http://www.eforum.web.tr/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:10:11 +0200 MyBB http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-ex-mistress-puts-oracle-executive-on-the-spot Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:18:42 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-ex-mistress-puts-oracle-executive-on-the-spot
U.S.

Huge billboards depicting the married software executive with YaVaughnie Wilkins, his former mistress, appeared this week in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco, setting tabloid tongues wagging.

The billboards with the words "You are my soulmate forever!" appeared to be an attempt by Wilkins to embarrass Phillips after their relationship ended and he returned to his wife.

"I had an 8 1/2-year serious relationship with YaVaughnie Wilkins. My divorce proceedings began in 2008. The relationship with Ms. Wilkins has since ended and we both wish each other well," Phillips, 50, said in a statement released through a spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman would not elaborate on the status of Phillips' marriage.

The billboards also featured the address of a web site, http://www.charlesphillipsandyavaughniewilkins.com, that contains more than 1,200 photos of Wilkins and Phillips together from 2001 to 2009, some 65 karaoke tracks and about 35 articles written by Wilkins, according to its designer, Bela Kovacs of San Jose, California.

"She (Wilkins) told me it was a gift to Charles," Kovacs said. He said the site was put up online in late October, where it gathered little attention until the billboards appeared.

The billboard in New York was dismantled on Friday.

Wilkins could not be reached by telephone or email for comment. A spokeswoman for ClearChannel, which operates the billboards, said the company had no comment.

Phillips, who is also a member of Oracle's board of directors, joined the software company in 2003. Prior to that, he worked for Morgan Stanley investment bank.

In February 2009, Phillips was appointed to the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board to help provide the Obama administration with economic advice.]]>
U.S.

Huge billboards depicting the married software executive with YaVaughnie Wilkins, his former mistress, appeared this week in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco, setting tabloid tongues wagging.

The billboards with the words "You are my soulmate forever!" appeared to be an attempt by Wilkins to embarrass Phillips after their relationship ended and he returned to his wife.

"I had an 8 1/2-year serious relationship with YaVaughnie Wilkins. My divorce proceedings began in 2008. The relationship with Ms. Wilkins has since ended and we both wish each other well," Phillips, 50, said in a statement released through a spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman would not elaborate on the status of Phillips' marriage.

The billboards also featured the address of a web site, http://www.charlesphillipsandyavaughniewilkins.com, that contains more than 1,200 photos of Wilkins and Phillips together from 2001 to 2009, some 65 karaoke tracks and about 35 articles written by Wilkins, according to its designer, Bela Kovacs of San Jose, California.

"She (Wilkins) told me it was a gift to Charles," Kovacs said. He said the site was put up online in late October, where it gathered little attention until the billboards appeared.

The billboard in New York was dismantled on Friday.

Wilkins could not be reached by telephone or email for comment. A spokeswoman for ClearChannel, which operates the billboards, said the company had no comment.

Phillips, who is also a member of Oracle's board of directors, joined the software company in 2003. Prior to that, he worked for Morgan Stanley investment bank.

In February 2009, Phillips was appointed to the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board to help provide the Obama administration with economic advice.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-obama-confident-senate-to-confirm-bernanke Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:18:22 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-obama-confident-senate-to-confirm-bernanke
Barack Obama

White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force One that Obama had confidence in Bernanke and his actions to help turn the economy around.

"(Obama) has a great deal of confidence in what Chairman Bernanke did to bring our economy back from the brink and continues to think that he is the best person for the job and will be confirmed by the United States Senate," Burton said.

Bernanke's current four-year term as the head of the U.S. central bank concludes at the end of January.]]>
Barack Obama

White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force One that Obama had confidence in Bernanke and his actions to help turn the economy around.

"(Obama) has a great deal of confidence in what Chairman Bernanke did to bring our economy back from the brink and continues to think that he is the best person for the job and will be confirmed by the United States Senate," Burton said.

Bernanke's current four-year term as the head of the U.S. central bank concludes at the end of January.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-galleon-s-rajaratnam-opposes-sec-bid-to-add-claims Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:18:02 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-galleon-s-rajaratnam-opposes-sec-bid-to-add-claims
The SEC asked U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff on Wednesday to let it amend for a second time its civil complaint against Rajaratnam and others, in what investigators have described as the largest hedge fund insider trading case ever.

In the Wednesday filing, the SEC alleged Rajaratnam paid former McKinsey & Co official Anil Kumar for insider tips and used them to generate almost $20 million of illegal profits for Galleon.

The SEC sought the amendment after Kumar pleaded guilty on January 7 to fraud and conspiracy, saying Rajaratnam paid him $1.75 million in exchange for tips on McKinsey clients.

In a response on Friday, lawyers for Rajaratnam said allowing an amended complaint would "seriously prejudice" their client and said the SEC should have raised its claims sooner.

They also said Rajaratnam is on track to be deposed in early March and that a new complaint would delay the case, first announced by the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice last October 16. The SEC case is scheduled for trial on August 2.

John Dowd, Rajaratnam's lead lawyer, wrote that the latest request "is a product of the SEC's rush to file this case at the same time as the United States Attorney's Office filed its criminal complaint so that they could hold a joint press conference trumpeting their purported achievements."

SEC representatives were not immediately available after business hours for comment.

Rajaratnam, widely described as a billionaire, was indicted last month for insider trading that prosecutors have said may have led to $41 million or more of illegal profits. He pleaded not guilty.

The SEC has said a hearing on its request is scheduled for the afternoon of January 25 before Rakoff.]]>
The SEC asked U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff on Wednesday to let it amend for a second time its civil complaint against Rajaratnam and others, in what investigators have described as the largest hedge fund insider trading case ever.

In the Wednesday filing, the SEC alleged Rajaratnam paid former McKinsey & Co official Anil Kumar for insider tips and used them to generate almost $20 million of illegal profits for Galleon.

The SEC sought the amendment after Kumar pleaded guilty on January 7 to fraud and conspiracy, saying Rajaratnam paid him $1.75 million in exchange for tips on McKinsey clients.

In a response on Friday, lawyers for Rajaratnam said allowing an amended complaint would "seriously prejudice" their client and said the SEC should have raised its claims sooner.

They also said Rajaratnam is on track to be deposed in early March and that a new complaint would delay the case, first announced by the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice last October 16. The SEC case is scheduled for trial on August 2.

John Dowd, Rajaratnam's lead lawyer, wrote that the latest request "is a product of the SEC's rush to file this case at the same time as the United States Attorney's Office filed its criminal complaint so that they could hold a joint press conference trumpeting their purported achievements."

SEC representatives were not immediately available after business hours for comment.

Rajaratnam, widely described as a billionaire, was indicted last month for insider trading that prosecutors have said may have led to $41 million or more of illegal profits. He pleaded not guilty.

The SEC has said a hearing on its request is scheduled for the afternoon of January 25 before Rakoff.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-obama-s-bank-plan-could-level-high-frequency-field Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:17:43 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-obama-s-bank-plan-could-level-high-frequency-field
The plan, unveiled Thursday, would fragment the so-called high-frequency trading that provides much of the buying and selling in U.S. markets. But that liquidity would likely remain at healthy levels, say traders, analysts, and investors.

Besides the independent trading shops -- some of which have come to dominate equities and futures volumes in recent years -- hedge funds and private equity could also benefit if Obama successfully bars Wall Street banks from proprietary trading operations, unrelated to serving customers, for their own profit.

"It shifts the profits from the banks to the prop trading independent firms, but I don't think it has a tremendous impact on liquidity," said Larry Tabb, chief executive of research and consultancy firm TABB Group. "In equity markets, if one player goes away there are twelve others to step up to the plate."

Independent high-frequency trading firms emerged in force in recent years to take on banks in the world of proprietary trading, where bets on capital markets are made with the firms' own money, rather than executing trades on behalf of clients.

Independent proprietary firms, including heavyweights Getco and Tradebot, represent about 46 percent of all high-frequency trading in U.S. equities, compared to 30 percent by broker-dealers, according to a December report by Boston consultancy Aite Group.

The 15 largest independent firms alone account for 31 percent of overall high-frequency trading.

In the months before and throughout the financial crisis, a flurry of independents launched to take advantage of the volatile markets, a lucrative rush that died down in the second half of 2009. The firms use rapid-fire trading programs to make markets and take advantage of tiny buy and sell imbalances.

Obama's proposal would likely force banks to sell or spin off their high-frequency proprietary operations into stand-alone entities.

That could spur traders to launch their own shops and help to level the playing field for today's independents.

"It will definitely help the independent shops. It will create a more level playing field for everyone," said Louis Liu, founder and managing partner at Lotus Capital Management LP, a New York-based quantitative trading firm that uses high-frequency strategies.

"Players will no longer have cheaper capital to make risky moves, some of which may not be warranted," said Liu, adding independent proprietary traders are more likely than those backed by banks to make less risky bets in the market.

COULD RESHAPE ELECTRONIC TRADING

Obama's plan is intended to limit the risk posed by massive financial institutions, but faces an uncertain political fate and would take years to come into effect.

It also raises questions over how to differentiate proprietary trading from exchange-based market making at the targeted banks, which include Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Still, it has the potential to reshape electronic trading in the United States -- where regulators last week launched a probe of equities markets to determine whether high-frequency traders, which account for more than half of all volumes, have undue advantages.

"If the plan goes through, I think you'll actually see more shops being opened up," said a partner at an independent high-frequency trading shop who requested anonymity.

"I don't think the competition at banks will go away, but the talent in (the banks) will go into different places, or start their own firms," he said.

James Ellman, president at San Francisco-based hedge fund Seacliff Capital, said it was unlikely a profitable bank proprietary desk will simply shut down under Obama's plan.

"Either someone will want to buy that unit, or just as likely the guys that run that unit -- who know they've got a machine they just turn on every day and money spits out of it -- are going to want to (buy out) the thing," he said.]]>
The plan, unveiled Thursday, would fragment the so-called high-frequency trading that provides much of the buying and selling in U.S. markets. But that liquidity would likely remain at healthy levels, say traders, analysts, and investors.

Besides the independent trading shops -- some of which have come to dominate equities and futures volumes in recent years -- hedge funds and private equity could also benefit if Obama successfully bars Wall Street banks from proprietary trading operations, unrelated to serving customers, for their own profit.

"It shifts the profits from the banks to the prop trading independent firms, but I don't think it has a tremendous impact on liquidity," said Larry Tabb, chief executive of research and consultancy firm TABB Group. "In equity markets, if one player goes away there are twelve others to step up to the plate."

Independent high-frequency trading firms emerged in force in recent years to take on banks in the world of proprietary trading, where bets on capital markets are made with the firms' own money, rather than executing trades on behalf of clients.

Independent proprietary firms, including heavyweights Getco and Tradebot, represent about 46 percent of all high-frequency trading in U.S. equities, compared to 30 percent by broker-dealers, according to a December report by Boston consultancy Aite Group.

The 15 largest independent firms alone account for 31 percent of overall high-frequency trading.

In the months before and throughout the financial crisis, a flurry of independents launched to take advantage of the volatile markets, a lucrative rush that died down in the second half of 2009. The firms use rapid-fire trading programs to make markets and take advantage of tiny buy and sell imbalances.

Obama's proposal would likely force banks to sell or spin off their high-frequency proprietary operations into stand-alone entities.

That could spur traders to launch their own shops and help to level the playing field for today's independents.

"It will definitely help the independent shops. It will create a more level playing field for everyone," said Louis Liu, founder and managing partner at Lotus Capital Management LP, a New York-based quantitative trading firm that uses high-frequency strategies.

"Players will no longer have cheaper capital to make risky moves, some of which may not be warranted," said Liu, adding independent proprietary traders are more likely than those backed by banks to make less risky bets in the market.

COULD RESHAPE ELECTRONIC TRADING

Obama's plan is intended to limit the risk posed by massive financial institutions, but faces an uncertain political fate and would take years to come into effect.

It also raises questions over how to differentiate proprietary trading from exchange-based market making at the targeted banks, which include Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Still, it has the potential to reshape electronic trading in the United States -- where regulators last week launched a probe of equities markets to determine whether high-frequency traders, which account for more than half of all volumes, have undue advantages.

"If the plan goes through, I think you'll actually see more shops being opened up," said a partner at an independent high-frequency trading shop who requested anonymity.

"I don't think the competition at banks will go away, but the talent in (the banks) will go into different places, or start their own firms," he said.

James Ellman, president at San Francisco-based hedge fund Seacliff Capital, said it was unlikely a profitable bank proprietary desk will simply shut down under Obama's plan.

"Either someone will want to buy that unit, or just as likely the guys that run that unit -- who know they've got a machine they just turn on every day and money spits out of it -- are going to want to (buy out) the thing," he said.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-morgan-stanley-ceo-could-get-8-1-million-stock-bonus Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:17:11 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-morgan-stanley-ceo-could-get-8-1-million-stock-bonus
Morgan Stanley said it paid a total of $14.4 billion in compensation to all of its employees for 2009, despite reporting a loss on Wednesday. Wall Street has been criticized for returning to outsized bonuses so soon after U.S. taxpayers had to rescue the banking industry.

John Mack, who stepped down as CEO on January 1, received no year-end bonus for 2009. He retained his title of chairman.

Morgan Stanley is following an industry trend of paying bonuses in equity that must be held for a number of years. Regulators have been pushing Wall Street to come up with compensation plans that tie pay to long-term performance to reduce excessive risk.

Gorman's bonus is broken into three parts.

His base stock bonus is deferred shares valued at $5.4 million. He will receive additional shares valued $2.7 million if the bank meets certain performance targets. A third part of the bonus, which has not yet been announced, will be tied to a clawback provision.

The stock is valued at $27.80, Morgan Stanley's closing price on Friday.

Gorman received no cash bonus, while members of Morgan Stanley's operating committee received about 75 percent of their year-end pay in shares that must be held, according to the filing. Gorman also received no bonus for 2008.

Other Morgan Stanley executives are also expected to receive substantial stock bonuses for 2009. The bonuses have the same breakdown as Gorman's bonus, but could include an additional cash component.

Walid Chammah, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, could receive a stock bonus of $6.26 million and Ruth Porat, who was recently named chief financial officer, could receive $5.26 million, the filing said.

Colm Kelleher, co-president of Morgan Stanley Institutional Securities and former chief financial officer, could receive $5.12 million.]]>
Morgan Stanley said it paid a total of $14.4 billion in compensation to all of its employees for 2009, despite reporting a loss on Wednesday. Wall Street has been criticized for returning to outsized bonuses so soon after U.S. taxpayers had to rescue the banking industry.

John Mack, who stepped down as CEO on January 1, received no year-end bonus for 2009. He retained his title of chairman.

Morgan Stanley is following an industry trend of paying bonuses in equity that must be held for a number of years. Regulators have been pushing Wall Street to come up with compensation plans that tie pay to long-term performance to reduce excessive risk.

Gorman's bonus is broken into three parts.

His base stock bonus is deferred shares valued at $5.4 million. He will receive additional shares valued $2.7 million if the bank meets certain performance targets. A third part of the bonus, which has not yet been announced, will be tied to a clawback provision.

The stock is valued at $27.80, Morgan Stanley's closing price on Friday.

Gorman received no cash bonus, while members of Morgan Stanley's operating committee received about 75 percent of their year-end pay in shares that must be held, according to the filing. Gorman also received no bonus for 2008.

Other Morgan Stanley executives are also expected to receive substantial stock bonuses for 2009. The bonuses have the same breakdown as Gorman's bonus, but could include an additional cash component.

Walid Chammah, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, could receive a stock bonus of $6.26 million and Ruth Porat, who was recently named chief financial officer, could receive $5.26 million, the filing said.

Colm Kelleher, co-president of Morgan Stanley Institutional Securities and former chief financial officer, could receive $5.12 million.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-factbox-security-developments-in-pakistan Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:16:50 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-factbox-security-developments-in-pakistan ""

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Factbox: Security developments in Pakistan
Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:48am EST
Factbox

* Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud
Thu, Jan 14 2010

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Fri, Jan 22 2010
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* Pakistan says U.S. drone attacks could hurt ties
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(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Pakistan at 1000 GMT on Saturday.

World

KOHAT - Pakistani paramilitary soldiers killed 10 militants

in clashes after insurgents fired rocket propelled-grenades at a checkpoint in the Orakzai ethnic Pashtun tribal region in the northwest, government officials said. Two of the soldiers were killed.

KURRAM - Paramilitary troops backed by artillery struck militant positions in the Kurram region on the Afghan border, killing 12 and capturing 25, the area's commander, Colonel Tauseef Akhtar, told reporters.

MOHMAND - Two women were wounded when a mortar bomb fired by Pakistani troops at a militant hideout fell on a house in Mohmand, another Pashtun region on the Afghan border, witnesses and government officials said.

(Compiled by Islamabad bureau; Editing by Robert Birsel and Paul Tait)]]> ""

* Most Popular
* Most Shared

1. Conan O'Brien thanks fans in "Tonight" farewell | Video
1:14am EST
2. UPDATE 1-O'Brien thanks fans, NBC, in 'Tonight' farewell
1:06am EST
3. China says it needs no Internet lessons from U.S.
1:34am EST
4. O'Brien's NBC departure leaves bits behind
17 Jan 2010
5. Human "bed-warmers" at Holiday Inn
21 Jan 2010

1. Human "bed-warmers" at Holiday Inn
21 Jan 2010
2. Investors brace for earnings, Bernanke vote
22 Jan 2010
3. Five banks plan private stock platform
14 Aug 2007
4. Human "bed-warmers" at Holiday Inn
22 Jan 2010
5. U.S. recalls 4 million Aqua Dots toys due to chemical
07 Nov 2007

Factbox: Security developments in Pakistan
Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:48am EST
Factbox

* Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud
Thu, Jan 14 2010

Related News

* Q+A: Pakistan, the United States and militant factions
Fri, Jan 22 2010
* U.S. urges Pakistan to move against Afghan Taliban
Thu, Jan 21 2010
* Suspected U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, 6 killed
Tue, Jan 19 2010
* Pakistan says U.S. drone attacks could hurt ties
Wed, Jan 13 2010

(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Pakistan at 1000 GMT on Saturday.

World

KOHAT - Pakistani paramilitary soldiers killed 10 militants

in clashes after insurgents fired rocket propelled-grenades at a checkpoint in the Orakzai ethnic Pashtun tribal region in the northwest, government officials said. Two of the soldiers were killed.

KURRAM - Paramilitary troops backed by artillery struck militant positions in the Kurram region on the Afghan border, killing 12 and capturing 25, the area's commander, Colonel Tauseef Akhtar, told reporters.

MOHMAND - Two women were wounded when a mortar bomb fired by Pakistani troops at a militant hideout fell on a house in Mohmand, another Pashtun region on the Afghan border, witnesses and government officials said.

(Compiled by Islamabad bureau; Editing by Robert Birsel and Paul Tait)]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-haitians-to-mourn-catholic-leader-killed-in-quake Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:16:33 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-haitians-to-mourn-catholic-leader-killed-in-quake
World | Natural Disasters

A large crowd is expected for the funeral of Catholic Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince, who died in the January 12 quake that destroyed the city. It will be held outside the ruins of the Notre Dame cathedral in this largely Catholic country.

"As an archbishop, he has the privilege of being laid to rest in the cathedral, but since the cathedral was destroyed, he will only be able to be transferred there once a new one is built, and we don't know when that will happen," Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the pope's ambassador to Haiti, told the Catholic News Agency.

Amid the grief, there are indications the poor Caribbean country is coming back to life. Banks were scheduled to reopen on Saturday and money transfer agencies did brisk business after opening on Friday.

"I want to get some cash sent by my family from Canada. It's $500 but it's difficult. There are so many people," said businessman Aslyn Denis, 31, waiting in a line with hundreds of people, some of them jostling each other, outside a Unitransfer office.

A large supermarket, Big Star Market, reopened in the Petionville suburb on Friday, selling everything from slabs of ham and goat meat to Valentine's Day chocolates. But the store manager said they had only a week or two of stocks left and had received no deliveries.

Although aid from around the world has been pouring into the wrecked city in a huge U.S.-led relief operation, quake survivors camped out in the rubble-strewn streets still complained bitterly that they were not receiving food.

"We are hungry, we are thirsty, we can't stand it anymore. We want food, we want water. Down with Preval. Long live Obama," shouted a group of protesters outside the police station where President Rene Preval's government is operating.

Police pushed back the few dozen protesters.

Preval, whose own presidential palace and home collapsed in the quake that killed up to 200,000 people, said his government and international partners were doing everything possible to get assistance to the hundreds of thousands of needy survivors.

"We are not sitting idle doing nothing. I know the scale of the problem and how people are suffering," he said.

President Barack Obama has sent in a large military task force to spearhead the international relief efforts.

TELETHON

Dozens of celebrities raised money in the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon which appeared on major U.S. networks and cable channels on Friday night. The benefit was organized by actor George Clooney and included performances by Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, U2 frontman Bono and Madonna.

With time running out on finding trapped survivors, rescuers on Friday pulled two people barely alive from collapsed buildings in Port-au-Prince.

An 84-year-old woman was rescued from under a wrecked building and evacuated by boat by the U.S. Army, the doctor who treated her said.

"They pulled her out early this morning. She was barely responding, she had wounds all over her body, and maggots," said Dr Vladimir Larouche, a Haitian-American doctor from New York, working at Port-au-Prince General Hospital.

Elsewhere in the shattered capital, an Israeli rescue team freed a 22-year-old man from the rubble.

Up to 1.5 million Haitians lost their homes in the earthquake.

Relief agencies estimated one-third of Haiti's 9 million people would need emergency food, water and shelter for an extended period.

"We can do this 24 hours a day for the next six months and we still won't meet the need," said First Sergeant Rob Farnsworth, part of a U.S. Army airborne unit handing out food packs at a squalid camp where survivors lived in the open air.

U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE

Edmond Mulet, acting head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti, said coordination in delivering aid was getting better every day. But Henriette Chamouillet, the World Health Organization representative in Haiti, said it remained a problem.

She said the Haitian prime minister complained at a meeting with aid workers that only 10 percent of the population in makeshift camps had received any food aid while some camps had received three times the amount of food they needed.

Nearly 1,000 hungry people swarmed a U.S. military truck as an 82nd Airborne company known as "the Beast" handed out food and water at an encampment on a soccer field. Overwhelmed, the troops pulled out after distributing 600 packaged meals, leaving 250 food packs still on the truck.

U.S. Navy helicopters ferried in boxes of water to distribute to Haitians lined up at a sprawling survivors' camp that covered a golf course. Actor Sean Penn stopped by to deliver antibiotics, painkillers and water filters. "The whole city has collapsed," he said.

U.S. troops were giving away 50,000 solar- and crank-powered radios to help displaced Haitians receive announcements telling them where aid was available.

More than 13,000 U.S. military personnel are in Haiti and on ships offshore, flying in supplies, evacuating the seriously wounded and protecting aid distribution points. The United Nations is adding 2,000 troops and 1,500 police to its 9,000-member peacekeeping mission.

More than $1.2 billion has been pledged to help rebuild roads, government buildings and homes, but the World Bank said much more would be needed to get Haiti on its feet.

"My anticipation is that $1.2 billion is just the floor," the bank's director for the Caribbean, Yvonne Tsikata, told France 24 television.

The Inter-American Development Bank said it was considering granting debt relief for the $441 million Haiti owes the bank.

The International Monetary Fund urged donors gathering in Montreal on Sunday to adopt a Marshall Plan for Haiti, similar to the U.S. effort that helped rebuild Europe after World War Two.

(Additional reporting by Catherine Bremer, Adam Entous, Joseph Guyler Delva and Natuza Nery in Port-au-Prince and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; writing by Eric Beech; editing by Mohammad Zargham)]]>
World | Natural Disasters

A large crowd is expected for the funeral of Catholic Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince, who died in the January 12 quake that destroyed the city. It will be held outside the ruins of the Notre Dame cathedral in this largely Catholic country.

"As an archbishop, he has the privilege of being laid to rest in the cathedral, but since the cathedral was destroyed, he will only be able to be transferred there once a new one is built, and we don't know when that will happen," Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the pope's ambassador to Haiti, told the Catholic News Agency.

Amid the grief, there are indications the poor Caribbean country is coming back to life. Banks were scheduled to reopen on Saturday and money transfer agencies did brisk business after opening on Friday.

"I want to get some cash sent by my family from Canada. It's $500 but it's difficult. There are so many people," said businessman Aslyn Denis, 31, waiting in a line with hundreds of people, some of them jostling each other, outside a Unitransfer office.

A large supermarket, Big Star Market, reopened in the Petionville suburb on Friday, selling everything from slabs of ham and goat meat to Valentine's Day chocolates. But the store manager said they had only a week or two of stocks left and had received no deliveries.

Although aid from around the world has been pouring into the wrecked city in a huge U.S.-led relief operation, quake survivors camped out in the rubble-strewn streets still complained bitterly that they were not receiving food.

"We are hungry, we are thirsty, we can't stand it anymore. We want food, we want water. Down with Preval. Long live Obama," shouted a group of protesters outside the police station where President Rene Preval's government is operating.

Police pushed back the few dozen protesters.

Preval, whose own presidential palace and home collapsed in the quake that killed up to 200,000 people, said his government and international partners were doing everything possible to get assistance to the hundreds of thousands of needy survivors.

"We are not sitting idle doing nothing. I know the scale of the problem and how people are suffering," he said.

President Barack Obama has sent in a large military task force to spearhead the international relief efforts.

TELETHON

Dozens of celebrities raised money in the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon which appeared on major U.S. networks and cable channels on Friday night. The benefit was organized by actor George Clooney and included performances by Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, U2 frontman Bono and Madonna.

With time running out on finding trapped survivors, rescuers on Friday pulled two people barely alive from collapsed buildings in Port-au-Prince.

An 84-year-old woman was rescued from under a wrecked building and evacuated by boat by the U.S. Army, the doctor who treated her said.

"They pulled her out early this morning. She was barely responding, she had wounds all over her body, and maggots," said Dr Vladimir Larouche, a Haitian-American doctor from New York, working at Port-au-Prince General Hospital.

Elsewhere in the shattered capital, an Israeli rescue team freed a 22-year-old man from the rubble.

Up to 1.5 million Haitians lost their homes in the earthquake.

Relief agencies estimated one-third of Haiti's 9 million people would need emergency food, water and shelter for an extended period.

"We can do this 24 hours a day for the next six months and we still won't meet the need," said First Sergeant Rob Farnsworth, part of a U.S. Army airborne unit handing out food packs at a squalid camp where survivors lived in the open air.

U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE

Edmond Mulet, acting head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti, said coordination in delivering aid was getting better every day. But Henriette Chamouillet, the World Health Organization representative in Haiti, said it remained a problem.

She said the Haitian prime minister complained at a meeting with aid workers that only 10 percent of the population in makeshift camps had received any food aid while some camps had received three times the amount of food they needed.

Nearly 1,000 hungry people swarmed a U.S. military truck as an 82nd Airborne company known as "the Beast" handed out food and water at an encampment on a soccer field. Overwhelmed, the troops pulled out after distributing 600 packaged meals, leaving 250 food packs still on the truck.

U.S. Navy helicopters ferried in boxes of water to distribute to Haitians lined up at a sprawling survivors' camp that covered a golf course. Actor Sean Penn stopped by to deliver antibiotics, painkillers and water filters. "The whole city has collapsed," he said.

U.S. troops were giving away 50,000 solar- and crank-powered radios to help displaced Haitians receive announcements telling them where aid was available.

More than 13,000 U.S. military personnel are in Haiti and on ships offshore, flying in supplies, evacuating the seriously wounded and protecting aid distribution points. The United Nations is adding 2,000 troops and 1,500 police to its 9,000-member peacekeeping mission.

More than $1.2 billion has been pledged to help rebuild roads, government buildings and homes, but the World Bank said much more would be needed to get Haiti on its feet.

"My anticipation is that $1.2 billion is just the floor," the bank's director for the Caribbean, Yvonne Tsikata, told France 24 television.

The Inter-American Development Bank said it was considering granting debt relief for the $441 million Haiti owes the bank.

The International Monetary Fund urged donors gathering in Montreal on Sunday to adopt a Marshall Plan for Haiti, similar to the U.S. effort that helped rebuild Europe after World War Two.

(Additional reporting by Catherine Bremer, Adam Entous, Joseph Guyler Delva and Natuza Nery in Port-au-Prince and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; writing by Eric Beech; editing by Mohammad Zargham)]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-burger-king-bar-debuts-in-miami Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:16:09 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-burger-king-bar-debuts-in-miami
To keep up with Miami's night life, Burger King (BKC)'s new Whopper bar will offer American beer and Whopper sandwiches around the clock, staying open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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It will be the chain's first U.S. location to sell beer, and the restaurant will offer a delivery service for local customers, a walk-up window for orders on the go and an outdoor dining area.

"Not only is South Beach in our backyard, but the warm weather, famous nightlife and colorful personality of the destination make it a great fit for a Whopper Bar restaurant," Chuck Fallon, Burger King's North America president, said in a company statement.

Burger King's bar will offer variations on its traditional Whopper sandwich, including an exclusive addition: the Black & Bleu Steakhouse XT. Customers will be able to choose from 20 sauces, displayed in a "visible toppings theater."

And when South Beach locals pick up a 4 a.m. burger, they will also have their choice of Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors beer, including Budweiser, Miller Lite and Budlight Lime at a cost of $4.25.

"That adds a new element to the Burger King brand," said Tom Forte, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group. "It also creates a different mystique for going to a Whopper Bar versus a traditional restaurant."

The Whopper Bar concept was introduced in March 2008, and the first bar opened a year later at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. Burger King has also opened bars in Munich, Singapore and Venezuela.

Las Vegas, New York City and Los Angeles could be some of Burger King's next Whopper Bar targets, the company said.

Forte said he won't be surprised if beer pops up on the menus of other fast food restaurants as well.

"In the restaurant industry, if it works for one, others will try," said Forte. "Other operators are watching from the sidelines to see how effective this is for Burger King and then may consider it."

"Edgier" restaurants with the same core demographics as Burger King -- such as Carl's Junior and Jack and the Box -- may be next to jump on the bandwagon, he said. To top of page]]>
To keep up with Miami's night life, Burger King (BKC)'s new Whopper bar will offer American beer and Whopper sandwiches around the clock, staying open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

* Facebook
* Digg
* Twitter
* Buzz Up!
* Email
* Print
* Comment on this story


It will be the chain's first U.S. location to sell beer, and the restaurant will offer a delivery service for local customers, a walk-up window for orders on the go and an outdoor dining area.

"Not only is South Beach in our backyard, but the warm weather, famous nightlife and colorful personality of the destination make it a great fit for a Whopper Bar restaurant," Chuck Fallon, Burger King's North America president, said in a company statement.

Burger King's bar will offer variations on its traditional Whopper sandwich, including an exclusive addition: the Black & Bleu Steakhouse XT. Customers will be able to choose from 20 sauces, displayed in a "visible toppings theater."

And when South Beach locals pick up a 4 a.m. burger, they will also have their choice of Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors beer, including Budweiser, Miller Lite and Budlight Lime at a cost of $4.25.

"That adds a new element to the Burger King brand," said Tom Forte, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group. "It also creates a different mystique for going to a Whopper Bar versus a traditional restaurant."

The Whopper Bar concept was introduced in March 2008, and the first bar opened a year later at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. Burger King has also opened bars in Munich, Singapore and Venezuela.

Las Vegas, New York City and Los Angeles could be some of Burger King's next Whopper Bar targets, the company said.

Forte said he won't be surprised if beer pops up on the menus of other fast food restaurants as well.

"In the restaurant industry, if it works for one, others will try," said Forte. "Other operators are watching from the sidelines to see how effective this is for Burger King and then may consider it."

"Edgier" restaurants with the same core demographics as Burger King -- such as Carl's Junior and Jack and the Box -- may be next to jump on the bandwagon, he said. To top of page]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-judge-says-polanski-must-return-for-sentencing Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:15:48 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-judge-says-polanski-must-return-for-sentencing STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Director pleaded guilty to sex with teen in 1977 but left country before sentencing
* He was arrested in September on U.S. fugitive warrant
* Judge says he must return to U.S. before court decides whether he will go to prison

RELATED TOPICS

* Roman Polanski
* Sexual Offenses
* California

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Director Roman Polanski must return to the United States before the court will decide if he must go to prison for a 1977 sex conviction, a Los Angeles judge ruled Friday.

Polanski's lawyer argued that evidence of misconduct by the judge and prosecutor in the case 32 years ago should be considered now, without requiring Polanski to be present.

The famed director of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Pianist" pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 but fled to Europe before he was sentenced. He has been the subject of an international extradition battle since he was arrested in Switzerland in September on a U.S. fugitive warrant.

At a hearing Friday afternoon, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza also rejected a request from Polanski's victim -- Samantha Geimer, now in her 40s and a married mother of three -- to have the case dismissed.

Geimer came forward long ago, saying she was disturbed by how the criminal case has been handled.

"There is no requirement that my client surrender," Larry Silver, Geimer's lawyer, said. "Her suffering must come to an end."

Silver argued that "Marsey's law," an initiative passed by California voters in 2008 giving crime victims certain rights, had been violated by the prosecution. Silver said Geimer was not consulted about the decision to extradite Polanski. Espinoza said the law was "never intended in this fashion."

Polanski was 43 at the time of the conviction. Prosecutors dropped rape and other charges in exchange for the guilty plea.

Polanski's attorney Chad Hummel argued that his client had already been sentenced in 1977 when the judge sent him to California's Chino prison for 45 days to be evaluated by psychologists.

But Polanski fled the country before sentencing after learning the judge might not go along with the short jail term Polanski expected to get in exchange for his plea. He has been a fugitive since 1978 and lived in France before his arrest.

"Mr. Polanski did not flee from justice," Hummel said. "He left because a corrupt judge was going to sentence him a second time."

In the past, Espinoza acknowledged problems with the way Polanski's case was handled, mentioning a documentary film that portrays backroom deals between prosecutors and a media-obsessed judge who was worried his public image would suffer if he didn't send Polanski to prison.

"It's hard to contest some of the behavior in the documentary was misconduct," Espinoza said at an earlier hearing.

On Friday, Espinoza said "nothing in the order precludes the possibility that the judge's promise will not some day be enforced."

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren argued the only just solution would be for Polanski to waive extradition and return to the United States.

"It's Mr. Polanski's decision that has delayed the proceedings of this court," Walgren said. "Why will he not simply surrender to this court's jurisdiction?"

David Wells, a retired Los Angeles prosecutor, was featured in the documentary, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired." Although he had never been assigned to handle the Polanski case, Wells said he goaded the judge.

He later recanted during an interview with CNN, saying he had inflated his importance in the celebrity case because he didn't think the documentary would be shown in the United States. It was broadcast in 2008 on HBO, which, like CNN, is part of Time Warner.

For years, Polanski, 76, and various lawyers have made quiet overtures to resolve the case, but negotiations have always gotten bogged down over prosecutors' insistence that he return to the United States and appear in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Swiss authorities released the director from jail on $4.5 million bail in early December "pending extradition" to the United States.]]> STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Director pleaded guilty to sex with teen in 1977 but left country before sentencing
* He was arrested in September on U.S. fugitive warrant
* Judge says he must return to U.S. before court decides whether he will go to prison

RELATED TOPICS

* Roman Polanski
* Sexual Offenses
* California

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Director Roman Polanski must return to the United States before the court will decide if he must go to prison for a 1977 sex conviction, a Los Angeles judge ruled Friday.

Polanski's lawyer argued that evidence of misconduct by the judge and prosecutor in the case 32 years ago should be considered now, without requiring Polanski to be present.

The famed director of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Pianist" pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 but fled to Europe before he was sentenced. He has been the subject of an international extradition battle since he was arrested in Switzerland in September on a U.S. fugitive warrant.

At a hearing Friday afternoon, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza also rejected a request from Polanski's victim -- Samantha Geimer, now in her 40s and a married mother of three -- to have the case dismissed.

Geimer came forward long ago, saying she was disturbed by how the criminal case has been handled.

"There is no requirement that my client surrender," Larry Silver, Geimer's lawyer, said. "Her suffering must come to an end."

Silver argued that "Marsey's law," an initiative passed by California voters in 2008 giving crime victims certain rights, had been violated by the prosecution. Silver said Geimer was not consulted about the decision to extradite Polanski. Espinoza said the law was "never intended in this fashion."

Polanski was 43 at the time of the conviction. Prosecutors dropped rape and other charges in exchange for the guilty plea.

Polanski's attorney Chad Hummel argued that his client had already been sentenced in 1977 when the judge sent him to California's Chino prison for 45 days to be evaluated by psychologists.

But Polanski fled the country before sentencing after learning the judge might not go along with the short jail term Polanski expected to get in exchange for his plea. He has been a fugitive since 1978 and lived in France before his arrest.

"Mr. Polanski did not flee from justice," Hummel said. "He left because a corrupt judge was going to sentence him a second time."

In the past, Espinoza acknowledged problems with the way Polanski's case was handled, mentioning a documentary film that portrays backroom deals between prosecutors and a media-obsessed judge who was worried his public image would suffer if he didn't send Polanski to prison.

"It's hard to contest some of the behavior in the documentary was misconduct," Espinoza said at an earlier hearing.

On Friday, Espinoza said "nothing in the order precludes the possibility that the judge's promise will not some day be enforced."

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren argued the only just solution would be for Polanski to waive extradition and return to the United States.

"It's Mr. Polanski's decision that has delayed the proceedings of this court," Walgren said. "Why will he not simply surrender to this court's jurisdiction?"

David Wells, a retired Los Angeles prosecutor, was featured in the documentary, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired." Although he had never been assigned to handle the Polanski case, Wells said he goaded the judge.

He later recanted during an interview with CNN, saying he had inflated his importance in the celebrity case because he didn't think the documentary would be shown in the United States. It was broadcast in 2008 on HBO, which, like CNN, is part of Time Warner.

For years, Polanski, 76, and various lawyers have made quiet overtures to resolve the case, but negotiations have always gotten bogged down over prosecutors' insistence that he return to the United States and appear in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Swiss authorities released the director from jail on $4.5 million bail in early December "pending extradition" to the United States.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-christie-s-drops-human-skull-from-auction Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:15:26 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-christie-s-drops-human-skull-from-auction
Yale University's secret Order of Skull and Bones used the skull and crossbones as a ballot box, Christie's said in its advertisement of the item in an auction catalogue. The auction house estimates the 19th century ballot box is worth between $10,000 and $20,000.

The skull, crossbones and accompanying book of Skull and Bones members between 1832 and 1877 were "withdrawn from sale due to a title claim," Christie's said in a statement Friday. The global auctioneer did not say who claimed rights to the items.

Earlier this month, the World Archaeological Congress condemned the sale, calling the sale of human body parts an "affront to human dignity." The group also suggested the skull might be that of a Native American and thus be subject to federal laws protecting Native American remains.

This isn't the first time Skull and Bones has been entangled in a debate over human remains.

The great-grandson of famed Chiricahua Apache warrior Geronimo sued Skull and Bones last year, claiming the society had Geronimo's remains. Historians disagreed on whether the society had ever dug up Geronimo's grave.

The collegiate society has existed since 1832 and has prominent alumni such as former President George W. Bush and his grandfather, Sen. Prescott Bush.]]>
Yale University's secret Order of Skull and Bones used the skull and crossbones as a ballot box, Christie's said in its advertisement of the item in an auction catalogue. The auction house estimates the 19th century ballot box is worth between $10,000 and $20,000.

The skull, crossbones and accompanying book of Skull and Bones members between 1832 and 1877 were "withdrawn from sale due to a title claim," Christie's said in a statement Friday. The global auctioneer did not say who claimed rights to the items.

Earlier this month, the World Archaeological Congress condemned the sale, calling the sale of human body parts an "affront to human dignity." The group also suggested the skull might be that of a Native American and thus be subject to federal laws protecting Native American remains.

This isn't the first time Skull and Bones has been entangled in a debate over human remains.

The great-grandson of famed Chiricahua Apache warrior Geronimo sued Skull and Bones last year, claiming the society had Geronimo's remains. Historians disagreed on whether the society had ever dug up Geronimo's grave.

The collegiate society has existed since 1832 and has prominent alumni such as former President George W. Bush and his grandfather, Sen. Prescott Bush.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-vice-president-biden-visits-iraq Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:15:05 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-vice-president-biden-visits-iraq Posted: January 22nd, 2010 06:55 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
New York Gov. David Paterson has lost a top advisor to his struggling election bid for a full term in office.
New York Gov. David Paterson has lost a top advisor to his struggling election bid for a full term in office.

(CNN) – New York Gov. David Paterson has lost a top advisor to his struggling election bid for a full term in office.

Tracy Sefl, a campaign strategist who is based in Washington, DC, announced Friday she is resigning her post because of "business" reasons.

"It has been a privilege to work for the governor over the past year," Sefl said in a statement. "My decision is a business one and I remain supportive and admiring of him and his agenda for the state. I wish him and his team - both at the campaign and inside the Executive Chamber - much success."

Asked by CNN if the decision may be a reflection of her belief Paterson's chances of reelection are low, Sefl said "that is a good question to ask others."

According to recent polls of New York State voters, Paterson lags nearly 40 points behind his likely primary opponent, Andrew Cuomo.

Filed under: David Paterson

26 Comments | Permalink
Democrats' agenda hits the wall, analysts say
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 06:32 PM ET

From CNN's Ed Hornick
Democrats face a tough challenge moving forward with much of their agenda.
Democrats face a tough challenge moving forward with much of their agenda.

Washington (CNN) – Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts has forced congressional Democrats and the White House to assess their agenda going forward.

The historic win in the solidly Democratic state has put the brakes on President Obama's and congressional Democrats' key legislative initiatives: health care reform, climate change and a second stimulus.

Obama's agenda already was in trouble before the GOP victory in Massachusetts, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

"The Massachusetts special election crystallized just how much trouble Obama's legislative agenda was in," he said. "The sense I got was that members prior to Christmas didn't really think that most of Obama's agenda was going to pass anyway after health care."

Full story

Filed under: Democrats • Obama administration • President Obama • Scott Brown

Permalink
Obama's first year in review
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 06:22 PM ET

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

Filed under: President Obama

Permalink
Gitmo detainee recommendations outrage civil liberties groups
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 04:42 PM ET

From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden
A recommendation by the Obama administration's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force to continue holding nearly 50 detainees indefinitely without charges sparked fury among civil liberties groups Friday.
A recommendation by the Obama administration's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force to continue holding nearly 50 detainees indefinitely without charges sparked fury among civil liberties groups Friday.

Washington (CNN) - A recommendation by the Obama administration's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force to continue holding nearly 50 detainees indefinitely without charges sparked fury among civil liberties groups Friday.

The recommendation, confirmed to CNN by two government sources not authorized to release the information, was completed by a task force under the direction of Attorney General Eric Holder and sent to President Barack Obama for final approval.

The confidential review recommending a disposition for each of the 196 remaining Guantanamo detainees was first reported by the Washington Post.

The review proposes that 47 detainees be held without charges or trial because they are considered too dangerous to release, and because trials could jeopardize intelligence and harm national security, government sources said.

"If you close Guantanamo but leave individuals detained without charge or trial you're just making a cosmetic change," Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project, told CNN.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Guantanamo Bay

7 Comments | Permalink
Senate Dems want to turn focus to jobs
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 03:02 PM ET

From CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash

(CNN) – Senate Democrats are preparing to unveil legislation in the next couple of weeks to address what they believe is the No. 1 issue this election year: jobs.

"Jobs, jobs, jobs," said Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus coming out of a Friday morning meeting to discuss the package.

Baucus would only say Democratic senators talked about a "series of initiatives" with the goal of helping to create jobs.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, also in the meeting, said he believes there should be a focus on infrastructure – especially school construction.

"This is ready to do," said Harkin, "if the money went out we could begin this summer on school construction, and it has a big multiplier effect."

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Senate • jobs

79 Comments | Permalink
Cafferty: Have your views of Obama changed during 1st year?
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 03:00 PM ET

From CNN's Jack Cafferty

As President Obama marks his first anniversary in the White House and the State of the Union approaches, there's criticism coming at him from all corners.
Join the conversation on Jack's blog.
Join the conversation on Jack's blog.

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes that doubts he had about the president – since the primaries – have been realized... including that Mr. Obama may not be ready to fight for what his supporters want.

In a piece called "he wasn't the one we've been waiting for," Krugman describes the president talking about health care... saying lawmakers should "try to move quickly to coalesce" around elements of the bill that people agree on. Krugman mocks the message – saying it's like the president is telling lawmakers to "run away."

And When Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about Krugman's critique – he ducked the question.

Meanwhile from the right, Pat Buchanan suggests that white voters are one group that might be of particular concern to the president.

In a column called "Has Obama lost white America?"... Buchanan explains how the racial breakdown of the vote in recent elections in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia could spell trouble for the president.

Filed under: Cafferty File

Permalink
Bristol Palin demands child support
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 02:03 PM ET
Bristol Palin is demanding Levi Johnston start paying up.
Bristol Palin is demanding Levi Johnston start paying up.

(CNN) - Bristol Palin is demanding Levi Johnston start paying up.

According to court documents filed Thursday in Alaska and posted on the Web site TMZ, the 19 year-old daughter of Sarah Palin is demanding the father of her one year-old son pay $1,750 a month in child support payments.

Palin is also seeking back payments beginning from late December 2008, when the child was born.

According to the court filing, Palin says Johnston made "in excess of 105,000 in 2009 through various media interviews and modeling related activities."

Palin also says she has received only "sporadic financial assistance" from Johnston over the last year - $4,400 in total.

Johnston's manager contends Palin has been paid more than $10,000 by Johnston since her son was born, according to TMZ.

Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said in a statement to CNN: "Bristol has set forth the facts regarding child support in her affidavit filed in court. The law in Alaska is clear: a parent is obligated to support his or her child. It is unfortunate Bristol has to seek court intervention in this regard."

Filed under: Bristol Palin • Levi Johnston

300 Comments | Permalink
NRSC beats DSCC in December but begins year at disadvantage
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 01:44 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

CNN) - The National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised its Democratic counterpart last month but begin the new year at a slight financial disadvantage, according to disclosures released by both parties Friday.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised just over $3.4 million in December, about $700 thousand less than Republicans in the same time frame.

But Democrats begin 2010 with $12.5 million cash-on-hand - over $4 million more than the $8.3 million the NRSC has in the bank. However Democrats have $1.25 million in debt while Republicans are debt free.

The two parties were nearly neck-and-neck when it comes to fundraising totals over the course of 2009: Democrats raised a total of $43.5 million while Republicans took in $41.2 million.

Each party is defending 18 seats this cycle.

Filed under: DSCC • NRSC

11 Comments | Permalink
Bernanke nomination uncertain
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 01:42 PM ET

From CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
A second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke became more uncertain on Friday.
A second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke became more uncertain on Friday.

Washington (CNN) - A second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke became more uncertain Friday as two leading liberal senators announced they would vote no, and many other Senate Democrats said they were undecided.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, both issued statements announcing their opposition to Bernanke.

"Under the watch of Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve permitted grossly irresponsible financial activities that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Under Chairman Bernanke's watch predatory mortgage lending flourished, and 'too big to fail' financial giants were permitted to engage in activities that put our nation's economy at risk," said Feingold.

Sen. Boxer said she's voting no because Bernanke "played a lead role in crafting the Bush administration's economic policies, which led to the current economic crisis."

"Our next Federal Reserve Chairman must represent a clean break from the failed policies of the past," she said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Barbara Boxer • Ben Bernanke • Russ Feingold

33 Comments | Permalink
Obama: Taking 'lumps' but will keep fighting
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 01:36 PM ET

From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

Elyria, Ohio (CNN) – Offering his most extensive public comments about the election debacle in Massachusetts, President Obama is acknowledging he's taking some "lumps" but is also trying to cast himself as a populist who will "never stop fighting" to bring health care reform and jobs to communities like this hard-hit manufacturing area outside Cleveland.

"Let me tell you - so long as I have the privilege of serving as your president, I'll never stop fighting for you," Obama said in prepared remarks at the beginning of a town hall meeting with voters. "I'll take my lumps, too. I'll never stop fighting to bring jobs back to Elyria. I'll never stop fighting for an economy where hard work is rewarded, where responsibility is honored, where accountability is upheld, where we're creating the jobs of tomorrow."

Obama said "folks in Washington are in a little bit of a frenzy" over Republican Scott Brown's election to the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), which has ended the President's 60-seat supermajority in the chamber. But the President vowed to keep battling for health reform, even as he bluntly conceded that he's facing major roadblocks.

"Now, we've gotten pretty far down the road, but I have to admit, we've run into a bit of a buzz saw along the way," Obama said. "The long process of getting things done runs headlong into the special interests, their armies of lobbyists, and partisan politics aimed at exploiting fears instead of getting things done."

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: President Obama

60 Comments | Permalink
A presidential boost for Kay Bailey Hutchison
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 12:31 PM ET
Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her bid to become Texas governor on Friday.
Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her bid to become Texas governor on Friday.

(CNN) - Former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison Friday in her bid to overtake the incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a Republican primary in March.

"She has proven herself as an effective leader for Texas," the former president said in a press conference with reporters. He added that he had a long-standing offer to Hutchison to back her in a bid for the Texas governorship. "Today, we are very happy to have a chance to fulfill that commitment."

"Barbara and I are taking this unusual step of endorsing Kay in this primary not because we oppose Rick Perry," Bush said, "…but because of our unbridled belief in Kay."

Filed under: George H. W. Bush • Kay Bailey Hutchison

18 Comments | Permalink
State jobless rates on the rise
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 11:42 AM ET

From CNNMoney.com's Julianne Pepitone

New York (CNNMoney.com) - A total of 43 states reported rising jobless rates in December, reversing signs of improvement seen the month before, according to a government report released Friday.

Overall, jobless rates increased in those states and the District of Columbia last month and fell in four states, according to the Labor Department's monthly report on state unemployment. Three states reported no change.

In November, 36 states reported a monthly decrease in the unemployment rate.

Full story

Filed under: CNNMoney.com • unemployment

91 Comments | Permalink
Obama heads back to Ohio
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 10:16 AM ET

ALT TEXT

President Obama departed from the South Lawn of the White House Friday. (Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama heads back to Ohio Friday, his fourth trip to the state since assuming the presidency a year ago.

Obama meets with voters at a community college in Elyria, Ohio, in the northeast part of the Buckeye State. The White House says the president will talk with workers and business owners about putting more Americans back to work. The trip to Lorian Country is the second stop on the what the administration calls the "White House to Main Street Tour."

The unemployment level in Ohio now stands at 10.9 percent.

President Obama first visited Ohio on March 6 of last year. The president attended a police class graduation in Columbus as part of a trip to tout the federal stimulus plan. Obama returned on July 23, to speak to voters at a townhall in Shaker Heights and made a third visit last year on September 7 to attend an AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic in Cincinnati.

Ohio is a crucial state in presidential elections. Obama won Ohio by 5 points over Republican Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election. According to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted in November, 45 percent of voters in the state approved of the job Obama's doing in the White House, with half of those questioned disapproving of his performance as president.

Ohio also has some high profile contests this November, including governor and senator.

– CNN's Becky Brittain and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Filed under: Ohio • President Obama

56 Comments | Permalink
Poll: Whitman holds large lead in GOP gubernatorial battle
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 09:39 AM ET

From CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
A new poll indicates that Meg Whitman has a large lead over her remaining Republican opponent in the battle for California's GOP gubernatorial nomination.
A new poll indicates that Meg Whitman has a large lead over her remaining Republican opponent in the battle for California's GOP gubernatorial nomination.

(CNN) - A new poll indicates that Meg Whitman has a large lead over her remaining Republican opponent in the battle for California's GOP gubernatorial nomination.

According to a Field poll released Friday morning, Whitman holds a 45 percent to 17 percent lead over the state's insurance commissioner Steve Poizner in the Republican primary, with nearly 4 in 10 GOP primary voters undecided. Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, is a billionaire with national party connections. She served as an adviser and surrogate in 2008 for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign.

The survey's release comes after former Republican Rep. Tom Campbell dropped his bid for governor and is now running for the Senate in California. A Field Poll released Thursday indicates that Campbell now leads the GOP field in the fight to oust Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. Before dropping out of the governor's race, Campbell was in second place, trailing Whitman but leading Poizner, according to the Field poll.

In a hypothetical general election matchup, the survey indicates that Democratic state attorney general Jerry Brown leads Whitman by 10 points, 46 percent to 36 percent, with nearly 1 in 5 voters undecided, and Brown leads Poizner by 17 points, 48 percent to 31 percent, with just over a fifth of voters undecided. Brown, the former two-term governor from 1975 to 1983, has yet to declare his candidacy for governor. California's current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is term limited and prevented from running for re-election this year.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Meg Whitman • Steve Poizner

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Specter to Bachmann: 'Act like a lady'
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 09:33 AM ET

From CNN's Jeff Simon
Rep. Michele Bachmann was told to 'act like a lady' by Sen. Arlen Specter on Wednesday.
Rep. Michele Bachmann was told to 'act like a lady' by Sen. Arlen Specter on Wednesday.

Washington (CNN) - A heated political debate and charges of sexism erupted on Philadelphia talk radio Wednesday when Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pennsylvania, told Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, to "act like a lady."

Specter and Bachmann appeared on WPHT radio to discuss what President Obama has accomplished in his first year in office. When Specter began to respond to Bachmann's claim that Scott Brown's special election victory in Massachusetts was a repudiation of the Obama administration's policies, Bachmann interjected - to the clear frustration of the longtime Senator.

"I didn't interrupt you," Specter said. "This is beginning to sound like a TV talk show."

When Bachmann interrupted again, Specter angrily responded. "Now wait a minute, I'll stop and you can talk," he said. "I'll treat you like a lady, so act like one."

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Arlen Specter • Michele Bachmann • Popular Posts

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White House photographer opens up
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 09:32 AM ET

Filed under: White House

10 Comments | Permalink
Leno to headline White House correspondents' dinner
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 08:31 AM ET

From CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry
Comedian Jay Leno will headline the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May, the group said Friday.
Comedian Jay Leno will headline the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May, the group said Friday.

Washington (CNN) - Comedian Jay Leno will headline the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May, the group said Friday.

Leno agreed earlier this month to appear at the event, before NBC announced his return to hosting "The Tonight Show," the group said. The network's move was prompted by affiliates protesting the poor ratings of Leno's prime-time show.

The comedian will share the stage with President Obama at the correspondents' dinner at the Washington Hilton. By tradition, presidents fire jokes at the news corps, political opponents and even themselves at the event, where politicians, journalists and celebrities rub elbows.

Leno headlined the 2004, 2000 and 1987 dinners during the administrations of both parties.

Full story

Filed under: Jay Leno

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Hutchison gets presidential support
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 08:29 AM ET
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's bid for Texas governor gets the support of a former commander-in-chief Friday.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's bid for Texas governor gets the support of a former commander-in-chief Friday.

(CNN) – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's bid for Texas governor gets the support of a former commander-in-chief Friday.

According to the Hutchison campaign, former President George H.W. Bush will formally back Hutchison at an event in Houston, Texas. The 4-term senator is challenging fellow Republican and incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the March 2 Republican primary.

Earlier this week former Secretary of State James Baker endorsed Hutchison. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is also backing her bid to topple Perry. Former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is scheduled to campaign with Perry early next month.

Perry was elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and assumed the governorship after incumbent George W. Bush stepped down following the 2000 presidential election. Perry won full terms in 2002 and 2006.

The elder former president Bush has lived in Houston since leaving the White House in early 1993.

– CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Filed under: Kay Bailey Hutchison

18 Comments | Permalink
POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: January 22, 2010
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 05:50 AM ET

From CNN's Alison Harding
ALT TEXT

The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world.

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news: http://www.CNNPolitics.com

CNN: Analysis: High court ruling a game-changer for campaign spending
Campaign 2010 is in full swing: Massachusetts elected its new U.S. senator this week, and the first congressional primaries are just days away.Now the first task for every federal candidate in this midterm election year will be to read the Supreme Court's ruling Thursday on campaign finance for a reality-check road map to their political future. The 183-page decision promises to completely change the way independent spending on elections is conducted.

The Hill: Schumer calls for hearings on SCOTUS decision
The Supreme Court's ruling striking down limits on corporate and union spending in elections is "un-American," Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Thursday. Additionally, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a top Senate Democrat who formerly ran their campaign committee, said he would hold hearings on the decision in the coming weeks.

Denver post: Colorado GOP to sue to lift campaign money limits
Colorado Republicans will sue to overturn voter-approved state limits on some campaign contributions after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday that tossed out restrictions on corporate involvement in federal races.

Wall Street Journal: Fed's Bernanke Faces Tighter Vote in Senate
Ben Bernanke's confirmation for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman will go down to the wire and could be a closer vote than seemed likely just a few weeks ago.

CNN: Obama to focus hard on economy after Democratic loss
President Obama already was planning to put a heavy focus on jobs and the economy in next week's State of the Union address, but his top aides are signaling that pivot is going to be even sharper in the wake of the Democrats' stunning election defeat in Massachusetts.

Boston Globe: Liberal bastions lament as the blue fades
In the days since the unthinkable happened, diehard Democrats have been forced to confront results that suggest Massachusetts votes much the way rest of the country does – blue on the edges with a big red swath in the middle. They have grappled with the possibility that the Commonwealth, until this week viewed by the much of the country as an outpost of extreme liberalism, may not be all that. And that has left them blue – in the other meaning of the word – over Martha Coakley’s defeat.

The Detroit News: Brown's ride drives buzz back to pickups
Scott Brown, the Republican state legislator who this week won the U.S. Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy, got a lot of political mileage out of his 2005 GMC Canyon. The green Canyon, with nearly 200,000 miles on the odometer, co-starred with Brown on the Massachusetts campaign trail and in TV ads.

Read the rest of this entry »]]> Posted: January 22nd, 2010 06:55 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
New York Gov. David Paterson has lost a top advisor to his struggling election bid for a full term in office.
New York Gov. David Paterson has lost a top advisor to his struggling election bid for a full term in office.

(CNN) – New York Gov. David Paterson has lost a top advisor to his struggling election bid for a full term in office.

Tracy Sefl, a campaign strategist who is based in Washington, DC, announced Friday she is resigning her post because of "business" reasons.

"It has been a privilege to work for the governor over the past year," Sefl said in a statement. "My decision is a business one and I remain supportive and admiring of him and his agenda for the state. I wish him and his team - both at the campaign and inside the Executive Chamber - much success."

Asked by CNN if the decision may be a reflection of her belief Paterson's chances of reelection are low, Sefl said "that is a good question to ask others."

According to recent polls of New York State voters, Paterson lags nearly 40 points behind his likely primary opponent, Andrew Cuomo.

Filed under: David Paterson

26 Comments | Permalink
Democrats' agenda hits the wall, analysts say
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 06:32 PM ET

From CNN's Ed Hornick
Democrats face a tough challenge moving forward with much of their agenda.
Democrats face a tough challenge moving forward with much of their agenda.

Washington (CNN) – Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts has forced congressional Democrats and the White House to assess their agenda going forward.

The historic win in the solidly Democratic state has put the brakes on President Obama's and congressional Democrats' key legislative initiatives: health care reform, climate change and a second stimulus.

Obama's agenda already was in trouble before the GOP victory in Massachusetts, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

"The Massachusetts special election crystallized just how much trouble Obama's legislative agenda was in," he said. "The sense I got was that members prior to Christmas didn't really think that most of Obama's agenda was going to pass anyway after health care."

Full story

Filed under: Democrats • Obama administration • President Obama • Scott Brown

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Obama's first year in review
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 06:22 PM ET

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

Filed under: President Obama

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Gitmo detainee recommendations outrage civil liberties groups
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 04:42 PM ET

From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden
A recommendation by the Obama administration's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force to continue holding nearly 50 detainees indefinitely without charges sparked fury among civil liberties groups Friday.
A recommendation by the Obama administration's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force to continue holding nearly 50 detainees indefinitely without charges sparked fury among civil liberties groups Friday.

Washington (CNN) - A recommendation by the Obama administration's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force to continue holding nearly 50 detainees indefinitely without charges sparked fury among civil liberties groups Friday.

The recommendation, confirmed to CNN by two government sources not authorized to release the information, was completed by a task force under the direction of Attorney General Eric Holder and sent to President Barack Obama for final approval.

The confidential review recommending a disposition for each of the 196 remaining Guantanamo detainees was first reported by the Washington Post.

The review proposes that 47 detainees be held without charges or trial because they are considered too dangerous to release, and because trials could jeopardize intelligence and harm national security, government sources said.

"If you close Guantanamo but leave individuals detained without charge or trial you're just making a cosmetic change," Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project, told CNN.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Guantanamo Bay

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Senate Dems want to turn focus to jobs
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 03:02 PM ET

From CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash

(CNN) – Senate Democrats are preparing to unveil legislation in the next couple of weeks to address what they believe is the No. 1 issue this election year: jobs.

"Jobs, jobs, jobs," said Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus coming out of a Friday morning meeting to discuss the package.

Baucus would only say Democratic senators talked about a "series of initiatives" with the goal of helping to create jobs.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, also in the meeting, said he believes there should be a focus on infrastructure – especially school construction.

"This is ready to do," said Harkin, "if the money went out we could begin this summer on school construction, and it has a big multiplier effect."

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Senate • jobs

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Cafferty: Have your views of Obama changed during 1st year?
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 03:00 PM ET

From CNN's Jack Cafferty

As President Obama marks his first anniversary in the White House and the State of the Union approaches, there's criticism coming at him from all corners.
Join the conversation on Jack's blog.
Join the conversation on Jack's blog.

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes that doubts he had about the president – since the primaries – have been realized... including that Mr. Obama may not be ready to fight for what his supporters want.

In a piece called "he wasn't the one we've been waiting for," Krugman describes the president talking about health care... saying lawmakers should "try to move quickly to coalesce" around elements of the bill that people agree on. Krugman mocks the message – saying it's like the president is telling lawmakers to "run away."

And When Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about Krugman's critique – he ducked the question.

Meanwhile from the right, Pat Buchanan suggests that white voters are one group that might be of particular concern to the president.

In a column called "Has Obama lost white America?"... Buchanan explains how the racial breakdown of the vote in recent elections in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia could spell trouble for the president.

Filed under: Cafferty File

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Bristol Palin demands child support
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 02:03 PM ET
Bristol Palin is demanding Levi Johnston start paying up.
Bristol Palin is demanding Levi Johnston start paying up.

(CNN) - Bristol Palin is demanding Levi Johnston start paying up.

According to court documents filed Thursday in Alaska and posted on the Web site TMZ, the 19 year-old daughter of Sarah Palin is demanding the father of her one year-old son pay $1,750 a month in child support payments.

Palin is also seeking back payments beginning from late December 2008, when the child was born.

According to the court filing, Palin says Johnston made "in excess of 105,000 in 2009 through various media interviews and modeling related activities."

Palin also says she has received only "sporadic financial assistance" from Johnston over the last year - $4,400 in total.

Johnston's manager contends Palin has been paid more than $10,000 by Johnston since her son was born, according to TMZ.

Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said in a statement to CNN: "Bristol has set forth the facts regarding child support in her affidavit filed in court. The law in Alaska is clear: a parent is obligated to support his or her child. It is unfortunate Bristol has to seek court intervention in this regard."

Filed under: Bristol Palin • Levi Johnston

300 Comments | Permalink
NRSC beats DSCC in December but begins year at disadvantage
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 01:44 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

CNN) - The National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised its Democratic counterpart last month but begin the new year at a slight financial disadvantage, according to disclosures released by both parties Friday.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised just over $3.4 million in December, about $700 thousand less than Republicans in the same time frame.

But Democrats begin 2010 with $12.5 million cash-on-hand - over $4 million more than the $8.3 million the NRSC has in the bank. However Democrats have $1.25 million in debt while Republicans are debt free.

The two parties were nearly neck-and-neck when it comes to fundraising totals over the course of 2009: Democrats raised a total of $43.5 million while Republicans took in $41.2 million.

Each party is defending 18 seats this cycle.

Filed under: DSCC • NRSC

11 Comments | Permalink
Bernanke nomination uncertain
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 01:42 PM ET

From CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
A second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke became more uncertain on Friday.
A second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke became more uncertain on Friday.

Washington (CNN) - A second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke became more uncertain Friday as two leading liberal senators announced they would vote no, and many other Senate Democrats said they were undecided.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, both issued statements announcing their opposition to Bernanke.

"Under the watch of Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve permitted grossly irresponsible financial activities that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Under Chairman Bernanke's watch predatory mortgage lending flourished, and 'too big to fail' financial giants were permitted to engage in activities that put our nation's economy at risk," said Feingold.

Sen. Boxer said she's voting no because Bernanke "played a lead role in crafting the Bush administration's economic policies, which led to the current economic crisis."

"Our next Federal Reserve Chairman must represent a clean break from the failed policies of the past," she said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Barbara Boxer • Ben Bernanke • Russ Feingold

33 Comments | Permalink
Obama: Taking 'lumps' but will keep fighting
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 01:36 PM ET

From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

Elyria, Ohio (CNN) – Offering his most extensive public comments about the election debacle in Massachusetts, President Obama is acknowledging he's taking some "lumps" but is also trying to cast himself as a populist who will "never stop fighting" to bring health care reform and jobs to communities like this hard-hit manufacturing area outside Cleveland.

"Let me tell you - so long as I have the privilege of serving as your president, I'll never stop fighting for you," Obama said in prepared remarks at the beginning of a town hall meeting with voters. "I'll take my lumps, too. I'll never stop fighting to bring jobs back to Elyria. I'll never stop fighting for an economy where hard work is rewarded, where responsibility is honored, where accountability is upheld, where we're creating the jobs of tomorrow."

Obama said "folks in Washington are in a little bit of a frenzy" over Republican Scott Brown's election to the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), which has ended the President's 60-seat supermajority in the chamber. But the President vowed to keep battling for health reform, even as he bluntly conceded that he's facing major roadblocks.

"Now, we've gotten pretty far down the road, but I have to admit, we've run into a bit of a buzz saw along the way," Obama said. "The long process of getting things done runs headlong into the special interests, their armies of lobbyists, and partisan politics aimed at exploiting fears instead of getting things done."

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: President Obama

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A presidential boost for Kay Bailey Hutchison
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 12:31 PM ET
Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her bid to become Texas governor on Friday.
Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her bid to become Texas governor on Friday.

(CNN) - Former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison Friday in her bid to overtake the incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a Republican primary in March.

"She has proven herself as an effective leader for Texas," the former president said in a press conference with reporters. He added that he had a long-standing offer to Hutchison to back her in a bid for the Texas governorship. "Today, we are very happy to have a chance to fulfill that commitment."

"Barbara and I are taking this unusual step of endorsing Kay in this primary not because we oppose Rick Perry," Bush said, "…but because of our unbridled belief in Kay."

Filed under: George H. W. Bush • Kay Bailey Hutchison

18 Comments | Permalink
State jobless rates on the rise
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 11:42 AM ET

From CNNMoney.com's Julianne Pepitone

New York (CNNMoney.com) - A total of 43 states reported rising jobless rates in December, reversing signs of improvement seen the month before, according to a government report released Friday.

Overall, jobless rates increased in those states and the District of Columbia last month and fell in four states, according to the Labor Department's monthly report on state unemployment. Three states reported no change.

In November, 36 states reported a monthly decrease in the unemployment rate.

Full story

Filed under: CNNMoney.com • unemployment

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Obama heads back to Ohio
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 10:16 AM ET

ALT TEXT

President Obama departed from the South Lawn of the White House Friday. (Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama heads back to Ohio Friday, his fourth trip to the state since assuming the presidency a year ago.

Obama meets with voters at a community college in Elyria, Ohio, in the northeast part of the Buckeye State. The White House says the president will talk with workers and business owners about putting more Americans back to work. The trip to Lorian Country is the second stop on the what the administration calls the "White House to Main Street Tour."

The unemployment level in Ohio now stands at 10.9 percent.

President Obama first visited Ohio on March 6 of last year. The president attended a police class graduation in Columbus as part of a trip to tout the federal stimulus plan. Obama returned on July 23, to speak to voters at a townhall in Shaker Heights and made a third visit last year on September 7 to attend an AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic in Cincinnati.

Ohio is a crucial state in presidential elections. Obama won Ohio by 5 points over Republican Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election. According to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted in November, 45 percent of voters in the state approved of the job Obama's doing in the White House, with half of those questioned disapproving of his performance as president.

Ohio also has some high profile contests this November, including governor and senator.

– CNN's Becky Brittain and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Filed under: Ohio • President Obama

56 Comments | Permalink
Poll: Whitman holds large lead in GOP gubernatorial battle
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 09:39 AM ET

From CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
A new poll indicates that Meg Whitman has a large lead over her remaining Republican opponent in the battle for California's GOP gubernatorial nomination.
A new poll indicates that Meg Whitman has a large lead over her remaining Republican opponent in the battle for California's GOP gubernatorial nomination.

(CNN) - A new poll indicates that Meg Whitman has a large lead over her remaining Republican opponent in the battle for California's GOP gubernatorial nomination.

According to a Field poll released Friday morning, Whitman holds a 45 percent to 17 percent lead over the state's insurance commissioner Steve Poizner in the Republican primary, with nearly 4 in 10 GOP primary voters undecided. Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, is a billionaire with national party connections. She served as an adviser and surrogate in 2008 for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign.

The survey's release comes after former Republican Rep. Tom Campbell dropped his bid for governor and is now running for the Senate in California. A Field Poll released Thursday indicates that Campbell now leads the GOP field in the fight to oust Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. Before dropping out of the governor's race, Campbell was in second place, trailing Whitman but leading Poizner, according to the Field poll.

In a hypothetical general election matchup, the survey indicates that Democratic state attorney general Jerry Brown leads Whitman by 10 points, 46 percent to 36 percent, with nearly 1 in 5 voters undecided, and Brown leads Poizner by 17 points, 48 percent to 31 percent, with just over a fifth of voters undecided. Brown, the former two-term governor from 1975 to 1983, has yet to declare his candidacy for governor. California's current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is term limited and prevented from running for re-election this year.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Meg Whitman • Steve Poizner

16 Comments | Permalink
Specter to Bachmann: 'Act like a lady'
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 09:33 AM ET

From CNN's Jeff Simon
Rep. Michele Bachmann was told to 'act like a lady' by Sen. Arlen Specter on Wednesday.
Rep. Michele Bachmann was told to 'act like a lady' by Sen. Arlen Specter on Wednesday.

Washington (CNN) - A heated political debate and charges of sexism erupted on Philadelphia talk radio Wednesday when Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pennsylvania, told Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, to "act like a lady."

Specter and Bachmann appeared on WPHT radio to discuss what President Obama has accomplished in his first year in office. When Specter began to respond to Bachmann's claim that Scott Brown's special election victory in Massachusetts was a repudiation of the Obama administration's policies, Bachmann interjected - to the clear frustration of the longtime Senator.

"I didn't interrupt you," Specter said. "This is beginning to sound like a TV talk show."

When Bachmann interrupted again, Specter angrily responded. "Now wait a minute, I'll stop and you can talk," he said. "I'll treat you like a lady, so act like one."

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Arlen Specter • Michele Bachmann • Popular Posts

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White House photographer opens up
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 09:32 AM ET

Filed under: White House

10 Comments | Permalink
Leno to headline White House correspondents' dinner
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 08:31 AM ET

From CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry
Comedian Jay Leno will headline the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May, the group said Friday.
Comedian Jay Leno will headline the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May, the group said Friday.

Washington (CNN) - Comedian Jay Leno will headline the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May, the group said Friday.

Leno agreed earlier this month to appear at the event, before NBC announced his return to hosting "The Tonight Show," the group said. The network's move was prompted by affiliates protesting the poor ratings of Leno's prime-time show.

The comedian will share the stage with President Obama at the correspondents' dinner at the Washington Hilton. By tradition, presidents fire jokes at the news corps, political opponents and even themselves at the event, where politicians, journalists and celebrities rub elbows.

Leno headlined the 2004, 2000 and 1987 dinners during the administrations of both parties.

Full story

Filed under: Jay Leno

14 Comments | Permalink
Hutchison gets presidential support
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 08:29 AM ET
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's bid for Texas governor gets the support of a former commander-in-chief Friday.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's bid for Texas governor gets the support of a former commander-in-chief Friday.

(CNN) – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's bid for Texas governor gets the support of a former commander-in-chief Friday.

According to the Hutchison campaign, former President George H.W. Bush will formally back Hutchison at an event in Houston, Texas. The 4-term senator is challenging fellow Republican and incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the March 2 Republican primary.

Earlier this week former Secretary of State James Baker endorsed Hutchison. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is also backing her bid to topple Perry. Former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is scheduled to campaign with Perry early next month.

Perry was elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and assumed the governorship after incumbent George W. Bush stepped down following the 2000 presidential election. Perry won full terms in 2002 and 2006.

The elder former president Bush has lived in Houston since leaving the White House in early 1993.

– CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Filed under: Kay Bailey Hutchison

18 Comments | Permalink
POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: January 22, 2010
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 05:50 AM ET

From CNN's Alison Harding
ALT TEXT

The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world.

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news: http://www.CNNPolitics.com

CNN: Analysis: High court ruling a game-changer for campaign spending
Campaign 2010 is in full swing: Massachusetts elected its new U.S. senator this week, and the first congressional primaries are just days away.Now the first task for every federal candidate in this midterm election year will be to read the Supreme Court's ruling Thursday on campaign finance for a reality-check road map to their political future. The 183-page decision promises to completely change the way independent spending on elections is conducted.

The Hill: Schumer calls for hearings on SCOTUS decision
The Supreme Court's ruling striking down limits on corporate and union spending in elections is "un-American," Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Thursday. Additionally, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a top Senate Democrat who formerly ran their campaign committee, said he would hold hearings on the decision in the coming weeks.

Denver post: Colorado GOP to sue to lift campaign money limits
Colorado Republicans will sue to overturn voter-approved state limits on some campaign contributions after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday that tossed out restrictions on corporate involvement in federal races.

Wall Street Journal: Fed's Bernanke Faces Tighter Vote in Senate
Ben Bernanke's confirmation for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman will go down to the wire and could be a closer vote than seemed likely just a few weeks ago.

CNN: Obama to focus hard on economy after Democratic loss
President Obama already was planning to put a heavy focus on jobs and the economy in next week's State of the Union address, but his top aides are signaling that pivot is going to be even sharper in the wake of the Democrats' stunning election defeat in Massachusetts.

Boston Globe: Liberal bastions lament as the blue fades
In the days since the unthinkable happened, diehard Democrats have been forced to confront results that suggest Massachusetts votes much the way rest of the country does – blue on the edges with a big red swath in the middle. They have grappled with the possibility that the Commonwealth, until this week viewed by the much of the country as an outpost of extreme liberalism, may not be all that. And that has left them blue – in the other meaning of the word – over Martha Coakley’s defeat.

The Detroit News: Brown's ride drives buzz back to pickups
Scott Brown, the Republican state legislator who this week won the U.S. Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy, got a lot of political mileage out of his 2005 GMC Canyon. The green Canyon, with nearly 200,000 miles on the odometer, co-starred with Brown on the Massachusetts campaign trail and in TV ads.

Read the rest of this entry »]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-boy-swept-away-in-arizona-flooding-l-a-evacuation-lifted Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:14:17 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-boy-swept-away-in-arizona-flooding-l-a-evacuation-lifted
Meanwhile, an evacuation order for some Los Angeles, California, residents was lifted, and the mayor said those people can safely return home

Authorities were classifying the Arizona operation as a recovery, presuming that a child could not survive in the raging water, the office said in a news release. The boy's name was not released.

Rain has hindered attempts to find the boy after the incident Thursday night, authorities said.

"This effort continued through the night without success. Because of low visibility, along with the wind and rain, DPS (Department of Public Safety) Ranger helicopter was unable to fly over the area," the sheriff's office said.

Are you affected by the storms? Send your images and video

The family's pickup got stuck near the northern community of Mayer, between Flagstaff and Phoenix in central Arizona.
Video: Arizona flooding woes
Video: California iReporters soaked
Video: House hangs on the edge
Video: Streets, sidewalks submerged
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* California
* Landslides and Mudslides
* National Weather Service

On Friday, the vehicle sat alone in a vast sea of mud, which reached nearly to the bottom of the windows and partially filled the area under the crumpled hood. The vehicle was tilted forward, as if diving into the muddy soup.

According to a preliminary report, the boy was in the pickup with his 8-year-old sister and parents, who were trying to take him to a hospital when floodwater swept the pickup off the road.

The mother was able to reach higher ground, and the father took the children to the bed of the vehicle for safety. By the time firefighters reached the scene, rising water had pushed the three from the bed. The father was able to reach a safe area with his daughter but the son was missing.

California iReporters deal with the rain but have fun too Video

The flooding was the result of heavy rainstorms that started pounding parts of neighboring California on Monday and continued through the week. Upper elevations got heavy snow.

Conditions in the area were not likely to improve until Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Forecasters predicted continued flooding of many rivers and streams and up to an additional foot of snow in the mountains.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Friday that the 2,000 city residents who were evacuated because of the storms could return. The permission came after teams of geologists and structural experts determined that areas threatened by mudslides were safe enough, he said at a news conference.

See KABC's coverage of the storms

Last year's wildfires burned trees and vegetation that normally hold soil in place and prevent hillsides from collapsing.

Hundreds of residents also had been evacuated in Los Angeles County, and many of these were cleared to return home, according to the Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort's Web site.

The storms stem from El Nino, a warm ocean current from the South Pacific, meteorologists said.]]>
Meanwhile, an evacuation order for some Los Angeles, California, residents was lifted, and the mayor said those people can safely return home

Authorities were classifying the Arizona operation as a recovery, presuming that a child could not survive in the raging water, the office said in a news release. The boy's name was not released.

Rain has hindered attempts to find the boy after the incident Thursday night, authorities said.

"This effort continued through the night without success. Because of low visibility, along with the wind and rain, DPS (Department of Public Safety) Ranger helicopter was unable to fly over the area," the sheriff's office said.

Are you affected by the storms? Send your images and video

The family's pickup got stuck near the northern community of Mayer, between Flagstaff and Phoenix in central Arizona.
Video: Arizona flooding woes
Video: California iReporters soaked
Video: House hangs on the edge
Video: Streets, sidewalks submerged
RELATED TOPICS

* California
* Landslides and Mudslides
* National Weather Service

On Friday, the vehicle sat alone in a vast sea of mud, which reached nearly to the bottom of the windows and partially filled the area under the crumpled hood. The vehicle was tilted forward, as if diving into the muddy soup.

According to a preliminary report, the boy was in the pickup with his 8-year-old sister and parents, who were trying to take him to a hospital when floodwater swept the pickup off the road.

The mother was able to reach higher ground, and the father took the children to the bed of the vehicle for safety. By the time firefighters reached the scene, rising water had pushed the three from the bed. The father was able to reach a safe area with his daughter but the son was missing.

California iReporters deal with the rain but have fun too Video

The flooding was the result of heavy rainstorms that started pounding parts of neighboring California on Monday and continued through the week. Upper elevations got heavy snow.

Conditions in the area were not likely to improve until Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Forecasters predicted continued flooding of many rivers and streams and up to an additional foot of snow in the mountains.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Friday that the 2,000 city residents who were evacuated because of the storms could return. The permission came after teams of geologists and structural experts determined that areas threatened by mudslides were safe enough, he said at a news conference.

See KABC's coverage of the storms

Last year's wildfires burned trees and vegetation that normally hold soil in place and prevent hillsides from collapsing.

Hundreds of residents also had been evacuated in Los Angeles County, and many of these were cleared to return home, according to the Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort's Web site.

The storms stem from El Nino, a warm ocean current from the South Pacific, meteorologists said.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-fda-approves-drug-for-multiple-sclerosis Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:13:55 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-fda-approves-drug-for-multiple-sclerosis
The FDA says the drug, Ampyra (generic name dalfampridine, formerly known as fampridine), is the first MS therapy that is taken orally and the first of its kind to receive FDA approval. It is designed help people with any type of MS improve their walking speed.

The prime of her life

In 2002, Levy was in her 30s and an active hiker and skier with a job on Wall Street and later in San Francisco, California. But her life took a turn when she started stumbling, falling down and dragging her right leg. Her doctor's diagnosis? Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, a less common form of MS and, as the name implies, one that usually plagues people with the disease after its initial course.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society defines MS as a "chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves." Symptoms of MS include extreme fatigue, difficulty walking, problems with memory and heat sensitivity.

The most common form of MS is relapsing-remitting, in which people have acute attacks followed by periods of remission. In secondary progressive, however, the disease worsens steadily and there are no acute flare-ups. People with relapsing-remitting may later develop secondary progressive MS.
I was scared of being in a wheelchair. I was scared of getting worse and worse. I had traveled around the world before I got sick, I was super independent.
--EJ Levy, MS patient
RELATED TOPICS

* Multiple Sclerosis
* National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Levy says she lived in the same building as her parents at one point because she needed them to help take care of her. She says she mostly stayed at home, and when she did venture out she usually walked only a block or two with a cane. She relied on a wheelchair for longer distances.

She says she realized she would eventually be unable to walk. "I was scared of being in a wheelchair. I was scared of getting worse and worse. I had traveled around the world before I got sick, I was super independent," Levy says.

Trying things out

After exhausting the usual MS treatments -- and developing intolerable side effects -- Levy also became frustrated that the treatments were primarily designed for people with the more common course of the disease, and not the secondary progressive course.

Levy's neurologist then discussed the possibility of trying 4-aminopyradine -- a version of the same drug the FDA approved Friday that was available only through compounding pharmacies. Just three days after taking the drug, Levy was able to walk unassisted.

"I never thought I could put my cane away for good," she said.

Now she hopes the same drug that helped her will be able to help other people. She addressed an FDA advisory panel late last year and recommended approval of it.

"It's about quality of life," Levy says.

How it works

Two phase III clinical trials of Ampyra showed 35 and 43 percent of patients experienced, on average, a consistent improvement in their walking speed, increasing it by about 25 percent.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, even a modest improvement in walking ability could mean that thousands of people could benefit from the drug.

Dr. John Richert, executive vice president of Research & Clinical Programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, says the drug can be used by most people with MS. However, the drug is not for people with a history of seizures or people who have moderate to severe kidney disease.

Richert says approval means patients can now skip the compounding pharmacy and get a consistent, exact dosage in a guaranteed time-released formula, which would lower the risk of getting a toxic dose instead of a therapeutic dose.

"It's likely that further study and clinical practice may help to determine the extent to which the drug may impact other functions, and may also provide hints as to which patients are most likely to respond positively to the therapy," Richert said.

He added that the drug would not help nerves that have been destroyed and emphasized that people should try the drug to see if it works for them.

Ampyra may not work for everyone. "Like any medication, people will have different responses, so they should talk to their doctors about whether it's appropriate to start therapy on Ampyra," according to a spokesperson from Acorda, Ampyra's manufacturer.

Moving with MS

Today, Levy is doing well. She established the not-for-profit organization MS Hope for a Cure, and in three years the organization has raised $1.8 million for research and programs to help people living with MS.

She has also completed several five-mile hikes. But she says she is always conscious of where she steps. She says she occasionally has some weakness in her leg, but that she is thankful for every day: "I don't ever take jumping out of bed for granted."]]>
The FDA says the drug, Ampyra (generic name dalfampridine, formerly known as fampridine), is the first MS therapy that is taken orally and the first of its kind to receive FDA approval. It is designed help people with any type of MS improve their walking speed.

The prime of her life

In 2002, Levy was in her 30s and an active hiker and skier with a job on Wall Street and later in San Francisco, California. But her life took a turn when she started stumbling, falling down and dragging her right leg. Her doctor's diagnosis? Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, a less common form of MS and, as the name implies, one that usually plagues people with the disease after its initial course.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society defines MS as a "chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves." Symptoms of MS include extreme fatigue, difficulty walking, problems with memory and heat sensitivity.

The most common form of MS is relapsing-remitting, in which people have acute attacks followed by periods of remission. In secondary progressive, however, the disease worsens steadily and there are no acute flare-ups. People with relapsing-remitting may later develop secondary progressive MS.
I was scared of being in a wheelchair. I was scared of getting worse and worse. I had traveled around the world before I got sick, I was super independent.
--EJ Levy, MS patient
RELATED TOPICS

* Multiple Sclerosis
* National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Levy says she lived in the same building as her parents at one point because she needed them to help take care of her. She says she mostly stayed at home, and when she did venture out she usually walked only a block or two with a cane. She relied on a wheelchair for longer distances.

She says she realized she would eventually be unable to walk. "I was scared of being in a wheelchair. I was scared of getting worse and worse. I had traveled around the world before I got sick, I was super independent," Levy says.

Trying things out

After exhausting the usual MS treatments -- and developing intolerable side effects -- Levy also became frustrated that the treatments were primarily designed for people with the more common course of the disease, and not the secondary progressive course.

Levy's neurologist then discussed the possibility of trying 4-aminopyradine -- a version of the same drug the FDA approved Friday that was available only through compounding pharmacies. Just three days after taking the drug, Levy was able to walk unassisted.

"I never thought I could put my cane away for good," she said.

Now she hopes the same drug that helped her will be able to help other people. She addressed an FDA advisory panel late last year and recommended approval of it.

"It's about quality of life," Levy says.

How it works

Two phase III clinical trials of Ampyra showed 35 and 43 percent of patients experienced, on average, a consistent improvement in their walking speed, increasing it by about 25 percent.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, even a modest improvement in walking ability could mean that thousands of people could benefit from the drug.

Dr. John Richert, executive vice president of Research & Clinical Programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, says the drug can be used by most people with MS. However, the drug is not for people with a history of seizures or people who have moderate to severe kidney disease.

Richert says approval means patients can now skip the compounding pharmacy and get a consistent, exact dosage in a guaranteed time-released formula, which would lower the risk of getting a toxic dose instead of a therapeutic dose.

"It's likely that further study and clinical practice may help to determine the extent to which the drug may impact other functions, and may also provide hints as to which patients are most likely to respond positively to the therapy," Richert said.

He added that the drug would not help nerves that have been destroyed and emphasized that people should try the drug to see if it works for them.

Ampyra may not work for everyone. "Like any medication, people will have different responses, so they should talk to their doctors about whether it's appropriate to start therapy on Ampyra," according to a spokesperson from Acorda, Ampyra's manufacturer.

Moving with MS

Today, Levy is doing well. She established the not-for-profit organization MS Hope for a Cure, and in three years the organization has raised $1.8 million for research and programs to help people living with MS.

She has also completed several five-mile hikes. But she says she is always conscious of where she steps. She says she occasionally has some weakness in her leg, but that she is thankful for every day: "I don't ever take jumping out of bed for granted."]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-brutality-charged-as-pittsburgh-police-defend-fist-strikes-on-teen Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:13:32 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-brutality-charged-as-pittsburgh-police-defend-fist-strikes-on-teen
Police, in a criminal complaint on the incident, say "closed fist strikes" were used by the undercover police officers, but only to subdue the teenager as he tried to get away.

His mother said she plans to file a civil rights claim against the officers.

Terez Miles said her son, Jordan Miles, who is black, thought his life was in jeopardy when three white men jumped out of a car on the night of January 11 as he walked not far from his home.

"My son tried to run thinking his life was in jeopardy," Terez Miles said. "He made three steps before he slipped and fell." After that, she said, the police used a stun gun and beat him, pulling out a chunk of his hair.
The case is being investigated, [the Pittsburgh mayor is] closely monitoring it. He's met with the chief.
--Joanna Doven, Pittsburgh press secretary
RELATED TOPICS

* Pennsylvania

The criminal complaint says the officers, considering Jordan Miles' appearance suspicious, got out of the car and identified themselves as police. He tried to flee, fell, and then struggled to escape.

The officers "delivered 2-3 closed fist strikes to Miles' head/face with still no effect," and then a "knee strike to Miles' head causing him to momentarily stop resisting," so that he could be handcuffed, the document says.

Miles' mother said the officers did not identify themselves as police to her son, a viola player and student at the city's Creative and Performing Arts High School.

The complaint says the police officers believed Miles was engaged in criminal activity and possibly armed with a "large heavy object." The object turned out to be a bottle of Mountain Dew.

Miles was charged with aggravated assault, loitering, resisting arrest and escape.

A hearing in the case was scheduled for Thursday, but it was unclear whether the officers involved showed up, said Miles' attorney, Kerry Lewis. The judge postponed the case until February 18.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is "taking this very seriously," said his press secretary, Joanna Doven. "The case is being investigated, he's closely monitoring it. He's met with the chief."

The three officers were taken off plainclothes duty and were back in uniform, she said.

Terez Miles contends the officers used too much force.

"My son is 150 pounds and 5-foot-6. There's no need for this degree of violence and brutality for someone of this stature," she said.

Lewis said Jordan Miles has no criminal record.]]>
Police, in a criminal complaint on the incident, say "closed fist strikes" were used by the undercover police officers, but only to subdue the teenager as he tried to get away.

His mother said she plans to file a civil rights claim against the officers.

Terez Miles said her son, Jordan Miles, who is black, thought his life was in jeopardy when three white men jumped out of a car on the night of January 11 as he walked not far from his home.

"My son tried to run thinking his life was in jeopardy," Terez Miles said. "He made three steps before he slipped and fell." After that, she said, the police used a stun gun and beat him, pulling out a chunk of his hair.
The case is being investigated, [the Pittsburgh mayor is] closely monitoring it. He's met with the chief.
--Joanna Doven, Pittsburgh press secretary
RELATED TOPICS

* Pennsylvania

The criminal complaint says the officers, considering Jordan Miles' appearance suspicious, got out of the car and identified themselves as police. He tried to flee, fell, and then struggled to escape.

The officers "delivered 2-3 closed fist strikes to Miles' head/face with still no effect," and then a "knee strike to Miles' head causing him to momentarily stop resisting," so that he could be handcuffed, the document says.

Miles' mother said the officers did not identify themselves as police to her son, a viola player and student at the city's Creative and Performing Arts High School.

The complaint says the police officers believed Miles was engaged in criminal activity and possibly armed with a "large heavy object." The object turned out to be a bottle of Mountain Dew.

Miles was charged with aggravated assault, loitering, resisting arrest and escape.

A hearing in the case was scheduled for Thursday, but it was unclear whether the officers involved showed up, said Miles' attorney, Kerry Lewis. The judge postponed the case until February 18.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is "taking this very seriously," said his press secretary, Joanna Doven. "The case is being investigated, he's closely monitoring it. He's met with the chief."

The three officers were taken off plainclothes duty and were back in uniform, she said.

Terez Miles contends the officers used too much force.

"My son is 150 pounds and 5-foot-6. There's no need for this degree of violence and brutality for someone of this stature," she said.

Lewis said Jordan Miles has no criminal record.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-share-this-on-mixx-facebook-twitter-digg-delicious-reddit-myspace-stumbleupon-linke Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:13:11 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-share-this-on-mixx-facebook-twitter-digg-delicious-reddit-myspace-stumbleupon-linke
New Yorkers passing through midtown Manhattan this week saw the smiling faces of "Charles and YaVaughnie" beaming down upon them from one of two billboards in the city with the caption reading, "You are my soulmate forever! - cep."

A URL on the billboards led curious visitors to a Web site containing personal photo albums featuring the couple at public and private events with friends and family. It also contained love notes from Charles E. Phillips to YaVaughnie Wilkins.

Phillips, 50, the co-president of Oracle Corp., admitted the affair with Wilkins, 42, in a statement released by his spokeswoman Friday.

""I had an 8½-year serious relationship with YaVaughnie Wilkins," the statement said. "My divorce proceedings began in 2008. The relationship with Ms. Wilkins has since ended and we both wish each other well."

Phillips is reportedly still married to his wife, Karen, and the two have a son together.

Wilkins declined to speak directly to the media, instead fielding requests through her cousin Misha Davila, who told CNN the Web site was created as a gift from Wilkins for Phillips' 50th birthday.

The billboards were an attempt by Wilkins to reclaim her version of her relationship with Phillips among friends and family -- not an act of revenge, Davila said.

By Friday, at least one New York billboard had been removed and the Web site was no longer active. The status of similar billboards in San Francisco was unclear. Two ads in Atlanta have also been removed, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday.

Davila said Wilkins refuses to be cast as the "other woman."

According to Davila, Wilkins had been under the impression that Phillips' divorce was finalized in 2003.

"Their relationship was always very public and open. He went to family events, she has traveled with him," Davila said.

But late last summer, Davila said, Wilkins received an anonymous e-mail tip about Phillips' marital status. Hiring a private investigator, she learned that Phillips was still married. She ended her relationship with him in October 2009.

Bela Kovacs, the designer of the Web site, told CNN he was commissioned to create it by Wilkins last summer. It "launched sometime in October," Kovacs said in an e-mail.

Phillips, who has served on President Obama's economic recovery advisory board since February, joined Oracle in 2003. Prior to that, he worked as a tech industry analyst at Morgan Stanley and served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Often talked of as a potential successor to Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison, Phillips is one of the software company's most senior and highly paid excecutives. On top of an $800,000 salary for 2009, he took home stock options and other compensation valued by Oracle at more than $18 million.]]>
New Yorkers passing through midtown Manhattan this week saw the smiling faces of "Charles and YaVaughnie" beaming down upon them from one of two billboards in the city with the caption reading, "You are my soulmate forever! - cep."

A URL on the billboards led curious visitors to a Web site containing personal photo albums featuring the couple at public and private events with friends and family. It also contained love notes from Charles E. Phillips to YaVaughnie Wilkins.

Phillips, 50, the co-president of Oracle Corp., admitted the affair with Wilkins, 42, in a statement released by his spokeswoman Friday.

""I had an 8½-year serious relationship with YaVaughnie Wilkins," the statement said. "My divorce proceedings began in 2008. The relationship with Ms. Wilkins has since ended and we both wish each other well."

Phillips is reportedly still married to his wife, Karen, and the two have a son together.

Wilkins declined to speak directly to the media, instead fielding requests through her cousin Misha Davila, who told CNN the Web site was created as a gift from Wilkins for Phillips' 50th birthday.

The billboards were an attempt by Wilkins to reclaim her version of her relationship with Phillips among friends and family -- not an act of revenge, Davila said.

By Friday, at least one New York billboard had been removed and the Web site was no longer active. The status of similar billboards in San Francisco was unclear. Two ads in Atlanta have also been removed, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday.

Davila said Wilkins refuses to be cast as the "other woman."

According to Davila, Wilkins had been under the impression that Phillips' divorce was finalized in 2003.

"Their relationship was always very public and open. He went to family events, she has traveled with him," Davila said.

But late last summer, Davila said, Wilkins received an anonymous e-mail tip about Phillips' marital status. Hiring a private investigator, she learned that Phillips was still married. She ended her relationship with him in October 2009.

Bela Kovacs, the designer of the Web site, told CNN he was commissioned to create it by Wilkins last summer. It "launched sometime in October," Kovacs said in an e-mail.

Phillips, who has served on President Obama's economic recovery advisory board since February, joined Oracle in 2003. Prior to that, he worked as a tech industry analyst at Morgan Stanley and served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Often talked of as a potential successor to Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison, Phillips is one of the software company's most senior and highly paid excecutives. On top of an $800,000 salary for 2009, he took home stock options and other compensation valued by Oracle at more than $18 million.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-conan-o-brien-quips-about-next-career-move-nudity Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:12:51 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-conan-o-brien-quips-about-next-career-move-nudity
"We've a had a lot of fun being here these last seven months, but like everything in life, the fun has to come to an end a decade too early," the comedian joked during his opening monologue. "As I set off for exciting new career opportunities, I just want to make one thing clear to everyone listening out there: I will do nudity."

The red-headed host is getting $45 million to leave his late-night hosting gig on NBC so that Jay Leno can return to the 11:35 p.m. slot from prime time, where his ratings had been sagging.

As for how history will remember the late-night showdown, O'Brien has at least one idea. "HBO, when you make the movie about this whole NBC late night fiasco, I'd like to be played by Academy-Award winning actress Tilda Swinton," he cracked.

Leno's new "Tonight Show" will premiere March 1, followed by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" at 12:35 a.m. O'Brien is free to sign a contract with another network beginning on September. 1, NBC said.

Although his opening monologue was light, before wrapping up the show by singing a song with guest Will Ferrell, O'Brien expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his fans and took the high road, thanking NBC for all the years he spent at the company.

"There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at "Saturday Night Live," "The Late Night Show," and my brief run here on the "Tonight Show," I have worked with NBC for over 20 years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we're going to go our separate ways, but this company has been my home for most of my ***** life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.

"Walking away from the "Tonight Show" is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult," O'Brien continued. "This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting the "Tonight Show" and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I've had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we'll find a way to make it fun.

"Finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the Internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational. To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. "

Although O'Brien did not end up winning the late-night battle, he remains optimistic about his future, he said, and hopes his fans do the same.

"All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere," he concluded. "Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.]]>
"We've a had a lot of fun being here these last seven months, but like everything in life, the fun has to come to an end a decade too early," the comedian joked during his opening monologue. "As I set off for exciting new career opportunities, I just want to make one thing clear to everyone listening out there: I will do nudity."

The red-headed host is getting $45 million to leave his late-night hosting gig on NBC so that Jay Leno can return to the 11:35 p.m. slot from prime time, where his ratings had been sagging.

As for how history will remember the late-night showdown, O'Brien has at least one idea. "HBO, when you make the movie about this whole NBC late night fiasco, I'd like to be played by Academy-Award winning actress Tilda Swinton," he cracked.

Leno's new "Tonight Show" will premiere March 1, followed by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" at 12:35 a.m. O'Brien is free to sign a contract with another network beginning on September. 1, NBC said.

Although his opening monologue was light, before wrapping up the show by singing a song with guest Will Ferrell, O'Brien expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his fans and took the high road, thanking NBC for all the years he spent at the company.

"There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at "Saturday Night Live," "The Late Night Show," and my brief run here on the "Tonight Show," I have worked with NBC for over 20 years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we're going to go our separate ways, but this company has been my home for most of my ***** life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.

"Walking away from the "Tonight Show" is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult," O'Brien continued. "This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting the "Tonight Show" and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I've had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we'll find a way to make it fun.

"Finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the Internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational. To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. "

Although O'Brien did not end up winning the late-night battle, he remains optimistic about his future, he said, and hopes his fans do the same.

"All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere," he concluded. "Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-israel-pays-u-n-for-damage-in-gaza-offensive Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:12:27 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-israel-pays-u-n-for-damage-in-gaza-offensive
During the three weeks of fierce fighting, Israeli shells set ablaze the U.N.'s main aid distribution warehouse in Gaza City and also attacked three U.N. schools for Palestinian refugee children, the U.N. said.

A U.N. board of inquiry investigated the incidents and released a scathing report about it last May.

In the report, the U.N. board of inquiry blamed Israel for the damage during the military offensive between December 2008 and January 2009.

Shortly after the report was released, Israeli President Shimon Peres said his country's military had made "mistakes," but said the offensive was aimed at stopping the firing of rockets into Israeli towns from Hamas in Gaza.

"With this payment, the United Nations has agreed that the financial issues relating to those incidents referred to in the terms of reference of the Board of Inquiry are concluded," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky said Friday.

"The Secretary-General would like to record the cooperative approach that the government of Israel has shown in the course of the discussions that led to this settlement."

Comment from the Israeli government about the payment was not immediately available.]]>
During the three weeks of fierce fighting, Israeli shells set ablaze the U.N.'s main aid distribution warehouse in Gaza City and also attacked three U.N. schools for Palestinian refugee children, the U.N. said.

A U.N. board of inquiry investigated the incidents and released a scathing report about it last May.

In the report, the U.N. board of inquiry blamed Israel for the damage during the military offensive between December 2008 and January 2009.

Shortly after the report was released, Israeli President Shimon Peres said his country's military had made "mistakes," but said the offensive was aimed at stopping the firing of rockets into Israeli towns from Hamas in Gaza.

"With this payment, the United Nations has agreed that the financial issues relating to those incidents referred to in the terms of reference of the Board of Inquiry are concluded," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky said Friday.

"The Secretary-General would like to record the cooperative approach that the government of Israel has shown in the course of the discussions that led to this settlement."

Comment from the Israeli government about the payment was not immediately available.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-radio-station-in-the-sky-warns-haitians-not-to-attempt-boat-voyage Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:55:31 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-radio-station-in-the-sky-warns-haitians-not-to-attempt-boat-voyage
The plane is broadcasting recorded messages from Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States, and announcements of where earthquake victims can go for food and aid.

"Listen, don't rush on boats to leave the country," Joseph says in Creole. "If you do that, we'll all have even worse problems. Because, I'll be honest with you: If you think you will reach the U.S. and all the doors will be wide open to you, that's not at all the case. And they will intercept you right on the water and send you back home where you came from."

The EC-130J Commando Solo, a large transport aircraft, is flying and broadcasting five hours a day over Haiti, authorities said. In addition to the message from Joseph, it is broadcasting news from Voice of America and instructions on hygiene procedures to prevent disease.

"We are sending public service messages ... to save lives," said State Department deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid. "It is part of the U.S. effort to help keep Haitians safe. We don't want people to endanger their lives by taking risk to try to get to the U.S. at this time."

Haitians who have valid visas can come to the United States on commercial flights.
Video: U.S. choppers bring aid
Video: Looters a new Haitian problem
Video: U.S. troops distribute water
Gallery: Haiti's children survive after quake
RELATED TOPICS

* Haiti
* Earthquakes
* Port-au-Prince

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has activated a task force to review plans on how to respond to a mass migration from Haiti if necessary. But officials stressed that the measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution.

"We're actively looking for signs that the citizens of Haiti [are migrating by sea] but right now there's no sign," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Christopher O'Neil. "The only movement of people we've seen has been all inland."

O'Neil said a sea migration is unlikely "if for no other reason than there's this massive federal government presence [in Haiti] trying to deliver humanitarian relief."

"We've probably never had this great of a situational awareness of what's going on in Haiti as we do right now," he added.

Full coverage | Twitter updates

The U.S. Coast Guard has five cutters off the Haiti coast focused on delivering humanitarian assistance, and is moving more into the area.

Past mass migrations were sparked by geopolitical circumstances rather than natural disasters, O'Neil said.

The federal government created a mass migration plan in 2004 after an uptick in migration from the Caribbean, and it regularly exercises the plan. More than 55 agencies participated in the last full-scale exercise, he said.

"Attempts to enter the United States by sea are inherently dangerous," he said. Migrants typically use crowded, poorly built boats and "put themselves at the mercy of smugglers.

"It's simply a prudent measure [to activate the task force]," he said. "Given the situation and not wanting to be caught unprepared, it makes sense to at least look at the plan and make sure that the people in the appropriate agencies are ready and able to execute the plan if it's warranted."

Search list of missing and found

The phenomenon of Haitian migration in small boats and rafts dates back at least 35 years, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Most notably, an estimated 25,000 Haitians were among the mass migration of more than 150,000 asylum seekers who arrived in South Florida during the Mariel boatlift, an exodus of mostly Cuban migrants in 1980.

CNN Producer Elise Labott contributed to this report.]]>
The plane is broadcasting recorded messages from Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States, and announcements of where earthquake victims can go for food and aid.

"Listen, don't rush on boats to leave the country," Joseph says in Creole. "If you do that, we'll all have even worse problems. Because, I'll be honest with you: If you think you will reach the U.S. and all the doors will be wide open to you, that's not at all the case. And they will intercept you right on the water and send you back home where you came from."

The EC-130J Commando Solo, a large transport aircraft, is flying and broadcasting five hours a day over Haiti, authorities said. In addition to the message from Joseph, it is broadcasting news from Voice of America and instructions on hygiene procedures to prevent disease.

"We are sending public service messages ... to save lives," said State Department deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid. "It is part of the U.S. effort to help keep Haitians safe. We don't want people to endanger their lives by taking risk to try to get to the U.S. at this time."

Haitians who have valid visas can come to the United States on commercial flights.
Video: U.S. choppers bring aid
Video: Looters a new Haitian problem
Video: U.S. troops distribute water
Gallery: Haiti's children survive after quake
RELATED TOPICS

* Haiti
* Earthquakes
* Port-au-Prince

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has activated a task force to review plans on how to respond to a mass migration from Haiti if necessary. But officials stressed that the measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution.

"We're actively looking for signs that the citizens of Haiti [are migrating by sea] but right now there's no sign," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Christopher O'Neil. "The only movement of people we've seen has been all inland."

O'Neil said a sea migration is unlikely "if for no other reason than there's this massive federal government presence [in Haiti] trying to deliver humanitarian relief."

"We've probably never had this great of a situational awareness of what's going on in Haiti as we do right now," he added.

Full coverage | Twitter updates

The U.S. Coast Guard has five cutters off the Haiti coast focused on delivering humanitarian assistance, and is moving more into the area.

Past mass migrations were sparked by geopolitical circumstances rather than natural disasters, O'Neil said.

The federal government created a mass migration plan in 2004 after an uptick in migration from the Caribbean, and it regularly exercises the plan. More than 55 agencies participated in the last full-scale exercise, he said.

"Attempts to enter the United States by sea are inherently dangerous," he said. Migrants typically use crowded, poorly built boats and "put themselves at the mercy of smugglers.

"It's simply a prudent measure [to activate the task force]," he said. "Given the situation and not wanting to be caught unprepared, it makes sense to at least look at the plan and make sure that the people in the appropriate agencies are ready and able to execute the plan if it's warranted."

Search list of missing and found

The phenomenon of Haitian migration in small boats and rafts dates back at least 35 years, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Most notably, an estimated 25,000 Haitians were among the mass migration of more than 150,000 asylum seekers who arrived in South Florida during the Mariel boatlift, an exodus of mostly Cuban migrants in 1980.

CNN Producer Elise Labott contributed to this report.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-bottlenecks-persist-at-haiti-s-border-with-dominican-republicbottlenecks-persist-at-h Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:54:36 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-bottlenecks-persist-at-haiti-s-border-with-dominican-republicbottlenecks-persist-at-h
The 200 miles from the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince has been backed up and can take as long as 18 hours to travel by vehicle, according to the report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), released this weekend.

A CNN crew reported taking 12 hours to drive from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, though the crew left before dawn, intending to avoid peak traffic.

Vehicles crossing from the Dominican Republic into Haiti included large trucks carrying supplies and vans and public buses that seemed to be local, the crew reported. Some aid trucks were followed by sport utility vehicles, likely transporting international aid personnel.

Traffic is heading the other way, too, the U.N. reported.
Video: Doctor: problems in Haiti
Video: Haiti's president on Amanpour
Video: U.S. choppers bring aid
Gallery: Haiti's children survive after quake
RELATED TOPICS

* Haiti
* Earthquakes
* Port-au-Prince
* Dominican Republic

"Hospitals in the border region [in the Dominican Republic] are overwhelmed and have begun to refer patients to hospitals in other cities," OCHA reported, citing the Office of the Resident Coordinator in the Dominican Republic.

"There is a shortage of specialized medical supplies, equipment, and physicians at these hospitals, and no clear inventory of what is needed," the report continued. "An effective waste management system is required for the border region in order to avoid disease and contamination of rivers."

As a result, U.N. aid distribution is being shifted to a different road that goes through the Dominican border city of Jimani, instead of the main highway that leads through the Dominican city of Elias Pina.

The CNN crew, which passed through Jimani, did not witness many injured Haitians crossing from there into the Dominican Republic. A giant pothole there made crossing the border there a one-car-at-a-time affair.

According to a priest in Elias Pina, Haitians there were worried about their families back home.

"There are many Haitians living here in Elias Pina and many don't know anything about their families," the Rev. Mike Seis of the Green Bay Diocesan Mission in Elias Pina wrote in a letter recently. "The casualties are staggering. This weekend all of the Catholic parishes in the Dominican Republic from the 11 dioceses in the country will be sending their Sunday collections to Catholic Charities of Haiti."

CNN's Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report.]]>
The 200 miles from the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince has been backed up and can take as long as 18 hours to travel by vehicle, according to the report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), released this weekend.

A CNN crew reported taking 12 hours to drive from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, though the crew left before dawn, intending to avoid peak traffic.

Vehicles crossing from the Dominican Republic into Haiti included large trucks carrying supplies and vans and public buses that seemed to be local, the crew reported. Some aid trucks were followed by sport utility vehicles, likely transporting international aid personnel.

Traffic is heading the other way, too, the U.N. reported.
Video: Doctor: problems in Haiti
Video: Haiti's president on Amanpour
Video: U.S. choppers bring aid
Gallery: Haiti's children survive after quake
RELATED TOPICS

* Haiti
* Earthquakes
* Port-au-Prince
* Dominican Republic

"Hospitals in the border region [in the Dominican Republic] are overwhelmed and have begun to refer patients to hospitals in other cities," OCHA reported, citing the Office of the Resident Coordinator in the Dominican Republic.

"There is a shortage of specialized medical supplies, equipment, and physicians at these hospitals, and no clear inventory of what is needed," the report continued. "An effective waste management system is required for the border region in order to avoid disease and contamination of rivers."

As a result, U.N. aid distribution is being shifted to a different road that goes through the Dominican border city of Jimani, instead of the main highway that leads through the Dominican city of Elias Pina.

The CNN crew, which passed through Jimani, did not witness many injured Haitians crossing from there into the Dominican Republic. A giant pothole there made crossing the border there a one-car-at-a-time affair.

According to a priest in Elias Pina, Haitians there were worried about their families back home.

"There are many Haitians living here in Elias Pina and many don't know anything about their families," the Rev. Mike Seis of the Green Bay Diocesan Mission in Elias Pina wrote in a letter recently. "The casualties are staggering. This weekend all of the Catholic parishes in the Dominican Republic from the 11 dioceses in the country will be sending their Sunday collections to Catholic Charities of Haiti."

CNN's Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report.]]> http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-court-to-decide-on-suu-kyi-appeal-within-month Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:54:14 +0200 http://www.eforum.web.tr/Konu-court-to-decide-on-suu-kyi-appeal-within-month
Such a decision will determine whether the court will proceed with the case.

The military junta has kept her under house arrest for about 14 of the past 20 years. She was sentenced in August to 18 more months of home confinement after being found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest.

The sentence stemmed from an incident in May when American John Yettaw sneaked uninvited into her house, prompting her to be tried on charges of government subversion.

Suu Kyi, 64, had told the court she didn't know Yettaw, was unaware of his plans to visit and didn't report his intrusion because she didn't want him to get into trouble.

U.S. Senator Jim Webb secured Yettaw's release after he was sentenced to seven years of hard labor.

Suu Kyi's two sole companions also were sentenced to 18 months of house arrest, to be served with Suu Kyi.]]>
Such a decision will determine whether the court will proceed with the case.

The military junta has kept her under house arrest for about 14 of the past 20 years. She was sentenced in August to 18 more months of home confinement after being found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest.

The sentence stemmed from an incident in May when American John Yettaw sneaked uninvited into her house, prompting her to be tried on charges of government subversion.

Suu Kyi, 64, had told the court she didn't know Yettaw, was unaware of his plans to visit and didn't report his intrusion because she didn't want him to get into trouble.

U.S. Senator Jim Webb secured Yettaw's release after he was sentenced to seven years of hard labor.

Suu Kyi's two sole companions also were sentenced to 18 months of house arrest, to be served with Suu Kyi.]]>