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2012-03-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

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A Critical Review of Dissociative Trance and Possession Disorders: Etiological, Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Nosological Issues

2012-03-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

Objective: Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fourth Edition, acknowledges the existence of dissociative trance and possession disorders, simply named dissociative trance disorder (DTD), it asks for further studies to assess its clinical utility in the DSM-5. To answer this question, we conducted the first review of the medical literature.

Method: The MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases were searched from 1988 to 2010, seeking case reports of DTD according to the DSM or the International Classification of Diseases definitions. For each article, we collected epidemiologic and clinical data, explanatory models used by authors, treatments, …

'Hulk' smashes a lot, but lacks heart

2012-03-15T01:23:00.000-07:00

The fanboys will probably be happy with the latest incarnation of "The Incredible Hulk." At least we can say that much for it _ and that's something we most assuredly could not say about Ang Lee and James Schamus' somber, introspective and largely derided take in 2003 on the beloved Marvel Comics hero.

There's a lot more action this time around as you might expect from "Transporter" director Louis Leterrier _ a deafening, endless amount by the colossal conclusion _ as well as fond references both to the comic book series and to the television show it inspired starring Bill Bixby. (Leterrier even sneaks in some of Joseph Harnell's "Lonely …

Officer justified in killing armed S. Side man, cops say

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

Chicago Police said a 10-year veteran officer was justified infatally shooting a man Wednesday night after the off-duty cop parkedin a South Side neighborhood to show off his new BMW to a femaleacquaintance.

The Gresham District tactical officer was parked in the 7700 blockof South Hermitage shortly before 7 p.m., said Monique Bond, a policespokeswoman. "He saw a subject next to his vehicle with the butt of ahandgun hanging out over his waistband."

When the officer stepped out of the BMW and announced he was apolice officer, the man pushed the officer and ran toward a housewith people sitting on a porch, Bond said.

"He tried to get into the house, but …

N. Korea Leaves Nuclear Talks

2012-03-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON North Korea walked away from nuclear talks with theUnited States on Friday, throwing into doubt the entire future of theagreement signed last October that brought Pyongyang's nuclearweapons program to a halt.

Under the deal, the United States and its allies were supposedto provide North Korea with two relatively safe light-water nuclearreactors to be used for civilian purposes. But the deal is now stuckover North Korea's insistence that these new reactors, which wouldreplace its existing gas-graphite reactors, should not come directlyfrom South Korea.

Friday was the date by which the United States was to conclude asupply contract with North Korea for …

Court convicts 3 for blackmailing Polish senator

2012-03-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish court on Tuesday convicted three people of blackmailing Krzysztof Piesiewicz, a senator and screenwriter known internationally for collaborating on the award-winning "Three Colors" movie trilogy.

The district court of Warsaw also sentenced the two women and a man to 18 months in prison. The verdict is not final, however, and the defendants said they would appeal, the news agency PAP reported.

The verdicts in the closed-door trial came after a tabloid released video in 2009 of Piesiewicz wearing a dress and appearing to take cocaine with prostitutes. Piesiewicz has said he was not using cocaine but another powdered medication.

He has said he …

Wis. college says new e-mail font will save money

2012-03-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

A Wisconsin college has found a new way to cut costs with e-mail _ by changing the font.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has switched the default font on its e-mail system from Arial to Century Gothic. It says that while the change sounds minor, it will save money on ink when students print e-mails in the new font.

Diane Blohowiak is the school's director of computing. She says the new font …

Eye of the beholder Uneven `Night at McCool's' can't find its comedic soul

2012-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

ONE NIGHT AT McCOOL'S

(STAR) (STAR) 1/2

Jewel Liv Tyler

Randy Matt Dillon

Dehling John Goodman

Carl Paul Reiser

Mr. Burmeister Michael Douglas

USA Films presents a film directed by Harald Zwart. Written byStan Seidel. Running time: 93 minutes. Rated R (for violence,sexuality and language). Opening today at local theaters.

When a man tells a woman she's the one he's been searching for,this is not a comment about the woman but about the man. The malemind, drenched in testosterone, sees what it needs to see. "One Nightat McCool's," a comedy about three men who fall for the same woman,shows …

Lowry scores 20 to lead Rockets past Clippers

2012-03-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Lowry scored 20 points, Chuck Hayes grabbed 11 rebounds and led Houston's stingy defense on rookie star Blake Griffin, and the Rockets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 96-83 on Wednesday night.

Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola added 16 points apiece for the Rockets, who are 24-5 against the Clippers since 2003.

Randy Foye scored a season-high 20 points and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who shot 36.4 percent (32 of 88) and mustered only 10 points in the final quarter to drop their fourth straight road game.

Griffin scored 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. But he went 5 for 16 from the field with Hayes, Houston's best low-post …

Trial set for Spanish judge over war crimes probe

2012-03-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

MADRID (AP) — The Spanish judge known for going after Augusto Pinochet and Osama bin Laden will go on trial himself on Jan. 24 for allegedly overstepping his jurisdiction in a probe of Spanish Civil War crimes, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Judge Baltasar Garzon was indicted and suspended provisionally from his National Court post in 2010 for allegedly violating his jurisdiction by probing the execution or disappearance of civilians at the hands of supporters of Gen. Francisco Franco during and after the 1936-39 war.

Those crimes were covered by an amnesty approved in 1977, two years after Franco died, as the country tried to put the pain of the war behind it and move toward …

Somatic Illness on Nemesis Dates: The Impact of the Faustian Bargain

2012-03-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Abstract

After describing a fantasy called the developmental version of the Faustian bargain, in which the early child experiences the parental message that he is allowed to survive but not to live an autonomous existence, the author focuses on a version of the Faustian bargain in which the child experiences the parental message that she is allowed to live but not to survive beyond the date of the parent's illness or death. The author argues that both versions of the Faustian bargain experience constitute a serious risk factor with respect to somatic vulnerability, because the subject's sense of ownership of his or her psyche and soma is impaired. This paper stresses the impact of …

UCI tries to reopen Jan Ullrich doping case at CAS

2012-03-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it will hear a doping case against 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich next month.

CAS has set Aug. 22 for the International Cycling Union's appeal to force Switzerland's Olympic committee to reopen an investigation into Ullrich's links with the Spanish doping probe Operation Puerto.

The Swiss …

Hurricane Crashes Ashore in Texas

2012-03-14T01:27:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON - Hurricane Humberto crashed ashore along Southeast Texas early Thursday, bringing heavy rains and maximum sustained winds of up to 80 mph as it made its way to eastern Louisiana, the National Weather Service said.

The Category 1 storm made landfall about five miles east of High Island, near Sea Rim State Park, where wind gusts measured 62 mph, meteorologist Jim Sweeney said. The storm was expected to start weakening as it continued inland.

"It's a very compact storm," Sweeney said. The strongest winds are very close to the center of circulation. The hurricane force winds only go about a 15 miles."

A hurricane warning was issued from east of High Island to Cameron, La. A tropical storm warning was in effect from east of Sargent to High Island, and from east of Cameron to Intracoastal City, La. The storm was initially expected to strike as a tropical storm until it energized into a Category One hurricane after midnight.

The storm's rain bands were spreading over the coast and between 5 and 10 inches of rain were expected, with some spots possibly getting as much as 15 inches. But authorities said evacuations were not necessary.

The area expected to be hit the hardest is in the far southeast corner of Texas from Galveston Island eastward. It includes the Beaumont and Port Arthur areas.

Texas has had one of the wettest summers on record, with Houston soaked under the most rain it's had in a summer since 1942. With the ground already saturated, flooding was likely.

Gov. Rick Perry activated 50 military vehicles with 200 soldiers, plus a half-dozen helicopters and two swift-water rescue teams. Other crews from the U.S. Coast Guard were on standby.

"Some areas of our state remain saturated by summer floods, and many communities in this storm's projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding," Perry said.

In Louisiana, Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency. Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes had shelters on standby. Vermilion also was making sandbags and sand available, said Mark Smith, a spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The warning area included Louisiana's Cameron Parish, which was devastated by Hurricane Rita in September 2005. More than 500 federally issued travel trailers and mobile homes remain there.

Last month, at least six deaths were blamed on Tropical Storm Erin, which dropped nearly a foot of rain in parts of San Antonio, Houston and the Texas Hill Country.

In 2001, slow-moving Tropical Storm Allison soaked Houston, dumping about 20 inches of rain in eight hours. About two dozen people died, sections of the city were paralyzed and damage was estimated at roughly $5 billion.

"Parts of East Texas could be hit pretty hard," Houston Mayor Bill White said, noting that the east turn of the storm could reduce possible damage to Houston. "But you can't tell. Remember Allison. It just sat there instead of moving."

Humberto's arrival comes just days after Galveston last Saturday marked the 107th anniversary of the great 1900 storm where more than 6,000 people were killed in what remains the nation's deadliest natural disaster.

Humberto is the eighth named storm this year and formed from a depression that developed Wednesday morning. It became a Category One hurricane when winds reached above 74 mph.

Another tropical depression also formed Wednesday far in the open Atlantic, about 1,065 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. It had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph and was moving west-northwest at about 12 mph. Forecasters said it could become a tropical storm later Wednesday.

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Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

No immunity for city in '03 deadly porch collapse Judge says Chicago is responsible for its building inspectors

2012-03-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

The City of Chicago must bear responsibility for the actions oftwo building inspectors who overlooked obvious defects in a LincolnPark porch, which collapsed and killed 13 people in 2003, a CookCounty judge ruled Friday.

City attorneys tried claiming immunity from the flawed porchinspections by Michael Brennan and Henry Thomas.

But Judge Jeffrey Lawrence said because the flaws were so obviousand no citations were issued, "at the very least," the victims'families have presented enough evidence to "create a triable issue offact on whether the city has committed willful and wanton conduct" inits inspections.

"The city was saying that as the king, they couldn't be sued,"said attorney David Kupets, who represents some of the families."They wanted absolute immunity no matter how bad the conduct was."

'May be liable'

City law department spokeswoman Jenny Hoyle said they anticipatedLawrence's ruling and are making plans to request it be heard by theAppellate Court of Illinois.

Kupets called that move "very disappointing" and an effort to"drag the case on, rather than getting it to its merits."

In his ruling, Lawrence denied the city's motion to dismissnegligence claims against it, saying while city employees can't beheld "liable for ordinary negligence," they "may be liable forwillful and wanton conduct."

A lack of permits for the porch at 713 W. Wrightwood and no recordof annual inspections built a case, but the most obvious sign of"willful and wanton conduct," Lawrence said, came in statements fromthe two building inspectors.

Both said they knew all porches are to have proper supportstructures, but when their inspections were done, this porch hadnone.

Brennan said such a porch "would fall down," while Thomas said his"main focus" was to "make sure that they weren't going to collapse orweren't going to fall."

Attorney David Novoselsky, also representing families, said "thisruling says the city can be held liable when a person doesn't payattention to something that should be obvious."

Lawrence denied the families' claims that the city destroyedevidence when it tossed out the remnants of the porch, saying thecity acted as it would in an emergency.

CHRONOLOGY

2012-03-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

DAY 1: Sunday, April 1:

A U.S. Navy EP-3E surveillance plane with a 21-man, 3-woman crewcollides with a Chinese fighter jet sent to intercept it over theSouth China Sea, well outside China's 12-mile territorial sea andairspace. It makes an emergency landing at a military airfield onChinas Hainan island.

China says the plane's crew members are safe but reports theChinese fighter crashed and its pilot is missing. Beijing blames theU.S. aircraft for the collision.

DAY 2: Monday, April 2:

U.S. diplomats leave for Hainan hoping to meet with U.S. crewmembers.

President Bush urges China to release the aircraft and let U.S.diplomats meet crew members.

DAY 3: Tuesday, April 3:

Bush says China must release crew and plane. Secretary of StateColin Powell says crew is detained by China and that the UnitedStates has nothing to apologize for. U.S. diplomats meet with crewmembers and report they are fine.

DAY 4: Wednesday, April 4:

Chinese President Jiang Zemin demands a U.S. apology.

The Bush administration offers regrets but no apology.

DAY 5: Thursday, April 5:

China says the U.S. crew members broke international law and willbe kept for questioning.

DAY 6: Friday, April 6:

U.S. diplomats see crew members. Powell says they are in ``goodhealth'' and ``high spirits'' and that diplomats may get to meet withthem regularly.

DAY 7: Saturday, April 7

China's top foreign affairs official writes Powell to saystatements of regret are inadequate and demand an apology. U.S. sidesays its position is unchanged.

DAY 8: Sunday, April 8

Talks continue on freeing crew. Bush sends letter expressingcondolences to wife of missing Chinese fighter pilot.

DAY 9: Monday, April 9

Bush cautions that ``diplomacy takes time'' but warns China thatrelations could suffer if it doesn't release the crew.

DAY 10: Tuesday, April 10

China says Powell's expression of regret is a step in the rightdirection., DAY 11: Wednesday, April 11

United States and China reach agreement for crew's release.

UK protects site that housed WWII codebreakers

2012-03-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

LONDON (AP) — The British government has acted to protect a crumbling piece of wartime — and computing — history.

The government said Friday that it has given protected status to the derelict Block C at Bletchley Park, the site northwest of London where mathematicians and cryptographers toiled in secret to crack Nazi communications codes.

Historians believe their work shortened the war by as much as two years.

The steel-and-concrete Block C contained high-speed data processing machines that helped the British crack Germany's Enigma encryption device.

Heritage Minister John Penrose said Friday that Block C "can be viewed as the birthplace of modern information technology."

Bletchley Park's guardians are fundraising to restore the site and turn it into a museum.

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Online:

Bletchley Park: www.bletchleypark.org.uk

EUROPE NEWS AT 0600GMT

2012-03-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

UPCOMING COVERAGE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 29:

SWEDEN-IRAQ CONFERENCE

STOCKHOLM, Sweden _ U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attend a U.N. conference on Iraq. Rice news conference at 0620GMT; closing news conference at 1615GMT. AP Photos.

FOOD PRICES

PARIS _ The Food and Agriculture Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development release a study on the future of food prices. News conference at 1100GMT.

NATO-AFGHANISTAN

BRUSSELS, Belgium _ NATO's top general in Afghanistan, Gen. Dan McNeill, speaks to reporters at the alliance's headquarters by video link from Kabul before handing over command June 3. 0830GMT.

FRANCE-RUSSIA

PARIS _ Vladimir Putin visits France on his first visit as Russian prime minister.

GREECE-ACROPOLIS RALLY

TATOI, Greece _ Acropolis Rally starts. News conference scheduled for 1030GMT. AP Photos.

RUSSIA-JUDGES

MOSCOW _ U.N. study on independence of Russian judges and lawyers to be presented. Monitoring.

The AP

Penske drivers 1-2 in early qualifying at Indy

2012-03-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Australian driver Ryan Briscoe was the early leader in pole qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday.

The fastest driver in practice this week showed the way on a cool, windy afternoon with a four-lap average of 224.131 mph (360.69 kph).

Penske Racing teammate Helio Castroneves, a two-time pole-winner here, was close behind at 223.959 mph (360.41 kph), while 20-year-old Graham Rahal landed on the outside of the tentative front row for the May 24 race.

The six-hour Pole Day qualifying will fill 11 of the 33 starting positions for the 500. Eleven drivers completed qualifying runs in the first hour, but Justin Wilson's run was disqualified because of an unapproved weight location.

With wind gusts up to 25 mph (40 kph) making the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) oval more treacherous than normal, few of the early qualifiers were happy with their speeds.

But the unique qualifying format at Indianapolis Motor Speedway allows each of the entries up to three completed attempts on each of the four days of time trials leading up to the 500.

Even Briscoe, who was pleased with his run, was thinking he might have to do it again later.

"That's good, that's solid. It's a good start," he said. "I think, having gone reasonably early, it gives us a chance to get through tech early and get the car back and look at the setup and everything and see what we can do to go faster if we need to."

Danica Patrick, who expected to have a shot at a spot on the front row, was confused and disappointed after her four-lap run left her seventh among the early qualifiers.

"I've never been this far off at Indy, never," she said. "It really just was slow. ... We're going to have to think about it and be ready to go back out."

Many of the 32 drivers who have been on the track since practice began on Wednesday, including Scott Dixon, last year's pole and race winner, who opted to wait until later in the day, hoping the wind dies down.

Will Power, the third Penske driver, was fourth, followed by Marco Andretti, Mario Moraes, Patrick, Hideki Mutoh, Raphael Matos and Ed Carpenter.

"That's fine for the first run," said Power, who would love to give Roger Penske his first sweep of the front row since 1988 when Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser started up front. "I hope we get another shot at it.

"If we have a shot at the front row, (the team) may decide to send me out again. It's up to them."

Andretti, the grandson of Indy great and 1969 race winner Mario Andretti and son of longtime racing star Michael Andretti, said, "If the wind keeps up, we might have to settle. I just hope it's good enough for the top 11."

Among the drivers who had not made qualifying attempts were former Indy winners Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon, all among the fastest drivers in practice.

Richard Branson to announce new venture in US

2012-03-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

NEWPORT BEACH, California (AP) — Billionaire adventurer Richard Branson is expected to unveil his latest business venture Tuesday at a Southern California yacht club.

A news release about the announcement in Newport Beach hints that there is only one frontier left for the Virgin brand, which has reached "the seven continents of the earth, up into the jet stream, and soon, even into space."

Last year, Branson unveiled a three-person submarine called the Necker Nymph, which is available for $2,500 a day for guests of his private resort in the Caribbean. The submarine, created by San Francisco-based Hawkes Ocean Technologies, can go almost 100 feet (30 meters) deep.

In a subsequent interview with Popular Mechanics, Hawkes officials said they were also working with Branson on submersibles capable of high speed deep sea travel.

Activists protest Kenmore landlord

2012-03-13T03:48:00.000-07:00

Activists protest Kenmore landlord

Landlord Francis Colannino was invited by the Forestvale Tenant Association this weekend to negotiate a twenty year contract of affordability for Forestvale or a sale of the property to a non-profit organization.

According to members if the Tenant association, both these proposals would maintain the affordability of homes while simultaneously allowing Colannino to make even more profit on the property than he has in the past.

Colannino denied the invitation to negotiate and on Saturday, 60 tenants and community supporters protested outside his office building at 690 Beacon st. in Kenmore Square.

"Mr. Colannino wants to terminate three project-based Section 8 contracts with terms ending in September of 2002," said Mark Pedulla, tenant organizer from City Life in Jamaica Plain. "If these contracts are terminated, we'll lose 108 units of permanent affordable housing."

According to Pedulla, soon there will be nowhere for people to go for affordable housing. Pedulla also says that if Colannino does accept the tenants terms, "he won't go hungry either."

The Forestvale housing complex falls under the project-based Section 8 contract with the department of Housing and Urban Development that allows the tenants to pay 30 percent of their income towards rent while the remaining amount is subsidized by the state.

Tenants argue that "Mr. Colannino can make huge additional profits by signing on for long-term Section 8 contract with HUD under the "Mark up to Market" program.

"This will give him a $400 rent increase right now," said Pedulla. "But in turn, he must sign for a 20-year-contract for affordability."

According to the association's calculations, Colannino will accrue $6.4 million in four years from a total of $8.4 million in revenues.

But Colannino, who in a letter to the Tenant Association on September 10 said that "Forestvales Limited Partnership's commitment to provide housing to the community has not changed and that we want all residents who wish to remain members of the Forestvale community to fell secure in their homes and comfortable about their future here," has apparently reneged on his word.

Tenants have witnessed Colannino pay off hid HUD mortgage and cancel the Section 8 contract at his Waverly development in Allston-Brighton. Rents shot up and tenants at Forestvale fear the same will happen to them.

"I'm here in support of tenants who live at Forestvale," said Norma Rosario of Mission Hill. "I've seen so many families displaced and forced to leave their homes. No more. We will not be pushed out of the city."

After rent control was abolished in Boston in the early '90s, rents skyrocketed making affordable housing a scarcity.

Colannino says that if rents were to rise as a result of terminating the HUD contracts, tenants would all receive mobile "enhanced" vouchers that could be used throughout the city.

But according to the tenants, the vouchers are not the answer to affordable housing. They are more problematic than that.

"The problem with the vouchers is that although they are portable, they would pay the same as a normal voucher outside of Forestvale," said Pedulla. "this makes it very difficult for people to use them anywhere in the city."

The tenants claim that half of Boston's Housing Authority vouchers are returned because tenants can't find a place to use them.

The tenants association's message is clear. As protesters chanted slogans like "Colannino you can't hide, JP won't be gentrified," and "Housing for people, not just for profit", they will not give up until they win.

"What Colannino's trying to do is legal, but extremely unethical," said Steven Weinstein, Tenant Association leader. "We're fighting an economic battle with a moral argument and we will win."

Photo (Activists protest)

Iranian state TV says 7 people have been killed in bomb blast in western Iran

2012-03-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says 7 people have been killed in bomb blast in western Iran.

What earnings reports have revealed about ads

2012-03-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here are highlights of recent quarterly earnings reports from selected Internet and media companies and what they say about the state of spending on advertising:

Thursday: Google Inc. says advertising revenue grew 33 percent to $9.3 billion during the third quarter, thanks to the reach of its search engine and the effectiveness of its ads. After subtracting commissions, net revenue growth was 37 percent. The growth comes despite mounting worries about the economy. Google got 96 percent of its revenue from advertising that quarter.

Monday: Gannett Co. says advertising revenue in its publishing businesses fell 8.5 percent to $592 million. Digital revenue in that unit grew, but it's not large enough to offset declines in print advertising.

Tuesday: Yahoo Inc. says revenue for display and search ads fell 28 percent to $969 million. Search ads dropped 44 percent as Yahoo started sharing revenue with Microsoft Corp. under a long-term partnership in which Microsoft runs Yahoo's search engine. Overall revenue after commissions fell 5 percent.

Omnicom Group Inc., which owns marketing agencies, says earnings rose 16 percent, mostly driven by higher international revenue.

Coming up:

Thursday: Microsoft Corp., New York Times Co.

Friday: McClatchy Co.

Nov. 2: Time Warner Inc.

Nov. 3: IAC/InterActiveCorp, CBS Corp.

Nov. 4: The Washington Post Co.

Nov. 10: Viacom Inc., The Walt Disney Co.

AP source: Izzo plans to travel to Cleveland

2012-03-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tom Izzo may finally be ready to make the jump to the NBA.

Michigan State's coach plans to visit the Cleveland Cavaliers to discuss becoming their coach, a person familiar with the visit told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Izzo, who has flirted with going to the pros several times in the past, is expected to travel to Cleveland later to meet with the Cavs and tour their facilities, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not commenting on the coaching search.

Two people in East Lansing, Mich., said Izzo was on Michigan State's campus all morning. They spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because Izzo and the school are not commenting on talks.

Izzo is believed to be mulling a massive contract from the Cavaliers worth up to $6 million per season. The team has been searching for a coach since firing Mike Brown following the club's second-round playoff collapse to the Boston Celtics. Brown spent five seasons with Cleveland, leading the team to 127 regular-season wins the past two seasons. However, he failed to get superstar LeBron James back to the finals and the Cavs decided to make a change.

Izzo's decision whether to join the Cavaliers could hinge on James' future.

The two-time MVP can become a free agent on July 1, and is expected to entertain offers from several teams. It is not known if Izzo has contacted James, who has been with Cleveland for seven seasons and recently said the Cavs have "an edge" to re-sign him.

Earlier this week, new Cavs general manager Chris Grant said the team has had contact with Izzo but would not comment on whether an offer has been made. Owner Dan Gilbert is a Michigan State graduate and has known Izzo for years.

Text messages seeking comment were sent to Izzo and Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis.

Izzo has been at the school since 1983 and has been the Spartans coach since 1995, leading them to six Final Fours in the past 12 years. He has spurned previous overtures from the NBA, but the Cavs may have given him more to consider. Izzo must weigh leaving a comfortable situation for a chance to coach the Cavs, who don't know if they'll have James next season and beyond.

In recent years, several successful college coaches, including Rick Pitino, Tim Floyd and John Calipari, have struggled in switching to the pro game. Several of Izzo's former players believe he can make the leap.

"I don't think coach would have a problem getting respect in an NBA locker room," said New Orleans Hornets guard Morris Peterson. "I think guys will buy into what he's telling them because he has a gift with people. Izz is one of the smartest coaches in basketball and one of the nicest guys around."

Milwaukee guard Charlie Bell said Izzo may have to work on his intensity.

"I've heard he's not as hard on guys as he used to be," Bell said. "He'd have to tone it down even more in the pros, but you can be intense like Scott Skiles is, but he'd have to adjust a little."

Grant said the Cavaliers have spoken to a "number" of candidates. One may include former Hornets coach Byron Scott, whose resume would make him attractive to Cleveland.

Scott won three NBA titles as a player and has experience in coaching superstar players like Jason Kidd and Chris Paul. Scott is currently working as a TV analyst.

Green booster ; Points...

2012-03-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Councillors in Bristol recently passed a motion, proposed byGreen Party councillors, which could provide cheap, clean energy forlocal residents.

Rising energy costs and confusing tariffs often mean that thoseworking the longest hours or earning the least, are unable to takeadvantage of cheaper rates.

Based on a successful Dutch initiative, the Greens' proposal setsout a national energy bulk-purchase scheme. The proposed scheme aimsto harness the joint purchasing power of local authorities acrossthe UK to negotiate cheaper costs through bulk-purchasing of energy,both for their own needs and those of their citizens.

As well as incorporating stringent definitions (ensuring thatonly energy from truly renewable, non-nuclear, resources would fitthe criteria) the scheme would also look into ways of reducingenergy consumption. This is a clear example of how Green policyinitiatives are both visionary and practical, helping both peopleand the planet.

We hope that B&NES will be first in the queue to join ourneighbours in this venture.

SUE BRADLEY Bath and North East Somerset Green Party, Bath

NEWS SHORTS

2012-03-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

SOBODO?

The force of nature known as Mark Rivers has a new neighborhood in mind, to expand on his BoDo development: Call it "SoBoDo." Rivers now wants to build Boise a new library on the same site as the existing main branch, and develop several blocks around the area.

But now Rivers has competition for development of a key part of that area. The Capital City Development Corporation has asked for, and received, proposals from three developers, including Rivers, to redevelop a site the agency owns on 9th Street.

Rivers, Hosac Company and C2 Squared all hope to remake the old warehouse on the CCDC-owned site. While Hosac and C2 aren't whistling Dixie-both have what the CCDC terms "serious" applications for mixed-use buildings on the site-it's Rivers that has the bigger plans. He's been planning the development for six months, he said, going about acquiring options and stakes in various properties in the Library area.

"He did what he was supposed to do: Describe the pie in the sky," said City Councilor David Eberle who also serves on the board of CCDC.

River's key slice: the library. He wants to rebuild a $42 million modern library with all manner of energy-efficient technologies, then sell it to CCDC, who would lease it to the city for about $2 million per year, he said.

But no one seems to agree on just how the city would benefit from, and pay for, the snazzy new library.

"Those are huge questions," Eberle said. He suspects that new property tax valuations received off Rivers' project would go to CCDC, not the city. The machinations have alerted David Frazier, who earlier this year successfully sued Boise for trying to finance a parking garage without a public vote. Frazier, who said he's not ready to sue on this one yet, said any plan that results in Boise City owning the new library should get voted on by the people.

CHENEY ON THE STUMP, ROCK ON THE GROVE

We're officially not envious of any Secret Service agents who have to manage security for Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to the Grove Centre today. That's because right as the Veep's motorcade makes its way to the Boise Centre on the Grove for a fundraiser for Republican Congressional candidate Bill Sali, the opening chords of Alive After Five will be starting right out front at the plaza. Hey, beer for the serious guys in suits with wires in their ears?

"I think we're going to have an eclectic bunch of Idahoans there," said Geoffrey Hunt, events coordinator for the Downtown Business Association, which puts together the Alive After Five events. "It should be good people-watching."

Cheney's Sali stop is part of a trip to boost other embattled Republicans-in the morning, he'll have been with Sen. Conrad Bums of Montana, who is facing a tough challenge now that he's been so explicitly tied to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Sali doesn't know Abramoff, but national analysts have begun to eye his race against Democrat Larry Grant of Fruitland a little more closely. Although Idaho traditionally gets a "safe Republican" rating nationally, that hasn't stopped the national GOP from stepping up its efforts on behalf of Sali. Wednesday's shindig with Cheney isn't cheap: guests paid $125 just to get in, and $2,100 per couple for a photo with the country's second-in-command.

IDAHO OFFICIALLY BUGGED

Feeling feverish? Got a little ache in the bones? Welcome to the West Nile Virus club, where you'll join dozens of Idahoans who are feeling down because of what looks like the country's largest outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness.

Gov. Jim Risch has already declared county-wide disasters in Ada and Canyon counties, and if things don't improve we might expect some more.

As of Tuesday, Ada County had 21 people down with West Nile, but 22 horses showed signs of the virus. So far, 38 mosquito test pools the county maintains have shown positive signs of West Nile.

The emergency declarations mean the counties get to use state cash to help knock down mosquitoes-read: spray possible areas with insecticide-and Risch authorized the Canyon County declaration Monday morning.

Ada County Commissioner Fred Tillman said in a prepared statement last week that the situation was bad, and getting worse. "We have reached epidemic proportions for West Nile in Ada County," Tillman said.

Yet to come is a final decision as to whether or not Ada will engage in aerial spraying to knock back mosquito populations. The county commissioners have begun to investigate that option, however: they have instructed the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District to research the costs and processes associated with an air war against the insects.

In all, about 188 people in Idaho have tested positive for West Nile Virus so far, according to the Idaho State Department of Health and Welfare.

CRAPO HUNTS FOR OWYHEE WILDERNESS

It's deja vu all over again: a wilderness bill that stipulates a giveaway of wilderness, that has broad support from many sides, that may or may not make it through an embattled U.S. Congress.

This time, it's the Owyhees, not the Boulder-White Clouds. The backer is U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican who introduced the complex bill in the Senate Aug. 3. The measure has picked up all the right backers: Gov. Jim Risch, Democratic governor candidate Jerry Brady, several local officials in the Owyhees area, and some highly laudatory coverage in the Idaho Statesman.

The Owyhee Initiative will designate 517,000 acres of public land as the Owyhee-Bruneau Wilderness, in six units, and release 199,000 acres of wilderness study areas to non-wilderness multiple use management, and designate 384 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers, according to Crapo's office.

The bill's backers include a broad spectrum of Idaho conservation groups, Including the Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Rivers United and The Wilderness Society. Representatives from Owyhee County say they're on board, and so is the Owyhee Cattleman's Association. Now the Idaho State Land Board has jumped on board; the group includes Risch, as well as Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Superintendent of Public Instruction Marilyn Howard, State Controller Keith Johnson and Secretary of State Ben Ysursa.

You might settle in on this issue, because time is not exactly on its side just now; Congress is in recess until this fall, and with elections set to stir up the majorities in both the House and Senate nationwide, a wilderness bill from Idaho's junior senator will need a lot more momentum.

war in Iraq

U.S. CASUALTIES: As of Tuesday, August 15, 2,604 U.S. service members (including 14 Idahoans) have died since the war in Iraq began in March 2003: 2,066 in combat and 538 from non-combat related incidents and accidents. Injured service members total 10,625. In the last week, 13 U.S. soldiers died.

Since President George W. Bush declared "mission accomplished" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, 2,458 soldiers have died.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Defense

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS: Estimated between 40,094 and 44,621.

Source: www.iraqbodycount.net

COST OF IRAQ WAR:

$307,017,941,578

Source: www.costofwar.com

-Shea Andersen