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Prosthetic Leg Prompts Lockdown

2012-03-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The woman suspected foul play was afoot; she just had no idea what it was.

Police barricaded streets near a branch of St. Joseph Hospital after that woman called to report a man with an assault rifle walking into a medical office building. The assault rifle turned out to be a prosthetic leg, Bellingham Police Deputy Chief David Doll said.

Police searched the building floor by floor. When no suspect was found, police evacuated the building and the woman …

US man gets 400-plus years in prison for crimes

2012-03-15T04:24:00.000-07:00

A 27-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to more than 400 years in prison for a September crime spree that included carjacking, burglarizing and shooting a psychologist during a robbery.

Anthony Hislar must serve at least 85 percent of a 93-year prison sentence before beginning a separate term of 429 years to life, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Hislar was convicted of 33 felony counts last month in Superior Court, including robbery, burglary, carjacking and evading police. His crime spree was carried out in Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles and parts of the San Gabriel Valley before he was arrested leaving Disneyland on …

Palatine woman held in baby's August death

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

Using a sophisticated technique of modern crime fighting - DNAtesting - police have linked a Palatine mother to the death of aninfant girl they say was her daughter.

Elizabeth M. Ehlert, 31, was ordered held in lieu of $250,000bond Thursday after being charged with the August death of a babyfound floating in a shallow storm-water retention pond at Twin LakesGolf Course in Palatine.

DNA testing, a process that compares chromosome patterns, plusstatements by "a number of corroborating witnesses" and by Ehlert ledpolice to charge Ehlert, Palatine Deputy Police Chief Walter Gasiorsaid.

Ehlert also has been identified as a suspect in the 1988 slayingof her …

Euro slides against dollar on Greek debt worries

2012-03-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) — The euro is falling against the dollar as investors worried that Greece may default on its debt.

Investors are concerned that European officials won't give the country its next $11 billion payment in time to avoid defaulting on its debt. The payment is part of last year's $151 billion bailout package.

On Friday, European finance ministers meeting in Poland decided to delay …

Marines stay out of poppies, focus on fighting, claim some gains

2012-03-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

U.S. Marines are trading gunfire and artillery shells with Taliban militants in the volatile southern province of Helmand, the world's largest poppy growing region.

The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit moved into the town of Garmser in late April. It's the farthest south U.S. forces have been in Afghanistan in years.

Marine commanders say the Taliban brought in arms and fighters in response, to protect the lucrative poppy fields that cover Garmser. The Taliban derives tens of millions of dollars from the poppy trade each year by taxing farmers and charging safe passage fees.

The Marines originally planned to be in Garmser for only a couple of days, …

George's remarks on sex abuse draw fire from NOW

2012-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

The National Organization for Women called Thursday on Chicago'sCardinal Francis George to resign over his comments at a Vaticansummit that a priest having sex with a teenage girl might not be asgreat an evil as sexually abusing a young child.

"I think that just indicates a shocking misunderstanding of thelaws of the State of …

Martens tackles gruelling desert marathon [Marathon des Sables across the Sahara desert]

2012-03-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Altona, Man.

Running is more than a passion for Albert Martens. It is a way to share faith and to raise funds for worthy projects.

At 53, this native of Altona, Manitoba, has run more than 27,000 kilometres and completed 29 marathons. He has run to raise funds for the school in Germany where he is business administrator, for projects in eastern Europe and most recently for a medical clinic in Nicaragua.

Ever since moving to Germany in 1977, Martens has raised his own support for his job at Black Forest Academy, a missionary training school. He is a member of the Evangelical Mennonite Church in Steinbach, Manitoba, and his support comes from donations to the Janz …

Australian Rugby League Results

2012-03-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

Results Monday at the end of round 20 in Australia's National Rugby League:

Brisbane 18, Cronulla 12

Parramatta 16, North Queensland 4

Canberra 46, Gold Coast …

Trade talks in Seattle fall apart: ; U.S. official says protests did not derail gathering

2012-03-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE - The push for new global trade talks collapsed in amajor defeat for the Clinton administration, leaving labor andenvironmental activists cheering today as weary, disappointednegotiators wondered how to go forward.

The failure of the World Organization Trade session late Friday -following violent protests that turned downtown Seattle intosomething resembling a combat zone - was a stark illustration thatany further liberalization to global commerce won't come easily.

"We won," said Tracy Katelman, an activist from the Alliance forSustainable Jobs and the Environment who had worked to shut down theWTO talks. "We really disrupted it. We certainly created …

Delayed discharges from an adult intensive care unit

2012-03-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Abstract

Objective: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services are expensive, and therefore appropriate utilisation is imperative. Delayed discharges impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of ICU services. This study examines the prevalence and reasons for delayed discharge.

Method: Cross sectional study. We enrolled a prospective sample of all patients admitted to a 22-bed ICU over a 6-month period. Medical staff in ICU informed nursing shift coordinators when patients could be discharged. Nursing shift coordinators maintained a record of discharge times, delays and reasons for delay. Discharge was considered delayed if the patient was not relocated from the ICU within 8 hours …

Drowning, other accidents kill 800,000 kids a year

2012-03-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Simple things like seat belts, childproof medicine caps and fences around pools could help prevent half of the 2,000 child deaths worldwide that occur every day because of accidents, UN officials said Wednesday.

More than 800,000 children die each year from burns, drowning, car crashes, falls, poisoning and other accidents, with the vast majority of those deaths occurring in developing countries, according to experts and a report released Wednesday by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Tens of millions more suffer injuries that often leave them disabled for life, said the report which was launched at a meeting of global health experts in Hanoi. The …

Police earn professional qualifications

2012-03-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

Officers in Bath have become some of the first in the country tobe awarded a new qualification in policing.

PCs Gemma Kirby, Richard Hafferty, Mark Hodder and ChristopherMinty have all achieved their NVQ in policing.

The qualification was introduced in 2006 after a national reviewof police training.

New recruits up and down the country will all take part in theprogramme designed to …

DaVanon hits for cycle in 21-run romp AL ROUNDUP

2012-03-14T02:16:00.000-07:00

Jeff DaVanon became the first Angels player in 13 years to hit forthe cycle and drove in four runs to lead host Anaheim to a 21-6victory Wednesday night that completed a seven-game season sweep ofthe Kansas City Royals.

Jose Molina hit his first career grand slam, and Garret Andersonhad five RBI and three hits, including a three-run homer. DarinErstad and Vladimir Guerrero had three hits each, and Erstad scoredfour runs.

Anaheim tied a season high with 22 hits and set a franchise homerecord for runs. It was the first time the Angels have ever swept anAL opponent in a season series during their 44-year history.

DaVanon hit a two-run double in the third inning against Mike Wood(2-6), a triple in the fourth, an RBI single in the fifth and hit hisseventh homer of the season leading off the seventh against ScottSullivan. He became the fourth player in club history to complete thecycle, the first since Dave Winfield at Kansas City on June 24, 1991.Jim Fregosi did it twice, and Dan Ford also accomplished the feat.

INDIANS 4, YANKEES 3: Coco Crisp caused more commotion than arunaway squirrel, diving headfirst for a go-ahead bunt single in theeighth that ended host Cleveland's nine-game losing streak.

The Indians rallied for two runs in the eighth, providing anentertaining finish for the 30,605 fans who spent much of the eveningcheering for a squirrel.

The little brown critter ran onto the field in the third inningand eventually settled down in center field. Play was held up severaltimes, including in the seventh inning with Derek Jeter at the plateand a runner on second.

TWINS 8, RANGERS 5: Visiting Minnesota had 13 hits off Texasstarter Ryan Drese (11-7), a career-worst for the right-hander andone shy of a Rangers record. He pitched just 32/3 innings, hisshortest outing this season.

Only one Minnesota starter didn't have a hit in the first twoinnings as the Twins piled up 10 hits and a 6-2 lead.

RED SOX 11, BLUE JAYS 5: David Ortiz homered twice and drove infour runs, and Curt Schilling earned his 16th win as Boston beat hostToronto.

Schilling (16-6) joined Mark Mulder (17-4) as the only AL pitcherswith at least 16 wins.

ATHLETICS 3, ORIOLES 0: Marco Scutaro hit a three-run homer withtwo out in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift host Oakland.

B.J. Ryan (3-4) struck out the first two batters he faced beforeDamian Miller singled and Bobby Crosby walked. Scutaro then drilled a2-1 delivery over the left-field fence for his fifth homer.

DEVIL RAYS 6, MARINERS 5: Aubrey Huff drove in the go-ahead runwith an RBI groundout in the ninth inning, and visiting Tampa Baycompleted its first series sweep of Seattle.

Clinton to label nicotine addictive, start tobacco rules

2012-03-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON President Clinton is about to reverse centuries ofU.S. tobacco policy, declaring nicotine an addictive drug in hopes ofpreventing about 500,000 teenagers a year from smoking.

The nicotine in tobacco still will be less restricted than anyother drug the government has labeled addictive. And even if theFood and Drug Administration's ambitious regulations work, it wouldbe years before the nation saw a drop in the 400,000 annual deathsattributed to tobacco.

Still, "tobacco has been exempt from safety regulations thatevery other consumer product in the country has been subjected to,"said University of California Professor Stanton Glantz, author of TheCigarette Papers. "They're basically going from a privileged statusto being treated more like everything else."

Clinton is expected today to declare nicotine an addictive drugand unleash the FDA to regulate cigarettes and smokeless tobacco asdevices that deliver nicotine. Anti-tobacco leaders have beeninvited to an afternoon ceremony in the Rose Garden.

The FDA aims, within seven years, to cut in half teenagesmoking, through far-reaching restrictions designed to snufftobacco's appeal as sexy and fun, as well as its availability tominors.

Teen smoking already is illegal, yet 3,000 teens a day pick upthe habit and 90 percent of all smokers start before age 18.

The tobacco industry has sued to block the FDA rules, insistingit doesn't encourage teens to smoke and that nicotine is notaddictive.

"It's illegal jurisdiction," declared the Tobacco Institute'sBrennan Dawson.

Every other drug the government labels as addictive is eitherbanned or available by prescription only, steps the FDA has insistedit won't take with tobacco. And the government still promotestobacco through a taxpayer-funded agricultural price support program.

Still, FDA regulation reverses centuries of tobacco policy.This leaf was smoked long before white settlers ever arrived andquickly became the colonial currency that helped finance the AmericanRevolution.

But tobacco today is no longer the leaf smoked straight from thefield. It's a mix of tobacco and chemicals such as ammonia thatcigarette makers say are added only for taste but that internalindustry research shows can boost nicotine's addictive effects.

Those changes - and once-secret industry documents showingtobacco executives knew before doctors did of tobacco's risks andprivately acknowledged its addictiveness - gave the FDA ammunitionbecause federal law says the agency must oversee any drug "intendedto affect the structure or function" of the body.

"This is a very important turning of the screw . . . where thefederal government actually begins to interfere with the otherwiseunfettered market decisions of consumers," said University of NorthCarolina tobacco historian Harry Watson.

Officials say the final rules largely mirror the FDA's 1995proposed crackdown, which would mean the advertising industry couldfeel the biggest financial pinch: No more three-dimensional Joe Camel ads offering free concerttickets in magazines such as Rolling Stone that are read bythousands of teenagers. The only cigarette ads that could appear insuch magazines would be black-and-white, text-only. No more cigarette billboards within 1,000 feet of schools - orpictures on any billboards, like the Marlboro Man.

Those bans would cut at least $600 million from the tobaccoindustry's $6 billion annual marketing tab, said attorney JohnFithian of the Freedom to Advertise Coalition, advertising groupsthat have sued to block the FDA.

FDIC to market California portfolio

2012-03-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

The FDIC has announced it will market a $300 million loan portfolio retained from the failed Southern Pacific Bank, Torrance, Calif., within the next 60 days. The portfolio consists of loans for equipment leases, independent film financing, industrial asset-based lending, franchise loans, commercial loans and syndicated loans.

FDIC contact for the planned sales is Diane Jackson, loan sales department, at 972-761-8220 or djackson@fdic.gov.

Man accused of getting SUV stuck on edge of cliff

2012-03-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

A 21-year-old man was accused of getting his vehicle stuck on the edge of the Rimrocks in Billings with a passenger passed out inside. The man was charged with felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor driving under the influence.

Police said they found the 2003 Dodge Durango with it's rear tires completely over the cliff edge. A 19-year-old man was found passed out in the passenger seat, with a case of beer at his feet.

A firetruck secured the Durango until a tow truck arrived to winch it away from the cliff.

Bail was set at $7,500 in Justice Court, and the man was ordered to appear Friday for arraignment in District Court.

___

Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com

Khabibulin has goal tendency to come up big

2012-03-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Don't tell me it has been a great year for the Blackhawks regardless of how they fare in the playoffs.

Call me greedy, but I need more than the inaugural fan convention, cute commercials, a memorable New Year's Day celebration in Wrigleyville and a franchise high-water mark for attendance to label this season a success.

I expect the Hawks to win. No mulligans given for young stars who are green around the gills when it comes to postseason experience.

There is one guy ''in the room'' -- if I can use hockey parlance -- whose experience and skill can guide the Hawks deep into the playoffs.

And he's the guy nobody wanted. Not here. Not anywhere.

Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is the trump card. He's the most important Hawk of all, and he's on top of his game right now.

Thank Lord Stanley that general manager Dale Tallon couldn't find Khabby a new home after signing Cristobal Huet to a four-year, $22.5 million deal last summer. The Hawks would be sunk without Khabibulin, who turned away 83 of the 87 shots he faced in his previous four starts (all victories) before losing 4-3 in a shootout Wednesday against Columbus.

So what if the Hawks are 0-for-2009 on the power play. Flashy goals are for highlight shows. Hot goalies advance their teams to the next round.

PROVEN WINNER

Khabibulin has done that. The unflappable Russian went 16-7 with a 1.71 goals-against average when he led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2005. Five of those 16 wins were shutouts.

Yeah, I know how deep that hurts. Tampa Bay has won the Cup since the Hawks last broke a playoff sweat. So have the Carolina Hurricanes. And the Anaheim Ducks. Yikes.

All of those springs without playoff hockey in Chicago will be forgotten, however, if Khabibulin pushes the Hawks to greatness.

Nobody swings fortunes more than the goalie. There's no more important position than the one played by the guy who protects that little 4-foot-by-6-foot cage.

During the last five minutes, the goalie is the quarterback running the hurry-up offense with no timeouts.

He's the closer. The guy summoned to the mound to get the last three outs with the bases loaded.

Khabibulin thrives on that pressure. He rises when the stakes are higher.

He was the biggest factor in the Hawks' late-season success last year. They didn't qualify for the playoffs, but Khabibulin's clutch play made them a playoff-caliber squad in March.

At 36, he still moves post-to-post with the quickness of a youngster. He pops up from the prone position like a high-arcing Titleist when it meets the cart path. He has vision like, well, a Hawk.

SPECIAL CARE

If I'm Tallon or coach Joel Quenneville, I'd hire around-the-clock security for Khabby. Get him a driver so he can think peaceful thoughts on his way to and from the rink or the grocery store.

Get him a massage therapist who's on call. A nutritionist. A babysitter. Whatever it takes to get him as comfortable as he can be as the Hawks embark on their first playoff journey since 2002.

And enough with the talk about how satisfying the season has been. There will be no banners raised at the United Center for season tickets sold or dramatically increased television and radio ratings.

Not even Big Chief Blackhawk himself, John McDonough, the P.T. Barnum of his era, would schedule a ceremony if the Hawks get clipped in the first round.

''One Goal.''

Remember?

And the Hawks have a better shot at realizing that goal than most people think. It's because of Khabibulin.

The puck stops there.

Keeping the love alive You''ve [...]

2012-03-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Keeping the love alive You''ve planned the wedding, exchangedvows and enjoyed the honeymoon. Now all the excitement''s over, howdo you keep the romance going? See page 2

Rangers headed to World Series for first time

2012-03-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers reached the World Series for the first time after Vladimir Guerrero drove in three runs and Nelson Cruz homered in a 6-1 win over the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the American League championship series Friday.

Colby Lewis dominated for his second win of the series and Josh Hamilton earned the ALCS most valuable player award.

"The World Series is coming to Texas," longtime Rangers infielder Michael Young said. "These fans have waited longer than we have. I know how bad we wanted it and they must have wanted it more."

"Totally worth the wait, totally," he said.

When Alex Rodriguez took a called third strike to end the game, fireworks exploded in the sky high above, confetti filled the air and the Rangers embraced each other near the mound.

Rangers icon Nolan Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher who is the team president and co-owner, embraced his wife in the front row before going on the field to join the team.

"Our fans have waited a long time, this organization has waited a long time," Ryan said. "This team coming out of spring training was on a mission."

Hamilton, who homered four times in the series, admitted he shed a tear in center field right before the final out.

"We are here as a group. This group is here because they don't know how to fail," Hamilton said.

Cliff Lee was waiting if needed by the Rangers for a deciding Game 7 against the Yankees. Now the ace left-handed pitcher can get ready for Game 1 of the World Series, on Wednesday night in either San Francisco or Philadelphia. The Giants lead the National League championship series 3-2.

The Rangers, who had never won a postseason series or a home playoff game before this year, dispatched the $200 million-plus Yankees with little drama — especially after a four-run outburst in the fifth inning snapped a 1-1 tie.

And that makes it even more satisfying for the Rangers and their fans since New York knocked Texas out of the playoffs in each of the club's three previous appearances. Derek Jeter is among several players remaining from those teams in the late 1990s and Rodriguez is among several former Rangers now wearing pinstripes.

The Rangers outplayed the Yankees in every facet. Along with their slugging, they showed off something Ryan has brought them — a culture where pitching rules, and starters expect to go deep into games.

"We didn't accomplish what we set out to. And as I told my guys, this hurts," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I've been through it as a player. I've been through it as a coach and now I've been through it as a manager. It's not a lot of fun watching other teams celebrate. They beat us. They outhit us, they outpitched us, outplayed us and they beat us."

Moments after closer Neftali Feliz fanned Rodriguez for the final out, a flag proclaiming the Texas as the AL champion flapped above the ballpark. The Rangers celebrated on the field with ginger ale in deference to Hamilton's admitted substance abuse problems.

Quite something for a franchise that began in 1961 as the Washington Senators. They moved to Texas in 1972 with Ted Williams as their manager.

By reaching the World Series in the franchise's 50th season, the last 39 in Texas, it marks the longest it has taken a club to get there for the first time. Montreal/Washington (42 seasons) and Seattle (34) haven't yet made it.

Ryan, whose only World Series as a player came for the 1969 New York Mets, was presented with the AL championship trophy after spending much of the game standing, clapping and hollering along with the rest of the raucous crowd of 51,404 fans.

They rarely sat in the final innings, cheering wildly with each strike and screaming for every out that got their beloved team — the one that had the fewest wins in the regular season among the eight playoff teams — closer to the World Series.

Chants of "Colby!, Colby!, Colby!" filled the air for the pitcher back with his original team after pitching the last two seasons in Japan, where he fully expected to finish his career before returning to Texas last winter.

"I got a little too overamped when they were saying my name. It was really, really cool," Lewis said. "I'm speechless. I never thought I'd be in this position."

Before going the full five games in the AL division series this season to beat Tampa Bay for their first-ever postseason series victory, the Rangers had been knocked out of the playoffs by New York in 1996, 1998 and 1999 — and the Yankees went on to win the World Series each time.

When the Yankees overcame a 5-1 deficit in the ALCS opener a week ago for a 6-5 victory, their postseason winning streak over Texas had reached 10 games.

Ford cuts hit home: Idling extended for S. Side workers

2012-03-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

Workers at Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago Assembly Plant face moredowntime this fall.

On Friday, Ford announced it would slash production by 21 percent,temporarily ceasing work at 10 U.S. plants, including Chicago's, inthe fourth quarter.

The Chicago plant on Torrence Avenue is temporarily closed anextra four weeks already, besides the usual two-week summer layoffperiod, because of slower than expected sales this year.

The nation's second-largest automaker said the cuts -- the largestsince the early 1980s -- are an effort to match inventories to demandand avoid costly incentives.

Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford, which lost $254 million in the secondquarter, vowed last month to speed up its North Americanrestructuring. It already announced a turnaround plan in January thatcalled for shedding 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and closing 14 plants by2012.

Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford is expected to announce a far moreaggressive plan next month. According to an unnamed source, another6,000 salaried jobs in North America will be eliminated in that plan.

Production is being cut by 168,000 units in the fourth quarter.For the full year, Ford plans to produce about 9 percent fewervehicles than last year.

In addition to the Chicago plant, two plants in Louisville, Ky.,and facilities in St. Paul, Minn.; Kansas City, Mo.; Norfolk, Va.;St. Thomas, Ontario, and Wixom, Wayne and Dearborn, Mich., will facecutbacks, Ford said.

Ford would not give details about how long production will bedelayed or how many workers would be affected. But it said more thanhalf of the reduction will be in F-Series pickups, reflecting lowerdemand for trucks. The pickups are not made in Chicago.

Hourly United Auto Workers members put on temporary layoff receive95 percent of their wages through state unemployment benefits and asupplement by Ford.

The Torrence Avenue facility, a fixture on the South Side since1924, has been redesigned at great expense to build a variety ofvehicles. It produces the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montegosedans and the Ford Freestyle crossover vehicle. All three arescheduled to undergo design changes for the 2008 model year.

Ford has announced a new Lincoln flagship model based on the FiveHundred, assembled only at the Chicago facility. Some analysts saythat car probably will be built at Torrence Avenue.

The company is facing other options to stem its losses. It's beenspeculated that Ford will sell one or more members of its PremierAutomotive Group, which consists of Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and farsmaller Aston Martin.

Jaguar often is mentioned as a sales candidate because itreportedly has been a money-loser since Ford bought it in 1989. Butthat's partly because Ford has poured money into the iconic British-based firm.

Ford shares fell 17 cents to $8.

Are networks washing hands of controversial 'Passion'?

2012-03-13T01:33:00.000-07:00

Despite being the year's biggest box-office blockbuster so far,"The Passion of the Christ" seems unlikely to find a home on the fourbiggest broadcast networks.

Mel Gibson's Icon Productions has been shopping the movie to TV.Only ABC has confirmed turning it down, but executives speaking oncondition of anonymity said it was doubtful for CBS, NBC and Fox,too.

The movie's graphic scenes of Jesus Christ's crucifixion were saidto make broadcasters skittish, particularly in the post-Janet Jacksonera when government officials are closely watching what goes ontelevision.

"There might be a lot of baggage because of the violence," saidBrad Adgate, an analyst for the ad buying firm Horizon Media. "Thatcan put some pressure on advertisers not to buy this."

Fox is awaiting the evaluation of its broadcast standardsdepartment before making a decision on whether to pursue airing it,the network's entertainment chief, Gail Berman, said.

The Hollywood agent who's offering a licensing deal to networks onbehalf of Icon, Jeff Berg, would not comment on any negotiations.

"The Passion of the Christ" has earned $360.9 million domesticallysince its Feb. 25 opening.

In an era when networks and studios have tie-in deals that governwhere many theatrical releases will first be seen on television,Gibson's movie is a rare free agent. Movie licensing fees are usuallytied to box-office success, which would seemingly put "The Passion"in position for a lucrative payday.

There's a chance that some of the initial network coolness towardproposals by "Passion" producers could simply be a negotiatingtactic.

NBC and CBS executives confirmed they had been pitched the moviebut declined to comment further. "We're not doing it," ABCentertainment spokesman Kevin Brockman said. He would not say why thenetwork turned down "The Passion."

Besides the film's violent content, a television network that airs"The Passion" would also inherit controversy about it. Some Jewishorganizations objected to the movie for fear it would cause bad bloodbetween Christians and Jews.

NBC aired the Holocaust tale "Schindler's List" uncut and withoutcommercial interruption in February 1997, a broadcast sponsored byFord. NBC estimated 65 million people saw all or part of the film.

Content issues aside, broadcast networks have been de-emphasizingtheatrical movies in recent years, figuring many viewers preferseeing them in theaters, on DVD or on commercial-free cable.

The movie has also reportedly been shopped to pay cable networks,where content would not be much of an issue. HBO would not comment,but executives there have privately said the network has a full plateof movie premieres already scheduled for the next year.

Showtime has passed on the movie, a network spokesman said.

The Starz pay cable network hasn't made a decision. The networkmay be hindered by money troubles; it announced last year it wascutting 100 jobs and closing four regional offices.

Whether or not to air "The Passion" will be a programmingdecision, not a financial one, spokesman Tom Southwick said.

Brent Bozell, the founder of the conservative media watchdog groupthe Parents Television Council, said if broadcast networks turneddown "The Passion" because of disturbing scenes, "then there isrampant hypocrisy in the halls of Hollywood.

"There doesn't seem to be a problem with other violent content,"he said.

The council has called on TV networks to stop airing graphicallyviolent material. But it sent an alert to all of its members earlierthis year, urging them to go to the theater to see "The Passion."

Lens crafter

2012-03-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

THE EXPRESSION, "LIFE IMITATES ART," is meant to italicize the irony that so often describes our lives. In VanDerZee: Photographer, 1886 - 1983, by Deborah Willis-Braithwaite and Roger C. Birt, we see how the life and/or art of a great African American photographer was a reel run in slow-motion: at once modern and genteel. Also, without irony.

Looking at VanDerZee's evocative photographs -- a magical quality is draped over his famed portraits and commercial work alike -- is like peeking into someone's dream of comfortable, proud black lives. The shots of UNIA assemblies -- really protest rallies -- assume the magnitude of a silent film epic.

Even the near-fiasco that ensued at the 1969 "Harlem On My Mind" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York -- when black artists, on one hand, and the Jewish Defense League, on the other, protested against the show's format or the content of the catalogue -- left VanDerZee's contribution unscathed. Willis-Braithwaite and Birt bring a trained eye and revealing biographical text to a table resplendent with the gifts of VanDerZee's life.

by Deborah Willis-Braithwaite and Roger C. Birt, Harry N. Abrams, September 1998, 192 pp., $19.95, ISBN 0-8109-2782-9.

Photograph (Joe Louis)

Russia to scrap gains tax for foreign investors

2012-03-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Russia will loosen the state's controls on the economy and abolish a key tax to spark a desperately needed "investment boom," President Dmitry Medvedev told a gathering of foreign business officials Friday.

Medvedev invited more competition and vowed less state intervention in the economy, particularly by drastically reducing the number of state-controlled enterprises.

The moves are designed to attract massive foreign investment, without which Russia's oil-and-gas dependent economy _ which shrank by nearly 8 percent last year _ is doomed to stagnate, the Russian president said.

"Russia needs a real investment boom," Medvedev said. "Creating suitable conditions for investors is, in effect, our most important goal. Today we are putting this goal at the center of our activities."

To this end, Medvedev said that starting next year Russia will scrap the capital gains tax on long-term direct investment _ an announcement his audience applauded.

But the 44-year-old president, widely perceived as playing second fiddle to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, his predecessor as president, stopped short of addressing Russia's endemic ills such as corruption, red tape and the judicial system, which investors point to as the main obstacles to doing business in Russia.

Medvedev made only brief mention of the draconian methods often used to investigate businesses in Russia, saying police would face greater oversight in how they conduct searches.

In recent years a string of police raids on offices of Western companies have carried political overtones, creating the impression among many investors that not all firms are equal under Russian law.

Still, Medvedev lamented the state's grip on the economy _ one of the legacies of Putin's eight-year presidency _ and even resorted to vivid imagery to drive home his point.

"People often think that the person who picks apples does the main job, but in fact it is the one who plants the apple tree whose job is crucial," he said.

"The state should not always pick the apples on its own. In a free economy there will always be people who will do it better and faster," Medvedev said.

Kingsmill Bond, chief strategist of Troika Dialog, an investment bank, said Medvedev's speech would have been impossible two years ago.

"The government has a very different rhetoric from several years ago," he said. "One should take what the president was saying at the face value and recognize that the environment is not going to get worse but is probably getting better. And it could get better quite radically."

Bond noted that Medvedev glossed over graft and bureaucracy _ two serious obstacles to doing business in Russia.

"More important is to establish an environment where people can operate under the rule of law. That's the government's main function," he said. "I'm surprised the president did not talk much about that."

There are currently more than 200 strategic enterprises _ or companies off-limits to foreign investors _ and Medvedev's decision to reduce their number fivefold was saluted.

"The crucial thing that was announced is a cut in the number of strategic enterprises, which means that the state is going to gradually give up the direct participation in the economy," said German Gref, CEO of state-controlled Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, and once a top economic adviser to Putin.

Medvedev hopes to use innovation and high-technology to diversify Russia's economy and prepare it for future generations.

During his speech, he waxed lyrical about Russia as a future land of opportunity, "where people from around the world will flock in search of their particular dream."

______

Associated Press Writer Irina Titova contributed to this report.

Marilyn needs involved parents

2012-03-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Marilyn has big brown eyes, beautiful soft curly hair and darkbrown eyes. Although Marilyn has Down's syndrome, she is a highlyresponsive baby.

She is a good-natured 7-month-old who can amuse herself. Sheblows bubbles, plays with her feet, kicks her legs, smiles whenpeople talk to her and looks at herself in the mirror.

During her bath, she wiggles around in the tub and tries tomove. Marilyn likes to have her hair washed and never complains whenher face gets wet.

Marilyn is an excellent sleeper. She falls asleep at 8:30 p.m.and wakes at 7:30 a.m. She has been sleeping this well since she wasa month old. During the day, she takes three 45-minute naps.

Marilyn's caseworker said: "Marilyn needs a single or atwoparent adoptive family. She needs parents who are willing to beinvolved in an infant stimulation program. In addition, Marilynneeds parents who will be interested in her education and make sureshe reaches her educational potential."

Adoption assistance may be available for the family that adoptsMarilyn.

If you would like to adopt a child like Marilyn or any otherwaiting child, please call the Adoption Information Center ofIllinois at (800) 572-2390.

Stevenson relies on 2 hurlers // Eamon, Versino both workhorses on mound

2012-03-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

When the baseball is given to Stevenson's Rex Eaman or KevinVersino, it seldom gets into a reliever's hands.

The seniors registered 16 of the Patriots' 25 victories lastyear and recorded six of their first seven this season, working 68 ofthe team's 98 innings.

"I prefer pitching a lot," Versino said. "If I had it my wayI'd pitch every game. My arm never gets sore. It's luck andconditioning. As soon as the first semester ends we start liftingweights and doing specialized exercises to build up the rotatorcuff."

Eaman and Versino have pitched on the same team since littleleague and help each other with advice on hitters and pitchingmechanics.

Eaman (3-1) is more powerful. He struck out 34 batters andwalked eight in his first 35 innings with a 2.60 earned-run average. He has more than doubled his strikeout-to-walk ratio in one year andhas added a knuckle curve.

"Kevin taught me that pitch," Eaman said. "It has the sameeffect as a forkball; right before it gets to the plate it drops.

"I've been working on it about a year and a half and feel I canget it over the plate consistently.

"We have pitched together since about fifth grade. It'sexcellent having him on the staff. Todd Krennrich has been catchingus as long as we've both been pitching. If Kevin and Todd weren'ton the team, I definitely wouldn't have the start I do."

Eaman reduced his body fat content from 15 to eight percent andadded 15 pounds with a conditioning program during the offseason.

"I did it last year but didn't work at it as hard," Eaman said."I sprained my ankle playing basketball and during rehab my legs gotstronger than they've ever been."

Versino (3-3, 2.75 ERA) is a more versatile athlete. He ledthe football team in receptions with 18 and returned punts. But heprefers baseball and wants to pitch in college.

"I'm always trying new pitches and vary the speed on my fastballand never use the same grip twice," said Versino, who throws fivetypes of pitches.

"I'm going to play baseball in college but most colleges look athow hard you throw, not at how good a pitcher you are, so I will havea little more trouble getting a scholarship than Rex."

Both had 8-2 junior campaigns. Eaman had a 1.76 ERA, Versino2.38.

"I was surprised last year that they threw the majority of theinnings," Stevenson coach Bob Mackey said. "They have very resilientarms that bounce back quickly. Both have been used as starters andin relief.

"Kevin pitched a big game for us Saturday when we really neededit (a 4-1 win against Lake Forest). I think they can both throw onthe college level."