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Monday, July 31, 2006
· Mom tracks down toilet-tissue pranksters. Teenagers who toilet-papered and damaged a home now face felony vandalism charges because of a mother's extraordinary sleuthing. Katja Base, mother of six, was unwilling to let the teens get away with it, saying she tracked them down to teach her kids about accountability. 
· Motorists turning to nitrogen to save gas. Many motorists seeking to improve their mileage as gas prices soar this summer are examining everything — right down to the air in their tires. And for a growing number, plain old air isn’t good enough. Nitrogen has been used for years in the tires of race cars, large commercial trucks, aircraft and even the space shuttle. But it is finding its way into the mainstream at a growing number of tire dealers — including Costco Wholesale Corp.
· Scientist thinks invisibility possible in future. It's unlikely to occur by swallowing a pill or donning a special cloak, but invisibility could be possible in the not too distant future, according to Dr. Ulf Leonhardt, a theoretical physicist at St Andrews University. Invisibility is an optical illusion that the object or person is not there. Although the devices are still theoretical, Leonhardt said scientists are making advances in metamaterials - artificial materials with unusual properties that could be used to "bend light," thus making invisibility possible.
· Mass. Gov. Romney apologizes for "tar baby" remark. Gov. Mitt Romney has apologized for referring to the troubled Big Dig construction project as a "tar baby" during a fundraiser with Iowa Republicans, saying he didn't know anyone would be offended by the term some consider a racial epithet.
· Churches Putting Town Out of Business. Stafford, Texas has 51 tax-exempt religious institutions and wants no more: 'Somebody's got to pay for police, fire and schools,' said the mayor. Nilda Martinez, who owns a flower shop between two churches, has had enough. "The churches, they're everywhere here," she said. "There are too many; the city should control it. It hurts the city when you don't have enough businesses paying taxes."
· Christina Aguilera tones down look. Unveiling her new 1940s-style "Blonde Bombshell" image, Christina Aguilera said she has had all but one of her peircings taken out. She has ditched her old style of sexy corsets and bumless chaps, which her grandmother told her made her look "like a whore", plus her tattoos and her piercings - in her right nipple, bottom lip, left nostril and a diamond sparkler between her legs.
· Mel Gibson: Malibu's Finest. Amid rumblings that Mel Gibson received preferential treatment from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, a public service announcement that Gibson taped on their behalf has surfaced. In the spot, Gibson, dressed in a sheriff's uniform, pulls over Scott Baio to thank him for supporting LASSO. He implores viewers, "Give back to those who give so much."
· Man Killed, Twin Sister Shot Over $11. A 22-year-old man in Orange County, Fla., was shot and killed Saturday and his twin sister was seriously injured in a robbery over $11, police said.
· Danny Glover Helps Union in Puerto Rico. Danny Glover helped launch a campaign to rally Puerto Rico's 2,100 hotel workers to join the local branch of a large U.S. labor union in a bid to gain better pay and benefits.
· First labor union formed at Chinese Wal-Mart store. The first labor union at a Wal-Mart store in China has been formed following a lobbying campaign by the country's official union group. Wal-Mart opened its first Chinese outlet in 1996 and says it has 28,000 employees in China.
· Photos reveal Hezbollah's strategy for attacks. The images, obtained exclusively by Australia's Sunday Herald Sun, show Hezbollah using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy-calibre weapons. Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly disappear, the militants carrying automatic assault rifles and ride in on trucks mounted with a cannon.
· Woman Dies During Liposuction at Home. A man was arrested on charges of practicing medicine without a license after a woman died during a liposuction procedure performed in the basement of a home, authorities said Monday.
· Lindsay Lohan's mommy comes to her defense. A studio executive was "way out of line" for scolding Lindsay Lohan for her absences from the set of her new movie, the teen actress' mother said. Dina Lohan acknowledged that Lindsay has been late to the set on occasion and that the production once had to be scheduled around her to accommodate her lateness. But she defended her daughter's most recent absence. "Lindsay was in 105 (degree weather) saying, 'Mommy, I feel sick; like I am going to faint.' She took herself to the hospital. She has asthma and in extreme cold or heat you can't breathe."
· Gibson Skated Twice Before. Mel Gibson had been stopped for reckless driving two other times in Malibu but he was allowed to leave without a ticket or arrest. TMZ has confirmed that approximately three years ago, Gibson was driving 74 miles per hour on Pacific Coast Highway, one mile from his house. The deputy was suspicious of Gibson's sobriety, but let him go. Approximately one year ago Gibson was stopped again, after driving 64 miles an hour on Pacific Coast Highway - where the speed limit is 45. The deputy decided to let him go without giving him a citation.
· Jews Upset Over Mel Gibson's Remarks To Officer. Jewish groups are fuming over what Mel Gibson admits were "despicable" remarks when he was arrested Friday in California for alleged drunken driving. Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center said, "If that's what he said, even under intoxication, it clearly shows that Mel Gibson has a problem with Jews." Drunken or not, the words came from somewhere and one media consultant said, "It's a nuclear disaster for him."
· Finally, Twiggy looks her age. Sixties model Twiggy may have sparkled in her advertisements for Marks and Spencer, but even icons age when they reach 56 years old.
· 25 kidnapped from Baghdad cell phone shop. Gunmen wearing military fatigues on Monday kidnapped 25 employees and customers from a mobile phone store in the main shopping area of the capital, Baghdad, police said. The gun-wielding kidnappers barged into the shop around noon and bundled the staff and employees into 15 cars they had arrived in, said police Lt. Thair Mahmoud. The whole operation lasted 10 minutes, he said.
· Michael Moore says he gets lots of Republican hugs. Michael Moore - gadfly filmmaker, liberal activist and political lightning rod - says he finds himself being hugged by a lot of Republicans these days.
· Boy George to begin garbage detail. Boy George will perform his court-ordered community service by picking up trash on city streets in the August heat, a sanitation spokesman said.
· Hi-tech ink perfects egg boiling. The age-old argument over the best way to cook the perfect boiled egg could be a thing of the past thanks to a new hi-tech ink logo going on shells. After cooking begins, an invisible, temperature-sensitive thermochromic print appears in black to indicate when an egg is soft, medium or hard-boiled.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
· Fox News' discrimination suit near settlement. Fox News Channel is close to settling a sex discrimination suit filed by four former female employees. Sources said Fox will pay a nominal sum - less than $250,000 - to the four women involved, but admits no wrongdoing. The suit alleged that Fox marketing veep Joe Chillemi sexually harassed the women using such seemingly innocuous expressions as "useless as tits on a bull" and referred to the women in his promotions department as "Promo Girls."
· Willie: Dixie Chicks 'got a raw deal.' Willie Nelson says the Dixie Chicks "got a raw deal" from a disapproving public following their criticism of President Bush.
· Katie Couric has airline pilot delay flight. Katie Couric had fellow passengers aboard a New York-bound Delta jet on the warpath this week when, as their plane was about to taxi to the runway, she got out of her seat and begged the pilot to allow one of her late-arriving producers to board. "It was like, 'Who the hell does she think she is?' " fumed one passenger who observed Couric's diva-like antics. "If you or I attempted something like this, we'd be cooling our heels at Guantanamo."
· Lohan returns to 'Georgia Rule' set. After a highly publicized absence this week from the set of Morgan Creek's "Georgia Rule," Lindsay Lohan has returned to work. Lohan made up for her Wednesday absence by working Thursday, a day she was originally scheduled to be off. This is not a first for Morgan Creek's CEO. He also sent a similar letter to Sharon Stone in 1996. "It was not a nasty letter," James G. Robinson recalled. "It was, 'Come on, be a professional,'" referring to Stone's letter. "We're halfway through and there's no turning back. I wrote the letter; it was from me, not some damn attorney. She showed up. That's all I cared about."
· 'Miami Vice' takes $25.2M, sinks 'Pirates.' The "Miami Vice" speedboat overtook the "Pirates of the Caribbean" juggernaut to capture the top spot at the weekend box office. "Miami Vice" took in $25.2 million compared to $20.5 million for "Pirates."
· Man charged with setting girlfriend on fire. A man was charged early Saturday with an attack on his girlfriend that left her with second- and third-degree burns on her upper body.
· Illegals burying Arizona in garbage. Authorities estimate the 3.2 million-plus illegal immigrants caught by the Border Patrol have dropped nearly 25 million pounds of trash in the Southern Arizona desert. Cleanup crews have hauled out about 250,000 pounds of trash, but its piling up faster than it can be cleaned up.
· The skateboard that cost Amazon.com investors $4.5 billion. That's how much the online retailer's market capitalization has fallen since March 6, when a judge voided Amazon.com's distribution agreement with retailer Toys-R-Us.
· Fire Erupts on New James Bond Movie Set. A blaze erupted Sunday on the set of the latest James Bond movie west of London, but no injuries were reported, fire officials said. The fire broke out just before 11:30 a.m. at Pinewood Studios, where the new James Bond movie "Casino Royale" was filmed featuring actor Daniel Craig.
· New Orleans Cops Probe 6 Killings in 1 Day. Police were investigating six fatal shootings that occurred within 24 hours, the latest round of killings as the city struggles to rein in violence that has shadowed the recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
· Cuban oil renews embargo debate. America will pay a price for maintaining its 45-year trade ban with the communist nation - a strategic and economic price that will have negative repercussions for the United States in the decades to come. What has changed the equation? 4.6 billion to 9.3 billion barrels of crude oil.
· Man Sentenced To Life For 2002 Killing Of 1950s TV Actress. A man convicted of slaying former model and actress Barbara Jean Laney was sentenced Saturday to life in prison. Gary Michael Cloud, 49, was convicted in June of strangling, stabbing and beating Laney, 67, at her Bradenton condo in August 2002. The two were family friends, according to relatives. Prosecutors said Cloud robbed Laney, who acted in the 1950s TV western series "Sky King," because he wanted drug money.
· Mel Gibson's statement on his DUI arrest. The following is the complete text of Mel Gibson's statement regarding his arrest for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol: "After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the L.A. County sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person.
· Anderson, Kid Rock Marry in St. Tropez. She was once Pamela Anderson Lee. Now actress Pamela Anderson is Mrs. Kid Rock. The former "Baywatch" babe wed the rock star Saturday in St. Tropez, Anderson's spokeswoman, Ann Gurrola said. She said more details on the wedding would be available Monday.
· World's fastest man tested positive. Another American champion was hit with a shocking positive drug test Saturday — Olympic and world 100-meter titlist Justin Gatlin. Gatlin said he has been informed that he tested positive for testosterone or other prohibited steroids — the same violation that, only two days ago, threw Floyd Landis' victory in the Tour de France into question.
· Friedman rallies supporters at beer garden stop. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman mixed gladhanding, wisecracks and suds Saturday at a sweaty informal meet-and-greet session with supporters at a Houston beer garden. "You know I have no political experience whatsoever," the 61-year-old entertainer and author-turned-candidate told a small but appreciative crowd packed in the cramped bar area of Hans' Village Bier and Vino Haus. "I'm too young for Medicare and too old for women to care."
· Suspect ticketed before Jewish center shootings. A man accused of killing one woman and wounding five others at a Jewish center Friday was ticketed for a minor traffic violation a half hour before the shootings, the Seattle police chief said Saturday. Three of the shooting survivors were in serious condition, according to Harborview Medical Center; the other two victims were in satisfactory condition, including a woman who is five months pregnant. Police said she was shot in the arm while covering her abdomen.
· Children Found In Home With 68 Pit Bulls. Two Kansas children are in protective custody after authorities found 68 pit bulls living in their home. Police said the children - an 11-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl - were found living in deplorable conditions. The dogs were living inside and in the back yard. Many of the dogs have scars and were probably used for fighting, authorities said.
· Artist Builds Vegas Sign With Cards, Dice. Take 500 decks of playing cards, 1,800 poker chips, 800 dice and more than a few tubes of Super Glue. Add an artist who likes to stack things and mix in some Vegas glitz. "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas," or at least welcome to a life-size replica of the famous sign made out cards, dice and poker chips.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
· Police: "Simple mistake" caused elderly driver to mow down Starbucks' customers. An 85-year-old man who drove a car onto a patio at a Starbucks coffee shop and injured 10 people - two of them critically - isn't likely to face charges, police said Saturday. "It sounds like it's just a simple mistake by an elderly man," said police Sgt. Richard Williams, adding he "seriously doubts" charges will be filed.
· Update: Mel Gibson apologizes for DUI arrest. Mel Gibson issued a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for his drunk driving arrest and saying he has battled alcoholism throughout his life. Gibson also apologized for what he said were "despicable" statements he made to the deputies who arrested him early Friday morning on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
· Astronaut Chuck Brady kills himself. Astronaut Charles E. Brady has died of a self inflicted gunshot wound in the woods surrounding his home. He was 54. Brady was an Eagle Scout, an athlete, a doctor, a Blue Angel, and a space traveler. His space flight 10 years ago remains the longest such mission to date.
· Perry campaign to change "ass" check code. Texans who make mocking donations to Gov. Rick Perry's campaign no longer have to worry about how their canceled checks will be labeled. Perry's campaign said Friday it will likely stop using the code "ASS 06" - short for "A Small Supporter" - on the canceled checks of small-change contributors who donated mere pennies in protest of the governor's support for a new business tax.
· Silicon Valley Takes On Detroit. At a glittering Los Angeles party, an ambitious new car maker declared the electric car alive and well. He let a privileged few experience its power. The Tesla Roadster, which can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds doesn't come from Detroit, but from high tech Silicon Valley. The company claims it runs on 1 cent per mile.
· Illegal Mexican who lied to get Border Patrol job sentenced. An illegal immigrant from Mexico who lied about his citizenship to become a U.S. Border Patrol agent and admitted to helping more than 100 illegal aliens to enter the country was sentenced Friday to five years in federal prison.
· Police spies chosen to lead war protest. Two Oakland police officers working undercover at an anti-war protest in May 2003 got themselves elected to leadership positions in an effort to influence the demonstration, documents released Thursday show.
· Sheriff charged with stealing $120,000. An Iowa sheriff was charged Friday with stealing $120,000 from bundles of cash seized when deputies stopped a suspicious vehicle in March. Sheriff Brian Gilbert, 43, was charged with felony theft and released from Polk County Jail in Des Moines after posting a $13,000 bond. Gilbert says he plans to continue serving as sheriff.
· Mel Gibson's Anti-Semitic Tirade - and Alleged Cover Up. Mel Gibson went on a rampage when he was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of drunk driving, hurling religious epithets, according to TMZ.com. TMZ obtained the initial police report that indicates the LA County Sheriff's department had doctored it to keep the real story under wraps. In the original report, Gibson allegedly told the deputy, "You mother f****r. I'm going to f*** you," adding 'I own Malibu.' The report says Gibson then launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"
· Muslim man shoots six women at Seattle Jewish center. One woman was killed and five others were wounded, three critically, in a shooting at the Jewish Federation in downtown Seattle. Police have detained Naveed Afzal Haq who is a U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent. All of the shooting victims - including the one killed - were women. The Seattle Times reports that one of the victims is described as 17 weeks pregnant.
· Connecticut priest leads life of luxury. A priest who resigned from a church in an affluent Connecticut community misspent up to $1.4 million in parishioner donations to lead a life of luxury. The Rev. Michael Jude Fay shopped at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, drove a Jaguar, attended a sports club, bought jewelry from Cartier, spent $130,000 for limo rides, stayed at hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, Hotel De Paris and the Four Seasons, and bought himself a luxury Florida condo, the auditors found.
· Police encounter another friendly fire incident over pit bull. A Hollywood, Florida police officer is recovering after one of his colleagues, who was aiming at three pit bulls, accidentally shot him while serving a search warrant. One dog was fatally shot, another was shot multiple times but survived and the third ran back into the house unharmed, police said. "It's tough to anticipate a charging pit bull - and in this case three of them." In the midst of the gunfire, a sergeant was struck in the shin area of his leg. A second officer was also injured when a bullet grazed his lower leg.
· Secret Service Agent Tasered Then Arrested. A Secret Service agent faces public intoxication and other charges after an incident at a Waco bar. Police say 30-year-old John Scott Lewis argued with a bar manager and became so unruly he had to be shocked with a stun gun to be arrested.
· Cities, schools cash in on naming rights. A growing number of cash-strapped U.S. cities and schools are making some quick cash by selling naming rights to just about everything. Names for donations are posted in parks, gyms, locker rooms, classrooms, even the principal's office, USA Today said. Kitchens at two high schools in Sheboygan, Wis., soon will be the Kohler Credit Union kitchens, thanks to a $45,000 donation.
· Durham D.A. Nifong Regrets Publicly Discussing Duke Lacrosse Rape Case. The district attorney prosecuting three Duke lacrosse players charged with rape acknowledged Friday that he erred by openly discussing some aspects of the investigation, but he urged voters not to judge him by one case alone.
· Officers accused of assaulting suspect to remain on force. Jackson Mayor Frank Melton said he will not fire three Jackson police officers caught on camera allegedly assaulting a handcuffed suspect. “I’m not going to ruin their careers for a thug,” Melton said.
· Mistrial Declared in Swallowed Cell Phone Assault Case. A judge declared a mistrial Friday after a jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of a man accused of shoving a cell phone down his girlfriend's throat.
· Bottle rockets ruffle chicken's feathers. A man accused of shooting bottle rockets at another man in a chicken suit was arrested on Wednesday and charged with assault in the second degree and with discharging fireworks in the city limits.
· House Approves Minimum Wage Increase. Republicans muscled the first minimum wage increase in a decade through the House early Saturday after pairing it with a cut in inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates. The GOP package would increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour, phased in over the next three years, and would exempt $5 million of an individual's estate, and $10 million of a couple's, from estate taxes by 2015.
· Bogus Names Feared on New Jersey Sept. 11 Monument. A 100-foot-tall bronze sculpture evokes the twins towers that once soared from the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River, but some question whether all the names etched into the base are of people who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks. The memorial lists 3,024 names, according to the artist's attorney. That's 45 more than the official list, which includes six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the 2,973 killed on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
Friday, July 28, 2006
· Woman in doghouse over Jehovah's Witness sign. A British woman has been ordered by police to take down a sign on her garden gate which read "Our dogs are fed on Jehovah's Witnesses." Janet Grove, who owns a terrier puppy called Rabbit, insisted the sign was a gentle joke to discourage callers at her front door.
· Al Franken getting celebrity support. The list of contributors to comedian Al Franken's political action committee reads like a celebrity who's who: singer Barbra Streisand, writer-director Nora Ephron, actor-writer Larry David and actor Jimmy Smits. Franken, who hosts a radio show on the liberal Air America Radio network, is considering challenging Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., in 2008, and has so far raised $500,000 according to campaign finance reports.
· Woman killed by own car. A 26-year-old driver was run over and killed by her own car in suburban Chicago after she fell out an open door while backing up in the middle lane on Lake Cook Road. Police speculated she might have been backing up because she may have missed a turn.
· Canadian Mounties admit they're outgunned. Despite banning hanguns and the registration of all rifles, Canadian Mounties are being wounded and killed in increasing numbers, and yesterday said the force is simply "outgunned" by the bad guys. "They've got the big guns and they're not afraid to use them," said Const. Rip Mills. "So you go to a gunfight with a pistol and the bad guy has a rifle. What do you do with a pistol - duck and take cover."
· Self-proclaimed psychic gets probation for scam. A palm reader and self-proclaimed psychic has been put on probation for a year for trying to scam a Slidell business owner out of $5,000. Police said Lecia Urich told four customers that their enemies had put curses on them and offered to dispel the hexes for a total of $7,100, which she said she would bury in a church or cemetery.
· The Fortunate 50. Here's Sports Illustrated's list of the top 50 sports moneymakers. [Yes, Tiger still holds the top spot]
· Mel Gibson arrested for DUI. Actor and director Mel Gibson was arrested Friday in Malibu, and charged with driving under the influence, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
· Hollywood movie boss blasts Lohan. Lindsay Lohan's hard-partying antics and recent bout of "heat exhaustion" has left one Hollywood big shot steamed. In a blistering July 26 letter to the 20-year-old actress, James G. Robinson, who heads the L.A. firm producing Lohan's current movie, calls her recent erratic behavior "discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional." Robinson notes that while Lohan's aides have chalked up her lateness and absences to illness, he is "well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so called 'exhaustion.'" Noting that Morgan Creek refuses to "accept bogus excuses for your behavior," Robinson warns Lohan that she will be held "personally accountable" for losses caused by her actions.
· Poisoned Pigeons Create Hazmat Incident. An attempt to control pigeons at a hospital escalated into a hazardous material incident as sick and dying birds falling from the sky forced a temporary shutdown of the emergency room. "Birds were coming down like dive bombers," said Fire Chief Robert Farstad.
· Chess prodigy death plunge mystery. A promising young woman British chess player taking part in a chess tournament in the Czech Republic has died after a mystery fall from her hotel room. Jessie Gilbert, 19, fell Wednesday from the eighth floor of her hotel amid conflicting reports that she could had been sleepwalking and had suffered from depression.
· U.S. beats Canada at toxic pollution cuts. A new report by the NAFTA environmental agency shows that the United States has been doing a better job than Canada in cutting toxic pollution.
· Canadian government shopping for stronger pot. Health Canada's five-year, $5.75-million contract with its current supplier of medicinal marijuana, Prairie Plant Systems, is winding down and the department is preparing to seek proposals from all potential dealers that can supply fresher and stronger marijuana.
· Sheehan's Crawford purchase involved elaborate ruse.
More details are now emerging on Cindy Sheehan's Crawford property purchase. Sheehan stated on her website that she had purchased five acres in Crawford, Texas, and County records indicate she is acquiring the property through a third party. Longtime Crawford resident Bobby D. Ramsey sold a little more than five acres to Gerald T. Fonseca, who told Ramsey that he was displaced by Hurricane Katrina last fall and wanted to build a home on the property. Fonseca turns out to be another war protester in Sheehan's group, and confirmed he never indicated to his new neighbors that the land would be transferred to Sheehan, but aded "that was always the plan." According to the Waco Tribune, Fonseca said the $52,500 used to pay for the property — a spread of rustic, wooded prairie with no houses — came from Sheehan and her Gold Star Families for Peace.
· 71-Year-Old Mauled To Death While Gardening. A 71-year-old woman died Thursday when she was attacked by a pit bull in Kansas City, Kan., officials said. Jimmie May McConnell was in her garden about 11:30 a.m. when the dog jumped the fence and attacked her. Firefighters had to hit the dog with an ax and a pole to get it off McConnell, officials said. Neighbors said McConnell was so badly injured they could hardly recognize her when she was pulled from the garden.
· Neighbors' complaints shut off air conditioning to poor. The low-income residents of the Pauline Downs Apartments are sweltering in silence so their neighbors in "The Club" luxury apartments can enjoy quiet nights. As an unrelenting heat wave grips most of the nation, a nonprofit agency in charge of hundreds of affordable housing units in Salt Lake City is shutting off the air conditioning at one of its sites from 8 p.m. until 11 a.m. daily.
· Do you have an annoying co-worker at your office? Every office often has at least one irritating office pest. Here's a list of the worst offenders.
· To serve and protect. Investigators say a woman called 911, saying a car had followed her home and was now sitting outside her house. Police responded and found Jason Nosal, 28, a fellow police officer passed out in his personal car in her driveway. Nosal was cited for misdemeanor DUI, and resigned from the police department.
· Deadbeat Pete's Shut for Not Paying Taxes. A Mexican restaurant named Deadbeat Pete's was closed Thursday by state revenue agents because its taxes have not been paid, officials said. The popular restaurant in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains mostly serves tourists passing along the town's main thoroughfare to the national park.
· Politics as usual: "Bite Me." Rep. Gene Taylor, a Democrat from Mississippi said Michael Brown is "an incompetent fool, and everyone in South Mississippi knows it." In response, "He said I didn't recognize the death and suffering that was going on," Brown said of Taylor. "For that little twerp to claim I didn't recognize death and suffering - he can just bite me, for all I care," Brown said.
· Norwegian May Do Hard Time for Cake-Toss. A student who last October threw a cake at Norway's new finance minister may face up to 15 years in prison for assaulting a government official, a state prosecutor said Friday.
· In case you missed it. "HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead."
· Glut of unsold new homes across US hits record high. The glut of brand new unsold homes for sale across the United States hit a record high in June, a government report showed, as some economists warned of a worsening market in coming months. The government said the inventory of unsold new homes on the market rose 0.7 percent in June to a record 566,000, representing a 6.1-month supply of brand new homes at the June sales pace.
· Update: Publicist claims Hasselhoff was sick, not drunk. A spokesperson for David Hasselhoff denied a report Thursday that the former "Baywatch" and "Knight Rider" star had been turned away from a British Airways flight because he was drunk. Judy Katz, the actor's publicist, called the story by the tabloid Sun "totally untrue." Katz said Hasselhoff had not been drinking, but felt unwell after taking some medication for a recent arm injury and wasn't able to get on a flight Wednesday. The airline said only that a male passenger had been refused boarding after he was deemed unfit to travel.
· Montana Senator Blasts Firefighters. Sen. Conrad Burns confronted members of a Virginia firefighting team at an airport and told them they had done a "poor job" battling a southern Montana wildfire, according to a state official's report obtained Thursday.
· Scientist: Inject Sulfur into Air to Battle Global Warming. Injecting sulfur into the second atmospheric layer closest to Earth would reflect more sunlight back to space and offset greenhouse gas warming, according to Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen. Crutzen suggests carrying sulfur into the atmosphere via balloons and using artillery guns to release it, where the particles would stay for up to two years. The results could be seen in six months.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
· Officials Raid Texas Monastery. A bishop said he was troubled by seeing a boy dressed as a monk at a Central Texas monastery where five men have been accused of child sexual assault charges, but he was told the boy's presence was "our tradition." Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church Bishop Michael Jachimczyk said he visited the Christ of the Hills Monastery near Blanco once or twice a year in the 1990s and sometimes saw the boy roaming the grounds. "It was something that always bothered me," said Jachimczyk.
· Update: Landis found - tested positive for Tour De France. Floyd Landis' Tour de France victory was thrown into question Thursday when his team said he tested positive for high testosterone levels during stage 17, when the 30-year-old American champion began his stunning comeback with a gritty charge into the Alps.
· Station changes format from God to sex. KFYE-FM hasn't budged from the Fresno-area dial, but it's about as far as you can get from the Christian music, sermons and Bible stories it was broadcasting until about a week ago. Now it calls itself "Porn Radio" - "all sex radio, all the time," with a suggestion that people under 21 not listen.
· Student with no arms sues university. A man with no arms wheeled into the executive offices of the University of Houston today to serve officials with a lawsuit accusing them of failing to provide him someone to help him take notes. Gary Bradford, 42, of Baytown, who also suffers from rickets, watched from his wheelchair as his lawyer handed university General Counsel Dona Hamilton a copy of a lawsuit.
· Seattle stunned by 'bizarre' killings. A 3-year-old boy and his family are killed while the father serves in Iraq. A librarian and her daughter are found shot to death along a trail. Three young men are gunned down. The crimes left nine people dead in the past nine days.
· Scarlett Johansson Denies Diva-like Demands. Scarlett Johansson has denied claims that diva-like demands cost her the lead role in a big-budget revival of "The Sound of Music," a spokesman for the actress said Thursday. Lloyd Webber was quoted as saying Johansson's representatives "couldn't understand why she would want to appear in the West End for $18,500 a week when she could be earning $10 million for a movie." Webber added that he was also told that Johansson would need two assistants stationed backstage at all times, according to the report.
· Cindy Sheehan Buys Property in Crawford. War protester Cindy Sheehan has purchased a 5-acre plot down the street from President Bush's ranch in Crawford with some of the insurance money she received after her son was killed in Iraq.
· Tori Won't Inherit the Earth. In the history of poor little rich girls, Tori Spelling may be the poorest. At least that's the way her story is told in the new Us Weekly, which quotes sources as saying the daughter of Aaron Spelling will inherit just $800,000 of the TV legend's estimated $500 million fortune. "She was never banking on getting a lot of money," the "pal" tells the magazine. "[But] she thinks it's weird that an interior designer would get almost as much as her."
· Former Governor Criticized For Comments About Blacks, Hispanics. Former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm (D), gave a speech in Vail stating that blacks and Hispanics should take responsibility for their "underperformance" and follow the example of Jewish and Japanese-Americans.
· Doctor Charged in Drive-By Shooting. A doctor at the University of Texas in Galveston has been charged in the drive-by shooting of a bicyclist, who was hit in the chest and shoulder and is now recovering at the same hospital where the physician works.
· Tour De France Winner Missing. Tour de France winner Floyd Landis failed to show up for a one-day race in Denmark today, a day after missing a scheduled event in the Netherlands.
· Money stolen from vending machine - in courthouse. Sheriff's officials say a man who began removing money from a vending machine outside a circuit courtroom in Casper, Wyoming "looked like he knew what he was doing" and didn't raise anyone's suspicions.
· Liquor license denied to prison inmate. Officials in Springfield, Vermont have denied a liquor license for a man who wanted to run a bar out of his “home.” Home, it turns out, is the state prison.
· 34 illegal immigrants rescued from tunnel. Nearly three dozen illegal immigrants spotted clinging to the sides of a flooded drainage tunnel in Arizona were rescued Thursday morning by U.S. Border Patrol agents and police, but at least two others are believed to have been swept away, officials said.
· Daytona Officer Reprimanded For Calling Prostitute 82 Times. A Daytona police officer has been reprimanded for associating with a prostitute and calling her 82 times over a three-month period. Officer Thomas Lopez said he called prostitute Tara Price to collect information from her for his cases.
· Hasselhoff Too Drunk to Fly. David Hasselhoff was turned away from a British Airways flight because he was drunk, a British newspaper reported Thursday. The former "Baywatch" and "Knight Rider" star was told he could not board the flight Wednesday from Heathrow Airport to Los Angeles.
» David Hasselhoff last Monday: `I don't drink anymore.' After press reports that an intoxicated Hasselhoff had to be removed from Wimbledon, Hasselhoff responsed: "The tabloids make so much stuff up," he says. "I was at Wimbledon, and they said I was escorted out drunk. ... Absolutely not. I don't drink anymore."
· Barney Fife Statue Toppled. Mayberry will have to find another way to honor its favorite deputy. The North Carolina man who commissioned a statue of Don Knotts in full-on Barney Fife mode to put in the town that served as inspiration for The Andy Griffith Show's Mayberry has ordered for the half-finished work be destroyed after one too many obstacles got in the project's way.
· $10,360,000,000. Exxon, the world's largest public oil company, saw net income for the second quarter climb 35 percent to $10.36 billion, a near-record profit for a publicly traded U.S. company.
· Pantless policewoman nabbed for DUI, using "training device." A Florida Police Academy DUI instructor was charged with drunken driving after she was clocked doing 90 mph and found to be lacking any pants. Officer Laurie Primeau also had an open bottle of Southern Comfort in her car when she was arrested, but her lawyer said the booze was merely a training device for cadets.
· Woman Accused of Stealing From Blind Boss. A woman is accused of stealing at least $14,000 from a blind attorney who hired her as assistant last year. Marissa Renee Wren, 24, of Medford was charged with theft and forgery and was scheduled to be arraigned this week.
· Lawyer group afraid of lawsuits. The nation's lawyers are coming to Hawaii, and some of them apparently have no fear of sharks - unless they're the kind that file lawsuits. About 40 lawyers have signed up so far for a surfing contest scheduled during the Aug. 3-8 American Bar Association annual meeting in Honolulu. But the ABA has pulled out of sponsoring the surfing competition, saying that the lawyers are afraid of being sued.
· Anderson, Kid Rock to wed numerous times. Pamela Anderson confirmed Wednesday she's ready to tie the knot with Kid Rock in France. And California. And Michigan. And Tennessee. Asked how she's coping with her nerves before the big event, she replied: "I have two words for you: champagne."
· Billionaire In Palm Beach Sex Scandal. Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire financier, has been arrested for soliciting sex from a teenage masseuse at his Florida mansion. In a New York magazine profile of Epstein, Donald Trump called the moneyman a "terrific guy" who "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."
· 7-year-old memo gave Big Dig warning. Seven years before falling concrete crushed a motorist to death inside one of Boston's Big Dig tunnels, a safety officer warned that the bolts could not possibly hold the heavy ceiling panels, according to a bluntly worded memo that came to light Wednesday. John Keaveney wrote the memo in 1999 to one of his superiors at contractor Modern Continental Construction Co., saying he could not "comprehend how this structure can withhold the test of time." "Should any innocent State Worker or member of the Public be seriously injured or even worse killed as a result, I feel that this would be something that would reflect Mentally and Emotionally upon me, and all who are trying to construct a quality Project," he wrote.
· Former teacher pleads guilty to sex-with-student charge. A former San Diego history teacher pleaded guilty Wednesday to five criminal charges for having sex with a 16-year-old male student two years ago. Danielle Marie Walls, 27, faces a maximum prison sentence of 5˝ years in prison.
· Losing Mexican candidate declares himself president. The leftist contesting Mexico's July 2 election on the grounds of vote-rigging declared himself president on Wednesday and said his supporters would step up a campaign of civil disobedience next week. "I am already president. I won the presidential election. I am president of Mexico," Lopez Obrador said.
· Howard Dean compares Katherine Harris to Stalin. Democrat leader Howard Dean called the Iraqi prime minister an "anti-Semite" during an address before party loyalists on Wednesday, drawing a swift rebuke from Republicans. The Democratic National Committee chairman also called Republican Senate candidate Katherine Harris a "crook" and compared her to Stalin.
· Woman involved in fatal DWI crash sought help. Eight days before she allegedly killed a priest while driving drunk, Karen Fisher contacted an East Hampton alcohol abuse treatment center for help but was told it was relocating and couldn't process any admissions. "Your name is on a waiting list," a substance counselor said.
· 'Girls Gone Wild' bus pins cyclist. A male cyclist may change his opinion of the video series "Girls Gone Wild" after a bus run by the nudity-driven enterprise hit him in Iowa City.
· Lindsay Lohan Overcome by Heat. Actress Lindsay Lohan was overcome by the heat on a movie set and required hospital treatment, her publicist said.
· Teen sues Spokane fire department, police. A $1 million claim for “wrongful conduct” was filed Friday against Spokane’s Fire and Police departments by attorneys representing the 16-year-old girl who now contends she was raped by an on-duty firefighter.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
· English-Only Bill Decried As Racist. Congress' standoff over immigration legislation flared into emotional rhetoric Wednesday over a House proposal to make English the nation's official language. Hispanic lawmaker Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, said that was "code for official discrimination." Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., said "If you are going to come to America then learn our language."
· Chicago City Council OKs 'living wage.' Brushing aside warnings from Wal-Mart and the Mayor, the City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday that makes Chicago the biggest city in the nation to require big-box retailers to pay workers at least $10 an hour in wages plus $3 in fringe benefits. As a result of the new ordinance, Wal-Mart, who already pays almost $11 an hour, will scratch plans to build in the poorer downtown area, and redirect their focus to suburban areas outside Chicago's city limits.
· Pam Anderson Grilled over Pate. The foie gras is flying. Pamela Anderson, who as a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist has called out fur-wearers and fast-food giant KFC, now stands accused of peddling the "delicacy of despair." A PETA adversary says Anderson is a partner in a Hollywood restaurant called BlackSteel and "earning a second income with a menu that includes ham-hock ravioli, lamb chops, lobster tails, and the vegetarian sin-of-sins, foie gras." Pam Anderson is trying to have it both ways," Andrew Porter, spokesman for the Center of Consumer Freedom said. Anderson said, "I'm not really involved with it, I just gave Chef Jay $25,000 to help start it" but a BlackSteel press release describes Anderson as "a partner."
· Yates not guilty of murdering her kids. Andrea Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday in her second murder trial for the bathtub drownings of her five young children. Yates, 42, will now be committed to a state mental hospital, with periodic hearings before a judge to determine whether she should be released. An earlier jury had found her guilty of murder, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
· Ohio court stops greedy city from seizing homes. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that a Cincinnati suburb cannot take private property by eminent domain for a $125 million project of offices, shops and restaurants, finding that economic development isn't a sufficient reason under the state constitution to justify taking homes.
· Teen Hides Dead Newborn In Entertainment Center. A 17-year-old Colorado girl is facing a first-degree murder charge, accused by police of hiding her newborn baby in an entertainment center. Police believe Cheyenne Corbett hid her pregnancy from her parents and delivered the baby in a shower early Sunday.
· Red-faced spellcheck firm corrects own spelling. A company that sells software to correct irritating Internet spelling mistakes has reissued its latest news release to correct a minor snafu. The company re-released its announcement to correct a mistake that listed the most common spelling errors on "the 16 million we (sic) pages it has spell checked over the past year."
· Baby Shiloh in wax. Sculptors at Madame Tussaud's are recreating Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's baby Shiloh in wax to join her parents' likenesses in the famous museum.
· Relative says New York philanthropist abused. Philanthropist Brooke Astor, the 104-year-old society queen who gave away nearly $200 million to New York charities, is now sleeping on a filthy couch in torn nightgowns while her son withholds money and proper medical care, her grandson charged in court papers.
· Music cartel strong arms Syracuse bar. Karaoke night sounded a sour note for a Syracuse bar that is being sued in federal court for using unlicensed songs. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) claimed that the bar violated copyright laws for a small portion of the songs it played. An ASCAP investigator said the bar allowed at least five songs to be played that it didn't have a license to use. In the lawsuit, ASCAP attorneys requested that the pub stop hosting karaoke nights and pay up to $30,000 for each violation.
· It's official: 'N Sync's Lance Bass Reveals He's Gay. Former 'N Sync member Lance Bass has revealed that he's gay. Bass said that he kept his sexuality under wraps during his 'N Sync days because he was afraid it would derail the band's success.
· New York councilwoman Finds Horse Head in Her Pool. A councilwoman found a severed horse's head in her swimming pool Tuesday, state police said. "We're looking at a threat as a possible angle," Lt. Pierce Gallagher said.
· Instead of building classes, school donates $1 million to zoo. At a time when Florida says Seminole County needs more money to build classrooms, the School Board has been dipping into its construction funds to give $1 million to the Central Florida Zoological Park. The money could have paid for six or seven new classrooms, which would reduce the crowding in several dozen classes.
· Woman sues Bacardi over flaming rum. A woman who says she was severely burned at a Miami night club four years ago is suing Bacardi, claiming the company's rum is dangerous and defective. The lawsuit says a bartender was pouring shots when a customer lit a menu on fire and placed it in the stream of alcohol. A bottle of Bacardi 151 that was being used to pour the shots turned into a flame thrower.
· MPAA finally sues the wrong guy. A wealthy american software developer is set to make a stand against the MPAA and it's controversial use of the legal sytem by going to court over it's claims that he downloaded a film from bittorrent.
· Woman Stole Money From Dying Man. Authorities are searching for a woman accused of stealing money from a 80-year-old man who was dying in a hospital at the time of the crimes.
· Reporter tracks down Karla Homolka. Karla Homolka has resurfaced.
The notorious sex killer has not been seen in public since last summer, when a Toronto Sun reporter found her working in a hardware store in Longueuil, Montreal.
· 84-Year-Old Beats Mugger With Cane. An elderly North Carolina man has shown that the cane can be mightier than the shotgun. Police say 84-year-old Robert Flynn used his cane to fight off a mugger.
· Web site reveals your inner celebrity twin. According to MyHeritage.com, everyone has a little celebrity inside. Largely meant for charting family trees, the Web site also boasts an addictive face recognition technology that blurs the boundary between the great unwashed and the thoroughly groomed.
· Three Men Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Xbox Slayings. Three men accused of orchestrating a revenge killing of six people over an Xbox video game were convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday.
· Sheriff Impersonated In New Scam. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a scam with a new twist that involves a man impersonating the sheriff to steal money from residents. The report featured Cocoa resident Ann Mumby who received a call telling her she won $350,000 in a lottery she did not remember playing. "It sounded awfully good to me until they told me I had to pay $1,200 duty tax on the money." They wanted me to tell Western Union that it was money I was sending to a relative in Canada."
· New bikini beeps to warn of sun dangers. As the bikini turns 60, it's entering the electronic age with a new model featuring a built-in alarm to warn wearers to get out of the sun - and ease concerns that the scanty swimsuits damage the health.
· '70s sex case is shocker. A popular teacher at the Roeper School in Birmingham is charged with child abuse, a felony, for having sex with a former student in the early 1970s when he taught in Baltimore, police said Tuesday.
· Hagman, O'Donnell to Appear on 'Nip/Tuck.' Larry Hagman, Brooke Shields and Rosie O'Donnell are among the celebrities set for guest roles on "Nip/Tuck" this season.
· Honda to Enter Aircraft Business With Small Jet. Honda Motor Co. announced plans Tuesday to start accepting sales orders this fall for the small jet it debuted last year. The company also said it has formed a business alliance with Piper Aircraft.
· Teen admits to Indiana highway shootings. A 17-year-old confessed Tuesday to committing a series of highway shootings that killed one man, wounded another and damaged at least four vehicles, authorities said. Zachariah Blanton was arrested earlier in the day and was jailed in Jackson County.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
· Many Americans too fat for X-rays, scans. More and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they are either too big to fit into scanners, or their fat is too dense for X-rays or sound waves to penetrate, radiologists reported on Tuesday. With 64 percent of the U.S. population either overweight or obese, the problem is worsening.
· Update: Good news for homeless man that returned bonds. A homeless Detroit man who returned $20,738.88 in savings bonds he found in a dumpster to their rightful owner has been rewarded with additional cash and a job. After a meager $100 reward for turning in the bonds, another $4,000 have been pledged so far, along with a shopping spree at a men's clothing store and a lead on a job.
· Hezbollah Says Israeli Response a Surprise. A senior Hezbollah official said Tuesday the guerrilla group did not expect Israel to react so strongly to its capture of two Israeli soldiers. Mahmoud Komati, deputy chief of Hezbollah's political arm said "The truth is we didn't even expect (this) response.... that Israel would exploit this operation for this big war against us," said Komati. He said Hezbollah had expected "the usual, limited response" from Israel to the July 12 cross-border raid, in which three Israelis were killed.