apartmeinglass

Alaska sled dogs in need get helping hand from Pets.com

2012-03-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

ANCHORAGE - In a final act of corporate kindness, Pets.com tosseda lifeline to Alaska dog mushers faced with the harsh choice ofkilling their dogs or watching them starve. The San Francisco-based online retailer, which pulled the plug Nov. 7 after failing tofind a financial …

WEB SITES TEACH THE TEACHERS

2012-03-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

Today's teachers and parents who help with homework or instruct children at home can take advantage of new and rapid advances in technology, including Web sites with resources for lesson planning.

DISCOVERYSCHOOL.COM (www.school.discovery.com) is a free online destination for teachers, parents and students. According to Kimberly Smith, director of Digital Products and Services, using this site for lesson planning is a unique experience. "DiscoverySchool.com has a library of more than 400 video clips teachers can preview and use," Smith says. "With teaching tools and lesson plan tools, teachers can create their own lesson plans and save them on the site. In their lesson plan, they …

UBS bank listed among Holder ex-clients

2012-03-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

Newly released documents list Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder's past clients, including a major Swiss bank under U.S. investigation.

Holder's financial disclosure forms offer few surprises, though, and his work for Swiss bank UBS AG has been known. The bank is the subject of a Justice Department probe. Holder represented the firm in a separate discrimination case.

The government has already …

Judge postpones fire battalion chief exams

2012-03-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

A federal judge Friday postponed today's Chicago Fire Departmentbattalion chief's exam so that about 35 black and Hispaniclieutenants can prepare for it.

Senior District Judge James B. Parsons told attorneys on bothsides of a class-action lawsuit that the exam must be rescheduledsometime in the next 60 days.

This will permit the minority lieutenants, all of whom passedthe captain's test but have not been …

Pathologist: Drug Combo Killed Smith Son

2012-03-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Anna Nicole Smith's 20-year-old son died from a lethal combination of methadone and two antidepressant drugs, a U.S.-based pathologist who conducted a private autopsy said Wednesday.

Toxicology tests showed Daniel Smith had methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro in his system when he died Sept. 10 in a hospital room in the Bahamas where his former Playboy playmate mother was recuperating from giving birth to a daughter, according to Cyril Wecht.

"The fact that we have these drugs and the levels of the drugs overwhelmingly and most logically point to this being a tragic, accidental, drug-related death," Wecht told The Associated Press from his home in the …

Jury begins deliberations in Sears Tower terror plot case

2012-03-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Jurors began deliberations Monday on the fate of seven men charged with conspiring to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and blow up FBI offices in an attempt to start an anti-government insurrection.

The U.S. charges that 33-year-old Narseal Batiste led a homegrown terrorist cell hoping to get help from a man claiming to be an al-Qaida operative _ in reality an FBI informant.

"This is the fanatic, ladies and gentlemen, and the soldiers who follow his word," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Gregorie.

Batiste said he was only trying to cheat the informant out of money, and defense attorneys have said little evidence ties the six other …

No extra days off for rotation's top 3

2012-03-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Cubs will bring Carlos Zambrano back Saturday for his second start of the season, one day ahead of his natural slot in the rotation -- a move that assures Zambrano a start in next week's home series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Manager Lou Piniella said he wants to keep his top three starters -- Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells -- on every-fifth-day schedules despite days off in each of the first two weeks of the season. All three are lined up for Milwaukee.

That means left-hander Tom Gorzelanny's season debut will get pushed to Sunday, and tonight's starter, Carlos Silva, will get at least a week between his first and second starts.

It also puts a …

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: PLACE AND CARE IN AN AGEING SOCIETY

2012-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: PLACE AND CARE IN AN AGEING SOCIETY Christine Milligan (Editor) Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishers, 2009, 176 pp. (hardcover), $99.95

Christine Milligan was stimulated to research the field of care at home by experiences within her own family in England. How true it is that real life experience forces attention on major issues that otherwise are passed over as of vague concern only to society at large. Troubles in advanced age for both her in-laws revealed "support from the formal care services at that time can, at best, be described as disorganized and chaotic" (preface, p. ix).

Milligan has written a substantial, thorough analysis of the home …

Mavericks fire Johnson after second consecutive first-round playoff flop

2012-03-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson on Tuesday, a move that likely was the first of many in the offseason by the club.

Despite having the National Basketball Association's highest annual payroll, Dallas was eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

Johnson leaves Wednesday with an impressive resume after three-plus seasons, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban couldn't tolerate a bottom line of being 3-12 in the playoffs since leading the Miami Heat 2-0 in the 2006 NBA finals and losing the title.

The Mavericks followed that disappointment by being ousted by Golden State in the opening round last season in one …

Hot acting, writing and directing in 'The Cooler'

2012-03-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

THE COOLER (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)1/2

Bernie Lootz William H. Macy

Shelly Kaplow Alec Baldwin

Natalie Belisario Maria Bello

Mikey Shawn Hatosy

Larry Sokolov Ron Livingston

Buddy Stafford Paul Sorvino

Charlene Estella Warren

Johnny Capella Joey Fatone

Lions Gate Films presents a film directed by Wayne Kramer. Writtenby Frank Hannah and Kramer. Running time: 101 minutes. Rated R (forstrong sexuality, violence, language and some drug use). Openingtoday at Pipers Alley and Evanston Cine Arts.

Bernie Lootz's sad eyes scan the casino floor, and he shufflesinto action. A high roller is having a winning streak at …

South Side school learns history through the arts

2012-03-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Arthur Dixon Elementary School is teaching its students the appreciation of one's history by appreciating the arts. Joan D. Crisler, the school's principal established its Fine Arts program. Although Crisler was unavailable for comment, Sharon Dale, assistant principal and Annette Jackson the school's artist-in-residence spoke on the importance of the school's program.

According to Dale, the program which features African American art throughout the school was adopted to encourage students in being creative through aesthetics, but mostly to give them insight into the richness of African culture throughout the Diaspora. "It is so important that our young people know about …

Mexico arrests an alleged Sinaloa cartel chief

2012-03-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

A drug cartel leader who directed cocaine trafficking through Mexico City's international airport was arrested after a shootout in the capital, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Jesus "The King" Zambada was among 16 Sinaloa cartel members arrested Monday after a gunbattle with police in which an apparent grenade explosion destroyed a car, Attorney General Eduardo Medina said. Zambada's son, his nephew, two federal police officers and one state police officer were also among those arrested.

Zambada was identified as the brother of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who allegedly heads the cartel along with one of Mexico's most wanted men, Joaquin …

Boeing labor dispute turns into headache for Obama

2012-03-14T03:21:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government's labor dispute with Boeing Co. is turning into a political headache for President Barack Obama, giving his Republican rivals a fresh opening to bash the administration's economic policies.

From congressional hearings to presidential debates, outraged Republicans are keeping up a steady drumbeat of criticism over the National Labor Relations Board's lawsuit against the aerospace giant.

Obama addressed the case for the first time on Wednesday, declining to criticize or openly support the actions of the independent federal agency. But he said "as a general proposition, companies need to have the freedom to relocate," though they must follow the law when doing so.

"What I think defies common sense would be a notion that we would be shutting down a plant or laying off workers because labor and management can't come to a sensible agreement," Obama said.

The NLRB alleges that Boeing retaliated against its unionized work force in Washington state by opening a new production line for its 787 airplane in South Carolina, a right-to-work state. The agency is not seeking to shut down the new plant, but wants a judge to order Boeing to return all 787 assembly work to Washington.

Boeing says it opened the South Carolina plant specifically to build 787 airplanes. It contends the lawsuit would effectively require the company to close the $750 million plant and lay off thousands of new workers there.

The case — which could drag on for years — has become an unwanted distraction for Obama as he tries to mend relations with the business community and contend with polls that show growing public disapproval over his handling of the economy.

It makes an easy target for Republicans, who call it a case of government overreaching at a time when the private sector is struggling to create new jobs. And it's a major story in South Carolina — a bellwether early primary state in the GOP presidential race. Candidates are lining up to impress voters and the state's Republican governor, tea party favorite Nikki Haley.

"Obama's NLRB has united the Republican Party and turned this government agency into a political piñata," said GOP consultant Scott Reed. "Boeing spent a billion dollars building a plant to create thousands of jobs and it looks like the NLRB stuck their nose in and tried to pull the rug out."

Business groups and their GOP allies say the government is interfering with the right of company managers to choose where and how to expand business operations. Boeing claims it opened the plant for a variety of economic reasons, but NLRB officials say Boeing executives made public comments showing the move was meant to punish union workers for a series of costly strikes.

For Haley, the case has been a litmus test for every GOP presidential candidate visiting the state. And they have not disappointed her.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, visiting New Hampshire on Monday, said Obama had appointed "union stooges into the NLRB and then they come up with decisions that are really quite extraordinary," like the Boeing lawsuit that he and others have said will drive companies to seek workers overseas.

GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich called for defunding the agency during a recent New Hampshire debate, saying the case could threaten the viability of the nation's 22 right-to-work states, where labor unions can't force employees to be members.

And during a tour of South Carolina last week, GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman called on Obama to step in and end the lawsuit to prevent it from scaring other businesses away from the state.

Haley says the only way to make things right "is for the president to tell the NLRB to back off. And until that happens, it is my job to be loud and annoying and in his face until he realizes that what they have done is wrong."

Even South Carolina's Democrats have piled on. Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., a Democrat called the case "a very, very bad decision and a huge mistake that is not good policy for the country."

Obama, ordinarily a reliable supporter of organized labor, has carefully avoided taking a position on the case.

"My hope is that even as this thing is working its way through, everybody steps back for a second and says, 'Look, if jobs are being created here in the United States, let's make sure that we're encouraging that,' " Obama said Wednesday.

But the issue became more awkward for Obama when John Bryson, his pick to head the Commerce Department and a former Boeing board member, openly criticized the lawsuit during a Senate confirmation hearing last week.

"I think it's not the right judgment," Bryson said. He said Boeing officials thought they were "doing the right thing for the country" by keeping jobs in the U.S. and not moving them overseas.

Some Democrats and union officials have stepped up their defense of the NLRB, saying Republicans are misrepresenting the case against Boeing. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, accused Republicans of peddling "misinformation," distorting the public perception of the case and unfairly attacking the agency.

Labor experts say if the allegations in the complaint are true, it would constitute a standard violation of federal labor laws, which prohibit a company from moving work to punish union workers for past strikes. The complaint lays out several public statements by Boeing executives saying they wanted to relocate new lines for the Dreamliner because of strike activity, including a 58-day work stoppage in 2008.

But such violations can be difficult to prove, especially if the company can show it had other valid motives for opening the new lines in South Carolina.

Perhaps the best scenario for Obama would be for the case to be settled, an outcome that many labor experts expect.

Connie Kelliher, a spokeswoman for the machinists union that sought the complaint, said the union saw nothing in Obama's remarks on Wednesday that deviate from his previous position that the case should run its course in the courts.

"We want to thank President Obama for reminding corporations of the importance of having positive labor relations, which is what the machinists union strives for," she said.

___

Associated Press writers Bruce Smith in Charleston, S.C., and Kathy McCormack in Salem, N.H., contributed to this report.

Earth Days are easy; it's the rest that count

2012-03-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

I I f I didn't know better, I'd swear I had suddenly been magicallytransported to Shangri-La, where the grass is green, the fruit juicyand plentiful, the air as pure as Eden at its birth.

I'd swear I live where all the God's creatures live in peace andfree from harm. I'd swear I live where nary a speck of soot hasnever soiled the land. I'd swear I live where Earth Day lasts 365days a year.

But come Monday morning, America will be belching and litteringand polluting all over again. Come Monday morning we can start beingourselves again. Of course, we've never really stopped beingourselves - except during Earth Week, when we kid ourselves thatwe're not really ourselves, but dedicated, committedenvironmentalists. We're so easy.

Earth Day has become like Christmas when Americans put asidepetty jealousies as our hearts fill to the brim with love and caringfor our fellow man. We smile more. We even give generously to allthose bell-ringing Salvation Army troops.

Fortunately, Dec. 26 quickly arrives and we can get back tobeing ourselves, flicking obscene hand gestures toward each other,pushing panhandlers out of the way as we claw and scratch our way tothe top.

For 20 years now, the Earth Day machinery has attempted toawaken our consciousness to the many problems threatening theenvironment. And for 51 weeks a year, America basically flicks anobscene hand gesture toward the movement - until the 52nd weekarrives.

During this week, American car manufacturers announce plans forelectric cars to cut down on air pollution. Fast food companiessuddenly awaken to the idea that maybe those plastic cartoons theyput their high cholesterol hamburgers in take 300 years todisintegrate. The fishing industry announces it won't accept tunacaught in nets which also snag dolphins. And all the rest ofindustry from the oil companies, to the chemical companies, allattest to their passion for whales and eagles and of course thatever-popular resource: air.

Given all the commercials on TV praising the environment, onewould think that Ralph Nader was running all of corporate America,instead of Sammy Glick.

And we all fall for it. Because we want to fall for it. Wewant to think of America in terms of amber waves of grain and purplemountains majesty. We don't want to accept the notion that Americais really one big Gary, Ind., that the waves of grain are amberbecause they're covered with pesticides and that the purple haze overthe mountains is the result of auto emissions.

Of course the Earth Day movement hasn't been totally for naughtthese past 20 years. It has seen the elimination of at least oneugly scourge from the landscape. I speak of course of the dreadedEarth Shoe.

Back in 1970, when Earth Day first began, it also heralded thearrival of environmental fashion. The most gaudy example was theEarth Shoe, an awkward looking pair of footwear that lowered heelsand raised soles. They didn't last long and I suspect thousands ofpairs of Earth Shoes are now hard at work as an artifical reefsomewhere, protecting the environment.

One small step for the Shangri-La, one giant step for hautecouture.

Daniel Ruth is the Chicago Sun-Times' television critic.

Covenant service planned for Pentecost

2012-03-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Mennonite Church

British Columbia

Plans are underway for a service of celebration and covenanting for Mennonite Church B.C. congregations on Pentecost Sunday, May 27.

The joint worship service will take place at the MEI gymnasium in Abbotsford beginning at 10 a.m. Lorin Bergen, pastor of Living Hope Christian Fellowship in Surrey, will be the keynote speaker.

All MC B.C. congregations are invited to this special worship service, at which individual churches are invited to symbolically sign the new MC B.C. covenant approved at the annual delegate sessions in February. The covenant agreed upon involves local congregations' mutual relationship to-and commitment within-the MC B.C. body.

"At this conference-wide worship service we will celebrate our unity and commitment to work together as congregations of Mennonite Church B.C.," say the MC B.C. executive members. "It is the Leadership Board's hope that all MC B.C. congregations will close their doors [that Sunday] and encourage all of their membership to attend this event."

Following the service, everyone is invited to stay for a fellowship lunch on the MEU grounds.

The MC B.C. administrative office is arranging for bus transportation for those from areas outside Abbotsford. For more information, call the MC B.C. office at 604-850-6658 or e-mail admin@mcbc.ca.

[Author Affiliation]

Unless otherwise credited, the articles in TheChurches pages were written by: Leona Dueck Penner (MC Canada), Dave Rogalsky (Eastern Canada), Evelyn Rempel Petkau (Manitoba), Karin Fehderau (Saskatchewan), Donita Wiebe-Neufeld (Alberta), and Amy Dueckman (British Columbia). see page 2 for contact information.

European, US markets buoyed by earnings optimism

2012-03-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

European and U.S. stock markets rose Monday amid mounting hopes that third-quarter earnings results will provide more evidence the world economy is enjoying a solid recovery.

Strong profits from Royal Philips Electronics NV, published earlier Monday, helped fuel those hopes.

In Europe, Germany's DAX closed 71.35 points, or 1.3 percent, at 5,783.23 while France's CAC-40 was 46.19 points, or 1.2 percent, higher at 3,845.80

Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 of leading British shares rose to its highest level for over a year, closing up 48.30 points, or 1 percent, at 5,210.17 _ that's the first time it has closed above the 5,200 barrier since September last year.

"The next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5,350 high hit in September last year and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week," said David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index.

On Wall Street, stocks rose, though trading was relatively subdued as much of the country celebrates Columbus Day federal holiday. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 54.11 points, or 0.6 percent, 9,919.05 around midday New York time while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 7.48 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,078.97.

If the Dow closes above Friday's 9,864.94, then that would be the new highest level since October 6 last year.

Investor sentiment was buoyed Monday by the news that Philips, Europe's biggest consumer electronics company, made a net profit of ⁈llion ($256 million) in the third quarter _ three times last year's comparable figure _ and said it was seeing quarterly improvements in earnings and sales.

That stoked market hopes that businesses around the world have weathered the worst of the economic storm and are poised to take advantage of the global recovery. Philips shares rose around 6 percent.

Philips' better than expected results came as investor attention is firmly focused on the third-quarter results season. Most interest this week will be on major U.S. financial institutions such as Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JP Morgan Chase & Co.

"Although the gradual stabilization in the global economic outlook helped equity markets stage a robust upswing since the turnaround in late Q1, questions remain about the sustainability of the recovery and uncertainty in the market is still high," said Silvio Peruzzo, an analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland.

The financial sector, which led the market down at the outset of the crisis, generally outperformed other sectors, leading the market on the way up wwsince March's lows.

In particular, investors will be looking to see how much companies have been able to drive up earnings by generating revenues as opposed to cost-cutting measures.

"Strong corporate results for Q3 would contribute significantly to the process of market normalization, increasing risk tolerance further and supporting market confidence," said Peruzzo.

Earlier, before the optimism about upcoming earnings took root in Europe, Asian markets closed mostly lower.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed down 200.09 points, or 0.9 percent, at 21,299.35 and South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.4 percent to 1,639.81. Australia's benchmark index fell 0.3 percent, while China's Shanghai index slipped 0.6 percent at 2,894.48.

Japan's stock market was closed for a holiday.

Elsewhere, Singapore's index was up 0.9 percent after the government narrowed its forecast for economic contraction this year and said the economy grew for the second straight quarter in the July to September period.

Oil prices rose amid the mounting optimism. Benchmark crude for November delivery climbed $1.59 to $73.36 a barrel.

The dollar, which has been on the retreat over recent weeks, was steady at 89.72 yen while the euro rose 0.4 percent to $1.4788.

AP Business Writer Jeremiah Marquez in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Books

2012-03-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Books

The Art of the American Musical: Conversations with the Creators. Edited by Jackson R. Bryer and Richard A. Davison. Includes an interview with George C. Wolfe. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2005; 308 pp, ($23.95).

Hirschfeld's Harlem by Al Hirschfeld with commentary on the portraits by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Carmen de Lavallade, Cicely Tyson, George C. Wolfe, Lena Horne, Geoffrey Holder, and Eartha Kitt, among others. 39 color plates; 90 signature black and white portraits. NY: Glenn Young Books, 2006 ($34.95).

Invitation to the Party by Donna Walker-Kuhne. A first-of-a-kind book by the nation's foremost expert on multi-cultural audience development, this work outlines proven methods of engaging diverse communities as participants in arts and culture. NY: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 2005; 192 pp. ($16.95).

KC Fed launches web site information service

2012-03-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has introduced its home page on the Internet's World Wide Web. The new web site, located at

http://www.kc.frb.org, provides a variety of online materials and documents to meet the information needs of bankers, educators, research and governmental organizations, business professionals and the general public.

The service features regional economic information, Reserve bank information, publications, press releases, Federal Reserve Board statistical releases and a full range of facts and data from the bank's economic research, public affairs, financial services, bank supervision and community affairs departments. Other features will be added in the future.

Users who access the home page of the web site will see a U.S map highlighting the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve Districtwestern Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming and northern New Mexico.

From the home page, a click of the mouse takes users directly into the contents page and the main pages of the web site. These main pages provide a gateway to three types of information: general information about the bank and the Federal Reserve System, information from functional areas of the bank and special features. Some features are cross-referenced and can be accessed through more than one main page.

The web site also provides links to the other Federal Reserve banks and the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.

The bank's web site can be accessed via an Internet service provider.There is no fee for the service-only for Internet connection charges that may apply. For technical information or assistance, call 800-333-1010, extension 2307.

Man attacked car [Edition 3]

2012-03-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

WHITLAND A Clunderwen man jumped on top of a moving car inWhitland and smashed the back and front windows by kicking them andshattering glass over the driver, a court heard. Magistrates weretold Pounds 700 of criminal damage was caused to a Ford Escort cardriven by a friend of his girlfriend.

Page 2

Stocks futures point to gains to start 2010

2012-03-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

Stocks appear headed for a higher opening on the first day of trading in the new year following the lead of overseas markets. Stock futures rose Monday.

Asian markets received a boost after new data showed China's manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest rate in 20 months in December. European markets also rose.

In the U.S., investors will receive key data throughout the week that could show the economic recovery is continuing, including a report on manufacturing Monday. Ongoing signs of a rebound helped the market surge during the final nine months of 2009 from its 12-year lows.

The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index is expected to show modest growth in the sector last month. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters, on average, forecast the ISM's index for December will increase to 54 from 53.6 a month earlier.

The report is due out at 10 a.m. EST.

Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 59, or 0.6 percent, to 10,424. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 7.30, or 0.7 percent, to 1,118.00, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 20.50, or 1.1 percent, to 1,879.25.

On Friday, the Labor Department releases its monthly employment report. Considered the biggest economic report of the month, it will likely set the early tone for trading in 2010.

Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters are forecasting that 23,000 jobs were lost, a further signal that the job market is starting to stabilize. The government said employers cut just 11,000 jobs in November, far fewer than anticipated. That pushed the unemployment rate down to 10 percent.

Stocks closed out 2009 on a down note, with major indexes all falling around 1 percent in light, holiday-shortened trading on Thursday. The market was closed Friday for the New Year's holiday.

An upbeat reading on weekly jobless claims sparked concerns the government would have to cut stimulus measures in the coming months, such as low interest rates, to help avoid potential inflation. A much stronger than expected report Friday on monthly employment could stoke similar concerns.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Sunday he wouldn't rule out higher interest rates to stop new speculative investment bubbles from forming. However, he did say stronger regulation is the best way to avoid such bubbles that helped push the economy into recession.

Meanwhile, bond prices fell Monday. Bond prices, which are often used to price interest rates on consumer loans, often fall when investors worry about inflation, which eats into fixed returns on government-backed bonds.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.85 percent from 3.84 percent late Thursday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.07 percent from 0.05 percent.

The dollar fell against other major currencies, while gold prices rose.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 1 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.6 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 0.7 percent, and France's CAC-40 gained 1.1 percent.

Mary Rockefeller, YWCA booster

2012-03-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK Mary French Rockefeller, 86, who worked for years onbehalf of the YWCA and donated her family homestead for a nationalpark, has died.

She died Thursday of injuries from a fall.

At age 24, she married Laurence Rockefeller, son of John D.Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. Laurence was thegrandson of John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Co.Mrs. Rockefeller spent years working for the Young Women'sChristian Association. Her interest was generated by her mother andmother-in-law. She joined the YWCA's national board in 1951 andserved until she became a member of its board of trustees in 1988.She and her husband donated Mrs. Rockefeller's family home andsurrounding property in Woodstock, Vt., for the creation of anational historical park, which is not yet complete.

Kolb says joining Cardinals just 'feels right'

2012-03-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Kevin Kolb has arrived in Arizona as the new quarterback of a Cardinals team in desperate need of one, acknowledging the pressure he will be under to succeed but saying the situation simply "feels right."

"You just know when something feels right and this one feels right," he said, "all the way from flying in, driving through town, getting here to the facility, talking with everybody, meeting the players, it feels really good."

Kolb appeared at a news conference Friday after undergoing his physical.

Later, he traveled north to the team's training camp in Flagstaff for an evening team meeting. The Cardinals hold their first practice on Saturday but, because he signed a new contract, Kolb won't be able to work out with his new team until next Thursday.

The Cardinals sent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 second-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Kolb in a deal reached on Wednesday. Kolb also has agreed to a five-year contract worth just under $64 million, with $21 million guaranteed.

Kolb traced his interest in playing for Arizona to the NFC championship game in the 2008 season, when he watched from the Eagles sidelines as the Cardinals won 32-25.

"I just kind of always marked this one down as one of my favorites," he said, "kept it in the back of my mind."

What impressed him?

"To be quite honest, first it was the stadium. I mean, the stadium was tremendous," Kolb said. "I was shocked by it. The city alone, just how clean and nice the city looked. Granted, I was coming from Philadelphia, but it was just a great city."

That line drew a big laugh from the packed news conference.

He went on to talk about the game itself, how the Cardinals answered every challenge.

Kolb was the Eagles' second-round draft pick in 2007 and won the starting job after Donovan McNabb's departure before the 2010 season. But after leaving the opener with a concussion, Kolb lost the job to Michael Vick. He comes to Arizona with just seven career starts, and he knows that he remains unproven. Now he must show that he is worth the high price the Cardinals paid for him.

"But there was a lot of pressure in every situation I've been thrown in so far," he said, "so it's nothing new for me. I look forward to the challenge. I look forward to answering a lot of critics and just playing my ball and settling in with this team and going and making a run."

Kolb came to Arizona earlier in the year and worked out with star receiver Larry Fitzgerald. It was, Kolb admits, an audition of sorts, a tryout he expects to go on for some time.

"But I think every day is going to feel like that, especially here for really the first year probably," Kolb said. "Week in and week out, it's going to be something different, every single day. But that's anywhere really, everywhere you go."

He is not pleased with the prospect of just watching practices for the first five days of camp.

"That's going to be a little difficult, watching the other guys practice and wanting to be out there in the heat of the battle," Kolb said. "That's how you earn respect. Forget the figures. Forget what we gave up, they gave up. You're ready to go in there and earn the respect on the field from your teammates."

He comes to a city still longing for the days of Kurt Warner. When Warner retired after leading Arizona to a second straight NFC West title in 2009, the drop-off at quarterback was a major reason the team fell to 5-11, the worst record in coach Ken Whisenhunt's four years with the Cardinals. The debacle set the stage for the franchise's willingness to give up so much to land Kolb.

"I've watched a lot of film on Kurt," Kolb said. "The things he does on the field are masterful in his mind. The mental game he has is unbelievable. That's something you can try to mimic. You'll never probably get there, but you can try to bring in more of that to your own game."

A football coach's son, Kolb said he has been a "gym rat" for as long as he can remember.

"Football has been a part of my life forever," he said.

Kolb was raised in north Texas, where he now owns a 2,500-acre ranch. Someone asked about stories that he went boar hunting with a knife, not a gun. The quarterback laughed.

"It's really not as dangerous as it sounds," he said, "but there is a kamikaze side, I guess, out there. I don't do it anymore. Once my hands started making me a little money, I stopped doing it."

Trio plan walk to help RNLI

2012-03-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Three friends rescued from the North Sea are making a donation tothe Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

They were plucked to safety by the Buckie lifeboat crew aftertheir rubber dinghy drifted out to sea off Cullen Bay.

Dawn Sutherland, 20, Chloe Aitken, 15, and Lauren Moir, 19, wereso grateful they plan to write a pounds100 cheque between them.

They are organising a sponsored walk from Buckie to Cullen Harbournext month in aid of the RNLI.

A helicopter worker from Dyce, Dawn said: "We've decided to givepounds100 to the RNLI.

"We want to thank the RNLI and the lifeboat team.

"I don't know what would have happened without them."

For more information call Heather McKenzie on (01542) 840484.

Charpentier, Jacques

2012-03-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

Charpentier, Jacques

Charpentier, Jacques, French composer and organist; b. Paris, Oct. 18, 1933. He studied piano with Maria Cerati-Boutillier, then lived in Calcutta (1953–54), where he made a study of Indian music. He prepared a valuable thesis, Introduction à l'étude de la musique de Vlnde. Upon his return to Paris, he studied composition with Aubin and analysis with Messiaen at the Cons. In 1954 he was appointed organist at the church of St.-Benoit-dTssy. In 1966 he was named chief inspector of music of the French Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and in 1975 Inspector General of the Secretariat of State for Culture. In 1974 he was named official organist of the Church of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet in Paris. From 1979 to 1981 he was director of music, lyric art, and dance in the French Ministry of Culture. Several of his works are based on Hindu melorhythms.

Works

DRAMATIC: La Femme et son ombre, ballet (1967); Béatrice de Planisoles, opera (Aix en Provence, July 23, 1971). orch.: Violin Concerto (1953); 7 syms.: No. 1, Symphonie breve, for Strings (1958), No. 2, Sinfonia sacra, for Strings (1965), No. 3, Shiva Nataraja (Shiva—the King of the Dance; 1968; Paris, March 2, 1969), No. 4, Brasil, in homage to Villa-Lobos (1973), No. 5, Et l'imaginaire se mit à danser (1977), No. 6 for Orch. and Organ (1979), and No. 7, Acropolis (1985); Ondes Martenot Concerto (1959); Alla francese, concertino for Ondes Martenot, Strings, and Percussion (1959–60); Octuple Concerto for 8 Winds and Strings (1963); Prélude pour la Genèse for Strings (1967); Récitatif for Violin and Orch. (1968); 10 concertos: No. 1 for Organ and Strings (1969), No. 2 for Guitar and Strings (1970), No. 3 for Harpsichord and Strings (1971), No. 4 for Piano and Strings (1971), No. 5 for Saxophone and Strings (1975), No. 6 for Oboe and Strings (1975), No. 7 for Trumpet and Strings (1975), No. 8 for Horn and Strings (1976), No. 9 for Cello and Strings (1976), and No. 10 for Clarinet and Strings (1983); Trumpet Concerto (1976). chamber: 2 string quartets (1955, 1956); Piano Quintet (1955); Ondes Martenot Quartet (1958); Suite karnatique for Ondes Martenot (1958); Prelude and Allegro for Bass Saxophone and Piano (1959); Lalita for Ondes Martenot and Percussion (1961); Pour Diane for Horn and Piano (1962); Pour Syrinx for Flute and Piano (1962); Mouvement for Flute, Cello, and Harp (1965); Gavambodi 2 for Saxophone and Piano (1966); Pour le Kama Soutra for Percussion Ensemble (1969); Pour une Apsara for 2 Harps (1970); Esquisses for Flute and Piano (1972); Tu dors mais mon coeur veille for Violin (1974); Et le jour vint... for 13 Instruments (1977); Vitrail pour un temps de guerre for Winds (1982). keyboard: piano:Toccata (1954); Études karnatiques (4 cycles, 1957-61). organ:Messe (1964); Répons (1968). vocal:4 Psaumes de Toukaram for Soprano and Orch. (1957); Tantum ergo for 4 Voices and Orch. (1962); La Croisade des pastoureaux, oratorio (1964); Musique pour un Zodiaque, oratorio (1971); La Genèse, oratorio (1973); Une Voix pour une autre for 2 Women's Voices, Flute, Clarinet, and Percussion (1974); Te Deum (1978); Prélude pour une nuit étoilée for Chorus and Orch. (1986); Le Miroir de Marie- Madeleine for Soprano, Women's Voices, and Orch. (1988).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Cargo plane crashes while trying to take off at Brussels airport

2012-03-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

A large cargo plane crashed at the end of a runway and split in two while trying to take off Sunday at Brussels airport, authorities said.

Four of the five crew members on board the Boeing 747 were slightly injured, said Francis Vermeiren, mayor of the nearby town of Zaventem. The mayor was coordinating rescue efforts after the crash.

"The plane is not on fire but it has split into two," he told VRT radio.

Firefighters were coating the wings of the plane with special fire retardant foam as a precaution because the plane was still full of jet fuel, the mayor said.

He said the plane was on a scheduled flight to Bahrain. It was not known what cargo the plane was carrying.

The plane came to a halt at the end of a runway, near houses and a cemetery.

Vermeiren said the pilot told rescue authorities he heard a large noise while trying to take off just after midday. It was not yet clear what caused the crash.

The plane is owned by Kalitta Air, a cargo carrier based in Ypsilanti, Michigan.