Saturday, March 24, 2007

Four-Year-Old Dies of Medicine Overdose, Murder Suspected

Child's overdose death raises questions By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press Writer
Fri Mar 23, 2:58 PM ET



HULL, Mass. - In the final months of Rebecca Riley's life, a school nurse said the little girl was so weak she was like a "floppy doll."

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The preschool principal had to help Rebecca off the bus because the 4-year-old was shaking so badly.

And a pharmacist complained that Rebecca's mother kept coming up with excuses for why her daughter needed more and more medication.

None of their concerns was enough to save Rebecca.

Rebecca — who had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity and bipolar disorder, or what used to be called manic depression — died Dec. 13 of an overdose of prescribed drugs, and her parents have been arrested on murder charges, accused of intentionally overmedicating their daughter to keep her quiet and out of their hair.

Interviews and a review of court documents by The Associated Press make it clear that many of those who were supposed to protect Rebecca — teachers, social workers, other professionals — suspected something was wrong, but never went quite far enough.

But the tragic case is more than a story about one child. It raises troubling, larger questions about the state of child psychiatry, namely: Can children as young as Rebecca be accurately diagnosed with mental illnesses? Are rambunctious youngsters being medicated for their parents' convenience? And should children so young be prescribed powerful psychotropic drugs meant for adults?

Dispensing drugs to children diagnosed with mood or behavior problems is "the easiest thing to do, but it's not always the best thing to do," said Dr. Jon McClellan, medical director of the Child Study and Treatment Center in Lakewood, Wash. "At some level, I would hope that you'd also be teaching kids ways to control their behavior."

According to the medical examiner, Rebecca died of a combination of Clonidine, a blood pressure medication Rebecca had been prescribed for ADHD; Depakote, an antiseizure and mood-stabilizing drug prescribed for the little girl's bipolar disorder; a cough suppressant; and an antihistamine. The amount of Clonidine alone in Rebecca's system was enough to be fatal, the medical examiner said.

The two brand-name prescription drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in adults only, though doctors can legally prescribe them to youngsters and do so frequently.

Rebecca's parents, Michael and Carolyn Riley, say they were only following doctor's orders. Rebecca, they told police, had been diagnosed when she was just 2 1/2, and Rebecca's psychiatrist prescribed the same potent drugs that had been prescribed for her older brother and sister when she diagnosed them with the same illnesses several years earlier.

But Rebecca's teachers, the school nurse and her therapist all told police they never saw behavior in Rebecca that fit her diagnoses, such as aggression, sharp mood swings or hyperactivity.

Prosecutors say the Rileys intentionally tried to quiet their daughter with high doses of Clonidine. Relatives told police the Rileys called Clonidine the "happy medicine" and the "sleep medicine."

Through their attorneys, Michael Riley, 34, and Carolyn Riley, 32, have accused Rebecca's psychiatrist, Dr. Kayoko Kifuji, of over-prescribing medication.

Kifuji did not return calls for comment and declined to be interviewed. But Kifuji has vehemently denied any role in Rebecca's death. She has agreed to a suspension of her license while the state's medical board investigates.

Kifuji told police Rebecca had been her patient since August 2004, when she was 2. She said she based her diagnoses of ADHD and bipolar disorder on the family's mental health history, as described by Carolyn Riley, and Rebecca's behavior, as described by Carolyn and briefly observed by her during office visits.

Kifuji told police she became alarmed in October 2005 when Carolyn Riley told her she had increased Rebecca's nighttime dose of Clonidine from 2 to 2 1/2 tablets, and warned Carolyn the increased dose could kill Rebecca.

But Carolyn told investigators Kifuji told her she could give Rebecca and her sister extra Clonidine at night to help them sleep.

Tufts-New England Medical Center, where Kifuji worked, issued a statement supporting Kifuji, saying her care of Rebecca "was appropriate and within responsible professional standards."

In the months leading up to Rebecca's death, others noticed there was something wrong.

Teachers and staff members at the Johnson Early Childhood Center in Weymouth, about 20 miles south of Boston, say they called Rebecca's mother repeatedly to tell her that Rebecca was "out of it," but her mother said the girl was tired because she wasn't sleeping well.

A neighbor who lived next door to the family in the last month of Rebecca's life said Rebecca and her siblings seemed listless.

"They looked like little robots. They looked very lethargic," Phyllis Lipton said. "I said, `Wow, they don't look right,' but who knew?"

Pharmacists at Walgreens in Weymouth called Kifuji twice to complain that Carolyn Riley was asking for more Clonidine, even though her prescription was not due to be refilled yet, according to state police.

Once, Riley said she had lost a bottle of pills, and another time, she said water had gotten into her prescription bottle and ruined the pills, according to police.

Kifuji authorized refills, but after the second incident, she began prescribing Clonidine in 10-day refills instead of 30-day supplies, investigators said.

On Aug. 16, a prescription for 35 Clonidine tablets — a 10-day supply — was filled at Walgreens, even though the Rileys had obtained a 10-day refill only the day before, investigators said.

Walgreens spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce said: "The scrip was filled as written, as it was prescribed by the doctor, and all the appropriate information on the medications was given to the family."

After Rebecca's death, police found only seven Clonidine tablets in the family's medicine tray; the pharmacist said there should have been 75. All together, prosecutors say, Carolyn Riley got 200 more pills in one year than she should have.

The Rileys' lawyers call them unsophisticated people who did not question their children's doctors.

Both were unemployed; they collected welfare and disabilty benefits and lived in subsidized housing. Michael Riley, who is also awaiting trial on charges of molesting a stepdaughter in 2005, claimed to suffer from bipolar disorder and a rage disorder; his wife told police she suffered from depression and anxiety.

"They are not the sort of people who go on the Internet and look on WebMD. These are the sort of people who, when they go to a doctor, the doctor is God and they do what the doctor says," said John Darrell, Michael's lawyer.

Carolyn's lawyer, Michael Bourbeau, said that because the Rileys' three children were all taking Clonidine, Rebecca's prescription may have come up short at times when her siblings were given some of her pills. And some of the pills may have been lost when they were split in half, he said.

In July, after a therapist filed a complaint with the state Department of Social Services, social workers met with the family's doctors and other medical professionals and were assured that the medications Rebecca was taking were within medical guidelines.

"There were lots of medical eyes on this case and none of them seemed to say there was an issue of over-medication in this case," said Social Services Commissioner Harry Spence, who has come under fire for the agency's handling of the case.

Still, there were lingering concerns. When social workers tried to make a home visit in November, Carolyn "resisted and evaded," Spence said. Weeks later, workers resolved to make a surprise check, but Rebecca died the very next day, before they could visit.

Rebecca was found dead on the floor of her parents' bedroom wearing only a pink pull-up diaper and gold-stud earrings, on top of a pile of clothes, magazines and a stuffed brown bear.

Rebecca's uncle, James McGonnell, and his girlfriend, Kelly Williams, who lived with the Rileys, told police that the Rileys would put their kids to bed as early as 5 p.m. Rebecca, they said, often slept through the day and got up only to eat.

When Michael Riley decided the kids were "acting up," he told Carolyn to give them pills, McGonnell and Williams told police.

According to McGonnell and Williams, Rebecca spent the last days of her life wandering around the house, sick and disoriented. But the Rileys told police they were not alarmed. "It was just a cold," Carolyn repeatedly said during police interviews.

The medical examiner said Rebecca died a slow and painful death. She said the overdose of Clonidine caused her organs to shut down, filling her lungs with fluid and causing congestive heart failure.

Williams told police that the night before she died, Rebecca was pale and seemed "out of it." At one point, the little girl knocked weakly on her parents' bedroom door and softly called for her mommy, but Michael Riley opened the door a crack and yelled at her to go back to her room, Williams said.

Later that night, McGonnell told police, he heard someone struggling to breathe and found Rebecca gurgling as if something was stuck in her throat. McGonnell told police he wiped vomit from his niece's face, then kicked in the door to her parents' room and yelled at the Rileys to take Rebecca to the emergency room.

Instead, Carolyn Riley said, she gave her daughter a half-tablet of Clonidine.

Carolyn's mother, Valerie Berio, said that when she visited the kids the night of Dec. 11, Rebecca seemed congested but not seriously ill. In a photograph Berio said she took that night, Rebecca is smiling slightly as her mother holds a new green velvet dress in front of her.

Berio said that shows that her daughter and son-in-law could not have known how sick Rebecca was.

Rebecca's death has inflamed a long-running debate in psychiatry. Some psychiatrists believe bipolar disorder, which was traditionally diagnosed in adolescence or early adulthood, has become a trendy diagnosis in young children.

"As a clinician, I can tell you it's just very difficult to say whether someone is just throwing tantrums or has bipolar disorder," said Dr. Oscar B. Bukstein, a child psychiatrist and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

A study of mentally ill children discharged from community hospitals, published in January in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found the proportion of children diagnosed with bipolar disorders jumped from 2.9 percent in 1990 to 15.1 percent in 2000.

A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2002 estimated that about 7 percent of elementary school-age children — or approximately 1.6 million youngsters ages 6 to 11 — have been diagnosed with ADHD.

The annual number of U.S. children prescribed anti-psychotic drugs jumped fivefold between 1995 and 2002, to an estimated 2.5 million, according to a study published last year by researchers at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.

Some child psychiatrists say bipolar disorder may have been under-diagnosed in children for years, partly because several key symptoms are also symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, distractibility and talkativeness.

Dr. Janet Wozniak, director of the Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, said early diagnosis and treatment are critical because the illness can cause social and academic problems, and lead to drug abuse, crime and suicide.

"What's commonly overlooked when considering diagnosing and treating children at such an early age is the risk of not treating and not intervening," Wozniak said.

(Corrects by deleting reference to photo being taken 18 hours earlier.)

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Taiwan Detours for Butterflies

Taiwan offers 'freeway' for butterflies Sat Mar 24, 6:16 AM ET



TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan will cordon off part of a highway to create a safe passage for a massive seasonal butterfly migration in the coming days, an official said Saturday.

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The milkweed butterflies — which are indigenous to the island off China and have distinct white dots on purple brown wings — migrate in late March from southern Taiwan to the north, where they lay eggs and die.

The young butterflies then fly south every November to a warm mountain valley near the southern city of Kaohsiung to escape the winter cold in the north.

Conservationists say Taiwan has about 2 million milkweed butterflies.

To protect the migrating butterflies, a 600-yard stretch of highway in southern Taiwan's Yunlin County will be sealed off in the coming days as the migration peaks, said Lee Tai-ming, head of the National Freeway Bureau.

Authorities will set up nets to make the butterflies fly higher and avoid passing cars, Lee said.

He said they will also install ultraviolet lights to guide the insects across a highway overpass.

Taiwan began the laborious task of tracking down the butterflies' 180-mile migration paths in recent years.

Taiwan originally had more types of milkweed butterflies, but the largest became extinct decades ago when they were routinely caught and made into specimens for sale, the newspaper said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070324/ap_on_sc/taiwan_butterfly_migration;_ylt=AjYIdbCm_vU9vT.hCMcbISrMWM0F

Security Council Approves Iran Sanctions

U.N. unanimously approves Iran sanctions By ALEXANDRA OLSON, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 10 minutes ago



UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted Saturday to impose new sanctions against Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium — a move intended to show Tehran that defiance will leave it increasingly isolated.

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The moderately tougher sanctions include banning Iranian arms exports, and freezing the assets of 28 people and organizations involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

About a third of those are linked to the Revolutionary Guard, an elite military corps.

"This resolution sends an unambiguous signal to the government and people of Iran ... that the path of nuclear proliferation by Iran is not one that the international community can accept," said British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry.

In December, the 15-member Security Council ordered all countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs. It also ordered a freeze on assets of 10 key Iranian companies and 12 individuals related to those programs.

Iran has vowed the sanctions will only motivate it further to pursue nuclear power, a message Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was expected to deliver to the Security Council. Mottaki made the trip instead of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who claimed he canceled his appearance because the U.S. failed to deliver his visa in time. The U.S. said it had issued the visa promptly.

Raising tensions, Iran detained 15 British sailors and marines Friday in what it said were Iranian territorial waters near Iraq. The British sailors and marines had been on a mission to search for smugglers in Iraqi waters.

The six world powers that drafted the new resolution spent Friday trying to overcome objections from several council members, reflecting concerns that anything short of consensus would weaken efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear defiance.

There were several minor concessions but no changes to the key sanctions agreed upon last week by the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

The new sanctions — already a compromise between the stronger measures favored by the United States and the Europeans and the softer approach advocated by Russian and China — are considered modest. The ban on exports is among the harshest measures, but many of Iran's arms sales may not be affected because they are illicitly sent to militant groups like Lebanon's Hezbollah and Shiite militias in Iraq.

Still, world powers hoped that approving the resolution quickly and unanimously would signal that Iran will face stricter sanctions each time it ignores a Security Council deadline to suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to produce nuclear energy or nuclear weapons. Iran responded to the first set of sanctions in December by expanding enrichment.

Tehran says it will never give up its right to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel, though it has offered to provide guarantees that its nuclear program won't be diverted toward weapons, as the U.S. and some of its allies fear.

Iranian leaders kept up their defiant rhetoric in the days leading up to the vote, with Ahmadinejad calling the Security Council illegitimate and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting Iran would pursue nuclear activities outside international regulations if faced with more sanctions.

The new resolution calls for voluntary restrictions on travel by the individuals subject to sanctions, on arms sales to Iran, and on new financial assistance or loans to the Iranian government.

It asks the International Atomic Energy Agency to report back in 60 days on whether Iran has suspended enrichment and warns Iran could face further measures if it does not. But it also says all sanctions will be suspended if Iran halts enrichment and makes clear that Tehran can still accept a package of economic incentives and political rewards offered last year if it complies with the council's demands.

After the latest resolution met with surprising resistance from several elected Security Council members, a reference was inserted to a past resolution from the IAEA calling for the Middle East to be free of weapons of mass destruction. Indonesia and Qatar had wanted the council to make that appeal outright, but that would have had implications for Israel, a U.S. ally widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, though it has never officially acknowledged it.


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Laptops for the Wounded

Mom donates laptops to wounded soldiers By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 24, 6:12 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Laura Brown, a mother with a son who fought in the Iraq war, is trying to improve conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center — one laptop computer at a time.

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The 50-year-old from Cody, Wyo., was chatting on the Internet with the mother of a wounded soldier two years ago when the mother mentioned she had to print out her son's e-mails and take them to him at Walter Reed because there weren't enough laptop computers to go around.

Brown, whose own son had recently returned safely from the war, thought the solution to that problem seemed incredibly easy.

"It just kind of hit me," she said. "If one person needed one, then there's others. ... I mean, my son had e-mail in Iraq. I was really stunned."

So Brown formed a group, Laptops for the Wounded, to raise money for the cause.

Since its fundraising effort began in November 2005, Brown's organization has donated 27 computers to military hospitals around the country — 24 of them to Walter Reed.

On Friday, Brown flew to Washington to deliver 10 donated laptops to the hospital in person.

Those computers, which were upgraded and refitted with new equipment, included Web cameras so soldiers could lay eyes on their families from afar.

"She basically just made it her mission," said Lisa Ramdass, a case manager at the hospital who has been working with Brown to coordinate the donations.

Ramdass said the laptops are used for more than e-mail. One soldier who worked with a donated laptop couldn't speak, and was able to communicate with his family and his doctors by typing on the computer. Others who have eye injuries use the laptops to watch movies or television up close.

The hospital, flooded with wounded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has attracted media and congressional scrutiny in the last month, due to reports of shoddy living conditions for soldiers housed there.

Brown said she can relate with the loneliness and isolation of the wounded because she is also disabled, having suffered knee and back injuries in recent years. She is also inspired by her son, who lost his young wife to illness just weeks after they were married several years ago.

Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin (news, bio, voting record) said Brown's efforts show the difference one person can make.

"Out of the goodness of her heart, she's turned a few small donations into a national campaign," she said.

___

On the Net:

Laptops for the Wounded: http://www.laptopsforthewounded.com


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The Debate Over .XXX

Vote on '.xxx' Internet address nears By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer
Fri Mar 23, 6:31 PM ET



NEW YORK - Online pornographers and religious groups are in a rare alliance as a key Internet oversight agency nears a decision on creating a virtual red-light district through a ".xxx" Internet address. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which has already rejected similar proposals twice since 2000, planned to vote as early as next week on whether to approve the domain name for voluntary use by porn sites.

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The decision ultimately could hinge on whether ".xxx" has the support of the adult-entertainment industry — and many porn sites have been strongly opposed.

"One of the criteria is that it (must) have general support among the industry it's supposed to serve, and it does not," said Mark Kernes, a board member with the industry trade group Free Speech Coalition. "I have not met one single webmaster or adult video producer that is in favor of `.xxx,' and I've met a lot of them."

Porn sites are largely concerned that the domain name, while billed as voluntary, would make it easier for governments to later mandate its use and "essentially ghettoize sexual information on the Web," Kernes said.

ICM Registry Inc., the company behind the proposal, has vowed to fight any government efforts to compel its use and cited preregistrations of some 76,000 names as evidence of support. Kernes said many Web sites reserved names simply to prevent someone else from having it.

The Free Speech Coalition believes a domain name for kids-friendly sites would be more appropriate.

Given its voluntary nature, ".xxx" is unlikely to have much effect on parents' ability to block porn sites.

And because a domain name serves merely as an easy-to-remember moniker for a site's actual numeric Internet address, even if a government were to mandate its use, a child could simply punch in the numeric address of any blocked ".xxx" name.

Religious groups worry that ".xxx" would legitimize and expand the number of adults sites, which more than a third of U.S. Internet users visit each month, according to comScore Media Metrix. The Web site measurement firm said 4 percent of all Web traffic and 2 percent of all time spent Web surfing involved an adult site.

"They will keep their `.com' domains, and I have no doubt they will buy their `.xxx' as well," said Patrick Trueman, special counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian public-interest law firm. "There will be twice as much pornography on the Internet."

Trueman and other critics say ICM will be the only beneficiaries.

The startup, founded and funded by four entrepreneurs with backgrounds in domain names and U.K. Internet companies, plans to charge $60 to register a name — 10 times the fees for ".com." Ten dollars of it would go to a companion nonprofit group that would set policies for ".xxx" use and recommend business practices for combating child pornography and promoting child safety.

ICANN tabled and effectively rejected a similar proposal in 2000 out of fear the ".xxx" domain would force the body into content regulation.

ICM resubmitted its proposal in 2004, this time structuring it with a policy-setting organization to free ICANN of that task. But many board members worried that the language of the proposed contract was vague and could kick the task back to ICANN. The board rejected the 2004 proposal last May.

ICANN revived the proposal in January after ICM agreed to hire independent organizations to monitor porn sites' compliance with the new rules, which would be developed by a separate body called the International Foundation for Online Responsibility.

ICM revised it again a month later to clarify ICANN's enforcement abilities and to underscore the independence of the policy-making body.

Despite the vocal opposition, ICM Chairman Stuart Lawley said he preferred a quick vote, adding that the complaints come from "the same people saying the same things time and time again."

"ICM has done more to demonstrate the existence of a strong community than any other application the (ICANN) board has approved," Lawley said. "We have been singled out for special treatment. From the word `go,' ... we were put in the slow lane."

If approved, ICM would be required to help develop mechanisms for promoting child safety and preventing child pornography, and porn sites using ".xxx" would have to participate in a self-rating system, labeling sites based on such criteria as the presence of nudity and whether it is in an artistic or educational context.

ICANN already has discussed the proposal during three, closed-door teleconference meetings this year. It indicated it would be ready to vote at a public meeting next Friday in Lisbon, Portugal.

But delays are possible if ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee raises last-minute objections when it meets next week. Last March, the committee called for stronger language in ICANN's contract with ICM, and Lawley said those points have been addressed in the latest version of the contract.

ICM believes the domain would help the porn industry clean up its act, and Lawley said he has gone through great lengths to put its promises into writing.

"We are confident we have dotted every `i' and crossed every 't,'" he said, "and the contract deserves ratification."

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Tennessee Wins Miss USA Title

Miss Tennessee crowned new Miss USA By ALEX VEIGA, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 24, 7:39 AM ET



LOS ANGELES - Rachel Smith realized she had a real shot at the Miss USA crown when she made it to the top 15. Next up was the swimsuit portion of the pageant, and the journalism graduate from Tennessee told herself: "I'm just going to work it." Smith, 21, ultimately bested 50 other aspiring beauty queens to win the title of Miss USA on Friday night.

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The 5-foot, 11-inch-tall brunette is a graduate of Belmont University and a former intern for the production company behind "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

"I'm speechless at this point, I really am," Smith said after the pageant.

Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia competed to succeed Miss USA Tara Conner, who entered rehab after accounts surfaced suggesting she was boozing at New York clubs. The Kentucky native was in danger of losing her crown, but Donald Trump, who co-owns the pageant with NBC, gave her a second chance.

The telecast didn't shy away from the controversy, opening with a string of news and interview clips about Conner's woes. Then, the 21-year-old blonde emerged onstage wearing a strapless, ruffled gown.

"It has been the most unforgettable year of my life and I'm back, and better than ever," Conner said to wild applause from the audience at the Kodak Theatre.

Smith, of Clarksville, Tenn., edged out top finalists Meagan Yvonne Tandy of California; Cara Renee Gorges of Kansas; Helen Salas of Nevada; and Danielle Lacourse of Rhode Island, who was named the first runner-up.

When asked whether she was ready to take over for Conner, Smith admitted it would "be a little bit of a challenge," but quickly added she was ready for it.

"I'm excited to see what this year will hold," she said.

Smith also praised Conner's stewardship of the Miss USA title and her handling of the challenges she faced.

"I definitely learned a lot," Smith said of Conner's tenure as Miss USA.

Asked how she would behave during her reign, Smith said: "I'm going to be honest and open."

Tim Vincent and Nancy O'Dell of "Access Hollywood" hosted the pageant, which made its return to Hollywood after two years in Baltimore.

During a brief onstage interview with Vincent and O'Dell, Conner said her future plans included writing a book, and doing "correspondence work and a little bit of acting."

Other contestants whose behavior ran afoul of the pageant's standards were not as fortunate as Conner. Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees lost her title after racy pictures of her surfaced on the Internet, and Miss New Jersey USA Ashley Harder resigned when she got pregnant. Miss USA contestants must not have ever been married or given birth.

The Miss USA Pageant began in 1952 as a swimwear promotion in Long Beach.

Contestants pay a fee to enter and must win a state title before competing for the Miss USA crown. The winner gets to live in a fancy New York apartment for a year, during which she'll spend most of her time traveling as she represents the Miss Universe Organization and speaks out on breast and ovarian cancer awareness. She also gets to represent the United States in the worldwide Miss Universe competition.

During the swimsuit competition, the beauty queens performed a synchronized strut wearing blue, pink or lilac bikinis before posing individually for the judges. All the competitors also had brief walk-ons in their evening gowns before the finalists took their solo strolls for the audience.

The audience was given the opportunity to vote, selecting Rebecca Moore of Alabama as Miss Photogenic. The contestants voted Stephanie Trudeau of Montana as Miss Congeniality.

A panel of six judges were tasked with determining the winner: TV personality Jerry Springer, "Blow Out" star Jonathan Antin, "E! News" co-host Giuliana De Pandi, MTV's Vanessa Minnillo, Baby Phat President Kimora Lee Simmons and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

___

On the Net:

http://www.missusa.com

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Improv Comedy Class for College Credit

College offers Comedy Studies at theater By MEGAN REICHGOTT, Associated Press Writer
15 minutes ago



CHICAGO - Thirteen students lie in a circle and stretch. They make monkey sounds to warm up their voices. Then they practice being funny.

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"A ship," the instructor says. "The Mayflower." The students spring into action, morphing into the shape of a ship, one holding out her arms like a maiden figurehead on the bow and two rowing in the galley.

It is hardly a normal college classroom.

A new program at Columbia College Chicago allows students to take classes at The Second City, the humor Mecca that has turned out some of America's best-known improvisational comedians. Students also attend shows, network with artists and present their work in a showcase — all for college credit.

For aspiring performer Jennifer Ducharme, studying at The Second City "is exactly what I was looking for."

"I really wanted to get into comedy, especially improv; it's really what I need right now," said Ducharme, 20, a theater arts major at Boston University who took a leave of absence to spend the semester in Chicago.

It's new territory for The Second City, where actors usually come to learn improvisation on the job. Among those who developed their funny bones there are the late Chris Farley and Gilda Radner — both of whom became fixtures on "Saturday Night Live" — and Steve Carell, star of "The Office."

Columbia and Second City officials have lofty goals for their collaboration, which they hope becomes the "Juilliard of comedy," said Anne Libera, executive artistic director of The Second City training center.

"We would have died to have been in a program that had all those things; it's the education that all of us wanted to have," said Libera, who was in a theater company that included Stephen Colbert, host of the satirical news program "The Colbert Report."

"There's nothing else like it in the country. It's going to be big — it's going to be very big," said Sheldon Patinkin, chair of Columbia College Chicago's theater department and one of the founding members of what was first the Playwrights Theatre Club, then The Compass Players and, finally, The Second City.

The idea for the program came about more than two years ago, when Andrew Alexander, Second City's executive producer and a member of Columbia College Chicago's board of trustees, had lunch with Patinkin and college president Warrick Carter.

During the lunch, Alexander mentioned that a college in Toronto had a program that included courses in improv, Patinkin said.

"I immediately said, `Oh, what a great idea, let's do that with Second City,'" Patinkin recalled. "It was a mutual thing, we all wanted to do it."

Students take a full load of six classes, including "Context for Comedy," "History and Analysis of Comedy" and "Creating Scenes Through Improvisation."

While the training is as intense as other college programs, so is the cost. Tuition is $8,164, for the semester, plus an additional $230 for student fees. Students from out of town also must find their own housing.

Like many study-abroad programs, administrators will consider applicants from other universities. Candidates must be undergraduate juniors with an interest in performance, comedy writing or improvisation.

"Ultimately, yes, you have to be funny. (But) in this program, I'm not looking for funny people yet, I'm looking for people who have the desire to do this work and to delve into this work," Libera said.

Most of the inaugural class' 17 students are theater majors or have drama backgrounds, said instructor Jet Eveleth, a veteran improv performer who also teaches at The Second City conservatory.

Students "already have a lot of acting experience, and that's a great foundation," Eveleth said. "Sometimes, I'll work with groups, even graduate students, that aren't as free as them because they might not have the theater background."

However, a history of performing isn't necessary, Libera said.

"It's important to me that these people not just be theater majors, because I know that comedy writers and comedy performers tend to come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and that's important," Libera said.

Russell Chase, 22, a history major who plans to work in advertising after graduating from Connecticut College, couldn't resist applying after hearing about the program.

"I don't want to do the struggling acting thing," he joked. "But I was like, `Wow! That's so much better than sitting at a desk working on spreadsheets.'"

Chase said he's already interviewed at advertising firms in Boston and New York and gets the same response when recruiters find out he's studying at The Second City.

"They tell me, 'That's so creative,'" Chase said.

___

On the Net:

Comedy Studies: A Semester at The Second City: http://www.comedystudies.com

Columbia College Chicago: http://www.colum.edu/

The Second City: http://www.secondcity.com/

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Woman Chops Up, Boils and Fries Husband

Housewife convicted of frying husband By STAN LEHMAN, Associated Press Writer
Fri Mar 23, 10:38 PM ET



SAO PAULO, Brazil - A Brazilian housewife was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison Friday for killing her husband, chopping his body into small pieces and frying it. Rosanita Nery dos Santos, 52, drugged her husband in his sleep, then stabbed him to death two years ago in Salvador, about 900 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, said police spokesman Idmar Bonfim.

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She then hacked Jose Raimundo Soares dos Santos' body into more than 100 pieces, which she boiled and fried before hiding in plastic bags beneath a staircase in her house, Bonfim said. He said police discovered the body parts after receiving an anonymous phone call.

Bonfim said the killing was either part of a black magic ritual or an attempt by the wife to collect life insurance worth about $34,000.

Citing testimony from the woman's relatives, he said she may also have committed the crime "to avenge many years of humiliation from her husband." He did not provide further details.

Santos denied killing her husband but said she chopped up his body, Bonfim said.

"She claims masked assailants entered her house, killed her husband and then forced her to cut up the body and fry it because that would prevent the stench of a decomposing body from alerting neighbors," he said.


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Harvard Club Says "Don't Do It"

Harvard club promotes abstinence By JESSE HARLAN ALDERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Thu Mar 22, 2:39 PM ET



CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Sometime between the founding of a student-run porn magazine and the day the campus health center advertised "Free Lube," Harvard University seniors Sarah Kinsella and Justin Murray decided to fight back against what they see as too much mindless sex at the Ivy League school.

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They founded a student group called True Love Revolution to promote abstinence on campus. The group, created earlier this school year, has more than 90 members on its Facebook.com page and drew about half that many to an ice cream social.

Harvard treats sex — or "hooking up" — so casually that "sometimes I wonder if sex is even a remotely serious thing," said Kinsella, who is dating Murray.

Other schools around the country have small groups devoted to abstinence. On most campuses, they are religious organizations. Princeton and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have Anscombe Societies, secular organizations named after an English philosopher and Roman Catholic. True Love Revolution is secular as well.

Some feminists, in particular, have criticized True Love Revolution's message.

Harvard student Rebecca Singh said she was offended by a valentine the group sent to the dormitory mailboxes of all freshmen. It read: "Why wait? Because you're worth it."

"I think they thought that we might not be `ruined' yet," Singh said. "It's a symptom of that culture we have that values a woman on her purity. It's a relic."

Others on campus have mocked the group. Murray said his friends take pleasure in loudly, and graphically, discussing their sex lives just to taunt him.

"On campus there is such a strong attitude of pluralism and acceptance, but then it doesn't extend to this," Kinsella said.

In the student paper, The Harvard Crimson, columnist Jessica C. Coggins praised the group's low-key approach and scolded Harvard students for their "laughter at the virgin." She said students on the campus, which has 6,700 undergraduates, should "find a different confidence booster than making fun of celibate peers."

True Love Revolution members say the problem starts with the university. They say Harvard has implicitly led students to believe that having sex at college is a foregone conclusion by requiring incoming freshman to attend a seminar on date-rape that does not mention abstinence, by placing condoms in freshmen dorms, and by hosting racy lecturers. (Harvard students have also launched H-Bomb, a magazine featuring racy photos of undergraduates.)

"Sometimes that voice on campus is so overwhelming that students committed to abstinence almost feel compelled to abandon their convictions," Murray said. He acknowledged he "slipped up" and had sex earlier in college but said he has returned to abstinence with Kinsella.

Dr. David Rosenthal, director of Harvard health services, disputed the notion that the university promotes sex.

He said students mistakenly think everyone on campus is having sex. The National College Health Assessment Survey, which included Harvard and hundreds of other campuses, found that about 29 percent of students reported not having sex in the past school year. For the 71 percent who are having sex, it is crucial to promote safety, Rosenthal said.

"Some students may have a feeling that acknowledgment is condoning," he said, "and it's not."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070322/ap_on_re_us/harvard_abstinence

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At home: There's an art to decorating with science
Updated 10h 30m ago | Comment | Recommend 1 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |



By Mary Cadden, USA TODAY
Experimenting with new styles? Discover science chic. "I think most designers are geeks at heart," says Angelica Marden, editor of Geeksugar.com, and their style sensibilities "aren't just emotional, but cerebral." Moreover, "Gen Xers perceive décor as a way to express their personality and interests," a lot of which revolve around technology. USA TODAY examines décor that speaks to our inner geek.

Geek chic items Why they work at home

Style lab

Ordinary household items and art meet up in the lab. "They're objects you would not normally think of for home design, but they end up warm and beautiful."

Personalized fingerprint art, $190 and up from Dna11.com


Ambiance bud vase, $9.95(single)-$14.95 (triple) at Wrapables.com






Drink Lab bacteria culture coasters by Joe Doucet,$39 for a set of five at Gnr8.biz


Universal style

How do you work a space theme into the home without veering into kid-room territory? You want to work in pieces that have only "small elements of science" and fit with your existing décor.

Atomic clock, $45 from Retroonline.com


Science Fiction mobile, $28 at Museumstorecompany.com




Retro style

"I love these retro-chic, sort of old gadgets," such as circuit boards and floppy disks. "We don't get to see them anymore."

Circuit board lamps, $220-$280 at Uncommongoods.com


Floppy disk clock by Cynthia Goldner, $31.95 at Canvastoclay.com







Floppy disk clock by Canvastoclay.com; lamp by Uncommongoods.com; coasters by Intotonyc.com; vases by Wrapables.com; fingerprint art by Dna11.com; mobile by Museumstorecompany.com; atomic clock by Retroonline.com

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Gen Xers
Posted 1d ago
Updated 10h 30m ago

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-03-22-athome-geek-chic_N.htm?csp=1

Pet Food Contaminated with Rat Poison, Cancer Drug

Rat poison found in tainted pet food By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
46 minutes ago



ALBANY, N.Y. - Rat poison was found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 17 cats and dogs, but scientists said Friday they still don't know how it got there and predicted more animal deaths would be linked to it.

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After the announcement, the company that produced the food expanded its recall to include all 95 brands of the "cuts and gravy" style food, regardless of when they were produced. The company also said it would take responsibility for pet medical expenses incurred as a result of the food.

The substance in the food was identified as aminopterin, a cancer drug that once was used to induce abortions in the United States and is still used to kill rats in some other countries, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said.

The federal government prohibits using aminopterin for killing rodents in the U.S. State officials would not speculate on how the poison got into the pet food, but said no criminal investigations had been launched.

The pet deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food produced by Menu Foods and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. Some pets that ate the recalled brands suffered kidney failure, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and two dogs.

The latest death, a Yorkshire terrier named Pebbles, occurred Thursday. The dog died of kidney failure after eating some of the food. Her owner, Jeff Kerner, said he was contacting an attorney because he wanted to prevent another pet tragedy.

"Before they put this stuff in the bags, there should be some kind of test," said Kerner, of Sherman Oaks, Calif. "I can't just let it go. Even if they just change the law."

The company expanded the recall — which initially covered only cans and pouches of food packaged from Dec. 3 through March 6 — after the FDA alerted it that some products remained on store shelves.

There is no risk to pet owners from handling the food, officials said.

The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation into the pet deaths was focused on wheat gluten in the food. The gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but it could have been contaminated, the FDA said.

Paul Henderson, chief executive of Ontario, Canada-based Menu Foods, confirmed Friday that the wheat gluten was purchased from China.

Bob Rosenberg, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Pest Management Association, said it would be unusual for the wheat to be tainted.

"It would make no sense to spray a crop itself with rodenticide," Rosenberg said, adding that grain shippers typically put bait stations around the perimeter of their storage facilities.

Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat food samples provided by the manufacturer and found aminopterin in two of them. The two labs are part of a network created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation's animals and food supply safe.

"Any amount of this product is too much in food," Hooker said.

Aminopterin is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system. In dogs and cats, the amount of aminopterin found — 40 parts per million — can cause kidney failure, according to Bruce Akey, director of Cornell's diagnostic center.

"It's there in substantial amounts," Akey said.

Donald Smith, dean of Cornell's veterinary school, said he expected the number of pet deaths to increase. "Based on what we've heard the last couple days, 16 is a low number," Smith said.

Aminopterin is no longer marketed as a cancer drug, but is still used in research, said Andre Rosowsky, a chemist with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Rosowsky speculated that the substance would not show up in pet food "unless somebody put it there."

Henderson said Menu Foods does not believe the food was tampered with because the recalled food came from two different plants, one in Kansas, one in New Jersey. Menu continues to produce food at the two plants.

The company, already facing lawsuits, said Friday it is testing all the ingredients that go into the food.

"We have a lot of work to do, and we are eager to get back to it," Henderson said. "This is a highly unusual substance."

When asked whether there would compensation for medical bills for sick pets, Henderson said "to the extent that we identify that the cause of any expenses incurred are related to the food, Menu will take responsibility for that."

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was posted online by Menu Foods and is available at http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm. The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Bridges in Washington, Michael Virtanen in Albany and Solvej Schou in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

FDA pet food recall information: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

Menu Foods: http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm

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House Passes Withdrawal Deadline

Dems challenge Bush with Iraq timetable By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
50 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The House voted Friday for the first time to clamp a cutoff deadline on the Iraq war, agreeing by a thin margin to pull combat troops out by next year and pushing the new Democratic-led Congress ever closer to a showdown with President Bush.

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The 218-212 vote, mostly along party lines, was a hard-fought victory for Democrats, who faced divisions within their own ranks on the rancorous issue. Passage marked their most brazen challenge yet to Bush on a war that has killed more than 3,200 troops and lost favor with the American public.

He dismissed their action as "political theater" and said he would veto the bill if it reached his desk. The Senate is about to take up its own version.

The $124 billion House legislation would pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year but would require that combat troops come home from Iraq before September 2008 — or earlier if the Iraqi government did not meet certain requirements. Democrats said it was time to heed the mandate of their election sweep last November, which gave them control of Congress.

"The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif. "The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not."

Just over an hour following the vote, Bush angrily accused Democrats of playing politics and renewed his promise to veto the spending legislation if it included their withdrawal timetable, despite administration claims that the money is needed next month by troops.

"These Democrats believe that the longer they can delay funding for our troops, the more likely they are to force me to accept restrictions on our commanders, an artificial timetable for withdrawal and their pet spending projects. This is not going to happen," he said.

Congress so far has provided more than $500 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including about $350 billion for Iraq alone, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Across the Capitol, the Senate planned to begin debate Monday on its own war spending bill, which also calls for a troop withdrawal — and also has drawn a Bush veto threat.

The Senate's $122 billion measure would require that Bush begin bringing home an unspecified number of troops within four months with a non-binding goal of getting all combat troops out by March 31, 2008.

These bills "offer a responsible strategy that reflects what the American people asked for in November — redeploying our troops out of Iraq and refocusing our resources to more effectively fight the war on terror," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev.

While Friday's House vote represented the Democrats' latest intensifying of political pressure on Bush, they still face long odds of ultimately forcing him to sign such legislation.

In the Senate, Democratic leaders will need 60 votes to prevail — a tall order because that would mean persuading about a dozen Republicans to join them.

And should lawmakers send Bush a measure he rejects, both chambers would need two-thirds majorities to override his veto — margins that neither seems likely to muster.

Voting for the House bill were 216 Democrats and two Republicans — Wayne Gilchrest (news, bio, voting record) of Maryland and Walter Jones (news, bio, voting record) of North Carolina. Of the 212 members who opposed it, 198 were Republicans and 14 were Democrats.

Those opposing Democrats included seven of the party's more conservative members, including Georgia Rep. Jim Marshall (news, bio, voting record), Tennessee Rep. Lincoln Davis (news, bio, voting record) and Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor (news, bio, voting record), who say they do not want to tie the hands of military commanders.

The other seven dissenters were members of a liberal anti-war caucus who routinely oppose war spending and would accept only legislation that would bring troops home immediately.

Fearing that other liberals would join them and tip the scales, Pelosi had spent days trying to convince members that the bill was Congress' best shot at forcing a new course in Iraq — an argument that was aided when the Democrats added more than $20 billion in domestic spending in an effort to lure votes.

Pelosi received a boost this week when several of the bill's most consistent critics said they would not pressure members to vote against it, even though they would oppose it themselves.

The vote was considered a personal victory for the new speaker, whose husband watched the debate Friday from the gallery overlooking the House floor.

Anti-war groups remained divided on whether passage of the bill was a good thing, and protesters tried to disrupt debate Friday and pressure members to oppose the bill.

"This is just the beginning of the beginning of the end of this war," said Rep. Barbara Lee (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., among those who opposed the bill.

The emotional debate surrounding the bill echoed clashes between lawmakers and the White House over the Vietnam War four decades ago.

"We're going to make a difference with this bill," bellowed Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), D-Pa., a Vietnam War veteran who helped write the legislation.

"We're going to bring those troops home. We're going to start changing the direction of this great nation," he said, bringing a standing ovation and hugs from his colleagues.

Republicans countered that the bill would be tantamount to conceding defeat.

"The stakes in Iraq are too high and the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families too great to be content with anything but success," said Republican Whip Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record), R-Mo.

Sens. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record), I-Conn., and Tom Coburn (news, bio, voting record), R-Okla., said they planned to try to strip the withdrawal language from the Senate bill — which would probably require a difficult-to-achieve 60 votes.

"We're not prepared to tell the enemy, 'hang on, we'll give you a date when we are leaving,' said McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.

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Dems challenge Bush with Iraq timetable By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
50 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The House voted Friday for the first time to clamp a cutoff deadline on the Iraq war, agreeing by a thin margin to pull combat troops out by next year and pushing the new Democratic-led Congress ever closer to a showdown with President Bush.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 218-212 vote, mostly along party lines, was a hard-fought victory for Democrats, who faced divisions within their own ranks on the rancorous issue. Passage marked their most brazen challenge yet to Bush on a war that has killed more than 3,200 troops and lost favor with the American public.

He dismissed their action as "political theater" and said he would veto the bill if it reached his desk. The Senate is about to take up its own version.

The $124 billion House legislation would pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year but would require that combat troops come home from Iraq before September 2008 — or earlier if the Iraqi government did not meet certain requirements. Democrats said it was time to heed the mandate of their election sweep last November, which gave them control of Congress.

"The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif. "The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not."

Just over an hour following the vote, Bush angrily accused Democrats of playing politics and renewed his promise to veto the spending legislation if it included their withdrawal timetable, despite administration claims that the money is needed next month by troops.

"These Democrats believe that the longer they can delay funding for our troops, the more likely they are to force me to accept restrictions on our commanders, an artificial timetable for withdrawal and their pet spending projects. This is not going to happen," he said.

Congress so far has provided more than $500 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including about $350 billion for Iraq alone, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Across the Capitol, the Senate planned to begin debate Monday on its own war spending bill, which also calls for a troop withdrawal — and also has drawn a Bush veto threat.

The Senate's $122 billion measure would require that Bush begin bringing home an unspecified number of troops within four months with a non-binding goal of getting all combat troops out by March 31, 2008.

These bills "offer a responsible strategy that reflects what the American people asked for in November — redeploying our troops out of Iraq and refocusing our resources to more effectively fight the war on terror," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev.

While Friday's House vote represented the Democrats' latest intensifying of political pressure on Bush, they still face long odds of ultimately forcing him to sign such legislation.

In the Senate, Democratic leaders will need 60 votes to prevail — a tall order because that would mean persuading about a dozen Republicans to join them.

And should lawmakers send Bush a measure he rejects, both chambers would need two-thirds majorities to override his veto — margins that neither seems likely to muster.

Voting for the House bill were 216 Democrats and two Republicans — Wayne Gilchrest (news, bio, voting record) of Maryland and Walter Jones (news, bio, voting record) of North Carolina. Of the 212 members who opposed it, 198 were Republicans and 14 were Democrats.

Those opposing Democrats included seven of the party's more conservative members, including Georgia Rep. Jim Marshall (news, bio, voting record), Tennessee Rep. Lincoln Davis (news, bio, voting record) and Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor (news, bio, voting record), who say they do not want to tie the hands of military commanders.

The other seven dissenters were members of a liberal anti-war caucus who routinely oppose war spending and would accept only legislation that would bring troops home immediately.

Fearing that other liberals would join them and tip the scales, Pelosi had spent days trying to convince members that the bill was Congress' best shot at forcing a new course in Iraq — an argument that was aided when the Democrats added more than $20 billion in domestic spending in an effort to lure votes.

Pelosi received a boost this week when several of the bill's most consistent critics said they would not pressure members to vote against it, even though they would oppose it themselves.

The vote was considered a personal victory for the new speaker, whose husband watched the debate Friday from the gallery overlooking the House floor.

Anti-war groups remained divided on whether passage of the bill was a good thing, and protesters tried to disrupt debate Friday and pressure members to oppose the bill.

"This is just the beginning of the beginning of the end of this war," said Rep. Barbara Lee (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., among those who opposed the bill.

The emotional debate surrounding the bill echoed clashes between lawmakers and the White House over the Vietnam War four decades ago.

"We're going to make a difference with this bill," bellowed Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), D-Pa., a Vietnam War veteran who helped write the legislation.

"We're going to bring those troops home. We're going to start changing the direction of this great nation," he said, bringing a standing ovation and hugs from his colleagues.

Republicans countered that the bill would be tantamount to conceding defeat.

"The stakes in Iraq are too high and the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families too great to be content with anything but success," said Republican Whip Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record), R-Mo.

Sens. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record), I-Conn., and Tom Coburn (news, bio, voting record), R-Okla., said they planned to try to strip the withdrawal language from the Senate bill — which would probably require a difficult-to-achieve 60 votes.

"We're not prepared to tell the enemy, 'hang on, we'll give you a date when we are leaving,' said McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070324/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq

Soldier Actually Died of Friendly Fire

Officers blamed for Tillman case errors By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
40 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - A Pentagon investigation will recommend that nine officers, including up to four generals, be held accountable for missteps in the aftermath of the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, senior defense officials said Friday.

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The Defense Department inspector general will cite a range of missteps and inappropriate conduct as the military probed the former football star's death on the battlefront in 2004, said one defense official.

The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said it appears that senior military leaders may not have had all the facts or worked hard enough to get the facts of what happened on that day in April 2004.

The Army persisted in telling Tillman's family he was killed in a conventional ambush at least 11 days after the death, at his nationally televised memorial service — when dozens of soldiers knew that was not the case.

Many soldiers — those immediately around Tillman at the scene of the shooting, his immediate superiors and high-ranking officers at a command post nearby — knew within minutes or hours that his death was caused by friendly fire. The inspector general's investigation has focused on how high up the chain of command that knowledge went.

Officers from the rank of colonel and up will be blamed in the report, according to one officer who has been informed of the findings.

The commander of Tillman's 75th Ranger Regiment was Col. James C. Nixon. Last year he was named director of operations at the Center for Special Operations at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

According to the officials, the report will not make charges or suggest punishments, but it will recommend the Army look at holding the nine officers accountable.

The Army, which requested the inspector general review last year, said in a statement released Friday that it "plans to take appropriate actions after receiving the inspector general's report."

The inspector general is expected to release the report Monday, and also speak to Tillman's family about the results of the investigation.

The report's findings were first reported on Friday by CBS News.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070324/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/tillman_friendly_fire

Department of Defense Combatant Status Review Board

Mar. 24, 2007 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact Us

United States Department of Defense
Combatant Status Review Tribunals/Administrative Review Boards
On the web: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Combatant_Tribunals.html
Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131
Public contact: http://www.dod.mil/faq/comment.html or +1 (703) 428-0711


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Transcript of CSRT (Mohd Farik bin Amin Zubair) Hearing (As of 3/23/2007)

Transcript of CSRT (Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani) Hearing (As of 3/23/2007)

Transcript of CSRT (Bin Attash) Hearing (As of 3/19/2007)

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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Combatant_Tribunals.html

9/11 Mastermind Confesses

Al Qaeda suspect admits organizing 9/11 By Andrew Gray
Thu Mar 15, 5:48 AM ET



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has claimed he organized the September 11 attacks on the United States and a string of others, according to the transcript of a military hearing at the U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, released on Wednesday.

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"I was responsible for the 9/11 Operation, from A to Z," Mohammed, speaking through a personal representative, said according to the transcript of the hearing on Saturday at the U.S. military's Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba.

Mohammed, a Pakistani national, also said he was responsible for a 1993 attack on New York's World Trade Center, a nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, an attempt to down two American airplanes using shoe bombs and other attacks.

During the hearing, held to determine whether he meets the U.S. definition of an enemy combatant, Mohammed also seemed to indicate he had been mistreated in U.S. custody.

Mohammed is among 14 prisoners identified by U.S. authorities as "high-value" terrorism suspects and transferred to Guantanamo last year from secret CIA prisons abroad.

U.S. officials have said Mohammed, arrested in Pakistan in March 2003 and handed over to U.S. custody, was the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon.

Mohammed spoke both on his own and through his representative, a member of the U.S. military.

"I was the operational director for Sheikh Usama (Osama) Bin Laden for the organizing, planning, follow-up and execution of the 9/11 operation," he said through his representative.

Mohammed's full statement claimed responsibility for 28 separate attacks or plots. It also said he shared responsibility for three other plots, including one to assassinate Pope John Paul in the Philippines and another to kill Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

The transcript of the closed hearing had been edited by U.S. officials, a practice the Pentagon said was necessary to remove sensitive security information.

EXPRESSES SOME REGRET

Mohammed, in a long statement in broken English, appeared to express some regret at the deaths caused by the September 11 attacks but suggested they were justified as part of a war against the United States.

"I'm not happy that three thousand been killed in America. I feel sorry even," he said.

"The language of any war in the world is killing. I mean the language of the war is victims."

Mohammed also referred to U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl, killed in Pakistan in 2002, but his comments were unclear.

Mohammed is a prime suspect in Pearl's murder and Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf wrote in a memoir published last year that Mohammed executed Pearl.

The president of the three-member military panel conducting the hearing referred to a written statement "regarding alleged abuse or treatment that the detainee received."

No details of the treatment were revealed, although the president said Mohammed described it as torture and it would be reported for "any investigation that may be appropriate."

Mohammed, however, said his statement at Saturday's hearing was not made under any duress or pressure, according to the transcript.

He also compared al Qaeda leader bin Laden to George Washington, the first president of the United States.

"He is doing (the) same thing," he said. "He is just fighting. He needs his independence."

No immediate decision is made at the hearing, known as a combatant status review tribunal. A senior Pentagon official ultimately decides whether Mohammed is an enemy combatant.

The Pentagon posted the transcript on the Internet at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/transcript_ISN10024.pdf.

It also released transcripts of hearings for two others of the 14 detainees transferred last year, Ramzi bin al Shaibah, a Yemeni also accused of involvement in the September 11 attacks, and alleged senior al Qaeda figure Abu Faraj al Libi of Libya.

Neither man attended his hearing, according to the transcripts which can be seen at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Combatant_Tribunals.html.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/guantanamo_mohammed_dc

Friday, March 23, 2007

Knut the Polar Bear Cub "Comes Out"

"Knut Day" in Berlin as polar bear cub goes public By Madeline Chambers
Fri Mar 23, 10:26 AM ET



BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's youngest celebrity, Knut the polar bear cub, made his much-anticipated public debut at Berlin Zoo Friday and appeared unfazed by the media scrum surrounding his first excursion.

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The three-and-a-half-month old white cub padded gingerly round his new enclosure to the gasps and sighs of onlookers.

Fortified by a breakfast of porridge, the puppy-sized cub sniffed the grass and rolled in the dust before delighting the crowds by splashing in a pond.

"I want to take him home," said Daniel Wolff, five, whose mother had bought him a specially made "Knut" cuddly polar bear toy on sale on a stand outside the enclosure.

Knut stole the heart of Berliners after he was born in December but rejected by his mother Tosca. A bearded zookeeper moved into the enclosure to look after him round the clock.

But Knut's fate grabbed global attention after an animal rights campaigner said hand-rearing polar bears was a violation of animal rights. German media interpreted his comments as a call for Knut to be put to sleep.

"We are not worried about Knut's future," Berlin Zoo vet Andre Schuele told reporters. "As a male he will grow big and strong. Polar bears are loners and he will be fine -- it doesn't matter that he has been hand-reared."

At least 200 journalists from around the globe gathered at the zoo for "Knut Day," and his outing threatened to overshadow the start of a major EU summit taking place in the capital at the weekend, zoo official Ragnar Kuehne said.

"There is always something special about bringing up a baby polar bear on a bottle and with Knut, the added fear that he might die bolstered solidarity for the bear," said Kuehne.

Cameramen from Japan, the United States, Brazil and Finland jostled on ladders to take the best pictures. German television channels covered Knut's first public steps live and some newspaper journalists had to post live podcasts of the occasion.

Knut has also drawn attention to the plight of polar bears as worries grow that global warming is contributing to the melting of their habitat.

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has adopted Knut and used his appearance to further the debate on climate change.

"Knut is in safe hands here but worldwide polar bears are in danger and if Knut can help the cause, then that is a good thing," said the minister as he accompanied Knut on his walk and tickled his chin for the cameras.



Reuters Photo: Polar bear cub Knut in Berlin zoo, March 23, 2007. (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070323/wl_nm/germany_polarbear_dc

Pre-preview Miss USA 2007

New Miss USA to be selected tonight
POSTED: 3:46 p.m. EDT, March 23, 2007
Story Highlights• Miss USA contest scheduled for Friday night
• Current Miss USA, Tara Conner, embroiled in controversy
• Conner went through rehab for alcohol problems
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LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Beauty queens from across the nation prepared to compete Friday night for the title of Miss USA in a live televised pageant expected to go beyond the traditional evening gown and swimsuit staples and touch on the issues that nearly cost the reigning titleholder her crown.

The pageant, co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC, was making its return to Hollywood after two years in Baltimore.

Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were vying to succeed Miss USA Tara Conner, who entered rehab after accounts surfaced suggesting she was boozing at New York clubs. The episode might have cost Conner, a native of Kentucky, her crown, but Trump gave her a second chance.

Other contestants whose behavior ran afoul of the pageant's standards weren't so fortunate. Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees lost her title after racy pictures of her surfaced on the Internet, and Miss New Jersey USA Ashley Harder resigned when she got pregnant. Miss USA contestants must not have ever been married or given birth.

Still, Trump's decision to spare Conner sparked a war of words between the real estate mogul and "The View" co-host Rosie O'Donnell.

Far from sweeping the scandals under the rug, however, pageant organizers were using the extra attention drawn to the pageant in recent months to spotlight at least Conner's own bouts with alcohol and the steps she has taken to get help. Conner underwent a stint in rehab in Pennsylvania for her drinking.

The contestants, who arrived in Los Angeles about two weeks ago, were not allowed to go out without a chaperone. They also had to sign a "moral contract."

The Miss USA Pageant began in 1952 as a swimwear promotion in Long Beach.

Contestants pay a fee to enter and must win a state title before competing for the Miss USA crown. The winner gets to live in a fancy New York apartment for a year, during which she'll spend most of her time traveling as she represents the Miss Universe Organization and speaks out on breast and ovarian cancer awareness. She also gets to represent the United States in the worldwide Miss Universe competition.

Like the Miss America Pageant, Miss USA was incorporating a few new wrinkles to keep viewers tuned in to the action, including more behind-the-scenes shots.

The audience was also given the opportunity to cast votes from home for Miss Photogenic.

A panel of six judges were to determine the winner: Jerry Springer, "Blow Out" star Jonathan Antin, "E! News" co-host Giuliana De Pandi, MTV's Vanessa Minnillo, Baby Phat President Kimora Lee Simmons and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Hosting the pageant: Tim Vincent and Nancy O'Dell of "Access Hollywood."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/23/missusa.ap/index.html?eref=yahoo

Apocalypto Under Fire for Stereotyping, Gibson Drops F-Bomb

Gibson Tells Mayan Expert to 'F--- off'Mel Gibson Explodes When Accused of Racial Stereotyping in 'Apocalypto'
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March 23, 2007 — Mel Gibson lashes out again, this time with the F-bomb.

According to the Web site TMZ.com, the star shouted the expletive at a Mayan culture expert during a film class Thursday at Cal State University.

Alicia Estrada, an assistant professor of Central American studies at the university, accused Gibson of racially stereotyping in his recent film "Apocalypto," according to the Web site. The movie is based on the decline of the Mayan kingdom.

When the professor asked him if he read any books about the culture before directing the film, Gibson said he had. Estrada then reportedly persisted asking the question and called scenes in the movie wrong and racist.

Gibson's response?

"Lady, f—- off."

The Web site said that other members of the Mayan community were escorted out of the class when the incident occurred and Gibson got the last word, by shouting, "Make your own movie!"

In Gibson's defense, his publicist, Alan Nierob, told TMZ: "This person was a heckler who was rude and disrupted the event, so much so that the event organizers had to escort her out."

Gibson has gotten into hot water over previous outbursts. He spewed anti-Semitic slurs at a cop who arrested him last summer on drunk driving charges. He later apologized for the incident.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=2976685&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Only Jane Austen Portrait to be Auctioned

Only known painting of Jane Austen to go on sale By Mike Collett-White
Fri Mar 23, 6:50 AM ET



LONDON (Reuters) - What many believe to be the only painting of Jane Austen will be auctioned in New York in April by Christie's, a relation of the English author and owner of the picture said.

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But Henry Rice, a "sixth generation descendant" of the writer of classics such as "Emma," "Sense and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudice," believes the sale of a picture that has divided experts will not be without controversy.

In 1948, a leading Austen scholar dismissed the authenticity of the portrait, saying the style of costume the subject wears does not match the date.

Rice and his family never doubted the lively girl wearing a long white dress and carrying a parasol was their ancestor. The painting is thought to have been made in 1788 or 1789 when Austen would have been about 14.

So he had the painting examined by a number of academics, including Austen scholar Professor Claudia Johnson at Princeton University in the United States, and they supported the original attribution and subject matter.

"The painting had rather fallen into the abyss," Rice told Reuters. "So I decided to take up the challenge and found that many of the arguments against the painting (being of Austen) were extremely weak.

"Effectively they were calling us liars. Then we really started a bit of a crusade," he added in a telephone interview.

"We were lucky in the people we met, including quite a lot of Americans, and the thing gathered strength, but there was fierce resistance and there probably still will be."

He offered the painting to the National Portrait Gallery in London several times, but they turned it down because of doubts over the authenticity of its subject.

"So we decided to take it to America where it has more friends."

CHRISTIE'S CONFIDENT

Christie's auctioneers is sufficiently sure of recent research to go ahead with the sale of the painting, by English society artist Ozias Humphry.

"Christie's supports the Rice portrait as a true depiction of Jane Austen and is honored to have been chosen by the family to organize a public auction," the company said in a statement.

"The Rice Portrait of Jane Austen," which measures about five feet tall and three feet wide, is expected to fetch between $400,000 and $800,000 when it goes under the hammer in New York on April 19 as part of the Important Old Master Paintings sale.

The auction house is also organizing a public exhibition of the picture in New York.

Its value is likely to be as much in its rarity as the quality of the painting. Rice, 78, said he knew of a sketch of Austen, but to his knowledge his was the only painting of her.

He believed the picture may have been commissioned by a wealthy great uncle to help improve her marriage prospects. Although only 14 at the time, girls married much earlier in the 18th century, he explained.

Rice said the painting captured Austen's spirit.

"Her character was very much one of facing the world boldly and putting her best foot forward. She dressed very well and was fond of clothes."

He decided to sell the painting in the hope that it could be seen by the public, instead of hanging in his home where it looked "out of place."

"The big house it used to be in has gone, and we've finished our work and it needs a new home," he said.


Reuters Photo: 'The Rice Portrait of Jane Austen' by English society artist Ozias Humphry in an image...