April 30, 2004

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Is that an FCC violation?

WAR NEWS

Marines pull back, make way for all-Iraqi force at Fallujah
Marines and former Iraqi generals were negotiating a pullback of U.S. forces from Fallujah, and a U.S. commander said Thursday a tentative deal on ending the siege had been reached. But a Pentagon official said the agreement was still not final.

Poll: More Iraqis optimistic, dislike U.S.
More than half of Iraqis in a survey done primarily in March and early April said their nation will be better off in five years because of the U.S.-led invasion, but 55 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion of the United States.

NBC Reporter Pushes Blinded Vet to Say He’s “Angry”
NBC reporter tries to get blind ranger to say he's angry over no WMD's. "If I would have died while I was over there that would've been worth everything that I've done."

Photos Show Apparent 'Abuse' Of Iraqi Prisoners
One photograph shows Iraqi prisoners, naked except for hoods covering their heads, stacked in a human pyramid, one with a slur written in English on his skin.

Ex-Iraqi officer ties Saddam to al-Qaeda ally
A former Iraqi intelligence officer has disclosed new information about Saddam Hussein's ties to the al-Qaeda-related terrorist group Ansar al Islam.

Sinclair to Preempt `Nightline' on ABC Stations
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. ordered its ABC affiliates to preempt tomorrow's broadcast of ``Nightline,'' which will air the names and photos of U.S. military personnel who have died in combat in Iraq, saying the move is politically motivated.

Koppel Defends "The Fallen"
"Nightline" anchor expresses his surprise at the reaction to Friday's show and explains its genesis and purpose.

More Armored Protection Urged for U.S. Troops
Critics charge that our Humvees and Strykers are not protecting our troops in Iraq. Congress aims to find out why.

Tillman Promoted Posthumously by Army
Pat Tillman was promoted posthumously from specialist to corporal after the former NFL player was killed while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan.

WAR ON TERROR

LA Officials Fear Attacks on City Malls
Security was beefed up on Thursday at several malls and shopping centers near the Los Angeles Federal Building after police said they had been told one of them could be targeted for a "terrorist" attack.

The CAIR-Terror Connection
In September of 2001, just following the worst terrorist attack ever suffered in modern history, CAIR placed on its website, under a picture of the World Trade Center in flames, a plea for donations. It read, “Donate to the NY/DC Emergency Relief Fund.”

Thai troops crush Muslim militant revolt
Are attacks by international terrorists, homegrown separatists, or just 'bandits'?

Four Treasury agents track bin Laden and Saddam money, while 21 work Castro
The Treasury Department agency entrusted with blocking the financial resources of terrorists has assigned five times as many agents to investigate Cuban embargo violations as it has to track Osama's and Saddam Hussein's money, documents show.

Congress questions state terror spending
A new congressional report on homeland security grants says states and local governments have spent billions of dollars "without any real assessment of risk or need," and some police and fire departments have used the grants to purchase equipment of "only marginal utility" in the fight against terrorism.

AFTERMATH OF 9-11

Bush: 'I Answered Every Question'
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney spent more than three hours behind closed doors Thursday with the Sept. 11 commission charged with finding ways to prevent a repeat of the worst terrorist attack in American history. "I answered every question they asked," Bush said.

Previous Engagement
9/11 Commissioners Bob Kerrey and Lee Hamilton leave in middle of Bush/Cheney testimony.

WTC leaseholder loses insurance battle
Court says 9-11 a single event, won't get $3.5 billion policy paid twice.

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE

Schwarzenegger to Visit Israel
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the son of a Nazi, visits Israel this weekend on his first foreign trip since taking office, and will attend the groundbreaking for a museum dedicated to tolerance.

MIDDLE EASTERN NEWS SOURCES

Arab Americans widely favor Kerry
A majority of Arab Americans in four battleground states would vote for democratic candidate John Kerry if presidential elections were held Thursday, April 29, a poll unveiled.

ON THE HOME FRONT

Scalia: Judicial hearings too partisan
Judges have become too much like politicians, with the unfortunate result that picking new ones has become needlessly partisan and time-consuming, Justice Antonin Scalia said.

Court: Incest victims can't lose kids
Wisconsin statute had given state power to terminate parental rights

World War II Memorial Opens
The monument introduces the young to the heroism and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation.

Same-sex marriage required to get benefits
Employers planning to cut perks for homosexuals just shacking up

Mother punishes son by having him rake leaves naked
A woman's choice of discipline got her into trouble this week when neighbors complained about her naked son.

South Utah city nixes pioneer statue
Council votes not to honor Mormon participant in 1857 massacre of 120.

Cops arrest naked man after bus hijacking
Police arrested a naked man Thursday morning after he hijacked a private school's bus.

Convicted Felon Running Nebraska's Tobacco Program
The state of Nebraska hired a man convicted of theft to oversee a million dollar program, while he was still serving time for his offense. Now, the state can't account for thousands of dollars, and hundreds of thousands more may have been mismanaged, according to the state auditor.

Bank Robber Finds Pink Is Not Pretty
A Texas woman was arrested on Wednesday after a pink dye pack attached to money she is suspected of stealing from a bank exploded when she took the cash to a different bank to open a new account, police said.

Lawmaker Aims to Ban Hog-Dog Fights
A Louisiana state legislator is trying to outlaw a violent spectator sport: fights pitting vicious dogs against wild hogs.

Ice cream shops still scoop up freebies
While state lawmakers hash over a bill designed to make it lawful to give away ice cream, local ice cream shops are flouting the existing legal ban by having free scoop days.

Retailer begins selling thongs for women sized 12 to 26
Retailer Torrid is carving out a niche that fits – in the plus-sized market.

Rotating presidents may revive dollar coin
Putting the faces of U.S. presidents on dollar coins would entice collectors and breathe interest into the dollar coin.

Girls Walking On Bike Path Report Man Exposing Himself
Englewood Police Say Man Dropped Shorts, Slapped Himself

CANADA

'Bible as hate speech' bill nears final OK
Passes Canadian Senate, lacks only formality of 'Royal Assent'

Canadians Muslims will get sharia courts to settle disputes
Canada is embarking on an unusual judicial experiment that will allow members of its Muslim community to submit to the teachings of the Koran to resolve a variety of civil legal disputes, ranging from divorces to business conflicts.

Is raising an al-Qaeda family child abuse?
Canadian citizens Maha Elsamnah and her son, Karim Khadr, returned to Canada from Pakistan a few weeks ago so that the 15-year-old Karim can take advantage of the free medical care that his citizenship entitles him to. He is currently a patient at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, one of the most renowned children’s facilities in the world.

Canadian PM to "reach out" to Bush on Washington trip
Prime Minister Paul Martin will try to score points on sticky trade issues such as softwood lumber tariffs and the U.S. ban on Canadian cattle exports in meetings on Thursday and Friday, but will have to softpedal Canada's position on Iraq when he sits down with President George W. Bush.

AROUND THE WORLD

Thai separatists: Stay away from resorts
Outlawed Thai separatist groups today warned foreigners to stay away from Thailand’s top tourist destinations and called for a Muslim uprising after unprecedented violence in the south.

Voting in Indonesian general elections causes cancer
An independent investigation revealed that the indelible ink used to mark the fingers of voters during the general election on April 5 could cause skin infections and even trigger cancer.

EUROPEENING

Wear a mask, go to prison
Finnish law forbids concealing identity at public demonstrations

One in 10 Britons welcome 'Luvania' to EU family
Around one in 10 people in Britain are looking forward to Luvania joining the European Union this weekend. That's right, Luvania.

RELIGION

Church organizations face moral quandary
Catholic institutions grapple with handling 'married gay' workers

ENTERTAINMENT

The Donald is getting married -- again
'Apprentice' star proposed to Slovenian model earlier this week; it will be his 3rd wedding.

Blue Mountains greenies bug $130m film
The filming of a multi-million-dollar Hollywood blockbuster in the Blue Mountains has been stopped partly because of fears over the fate of the larvae of a giant native dragonfly.

Olsen twins receive stars on 'Walk of Fame'
Hollywood got two stars for the price of one as 17-year-old twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen shared a new marker on the Walk of Fame.

SCIENCE / SPACE

NASA budget meets trouble in Congress
NASA's space exploration vision is stalling in the U.S. House of Representatives where key lawmakers say Congress has neither the details nor the dollars needed to fully support U.S. President George W. Bush's 2005 budget request for the agency.

TECHNOLOGY

Senate OKs Bill to Ban Web Access Tax
The Senate voted Thursday to restore a ban on state and local taxation of the services that connect consumers to the Internet.

Google sets $2.7 billion IPO
Popular search engine company files for its eagerly anticipated initial public offering.

Spying software watches you work
Nine out of 10 of the technology managers questioned said machines at their firm had programs that spied on the browsing habits of staff.

First Arrests Made Under 'Can Spam' Act
Federal authorities are filing the first criminal charges under the government's new anti-spam legislation. Federal officials have announced the arrest of two men in a landmark case from the Detroit area.

BUSINESS / ECONOMY

Economy Grows at 4.2 Percent Rate
America's economy posts solid gains, good news for President Bush but not enough to please some analysts who wanted a "blowout."

Time plans to bring back Life magazine
Time Inc. is stepping up its plans to relaunch Life magazine, whose world-famous photojournalism made it one of the publisher's best-known brands.

POLITICS

Kerry Says Bush Ignoring Imminent Threats
Amid warnings that another devastating terrorist attack on the United States could be imminent, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Thursday accused President Bush of leaving the nation's chemical plants vulnerable because of his political ties to the industry.

Kerry's main Iranian fund raiser sues the Movement
The primary Iranian supporter of Senator John Kerry and a subject of many controversies, Hassan Nemazee, has sued the "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran and its coordinator for 10-million dollars in damages.

House OKs Permanent Tax Relief
Even 102 Democrats vote to end the marriage penalty, but the Senate ...

Senator Sorry for Reference to Jesus
Florida Senate President Jim King apologizes to Jewish legislators because a minister mentioned the "freedom for people to believe in Jesus Christ."

Nancy Pelosi Says She'll Take Communion
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., like John Kerry a Catholic who supports abortion rights, said Thursday she will continue to ask for Holy Communion in spite of Vatican opposition to pro-choice Catholics doing so.

Nancy Reagan vetoes 'Ronald Reagan U.'
Ex-first lady says no to proposed 10,000-student school in Colorado

SCHOOLS

Pro-life T-shirts stir up school
Principal makes students remove them because of 'disruptive' debate

Student letter warns against Cheney 'diatribe'
A group of students at Florida State University is demanding that FSU's president ask Vice President Dick Cheney not to attack Sen. John Kerry or make a "political diatribe" Saturday when delivers the school's commencement address.

GLENNVIRNOMENT

Whales having to shout over din of orca-watching craft
Surprised researchers find the declining Puget Sound-area population has changed its behavior in response to noise.