Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Putin leads backlash over WikiLeaks boss detention

by Maria Antonova, AFP

42 mins ago

MOSCOW (AFP) – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Thursday led growing support from some world leaders for the beleaguered WikiLeaks founder, describing his detention in Britain as “undemocratic”.

The wave of support for Julian Assange, currently in a British jail as Sweden seeks his extradition on rape charges, came as hackers — dubbed “hack-tivists” — stepped up cyber attacks on those opposed to WikiLeaks.

But after taking down the websites of Visa, Mastercard and others, supporters of the whistleblower website tried but failed to knock online retail giant Amazon.com offline.

2 African Union suspends Ivory Coast

by Roland Lloyd Parry, AFP

2 hrs 1 min ago

ABIDJAN (AFP) – The African Union suspended Ivory Coast from its ranks Thursday and the United States warned of sanctions, further isolating Laurent Gbagbo as he defied calls to quit power following disputed polls.

The decision by the African bloc (AU) came after the UN Security Council and senior African leaders said Gbagbo should abandon efforts to cling to office in the wake of the November 28 run-off against former premier Alassane Ouattara.

A letter from US President Barack Obama to Gbagbo meanwhile “made clear that if he makes the wrong choice … we would look at possible sanctions against him and others if necessary,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

3 Nobel jury tries to abate Chinese fury at peace pick

by Nina Larson, AFP

Thu Dec 9, 1:13 pm ET

OSLO (AFP) – Nobel organisers tried Thursday to dampen growing anger in Beijing on the eve of a controversial peace prize ceremony for jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo, insisting the honour was not targeted against China.

“This is not a prize against China. This is a prize honouring people in China,” Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland insisted at a press conference in Oslo, traditionally held by the laureate on the day before the annual peace prize ceremony.

He did however say he believed the prize to Liu, who remains stuck in a Chinese prison and will not be able to attend Friday’s ceremony, would change things in Beijing.

4 Nobel tries to assuage China ahead of ceremony

by Nina Larson, AFP

Thu Dec 9, 11:41 am ET

OSLO (AFP) – Supporters and opponents of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo mobilised Thursday on the eve of a ceremony in honour of the absent Nobel Peace Prize laureate that has enraged Beijing.

China has kept up a barrage of criticism of the award to Liu who will be unable to attend the ceremony, insisting that the vast majority of countries oppose the decision to hand the prize to a man it considers a criminal.

“Those people at the Nobel committee have to admit they are in the minority. The Chinese people and the overwhelming majority of people in the world oppose what they do,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing.

5 China on the offensive over Nobel award ceremony

by Marianne Barriaux, AFP

Thu Dec 9, 6:12 am ET

BEIJING (AFP) – China on Thursday launched a final salvo ahead of a ceremony honouring Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, calling US lawmakers “arrogant” for supporting him and saying most of the world opposes the move.

The fresh round of criticism, which also targeted the Oslo-based Nobel committee, comes on the eve of a ceremony in the Norwegian capital honouring Liu, who was jailed in December 2009 for 11 years on subversion charges.

“Those people at the Nobel committee have to admit they are in the minority. The Chinese people and the overwhelming majority of countries and people in the world oppose what they do,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

6 Climate talks make progress as Bolivia calls for more

by Shaun Tandon, AFP

2 hrs 12 mins ago

CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) – The world’s climate negotiators on Thursday inched toward compromise on fighting deforestation and assisting poor nations as Bolivia’s firebrand leader demanded more aggressive action.

With one day left for the UN-led talks in Mexico, South African President Jacob Zuma urged the more than 190 nations to set up “the building blocks” for a comprehensive climate deal when he leads next year’s meeting in Durban.

“We dare not lose this opportunity,” Zuma told reporters at the talks in resort city of Cancun.

7 Parmalat boss gets 18 years for ‘Europe’s Enron’

by Mathieu Gorse, AFP

1 hr 13 mins ago

MILAN (AFP) – The former head of Italian food conglomerate Parmalat was sentenced to 18 years in prison and ordered to pay huge sanctions on Thursday after a massive fraud trial on a case dubbed “Europe’s Enron.”

Calisto Tanzi, 72, was not in court for the sentencing and has only served nine months between prison and house arrest since the spectacular collapse in 2003 of a company that he founded in 1961 and operated in 30 countries.

The court in Parmalat’s home town of Parma in northern Italy said Tanzi and other former executives sentenced with him will have to pay two billion euros (2.6 billion dollars) back to the company, which has emerged from bankruptcy.

8 In blow to Obama, allies reject tax deal

by Olivier Knox, AFP

51 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – In a blow to US President Barack Obama, his Democratic allies in the House of Representatives voted Thursday to reject a compromise he reached with Republicans to avert a massive New Year’s tax hike.

Despite an unrelenting White House charm offensive, House Democrats declared behind closed doors, by voice vote, that the framework deal was unacceptable in its current form, ensuring it could not pass this year absent key changes.

“We will continue discussions with the president and our Democratic and Republican colleagues in the days ahead to improve the proposal before it comes to the House floor for a vote,” said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

9 Steeplechase champion in Spanish doping probe

by Gabriel Rubio, AFP

1 hr 4 mins ago

MADRID (AFP) – Spanish police questioned world steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez on Thursday as they made several arrests in a major anti-doping operation.

Dominguez, winner of the 5,000 metres at the 2001 and 2003 World championships in addition to the 2009 steeplechase, was seen entering a Guardia Civil police station in northern Spain’s Palencia, an AFP photographer said.

Interior ministry sources put the number of detainees at 14, saying they included top athletes, coaches and medical staff.

10 Four dead as Haiti vote protests turn ugly

by Clarens Renois, AFP

Wed Dec 8, 7:06 pm ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE (AFP) – Thousands of protesters rampaged in Haitian towns Wednesday, torching buildings in armed clashes that left four dead, after election results triggered bitter accusations of vote-rigging, witnesses said.

Supporters of popular singer Michel Martelly took to the streets after Tuesday night’s results showed he had been narrowly — and unexpectedly — knocked out of the race for the presidency of the impoverished Caribbean nation.

Instead, President Rene Preval’s handpicked protege Jude Celestin defied predictions to snap up second place and a coveted slot in January’s run-off in which he will battle a former first lady for the nation’s top job.

11 Hackers hit credit card giants after WikiLeaks’ funding cut

AFP

Wed Dec 8, 6:32 pm ET

ZURICH (AFP) – Hackers on Wednesday attacked the websites of credit card giants Mastercard and Visa in revenge for their decisions to cut off funding to whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

The group “Anonymous” claimed credit for bringing down the websites of the two firms after they suspended payments to WikiLeaks, and for attacking the site of a Swiss bank that closed an account of site founder Julian Assange.

“Hackers Take Down Visa.com in the Name of Wikileaks. Wow. This is getting crazy,” said a message from the group on microblogging site Twitter, as the attacks started to take on the proportions of an all out cyber war.

12 WikiLeaks supporters step up cyber war

by Danny Kemp, AFP

Thu Dec 9, 6:52 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – Hackers stepped up their cyber war on Thursday in support of WikiLeaks as the embattled whistleblowers released memos showing the US views China as a “pernicious” competitor in Africa, lacking in morals.

After a group which has dubbed itself “Anonymous” vowed to intensify its “war of data” against Mastercard, Visa and other groups which have cut funding to the website, the Swedish government then came under attack.

In an online chat with AFP, organisers of the group said thousands of volunteers were taking part in their defense of WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, whom they described as a “free-speech martyr.”

13 EU official urges easing in Greek repayment schedule

AFP

Thu Dec 9, 12:57 pm ET

ATHENS (AFP) – The European Union is planning a “systemic” response to the eurozone debt crisis, a senior EU official said Thursday, two days after the IMF head called on the EU to adopt a “comprehensive” approach.

EU Economics Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn also backed a delay for Greece in the repayment of its 110-billion-euro rescue loan, accorded in May by both the EU and the International Monetary Fund.

Rehn said EU finance ministers were ready to look favourably on a delay in the face of concern about Greece’s ability to meet a 2015 deadline given the parlous state of its economy.

14 Students clash with police outside UK parliament

by Danny Kemp, AFP

Thu Dec 9, 11:23 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – Angry students clashed with police in a rally outside Britain’s parliament on Thursday as the coalition government faced its biggest test yet in a vote on proposals that could triple university tuition fees.

Demonstrators surged into the square in front of the Houses of Parliament, as lawmakers prepared to vote on moves to allow universities in England to charge annual fees of up to 9,000 pounds (14,200 dollars, 10,700 euros).

In ugly scenes in the heart of London, protesters repeatedly tried to break through a cordon of riot police and at one point attempted to smash down a metal fence around the parliament and hurl sections of it at officers.

15 UK coalition under strain in university fees vote

by Sam Reeves, AFP

Thu Dec 9, 8:13 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – Britain’s coalition government is facing its biggest test yet in a vote on whether to let universities triple tuition fees, as thousands of students protested against the proposals in London.

The change — which would see students at English universities charged fees of up to 9,000 pounds (14,200 dollars, 10,700 euros) a year — have exposed deep tensions within the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.

The move comes amid a series of deep cuts in public spending imposed by the government to slash a record deficit.

16 WikiLeaks backers threaten more cyber attacks

By Georgina Prodhan and Jeremy Pelofsky, Reuters

1 hr 58 mins ago

LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Internet activists defied efforts to end their online assaults against institutions seen as enemies of WikiLeaks on Thursday, promising more cyber attacks on targets starting with PayPal.

The campaign to avenge WikiLeaks against those who have obstructed its operations, calling itself Operation Payback, has already temporarily brought down the websites of credit-card giants Visa and MasterCard, and of the Swedish government.

In Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange showed the West was hypocritical in its criticism of Russia’s record on democracy.

17 Analysis: Wikileaks battle: a new amateur face of cyber war?

By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent, Reuters

Thu Dec 9, 3:33 am ET

LONDON (Reuters) – The website attacks launched by supporters of WikiLeaks show 21st-century cyber warfare evolving into a more amateur and anarchic affair than many predicted.

While most countries have plowed much more attention and resources into cyber security in recent years, most of the debate has focused on the threat from militant groups such as al Qaeda or mainstream state on state conflict.

But attempts to silence WikiLeaks after the leaking of some 250,000 classified State Department cables seem to have produced something rather different — something of a popular rebellion amongst hundreds or thousands of tech-savvy activists.

18 Democrats defy Obama, oppose tax deal

By Kim Dixon and Donna Smith, Reuters

53 mins ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Angry Democrats in the House of Representatives defied President Barack Obama on Thursday and rejected a deal he struck with Republicans to extend low tax rates that are set to expire in three weeks.

While unlikely on its own to derail the tax plan, the Democrats’ rebellion gives Obama another political headache just over a month after he took a beating in mid-term elections.

In a raucous, closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, mutinous Democrats chanted “Just say no!” as they vowed to overhaul Obama’s plan to extend low tax rates for nearly all Americans, according to lawmakers in the room.

19 U.S. tax deal squeezes potential home buyers

By Al Yoon and Daniel Trotta, Reuters

Wed Dec 8, 10:01 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – For Kathryn Confer, refinancing the mortgage on her home in Erie, Pennsylvania, became a race against time — first because she was drowning under a 10.5 percent interest rate and then because of the U.S. Congress.

Confer wanted to avoid the unintended consequences of the political compromise struck by President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans to extend lower tax rates to all Americans, including high earners.

Yields in the U.S. Treasury bond market spiked on Wednesday as investors worried the deal would inflate further the ballooning U.S. deficit, pushing mortgage rates upward just as the U.S. housing market was showing some signs of recovery.

20 Nobel head: Liu’s prize based on "universal values"

By Wojciech Moskwa and Sui-Lee Wee, Reuters

1 hr 24 mins ago

OSLO/BEIJING (Reuters) – The Nobel Peace Prize panel on Thursday defended its award to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo as based on “universal values,” rejecting Beijing’s accusation that it is trying force Western ideas on China.

China maintained its combative tone on the eve of the prize ceremony in Oslo, and announced the award of its own “Confucius Peace Prize” to former Taiwan vice-president Lien Chan, though his office said he was unaware of the award.

China jailed Liu last Christmas Day for 11 years for subversion of state power and for being the lead author of Charter 08, a manifesto calling for democratic reform in the one-party state.

21 MasterCard buys Travelex prepaid unit for $459 million

By Maria Aspan and Sudip Kar-Gupta, Reuters

Thu Dec 9, 1:49 pm ET

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – MasterCard Inc is buying a prepaid cash-card business of foreign exchange group Travelex for 290 million pounds ($459 million) in an effort to win business in fast-growing emerging markets.

Travelex’s prepaid card business focuses on travelers that use plastic instead of travelers checks. But MasterCard hopes to expand the business to offer cards to consumers in emerging markets that do not have bank accounts and therefore cannot use credit or debit cards.

The deal will “be an important driver for our growth in the whole prepaid arena,” especially outside of the United States, MasterCard Chief Executive Ajay Banga said during a conference call with investors and reporters on Thursday.

22 Special Report: The Chinese consumer awakens

By Alan Wheatley, Global Economics Correspondent, Reuters

Thu Dec 9, 2:23 am ET

XIAHE, China (Reuters)- In the Tibetan monastery town of Xiahe, Gyelyanjia is visiting for a festival and taking the opportunity to do some shopping.

He has spent 20 yuan ($3) at Ding’s electrical appliance shop on a heat-belt, which he can fill with boiling water and strap around his waist to ward off the bitter winter chill on the Himalayan plateau.

The 66-year-old grins: “I already have a television at home. But I would like a washing machine and a fridge. I hope to buy those next year.”

23 U.N. climate talks seek to avert damaging failure

By Alister Doyle and Robert Campbell, Reuters

Wed Dec 8, 11:48 pm ET

CANCUN, Mexico (Reuters) – Almost 200 nations sought on Wednesday to break a deadlock between rich and poor on steps to fight global warming and avert a new, damaging setback after they failed to agree a U.N. treaty last year in Copenhagen.

Several environment ministers said that failure at the talks in Mexico could undermine faith in the ability of the United Nations to tackle global problems in the 21st century as power shifts toward emerging nations led by China and India.

“I think that what is at stake here is also multilateralism,” said European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. “It’s absolutely crucial that this process, which is the only one we have … can prove that it can deliver results.”

24 Despite arrest, Assange extradition faces hurdles

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press

15 mins ago

LONDON – Some of the WikiLeaks critics who cheered founder Julian Assange’s arrest may want to think again. The prospect of Assange being sent to Sweden in a sex-crimes inquiry may make it less likely that he’ll wind up before an American judge, something politicians and pundits including Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut have called for.

That’s because Britain has one of the most U.S.-friendly extradition regimes in Europe. Sweden, with its tough media-protection laws, may not be so quick to hand the 39-year-old Australian over.

“(U.S. officials) might be well advised, if they think they have a basis, to try to extradite him while he’s still here,” said Peter Sommer, a cybercrime expert at the London School of Economics.

25 Protests, cyber-skirmishes rage over WikiLeaks

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER and JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press

2 mins ago

LONDON – Skirmishes raged across cyberspace Thursday between WikiLeaks supporters and the companies they accuse of trying to stifle the group, with websites on both sides of the battle line taken out of service or choked off by attacks.

The U.N.’s top human rights official raised the alarm over officials’ and corporations’ moves to cut off WikiLeaks’ funding and starve it of server space – something she described as a “potentially violating WikiLeaks’ right to freedom of expression.”

Navi Pillay also expressed surprise at the scale of the online attacks that have targeted major American financial players – in some cases denying access to their websites for hours at a time.

26 US, Canada are close allies. That’s classified?

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press

Thu Dec 9, 6:27 am ET

WASHINGTON – Wanna hear a secret? The U.S. and Canada are probably going to remain friends. And the conservative and liberal party leaders in England? They don’t like each other.

But keep that under wraps. The U.S. doesn’t want that sort of sensitive information getting out for a decade or so.

While the recent leak of government documents onto the website WikiLeaks has revealed government secrets on such topics as Iran, North Korea and Yemen, the disclosure also unmasked another closely guarded fact: Much of what the government says is classified isn’t much of a secret at all.

27 Students attack Prince Charles’ car after fee hike

Associated Press

10 mins ago

LONDON – In Britain’s worst political violence in years, furious student protesters rained sticks and rocks on riot police, vandalized government buildings and attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, after lawmakers approved a controversial hike in university tuition fees.

Demonstrators set upon the heir to the throne’s limousine as it drove through London’s West End shopping and entertainment hub. Protesters who had been running amok and smashing shop windows kicked and threw paint at the car, which sped off.

Charles’ office, Clarence House, confirmed the attack but said “their royal highnesses are unharmed.”

28 House Democrats reject tax plan without changes

By CHARLES BABINGTON and STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press

11 mins ago

WASHINGTON – House Democrats voted Thursday to reject President Barack Obama’s tax deal with Republicans in its current form, but it was unclear how significantly the package might need to be changed.

By voice vote in a closed caucus meeting, Democrats passed a resolution saying the tax package should not come to the House floor for consideration as written, even though no formal House bill has been drafted. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced the resolution.

Said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas: “If it’s take it or leave it, we’ll leave it.”

29 Democrats delay action on young immigrants bill

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press

12 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Senate moved Thursday to delay a politically charged showdown vote on legislation carving out a path to legal status for foreign-born youngsters brought to this country illegally, putting off but probably not preventing the measure’s demise.

Facing GOP objections, Democrats put aside the so-called Dream Act and said they’d try again to advance it before year’s end. They’re short of the 60 votes needed to do so, however, and critics in both parties quickly said they won’t change their minds in the waning days of the Democratic-controlled Congress.

“This is mainly a political exercise rather than a serious attempt to deal with our broken immigration system,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

30 Authorities burn down explosive-laden Calif house

By JULIE WATSON, Associated Press

14 mins ago

ESCONDIDO, Calif. – A fire intentionally set Thursday to destroy an explosives-filled house in a suburban San Diego neighborhood rapidly consumed the structure without major problems as fire crews and curious onlookers watched.

Authorities said the home was so packed with homemade explosives that they had no choice but to burn it to the ground.

Remotely controlled explosive devices ignited the home in Escondido and it quickly became engulfed in flames as thick smoke rose high into the sky, going just as authorities had planned to avoid spreading toxic fumes through the community.

31 Doors’ Jim Morrison pardoned for indecent exposure

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON and SUZETTE LABOY, Associated Press

16 mins ago

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – This is the end for the wild concert 41 years ago that left Jim Morrison marked with what today would be considered sex-offender status. Florida’s Clemency Board, egged on by departing Gov. Charlie Crist, pardoned The Doors’ long-dead singer Thursday on indecent exposure and profanity charges stemming from the show.

Some people who were at the Miami concert March 1, 1969, insist even today that he exposed himself, though others in the audience and Morrison’s bandmates contend he was just teasing the crowd and only pretended to do the deed. Crist, tuned in to the controversy by a Doors fan, said there was enough doubt about what happened at the Dinner Key Auditorium to justify a pardon.

The board, which consists of Crist and a three-member Cabinet, voted unanimously to pardon Morrison as they granted several other pardons Thursday. At the hearing, the governor called the convictions a “blot” on the record of an accomplished artist for “something he may or may not have done.”

32 Kids go on expensive buying sprees in iPhone games

By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer

2 hrs 13 mins ago

NEW YORK – “The Smurfs’ Village,” a game for the iPhone and other Apple gadgets, was released a month ago and quickly became the highest-grossing application in the iTunes store. Yet it’s free to download.

So where does the money come from? Kelly Rummelhart of Gridley, Calif., has part of the answer. Her 4-year-old son was using her iPad to play the game and racked up $66.88 in charges on her credit card without knowing what he was doing.

Rummelhart had no idea that it was possible to buy things – buy them with real money – inside the game. In this case, her son bought one bushel and 11 buckets of “Smurfberries,” tokens that speed up gameplay.

33 Haiti officials to re-count disputed election

By JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press

2 hrs 19 mins ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti’s electoral council will re-count the vote in the country’s disputed election in view of election monitors and potentially the three leading candidates themselves, the council president said Thursday.

The decision follows rioting sparked by the announcement that government-backed candidate Jude Celestin and former first lady Mirlande Manigat were poised to enter a January runoff, while entertainer Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly had apparently been narrowly eliminated.

Council president Gaillot Dorsainvil read a statement on Haitian radio saying that tally sheets would be re-counted with international observers and electoral officials.

34 Anti-China protests in Oslo over Nobel peace prize

By MATTI HUUHTANEN and CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press

Thu Dec 9, 12:42 pm ET

OSLO, Norway – Pro-democracy advocates marched on the Chinese embassy in Oslo on Thursday, demanding that China release imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.

Chanting “Freedom to Liu! Freedom for China!” about 100 protesters tried to deliver a petition with more than 100,000 signatures urging the dissident’s release from a Chinese prison before being diverted by police away from the embassy gates.

The protest came on the eve of the Nobel prize ceremony, where the 54-year-old Liu will be represented by an empty chair. Friday will be the first time the peace prize will not be handed out since 1936, when Adolf Hitler prevented German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky from accepting the award.

35 Likely GOP hopefuls line up against nuclear treaty

By LIZ “Sprinkles” SIDOTI, AP National Political Writer

Thu Dec 9, 2:25 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Republicans weighing a White House bid fiercely oppose a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia and stand in stark contrast to two presidents, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George H.W. Bush, on a critical foreign policy issue.

“It’s an obsolete approach that’s a holdover from the Cold War and a bilateral treaty without taking into account multilateral threats,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday, becoming the latest potential 2012 candidate to object to swift passage of the treaty without changes.

Gingrich joins Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, John Thune and Sarah Palin – all outspoken critics of the pact. The bright line between would-be GOP challengers and the incumbent Democrat raises the likelihood that the New START treaty will become a 2012 issue and its success or failure will reverberate as the next presidential campaign takes shape.

36 Abortion rights foes look to spread fetal pain law

By TIMBERLY ROSS, Associated Press

14 mins ago

OMAHA, Neb. – Abortion rights foes emboldened by a new Nebraska law that restricts late-term procedures based on the disputed notion that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks are pushing for similar legislation in other states, particularly those where Republicans won big in November.

National Right to Life held a strategy conference this week in Arlington, Va., to offer its state affiliates guidance for the 2011 legislative session. Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky lawmakers have already started drafting bills similar to Nebraska’s law, and abortion opponents are pushing lawmakers in Kansas, Maryland and Oklahoma to do the same.

“What Nebraska did was fantastic,” said Margie Montgomery, the executive director of Kentucky Right to Life. “That makes us more excited about it. Now we can point to it – it’s already a law in Nebraska. That’s really good for us.”

37 Report: For-profit colleges cashing in on military

By ERIC GORSKI, AP Education Writer

18 mins ago

For-profit college companies are taking in enormous amounts of federal student aid money by recruiting and enrolling members of the military, veterans and their families, with questionable returns, according to a new report from a vocal Senate critic of the industry.

Citing low student loan repayments and high dropout rates at for-profit schools, the report from Sen. Tom Harkin is urging Congress and the federal agencies involved to “act now” to make sure the aid programs are not being exploited.

A representative of for-profit colleges responded that the enrollment growth ought to be celebrated, and that active-duty military and veterans are choosing schools that serve their needs.

38 Jury deliberating 1975 SD reservation slaying case

By NOMAAN MERCHANT, Associated Press

1 hr 35 mins ago

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Jurors began deliberating the fate Thursday of a man charged for the 1975 killing of an American Indian Movement member, whose death became synonymous with the decades-old battles between federal agents and American Indian activists.

John Graham, 55, is accused of shooting Annie Mae Aquash and leaving her to die on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge reservation in December 1975. Prosecutors allege that Graham and two other AIM activists kidnapped and killed Aquash because they thought she was a government spy.

Graham, a Southern Tutchone Indian from Canada, is charged with two counts of murder and could receive life in prison if convicted.

39 Wyo. officials say yes to Teton land sale to feds

By MEAD GRUVER, Associated Press

1 hr 41 mins ago

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The state land board on Thursday approved selling 2 square miles of property within Grand Teton National Park to the federal government for $107 million in a deal that would take place in four phases over three years.

The proposal next goes to the Wyoming Legislature for approval, although Gov. Dave Freudenthal doubted lawmakers would vote against the plan and undo months – and in a sense, years – of negotiations with the Interior Department.

“Negotiating is always slow, but I’m glad that we got it done,” the governor said. “This is a reasonable deal.”

40 Imam behind NYC mosque plan sees hope after fury

By DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press

Thu Dec 9, 9:06 am ET

NEW YORK – Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf saw his plans for an Islamic center near ground zero derided as a victory mosque for terrorists, exploited as campaign fodder and used as a bargaining chip by a Florida pastor who vowed to burn the Quran.

After that summer of mistrust and raw feeling, he’s looking on the bright side.

Rauf says he hopes to use the platform he gained through the angry debate to turn his small nonprofit group into a global movement celebrating pluralism.

41 Vandalism mars Hanukkah in Ind. college town

By CHARLES WILSON, Associated Press

Thu Dec 9, 6:57 am ET

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When Indiana University student Carl Corenblum found a rock and shattered window at the Chabad House Jewish Center near campus, he never thought about the possibility that it could have been a hate crime.

But in the days since, authorities have recorded several other incidents of vandalism aimed at the city’s Jewish community, including someone taking Hebrew books from two libraries – one at the university and one off-campus – and placing them in toilets and urinating on them.

“When you go after the books, it’s a much more severe act, much more premeditated. It cuts much deeper, I think, too,” said Corenblum, a 22-year-old psychology major from Alabama and one of about 4,000 Jewish students on the campus of 40,000 about 60 miles south of Indianapolis.

42 Docs show Calif.’s worldwide execution drug search

By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press

Thu Dec 9, 5:53 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO – The e-mail from one California prison official to another almost reads like something out of a spy novel: “May have a secret and important mission for you.”

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation undersecretary Scott Kernan sent that message to assistant secretary Anthony Chaus on Sept. 29. The “mission” turned out to be a trip to Arizona for a fresh supply of sodium thiopental, the so-called knock-out drug used in the state’s three-drug lethal injection.

California’s only batch was set to expire and the drug was in short supply – as the state’s first execution in five years loomed.

43 Cancun climate talks hunt for compromises

By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent

Thu Dec 9, 1:51 am ET

CANCUN, Mexico – With just two days left, delegates to the annual U.N. climate conference haggled and cajoled into the night in search of compromise on a raft of issues, including whether industrial nations should generate $100 billion a year, or up to $600 billion, to help poorer countries cope with global warming.

“The progress made is encouraging, but unresolved issues are still many,” Zimbabwe’s Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe, chair of a conference working group, said Wednesday of the half-dozen key disputes. “We need to do better and we need to do more.”

This year again the U.N. talks will fail to produce an overarching deal to slash emissions of global warming gases. From the start, the two weeks of talks focused instead on reaching agreement in secondary areas under the U.N. climate treaty.

44 India’s ambassador gets pat-down at Miss. airport

By HOLBROOK MOHR, Associated Press

Wed Dec 8, 9:31 pm ET

JACKSON, Miss. – India’s sari-clad ambassador was pulled from an airport security line and patted down by a TSA agent in Mississippi after attending a conference, an act one state agency official called “unfortunate.”

The hands-on search last week also embarrassed the university officials who invited Meera Shankar, India’s ambassador to the United States, to give a speech for an international studies program.

“It was a wonderful program, maybe the best we’ve had, (but) this stupid incident ruined the whole thing. She said, ‘I will never come back here,'” said Janos Radvanyi, chair of Mississippi State University’s international studies department. “We are sending her a letter of apology.”

45 APNewsBreak: NJ nuke plant closing 10 years early

By WAYNE PARRY and ANGELA DELLI SANTI, Associated Press

Wed Dec 8, 6:33 pm ET

TRENTON, N.J. – The nation’s oldest nuclear power plant will close in 2019 – 10 years earlier than planned – but will not have to build costly cooling towers, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

The people, who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the plans ahead of an announcement expected Thursday, said the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in the Forked River section of Lacey Township will close a decade earlier than called for under its current license.

In return, the aging plant will not be required to build one or more cooling towers to replace its current technology, which draws 1.4 billion gallons of water a day from Barnegat Bay, killing billions of aquatic creatures each year.

46 AP IMPACT: Caught by mistake in foreclosure web

By MICHELLE CONLIN, AP Real Estate Writer

Wed Dec 8, 6:19 pm ET

Christopher Marconi was in the shower when he heard a loud banging on his door. By the time he grabbed a towel and hustled to his front step, a U.S. marshal’s sedan was peeling out of his driveway. Nailed to Marconi’s front door was a foreclosure summons from Wells Fargo, naming him as a defendant. But the notice was for a house Marconi had never seen – on a mortgage he never had.

Tom Williams was in his kitchen thumbing through the mail when he opened a letter from GMAC. It informed him that the bank would confiscate his house unless he immediately paid off his mortgage balance of $276,000. But Williams had never missed a mortgage payment. And his loan wasn’t due to mature until 2032.

Warren Nyerges opened his front door in Naples, Fla., to find a scraggly-haired summons server standing on his stoop. He plopped a foreclosure notice from Bank of America in Nyerges’ hands. But Nyerges had paid for his house in cash. And he’d never had a checking account, much less a mortgage, with Bank of America.

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