CRUEL KEV'S SCUTTELBUTT

Ventura Out, Barkley In

2008-07-16T00:03:00.001-05:00

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura halted his political comeback before it began Monday, using a national TV platform to announce that he won't launch a third-party bid for the U.S. Senate "at this moment." But Ventura kept the door open for a possible bid, saying things could change before the 5 p.m. Tuesday filing deadline. In an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," the former pro wrestler squelched speculation about his possible effect on an already hard-fought race between incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" personality.Within moments of Ventura saying he is out of the U.S. Senate race, Dean Barkley surprised local reporters by announcing he will throw his hat into the ring. Barkley served in the Senate for two months in 2002 after Ventura named him to replace the late Paul Wellstone. "This was an agonizing decision for me," Ventura said. But he said his family fears they will be attacked in the media again if he runs, "because nothing is off-limits today in the world of politics." For the past week, Minnesota's political class had waited to see if Ventura would really get back into the race - or if he was just enjoying a new chance to bask in the spotlight almost six years after he left the governor's office after a single term.

Bush Backs Israel Strike Plans On Iran

2008-07-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Sunday Times of London reported this weekend that "President George W. Bush has told the Israeli government that he may be prepared to approve a future military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations with Tehran break down." The Times report quoted a senior Pentagon official as its source. With increased resistance from the Pentagon and the November elections closing in, the White House may be choosing its next best option in dealing with Tehran: to have Israel launch strikes on Iran's nuclear weapons facilities. The paper said Bush has told Israel it has an "amber light" to proceed. “Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by for immediate attack and tell us when you’re ready,” the paper quoted a U.S. official as saying. Military experts are not sure that Israel's military forces can do the job. Iran has dispersed its nuclear program sites around the country, and some weapons facilities are said to be deep within the earth. The U.S. has special bunker-busting bombs that could destroy such underground laboratories, but Israel does not.Iran has made clear it will retaliate against Israel and the U.S. if either nation attacks it. Last week, Iran's military demonstrated its reach by firing nine long- and medium-range missiles -- including the modified Shahab-3 ballistic missile, which can easily strike Israel from western Iran. Political factors may be playing a role in strike plans for both Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Bush is in lame-duck status, and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, the front-runner to win the presidency in November, says he favors the use of diplomacy over force when dealing with Iran. Olmert is facing a political crisis as corruption charges threaten his hold on office. Some Israeli political analysts say Olmert may order an attack on Iran to bolster his political standing in Jerusalem. The Times cited one of Olmert's closest friends as quoting the prime minister: "In three months’ time it will be a different Middle East.”

Israel Hints At Readiness To Strike Iran

2008-07-11T00:03:00.001-05:00

Israel's defense minister has hinted at readiness to attack Iran, saying his country "proved in the past that it won't hesitate to act when its vital security interests are at stake." But Ehud Barak added "the reactions of (Israel's) enemies need to be taken into consideration as well."Tensions with Iran intensified after Tehran launched war games and long-range missile tests this week, warning Tel Aviv would be "set on fire" if Israel attacks Iran over its nuclear program. Israel suspects Iran is building nuclear weapons. Iran denies that, but its president has often said Israel should be "wiped off the map." In 1981, Israel bombed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor. Israel also hit a suspected nuclear facility in Syria in September.

Ex-Generals: End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

2008-07-09T00:03:00.001-05:00

Four former US generals have joined a growing call to end a policy barring homosexuals from openly serving in the military, after a study showed it was out of step with the times and harming the armed forces. The retired officers from the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps found in a year-long study that the 15-year-old policy, which allows gays to serve in the military only if they do not reveal their homosexuality, "is not working." "The military is losing critical talent and it's requiring some members to serve with a unique disadvantage in that they can't be honest with their peers," Nathaniel Franks, a senior research fellow at the Michael D. Palm research center in California, which commissioned the study, told reporters on Tuesday. The Pentagon policy -- called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- is mandated by a congressional statute passed under president Bill Clinton in 1993 and replaced a blanket ban on homosexuals serving in the military. The "Don't Ask" part of the policy means military recruits can no longer be questioned about their sexual orientation; "Don't Tell" means that, as long as they don't reveal their homosexuality, through words or actions, they may continue to serve. "Clinton framed his position in terms of 'meritocracy,' saying the nation could not afford to exclude capable citizens from helping their country even if some citizens did not like them," the generals said in the study."Those opposed to lifting the gay ban... cast the issue as one of 'national security' and 'military readiness,' arguing that such a change would put lives needlessly at risk by compromising the high standards of discipline, morale, and unit cohesion on which a strong military relies," the study said. After reviewing material from congressional hearings and interviewing military personnel, the generals concluded the policy was not working, in part because attitudes towards gays in the military have changed since 1993. Fifteen years ago around 40 percent of the public supported allowing "openly gay men and lesbian women" to serve in the military; today, between 58 and 79 percent hold that view, according to the study. "These days so much has changed in the culture, including the military, that we find in our research -- and this is reflected in the findings in the generals' report -- that commanders themselves are not fans of the policy," said Franks. "It's making it difficult for them to do their work." In calling for the repeal of the law and the axing of the policy, the generals recommend that "an across-the-board set of rules be put in place that regulate sexual activity," said Franks. These uniform standards would be "neutral with respect to sexual orientation," the study says."So there would be no scrutiny of sexual orientation. This is what has happened in Britain, Israel and Canada with great success," Franks said. Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith insisted that sexual conduct, not sexual orientation, was the criterion on which gay service members could be excluded from the military. "The law establishes the basis for separation from the armed forces as conduct, not orientation. Our policy reflects the law, ie no military member is discharged due to his or her sexual orientation," Smith said in a statement emailed to reporters. The study indicated otherwise. "According to a report prepared by the Government Accountability Office, nearly 800 people with skills deemed 'mission-critical' by the Pentagon have been dismissed" under the policy, it said. The study also found that around 1,000 men and women were discharged from the military each year as a direct result of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", and that "3,000 would likely have stayed in the military if they could have served openly." Smith said the Pentagon will "follow congressional direction on homosexual conduct." More than 140 members of Congress support an act calling for the law to be repealed, which would give the Pentagon the flexibility to drop the policy, said Franks.

Sacha Baron Cohen Plays Prank On Israeli Top Spy

2008-07-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

A former Mossad official says he was the target of the latest undercover operation by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Israeli analyst Yossi Alpher said he was invited to be interviewed for what was supposed to be a documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Alpher says he was led down a winding staircase and through long corridors to the interview site in Jerusalem. He realized something was amiss when he saw the interviewer - a man claiming to be a German rock star dressed in leather and studs. Alpher said he learned only later that the interviewer was Cohen's latest character: Bruno. Cohen's other characters include aspiring rapper Ali G and the anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist Borat. Baron Cohen has fooled many prominent people with his gag interviews. At one point the questioner compared the Mideast conflict to the spat between actor Brad Pitt's former and current wives. After Alpher and his Palestinian partner found themselves answering other idiotic questions, they started to suspect the sophisticated team of several assistants and three cameras.In one, the interviewees had to explain the difference between Hamas - an Islamic group ruling Gaza - and hummus - a chickpea paste eaten throughout the Mideast. "One of us mentioned Hamas, and the exchange that ensued went something like this: 'Vait, vait. Vat's zee connection between a political movement and food. Vy hummus?' We exchanged astonished glances," Alpher recounted in a letter that originally appeared in the New York Jewish weekly, the Forward. After a dumbed-down explanation of the difference, the interviewer asked "'Ya, but vy hummus? Yesterday I had to throw away my pita bread because it vas dripping hummus. Unt it's too high in carbohydrates,"' he said, according to Alpher. But it was too late to pull out, Alpher wrote, because the two had signed release forms and received payment for the interview.

Space Monster Attack To Upstage Worldly Woes At G8?

2008-07-06T00:03:00.000-05:00

A science-fiction movie targeting the Group of Eight summit next week in Toyako, Hokkaido, will debut in the prefecture's theaters Saturday, allowing a beast from outer space to wreak havoc on world leaders. The movie, "Girara no Gyakushu" ("Girara Strikes Back"), is a remake of the 1967 movie "Girara" but with a contemporary parody touch. In the plot, Girara attacks Sapporo while the G8 leaders meet in Toyako. The summit then changes its agenda to contemplate steps to stop Girara, according to the movie's official Web site. The movie also includes a scene where the Japanese prime minister, Sanzo Ibe, takes sick leave from the summit after suffering from a bowel problem.Then the G8 chair is taken over by Ibe's predecessor, Junzaburo Oizumi. Another scene involves an attempt by a "dictatorial state in the north" to fire a Potedong-55 nuclear missile at the monster. Director Minoru Kawasaki said he initially conceived the attack taking place in Tokyo but later chose Toyako after it became the G8 venue. Following the early release in Hokkaido, the movie will show nationwide starting from July 26.

Archdiocese Says No To Gay Pride Celebration

2008-06-25T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says a liberal Catholic church can't hold its annual gay pride prayer service. St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis has held the event for several years in conjunction with the annual Twin Cities Pride Celebration. The archdiocese is instead suggesting that the church hold a "peace" service Wednesday with no mention of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said the gay pride prayer service is inimical to the teachings of the Catholic church. The Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities calls the move an attack by Archbishop John Nienstedt.

Hundreds Turn Out for Troop Appreciation Walk

2008-06-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

Hundreds of people turned out for the fourth annual Minnesotans' Military Appreciation Fund 'Troop Appreciation Walk' on Sunday. The event honored not only the men and women who serve, but also their families. Leading the walk in Minneapolis was the mother of Private First Class Edward (Jim) Herrgott. He was the first Minnesotan killed in the Iraq war. This July marks five years since his death."MMAF is supporting the troops that are over there and helping the injured soldiers that come home. I mean, that's what we're doing it for. Jim will never come back, but we're helping the ones that do come back," said Marcia Herrgott, Jim's mother. The fund provides both emotional and financial support to military families. Since its start, the organization has raised $7 million and has given grants to more than 6,000 people.

McCain Says Pawlenty Has 'Big Place' In GOP Future

2008-06-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

Speaking in Minneapolis, Sen. John McCain told reporters Gov. Tim Pawlenty has "a very big place" in the Republican Party's future. McCain didn’t say whether he's considering Pawlenty as a running mate. The Republican candidate said he doesn’t have a short list and won’t name names. McCain made his first Minnesota campaign stop in the Twin Cities Thursday at the Landmark Center. At the pre-ticketed event, McCain was able to interact intimately with and answer the questions of a smaller audience, as opposed to the rally-style of his rival, Barack Obama. McCain touched on several points, calling for energy independence and offshore drilling in the United States.Sen. John McCain and Gov. Tim PawlentyHe also said that if troops are still successful overseas, he would support them coming home in one year. Minnesota Governor and McCain's national campaign co-chair Tim Pawlenty spent the day with the Senator, which further fueled VP speculation. McCain did mention Pawlenty has shown a Republican can win in Minnesota, a state taken by Democrats in the general election since the last GOP support coming in 1972. McCain said he understand he’s the underdog in Minnesota, but intends to fight for the state's 10 electoral votes.

New Poll Shows Clinton's Supporters Hesitate To Stand Behind Obama

2008-06-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters have not yet decided to stand behind Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, according to a new poll. The first general election poll of polls since Clinton quit the race showed that Obama led his Republican rival, John McCain, by 46 percent to 41 percent. Obama's supporting rate had only one point up from the last poll of polls that were taken before Clinton suspended her campaign, which showed the Illinois Senator leading McCain by 47 percent to 43 percent.The comparison of the two polls showed "Clinton's decision to suspend her campaign and endorse Obama seems to have produced little or no bouncer for Obama," CNN polling director Keating Holland said. "Clinton's supporters may need more than one speech to rally behind the party's nominee," he added. The poll of polls consists of three surveys conducted between June 12 and 16 by separate bodies.

NYC Company Markets Obama & McCain-Themed Condoms

2008-06-13T00:03:00.000-05:00

The presidential race is in full swing -- but not the way you might think. A young New York City entrepreneur has decided to "have fun" with the campaign by marketing condoms featuring images of Barack Obama and John McCain. Benjamin Sherman, who created the company Practice Safe Policy, says the Obama condom carries the slogan "Use With Good Judgment." The McCain version says "OLD BUT Not Expired."According to the Web site, McCain condoms "are battle tested, strong and durable, for those occasions when you just need to switch your position!" While the company can't guarantee the condoms are 100 percent effective, it says it's certain "that without wearing one, there's likely to be an Obama-Mama in your future.

Ron Paul Plans GOP Counter-Convention

2008-06-11T00:03:00.000-05:00

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, technically still in the race despite having lost by all measures to presumptive nominee John McCain, is planning to stage a sort of counter-convention during the Republican National Convention in September. The libertarian-leaning Texas congressman is hoping to rally about 11,000 supporters at an arena at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on Sept. 2. That would coincide with the GOP convention, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 4, in next-door St. Paul.Paul has 24 convention delegates, compared with the 1,504 who are in the McCain column, according to tallies. He did not win any primaries or caucuses but amassed a loyal and enthusiastic base of supporters. According to the Tribune-Review article, Paul is set to announce details for the rally Thursday in Houston. An aide told reporters Paul hopes the Minneapolis event will “send a message to the Republican Party.”

Ron Paul Backers Plan Own Convention

2008-06-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Supporters of Ron Paul’s bid for the Republican Presidential nomination are planning to hold an insurgent state convention July 28 in Reno, Nev., even though the party has scheduled a sanctioned gathering July 26 to finish electing the state’s national delegates. Paul’s backers say Nevada Republican leaders abruptly shut down the state's first convention attempt last April before final votes were cast. Earlier in the day, Paul's supporters had won a rules change that appeared to be leading to a national slate of delegates mostly pledged to Paul than to presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain. The state party's executive director, Zachary Moyle, disputes the party tried to cut anybody out of the process, saying everything was done in an open manner. He also says extra security will be on hand this time because some delegates are concerned about safety. While no violence occurred at the April convention, state Sen. Bob Beers, the presiding chairman, was rushed out of the building by security after angry delegates surrounded the stage moments after he called it to a close. It has taken the party more than a month to reschedule the new convention, which leads Paul’s supporters to believe party leaders are obstructing democracy.They argue the party's date to reconvene is so late there would be no time to regroup if problems similar to those that forced the end of the first one recur. National delegates must be elected by Aug. 1. "A date so late in July is simply not reasonable," says one Paul supporter participating in the revolt. "We don't want to run out of time and possibly be forced into a mail-in ballot or an appointed delegation." GOP officials say the event Paul’s forces want to stage is not sanctioned by the party, and delegates elected there would not be recognized by the national committee. Paul’s backers contend he needs a simple majority of delegates for a quorum to reconvene and elect delegates. Paul – described as a conservative, a Constitutionalist and a Libertarian – racked up more than a million votes during the primaries in spite of his candidacy remaining largely under the radar.The 10-term Texas Republican began his presidential bid a year ago and has raised nearly $35 million in donations from hundreds of thousands of supporters, mostly via the Internet. He reportedly has more than $5 million remaining in his political coffers and continues to travel the country signing copies of his new book and speaking to crowds of followers, many of them new to the political process. Paul is trying to earn a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., this September. His platform advocates a foreign policy of nonintervention, citing the dangers of foreign entanglements to national sovereignty. He and his loyal followers are against the war in Iraq and favor withdrawal from both NATO and the U.N. Paul has consistently pledged to never raise taxes and end the federal income tax. While he has refused a third-party bid, he has vowed not to endorse McCain. "Paul's grassroots supporters across the country are doing a tremendous job spreading [his] message, winning votes, and laying a strong foundation for the future," campaign spokesman Jesse Benton says.

Military Shoots Down Missile In Test Off Hawaii

2008-06-06T00:03:00.000-05:00

The U.S. military says it has intercepted a ballistic missile near Hawaii in a test. The sea-based test Thursday was the military's first since an errant satellite was shot down earlier this year. A target was fired from a decomissioned amphibious assault ship about 100 miles off the island of Kauai. It was a Scud-like missile with a range of a few hundred miles.USS Lake Erie (CG 70)The USS Lake Erie fired two interceptor missiles at the target. It was shot down in its final seconds of flight about 12 miles above the Pacific Ocean. The Lake Erie is a Navy cruiser based at Pearl Harbor. In February, the ship shot down a U.S. spy satellite in the Aegis defense program's first real-world mission.

Regions Hospital Ready For The RNC Tush

2008-06-05T00:03:00.000-05:00

Regions Hospital is preparing for the Republican National Convention, insuring they will not be overwhelmed when the Twin Cities fills up this September. The hospital has recently renovated their Medical Resource Command Center or MRCC, a major communication tool used in organizing ambulance routes. It is one of only two in the Twin Cities and it services the east Metro and parts of Wisconsin. Through the MRCC, operators can determine which hospitals are open to taking patients and how many they're able to take at any given time. "We kind of become the flight control center for the ambulances," said MRCC Operator Dave Gammell.A patient tracking system has also been developed. It was first implemented during last year's state fair and it allows hospitals to determine when and where patients are transferred through bar-coded wristbands. Another tool that gives Regions confidence for the convention is the permanent decontamination area. One hundred to 150 people an hour can pass through the showers and the system can operate for four hours before the collection tanks must be drained. The hospital also plans to ramp up on their security staff. "That is one area that we are going to staff up just because it is a national security event and we're going to recognize that fact and be ready for it," said Regions Director of Plant Operations Rick Huston.

Gay Marriage Ban Qualifies For California Ballot

2008-06-03T00:03:00.000-05:00

California's Secretary of State says an initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in the state has qualified for the November ballot. Debra Bowen says a random check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough for it to be put to voters. The measure would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union "between a man and a woman."It would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state if it is approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4. California public health officials already have amended marriage license applications and told local officials to start issuing them to same-sex couples on June 17.

Iran Warns It May Limit Cooperation With UN Nuclear Watchdog

2008-06-02T00:03:00.000-05:00

Iran warned it may limit cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, expressing disappointment over the agency's recent report that was critical of Tehran. The International Atomic Energy Agency, in a report to the U.N. Security Council last week, suggested Iran was stonewalling investigators and possibly withholding information crucial to determining whether it conducted research on nuclear weapons. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Sunday the IAEA "could present a better report," adding Iran may have to set "new limits" on its cooperation with the agency. Iran's newly elected parliament speaker Ali Larijani made a similar threat on Wednesday. Parliament on Sunday elected Larijani, formerly the country's top nuclear negotiator, to the powerful post of speaker for a year. The choice of Larijani for the influential job boosts his standing ahead of 2009 elections in which he is expected to challenge President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the presidency. There is growing opposition to Ahmadinejad from other conservatives such as Larijani and clerical leaders, partly over his confrontational approach in the nuclear standoff with the West.Iran is under growing pressure from the IAEA to explain what could be secret nuclear weapons work and it has become increasingly defensive on the issue. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Iran is resisting a strong IAEA push for answers to allegations it tried to make nuclear arms. It refuses to compromise on the key demand that it stop uranium enrichment. For years, Iran has shrugged off offers of economic and political rewards in exchange for an enrichment freeze. It has thumbed its nose both at U.N. Security Council demands that it do so, even after sanctions were imposed, and at veiled U.S. threats of a military action. Instead, it exploited international indecision and expanded and improved its enrichment capability. Diplomats said the tone of the IAEA report was unusually tough and reflected deep frustration at Iran's lack of cooperation. Briefing IAEA board members three days after the report's release, Olli Heinonen — the IAEA's deputy director general in charge of the agency's Iran file — said Iran's possession of nuclear warhead diagrams was "alarming." In a statement from its U.N. Mission last week, Tehran again rejected allegations of an undeclared weapons program as "baseless," "totally false," and aimed at undermining the country's cooperation with the IAEA.Asked Friday whether the IAEA's new assertiveness was due to U.S. lobbying of the agency, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters that Washington tries "to use any possible capacity as potentiality for their political purposes." Fears that Iran might want to make the bomb are as old as the discovery five years ago that it had assembled the nuts and bolts of a uranium enrichment program. Enrichment can turn uranium into the fissile material used in nuclear warheads. But it can also be used to generate power and is allowed under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Iran insists it has a right to enrich uranium. Starting last year, the IAEA began focusing on probing for evidence of activities that point more directly to a possible clandestine weapons program. Based on its own information and intelligence from the U.S. and other board members, it has asked — in vain — for substantive explanations for what seem to be draft plans to refit missiles with nuclear warheads; explosives tests that could be used for a nuclear detonation; military and civilian nuclear links and a drawing showing how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads.

Minn. Supreme Court Rules Spanking Kids Isn't Illegal

2008-05-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that spanking children isn't illegal. The court ruled in a 2005 case in which a father paddled his son's upper thighs 36 times in 12-blow increments. Justice Alan Page wrote the unanimous opinion upholding a state Court of Appeals ruling. However, the Supreme Court determined that the Court of Appeals too narrowly defined abuse as that which "constitutes the crime of malicious punishment of a child."The Supreme Court determined that physical abuse that causes only mental injury may qualify as abuse in terms of the child needing protective services. Justice Christopher Dietzen did not take part in the Supreme Court ruling. That's because he wrote the Court of Appeals decision before he was elevated to the high court.

Venezuela Claims Arrest of U.S. Drug Agent

2008-05-30T00:03:00.000-05:00

Venezuela said on Thursday it arrested a man who identified himself as a U.S. anti-drugs agent, which if confirmed could inflame tensions between the United States and one of its biggest oil suppliers. President Hugo Chavez in 2005 ended cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), saying the agency was spying on him. The United States denied the charge and says Chavez does too little to stop trafficking from neighboring Colombia, the world's largest cocaine exporter.Gen. Gabriel Oviedo said the man was acting suspicious when he was detained close to the border with Colombia while bearing Canadian and French passports and a Venezuelan identity card. "The official at the scene proceeded to interrogate him and he said he was a DEA agent," Oviedo told state television. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas said it had no knowledge of the arrest. Relations have deteriorated since a failed 2002 coup against Chavez that Washington initially welcomed. Tensions increased this month. The United States said new evidence of Chavez's ties to Colombian rebels was troubling, while the leftist charged a U.S. military jet that entered Venezuelan airspace was spying on the OPEC nation.

Al Qaeda Calls For WMD Attack Against Americans

2008-05-28T00:03:00.000-05:00

Groups that monitor Islamic Web sites say al Qaeda in a new video will urge jihadists to use biological, chemical and nuclear weapons to attack the West, the FBI said. There was no evidence of a direct threat or that the group had obtained weapons of mass destruction, U.S. intelligence officials said. Spokesman Richard Kolko said the FBI sent out an alert to U.S. law enforcement agencies about the video, expected in the next 24 hours. "We got information the tape is coming," said Kolko. "We sent out an alert to law enforcement to let them know the tape was coming." The alert was a routine precaution sent to 1,800 U.S. law enforcement agencies, he said.There is no sign that al Qaeda has acquired the capability to use weapons of mass destruction, a U.S. intelligence official said. "At this point there isn't evidence they've obtained it," the official said on condition of anonymity. "But it's clearly their intent and it's something we need to be aware of and concerned about." The official declined comment on the FBI alert. The al Qaeda report prompted the dollar to dip slightly against the euro and Swiss franc. Kolko said the information about the al Qaeda call to jihadists was gleaned from organizations that monitor Islamic militant Web sites. Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda are linked to the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington that killed around 3,000 people, and the October 12, 2002, bombing on the tourist island of Bali when 202 people died.

President Bush Inducted Into Biker Group

2008-05-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

US President George W Bush donned a black leather biker jacket and was given honorary membership in the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group, which paraded through Washington to honour veterans on Memorial Day. Tens of thousands of members of the biker group joined the parade down the US capital's main boulevards in the group's annual Ride for Freedom event to celebrate US soldiers and sailors and press for greater benefits for veterans. Rolling Thunder leaders including national executive director Artie Muller met President Bush at the White House, where they presented him with the vest in honour of their 21st Memorial Day ride.President Bush called the masses of motorcycles, which he observed from his helicopter just moments before, "a magnificent sight." "We just choppered in, Artie, and saw your brothers and sisters cranking up their machines and driving through the nation's capital - many of them have got the flag on the back," President Bush told them. "And I am just so honoured to welcome you back. I want to thank you and all your comrades for being so patriotic and loving our country as much as you do," he said. "And our troops appreciate you, the veterans appreciate you and your President appreciates you," President Bush said.

St. Paul Refuses GOP Convention Protesters' Appeal

2008-05-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

The St. Paul City Council won't grant a new route for a protest march during the Republican National Convention in September. The 6-1 vote was taken with virtually no debate. Under a route granted by the city last week, the September 1 march is slated to begin at noon at the state Capitol and run through downtown St. Paul to the Xcel Energy Center, the main site for the convention, which runs through September 4.Protesters sought a different route and a later time frame for the march. An attorney for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War says the groups hope to continue negotiating with the city and are still weighing possible court action. The coalition expects the march to draw 50,000 people.

Smiling Can Hurt Your Health

2008-05-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

A German scientist has proved that people forced to smile and take on-the-job insults suffer more and longer-lasting stress that may harm their health. Dieter Zapf of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt studied 4,000 volunteers working in a fake call center. Half were allowed to respond in kind to abuse on the other end of the line while the other half had to suck it up.He found that those able to answer back had a brief increase in heart rate. Those who could not had stress symptoms that lasted much longer. "Every time a person is forced to repress his true feelings there are negative consequences," Zapf said. "We are all able to rein in our emotions but it becomes difficult to do this over a protracted period." In an interview with the German healthcare magazine Apotheken Umschau, Zapf suggested that people who must keep smiling on the job should get regular breaks to let it out.

Kennedy Keels Over

2008-05-17T00:03:00.000-05:00

U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy was rushed by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital this morning after falling ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport. Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30 a.m. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent almost two hours in the emergency room a decision was made to transfer him to Mass General Hospital in Boston. Kennedy, 76, was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out to the MedFlight helicopter around 10:15 a.m. where it took off from Barnstable Municipal Airport. The Kennedy family is preparing to host the annual Best Buddies Challenge event in Hyannisport this afternoon, which is a fund-raiser for the organization.Best Buddies was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver and helps people with intellectual disabilities. Hundreds are expected to participate in the event, which kicked off this morning with a 100-mile bicycle ride from the Kennedy Library in Boston to Hyannisport. A concert at the Kennedy compound is scheduled for tonight. Kennedy has represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate since 1962. He was elected in 1962 to finish the final two years of the Senate term of his brother, Senator John F. Kennedy, who was elected president in 1960. Since then, Kennedy has been re-elected to seven full terms, and is now the second most senior member of the Senate.

Can A Dead Woman Vote?

2008-05-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

At the conclusion of her victory speech in Charleston, W.Va., on Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton told the story of a supporter named Florence Steen, who passed away last Sunday. The 88-year-old South Dakotan had just voted for Clinton by absentee ballot, ahead of the state's June 3 primary. It's a touching story, but will her vote still count? No. As dictated by a 2001 state law, the South Dakota Department of Health is responsible for furnishing the county auditors with a list of registered voters who have died each month. This information is used to update the state's electronic voter-registration file, which was created by a different 2001 law. Absentee ballots are collected by county auditors and remain sealed until the election, so if an absentee voter dies prior to the election, then her ballot is never opened. The 2001 South Dakota law originally required this monthly list of deceased voters to be transferred to the county auditors by the 10th of the following month—which in this case could have occurred after the June 3 election. However, updates to the legislation passed in the wake of 2002's Help America Vote Act now require more frequent electronic reporting.Because election law is governed by states, the rules vary widely when it comes to how this issue is handled. Had Steen lived in Florida, for example, her vote would have counted. Florida state law dictates that "the ballot of an elector who casts an absentee ballot shall be counted even if the elector dies on or before election day" so long as the ballot was postmarked or received by the election supervisor prior to the voter's death. Steen's daughter tells Explainer that she postmarked her mother's absentee ballot on April 29 or April 30, nearly two weeks before Steen passed away. In 2004, USA Today reported that California, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, and West Virginia all allow for the counting of absentee ballots of deceased voters while many other states technically do not. Many states that prohibit these so-called "ghost votes," however, lack the reporting system to quickly update voter rolls with recent deaths. That means it's very unlikely that a recently deceased voter would have his or her absentee ballot nullified. Because most absentee ballots are mailed in the few weeks prior to the election, the likelihood that a significant number of voters will have passed away in the interim is fairly small. Election experts tend to agree that absentee ballots cast legitimately by voters who die soon thereafter are a minor issue compared with concerns about voter fraud or errors in how votes are registered.