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Woman dies after being hit by tire from NHRA crash

2010-02-22T01:40:00.000-08:00

CHANDLER, ARIZ.(AP) —A woman died Sunday after being hit by a tire from a crashing dragster at the NHRA Arizona Nationals.

The woman was watching a first-round Top Fuel run at Firebird International Raceway when Antron Brown’s Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster went out of control on the strip and its left rear wheel came off.
Alia Maisonet, a spokeswoman for the Gila River Indian Community, said the woman was airlifted to a hospital for treatment and later died. Gila River emergency personnel were among the first to respond to the scene.

Maisonet said she didn’t know the victim’s name or hometown.

“The entire NHRA community is deeply saddened by today’s incident and sends its thoughts and prayers to the woman’s family and friends,” the National Hot Rod Association said in an e-mailed statement.

Franki Buckman, the track’s executive vice president, said Firebird International Raceway also is deeply saddened by the incident.

Brown was released by the track medical staff, but went to Chandler Regional Hospital for further observation, according to a statement from Don Schumacher Racing. The NHRA said Brown wasn’t injured.

The Associated Press sent an e-mail to Brown’s Brownsburg, Ind.-based racing team seeking comment after the woman died.

The racing continued after the accident, and John Force advanced to his second straight Funny Car final before the session was postponed because of rain. Force, the 60-year-old star who ended a 40-race winless streak last week with his record 127th victory, will meet Jack Beckman on Monday.

New Obama health proposal would limit rate hikes

2010-02-22T01:38:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON – Taking the fight to insurance companies, President Barack Obama is trying to revive his stalled health care overhaul.

Obama will propose giving federal authorities the power to limit rate hikes by health insurers — part of a new blueprint for remaking the health care system that the White House will unveil Monday. Days before a health care summit with congressional leaders of both parties, it may be Obama's last chance to salvage his signature issue.

The insurance rate proposal would give the federal Health and Human Services Department — in conjunction with state authorities — the power to deny egregious premium increases, roll them back, or demand rebates for consumers, said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because details have not yet been officially released.

Recent premium hikes of as much as 39 percent sought by Anthem Blue Cross in California have given Obama a new argument for his sweeping health care remake, stalled in Congress since Democrats lost their 60th Senate seat in a special election last month in Massachusetts.

The proposal for tighter oversight of insurers is modeled on legislation proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and will be part of a broader plan the White House plans to post on its Web site at 10 a.m. Monday, ahead of Thursday's health care summit.

Obama's latest plan is expected to require most Americans to carry health insurance coverage, with federal subsidies to help many afford the premiums. Hewing close to a stalled Senate bill, it would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging them more. A tax on high-cost health insurance plans objected to by House Democrats — and labor unions — would be scaled back. The expected price tag is around $1 trillion over 10 years.

Republicans have already served notice they'll continue to oppose it. They want Obama to start over with the goal of producing a more modest bill that tries to curb costs and helps small businesses and people with health problems secure coverage.

The summit at Blair House, the White House guest residence, will be televised live on C-SPAN and perhaps on cable news networks. It represents a risky and unusual gamble by the administration that Obama can save his embattled overhaul through persuasion — on live TV.

It was forced on the administration by the Senate special election victory of Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown in January. He captured the seat long held by Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, who died last year. Brown's victory reduced the Democrats' majority in the Senate to 59 votes, one shy of the number needed to knock down Republican delaying tactics.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday he would participate, but insisted Obama and congressional Democrats would be wrong to push the bills they wrote in the House and Senate.

"The fundamental point I want to make is the arrogance of all of this. You know, they are saying: 'Ignore the wishes of the American people. We know more about this than you do. And we're going to jam it down your throats no matter what.' That is why the public is so angry at this Congress and this administration over this issue," said McConnell, R-Ky, speaking on "Fox News Sunday."

Thursday's meeting will take place nearly a year after Obama launched his drive to remake health care — a Democratic agenda item for decades — at an earlier summit he infused with a bipartisan spirit. The president will point out that Republicans have supported individual elements of the Democratic bills.

Under the Obama plan, regulators would create a competitive marketplace for small businesses and people buying their own coverage. The plan would be paid for with a mix of Medicare cuts and tax increases. It would also strip out special Medicaid deals for certain states, while moving to close the Medicare prescription coverage gap and making newly available coverage for working families more affordable.

Oversight of insurance companies has traditionally been a state responsibility. The proposal for a new federal role calls for setting up a new seven-member Health Insurance Rate Authority that would monitor insurance industry behavior and issue an annual report. States that beef up their consumer protection programs would be eligible for a share of $250 million in federal grants.

People buying insurance coverage on their own would stand to gain the most, since big company plans are now exempt from state oversight.

Afghan Cabinet: Airstrike kills at least 33

2010-02-22T01:35:00.001-08:00

KABUL – The Afghan Cabinet says at least 33 civilians are dead as the result of NATO airstrike in southern Afghanistan — an incident that is inflaming already heightened sensitivities over noncombatant casualties in the war.

In a statement released on Monday, the Afghanistan Council of Ministers strongly condemned the airstrike, saying it was "unjustifiable."

The Cabinet says initial reports indicate that NATO fired Sunday on a convoy of three vehicles killing at least 33 civilians, including four women and one child. The ministers say 12 others were injured while they were on their way to Kandahar.

NATO has confirmed that its planes fired on what it believed was a group of insurgents in southern Uruzgan province, but later discovered that women and children were hurt.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

KABUL (AP) — A NATO airstrike in southern Afganistan killed at least 21 civilians, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Monday, in an incident that could inflame already heightened sensitivities over noncombatant casualties.

NATO forces confirmed in a statement that its planes fired Sunday on what it believed was a group of insurgents in southern Uruzgan province on their way to attack a joint NATO-Afghan patrol, but later discovered that women and children were hurt. The injured were transported to medical facilities.

The Afghan government and NATO have launched an investigation.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said the Sunday morning airstrike hit three minibuses traveling on a major road near Uruzgan's border with central Day Kundi province. There were 42 people in the vehicles, all civilians, Bashary said.

The NATO statement did not say how many people died or whether all the occupants of the vehicles were civilians.

Afghan investigators on the ground have collected 21 bodies and two people are missing. Fourteen others were wounded, he said.

"We are extremely saddened by the tragic loss of innocent lives," NATO commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal said in the statement. "I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people and inadvertently killing or injuring civilians undermines their trust and confidence in our mission. We will redouble our effort to regain that trust."

McChrystal apologized to President Hamid Karzai for the incident on Sunday, NATO said.

On Saturday, Karzai had admonished NATO troops for not doing enough to protect civilian lives. During a speech to the opening session of the Afghan parliament, Karzai had called for extra caution on the part of NATO, which is currently conducting a massive offensive on the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah in neighboring Helmand province.

"We need to reach the point where there are no civilian casualties," Karzai had said. "Our effort and our criticism will continue until we reach that goal."

NATO has gone to great lengths in recent months to reduce civilian casualties — primarily through reducing airstrikes and tightening rules of engagement — as part of a new strategy to focus on protecting the Afghan people to win their loyalty over from the Taliban.

This is the largest joint NATO-Afghan operation since the Taliban regime was ousted from power in 2001. It's also the first major ground operation since President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan.

But mistakes have continued. In the ongoing offensive against Marjah, two NATO rockets killed 12 people in one home and others have gotten caught in the crossfire. At least 16 civilians have been killed so far during the offensive, NATO has said, though human rights groups claim the number is at least 19.

Last Thursday, an airstrike in northern Kunduz province missed targeted insurgents and killed seven policemen.

Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that Marjah was the opening salvo in a campaign to turn back the Taliban that could last 12 to 18 months.

But the continued toll of civilian lives will only make it harder for NATO in its goal to win over the support of local Afghans against Taliban militants in the south.

The newly appointed civilian chief for Marjah arrived Monday to begin the task of restoring government authority after years of Taliban rule even though NATO troops are still battling insurgents in the area.

District leader Abdul Zahir Aryan will be flying into Marjah for the first time since the massive NATO offensive began Feb. 13. He plans to meet with community leaders and townspeople about security, health care and reconstruction, he said in a phone interview Sunday.

"The Marines have told us that the situation is better. It's OK. It's good," Aryan said. "I'm not scared because it is my home. I have come to serve the people."

Chavez: Saboteurs targeting Venezuela's power grid

2010-02-22T01:33:00.001-08:00

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez accused his adversaries on Sunday of sabotaging Venezuela's electricity grid as part of a broader plan aimed at bringing about the system's collapse — and his downfall.

Chavez said authorities must be "on the alert" and apprehend anyone who cuts electricity cables connected to the grid. Such sabotage has caused power failures in some regions and exacerbated the effects of severe energy shortages, he said.

"Be on the lookout! Patrols must be carried out to capture the saboteurs because those responsible must be caught and put in prison," Chavez said during his weekly television and radio program, "Hello President."

Referring to his government's adversaries, he said: "They think that's how they're going to topple Chavez, and that's what they're seeking, but if there's an electricity collapse, it won't be Chavez who is going to fall. Prepare yourselves, bourgeois folks, because it will be you who will fall."

The accusations were vague and Chavez provided no evidence supporting them.

Energy Minister Ali Rodriguez echoed the allegations.

"I have no doubt that many of the failures that are occurring are the product of sabotage. We are investigating," Rodriguez said.

Opposition leaders scoffed at the president's claim, saying Chavez is trying to shed the blame for power shortages that critics say his government caused by failing to invest enough in electricity production over the last decade.

"The president is a great manipulator and he uses lies to fool the people," Juan Jose Molina, an opposition politician, said in a telephone interview.

He noted more than a dozen projects to build thermoelectric plants have been delayed.

"It's Chavez's own incompetence that's going to bring him down," Molina said. "We want to get him out (of office) with votes."

Chavez declared an energy emergency earlier this month, announcing that his socialist government will punish businesses and industries that use what the government considers excessive amounts of electricity. He promised discounts to those that cut consumption.

Under the plan, large businesses and factories must cut electricity consumption 20 percent or face sanctions, including hefty surcharges on electricity bills. The energy-saving initiative also targets ordinary Venezuelans who use more than 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month — an estimated 24 percent of all residential consumers, according to Chavez.

The plan is aimed at easing energy shortages that Chavez blames on a months-long drought. The lack of rain has caused water levels to drop to critical lows behind the Guri Dam, which supplies roughly 70 percent of Venezuela's electricity.

China PLA officer urges new Internet control agency

2010-02-22T01:30:00.001-08:00

BEIJING (Reuters) – A senior Chinese military officer has called for a new national body to enforce Internet controls, while China faced fresh claims on Monday about the source of hacking attacks that hit search giant Google.

People's Liberation Army Major General Huang Yongyin said China needed to keep pace with the efforts of other big powers to fight online infiltration and attacks.

"For national security, the Internet has already become a new battlefield without gunpowder," Huang wrote in the February issue of Chinese Cadres Tribune, a magazine published by the Communist Party's influential Central Party School.

In January, the giant Internet search engine company, Google, threatened to pull back from China over complaints of censorship and sophisticated hacking from within China.

Huang's comments appeared after Western media reports pinpointed a vocational school whose graduates include military recruits as one source of the hacker attack on Google.

The reports said the author of spyware used in the assault had government ties.

U.S. government analysts believe the programme's creator is a Chinese security consultant in his 30s who posted parts of the code on a hacker forum and described it as something he was "working on," the Financial Times reported on Monday.

He works as a freelancer and did not launch the attack but Chinese officials had "special access" to his programing, the paper added, quoting a single, unnamed government researcher.

"If he wants to do the research he's good at, he has to toe the line now and again," the researcher was quoted saying.

The allegations over the spyware are the latest episode in a dispute that has pitted Google and the United States against China, with its wall of Internet controls and legions of hackers.

Washington has backed Google's criticisms and urged Beijing to investigate hacking complaints thoroughly and transparently. Beijing has said it opposes hacking.

"LAWLESS ELEMENTS"

Huang's comments underscore the influential currents within the Chinese government that see the Internet as a key security concern.

"Lawless elements and hostile forces at home and abroad have increasingly turned to the Internet to engage in crime, disruption, infiltration, reactionary propaganda and other sabotage activities," wrote Huang, who appears to play no direct role in China's online policy.

The magazine was dated February 6, but arrived with subscribers on Monday, after China's Lunar New Year holiday.

The government needs to surmount the fragmented control of the Internet to confront these problems, preferably with a national administrative system, Huang said.

Over a dozen ministries and agencies have a hand in enforcing the Chinese government's Internet policies. Huang called for China to reduce its reliance on foreign technology which is vulnerable to attacks by "hostile forces abroad."

His concerns are matched by worries overseas about attacks from within China.

The Financial Times report quoted unidentified sources backing an earlier claim that analysts had traced the online attacks to two Chinese colleges, the prestigious Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lanxiang vocational school.

The two establishments have denied the reports. Allegations that the latter, a high-school level institute that also trains hairdressers, chefs and car mechanics, could take on Google have been mocked widely in Chinese cyberspace.

"How can these future cooks be such powerful hackers?" a web user from Zhejiang province said on the portal www.163.com.

Lanxiang's website also boasts it has the "biggest" computer lab in the world.

There was less online comment about the well-respected Jiaotong University, which attracts top graduates and has a School of Information Security Engineering.

(Editing by Paul Tait)

USA beats Canada 5-3, gains top seed in quarterfinals

2010-02-22T01:27:00.001-08:00

VANCOUVER — A sign at Canada Hockey Place read, "This is our game." But the Americans came into Canada's home and stole it Sunday by posting their first Olympic win over Canada in 50 years on a 5-3 decision.

"It feels great to win in an atmosphere like this and to be able to now set the bar high for us going into the quarterfinals," said U.S. defenseman Brian Rafalski, who had a pair of goals.

In Canada, this has probably been the most-talked about hockey tournament in the country's history and the arena was a sea of loud, boisterous fans attired in Team Canada sweaters.

CLUTCH: Rafalski scoring big for Team USA
HOCKEY SHOWDOWN: Canada vs. USA is hype of Games
SUMMARY: USA 5, Canada 3
LOPRESTI: Three huge hockey rivalries on display

"This proves to ourselves, a young team, when we are up against a daunting task we can play our game," USA forward David Backes said. "But this is one game, and we had to scratch and claw for everything we had."

Canada got a goal by Crosby with 3:09 remaining, and the win wasn't assured until Ryan Kesler scored an empty-netter on a diving poke of the puck.

With a 3-0 record, the Americans win their pool and earn a bye into the quarterfinal finals. Russia, a 4-2 winner against the Czech Republic, won its pool and the third seed. Sweden captured the second seed by beating Finland 3-0, though Finland earned a bye as the fourth seeds on goal differential.

In Tuesday's qualifying games, the Czechs will play Latvia, Canada will face Germany, Slovakia will face Norway and Switzerland will play Belarus.

Quarterfinals are Wednesday. The USA would face the winner of Switzerland-Belarus. A Canada-Russia gold-medal game would be impossible because they would face each other Wednesday if Canada beats Germany.

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller made 42 saves to lead the USA to its most important victory on Canadian soil since it defeated Canada in Montreal to win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

"Maybe there will be a little less yelling on the streets," Backes said. "Friday night, walking back to the hotel was a little scary at times. Wore a USA Hockey shirt and I had to get my wife under my wing and scoot through."

U.S. coach Ron Wilson said he believed it was the best game he has seen Miller play.

"He makes four or five huge saves a game and he did that tonight," Wilson said.

Haiti leader says quake toll could reach 300,000

2010-02-22T01:24:00.001-08:00

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – The president of Haiti said Sunday the death toll from his country's earthquake could reach 300,000 once all the bodies are recovered from wrecked buildings.

Speaking after arriving in Mexico for regional meetings that will include discussion of Haitian aid needs, Preval gave no indication of how he reached the figure.

"You have seen the pictures, you know the numbers, more than 200,000 bodies picked up in the streets, counting those that are still underneath the rubble, perhaps we could arrive at 300,000 deaths," Preval said at a meeting between Mexican officials and the countries of the Caribbean trade bloc.

Haiti's government has placed the death toll at between 170,000 and 230,000. It depends on which official is talking and none have explained in detail the methodology used to arrive at the numbers.

The country's chief epidemiologist has said he believes the government is making a lot of estimates.

Preval will also attend the Unity Summit of Latin American and Caribbean nations convened by the Rio Group starting Monday. Aid for Haiti in the wake of the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake is expected to be discussed.

Arriving Sunday aboard a Mexican government plane, Preval thanked Mexico for all the aid it has sent to his country since the quake.

"I want to thank the Mexican people with all my heart," he said.

2010-02-22T01:21:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Sunday his department was aware some Toyota vehicles had "unintended acceleration" issues in late 2003, three years before it launched a preliminary probe into sticky Toyota floor mats.

LaHood's remarks on his blogsite followed a disclosure by America's top automobile insurer, State Farm, that it reported Toyota acceleration problems to the Department of Transportation (DoT) in February 2004.

Toyota has recalled nearly nine million vehicles worldwide following a series of complaints and a slew of lawsuits linking vehicle flaws to 30 deaths across the United States.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda is expected to face a grilling by a congressional committee Wednesday that could also criticize DoT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) allegedly slow response to the complaints.

LaHood warned much of what had been written about the NHTSA's response to State Farm's report was "factually incorrect or incomplete."

"Today?s Detroit News has it right, however," he said, referring to the Michigan daily's story about an NHTSA probe of Toyota acceleration complaints in December 2003, "before State Farm supplied any information on that topic to the safety agency in February of 2004."

Up to now, the DoT and NHTSA had said that in March 2007 they launched a preliminary probe into complaints about acceleration pedals sticking to floor mats on some Toyota models, without indicating if they had looked into such problems earlier.

"While insurance data is a useful source of supplemental information in identifying auto defect trends," LaHood said in his blog, "the primary sources are consumer complaints, early warning reporting from manufacturers, technical service bulletins provided by manufacturers to car dealers and foreign recalls on vehicles that are similar to vehicles sold in the US.

"What's missing from much of the other coverage I?ve seen is the fact that, over the years, NHTSA officials actually asked State Farm to provide that information so they could incorporate it into their ongoing vehicle defect investigations. As they do information from all sources," he added.

LaHood said in April, 2009, NHTSA requested State Farm's list of claims "alleging unintended acceleration for all vehicle models and model years between 2006 and 2009."

"So, the idea that NHTSA is in the business of ignoring information -- valuable or otherwise -- from automobile insurers, safety organizations, or consumers is just plain wrong," he added.

Republican member of the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee Dan Burton told Fox Television on Sunday that Toyoda's presence at the committee hearing Wednesday, although voluntary, was necessary.

"I don't think we could force him to come, but I think the publicity and the overall impact on Toyota if he doesn't testify would be severe," Burton said.

"He agreed he'd better be there."

Canadian skier Barr gets surprise last-minute call to Olympics

2010-02-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

From the backup's backup to standout, Davey Barr personifies how anything can happen in ski cross.

As late as Saturday, the Canadian was supposed to be home in Brackenbale, B.C., watching his buddies compete in Sunday's men's ski cross. Instead, two Canadian injuries later, Barr finished sixth after being summoned to Vancouver at what a coach called "the 13th hour."

He had never skied the Cypress Mountain course. Yet somehow, with no time to gameplan, he made it through qualifying before finally bowing out in the semifinal.

"Sixth at the Olympics, that's not all that bad," said Barr, who finished third at last year's World Championships. "I would have liked to make the finals, but ... that's the sport. [I'm happy] for the most part."

Barr has already been called the instant Olympian. The backup's backup. The guy with no suit. Maybe it was such a whirlwind that he didn't have enough time to get nervous.

"It took me a few runs this morning to sort of get a feel for the course. Everybody else had like two days of training on it. I managed to figure it out a bit," a smiling Barr told reporters after the race.

Calling up someone for an Olympic event involves more than, say, a MLB or NHL team summoning someone from their minor-league affiliate.

Barr’s last-minute invite to the Olympics team meant he had to do more than just learn the course. A coach had to prepare a uniform for him while officials scrambled to get him a room in the Olympic athletes’ village in Vancouver.

You might ask, how did a guy who was third in the world not get a spot on the Canadian team? Well, when Canada selected its 18-member freestyle team in January, it used "a complex scoring system" that left the 32-year-old Barr in don't-call-us, we'll-call-you territory. But in a space of 24 hours, Dave Duncan broke his collarbone and the first option off the taxi squad, Brady Lehman, aggravated an injury. So Barr got the call.

Barr gave an unintentionally revealing quote about teammate Chris Del Bosco, who finished a disappointing fourth after a late wipeout.

"[Del Bosco leaves] it to the last minute and try to make it all happen," Barr said. "More often than not, he actually does it."

Leave it to the last minute and pull it off? Barr could have been describing himself.

India, Pakistan meet after year of living dangerously

2010-02-22T01:15:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The first official talks between India and Pakistan since the Mumbai attacks offer a tiny step to stability in South Asia, but the recent bombing in Pune shows the nuclear rivals' ties may be as fragile as ever.

The two nations' foreign secretaries -- their top diplomats -- will meet Thursday with a foreboding sense in India that the bombing of a popular bakery in the western city of Pune that killed 13 people may herald more attacks and an even greater challenge to peace.

Pune was the first Islamist militant attack on Indian soil in the 14 months since gunmen rampaged through Mumbai, killing 166 people. No one has been charged with the February 13 attack, but many experts say it points to local Islamists with ties or backing from Pakistan.

"Terror is the center and focus point of talks," Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna told CNN-IBN television.

The Indian government reacted swiftly to the Pune bombing, saying the resumption of 4-year-old peace talks broken off after the Mumbai killings would still go ahead.

But more attacks like Pune may make it politically difficult for India to build on whatever progress is made on Thursday. They would also damage wider U.S. regional efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Washington has long sought peace between the two countries, hoping it would allow Pakistan to withdraw troops from its Indian border to focus on the battle against the Taliban and al Qaeda.

"It'll help the American plan in the sense that if tension is reduced between the two neighbors, Pakistan could devote more troops to the tribal areas and to the Afghan border," said Pakistani independent analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi.

"At the moment, the statements coming from the two sides show a lot of divergence."

"NO BREAKTHROUGH"

In a sign of the gulf between the two neighbors, Krishna's statement last week immediately irked many in Pakistan.

Krishna wants Pakistan to show it is serious in reining in Islamist groups behind the Mumbai attacks before New Delhi even considers talking about other issues that have strained ties.

But Pakistan wants those other issues, namely talks on the disputed region of Kashmir as well as concerns such as shared water sources, to be on the table.

Many in Pakistan are worried by what they see as India's growing belligerent tone, especially some comments from military commanders, as well as the Asian giant's arms build-up. Some Pakistani analysts say that India, buoyed by its stronger ties with Washington, feels it can be more assertive with Islamabad.

"There will be no breakthrough," said Amitabh Mattoo, professor of foreign policy studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. "It is an exploration of where dialogue can go."

For Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the talks are a politically risky move, opening him up to criticism that he is soft on terrorism. He was forced to backtrack the last time his government reached out to Pakistan at a summit in Egypt in 2009.

But Singh, a 77-year-old seen as searching for a legacy, has pushed talks. India's new national security adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, a former foreign secretary seen as less hawkish than his predecessor, has also helped India's initiative.

There is also a sense in India that Pakistan has made some real progress in probing the suspected masterminds behind Mumbai.

"Menon as NSA (national security adviser) is a crucial element, and the fact that the trial (in Pakistan) has moved on and that India's internal security mechanisms are falling into place," said Siddharth Varadarajan, strategic affairs editor at the Hindu newspaper.

But attacks like Pune would push them on to the defensive.

Security analysts in India say that there are signs that the U.S. diplomatic pressure that fell on Pakistan after the Mumbai raids -- which in their view was the reason India suffered no Islamist militant attacks in 2009 -- is now on the wane.

Pakistan appears now to have a diplomatic edge, with signs it will become central for Washington to mediate any talks with the Taliban and any drawback of troops in the coming years.

"That has given Pakistan greater encouragement that it is returning to center stage in the region's security architecture," said Ajai Sahni, Executive Director at the New Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management.

Still, having talks may be better than silence. It gives India the tool to break them off if a second Mumbai-like attack comes. No talks gives New Delhi less room to react.

"The Indian government is very keen to get off the edge," said Varadarajan.

(Additional reporting by Kamran Haidar and Chris Allbritton in Islamabad; Editing by C.J. Kuncheria and Nick Macfie)

North Korea seeks military talks with rival South

2010-02-22T01:08:00.000-08:00

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has proposed holding military talks with the South next week after it raised tension on the troubled peninsula last week by warning it would hold live-fire drills near the border with its rival.

North Korea is apparently using military threats against U.S. ally South Korea to strengthen its hand to win concessions from regional powers as it appears ready to return to international talks on ending its nuclear arms program, analysts said.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said it received a request from the North on Monday for talks on March 2 related to the passage of people and material to a joint factory park located in the North's border city of Kaesong. The South has yet to respond.

North Korea last week said it would be firing from four spots on its west coast and two on its east coast from Saturday through Monday. It has yet to launch artillery.

Recent military talks have focused on a sea border off the west coast set unilaterally by U.S.-led U.N. forces at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War and declared invalid by the North.

North Korea last month opened fire near that border, drawing return volleys from the South. The exchange resulted in no injuries or damage but spooked investors, prompting temporary dips in Seoul stock markets and the South Korean won.

The North has come under pressure to take a more conciliatory path and return to six-country nuclear talks due to U.N. sanctions imposed after a May 2009 nuclear test that have dealt a blow to its wobbly economy and a botched currency move late last year that sparked inflation and rare civil unrest.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz and Christine Kim; Editing by Ken Wills)

Israel sees little fallout from Dubai killing

2010-02-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli intelligence experts dismissed on Sunday the prospect of lasting diplomatic fallout for Israel or damage to its Mossad spy agency over the spotlight shone on the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai.

"The bottom line is that an important deed was done, by whomever, in the war on terrorism," Uzi Dayan, an ex-general and former head of Israel's National Security Council, said on Army Radio.

However, Dubai police have said they are virtually certain that Mossad carried out the killing, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed vowed on Sunday to bring those responsible to justice.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman could face sharp questions from British and Irish counterparts in Brussels on Monday over the alleged use of forged European passports by a hit squad that killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai on January 19.

Citing a policy of "ambiguity" with regard to its intelligence activities, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied Hamas allegations that a Mossad team was responsible.

"I intend ... to underline our deep concern about the fake use of passports in Dubai and to seek reassurance and clarification on this very serious issue," Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin told the Irish Times on Friday.

Britain and Ireland called in the Israeli ambassadors last week to discuss the issue, but received little in the way of explanation. The ambassador in London, Ron Prosor, said he was "unable to assist" the British with more information.

EXPLANATION

France and Germany have also asked Israel for an explanation, but the French and German foreign ministers are not scheduled to attend Monday's foreign ministers' meeting, and it is not clear whether Lieberman will meet their deputies.

Although six Britons in Israel, who said they were identity theft victims, had the same names of members of the alleged hit squad, Israel seemed confident in its no-smoking-gun approach.

"No one recalled his ambassador (to Israel). No one expelled anybody," Dayan said, calling for an investigation into the type of passport Mabhouh used to enter Dubai.

Hamas, an Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, is shunned by the West for rejecting its calls to recognize Israel and renounce violence. Hamas acknowledged that Mabhouh smuggled weapons for it.

Izzat al-Rishq, a Hamas official, told the Jordanian newspaper Al-Sabeel that the movement "has formed a high-level investigation committee" to try to discover "how the Mossad was able to carry out the operation."

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, speaking on Saturday, said he did not expect a diplomatic crisis with Europe over the killing "because there is nothing linking Israel to the assassination."

"Britain, France and Germany are countries with shared interests with Israel in countering terrorism," Ayalon said.

In a speech on Friday, Israeli President Shimon Peres made no mention of the Dubai assassination, but he highlighted the importance of cooperation among security services in what he described as efforts "to stop terror."

"The secret relations among the security organizations are more open, and more meaningful, than the diplomatic ones," Peres said.

In the United Arab Emirates, the state news agency WAM said UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash summoned European Union ambassadors to brief them on the case seek their support in the investigation.

Mishka Ben-David, a former Mossad operative, said the 11 suspected hit squad members -- some wearing beards and eyeglasses in photos released by Dubai -- could easily get back into the field after changing their look.

"These people can do almost anything because if you take any of the pictures you saw and make slight adjustments to their appearance, they can fly abroad under another name and no one will give them a second glance," he told Army Radio.

(Additional reporting by Luke Baker in Brussels and Raissa Kasolowsky in Dubai, Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)

Reunited Aerosmith plots summer European tour

2010-02-19T07:16:00.001-08:00

DETROIT (Billboard) – Aerosmith will add more European dates to its summer itinerary to follow up the booking at the Download Festival in England, a spokeswoman said.

Effectively signaling a settling of differences between rehab-prone frontman Steven Tyler and his frustrated bandmates -- Aerosmith will precede its June 13 Download date with an appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 10 in Solvesborg.

A U.K. spokeswoman for the band told Billboard.com that other European dates will be announced shortly.

"There's no Aerosmith without Steven Tyler," said Download promoter Andy Copping. "There's no point in entertaining anything other than (with) Steven Tyler."

Perry had been leading a bid to replace Tyler, ostensibly so that the band can tour and record while the singer deals with an addiction to painkillers and finishes his memoir. Tyler's attorney last month asked Aerosmith's management to "cease & desist" talk about a substitute singer.

Relations between Tyler and the rest of the band have been tense for months, maybe even years, and things came to a head in August when the band was forced to cancel a tour after Tyler fell of the stage mid-song. He entered rehab for the second time in two years last December.

The group has also been offered tour dates in South America, but nothing has been announced yet. No North American shows have been mentioned, and there's also no word on if and when Aerosmith will resume work on its first studio album since 2001.

Perry, whose knee problems also tripped up Aerosmith in recent years, has been touring with his Joe Perry Project to support his latest album, "Have Guitar, Will Travel."

Meanwhile drummer Joey Kramer has been promoting his autobiography, "Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top," and guitarist Brad Whitford is gearing up for an Experience Hendrix tour that starts March 4 in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Johnny Weir goes furless for free skate

2010-02-19T07:14:00.001-08:00

As promised, Johnny Weir did not wear fur for the free skate as he did at the U.S. Championships, which drew the ire of animal rights groups. Instead of the controversial costume with a fox fur trim, Weir wore a costume that he wore to Grand Prix events, including the Cup of Russia and the Grand Prix Final.

In this outfit, Weir skated an excellent routine. He did not throw a quadruple jump as he had mentioned that he might, but the skate was technically and artistically sound. He finished in sixth place, but seemed pleased with his performance.

Premiums jump 14 percent on Medicare private plans Millions of seniors face 14 percent premium increase for popular Medicare Advantage plans

2010-02-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Millions of seniors who signed up for popular private health plans through Medicare are facing sharp premium increases this year -- another sign that spiraling costs are a problem even for those with solid insurance.

A study to be released Friday by a major consulting firm found that premiums for Medicare Advantage plans offering medical and prescription drug coverage jumped 14.2 percent on average in 2010, after an increase of only 5.2 percent the previous year. Some 8.5 million elderly and disabled Americans are in the plans, which provide more comprehensive coverage than traditional Medicare.

"These premium increases fit within a broader trend of increased financial pressure on the insured," said Lindsey Spindle, a vice president of Avalere Health, a data analysis firm that produced the statistical study. "We see very large premium increases and a continued upward creep in how much out-of-pocket expenses beneficiaries are expected to pay, such as copayments."

The Medicare findings are bad news for President Barack Obama and his health care overhaul, bogged down in Congress. That's because the higher Medicare Advantage premiums for 2010 followed a cut in government payments to the private plans last year. And the Democratic bills pending in Congress call for even more cuts, expected to force many seniors to drop out of what has been a rapidly growing alternative to traditional Medicare.

Republicans have seized on the Medicare Advantage cuts in their campaign to derail the health care bills, and seniors are listening. Polls show they are they are more skeptical of the legislation than the public as a whole, even though Democrats would also reinforce original Medicare by improving preventive benefits and narrowing the prescription coverage gap. About three-fourths of Medicare recipients remain in the traditional program.

The Avalere study found that the average monthly Medicare Advantage premium for 2010 is $39.61, representing an increase of nearly $5 a month from the previous year. That compares with a rise of less than $1.75 a month in 2009. The averages are adjusted based on enrollment levels in particular plans that offer medical and prescription coverage, reflecting the choices that seniors make.

Seniors who did not shop around for lower-priced coverage during open enrollment in the fall got hit with some of the biggest increases, averaging 22 percent.

The report on Medicare comes after a series of double-digit premium increases around the country for privately insured working households who buy their own coverage. Obama has cited those increases as an argument for reviving his stalled health care overhaul plan.

Administration officials did not dispute the Avalere study, but they sought to pin responsibility on the private insurers that participate in the program, a list that includes such industry giants as UnitedHealthcare and Aetna. Nonpartisan technical advisers to Congress say Medicare Advantage plans are being overpaid because of a flawed formula.

"Medicare Advantage plans continue to be paid about 13 percent more than original Medicare," said Medicare spokesman Peter Ashkenaz. "The plans need to explain why these increases are necessary."

Eric Hammelman, a senior Avalere data analyst, said that after the government cut payments to the plans last year, the insurers faced a choice. "They could raise premiums or lower benefits, and what most of them decided to do was raise premiums," he said.

The study also found that Medicare Advantage premium increases varied by the type of plans that seniors picked. Private fee-for-service plans, which offer a broad choice of doctors and hospitals, saw increases averaging 31.2 percent. Health maintenance organizations, which account for most of the program enrollment, had an increase of 11.3 percent. Preferred provider organizations -- some of which already have high premiums -- experienced more modest increases.

Avalere serves industry, government and private foundations, analyzing Medicare financial data.

Failure on Economy

2010-02-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, said President Barack Obama focused on overhauling the U.S. health care system to the detriment of the economy.

Addressing the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington yesterday, Romney denounced the Democratic president’s $862 billion stimulus program enacted one year ago.

Obama didn’t know that “the number one cause of failure in the private sector is lack of focus, and that the first rule of turning around any troubled enterprise is focus, focus, focus,” Romney told the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington yesterday. “His energy should have been focused on fixing the economy and creating jobs. He failed to focus, and so he failed.”

The administration has said the stimulus package saved or created about 2 million jobs.

Attendance at the American Conservative Union’s gathering is projected by organizers to reach a record 10,000 people, about 1,500 more than last year. The meeting, which ends tomorrow, takes place as support for Obama and his policies have declined, according to public opinion polls.

Another possible presidential contender, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, is to speak to today. Former Vice President Dick Cheney made an unannounced appearance yesterday.

Insurgents Showcased

The conference also is serving as a showcase for Republican insurgents such as former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is challenging the state’s governor, Charles Crist, for the party’s nomination for U.S. Senate.

“We are witnessing the single greatest political pushback in American history,” Rubio said. “A long list of early establishment endorsements will not spare you a primary.”

A Feb. 5-10 CBS News-New York Times poll gave Obama a 46 percent job-approval rating, down from 50 percent in December. Majorities disapproved of the way he is handling the economy and health care.

“Will the economy and unemployment recover? Thanks to a vibrant and innovative citizenry, they always do,” said Romney, who unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination in 2008. “But this president will not deserve the credit he will undoubtedly claim. He has prolonged the recession, expanded the pain of unemployment and added to the burden of debt we will leave future generations.”

Obama Policies

Romney’s speech offered a litany of criticism of Obama policies, including his proposals to curb the emissions blamed for global warming, overhaul health care and allow tax cuts for the wealthy enacted under President George W. Bush to expire. Those tax cuts benefitted single filers earning more than $200,000 a year and couples earning more than $250,000.

Obama “said that the government can create the conditions, the environment, which leads the private sector to add employment,” Romney said. “But consider not what he said, but what he did last year and ask whether it helped or hurt the environment for investment, growth and new jobs.”

“Liberals are convinced that government knows better than the people how to run our businesses, how to choose winning technologies, how to manage healthcare, how to grow an economy and how to order our very lives,” Romney said. “They want to gain through government takeover what they could never achieve in the competitive economy -- power and control over the people of America.”

Terrorism Cases

Romney also criticized the Obama administration’s decision to try some terrorism suspects in U.S. courts, as was done under Bush as well.

He praised Obama’s predecessor, saying history would judge President George W. Bush “far more kindly.”

Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse, asked for a comment, said Bush and his administration “bankrupted this country financially, with their reckless economic policies, and ethically, with their allegiance to special interests over the American people.”

Romney, 62, was introduced by newly elected Republican Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who received a loud welcome from the convention. Brown’s victory in a Jan. 19 special election deprived the Democrats of the 60 votes in the Senate needed to overcome Republican filibusters.

“For the big government spenders, I’m sure my election does not make them feel good at all,” Brown said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net .

robbed of gold

2010-02-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Russian figure skating chiefs were planning their own Crime Scene Investigation on Thursday night, as accusations of sporting robbery followed Evan Lysacek’s dramatic victory in the men’s long program at Pacific Coliseum.

The American star’s triumph sparked a furious reaction from Alexei Mishin, the coach of silver medalist Evgeni Plushenko, with Mishin claiming his athlete had been unfairly “robbed” of a second consecutive gold.

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko regards his silver medal on the podium on Thursday.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

This is nonsense,” Mishin told Yahoo! Sports. “It is wrong. It is criminal. How can it be like this? They are killing figure skating and taking it back 20 years. They have robbed him of his destiny.

“There is nothing we can do but we want to know what happened because this is not right. We will investigate. Someone needs to explain to me how this is possible. I cannot believe it.”

Mishin was disgusted that Lysacek was awarded an overall score of 257.67, enough to overcome his 0.55 deficit from the short program and push him ahead of Plushenko, the sport’s shining star.

Mishin’s ire centered around the quadruple jump, the most difficult maneuver in the sport. Lysacek opted not to include one in his program but was awarded higher marks for his clean execution of simpler elements. Plushenko nailed his quad, but it wasn’t enough.

Plushenko felt he had performed strongly enough to clinch gold with his routine and even jokingly motioned to step on to the top level of the podium during the medal ceremony.

“I was certain I had won,” he said.

Plushenko had previously claimed the quad and its variations are the future of figure skating. Mishin focused his accusations of thievery on the judging panel.

“Any judge who thinks this is the right champion is a Cyclops,” Mishin said. “Without the quad, there is no difference between the men’s competition and the women’s. Why not let them skate together? Why not have it as a unisex competition in the Olympics?”

The Olympic competition has only served to put the controversial current judging system under further scrutiny. The complicated marking format, which replaced the old and popular 6.0-is-a-perfect-score method, has alienated some fans and made figure skating a nightmare to understand for the uninitiated.

However, Lysacek’s coach Frank Carroll was adamant that the right man had won.

“I looked at the performance of Evgeni and Evan, and I saw strengths and weaknesses in both,” Carroll said. “It was up to the panel to sift through it and see who came up with the most points.

“There were things about Evgeni’s routine that were weaknesses. It was up for grabs and we didn’t know how they were going to go through it

Parents surprise Bright in her golden moment

2010-02-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

Torah Bright of Australia celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's snowboard halfpipe final on Thursday.

WEST VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Torah Bright almost ruined the surprise. Her parents drove six hours to the airport in Sydney, spent 20 hours more on a flight to the Winter Olympics and did all of it behind the back of the world’s best female snowboarder. At Bright’s Vancouver abode the night before the women’s halfpipe competition, Peter and Marion Bright heard her voice, and it begged for immediate improvisation.

“We hid in the closet,” Marion said. “She even came into the bedroom.”

Eventually, they slinked out, plan intact, and prepared to conceal themselves again at Cypress Mountain. It was a jig they couldn’t keep up very long, not when their daughter was winning Australia’s first gold medal of the Vancouver Games and breaking the United States’ near decade-long stranglehold on snowboarding supremacy.

After putting in the worst first run of the 11 finalists, Bright bounced back with the best of the night, scoring a 45.0 of 50 on the strength of a switch backside 720, in which she rode opposite her dominant foot and spun into a blind landing. Once she hit that, the rest of the evening was spent taking pictures and accepting hugs, as no one – not even Americans Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark, the silver and bronze medalists – could challenge Bright’s technical supremacy.

Of course, Bright first needed to wipe the tears from her eyes. As she embraced her coach and brother, Ben, following the run, Bright noticed a shock of blond hair in the crowd. The bald spot looked familiar. And only then did the 23-year-old realize mom and dad had ignored her wishes.

“I told them not to come,” Bright said. “I told them I’d prefer them at my wedding. I should’ve known they were going to come. Of course they were going to come.”

They were always coming – here and to Bright’s June wedding in Salt Lake City. Her snowboarding coronation was four years, multiple concussions and one dislocated jaw in the making. What Shaun White is to men’s snowboarding Bright is to women’s: the uber-talent whose technical ability supersedes her competitors’ by a significant amount.

“We thought we won’t rock the boat,” Marion said. “Whatever you want, Torah, you get. Well, it’s going to be a surprise then. We didn’t want it to be a shock, so we’ll hide ourselves until after the last run.”

By then, Bright, whose first name is Hebrew for “teach,” had dished a lesson in modern snowboarding, where style and grace is as important as ability to spin an obscene number of times. Particularly among the female riders, who still have yet to perfect the double-cork maneuvers that revolutionized men’s snowboarding, such artistry counts extra.

Bright’s predilection for the daring – she has attempted double corks and considered pulling one out if necessary – led to a lifetime’s worth of injuries in the past eight weeks alone. Before Christmas, Bright banged her jaw on a halfpipe, dislocating it and necessitating a chiropractor to put it back together. Since then, she has suffered multiple concussions, the double corks a doctor’s boon and rider’s thorn.

Her headaches didn’t subside until recently, and though Bright’s doctors weren’t sure they would clear her to participate, her fiancée, Jake Welch, said “she was always going to be here.” Bright couldn’t miss this, neither the huge crowd nor the recognition that comes with Olympic gold.

Overseas, advertisers will swoon at Bright’s toothy smile and intriguing accent. In Australia, everywhere from her small hometown of Cooma to Sydney and Melbourne, snowboarding will carry evermore cachet.

“I think every little girl will want a snowboard for Christmas,” said Holly Crawford, Bright’s Australian teammate.

Torah Bright competes in the women's snowboard halfpipe.
(AP Photo)

And why wouldn’t they? Bright cuts an excellent role model: doesn’t smoke, drink or curse, as an LDS church member, and is so universally liked on the women’s snowboarding tour that even her fellow medalists and opponents’ coaches were giving her hugs and congratulating her. Certainly keeping her family close doesn’t hurt the image, either.

Best of all, Bright showed incredible perseverance following her first run, a mess in which she missed the switch backside 720 and another trick at the bottom of the pipe. Her score: 5.9.

“Falling on the first run is never good,” Bright said. “Falling twice, while I was trying to have a bit of fun with that? Yeah. That wasn’t good, either.”

While Bright went last during the first round, her low score meant she needed to go first in the second round. So she commiserated with her brother, who said he had faith, and thought to herself: This is easy.

Once Bright stuck her final trick and wiped away her tears, she retired to a holding area where the highest-scoring riders stood. Ten other riders had a chance to beat her. None could.

“Torah’s been amazing competition,” Clark said. “It’s just inspiring. Snowboarding’s a unique sport. It’s not as cutthroat or competitive. We’re happy for each other when we do well.”

No one felt as much elation as Bright’s family. The emotional yo-yo of snowboarding is palpable. Her brother knows she’ll hit a double cork in competition soon enough and set an even higher standard. And her parents, so distraught watching officials drag Bright off the X Games halfpipe following a nasty crash and so thrilled to hear over the radio that she was carrying the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony, live vicariously through the adventures of their daughter, who seeks thrills for a living.

It was edifying, then, to have a thrill of their own. Their daughter is an Olympic champion, and that’s nothing to hide.

TF1 est un leader avec un esprit de challenger

2010-02-19T02:03:00.000-08:00

Nonce Paolini, PDG du groupe TF1. Crédits photo : Le Figaro

Nonce Paolini, le PDG du groupe audiovisuel, estime que 2010 sera une année de rebond.

Le groupe TF1 a publié jeudi, un résultat 2009 en retrait de 30 %, à 115 millions d'euros.

LE FIGARO. Comment TF1 a-t-il traversé la crise de 2009 ?

Nonce PAOLINI. Paradoxalement ces résultats prouvent, après deux années de recadrage, que le modèle TF1 est pérenne à condition d'avoir une gestion performante. Qui aurait dit en juin 2009 que nous serions capables de présenter un résultat de 115 millions d'euros en versant un intéressement important pour nos salariés, un dividende convenable à nos actionnaires, et en constituant une provision de 17 millions d'euros sur la Coupe du monde de football. Les résultats du quatrième trimestre 2009 ont prouvé qu'une chaîne comme TF1 était capable de rebondir et d'afficher une rentabilité de 9 %.

Ces résultats ont été obtenus grâce à une parfaite maîtrise des coûts tout en exploitant les programmes les plus attractifs. Cette gestion rigoureuse s'est traduite par une baisse de plus de 10 % de notre coût de grille. Une première dans l'histoire de la chaîne. Nous avons réussi à faire baisser les droits sportifs de 10 millions d'euros, notamment sur le contrat de la Ligue des champions et sur les droits de l'équipe de France renégociés à hauteur de 45 millions. Sur la Coupe du monde de football, grâce à la revente de 37 matchs à Canal + et France Télévisions TF1 ne paiera cette année que 87 millions pour 27 matchs contre 108 millions en 2006 pour 24 matchs. Nous avons également renouvelé nos grands contrats avec nos principaux partenaires, comme Endemol et certaines grandes majors américaines.

En 2010 allez-vous poursuivre vos économies ?

Nous devons être un leader avec un esprit de challenger. Ce qui signifie une gestion rigoureuse sans misérabilisme. Ce sont nos concurrents qui devront investir ! La valeur de nos programmes et de nos stocks nous permettra de rester performants et si la conjoncture est au rendez-vous, 2010 sera une année de rebond.

Comment atteindrez-vous l a croissance de 2 % promise ?

Du point de vue publicitaire, personne aujourd'hui n'est capable de dire ce que sera 2010. Nous avons pris l'hypothèse d'une reprise molle. Pour ce qui concerne les recettes, nous adoptons une stratégie de segmentation entre les écrans les plus faibles, comme ceux de la journée, et ceux à forte valeur autour de nos pics d'audience, au plus grand bénéfice de nos clients.

TMC et NT1 vous appartiendront bientôt, qu'en ferez-vous ?

Notre ambition pour ces deux chaînes est d'en augmenter la qualité en optimisant notamment les stocks de TF1 et en respectant leur identité. TMC bénéficie déjà d'une image solide auprès de sa cible féminine et dispose encore d'une petite marge de progression en audience comme sa concurrente W9. Quant à NT1, qui séduit une cible plus jeune de 15-35 ans, beaucoup reste à faire. Pour ces deux chaînes, il s'agira de faire progresser l'audience tout en conservant leur rentabilité afin que l'équation économique reste la bonne. Nous attendons encore la décision du Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel. Quand nous en aurons les clés, nous nous mettrons au travail.

Quel modèle envisagez-vous pour Internet et les nouveaux médias ?

Il y a deux manières d'envisager la monétisation sur Internet. D'abord en intégrant ces nouveaux médias au cœur du programme, comme dans «Secret Story» ou «La Ferme», ce qui nous permet de renforcer l'audience de la chaîne. Pour nos programmes les plus forts - comme les séries américaines - nous ne pouvons pas nous permettre d'en altérer la valeur en les donnant gratuitement et durablement sur la Toile. Il faudra donc les financer soit par la vente à l'unité, soit par abonnement, comme le propose déjà TF1 Vision, avec succès, dénombrant 300 000 téléchargements payants.

Quels sont vos chantiers en 2010 ?

Tout d'abord apporter à nos téléspectateurs sur nos différentes antennes les meilleurs programmes. La HD et la 3D demain donnent de l'avenir à la télévision grand spectacle qui est notre métier principal.

Ensuite, multiplier les points de contact avec le grand public, grâce aux développements réussis sur le Web et le mobile cette année. Ils nous ont permis de renforcer notre lien de proximité avec les téléspectateurs internautes. Explorer également les nouveaux territoires, comme les jeux en ligne, grâce à notre partenariat avec La Française des jeux avec laquelle nous développerons de la publicité du parrainage, des jeux en ligne et des licences.

Nous testons aussi nos premiers services de jeux en Angleterre avec Eurosport Bet. Enfin, nous allons poursuivre notre réflexion sur l'avenir des chaînes payantes du Groupe et notamment sur LCI. J'ai demandé à Catherine Nayl et Éric Revel de repenser le modèle marketing et éditorial de la chaîne d'ici à 2012.

J'ai la conviction forte que les profonds changements que nous avons opérés depuis deux ans, dans tous nos métiers, et qui commencent à porter leurs fruits aujourd'hui, nous permettront de saisir toutes les opportunités qui se présenteront dans les prochaines années et de renforcer la rentabilité du Groupe TF1.

Pack Sport Design pour la Jaguar XKR

2010-02-19T01:58:00.000-08:00

19/02/2010 - Jaguar propose deux nouveaux packs pour les plus sportifs des acheteurs de coupé XKR ! Le premier, se prénomme de façon provocatrice "Pack Vitesse" et propose de faire sauter la bride électronique à 250 km/h. Histoire de ne pas faire les choses à moitié, ce pack est associé à un spoiler redessiné à l'avant, un large béquet à l'arrière et un diffuseur arrière. L'objectif est d'augmenter la déportance pour ne pas risquer de voir partir le beau coupé jaguar dans les arbres lorsqu'il accrochera les 280 km/h sur Autobahn. Le différentiel arrière électronique est également reparamétré pour augmenter la stabilité à très haute vitesse.

Le second pack pour les sportifs est plus soft dans sa vocation. Baptisé Sport Design, il permet, comem son nom l'indique, de rendre plus viril le design du félin britannique. La métamorphose s'opère via des jantes de 20 pouces en alliage noir brillant et trois teintes de carrosserie inédites (noir Black Ultimate, blanc Polaris White ou rouge Salsa Red). Une finition noir brillant est appliquée aux contours de fenêtres, calandre et prises d'air latérales. Dans l'habitacle, la sellerie est recouverte de cuir anthracite (Charcoal) personnalisable grâce à une large gamme de surpiqûres et de grains. En option, les étriers de freins peuvent être peints en rouge pour faire plus "sport".

Combinez les deux packs et vous obtenez la Jaguar XKR Édition Spéciale, à découvrir au salon de Genève début mars.

Franck Riboud veut être le « levier » économique d'Annecy 2018

2010-02-19T01:55:00.001-08:00

Tout en refusant d'être ce que fut Arnaud Lagardère pour Paris 2012, le patron de Danone engage son nom et sa filiale Evian derrière la candidature savoyarde aux Jeux d'hiver.

Le comité de candidature de la ville d'Annecy pour les jeux Olympiques d'hiver de 2018 compte un nouveau soutien de poids : Franck Riboud. Le PDG de Danone doit annoncer aujourd'hui la signature d'un accord de partenariat faisant de son groupe le « supporteur » de la préfecture de la Haute-Savoie, qui affrontera Munich et Pyeongchang (Corée du Sud) en juillet 2011 à Durban devant les membres du Comité international olympique. Mardi prochain, le 23 février, le magnat de l'agroalimentaire se rendra à Vancouver pour participer à la vaste opération de séduction du mouvement olympique entreprise par les Français depuis le début des XXI ^es JO d'hiver.

Ambassadeur mais pas leader

Dès le 15 février, au lendemain de la cérémonie d'ouverture, le comité de candidature a tenu une conférence de presse devant les journalistes présents au Canada. Sous la houlette du Comité national olympique et sportif français (CNOSF), sept soirées auront permis de recevoir les représentants olympiques de différents continents. Et, guidé par un Jean-Claude Killy décidé à s'impliquer, Edgar Grospiron, nommé directeur général d'Annecy 2018 (après la décision des politiques de se cantonner à un conseil de surveillance présidé par Guy Monteil, président du Conseil général de Haute-Savoie), aura rencontré quelque 65 membres du CIO. « Nous ne sommes pas visibles sur le plan international, Vancouver est notre dernière chance », a déclaré à « L'Equipe » l'ancien champion olympique de ski de bosses. Franck Riboud constitue donc le maillon économique de ce plan sinon de sauvetage, du moins d'accélération de la promotion de la candidature française.

Tout en prétendant ne pas être un ambassadeur plus important qu'Aimé Jacquet ou le cuisinier Marc Veyrat, le fils d'Antoine Riboud, qui fut proche de Jean-Claude Killy et sponsor d'Albertville avec Evian, reconnaît que « mettre en avant le nom et le poids de Danone (15 milliards d'euros de chiffre d'affaires, NDLR) donne du crédit à la candidature ». Pour autant, celui qui rappelle « avoir été élevé à Annecy » dans une maison au bord du lac, propriété de la famille depuis trois générations, et qui affirme être « un excellent skieur », « n'entend pas être à Annecy 2018 ce qu'était Arnaud Lagardère à Paris 2012 ». Ambassadeur de bonne volonté, oui, leader d'un pool d'entreprises, non. « Il faut m'utiliser comme un levier », préfère-t-il.

« En réalité, précise-t-il également, ce sont les entités du groupe situées dans la région, la source Evian, les casinos et hôtels d'Evian, le golf d'Evian qui soutiennent le projet, avec comme animateur Jean-Pierre Deffis (président d'Evian Volvic Source, NDLR) ». « C'est avant tout un engagement politique et social local », insiste-t-il, en affirmant : « Cela n'implique pas les autres filiales et si Annecy obtient les Jeux, rien ne dit que le groupe ou l'une de ses marques sera sponsor. »

Franck Riboud sait que Coca-Cola, « top » partenaire du CIO, a préempté la catégorie boissons rafraîchissantes des événements olympiques. Mais, malicieux comme son père qui avait brandi un Carambar sur le plateau de « L'Heure de vérité », et non ignorant des techniques de l'« ambush marketing », il prévient : « Si la candidature est un succès, il serait logique que l'on bénéficie d'un renvoi d'ascenseur et que la ville d'Evian soit intégrée aux sites des Jeux. »

« On y va pour gagner »

Modeste, ou malin, dans son positionnement, le patron de Danone ne tarit cependant pas d'éloges sur le projet d'Annecy. « C'est extraordinaire. Toutes les infrastructures sportives existent déjà et sont rodées. Les capacités hôtelières sont là aussi. Et pour les transports, avec le réseau autoroutier et le TGV, tout existe à 100 %. »

Pour lui, la question de savoir si la candidature d'Annecy a une chance face à Munich, notamment, et à la propension des membres du CIO à privilégier pour les Jeux d'hiver de grandes villes, dussent-elles être situées loin des pentes enneigées, ne se pose pas. « On y va pour gagner. On sait, surtout avec l'expérience de Paris 2012, qu'il faut cocher un certain nombre de cases, que le dossier n'est pas tout, qu'il faut séduire les bonnes personnes au bon moment. Il faut le faire. » D'ailleurs, s'il va à Vancouver, « c'est aussi pour faire du "benchmark", voir comment cela est organisé car les choses ont évolué depuis Albertville ». L'indice que son intérêt pour Annecy 2018 pourrait malgré tout se prolonger au-delà de la simple période de candidature…

PHILIPPE BERTRAND, Les Echos

Here's What's Insane: LOTS Of People Are Defending Joseph Andrew Stack

2010-02-19T01:48:00.000-08:00

We didn't think we were being remotely controversial earlier when we characterized Joseph Andrew Stack's manifesto as insane.

Well, LOTS of people disagree, and if you look in the comments of that post -- or in our inbox -- you'll find plenty of Stack fans out there.

Anger at the IRS and the bailouts holds tremendous resonance, clearly, if even a suicide plane bomber isn't seen as "insane" by plenty of folks.

Such is the climate of American politics right now.

Plusieurs personnes blessées lorsque l'avion de hits du Nord-Ouest bâtiment Austin

2010-02-19T01:42:00.000-08:00

Par American-Statesman personnel | Jeudi, Février 18, 2010, 05:19 PM

A small plane crashed into a Northwest Austin building that houses federal offices about 10 this morning, injuring several people and sparking a fire that sent plumes of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles. Un petit avion s'est écrasé sur un bâtiment Austin Nord-Ouest qui abrite les bureaux du gouvernement fédéral d'environ 10, ce matin, blessant plusieurs personnes et provoquant un incendie qui a envoyé des panaches de fumée dans l'air qui pourrait être vu pour miles.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the crash, at the Echelon 1 building in the 9400 block of Research Boulevard, “appears to be an intentional act, appears to be by a sole individual, and it appears this individual was targeting federal offices inside that building.” Austin chef de la police Art Acevedo a déclaré l'accident, à la 1 bâtiment Echelon dans le bloc de 9400 Research Boulevard, "semble être un acte intentionnel, semble être par un individu isolé, et il semble que cette personne a été ciblant les bureaux fédéraux intérieur de ce bâtiment ».

The plane, a single-engine Piper Cherokee PA-28-236 Dakota , took off from a Georgetown airport at 9:40 am, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said. L'avion, un monomoteur Piper Cherokee PA-28-236 Dakota, a décollé d'un aéroport de Georgetown à 9:40 heures du matin, la porte-parole de la Federal Aviation Administration Laura Brown.

A federal official confirmed for the Statesman that its tail number is registered to a plane owned by Andrew Joseph Stack, a private plane pilot whose nearby home was on fire at roughly the same time . Un fonctionnaire fédéral a confirmé pour l'homme d'État que son numéro de queue est enregistré à un avion appartenant à Andrew Joseph Stack, un pilote d'avion privé dont la maison voisine était en feu à peu près au même moment.

The North Austin home was destroyed, but officials have not confirmed that the two incidents are connected. La maison de North Austin a été détruit, mais les autorités n'ont pas confirmé que les deux incidents sont liés.

It is unclear who was piloting the plane when it crashed into the building, but an FBI agent said all indications are that Stack was piloting the plane. Il est difficile de savoir qui pilotait l'avion quand il s'est écrasé sur le bâtiment, mais un agent du FBI a dit tout indique que la pile pilote de l'avion.

A note posted on a Web site registered to Stack suggested that Stack was disgruntled with the US tax system. Une note publiée sur un site Web enregistré de la pile a suggéré que la pile était mécontent avec le système fiscal américain.

The Georgetown airport had been shut down and evacuated about 12:30 pm, Georgetown police Lt. Todd Turbush said, though he did not have details on why. A dispatcher with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office said emergency officials were investigating Stack's car, which he had left at the airport. L'aéroport de Georgetown avaient été fermés et évacués vers 12h30, Georgetown le lieutenant de police Todd Turbush dit, s'il n'avait pas de détails sur la raison. Un répartiteur avec le bureau du shérif du comté de Williamson a déclaré responsables des urgences enquêtaient voiture Stack, qu'il avait laissé à l'aéroport.

Flights there were to resume about about 5:15 pm, said an official with the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center who did not wish to be named. Vols, il y avait à reprendre les propos À propos 5:15 pm, a déclaré un officiel de l'Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center qui ne souhaitent pas être nommés.

Austin Fire Department Division Chief Dawn Clopton said that the FBI would be taking over the investigation. Austin Fire Department Chef de division Dawn Clopton dit que le FBI serait prise en charge de l'enquête. An FBI agent who declined to identify himself said the agency is investigating the incident as an assault on a federal officer. Un agent du FBI qui a refusé de s'identifier déclaré que l'agence enquête sur l'incident comme une agression sur un agent fédéral.

Officials said 13 people were treated at the scene, mostly with burns and heat-related injuries. Selon les autorités, 13 personnes ont été soignées sur place, la plupart avec des brûlures et des blessures liées à la chaleur. Two were critically injured and transported to area hospitals. Deux ont été grièvement blessés et transportés vers les hôpitaux locaux.

An IRS revenue collection agent who worked on the building's second floor is missing, said Mark Menn, a 59-year-old field revenue agent who worked in the building. Une collection de recettes IRS agent qui a travaillé sur le deuxième étage de l'immeuble est manquant, a déclaré Mark Menn, a 59-agent-champs year recettes anciennes qui ont travaillé dans le bâtiment. Menn declined to give the man's name. Menn a refusé de donner le nom de l'homme.

Matilda Sanchez, spokeswoman for the Seton Family of Hospitals, said an injured man was admitted to University Medical Center Brackenridge in good condition with minor injuries and smoke inhalation. Mathilde Sanchez, porte-parole de la famille Seton des hôpitaux, a déclaré un homme blessé a été admis au Centre médical universitaire Brackenridge en bon état avec des blessures mineures et l'inhalation de fumée. The man was later discharged. L'homme a ensuite été libéré.

Sanchez said a second man was admitted in serious condition with burns, then transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Sanchez a dit un autre homme a été admis dans un état grave avec des brûlures, puis transportés à Brooke Army Medical Center à San Antonio.

A second hospitalized patient was identified by the Texas Comptroller's office one of its employees, 38-year-old Shane Hill. Un deuxième patient hospitalisé a été identifié par un bureau du contrôleur du Texas de ses employés, 38 ans, Shane Hill. The comptroller's office said Hill was at the Echelon building for work, but did not elaborate. Le bureau du contrôleur a déclaré M. Hill était à l'édification d'Echelon pour le travail, mais n'a pas élaboré.

“The thoughts and prayers of Texas Comptroller Susan Combs and her agency are with Shane Hill and his family,” the office said in a written statement. "Les pensées et les prières du Texas contrôleur Susan Combs et son agence sont avec Shane Hill et sa famille, a affirmé le bureau dans une déclaration écrite.

To see more on the condition of the patients, click here . Pour voir plus d'informations sur l'état des patients, cliquez ici.

Authorities have been unable to reach the crash impact site and do not yet know the condition of the pilot, Clopton said. Les autorités ont été incapables d'atteindre le site d'impact de l'accident et ne connaissent pas encore l'état du pilote, Clopton dit.

“That is part of the building that is unstable,” she said. "Cela fait partie de l'immeuble qui est instable, dit-elle. Battalion Chief Palmer Buck said that part of building has collapsed and some steel beams are bowed down. Chef de bataillon Palmer Buck a déclaré qu'une partie du bâtiment s'est effondré et quelques poutres d'acier sont courbés.

The pilot did not file a flight plan or, as far as FAA officials know at this time, have any other contact with the agency. Le pilote n'a pas déposé de plan de vol ou, dans la mesure où les représentants des FAA savons à l'heure actuelle, aucune autre contact avec l'agence.

Federal investigators said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Houston as a precaution, but were returned after initial details showed no terrorist connection to the crash. Les enquêteurs fédéraux a déclaré que deux F-16 avions de chasse ont été brouillés de Houston à titre de précaution, mais ont été retournés après les détails initiales n'ont révélé aucun lien terroristes à l'accident.

“At this time, we have no reason to believe there is a nexus to terrorist activity. "A ce moment, nous n'avons aucune raison de croire qu'il existe un lien avec des activités terroristes. We continue to gather more information, and are aware there is additional information about the pilot's history,” the US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Nous continuons à recueillir plus d'informations, et sont conscients qu'il existe des informations supplémentaires sur l'histoire du pilote, "le ministère américain de la Sécurité intérieure a déclaré dans un communiqué.

The Internal Revenue Service has offices in the Echelon building, including its civil enforcement and criminal investigations divisions, said Special Agent Michael Lemoine, a spokesman for the criminal investigations division. L'Internal Revenue Service a des bureaux dans l'immeuble «Echelon», y compris son exécution civile et pénale des divisions des enquêtes, a déclaré l'agent spécial Michael Lemoine, un porte-parole pour la division des enquêtes criminelles.

He said that some IRS offices are on the first floor, which Lemoine said was hit by the plane. Il a dit que certains bureaux de l'IRS sont au premier étage, qui dit Lemoine a été frappé par l'avion.

William Winnie, an Internal Revenue Service agent, said he was in a training session on the third floor of the building when he saw a light-colored, single-engine plane coming at the building. William Winnie, un agent de l'Internal Revenue Service, a déclaré qu'il était dans une session de formation sur le troisième étage de l'immeuble quand il a vu un de couleur claire, avion mono-moteur à venir devant l'immeuble.

“It looked like it was coming right in my window,” Winnie said. «On aurait dit qu'elle venait juste de ma fenêtre" Winnie dit. He said the plane veered down and to the left and crashed into the floors below. Il a dit que l'avion a viré vers le bas et vers la gauche et s'est écrasé dans les étages ci-dessous. “I didn't lose my footing, but it was enough to knock people who were sitting to the floor.” «Je n'ai pas perdu mon pied, mais ce fut suffisant pour frapper les gens qui étaient assis à même le sol."

To read more witness accounts, click here . Pour lire la suite de témoignages, cliquez ici.

Mischelle Diaz, a spokeswoman for St. Edward's University, said the plane hit next to a building where the university's Professional Education Center provides software training and teaches some graduate students. Mischelle Diaz, porte-parole de l'Université St. Edward's, dit que l'avion a frappé à côté d'un bâtiment où l'université Professional Education Center fournit des logiciels de formation et enseigne à des étudiants des cycles supérieurs. She said the education center has been evacuated and that university officials were trying to confirm that students and instructors all got out safely. Elle a dit que le centre d'éducation a été évacué et que les autorités universitaires ont essayé de confirmer que les étudiants et les instructeurs tous sortis en toute sécurité.

“We're just desperately trying to get some information,” Diaz said. «Nous sommes juste d'essayer désespérément d'obtenir de l'information», a déclaré Diaz.

The American Red Cross of Central Texas will be providing food and water to the firefighters and investigators at the crash site, said spokeswoman Marty McKellips. L'American Red Cross of Central Texas, sera fournissant de la nourriture et l'eau pour les pompiers et les enquêteurs au lieu de l'accident, a déclaré la porte-parole Marty McKellips.

Echelon Building Austin frappé de Petit avion

2010-02-19T01:38:00.000-08:00

The seven-story Echelon Building Austin, TX was struck by a small plane just as the 9/11 terrorist attack on Twin Towers. Les sept étages du bâtiment Echelon Austin, TX a été heurté par un petit avion comme l'attaque du 9 terroristes du 11 septembre sur Twin Towers. The investigations are going on, to establish the cause and source of the crash rigorously. Les enquêtes sont en cours, pour établir la cause et la source de l'accident de façon rigoureuse.

As per the latest news from ground zero, two people were gravely injured with the attack and were taken to hospital immediately, apart from the two there are others still unaccounted for. Selon les dernières nouvelles de Ground Zero, deux personnes ont été gravement blessés à l'attaque et ont été emmenés à l'hôpital immédiatement, à part les deux, il y en a d'autres toujours portés disparus. The plane crashed into Echelon Building Austin Texas was stolen from the airport and was a small four seater plane. L'avion s'est écrasé sur Echelon Building Austin au Texas a été volé à l'aéroport et était un petit avion quatre places.

The plane was flown by Joe Stack who had some personal grudges against IRS services and to take the revenge he took this step. L'avion était piloté par Joe Stack qui avait des griefs personnels contre les services de l'IRS et de prendre les venger, il a pris cette mesure. The pilot Joe Stack is presumed dead and it is known that the he before executing this crash, burned his own house along with little daughter and his wife. Le pilote Joe Stack est présumé mort, et on sait que l'île avant l'exécution de cet accident, brûlé sa maison avec sa petite fille et sa femme.

Investigators are looking into the reason of the Austin plane crash deeply and are making sure that there are no terrorist strings attached to the crash. Les enquêteurs étudient la raison de l'accident d'avion Austin profondément et faisons en sorte qu'il n'existe pas de chaînes terroristes attachés à l'écrasement. Meanwhile complete protection and security alerts has been sent all over and the security agencies are making sure nothing ill happens due to the crash. En attendant une protection complète et alertes de sécurité ont été envoyés de partout et les agences de sécurité assurons que rien ne se passe malades à cause de l'accident. Also there hasn't been any terrorist involvement established in the crash till now. Aussi il n'y a pas eu d'implication terroriste mis en place dans l'accident jusqu'à présent.

Homme qui volait avion dans le Texas immeuble de bureaux ont assisté à Milton Hershey School, a étudié à Harrisburg Area Community College

2010-02-19T01:35:00.000-08:00

Homme qui volait avion dans le Texas immeuble de bureaux ont assisté à Milton Hershey School, a étudié à Harrisburg Area Community College

February 18, 2010, 4:14PM 18 février 2010, 4:14 PM

AP Photo/Jack Plunkett Smoke billows from a seven-story building after a small private plane crashed into the building in Austin, Texas. AP Photo / Jack Plunkett flots de fumée à partir d'un bâtiment de sept étages après un petit avion privé s'est écrasé dans le bâtiment à Austin, au Texas.

This post was updated from a previous version. Ce poste a été mis à jour depuis une version précédente.

The man believed to have flown a small plane into an Austin, Texas office building this morning graduated from Milton Hershey School in 1974 and studied engineering at Harrisburg Area Community College in the mid-1970s, a college spokeswoman has confirmed. L'homme soupçonné d'avoir volé un petit avion dans une Austin, Texas immeuble de bureaux, ce matin, est diplômé de Milton Hershey School en 1974 et a étudié l'ingénierie à Harrisburg Area Community College, au milieu des années 1970, un porte-parole du collège a confirmé.

Provided photo, Milton Hershey Class of 1974 Joseph Andrew Stack Pourvu photo, Milton Hershey, classe de 1974, Joseph Andrew Stack

Joseph Andrew Stack, the man authorities say set fire to his home, then flew the single-engine Cirrus aircraft into the Echelon building, killing himself and injuring two others. Joseph Andrew Stack, les autorités homme dire mis le feu à sa maison, s'est ensuite dirigé vers un seul moteur de l'avion Cirrus dans le bâtiment «Echelon», se tuant et blessant deux autres. A lengthy suicide note/manifesto found on the Internet that was apparently posted by Stack rants about his perceived injustice at the hands of the IRS. Une note de suicide longues / manifeste trouvé sur l'Internet qui a apparemment été mis en ligne par rants Stack sur son sentiment d'injustice face aux mains de l'IRS.

In the missive, Stack wrote: "The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania." Dans la missive, Stack a écrit: "L'importance de l'indépendance, cependant, est venu beaucoup plus tard au cours de mes premières années de collège; à l'âge de 18 ou 19 ans lorsque je vivais dans mon propre comme étudiant dans un appartement à Harrisburg, en Pennsylvanie."

Stack went on to write about how he claimed incompetent management, unions and the government colluded to rob an elderly neighbor of her husband's pension and retirement benefits from a local steel mill. Stack a continué à écrire sur la façon dont il a réclamé une gestion incompétente, les syndicats et le gouvernement a agi de connivence pour voler une vieille voisine de la pension de son mari et de la retraite bénéficie d'une aciérie locale.

An engineering major, Stack earned 60 credits at HACC between 1975 and 1977. Une ingénierie d'envergure, Stack a obtenu 60 crédits à HACC entre 1975 et 1977. He did not earn an associates degree at the school. Il ne gagne pas un degré associés à l'école. Records do not show if he transferred those credits to a four-year-school, the HACC spokeswoman said. Dossiers ne montrent pas si il a transféré ces crédits à un quatre-année scolaire, le porte-parole de HACC dit.

Little else about Stack, including any local address where he lived in school here, is readily available in HACC's records because of a change in the school's computerized filing system in the late 90s, when HACC stopped using social security numbers as student ID numbers, the spokeswoman said. Peu d'autres choses à propos de la pile, y compris toute adresse locale où il a vécu à l'école ici, est disponible dans les dossiers HACC à cause d'un changement de système d'archivage informatisé de l'école à la fin des années 90, lorsque HACC cessé d'utiliser les numéros de sécurité sociale comme étudiant en nombre, les porte-parole.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. L'Associated Press a contribué à ce rapport.