5/28/08

THE CLASS

Mr.Martinez class is a fun class. The appearance of Mr.Martinez made me think that I will fail his class. Because his assignments that he gives out was alot of work to me and the class. But after a while I see that he gives us time to finish our work. His class didn't seem fun at first and it seemed very serious,but later on it's fun. His learning enivronment was fun and intresting to me you can learn and have fun at the same time. Some things I didn't understand but Mr.martinez help me along the way to understand his point of views.

This class is my favorite class to come to cause in this class its all ways fun. You all ways learn somthing new there is nothing in here you want learn or forget.

5/23/08

current event
title:McCain is cancer-free, say newly-released medical records
who:John McCain
what:Three-time melanoma survivor John McCain appears cancer-free, has a strong heart and is in otherwise general good health, according to eight years of medical records reviewed by The Associated Press.
when:May 23, 2008
where:FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz
why:The details of McCain's health are contained in 1,173 pages of medical documents spanning 2000 to 2008 that his campaign made available to the AP to make the case that he's healthy enough to serve as president, as well as to counter the notion that he's too old. The Arizona senator will turn 72 in August and would be the oldest elected president.
Like many aging Americans, McCain takes medicine to keep his cholesterol in check.
how:This time, the AP examined the documents over several hours Thursday in a conference room of a resort just outside of Phoenix and a few miles from the posh Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, where McCain receives most of his medical care under a pseudonym — which the AP was asked not to disclose. Coincidentally, the release came the same week that McCain's close friend, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, revealed that he had a cancerous brain tumor.
The documents include very personal details, such as the fact that he had earwax removed earlier this year and the dermatologist showed McCain's wife, Cindy, how to monitor possibly suspicious skin spots hidden by his waistband. Though he's known as temperamental, the doctors made a point of repeatedly writing in the documents that McCain was "pleasant."
Also revealed: He has occasional momentary episodes of dizziness, when he gets up suddenly. McCain first told a doctor about them in 2000 — a visit that also uncovered the melanoma — and intense testing concluded they were harmless vertigo. He didn't report any episodes at his most recent exam.

5/22/08

current event
title:Christian music star's daughter killed by car
who:The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman
what:The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.The girl, Maria Sue, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
when:5/22/08
where:NASHVILLE, Tennessee
why:The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.
The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.
"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing -- our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.
how:"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing -- our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.
"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world."'
The 45-year-old singer also has released a book about being a father titled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess." He has won five Grammy awards and 54 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association, according to Kelm.

5/20/08

current event
title:McCain to mark Cuban day with Obama attack
who:John McCain
what:Republican presidential candidate John McCain marks Cuban Independence Day on Tuesday with a fresh slap at Democratic front-runner Barack Obama for a pledge to meet Cuba's leader if elected in November.
when:May. 20, 2008
where:SAVANNAH, Georgia
why:Obama's vow to hold direct talks, without preconditions, with leaders of countries hostile to the United States, including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela and Cuba, has given McCain a broad opening to attack Obama over foreign policy.
how:Obama has said he would like to ease stringent U.S. travel restrictions toward Cuba, granting Cuban-Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island.
Though Obama has not yet won the Democratic presidential nomination over rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, he and McCain are both acting as though they are in a general election campaign against each other, already lobbing stinging attacks.
McCain's objective is to define Obama as too inexperienced to be trusted as commander in chief.

5/19/08

current event
title:China mourns as quake death toll climbs
who:
what:Crowds gathered in the devastated city of Chengdu shouted "Farewell, friends!" and "Rebuild!" as China began three days of national mourning Monday to honor the tens of thousands killed by last week's massive earthquake.
when:5/19/08
where:China
why:The death toll in worst-hit Sichuan province, southwestern China, rose to at least 34,073 with another 245,109 people hurt, Chinese government officials said Monday. Authorities have estimated that the final death toll could reach 50,000, while millions more people have been left homeless by the disaster.
Traffic halted, work stopped and people bowed their heads across the country to observe three minutes of silence as air raid sirens, car, truck and train horns sounded a "wail of grief" at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT), exactly one week since the earthquake struck. Even rescue workers paused from the job of clearing debris and searching for survivors to mark the moment.
In Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, the three minutes was followed by shouts of support for the recovery effort, CNN correspondent Eunice Yoon said.
"During the moment of silence they were all holding hands, some of them were weeping... They are in a state of utter disbelief and utter shock that so many people have died," said Yoon.
how:Earlier, Xinhua reported that two women had been pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed residential building in the Sichuan county of Beichuan.
Wang Fazhen, 50, was rescued at about 10:30 a.m. local time Monday. The other woman, who was not identified, was pulled from the same area about 40 minutes later, the agency reported.
On Sunday a 53-year-old man, was pulled out of the rubble in Yingxiu town in Sichuan's Wenchuan county -- near the epicenter -- 148 hours after the quake, Xinhua said. The effort took eight hours, the news agency said.
In Beijing's Tiananmen Square around 2,600 people watched as the national flag was ceremonially lowered to half-mast. Flags throughout the country were also lowered and condolences books were opened in China's Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates around the world, Xinhua reported.
CNN's Beijing bureau chief Jaime Florcruz said it was the first time China had formally commemorated the victims of a natural disaster in a period of national mourning.

5/15/08

title:Edwards endorses Obama, praises Clinton
current event
who:Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John Edwards
what:Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.The reason I'm here tonight is because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I," he told the boisterous crowd.
when:5/15/08
where:WASHINGTON
why:After the announcement, Republican National Committee Chairman Robert Duncan released a statement asking, "Why didn't Edwards endorse sooner?"
"Edwards' endorsement of a candidate he previously blasted as inexperienced, hypocritical and lacking substance will not help Obama with voters looking for real change," he said.
Edwards dropped out of the Democratic race on January 30 after poor showings in the early contests.
how:The conventional wisdom is that Barack Obama will pick up maybe 60 percent of them, and in some places, that makes a huge difference," former presidential adviser David Gergen said in January.
Time magazine's Joe Klein said Clinton "represents a lot of the things that [Edwards] campaigned against, you know, the old Washington Democratic establishment that he believes got too close to the corporations in the '90s."
Edwards announced that he was dropping out in New Orleans, Louisiana, the same city where he declared his run for the 2008 Democratic presidential race.
"It is time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path," he said.
With his wife and children at his side, Edwards said he couldn't predict "who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," but he said it would be a Democrat.
Edwards trailed Clinton and Obama in the early contests. He came in third in key races in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Klein said Edwards played a positive role in spurring his competitors during the early part of the campaign.
"On a lot of substantive issues like health insurance, he was the first one out of the box with a very ambitious universal plan, and I think he forced the others to become bolder in a lot of their policy prescriptions, energy dependence and so on," Klein said.

5/13/08

current event
title:Clinton focuses on West Virginia; Obama, on future
who: Hillary Clinton
What:The outcome of West Virginia's primary Tuesday may best be foretold by where Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama plan to spend the day.
when:5/13/08
where:WASHINGTON
why:Clinton is expected to be in Charleston, West Virginia, to celebrate what should be her large victory.
Obama has no plans Tuesday night, but he is spending the late afternoon at a campaign event in Missouri. That state has already voted this primary season but is considered a swing state that Democrats and Republicans have in their sights this November.
Clinton, it seems, is concentrating on the present; Obama is looking to the future.
Polling places in West Virginia opened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Clinton, from New York, is ahead in West Virginia by an average of 40 points in the most recent public opinion polls.
how:The small state, with a large population of older voters and blue-collar workers, a dearth of upscale voters and a tiny African-American population, appears to be a perfect demographic fit for Clinton.
But even a landslide victory in West Virginia, which has 28 delegates, may be too little too late to keep Clinton realistically in the hunt for the Democratic presidential nomination. She trails Obama, from Illinois, in delegates won, states won and the popular vote so far this primary season. Clinton also now trails Obama when it comes to the support of superdelegates, and her campaign is $20 million in the red.

5/12/08

current event
title:Real-life skull worship inspires new 'Indiana Jones' film
who:19th century crystal skull made in Germany is presented to the press ahead of the new "Indiana Jones" film.
what:There is a legend that the ancient Maya possessed 13 crystal skulls which, when united, hold the power of saving the Earth -- a tale so strange and fantastic that it inspired the latest Indiana Jones movie.
when:5/12/08
where:PALENQUE, Mexico
why:In fact, few of today's crystal skulls can be documented any further back than the 1860s, when Europe was swept by a rage for pre-Hispanic "relics." Frenchman Eugene Boban, a colorful antiquities dealer with a checkered past and murky political ties, set up a store here to supply the trade after the French invaded Mexico. Eventually he carted skulls around between New York, Paris and Mexico City, selling them to private collectors.
how:Experts dismiss the hundreds of existing crystal skulls as fakes that were probably made by colorful antiquities traders in the 19th century. But Mayan priests worship the skulls, even today, and real-life skull hunters still search for them.
The true story of the skulls stretches over continents and hundreds of years, and may be even more extraordinary than the tale portrayed in this fourth installment of the Harrison Ford franchise.
It's unclear what version of the tale will appear in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which opens in U.S. theaters on May 22.
The plot of the film -- the first Indiana Jones movie since "The Last Crusade" came out in 1989 -- revolves around a race against the Soviets to find the skulls.

5/9/08

current event
title:U.N. halts Myanmar flights after aid 'seized'
who:Authorities
what:Authorities in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar have seized United Nations aid intended for victims of the disaster, prompting the organization to halt future relief flights, a U.N. World Food Program official said. The organization, which insists on distributing its own relief supplies, says two aircraft-loads of food, medicine and equipment, were seized by the army in Myanmar's main city Yangon.
"This is another example of them actively getting in the way of relief getting to the victims," said Tony Banbury, Asia director of the World Food Program.
Asked whether the move would jeopardize future U.N. aid flights, he said, "absolutely, from our perspective, it shuts them down."
The powerful cyclone, which swept through the country's low-lying river delta regions last weekend killed 22,000, according to Myanmar officials. Foreign observers say 100,000 may have perished, while many more are at risk of disease and starvation.
when:5/9/08
where:BANGKOK, Thailand
why:Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the ruling military junta in Myanmar has behaved "appallingly" by declining visas to relief workers.
On Saturday, the United Nations had been planning three further aid flights, from Dubai, India and Cambodia. It would bring biscuits, emergency meals, and logistical support and equipment, such as boats, to reach isolated areas.
The United Nations -- which has had a program in Myanmar, where there are 15 international and 225 local staffers -- normally takes responsibility for its own food distribution.
Paul Risley, a WFP spokesman, told CNN the agency has never encountered such resistance to offers of help in such a major humanitarian crisis. "This has never happened before," he said.
To complicate matters, Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, was shut Friday for a three-day weekend, further delaying visa applications as time was running out for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable cyclone victims.
how:The Australian prime minister told a radio interviewer Friday that Australia, the United States and other countries will urge China to pressure Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.
"The obscenity of this is that the people who pay the price are the Burmese people," he said, according to a transcript that Rudd's office published Friday. "The people of Burma don't deserve this."
Meanwhile, a coalition of opposition groups have blasted the regime in a statement Friday and urged the United Nations or foreign governments to intervene -- with or without the government's permission.
Myanmar state media has claimed that shipments from Bangladesh, China, India, Singapore, Italy and Thailand arrived Thursday at the Yangon international airport and were being distibuted. He also urged Myanmar to delay Saturday's scheduled referendum on a constitution backed by the junta. The government has postponed the voting in areas affected by the cyclone.

5/9/08

title:Rotting corpses pile up as Myanmar stalls on aid
current event

who:
what:Myanmar's cyclone survivors do not have enough fuel to burn the rotting corpses of the dead as the country's military junta continues to drag its feet over access for aid groups.Relief agencies said decomposing corpses littered ditches and fields in the worst hit Irrawaddy delta area as survivors tried to conserve fuel for the transporting of much needed supplies.
The international community was growing increasingly frustrated Thursday with the junta's lack of progress in granting visas for relief workers and giving clearance for aid flights to land.
They were concerned the lack of medical supplies and clean food and water threatened to increase the already staggering death toll
when:5/9/08
where:YANGON, Myanmar
why:Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday that it hoped the country would "cooperate with the international community" to help overcome the disaster quickly.
The U.S has also been pushing for access, pledging $3.25 million and offering to send U.S. Navy ships to the region to help relief efforts.
The U.S. military had already flown six helicopters on to a Thai airbase, as Washington awaits permission to go into the south Asian country, two senior military officials told CNN's Barbara Starr.
In addition, several C-130 cargo aircraft aboard the USS Essex, which was conducting an exercise in the region, were available for relief missions.
Eric John, the U.S. ambassador to Thailand, told AP Thursday that they had still not been given permission to send relief flights to Myanmar despite reports to the contrary.
The U.S. and other nations do not recognize the military junta -- which maintained control of the country even after 1990, when an opposition political party won victory in democratic elections. The country's name was changed from Burma to Myanmar in 1989.
how:Myanmar's government has asked for international aid, but the junta has balked at allowing assessment teams into the country -- a step that most agencies and countries take before deciding how much and what kind of aid to provide.
The strategy is not to "flood Yangon" with aid workers, but get 30 to 40 experienced U.N staffers into the country, according to Richard Horsey, a spokesman for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
"It's quality over quantity," he said from his office in Bangkok.
Horsey said Myanmar's government "is more open to goods" rather than aid workers, but said it was understandable considering the military regime's "reticence to engage with the international community." But he pointed out that such a major disaster "would overwhelm any government."
Horsey said the regime had provided a number of helicopters and a larger number of boats to the relief effort.
He said the main hurdle was getting them into the flood-soaked delta, where nearly 2,000 square miles (5,000 square kilometers) remained underwater.
"When vast areas are flooded.. helicopters can't land," Horsey said. "When you get down to the tip of the delta, it's not much above sea level. When you get a major storm surge ... it doesn't drain back again."
The problem, he said, was compounded by the current monsoon period in South Asia.
One of the hardest-hit areas is Pyinzalu, a small town on the tip of the Irrawaddy delta, which has not fully recovered from the 2004 tsunami, according to World Vision health advisor Dr. Kyi Minn in Yangon.
Survivors from the delta villages described bodies along the road and floating in the rivers as they walked more than 100 kilometers to Yangon. That, Minn said, has had a significant mental impact on the survivors.

5/6/08

title:Last minute Clinton ad: 'What has happened to Barack Obama?'
current event

who:Ms.clinton
what:Hoping the proposal to suspend the gas tax will resonate with working class voters in Indiana and North Carolina, the Clinton campaign launched a last-minute ad in those states Monday that sharply attacks rival Barack Obama for not supporting the measure.
when:5/5/08
where:Indiana
why:What has happened to Barack Obama?" an announcer states in the new 30 second spot, among the campaign's most bruising to date.
"He is attacking Hillary’s plan to give you a break on gas prices because he doesn’t have one," the ad's announcer also says.
The ad comes on the heels of a weekend marked by heated back-and-forth between both campaigns over the issue. Obama's campaign launched an ad Sunday that called Clinton's proposal to suspend the gas tax a "classic Washington gimmick" and argues that oil companies will keep the extra proceeds from the suspension of the gas tax and will not pass the savings onto drivers.
how:The Clinton campaign countered that Obama is siding with the oil companies over hard working voters increasingly pinched by the price of gas.
UPDATE: Barack Obama's campaign released a response ad Monday afternoon that charges Clinton with offering "More of the same old negative politics."
“A war that should never have been waged. An economy in turmoil. Record prices at the pump. America held hostage to foreign oil," the ad's announcer states.
“Her hometown newspaper says she's taking the low road - her attacks do nothing but harm," the announcer also says. “The same old Washington politics won't fix our problems. We need honest answers… And a president we can trust."

5/5/08

title:Lawyer prepares insanity defense for incest captor
current event

who:Attorney Rudolf Mayer
what:The Austrian who reportedly admitted holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering seven children with her will plead insanity, his lawyer said.Attorney Rudolf Mayer said he believed 73-year-old Josef Fritzl had a mental disorder, The Associated Press reported. Mayer said someone who was mentally ill "didn't choose" to do what police allege he did.
"I believe that the trigger was a mental disorder, because I can't imagine that someone has sex with his own daughter without having a mental disorder," Mayer said in an interview broadcast late Sunday.
Mayer said Fritzl would be confined to a psychiatric institution rather than a prison if he was certified as insane and convicted, AP reported.
when:5/5/08
where:AMSTETTEN, Austria
why:The horrifying story has shocked many locally and across the world. On Sunday, members of the Amstetten religious community held a Mass to remember Fritzl's family. After the Mass, members of the church signed a banner outside a church in support of the victims.
how:The 19-year-old girl, who had been locked in the basement her entire life along with her mother and two brothers, was in an artificially induced coma in an Amstetten clinic. She was suffering from a kidney ailment that worsened because she did not receive medial treatment sooner, authorities said. Fritzl told his wife that their daughter Elisabeth, who is now 42, ran away from home at age 18.
The couple adopted three of the children who Josef said were left on their doorstep as infants by his runaway daughter.
In the interview Christine R. said her sister, Rosemarie, truly thought that her daughter had ran away to join a cult.
"She never believed him being capable of it," said Christine R. "We were all taken in by him and believed that she (referring to Elizabeth), was in a cult and that she wouldn't come out."
It may have been Fritzl's strict rule over the household that made it possible for him to keep his gruesome secret hidden for so long, Christine R. said.
The unspeakable ordeal has taken a toll on the whole family, Christine R. said, stating that she spoke to her sister on the phone recently.

5/2/08

current event
title:Regulators zero in on credit card reform
who:Federal regulators
what:Federal regulators are pushing ahead to stop abuses by credit card issuers at a time when the $2 trillion industry has come under increasing scrutiny.
On Thursday, the Office of Thrift Supervision, responsible for overseeing the nation's savings and loans, endorsed a seven-point plan to tackle "unfair" and "deceptive" practices by companies that issue credit cards.
The plan would allow consumers more time to pay their monthly bill. It would prevent companies from applying interest-rate increases retroactively to pre-existing balances. And it would ban "double cycle billing," a practice that computes finance charges based on previous billing cycles.
when:may1,2008
where:NEW YORK
why:The National Credit Union Administration board also approved the proposed rules Thursday. The Federal Reserve is expected sign off on it no later than Friday.
Under the proposal, companies that issue credit cards would be required to outline the factors that determine which of several advertised interest rates and credit limits a customer will receive. In addition, the rules would prevent companies from charging fees to open an account and receive credit.
Regulators, most notably the Fed, have been under pressure from politicians to do a better job of overseeing the banking industry in general or risk losing some of their regulatory powers.
how:Americans with shabby credit histories, for example, may no longer have similar access to credit. At the same time, consumers with good credit could soon find themselves facing higher interest rates.
In the early 1980s, before issuers relied on credit scores in vetting customers, interest rates hovered around 18% and everyone paid an annual fee.
Nowadays consumers pay an average interest rate of just over 13%, and three quarters of card issuers do not charge an annual fee, according to the American Bankers Association.
The consumer federation and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said they were encouraged by the joint proposal, but added that regulators did not address other problems like unwarranted interest rate changes and aggressive marketing to college students.
"It's a good first step in addressing a number of abusive practices," said Travis Plunkett, legislative director at the consumer federation. "However, it will still be necessary for Congress to step in because the proposal only deals with a few of the problems that have been identified."
At the same time, legislators could have quite a fight on their hands. Previous efforts trying to reform the industry have largely failed, while recent legislative proposals have found little support among GOP lawmakers.
The reforms proposed this week will be open for public comment for 75 days. The agencies expect to finalize any new regulatory changes by the end of the year.

5/1/08

current event
title:Pittsburgh overtakes L.A. as nation's sootiest city
who:nation's sootiest city
what: A city outside California has, for the first time, been named the sootiest in the nation, one of the categories the American Lung Association uses to determine the most polluted cities in the country.
when:4/1/08
where:LOS ANGELES, California
why:Los Angeles, California, still took the all-around pollution title, though.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, overtook Los Angeles in the category that measures short-term particle pollution or soot. Los Angeles, the country's longtime soot and smog leader, has enacted aggressive measures to tackle sources of pollution, resulting in a substantial drop in particle pollution levels, said Janice Nolen, the association's assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy.
how:The association's "State of the Air: 2008" report, being released Thursday, was based on air quality measurements reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by state and local agencies between 2004 and 2006. The study looks at three key pollution measures.
The eight metropolitan areas considered to be the nation's most polluted by every measure were Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Visalia-Porterfield and Hanford-Corcoran, all in California; Washington-Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; and Birmingham, Alabama.
The cleanest cities were Fargo, North Dakota and Salinas, California.
The rankings were based on ozone pollution levels produced when heat and sunlight come into contact with pollutants from power plants, cars, refineries and other sources. The lung association also studied particle pollution levels emitted from these sources, which are made up of a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air.

4/29/08

current event
title:Spears coming back to 'How I Met Your Mother'
who:Britney Spears
what:Britney Spears, who proved she's worth a cool million viewers to "How I Met Your Mother," is paying another visit to the CBS sitcom.Spears will reprise her role as bubbly secretary Abby in the May 12 episode, CBS said Monday.
"We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," series executive producer and co-creator Craig Thomas said in a statement.
"And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney's very nice and no, I can't get her autograph for you," Thomas added, jokingly.
when:4/29/08
where:LOS ANGELES
why:Desperate to get a rise out of his former pal, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby," CBS said in a release.
"How I Met Your Mother" stars Harris, Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") as an urban family of 20-something New Yorkers.
The pop star's camp originally approached the show about taking part, executive producer Carter Bays told The Associated Press earlier this month.
how:Spears' appearance in the March 24 episode won her good reviews and boosted the show's viewership to 10.6 million viewers, in comparison to the 9.6 million who had tuned in the previous week.
When last seen, Abby was flirting with womanizer Barney (cast member Neil Patrick Harris). The new episode, which began production Monday, has Abby and Barney sharing their mutual dislike of Ted (cast member Josh Radnor) and acting on it.

4/28/08

current event
title:Despite bumper crops in Vietnam and India, export limits and bans have created a global shortage and driven up prices

who:local stores Costco,wal-mart etc;
what:At the Costco in San Francisco, rice is all the rage. Not long after the 10 a.m. opening on Apr. 24, the warehouse club was well on its way to selling out the day's supply of Thai jasmine rice. Within an hour, customers cleared three pallets loaded with 50-lb. bags of Super Lucky Elephant brand jasmine rice from Thailand. Real estate broker Mary Jane Galviso snapped up two bags -- the limit imposed by this particular store. "This is very frightening," says Galviso, who hails from Orosi, a rural community in California's Central Valley, more than 200 miles southeast of San Francisco. Her local grocery, which specializes in Filipino foods, has run out of Thai jasmine.
when:Sun., April. 27, 2008
where:sunday
why:In a statement Apr. 24, Sam's Club said its rice limits "are designed to prevent large distributors or wholesalers from depleting our stock. We believe limiting rice purchases to four bags per visit is consistent with the needs of the majority of our members, including many restaurants . We will continue to work with our suppliers to manage inventories to meet demand."
how:The rice rationing in the U.S. comes as the torrid pace of commodity price increases has led to violence over food supplies and costs in several nations. Globally, rice prices are starting to hit record highs, following a host of other commodities. However, experts are clear: There's currently no shortage of rice. "Vietnam and Thailand have had record rice crops in the past year, and India too has had bumper crops," says Nathan Childs, a senior economist who follows the global rice market at the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Agriculture Dept.
Instead, what's driving the price of rice so high are widespread worries about food inflation in many rice-growing nations. "In poorer nations, a large share of people's earnings is spent on food, and big price increases in other kinds of food are harming consumers," Childs says. So to protect their supplies of rice -- a staple food in much of the world -- several countries have imposed export bans or sharp limits. That has led to a sharp reduction of rice available for trade in the global market. In 2007, India and Vietnam, two of the world's biggest rice exporters, reduced their rice shipments. Since then, Cambodia, Egypt, and Brazil have all halted rice exports. And many observers worry that Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, might jump on the bandwagon.

4/25/08

current event
title:Americans tightening their belts
Who:Monique Blake
what:Monique Blake won't be shopping for new clothes. William Acosta got rid of his cell phone. Paula Rockwell put off buying a home.

when:April 25, 2008
where:WASHINGTON
why:In ways both large and small, Americans are doing without. Squeezed by lofty prices for gasoline, food and other products, worried about their jobs and rattled by talk of a recession, people are hunkering down.
Each person's decision to give up something and trim spending can collectively carry crucial implications for the economy.
Personal spending accounts for the single-biggest chunk of gross domestic product, which measures national economic activity. Because of that, people's behavior is important in determining whether the country will survive the economic turmoil or fall victim to it.
how:Sixty percent of the public say they are now less comfortable about making a a big-ticket financial commitment, such as buying a home or a car, than they were just six months ago, underscoring their more circumspect behavior, according to the RBC Cash poll conducted by Ipsos, an international polling firm, in early April. A year ago, 48% said they were less comfortable about making a major purchase.
"I'm feeling more cautious about buying a house. We were thinking about that, but we'll be waiting a little bit longer than we otherwise would have," says Rockwell, 53, a homemaker in Baltimore, Md. She described the current economic climate as being fraught with insecurity. "A larger number of people are really hurting and even people fairly well off are feeling insecure," she says.

4/22/08

current event
title:Record gas prices squeeze drivers

who:nation
what:NEW YORK (AP) -- Cabbies here complain their take-home pay is thinner than it used to be. Trucking companies across the country are making drivers slow down to conserve fuel. Filling station owners plead that really, really, the skyrocketing prices aren't their fault.
when:April 22, 2008: 4:42 AM
where:NEW YORK (AP)
why:"Bottom line, we can't afford it no more, man. It's too much," Bak Zoumane said as he filled up his yellow cab at a BP station in midtown New York. The West African immigrant said his next car will likely be a hybrid so he won't have to pay so much at the pump.
Gasoline prices typically rise in the spring as stations switch over to pricier summer-grade fuel and demand picks up as more travelers take to the road.
But this year prices are rising even faster than normal, experts say, because of the massive jump in benchmark crude prices, which spiked to a record $117.76 a barrel Monday before settling a record settlement price of $117.48 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 79 cents from the previous close. It was the sixth day in a row prices set new records.
how:AAA figures show California has higher prices than anywhere in the country, with regular now selling for an average of $3.86 a gallon.
"It's a mess here," Goldstone said. "People just are not shopping and everyone's trying to figure out a way to get people back in their cars."
Diesel prices are rising even higher than gasoline, putting pressure on trucking and other shipping companies that use the fuel to transport goods around the country.
The American Trucking Associations on Monday said it will host a "fuel strategies workshop" in June to help fleet operators cope with soaring prices.
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said fuel has now surpassed labor as the trucking industry's biggest cost, prompting some companies to install devices that prevent drivers from speeding. Companies are also shelling out for auxiliary power units and offering bonuses to drivers who cut down on idling and operate their trucks more efficiently.

April 21, 2008

current event
title:Gas prices push higher

who: nation
what:The nationwide average for a gallon of gas touches $3.47.

when:First Published: April 20, 2008: 4:17 PM EDT
where:CAMARILLO, Calif
why:CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) -- A survey says the national average price for regular gasoline rose nearly 16 cents in the past two weeks.
how:The average price of self-serve regular gasoline on Friday was $3.47 a gallon, mid-grade was at $3.59 and premium was $3.70. That's all according to the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 stations nationwide released Sunday.
Regular is up 60 cents from a year ago.
The national average price for a gallon of diesel is $4.21. That's $1.24 more than a year ago.
Of the cities surveyed, the cheapest price is in Newark, N.J., where a gallon of regular cost $3.21, on average. The highest was in San Francisco at $3.88.

4/18/08

current event
tile:Pope to visit New York, address United Nations

who:Pope Benedict XVI

what:After a dramatic three days in which he put the country's clergy sexual abuse scandal front and center, Pope Benedict XVI turned his attention Friday to the original purpose of his first U.S. visit as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

when:4/18/08

where:WASHINGTON

why:The setting will contrast dramatically with the intimacy of a meeting Thursday, in which he prayed with weeping victims of childhood sexual abuse by priests.
When Benedict addresses diplomats from around the world, he'll likely touch on several broad themes, said Jo Renee Formicola, a Seton Hall University political science professor who has studied the papacy and international affairs.
Among them: a call for bedrock ethical and moral principles as a guiding force even in pluralistic societies, a human rights agenda that encompasses religious freedom and the sacredness of human life and the responsibility of first-world nations to aid developing ones.

how:The pope will encourage the notion that individuals and states can rise above their own self interests and pursue the common good, Formicola said.
"This is his first real foray onto the world stage," she said. "I think he recognizes this as a historic moment. I don't think it's going to be about divisive issues. It's going to about all the things that unite us -- themes of peace, opportunity, aid and assistance."
The forum also gives Benedict license to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iraq, subjects he avoided at the White House as he stood next to the architect of the five-year-old war.

4/17/08

current event
title:Tibetans protest as torch arrives in India

Who: The Olympic torch runner's

what:The Olympic torch arrived Thursday morning in India, the heart of the world's largest Tibetan exile community, sparking the first of what officials fear may be a string of protests during the torch's relay of the country.Police dragged several protesters into vans as they chanted anti-China slogans outside a luxury hotel near Rajpath. Olympic officials are keeping the torch there before the start of the 4 p.m. (6:30 ET) relay.

when:4/17/08

where:NEW DELHI, India

why:Officers detained another 32 protesters even before the torch touched down on Indian soil, according to a state-run news agency, the Press Trust of India. Tibetan exiles had blocked a road near an army hospital in southwest Delhi, the agency said.
Tibet activists groups have said they will do what is necessary to get their voices heard during the torch's stay in India.

how:Tibet activists groups have said they will do what is necessary to get their voices heard during the torch's stay in India.
"I cannot predict what will happen." said Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, a worldwide organization of exiles boasting more than 300,000 members.
By noon, hundreds of Tibetan monks and supporters took part in a parallel torch relay to highlight the Tibetan struggle against China.

4/15/08

current event
title:

who:Piers Bannister

what:China reduced the number of executions it carried out last year but still executed more people than any other country in the world, Amnesty International said Tuesday in its annual report on the death penalty worldwide.Piers Bannister, a death penalty researcher at Amnesty, said the group fears that the slowdown is only a "logjam" that will lead to a rise in executions once a review by China's top court of all capital cases is concluded.

when:4/15/08

where:Beijing, China

why:The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing did not respond to requests for comment on the findings in the Amnesty report. The ministry has said in the past that Amnesty is "biased and hostile toward China."
More than 60 offenses in China are punishable by the death penalty, including drug trafficking and embezzlement, Bannister said.Amnesty reported that three countries -- Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia -- put people under the age of 18 to death, the youngest a 13-year-old executed in Iran in April.

how:Amnesty's report cited research by other groups claiming the number of people put to death in China was much higher, with some research indicating that as many as 6,000 people may have been executed in 2007. Death penalty figures are treated as a state secret in China.
In all, at least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries, and as many as 27,500 people are estimated to be on death row, Amnesty said.

4/11/08

current event
title:

who:Storms pound heartland; 2 die in Oklahoma flooding

what:A line of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and even snow pounded the nation's heartland on Thursday, flooding nearly 200 roads in Missouri, closing schools in Arkansas and ripping the roofs of dozens of houses in Texas.

when:4/11/08

where:ST. LOUIS, Missouri

how:Rescuers using ropes and life jackets pulled nine people from the offices of the Monett Times newspaper after the Kelly Creek burst its banks and surrounded the building. Police said the creek also threatened other businesses in downtown Monett and forced the evacuation of a nearby trailer park with about 10 to 12 homes.
Times publisher Lisa Craft said the afternoon newspaper's presses were high enough not to be threatened. But she said it was unclear when staff could get back in the building.
National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Fuchs said the Meramec, the eastern Missouri river that flooded in March and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents, could reach what the service considers "major" flood stage in Arnold, about 20 miles south of St. Louis.
In Texas, at least 100 homes and buildings were damaged in West Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A gas field worker who was inside a trailer south of Fort Worth when a possible tornado struck had an arm severed up to the elbow.
Straight-line winds carved out a destructive path across the city of Hurst, just east of Fort Worth. Downed trees littered residential neighborhoods, blocking streets, snapping utility poles and snagging power lines. Some large tree trucks had snapped just a foot or two above ground level.

4/10/08

current event
title:Club Mansion bouncers accused of beating patron.

who:Sean Sweeney, Trevor Costello and John Merryman

what:Sean Sweeney, Trevor Costello and John Merryman, who were in South Florida on spring break, were ''knocked to the ground and struck upon the head and body with closed fists, kicked via feet and held down,'' according to a police report.

when:4/10/08

where:South Beach's Club Mansion

why:Sean Sweeney and his two buddies since high school were back in class Monday -- despite sporting wounds from spring break. Sweeney's family was so concerned that they had doctors perform a CAT scan.
Fort Lauderdale lawyer Kevin ''Bo'' Dennis plans to file a lawsuit this week on the three men's behalf.

how:The report named the following men as suspects in the beating, although it is not known if they were charged: Antonio Marshall, Miami Beach; Jason Nieves, West Palm Beach, and Orlando Hernandez, Miami Beach.
According to the report, the entire episode was captured on surveillance video.
The Opium Group released the following statement Monday: ``We are continuing to work closely with the police regarding these unsubstantiated claims and cannot comment further as the police have not concluded their investigation.''
According to Dennis, the young men asked to sit in Mansion's VIP section early Friday and bought a bottle of alcohol, as required.
After about two hours, a waitress told the three men they had to give up their table for other patrons. Then they were told their tab for the vodka was $700.
Surprised by the amount, the students asked twice to see a bill. Twice they were refused.
At this point, they were ushered into a back room, which was packed with bouncers. When the young men again refused to pay without seeing a tab, employees of the club turned physical.

4/8/08

title:
current event

who:Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and Sens
what:The emotional debate over the war will once again dominate presidential politics when all three candidates have opportunities to question the top U.S. general in Iraq during congressional hearings Tuesday.

when:4/8/08

where:WASHINGTON

why:Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the two rivals for the Democratic nomination, will share the spotlight when Army Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq, testify.
McCain and Clinton will question Petraeus and Crocker -- and possibly advocate their positions on whether U.S. troops should be withdrawn -- when they appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning. McCain is the committee's top Republican.

how:Petraeus is expected to recommend a pause in the withdrawal of troops from Iraq after July, when the troop levels will be lowered to roughly the number deployed before President Bush agreed to a "surge" of troops into the country in early 2007.
Despite the war being hugely unpopular, McCain has been a strong advocate of continuing the U.S. deployment, arguing that a precipitous departure would permit Iraq to fall into chaos.

4/7/08

Title:Archaeologists unearth 35,000-year-old tools in Australia
current event

who:archaeologists and a stone tool called a chert knife

what:A piece of flint the size of a small cell phone and hundreds of tiny sharp "knives" unearthed deep in a rock shelter in Australia date back at least 35,000 years, archaeologists said Monday

when:4/7/08

where:SYDNEY, Australia

why:The tools, along with seeds, bark and other plant material, were found nearly two meters (6.5 feet) beneath the floor of a rock shelter on the edges of an iron ore mine site in Australia's remote northwest, about 950 kilometers (590 miles) northeast of Perth, the capital of Western Australia.
The excavation was carried out between October and February by archaeologists from Australian Cultural Heritage Management who were hired by the local Aborigines to find and preserve heritage sites within the mine area run by resource giant Rio Tinto.

how:The excavation was carried out between October and February by archaeologists from Australian Cultural Heritage Management who were hired by the local Aborigines to find and preserve heritage sites within the mine area run by resource giant Rio Tinto.
Archaeologist Neale Draper said the tools included at least one "beautifully made" piece of flint from which sharp knifelike shards were knocked off, hundreds of tiny knives, and pieces of grindstones. He hopes that testing of the knives will reveal residue that could indicate what the people ate.

03/27/08

current event
title:Flooded Arkansas braces for more at week's end

who:Residents and county officials along the river's path in east-central Arkansas

what:Arkansans sandbagged their front doors and pumped out their flooded basements Wednesday as a historic crest on the White River moved downstream, and a flooding expert said the state will have to deal with high water for weeks.

when:03/27/08

where:CLARENDON, Ark

why:Residents and county officials along the river's path in east-central Arkansas worried that the river flows would hit an already swollen Mississippi River on the state's eastern border and flow back into their cotton and wheat fields.
"I don't think anybody knows how much higher it's going to get," Monroe County resident Marlin Reeves said as overcast skies threatened rain. Forecasters predicted a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms hitting the Arkansas prairie by Friday.
Heavy rains filled major rivers in northern Arkansas early last week, flooding communities as the water moved downstream. Two people remain missing after the storms.
Gov. Mike Beebe declared 39 counties -- more than half the state -- disaster areas, while President Bush issued a federal disaster declaration for 35 counties on Wednesday.

how:The Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center had expected the river to reach flood stage of 43 feet by Wednesday, but its latest prediction is that it will happen Saturday. The latest crest prediction is 451/2 feet on April 4, down from an earlier forecast of 46 feet.
Some areas of Vicksburg and Warren County already are taking on water, and others will flood if the crest forecast proves correct.

03/24/08

current event
title:U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 4,000

who:Four U.S. soldiers

what:Four U.S. soldiers died Sunday night in a roadside bombing in Iraq, military officials reported, bringing the American toll in the 5-year-old war to 4,000 deaths.

when:03/24/08

where:BAGHDAD, Iraq

why:The Pentagon's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has been developed to counter the threat of IEDs in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. The group calls IEDs the "weapon of choice for adaptive and resilient networks of insurgents and terrorists."
The news of the 4,000 mark came on the same day that Iraq's national security adviser urged Americans to be patient with the progress of the war, contending the struggle has implications for "global terror."
"This is global terrorism hitting everywhere, and they have chosen Iraq to be a battlefield. And we have to take them on," Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer."
"If we don't prevail, if we don't succeed in this war, then we are doomed forever. I understand and sympathize with the mothers, with the widows, with the children who have lost their beloved ones in this country.

how:The four were killed when a homemade bomb hit their vehicle as they patrolled in a southern Baghdad neighborhood, the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq said. A fifth soldier was wounded.
The grim milestone comes less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the start of the war.
"No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic," said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, the U.S. military's chief spokesman in Iraq.
"Every single loss of a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is keenly felt by military commanders, families and friends both in theater and at home."
Of the 4,000 U.S. military personnel killed in the war, 3,263 have died in attacks and fighting and 737 in nonhostile incidents, such as traffic accidents and suicides. Eight of those killed were civilians working for the Pentagon.
Also Sunday, at least 35 Iraqis died as the result of suicide bombings, mortar fire and the work of gunmen in cars who opened fire on a crowded outdoor market. Nearly 100 were wounded in the violence.

03/17/08

current event
title:Wall Street in crisis of confidence

who:Bear Stearns

WHAT:Stocks looked set for a miserable start Monday as the distressed sale of Bear Stearns for only a fraction of its recent value and emergency action by the Federal Reserve deepened fears about the health of the financial sector.
Less than three hours before the start of trading, Nasdaq and S&P futures were sharply lower, suggesting heavy losses at the market open.
Markets in Asia and and Europe took a hit, with Japan's Nikkei closing down 3.7% to close below the 12,000 mark for the first time in two years. Major European markets sank more than 2% in early trading.

WHEN:03/17/08

where:NEW YORK

why:The Fed lowered the rate at which it lends loans to financial institutions to 3.25% on Sunday. It also announced that it would now lend directly to big Wall Street firms, starting Monday, in a move to stem the credit crisis.
"Personally, I think the Fed has not lost control, it's doing everything it can," said Cardillo. But he said there's little the Fed can do at this point to help stem the crisis of confidence. "Even if they cut the fed funds rate today, I don't think that would help."
The cut to the discount rate comes ahead of the regularly scheduled Fed meeting set for Tuesday, at which another deep cut to the fed funds rate, a key short-term interest rate, is expected.

how:JP Morgan Chase shares fell 3% in early Frankfurt trading Monday, while rival Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) fell 5%. Other major Wall Street firms also were battered in early Frankfurt trading. Merrill Lynch (MER, Fortune 500), the nation's largest brokerage, was down 6.2%, while Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) lost 7.8% and Lehman Brothers (LEH, Fortune 500) plunged 20.3% in early trading there.
In other markets, the dollar plunged to a near 13-year low against the yen, and oil prices soared to a record trading high near $112 a barrel.
Most recently, oil prices were off that high at $110.45 for a barrel of light, sweet crude, but that's still up 24 cents from Friday's close.
Gold soared above the $1,000 an ounce mark once again, rising $11.70 to $1,009.90.
In other corporate news, Citigroup announced a new chairman and a new CEO for its institutional clients group, which includes its markets and banking unit as well as its alternative investments operation.
Away from the finance sector, Weyerhaeuser (WY, Fortune 500) announced early Monday the sale of its containerboard packaging and recycling business to International Paper (IP, Fortun 500) for $6 billion in cash.

03/14/08

current event
title:Dupre's MySpace page evolves with scandal

who:Ashley Alexandra Dupre

what:In three days, Ashley Alexandra Dupre went from being an unknown 22-year-old aspiring musician to the fifth most-searched subject on Google because of her alleged sexual encounters with New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.After she was identified by The New York Times, throngs of journalists staked out her home.
At the same time, she appeared to have jumped on her MySpace page, which was identified by the Times, and a Facebook profile with the same name and photos.It seemed she was trying to stay one step ahead of journalists, attempting to limit what information they could access.
She was seemingly aware that the press would have access to her friends and every word, photo and comment on her profiles, so she began by deleting connections between her friends on Facebook.
Facebook and MySpace have become one of the go-to background tools for journalists in the past couple of years, allowing members of the press to put a face to the subject of their story and find out more about them.

when:3/14/08

where:new york times

why:After she was identified by The New York Times, throngs of journalists staked out her home.
At the same time, she appeared to have jumped on her MySpace page, which was identified by the Times, and a Facebook profile with the same name and photos.
It seemed she was trying to stay one step ahead of journalists, attempting to limit what information they could access.
She was seemingly aware that the press would have access to her friends and every word, photo and comment on her profiles, so she began by deleting connections between her friends on Facebook.

how:Some of her close friends made sure their feelings were known to the press, too. Some posted on her MySpace page telling her to ignore the media, that they would be there for her and reminding her to stay strong.
But even those who weren't close with her seemed to want in on the action. Some identifying themselves as her high school classmates created a group on Facebook devoted to those who had classes with her.
The early morning hours slipped by and Internet activity on Facebook continued until 5 a.m., when she apparently confronted the high school classmates on the group page. It seemed she believed they were trying to exploit her situation.
"Do me a favor and don't try to cash out... thanks," she wrote on the Facebook group page.
Thursday morning, the Dupre Facebook status gave the impression she wanted no part of the attention.
"Sneaking out the back door," she wrote under her "current status."
But as the day went on, it seemed Dupre's feelings were changing and she might have been embracing the newfound spotlight.
The page had received more than 1,100 friend requests on Facebook. Initially, she ignored them

3/10/08

current event
title:Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S.

who:Officials in Philadelphia

what:A vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows. To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.
But the presence of so many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.
In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.

when:03/10/08

where:the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.

why:Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed.

how:"People think that if they take a medication, their body absorbs it and it disappears, but of course that's not the case," said EPA scientist Christian Daughton, one of the first to draw attention to the issue of pharmaceuticals in water in the United States.
Some drugs, including widely used cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers and anti-epileptic medications, resist modern drinking water and wastewater treatment processes. Plus, the EPA says there are no sewage treatment systems specifically engineered to remove pharmaceuticals.
Veterinary drugs also play a role. Pets are now treated for a wide range of ailments -- sometimes with the same drugs as humans. The inflation-adjusted value of veterinary drugs rose by 8 percent, to $5.2 billion, over the past five years, according to an analysis of data from the Animal Health Institute.

02/708

current event
title:

who:FBI

what:The FBI announced on Friday that federal agents in Los Angeles, California, are questioning a "person of interest" about letters sent to members of Congress after an explosion in Times Square in New York.
when:Friday02/7/08

where:LOS ANGELES, California

why:The "person of interest," however, is not a suspect in the bombing of the Armed Forces Recruitment Center in Times Square, said Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles. It is not known whether the "person of interest" is a man or a woman.
Investigators have made no arrests related to the bombing or the letters sent to members of Congress, she said.
A small bomb exploded outside the military recruiting center in Times Square about 3:45 a.m. Thursday. Several hours later, authorities in Washington said several members of Congress had received letters that raised concern.

how:

02/6/08

current event
title:Florida, Michigan seek exit from Democratic penalty box

who:Political leaders

what:Political leaders from Florida and Michigan were busy Wednesday talking about plans to make sure that voters in their states are heard in picking a Democratic nominee.
The discussions unfolded amid a grueling, delegate-by-delegate fight between Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
The national Democratic Party stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates to the national convention after the states moved up the dates of their primary elections.
That means votes that were cast in primaries in those states will not translate into delegates awarded to one candidate or the other in the contest for the Democratic nomination for president.

when:02/5/08

where:MIAMI, Florida

why:Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said the states can either come up with a new plan to choose a slate of delegates or appeal to the party's credentials committee when the convention opens in August.
"Out of respect for the presidential campaigns and the states that did not violate party rules, we are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game," Dean said in a written statement Wednesday.

how:The national Democratic Party stripped Florida -- epicenter of the 2000 election debacle -- of its 210 national convention delegates as punishment for the state's decision to move its party primaries to January 29.
Michigan received the same treatment after moving its primary date to January as well, losing its 156 convention delegates.
On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, called on the Democratic National Committee to seat their states' delegations. They accused the party in a statement of silencing "the voices of 5,163,271 Americans" who voted in their primaries.
"It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions," they wrote.
And at a news conference in Tallahassee, Crist -- who signed the bill that changed Florida's primary date -- pointed fingers outside the state.
"It's unconscionable to me that some party boss in Washington is not going to permit the people to be heard," he said. "That's not what America is all about, and it's wrong."
Wednesday night in Washington, Democratic House members from Florida and Michigan met for about an hour to talk about possibilities that would lead to delegations from those states influencing the outcome of the Democratic nominating contest.
"Both delegations feel very, very strongly -- adamantly -- that our delegations be seated at the national conventions," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz of Florida.
Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan said he's not sure of the best way to resolve the dispute but that voters from Florida and Michigan should have their voters counted.
"I think the key is the voice of Michigan and Florida is heard and there's a procedure that is fair to the residents and fair to the two candidates," he said.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan suggested Wednesday that his state could hold caucuses to select its delegates.

03/4/08

current event
Tile:Six killed, including 2 children, in Memphis home
who:A 7-year-old boy, a 10-month-old girl and a 4-year-old

what:Six people were killed, including two children, in a home Monday in Memphis, Tennessee, authorities said. Three other children were wounded.The four dead adults were shot and the two children were stabbed, sources told CNN affiliate WMC-TV.
At least one of the wounded children also was stabbed, police told the Commercial Appeal newspaper.

when:6:11 p.m. Monday o3/4/08

where:Six killed, including 2 children, in Memphis home

why:I've been on a scene where there were one or two or three victims, but I don't remember anything this large," Guin told the Commercial Appeal.

how:The newspaper reported that the shooting appeared to be the city's deadliest mass killing since 1973, when 28-year-old David Sanders randomly shot and killed five people before being shot dead by police.
In 2000, police said firefighter Frederick Williams confessed to a shooting in Memphis in which four people were killed -- his wife, a sheriff's deputy and two fellow firefighters.

03/3/08

current event
title:Survey: One-third of workers catching zzz's on job

who: security guards

what: survey released Monday by the National Sleep Foundation says more people on the job should wake up, go home and get more sleep.

when:Monday 03/3/08

where:NEW YORK

why:The survey of 1,000 people found participants average six hours and 40 minutes of sleep a night on weeknights, even though they estimated they'd need roughly another 40 minutes of sleep to be at their best.
Roughly one-third of those surveyed said they had fallen asleep or become very sleepy at work in the past month.

how:It wasn't until a videotape of guards sleeping in a "ready room" at the Peach Bottom plant in south-central Pennsylvania surfaced several months after it got the tip that the NRC announced in September a special investigation.
While sleepy workers know they're not performing as well as they could during the day, work is what's keeping them up nights, according to the survey, which found workdays are getting longer and time spent working from home averages close to four-and-a-half hours each week.
It seems people are also trying to squeeze in more time for themselves and their families, even if it means less sleep. According to the survey, the average time to wake up is at 5:35 a.m. and it's followed by about two hours and 15 minutes at home before heading out to work.

02/29/08

current event
title:UK pulls Harry from Afghanistan

who:Prince Harry,

what:Prince Harry is to be pulled out of Afghanistan immediately amid fears for his safety after news of his deployment was made public, the British defense ministry said Friday.The 23-year-old Household Cavalry officer, who has been fighting the Taliban in Helmand Province for 10 weeks, is set to be flown home to the UK.
The prince, third in line to the British throne, has been deployed to Afghanistan since December, the British military acknowledged Thursday, but many news outlets agreed to keep the information secret for security reasons. A Web site broke the news blackout earlier in the day

when:02/29/08

where:LONDON, England

why:It issued a written statement saying: "The decision by elements of the foreign media to report Prince Harry's presence in Afghanistan without any consultation with the Ministry of Defence is regrettable.

how:His duties included calling in airstrikes and air support when necessary, guaranteeing the accuracy of bombing on the ground and guarding against incidents of friendly fire.
Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and the late Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. The military confirmed his assignment after a U.S. Web site broke the news blackout.
Last year, the military ruled Harry could not be sent to Iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk.
But Gen. Richard Dannatt, the chief of Britain's General Staff, said the experience has demonstrated "that it is perfectly possible for Prince Harry to be employed just the same as other Army officers of his rank and experience."

02/28/08

current event
title:WHO confirms urban yellow fever threat in Paraguay

who:The World Health Organization

what:The World Health Organization said Wednesday it has confirmed the first cases of yellow fever in an urban area of Latin America in six decades.
Dr. William Perea, yellow fever chief for the U.N. health agency, said the mosquito-born disease can spread particularly fast in suburbs and cities and warned that vaccinations are needed to stem the outbreak.
In crowded urban areas, yellow fever can "spread like a fire in the forest," Perea said, adding that mosquitoes thrive in built-up areas with poor hygiene and sanitation.
WHO officials said there have been nine confirmed cases in the suburbs of Paraguay's capital, Asuncion. The agency said three people had died, though Paraguayan authorities put the death toll at eight.

when:02/27/08

where:GENEVA, Switzerland

why:experts said a mass vaccination campaign was under way in Paraguay and was closely monitoring vaccine supplies. Dr. Marlo Libel, of WHO's regional office for the Americas, said the situation was "under control."
The yellow fever outbreak is Paraguay's first since 1974. The last yellow fever cases in any Latin American city were in the 1940s in Brazil, Libel said.

How:officials said there have been nine confirmed cases in the suburbs of Paraguay's capital, Asuncion. The agency said three people had died, though Paraguayan authorities put the death toll at eight.

02/26/08

current event
title:McCain: 'The war will be over soon'

who:Republican presidential candidate John McCain

what:Republican presidential candidate John McCain defended his belief that U.S. troops will need to stay in Iraq for decades Monday but said the unpopular war will soon end "for all intents and purposes."McCain said his potential Democratic rivals have distorted his January comment that U.S. forces may need to remain in Iraq for up to 100 years. Speaking at a campaign event in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, he said that referred to a long-term American presence similar to those in South Korea or Kuwait.

when:02/26/08

where:ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (CNN)

why:McCain's campaign was written off for dead last summer. It rebounded after a staff shakeup about the same time that American fortunes in Iraq appeared to turn. But at a town hall meeting before January's New Hampshire primary, McCain told a questioner that the United States could have forces in Iraq for "maybe 100" years.

how:McCain said his potential Democratic rivals are less forthcoming about their own predictions last year that the effort to secure Baghdad and its surrounding provinces "would absolutely fail."
"But all those will be subjects of debate as we move forward.

02/25/08

current event
title:Powerful quake strikes Indonesia

who:A powerful earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Monday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site reported.

what:The quake was centered about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south-southwest of Padang and had a magnitude of 7.0, making it a major earthquake. Initially, the magnitude was reported as high as 7.3.

when:Monday

where:Sumatran coast

why:That quake's epicenter was also located off the Sumatran coast, about 480 km to 640 km south of where the latest quakes registered

how:The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a local tsunami watch, but none has been reported.
Residents living in coastal towns told a local radio station they felt the quake strongly, but no serious damage seems to have occurred, The Associated Press reported.
Witnesses described people fleeing their homes, while others stayed inside unaware of the tsunami alert.

02/22/08

current event
title:Analysis: Clinton likely didn't slow Obama's momentum

who:Barack Obama andHillary Clinton

What:It was one of Hillary Clinton's last chances to knock rival Barack Obama -- seemingly on a path to the Democratic nomination -- off course.But throughout the CNN/Univision debate in Austin, Texas, on Thursday night, the New York senator struck a cautious and, at times, conciliatory tone toward Obama, and likely did little to blunt the momentum of a candidate who has won 11 straight contests.

when:Thursday night

where:Austin, Texas

why:(At no point was Obama's effort to paint himself as a consensus builder on clearer display than when he raised his past collaboration with Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, one of the most conservative Republican senators and not the most popular figure in Democratic circles).
Both candidates' strong moments aside, Thursday's debate will likely most be remembered for what did not happen.
With her back against the ropes -- and most likely only one primary loss away from the end of her presidential bid -- Clinton simply chose to throw too few punches to clearly counter Obama's increasing strength.

how:Obama had several strong moments as well, especially when he raised the issue of Iraq and his early opposition to it. It's a contrast he repeatedly draws with Clinton, who voted for the Iraq war resolution. When Clinton suggested he lacked the experience to be president, Obama effectively cited his early opposition as evidence his judgment is better than hers.
On the whole, Iraq is an issue Obama always does well discussing, drawing upon his strong rhetorical skills to convey the human toll the war has cost and his reasons for opposing it early on.

02/21/08

curent event
title:Pentagon confident satellite's toxic fuel destroyed
who:Pentagon officials

what: Pentagon officials think a Navy missile scored a direct hit on the fuel tank of an errant satellite late Wednesday, eliminating a toxic threat to people on Earth.

when:Thursday morning

where:WASHINGTON

why:The missile that struck the satellite was launched from the ballistic missile defense cruiser USS Lake Erie from the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii at 10:26 p.m. ET Wednesday, the general said. It struck the satellite more than 130 miles above it 24 minutes later.

how:Without intervention, officials say, the satellite would have fallen to Earth on its own in early March. However, since it malfunctioned immediately after it was launched in December 2006, it had a full tank -- about 1,000 pounds -- of frozen, toxic hydrazine propellant.

2/19/08

Current event
title:Man Accused Of Killing Grandmother With Meat Cleaver

who:Tommy Flores

what:Was arrested Monday on unrelated charges before police charged him in connection with the deaths of his grandmother, 74-year-old Eva Flores, and a second unidentified woman.

when:Monday 2/18/08

where:SAN ANTONIO

why:The alleged killer told police he attacked his grandmother in anger after she announced her displeasure with the woman Flores brought to her home, where he was also living, according to the affidavit

how:Inside the home, police found a bloody meat cleaver and a .357 Magnum revolver, according to the affidavit. Acting on evidence in the home as well as witness statements, police arrested Flores later in the day at an east-side motel on an outstanding arrest warrant.

02/14/08

current event
Title:Ronaldo career in balance after new injury

who: Brazilian star Ronaldo

what: Brazilian star Ronaldo is facing an uncertain future after rupturing tendons in his left knee during AC Milan's 1-1 draw with Livorno.

when: Wednesday night

where: MILAN, Italy

why: Ronaldo had only been on the field for three minutes as a substitute at the San Siro when he fell awkwardly.
It is another injury blow for the former World Cup

How:Ronaldo had only been on the field for three minutes as a substitute at the San Siro when he fell awkwardly.
It is another injury blow for the former World Cup hero who has barely played all season for the Italian giants and spent the winter break on rehabilitation in Brazil.
"We are all very upset and worried about what happened to Ronaldo. For our part we can only be there for him and stay calm," coach Carlo Ancelotti told the club's Web site.
"I don't think I can say that his career is over because only time can tell when his career will end."
Ronaldo traveled to Paris on Thursday to see Gerard Sailant, the same surgeon who treated him for a similar incident to his right knee in 2000.
Ronaldo is set to undergo surgery at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital

02/11/08

current event
title:In surprise, Herbie Hancock wins album of the year

who:Herbie Hancock

What:The decision appeared to shock many, though Hancock wasn't caught off-stride.
In his acceptance, the pianist, who had earlier co-performed George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," paid tribute to a number of his predecessors, most notably mentor Miles Davis.
"I'd like to thank the Academy for courageously breaking the mold this time, in doing so, honoring the giants upon whose shoulders I stand, some of whom like Miles Davis, John Coltrane ... unquestionably deserved the award in the past," Hancock said. "But this is a new day, that proves that the impossible can be made possible."
"River" is the first jazz album to win album of the year since Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto's 1964 "Getz/Gilberto" pulled off the trick. The two works are the only jazz albums to have done.

When:feb 10,2008 Sunday night

where: 50th annual Grammy Awards Sunday night

why: to give out to the best artists

how:For Hancock, the Grammy fulfills a dream of his own. The jazzman had won 10 Grammys going into the night's ceremony, but never album of the year.
"I don't pay attention to pigeonholes," he told CNN recently. This time, neither did the Recording Academy.

02/08/08

current event
Title:'Miracle' baby tossed 300 feet by twister found alive


Who:Eleven-month-old Kyson Stowell

What:Eleven-month-old Kyson Stowell was thrown a hundred yards when a tornado shattered his home. He was found shivering but with only minor injuries. His mother, Kerri, was killed.

When: It doesm't say on the article

Where:CASTALIAN SPRINGS, Tennessee

why:because of an never seen tornado

How: thrown a hundred yards when a tornado

2/4/08

current event
Title:Giants upset Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII

Who:The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLII

What:The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLII with a last-minute touchdown, upsetting the New England Patriots' hopes of becoming the first team since 1972 to complete a National Football League season undefeated. The Giants beat the Patriots 17-14 in Sunday night's championship game, giving New York its first NFL title since 1991.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning was named the game's Most Valuable Player -- a year after his brother, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, took the same honor.
''There's something about this team,'' Eli Manning told The Associated Press. ''The way we win games, and performed in the playoffs in the stretch. We had total confidence in ourselves. The players believed in each other.''
The heavily favored Patriots, who have won three of the last seven Super Bowls, went undefeated in the regular season and playoffs.

When: Feb 2,2008 on Sunday

Where: Everything took place in arizona

Why:To see who is the superbowl champions

How:With just under a minute remaining, Manning wriggled free of what looked like a certain sack to throw a 32-yard pass to David Tyree, putting the Giants on New England's 24-yard line.
Four plays later, Manning connected with wide receiver Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard pass to reclaim the lead and win the game.
''It's the greatest feeling in professional sports,'' Burress said after the game as he was overcome by emotion.
Taking over with 35 seconds remaining, Brady was sacked once and threw three incomplete passes on the Patriots' final possession. Patriots coach Bill Belichick crossed the field and shook the hand of Giants coach Tom Coughlin with a second left on the clock, then went to the locker room and missed Manning's final kneeldown.
Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer, who had six catches for 84 yards, credited his team's physical play for the win.
"They tried to just bully us around," Toomer said. "We're a more physical team than them, and it showed today. We punched them in the mouth, and they didn't want anymore."
Last year's Super Bowl was the highest-rated TV show in the U.S. for 2007, with more than 93 million people tuning in, according to Nielsen. This year, with two teams from huge markets competing down to the wire, that number might have been surpassed.

jan31,2008

Title:Judge raps Corps of Engineers but throws out Katrina lawsuit
current event

Who:U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval

What:A federal judge has thrown out a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the failure of levees in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina

When:The Corps designed the levee system that was supposed to protect the low-lying city. But after Katrina stuck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, steel-and-concrete levees eroded and failed in several areas, flooding about 80 percent of the city with water up to 20 feet deep.

Where:New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

why:In 2007, the Insurance Information Institute estimated insured losses for Katrina across Louisiana at $25.3 billion.
In his ruling, Stanwood said the Corps deserves blame for its role in the flooding even if it can't be held legally responsible.
"While the United States government is immune ... it is not free, nor should it be, from posterity's judgment concerning its failure to accomplish what was its task," Stanwood said, lamenting his inability to take further action.

how:Levees failed in several areas, flooding about 80 percent of New Orleans with water up to 20 feet deep.

1/29/08

Tittle:Democrats: Time running out 'to solve our problems'
current event

who:Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

What: Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius called for "a new course" for the nation on Monday, saying Americans "have no more patience with divisive politics" and urging President Bush to join "the vast majority of Americans" to make needed change.

When:I Think yesterday monday 28, 2008

Where:Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius started Speaking from Topeka, Kansas

Why:T"Time is running out ... to meet our challenges and solve our problems taking aim at America's economic struggles, Sebelius praised last week's quick bipartisan action on an economic stimulus package, action she called "encouraging." Ands says that On foreign policy, Sebelius said that five years of the war in Iraq have "cost us dearly -- in lives lost; in thousands of wounded warriors whose futures may never be the same; in challenges not met here at home because our resources were committed elsewhere. America's foreign policy has left us with fewer allies and more enemies.

How:she does this over satelite

1/28/08

tittle:'Old Men' makes Oscar case at SAG Awards

current event



who:Javier Bardem



what:No Country for Old Men" emerged as the Oscars favorite Sunday by taking top honors for overall cast along with Javier Bardem's supporting-actor prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the lone gathering of A-list stars in an awards season hobbled by the writers strike.



when:Awards on February 24. Every thing took place here.



where:sag award ceremony



why:This is Javier Bardem's 497th award," said co-star Josh Brolin in the acceptance speech for the film's cast prize, the equivalent of best picture honors. "It's sad, sad for the rest of us."
Past Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis of "There Will Be Blood" and Julie Christie of "Away From Her" won the lead-acting honors, also giving them a boost to win the same trophies at the Academy Awards on February 24.
Day-Lewis dedicated his win to Heath Ledger, the 28-year-old Australian actor who was found dead in his Manhattan loft last week.



how: everything took place at the award ceremonys.

1/25/08

Title:Teenager arrested in suicide hijacking plot

current event:

Who: doesv't give any name but it tells he's the age of 16 teen.

What:The 16-year-old was taken into custody by airport police without incident on Tuesday evening after flying from Los Angeles, California, to Nashville, Tennessee, on Southwest Airlines Flight 284.
"His stated intent was to hijack the airplane and commit suicide," said George Bolds, an FBI spokesman in Memphis, Tennessee. "He did indicate he intended to die in Louisiana. It appears he had a ticket to Louisiana."The teen wanted to crash the plane into a Hannah Montana concert in Lafayette, Louisiana, two CNN television affiliates in Nashville, WSMV and WTVF, reported, citing unnamed sources. The concert is scheduled for Friday night at the Lafayette Cajundome.

When:Tuesday evening after flying from Los Angeles, California, to Nashville, Tennessee, on Southwest Airlines Flight 284.

Where: Tuesday evening after flying from Los Angeles, California, to Nashville, Tennessee, on Southwest Airlines Flight 284.

Why: because He didn't like Ms.14-year-old Miley Cyru.

How:In the teen's possession were handcuffs, duct tape and a type of rope or yarn, according to the FBI. "His plan contemplated overpowering the flight crew,"

1/22/08

Current Event Tile:Man convicted of murder expected to be freed

Who: The article specificly talks about Tim Masters who was 15 years old at the time he was arested but now is a little bit older.
What: Tim Masters is expected to walk out of prison Tuesday after spending more than nine years incarcerated for murder -- and despite the promise of a new trial, a local district attorney says Masters may no longer be a suspect.
When: It doesn't give a specific date and time but Masters defense attorneys David Wymore and Maria Liu are saying that he wants the paperwork for Masters' release prepared before Tuesday's 9:30 a.m. MT (11:30 a.m ET) hearing.
Where: All takes place it doesn't were the trail will be takin place.
Why:The statement is noteworthy because the crux of the new defense team's allegations against the Fort Collins police and Eighth Judicial Circuit is that they withheld evidence favorable to Masters during his 1999 trial.
How:Masters' defense attorneys David Wymore and Maria Liu said they are confident their client will walk out of the Larimer County Justice Center on Tuesday. So confident, said Liu, that they took him street clothes Monday night -- a navy sports coat with tan pants and a yellow tie.