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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
· 4-Year-Old Girl Denied Santa Visit For Not Buying Photo. A mall in Massachusetts issued an apology after a 4-year-old girl was apparently told she was not allowed to sit on Santa's lap unless she purchased a $21 picture of the meeting. 
· Judge removes all curbs on Homolka. Karla Homolka, who served 12 years for the sordid sex slayings of two Ontario schoolgirls, had all court-imposed conditions on her freedom lifted by a judge today. The ruling by Justice James Brunton of Quebec Superior Court means Homolka – who goes by the name Karla Teale – does not have to report regularly to police, can go where she wants and see who she pleases.
· Coffee Pots, Mini-Fridges Lose Favor In Energy-Conscious Schools. Teachers in budget-stressed schools are accustomed to shelling out for paper, glue and pencils. But the staff here wasn't ready for this: a new fee for having coffee makers, microwaves and refrigerators in classrooms and offices.
· Julia: Pretty Wealthy Woman. How bankable is Julia Roberts? She didn't make one film in 2005, but she still tops the list of Hollywood's highest paid actresses for the second straight year. According to the Hollywood Reporter's annual Power List of top-earning female stars, maternity leave didn't dent Roberts' paycheck: She still commands $20 million a picture.
· More women charged in sex cases. In courtrooms nationwide this month, at least seven women — four of them teachers — have been charged or sentenced for having sex with boys, mostly teenagers. One of the women is pregnant. No definitive data exists on whether more women are sexually abusing children. Yet the number arrested for sex crimes has risen in five of the past six years as more people consider molestation of boys as heinous as that of girls. While more women are getting attention for molesting children, their jail terms often are less than what men receive. Last week in Tampa, Lafave, 25, avoided jail time for molesting a 14-year-old student. She got three years of house arrest and seven years' probation. With jail time, says Dr. Richard Gartner, “we definitely still have a double standard.”
· Setback for BlackBerry maker. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. was dealt another legal setback in a key patent infringement case on Wednesday, raising pressure to settle or face a possible shutdown of its U.S. mobile e-mail service.
· Woman Carrying Boy Groom's Child Indicted. A 37-year-old woman who married a 15-year-old boy was indicted Tuesday on charges of child molestation, statutory rape and enticing a child for indecent purposes. Lisa Lynette Clark, who says she is pregnant with the teenager's child, was arrested earlier this month after their Nov. 8 wedding. She has been ordered not to come within 100 feet of the boy.
· Raleigh Church Campaigns For More 'Pro-Christmas' in Stores. At Fig's Market, some products in the store say "merry Christmas," but the store window displays do not. "We definitely don't want to offend anybody," said Fig's Market co-owner Jill Kucera. "We want everybody to celebrate the holiday that suits them and we want to be open to everybody." To grab the public's attention, a church is putting on a media blitz that includes advertisements in the newspaper, on the radio and on television - costing the church approximately $11,000. The advertisements are encouraging shoppers to patronize businesses that use the phrase "merry Christmas."
· Slain stripper in love triangle. The young stripper from Ohio slain in her upper East Side NY apartment may have been trapped in a deadly love triangle with her longtime boyfriend - and her dance partner at a local gym - sources said yesterday. Meanwhile, it was revealed that someone on a cell phone called 21-year-old aspiring Broadway star Catherine Woods seven times in rapid succession minutes before her throat was cut Sunday.
· 600 pounds of plutonium missing from Los Alamos lab. Enough plutonium to make dozens of nuclear bombs hasn't been accounted for at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and may be missing, an activist group says in a new report.
· Oops! No Pre-Nup for Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey. Jessica Simpson's divorce from Nick Lachey could get nasty because the pair didn't sign a pre-nuptial agreement. The Newlyweds stars - who announced their split last week - were so smitten with each other when they tied the knot in 2002 they decided against signing a pre-nup, according to the New York Post. The popular agreement dictates who gets which assets if a couple break up. The blonde star - who is said to have raked in a staggering $35million last year - and singer Nick have been at the center of endless break-up rumors over the past six months but denied their romance was on the rocks. Last week, they admitted they were splitting up.
· Study: Sexy Attire Works Against Businesswomen. Attractive people may sometimes have a leg up in climbing corporate ladders. But sexy presentation on its own can work against women who are already well up the ladder.
· Gregory Peck's Hollywood Star Is Stolen. Gregory Peck's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was stolen by someone who cut it out of the sidewalk where it had honored the actor for more than four decades, officials said. "They just left a big hole," said Johnny Grant, 82, who serves as Hollywood's honorary mayor and oversees ceremonies honoring star recipients. "Somebody went out there with a cement saw and carved it out of the black terrazzo."
· Cruise criticized over ultra sound machine. The American College of Radiology Tuesday warned actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes against performing their own fetal ultrasound exams. Cruise has told interviews he bought his own sonogram machine so he could watch his child develop inside Holmes, his fiancee. But the ACR issued a release saying not only is the practice unsafe, it could be violation of federal law.
· Burglar framed by small window. Timothy Dufield, 37, was arrested for burglarizing a Concord hair salon. When the cops arrived at "The Long and Short of It," Dufield attempted to flee by diving through a closed back window. He did not succeed. Bleeding and wedged inside the 9-by-15-inch window frame, Dufield was rescued by Concord firefighters and later booked into the local lockup on a felony burglary rap.
· Cindy Sheehan Claims Photos Falsely Implied Her Book Signing was a Flop. Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan and her book publisher are upset about Associated Press and Reuters photos that allegedly presented a misleading impression of her book signing last weekend in Texas.
· Kevin Costner Sues Ascendant Pictures. Kevin Costner sued Ascendant Pictures on Tuesday, claiming the company broke an oral agreement to pay him $8 million to act in the romantic comedy "Taming Ben Taylor."
· Drug dealer implicates attorney in killing. The leader of a multimillion-dollar drug operation testified in federal court Tuesday that he ordered a woman killed after his high-profile attorney suggested her disappearance would help one of his cases. Frank "The Terminator" Estrada gave his most detailed account yet of the alleged involvement of his lawyer, James Ruane, in the 1996 murder of Aida Escalera.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
· Arkansas joins Alabama in Aruba boycott. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he will join Governor Bob Riley's travel boycott of Aruba. Huckabee is requesting that Arkansans consider the boycott to show respect for the family of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway.
· 1,000th execution stopped. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner halted the milestone execution of a convicted murderer who would have been the 1,000th person put to death in the United States since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
· 9-Year-Old Honored For Shielding Brother During Shooting. A 9-year-old boy who was shot in the back while shielding his little brother during an attempted break-in got a trophy from police and his school principal to honor his courage. Ricardo Caldera was shot when he threw himself over his 4-year-old brother, Esteban, after two masked men tried to break into their home on Oct. 26, police and his family said.
· Molecule gives passionate lovers just one year. Your heartbeat accelerates, butterflies in the stomach, you feel euphoric and a bit silly. It's all part of falling passionately in love - and scientists now tell us the feeling won't last more than a year.
· Rolling Stones to provide half-time entertainment at Super Bowl. The Rolling Stones will provide the half-time entertainment at Super Bowl 40 on February 5 at Detroit, the National Football League announced. The legendary rock band with flamboyant singer Mick Jagger will follow former Beatles star Paul McCartney, who sang at last February's game.
· Police Search For Parents Who Fed Baby Vodka. Police searched Tuesday for the parents of a 3-month-old girl who died last year after being given lethal doses of alcohol. The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the infant had a blood alcohol level of 0.47 percent, authorities said. The legal limit for drivers in Florida is 0.08 percent.
· Jerry Hall launches erectile dysfunction campaign. Texan model Jerry Hall was unveiled on Tuesday as ambassador for a campaign to encourage people to be more open about erectile dysfunction. Hall, 49, divorced Mick Jagger in 1999 when she finally became exasperated with the philandering of the Rolling Stones lead singer.
· Another teenager killed 'surfing' on roof of car got idea from TV, police say. The Nashville teen killed Saturday night after "surfing" on the roof of a car got the idea from the TV show Jackass, Metro police said yesterday. Garrett Shawn Nipper, 16, of Bell Road, died after striking the pavement and a guardrail when he fell off the car, police said.
· Drink, suicide and why I turned against Hollywood. Back in the Eighties, Patrick Swayze was voted the sexiest man in the world and his poster adorned the walls of practically every teenage girl's bedroom. But then Hollywood's biggest box office name, and star of blockbusters such as Dirty Dancing and Ghost, turned his back on showbusiness. He checked into a rehabilitation clinic to sort out his alcohol problems and retreated to his ranches in New Mexico and California to breed horses.
· Kickback scandal brings down Canadian government. After months of political instability, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin fell Monday evening when three opposition parties united to topple him with a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons.
· Not-so-Petty cash to rock bat mitzvah. History will forever record Elizabeth Brooks' bat mitzvah as "Mitzvahpalooza." For his daughter's coming-of-age celebration last weekend, multimillionaire Long Island defense contractor David H. Brooks booked two floors of the Rainbow Room, hauled in concert-ready equipment, built a stage, installed special carpeting, outfitted the space with Jumbotrons and arranged command performances by everyone from 50 Cent to Tom Petty to Aerosmith. The party cost an estimated $10 million, including the price of corporate jets to ferry the performers.
· Student Rapper Settles Lawsuit With School District. A school district in western Pennsylvania has settled a lawsuit with a student who was expelled from the eighth grade after posting some rap lyrics on the Internet. The Riverside Beaver School District will pay $90,000 to Anthony Latour after the teenager was kicked out of school for lyrics that the district found threatening.
· Aaron Spelling Sues Nurse for Defamation. Producer Aaron Spelling has sued a nurse and her attorney for allegedly violating a confidentiality agreement and spreading rumors around Hollywood that Spelling sexually harassed her. Spelling and his wife, Candy Spelling, filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court last week against Charlene Richards and her attorney, Don D. Sessions. Richards signed a confidentiality agreement when she began working as a home nurse for Spelling, 82, in November 2004. According to the lawsuit, Richards threatened to reveal confidential information about the "Charlie's Angels" TV producer unless he paid her "an unspecified amount" to settle her sexual harassment claims.
· Supreme Court Stands Behind Public Punishment Of Convicted Mail Thief. The Supreme Court has rejected a San Francisco man's appeal that his sentence for stealing mail amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. A lower court has ordered Shawn Gementera to stand outside a post office for 100 hours wearing a sandwich board that reads: "I have stolen mail. This is my punishment." Gementera argued that this was prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution and the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984.
· Deadline Passes for Internet Phone Service. Companies that provide Internet-based VoIP phone service may find themselves disconnected from new customers after missing a government deadline to provide reliable emergency 911 service.
· Gold above $500 in Asia, platinum breaches $1,000. Gold rose above $500 an ounce in Asia on Tuesday for the first time since December 1987 as dealers said funds had diversified into precious metals on worries about inflation and geopolitics. Platinum breached the psychological level of $1,000 an ounce, hitting its highest price since 1980, as it tracked gold's gains.
Monday, November 28, 2005
· Update: Teacher Sues Papers That Ran Her Anti-Hispanic Letter. An elementary school teacher who resigned after two newspapers published a letter she wrote to a congressman disparaging Hispanics has sued the papers, seeking to know who leaked the letter.
· Near tears, crooked congressman resigns. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham said Monday he is resigning from Congress after pleading guilty to taking more than $2 million in bribes in a criminal conspiracy involving at least three defense contractors.
· Man Arrested For Spreading Mom's Ashes On Field During Football Game. A Philadelphia Eagles football fan was charged with trespassing after he ran onto the field during Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers and spread his dead mother's ashes around. The fan, Christopher Noreboom, 44, said his mother was a diehard Eagles fan but didn't have a chance to go to an Eagles game before she died, police said.
· Officers Bust Mobile Strip Club At Bucs Game. Tampa Police Department officers arrested 10 people on Sunday outside Raymond James Stadium accusing them of operating a mobile strip club in the parking lot during the Bucs vs. Bears game.
· Christian School Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Student. Authorities say a teacher at an Adams County Christian school in Pennsylvania wrote sexually graphic letters to a teenager in her class and had sex with him at least once. Erica Rutters, 29, of Dover Township faces up to five years in prison if found guilty of corrupting a minor.
· Update: Former Beauty Queen In Court Over $1.16 Tax Bill. A Loveland, Ohio woman accused of failing to pay a tiny tax bill is scheduled for a pretrial hearing at the Clermont County Municipal Court on Monday morning. Officials said Deborah Combs didn't pay $1.16 in city income tax during 2000. She was arrested in early October. The city's prosecutor doesn't want to let Combs just pay the bill, but rather wants a jury to convict her.
· Teen with peanut allergy dies after kiss. A 15-year-old girl with a peanut allergy died after kissing her boyfriend, who had just eaten a peanut butter snack, hospital officials said Monday.
· Ronald MacDonald Charged With Stealing From Wendy's. You'd think that just working at a Wendy's restaurant would be difficult for Ronald MacDonald. Now, the 22-year-old MacDonald - no relation to Ronald McDonald, the clown - has been charged with stealing money from a safe at Wendy's.
· FEMA won't release hurricane survey data. Federal emergency officials say they won't release information from a survey of 3,000 people who had home inspections after last year's hurricanes. The News-Press of Fort Myers had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the data from the survey, which was seeking information on how well the hurricane victims thought FEMA performed its job, under the federal Freedom of Information Act.
· Restaurant owners finally cash in their chips. Eight years after battling with The Donald over his development plans, the owners of a small mom-and-pop restaurant near Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino are cashing in their chips in a deal said to be worth more than $2 million.
· Woman sues Pizza Hut over burned chin. A woman is suing a Pizza Hut because the hot poppers she ordered as an appetizer were, well, hot and popped when she bit into them. Sorana Georgescu-Hassanin claims she may be permanently impaired because the "excessively hot" oil in the deep-fried, cheese-stuffed hot pepper severely burned her chin.
· If your payment is late, your car won't start. A new gizmo is upping the odds that even the most hard-knock customer will come up with the car payment. Hooked into the ignition system, the gadget comes in a handful of versions with one common conclusion: No pay, no start.
· Sharp medical examiner determines cause of death. A man found dead in Waterford, Conn. on Saturday was fatally shot, the medical examiner's office said Sunday. An autopsy revealed the man was shot several times in the head.
· Web Sites Offer Private Cell Phone Information. A new investigation has discovered that several Web sites will sell the last 100 phone numbers you have dialed to anyone who knows your phone number. The report found that sites like Locate Cell will sell the private phone numbers for about $100.
· DAs rip legal loophole. District attorneys across the state vented frustration yesterday over a legal loophole that is letting convicted killers walk free - by admitting their crimes were intentional. Killers found guilty of "depraved indifference to human life" - a second-degree murder charge - are having their convictions overturned if their defense lawyers can show there was nothing indifferent about their actions.
· Developer Buys Square-Inch Property On eBay. A county attorney in Indiana will be making final arrangements Monday to transfer a tiny plot of land to a developer who won it on eBay. Michigan real estate executive Andy Gutman was the highest bidder for a square-inch piece of land in Owen County, Indiana. He shelled out more than $1,700 for the parcel in a wooded ravine.
· Will Katie Couric jump ship? CBS would need to commit to the $15 million-a-year salary it would probably take to hire Couric, as well as an additional $50 million she would demand that the network pump into the news division to support her.
· 'The Simple Life' returns. After being cancelled by Fox, feuding ex-friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will take "The Simple Life" to E! Entertainment Television in a new format that allows them to have nothing to do with each other.
· Book signing a lonely business for Sheehan. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan waits for people to show up at her book signing near President Bush's ranch.
· Lawmaker wants to lower drinking age for troops. A New Hampshire lawmaker wants to lower the drinking age for troops. Portsmouth Democrat James Splaine says his bill would give youth over 18 in the military access to liquor. The bill would let them use their military identification card to buy alcohol. The current drinking age is 21.
· Samsung heiress death 'a suicide.' Lee Yoon-hyung, an heiress to the wealthy family that controls South Korea's Samsung Group, has committed suicide at the age of 26, a company official said on Monday. Newspapers ran front-page articles saying Lee the youngest daughter of Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, died in a traffic accident in New York, where she was attending graduate school. But on Monday papers reported Lee had hanged herself with an electrical cord at her New York apartment, citing local police and medical examiners' reports.
· Hundreds Vie to Be the Next ‘Inventor.’ The ABC reality contest, set to air in March, is the brainchild of “AI” producers and its prince of darkness, Simon Cowell (who will not appear on the show). The unusual premise: To find America’s best new invention, as voted by the public. The prize: A cool $1 million and the chance to have the product mass-produced.
· Harry's 'Goblet' Nets $54.9M at Box Office. A boy wizard and a country-music legend outclassed a flurry of box-office newcomers over Thanksgiving. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" took in $54.9 million over the three-day weekend to remain the top movie, while the Johnny Cash film biography "Walk the Line" stayed in second place with $19.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
· Police Chase 15-Year-Old After Alleged Carjacking. He doesn't even have a license, but sheriff’s deputies said a 15-year-old driver lead them on a high speed chase down Interstate 4 on Wednesday and into Thursday morning driving a vehicle he allegedly car-carjacked. Jeremy Stevens, of Altamonte Springs, is being held on charges ranging from possession of cocaine to grand theft auto. Deputies believe Stevens beat up a man and stole his car during an alleged drug deal Monday night.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
· Family Sues Wal-Mart After Shoplifting Suspect Dies. Family members of a Texas shoplifting suspect who suffocated during a struggle with Wal-Mart store employees are suing the retail giant. The death of Stacy Clay Driver, of Cleveland, Texas, was ruled a homicide by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.
· For sale, a little scrap of Hollywood. Since the dawn of the movie industry, it has been the biggest name in town. Now the original "Hollywood" sign, which proclaimed the American film capital above Los Angeles, is up for sale. The sign, dismantled and placed in storage in 1978, has been put on eBay, the internet auction site, with a reserve price of $300,000. Memorabilia collectors who want to bid will need plenty of room as well as cash - it stands 45ft high and is 450ft long.
· 'Made in Mexico' Uniforms Miff Border Cops. The labels inside the U.S. Border Patrol uniforms have been making many federal agents feel uneasy. It's not the fit or feel of the olive-green shirts and pants, but what their labels read: "Made in Mexico." "It's embarrassing to be protecting the U.S.-Mexico border and be wearing a uniform made in Mexico," says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a 6,500-member union.
· Police: Cyclist likely killed by text-messaging driver. A 17-year-old likely will face misdemeanor charges after allegedly losing control of his car and hitting a bicyclist while text messaging, police said. The bicyclist, Jim R. Price of Highlands Ranch, died Friday, two days after the accident.
· Powerball winner found dead in home. A woman who won a $65.4 million Powerball jackpot with her husband five years ago was found dead at her home overlooking the Ohio River, where she had apparently been for days before anyone found her, police said.
· The five least watchable news personalities. What makes you like a certain news anchor over another one? Is it his or her appearance? The voice? Professionalism? Sarcasm? There are also some talking heads who make us turn the channel.
· Katrina Hero Booked on Heroin Charge. A man hailed by some as a hero for commandeering a school bus the day after Hurricane Katrina to take 60 stranded residents to safety in Houston has been arrested on drug charges where his bus journey began: the Fischer public housing complex. Jabar Gibson, 20, who garnered a movie deal and national attention as the renegade bus driver, was booked Friday with possession with intent to distribute heroin after police stopped his rental car for allegedly driving erratically, New Orleans police said.
· Russell Crowe laughs off New York phone throwing controversy. Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has shown he can now laugh about throwing a telephone at a Manhattan hotel concierge. Hosting Australia's version of the Oscars, the Australian Film Industry Awards in the southern city of Melbourne Saturday night, the actor walked on stage carrying a chunky, old-fashioned, Bakelite telephone.
· Stewart and Torriero Call Off Engagement. Kimberly Stewart and "Laguna Beach" star Talan Torriero say their wedding plans are off. "It was just too soon to enter into a lifelong commitment," their representatives said in a joint statement. "It is better to have a brief engagement than a short marriage. The couple continue to share their time together and remain open to whatever the future may hold." Stewart, the 26-year-old daughter of singer Rod Stewart, and Torriero, a 19-year-old star of the MTV reality show, announced their engagement earlier this month.
· Music giants want terror laws used to stop net piracy. Big firms including Sony and EMI want to use new powers designed to track terrorists on the internet to crack down on music and film pirates - including the parents of children who download music. Internet companies will have to log all the pages visited by surfers for at least a year so the security services can track terrorists using the web for fund-raising, training or swapping information.
· Delphi study says average employee cost is $76 per hour. A study commissioned by Delphi Corp. shows that unionized workers for the auto supplier cost the company an average of $76 per hour. The number includes a $26.97-per-hour wage as well as benefits such as health care, insurance and paid vacations.
· 'CSI effect' leaves fingerprint on Twin Cities courtrooms. Dakota County authorities thought their felony case against a driver charged with criminal vehicular operation was solid. But jurors knocked it down to a misdemeanor, convicting the defendant of reckless driving instead. Then they told the prosecutor they were disappointed with the case. "They wanted to see a computerized reenactment," said Phil Prokopowicz, chief deputy county attorney. "It was something they expected." Prokopowicz said he fears the recent case is an example of what prosecutors across the country are calling the "CSI effect": Juries filled with growing numbers of crime-drama devotees demanding the same high-tech, slam-dunk proof of guilt that their TV heroes produce every week.
· Authorities Find Unexploded Bomb in Tokyo. Thousands of residents were evacuated in Tokyo on Sunday while authorities dug up an unexploded 550-pound bomb, believed to have been dropped by the United States during World War II, a local official said. The bomb, about 14 inches in diameter and 47 inches long, was detected earlier this month in a residential area in Tokyo's Katsushika ward by Self-Defense Force investigators.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
· Oscar-Nominated Actor Pat Morita Dies. Actor Pat Morita, best known for helping teach a boy martial-arts mastery through household chores as the wise Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid," has died. He was 73. There were conflicting reports about the cause of death. His daughter said he died Thursday of heart failure at a Las Vegas hospital; longtime manager Arnold Soloway said the actor died of kidney failure at a hospital while awaiting a transplant.
· NBC leaves Matt & Katie to twist in wind. In a matter of minutes Thursday morning, while they were in Herald Square hosting NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a balloon crashed in Times Square, injuring an 11-year-old girl and her disabled older sister. Lauer and Couric didn't mention the mishap. Word from inside NBC was they stayed mum because no one told them what was going on. They just knew that the giant M&M's balloon never made it to Herald Square.
· Man Dies Trying to Rescue Cat From Fire. A man who rushed into a burning house to rescue a cat died in the fire, authorities said. A faulty extension cord caused the fire Thursday afternoon that killed Michael H. Murphy, 48, of Dayton. The Montgomery County coroner's office said an autopsy would be performed Friday to determine the cause of death.
· NBC Didn't Report Accident During Parade. During its live coverage of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, NBC did not tell viewers that a giant balloon had caught on a street lamp and injured two sisters. At the point in the broadcast when the "M&M's Chocolate Candies" balloon was supposed to have crossed the finish line, announcers Katie Couric, Matt Lauer and Al Roker stuck close to their scripts and the network ran footage of the balloon from last year's parade.
· Could Anna Nicole photos jeopardize court battle? Anna Nicole Smith's battle for a share of her late husband's fortune is facing more trouble - thanks to the discovery of an unseen batch of her wedding day photographs. The busty blonde was 26 when she exchanged nuptials with wheelchair-bound J. Howard Marshall II in 1994 - just 14 months before the oil tycoon died aged 90, leaving her to battle it out with his son E. Pierce Marshall for her $88.6 million payout.
· Digital rage. Cops had to calm furious shoppers at Circuit City stores around town yesterday as bargain hunters discovered that laptops advertised at $200 were in short supply. They bum-rushed the store and we couldn't control the crowds," said a shaken manager at the Rego Park, Queens, store, where cops had to quell an angry throng of more than 500.
· Teacher Accused Of Anti-Bush Quiz. A high school teacher is facing questions from administrators after giving a vocabulary quiz that included digs at President Bush and the extreme right. Bret Chenkin, a social studies and English teacher at Mount Anthony Union High School, said he gave the quiz to his students several months ago. The quiz asked students to pick the proper words to complete sentences. One example: "I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes." "Coherent" is the right answer.
Friday, November 25, 2005
· Retailers usher in holidays with deep discounts. The nation’s retailers are set to usher in the 2005 holiday shopping season with the usual come-ons — deep discounts and expanded hours — along with a slew of stores offering early bird specials for the first time. In an improving but still challenging economy, merchants are hoping for big crowds to set a positive tone for the entire holiday season.
· Clerk Refuses to Call Police After Robbery. A woman who was robbed at knifepoint while pumping gas into her church's van couldn't believe it when the gas station attendant refused to call police for help. The Citgo gas station's manager said he was sorry about the robbery, but clerks at the station do not make emergency calls from the front counter, fearing retaliation for criminals.
· Petite Woman Wins Turkey-Eating Contest. When it comes to competitive eating, don't mess with Sonya Thomas. Weighing all of 100 pounds, Thomas once again showed the big boys a thing or two during a pre-Thanksgiving turkey-eating contest in New York. In 12 minutes, Thomas ate 4 pounds, 3.1 ounces of bird, which won her the $2,500 first prize.
· Scott Peterson wants to stop lawyer's book. Scott Peterson is attempting to halt publication of a book written by a lawyer who was kicked off his case for violating a judge's gag order. A Superior Court judge declined to grant a request for emergency relief during a hearing Wednesday, likely pushing the case before an appellate court next week, Peterson's attorney, Mark Geragos, said.
· Man Lives On Billboard To Raise Money For Charity. His Thanksgiving meal was prepared by local chefs and hauled up to him. Jamie King of Fredericksburg, Va., is doing his part to help out the children of fallen soldiers in Iraq. King is living atop a SnoreStop billboard in Columbia, S.C. He said the idea for the stunt came to him after purchasing a snoring remedy from the company's Web site. King said he pitched the idea to SnoreStop and the company offered him $1 million to live on the billboard for 30 days.
· Brown Starts Disaster Consulting Business In Colo. Former FEMA Director Michael Brown is opening a business that will help clients avoid the errors that cost him his job after Hurricane Katrina, the Rocky Mountain News reported Thursday. Brown told the News: "I think people are curious: 'My gosh, what was it like? The media just really beat you up. You made mistakes. I don't want to be in that situation. How do I avoid that?' "
· Crowe: Incident Blown Out of Proportion. Russell Crowe says he believes the media blew his phone-throwing incident out of proportion. The Oscar-winning actor pleaded guilty earlier this month to third-degree assault, admitting to a judge that he threw a phone that hit a New York hotel concierge in June. He had to pay a $160 court charge and was sentenced to conditional discharge, which means he must not get arrested for one year.
· Speeding Ticket Fines Diverted To Politician's Pet Project. You might be able to get out of an expensive speeding ticket along I-90 by donating money to the prosecutor's favorite cause. A KIRO Team 7 Investigation exposes a tax-diversion program that's raising both legal and ethical questions. If you're heading towards Spokane - maybe to a Washington State Cougars football or basketball game - you're going to travel through Adams County. If you're speeding, you'll probably going to get a ticket, too. The Ritzville area is notorious for that. However, don't worry about it. The Adams County Prosecutor may offer to waive that ticket if you give a "donation" to a local museum.
· Man who killed two won’t get long term. drunken driver who killed two pedestrians has avoided a long prison sentence because key evidence — his wrecked car — was sold for scrap. Scott A. Weber’s Ford Tempo disappeared from a city tow lot months before police realized it was gone. As a result, Jackson County prosecutors agreed to a plea deal for Weber, 25, of Independence.
· N.M. Gov Admits He Wasn't Baseball Pick. Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record - the baseball draft, that is, admitting that his claim to have been a pick of the Kansas City A's in 1966 was untrue. For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
· Charity head charged. The former director of an international children's charity has been accused with using $250,000 of the group's money for his personal use. Police say Michael Ivey of Winter Haven took money from the World's Children Inc. to pay his mortgage and car payments and to purchase liquor, clothing and other personal items.
· Binge-drink women may lose right to claim rape. Women who are raped while drunk face losing the chance to bring their attackers to justice after a legal ruling on the eve of new licensing laws. A High Court judge yesterday threw out the case of a student who claimed that she was raped while drunk and unconscious on the basis that “drunken consent is still consent.”
· Dangling Gorilla Billboard Blamed For Car Crashes. Highway officials in Columbia, S.C., were forced to take down a billboard featuring a dangling gorilla suit after it caused several car crashes on a busy highway. Several motorists were shocked Wednesday after they noticed what appeared to be a person in a gorilla suit hanging from the billboard above 277 near the Parklane exit.
· Woman, Child Injured At Thanksgiving Parade. A giant balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade snagged a street light in Times Square and caused part of it to fall into the crowd, injuring a woman and a child.
· Savvis CEO resigns amid strip club scandal. Savvis Inc. said it has accepted the resignation of Chairman and Chief Executive Robert McCormick, who was accused of being two years late in paying $241,000 of charges incurred at a Manhattan strip club.
· Simpson, Lachey 'part ways.' Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, who turned mid-level music careers into a Hollywood star-spangled marriage, have separated following months of persistent breakup rumors. The couple announced their separation Wednesday. "After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways," they said in a joint statement released by their publicists.
· Driver Hit Skateboarding Boy, Left Him To Die. A 24-year-old man in DeLand, Fla., was arrested on suspicion he ran down a skateboarding teen and then left the boy to die in the road.
· Cruise Buys Sonogram Machine for Katie. Tom Cruise has made an unusual purchase for his fiancee Katie Holmes - one that will let them see the development of their baby. "I bought a sonogram machine," Cruise says on ABC's "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2005."
· Police arrest 'Spiderman' in Houston. The French building climber who calls himself "Spiderman" was thwarted in a bid to scale a Houston skyscraper and charged with trespassing and possessing drugs — two pills to relieve anxiety.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
· Alabama Judge Rules Illegal Immigrant Due Workers Comp for Life. Omar Santos-Cruz came to the United States illegally from Mexico and went to work building houses in one of Alabama's fanciest neighborhoods before he was seriously injured in March of last year at age 17. A court has now ruled that Santos-Cruz is due workers compensation benefits and medical care for life despite being in the country illegally.
· PETA Nude Anti-Fur Protest Held in Times Square. It was one of those "only in New York" moments: Two coffins, laid out in the middle of Times Square in a cold rain, with the naked bodies of a man and a woman in them - talking. Their message was: Some clothes sold in America are made with fur that comes from animals allegedly tortured in China.
· Jury awards $4.2 million in sex abuse case against Mormon Church. Two college-age sisters have been awarded $4.2 million in a lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a judgment prompted partly by the way a bishop dealt with sexual abuse committed by their stepfather while they were children.
· DWI suspect kills college student; had already been deported 17 times. Jorge Humberto Hernandez-Soto, the illegal immigrant charged in the wreck that killed an 18-year-old college student Friday, has already been returned to his native Mexico 17 times, according to authorities. Hernandez-Soto, 35, has also been convicted of impaired driving at least twice before.
· Teri Hatcher Sues Tabloid Over Sex Story. "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher is suing a British tabloid newspaper for libel over its claims she had "sex romps" with men in a Volkswagen van, her lawyer said Wednesday. London law firm Schillings said Hatcher, 40, had instructed them to begin libel proceedings against the Daily Sport over articles that she says "falsely alleged that she engages in sex romps on a regular basis with a series of men in a VW van parked outside her L.A. home for this purpose."
· Hooker's hot tip: It's not just about the sex, it's about the mind. Veronica Monet has slept with 1,800 men so you don't have to. For 14 years she worked as an escort out of San Francisco. She slept with men ages 18 to 80 from around the world - investment bankers, truck drivers, billionaires, cops, athletes, students, professors and plumbers. Along the way, she says, she compiled a storehouse of knowledge about all things emotional and mental as well as carnal.
· Man Seeking Taxi Hops Into Police Car. A night of drinking left a man so disoriented that he hopped into a police patrol car thinking it was a taxi, police said. The 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday soon after he let himself into Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Deputy Esther Beckman's car while she was out of the vehicle questioning a bicyclist.
· Bartender jailed for serving too much tequila. A 32-year-old Norwegian bartender was sentenced to six months in prison Wednesday for serving a customer so much tequila that he fell into a coma and died.
· John Kerry wins election ... as jury foreman. Sen. John Kerry's public profile and prosecutorial past didn't spare him from performing that most mundane of civic responsibilities - jury duty. Kerry was not only chosen this week to sit on a jury in Suffolk Superior Court, but also was elected foreman. The case involved two men who sued the city for injuries suffered in a 2000 car accident involving a school principal.
· Christian Musician In Coma After Road-Rage Beating. A Christian musician remains hospitalized in a medically-induced coma after being attacked in a road-rage incident in New York City. Johnny Philippidis, of the duo Burlap to Cashmere, suffered severe facial fractures when he was beaten by another motorist after their vehicles collided last week.
· Man sues ABC over gay "Wife Swap." An Oklahoma man is suing for over $10 million after the show "Wife Swap" exchanged his wife with a gay man. Jeffrey D. Bedford of Haileyville filed his $10,225,000 suit in Muskogee's U.S. District Court, claiming that ABC Television misled him by not sending a woman from a heterosexual family to his home.
· Man hailed as hero in fire rescue is charged with starting the blaze. He was once hailed as a hero for rescuing four children from a burning apartment complex. Now, a Texas man is charged with starting the 2003 blaze that left 70 families homeless. Kris Leija has been charged with arson. Television footage showed Leija running back and forth from the burning complex in Abilene, carrying the children.
· Koppel bids farewell on final `Nightline' broadcast. In an understated farewell Tuesday to the ABC News broadcast he has anchored for more than 25 years, Ted Koppel asked "Nightline" viewers to give his successors a fair break. "If you don't," he said, "I promise you the network will just put another comedy show in this time slot. Then you'll be sorry."
· Jacko's Jewish rant. In phone messages obtained by ABC News, Michael Jackson likens Jews to "leeches" and claims they conspired to leave him "penniless." "They suck...they're like leeches...I'm so tired of it," Jackson tells former adviser Dieter Wiesner in one of them. "The Jews do it on purpose." The ugly message, which was made two years ago and aired yesterday on "Good Morning America," was one of several provided by Wiesner's lawyer, Howard King.
· Next Stop: Big Brother. Deborah Davis is a 50 year-old mother of four who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. Her kids are all grown-up: her middle son is a soldier fighting in Iraq. She leads an ordinary, middle class life. One morning in late September 2005, Mrs. Davis was riding the public bus to work. She was minding her own business, reading a book and planning for work, when a security guard got on this public bus and demanded that every passenger show their ID. Mrs. Davis, having done nothing wrong, declined. The guard called in federal cops, and she was arrested and charged with federal criminal misdemeanors after refusing to show ID on demand.
· Update: Jury Awards $3 million to Fired Blind Woman. A jury awarded $3 million Tuesday to a blind woman who was fired from her job as director of Pennsylvania's agency for the blind and visually impaired. Christine L. Boone, who was forced out as director of the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services in 2003, claimed she was discriminated against because of her disability.
· Murdered banker's wife breaks down in court. The wife of murdered financier John Monckton broke down in the witness box today as she relived the moment when two robbers burst into their home and stabbed her husband to death.
· Nicole a 'Nervous Wreck,' Richie Says. Lionel Richie says the stress of his daughter's expanding career is most likely the reason for her shrinking dress size. "I know what's happening with her right now, she's a nervous wreck," Richie says of Nicole, who was heavier when she co-starred with Paris Hilton on "The Simple Life."
· There's no MCI Family Plan in prison. A lawsuit has been filed to seek an order prohibiting the state of New York and MCI from charging exorbitant rates to the family members of prisoners to finance a 57.5% kickback to the state. MCI charges these family members a 630% markup over regular consumer rates to receive a collect call from their loved ones, the only way possible to speak with them, according to the New York chapter of the CCR.
· Restaurant etiquette and gratuity advice. How can you get a table, even when the maitre d' says the restaurant is booked? How can you assure great service during a dinner with business clients? Do you wonder how much to tip when the kitchen messes up you order? Some restaurant insiders share their answers to these questions and some advice.
· Mag tells 'Nazi' singers: Heil, no! Teen People nixed a story about Hitler-loving teenybopper twins Prussian Blue - amid outrage that the glossy had promised to avoid the words "hate," "supremacist" and "Nazi" in its piece on the racist singing sisters. A Web-based teaser for the February story originally called the hatemongering duo "aspiring musicians" and compared them to wide-eyed sensations Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
· Warner Music busted in 'payola' scheme. Warner Music Group Corp., one of the largest U.S. record companies, will pay $5 million to settle a New York state probe into how it influenced which songs are played on the radio, NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said.
· Woman sues for injuries from sliding down fire pole at party. A northeast Georgia woman is suing her county's fire department, saying she hurt herself sliding down a firehouse pole during a party.
· Sex Crimes Unit Arrests Elementary School Teacher. A teacher at an elementary school in Orange County, Fla., was arrested Tuesday on suspicion he committed a sex crime, according to a police report. Police said Lawton Chiles Elementary school teacher Gareth Godfrey was arrested and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation Tuesday.
· 38-year-old mother charged with having sex with 14-year-old boy. A 38-year-old mother of two from Washington state was arrested on charges that she had sex with a 14-year-old boy from northeast Ohio. Massillon police said they handcuffed Julie Welborn at a local motel on Monday, with her 13-year-old and 15-year-old children present.
· 'Ugly dog' Sam dies at 14. Sam, the dog whose ugliness earned him TV appearances, limousine rides and even a meeting with millionaire Donald Trump, has died, the Santa Barbara News-Press reported Tuesday.
· Debra LaFave Walks. Before she could plead not guilty by reason of insanity to charges she committed lewd or lascivious battery on a teenager, Debra Lafave has pleaded guilty, but will not go to prison. The former teacher, accused of having sex with a 14-year-old boy, came to a plea agreement with prosecutors Tuesday.
· Pastor in sex abuse case dies in mystery fall. A minister accused of sexually abusing two teenage parishioners fell 400 feet to his death at Sequoia National Park, officials said. The Rev. Santos Teixeira’s death Sunday was under “uncertain circumstances,” requiring the National Park Service to notify the FBI of its investigation, Alexandra Picavet, a Sequoia National Park spokeswoman, said Monday.
· Vatican: Active gays unwelcome in priesthood. The Vatican says sexually active homosexuals and those who support "gay culture" are unwelcome in the priesthood unless the candidate has overcome homosexual tendencies for at least three years, according to a church document posted on the Internet by an Italian Catholic news agency.
· Former Michael Jackson adviser files $64 mln suit. A former adviser to Michael Jackson has filed a $64 million lawsuit against the pop star, alleging breach of contract and fraud. Dieter Wiesner filed a civil suit against Jackson on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming he paid Jackson, who was acquitted in June of sexual molestation charges, millions of dollars for rights to merchandise his name and likeness that were not Jackson's to sell.
· Actor asks woman to leave theater after cell phone rings third time. Actor Richard Griffiths ordered a woman out of his West End play, after her cell phone rang for the third time. The production of Heroes at Wyndham's theatre was nearing the end when Griffiths asked her: "Is that it, or will it be ringing some more?" The audience clapped as he asked her to leave the Saturday matinee performance.
· Katie Holmes thrown out of film over vibrating device. Katie Holmes was thrown out of a California movie theater when a vibrating gadget she was clutching disturbed fellow film fans. The pregnant fiancee of superstar Tom Cruise was holding a buzzing aid against her stomach, as she believes it is comforting to the fetus. But it failed to soothe the nerves of audience members, who quickly tired of the humming device, reports sfgate.com.
· Fired Teacher, Unwed And Pregnant, Sues Catholic School. The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal discrimination complaint against a Catholic school, charging that it unjustly fired an unmarried teacher for being pregnant.
· Hope dims for Rose's final year of eligibility. The Hall of Fame's doors will remain shut to Pete Rose, who won't appear on the baseball writers' ballot in his final year of eligibility.
· Court papers: Girl chose to go with Pa. teen. A 14-year-old girl whose 18-year-old boyfriend allegedly fatally shot her parents left willingly with him after the slayings and was not kidnapped, prosecutors said in court papers filed Monday. Kara Borden told detectives she left of her own free will, according to the filing. David Ludwig told detectives the two planned to get married and start a new life together.
· PETA’s New Comic for Kids: Taking Aim at Dads Who Fish. Most people wouldn’t expect PETA activists to visit the local fishing hole or hang out in front of tackle shops at fishing tournaments, but starting on September 24, Fish Amnesty Day, activists will take to the water with their sights on dads who are teaching their kids to abuse animals.
· Briton Who Lived In Houston Has Mad Cow Disease. A man from Great Britain has been diagnosed with the human form of mad cow disease, the second documented U.S. case of the illness, the federal Centers for Disease Control said Monday. The man in all likelihood contracted variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom. But because his symptoms began while he was living in Houston, he will be listed as a U.S. case, as is customary.
· Gal pal in slaying: Cocaine stoked it. The ex-hooker arrested in the upper East Side slaying of the former tour manager for Paul Simon and Billy Joel says cocaine fueled the fatal fight, police sources said yesterday. Kathleen Connors, 37, told detectives she and boyfriend Danny Harrison freebased cocaine to celebrate his 57th birthday Sunday before she stabbed him with a butcher knife, a source said.
· Piano teacher admits to filming unsuspected students using bathroom. A longtime piano teacher in Monmouth County has admitted secretly videotaping 60 people who used his bathroom, including 26 children. George Johnson pleaded guilty to manufacturing child pornography.
· Frozen Turkey Saves Couple From Burning Car. An elderly Illinois couple is hospitalized after being rescued from their burning car by a man who used his Thanksgiving turkey to break the windows. Mark Copsy said he rushed to help John and Juliana Brani, of Northlake, Ill., when he saw their car filling with smoke after it crashed into a curb Sunday afternoon. Copsy couldn't open the door and couldn't break the windows with his hands or feet, so the 20-pound frozen turkey had to do.
· 'X' marks the spot. CNN was airing Vice President Dick Cheney's speech live from the American Enterprise Institute in Washington - when a large black 'X' repeatedly flashed over the vice president's face.