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Students held in Miami protest released from jail

2012-03-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

MIAMI More than two dozen teens who were arrested after sevenpolice officers were hurt in a violent demonstration at a highschool have been released, an attorney said. Circuit Judge BarbaraAreces found insufficient evidence Saturday to hold two of thestudents held in Fridays clash. Another 16 juveniles, most chargedwith resisting arrest and disturbing the peace, were given homedetention until a hearing today. Two 18-year-old students chargedwith resisting arrest with violence, disturbing a school assemblyand disturbing the peace bonded out after a hearing Saturday, …

Libya Pledges Military Trade Curbs, but Details Are Fuzzy

2012-03-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

Building on its December 2003 decision to give up its nuclear and chemical weapons programs, as well as its long-range missiles, Libya announced May 13 that it would halt its military trade with countries it deems a proliferation threat. U.S. officials said Libya was following through on a private pledge to Washington to discontinue such dealings with Syria, Iran, and North Korea. But a subsequent Libyan statement called into question whether this commitment actually extended to Syria.

According to a May 13 statement carried on Libyan television, Libya has pledged that it "will not deal in any military goods or services with countries Libya considers to be a source of concern for …

A state-by-state look at Election Day

2012-03-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

A state-by-state review of the race for the White House as well as key congressional and gubernatorial campaigns. The state's number of electoral votes is in parentheses.

___

ALABAMA (9) _ McCain territory. Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions safe. Each party struggling to hold an open House seat.

ALASKA (3) _ Running mate Sarah Palin's state safe for McCain. Convicted GOP Sen. Ted Stevens and Republican Rep. Don Young in deep trouble.

ARIZONA (10) _ McCain's home state should be safe but isn't quite. Democrats on track to pick up one House seat.

ARKANSAS (6) _ McCain's for sure. Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor safe for …

Convention center opens tomorrow

2012-03-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

((PHOTO …

A welcome U.N. arrival

2012-03-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Once, the ability of the president to appoint officials during acongressional recess was an important tool to keep governmentrunning while lawmakers made the slow journey on horseback to theirfar-flung districts.

Transportation is faster nowadays. But interim appointments arestill important, to keep partisan politics from jamming themachinery of government. Thus we support President Bush's installingJohn Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations. Arguments thatBolton yelled at subordinates or challenged intelligence brought tohim held little water -- if being a gruff boss forestalls a careerin government, we'd have few public servants. It …

The Son Also Rises: Should William be king?

2012-03-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

LONDON (AP) — King Charles or King William? Royal wedding bells have reignited the debate over whether Prince Charles should step aside to let his more popular son William be king.

Many are pushing the idea as the nation buzzes over the announcement of William's engagement to longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton. They argue that Charles' standing suffered irreparable harm when his marriage to Princess Diana fell apart and seamy details of his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles went public.

Others say he is, at 62, simply too old to start an effective reign after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, dies. It's more than an academic question: the queen is 84 years old, albeit in …

Braves 4, Marlins 0

2012-03-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

…

Atlanta			Florida
ab r h bi		ab r h bi
Bourn cf	4 1 1 1		Bonifac cf	3 0 1 0
Prado lf	5 0 3 1		Infante 2b	4 0 2 0
C.Jones 3b	5 0 1 0		Stanton rf	3 0 0 0
Uggla 2b	4 0 0 0

Creating Political Web Sites ...with Substance!

2012-03-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Whether you produce content in-house or you outsource, ensure that it reflects your individual or organizational goals and that it's targeted to your audience.

ON THE WEB, content is king. This notion was recently reinforced by a study from the Poynter Institute and Stanford University showing that, unlike with newspapers and magazines, people who read Web sites typically focus on the text first, looking at photos and other graphics afterward.

The appearance of your campaign's Web site is still important, helping to establish professionalism and credibility. But the information and other substantive material you provide - the "content" - matter most.

"Content is …

Thrashers Outlast Wild 3-2 in SO

2012-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Erik Christensen scored the only goal in the shootout and the Atlanta Thrashers snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Friday night.

Atlanta's Johan Hedberg denied Mikko Koivu, Brent Burns and Brian Rolston in the shootout after stopping 37 shots in regulation and the overtime. It was the Thrashers' first win since Feb. 15 at New Jersey.

Colby Armstrong and Ilya Kovalchuk each scored in the final six minutes as the Thrashers overcame deficits of 1-0 and 2-1. Kovalchuk scored with only 44.9 seconds left in regulation to force the overtime.

Burns and Rolston scored for Minnesota, which began the night tied for first …

Pip's poetic ramblings

2012-03-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Bristol poet Pippin Sadler likes to stretch his legs more thanmost - he has just walked more than 1,000 miles for charity.

He has marched from one end of the country in aid of familyplanning organisation Marie Stopes International and cycling charitySustrans, which is based in Bristol.

Mr Sadler, who appeared at the Bristol Community Festival part-way through his trek from Land's End to John o'Groats, arrived atColston Hall bus stop tired, but happy to be home.

Marie Stopes International provides contraception and abortionadvice to 4.2 million people in 37 countries.

Mr Sadler decided to raise money for them after hearing thatcentres in Africa had been …

One price selling: The holy grail

2012-03-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

Auto companies ought to concentrate on building the best cars, not on trying to figure out how to adopt one-price strategies.

or years we have heard industry gurus pontificate about the customer's hatred of the auto retail buying process According to their vision of the world, people really want to buy cars the way they purchase other consumer goods - pay the price on the tag and don't haggle with the sales attendant. In this idealized world consumers would gravitate toward dealers with the best service, eventually weeding out ineffective dealers.

Unfortunately, the ideal world and real world have little relationship to each other. Saturn has stayed true to one-price …

Australian Open glance

2012-03-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A look at Sunday's seventh day of the Australian Open tennis championships:

WEATHER: Mostly sunny and high of 29 Celsius (84 Fahrenheit).

ATTENDANCE: Day: 43,173; Night — 12,756; TOTAL: 55,929.

WINNERS: Men: No. 2 Roger Federer, No. 3 Novak Djokovic, No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 19 Stanislas Wawrinka.

Women: No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, No. 6 Francesca Schiavone, No. 9 Li Na, No. 30 Andrea Petkovic.

LOSERS: Men: No. 8 Andy Roddick, No. 9 Fernando Verdasco, No. 14 Nicolas Almagro.

Women: No. 8 Victoria Azarenka, No. 14 Maria Sharapova, No. 23 Svetlana …

40 years later, skyjacker's identity a mystery

2012-03-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE (AP) — It has been a rich year for students of D.B. Cooper, a mysterious airliner highjacker who vanished out the back of a Boeing 727 40 years ago Thursday wearing a business suit, a parachute and a pack with $200,000.

An Oklahoma woman came forward to say Cooper may have been her uncle, now deceased. A new book publicized several theories, including one that Cooper was a transgendered mechanic and pilot from Washington state. A team that includes a paleontologist from Seattle's Burke Museum released new findings this month that particles of pure titanium found in the hijacker's clip-on tie suggest he worked in the chemical industry or at a company that manufactured titanium, a discovery that could narrow the field of possible suspects from millions of people to just hundreds.

Nevertheless, no one has been able to solve the puzzle, or even determine whether Cooper survived his infamous jump.

"This case is a testament in a way to our enduring fascination with both a good mystery and a sense of wonderment — mystery because we still don't know who this guy was, and wonderment that a guy could do something this bold — or stupid," says Geoffrey Gray, whose book, "Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper," came out in August.

On Nov. 24, 1971, the night before Thanksgiving, a man described as being in his mid-40s with dark sunglasses and an olive complexion boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. He bought his $20 ticket under the name "Dan Cooper," but an early wire-service report misidentified him as "D.B. Cooper," and the name stuck.

He sat in the back of the plane and handed a note to a flight attendant. She was so busy she didn't read it until after takeoff: "Miss, I have a bomb and would like you to sit by me."

He opened his briefcase, displaying a couple of red cylinders, wires and a battery, and demanded $200,000 in cash plus four parachutes. His demands were granted at Sea-Tac, where he released the 36 passengers and two of the flight attendants. The plane took off again at his direction, heading slowly to Reno, Nevada, at the low height of 10,000 feet (3,050 meters). Somewhere, apparently over southwestern Washington state, Cooper lowered the aircraft's rear stairs and dived into a freezing rainstorm. The jump was so daring that even some of the police who scoured the area reportedly said they hoped he got away.

No sign of Cooper has ever emerged, but a boy digging on a Columbia River beach in 1980 found three bundles of weathered $20 bills — Cooper's cash, according to the serial numbers.

A few events are planned for Saturday to mark the anniversary, including a Cooper symposium (http://huntfordbcooper.com/ ) at a Portland, Oregon, hotel, where sleuths will present their latest findings and theories, and will serve as jurists for a Cooper-themed poetry contest.

Carol Abraczinskas, a scientific illustrator at the University of Chicago, said she plans to present the results of her three-year study of the French comic "Dan Cooper," a series about a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force which may have been the source of the hijacker's pseudonym.

In one issue from 1963, she noted, the character boards an airliner wearing a dark suit and a mask over his eyes and sits in the back of the plane. He demands to be given a briefcase that is in the cockpit, and then, wearing a military parachute, he jumps out of the plane, over a wooded area, at night, in the rain.

"I'm looking at this as, are these comics a possible blueprint for the hijacker?" Abraczinskas says.

The cartoon was published in French Canada and in Europe and was never translated into English. That raises questions about whether the hijacker was a Francophone, she said.

Also among those planning to attend is Marla Cooper of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who disclosed this year that she had provided a tip to the FBI about her deceased uncle. Relying on childhood memories, she recalled that her uncle Lynn Doyle Cooper had arrived at a family home in Oregon with serious injuries and that she overheard him talking about the hijacking.

Cooper says she is optimistic the FBI will be able to match her uncle's fingerprints to those involved in the case. The agency has said DNA testing did not match samples on the hijacker's necktie, but that the finding did not necessarily rule out the lead.

"It looks rather promising that this case could very well be solved in the next few months," Marla Cooper said.

Other Cooper enthusiasts are not so sure. Agents discovered numerous partial fingerprints on an in-flight magazine, but it is unknown if any of those were Cooper's. He appeared to be careful not to leave fingerprints and demanded the flight attendant return the bomb note he had given her.

Partial DNA samples were recovered from the plane, including on the clip-on tie that was left on the hijacker's seat, but no one knows if the samples came from Cooper. The items that might have provided a definite DNA profile — the eight filter-tipped cigarette butts he chain-smoked during the flight — apparently went missing while in FBI storage in Las Vegas.

Many people, including Ralph Himmelsbach, the FBI's lead agent on the case until his retirement in 1980, believed Cooper could not have survived. The temperature at 10,000 feet was 7 below zero, not including the minus-70 wind chill, and even if he had survived the jump, he probably landed in the Columbia River or in rugged, wooded mountains at the onset of winter with no outdoor gear.

Tom Kaye, a paleontologist at the University of Washington's Burke Museum, said his presentation at the symposium will suggest Cooper lived. The three bundles of money that were found on the Columbia River beach at Tena Bar were about 20 miles east — that is, upstream — of what Kaye believes was the plane's flight path. If that's so, the bundles could not have gotten there "without mechanical or human intervention," he said.

That the bundles of money were found together suggests they did not wash down to that spot from a tributary upstream, as others have suggested, he argues.

With the FBI's blessing, Kaye's team (http://www.citizensleuths.com ) tested the tie and discovered the microscopic slivers of pure titanium. At the time, he said, titanium was much rarer than it is today. Titanium alloys were used in aircraft parts, but pure titanium was found only at companies that made pure titanium or at chemical companies that used it because of its corrosion resistance.

Of course, that does not mean the hijacker worked at one of those companies. He could have bought the tie at a thrift shop just before the flight.

Following the symposium, some participants plan to head 39 miles (63 kilometers) north to a familiar stomping ground, the Ariel Store and Tavern in Ariel, Washington, in the heart of Cooper country. The store, which has hosted an annual Cooper celebration for 22 years, has a replica of the chute Cooper used hanging from its ceiling. It also has the sign from the aft stairwell warning not to open it during flight; the sign ripped off when Cooper opened the door and was found by a hunter many years later.

Bryan Woodruff, the 52-year-old son of the owner, said that a week before the 20th anniversary, a man stopped in the store and looked around. He was a dead ringer for the FBI's composite sketch of the suspect.

"There were 7 or 8 of us sitting there, and this guy come in and got a pop and a candy bar," Woodruff recalled. "The guy said he was traveling from Portland to Seattle for business, but why would he come out 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the highway to get a pop and a candy bar? We just all sit here going, wow, was that him?"

The man hasn't been back since.

___

AP writer Mike Baker contributed from Olympia, Wash.

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

Chicago Marathon Will Get Some Competition // Loyola to Sponsor Windy City Marathon

2012-03-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

The Second City will have its second fall marathon.

As many runners trained for this month's Boston and Lake Countymarathons, plans were moving along this week for the first WindyCity International Marathon tentatively to be run Oct. 8.

That's one week before the well-established LaSalle BanksChicago Marathon and one week after the third annual MotorolaHalf-Marathon in the northwest suburbs.

Windy City organizers have scheduled a news conference forApril 19 at Loyola University, the new marathon's host sponsor, tomake the formal announcement and provide details.

Lakeshore Athletic Services president Tom Cooney, well-known inChicago as a leading player on the amateur sports scene and known forhis strong ties with Loyola, is operations director. Bob Bright,director of the Chicago Marathon during much of the 1980s, is racedirector.

"Most of the information will be announced at the newsconference," Cooney said this week. "They've (Loyola) been workingon it for a long time, and it all kind of came together in the lastcouple of weeks."

The new marathon is expected to follow a scenic course from astarting line near Fort Sheridan and Barat College on the south endof Lake Forest and wind through the North Shore suburbs of Highwood,Highland Park, Glencoe, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Wilmette and Evanstonbefore finishing on Loyola's far north side campus.

"The course is going to be our big thing," Cooney said. "It'sgoing to be fast, scenic and point-to-point. What we think ispeople will like running it."

The obvious question is the potential competition with the Oct.15 Chicago Marathon.

"It's obvious they're trying to compete with us," said CareyPinkowski, executive race director of the Chicago Marathon. "We'realready competing. We're competing with Detroit (same day), we'recloser to Twin Cities now (one week) and we're competing withColumbus and St. Louis. Fox Cities has a nice marathon, andMilwaukee has a marathon. We're already competing."

"The Windy City Marathon is going to happen," Bright said."And I think the folks at the Chicago Marathon should put theirefforts into improving their race and stop trying to derail thisrace. I just want to be on an even field. It's like two hot dogstands."

"Rivalry, I think, is the operative word," said Chris Devine,president of Major Broadcasting, the parent company of Major Events,which produces the Chicago Marathon. "This is America, and I wishthose guys the best of luck in the open field. I have a radiobackground, and there are a lot of radio stations on the dial.People listen to the one that appeals to them the most."

Ironically, Devine, is a Loyola graduate who was coached byCooney in 1978.

"I'm gonna stay away from all that stuff," Cooney said. "Ithink it will be OK. They're (Chicago) a very well-establishedevent. They have a very loyal following, and I think they'll do agreat job. Personally, I think it will be fine.

"I'm in the business of putting on road races. I just happen tobe a 25-year employee of the organization that's putting it on. Ihave a vested stake. I went there, I coached there and I teach there(physical education). I'm very tied. It (the decision to leave theChicago Marathon) came down to my loyalty to Loyola."

Bright said Windy City still is seeking to resolve race-dateconflicts with the Active Endeavors Run for the Lake in Evanston andthe Highland Park Hopsital Run for the Health of It, both scheduledfor Oct. 8.

Hamas Seizes Fatah Security Headquarters

2012-03-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hundreds of Hamas fighters firing rockets and mortar shells captured the headquarters of the Fatah-allied security forces in northern Gaza on Tuesday, scoring a key victory in the bloody battle for control of the seaside strip.

Both sides said Gaza had descended into civil war, as the death toll from two days of Palestinian fighting reached 37.

Tuesday's battles marked a turning point, with Hamas moving systematically to seize Fatah positions in what some in the Islamic militant group said would be a decisive phase in the yearlong power struggle. The confrontations became increasingly brutal in recent days, with some killed execution-style in the streets, others in hospital shootouts or thrown off rooftops.

The conflict escalated further when the Fatah central committee decided to suspend the activities of its ministers in the government it shares with Hamas. In an emergency meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Fatah decided on a full withdrawal if the fighting doesn't stop, said government spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh.

President Mahmoud Abbas accused the Islamic militants of Hamas of trying to stage a coup.

A survivor of the Hamas assault on the northern security headquarters said the Fatah forces were outgunned and reinforcements never arrived. "We were pounded with mortar, mortar, mortar," the Fatah fighter, who only gave his first name, Amjad, said, breathing heavily. "They had no mercy. It was boom, boom. They had rockets that could reach almost half of the compound."

Battles raged across the Gaza Strip during the day. The staccato of gunfire echoed across Gaza City, plumes of smoke rose into the air from far-flung neighborhoods and one firefight sent a dozen preschoolers scrambling for cover.

In a sign of the heightened hostilities, both sides threatened to kill each other's leaders. A rocket-propelled grenade damaged the home of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and four mortar shells slammed into Abbas' Gaza City office. Neither attack caused any injuries.

Desperately trying to boost morale, disorganized Fatah forces attacked Hamas' main TV station, but were repelled after a heavy battle. The station later showed a group of captured men it said were among the attackers, blood streaming down their faces.

Many Gazans, pinned down in their homes, were furious with the combatants. "Both Fatah and Hamas are leading us to death and destruction," said Ayya Khalil, 29, whose husband serves as an intelligence officer. "They don't care about us."

There was concern the fighting might spread to the West Bank, where Fatah has the upper hand, as Hamas notched victories in Gaza. Late Tuesday, Fatah gunmen wounded four Hamas activists in the West Bank city of Nablus, Fatah said in a statement.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert proposed stationing international forces along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt to prevent arms from reaching Palestinian militants, including Hamas. However, he ruled out assistance to Abbas' forces.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate halt to the violence and urged all sides to support Abbas.

The U.N. warned that its efforts to supply refugees with assistance were in jeopardy because of the fighting.

Hamas and Fatah have waged a power struggle in fits and spurts since Hamas won parliamentary elections in January 2006, and Hamas signaled that the fighting was moving into a decisive phase. It ignored pleas by Abbas and exasperated Egyptian mediators to honor a cease-fire.

"Decisiveness will be in the field," said Islam Shahwan, spokesman for the Hamas military wing.

In contrast, Fatah commanders complained they were not given clear orders by Abbas to fight back and that they had no central command. Fatah's strongman in Gaza, Mohammed Dahlan, has spent the last few weeks in Cairo because of a knee injury. Other leading Fatah officials left Gaza for the West Bank after previous rounds of bloodshed.

"There's a difference between leading on the ground and leading by mobile phone," police Col. Nasser Khaldi said of Dahlan's absence. "Hamas is just taking over our positions. There are no orders."

Both sides have been arming themselves in recent weeks, smuggling weapons through tunnels from Egypt.

Abbas accused Hamas leaders of trying to seize control of Gaza by force.

The headquarters of the Fatah-allied security forces in northern Gaza, a key prize for Hamas, was taken by the Islamic militants after several hours of battle. Some 200 Hamas fighters had fired mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns at the compound, where some 500 Fatah loyalists were holed up and returned fire. Thirty-five jeeploads of Fatah fighters were sent as reinforcements. After nightfall, Hamas seized control, said a Hamas commander, Wael al-Shakra.

A Fatah security official confirmed the building had been lost. At least 12 people were killed and 30 wounded in the fighting.

Earlier, Hamas fighters also overran several smaller Fatah positions in Gaza.

Hamas gunmen also exchanged fire with Fatah forces at the southern security headquarters in the town of Khan Younis, but did not launch a major assault there. The town's streets were empty as people huddled inside. One Hamas man was killed, according to Hamas and medical officials.

In Gaza City, Hamas fired mortars and explosives at the pro-Fatah Preventive Security headquarters, drawing return fire from watchtowers in the compound. Elsewhere, Fatah fighters killed four Hamas gunmen in a battle near the besieged house of a senior Fatah commander.

The State Department and the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, warning of a "very dangerous security situation," advised journalists not to travel to Gaza and urged any there to leave.

Even before the current outbreak of violence, no Western correspondents were based in Gaza. As the violence escalated this week, most journalists were staying off the streets, covering the conflict from the windows of high-rise buildings and keeping in touch with their sources by telephone.

Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since the Hamas election victory ended four decades of Fatah rule. The sides agreed to share power in an uneasy coalition three months ago, but put off key disputes, including control over the security forces. Most of the forces are dominated by Fatah loyalists, while Hamas has formed its own militia and has thousands of gunmen at its command.

Beverley Milton-Edwards, a Hamas expert at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, said Gaza is heading for a final showdown. "This has become the existential battle for the soul of the Palestinian people," Milton-Edwards said.

Brutality has grown in recent days, with people shot at close range in street executions. On Sunday, a member of Abbas' presidential guard, Mohammed Sweirki of Fatah, was kidnapped and hurled off a 15-story apartment building, followed a few hours later by the killing of a Hamas fighter, Abu Kainas, thrown from the roof of a 12-story building in apparent retaliation. In all, more than 80 people have been killed since mid-May, most of them militants.

Human Rights Watch, blamed both sides. "Fatah and Hamas military forces have summarily executed captives, killed people not involved in hostilities, and engaged in gun battles with one another inside and near Palestinian hospitals," the New York-based group said in a statement.

Republican debate - A Reagan seance

2012-03-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

Did you see the Republican presidential candidate debate? I found it to be even more ridiculous than the Democrats' debate, not that either of them meant anything serious when it comes to the 2008 election. While I am not on either side at this point, I thought the Repubs were simply pitiful. There are three or four other white male candidates, which seem to be the only gender and race the Repubs can find in the 21st Century, who are waiting to get into the fray. I can't wait to see which Black Republican will come out publicly and endorse one of those white guys, especially one of those who participated in the "debate."

The Republican "debate," or so it was deemed, was more like a seance for Ronald Reagan. They were trying to raise him from the dead! Who won the debate? It was Reagan, hands down. Held in the Reagan Library, with not a Black person in camerashot, in none other than Simi Valley, California, where the cops who beat Rodney King were acquitted, the seance was an exercise in hero-worship and groveling at the feet of Nancy Reagan, whose greatest contribution to Black people was her admonishment to "Just say no."

If they wanted to remember Reagan instead of have a real debate, maybe they should have held the event in Philadelphia, Mississippi where Reagan kicked off his campaign for President. Oh yeah, that's also the city where Goodman, Cheney, and Schwerner were murdered.

The Reagan Love Fest was something to behold, and now that the upcoming Republican campaign has been relegated to a remembrance of the "good old days" of Ronald Reagan, I can only imagine a handful of Black folks voting for a Republican candidate in 2008.

Therefore, the next election should be even more polarizing than the previous two because a vote for the Republican will be a vote for Reagan.

I don't know about you, but I couldn't take another four years of the guy Gil Scott-Heron called, "Holrywierd."

I have thought for a while now that if Giuliani and McCain are the best the Repubs could offer they would be in deep trouble in 2008. Now they have Mitt Romney, the one who invoked Reagan's name the most during the debate, and they are recruiting Fred Thompson who, they say, "looks and sounds" presidential, has the same characteristics as Reagan and is a staunch conservative that can lead the Repubs back from the abyss.

Considering the Repubs' presidential candidates, if they should win again, Black folks will be the ones in deep trouble. White guys all around? Where are Michael Steele, Ken Blackwell, J.C. Watts and the other two or three Black Republicans?

It would seem that at least one of them would be in the race - for show if for nothing else. But whoever is in the race, it won't matter to Black folks. We definitely will not have a dog in the Republican hunt.

You know, by now, one would think Black people understood national "politricks." After all, we have been here since the country started; we have fought and died to play in the game; and our group has suffered the most under the U.S. political system, which has been dominated by white men since its inception.

What we witnessed in both debates was a mating dance that we have seen over and over again.

It was a ritual performed to keep the lemmings in line and to make us believe something serious is going on in the political arena, something different, and maybe even something - this time - that will benefit Black people.

The Democrats held a love fest and the Republicans held a Ronald Reagan seance; we were hit with a left hook followed by a right cross, in the first round of this fight.

Were you persuaded by anyone? Have you made up your mind yet? Do you think Black folks will benefit no matter who gets elected?

My cynicism as well as my historical perspective tell me "No." Also, I am reminded that if we continue to do the same thing, we will continue to get the same results.

It's pretty much cut and dried who the Black Dems will support; they have safe bets all around. But I can't wait to see who the Black Republicans endorse from their gang of ten white guys. Or is it fourteen now?

I hope the 2012 Republican debate will not be held at the George W. Bush "Library." What an oxymoronic setting that would be. Meanwhile, back at the Reagan Ranch, there have been Ronnie sightings.

[Author Affiliation]

James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati's African American Studies department and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber oj Commerce. He hosts the radio program, Blackonomics, and has written several books, including Black-o-Knowledge-Stuff. To book Clingmanfor a speech or purchase his books, go to his Web site, www.blackonomics.com or call him at 513/489-4132.

'Rod, you're fired'

2012-03-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Rod Blagojevich, you're fired.

Again.

The ex-governor was given the boot Sunday night after he couldn't muster the magic to give his team a win as they worked to generate buzz for Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter in episode four of "Celebrity Apprentice."

Blagojevich seemed doomed from the start after Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson called on him to be the team's project manager. Johnson had been critical of Blagojevich and reveled at the chance to set him up for failure.

Donald Trump was hesitant to fire Blagojevich, saying he thought the impeached ex-governor was afraid to offend potential jurors while competing.

"I think Rod is being overly nice because he has some pretty big things to do when we're finished with this," Trump said. "I think he's in a very tough position. I think you're a guy with great courage."

But Trump reluctantly gave Blagojevich the ax for leading the men to a third straight loss and failing to communicate with his team.

"It's pretty sad," said Trump of Blagojevich's performance.

"Rod," Trump ultimately said, "you're fired."

Blagojevich's technical difficulties were quickly becoming a running joke. For the second episode, he couldn't operate a computer at the most basic level, and this week he struggled to work a smartphone while his counterpart on the women's team was texting away.

His inability to function with a phone drew chuckles from CNBC anchor Erin Burnett, who was Trump's eyes on the scene.

"I can understand you're a little nervous about using the phone, but it seemed to go a little beyond that," she said, making light of the recorded phone conversations being used as evidence in Blagojevich's upcoming court case.

But Blagojevich's issues turned from punch line to problem as he struggled to delegate from Orlando while the team worked in New York. Even teammates who once found Blagojevich tolerable if not endearing grew sick of his inability to lead and apparently began to turn on him.

"He's a governor. That's------- unbelievable," celebrity chef Curtis Stone said.

WVC coaches pick W.Va. State to repeat as league champion: Charleston women selected to also claim conference championship

2012-03-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

PRINCETON - West Virginia State University's men's basketball teamwas overwhelmingly selected by West Virginia Conference coaches towin the league championship this year.

The University of Charleston, meanwhile, earned the same billingin the women's coaches poll.

State Coach Bryan Poore said he was honored by the selection butpointed out that the coaches' preseason pick for No. 1 rarely ends upin that spot.

"I don't know how long it's been since the coaches actuallypredicted the right winner," Poore said. "A lot of things have tohappen."

Poore figured with several of his top players returning from lastyear's team that went 15-3 in the league that the Yellow Jacketswould be picked high in the poll.

"I knew we would be up there," he said. "I didn't necessarilythink it would be No. 1. There are some other teams that are awfullygood.

"But it's a compliment to our program for the league coaches tofeel this early that we're the front-runner."

State, which received 12 of the 15 first-place votes, was the 2003-2004 regular season WVC champion and returns four key players fromlast year's NCAA Tournament squad.

The key returnees include Chris Dunn, Tony Cornett, Mike Brown andNat Moles, a former DuPont and Riverside standout.

State opens its season on Nov. 19 in a tournament at Kutztown, Pa.

The Yellow Jackets will play an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Saturdayagainst the Charleston Bombers in Institute.

The Bombers are a Charleston-based traveling AAU team, consistingof several former area standouts.

Three-time defending tournament champ Alderson-Broaddus finishedsecond in the men's coaches poll after receiving two first-placevotes.

The University of Charleston was picked to finish third andWheeling Jesuit grabbed the final first-place vote to place fourth.Salem International was fifth, followed by Concord University,Shepherd University, Fairmont State University, West VirginiaUniversity Tech and Glenville State.

Davis & Elkins, West Virginia Wesleyan, West Liberty State, OhioValley and Bluefield State took the number 11 through 15 spots.

On the women's side, Coach Sherry Winn's Golden Eagles earned fiveof 15 first-place votes. Glenville State was picked to finish second,followed by Fairmont State, defending champion West Liberty, WestVirginia State and Wheeling Jesuit.

Concord was picked seventh, followed by Shepherd, West VirginiaWesleyan, Davis & Elkins, Ohio Valley, Salem International, Alderson-Broaddus, Bluefield State and WVU Tech.

Glenville received four first-place votes and Fairmont State andWest Liberty each received three.

CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

2012-03-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Jake Walker is chief creative officer at Runoff Studios and received an associate degree in animation from the Art Institute of York. An Oct. 7 front page article titled "Young entrepreneurs" contained incorrect information.

The Central Penn Business Journal will correct or clarify mistakes made in the publication. If you have a question, please call the editorial department at 717-236-4300.

UEFA: Platini didn't 'promise' Euro 2020 to Turkey

2012-03-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA dismissed reports that its President Michel Platini promised Turkey it will host the 2020 European Championship.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Football Federation said on Friday it will consider bidding for Euro 2020 depending on whether Istanbul makes the shortlist for the 2020 Olympics.

UEFA said "unfounded statements" appeared in Turkish media suggesting Platini assured Turkish football officials they would win with their fourth successive bid.

UEFA said the Euro 2020 bidding process hasn't started, nor a timetable agreed.

Ilker Ugur, head of the TFF's international events department, said by telephone that "it is the TFF's main goal to host the Euros."

Ugur, however, said the federation has not received any invitation from UEFA to bid for 2020, and preferred to wait and see Istanbul's fate for the 2020 Olympics.

Turks believe bidding for both events might increase the financial burden and reduce their chances.

Turkish officials were angered two years ago when UEFA's executive committee voted 7-6 for France to host Euro 2016.

Platini didn't vote, but Turkey believed he favored his home country in what became a politicized election.

France President Nicolas Sarkozy, who opposes Turkey joining the European Union, made a key speech immediately before the vote in Geneva.

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AP writer Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara contributed to this report.

Alabama approves slavery apologies; But vote comes just after Confederate Day

2012-03-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The state House and Senate approved separateresolutions apologizing for slavery Tuesday -- one day afterConfederate Memorial Day, an official state holiday.

"An apology goes a long way," said Sen. Hank Sanders, a Democrat."Some of us can't begin to heal until we have an apology."

Neither resolution will become official unless approved by theother chamber and signed by Republican Gov. Bob Riley, which isexpected.

Legislatures in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina haveapproved similar slavery apologies this year.

The Legislature resumed work Tuesday after state offices wereclosed the day before for Confederate Memorial Day, whichcommemorates secessionist soldiers in the Civil War.

Not all legislators agreed with the apologies. Some Republicansfeared the resolutions would be used to seek reparations, and thesponsors added language that they were not intended to be used as abasis for lawsuits.

"What I have a problem with is apologizing for something I didn'tdo," said Rep. Jay Love.

Jobless claims rise due to weather-related factors

2012-03-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

New claims for unemployment benefits jumped unexpectedly in the U.S. last week, mostly because state agencies processed a backlog of claims caused by snowstorms the previous week.

The severe weather also increased temporary layoffs in the weather-sensitive construction and transportation industries.

Still, the increase in claims underscored concerns that layoffs are no longer slowing as they had in the second half of last year. More layoffs means consumers will have less money to spend, hindering the economic recovery.

"The fact that these snowstorms _ as bad as they were _ could have such an impact is more testimony to the fragility of the recovery," Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, wrote in a note to clients. "The recovery is still on thin ice and lost momentum in the first quarter."

The jobless claims report, along with economic anxiety in Europe, contributed to unease on Wall Street. In early-afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell about 165 points, or about 1.6 percent. Broader stock averages also dropped.

A separate report Thursday on orders for big-ticket manufactured goods was mixed. The Commerce Department said durable goods orders shot up in January by 3 percent, the most in six months.

But that gain resulted from a surge in orders for aircraft. Excluding transportation, durable goods orders fell by 0.6 percent, a weaker showing than economists had expected.

Economists weren't overly alarmed by that drop. They noted that the figures are volatile month-to-month. And they pointed out that the government raised its estimate for orders, excluding transportation, in December to show a 2 percent gain.

In its report on jobless claims, the Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment insurance rose by 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 496,000. Wall Street analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a drop to 455,000.

Economists closely watch initial claims, which are considered a gauge of the pace of layoffs and an indication of companies' willingness to hire new workers.

The four-week average of claims, which smooths volatility, rose by 6,000 to 473,750. The four-week average has risen by about 30,000 in the past month. The average had fallen sharply over the summer and fall from its peak last spring of about 650,000. But the improvement has stalled since the year began.

The four-week figure is now well above the 425,000 level that many economists say would signal net hiring.

The higher claims figures in recent weeks mean the unemployment rate likely rose in February and more jobs were lost. The unemployment rate in January was 9.7 percent, and employers cut a net total of 20,000 jobs. The Labor Department will issue the February employment report next week.

Many analysts expect this month's snowstorms cost up to 100,000 jobs and will artificially inflate the unemployment rate. A clear reading of the job picture may not be available until March or April.

Also Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a congressional committee that the snowstorms are likely to have a short-term _ but not permanent _ effect on unemployment and layoffs. He said policymakers will "have to be careful about not overinterpreting" the upcoming data.

The Fed said last week that it expects the rate will average between 9.5 percent and 9.7 percent this year.

The economy has grown for six months but is not yet spurring new hiring. Many economists point out that the current recovery is weak compared to the aftermath of previous deep recessions. Employers have shed 8.4 million jobs since the recession began.

The gross domestic product, the broadest gauge of the economy's output, grew at an annual rate of 5.7 percent in last year's October-December quarter. But that figure is expected to decline in the current quarter. The government will release a revised estimate of fourth-quarter GDP on Friday. Economists expect the number to come in unchanged at around 5.7 percent.

The number of people continuing to claim unemployment benefits, meanwhile, was essentially unchanged at 4.6 million. Those figures, known as "continuing claims," lag initial claims by a week.

But there are now many more people receiving extended unemployment benefits that aren't included in the continuing claims figures. Congress has provided up to 73 weeks of extra benefits, paid for by the federal government, for jobless workers who have used up the standard 26 weeks of benefits customarily provided by states.

About 5.7 million people received extended benefits in the week that ended Feb. 6, down from more than 6 million the previous week. All told, more than 11 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits.

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AP Economics Writers Martin Crutsinger and Jeannine Aversa contributed to this report.

Hopman Cup results

2012-03-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

Results Friday at the eight-country Hopman Cup mixed teams tennis tournament (women's singles, men's singles, mixed doubles) on hard courts at the indoor Burswood Dome:

Britain 2, Russia 1

Elena Dementieva, Russia, def, Laura Robson, Britain, 6-4, 6-0.

Andy Murray, Britain, def. Igor Andreev, Russia 6-1, 6-0.

Laura Robson and Andy Murray, Britain, def. Igor Andreev and Elena Dementieva, Russia, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (6).

Kazakhstan 2, Germany 0

Yaroslava Shvedova, Kazakhstan, def. Sabine Lisicki, Germany, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

Andrey Golubev, Kazakhstan, def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany, 6-2, 6-1.

Shvedova and Golubev, Kazkhstan, vs. Lisicki and Kohlschreiber, Germany, Not Played.

Standings

Britain 3-0, Kazakhstan 2-1, Russia 1-2, Germany 0-3.

Union marchers in Memphis honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-03-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

On the 40th anniversary of his assassination, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered Friday in the city where he died as a man who came to Memphis "to lead us to a better way."

Presidential candidates, civil rights leaders, labor activists and thousands of citizens were coming together to honor King for his devotion to racial equality and economic justice.

King was cut down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968, while helping organize a strike by Memphis sanitation workers, then some of the poorest of the city's working poor.

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represented the workers then and now, marched Friday from their downtown headquarters to the motel.

A line of several hundred people carrying umbrellas in a steady rain set off on the mile-long route.

"Dr. King was like Moses," said Leslie Moore, a 61-year-old sanitation worker who began working for the city in 1968. "God gave Moses the assignment to lead the children of Israel across the Red Sea. He sent Dr. King here to lead us to a better way."

In Atlanta, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III placed a wreath at the national historic site where their father and mother, Corretta Scott King, are buried. They were expected to travel to Memphis later in the day.

The site also commemorated the anniversary with the opening of a special exhibit chronicling the final days and hours before King's death, as well as his funeral procession through his hometown five days later.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is the wagon that was drawn by two mules as it carried King's casket from his funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church to Morehouse College, his alma mater. Bernice King was scheduled to speak to about 2,000 students at the church.

Presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain were scheduled to take part in later anniversary day events that were to include an afternoon "recommitment march" and the laying of wreaths at the motel. Sen. Barack Obama will be campaigning in Indiana.

"The whole nation flinched" when King was killed, said writer Cynthia Griggs Fleming, one of the many historians, commentators and activists in town for panel discussions and lectures on King's legacy.

King advised his followers to keep working for equal rights for all citizens, "to keep on moving," no matter what obstacles they faced, Fleming said in a talk Thursday at a Memphis church.

"Don't be so consumed by the pain that you don't hear the message," she said.

As the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a former King associate, said earlier: "Here was a man who understood nonviolence at a depth that I had never known before."

King's son, Martin Luther King III, wrote in an opinion piece published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday that America is still plagued by poverty. He urged presidential candidates to vow to appoint a Cabinet-level officer who would help the poor.

"We are not doing anywhere near enough," he said Friday during an interview with his sister, Bernice, on the "Today" show.

The National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991 at the former motel, which now holds most of the exhibits tracing the history of America's struggle for equal rights. The museum also encompasses the flophouse across the street from which confessed killer James Earl Ray admitted firing the fatal shot. Ray died in prison in 1998.

King was a champion of nonviolent protest for social change, and his writings and speeches still stir older followers and new ones alike, said Vivian, who helped organize lunch-counter sit-ins in Nashville in 1960 and rode on a "freedom bus" through Mississippi.

"The world still listens to Martin," he said. "There are people who didn't reach for him then who reach for him now. They want to know this man. What did he say? What did he think?"

Other tributes were being held around the country. In Congress, House and Senate leaders and lawmakers who once worked with the civil rights leader marked the anniversary with a tribute Thursday in the Capitol's Statuary Hall.

"Because of the leadership of this man we rose up out of fear and became willing to put our bodies on the line," said Rep. John Lewis, a companion of King in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.

In Indianapolis, Ethel Kennedy was scheduled to make brief remarks during a ceremony Friday evening at what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Her late husband Robert Kennedy gave a passionate speech there the night of King's assassination that was credited with quelling violence in the city.

Memphis has also been in the news lately because of the success of the Memphis Tigers, who play UCLA in the Final Four on Saturday. Coach John Calipari had copies of King's "I Have a Dream" speech for his players to read after practice Wednesday, along with a King biography, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson met the team for a personal history lesson.

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Associated Press Writer Errin Haines in Atlanta contributed to this report.

New Hampshire beats Hartford 55-47

2012-03-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Tyrece Gibbs hit two key 3-pointers in the second half and New Hampshire held off Hartford 55-47 Wednesday night in America East play.

Gibbs finished with 21 points to lead New Hampshire (5-7, 1-0) and Michael Turner led Hartford (5-10, 1-1) with 16 points.

New Hampshire led 23-19 at the half, and scored the first eight points of the second half. It later increased the lead to 38-25 before Hartford closed within 40-38 as Von Rosenberg hit 8 points of his 15 points in a 13-2 run.

But Gibbs hit a 3-pointer to give UNH breathing room, and then after Turner hit a trey, Gibbs hit another one to spark a 7-0 run for a 9-point lead with 2:57 to play.

Hartford never got closer than six again.