progressinternet17: March 2012

Thursday, March 15, 2012

A focus on guitar [Comments from guitarists]

A FOCUS ON GUITAR

by Carolyn Heinze

Maybe you spent your younger days driving the sales staff at the local music store crazy wanking out "Stairway to Heaven" on every guitar in the place. Or perhaps you're one of those reclusive musicians who spends every free waking moment closed up in a small room perfecting modes, chords and arpeggios. Whatever the case, you've chosen to play the guitar and regardless of what level you may be at, you always welcome advice from musicians who have made their mark as household names as a result of their craft.

This month, Canadian Musician asked guitarists from all over North America how they continue to improve themselves as …

Mladin wins AMA Superbike event

Six-time class AMA champion Mat Mladin swept two weekend races, winning Sunday by 6.357 seconds at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Mladin led all but one circuit of the 26-lap race. His Suzuki teammate, Ben Spies, led that one lap. Less than two weeks after his appendix was removed, …

Offensive linemen refused to succumb to injuries

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

HUNTINGTON - Marshall University's Mid-American Conferencechampionship game win - a first-ever fourth straight in the MAC -was more about guts than it was about glory. Thundering Herdquarterback Byron Leftwich gratefully gave his MU offensive mostvaluable player game ball to linemen Scott Harper and Jeff Edwards.

Leaving the field following Saturday's 19-14 victory over WesternMichigan, Edwards, a sophomore center, could barely walk.

Coach Bob Pruett was sincerely moved. In talking about the gutsof his linemen, he had to be.

"Jeff Edwards played on one leg," Pruett said. "He couldn't walk.We put a double brace on him and he …

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Whooping Cranes Rebounding in Texas

HARLINGEN, Texas - Once down to about 15, the world's only naturally migrating flock of whooping cranes has continued its comeback, now numbering a record 237 birds in wintering grounds along Texas' Gulf Coast.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Tom Stehn, who tracks the flock, said 45 cranes were born last year, including a rare seven sets of twins.

He credited the increase to mild weather at their nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada's boreal forest. There, the birds begin their 2,500-mile migration route from their summering grounds to Texas.

"They avoided having that cold weather hit, that just-above-freezing and drizzle that …

Summary Box: Sony Ericsson profits down in 3Q

THE RESULTS: Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson posted a break-even third quarter Friday. It blamed the drop in earnings on higher taxes and lower margins.

STRATEGY SHIFT: The company also announced that it is shifting its entire portfolio to smartphones next …

Italy FA president calls for major overhaul

Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete has called for a serious analysis of the national sport following the defending champion's dismal first-round elimination from the World Cup.

Italy's 3-2 loss to Slovakia on Thursday marked the first time the Azzurri exited the World Cup without winning a game, and the 2006 champion hasn't won at all in 2010.

"We all know the importance of football in our country and we've disappointed tens of millions of fans," Abete said Friday. "We have to be realists. These are the facts. We need to reflect on the structural crisis of Italian football."

Abete said he would introduce new …

Gather 'Round on the way

Mennonite Church

Eastern Canada

Christian educators in congregations of MC Eastern Canada can find out all about this new Sunday School curriculum by attending one of the sessions of the Gather 'Round Learning Tour happening from Feb. 25 to March 4.

"A whole generation of kids has experienced Jubilee. We want the next generation to have material which is as current and contemporary as possible," says Eleanor Snyder, Mennonite Publishing Network staffer, of the reason for the new curriculum.

'The story has not changed; but the way we tell the story has changed," she says, noting that there is considerable effort to forge a strong home and church connection. …

EUROPE NEWS AT 1200GMT

13-year-old santa

Color Photo: Mary Compton, Southtownstar / Ray Vanco has been collecting thousands of toys to give to hospitalized kids at …

Government unveils plan to shrink some home loans, decrease default

WASHINGTON - After months of criticism that it hasn't done enough to prevent foreclosures, the Obama administration announced on Friday a plan to reduce the amount some troubled borrowers owe on their home loans.

The multifaceted effort will allow people who owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth to get new loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency that insures home loans against default.

That would be funded by $14 billion from the administration's existing $75 billion foreclosure-prevention program. It could spark criticism that the government is shouldering too much risk by taking on bad loans made during the housing …

China stands still to mourn quake victims, begins 3 days of national mourning

China stood still and sirens wailed Monday to mourn tens of thousands of earthquake victims in the country's deadliest disaster in a generation.

While 1.3 billion citizens came to a halt for three minutes at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT) _ exactly one week after the magnitude 7.9 quake hit central China _ air-raid sirens and the horns of cars and buses sounded in memory of the estimated 50,000 dead. Rescuers also briefly paused their work in the disaster zone.

The hunt for survivors in the rubble turned glum despite remarkable survival tales among thousands buried. Two women were rescued Monday after being trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building at a coal mine …

Greek Football Results

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Results from the 22nd round of the Greek league (home teams listed first):

Saturday's Games

Ergotelis 2, Kavala 1

Panionios 1, PAOK 0

Aris …

Cubs' surprises gratify Zimmer

MILWAUKEE An early-April evening that registered a balmy 74degrees Friday was the latest pleasant surprise to follow the Cubsthrough spring.

And as much as Florida-seasoned manager Don Zimmer will bepleasantly surprised by the expected 80-degree temperature in WrigleyField today, little will please him as much as the surprises he foundthis spring.

The most important has been the good health of his club -especially pitchers Rick Sutcliffe and Mike Harkey and catcher DamonBerryhill - and the unexpected emergence of two rookies - thirdbaseman Gary Scott and pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb - who hadn't beencounted on to make the team.

"A healthy Berryhill was a pleasant surprise," Zimmer said."And another would be Scott's play. He played so good, we had notrouble making a decision (to keep him).

"If he had hit around .250, (general manager) Jim Frey and Imight have had to decide what to do, but he made it very easy."

In 27 spring-training games, Scott has hit .387 and driven in 15runs, second only to George Bell's 17. The 22-year-old, who was theorganization's Minor League Player of the Year last season, will bethe starting third baseman when the Cubs open Tuesday against the St.Louis Cardinals.

"No butterflies," he said Friday. "But if they come, it's justnatural. Sometimes, it's good to have butterflies. I had them thefirst day of camp just playing catch with these guys. But once westarted playing, there was nothing at all."

Slocumb's statistics (1-1, 5.17 ERA, seven walks, ninestrikeouts) don't reflect what Zimmer sees in the 6-3 right-hander.

"Here's a guy who's been in the minors for six years, and theyput him on the major-league roster (for spring) because he throwshard," Zimmer said. "But he's done a heck of a job."

Slocumb, 24, might have benefitted by the Cubs' decision toplace Sutcliffe on the 15-day disabled list to give him more work.

Sutcliffe will pitch six innings today against the SanFrancisco Giants' Class A San Jose team in Mesa and again Thursday.

"Then he might be right back with us," Zimmer said.

BITS: Jerome Walton, who is nursing a turf toe, wasn't in thestarting lineup Friday, but first baseman Mark Grace played despite aleft groin pull. Walton entered the game as a defensive replacementin the eighth inning. About 5,000 tickets are available for today's game. The last time the Cubs played in County Stadium was when theydefeated the White Sox 4-1 in a pre-season exhibition in 1969. Thenext year, Bud Selig bought the Seattle Pilots and moved them toMilwaukee in 1971 as the Brewers.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Japan Airlines raises profit forecast on cost-cutting

Japan Airlines, Asia's largest carrier by sales, sharply raised its profit forecast Friday for the just-finished financial year, attributing the change to cost-cutting measures and steady demand for international travel.

Japan's biggest airline, known as JAL, estimated its net profit for the year ended March 31 would reach 16 billion yen (US$154 million, euro99.1 million), more than double the 7 billion yen in profit it had projected earlier.

"The main reason for the upward revision is due to our cost-cutting efforts," said JAL spokesman Hisanori Iizuka. Demand for foreign travel also helped the Japanese carrier upgrade its profit forecast, he said.

The company is to announce its earnings for the fiscal year on May 9.

Georgian teenagers detained in South Ossetia

Authorities in breakaway South Ossetia say they have detained four Georgian teenagers accused of illegally crossing the boundary into the separatist republic.

The breakaway region's information ministry said Monday the boys, aged 14 to 17, were arrested near Tskhinvali, South Ossetia's capital. It said they were carrying hand grenades and other explosives when detained on Monday.

The ministry said the teenagers deny any wrongdoing.

Photographs on the ministry's Web site showed the four in T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.

The European Union's Monitoring Mission in Georgia said it had been in contact with all parties and expressed profound concern over the teenagers' fate.

Lebanon: U.S. Blocking Call for Cease-Fire

UNITED NATIONS - Lebanon accused the United States on Saturday of blocking a U.N. Security Council statement calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying the impotence of the United Nations' most powerful body sent the wrong signal to small countries and the Arab world.

Israel has killed more than 100 people in a four-day bombardment of Lebanon. The offensive was triggered by a cross-border raid by Hezbollah guerrillas in which eight soldiers were killed and two others were captured. Fifteen Israelis have died in the fighting and the Shiite militant group has been raining rockets on northern Israel.

"It's unacceptable because people are still under shelling, bombardment and destruction is going on ... and people are dying," said Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahmoud.

Qatar, the only Arab nation on the council, received widespread support during closed council consultations late Saturday for a press statement calling for an immediate cease-fire, restraint in the use of force, and the protection of civilians caught in the conflict, council diplomats said.

But Argentina's U.N. Ambassador Cesar Mayoral said the United States objected to any statement and Britain opposed calling for a cease-fire.

The U.S. and Britain want to wait for the outcome of this weekend's Group of Eight meeting in Russia, an Arab League foreign ministers meeting, and a mission sent to the Middle East by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Mayoral and other diplomats said.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, the current council president, confirmed "there was no agreement on a text tonight, but we will meet on Monday."

"Many delegations would have liked to have a very prompt reaction," he said. "Others think the spotlight should be elsewhere, not here in the council. "

But Lebanon's Mahmoud protested, saying while innocent civilians are killed, "here we are impotent."

"It sends very wrong signals not only to the Lebanese people but to the Arab people, to all small nations that we are left to the might of Israel and nobody is doing anything," he said.

Lebanon's pro-Western government came to power following the February 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, which led to Syria ending its 29-year occupation of its smaller neighbor. The Security Council has passed several resolutions promoting the full restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty and has urged it to deploy troops to the Hezbollah-dominated south to assert control there.

"We have many reasons to expect much more from the Security Council," said Mahmoud. And from the United States?

"They were always supportive in the last 1 1/2 years, but when it comes to Israel it seems things change," he said.

In another development, Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno told reporters that Israel had rescinded a directive that would have restricted the movements of the 2,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, blocking it from carrying out its observer mission.

Former Spanish PM Gonzalez named head of panel to debate EU's future course

European Union leaders named former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez to head a French-inspired panel to debate the future direction of the bloc, officials said Friday.

Former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Jorma Ollila, former chairman of the Finnish cell phone giant Nokia, were chosen as vice presidents of the group, which is to discuss "key issues and developments which the union is likely to face" in the years 2020-2030, according to an EU statement released at the end of Friday's summit.

The panel would not, however, be dealing with issues of enlargement, as demanded by French President Nicolas Sarkozy _ a setback for the French.

Nevertheless, Sarkozy welcomed the decision to launch the panel. He said its task was to find a "new vision" for an ever more closely integrated European Union. But Sarkozy's description was disputed by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said the group would focus on technical issues, particularly the economy, environment and security.

The panel received only lukewarm support from other leaders, and its proposed mandate has been curtailed with the crucial issue of Europe's borders _ the key to admitting Turkey, Balkan nations, Ukraine and other eastern countries _ now off-limits.

"EU enlargement, institutional reforms and financial issues are not within this group's mandate," said Czech European Affairs Minister Alexandr Vondra.

Last month, the European Commission, the EU executive, said Turkey must improve minority rights and enhance freedom of expression, religion and press in line with other crucial reforms to keep its EU bid on track.

Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said the launch of the panel will have no bearing on Turkey's efforts to join the union, as France had originally hoped. He and several other leaders said the panel was a serious issue for only one country _ France.

"Why another reflection group? We've only just come out of a period of reflection," said Graham Watson, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, referring to the one-year period when the EU was reshaping its failed draft constitution into a new treaty signed on Thursday.

The panel will consist of up to nine members. The three leaders are to present a full list by autumn 2008, Vondra said.

The group will deal with such issues as global security, migration, competitiveness, energy and climate protection, and the fight against international crime and terrorism.

$30 million OKd for tip that led to Odai, Qusai Two GIs killed in Iraq; Saddam daughters turn up in Jordan

payment Thursday to the informant who led U.S. troops to SaddamHussein's two sons, while two of the ousted dictator's daughters tookrefuge in Jordan in a sign of further pressure on remnants of thedefeated regime.

Two more U.S. soldiers were killed by insurgents, meanwhile,bringing to 51 the number of Americans to die in combat since May 1,when President Bush declared major combat over.

Secretary of State Colin Powell decided that the informant whosetip led to the deaths of Odai and Qusai Hussein in a firefight July22in a villa in Mosul should get both of the $15 million rewards thathad been put on the men's heads.

"It's actually for services rendered," State Department spokesmanRichard Boucher said in Washington. "It's a lump sum payment of $30million."

For his protection, the informant has not been identified,although people in Mosul have speculated it was the owner of thehouse being used as a hideout.

The U.S. military commander for Iraq said he had nothingsignificant to report about the hunt for Iraq's most wanted man. Butsome U.S. officers said the daughters' flight to Jordan was anothersign that intensified sweeps are squeezing Saddam and other membersof the defeated regime.

"It would seem to confirm that his family is on the move, alongwith his closest associates," said Lt. Col. Steve Russell, whocommands Army troops patrolling Saddam's hometown of Tikrit. "It'sgood news. Even if it's estranged or extended family, it showsthey're on the move."

Saddam's daughters Raghad and Rana arrived in Jordan on Thursdaywith their nine children, Jordanian Information Minister Nabil al-Sharif said. He would not say where they were in the capital, Amman,or where they came from, but he said King Abdullah II decided tooffer them refuge.

"They are Arab women who have run out of all options," al-Sharifsaid.

The whereabouts of Saddam's wife Sajida Khairallah Telfah and hisyoungest daughter, Hala, were unknown.

Raghad and Rana, whose father ordered their husbands executed in1996, were long estranged from Saddam but were believed to havereconciled with him. Both lived out of the limelight and neither waslinked to the atrocities blamed on their father and brothers.

Lefty Estes may be right man Cubs closing in on free agent, still waiting on I-Rod

Besides Estes, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry spent his Sunday atthe winter meetings talking with the Kansas City Royals about tradingfor third baseman Joe Randa and visiting with representatives forfree-agent outfielders John Vander Wal, Troy O'Leary and ToddHollandsworth.

In addition, he explored bringing back left-handed reliever MarkGuthrie after the former Cub went 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA last season forthe New York Mets. But getting a left-handed starter such as Estescould be an important shift in a rotation that has been lacking thatthreat.

But Estes must improve off last season's combined record of 5-12with a 5.10 ERA for the Mets and Cincinnati Reds. But manager DustyBaker had Estes in San Francisco and believes he can help reverse hiscourse and return the lefty to a solid starter.

Estes had been lumped with free-agent left-handed starter BrianAnderson as possible targets, but the Cubs have decided to move Estesahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks' Anderson in their thinking.

"We explored some things today possibly involving a trade and left-handed pitching," Hendry said.

There wasn't any strong movement forward in Hendry's negotiationswith agent Jeff Moorad over acquiring catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Infact, the Cubs are starting to drop hints that maybe Chicago fansmight not want to get too excited about that happening. It might notbe feasible is the kind of couched language coming out of the Cubs'camp.

The Cubs emphasized that they are still willing to discuss thematter with Moorad, but Rodriguez is not being hotly pursued by themas much as he is being pondered. During their meeting Sunday, Mooradpresented Hendry with a series of conceptual ideas on how the Cubsmight be willing to fit Rodriguez into their budget. Hendry still hadto sit down and thoroughly pore over the detailed proposal, eventhough it didn't have financial specifics.

"In fairness to everyone, once I read through Jeff's stuff andmaybe talk to him again, there would be a possibility that it couldwork or it couldn't in the next couple of days," Hendry said.

The problem is simple. Moorad has a client in Rodriguez who oncewas rumored to be someone who might command major money, perhaps asmuch as $13 million to $15 million a year. Instead, Rodriguez will belucky to get a three-year deal for $24 million. Some think he mightfall as low as $6million a year.

That's hard for Rodriguez to accept and Moorad to explain to hisclient. Moorad contends he has clubs interested beyond the BaltimoreOrioles and Cubs. But the fact he won't name them raises questions ofwhether they exist. That same tactic was tried by Moorad in Baker'snegotiations with the Cubs, and that mystery club was a clearfabrication.

The Cubs know Moorad needs time to accept what the market is andfind out what's possible. That's why Hendry is suddenly casting a lowprofile on his discussions regarding Rodriguez.

"There will be something within the next week," Moorad said, "andpossibly the next few days."

Montreal Expos general manager Omar Minaya spoke briefly withHendry on Sunday, but there was no word of any progress in the Cubs'pursuit of pitcher Javier Vazquez and catcher/third baseman MichaelBarrett.

In fact, Barrett now seems an unlikely pickup for the Cubs becauseMinaya is asking too much in return. The Cubs are not expecting toget Barrett, as hoped, unless Minaya drastically drops his price.

U.S. Seeks to Exhume Iraqi Girl's Remains

TIKRIT, Iraq - U.S. investigators have asked Iraqi authorities to help them navigate cultural sensitivities to exhume the body of a teenager allegedly raped and murdered with her family by American soldiers, a military official said Saturday.

U.S. Maj. Mark Wright said U.S. authorities are aware that Islamic tradition has strict rules governing exhumation and could require religious leaders to become involved in the investigation.

"You want to be aware of these cultural issues while at the same time making sure that the accused receives proper justice," Wright, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, told The Associated Press.

Muslim tradition generally frowns on exhumations, considering them desecration of the remains.

However, Ahmed Taha, the uncle of the dead teen, told AP Thursday that relatives were eager to cooperate with investigators and would allow them to exhume the body of the alleged rape victim, Abeer Qassim Hamza. Her parents and sister were also slain.

Ex-soldier Steven D. Green was arrested last week in North Carolina and has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and four counts of murder.

Four soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment have been taken to a U.S. military camp in Baghdad for questioning, Wright said. He would not say if those soldiers had been arrested, but another U.S. official said Saturday that several more soldiers would soon be charged. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Based on interviews and records, the U.S. military now believes the woman who Green is accused of raping and killing was between the ages of 14 and 20, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said Friday. While the military initially said she was 20, Boyce said he has seen documents that indicate she could have been about 14.

Wright said officials are also considering whether certain parts of a standard Western autopsy would be taboo in Iraq and if a religious leader or family members should be present to ensure cultural barriers are not crossed.

He said U.S. military commanders in Iraq are working with the family's relatives to expedite the investigation, but that it was not immediately clear whether Iraqis or Americans would have custody of the woman's remains.

U.S. officials are concerned that the alleged rape-slaying, which occurred March 12 near Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, will strain relations with the new U.S.-backed government and increase calls for changes in the agreement that exempts American soldiers from prosecution in Iraqi courts.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has demanded an independent investigation into the case, which followed a series of allegations that U.S. troops killed and mistreated Iraqi civilians.

According to an FBI affidavit, Green and at least two others targeted the teenager and her family for a week before the attack, which wasn't revealed until witnesses came forward in late June.

The soldiers drank alcohol, abandoned their checkpoint, changed clothes to avoid detection and headed to the victims' house, about 200 yards from a U.S. military checkpoint in the so-called "Triangle of Death", a Sunni Arab area south of Baghdad known for its violence, the affidavit said.

In the week since the allegations came to light, the military has remained tightlipped even amid growing cries by Iraqi leaders for a fair investigation.

President Bush, speaking on CNN's "Larry King Live" last Thursday, said the Iraqis should understand that the allegations will be handled "in a very transparent upfront way."

"People will be held to account if these charges are true," Bush said.

In the chow halls and barracks, many soldiers remain convinced that the alleged rape and killings in Mahmoudiya were aberrations and that most American service members respect the rules of war.

"These crimes are against all the Army values, so if you don't have any of those values, you shouldn't even call yourself a soldier," said Staff Sgt. Ahmand Brown, 28, of Flint, Mich.

In the aftermath of claims that Marines killed civilians in the western town of Haditha in November, the U.S. military in Iraq ordered all personnel to undergo values training.

The Army has also paid greater attention to its rules of engagements, which determine when a soldier can use deadly force. But a bad soldier is a bad soldier, no matter the training, Brown said.

Green, who served 11 months with the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., received an honorable discharge and left the army in mid-May. He was discharged because of an "anti-social personality disorder," according to military officials and court documents.

But even before the rape-murder allegation surfaced, the military was investigating an incident in which three soldiers from the same battalion were killed by insurgents near Youssifiyah. Two of them apparently were abducted and slain, with their bodies mutilated.

U.S. officials insist they have no evidence that the incidents are related.

---

Associated Press Correspondent Ryan Lenz is embedded with the 101st Airborne Division in Tikrit, Iraq.

Sirens sound in countrywide drill in Israel

Sirens sounded across Israel Wednesday morning as part of a massive air raid drill aimed at practicing the civilian response to large-scale rocket attacks.

Emergency crews and soldiers have been practicing all week how to deal with multiple casualties from rocket explosions. Some Israelis rushed to air raid shelters in Wednesday's public part of the four-day drill, but others ignored the wailing sirens.

In the central Israeli city of Rehovot, teachers marched a line of small children toward a shelter in a community center, but next door, the neighborhood bomb shelter remained locked, and none of the residents tried to follow government instructions to run for the bombproof facilities.

Residents of nearby cities told reporters they already experienced running for cover during real rocket attacks, so they did not feel the need to practice.

Rockets pummeled large parts of Israel during the 2006 summer war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and last year's winter war with Gaza militants.

Hezbollah rockets hit the northern third of Israel, causing considerable damage in the port city of Haifa and elsewhere.

Rockets fired by Gaza militants exploded in southern and central Israel, hitting cities including Ashkelon on the Mediterranean coast and Beersheba in the Negev desert.

Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel's largest cities, were not hit in either war.

Gaza militants and Hezbollah, along with Syria, still have large numbers of rockets. Another threat comes from Iran, which has missiles that can hit Israel and has a nuclear program that Israel charges is designed to produce nuclear weapons. Iran insists the program is peaceful.

Israeli leaders have said the large-scale drill is not linked to specific threats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the operation was planned long ago and is defensive in nature, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave similar assurances on Tuesday.

Lebanon and Syria issued statements at the beginning of the exercise warning Israel not to attack. On Wednesday, the Lebanese army conducted maneuvers of its own near the Israeli border, Lebanese security officials said. They said reinforcements were sent to the border area to raise the level of alert and monitor the Israeli drill. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

The officials said Lebanese anti-aircraft gunners also fired at Israeli warplanes flying over the town of Shebaa in south Lebanon Wednesday.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

The Israeli military refused to comment.

___

Associated Press writer Zeina Karam contributed to this report from Beirut.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Stimulus audit questions Calif. prison jobs saved

State auditors said that California corrections officials overstated how many jobs they saved using more than $1 billion in federal stimulus money, listing thousands of jobs that were never in jeopardy.

In its report to the federal government last month, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reported saving 18,229 correctional officer jobs since May by using the stimulus money to pay their salaries as the state struggled with a massive budget deficit.

State Auditor Elaine Howle questioned the total. The department is planning about 5,000 layoffs, less than a third of the jobs it claims to have saved.

The remaining 13,229 jobs appear never to have been in danger, Howle said Monday in a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders.

"It appears that Corrections simply reported how many correctional officers' salaries were paid with Recovery Act funding, regardless of whether these positions were truly at risk of being eliminated without federal funding," she wrote.

The state auditor's finding reflects broader concerns about how the federal government is tracking the $787 billion stimulus package and determining how many jobs across the country were saved or created. Corrections Undersecretary Mary Fernandez defended the department's calculations.

"We followed the federal formula," she said.

As for whether those jobs were ever in danger, Fernandez said, "It's kind of a Monday morning quarterback. Who knows what could have happened in May and June if we hadn't gotten the money?"

The state Department of Finance said in April it would use $727 million to replace an equal amount cut from the corrections department budget. The remaining $358 million was folded into department's budget for the current fiscal year, which began July 1.

The corrections department issued 3,655 layoff notices in May, a week before it received its first share of the federal money, although no employees have been laid off.

The department plans to eliminate about 1,500 jobs by Jan. 31. Because endangered employees can transfer to different jobs, fill vacancies or bump those with less seniority, only a few hundred people might actually be laid off, Fernandez said.

The layoffs will begin despite the federal stimulus money received this year, she said.

Howle's office is auditing about $55 billion of the projected $85 billion being sent to California under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The remaining $30 billion is tax relief.

Nationwide, the Obama administration has suggested the stimulus package would save or create 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year. The federal government claimed that as of last month, 640,000 jobs had been saved or created by the economic recovery plan.

But a number of problems have been found in the massive database of stimulus spending, including how states and other recipients are counting the jobs. Some reviews found that the figures were inflated by miscounts, such as claiming jobs for work not yet started and counting part-time jobs as full-time positions.

___

Associated Press Writer Judy Lin contributed to this report.

Ohio Governor Faces Public Reprimand

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Bob Taft faces a public reprimand for ethics violations under an agreement his attorney has reached with the state office that monitors lawyers' behavior.

Taft, a Republican who has been an attorney since 1976, pleaded no contest last August to failing to report golf outings and other gifts while in office and was fined $4,000.

Taft would receive a public reprimand for his convictions on those misdemeanor ethics violations under an agreement forged by the governor's private attorney and the Ohio Supreme Court's disciplinary counsel.

Jonathan Coughlan, the disciplinary counsel, filed a complaint in April saying Taft's actions violated Ohio's code of professional conduct for lawyers.

"I admit the violation ... as outlined in this agreement," Taft wrote in an affidavit attached to a copy of the deal obtained Friday by The (Toledo) Blade.

The agreement must still be approved by a disciplinary board and the state Supreme Court.

"The governor has been upfront and has taken personal responsibility in these matters and he continues to do the same in this matter," Taft spokesman Mark Rickel said.

The misdemeanor ethics charges and the professional complaint stemmed from the governor's failure to report gifts worth nearly $6,000 that he received over four years. The case had spiraled off a scandal over state losses from investments in rare coins.

Taft, a great-grandson of President and later Chief Justice William Howard Taft, is the first Ohio governor to be charged with a crime while in office. He never considered resigning, but he forced out several staff members in the past for improperly accepting gifts.

Book list less controversial

Its top vote-getter, Henry Adams' The Education of Henry Adams, isread less than James Joyce's Ulysses. It snubs writers with Hispanicand Asian backgrounds. And while recognizing Truman Capote's"nonfiction novel," In Cold Blood, it omits two Norman Mailer worksin that newfangled genre, Armies of the Night and The Executioner'sSong.

But for all that, the Modern Library's list of the 20th century's100 greatest nonfiction English-language books, announced Thursday,gives off only a whiff of controversy compared to the steep odor ofits stodgy 1998 fiction list (topped by Ulysses, but fleshed out bydozens of doze-worthy titles).

The Modern Library was widely criticized last year forunderrepresenting blacks, women and contemporary writers on itsfiction list. For nonfiction, a newly expanded and diversifiedselection committee voted Booker T. Washington's Up from Slaverythird in its ranking while naming two other works by AfricanAmericans to the top 20: Chicagoan Richard Wright's Black Boy (13)and James Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son (19).Two books by women cracked the top 10: Virginia Woolf's feministclassic, A Room of One's Own (4), and ecologist Rachel Carson'sSilent Spring (5). Historian Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of Augustand Gertrude Stein's The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas followedclosely behind at 16 and 20.Additionally, modern writers including Anne Lamott, Tobias Wolff,Annie Dillard and Tom Wolfe joined deep thinkers and cutting punditsof bygone eras including Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, MarkTwain, Bertrand Russell, Edmund Wilson and the Rev. Martin LutherKing Jr. Living Chicago legend Studs Terkel's oral history, Working,placed 54th.In addition to diversifying its selection committee, the ModernLibrary also guaranteed more variety on its nonfiction list bypermitting no writer to have more than one title on the list. Andeach committee member was allowed to add one book solely of his orher choice.The selection committee included Modern Library board chairmanChristopher Cerf; novelists A.S. Byatt, Charles Johnson, WilliamStyron, Gore Vidal, Caleb Carr and Carolyn See; historians ShelbyFoote, Daniel Boorstin, Ron Chernow, Edmund Morris, ArthurSchlesinger Jr., Elaine Pagels and John Richardson; poet MayaAngelou; paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould; memoirist Mary Karr;adventure writer Jon Krakauer, and Vartan Gregorian, head of theCarnegie Corp.Their No. 1 choice, The Education of Henry Adams, was publishedprivately in 1907. It is a highly personal reflection on history andsociology by a descendent of presidents John Adams and John QuincyAdams.Another reason the nonfiction list won't generate as muchcontroversy is the simple fact that the average reader is lessfamiliar with its selections than the fiction titles.If it raises interest in great books with no "names," the ModernLibrary will achieve one of its stated goals.

Mexican economy slowed to 3.9 pct growth in 2011

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government says the country's economy grew 3.9 percent in 2011, a slower rise than in the previous year. The slower growth rate was in line with official predictions.

Mexico's gross domestic product shrank a record 6.2 percent in 2009 with the onset of the global financial crisis, then recovered in 2010 with growth of 5.5 percent.

The National Statistics, Geography and Information Institute said Thursday that Mexico's farming and ranching output decreased last year, but industrial and commercial growth offset that and produced a gain for the overall economy.

Mexico's central bank had predicted a growth rate between 3.5 percent and 4 percent for 2011.

U.N. Darfur Resolution Drops Threats

UNITED NATIONS - Britain and France dropped a threat of sanctions against Sudan in a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorize an expanded peacekeeping force in Darfur, according to a revised draft circulated Tuesday.

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said the co-sponsors toned down the language in the document to try to mollify African countries that had strongly opposed a previous draft.

But Sudan still rejected the softened resolution, saying it was "awful" and "ugly."

The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, calls for the deployment of a joint U.N.-African Union force of up to 26,000 to try to stop the fighting between ethnic African rebels and pro-government janjaweed militia that has killed more than 200,000 people since 2003.

The "hybrid" force would replace the poorly equipped and underfunded AU force of 7,000 now in Darfur.

The new text removes a threat that the council would take further measures, a reference to sanctions, if Sudan refuses to comply. It also drops a specific condemnation of Sudan for failing to ensure humanitarian aid is reaching refugees in the vast desert region.

"We've been listening, we've had discussions ... with the African members of the council," Parry told reporters. "We changed the text quite considerably. The tonality has changed, certain provisions have been altered considerably, there's less threatening language in there. It's more of a conciliatory text."

He said the new draft has the support of the three African members on the 15-seat council: South Africa, Ghana and Congo. Formal negotiations on the text would begin Wednesday, with hopes the Security Council could vote by the end of the month.

But Sudan's U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, blasted the document outside the Security Council chambers, saying it still contained "hostile language" and "insinuations."

"It's very ugly," he said. "It's just awful."

Abdalhaleem said Sudan was not backing down from its commitment to allow the "hybrid" U.N.-AU force into Darfur. But he said his government has problems with the mandate of the force - specifically who will be in charge of the troops and how long they will remain in the country.

Parry said he and his French counterpart, Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, would sit down with Abdalhaleem to discuss his concerns.

"There is no wish on my part to be other than working in cooperation with the African Union and the government of Sudan," he added.

But Andrew Natsios, the top U.S. envoy on Darfur, was more blunt, telling reporters Sudan's government did not have any more room to negotiate.

"The Sudanese government should not have veto power over what happens," he said. "They need to implement now what they agreed to do. Once this resolution is through, the Sudanese government needs to be accountable."

China, which imports two-thirds of Sudan's oil, has opposed harsh measures such as sanctions against Sudan over the Darfur conflict. It is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council that can veto resolutions.

China's U.N. ambassador Wang Guangya said the new draft was a "good resolution."

The conflict in Darfur began in February 2003 when ethnic African tribes rebelled against what they consider decades of neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated government. In May 2006, the government signed a peace agreement with one of the rebel groups, but the U.N. and international observers say violence continues.

The U.N. and Western governments have pressed Sudan since November to accept a U.N. plan for a joint force.

After stalling for months, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir agreed in April to a "heavy support package" to strengthen the AU force, including 3,000 U.N. troops, police and civilian personnel along with aircraft and other equipment.

The new draft states that the hybrid operation, to be called UNAMID, will have up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, a civilian component including up to 3,772 international police, and 19 special police units with up to 2,660 officers.

The document calls for U.N. member states to make troop contributions within 30 days of the resolution's adoption and says UNAMID should take command of the region from the AU force by the end of the year.

It also calls on the Sudanese government and all rebel groups to enter into peace negotiations.

"Without a political settlement, there will be no end to the Darfur crisis," Natsios said. "That is the ultimate objective of all of this. The peacekeeping operation is a means to the end."

(This version CORRECTS SUBS 18th graf to correct that peace agreement was signed in May 2006 sted 2005.)

Edwards Assails Bush, GOP Rivals

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Democratic presidential contender John Edwards argued on Thursday that President Bush has made the nation less safe and the Republican candidates are trying to become "a bigger, badder George Bush."

Edwards' remarks came one day after he challenged the idea of a global war on terror, calling it an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained the U.S. military and emboldened terrorists.

Bush told reporters Thursday that Edwards' view was naive.

A short time later, during an appearance in Montgomery, Ala., Edwards answered back: "George Bush has made America less safe and less respected in the world. What we are seeing now in this campaign is John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and the other Republicans running for president of the United States are trying to be a bigger, badder George Bush. Is that really what America wants over the next four years?"

Edwards, who supports a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq, said he would keep the country safe by going "after terrorists where they are."

"There is an entire new generation of young people in the Islamic world sitting on the fence," he told reporters, and their status as adults "depends on whether America can change this dynamic that George Bush has created that America is a bully, that we are selfish and that we don't care anything about what is happening in other parts of the world."

At least one Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, scoffed at Edwards' comments on the global war on terror.

"Remember that old Edmund Burke quote, it's a famous quote, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' And that, I am afraid is the boiled down version of what John Edwards said, is that good men should do nothing. Put their head in the sand and hope it all goes away," Romney told an audience in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Edwards campaign later issued a statement, saying: "We don't need more political huffing and puffing, we need a smart strategy that uses American power to stop terrorists from hurting us and to stop people from becoming terrorists in the first place."

Edwards was making his first campaign trip to Alabama since entering the race. He met privately with several prominent Democrats at the Alabama Education Association headquarters, including Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr., and veteran civil rights lawyer Fred Gray of Tuskegee. He also attended a $1,000-per-person fundraising reception hosted by the plaintiff law firm of former Lt. Gov. Jere Beasley.

Alabama has moved its presidential primary to Feb. 5, an increasingly crowded date with about a dozen states planning to vote.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Sailor to Testify in Iraqi Murder Case

SAN DIEGO - Military prosecutors scored a break in the case against seven Marines accused of murdering an Iraqi civilian when a Navy corpsman agreed to testify about what his patrol mates did that night in the town of Hamdania.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos was set to take the stand at his court-martial Friday and give his account of the alleged kidnapping and murder of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad.

His testimony would mark a sudden change in the case, but not necessarily a surprise - observers expected prosecutors to solidify their case through plea bargaining. Bacos' plea deal could compel the others to negotiate their way out of the case, experts in military law said.

Under the deal, prosecutors will drop murder and kidnapping charges against Bacos, 21, who in turn will testify and plead guilty to two additional charges, said his attorney, Jeremiah Sullivan III. He declined to elaborate.

Bacos was a medic who was patrolling with seven Marines last April when they allegedly abducted and killed Awad. All eight were charged with crimes including murder and kidnapping, and have been held at Camp Pendleton, the sprawling Marine base north of San Diego.

The accused Marines are at various stages in the military justice process. Bacos is the first to have a general court-martial.

According to charging documents, the troops entered Hamdania searching for an insurgent and, failing to find him, grabbed Awad from his home and shot him.

An AK-47 and a shovel, allegedly stolen from a home, were left by Awad's body, apparently to make it look like the man had been digging a hole for a roadside bomb and was killed in an exchange of gunfire.

Bacos was accused of firing the AK-47 into the air as part of the cover-up. Military prosecutors charged him under the theory that he did nothing to stop the alleged crime.

Bacos was recently transferred from the Camp Pendleton brig to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar for his own safety, Sullivan said.

Laurie Levenson, a law school professor at Loyola University, said the plea deal could indicate the prosecution's case lacks physical evidence.

Former Army prosecutor Tom Umberg suggested that others might follow Bacos' lead and strike similar plea deals.

"You don't want to be the last guy standing. The first guy gets the best deal," he said.

Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson said Wednesday it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on any potential negotiations between the accused and the prosecution.

David Brahms, a defense attorney for one of the accused Marines, said Bacos will be subjected to intense cross-examination should he be called as a government witness against his client.

"This is just one guy who is going to tell the story as he sees it," Brahms said.