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| Supreme Court To Hear Affirmative Action Case - Huffington Post Posted: 25 Mar 2013 08:56 AM PDT WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is broadening its examination of affirmative action by adding a case about Michigan's effort to ban consideration of race in college admissions. The justices already were considering a challenge to the University of Texas program that takes account of race, among many factors, to fill remaining spots in its freshman classes. The Texas case has been argued, but not yet decided. The court on Monday said it would add the Michigan case, which focuses on the 6-year-old voter-approved prohibition on affirmative action and the appeals court ruling that overturned the ban. The new case will be argued in the fall. A decision in the Texas case is expected by late June. The dispute over affirmative action in Michigan has its roots in the 2003 Supreme Court decision that upheld the use of race as a factor in university admissions. That case concerned the University of Michigan law school. In response to the court's 5-4 decision in that case, affirmative action opponents worked to put a ballot measure in front of voters to amend the state constitution to outlaw preferential treatment on the basis of race and other factors in education, as well as government hiring and contracting. In November 2006, 58 percent of Michigan voters approved the measure. Civil rights groups sued to block the provision the day after the vote. In November, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 8-7 to invalidate the ban as it applies to college admissions. It did not address hiring or contracting. The appeals court said the constitutional amendment is illegal under Supreme Court rulings from the late 1960s and early 1980s that prohibit placing special burdens on minority groups that want to bring about changes in laws and policies. The court said that forcing opponents of the ban to mount their own long, expensive campaign through the ballot box to protect affirmative action amounts to different, and unequal, treatment. That burden "undermines the Equal Protection Clause's guarantee that all citizens ought to have equal access to the tools of political change," the court said. By way of example, the court said that children of university alumni remain free to lobby lawmakers and university officials to adopt policies to take family ties into account in admissions. The 6th Circuit divided along ideological lines, with its more liberal judges in the majority. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette asked the Supreme Court to review the 6th Circuit's ruling. "Entrance to our great colleges and universities must be based upon merit, and I remain optimistic moving forward in our fight for equality, fairness and rule of law at our nation's highest court," Schuette said Monday. In the Texas case, a white student who was denied admission to the University of Texas is suing to overturn the school's use of race among many factors to fill out its incoming freshman classes. The bulk of the slots go to Texans who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. The Michigan case is Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, 12-682. Also on HuffPost: "; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); }); |
| 'The Walking Dead': 10 characters we'll miss; 5 in danger (spoilers) - Los Angeles Times Posted: 25 Mar 2013 08:48 AM PDT Departing show runner Glen Mazzara has long contended that in the world of "The Walking Dead," no one is safe. And it's true that so far in the life of the AMC zombie series, a host of characters have met untimely deaths — at the hands of walkers and other dangers. (A strong warning to anyone who might have missed Sunday's episode, "This Sorrowful Life," stop reading right now unless you want to know which major character met his end last night.) In a shocking turn of events, David Morrissey's ruthless Governor shot and killed Merle, leaving fans of the Dixon brothers heartbroken — even as they might have breathed a sigh of relief that Daryl's life was spared — for now. (If there's anyone the writers can't kill, it's Norman Reedus' fan favorite; Mazzara conceded to Hero Complex that he's heard from plenty of audience members who promise to revolt should anything happen to him.) Michael Rooker's Merle might not have been the most affable guy, but his exit surely will be felt in surprising ways. The ghosts of earlier members of Rick's band of survivors continue to echo out in episodes even now, either as actual manifestations or as factors that cause the living characters to behave in certain ways.  At the end of Season 2, Shane turned on Rick, then turned zombie (note the contacts), then Carl turned on Shane. (AMC) In Season 1, a walker took several big bites out of Amy (Emma Bell). That turned her big sister Andrea (Laurie Holden) suicidal for a time. The character recovered her will to live and went on to former a sisterly relationship with Michonne (Dania Gurira), though obviously that particular bond has been sorely tested. Season 2 proved especially lethal, though. Carl (Chandler Riggs) was nearly killed by a hunter's bullet, and though he survived, that event set the stage for the death of Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince) at the hands of Shane. Nor was Carl the only child in danger. In what remains one of the show's most heartbreaking moments, Season 2 brought the end of Carol's daughter Sophia, who turned into a walker and had to be put down. Then there was Dale, followed almost immediately by Jon Bernthal's Shane. Although the loss of Jeffrey DeMunn's Dale represented a deep blow — he had become the group's unfailing moral center — Shane's death proved more complicated. Anyone familiar with Robert Kirkman's comic books might have had an inkling that the increasingly unhinged former lawman wouldn't survive the show's unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape. But it wasn't a hungry zombie that did Shane in — it was a knife wound to the gut courtesy of his former best friend and partner, delivered in a spectacular moonlight standoff in the second-season finale that gave the actor a chance to finally pop in a pair of zombie contact lenses. And in taking Shane's life to protect the group, Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes stepped onto the path he's followed this season, one of deep inner turmoil. Lori — wife of Rick, mother of young Carl — made a monumental self-sacrifice in Season 3 when she had a Caesarean to save her unborn baby, the child-of-questionable-parentage, and it spelled Lori's doom, and the departure of actress Sarah Wayne Callies. We also said goodbye to another original Atlanta survivor, T-Dog — how could you not like T-Dog? From Seasons 1 to 3, he seemed to get sidelined, but he did suffer a heroic death, sacrificing himself to walkers to save Carol (whose abusive husband Ed, played by actor Adam Minarovich, died in Season 1). After losing a couple of new characters met along the way — Axel, we hardly know you — now there's Merle. Speaking on the Georgia set of the show earlier this year, Rooker was quick to defend his often unlikable character. "Merle for me has always been not at all what I think most people think of Merle, as somewhat of a cliched Southern bigoted redneck," Rooker explained. "Merle's been around the world, been around the corner a few times, had some knocks and bruises, encounters with law enforcement. And you know what? He's a tough … you don't want to mess with him. In the way I sort of envisioned and developed the character, so far Merle is not some sort of psychopathic killing machine — when it comes to zombies, yes, he absolutely loves it and is quite good at it. [But now] Merle's kind of found a home, but there's still something missing, his family. His family is his brother." The Season 3 finale is upon us, "Welcome to the Tombs." Starting Monday night, AMC will begin a weeklong marathon of "The Walking Dead," from the first episode through "This Sorrowful Life," in preparation for the finale. The big question is, are we going to lose someone else from our diminishing band of survivors? In the gallery above, we look back on 10 characters who have completed their time on "The Walking Dead." Also included: five characters who might be in grave danger. Tell us your thoughts in the comments below, as well as your ideas of who might be next. – Amy Hubbard and Gina McIntyre ALSO: "Doctor Who" lords it over time, space and TV "Star Trek: The Video Game": Aiming to stun disbelievers "Oz the Great and Powerful": The art of the opening sequence |
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| RAM reaffirms Kenanga IB's ratings Posted: 24 Mar 2013 07:10 PM PDT Malaysia's RAM Ratings has reaffirmed Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd's long- and short-term financial institution ratings at A3 and P1, respectively; the long-term rating has a stable outlook. The ratings take into consideration Kenanga IB's expanded retail stockbroking franchise following the completion of its acquisition of ECM Libra Investment Bank in December 2012. The acquisition has cemented its position as Malaysia's second-largest brokerage firm by trading volume in 2012, besides widening its branch network and enlarging its remisier base. The acquisition is expected to strengthen the Bank's brokerage income while non-stockbroking income will still largely stem from its investment-banking business. On this note, Kenanga IB has made strides in building its investment-banking franchise.
In the short term, the Bank will focus on realising synergistic cost savings through staff and branch rationalisation. We envisage that it will need 1-3 years before realising the large-scale benefits of the integration exercise. Similar to all acquisitions, there could be integration risks, especially with respect to aligning the best practices of both entities as well as the retention of human capital and clients. RAM will closely monitor the post-merger integration process. Kenanga IB has healthy loan and securities portfolios, with no exposure to impaired corporate loans or debt securities during the period under review. Its earnings profile is inherently volatile due to the unpredictability of capital market movements. Meanwhile, Kenanga IB's financial performance in none months FY December 2012 was affected by weaker brokerage income and higher personnel costs. On balance, however, the Bank has retained its sound liquidity profile and sturdy capitalisation.-- Reuters |
| Posted: 24 Mar 2013 07:01 PM PDT Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened higher in early trading Monday, as investors took the cue from the gains seen on Wall Street, dealers said. As at 9.09am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 2.52 points to 1,629.41, after opening 3.77 points higher at 1,630.66. They said global sentiment was positive as Cyprus' worries eased after a European Union official said an agreement has been made on an aid package for Cyprus. HwangDBS Vickers Research said the FBM KLCI should see its immediate support level at 1,615 level while immediate resistance stood at 1,635 level.
On the score board, the Plantation Index gained 18.81 points to 7,803.97, the Finance Index rose 22.72 points to 15,347.94 but the Industrial Index slipped 3.26 points to 2,820.32. The FBMT100 earned 17.7 points lower at 11,003.33, the FBM Mid 70 Index was 22.84 points higher at 12,467.49 and the FBM Emas Index advanced 16.67 points to 11,167.18. The FBM Ace Index, however, lost 10.41 points to 3,980.84. Gainers led losers 87 to 57, with 97 counters unchanged, 1,403 untraded and 16 suspended. Turnover stood at 25.75 million shares worth RM20.69 million. Actives, Eti Tech Corp and Luster Industries earne half sen each to six sen and 10.5 sen, respectively, Destini gained 1.5 sen to 36.5 sen, while Efficient E-Solutions was flat at 13 sen. Heavyweights, Maybank improved one sen to RM9.15, CIMB Group gained four sen to RM7.20, but Petronas Chemicals and Maxis were all flat at RM6.38 and RM6.51, respectively. Sime Darby lost four sen to RM9.15 and Axiata Group shed one sen to RM6.35.-- Bernama |
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| John Kerry warns Iraq over Iran-Syria flights - CBS News Posted: 24 Mar 2013 08:08 AM PDT Updated 11:11 a.m. ET BAGHDAD The U.S. has made clear that Iraq shouldn't allow Iran to use its airspace to ship weapons and fighters to Syria, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Sunday during an unannounced trip to Baghdad. Following private discussions with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Kerry said the two had a "very spirited discussion" on the subject of Iranian overflights. The U.S. believes the Iranian shipments are aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad and undermining Western-backed opposition groups. A senior U.S. official traveling with John Kerry said that there is "substantial" intelligence that indicates that the Iranian planes are carrying lethal aid for the Assad regime, reports CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan. "I made it very clear that for those of us who are engaged in an effort to see President Assad step down ... anything that supports President Assad is problematic," Kerry said. Kerry also said that U.S. lawmakers and the American people are "increasingly watching what Iraq is doing and wondering how it is a partner." In the absence of a complete ban on flights, the U.S. would at least like the planes to land and be inspected in Iraq to ensure that they are carrying humanitarian supplies. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton secured a pledge from Iraq to inspect the flights last year, but since then only two aircraft have been checked by Iraqi authorities, according to U.S. officials. The overflights have long been a source of contention between the U.S. and Iraq and Kerry will tell the Iraqis that allowing them to continue will make the situation in Syria worse and ultimately threaten Iraq's stability. One senior U.S. official said the sheer number of overflights, which occur "close to daily," along with shipments trucked to Syria from Iran through Iraq, was inconsistent with claims they are only carrying humanitarian supplies. The official said it was in Iraq's interest to prevent the situation in Syria from deteriorating further, particularly as there are fears that al Qaeda-linked extremists may gain a foothold in the country as the Assad regime falters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to publicly preview Kerry's meetings, said there are clear links between al Qaeda linked extremists operating in Syria and militants who are also carrying out terrorist attacks in Iraqi territory with increasing regularity. A group of fighters in Syria known as Jabhat al-Nusra, a powerful offshoot of al Qaeda in Iraq that the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization, has claimed responsibility for most of the deadliest suicide bombings against regime and military facilities and, as a result, has gained popularity among some rebels. Kerry will tell al-Maliki, a Shiite with close ties to Iran, that Iraq cannot be part of the political discussion about Syria's future until it clamps down on the Iranian shipments, the senior official said. Maliki has long-standing relationships with Iranian and Syrian officials from his time as Shia dissident. He built those relationships during the late 1970s in an effort to get their help to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Since Maliki became Prime Minister, those ties have proved useful to maintain his own hold on power. However, they are problematic for the U.S. and its efforts to isolate Iran and cut off the regime of Syria's Assad. As Iraq approaches provincial elections next month, Kerry will also stress the importance of ensuring that all elements of society feel enfranchised, the official said. A recent decision to delay the polls in Anbar and Nineveh provinces is a "serious setback" to Iraq's democratic institutions and should be revisited, the official said. In addition to al-Maliki, Kerry saw Iraqi parliament speaker parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, whose faction is at odds with Maliki's Shiia. Kerry also spoke by phone with Massoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdish Regional Government based in Irbil to encourage the Kurds not go ahead with unilateral actions — especially involving oil, like a pipeline deal with Turkey. He will stress the "importance of maintaining the unity of Iraq," say that "separate efforts undercut the unity of the country" and that "the Kurdish republic cannot survive financially without the support of Baghdad," the official said. Kerry's arrival came just three days after the anniversary of the U.S.-led war that began on March 20, 2003, with an airstrike on Dora Farms in southern Baghdad in a failed attempt to kill Hussein. The invasion and toppling of Hussein sparked years of bloodshed as Sunni and Shiite militants battled U.S. forces and each other, leaving nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis dead. Violence has ebbed sharply since the peak of Sunni-Shiite fighting that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007. But insurgents are still able to stage high-profile attacks, and sectarian and ethnic rivalries remain threats to the country's long-term stability. Earlier this week, an al Qaeda in Iraq front group claimed responsibility nearly 20 attacks that killed 65 people across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Islamic State of Iraq said it unleashed the car bombs and other explosions to avenge the executions and "massacres" of convicted Sunni inmates held in Iraqi prisons. Its claim came on the 10th anniversary of the start of the war, although it made no reference to the significance of the date. Kerry arrived in Baghdad from Amman, where he had been accompanying President Barack Obama on his tour of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. His visit to Iraq is the first by a U.S. secretary of state since Clinton went in April 2009. During Obama's first term, the Iraq portfolio was largely delegated to Vice President Joe Biden. Since Clinton's trip, the American diplomatic presence in Iraq has shrunk dramatically, most significantly since U.S. ended military operations in late 2011, according to officials. A year ago, there were 16,000 State Department employees and contractors in the country. As of Kerry's visit, that number had declined to 10,500 and it will drop to 5,100 by the end of 2013, officials said. |
| Storm expected to dump 9 inches or more - STLtoday.com Posted: 24 Mar 2013 08:10 AM PDT Updates with new forecast ST. LOUIS • The area dodged the first wave of snow, but a second wave of heavier snow including thundersnow is pounding the area. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the region through tonight, with expected accumulations totaling between eight to 10 inches overall — and the possibility of even higher levels in the northwest suburbs. Snow is expected to taper off this evening, but light snow or flurries are likely to accompany Monday morning's commute, bringing an additional one half inch by mid-afternoon. "We've had lots of reports of thundersnow... all across the area," said forecaster Jon Carney for the National Weather Service. He said that reports of thundersnow —when thunderclouds carry lightning and heavier precipitation into the snowstorm — have surfaced in St. Louis and St. Charles counties as well as the Illinois counties of St. Clair and Madison. For areas south of Highway 44 in Missouri and Highway 64 in Illinois, a late morning storm was forecast to start as rain or sleet. For the areas to the north it started as snow. But by this afternoon and early evening, the entire region should be hit with snow or thundersnow, leaving accumulations of nearly 9 inches. Police, fire and EMS crews responded to multiple reports of vehicles sliding off the road, into median barriers and into each other. The St. Louis Art Museum announced it would close at noon Sunday. Rain began falling Saturday evening at Lambert St. Louis International Airport, and at least one airline — Southwest — began cancelling flights. The airline, Lambert's largest, cancelled several flights leaving between 8 and 10 a.m. from St. Louis to Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York, among other cities. Its website notes that the airline is "monitoring" winter weather moving into the Midwest, and that flights through Monday could be "delayed, diverted, or cancelled." Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest, said the plan was to land all flights coming in to Lambert Saturday night, and get the first batch out early Sunday morning. The company was hoping to get planes back to Lambert by later that morning, in anticipation that the snow will ease up. Hawkins acknowledged, however, that the weather may not cooperate. "As the snow moves, we move the plan," Hawkins said. Cancelling mid-morning flights on Sunday may well be prudent, said Mark Britt, a National Weather Service meteorologist stationed in Weldon Springs. Britt said that the weather service still anticipates between 6 and 8 inches of snow in the metro area, with the heaviest downpour coming midmorning to late-afternoon. By between 10 a.m. and noon, visibility was expected to drop and snow will become the heaviest, Britt said, with no real slowdown until late in the afternoon or early evening. "During that time, we're going to see a rapid accumulation of snow," Britt said. The city of St. Louis's emergency management agency warned Saturday afternoon that travel during the snowstorm will be "extremely difficult… if not impossible." It recommended travel only with a full tank of gas, snow shovel, flashlight, cellphone, blankets and extra warm clothing. The Missouri Department of Transportation put out a travel advisory Saturday evening warning of "heavy, wet snow with limited visibility." Residents, the advisory said, should stay off roads in central and northern Missouri Saturday night and early Sunday "unless absolutely necessary." "Give MoDOT crews a chance to clear roads," the advisory requested. Crews, it said, would be working overnight and all day Sunday. For updated road conditions, go to www.modot.org. |
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| Spotlight on Benedict Raises Questions on Dual, or Potentially Dueling, Popes - New York Times Posted: 23 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT By ELISABETTA POVOLEDOPublished: March 23, 2013VATICAN CITY — Sharing lunch is rarely historic, except perhaps when the two people dining are a living pope and his predecessor. On Saturday, the pope emeritus, Benedict XVI — who broke church tradition by resigning rather than dying in office — ate with Pope Francis at Castel Gandolfo, the hilltop villa where he is living, while a scrum of reporters waited outside for any scraps of news about how the meeting went. There was no word about what the past and present leaders of the Roman Catholic Church discussed; even what they ate remained shrouded in secrecy. What little was revealed, however, helped build a picture of a seamless transition: when Benedict offered his successor the "place of honor" during shared prayers, Francis demurred, suggesting that they kneel side by side as "brothers." Their first embrace, according to a Vatican spokesman, was "wonderful." But the reality of a pope and an emeritus pope will probably be more complicated, a fact driven home recently with the publication in one of Italy's racier gossip magazines of paparazzi-style photos of the 85-year-old Benedict, clad all in white, strolling with his personal secretary through the private gardens of his temporary home at Castel Gandolfo. The photographs were a vivid reminder of the uncharted territory the Vatican has entered, and the potential trouble it could bring. Virtually every day highlights the strangeness of the circumstances and raises new questions about what the relationship between the two men will be, especially when Benedict moves back to a residence at the Vatican that is being renovated. One Italian newspaper called the lunch meeting Saturday "a rehearsal for cohabitation." The last time that any two popes even had the opportunity to meet was in 1294, when Boniface VIII succeeded Celestine V, who abdicated after a disastrous five-month papacy that laid the foundation for the Great Schism. And that relationship was far from smooth: Boniface eventually threw Celestine into prison. During this transition, the new pope, the cardinals and the Vatican have gone out of their way to express affection and gratitude toward the pope emeritus. But each time they do, it does more to deepen the complexity of the relationship than to clarify it. Francis telephoned Benedict immediately after his election on March 13, before appearing on the balcony at St. Peter's Square, where the new pope publicly asked the crowd to join him in praying for "our bishop emeritus." On Tuesday, after the installation ceremony on the feast day of St. Joseph, Francis called Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to wish him a happy name day. It has been an unexpected amount of attention lavished on a man who had pledged to live out his days "hidden from the world." As Francis' papacy lengthens, the reasons for Benedict's eventual seclusion inside the Vatican become clearer. It is, Vatican experts said, a solution that not only provides a secure environment for Benedict, but also effectively avoids setting up a power center rivaling the Vatican. And it discourages any following that could coalesce around the pope emeritus in a church mindful of painful schisms that have shaken it at important moments in its history. Now that resignation from the papacy has been resuscitated as an option after 600 years, the Vatican is no doubt concerned about setting precedents, said Alberto Melloni, the director of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Studies in Bologna. "You couldn't have the pope in a German convent where he could become a pole of attraction for those faithful reluctant to accept his resignation," Mr. Melloni said. In a few weeks, Benedict will move into a nondescript convent not far from the sumptuous apostolic palace where he lived as the leader of the church. Already, canonical experts have raised questions about the correctness of Benedict's adopting the title of "pope emeritus." Writing in La Civiltà Cattolica, a Jesuit magazine, the Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, argued that a more appropriate title would be "bishop emeritus of Rome, like any other diocesan bishop who steps down." The Vatican has played down the novel accommodation. To have the pope emeritus "present, near, discreet" will provide a "great enrichment" for the new pope, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, told reporters recently. But having a former pope hovering in the background has proved to be disconcerting to some, not least the pontifical staff. The potential for divided loyalties has already provided fodder for the Italian news media. Benedict's personal first secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, has been living at Castel Gandolfo with his old boss. But he is also the prefect of the pontifical household, and he has been a discreet fixture at Francis' first public outings, including Saturday's lunch. He has now been described in the Italian news media as the "ferryman" between the two pontificates. Writing in La Stampa, the Vatican correspondent Giacomo Galeazzi described Archbishop Gänswein as tearful and distraught when the seals placed on the doors of the papal apartment when Benedict resigned were removed, opening it to his successor. "Once inside, the memories must have overwhelmed him," Mr. Galeazzi wrote. Benedict's higher-than-anticipated profile has perplexed some. "It is baffling that the pope should appear in public as he did before; it's incomprehensible," said Massimo Franco, a commentator for the newspaper Corriere della Sera, after the photographs appeared in the magazine Chi. "I understand that it will be difficult to regulate, but the Vatican will have to establish some rules," Mr. Franco said. The Vatican has rejected any prospect of meddling by Benedict. But concern remains among some cardinals, Vatican officials and church experts. "There is a duality, and even if the old pope says he will retire from the world, he will be an awkward presence," said Roberto Rusconi, a church historian at Third University of Rome. But he dismissed the possibility of a new schism like the one that occurred with the death of Pope Gregory XI in 1378. Afterward, one pope lived in Avignon, France, and another in Rome. Such divides were fomented by secular rulers, he said, with the dueling popes each claiming legitimacy. Even so, he said, better to keep the pope inside the Vatican — in its own way a prison of sorts, like any cloistered convent — because "not everyone might resist from asking the old pope's opinion." Professor Rusconi added, "That just can't happen." Benedict's decision to remain secluded in the Vatican was also dictated by a desire to preserve his privacy in a modern media age of unquenchable appetite, he said. "Just think of what Kate Middleton goes through every day," Professor Rusconi said of Prince William's pregnant wife. "Everywhere the pope would go, he would be assailed by journalists; he'd have no defense," as the pictures of the pope emeritus in Castel Gandolfo showed, he said. On Saturday, Father Lombardi's recounting of the popes' meeting appeared to try to address lingering concerns. Although Father Lombardi said he could not release much information of what he called "a private encounter," he did offer this guess at what happened. Francis, he said, was likely to have thanked the former pope for his pontificate and Benedict would have renewed his unconditional obedience to the new pope.
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| NY Town Eyes Hospital Reopening Months... - ABC News Posted: 23 Mar 2013 08:52 AM PDT Of the more than half-dozen hospitals in the New York area forced to close because of damage from Superstorm Sandy, only one has yet to reopen, idling hundreds of workers for months and forcing thousands of residents to travel farther for emergency health care. If Long Beach's 2.2 mile-long boardwalk destroyed by Sandy gave this seaside community its soul, then the hospital was its heart. Besides being the only major medical facility on this barrier island east of New York City, the Long Beach Medical Center was also the city's largest employer, and the idling of 700 of the hospital's 1,200-member workforce in the aftermath of Sandy — a natural disaster that destroyed many of those workers' homes — has been doubly tough on the community. "We're getting calls every day from people wanting to know where to go for services," says CEO Douglas Melzer, who has been affiliated with the hospital for 36 years. He and a small office staff work out of a nearby office building, hopeful they can return to the 160-bed hospital and neighboring nursing home by early April. Melzer says the reopening will likely happen in stages. "We have a mission to care for this community," he said. "They've been traumatized by this." Just before Sandy hit in October, patients in the 162-bed facility were relocated to 12 hospitals under evacuation orders. When the storm struck, a small crew remained in the hospital, including Mark Healey, the hospital's director of facilities and engineering, who recalled spending several days at the hospital before, during and after the storm. That night, he and his team were in the basement hoping to do whatever they could to stop the floodwaters from gushing through every window and air duct, to no avail. "The water was weeping through the walls," Healey, 41, recalled. "At a certain point we knew it wasn't going to be manageable." The facility lost power — it didn't come back until February — and Healey and the others debated whether to stay on a higher floor but ultimately decided to hunker down near the emergency room entrance for the night. At one point, Healey said, they discussed the possibility of swimming away if it became necessary. "Thank God, there was no need for anything of that nature." Still, the storm caused $56 million in damage, according to Melzer. The basement flooded completely. Destroyed were the building's boiler plant, three of four emergency generators, its kitchen, laundry, morgue, pharmacy, family care center and central supply departments. An adjacent 200-bed nursing home also had flooding on its ground floor, though patients returned to that facility in late January. "This place has always been here for these people," Healey said. "There is a definite hope and need. We've got to have this facility." Now, during emergencies, ambulances must travel farther to reach hospitals. The next-closest hospital to Long Beach is about seven miles away in Oceanside. City officials have clocked ambulances averaging up to 90 minutes on round trips through heavy local street traffic. They said they are not aware of any patient deaths resulting from the longer trips. |
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| US stocks rebound on Cyprus deal hopes Posted: 22 Mar 2013 05:23 PM PDT NEW YORK: US stocks closed firmly higher on Friday amid hopes that the Cyprus banking crisis will be resolved this weekend. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 90.54 points (0.63 percent) at 14,512.03. The broad-based S&P 500 increased 11.09 points (0.72 percent) to 1,556.89, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 22.40 points (0.70 percent) to 3,245.00. The rebound followed market losses Thursday due to some weak earnings reports and uncertainty about Cyprus.
The European Central Bank has given Cyprus until Monday to clinch a bailout deal or face withdrawal of ECB emergency financing for its stricken banking system. "They're going to have some kind of deal," Conroy predicted. Conroy said markets have been "resilient" in spite of the Cyprus situation, thanks to corporate earnings, strengthening in the housing sector and the fact that most US banks passed government stress tests. Most of the blue-chip companies in the Dow index moved little. An exception was the often-volatile Hewlett-Packard, which gained 3.2 percent. Athletic apparel giant Nike soared 11.1 percent after besting earnings forecasts by a wide margin. Upscale jeweler Tiffany & Co. jumped 1.9 percent after reporting a slight increase in year-over-year earnings and projecting higher profits for 2013. Darden Restaurants, which owns Red Lobster, Olive Garden and other restaurant chains, picked up 1.4 percent despite reporting a decline in year-over-year profits. The company declared a 50-cent dividend. BlackBerry, which launched its new Z10 smartphone in the United States on Friday, dropped 7.7 percent after rallying earlier in the week. -- AFP |
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| Groundhog Slay: Prosecutor seeks death penalty for Punxsutawney Phil - Fox News Posted: 22 Mar 2013 09:29 AM PDT
Has Punxsutawney Phil given his last forecast? A prosecutor in Ohio is reportedly seeking the death penalty for the famous rodent who emerged from his home in Gobbler's Knob, Pa., on Feb. 2 and did not see his shadow, translating to an "early spring," according to his handlers. But Michael Gmoser, prosecuting attorney in Butler County, said Thursday that Phil's inaccurate forecast warrants capital punishment, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. "Let's face it, Punxsutawney Phil has let us down," Gmoser said, tongue firmly in cheek, after filing the necessary court documents. "I awoke this morning to a snowstorm, low temperatures and howling wind." "Maybe it's time for a Phyllis instead." - Butler County (Ohio) Prosecutor Michael Gmoser Spring began Wednesday, but local forecasts in the Pittsburgh area and throughout Pennsylvania show a good chance of snow this weekend and into next week. "We in Butler County, like everyone in the nation, depend on Phil to give us a breath of spring in time," Gmoser said. "You know, Phil lives his life behind bars as it is. This is the only penalty available. Maybe it's time for a Phyllis instead." But Jeffrey Lundy, vice president of the Punxsutawney Ground Hog Club, said Gmoser will have a fight on his hands if he tries to arrest the famous groundhog. "He's going to have to go through 15 licensed hunters to get to Phil," said Lundy, referring to members of the club's inner circle."We'll find out how good of a prosecutor [Gmoser] is. If he doesn't know how to speak groundhog-ese, he'll never understand a word Phil says." Gmoser said a reprieve is possible. "There may be some mitigating circumstances I may not know about," he continued. "Phil may not know his rear from a hole in the ground. That might make a difference," said Gmoser, who decided to file the court papers to break the tension at the end of a hard day in the office. Lundy added: "There's a lot of things to get serious about. Groundhog Day is not one of them." The famous groundhog narrowly escaped death in the 1993 film "Groundhog Day," in which star Bill Murray, sentenced to relive the same day over and over until he became a better person, kidnapped Phil and drove off a cliff into a rock quarry with the terrified critter on his lap. However, the next day, Murray's character, Phil Connors, awoke unscathed - as did Punxsutawney Phil. Newsletter Signup Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com. |
| Colorado shooting suspect dies in high-speed car chase with Texas police - The Guardian Posted: 22 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PDT Associated Press in Decatur, Texas  Police on the scene of a shootout and car chase involving a potential suspect in the Colorado prisons chief murder. Photograph: Jimmy Alford/AP A Colorado man who was under investigation regarding the death of the state's prisons chief died on Friday after a harrowing 100mph (160kph) car chase and shootout with police in Texas. His identity has not yet been officially confirmed by fingerprint analysis, but investigators believe he was Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, a Colorado parolee. Authorities are also trying to determine if the car Ebel drove was the one seen outside the home of Tom Clements, the prison official who was shot and killed when he answered his door on Tuesday evening. The Denver Post first reported Ebel's name, and that he had been in a white supremacist prison gang called the 211s. A federal law enforcement official confirmed his identity and gang affiliation to The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Ebel is also a suspect in the killing of a Colorado pizza deliveryman who disappeared from work and whose body was found on Sunday evening. Ebel was not on the radar of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, but the center rates the 211s gang as one of the most vicious white supremacist groups operating in the nation's prisons, comparable to the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Founded in 1995 to protect white prisoners from attacks, it operates only in Colorado and has anywhere from between 200 to 1,000 members, SPLC senior fellow Mark Potok said on Friday. The gang has grown into a sophisticated criminal enterprise in which members are assigned military titles like "general" and extort money from fellow prisoners, regardless of race. Released members are expected to make money to support those still in prison, Potok said. He said members have to attack someone to get in and can only get out by dying. In 2005, 32 gang members were indicted for racketeering and the gang's founder, Benjamin Davis, was sentenced to more than 100 years in prison. The killing of Clements, 58, shocked his quiet neighborhood in Monument, a town of rolling hills north of Colorado Springs. Authorities wouldn't say if they thought the attack was related to his job; all Clements' recent public activities and cases have been scrutinized. The Texas car chase started when a sheriff's deputy in Montague County tried to pull over a Cadillac at around 11am local time on Thursday, authorities there said. They wouldn't say exactly why he was stopped, but called it routine. The driver opened fire on the deputy, wounding him, Wise County Sheriff David Walker said at an afternoon news conference in Decatur. He then fled south before crashing as he tried to elude his pursuers. After the crash, he got out of the vehicle, shooting at deputies and troopers who had joined the chase. He shot at Decatur Police Chief Rex Hoskins four times as the chief tried to set up a roadblock. The deputy who was shot was wearing a bulletproof vest and was at a Fort Worth hospital, authorities said. Officials had said he was not seriously injured but later said his condition was unknown. Legal records show Ebel was convicted of several crimes in Colorado dating back to 2003, including assaulting a prison guard in 2008. He was apparently paroled, but a Colorado Department of Corrections spokeswoman, Alison Morgan, said she could not release information on prisoners because of the ongoing investigation into Clements' death. Scott Robinson, a criminal defense attorney and media legal analyst, represented Ebel in 2003 and 2004. He said Ebel had been sentenced to a halfway house for a robbery charge in 2003 before he was accused in two additional robbery cases the following year that garnered prison sentences of three and eight years. |
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