CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — NASA is moving up the unveiling of the first humanoid robot in space.
Space station astronaut Catherine Coleman said Friday everyone wants to get R2, the robot, out as soon as possible. R2 flew to the International Space Station aboard Discovery.
In a phone call Thursday, President Barack Obama teased the astronauts for waiting to unpack the …
President Barack Obama demanded that BP set up a compensation fund for the oil-tainted Gulf Coast and prepared for his first Oval Office address to the nation as he tried to get a handle on the environmental disaster threatening to overwhelm his administration.
White House officials announced the steps Sunday as Obama prepared for his fourth visit to the tortured Gulf. They came at a pivotal moment in the catastrophe, with the enormity of the oil spill in sharper focus from more accurate measurements and no end in sight until relief wells are completed in August.
That means the nation must settle in for a long, hot summer of oil and gas spewing relentlessly …
I think there's something wrong with me, beyond the usual stuff.
I've tried very hard to play along for almost three weeks now, but I simply can't figure out why the injured racehorse Barbaro is still such a topic of global intrigue. He (it's a "he") has reportedly received thousands of e-mails, and is still covered daily in newspapers. But that's not all.
Take the last line in a recent New York Times editorial by Jane Schwartz: "Perhaps the real miracle-the one that matters to all of us, whether we know it or not-is that so many of us are still capable of caring so much." Now stick your muzzle in this one, which capped an AP story that ran internationally last week: …
Rocket and mortar attacks in Iraq have decreased to their lowest levels in more than 21 months, the U.S. military said Monday.
Last month saw 369 "indirect fire" attacks _ the lowest number since February 2006. October's total was half of what it was in the same month a year ago. And it marked the third month in a row of sharply reduced insurgent activity, the military said.
The U.S. command issued the tallies a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said suicide attacks and other bombings in Baghdad also have dropped dramatically, calling it an end of sectarian violence.
A top U.S. general said he believed the drop was …
Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it will further cut vehicle production in North America as it adjusts to plunging automobile demand.
Tokyo-based Honda is reducing production by another 119,000 vehicles for its fiscal year ending March 31, bringing expected production for the fiscal year to 1.3 million units.
Honda spokesman Ed Miller said the cuts will take place at five of Honda's seven plants in the U.S. and Canada. Employees at the plants will be given other tasks or can take paid or unpaid vacation time, he said. No layoffs will result from the cuts, he said.
Another Honda spokesman, Ron Lietzke, said production will be scaled back at the …
Eight months into a tumultuous year, J. Walter Thompson Co. isstarting to put its house in order, and a reorganization involvingthe Chicago office management is a major step.
As expected, Alan Webb has been named general manager ofJWT/Chicago, succeeding Donald G. Sullivan. Webb, 47, is anexecutive vice president of the advertising agency and for the pastyear has been one of two executive creative directors, sharingresponsibility for the department with John Scott.
Sullivan is taking the new title of vice chairman of JWT/USA,responsible for new business and agency marketing programs. Sullivanwill be operating out of New York, but he will be commuting from …
DULUTH, Minn. - The case against Jammie Thomas is expected to go to jurors today. Six major record companies accuse Thomas, 30, of sharing 1,702 songs online in violation of the companies' copyrights. The record companies claim they found the songs on a Kazaa file-sharing account they later linked to her.
After two days of testimony from 11 witnesses, the defense rested without calling anyone to the stand, and closing arguments in the civil trial are scheduled for this morning.
U.S. District Judge Michael Davis said he would decide then whether the record companies would have to prove the songs were actually transferred to any other users for jurors to find Thomas liable. …
The shareholder vote approving a tycoon's $2 billion bid to buy out a major Hong Kong telecom company was clearly manipulated, a court said Monday.
A buyout team led by PCCW Chairman Richard Li was forced to abandon plans to take the company private after a Hong Kong appeals court rejected the deal last month.
In doing so, the court sided with the local securities watchdog, which claimed half a million PCCW shares were doled out by a local businessman connected to Li as part of an effort to sway votes in favor of the offer.
"There was a clear manipulation of the vote," Judge Anthony Rogers, part of the …
NAPLES, Fla. Former Sen. Paul E. Tsongas lashed out Saturday atGov. Bill Clinton, saying Clinton's false and negative ads helpeddefeat him in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Tsongas, speaking before the American Association of Advertisingagencies' annual meeting here, called for advertising leaders to helpform a "watchdog group" to monitor political advertising with thegoal of reducing false and negative ads.
Tsongas said that in his campaign, he was "being defined bynegative advertising, most of it misleading, by my opponent. . . .That's what was killing us."
Though the press would write that the ads were misleading, hesaid, that …
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan army: Senior officer …
U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy is blasting the news media as "despicable," accusing it of ignoring the war in Afghanistan even as troops continue to die there.
The Rhode Island Democrat shouted, pointed and waved his arms excitedly during a speech on the House floor Wednesday on U.S. policy in Afghanistan.
He chastised the media for focusing "24/7" on …
A woman who attacked another in a Street shopping centre,whipping her repeatedly to the head and body with a dog lead, hasbeen warned she could face a prison sentence.
Karis Anne Brooks also attempted to headbutt the defencelessvictim and then punched her several times to the head and bodyduring the incident which was captured in its entirety on CCTV.
When the victim was later identified from video footage she saidshe only received minor injuries and the matter was proceeded withby police in spite of her declining to make an official complaint.
Brooks, aged 24, of Park Close, Street, was brought before SouthSomerset Magistrates in custody this week after failing to turn upfor her last court hearing.
She pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insultingwords or behaviour causing someone to fear for their safety atStreet on November 10 last year along with a bail act offence.
Chris Ansell, prosecuting, said that the attack occurred outsidethe Tesco store in the Crispin Centre in Street and was caught byCCTV operators.
"They saw a female wearing a white coat who was Brooks and sheattempted to headbutt another female in the face and then punchedher several times in the face and body," he said.
"The victim then tried to fight back but Brooks grabbed her hairand pulled her to the ground and then whipped her a number of timeson the head and body with a dog lead. She walked away but thenreturned and whipped her with the lead again.
"The victim was identified and found to have minor injuries butdeclined to comment on the incident or make a complaint."
Defending solicitor Chris Ivory said that Brooks had lived in theGlastonbury and Street area for the past 14 years and had closecommunity links with the area.
After hearing of the severity of the assault the magistratesadjourned the case to March 17 for a pre sentence report to beprepared telling the defendant that she could be facing the prospectof a custodial sentence.
Until then she was released on bail with conditions that she mustnot attend the Crispin Centre in Street; must not be found drunk ina public place; must live and sleep at her home address and must co-operate with the Probation Service and attend all appointments.
Reverse engineering - taking products apart to learn how they work - can be a valuable design training exercise.
WHEN APPLE'S iPHONE first came out in June 2007, eager customers lined up for days to get their hands on one. But not everyone shelled out $599 so they could call friends and surf the Web on the portable device: Some people bought one just so they could take it apart. They immediately started blogging about the components and how the devices were assembled, the design choices Apple made and what the parts cost.
These curious gadget freaks were engaging in reverse engineering, a common practice in industry wherein companies tear down competitors' products in order to figure out their secrets.
Over the past two decades, engineering professors have been bringing the practice into the classroom. Currently, about 30 universities have integrated the method into their teaching, says Sheri Sheppard, a professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the Center for Design Research at Stanford University. By disassembling simple machines like bicycles, kitchen appliances, power tools and toys, students get hands-on experience with various parts that helps them when they begin designing products of their own.
Sheppard's first experience with reverse engineering came during her graduate school days at the University of Michigan. She had a job at Chrysler, and the company sent its new hires to mechanics school for three months. There, she learned how to take apart and rebuild engines, transmissions, and brake systems, something she had not done as an undergraduate. "It made me realize how much you learn through the kinesthetics of touching stuff," she says. "Your ability to reason about those things in the abstract is so much more powerful if you've actually touched the systems on which you're going to do engineering."
Bicycles and Fishing Reels
WHEN SHE JOINED the Stanford faculty, Sheppard began integrating reverse engineering into her freshman- and sophomore-level classes. She called it "mechanical dissection" to make an analogy to medicine. Instead of dissecting cadavers, though, the engineering students took apart bicycles and fishing reels.
Sheppard also encouraged the students to see the products through the eyes of the consumer. For example, she would invite a skilled angler to teach the students how to use the reel, and they'd try out different brands. That way, once the students took the reels apart, they could see that the "same external function can be gotten with different mechanisms inside," she says.
Sometimes, students learn the opposite lesson from their teardowns. Tim Simpson, a mechanical and industrial engineering professor and director of the Learning Fanory at Pennsylvania State University, has his students take apart families of products, such as coffeemakers and single-use cameras. The students are often surprised to see that the products are very similar inside - the same basic structure with different features added.
For many engineering students, a classroom exercise in mechanical dissection might be the first time they've ever taken something apart. Nowadays, fewer students enter college with any hands-on experience with technology, Simpson says. They've spent most of their time on the computer and have lost that intuitive sense of working with tangible things.
As such, students must learn how to dissect a gadget without destroying it. A reverse engineering exercise gives students the opportunity to learn how to measure performance, make drawings and sketches, and communicate technical information. Sheppard asks her students to write an instruction manual for the product, which then gets critiqued by non-engineering students.
Reassembly, Redesign
AND IN THE END, the students must put the products back together. When his students take apart engines and bicycles, Simpson says, "the final exam is that the bike has to be ride-able, and the engine has to start again." The reassembled products are used again for the following year's classes.
Sheppard feels that having to reassemble the products fosters a pride in workmanship. "I really stress respect for stuff and giving it back to me in better condition than you received it," she says. "If you recognize that you'll have to put it back together, you think more deeply about how you take it apart."
In Robert Stone's senior-level design methods course at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, students not only disassemble products but also redesign them. They choose a component that can be improved, prototype a new version of that part, and put it back in. For example, one team designed wider openings for a vacuum cleaner so it could suck in debris from corners. Another rearranged the controls on a bagel toaster so it was easier to use and adjusted its timing cycle so it toasted better.
"It's an opportunity to climb into the head of whoever built the thing, which is always informative," says Kerry Poppa, who graduated from Missouri S&T's interdisciplinary engineering program in 2007, focusing on product design. "You always find things you didn't expect to find."
Analyzing a product in detail lays bare the design choices and tradeoffs that are made, not just for engineering reasons but for targeting particular markets. "You get an appreciation for the fact that engineered products are simultaneously much better and much worse than you expected," Poppa says. "It's interesting to see inside things and say, 'These two are 98 percent the same, but I perceive this one to be a very high quality product and this one to be a very cheap product,' and think about why."
Giving students a product to improve upon helps students see the endpoint of design, says Kris Wood, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin who wrote a textbook on reverse engineering with co-author Kevin Otto, formerly of MIT. "When you're able to start with a product and evolve it, which happens in a lot of companies, you're able to see the results quicker, which helps students to learn," he says. In a traditional design course, where students create something from scratch, "nine months later you're finally building your prototypes in a lot of classes. We're able to see those results in weeks or a month or two," Wood says.
Teaching product dissection requires workspace, storage space, tools, and extra help from teaching assistants - the challenges of running any type of lab component, Sheppard says. And of course, there is the cost of all the products students will be tearing down. Campus police departments are good sources of free, abandoned bikes. Companies that make power tools, cameras, small appliances, or toys sometimes donate products to the classes. With a $20-per-student budget, a trip to WalMart can yield many interesting things to reverse-engineer.
If a lack of resources prevents students from doing a hands-on exercise, a product dissection can be done as a demonstration in front of the class. For larger, more expensive products like a refrigerator, car - even an airplane - the hope is to develop virtual representations for students to analyze, Simpson says. "It would allow you to span the scale from very small, cheap, low-end consumer goods to a billiondollar system," Simpson says.
Last year, Simpson and Stone received grants from the National Science Foundation to capture product dissection case studies and store them online. The repository, in the form of a wiki (http:http://gicl. cs.drexel.edu/wiki/Category:Disassembly_notes), contains photos, 3D models, diagrams, and documentation for various products. The case studies could be used as reference materials for actual hands-on dissections or simply studied as virtual dissections.
Reverse engineering has long been upheld as a legitimate way to reveal a product's trade secrets. "As long as you're not trying to reproduce it or make it yourself, you're not infringing on anybody's copyright or intellectual property," Simpson says. Besides, taking something apart doesn't provide all the information needed to recreate it. "We can measure a part and see what the final fabricated dimensions are, but we don't know what the tolerances are," he says. "We can take a guess at what the material is, but we don't know exactly."
Mechanical dissection doesn't replace traditional design pedagogies, but instead complements them. "The reality is that very little design is actually new design," Sheppard says. "Very good designers have this catalog in their brain of stuff - of mechanisms, of devices, of machine elements." Dissection helps students build that mental catalog, which they can order from in the future.
[Sidebar]
"The reality is that very little design is actually new design."
-Sheri Sheppard, mechanical engineering professor at Stanford University
[Author Affiliation]
Corinna Wu is a freelance writer based in Oakland, Calif.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The legal fight over California's same-sex marriage ban went before a federal appeals court Monday in a televised hearing that reached a nationwide TV audience anxious for a final decision on whether the measure violates the U.S. Constitution.
The hearing before a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also focused on whether supporters of voter-approved Proposition 8 have legal standing to challenge a lower court ruling that the ban was unconstitutional.
Attorney Charles Cooper, who represents sponsors of the ban, argued the state could treat same-sex couples differently when it comes to marriage without running afoul of the Constitution because "sexual relationships between men and women naturally produce children."
"Society has no particular interest in a platonic relationship between a man and a woman no matter how close it might be, or emotional relationships between other people as well, but when the relationship becomes a sexual one, society has a considerable interest in that," Cooper told the judges. "It's vital interests are actually threatened by the possibility of an unintentional and unwanted pregnancy."
Judge Stephen Reinhardt replied: "That sounds like a good argument for prohibiting divorce. But how does it relate to having two males and two females marry each other and raise children as they can in California and form a family unit where children have a happy, healthy home?"
The telecast attracted widespread attention for the issue after the court announced last month it had granted permission to televise live, federal proceedings on the case for the first time.
The January trial over Proposition 8 had been slated for broadcast on YouTube and at other federal courthouses. But the ban's backers objected, and the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the plan.
It's not unusual for the 9th Circuit to allow the televising of such hearings. It recently allowed a hearing on Arizona's controversial immigration law to be aired.
The issue of whether sponsors have legal standing in the case surfaced after outgoing California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both refused to challenge the ruling that overturned the ban. Schwarzenegger and Brown would have been responsible for enforcing the ban.
Cooper contended the coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored Proposition 8 should be allowed to appeal because of the moves by Brown and Schwarzenegger. However, his claim met skepticism by Judge N. Randy Smith.
"There is no question the attorney general has a duty to defend all the causes the state or any state official is a party in," Smith said. "Did you ever seek an injunction or an order or anything suggesting the attorney general should appeal and appeal?"
The panel of judges also grilled a lawyer representing Imperial County, which has sought to defend Proposition 8 if the appeals court determines the measure's backers do not have standing.
Judge Michael Hawkins repeatedly asked attorney Robert Tyler why his primary client was a deputy county clerk, not the elected clerk herself.
The panel appeared dubious about whether the ban's supporters were qualified to appeal but also seemed worried about allowing the governor and attorney general to effectively kill Proposition 8 by refusing to defend it.
"If the state does not defend it, it's just tossing in the towel," Judge Reinhardt said. "The governor is not allowed to veto this measure, but he can in effect veto it."
Plaintiffs attorney David Boies argued that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that only parties with "a personal, concrete and particularized interest" in a case have authority to seek appeals court review.
Neither Imperial County nor the sponsors of Proposition 8 satisfy those conditions because marriage laws are a state function, Boies said.
Opponents of Proposition 8 contend it violates the due process and equal protection rights of gays and lesbians under the U.S. Constitution by denying them the right to marry the person of their choice and by singling them out for disparate treatment without a legitimate rationale.
Proposition 8's sponsors maintain that U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ignored U.S. Supreme Court precedents when he overturned the measure earlier this year.
Lawyers on both sides have said if they lose in front of the 9th Circuit they will take the case to the Supreme Court.
The televised hearing attracted large audiences at community centers catering to gays across the country. Law schools nationwide piped the proceedings into classrooms and auditoriums on campus.
The broadcast also rekindled debate over allowing cameras in the courtroom. The U.S. Supreme Court steadfastly refuses to allow televised broadcasts of its proceedings. A majority of the high court fear lawyers will grandstand in front of cameras, eroding the quality of oral arguments.
Before he retired and died, Chief Justice William Rehnquist also said he was concerned with the editing process. He feared that justices caught yawning or scratching their noses while sitting on the bench could be portrayed unfairly, taking away some of the court's dignity.
Yet, the U.S. Supreme Court's positions is increasingly becoming the exception rather than the rule. The 9th Circuit, for instance, occasionally allows broadcasts of its hearings.
Many state courts also allow televised broadcasts of hearings.
The California Supreme Court televises many of its oral arguments on a specialized government channel and allows mainstream television stations to broadcast cases with public interests.
___
Associated Press writer Paul Elias contributed to this report.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - California's attorney general said Tuesday that Hewlett-Packard insiders are likely to face criminal charges, putting a damper on the news HP was reshuffling its board because of the scandal surrounding its efforts to root out media leaks.
"We currently have sufficient evidence to indict people both within Hewlett-Packard Co. as well as contractors on the outside," Lockyer said in an interview aired late Tuesday on PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."
The statement from Lockyer, who had already concluded that HP's probe broke some California laws, came on the day the company announced that Chairwoman Patricia Dunn would step down in January and be replaced by CEO Mark Hurd.
While defending the need for an investigation, Dunn said she regretted that private investigators hired by the company impersonated HP directors and journalists to access their personal phone logs
Hurd, who has the respect of Wall Street and is untainted by the investigation at the Palo Alto-based computer and printer maker, will take over, vowing that the probe's methods "have no place in HP." HP's stock rose to a 52-week high.
It was another chaotic day in a scandal that has rocked Silicon Valley's biggest and oldest technology company, led to investigations by state and federal authorities, and raised questions about one of the most powerful women in corporate America.
Dunn will remain on the board after giving up the top job on Jan. 18. Hurd will add chairman to his existing positions of chief executive and president.
Director George "Jay" Keyworth II, who acknowledged sharing company information with reporters, resigned from the board Tuesday after refusing to do so in May.
Some analysts said Dunn's demotion sent a message to investors that HP was ready to move on, while others said she should have been removed completely.
"She needed to go - she had become a liability to the company whether she liked it or not," said Morningstar analyst Mark Lanyon. "But just removing her from the chairperson role and keeping her on the board is a half-measure at best and probably not appropriate.
"There are still legal matters that could come down on the company," he said, "and the issue is still festering with her there."
Roger Kay, who follows HP as president of the market research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates, had a different take.
"I think the fact that they made the statement that she's going to leave solves most of the problem," he said. "I don't think it's that material precisely when she leaves."
The pressure on Dunn to step down rose sharply when Congress and federal investigators joined the probe of the scandal involving HP's Board of Directors
On Monday, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney for Northern California and the House Energy and Commerce Committee all requested information on HP's investigation, which was already the subject of inquiries by the state attorney general, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
HP's stock, meanwhile, remained immune to the spying scandal. It continued a steady climb that began not long after the company revealed the questionable tactics of its leak investigation in a regulatory filing last week.
Shares of Hewlett-Packard Co. rose 56 cents, or 1.54 percent, to close at $36.92 on the New York Stock Exchange. They fell 27 cents in after hours trading. Before Tuesday, they had traded in a 52-week range of $25.53 to $36.73.
Frank Gillett, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, said the market seems unfazed by the problems on HP's board.
"I'm not hearing anything or seeing anything that makes me concerned about the success of the products," he said.
Hurd has won praise from Wall Street for a cost-cutting campaign that will have cut some 15,000 jobs by the end of this quarter.
"It makes perfect sense to give (Hurd) the chairmanship," Kay said. "He has the character, personality and chops to do it. I can't think of anyone else you would want to run the company at this point."
Hurd said in a statement he was "taking action to ensure that inappropriate investigative techniques will not be employed again. They have no place in HP," he said. The company declined to provide details about the future safeguards.
Dunn was angry about media leaks of confidential board discussions and commissioned an unnamed outside firm to identify their source. The investigators used Social Security numbers and other personal information to get phone companies to turn over detailed logs of home phone calls of reporters and company directors.
At a board meeting in May, Dunn identified Keyworth as the source of a January article on CNET Networks Inc.'s News.com. The board asked Keyworth, 66, to resign, but he refused. HP then barred him from seeking re-election.
Keyworth said Tuesday that he was often asked to be HP's liaison to the press, and that he believed he was acting in the company's best interest when he spoke to News.com.
"The invasion of my privacy and that of others was ill-conceived and inconsistent with HP's values," Keyworth said in a statement.
The attempt to oust him last spring riled another board member, longtime Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tom Perkins, 74, who resigned and stormed out of the May 18 meeting.
His attorney later revealed that Perkins' home phone calls had also been compromised. At least nine journalists, including reporters for The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times and News.com, also had their personal calls monitored.
Dunn defended the need to investigate the leaks, saying Tuesday that they had the potential to hurt HP's stock. But she apologized for the techniques of the probe, which included "pretexting" in which one poses as someone else to access their personal information. While commonly used by private investigators, it's barred by state law and is the subject of a Congressional inquiry.
"Unfortunately, the investigation, which was conducted with third parties, included certain inappropriate techniques," Dunn said in a statement. "These went beyond what we understood them to be, and I apologize that they were employed."
Perkins, Keyworth and Dunn were all in a conciliatory mood Tuesday, saying HP's focus should now be on moving forward with Hurd at the helm.
"I believe in HP. I believe in Mark Hurd," said Perkins, adding through a spokesman that he would not return to the HP board if asked. "This too shall pass."
As nonexecutive chairwoman, Dunn was a relative rarity in the corporate world, where CEOs often also serve as the leaders of their boards. Corporate governance watchdogs have long argued that separating the two positions is a necessary balance of power.
Though her independence helped her deal with thorny management conflicts, experts say the HP board was left with little choice but to replace Dunn with a stabilizing force like Hurd.
"This is one situation where it didn't work," said Patrick McGurn, executive vice president at Institutional Shareholder Services, an advisory firm. "This is a cautionary tale that directors should set well-defined ground rules and rules of engagement in the boardroom."
Mark Redman threw a five-hitter to win for the first time in sevenstarts and John Buck hit an RBI double to lead the Kansas City Royalspast the host Minnesota Twins 2-0 Tuesday night.
Redman (8-8) allowed five hits, struck out three and walked none,keeping the Twins off balance with pitches as fast as 84 mph and asslow as 64.
Minnesota lost its second in a row and third in eight games,falling to 5oe games behind Detroit in the AL Central and a half-game behind the White Sox in the wild-card race.
In the fifth, Emil Brown and Ryan Shealy hit one-out singlesbefore Buck doubled off the center-field wall, driving in Brown.Shealy scored on a groundout by Andres Blanco.
Minnesota's Matt Garza (1-3) allowed five hits and two earned runsin 7* innings.
ATHLETICS 2, RED SOX 1: Frank Thomas scored from first on a fourth-inning double by Eric Chavez that broke a scoreless tie, and KirkSaarloos (7-6) matched Boston's Josh Beckett and earned his fourthstraight win for host Oakland.
The Red Sox sent their top three sluggers back to Boston formedical tests, with Manny Ramirez and Wily Mo Pena joining DavidOrtiz. Ramirez has a sore right knee, Pena has soreness in his leftwrist and Ortiz is scheduled for more heart tests that are expectedto take a few days.
RANGERS 9, ORIOLES 4: Kevin Millwood pitched his second completegame and Mark Teixeira hit a tiebreaking homer for host Texas.
The Orioles' Corey Patterson, who stole his 40th base, had toleave in the second with a sprained right shoulder. X-rays werenegative.
INDIANS 5, BLUE JAYS 2: C.C. Sabathia pitched his major league-leading fifth complete game and Travis Hafner hit his 40th homer ashost Cleveland beat Toronto.
MARINERS 6, ANGELS 4: Chris Snelling hit two of Seattle's foursolo homers off Jered Weaver and the host Mariners won their season-high sixth straight game.
YANKEES, TIGERS POSTPONED: Tuesday night's game at New York waspostponed by rain and rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheadertoday.
They made it: With days to spare before Friday's scheduledadjournment, Gov. Ryan and legislative leaders reached a budget dealthat includes $350 million in tax cuts and $260 million for localspending projects. There is something for everyone. But lawmakersshould not be too pleased with themselves as they head home to startcampaigning for the November elections. Most voters should recognizethis budget for what it is: an election-year gimmick designed to buyvotes.
Consider: The $46.5 billion spending package includes a first-ever property tax rebate. Homeowners will receive a check for up to$300, timed to arrive sometime before Election Day. Paid for withmoney from the tobacco suit settlement, this provides no meaningfullong-term tax relief.
More positively, the measure does include an earned income taxcredit for the working poor, modeled after the popular federalprogram. The state credit will amount to 5 percent of the federal taxcredit, or about $58 for a parent earning $25,000 a year with onechild. And for senior citizens, the budget includes a $35 millionexpansion of the Circuit Breaker program to help the elderly poor buymedicine and get their license plates at a discount.
We are all for tax cuts, especially in boom times like these.Property owners deserve tax relief, but the responsible way toprovide it is through a tax system that spreads the burden forsupporting public schools.
With reference to your article 'Date for Tesco opening at last'in the Chronicle of November 20, I would like to point out thatyour last paragraph stating the 'opposition to the Bathwick Storecentred on fears that it would drive existing shops out of business'is incorrect.
Yes, there are residents who have concerns about the future ofBathwick Stores which is in direct competition with Tesco. BathwickStores provides a friendly and personal service to shoppers - onlytime will tell if Tesco can offer the same level of service.
However, the residents' association and concerned members of ourcommunity have centred their objections on concerns about traffic,parking and pedestrian access.
We will monitor the situation as there is already a problem withtraffic, including cyclists speeding over the canal bridge by Tescowhere there is limited visibility.
Pedestrians have already been injured and killed crossing theroad here, and we feel that traffic-calming measures need to beintroduced. The free parking on the road in the area is very limitedso the leaflet Tesco has circulated advertising free parking couldbe considered misleading.
One of our concerns is that number of shoppers who stop to 'pop-in for a few things' will end up double parking or parkingdangerously.
Also the constant coming and going will raise the chances ofanother serious accident there.
SARAH TRIMMER (on behalf of the Bathwick Hill Residents'Association) Bath
WASHINGTON (AP) — Who would you put on a stamp? Charlie Sheen? Lady Gaga? Yourself?
Hoping to boost sagging revenue, the U.S. Postal Service on Monday abandoned its longstanding rule that stamps cannot feature people who are still alive and is asking the public for suggestions.
It's a first that means living sports stars, writers, artists and other prominent — or not-so-prominent — people could take their places in postal history next to the likes of George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Marilyn Monroe.
"This change will enable us to pay tribute to individuals for their achievements while they are still alive to enjoy the honor," said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.
But it seems to be at least as much about money as admiration.
For years, the post office has been facing severe financial problems due to the growing use of email. A burst of interest in stamp design and collecting — which the Postal Service is seeking to promote partly through social media — could bring in new dollars, since stamps that are collected rather than used for postage provide added revenue.
Poking fun at the Postal Service's money woes, Comedian Stephen Colbert has been pushing to become the first living person depicted on a government-issued stamp. His Comedy Central website proposes a "Farewell to Postage" stamp with a photo of him holding up a smartphone that shows an email telling the Postal Service "See Ya!"
Judging by initial public reaction in interviews Monday, Colbert faces competition.
Cyndi Scarlett, 54, of Alexandria, Va., who works in humanitarian development, touted her choice of Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs to be the first living person on a stamp. Walking by a post office in downtown Washington, D.C., she cited his company's role in reshaping everyday life, from the ubiquitous Macintosh and iPod to the iPad.
"He has changed the face of technology in America," Scarlett said.
Elizabeth Saunders, 38, a former educator who lives in Washington, said she believe first lady Michelle Obama deserves the honor, pointing to her efforts in combating childhood obesity. Saunders said she was impressed when she recently saw the first lady on the TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," building a house for a military family.
"She's just not afraid to get her hands dirty," Saunders said.
But Justin Pierce, a 29-year-old consultant from Arlington, Va., had a TV personality in mind for the first stamp: actor Charlie Sheen, who was fired from the show "Two and a Half Men" last season. "He's an American icon," Pierce said.
Other suggestions included evangelist Billy Graham, President Barack Obama, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, actress Tyra Banks and Paralympic athlete Bonnie St. John.
Janice Myles, a paralegal from Washington, said her pick would be someone who epitomizes the everyday American — herself. "I'm spiritual, I have no criminal record. My only downfall is that I don't speak different languages. I don't judge people; I look at the facts," she said.
Since Jan. 1, 2007, the Postal Service has required that a person be deceased five years before appearing on a stamp. Before that, the rule was 10 years. Still, former presidents were remembered on stamps in the year following their deaths by tradition. And, more recently, people have been able to upload photos and design their own stamps for personal use through the U.S. mail.
The post office is inviting suggestions for new stamps through Facebook, Twitter, a Postal Service website and by mail to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, c/o Stamp Development, Room 3300, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260-3501.
The advisory committee already receives as many as 40,000 suggestions for new stamps each year and culls them to about 50 finalists, which are sent to the postmaster general for a final decision.
People can view upcoming stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter(at)USPSstamps or on the website beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service's online site for upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.
___
Associated Press writer Randolph E. Schmid contributed to this report.
How did we get here?
How did we get to an impeachment vote from an Arkansas land dealgone bad?
How was Bill Clinton's presidency jeopardized by a sexualharassment lawsuit involving an incident that allegedly happened ayear before he was elected? How did Clinton's extramaritalrelationship with a White House intern become the source of animpeachable offense?It's complicated, and yet it's simple. The history of theevents that led to the rare vote on impeachment has numerous twistsand turns, but it boils down to one question: Did Clinton lie underoath?Three key dates mark the beginning of the road:Jan. 20, 1994, when Clinton asked that a special prosecutor be namedto investigate his Whitewater land dealings.May 6, 1994, when Paula Jones sued the president, alleging sexualharassment and that he had violated her civil rights.Nov. 15, 1995, when Clinton began a relationship with White Houseintern Monica Lewinsky.At the time, the developments were unrelated. But liketributaries of a great river, they eventually merged in a torrentthat carried Clinton and the nation to today's impeachment vote.WHITEWATERIn 1979, Bill Clinton, who was then the attorney general ofArkansas, and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, entered into anagreement with their friends, Jim and Susan McDougal, to buy anddevelop property along the scenic White River in northern Arkansas.They called the venture the Whitewater Development Corp.It lost money - lots of money. In 1992 the Clintons sold theirinterest for a capital gain of $1,000.In the meantime, Jim McDougal presided over a savings and loanthat failed, costing taxpayers up to $65 million. His MadisonGuarantee Savings & Loan employed Hillary Clinton for its legal work.Whitewater first entered the national vocabulary when BillClinton was running for president in 1992. Reporters suggested theClintons took improper tax deductions, and that the McDougalsimproperly subsidized the Clintons' losses.Clinton's campaign, however, showed the couple lost $68,000 onthe deal, and Clinton went on to win his first term as president.That wasn't the end of it. In July, 1993, White House counselVince Foster killed himself. Because he was a longtime friend of theClintons' who knew about their Whitewater transactions, Republicanssuspected he was depressed about that and other controversies. Someeven suggested it might not have been suicide.The pressure to appoint a special prosecutor mounted, andClinton asked for one in January, 1994. Attorney General Janet Renochose Robert Fiske, who concluded Foster killed himself and found nowrongdoing by the Clintons.But in August, 1994, a three-judge federal panel replaced Fiskewith a man whose name now is a familiar part of the politicallandscape: former Bush administration Solicitor General KennethStarr.Starr was asked to investigate a variety of matters, includingthe Whitewater venture and whether the Clintons broke any lawsresponding to federal probes of it. He also was asked to look intowhether Bill Clinton as governor misused loans for political purposesand whether Hillary Clinton broke the law while an attorney onWhitewater and in misplacing her legal records after Starr subpoenaedthem.PAULA JONESAccording to Jones' lawsuit, she was a 24-year-old state clerkfor the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission in 1991 when BillClinton, then the Arkansas governor, tried to get her to engage inoral sex in a Little Rock hotel room.She said she rejected him. According to her complaint, Clintonsaid to her, "You are smart. Let's keep this between ourselves."Jones didn't go public with her allegations until February,1994, at a meeting in Washington of a conservative group. That wasafter the American Spectator magazine published the allegations of agroup of Arkansas state troopers who said they helped Clinton arrangesexual encounters with women.In the article, the troopers said a woman identified only as"Paula" met Clinton in the hotel room and later offered to be his"regular girlfriend." Jones said her lawsuit, which was filed inMay, 1994, and demanded $700,000 in damages, was motivated by adesire to clear her name.Clinton denied the allegations and fought the lawsuit byattacking Jones' credibility and motives. In one oft-repeated quote,Clinton adviser James Carville said, "Drag $100 through a trailerpark and there's no telling what you'll find."Clinton also adopted a strategy of delaying the lawsuit - thefirst of its kind against a sitting president involving personalconduct alleged to have taken place before he was elected. Hislawyers argued the president should be temporarily immune from civillawsuits relating to unofficial acts.As part of the suit, Jones' lawyers demanded he detail sexualrelationships he might have had with other women, hoping to show thealleged incident with Jones was part of a pattern. Clinton arguedthat information was irrelevant, but in December, 1997, a federaljudge said he must answer.When asked by Jones lawyers to identify any federal employeeswith whom he had had sexual relations, Clinton, under oath, said Dec.23 that there were none.Clinton's legal moves kept the matter off the front pages untilafter his re-election. But in January, 1997, lawyers for both sidesargued their case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the public tooknotice. And on May 27, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled the caseshould proceed.Three days earlier, Clinton ended his sexual relationship with aWhite House intern named Monica Lewinsky, according to Lewinsky'stestimony.MONICA LEWINSKYLewinsky arrived at the White House in June, 1995, as a21-year-old unpaid intern in the office of Chief of Staff LeonPanetta. A month later, according to her testimony, she began whatshe called "intense flirting" with Clinton.Their sexual relationship began that Nov. 15 in the middle ofthe government shutdown caused by the budget showdown betweencongressional Republicans and Clinton. Only essential workers - andunpaid interns such as Lewinsky, who took on additional tasks - wereallowed to work.According to Lewinsky, she made eye contact and talked alonewith the president when he came to see Panetta and attend an informalstaff birthday party. At one point that evening, she flashed him thestraps of her thong underwear. They had their first sexual encounterlater that night, according to her testimony.Lewinsky eventually was hired, and she and Clinton had a seriesof sexual encounters near the Oval Office in early 1996, shetestified. In April, however, she was transferred to a job in thePentagon because a deputy chief of staff thought she was spending toomuch time around the president. She had no further sexual encounterswith Clinton that year.After Clinton's re-election, the sexual relationship brieflyresumed in early 1997, according to Lewinsky. In May, however,Clinton ended their relationship amid fears Lewinsky had not beendiscreet.An increasingly bitter Lewinsky tried to restart the sexualrelationship, but although they saw each other several times and shewrote him letters and gave him gifts, he refused. She also tried butfailed to get her White House job back.She asked Clinton for help finding a job in the private sectorin New York. Clinton friend Vernon Jordan helped arrange someinterviews.That process was still under way Dec. 5, 1997, when the PaulaJones lawsuit collided with the Monica Lewinsky affair for the firsttime. On that day, Jones' lawyers identified Lewinsky as a possiblewitness in the civil case.TWO KEY MONTHSEvents moved quickly in December, 1997, and January, 1998. OnDec. 15, Jones' lawyers asked Clinton to produce documents related tocommunications between him and Lewinsky. Four days later, Lewinskywas served with a subpoena to appear at a deposition in the Jonescase and turn over gifts from Clinton. She immediately calledJordan, who continued to help her find a job.On Jan. 7, Lewinsky, allegedly at the suggestion of Clinton,signed an affidavit in the Jones case denying she had a sexualrelationship with Clinton. In a civil deposition on Jan. 17, Clintondenied he had engaged in a "sexual affair," "sexual relationship" or"sexual relations" with Lewinsky.How did Jones' lawyers find out about Lewinsky? The answer wasLinda Tripp, a friend of Lewinsky's who also had been transferred tothe Pentagon from the White House. Lewinsky had been talking toTripp about the affair since October, 1996.Intermediaries put Tripp in touch with Jones' lawyers. And theyalso helped her contact Starr on Jan. 12, when she turned over tapedconversations between herself and Lewinsky. The next day, Trippwore a wire for the FBI and recorded another conversation withLewinsky.On Jan. 16, Starr received permission from the three-judge panelthat appointed him to investigate whether Lewinsky or others lied,obstructed justice, intimidated witnesses or otherwise broke the lawin relation to the Jones case.The news of Starr's expanded probe broke five days later.During a White House news conference Jan. 26, Clinton said, "I didnot have sexual relations with that woman. . . . I never toldanybody to lie."Starr convened a grand jury the next day.THE GRAND JURYStarr had been busy since being named special prosecutor,racking up convictions or guilty pleas of eight people for fraud,bribery and conspiracy. But he hadn't leveled any criminal chargesagainst the Clintons - and still hasn't, despite spending more thanfour years and more than $40 million on the investigation.But part of Starr's mission was to disclose to Congressinformation that might be grounds for impeachment. And as he saw it,Clinton committed several impeachable acts in an effort to concealhis relationship with Lewinsky.Tripp's tip to Starr was that Lewinsky lied in the Jones caseand that she was trying to get Tripp to lie as well. She also saidLewinsky had spoken to Clinton and Jordan was helping Lewinsky find ajob.Starr's grand jury moved quickly to investigate, even though afederal judge dismissed Jones' lawsuit in April. She appealed, butlater settled the case.On July 17, Clinton was subpoenaed to testify before the grandjury. On July 28, Lewinsky was given immunity from prosecution inexchange for her testimony, and Clinton agreed the next day totestify from the White House.Lewinsky appeared before the grand jury Aug. 6. Clinton followedAug. 17, testifying for more than four hours. Later that day, hestunned supporters by admitting that he had had a relationship withLewinsky that was "not appropriate."The following month, Starr's report was released to Congress,which authorized its release over the Internet. Starr barelymentioned Whitewater, his original assignment, but he said there was"substantial and credible information supporting . . . grounds forimpeachment" regarding Clinton's behavior in the Lewinsky matter.Clinton denied he lied about having sexual relations withLewinsky, arguing the term meant sexual intercourse. He deniedtrying to influence other grand jury witnesses. He denied trying tofind a job for Lewinsky.The House voted Oct. 8 to conduct an impeachment inquiry. Andthe House Judiciary Committee voted essentially along party linesearlier this month to approve four articles of impeachment.WHAT HE FACESThe first article alleges Clinton committed perjury before thegrand jury. The second alleges he committed perjury in the Jonescase.The third charges he obstructed justice by inducing Lewinsky tofile a false affidavit, helping her find a job in an effort to winher cooperation and misleading key aides who were going to appearbefore the grand jury.And the fourth charges he abused the power of his office bycommitting perjury.Contributing: Library Director Terri Golembiewski
* Human activity is putting such severe strain on Earth's natural functions that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. The provision of food, fresh water, energy and materials to a growing population has come at considerable cost to the complex system of plants, animals, and biological processes that make the planet habitable.
* The 2005 Millennium Ecosystems Assessment predicts that between 10% and 15% of still-existing plant species will be extinct by 2050. It found that 23% of mammal species, 12% of bird species, and 32% of amphibian species are also threatened with extinction.
* Over the past few hundred years, humans have increased the species extinction rate by as much as 1,000 times the rates that prevailed over the planet's previous history. In some sea areas, the total weight of fish available to be caught and consumed is less than a hundredth of that caught before the onset of industrial fishing.
* The dominance of coal, oil and natural gas as our sources of energy has released large quantities of carbon previously locked underground, and has increased the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide by 34% since 1750. The global warming thus caused is accelerating the speed of climate change at a pace greater than anything seen for at least 10,000 years.
* Among the anticipated consequences of increased global temperatures are 1) flooding as polar ice-caps melt, raising sea levels; 2) extreme weather events due to shifting ocean currents; and 3) the expansion of deserts as land dries up.
* Water withdrawals from rivers and lakes for irrigation, household and industrial use have doubled in the last 40 years, reducing the flow of several major rivers, including the Nile, Yellow and Colorado Rivers. The construction of dams along rivers has also greatly restricted their flows. In some regions, such as the Middle East and North Africa, humans use 120% of renewable water supplies due to their reliance on groundwater that is not recharged.
* Climate change threatens farming, which is dependent on climatic stability. Scientists in Asia fear that rising temperatures will reduce grain yields in the tropics by as much as 30% by mid-century. Nearly a quarter of Earth's terrestrial surface has been converted to cropland to feed the growing human population, so the expected drastic change in climate threatens to make an already unacceptable rate of global hunger even worse.
* More than half of all the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer ever used has been used since 1985. Human activities have now roughly doubled the rate of creation of reactive nitrogen on the land surface and tripled the flow of phosphorus into the oceans.
SOURCES: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005; UN Environment Program; David Suzuki and Amanda McConnell, The Sacred Balance, 2002.
| All Times EDT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Division | ||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | |
| Philadelphia | 44 | 26 | .629 | — |
| Atlanta | 39 | 31 | .557 | 5 |
| New York | 34 | 35 | .493 | 9½ |
| Washington | 33 | 36 | .478 | 10½ |
| Florida | 32 | 37 | .464 | 11½ |
| Central Division | ||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | |
| Milwaukee | 39 | 31 | .557 | — |
| St. Louis | 38 | 32 | .543 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | 37 | 33 | .529 | 2 |
| Pittsburgh | 35 | 33 | .515 | 3 |
| Chicago | 28 | 40 | .412 | 10 |
| Houston | 25 | 45 | .357 | 14 |
| West Division | ||||
| W | L | Pct | GB | |
| San Francisco | 39 | 30 | .565 | — |
| Arizona | 38 | 32 | .543 | 1½ |
| Colorado | 33 | 35 | .485 | 5½ |
| Los Angeles | 30 | 39 | .435 | 9 |
| San Diego | 30 | 39 | .435 | 9 |
___
| Wednesday's Games |
|---|
Philadelphia 8, Florida 1, 1st game
Philadelphia 5, Florida 4, 10 innings, 2nd game
Colorado 6, San Diego 3
Cincinnati 7, L.A. Dodgers 2
Washington 10, St. Louis 0
N.Y. Mets 4, Atlanta 0
Milwaukee 9, Chicago Cubs 5
Pittsburgh 7, Houston 3
San Francisco 5, Arizona 2
| Thursday's Games |
|---|
Philadelphia 3, Florida 0
Pittsburgh 5, Houston 4
Chicago Cubs 12, Milwaukee 7
Washington 7, St. Louis 4, 10 innings
Atlanta 9, N.Y. Mets 8, 10 innings
Arizona 3, San Francisco 2, 10 innings
| Friday's Games |
|---|
N.Y. Yankees at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.
Baltimore at Washington, 7:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at Boston, 7:10 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m.
L.A. Angels at N.Y. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Toronto at Cincinnati, 7:10 p.m.
Texas at Atlanta, 7:35 p.m.
San Diego at Minnesota, 8:10 p.m.
Kansas City at St. Louis, 8:15 p.m.
Detroit at Colorado, 8:40 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.
San Francisco at Oakland, 10:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.
Houston at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.
| Saturday's Games |
|---|
Baltimore at Washington, 1:05 p.m.
Texas at Atlanta, 4:10 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees at Chicago Cubs, 4:10 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at Boston, 7:10 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m.
L.A. Angels at N.Y. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
San Diego at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.
Toronto at Cincinnati, 7:10 p.m.
Kansas City at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.
Detroit at Colorado, 8:10 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Arizona, 8:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Oakland, 10:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.
Houston at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.<
WMAQ-Channel 5 and its relocation to NBC Tower, has resigned aftertwo years as vice president and general manager of the TelemundoSpanish-language outlet.
No successor has been named, and no reason was cited for Ramos'abrupt departure. But insiders pointed to differences he had withIbra Morales, president of Telemundo Television Stations Group.
Ratings for Channel 44 lag far behind those of its maincompetitor, Univision Communications' WGBO-Channel 66, in all timeperiods.
Ramos declined to comment on the reasons for his resignation, butsaid he was proud of his record on the job at Channel 44.
"Here was a station that had had four general managers and fivenews directors in the five years before I got there," he saidThursday. "I'm quite proud of the fact that we put in place a team ofmanagers that I think are going to adapt well to our new company.We've been through a tremendous and dynamic change."
Through Telemundo's merger with NBC and the move of Channel 44'sstudios and offices to NBC Tower after more than 30 years in LincolnPark, Ramos said, "We were able to set the team on the right course,refocus our marketplace and move into a whole new reality.
"We faced all of the challenges that other broadcasters of Chicagohave faced, and now I think the station is poised to really do welllocally."
Ramos, who was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles,graduated from Harvard Law School, worked for the L.A. cityattorney's office and served as an assistant dean at Loyola LawSchool in L.A. before he shifted to broadcasting in 1985. In additionto running several stations, he held senior management positions atUnivision and Caballero Spanish Media. He joined Channel 44 in 2001from Pax outlet KPXG-TV in Portland, Ore.
For now, Ramos said, he's "open to all possibilities," but hopesto remain in the market. "We made a commitment when we moved toChicago to have an impact and work within the Spanish-speakingcommunity. My whole career I've been a Latino advocate, and I'mcertain that I'm going to find ways of remaining active in thatarena."
Tracking: 'Weather on the 5's'
* Andy Avalos, who recently returned to Channel 5 as morningmeteorologist, is about to get a lot busier. Borrowing a page fromall-news radio, the NBC-owned station plans to air "Weather on the5's"--every 10 minutes--during its morning newscast from 5 to 7 a.m.Monday through Friday.
* On another weather front, WGN-Channel 9 will salute its No. 1star, chief meteorologist Tom Skilling, on his 25th anniversary atthe Tribune Co.-owned station with a series of special segments onits 9 p.m. newscast, starting Wednesday.
* Mike Leiderman, a producer of WTTW-Channel 11's "ChicagoTonight," has been promoted to executive producer of the publictelevision station's nightly news and public-affairs show. A 26-yearveteran of the market, Leiderman joined Channel 11 as producer of the"Chicago Stories" series in 2000.
* Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman will be Bob Sirott'sguest on "The Friday Night Live" at 7:30 tonight on Channel 11.Spielman joined the Sun-Times in 1985 after eight years at WIND-AM(560).
* Bill Campbell marks the 500th installment of "Chicagoing" thisweekend by interviewing Mayor Daley, author/broadcaster Studs Terkeland psychic Sonia Choquette. Terkel was Campbell's first guest whenthe WLS-Channel 7 talk show debuted in June 1989. "Chicagoing" airsat 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
* Lissa Druss Christman, former sports producer at WBBM-Channel 2,has joined the campaign staff of Jack Ryan as press secretary. Ryanis seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
* NBC kicks off a monthlong test run of "Shop & Style," a livehome-shopping talk show, at 10 a.m. Monday on Channel 5 and network-owned stations in New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco. LynneKoplitz and Kerry McNally will host the one-hour Monday-through-Friday show, which bumps "The Other Half."
LONDON (AP) — British fencing authorities say Bob Anderson, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" series, has died. He was 89.
Anderson donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
His role was not initially publicized, but Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said in a 1983 interview that "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting." The character was played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones.
Anderson worked as a sword master or trainer on movies including the James Bond adventures "From Russia With Love," ''The Legend of Zorro" and "The Hobbit."
The British Academy of Fencing said Monday Anderson died early New Year's Day.
The Supreme Court suggested Tuesday it will strike down U.S. cities' outright bans on handguns, a ruling that could establish a nationwide ownership right fervently sought by gun advocates. But the justices indicated less severe limits could survive, continuing disputes over the "right to keep and bear arms."
Chicago area residents who want handguns for protection in their homes are asking the court to extend its 2008 decision in support of gun rights in Washington, D.C., to state and local laws.
Such a ruling would firmly establish a right that has been the subject of politically charged and often fierce debate for decades. But it also would ensure years of legal challenges to sort out exactly which restrictions may stand and which must fall.
Indeed, the outcome of the Washington lawsuit in 2008 already has spawned hundreds of court challenges, including one in Massachusetts over a state law requiring gun owners to lock weapons in their homes.
Two years ago, the court announced that the Constitution's Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess guns, at least for self-defense in the home.
That ruling applied only to federal laws and struck down a ban on handguns and trigger lock requirement for other guns in Washington, a city with unique federal status. At the same time, the court was careful not to cast doubt on other regulations of firearms.
The court already has said that most of the guarantees in the Bill of Rights serve as a check on state and local laws. Still, "states have substantial latitude and ample authority to impose reasonable regulations," said Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was among the majority in the 2008 decision.
"Why can't we do the same thing with firearms?" he asked.
Alan Gura, the lawyer who represents the Chicago challengers, also has filed a new suit against Washington over the city's prohibition on carrying loaded weapons outside the home.
The justices themselves acknowledged that only through future lawsuits would the precise contours of the constitutional gun right be established. "We haven't said anything about what the content of the Second Amendment is beyond what was said in Heller," Chief Justice John Roberts said, using the name of the Washington resident who challenged the city's ban.
Roberts and the four other justices who made up the majority in the Washington case remain on the court, so it would not be a surprise to see them extend the Second Amendment's reach to the states.
Still, James Feldman, a Washington-based lawyer representing the city of Chicago, urged the court to reject the challenges to the gun laws in that city and its suburb of Oak Park, Ill. Handguns have been banned in those two places for nearly 30 years, although they appear to be the last two remaining jurisdictions with outright bans, according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Feldman ran into difficulty with several justices who formed the majority in 2008 _ the ruling's author Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Kennedy and Roberts. Only Thomas asked no questions, as is his custom during argument.
Even those who were not in the 2008 majority appeared to recognize that some extension, or incorporation as it is called, of the Second Amendment is likely. "Would you be happy if we incorporated it and said reasonable regulation is part of the incorporation?" asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who only joined the court last year.
As in earlier cases applying parts of the Bill of Rights to the states, the justices suggested they use the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, which was passed in the wake of the Civil War to ensure the rights of newly freed slaves.
The court has relied on that same clause _ "no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law" _ in cases that established a woman's right to an abortion and knocked down state laws against interracial marriage and gay sex.
This is the approach the National Rifle Association favors.
For years, Scalia has complained about the use of the due process clause. But Tuesday he said, "As much as I think it's wrong, even I have acquiesced in it."
Gura urged the court to employ another part of the 14th amendment, forbidding a state to make or enforce any law "which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States."
Breathing new life into the "privileges or immunities" clause might allow for new arguments to shore up other rights, including abortion and property rights, liberal and conservative legal scholars have said.
But why use that approach, calling for overturning 140 years of law, Scalia said, "unless you're bucking for a place on some law school faculty?"
Gura assured the court he was not in search of a job.
A decision is expected by the end of June.
The case is McDonald v. Chicago, 08-1521.
BATH CITY YOUTH The under-13s may have suffered a 6-3 reverseagainst Amesbury but the scoreline does not tell the whole story.
City created more chances and had the lion's share of possessionand territory but Amesbury prevailed thanks to an inspiredperformance by their keeper and the fact they converted a highproportion of the chances they created.
The under-14 Colts also suffered a heavy defeat, going down 13-2to table-topping Frome Town Youth.
Frome have some quality players, though, so the City boys werenot disgraced by any means and keeper Bertie did a fantastic jobbetween the sticks, making at least 15 saves.
Consolation goals for City came from Alden and Ben B, while therewere star performances and a positive attitude throughout the gamefrom Mitch and Tom F. The team can be proud of the improvements theyhave shown and can look forward to the next challenge. Elsewherethe under-16s were knocked out of the Somerset Cup, losing 5-2 to animpressive Portishead team, but the under-15s continued theirunbeaten start to the season with a hard fought 2-2 draw at WellsCity.
The under-10s girls' sessions at Kingswood school have startedand have had a good response but more girls are still welcome.
They take place from 6-7pm every Wednesday and anyone interestedin more details should call 07838 112243.
DAILY MAIL WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - On the marquee issue of Social Security, thedistinction between the candidates for the 2nd District congressionalseat is more significant than mere semantics, with the pair holdingmarkedly different philosophies on how to best preserve the programfor older Americans.
Should Social Security be a pure social insurance program, orshould the government permit individual investment of a portion ofSocial Security taxes, offering, if only in small measure, potentialrewards to those who plan ahead and take risks?
First-term Republican Shelley Moore Capito says she is willing toconsider allowing younger workers to invest 2 percent of theirpayroll tax in voluntary personal retirement accounts.
No way, says Democratic challenger Jim Humphreys. "Don't touch theSocial Security fund," he told the Daily Mail board Monday. "It needsthose monies; it can't be deprived of funds."
If just 2 percent of the current Social Security trust fund wereinvested in the now-faltering stock market, $31 billion would be lostsince 1998, he said, citing a study by left-leaning Washington thinktank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
People are free to invest their own funds in the stock market,Humphreys said, but Social Security should be a safety net.
Capito said the safety net is weakening. Within decades, it willbe paying out more in benefits than it takes receives in taxes. "Thefact of the matter is, we've got to find a solution to the problem,"she said.
Humphreys and Democratic surrogates have aggressively attackedCapito on Social Security, charging she supports privatization.
Armed with polls showing voters react negatively to the term,Republicans shun the word privatization; they say it suggests theSocial Security system will be "dismantled" and the funds invested"willy-nilly" in the stock market. Armed with their own polls,Democrats employ it for the same reason.
It's unsurprising that Social Security is a dominant issue in thecompetitive 2nd District race, political analyst Amy Walter said. Inan older, less affluent district, it could help Humphreys in hisrematch.
"It works in polls," said Walter, who works for the Cook PoliticalReport.
During Monday's editorial board meeting, Humphreys also criticizedCapito's vote for a Republican prescription drug plan. The House-passed measure is "lousy," Humphreys said, citing a Wall StreetJournal editorial. A gap in coverage means middle-income seniors payinto the system but get little help with moderate drug expenses. Theso-called "doughnut" could affect one-quarter of West Virginiarecipients, he said.
Capito replied, "I would say what's lousy is no prescription drugplan."
She said she shares some of Humphreys' concerns about the coveragegap but decided to back the Republican bill after introducing her ownmore generous version. The measure is a "good first step" and couldbe improved in negotiations if the Senate passes a bill, she said.
Humphreys said a $1.35 trillion tax cut approved a year ago couldbe rolled back, and the money used to pay for his drug plan, which hesaid would cost about $80 billion.
The pair also sparred over the issue of medical malpractice.Capito co-sponsored a bill to cap attorneys' fees and limit economicand punitive damages that passed the House last week. Citing thedowngrading of Charleston Area Medical Center's trauma unit, shesaid, "We've got a real problem."
Altering the tort system is not the right solution to a perceiveddoctor shortage in rural areas, Humphreys, a plaintiffs' attorney,said. He also dismissed the idea that the involvement of his lawpractice in an asbestos case involving Union Carbide would have anypolitical ramifications in his race. Other lawyers in his firm arehandling the case at this point. He said he didn't know how muchmoney he and the firm stood to receive if their case is successful.
Writer Karin Fischer can be reached at (202) 662-8732 or by e-mail at kfischer@dailymail.com.
Jesse E. Powell II, a supervisor with the Illinois Public AidDepartment, died Saturday in Little Company of Mary Hospital,Evergreen Park.
Mr. Powell, of the South Side, had worked in various public aidoffices in the Chicago area for 30 years. He was a graduate ofHoward University, where he also received a law degree. He was aWorld War II Army …
WASHINGTON (AP) — The four-star general nominated to be the next Army chief is telling Congress that the U.S. should provide whatever defense assistance Iraq believes it needs after this year.
Gen. Ray Odierno did not offer his opinion on whether the U.S. should keep some troops in Iraq beyond this year, when the last U.S. troops are set to leave. But he said the U.S. should be …
WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST - The figures emerged from the smoke,wearing the standard-issue battle fatigues of U.S. Forest Servicefirefighters: bright yellow shirts and hard hats.
Normally, the group would be snuffing out the flames lickingacross dead needles, brush and dry leaves toward the trunks ofponderosa pines.
But this time, the Naches Ranger District's firefighters, flamingkerosene canisters in hand, were the firestarters.
As a 25-foot Douglas fir exploded like a Roman candle belowBethel Ridge, the group stopped and simply looked on. "That's atorch," said crew boss Amy Starkovich. "Don't worry. It'll be goodfor the forest." Think of it as fighting fire …
Firefighters using controlled burns to restore forest health, avoid disasters.WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST - The figures emerged from the smoke,wearing the standard-issue battle fatigues of U.S. Forest Servicefirefighters: bright yellow shirts and hard hats.
Normally, the group would be snuffing out the flames lickingacross dead needles, brush and dry leaves toward the trunks ofponderosa pines.
But this time, the Naches Ranger District's firefighters, flamingkerosene canisters in hand, were the firestarters.
As a 25-foot Douglas fir exploded like a Roman candle belowBethel Ridge, the group stopped and simply looked on. "That's atorch," said crew boss Amy Starkovich. "Don't worry. It'll be goodfor the forest." Think of it as fighting fire …
Firefighters using controlled burns to restore forest health, avoid disasters.WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST - The figures emerged from the smoke,wearing the standard-issue battle fatigues of U.S. Forest Servicefirefighters: bright yellow shirts and hard hats.
Normally, the group would be snuffing out the flames lickingacross dead needles, brush and dry leaves toward the trunks ofponderosa pines.
But this time, the Naches Ranger District's firefighters, flamingkerosene canisters in hand, were the firestarters.
As a 25-foot Douglas fir exploded like a Roman candle belowBethel Ridge, the group stopped and simply looked on. "That's atorch," said crew boss Amy Starkovich. "Don't worry. It'll be goodfor the forest." Think of it as fighting fire …
Firefighters using controlled burns to restore forest health, avoid disasters.WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST - The figures emerged from the smoke,wearing the standard-issue battle fatigues of U.S. Forest Servicefirefighters: bright yellow shirts and hard hats.
Normally, the group would be snuffing out the flames lickingacross dead needles, brush and dry leaves toward the trunks ofponderosa pines.
But this time, the Naches Ranger District's firefighters, flamingkerosene canisters in hand, were the firestarters.
As a 25-foot Douglas fir exploded like a Roman candle belowBethel Ridge, the group stopped and simply looked on. "That's atorch," said crew boss Amy Starkovich. "Don't worry. It'll be goodfor the forest." Think of it as fighting fire …
RENTAL CARS
Company says affiliated body shops face few immediate changes
Few operational changes are expected "for the foreseeable future" following Enterprise Rent-A-Car's purchase of Vanguard Car Rental and its Alamo Rent A Car and Nation.il Car Rental divisions. Collision shops with arrangements regarding car-rental referrals, shared facilities, affiliated marketing initiatives and vehicle repair services can continue conducting business as usual, says Laura liryant, an Enterprise spokeswoman. "I don't think that will change at all."
The Vanguard/National /Alamo brands - which are predominantly sited near airports - will retain their individual corporate …
(ADPnews) - Apr 18, 2011 - Danish jewellery maker Pandora A/S's (CPH:PNDORA) lifted today its outlook for growth in revenue in 2011 on the basis of sound preliminary results for the first quarter.
The company now expects its sales will rise at least 30% on the year, compared with previous projections for an increase of at least 25%. The forecast for margin on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and …
