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CAS clears Queiroz to work pending verdict

2012-03-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport has temporarily lifted a suspension imposed on Carlos Queiroz, clearing the former Portugal coach to work before the outcome of his appeal in an anti-doping case.

The court says it granted Queiroz's request to freeze a six-month ban imposed by Portugal's anti-doping agency, which ruled this month that he …

Heat trade Quinn to Nets

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

The Miami Heat traded point guard Chris Quinn to the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday, a move that could be a precursor to Rafer Alston's return to South Florida.

Alston agreed to a buyout agreement with the Nets earlier Tuesday, and two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the guard is hoping to sign with the Heat later this week. If Alston clears waivers Thursday at 6 p.m., he could sign with any team.

Quinn was sent in exchange for a second-round pick in 2012. Miami could get New Jersey's second-round draft pick this year, provided it's not between picks 31-50.

Quinn played in 168 games in parts of four seasons with the …

TIPS FOR PERFECT LIPS

2012-03-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Condition the lips before applying lipstick. Blistex and otheremollients with moisture-rich vitamins help slough dead skin and givekissable puckers. For stay-put color, place a single layer of tissue over thelipstick and dust loose transparent powder. This helps set theshade.

Line lips to keep color from bleeding, especially when wearing red.Experiment with different color forms: matte (heavy in wax andpigment and lighter in emollients); cremes (oils provide more sheen);glosses (high shine and low color); sheers and stains (similar togloss and more subtle); shimmers (the '90s frosts); long lasting(silicone oil helps …

Geithner urges greater IMF role in currencies

2012-03-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is urging the International Monetary Fund to play a bigger role in monitoring how countries manage their currencies.

Geithner told the IMF's top policy committee on Saturday that the 187-nation lending institution must speak more …

US official: 2008 US deficit will approach $490 billion, record driven by economy sag

2012-03-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

A Bush administration official said Monday the next administration will inherit a record U.S. budget deficit for next year that approaches $490 billion.

The official said the deficit was being driven to record levels by the sagging economy and the stimulus payments being made to 130 million households in an effort to keep the United States from falling into a deep recession. A deficit approaching $490 billion would easily surpass the record deficit of $413 billion set in 2004.

The administration official spoke on condition of anonymity because the new estimate had not been formally released. Administration officials were scheduled to do that at a news …

Begin tax planning now ; The sooner you start planning for taxes, the better it will be for you. Here's a quick guide to get you started.

2012-03-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's now November and, chances are that you have already beenhanded your tax liability sheet for 2008-09. If you are a salariedprofessional, your accounts department has handed you one and if youare self-employed or in business, your chartered accountant musthave done so. Have you booked losses in the stock market and are youwondering whether these can be set off against income or gains thatmay have accrued to you during the year? Surely, these are importantquestions that you need to consider along with the various taxplanning Schemes. To help you get going with the exercise now,instead of running helter-skelter towards the fag-end of thefinancial year, here's a quick guide on …

Tech company weathers layoffs

2012-03-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

One of downtown Lebanon's highprofile, high-tech successes has laid off more than half of its work force.

The company will survive, says Denny Miller, president of Pipeline Interactive.

"We're not going anywhere," Miller says.

When 2001 began, Pipeline, a Web-building firm, had about 35 employees. In June, the company moved from the fourth and fifth floors of its office building to the first floor. It then celebrated its success with an open house, Over a period of months, about 20 people were let go.

Today, 15 workers remain.

Miller says no further layoffs will be necessary.

"We still have a really strong core group of talent and a core group of …

Lots of eggs, but no babies for Galapagos tortoise

2012-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

By this point in his long life, Lonesome George should be at least a grandfather.

But even fatherhood appears to be eluding the Galapagos tortoise, estimated to be between 75 and 80 years old and believed to be the last living member of the Geochelone abigdoni species.

Galapagos National Park officials announced Wednesday that eight eggs laid by the giant tortoise's two female companions are infertile.

The disappointing news came 130 days after conservationists placed the eggs in an artificial incubator _ the first time any of George's mates had produced eggs after 36 years of attempts by park rangers.

The most recent prospective …

HIGH SCHOOL NOTES

2012-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Illinois football coach Mike White and his staff were impressedby several players at their recent camp, including quarterback EricBush of Quincy, linemen Jim Simpson of East Peoria and Randy Taylorof Thornton Fractional South and tight end Turner Baur of St. Louis.

Top performers at the camp were:

Quarterbacks: Bush and East Moline's Jeff Skillet, perhaps thebest punting prospect in the state.

Running backs: Lamont White, Bolingbrook; Leroy Kinard, WestOrange, Fla.

Wide receivers: Tony Mazur, Barrington; Linzy Collins, St.Louis.

Tight ends: Baur; Mike Allaway, Andrew; Todd Harrison,Gainesville, Fla.

Offensive linemen: …

Sharp Exchanges Over Pakistan Bombing

2012-03-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Venomous exchanges erupted Monday between Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan's miltary-led government, straining their emerging alliance, as politicians debated whether to restrict campaign rallies after the bombing that shattered Bhutto's homecoming.

The sharp words reflected the personal animosity that underlies much of Pakistani politics, and raised doubts about whether longtime enemies could become allies in support of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf after upcoming parliamentary elections.

On Thursday, a suicide attack on former Prime Minister Bhutto killed 136 people and wounded hundreds in Karachi as she made her triumphal return to Pakistan.

…

EU Parliament elects Buzek as president

2012-03-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

European Parliament lawmakers have elected ex-Polish prime minister, and former Solidarity activist Jerzy Buzek as president of the 736-member assembly.

The 69-year-old won the backing of 555 lawmakers in the legislature on a first ballot vote Tuesday.

His election was the first order of business of the assembly's …

There's more to school than making Final Four

2012-03-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

It's back to classes for frenzied fans and players alike, butoh, what a week. There is no parallel to the excitement of the FinalFour.

But, it is back to school. And that is the part of collegeathletics and high schools athletics that is becoming increasinglyscary. While there is usually no great difficulty for the talentedathlete to gain admittance to a college or university, too manyinstitutions deliver eligibility, but not education, as their end ofthe bargain. The athlete continues to play, but all too often makeslittle progress toward academic successes.

The figures are astonishing. Division I basketball playersgraduate at a rate of 27 percent. Between 25 percent to 30 percentof the nation's high school seniors who are football and basketballplayers are functionally illiterate. That is more than double thenational average.

Public skepticism about the potential benefits of athleticparticipation are at an all-time high. Headlines in the dailynewspaper shout of scandal-ridden athletic programs.

As educators, we have to ask, what are we doing wrong?

The very characteristics that make someone a great athlete canalso make a great student or a great citizen. Dedication,discipline, hard work, goal orientation, teamwork and the ability todeal with victory and defeat are just as important in the classroomas on the playing field.

Competition is good in its purest form. It sours when it is atthe expense of others.

Student-athletes need to be made aware of the enormous odds.The high school athlete has a 10,000-1 shot of ever getting paid forplaying and 100-1 odds of ever competing for a Division I school. Ina good year, fewer than 200 players break into football andbasketball combined, and only 2,500 per year, baseball included, playin the big leagues.

As long as our educational institutions are administeringathletic programs, education should come first.

Illinois and 40 other states as well as the U.S. Congress havedeclared April 6 Student-Athlete Day in hopes of encouraging ouryoung people to take a look at both sides of the fence and balancethem evenly. It's not a day to take dreams away but to refocusathletic dreams in the context of achievement in the classroom aswell as the playing field.

In spite of the highly publicized scandals surroundingathletics, participation still has many virtues. We can't let ouryouth waste golden educational opportunities by chasing invisibleathletic opportunities. We also can't conveniently use our nation'spowerful academic institutions as a minor league program for footballand basketball. We need to make this commitment to the 3.3 millionboys and 1.8 million girls who participate in high school athleticprograms.

These students need to realize that education is the real no-cutcontract.

Tom Kowalski is the coordinator of Project Academus, DePaulUniversity's professional athlete degree completion program. ProjectAcademus is a member of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society,a 40-school consortium centered at Northeastern University in Boston.

WORLD SPORTS at 1330 GMT

2012-03-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

SOCCER:

UEFA-CUP CHANGES: UEFA expected to decide on format changes to European competitions

LUCERNE, Switzerland _ UEFA decides on the future format for the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. BC-EU-SPT-SOC--UEFA-CUP CHANGES. By Bradley S. Klapper. Expected by 1730 GMT.

EURO 2008-DRAW: Greece goes into Euro 2008 draw in strong form as defending champions

LUCERNE, Switzerland _ Greece produced one of the biggest upsets in soccer by winning the European Championship four years ago _ only to fail to qualify for the next World Cup. Now, Otto Rehhagel's team could be timing it just right to become the first back-to-back European champion. BC-EU-SPT-SOC--EURO 2008-DRAW. Has moved. By Bradley S. Klapper.

ENGLISH PREVIEW: Chelsea hosting West Ham with the chance of taking second place in Premier League

LONDON _ Chelsea has a chance to put its rocky start to the season even further behind it when it hosts West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday. With Manchester United not in action until Monday, when the defending champions host Fulham, victory over the Hammers could lift Chelsea as high as second place. BC-EU-SPT-SOC--ENGLISH PREVIEW. Has moved. By Stuart Condie.

BECKHAM DOWN UNDER: Beckham wows them in rugby country; Galaxy training draws 15,000

WELLINGTON, New Zealand _ David Beckham can sure pull a crowd, even at training. Beckham and his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates hold their practice session in front of more than 15,000 fans at Westpac Stadium. The 35,000-seat oval is the venue for Saturday's exhibition match between the Galaxy and Wellington Phoenix. BC-AS-SPT-SOC--BECKHAM DOWN UNDER. Has moved. By Steve McMorran.

ALSO:

_ PRAGUE, Czech Republic _ BC-EU-SPT-SOC--CZECH-FAN VIOLENCE. Has moved.

_ HONOLULU _ BC-NA-SPT-SOC--PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP. Has moved.

_ SECAUCUS, New Jersey _ BC-NA-SPT-SOC--MLS-RED BULLS-STADIUM. Has moved.

_ SEOUL, South Korea _ BC-AS-SPT-SOC--SKOREA-PREMIER LEAGUE. Has moved. By John Duerden.

_ MEXICO CITY _ BC-LA-SPT-SOC--MEXICAN ROUNDUP. Has moved.

TENNIS:

DAVIS CUP FINAL: Russian captain names a surprise lineup for Davis Cup

PORTLAND, Oregon _ Russia pulls a surprise at the draw for the Davis Cup final, leaving fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko out of the singles matches. BC-NA-SPT-TEN--DAVIS CUP FINAL. Has moved. By Anne M. Peterson.

RUGBY UNION:

ARGENTINA-FUTURE: IRB aims to upgrade Argentina's international status by 2012, based in the Southern Hemisphere

DUBLIN, Ireland _ Argentina's rugby future lies in the Southern Hemisphere and not in Europe where the majority of its team play. BC-EU-SPT-RUGU--ARGENTINA-FUTURE. Has moved.

WITH:

_ DUBLIN, Ireland _ BC-EU-SPT-RUGU--2011 WORLD CUP. Has moved.

ALSO:

_ PERTH, Australia _ BC-AS-SPT-RUGU--AUSTRALIA-PLAYERS FINED. Has moved.

CRICKET:

INDIA-PAKISTAN: Opener Jaffer slams century as India consolidates

CALCUTTA, India _ Wasim Jaffer's aggressive 192 not out lifts India to 352 for three after the opening day of the second test against Pakistan, taking a firm grip on the three-test series. BC-AS-SPT-CRK--INDIA-PAKISTAN. Has moved. By Manik Banerjee.

OLYMPICS:

MEDIA-CHINA: Media advocacy group complains to IOC about press freedom in China ahead of Beijing Olympics

PARIS _ A leading media rights group complains to the International Olympic Committee about China's treatment of reporters leading up to the Beijing Summer Games. BC-EU-SPT-OLY--MEDIA-CHINA. Has moved.

WITH:

_ BEIJING _ BC-AS-SPT-OLY--BEIJING-TICKETS. Has moved.

ALPINE SKIING:

WCUP-SUPER-COMBI: Switzerland's Albrecht edges Grange to win super-combi

BEAVER CREEK, Colorado _ Switzerland's Daniel Albrecht wins a super-combi for his first career World Cup victory. BC-NA-SPT-SKI-ALP--WCUP-SUPER-COMBI. Has moved. By Erica Bulman.

ALSO:

_ LAKE LOUISE, Alberta _ BC-NA-SPT-SKI-ALP--WCUP-WOMEN'S DOWNHILL. Has moved.

FIGURE SKATING:

NHK TROPHY: Kostner beats Ando in women's short program; Germans take pairs at NHK Trophy

SENDAI, Japan _ European champion Carolina Kostner surprises local favorite and world champion Miki Ando in the women's short program at the NHK Trophy, while Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany win the pairs. BC-AS-SPT-FIG--NHK TROPHY. Has moved. By Salvatore Zanca.

AUTO SPORT:

WALES RALLY: Loeb aiming for fourth consecutive WRC title in Rally of Wales

CARDIFF, Wales _ Sebastien Loeb begins his bid to win a fourth consecutive world championship title at the Rally of Wales. BC-EU-SPT-CAR--WALES RALLY. Has moved.

GOLF:

CAMBODIAN OPEN: Saltus and Groom share lead after two rounds of Cambodian Open

SIEM REAP, Cambodia _ America's Bryan Saltus puts his new putter to good use as he shoots a 5-under 67 to claim a share of the lead after two rounds of the inaugural Cambodian Open. BC-AS-SPT-GLF--CAMBODIAN OPEN. Has moved.

ALSO:

_QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand _ BC-AS-SPT-GLF--NEW ZEALAND OPEN. Has moved.

_ WINTER GARDEN, Florida _ BC-NA-SPT-GLF--US PGA Q-SCHOOL. Has moved.

_ DAYTONA BEACH, Florida _ BC-NA-SPT-GLF--US LPGA Q-SCHOOL. Has moved.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL:

NFL PREVIEW: Jacksonville, sneaking up on Indy, has a chance to tie for first

NEW YORK _ The Indianapolis Colts hope they got their 10-day break at just the right time. They may need every healthy body to hold off charging Jacksonville in the American Football Conference South. BC-NA-SPT-FBL--NFL PREVIEW. Has moved. By Dave Goldberg.

ALSO:

_ BANGKOK, Thailand _ BC-AS-SPT--SEA GAMES. Has moved. By Chris Lines.

_ LOS ANGELES _ BC-NA-SPT-BKB--LAKERS-JACKSON. Has moved.

_ CALGARY, Alberta _ BC-NA-SPT-SKE--WORLD CUP. Has moved.

_ SYDNEY, Australia _ BC-AS-SPT-CYC--WORLD CUP. Has moved.

_ BOSTON _ BC-NA-SPT-BKB--NBA ROUNDUP. Has moved.

_ NEW YORK _ BC-NA-SPT-BKB--NHL ROUNDUP. Has moved.

_ PEBBLE BEACH, California _ BC-NA-SPT-HKY--NHL BOARD OF GOVERNORS. Has moved. By Greg Beacham.

_ SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico _ BC-CB-SPT-BBL--PUERTO RICO-BASEBALL PROGRAM. Has moved. By Omar Marrero.

_ KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia _ BC-AS-SPT-FHK--MALAYSIA-CHAMPIONS TROPHY. Has moved.

_ TOKYO _ BC-AS-SPT-SUM--JAPAN-REMORSEFUL CHAMPION. Has moved. By Jim Armstrong.

_ SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda _ BC-CB-SPT-SQA--WORLD OPEN. Has moved.

YOUR QUERIES: Questions and story requests are welcome. Contact your local AP bureau or the AP International Sports Desk in New York by telephone at (1) 212-621-1857, fax (1) 212-621-5449, or by e-mail at worldnews@ap.org.

AP Sources:US lawmaker to quit under ethics cloud

2012-03-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

A New York congressman, the subject of a harassment complaint by a male staffer, is stepping down from his seat, The Associated Press has learned.

Knowledgable Democratic officials told AP that Rep. Eric Massa, who has announced he will not seek re-election due to a recurrence of cancer, is resigning his seat, effective Monday.

The decision by Massa was another jarring setback for President Barack Obama and majority Democrats in Congress, coming at a time when the party is scrambling to save sweeping health care overhaul legislation that has been pending for well over a year. The Democrats also are still assessing a surging anti-incumbent fervor among the voters ahead of crucial November elections in which all House seats are up for grabs.

Republicans, sensing upsets, could focus their campaign on ethical issues, especially since after the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, had promised to drain the swamp of ethical problems that plagued Republicans when they ran the House.

Earlier in the week the powerful Democratic head of the House tax-writing committee stepped down temporarily over an ethics issue.

Massa's resignation comes as the House ethics panel was reviewing a harassment complaint by a male staffer who reportedly felt uncomfortable in a situation with Massa that had sexual overtones.

Massa, who had initially dismissed the rumors, will resign effective Monday, according to three Democratic officials with knowledge of his plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had yet been made.

The ethics committee issued a brief statement Thursday saying it is "investigating and gathering additional information concerning matters related to allegations involving" Massa.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that he was told the week of Feb. 8 by a staff member in Massa's office about allegations of misconduct. Hoyer directed Massa to report the allegations to the House ethics committee within 48 hours. Hoyer said he got confirmation within that time frame that the committee received the report and would review the allegations.

Massa, who is married, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1996. He was elected in 2008, winning a district in the southwestern corner of New York that has been dominated by Republicans since the party's founding in 1854. It's a largely agricultural district.

Citing his cancer, Massa, 50, said Wednesday he would retire at the end of his term. During a conference phone call with reporters that day, Massa dismissed a Politico newspaper story that cited unidentified House aides in reporting that the congressman had been accused of harassing a staffer.

____

Associated Press writers Andrew Miga and Liz Sidoti contributed to this report.

Fog causes chaos, delay at Olympic Alpine skiing

2012-03-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

The fog was so dense, the bright green Olympic rings beside the Alpine skiing course were almost impossible to see. Forget about trying to make out a gate when it's a few meters away while you're racing toward it.

Organizers were left with no choice Wednesday but to postpone the second run of the women's giant slalom until Thursday.

"It's the only thing that makes sense," said Germany's Maria Riesch, who won the super-combined gold medal last week and was seventh after Wednesday's opening leg. "The fog was really tight ... you couldn't see."

The first leg was held in driving snow and low visibility, and organizers attempted to get the second run in by shortening the course and delaying the start several times. But the fog only got worse, slowly creeping down the mountain.

TV cameras had trouble picking up skiers through the haze. The giant videoboard that allows fans to watch the skiers coming down the course seemed to go blank for several seconds at a time, showing an all-white screen until suddenly a racer would emerge.

"You can not really see the snow on the ground," said Tanja Poutiainen of Finland, who was 13th, more than a second behind first-run leader Elisabeth Goergl of Austria.

Weather-related postponements and cancellations are usually reserved for the speed events, and technical specialists were thrown off-guard. World Cup giant slaloms and slaloms often are run even in a blizzard.

"I'm not really used to having things like this," Poutiainen said.

The forecast is for snow through Wednesday night and into Thursday, along with more fog.

"It's more or less a little like today," women's race director Atle Skaardal said. "Probably and hopefully less fog, and maybe a little less precipitation."

Skaardal said that only the first 30 skiers need to start the second run for the race results to be official.

Goergl finished the opening leg in 1 minute, 15.12 seconds. Taina Barioz of France was only 0.02 behind, and Kathrin Zettel of Austria was third, 0.16 back.

"Of course, you want to finish it and do your job," Goergl said. "Now I have to wait until tomorrow."

American Lindsey Vonn crashed and broke the little finger on her right hand.

Skaardal indicated there was never any consideration of throwing out the first-run results and restarting the race from scratch on another day.

"I don't see why we should cancel the first run," he said. "It was a fair and good first run. Why should we take it away?"

Riesch agreed.

"It's something special," she said. "I think it's better than totally canceling it and doing it from the beginning again."

It won't be the first time an Olympic race is held over two days.

At the 2006 Turin Games, the slalom runs of the women's combined were held one day and the downhill leg the next.

After this race, two more events remain on the Alpine schedule _ the women's slalom Friday and the men's slalom Saturday.

Vonn lost control around a right turn in the middle section of the course, got twisted around, landed hard on her left hip and crashed backward into the safety netting.

Defending champion Julia Mancuso had her first run down interrupted due to Vonn's crash, then was brought back up for another try and placed 18th, 1.30 seconds behind Goergl.

Goergl took bronze behind Vonn and Mancuso in the downhill that opened the women's Alpine program here. She has won three World Cup races in her career _ two in giant slalom _ but the last nearly two years ago.

Barioz's best finish in any discipline was third in a giant slalom in Lienz, Austria, in December.

Zettel opened her games by finishing fourth in the super-combined. A technical specialist, she is second in this season's World Cup giant slalom standings, having won the GS in Maribor, Slovenia, last month.

Another Austrian, Eva-Maria Brem, was fourth, and Tina Maze of Slovenia _ who took silver in super-G _ was fifth.

Swedish great Anja Paerson was 12th, 0.89 out.

"The visibility was pretty bad. We could see about three gates so you really had to trust yourself," Paerson said. "I think I have a good chance of taking a medal here, but then I really have to charge in the second run."

US recovery not as strong as previously thought

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

The U.S. economy grew at a 2.2 percent pace in the third quarter as the recovery got off to a weaker start than previously thought. However, all signs suggest the U.S. economy will end the year on stronger footing.

The Commerce Department's new reading on gross domestic product for the July-to-September quarter was slower than the 2.8 percent growth rate estimated just a month ago. Economists were predicting that figure wouldn't be revised in the government's final estimate on third-quarter GDP.

The main factors behind the downgrade: consumers didn't spend as much, commercial construction was weaker, business investment in equipment and software was a bit softer, and companies cut back more on inventories, according to Tuesday's report.

Despite the lower reading, the economy managed to finally return to growth during the quarter, after a record four straight quarters of decline. That signaled the deepest and longest recession since the 1930s had ended, and the economy had entered into a new fragile phase of recovery.

Many analysts believe the economy is on track for a better finish in the current quarter.

The economy is probably growing at nearly 4 percent in the October-to-December quarter, analysts say. If they're right, that would mark the strongest showing since 5.4 percent growth in the first quarter of 2006 _ well before the recession began. The government will release its first estimate of fourth-quarter economic activity on Jan. 29.

Yet even such growth wouldn't be enough to quickly drive down the unemployment rate, now at 10 percent. High unemployment and tight credit for both consumers and businesses are expected to continue to weigh on the economic recovery. Many economists predict the economy's growth will slow to a pace of around 2 or 3 percent in the first three months of 2010.

Growth in the final quarter is expected to be driven by companies restocking depleted inventories. Stocks of goods were slashed at a record pace during the recession. So even the smallest pickup in customer demand will force factories to step up production and boost overall economic activity in the final quarter.

Stronger sales of exports to foreign customers, as well as spending by U.S. consumers and businesses, also will help underpin fourth-quarter growth.

How the poll on oil spill/drilling was conducted

2012-03-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press-GfK Poll on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media from May 7-11. It is based on landline and cell phone telephone interviews with a nationally representative random sample of 1,002 adults. Interviews were conducted with 702 respondents on landline telephones and 300 on cellular phones.

Digits in the phone numbers dialed were generated randomly to reach households with unlisted and listed landline and cell phone numbers.

Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish.

As is done routinely in surveys, results were weighted, or adjusted, to ensure that responses accurately reflect the population's makeup by factors such as age, sex, education, and race. In addition, the weighting took into account patterns of phone use _ landline only, cell only and both types _ by region.

No more than one time in 20 should chance variations in the sample cause the results to vary by more than plus or minus 4.3 percentage points from the answers that would be obtained if all adults in the U.S. were polled.

There are other sources of potential error in polls, including the wording and order of questions.

The questions and results for this poll are available at http://www.ap-gfk poll.com.

NC food plant collapses, medical crews on scene

2012-03-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

The roof of a food plant has partially collapsed in a Raleigh suburb.

ConAgra Foods spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said Tuesday the company is assessing what happened at a plant in Garner. She had no word on injuries but television footage from the site showed medical crews tending to people outside. At least one car was crushed.

TV footage showed multiple parts of the building's roof had partially collapsed.

Australia's NAB reports $4.2bn full-year profit

2012-03-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — National Australia Bank, one of the country's largest lenders, reported Wednesday a 63 percent surge in full-year net profit to Australian dollars 4.2 billion ($4.19 billion), citing more loans to businesses and fewer bad debts.

The figures exceeded market expectations and underscored Australia's strong economy compared to many Westernized countries that are still mired in recession or clawing their way out.

The net profit of AU$4.22 billion for the year ending Sept. 30 compared to $2.59 billion for the year-earlier period.

Bad and doubtful debts for the year were AU$2.3 billion, 40 percent lower than the same period a year earlier. NAB said its business banking and wealth management sectors were the other key contributors to the profit figure.

The higher profits came despite a 1.6 percent fall in revenue to AU$16.6 billion, which the bank said came mostly from its personal banking business and volatility in global investment markets.

CEO Cameron Clyne said demand for credit for small and medium businesses were improving — a sign of economic health. NAB is Australia's largest lender to businesses.

"We feel that the economy is probably going to strengthen in 2011, but the big question is when does that strengthening economy translate into business confidence and translate into investment," Clyne said.

NAB shares rose about 3 percent after the earnings were published, to AU$25.49.

NAB is one of Australia's so-called "big four" banks that dominate the country's lending. Two of the others, Westpac Banking Corp. and ANZ Banking Group Ltd., are due to report their latest earnings this week. The other one, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, reported net profit of $AU5.6 billion in August.

Boise, Otis Bardwell

2012-03-13T02:51:00.000-07:00

Boise, Otis Bardwell

Boise, Otis Bardwell, American organist, teacher, and composer; b. Oberlin, Ohio, Aug. 13, 1844; d. Baltimore, Dec. 2, 1912. He was a pupil of Moscheles and Richter in Leipzig (1861–64), and of Kullak in Berlin (1864). He was an organist in Cleveland (1865–70) and N.Y (1870–80). After teaching in Berlin (1888–1901), he taught at the Peabody Cons, of Music in Baltimore. His works include syms., overtures, and piano concertos. He publ. Harmony Made Practical (N.Y., 1900) and Music and Its Masters (N.Y., 1902).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

NOWCAST: NEWS AND NOTES

2012-03-12T23:52:00.000-07:00

NWS SOUNDS TORNADO WARNING FOR HURRICANE CHARLEY

When Hurricane Charley was bearing down on central Florida, the NWS Melbourne forecast office had a decision to make. Needing to grab the public's attention quickly, forecasters feared that an update on the dangerous wind conditions in the hurricane's core would get lost in the array of bulletins from their office and the National Hurricane Center. So they decided to issue a tornado warning, in effect sounding alerts in newsrooms across the area.

"We ended up using a wrench for a hammer," says Dennis Decker, the Melbourne office's warning coordinator.

Although there was no tornado, the NWS got the word out that Orlando had about half an hour to prepare for the 100-mph winds of the eyewall.

While hurricane forecasts are improving, there are still limitations, such as delivering an accurate forecast for the storm's strength. In the 10 hours before hitting land, Charley developed from a category 2 to a strong category 4. "That's the nightmare of a hurricane," says Lixion Avila, senior forecaster at the National Hurricane Center. "With the technology and present information we have, we do not know how to forecast those rapid changes in intensity."

Because people become fixated on the experts' best guess on the path of the hurricane, forecasters feared that the strength, and subsequent danger, was being ignored: thus the tornado warning from the NWS. "When you do something outside of the box like that, you wonder how the people up the chain (of command) in the Weather Service are going to react," Decker says. "They basically confirmed it was a good idea." In fact, the option has been written into the operations plans for this hurricane season, until the weather service can come up with a specific product that would achieve the same effect.

HURRICANE FORECASTERS HANG ONTO "SKINNY BLACK LINE"

One of the concerns after the 2004 hurricane season was the public's understanding and reaction to warnings. Some emergency and weather officials were afraid that people failed to evacuate because they were too focused on tracking the lines instead of the broader areas of possible landfall on either side, often shaded white in the graphics. "Part of the perception problem is that the skinny line wasn't over their area, but yet these people were in our error cone," says Stacey Stewart, a torecaster with the National Hurricane Center.

In an effort to improve forecasts, the National Hurricane Center conducted an outreach campaign this winter, teaching the public how to understand forecasts, including such parts as the "skinny black line." As part of the outreach, the NWS looked into three options for change: using a series of large colored dots to represent the projected path, large circles that would encompass the projected path and the margin for error, or keeping the skinny line. seeking opinions from the public, the news media, and emergency services workers, the decision was made to stick with the line, which was favored by 63%. Scott Kiser, tropical cyclone manager with the NWS, made the announcement at the National Hurricane Conference in March, summing it up as: "Show us your best forecast-we're smart enough to figure it out."

Another development being worked on is a suite of experimental graphics, which could become operational in 2006, showing the chances of experiencing hurricane- and tropical-storm-force winds both at the coast and over inland areas.

Each graphic shows cumulative probabilities that wind speeds of at least 39, 58, or 74 mph will occur at each specific point on a map during the 5-day forecast period-in effect showing emergency managers and others the chances that their locations will meet or exceed the familiar thresholds of winds within a specific period of time. Individual graphics comprising the odds are created at 12-h intervals (i.e., 0-12, 0-24, 0-36, ..., 0-120 h) and can be animated to reveal the growing threat of a storm.

While existing NHC products convey the uncertainty in the track forecast, they don't account for the uncertainty that also exists in the forecast of a hurricane's intensity and wind radii. For example, the existing strike probability product for the Atlantic basin is a statement about the "close" approach of the center, while the new wind probability maps focus on the weather that an individual storm will bring depending on its strength and size.

Basing the wind probabilities on the track, intensity, and wind-structure forecast, it is the hope of NHC forecasters that people will rethink their perception of the skinny black line and know that a hurricane's effects reach out far from its center.

It will only be when the current hurricane season concludes that results will be revealed, however, and whether the outreach program helped in saving property and lives. "The battle is won during the offseason," says Lixion Avila, senior forecaster at the National Hurricane Center. "You can't do anything once the hurricane [season] is here; you have to prepare people well in advance."

FEMA's MOVE TO HOMELAND SECURITY QUESTIONED

At the National Hurricane Conference in March, former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director, James Lee Witt, spoke out against FEMA being placed under Homeland Security. According to Witt, who worked under the Clinton administration, the move was not beneficial. The arrangement "has minimized their effectiveness in responding, in planning and training, the national hurricane program, everything," Witt said.

FEMA spokeswoman Natalie Rule disagreed, noting that FEMA has taken advantage of Homeland resources such as helicopters, ships, and planes, enabling them to respond more quickly. Rule pointed out that in 2002, before the move, FEMA responded to 49 disasters and 3 declared emergencies; after the merge in 2004, the agency was able to respond to 68 disasters and 7 declared emergencies.

In the wake of hurricane season last year, FEMA was criticized for distributing $30 million to residents of Miami-Dade county, who were not affected by the four hurricanes that hit the state. Local state officials also complained about the delays in getting reimbursement funds for debris removal and cleanup costs.

NEW ZIRCON THERMOMETER REVEALS EARLY EARTH ENVIRONMENT

Using a new kind of thermometer made of zircon, researchers have discovered evidence that environmental conditions on early Earth were characterized by liquid-water oceans and a continental crust similar to those of the present day. The findings are reported in the 6 May issue of Science.

Bruce Watson, a geochemist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, and scientist Mark Harrison, affiliated with the Australian National University and UCLA, developed the new thermometer, which measures the titanium content of zircon crystals to determine their crystallization temperature. Zircons are tiny crystals embedded in rock and are the oldest known materials on Earth-they predate the oldest known rocks on Earth by 400 million years. The ancient crystals provide researchers with a window into the earliest history of the Earth, and have been used to date the assembly and movement of continents and oceans.

"Zircons allow us to go farther back in geologic time because they survive processes that rocks do not," says Watson. "Although they are only a fraction of a millimeter in size, zircons hold a wealth of information about the very earliest history of Earth."

Using the new thermometer, the scientists analyzed zircons ranging in age from 4 billion to 4.35 billion years from the Jack Hills area of Western Australia. The temperature data supports the existence of wet, minimum-melting conditions within 200 million years of solar system formation.

"Our data support recent theories that Earth began a pattern of crust formation, erosion, and sediment recycling as early in its evolution as 4.35 billion years ago, which contrasts with the hot, violent environment envisioned for our young planet by most researchers and opens up the possibility that life got a very early foothold," says Watson.

According to Watson, the research provides important information and a new technique for making additional discoveries about the first eon of Earth's history, the Hadean eon, a time period about which little is known.

WIND CURRENTS MAY HELP FORECAST HURRICANES

The four most destructive hurricanes in 2004 (Ivan, Frances, Charley, and Jeanne) were responsible for $45 billion in damage-nearly all of it in the United States-making the 2004 hurricane season the second costliest insurance event in U.S. history, behind only the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The destruction wrought by these storms underscored the need for reliable hurricane forecasting, and now two researchers believe they have come up with a system that could help predict the severity of hurricane seasons in the United States.

Mark Saunders and Adam Lea of the University College London studied "steering wind currents" that move storm systems around and found that the currents can be connected to the intensity of hurricane seasons. They used a statistical model to predict the activity of particular seasons between 1950 and 2003 and compared their results to the NOAA Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index, which provides data on hurricane strength and intensity at sea. Their results were consistent with the index 80% of the time in showing above- or below-normal hurricane seasons. Last summer, the index predicted a 70% chance of an above-average hurricane season for 2004 and only a 10% chance of a below-average season.

"Using this index of combined conditions (storm activity and steering currents) can help provide a predictive picture," says Phil Klotzbach, a research associate at Colorado State Univeristy. "Hurricane forecasting is for individual storms, but this metric is for the whole season."

The authors go a step further and use the hurricane activity index to predict the level of hurricane landfalls in the United States-something no other hurricane forecasting team has yet tried. Klotzbach says the research shows some modest skill in determining what could be referred to as "good" or "bad" hurricane seasons, depending on the number of U.S. hurricane strikes, though he cautions that it is "incredibly difficult to predict damage."

However, some are not convinced of the method's accuracy.

"I think the jury is still out on whether or not we can predict landfall," says Richard Pasch of the Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center. "Numbers don't mean much, especially to individuals. If you're in the hurricane belt then you need to have a plan every year. You don't really look at seasonal forecasts."

But Saunders maintains that his method's analysis of the steering currents makes it uniquely accurate in forecasting storms' landfall. (Other methodologies include measuring sea surface temperatures and pressures and the number of hurricane days in a given year.)

The authors' forecast for 2005: an 80% likelihood that hurricane activity will be above average, and a 70% chance that the landfalling ACE will be higher than usual. (SOURCE: www.geotimes.org)

FIVE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SEA LEVEL CHANGES

Researchers studying the East Antarctic Ice Sheet recently revealed some interesting facts on the sheet and its relation to sea levels. The information appeared in a recent issue of the journal Science.

1) The East Antarctic Ice Sheet increased in mass every year from 1992 to 2003. According to the researchers, this increase is most likely attributable to global climate change. The additional mass comes from snowfall. Because the weather at the ice sheet is typically much too cold for snow, the increase in snowfall is thought to be caused by an increase in air temperature in the region.

2) The increase in the size of the sheet has partially offset rising sea levels caused by melting glaciers in other locations. The researchers say this is the only large mass of ice that is adding water rather than losing it.

3) The snowfall adds 45 billion tons of water to the ice sheet each year, which is nearly as much as the amount that melts into the ocean from Greenland's ice sheet.

4) Sea levels are rising by approximately 1.8 mm each year throughout the world. Every millimeter equals about 350 billion tons of water.

5) The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is thickening by about 1.8 cm yr^sup -1^. This growth could offset about 0.12 mm of the aforementioned sea level rise per year. A release of the fresh water in the sheet would raise sea levels by approximately 196 ft, but continued growth of the sheet could counteract much of the anticipated swelling of seas over the next century.

[Sidebar]

WRAP IT UP

How important is skiing in some parts of Europe? Important enough to take drastic measures to combat the weather. In an attempt to mitigate the effects of ultraviolet rays, rain, and extreme heat, some resorts in Switzerland and Austria are utilizing polyvinyl chloride foam or giant sheets of plastic foil to cover parts of glaciers above the slopes. The glacier above the Swiss resort of Andermatt was covered with foam at the end of this spring's ski season, and other Swiss resorts were monitoring the results. Austrian resorts, on the other hand, prefer to wrap their glaciers in plastic foil after a test last year proved effective in protecting the snow on a small area of Stubai Glacier Mountain in Tyrol. At least three Austrian resorts are using the foil this year, and the Innsbruck Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics is conducting further tests of various materials.

[Sidebar]

ECHOES

"Go talk to the ice, go talk to the wind, go talk to the ocean. There's no negotiation here."

-Actress SALMA HAYEK at a news conference in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Hayek and actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who starred in The Day After Tomorrow, visited the Inuit-controlled territory to learn about the effects of global warming on the Inuit hunting and fishing culture. Both commented that they would continue to press for changes in American energy and environmental policy after witnessing the impact on the Inuit people. (SOURCE: The Washington Post)

[Sidebar]

BLOWING OUT THE FIRST PITCH

National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield threw out the first pitch of a Florida Marlins game in Miami on 10 June-ironically, the same day Tropical Storm Arlene began soaking South Florida. The Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm delivered nearly a half-foot of rain to the peninsula, while the Marlins delivered a 12-5 loss to the Texas Rangers. Arlene headed north and came ashore just west of Pensacola, Florida, the following day, with winds around 60 mph.

[Sidebar]

ON THE WEB: NASA'S NEW HURRICANE PAGE

NASA recently launched an Internet resource page highlighting the agency's diverse hurricane research. The site opened just in time for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, which began 1 June and ends 30 November. The information is available at www.nasa.gov/hurricane.

The Web page is a compilation of data from various satellites and computer models, and it explains why and how NASA investigates hurricanes. It also covers the relationship of NASA's research focus as compared to other agencies' operational emphasis.

The site provides access to data about active hurricanes and famous past storms. Users can search by various hurricane topics, such as how storms form, how they are measured, and how they affect land or ocean life. The multimedia section of the site features animation and satellite, video, and still images of hurricanes.

France mulls idea of curfew for young delinquents

2012-03-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

A proposal floated by French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux to impose a nighttime curfew on juvenile delinquents under age 13 has sparked mixed reactions among lawmakers.

The head of the opposition Socialist Party has suggested the idea is unworkable _ particularly given recent cuts to the police force. A lawmaker from the conservative governing UMP party, Pierre Cardo, also expressed his "extreme reservations" about the idea.

However, another UMP official hailed the idea. In a statement Wednesday, Eric Ciotti, the head of security matters for the party, called it a "courageous initiative."

The UMP and President Nicolas Sarkozy have long striven to be seen as taking a hard line on security matters.

Hortefeux floated the idea on Tuesday night.

CPS scholarship fair offers help to high school students

2012-03-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Chicago Public Schools will offer students a chance to find college financial assistance at a first-ever scholarship fair this week.

Yolanda Knight, assistant director of the CPS office of post-secondary education, told the Chicago Defender that the two-day event is targeting juniors and seniors.

"And we scheduled the fair in the evening on both nights so that parents can attend workshops and talk to representatives from those colleges," she said.

The workshops will offer tips on writing scholarship essays and how to complete financial aid applications from educational institutions as well as from the state and federal government.

"They'll also be able to learn about budgeting and money management," Knight said.

She said that at least 65 schools, organizations and businesses would be represented at the fair. They include the University of Illinois at Chicago, the United Negro College Fund and the Illinois Restaurant Association.

Knight said there would also be inkind donations raffled off at the event.

"Borders (bookstore), Microsoft and Office Depot are making donations for students," she said. "Southwest Airlines is offering free tickets so students can visit colleges across the country."

The CPS Scholarship Fair will be held at Near North High School, 1450 N. Larrabee St., on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. Only seniors will be allowed to attend between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Article copyright REAL TIMES Inc.

2012-03-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Johnny Depp: Weird, But Never Boring

2012-03-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

It was an offer Marlon Brando could actually refuse. The rehearsalcall for "Don Juan DeMarco" was 10 a.m. sharp. The clock on thewall at the Los Angeles sound stage kept ticking: 10:30 . . . 11 .. . noon. Marlon was missing.

Johnny Depp could only sigh with relief. Finally, he wasn't theguy in trouble. Depp, known for beating up couches in hotel rooms,was a little nervous. The Godfather has that effect on a person.

Depp was in the middle of a scene when the big guy finally madehis entrance. By all accounts, Brando arrived loudly. A doorslammed. Papers rustled. Chairs started scraping across the floorso people could get a better view. And Depp said, "Shhhh."

He shushed Brando. No, he didn't find a horse's head in histrailer the next day. "I didn't realize it was Marlon who hadarrived," Depp says. Maybe Brando admired his nerve. Maybe hethought Depp was joking. Maybe he thought Depp was nuts.

"Kid," Brando told Depp, walking to the front of the rehearsal,"I see that the party has begun, and you didn't wait for me." Therewas a deadly pause. And Brando finally smiled. He was never lateagain.

The Johnny and Marlon Show in "Don Juan DeMarco" (continuing atChicago area theaters) goes something like this: Depp is a guy fromQueens, N.Y., who claims to have had more than 1,000 lovers, althoughhis therapist, played by Brando, is sure the kid has lost hismarbles. During "intoxicating" therapy sessions that follow, Brandofinds his own love life with Faye Dunaway improving.

It's a buddy movie, although Brando andDepp aren't exactlyRedford and Newman. Strange, but true: The two have a lot in common."There are a lot of myths about Brando. Everyone thinks they knowhim, and they don't," Depp says. "Sometimes it's the same thing forme."

So, during the filming of "Don Juan," Depp sat down on a rareday off in a New York hotel suite to set some records straight. Myth: Depp "hired Brando

It's true. "I went to the studio and said, `We have to haveMarlon Brando play the therapist.' There was this long pause.Everyone thought I was crazy." That is, everyone except Brando, whomDepp had never met before. "It wasn't like Marlon was hanging aroundthe `Edward Scissorhands' set," Depp jokes. So calls were made.Brando was wooed. Depp wrote him, phoned him, pestered him. Aftersuccessfully nabbing Brando, the younger actor suggests, "I might gointo casting now." Myth: Depp is Brando's publicist

That's not official, and Depp doesn't get paid. It's just thathe can't say enough about Brando. "He's a real person, a real guy, avery funny guy," Depp says. Funny in what way? Depp, eversecretive, stops himself. "We played practical jokes on eachother." Such as? Depp looks horrified. "Oh, I can't . . . I justcan't say." Come on. "We were on this scaffold thing together."Depp refuses to say more.

He does get ticked when asked about Marlon'sphysical condition."He has no problem. He can go up and down stairs and everything." Myth: Depp identifies with weir characters

"Don Juan" is not Depp's first role as a wacko. There also were"Ed Wood," "Benny & Joon," "Edward Scissorhands" and "What's EatingGilbert Grape," to name but a few. "I think Ed Wood was saner thanmost people I know," Depp says. "As for the other characters,there's something about all of them that I liked. They aren'tboring." Myth: Depp is strange himself

He agrees. Consider that John Waters cast him in "Cry-Baby"because they both owned John Wayne Gacy paintings. And for "DonJuan," Depp perfected his Spanish accent by watching "Fantasy Island"for "that Ricardo Montalban effect." Myth: Depp grew up normal

Sort of. "I wasn't a popular kid. In high school, they calledme Johnny Dipp," Depp recalls. "I was kind of like my character in`What's Eating Gilbert Grape.' I lived in a small town, Miramar,Fla. All we had was a school, a drugstore and a pizza joint. I wasfrustrated and wanted to get out of there so bad. Everybody kneweverybody. It was suffocating." Myth: Depp is tormented

Yes and no. It's been almost a year and a half since the deathof River Phoenix at Depp's L.A. nightclub, the Viper Room. "Thething is . . . it's still odd for me to be connected with whathappened to River. My only connection is that I was there at thetime. I still have feelings about it. It was unbelievably tragicthat we lost such a young and talented man." Myth: Acting bores Depp

Absolutely . . . sometimes. "I would hate to say that I'm anactor and that's all I'll ever be. I'm actually harboring a secretdesire to be a reverend. I also want to be a spy. And maybe abassoon player, too," he says. Myth: Depp still carries Winona Ryder in his heart

Actually he carries his ex-fiancee on his arm. What will he dowith the large WINONA FOREVER tattoo on his right forearm? "I don'tknow," Depp says, mulling it over. "Maybe I should put herboyfriend's name on top of it. You have to look for the humor inthese things, you know. Someone told me I should have part of itbleached out and some letters added so it reads, `Win Navy Forever.'" Myth: Depp resents hotel rooms

Last year he was arrested for beating up a room at New York'sMark Hotel to the tune of $9,700 in damages. Reportedly this hadsomething to do with a spat with his girlfriend, waif model KateMoss.

These days, sitting in another hotel, Depp spares the end tablesfrom his evil eye. The couch doesn't appear afraid. "It's strange,but in the '60s, the Who were applauded for doing stuff like that.People thought it was cool." A pause. "I mean, really. My gettingarrested made national news. Was this really more important thanBosnia?" And now, when he goes to check into a hotel, "I get somestrange looks," he says.

Maybe Brando would understand.

Cindy Pearlman, a locally based free-lance writer, alsocontributes to Premiere and Entertainment Weekly magazines.