he said. "It says, `I'm sorry, but you're going to have to make some connections. There are some puzzles here. The story will constantly rethread itself and it will be elliptical, but there are enormous rewards in that."'

News source: CNN

'70s radical-turned-housewife out of prison

2008-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- A 1970s radical who spent years as a housewife while on the run from the law has been released from prison in California.

Sara Jane Olson, a former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2002 for her role in the attempted bombing of two police cars in 1975.

Prosecutors say she was part of an SLA plot to murder two Los Angeles police officers by planting bombs under their cars but that the bombs did not go off and no one was hurt.

After authorities started looking for her, Olson fled California and lived for more than two decades as a fugitive before she was arrested in 1999 in Minnesota. She had married and was raising three daughters there.

Olson had also changed her name. She was formerly known as Kathleen Soliah.

Many residents rallied to her cause and helped post bail for her.

Olson was released from prison Monday, said Bill Sessa, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections.

The SLA is best known for its 1974 kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patty Hearst
News Source: CNN

America's Money: In their own words

2008-03-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

Payroll assistant, 28, Waco, TX

I worked for a mortgage lender for five years until I was informed that I would be losing my job because of "economies of scale."

The small mortgage/banking company was getting out of the servicing industry and sold their 16,000 loans to another company, then laid off nearly everyone that worked in the servicing departments. My own loan was being sold to some foreign-based bank I had never heard of. Since then, it has sold again, and my soon-to-be-ex-husband and I fought foreclosure twice. The first time we fought it by filing bankruptcy.

Now, my 401(k) is gone. The 529 education plan I had started for my boys is gone. I did achieve my bachelor's degree during all this. However, my severance from the company barely lasted a month. And of course, they conveniently made our termination date at the end of the month, so that we had no insurance either.

My husband lost his job shortly after me, but luckily, I was able to find a great job, which is where I currently am. However, after I moved out, my husband could not handle the mortgage payments, and I am scrambling to get my things out before it forecloses. Times are tough -- and I know that I am not the one with the worst story out there!
News Source: CNN

Harold and Kumar face 'highest stakes of all time'

2008-03-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" didn't exactly do gangbusters at the box office when it opened in July 2004. The comedy about stoner pals with major munchies searching for tiny hamburgers in the middle of the night made about $5.5 million its first weekend on the way to an $18.2 million gross domestically.

But the film's writers, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, always had faith that it would find a following eventually through DVD rentals and cable-TV viewings. And now, their faith has been rewarded.

The sequel "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" premiered at the South by Southwest film festival recently to a raucous, packed house. (The movie, which also marks Hurwitz and Schlossberg's directing debut, opens in theaters April 25.)

This time, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are suspected of being terrorists after Kumar sneaks a high-tech bong onto a flight to Amsterdam, which everyone onboard thinks is a bomb. The two get sent to Gitmo but manage to break free, ending up in Miami and Texas and -- of course -- running into Neil Patrick Harris playing a mushroom-eating, hooker-loving, unicorn-riding version of himself.

"When we were in college we liked cult movies like 'Dazed and Confused' and 'Office Space' and 'The Big Lebowski,' and these were movies that weren't huge box-office smashes but sort of found an audience on DVD the year or two after the movie came out," Schlossberg, 29, told The Associated Press. "We felt with 'Harold and Kumar' when it came out in theaters in 2004 that if people saw the box office, it wasn't going to end there."

Cho, who's also appeared in the "American Pie" movies and plays Sulu in next summer's "Star Trek," said he's sensed a real clamor for more among the fans who've given the first "Harold & Kumar" a cult following -- and that can be a little overwhelming.

"I've wanted to satiate them, really. Being unable to has been frustrating. I'm glad it's coming out now -- I just hope people like it as much as they did (at the premiere)," he said. "People are insanely enthusiastic. People forget that I don't know them, though they may know me, so they will yell at really piercing volumes at times -- like, 3 feet from me and my wife -- and it's scary. But it's great, and it's loving."

Although "White Castle" was only their first produced script, Hurwitz and Schlossberg always knew they wanted to do a sequel, and they knew they wanted it to pick up immediately where the first one left off as their favorite '80s sequels always did. Initially, they'd planned to have the pals travel to Amsterdam to find Harold's crush, Maria, but they didn't want a movie where the two just traipsed around Europe the whole time.

"Then we started thinking about Kumar getting into trouble on the airplane, some racial profiling, Homeland Security getting involved, then Guantanamo Bay, and suddenly all these ideas just come out," Schlossberg said. "It wasn't a conscious effort to make something more political. It was really just: 'OK, how can we amp it up a notch?' And the first movie, our story was so simple. I mean, there were no stakes whatsoever. So in this movie, for us the joke was, let's give almost the exact opposite -- the highest stakes of all time. Let's have literally Homeland Security chasing after them, it's a national security threat, their lives are at stake, their freedom is at stake."

"One of the things that people really enjoyed about the first film was that second layer that's saying a little something, a little bit of social relevance," the 30-year-old Hurwitz added, referring to the original movie's ethnic humor. "While coming up with the story of the sequel, it was important to us to find that second layer. We love a good (poop) joke as much as the next guy, but there are a lot of bad (poop) jokes, and we feel like really sophomoric comedy works best when there's something smarter going on, and vice versa."

Penn, meanwhile, views both primarily as buddy comedies.

"The first one was talked about as being a movie about weed and this one is being talked about as being a political movie. I don't think that's the case in either film," said the co-star of TV's "House." "I think it's a movie about two friends and the journey they go on. And in the first case, getting food in the middle of the night was what brought them closer together. And in this case, struggling for their freedom is what brings them closer together."

Friends themselves since high school, Hurwitz and Schlossberg also amped up the stakes by directing for the first time. "White Castle" director Danny Leiner wasn't available for the sequel, and rather than choosing some random person who didn't know the material, they wanted to give it a shot.

"It's being naive that helps. We weren't worried at all," Hurwitz said. "We were on set the whole time for the first 'Harold & Kumar' and we had a great working relationship with Danny Leiner on that first film. And just sort of shadowing him and standing behind him as he directed the first film, giving our input throughout the movie and throughout the (post-production) process, we felt very included.

"A lot of times, writers get very tossed aside right away," he added, "and we were kept in the family on that first movie, which allowed us to learn a lot."

"If we had more experience, we would have been like, 'We need more time, we need more money, we need more everything,' " said Schlossberg. "But because we didn't know, we were just like, 'Thanks."'
News Source: CNN

Coal company fined $420K for 'flagrant' violations

2008-03-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Federal authorities on Thursday ordered Andalex Resources Inc. to pay $420,300 in fines for "flagrant violations" at a coal mine it operates in Price, Utah.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration assessed the fines "for violations relating to potential fire and explosion hazards at the Aberdeen Mine," a statement from the agency said.

Andalex Resources is controlled by Bob Murray, who was the co-owner and operator of another mine in Utah that collapsed last year, resulting in nine deaths.

The fines announced Thursday were based on citations issued in 2006 and 2007 for what were called "flagrant violations" under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, and the "operator's repeated violation of the same safety standard."

MSHA records from two routine inspections indicated that fine coal particles were allowed to cover the hoses, electric conduit and tram motors on electric equipment, providing fuel if a fire ignited.

"In addition, the mine operator allowed excessive accumulations of potentially explosive float coal dust and other combustible material to accumulate on a dangerously maintained conveyor belt," the release said.

A flagrant violation is defined as "a reckless or repeated failure to make reasonable efforts to eliminate a known violation of a mandatory safety and health standard that substantially and proximately caused, or reasonably could have been expected to cause, death or serious bodily injury."

"Mine operators that repeatedly violate mine safety standards must be held accountable for their actions," said Richard E. Stickler, acting assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, in Thursday's news release.

A call to Andalex was not immediately returned.

Last summer, nine people died, including three during a rescue attempt, in the Crandall Canyon mine, which has since been closed.

Six miners were entombed by the August 6 collapse and two rescuers and a federal mining official died in a second collapse 10 days later as they attempted to tunnel toward the area where the miners had been working.

Throughout efforts to reach the miners, Murray maintained the collapse was caused by a small earthquake. However, seismologists said it was more likely that it was the collapse itself that registered as a 3.9-magnitude quake on seismographs.

Relatives of the dead miners testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor that Murray Energy, the company that owned the Crandall Canyon mine, valued production over safety.
News Source: CNN

Los Angeles hospital fined $25,000 in Quaid case

2008-03-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Los Angeles hospital was fined $25,000 by state health regulators on Thursday for giving overdoses of a blood thinner to three infants including the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid.

The California Department of Public Health cited Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and 10 other hospitals for violations that caused or were "likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients."

Cedars spokesman Richard Elbaum said the hospital has cooperated with state investigators and intends to pay the fine.

The fine against Cedars-Sinai comes two months after the state issued a 20-page report blaming the hospital for giving Quaid's premature twins and another unidentified baby 1,000 times the intended dosage of heparin in November. All three children recovered, but two needed a drug that reverses the effects of heparin.

The hospital has since apologized to the patients' families and said it has taken steps to provide more training to staff and review all policies and procedures involving high-risk medications.

The preventable error occurred because a pharmacy technician stored the higher heparin doses in the wrong place and a nurse who administered the drug to the babies failed to verify the amount.

After the mix-up, Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, sued heparin maker Baxter Healthcare Corp., accusing the company of negligence in packaging different doses of the product in similar vials with blue backgrounds.
News Source: CNN

Wrongly accused man free after 25 years

2008-03-20T23:31:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Willie Earl Green walked out of a California courtroom as a free man Thursday after serving nearly 25 years in prison for the execution-style murder of a Los Angeles woman, which he insists he never committed.

A Los Angeles judge set the graying 56-year-old free after ruling that the prosecution's star witness, Willie Finley, lied to a jury during key portions of his original testimony. Finley recently recanted his story.

Green, who earned a college degree while at California's San Quentin State Prison, said he was "humbled" by his release.

"Today is a glorious day," he said. "It's a great day. I never gave up on this day. I knew one day this day would come.

"I never asked for mercy. I only asked for justice to be served, and it was served today."

"Good Friday arrived early for my husband," said Green's wife, Mary.

Green had been serving 33 years to life for the murder, burglary and robbery of Denise "Dee Dee" Walker, 25, at a Los Angeles crack house in 1983.

Based on Superior Court Judge Stephen Marcus' ruling, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Hyman Sisman told the court, his office would not pursue a new trial.

After his release, Green and his wife embraced.

"It's real," she said as her husband's eyes teared up. "I'm fine now. This is the second best day of my life. The best was the day I married you."

In February, Green proclaimed his innocence to CNN's documentary unit during an interview inside his prison cell at San Quentin.

"I was once a freedom marcher in Mississippi fighting for civil rights and social justice during the Martin Luther King Jr. era," he said. "I would never ponder harming anyone, let alone kill a human being, after spending my early life fighting for nonviolent social change the way King taught us."

Walker was killed August 9, 1983. According to court documents, the single mother had been preparing crack cocaine in Finley's kitchen when a man dragged Finley inside the home after pistol-whipping him on a sidewalk.

Within moments, a second intruder entered a back door of the apartment with a sawed-off shotgun. Finley testified that the newcomer beat him again with the shotgun. After stealing money from a bedroom, the second intruder returned to the kitchen, exchanged weapons with his accomplice and left, according to court documents.

Moments later, Finley testified, he heard the first suspect yell to Walker, "you're the only one who knows me," followed by multiple shotgun blasts. But instead of calling for help as Walker lay dying with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, Finley scoured his house for drugs the gunmen missed, documents state.

A month later, Finley was arrested and charged with selling drugs. At that time, police showed him mug shots of possible suspects in the Walker case, but Finley was unable to identify anyone.

According to court documents, the case appeared stalled until Walker's mother told police that her daughter had been the victim of an assault and robbery a year earlier. Two men had been arrested in that case: Willie Green and his cousin, who was Walker's companion at the time. Both men pleaded guilty to grand theft of a television set.

On the night of Walker's murder, Green's cousin was in prison.

Green, who had briefly lived at Walker's apartment a year earlier, told police he was in the San Fernando Valley at the time of the murder. But he also had no one to corroborate his alibi.

Detectives interviewed Finley again in jail, showing him additional photographs of possible suspects, this time including Green. By that time, Finley had been informed about Green's prior encounter with Walker and tentatively identified him as the second intruder, according to court documents. At a live lineup, Finley selected Green as the second intruder.

During his testimony, Finley identified Green as the second intruder, claiming he heard Denise Walker scream "Willie." Prosecutors cited Walker's use of the name as crucial evidence that she was referring to Willie Green, because most of Willie Finley's friends called him Doug.

However, Los Angeles police detectives found no evidence connecting Green to the crime scene, according to court documents.

In his ruling Thursday, Marcus said the relationship between Walker and Green probably played a significant role in the jury's decision to convict. Finley now says it was the primary reason he identified Green in the photo lineup.

Marcus noted that Finley had failed to reveal that he suffered from hemophilia and that his vision had been impaired after the two beatings on the day of the killing.

Marcus also said that Finley lied when he said he was not under the influence of cocaine at the time of the murder or when he was testifying.

Walker's case has never been solved.

After his release, Green said he wasn't bitter about his experience.

"I don't hate anybody," he said. "I don't hate Willie Finley for doing what he did. I forgive him, too."

Green, who said he'd never even met Finley, said it was unfortunate that he'd spent so much time behind bars while Walker's real killers went free.

"Everybody's talking about me," he said. "But nobody's talking about the victim. She didn't get any justice. Me being locked up for 25 years didn't give her any justice."
News Source: CNN

U.S. sailor sought for questioning in taxi-driver killing in Japan

2008-03-20T23:25:00.001-07:00

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- U.S. and Japanese authorities searched Friday for a U.S. sailor for questioning in the killing of a Japanese taxi driver near an American naval base, a U.S. military official said.

The 61-year-old victim, Masaaki Takahashi of Tokyo, was found fatally stabbed in his cab Wednesday night in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, about a half-mile from the U.S. naval base, police said.

The case follows a furor over a series of criminal allegations against U.S. servicemen in Japan, where some 50,000 American troops are based. The outrage prompted U.S. military officials to impose restrictions on servicemen.

"Since the incident happened close to the base, both U.S. Navy and Japanese authorities are interested in talking to a number of persons, including a U.S. sailor, who may have information pertinent to the case," said Cmdr. David Waterman, spokesman for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan.

Waterman refused to say why the sailor might have information on the case or whether he was a suspect.

Local media reported the U.S. sailor's credit card was found in the taxi and that he had been missing from the base for several weeks. His name has not been released.

Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters that he had information that a sailor might be connected to the case, but he refused to release any further details. Japanese police also refused to speak about the possible military connection.
News Source: CNN

Hawaii volcano explodes for first time in 84 years

2008-03-20T23:21:00.001-07:00

VOLCANO, Hawaii (AP) -- An explosion atop the long-erupting Kilauea volcano rained gravel-size rocks onto a tourist lookout, road and trail before dawn Wednesday, injuring no one but forcing parts of a national park to close.

It was the first explosion in Kilauea's main Halemaumau Crater since 1924, scattering debris over about 75 acres, said Jim Kauahikaua, scientist-in-charge at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island.

The 4,190-foot volcano has been erupting from fissures along its side steadily for more than a quarter-century. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park draws thousands of people daily, with a visitors center and lodge near the crater rim.

No lava erupted as part of the 3 a.m. explosion. That suggests it was caused by hydrothermal or gas buildup, Kauahikaua said.

Scientists monitoring the summit say that there's a "remote possibility" of an eruption inside the half-mile-wide crater, but that it's unlikely because other indicators of an eruption aren't present.

"The recent explosive event represents a significant addition and change to Kilauea Volcano's ongoing activity, and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is using every means available to study its causes and consequences," Kauahikaua said in a statement.

The explosion followed three months of increased activity in the crater, which has been releasing high levels of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, said observatory geochemist Jeff Sutton.

The park had previously closed a part of the road near the gas emissions, and that area was expanded Wednesday following the explosion.

Officials shut off the road at the Kilauea Military Camp toward the Jaggar Museum and observatory. Only volcano employees were allowed inside that part of the park.

Rocks shot from the explosion damaged a wooden fence that visitors used to peer into the crater and created hazards across roads and paths

Fire and police authorities are creating emergency plans to evacuate nearby villages if the winds blow toxic gases in their direction, said Duane Hosaka at Hawaii County Civil Defense. So far, the volcano's gas emissions continue to move toward the sea, rather than over populated areas.

"There's no evacuation or advisories. We're still in the planning stages in case something happens so we'll be prepared," Hosaka said.
News Source: CNN

Gunshots bring abrupt end to frantic 911 call

2008-03-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

WEST COVINA, California (AP) -- A woman was asking a 911 dispatcher for help when her pleas were interrupted by gunshots, then silence.

She was shot to death.

The woman told the dispatcher someone was trying to break into her home in upscale West Covina, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Dan Rosenberg said.

"Deputies heard gunshots followed by silence and an open phone line," he said.

Deputies arrived at the house, 20 miles east of Los Angeles, a few minutes after Wednesday's late morning call.

The woman, whose name was not released by police, had been shot several times. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

"At this point we believe it was a burglary gone awry," Rosenberg said.

nvestigators are trying to determine if anything was taken, Deputy Luis Castro said.

While police were investigating the shooting, a man arrived at the home asking about his wife.

When he heard that the woman had been shot and killed, he collapsed and started to cry, saying "No! She just called me. You lie."

The man was placed in a patrol car and taken to a sheriff's station, police said.

Witnesses said they saw one or more men running from the house, Rosenberg said. Investigators used bloodhounds to conduct yard-to-yard searches.

No arrests had been made by Thursday morning, deputies said.

As a precaution during the search, a high school and an elementary school were locked down for about two hours, police Lt. Dan Brooks said.
News Source: CNN

Clinton faces an uphill struggle

2008-03-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With both Florida and Michigan primary re-vote plans stalled, the road ahead for Sen. Hillary Clinton appears to be a rocky one.

Sen. Barack Obama leads Clinton in both pledged delegates and popular votes. The question now: Can Clinton overtake Obama's lead in pledged delegates?

For that to happen, she would need to win about two-thirds of the pledged delegates in the remaining contests, which will be tough.

CNN estimates that Obama has 1,413 pledged delegates and 208 superdelegates for a total of 1,621. Clinton has 1,242 pledged delegates and 237 superdelegates, a total of 1,479. A candidate must have 2,024 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Another question that arises: Can she overtake Obama's lead in popular votes?

In the primaries and caucuses to date, Obama has garnered about 700,000 more popular votes than Clinton.

CNN estimates that about 6 million more people are likely to vote. To overcome Obama's lead, Clinton would have to get 56 percent of those votes.

So how tough will that be? In the 28 primaries in February and March, when the Democratic contest became a two-candidate race, Clinton averaged 46 percent.

She's received 56 percent or more in only four states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island and her current and former home states, New York and Arkansas.

The next state to vote is Pennsylvania on April 22, where CNN's poll of polls shows Clinton leading Obama by 13 percentage points. If you look only at decided voters, Clinton gets just over 56 percent.

West Virginia and Kentucky are heavily rural states with many lower-income voters, which could be good for Clinton, who has done well with similar voters in Ohio and Texas.

Indiana appears to be more of a battleground. Many Indiana voters get their information from media out of Chicago, in Obama's home state of Illinois. The state holds its primary May 6.

North Carolina, with its large African-American population and swath of upscale voters, is Obama's most promising state. Its primary is May 8.

Obama may also do well in Oregon's May 20 primary. The Illinois senator has generally done well in Western states where the traditional Democratic base is small.

If Michigan and Florida were to redo their primaries, Clinton would need to carry 53 percent of the remaining voters.

But even that won't be easy. She's gotten at least 53 percent of the vote in only eight of the 28 primaries since Super Tuesday.

The Clinton campaign has pushed for the votes in Florida and Michigan to count, which could help her catch up in pledged delegates. But Obama wasn't on the ballot in Michigan, and both sides agreed not to campaign in the two states.

On Thursday, Michigan's Senate adjourned without reaching an agreement to schedule a new Democratic primary for June 3.

The Legislature is on recess for two weeks, and by the time lawmakers return, it will probably be too late to approve and organize a new vote.

Clinton and Obama also would have to sign off on the plan. Obama's camp had expressed concern with the proposal, and Clinton blamed him for holding up the re-vote.

Michigan and Florida held primaries in January, but the Democratic National Committee stripped them of their delegates for scheduling their contests too early.

The ultimate decision now could very well rest with the superdelegates: the 800 or so Democratic elected officials, party leaders and other officials.

But the superdelegates are likely to pay a lot of attention to who's ahead in the popular vote and in pledged delegates, a fact that could ultimately help Obama surge to winning the party's nomination.
News Source: CNN

Starbucks ordered to pay $100M in tips

2008-03-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered Starbucks to pay its California baristas more than $100 million in back tips and interest that the coffee chain paid to shift supervisors.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett also issued an injunction that prevents Starbucks' shift supervisors from sharing in future tips, saying state law prohibits managers and supervisors from sharing in employee gratuities.

Starbucks spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil said the company planned an immediate appeal of the ruling, calling it "fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason."

The lawsuit was filed in October 2004 by Jou Chou, a former Starbucks barista in La Jolla, who complained shift supervisors were sharing in employee tips.

The lawsuit gained ground in 2006 when it was granted class-action status, allowing the suit to go forward for as many as 100,000 former and current baristas in the coffee chain's California stores.

It was not immediately clear how many current and former employees are affected by the ruling.

"I feel vindicated," Chou said in a written statement released by attorneys. "Tips really help those receiving the lowest wages. I think Starbucks should pay shift supervisors higher wages instead of taking money from the tip pool."

California is Starbucks' largest U.S. market, with 2,460 stores as of January 8, the latest count available. The Seattle-based company has more than 11,000 stores nationwide.

Starbucks employs more than 135,000 baristas in the U.S. The company did not immediately respond to a request for a head count in California.

The judgment comes as Starbucks is struggling to revive its U.S. business, where store traffic has slipped amid a sagging economy, rising energy and dairy costs, and growing competition from cheaper rivals.

The company's stock has slid more than 50 percent since late 2006, when it was trading close to $40 a share. Starbucks shares rose 3 cents to $17.53 Thursday.

Starbucks earned more than $672 million on revenue of $9.4 billion during its 2007 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.

The judge ordered Starbucks to pay $87 million in back tips, plus interest of $19 million, bringing the total judgment to about $106 million.

The company said it planned to ask the court to stay the ruling while the appeal is pending.

"The decision today, in our view, represents an extreme example of an abuse of the class-action procedures in California's courts," O'Neil said.

The coffee company also took issue with the brevity of the judge's ruling, which was only four paragraphs, saying she failed to address the unfairness to shift supervisors.

"This case was filed by a single former barista and, despite Starbucks request, the interests of the shift supervisors were not represented in litigation," O'Neil said.

But attorney Laura Ho, who tried the baristas case, said the court's verdict follows state law.

"Starbucks illegally took a huge amount of money from the tip pool to pay shift supervisors, rather than paying them out of its own pocket. The court's verdict rightfully restores that money to the baristas," Ho said.
News Source: CNN

Clinton, Obama talk economy, war on the stump

2008-03-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton traded shots Thursday over the former first lady's recently released White House schedule, while also tackling key campaign issues in states holding primaries in May.

Clinton's arrival in Indiana was marked by a warm embrace on a sunny airport tarmac from her highest-profile supporter in the state, Sen. Evan Bayh, who is also the campaign's national chairman.

It was an auspicious start for Clinton in Indiana, which borders Obama's home state of Illinois.

Even so, the campaign is confident that Hoosier voters see Clinton as best equipped to handle the economy, as primary voters did in Ohio on March 4.

"We see Indiana as a very competitive state," Clinton spokesman Doug Hattaway said. "Like Ohio and Pennsylvania, the economy is top issue we see. We feel like voters are in a place where they do see her as the candidate who can turn it around."

Hattaway said Indiana had lost 9,000 manufacturing jobs in the past year and ranked 10th in the nation in home foreclosures.

The campaign sees West Virginia and Kentucky as upcoming contests that could trend toward Clinton because of similar economic and demographic reasons. West Virginia holds its primary May 13; Kentucky votes May 20.

But the issue of Clinton's support of NAFTA, according to the Obama campaign, could cause a problem for voters in these working-class states.

A senior adviser to the Obama campaign said Thursday that newly released White House records, which Obama has urged the senator to release, reveal that Clinton misled voters on her NAFTA position during her time as first lady.

The New York senator "owes an apology to the people of this country," Obama adviser David Axelrod said during a Thursday conference call with reporters.

"This is a question of character," he said, adding that voters "have to wonder if this was one of the reasons she was reluctant to get these records out there on a timely basis."

Obama's campaign used the release of Clinton's White House schedules Wednesday -- which showed her attending NAFTA strategy meetings in advance of its approval by Congress -- to suggest that Clinton had not been telling the truth to voters and that she was a "vocal supporter of NAFTA." Watch more on Clinton's White House records »

Clinton responded Thursday: "At the time, as many people have confirmed ... I spoke out about the concerns about NAFTA," she said. "And now as a candidate for the presidency I have been very clear about what I would do to renegotiate NAFTA. I have been consistent, unlike Sen. Obama, who has not been."

Earlier Thursday, Clinton wasted little time taking on tough policy issues facing the nation. Her first stop was held in a cramped diner in Terre Haute, where she held a roundtable with locals.

"It's outrageous to me that we're more dependent on foreign oil today than we were on 9/11," she said. "And we have just let this go on and on without taking any steps, without holding anybody accountable. ... It just can't continue."

Just east of Clinton's event, Obama appeared at a rally in Charleston, West Virginia, alongside the state's Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Gov. Joe Manchin.

He discussed the effect of war on the economy.

"At a time when we're on the brink of recession, when neighborhoods have 'For Sale' signs outside every home and working families are struggling to keep up with rising costs, ordinary Americans are paying a price for this war as well," Obama said. "It is not the same price as our troops and their families, but it is a price."

His comments come on the same day a Gallup daily tracking poll showed Clinton holding a 7 percentage point lead over the Illinois senator, 49 to 42 percent. That lead is outside the poll's statistical margin of error of 3 points, the widest gap between the two candidates in weeks and the first time Clinton has been in the lead since February.

The poll was conducted March 14-18, almost entirely before Obama gave a widely praised speech on his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah White and race relations in America.

Obama said Wednesday that the recent uproar over his former pastor's sermons has reminded him of the odds he faces in winning the White House

Controversy also swirled around a report in the New York Times that said Clinton's aides may be pushing the Wright issue to woo superdelegates.

"Developments on either side will weigh into people's thinking. That's obviously been a development. ... The superdelegates are going to look at it the way a lot of voters do. Who's going to win this thing? Who is going to make the best president?" Hattaway said.

Another issue plaguing both campaigns was the question of a revote in Michigan, though CNN has confirmed that the state Senate failed to vote on holding a new primary June 3.

It now appears that the state's 157 delegates might not have a say in selecting their party's presidential nominee.

The Legislature is in recess for two weeks, and by the time lawmakers return, it would be too late to approve and organize a new vote.

Shortly after the announcement, the Obama campaign released a statement that said, "we support a fair solution that allows Michigan democrats to participate at our National Convention this summer, and we look forward to working with the Michigan Democratic Party and the DNC to achieve that goal. Senator Obama looks forward to building a winning campaign in Michigan in the fall as our Democratic nominee."

Earlier Thursday, Clinton blasted Obama over his reluctance to approve a primary revote in Michigan.

"I have, as the Democratic National Committee has, come out in favor of any effort to re-vote in Michigan," she said. "I do not understand what Sen. Obama is afraid of."

Michigan and Florida held primaries in January, but the Democratic National Committee stripped them of their delegates for scheduling their contests too early.

Obama has said that he wanted the delegates of Michigan and Florida seated
News Source: CNN

Minnesota bridge ordered closed for safety concerns

2008-03-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Officials in Minnesota have closed a major bridge on the Mississippi River, citing safety concerns, the state's transportation department announced Thursday.

The bridge is about 60 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed August 1, 2007, during the evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injured 145.

"The bridge will remain closed until it either can be repaired, or if repairs are not possible, until the bridge can be replaced," said acting Transportation Commissioner Bob McFarlin.

"The safety of the public is our first and foremost concern. We are taking a conservative approach in closing the bridge until we are absolutely sure it is safe for operation," he added.

A recent inspection showed bending in plates that connect steel beams that support the span.

The 890-foot-long bridge in St. Cloud, Minnesota, was built in 1957. It carries four lanes of traffic and approximately 31,000 vehicles a day.

In the weeks after the August collapse, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker said investigators observed a "design issue" with the bridge's support plates. He didn't elaborate.

The state has since launched a statewide bridge inspection program, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation
News Source: CNN

State Department: Someone snooped in Obama's passport file

2008-03-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- On three occasions since January, Sen. Barack Obama's passport file was looked at by three different contract workers, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

The contractors accessed information in the file in an unauthorized way, he said.

Two contractors were fired and one was disciplined by the contractor's company, McCormack said.

He said the contractors are not linked.

The State Department hires contractors to design, build and maintain their systems and help employees with searches. McCormack said two of the contractors in the Obama case were "low-level" personnel and the other was in a mid-level position with no management role.

The breach seems like "imprudent curiosity" among the contract workers, said McCormack, adding that senior management at the State Department was not aware of the incidents until Thursday afternoon. Breaches occurred January 9, February 21 and March 14.

Obama's campaign is asking for a complete investigation to find out who looked at Obama's passport file and why.

"This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton in a statement.

"Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes."

Doug Hattaway, a spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, said, "If it's true, it's reprehensible, and the Bush administration has a responsibility to get to the bottom of it."

The White House declined comment Thursday evening, just hours after the State Department upper management learned of the breach.

State Department officials say Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was told Thursday what happened and that she told her staff she wanted a full investigation.

The department would not speculate whether the information had been shared with anyone else.

"That obviously is something we are investigating," said Under Secretary of State Pat Kennedy. "I have no reason to believe they did, but I certainly am not going to be dismissive of what is a serious and valid question."

Kennedy said he will brief Obama's senior staff on Friday.

The news was reminiscent of a breach of Bill Clinton's passport information during the 1992 presidential campaign. The FBI launched an investigation after the State Department reported that someone had ripped out pages from his passport file from the late 1960s and '70s.

The department concluded that a search of Clinton's passport records was an attempt to influence the presidential election, reportedly by trying to show that Clinton tried to seek citizenship in another country to avoid the draft. Clinton was running against President George H.W. Bush.

Then-State Department Inspector General Sherman Funk found no evidence the White House ordered department staffers to dig for political dirt in Clinton's passport files. However, Funk said the White House probably knew it was happening.

Sen. Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement late Thursday.

"I am deeply troubled that State Department contract employees sought access to Sen. Barack Obama's passport files. Firing or disciplining those responsible is an important first step. But we need to understand why these employees had access to this information in the first place, why they sought the information, and why it took over two months for this matter to come to light. I urge the Secretary of State to promptly refer this matter to the State Department Inspector General for investigation."
News Source: CNN

Woman dies after ray strikes her

2008-03-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A woman on a boat died after a spotted eagle ray leaped from the water off the Florida Keys Thursday and struck her, officials said.

The force of the blow pushed the woman backward and she died when she hit her head on the boat deck, officials said.

"It's just as freakish of an accident as I have heard," said Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "The chances of this occurring are so remote that most of us are completely astonished that this happened."

The commission identified the woman as Judy Kay Zagorski, 57, of Pigeon, Michigan.

The woman was seated or standing in the front of the boat as her husband piloted the vessel at about 25 mph out of a channel, Pino said. "The ray just actually popped up in front of the vessel," he said. "The father had not even a second to react. It was too late. It happened instantly and the woman fell backwards and, unfortunately, died as a result of the collision."

The accident happened off the coast of Marathon, about an hour's drive south of Miami. The woman, who was with her husband and children, was taken to the Mariner Hospital in Tavernier, where she was pronounced dead.
News Source: CNN

Inspector charged in deadly NYC crane collapse

2008-03-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) -- A city inspector has been charged with lying about checking on a construction crane that collapsed 11 days later, killing seven people in a dense Manhattan neighborhood.

Members of emergency services units remove debris from the site of the crane collapse on Monday

Edward Marquette, 46, was arraigned and released without bail Thursday on charges of falsifying business records and offering a false instrument for filing.

"We will not tolerate this kind of behavior at the Department of Buildings," buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster said at a news conference. "I do not and will not tolerate any misconduct in my department."

Marquette, who earns $52,283 a year as an inspector in the department's division of cranes and derricks, was arrested Wednesday night, said Barbara Thompson, spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney.

Marquette, dressed casually in a black leather jacket, said nothing during his arraignment in state Supreme Court. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison. His lawyer, Kate Moguletscu, had no comment.

The Department of Buildings said Marquette conducted about 500 inspections in the past six months.

The 20-story crane broke away Saturday from an apartment tower under construction and toppled over, killing six construction workers and a visitor in town for St. Patrick's Day.

A complaint about the crane was logged March 4 to a city hot line, officials said, and Marquette said he inspected it. It was later determined he had not.

Lancaster said it is very unlikely that a March 4 inspection would have prevented the accident because parts of the crane that failed 11 days later were not on site then. The crane was inspected the day before the collapse, she said. Watch rescue crews remove crane wreckage »

In addition to suspending Marquette, Lancaster said, she has ordered a full audit of his inspection reports over the past six months.

The New York City crane collapse created a blocklong swath of destruction not far the United Nations, pulverizing a four-story brownstone and damaging at least seven other buildings.

The gigantic piece of machinery toppled over when a six-ton steel collar used to secure the crane to the building came loose, plunging into another collar that acted as an anchor. Without that support, the spindly structure tumbled with terrifying force.

The collapse followed weeks of complaints by neighbors that the crane didn't appear safe. Bruce Silberblatt -- a retired contractor who called in the complaint that the crane might not be sufficiently braced against the building -- said the arrest stunned him.

"My first reaction was astonishment. My second reaction is anger that a person would have the gall to do this," said Silberblatt, vice president of the Turtle Bay Neighborhood Association.

City officials would not discuss why Marquette failed to do the inspection.

Investigators first interviewed him Sunday and got a copy of his route sheet. He told them that he had conducted the March 4 inspection and that it revealed no problems with the crane.

Marquette was also listed in city records as having responded to a January 22 complaint by another caller who complained about the safety of workers assembling the crane. Marquette said in his report, filed two days later, that he examined the crane and found no violation.

Other safety complaints were called in by neighbors January 10 and February 11, according to city records.

The contractor, Reliance Construction Group owner Stephen Kaplan, declined to comment on the arrest and referred inquiries to a company spokesman, who did not immediately return a phone message.

A publicist for the East 51st Development Company, which owns the site, said the developers had no comment.

Residents said they weren't surprised by the arrest.

"It makes me very suspicious of the whole situation. I'd like to feel that it's safe to live in this neighborhood with all the construction going on," Sandra Graham said. "If he's been arrested, I think he should be made an example of."
News Source: CNN

Purported bin Laden message: Iraq is 'perfect base'

2008-03-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Al-Jazeera broadcast on Thursday an audiotape on which a voice identified as Osama bin Laden declares "Iraq is the perfect base to set up the jihad to liberate Palestine."

Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden spoke on a video released by al Qaeda in September.

The voice calls on "Muslims in neighboring countries" to "do their best in supporting their mujahedeen brothers in Iraq."

"My speech to you is about the siege of Gaza and the way to liberate it," he said.

"The Gaza siege is a direct result of Annapolis," he adds, apparently referring to the site of November's summit in Annapolis, Maryland, where Israeli and Palestinian leadership agreed to work toward a two-state plan.

He accused Arabs who supported the plan of having become "partners in this horrendous crime."

And he predicted, "Palestine will be restored to us, with God's permission, when we wake up from our slumber and adhere to our faith and sacrifice our souls and belongings for it."

The speaker called for armed revolt in the Middle East.

"Palestine and its people have been suffering from too much bitterness for almost a century now on the hands of the Christians and the Jews. And both parties didn't take Palestine from us by negotiations and dialogue, but with arms and fire, and this is the only way to take it back," he said. Though the voice sounds like bin Laden, CNN has not been able to confirm that it is him. However, a radical Islamist Web site reported earlier Wednesday that a statement from bin Laden was coming soon.

The notice appeared on Al-Ekhlaas, known for carrying statements and videos from al Qaeda and its allies.

Analysis of previous statements has indicated that bin Laden was the speaker, and a U.S. intelligence official said there was no reason to think the recorded voice was not bin Laden's.

The broadcast comes a day after another statement attributed to the al Qaeda leader condemned European countries for siding with the United States in Afghanistan and for allowing the publication of cartoons considered insulting to Islam's prophet, Mohammed.

"This is the greater and more serious tragedy, and the reckoning for it will be more severe," the speaker in the five-minute audio recording says.

The speaker said Muslims have not responded by mocking Jesus, whom they consider a prophet as well.

"The laws of men which clash with the legislation of Allah the Most High are null and void, aren't sacred and don't matter to us," he said.

The speaker dismissed claims of free speech in his statement, citing European countries' laws against denying the existence of the Holocaust.

Bin Laden also said in his earlier message that "the crownless king in Riyadh" -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah -- could have prevented the publication of the cartoons "if it mattered to him."

"If there is no check on the freedom of your words, then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our actions," he said.

Bin Laden, who was behind the terrorist network's September 11 attacks, has been in hiding since the U.S. assault on Afghanistan that followed those strikes.

His last public statement was an audio message issued in December, when he urged his followers in Iraq to continue battling U.S. troops there.

Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The latest statement included no date reference beyond the cartoon controversy, which began in late 2005 when a Danish newspaper published a dozen cartoons about Islam, including one that depicted Mohammed wearing a turban resembling a bomb.

Violent protests erupted in early 2006 after other European newspapers reprinted the images as a matter of free speech.

Some Muslims believe it is forbidden by the Quran to show an image of the prophet at all, and others were offended that the cartoon by artist Kurt Westergaard appeared to depict Mohammed as a terrorist.

Westergaard said he wanted his cartoon to say that some people exploited the prophet to legitimize terror.

Several newspapers in Denmark reprinted the controversial cartoons in February after Danish authorities arrested several people who were said to be plotting a "terror-related assassination" of the cartoonist.

That sparked violent protests in three Afghan cities this month, with Muslim students burning flags and chanting anti-Western statements.

The message said the publication of the drawings in question "came in the framework of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican has played a large, lengthy role."

Pope Benedict is scheduled to visit the United States next month, with scheduled stops at the White House, the United Nations and Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers stood until al Qaeda's attack.

Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne of the New York City Police Department said the department "has been working closely with the United States Secret Service to provide the highest level of protection possible" during the Pope's visit to New York.
News Source: CNN

Magnitude 7.2 quake, Hit China

2008-03-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- A total of four earthquakes -- the strongest of them a powerful 7.2 magnitude quake -- hit western China on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The Chinese Seismological Network also reported the quakes -- estimating the initial quake at 7.3 on the Richter scale and reporting a fifth tremor about two hours afterward. The network uses the Richter scale to measure quake intensity rather than magnitude.

There were no immediate reports of damage or fatalities, a spokeswoman for the seismological network said. She said the quake happened in Yutian County, a remote region in the Kunlun Mountains far from any residential areas.

The quakes hit the border area of western China's Xinjiang and Xizang regions starting at about 6:30 a.m. local time, according to the USGS. Their epicenters were all at least six miles under the Earth's surface.

The last aftershock hit the area more than an hour later.

The USGS considers earthquakes between 7.0 and 7.9 to be "major" earthquakes.

The temblor was followed about 17 minutes later by a magnitude-5.3 aftershock, according to the USGS. The two that followed were magnitude 5.5 and magnitude 4.8
News Source: CNN

Sixth Pay Commission Set to Go

2008-03-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Central government staff and officers, along with their counterparts in defence and paramilitary forces, have a reason to paint the town red on Holi — the Sixth Central Pay Commission is set to hand them a hike of up to 52%, if read along with their house rent allowance (HRA).

The report is likely to be submitted to Finance Minister P Chidambaram by panel chairman Justice B N Srikrishna any day after the festival of colours, possibly as early as Tuesday.

Higher housing and transport allowances may be the icing on the cake, though there could be only a modest hike in city compensatory allowance.

Indications are that a secretary to the government will have a basic salary of Rs 80,000 a month (up from Rs 26,000 with 50% merged dearness pay and 47% DA).

The Cabinet Secretary, the country's seniormost officer, is likely to have a basic of Rs 90,000 (up from Rs 30,000 with 50% merged dearness pay and 47% DA).

The across-the-board hike could be paler compared to the pay commission's fifth edition (1997), the best bounty so far, as the proposed quantum of hike now is a few percentage points (just around 0.40) lower. But the good news is that a government employee could, sources said, now look forward to higher annual increments, besides the regular addition of DA, which is now an annual average of 12%.

There is, however, the possibility of a fresh rationalisation of DA rates (decided on the basis of consumer price index) because of the upward scaling of salaries.

The increase in city compensatory allowance (maximum Rs 300 at present) may also not be substantial. The bounty for senior officers, sources said, could have been more attractive had the President's monthly salary not been fixed at Rs 1 lakh recently.

As expected, the commission may slash the number of scales to 18 from the present 33, to facilitate accounting and uniformity across various employees and officers.

A likely implication for senior officers in A1 cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) could be that government accommodation might not seem as attractive as before because their HRA may rise substantially.

At the minimum entry level (Group 'D'), a government employee is likely to get Rs 8,000 now while the highest starting pay in non-gazetted grade (Group 'C') could be Rs 20,000.

The expected starting pay for gazetted Group 'A' and Group 'B' officers could be Rs 26,000 and Rs 22,000 respectively.

Pay at the highest government (secretary) level is likely to be Rs 80,000. At present, a Group 'A' officer gets around Rs 18,000 at entry (12% HRA in A1 cities is extra). These scales would have higher annual increments.
Source: Times Of India