Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Rescuers work to reach four trapped in Ecuador mine

AFP

1 hr 52 mins ago

PORTOVELO, Ecuador (AFP) – Ecuadoran rescuers on Saturday succeeded in creating openings large enough to pump fresh air to four men trapped in a caved-in gold mine, the government said.

But despite the progress, emergency workers had not yet made contact with the men and relatives faced continued uncertainty about whether their loved ones were still alive.

The Ecuadoran miners became trapped in the early hours of Friday morning, after the collapse blocked their exit from the mine, leaving the four men stuck some 150 meters (492 feet) below ground in the Casa Negra mine.

2 French workers take to the streets as airport fears ease

by Dave Clark, AFP

16 mins ago

PARIS (AFP) – French trade unions staged another massive day of protests Saturday to defend their right to retire at 60, but fears of fuel shortages crippling Paris airports eased as supplies resumed.

Although government estimates of the turnout at the rallies suggested the movement might be losing steam, unions warned that strikes are spreading to more businesses and that a new nationwide protest would be held Tuesday.

Tension has been building since record demonstrations earlier this week with strikes in refineries cutting off fuel supplies to Paris airports and with high school students joining older workers to condemn pension reform moves.

3 Sarkozy sends in riot police to break fuel blockade

AFP

Fri Oct 15, 3:44 pm ET

PARIS (AFP) – President Nicolas Sarkozy dispatched riot police Friday to reopen fuel depots blocked by strikes against pension reform, as the fuel pipeline to Paris airports was cut and all France’s refineries shut down.

But even as officers forced open the barricades at some depots, strikers threw up new pickets at other fuel distribution centres across the country to fight against moves to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

Riot police made 16 arrests and used tear gas as they fought running battles with youths who pelted them with stones and overturned cars during street protests by high-school students in the central city of Lyon.

4 French workers take to the streets as fuel blockade bites

by Dave Clark, AFP

2 hrs 19 mins ago

PARIS (AFP) – French trade unions staged another massive day of protest Saturday to defend their right to retire at 60, as strikes in the key refining sector threatened to cut off fuel supplies.

Although government estimates of the turnout at the rallies suggested the movement might be losing steam, unions warned that strikes are spreading to more businesses and that a new nationwide protest would be held Tuesday.

Tension has been building since record demonstrations earlier this week with strikes in refineries cutting off fuel supplies to Paris airports and with high school students joining older workers to condemn pension reform moves.

5 China ‘concerned’ over Japan island row protest

by Dan Martin, AFP

2 hrs 24 mins ago

BEIJING (AFP) – Beijing expressed “deep concern” Saturday at anti-China protests by Japanese nationalists at its embassy in Tokyo over a diplomatic spat centred on a group of disputed islands.

The comment followed tit-for-tat demonstrations in China and Japan on Saturday over the row that broke out last month when Japan detained a Chinese fishing boat captain near the islands in the East China Sea.

“China has expressed its deep concern to Japan over this,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement on the ministry website.

6 Finally, US Army makes progress for women in uniform

by Virginie Montet, AFP

1 hr 48 mins ago

FORT BELVOIR, Virginia (AFP) – The US Army is testing its first-ever combat uniform expressly designed to fit the female figure, a move seen as an overdue effort to make 160,000 US women soldiers more comfortable.

Don’t expect a camouflage haute couture revolution for America’s military women; the changes will be visibly slight, although they are important, said the first person to try on the women’s army combat uniform, or ACU.

“The unisex uniform was a little bit baggy,” Major Sequana Robinson told AFP, undoubtedly summing up the attitudes of thousands of female soldiers who for decades have had to make do with ill-fitting fatigues.

7 World’s longest cable car line opens to Armenia

by Mariam Harutunian, AFP

Sat Oct 16, 9:12 am ET

TATEV, Armenia (AFP) – Armenia on Saturday launched the world’s longest cable car line, a 5.7-kilometre (3.5-mile) engineering feat that spans a spectacular gorge to the country’s ancient Tatev monastery.

Gathered in Armenia’s southern mountains near the border with Iran, guests including President Serzh Sarkisian and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, took part as the cable car link launched its first official voyage over the Vorotan River Gorge.

The link will allow year-round access to Armenia’s ninth-century Tatev monastery complex, one of the country’s most important religious centres and a major tourist attraction.

8 India ‘orders probe’ into Delhi Games corruption

by Pratap Chakravarty, AFP

Sat Oct 16, 5:15 am ET

NEW DELHI (AFP) – The Indian government has launched an official investigation into allegations of corruption and mismanagement during the preparations for the Delhi Commonwealth Games, reports said Saturday.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) national watchdog ordered the probe into various Games-related projects a day after Thursday’s closing ceremony, the Press Trust of India said.

“The audit work for the Commonwealth Games is related to work payments, contracts and leasing of sports equipment among others,” the official news agency said.

9 France, Germany to welcome Russia to seaside summit

by Philippe Alfroy, AFP

Sat Oct 16, 4:48 am ET

PARIS (AFP) – President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel will host Russia’s President Dimitry Medvedev next week at a seafront summit designed to bind Moscow more closely into a partnership with the West.

The trio will meet on Monday and Tuesday in the Channel resort of Deauville, two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Cold War and a month before the NATO allies meet to agree their new security vision.

No decisions are expected, but observers will look for signs that Moscow and the West are ready to put decades of hostility behind them and commit to what optimists see as a common security vision “from Vancouver to Vladivostok.”

10 Chile’s rescued miners tight-lipped about ordeal

By Terry Wade and Juana Casas, Reuters

1 hr 1 min ago

COPIAPO, Chile (Reuters) – Chile’s 33 freed miners kept largely silent on Saturday about the 69 days they spent trapped deep inside a copper and gold mine, as speculation grew they planned to save their stories for a book.

“We are not going to talk about that,” said 63-year-old Mario Gomez, the oldest of the workers stuck for more than two months in a remote mine in northern Chile, when asked about the hellish ordeal.

“That’s reserved,” was the answer to the same question from Ariel Ticona, 29, as he left the hospital where the miners were cared for after their stunning Wednesday rescue. Most were discharged on Friday.

11 French protesters rally over pension reform

By Gerard Bon, Reuters

22 mins ago

PARIS (Reuters) – A million or more people marched in cities across France on Saturday in the latest protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s flagship pension reform, and refinery strikes squeezed fuel at airports.

The government said turnout was down significantly on a rally last weekend against the push to raise the retirement age, but unions said the numbers were stable and vowed to maintain pressure to drop the plans ahead of a Senate vote on Tuesday.

Only minor scuffles were reported during Saturday’s marches, which came on top of five-day old rail and refinery strikes which have piled pressure on the center-right government.

12 U.S. soldier to face court-martial in Afghan slayings

By Laura Myers, Reuters

Sat Oct 16, 3:11 am ET

SEATTLE (Reuters) – The first of 12 U.S. soldiers accused of terrorizing unarmed civilians as part of a rogue infantry platoon in Afghanistan will face a court-martial on murder charges and other offenses, the military said on Friday.

U.S. Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 22, from Wasilla, Alaska, is charged with three counts of premeditated murder in the deaths of Afghan civilians he is accused of killing for sport.

Although a charge of premeditated murder carries the possibility of the death sentence, it was decided in this case that Morlock would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on all charges, Army spokeswoman Major Kathleen Turner said.

13 Fiscal 2010 deficit thins to $1.29 trillion

By Donna Smith, Reuters

Sat Oct 16, 12:59 am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The budget deficit for fiscal 2010 narrowed to $1.294 trillion from last year’s record $1.416 trillion as tax collections started to recover and bailout spending fell sharply.

The Treasury Department said on Friday the deficit came to 8.94 percent of gross domestic product for the year ended September 30, versus 10 percent in fiscal 2009.

The government called the deficit-to-GDP improvement the biggest since fiscal 1987.

14 Mozilo settles Countrywide fraud case at $67.5 million

By Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Levine, Reuters

Fri Oct 15, 9:02 pm ET

LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Former Countrywide chief Angelo Mozilo agreed to a settlement of $67.5 million to resolve charges of duping the home lender’s investors while lining his own pockets, but Bank of America Corp will pick up two-thirds of the tab.

The flamboyant poster boy of the subprime mortgage market’s boom and bust struck a last-minute deal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before his trial on civil fraud charges was to start next week.

The most prominent executive charged by regulators with wrongdoing linked to the housing market collapse, Mozilo on Friday became the recipient of the highest fine ever dished out to an executive of a public corporation.

15 U.S. backs off in currency dispute with China

By Doug Palmer, Reuters

Fri Oct 15, 4:29 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration backed away on Friday from a showdown with Beijing over the value of China’s currency that would have caused new frictions between the world’s only superpower and its largest creditor.

The Treasury Department delayed a much-anticipated decision on whether to label China as a currency manipulator until after the U.S. congressional elections on November 2 and a Group of 20 leaders summit in South Korea on November 11.

Washington and the European Union accuse China — set to become the world’s second-largest economy after the United States this year — of keeping the yuan artificially low to boost exports, undermining jobs and competitiveness in Western economies.

16 Bernanke sees case for more Federal Reserve easing

By Kristina Cooke, Reuters

Fri Oct 15, 3:27 pm ET

BOSTON (Reuters) – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday offered his most explicit signal yet that the U.S. central bank was set to ease monetary policy further, but provided no details on how aggressively it might act.

Bernanke warned a prolonged period of high unemployment could choke off the U.S. recovery and that the low level of inflation presented an uncomfortable risk of deflation, a dangerous downward slide in prices.

“There would appear — all else being equal — to be a case for further action,” Bernanke said at a conference sponsored by the Boston Federal Reserve Bank.

17 Democrats cling to narrow lead in California: Reuters/Ipsos

By Steve Holland, Reuters

Fri Oct 15, 5:33 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic candidates are clinging to narrow leads over their Republican rivals in two key California races with less than three weeks to go until November 2 elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Friday.

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer’s lead over Republican Carly Fiorina among likely voters in California is only one point, 46 percent to 45 percent, down from a four-point advantage early this month.

Boxer is a key ally of President Barack Obama, who is to campaign for her and other Democrats next week in California. Fiorina is a former CEO of Hewlett-Packard.

18 U.S. inflation slows, keeping pressure on Fed

By Corbett B. Daly and Emily Kaiser, Reuters

Fri Oct 15, 3:32 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. inflation slowed more than expected in September even as retail sales picked up, keeping pressure on the Federal Reserve to act soon to lessen the risk of a downward price spiral.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled on Friday the central bank would likely pump more dollars into the economy to bolster the recovery and keep deflation at bay.

The prospect of more easy money threatened to exacerbate global tensions about currency policies, although Washington delayed a much-anticipated decision on whether to label China a currency manipulator.

19 Bernanke sets up for easing amid currency worries

By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa

Fri Oct 15, 5:44 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The head of the Federal Reserve on Friday cemented expectations of more U.S. stimulus and emerging economies moved to curb the currency turmoil they blame on super-low interest rates in rich countries.

Brazil will unveil measures next week to try to rein in its rising currency which is close to a two-year high against the dollar, and Colombia took new steps to contain the rise of its peso.

Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said countries must work together to strengthen the global currency order, trying to soothe tensions ahead of meetings of top finance officials in South Korea next week.

20 Pakistan says willing to assist Afghan talks

By David Brunnstrom, Reuters

Fri Oct 15, 5:21 pm ET

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Pakistan said on Friday it was willing to assist talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and NATO confirmed its forces had helped ensure a senior Taliban commander reached Kabul.

NATO and U.S. officials have said they are ready to do more to help Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s reconciliation efforts with the Taliban, but Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the talks must be led by Afghanistan itself.

“We are there to facilitate. Because we want to see a stable, peaceful Afghanistan. It’s in Pakistan’s interest to have stability and peace in Afghanistan,” Qureshi said in Brussels before talks on Pakistan’s economic development.

21 Obama steps into Mass. governor’s race to aid ally

By JULIE PACE, Associated Press Writer

15 mins ago

BOSTON – President Barack Obama stepped into the Massachusetts gubernatorial race Saturday to rally for friend and political ally Deval Patrick, who is struggling to overcome the anti-incumbent mood that has swept across the country during this election season.

Speaking before a crowd of several thousand at a rally at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center, Obama said Patrick’s opponent is banking on the same strategy as national Republicans.

“They figured they could ride people’s anger and frustration all the way to the ballot box,” said Obama, dressed more casually for the weekend rally, in a sport coat but no tie.

22 As Democrats’ message lags, GOP awaits huge wins

By CHARLES BABINGTON and LIZ “Sprinkles” SIDOTI, Associated Press Writers

Sat Oct 16, 1:35 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Two weeks before Election Day, Democrats fear their grip on the House may be gone, and Republicans are poised to celebrate big gains in the Senate and governors’ mansions as well.

Analysts in both parties say all major indicators tilt toward the Republicans. President Barack Obama’s policies are widely unpopular. Congress, run by the Democrats, rates even lower. Fear and anger over unemployment and deep deficits are energizing conservative voters; liberals are demoralized.

Private groups are pouring huge sums of money into GOP campaigns. An almost dizzying series of Democratic messages has failed to gain traction, forcing Obama to zigzag in search of a winning formula.

23 Fuel supplies low as French protest pension reform

By ELAINE GANLEY, Associated Press Writer

1 hr 13 mins ago

PARIS – Officials have taken the extraordinary step of warning some flights landing at France’s main airport to come with enough fuel to get back home, bracing for a possible fuel shortage after a new round of protests Saturday against plans to raise the retirement age to 62.

Police estimated some 825,000 people marched in cities across France to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to extend the retirement age to keep pension coffers full. That is fewer than during an Oct. 12 march – and far lower than the union estimate of 3 million. But unions are not relenting in fighting for what the French see as a near-sacred right to retire at 60.

A sixth round of nationwide protests is scheduled for Tuesday, a day before the Senate votes on the retirement reform, which must still return to both houses due to amendments tacked on during debates.

24 US terror war in Yemen frustrated by politics

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 1:14 pm ET

SAN’A, Yemen – For nearly a year, the United States has waged a war against al-Qaida in Yemen, largely in deep secrecy. But the militants appear unfazed, and the fragile government of this poor Arab nation is pushing back against American pressure to escalate the fight.

The regime of Yemen’s longtime leader, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, is weak, dependent for its survival on the loyalty of unruly tribes and alliances with Muslim extremists. Yemeni authorities also fear too harsh a fight against al-Qaida will alienate a deeply conservative Muslim population where anti-American sentiment is widespread. As a result, the main Yemeni tactic is often to negotiate with tribes to try to persuade them to hand over fugitive militants.

Yemeni officials say Washington is pressing them to be more aggressive.

25 Oil change reignites debate over GPS trackers

By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Writer

2 hrs 44 mins ago

SAN FRANCISCO – Yasir Afifi, a 20-year-old computer salesman and community college student, took his car in for an oil change earlier this month and his mechanic spotted an odd wire hanging from the undercarriage.

The wire was attached to a strange magnetic device that puzzled Afifi and the mechanic. They freed it from the car and posted images of it online, asking for help in identifying it.

Two days later, FBI agents arrived at Afifi’s Santa Clara apartment and demanded the return of their property – a global positioning system tracking device now at the center of a raging legal debate over privacy rights.

26 Fox, Cablevision returning to table in dispute

By SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press Writer

7 mins ago

NEW YORK – Cablevision subscribers in the New York metropolitan area found blacked out Fox channels on their television screens Saturday, while the cable company and Fox parent News Corp. tried to resolve a dispute that threatened broadcasts of baseball playoffs and a football game.

The stalemate that led to Fox pulling its channels and online content after midnight was the latest in a series of programming fee disputes that have led to blackouts of programs such as the Oscars. But the impasse amounted to more than corporate wrangling for Bronx resident Clifford Taylor.

“We live for sports,” Taylor said. “Die-hard New Yorker fans, we love to see the Yankees and Giants play.”

27 Hard-hit British heartland braces for cuts

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 12:55 pm ET

SHEFFIELD, England – Sheffield knows all about cuts – and no one knows better than Philip Wright.

A scissors manufacturer, he remembers this city at the height of its steel-making glory, when Sheffield’s furnaces and factories produced ships and tools and cutlery for the dinner tables of the world.

The huge steelworks are mostly gone now, like so much British industry over the past few decades, the victim of international competition, changing technology and governments with other priorities.

28 For GOP, tea party candidates help – and hurt

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

Sat Oct 16, 9:20 am ET

AURORA, Colo. – Colorado Republicans are hosting a campaign tea party this fall, for better or worse.

Or maybe for better and worse, in a jarring demonstration of the potential and peril generated by a political movement responsible for reshaping the 2010 election season.

One statewide nominee, Ken Buck, won the primary with the support of tea party activists and is a modest favorite to defeat appointed Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet. He enjoys the full backing of the Republican Party, and the groups aligned with it are pouring millions into television ads to help him.

29 US studying Australian Internet security program

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 1:51 pm ET

WASHINGTON – The government is reviewing an Australian program that will allow Internet service providers to alert customers if their computers are taken over by hackers and could limit online access if people don’t fix the problem.

Obama administration officials have met with industry leaders and experts to find ways to increase online safety while trying to balance securing the Internet and guarding people’s privacy and civil liberties.

Experts and U.S. officials are interested in portions of the plan, set to go into effect in Australia in December. But any move toward Internet regulation or monitoring by the U.S. government or industry could trigger fierce opposition from the public.

30 China media mostly quiet as mine blast traps 16

By CARA ANNA, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 1:46 pm ET

BEIJING – China joined the world in breathless coverage of the Chilean mine rescue, but when a gas blast killed 21 Chinese miners and trapped 16 Saturday, the national TV evening news didn’t say a word. Rescuers said they were fighting tons of coal dust to reach the miners, who have been located but whose condition was unknown.

The rescuers also faced dangerous gas levels and the risk of falling rocks as they worked their way into the mine pit.

The early-morning explosion in central China happened as the world still was celebrating Chile’s successful rescue of 33 miners trapped more than two months. Chinese media had detailed coverage as the men emerged to cheers.

31 Clinton rallies Calif Dems in crucial turnout vote

By JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 7:05 am ET

LOS ANGELES – Former President Bill Clinton urged Democrats to push past apathy and turn out the vote for Democrats this November, despite economic woes and a political climate that he said is encouraging discord and division.

Before a crowd that included thousands of University of California, Los Angeles students, Clinton on Friday called the November election a clash of ideas. He sought to portray gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown as a candidate from the future – saying the 72-year-old was an innovator as governor from 1975 to 1983.

“He was the first governor in America to have green building standards, green appliance standards,” Clinton said. “He knew it was good economics when most people thought it was a fool’s errand.”

32 Feds oppose Calif. Prop 19 to legalize marijuana

By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 5:04 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. government will “vigorously enforce” federal laws against marijuana even if voters next month make California the first state to legalize pot, Attorney General Eric Holder says.

Holder’s warning, contained in a letter to ex-federal drug enforcement chiefs, was his most direct statement yet against Proposition 19, and it sets up another showdown with California over marijuana if the measure passes.

With Prop 19 leading in the polls, the letter also raised questions about the extent to which federal drug agents would go into communities across the state to catch small-time users and dealers, or whether they even had the resources to do it.

33 Senate GOP, Democrats fight for financial edge

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 1:14 am ET

WASHINGTON – The Democrats’ national fundraising organizations have become a silver lining for a beleaguered party that has its hands full with Republican-allied outside groups and well-financed GOP candidates.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Friday reported raising a record $27 million during the three months ending Sept. 30, and entered the crucial final weeks of the election campaign with $25.6 million in the bank, $6.4 million more than its Republican counterpart. The Democrats’ House equivalent, looking to stave off a Republican takeover, reported $41.6 million in the bank, more than twice the cash on hand reported by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The money offers a sharp counterpoint to Republican advantages elsewhere in the political landscape. Republican Senate candidates have maintained a slight fundraising edge over Democrats. But the biggest GOP boost has come from outside groups that have spent millions on advertising, much of it in money raised from undisclosed donors in unlimited amounts.

34 Court ruling or no, gay troops know not to tell

By ALLEN G. BREED and BRIAN WITTE, Associated Press Writers

Sat Oct 16, 1:17 am ET

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – When word came down of a judge’s ruling that gays could serve openly in the military, an Air Force officer received joyous congratulations from a comrade. Realizing there was someone in the room who didn’t know his sexual orientation, the officer pretended it was a joke and laughed it off.

He figured it was too soon – and too risky – to celebrate.

On Friday, the Pentagon agreed, warning gay troops that in this “legally uncertain environment,” coming out now could have “adverse consequences for themselves or others.” The warning came a day after the Obama administration asked a federal judge in California to stay her ruling overturning the Clinton-era “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy while the government prepares an appeal.

35 For House Democrats, politics trumps loyalty

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 3:32 am ET

WASHINGTON – Grasping to keep control of Congress, Democratic leaders are turning their backs on some of their staunchest supporters in the House and propping up stronger candidates who have routinely defied them on health care, climate change and other major issues.

Raw politics – the drive to win a House-majority 218 seats, no matter how – is increasingly trumping policy and loyalty in these decisions, as Democrats shift money and attention in the closing days of the campaign toward races they can win and pull back from those seemingly lost.

The Democrats are shelling out $40 million in 59 congressional districts in the last three weeks of the campaign for TV advertising. Republicans, boosted by well-funded outside groups, are working to expand the political battleground by pouring money into 82 races next week alone.

36 Factory involved in Hungary sludge flood restarts

By PABLO GORONDI, Associated Press Writer

Fri Oct 15, 7:07 pm ET

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Production restarted Friday at the metals plant whose broken reservoir unleashed a massive flood of caustic red sludge, even as villagers began returning to one of the affected towns in western Hungary despite warnings from environmentalists that it was too early and too dangerous to return.

Some 800 Kolontar residents were evacuated last Saturday after authorities said a wall of the factory reservoir could collapse further, releasing a second wave of red sludge after a calamitous break Oct. 4 created a deadly torrent.

Nine people died in the toxic flood and around 50 are still hospitalized, several in serious condition.

37 More intellectually disabled youths go to college

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press Writer

1 hr 15 mins ago

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Zach Neff is all high-fives as he walks through his college campus in western Missouri. The 27-year-old with Down syndrome hugs most everybody, repeatedly. He tells teachers he loves them.

“I told Zach we are putting him on a hug diet – one to say hello and one to say goodbye,” said Joyce Downing, who helped start a new program at the University of Central Missouri that serves students with disabilities.

The hope is that polishing up on social skills, like cutting back on the hugs, living in residence halls and going to classes with non-disabled classmates will help students like Neff be more independent and get better jobs.

38 Cancer activist’s approach: Real, a bit irreverent

By MARTHA IRVINE, AP National Writer

Sat Oct 16, 12:42 pm ET

CHICAGO – Lindsay Avner is no shrinking violet. She’s a bright pink whirlwind, with a closet full of dresses cut from that very color and a cancer-fighting organization she named for it.

Bold yet calculating, she is the nice girl who knows how to get what she wants, and how to get away with saying things others couldn’t, or wouldn’t.

“Mind your melons,” Avner, who’s 28, tells any young woman who’ll listen. “Touch your ta-tas.”

39 Armenian organized crime grows more complex

By THOMAS WATKINS, Associated Press Writer

Sat Oct 16, 11:30 am ET

GLENDALE, Calif. – Endeavor Diagnostics billed itself as a thriving medical laboratory that performed more than $1 million of work for Medicare patients.

When two FBI agents went to inspect it, they found an empty San Fernando Valley office with only a desk and a fax machine. There were no workers, no patients and no biological samples.

Behind the door of the facade were signs tying the operation to a sprawling network of phantom enterprises allegedly set up by Armenian mobsters to try to defraud Medicare of $163 million for services never provided.

40 Tribal leaders tell feds road funding needs a fix

By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press Writer

Fri Oct 15, 11:25 pm ET

POLSON, Mont. – Road fatalities on Indian reservations are three times the national average because road projects in Indian Country are inadequately funded, tribal leaders told federal officials Friday.

In a field hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in Polson, committee representative Sen. Jon Tester heard from government officials and tribal representatives from as far as California and Arizona who said more money was needed for reservation roads and the system needed to be better administered.

Some 73 percent of the 28,000 miles of roadways under the Bureau of Indian Affairs are unpaved and considered inadequate, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk said.

41 Report: Killer whales preying on Alaska sea otters

By MARY PEMBERTON, Associated Press Writer

Fri Oct 15, 8:42 pm ET

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A report by government scientists identifies killer whales as the No. 1 reason there are so few sea otters in southwest Alaska.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed five-year, $15 million recovery plan for sea otters in the Aleutian Islands considered a slew of possible reasons for the perilously low numbers found in some areas.

The draft recovery plan released this week said there is only one threat considered to have high importance: predation by killer whales, with sharks perhaps being a factor.

42 UN envoy says over 15,000 raped in eastern Congo

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer

Fri Oct 15, 7:39 pm ET

UNITED NATIONS – More than 15,000 people were raped in the volatile eastern region of Congo last year, according to the best data available, the top U.N. envoy in the African nation said Friday.

Roger Meece, who heads the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, said the scale of the security problems in the east, including sexual attacks, is “enormous.”

Meece told the U.N. Security Council that the “horrific” mass rapes in late July and early August by rebel militias in eastern Congo’s mineral-rich Walikale region underscored the importance of protecting civilians.

43 APNewsBreak: NY officers face stat-fudging charges

By TOM HAYS and COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writers

Fri Oct 15, 6:31 pm ET

NEW YORK – Four New York Police Department officers are facing internal charges based on the highly publicized accusations by a fellow officer that they manipulated crime statistics, an NYPD official said Friday.

The officers include the former commanding officer of the 81st Precinct in Brooklyn, Deputy Inspector Steven Mauriello.

Mauriello, a sergeant and two patrol officers were served with the charges this week. A second sergeant was expected to be served next week, said the official, who only named Mauriello.

44 Army won’t seek death in Afghan killings case

By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

Fri Oct 15, 6:31 pm ET

SEATTLE – A U.S. soldier who told investigators in horrifying detail that he and other members of his unit executed three civilians in Afghanistan for sport will not face the death penalty if convicted, the Army said Friday.

Spc. Jeremy Morlock, of Wasilla, Alaska, is one of five defendants charged with murder and conspiracy in the deaths this year. Much of the Army’s case is based on extensive statements Morlock gave describing the killings.

Last month, an investigating officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Seattle held a preliminary hearing in Morlock’s case and recommended it proceed to a court martial.

45 Texas prosecutor denies showing bias in arson case

By JEFF CARLTON, Associated Press Writer

Fri Oct 15, 4:37 pm ET

AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas prosecutor accused of bias for describing an executed man as a “guilty monster” defended his comments Friday, while his colleagues on a commission investigating the case said he might have jeopardized the integrity of their inquiry.

Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley said lawyers trying to clear Cameron Todd Willingham’s name are using the case to further their effort to abolish the death penalty. He also argued that he has a First Amendment right to state his opinion.

“We are being used, and we should recognize that,” Bradley said. “When do we get to respond to those lies? Who is going to correct the record?”

1 comments

Comments have been disabled.