Facebook in deal to sell site credits in Asia

Facebook is partnering with a Malaysian company to sell credits at retail outlets across Asia for the first time, aiming to make it easier for millions of people to purchase virtual goods and play games on the social networking site while boosting revenue for developers.

Electronic payments company MOL _ part of the business empire of tycoon Vincent Tan _ will offer the online currency from Aug. 1 at more than 500,000 outlets including 7-Eleven stores, Internet cafes and online banks in five Southeast Asian countries, India, Australia and New Zealand, company spokesman Nor Badron said Friday.

The move is targeting people who don't have a credit card, …

Zero waste: Is Ecotopia possible?

THERE seems to be a lot of talk these days about setting waste reduction goals at "zero." The net has been buzzing with all kinds of philosophies on the concept. And one state recycling organization has even selected "Zero Waste: Challenge for the Next Millennium?" as a conference theme.

Zero waste has numerous definitions, but for the context of this discussion my interpretation is: Recovery of all discards so that in theory, nothing is left for disposal. The question is, is the Ecotopia of zero waste a real life possibility or a far off fantasy?

FIRST THE MOON, NOW ZERO WASTE

Many states have set short-term waste reduction goals at around 25 percent, and …

Israeli Fuel Cuts Force Gaza Blackouts

With winter deepening, Gazans will be forced to live without lights and electric heaters for eight hours a day because Israel has cut fuel supplies to the territory's only electric plant in half, Gaza's top energy official warned Sunday.

Israel said the purpose of the cutback was to nudge Palestinians to call on militants to stop their daily rocket attacks on southern Israel. But Gazans charged they have become the target of unfair punishment, and 10 human rights groups took that argument to the Israeli Supreme Court.

The power outages, which will rotate across Gaza, come just days ahead of President Bush's visit to the region in an effort to promote recently …

Let us answer all of your questions about the Bowl Championship Series

The Bowl Championship Series is set and as always there are somethings that just don't add up. You've got questions and we've gotanswers:

Q: Why did LSU make it to the title game over those other two-loss teams?

A: The Southeastern Conference is the toughest league in thenation - though the margin isn't quite as great as the folks downSouth want to believe - and the Tigers get bonus points for winningit. Also, that 48-7 win against Virginia Tech still looks good threemonths later.

Q: Why did Kansas get an at-large bid and not Big 12 rivalMissouri?

A: First off, the rules are one at-large bid per conference.

Secondly, after the championship game …

Census takers start countdown to 1990

WASHINGTON This is the week when the Great AmericanNose-Counting Machine, idling since the early '80s, shifts into highgear for its biggest task in 200 years of existence.

One year from Saturday - April 1, 1990 - will be E-Day (forenumeration) of the 21st decennial U.S. census. On the outcome ofthis massive people-count many things will depend, including the sizeof state congressional delegations in the early years of the nextcentury.

Officials expect to count slightly more than 250 million noses,said C. Louis Kincannon, acting census director.

Though a quarter of a billion - up from 226.5 million in 1980 -may seem like a lot, it is dwarfed by …

Broncos' Defense Too Much for Raiders

DENVER - The Denver Broncos once again found barely enough offense to go with their suffocating defense. Jason Elam kicked two field goals, Tatum Bell ran for a short touchdown and Champ Bailey picked off another key pass as the Broncos defeated the winless Oakland Raiders 13-3 Sunday night.

The offense-challenged Broncos (4-1) haven't allowed a touchdown in three home games and they're the only team NFL team since 1940 to start off a season by yielding just one TD through five games.

The Raiders committed 13 penalties, including four false starts on backup right tackle Chad Slaughter, and fell to 0-5 for the first time since 1964. With Detroit, Tampa Bay and Tennessee …

Attorney for Mayfield says he won't be in Chicago

An attorney for Jeremy Mayfield says he will not go to Chicago for this weekend's NASCAR race.

John Buric says Mayfield does not have the necessary sponsorship for his car and no owner is willing to give him a ride for Saturday night's race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Buric says Mayfield instead will stay in North Carolina to help his lawyers respond to …

Sox Get in the Swing

WHITE SOX 9 BLUE JAYS 2

TORONTO The neon blue entertainment center that serves as abaseball stadium was speckled only with pre-game folly, and RobinVentura sat inside the dugout, gazing at the most unusual exhibition.

On the field, a man named Larry Carter - brother of Toronto BlueJays outfielder Joe Carter - was swinging an aluminum bat, sending12-inch softballs into the upper deck with alarming regularity.

Ventura's mouth hung in awe for the duration of the sideshow.But two hours later, when it counted, the real hitting displaybelonged to Ventura.

The White Sox' third baseman blasted two home runs, including agame-breaking grand slam in the seventh …

Buyer of minivan finds hidden $500K in cocaine

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A California man was stunned to see what a previous owner of his minivan apparently left behind: $500,000 worth of cocaine jammed in the door panels.

San Jose psychologist Charles Preston says the cellophane-wrapped cocaine was found when he took the van to a mechanic. Police were immediately notified.

Preston says he noticed the driver's side window …

Depth carries Duke to another Final Four

Duke is headed to another Final Four after showing it takes more than a cold night from one of the "Big Three" to stop the Blue Devils.

Kyle Singler missed every shot he took in the regional final. In an earlier round, Jon Scheyer was 1 for 11.

"It's not always about what we do in terms of shooting," Scheyer said after beating Baylor in the South Regional final. "If we have a couple of off shooting nights ... usually the three of us try to make up for it in other ways."

And they have. Duke has won three of four NCAA tournament games by double figures. The Blue Devils play West Virginia on Saturday In Indianapolis.

…

'The Food Guy': These dogs are the cat's meow

DAILY MAIL FOOD WRITER

ONE of the Kanawha Valley's newest restaurants reminds you of oneyou might have visited back in the old days.

T&L Hot Dogs in Cross Lanes is serving up burgers, shakes, friesand plenty of West Virginia's "No. 1 selling hot dogs" - along with ahealthy dose of nostalgia - from a small storefront location just offthe main drag on West Washington.

How are they doing? In a word ... YUM!

Although a mouthwatering menu awaits at the counter, you'll bebowled over by '50s-styled decor as soon as you walk in the door.

More than a dozen bright red and silver tables, chairs and boothsare situated over a multi-level dining area with a …

Grains futures, livestock prices trade mixed

CHICAGO (AP) — Grains prices traded mixed Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Wheat for December delivery fell 7.5 cents to $7.195 a bushel; December corn inched up 0.75 cent to $4.96 a bushel; December oats added 2.5 cents to $3.425 a bushel; while soybeans for November delivery dropped 6.25 cents to $10.3625 a …

Ice cream bar becomes new champ

Champ Products of Northbrook has trained its ice cream bar to bea winner. The premium dessert on a stick recently knocked outnational competition to capture first prize in the dairy category ofthe 1990 New Retail Products Contest sponsored by Gorman Publishing'sNew Product News. The frozen treats contain a core of premiumvanilla ice cream enrobed with creamy fudge, roasted peanuts andeither a milk or dark chocolate coating. Three-packs sell for $2.89in Jewel Food Stores, Eagle supermarkets and independent grocers.Single servings sell for $1.39 each in White Hen Pantries, 7-Elevensand other convenience markets.

UNCONTESTED: Culinary contestant extraordinaire Debbie Vanni ofLibertyville will share the secrets of her success during a freeprogram at 7:15 Wednesday at the Deerfield Public Library, 920Waukegan Rd. Among her many contest triumphs, Vanni competed inFebruary as a finalist at the 34th Pillsbury Bake-off in Phoenix.The program is free and will include samples of Vanni's dishes. Toregister call (708) 945-3311.

FIBER BOARD: A comprehensive chart listing fiber in brand-nameand generic foods is available from the Center for Science in thePublic Interest, a nonprofit nutrition and health advocacy group.Fiber, a largely indigestible substance found only in plant foodssuch as vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, is recommended byhealth experts for its contribution to good health. The FiberScoreboard (18-by-24-inches) is available be sending $4.95 ($9.95 forlaminated chart): to CSPI-Fiber Scoreboard, 1501 16th St., NW,Washington, DC 20036.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Nonprofit organizations that produced afund-raising cookbook in 1989 or 1990 are invited to submit theirworks for consideration in the Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards, anew national cookbook recognition program sponsored by the McIlhennyCompany of Avery Island, La. Awards will be bestowed every other yearto the outstanding community cookbooks in six regional and threenational categories. Winners will receive contributions to theirdesignated charities, plaques for their organizations andcertificates for committee members who worked on the books. Theentries will be judged by Ladies Home Journal food editor Jan TurnerHazard and a panel of food experts. November 1 is the deadline forentries. For an entry form and contest rules write to TabascoCommunity Cookbook Awards, Hunter MacKenzie Cooper, 41 Madison Ave.,New York, N.Y. 10010.

If you have news of new products, classes or other food eventsopen to the public, send the information at least two weeks inadvance to Bits and Pieces, Chicago Sun-Times Food Department, 401 N.Wabash, Chicago 60611.

Carpenter and Cardinals Eliminate Padres

ST. LOUIS - For the third straight year, the St. Louis Cardinals will advance to the National League Championship Series. For the second straight year, they did it at the expense of the San Diego Padres.

Chris Carpenter beat the Padres for the second time in five days, and the Cardinals advanced with a 6-2 victory over San Diego Sunday night in Game 4 of the National League Divisional Series.

The Cardinals won the series 3-1.

The Cardinals ace pitched seven-plus strong innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.

Woody Williams, a former Cardinal, took the loss for the Padres. Williams allowed four runs on 5 1-3 innings.

With the score tied at two, St. Louis broke through for four runs in the sixth inning off Williams.

Juan Encarnacion started the sixth-inning scoring with a triple to deep left, scoring Albert Pujols. Scott Spezio singled in Encarnacion, and then Ron Belliard scored on a throwing error by third baseman Russ Branyan to make it 5-2. Spezio scored on a David Eckstein sacrifice.

The Padres went 2-for-32 with runners in scoring position in the four-game series.

Brussels I: A race to the top

On November 30, 2000, the European Union passed a law mandating that online sellers be subject to suit in all fifteen EU states when they sell over the Internet. The new law is an amendment to the 1968 Brussels Convention. Called Brussels I, it is scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2002.

The new law states that when there is a dispute between a consumer in one EU country and an online seller in another country, the consumer will be able to sue in her own country. The regulation states that when a merchant "pursues commercial or professional activities in the Member State of the consumer's domicile, or by any means, directs such activities to that Member State," the country in which the consumer resides will have jurisdiction over the dispute.1

The idea for Brussels I sprang from a concern by European justice ministers that e-commerce was lagging in Europe. The European Commission attributed the dearth of online purchases to consumer fear, an opinion about which they have been very forthright in press statements as well as at the debates over the law.2 Given that consumer groups in Europe have been pushing for the right to sue companies in the consumer's home country, the EU ministers hope that the elasticity of the new jurisdictional regulation will spur e-commerce by bolstering consumer confidence.

Many business owners, however, see Brussels I as a direct attack on small- to medium-sized companies. Spokespeople for this business community argue that large corporations are already subject to suit in each of the fifteen countries that constitute the EU, because they maintain offices in each country. Therefore, those affected by the law will be fledgling startups and small stores that are trying to establish a presence throughout the EU or are simply trying to grow their businesses. These small companies may be driven offline by the possibility of the high insurance and litigation costs that Brussels I will produce.

The main argument against the new law is that its effects will be counterproductive. Harris Miller, President of the Technology Association of America, argues that the EU's belief that Europeans don't buy online because of a lack of consumer confidence is nonsense: "The reason that e-commerce is not taking off in Europe is not because of consumer confidence. The reason is ... because it's too expensive for consumers to get online."3 If Miller is correct, Brussels I will only exacerbate the problem by raising the costs for small businesses to operate-costs which those companies will then have to pass along to consumers.

Brussels I creates fifteen separate legal markets in which a company can be sued. This contradicts what many thought was the purpose of the EU: "[It) means we will still have fifteen separate markets in the EU, rather than one unified internal market, which I thought was the aim," says Mike Pullen, a lawyer based in Brussels.4

The matter is further complicated because it preempts the Hague Convention discussions on the subject of a global charter, which is meant to address cross-border disputes.5 The proactive measures taken by the EU essentially pull the rug out from under the Hague Convention's planners, who want narrower protections such as granting jurisdiction only when a web site specifically targets a country. Representatives negotiating the new Hague Convention stalled on these points and met again in June 2001 to work further on a solution. In the meantime, the European Commission has been considering the Rome II Green Paper ("Rome II"), a document similar to Brussels I, but which affects more than jurisdiction. Rome II directly contradicts several pieces of legislation,6 including the EU's e-commerce directive which dictates that the substantive law of the country of origin should apply. Rome II would take precedence over this "country of origin" principle, which currently governs e-commerce within the EU.7

The effect of the new EU regulations will be that e-tailers will have to comply with the laws in all fifteen EU member states-even if an e-tailer has not specifically targeted a country. The only way for companies to avoid being subject to suit in each member country is to specify on their website that they will only sell in certain countries. An open question is whether the website must specifically advertise that it is available only to consumers in a certain country, or whether the trappings of purposeful direction, such as language, prices denominated in a certain currency, or a statement that physical products will be sent only to one country, meet this requirement. An even more complicated problem arises when the sale involves software or some other downloadable commodity, so that the company selling the product may never know-and may have no method of determining-where the consumer actually resides.

To ease the burden on e-tailers, the European Commission envisions setting up a system of alternative dispute resolution procedures in each EU country, to which the commissioners hope consumers will resort rather than using expensive court litigation procedures.8 One reading of Brussels I is that e-tailers who agree to this form of dispute resolution will not be liable to suit in each country, but rather will have a choice of removing the consumer's suit to the dispute resolution system.

When it was president of the EU, France brokered a deal to add a review requirement to the new rules. Due mostly to the lobbying of pro-business groups, the clause requires that Brussels I be reviewed within five years. Within that time, it may be possible to see whether Brussels I has had the effect of creating a "race to the top" in which the EU member nation with the strictest laws in effect makes the law for all of the EU.

This kind of result seems unlikely at this point because of the difficulty and expense involved in bringing suit in a foreign country simply to take advantage of marginally stricter consumer-protection laws. But as e-commerce becomes more common within the EU-and as consumers begin to buy larger and more expensive items over the internet-a move toward homogeneity may become much more likely. Legislators, anxious to attract businesses and promote e-commerce, will likely promote homogeneous laws in an effort to assure consumers that their transactions are safe and reliable.

The success or failure of Brussels I will be closely monitored by countries around the world because its results will greatly impact ongoing negotiations over the Hague Convention. Those talks were promulgated at the request of the United States, but they have been stalled because the United States is balking at the idea of allowing jurisdiction over commercial disputes in the country of the consumer's residence, rather than determining jurisdiction through the more complicated and nuanced conflicts of law method that American courts use. The current state of draft negotiations over the Hague Convention allows jurisdiction by determining the place of injury. This system would allow a mom-and-pop shop in Vermont to be sued in the Ukraine if a worldwide treaty determining tort by place of injury is promulgated.

One possible solution-albeit a long-term one-is that technology itself will solve the problems presented by the Brussels, Rome, and Hague regulations. While it is generally assumed that the World Wide Web provides a certain degree of anonymity, a few judges have recently ruled that companies can be held liable for not using "best efforts" to determine the location of their consumers and to follow the laws of the countries in which those consumers reside. Most notably, French Judge JeanJacques Gomez held last fall that Yahoo!" must make good-faith attempts to keep French viewers from purchasing Nazi memorabilia from their auction website, in accordance with a French law which prohibits the display of Nazi insignia.9 Judges in Germany and Italy also have recently upheld national laws in the face of "borderless" Internet defenses.10

According to the prosecution in the Yahoo! case, it is possible to keep a great majority (approximately 90 percent) of French viewers out of a company's website. After time, and especially now that companies have begun to realize that they must focus on developing this area, it is likely that routing programs and advancing technology will allow companies to filter out viewers based on their geography. When this happens, many of the disputes governed by treaties such as Brussels I and the Rome paper may be reduced to mere conflicts of law cases that differ little from a typical torts case.

[Author Affiliation]

Nicole Goldstein*

[Author Affiliation]

BA 1996, Wesleyan University; JD Candidate 2002, University of Chicago.

Wednesday's Major League Linescores

Chicago 000 000 000_0 4 2
Detroit 000 023 13x_9 11 0
Contreras, Richard (6), MacDougal (6), Carrasco (8) and Pierzynski	Galarraga, Seay (7), Perry (8), Rodney (9) and Laird. W_Galarraga 2-0. L_Contreras 0-2. HRs_Detroit, Mi.Cabrera (4).
___
Cleveland 001 001 300_5 10 0
Kansas City 000 002 110_4 7 0
Laffey, Jo.Smith (6), J.Lewis (6), R.Betancourt (8), Wood (9) and V.Martinez	Ponson, Farnsworth (7), Mahay (7), Ho.Ramirez (9), Tejeda (9) and Olivo. W_J.Lewis 1-0. L_Farnsworth 0-2. Sv_Wood (1). HRs_Kansas City, Jacobs (2).
___
Boston 020 000 060_8 10 1
Oakland 000 000 011_2 4 0
Wakefield and Kottaras	Bre.Anderson, Blevins (8), Gallagher (8) and Suzuki. W_Wakefield 1-1. L_Bre.Anderson 0-2. HRs_Boston, Lowell (2), J.Drew (2).
___
New York 000 200 011_4 8 0
Tampa Bay 002 100 000_3 6 1
Pettitte, Bruney (8), Ma.Rivera (9) and J.Molina	Sonnanstine, J.Nelson (6), Balfour (7), Howell (8), Shouse (8), Percival (9) and M.Hernandez. W_Bruney 1-0. L_Percival 0-1. Sv_Ma.Rivera (2). HRs_New York, Cano (2). Tampa Bay, C.Pena (4).
___
Baltimore 210 001 002_ 6 9 2
Texas 103 812 04x_19 19 0
Hendrickson, Liz (4), Bass (5), Albers (7) and Moeller	Benson, Eyre (7), Rupe (9) and Saltalamacchia. W_Benson 1-1. L_Hendrickson 1-1. HRs_Baltimore, Moeller (1), Ad.Jones (2). Texas, Kinsler (3), N.Cruz (5).
___
Toronto 023 103 102_12 16 0
Minnesota 200 000 000_ 2 4 0
Richmond, Camp (7), B.Murphy (8), League (9) and Barrett	S.Baker, Humber (5), Dickey (6), Ayala (9) and Redmond, J.Morales. W_Richmond 1-0. L_S.Baker 0-1. HRs_Toronto, Rolen (2), A.Hill (3), Wells (2), Barrett (1).
___
Los Angeles 000 020 100_ 3 8 1
Seattle 000 121 70x_11 15 0
Weaver, Jepsen (6), Bulger (7), J.Speier (7), R.Rodriguez (8) and Mathis	Washburn, Batista (7), Kelley (7), M.Lowe (9) and Johjima, Ro.Johnson. W_Washburn 2-0. L_Weaver 1-1. HRs_Los Angeles, Hunter (3). Seattle, En.Chavez (1), Griffey Jr. (2), Suzuki (1).
___
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Colorado 022 000 010_5 9 0
Chicago 000 010 001_2 7 1
Marquis, Corpas (8), Street (9), Grilli (9) and Iannetta	Harden, Patton (4), Vizcaino (6), Cotts (7), A.Guzman (8) and Soto. W_Marquis 2-0. L_Harden 0-1. Sv_Grilli (1). HRs_Colorado, S.Smith (2). Chicago, D.Lee (1).
___
St. Louis 015 104 010_12 13 1
Arizona 004 012 000_ 7 10 3
Pineiro, T.Miller (6), C.Perez (7), Motte (9) and Y.Molina	Garland, Slaten (4), Petit (5), Korecky (7), Schoeneweis (9) and Snyder. W_Pineiro 2-0. L_Garland 1-1. HRs_St. Louis, Ludwick (3). Arizona, Reynolds (2), Byrnes (1).
___
Houston 202 000 000_4 8 0
Pittsburgh 000 000 001_1 9 1
Hampton, Geary (7), Hawkins (8), Valverde (9) and I.Rodriguez	Ohlendorf, J.Chavez (6), Hansen (8), S.Burnett (9) and Doumit. W_Hampton 1-1. L_Ohlendorf 0-2. HRs_Pittsburgh, Ad.LaRoche (3).
___
Florida 100 030 105_10 12 0
Atlanta 100 030 000_ 4 6 2
A.Miller, Penn (5), Meyer (7), Calero (8), Pinto (9) and Jo.Baker	D.Lowe, Carlyle (6), Moylan (7), O'Flaherty (7), R.Soriano (8), Boyer (9), Campillo (9) and McCann. W_Penn 1-0. L_Moylan 0-1.
___
San Diego 000 010 001_2 6 1
New York 000 200 41x_7 7 1
Correia, Gregerson (6), Mujica (7), Perdomo (8) and Hundley	O.Perez, Parnell (7), Putz (8), S.Green (9) and Schneider. W_O.Perez 1-1. L_Correia 0-1. HRs_San Diego, Ad.Gonzalez (3). New York, Delgado (2).
___
Cincinnati 000 012 000_3 7 0
Milwaukee 110 105 10x_9 9 0
Owings, Burton (6), Masset (7) and R.Hernandez	Looper, DiFelice (7), Stetter (8), Coffey (9) and Kendall. W_Looper 1-0. L_Owings 0-1. HRs_Cincinnati, Dickerson (1). Milwaukee, Cameron 2 (3), Weeks (2).
___
San Francisco 010 000 030_4 4 0
Los Angeles 100 100 021_5 13 0
Cain, Affeldt (7), Howry (8), B.Wilson (9) and B.Molina	Kershaw, Kuo (8), Belisario (8), Broxton (9) and Martin. W_Broxton 1-0. L_Howry 0-1. HRs_San Francisco, B.Molina (2), Rowand (2). Los Angeles, Blake (3).

White Supremacist Gang Gains Clout

BUENA PARK, Calif. - The white supremacist gang Public Enemy No. 1 began two decades ago as a group of teenage punk-rock fans from upper-middle class bedroom communities in Southern California.

Now, the violent gang that deals in drugs, guns and identity theft is gaining clout across the West after forging an alliance with the notorious Aryan Brotherhood, authorities say.

Police say the gang has compiled a "hit list" targeting five officers and a gang prosecutor - a sign of just how brazen Public Enemy has become.

"They make police officers very, very nervous," said Cpl. Nate Booth, a gang detective with the Buena Park Police Department in Orange County.

Law enforcement officials trace the gang's rise to shifts in the power structure inside prisons.

The Aryan Brotherhood has long been the dominant white supremacist gang behind bars, with the Nazi Low Riders acting as its foot soldiers on the outside for drug dealing and identity theft.

In 2000, officials reclassified the Low Riders as a prison-based gang and began sending its members to solitary confinement as soon as they were imprisoned.

The crackdown hurt the gang's ability to interact with the Aryan Brotherhood, which turned to Public Enemy, authorities say. The alliance was cemented in 2005 when Donald Reed "Popeye" Mazza, an alleged leader of Public Enemy, was inducted into the Aryan Brotherhood.

The pact has increased Public Enemy's wealth and recruiting power, said Steve Slaten, a special agent for the California Department of Corrections.

In the past three years, its ranks have doubled to at least 400, but authorities suspect there could be hundreds of other members operating under the radar. They said heavy recruiting is taking place throughout California and Arizona, and members have been picked up by police in Nevada and Idaho.

"They move around. We find them everywhere," said Lowell Smith of the Orange County Probation Department.

The gang traces its roots to the punk rock subculture in Long Beach in the 1980s. It soon shifted its base to nearby Orange County and in the 1990s began recruiting what police call "bored latchkey kids" - white teenagers from upper-middle class neighborhoods.

Public Enemy is now involved in identity theft. Booth said the gang has gone from swiping personal information from mailboxes and trash to stealing entire credit profiles with the help of girlfriends and wives who take jobs at banks, mortgage companies and even state motor vehicle departments.

Money from those operations is used to fuel its methamphetamine business, he said.

Two months ago, police agencies in Orange County arrested 67 suspected members after learning about the hit list against officers in Anaheim, Buena Park and Costa Mesa. Those arrested in the raid were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of illegal weapons and identity theft, among other things. Police have not released their names or further details because the investigation is continuing.

Booth recalled another case in which a member of the gang fired dozens of rounds at police from a car driven by his girlfriend during a high-speed freeway pursuit. After being arrested, the man was taken to an emergency room, where he grabbed a scalpel and tried to slash a deputy before cutting himself, Booth said.

Authorities worry that Public Enemy is using stolen credit information to learn the home addresses of police and their families. Some officers have gone to court to have addresses removed from those records, Booth said.

Report: growth of US intelligence since 9/11

The Washington Post newspaper says that since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, top-secret intelligence gathering by the U.S. government has grown so unwieldy and expensive that no one really knows what it cost and how many people are involved.

A two-year investigation by the newspaper found what it called a "Top Secret America" that's hidden from public view and largely lacking in oversight.

In its first installment of a series of reports, the Post reported Monday there are now more than 1,200 government organizations and more than 1,900 private companies working on counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in some 10,000 locations across the U.S.

Italy takes 2-0 lead over US in Fed Cup final

Alexa Glatch and Melanie Oudin have lost in straight sets to give Italy a 2-0 lead over the United States in the Fed Cup final.

Glatch lost to Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-1 and Francesca Schiavone rallied after a two-hour rain delay to defeat Oudin 7-6 (2), 6-2 on the outdoor red clay court at the Rocco Polimeni club.

Reverse singles and doubles were scheduled for Sunday in the best-of-five series.

The U.S. has won all nine of its previous meetings with Italy. But the Americans are without Serena and Venus Williams, who opted not to play after meeting in the season-ending tour championships last weekend in Doha, Qatar.

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

REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy (AP) _ American Alexa Glatch lost to Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-1 Saturday to give Italy a 1-0 lead over the United States in the Fed Cup final.

The 11th-ranked Pennetta used her consistent baseline game to wear down the 132nd-ranked Glatch, breaking early in the first set to set the tone, then cruising in the second set.

The 6-foot Glatch likes to rely on her serve, but she won only won 43 percent of the points on her first serve.

"My serve kind of let me down," Glatch said. "I didn't win a lot free points off my serve, so it made it very difficult to hold serve."

Francesca Schiavone faced U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin in the second singles on the outdoor clay court at the Rocco Polimeni club.

Reverse singles and doubles were scheduled for Sunday in the best-of-five series.

The United States is without Serena and Venus Williams, who opted not to play after meeting in the season-ending tour championships last weekend in Doha, Qatar.

Glatch routed Pennetta 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of this year's French Open, but she was never in control on the slow clay during a cool and overcast day in southern Italy.

"She definitely played better than last time," Glatch said. "The conditions were also different. It was much quicker and hot that day and very dry, and I served extremely well. I was more aggressive in that match, and I probably should have tried to be in this match."

The 20-year-old Glatch broke Pennetta in the opening game of the second set, but the Italian took control.

"After I broke her, the next two games she really stepped it up," Glatch said. "She hit a couple great shots."

Pennetta finished with 33 winners to Glatch's 14 and broke the American five times. Glatch struggled with her mobility, watching several winners whizz by her within reach.

"She has a pretty varied game," Pennetta said. "She can slice the ball, hit it hard, topspin. You need to move her around because once she starts moving she has trouble."

One of the few things Pennetta struggled with were low balls, with the heavy clay hardly providing any bounce.

"There was a bit too much clay on the court, but that's what we asked for," Pennetta said.

Kaiser Permanente workers in Calif. go on strike

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout California have gone on strike over contract disputes involving Kaiser's mental health and optical employees.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers says its 4,000 Kaiser employees are staging a 24-hour strike Tuesday over proposed cuts to health care and retirement benefits. The union represents Kaiser mental health and optical employees.

It's their fourth walkout since contract negotiations started in 2010. Kaiser officials say the union hasn't responded to their wage and benefit proposals.

The California Nurses Association said nurses would stage a strike in solidarity. Kaiser says about two-thirds of its nurses showed up for work as scheduled.

Kaiser hospitals and medical offices remained open during the strike, though some appointments and elective procedures were rescheduled.

THE BORE; Center of Earth filled with piety

Hilary Swank shows incredible disregard for her career with acceptance and performance as an astronaut in The Core. As do Delroy Lindo and Stanley Tucci although neither play astronauts, their roles as physicists are immensely forgettable. Unfortunately, these are not the only poor performances within The Core they are all bad performances. The other actors deliver emotionless dialogue with the same zestless dead-eyed stares as Swank, Lindo and Tucci. It is more that no one knows who they are. Lindo, Swank and Tucci lead a cast of nobodies into a barely plotted voyage of righteous indignation.

The plot of The Core revolves around a rag tag band of scientists that team up with a tough, but fair veteran astronaut and his determined, yet unorthodox second in command played by Swank. The gang of six learns that the electro-magnetic field is in jeopardy, potentially bringing the end of the earth and quickly leaps into action. First they build a big laser-mounted worm, then they get on it and from that point on it is comic hilarity as the rough and tumble group journey through mayhem and hijinks aplenty. The team is quickly struck down by a variety of predictable and unimaginative obstacles that give way to an inappropriate reach for emotion by these "actors." Close to the end, things look bleak, most of the team has already been killed in unfortunate accidents that happen slowly allowing time for pious speeches. Each character makes their sacrifice accompanied by an oration about saving the planet as they try to out dignify each other.

The movie lacks any quality of goodness. The storyline hosts a myriad of logical leaps and poorly explained science that will surely bore the audience or infuriate them. The principles behind the plan to save the earth involve stability through use of weapons. Saving the world by use of bombs. An idea so frighteningly stupid and impossibly contrary that the writers have the dubious honor of lending legitimacy to George W. Bush's peace plan.

Hilary Swank is a disappointment of tragic consequences. The film will surely be forgotten by the collective conscience of society within weeks, but a stain like The Core permanently tarnishes a resume. She provides none of the depth of character or talent she exuded in Boys Don't Cry. It is hard to believe that the same actress could perform so beautifully in one and then waste her abilities on an apocalyptic piece of trash with a gaggle of glorified extras.

The discriminating theatre attendee would find this movie appalling for an assortment of reasons and an action movie junkie would find it boring. This movie will disappoint across all spectrums of taste and should be avoided.

Photograph (A scene from the movie" The Core.")

McConnell Says Immigration a Close Call

WASHINGTON - The Senate's top Republican said Sunday he could not predict whether stalled immigration legislation will pass, citing questions among conservatives as to whether it guarantees amnesty to illegal immigrants.

"It's a mixed picture," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who called the vote, which is expected before lawmakers begin their Fourth of July vacation, too close to call. "There are good things in the bill, and not so good things in the bill."

McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada last week said they planned to revive the legislation after critics of the measure initially succeeded in sidetracking it. The decision came after President Bush made a rare visit to the Capitol for a meeting with Republican senators, where he urged them to give the bill a second chance.

The legislation has generated intense controversy, particularly for provisions that could lead to eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 12 million immigrants now in the country unlawfully.

On Sunday, McConnell said several Republicans were disappointed with provisions involving the so-called Z-visa, which provides a means for illegal immigrants to gain interim legal status.

On the other hand, support for bill provisions that would boost money for border security is strong, he said.

"When we get to final passage, it's hard to know whether the votes will be there to pass it or not," McConnell said. "We'll finish Senate consideration of the immigration bill one way or the other."

McConnell made the comments on CBS "Face The Nation."

Fan use linked to lower risk of sudden baby death

Using a fan to circulate air seemed to lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in a study of nearly 500 babies, researchers reported Monday. Placing babies on their backs to sleep is the best advice for preventing SIDS, a still mysterious cause of death.

Experts also recommend a firm mattress, removing toys and pillows from cribs, and keeping infants from getting too warm.

Such practices helped slash U.S. SIDS deaths by more than half over a decade to about 2,100 in 2003. But SIDS remains the leading cause of death in infants ages 1 month to 1 year.

"The baby's sleeping environment really matters," said study senior author Dr. De-Kun Li of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. "This seems to suggest that by improving room ventilation we can further reduce risk."

SIDS is the sudden death of an otherwise healthy infant that can't be attributed to any other cause. These babies may have brain abnormalities that prevent them from gasping and waking when they don't get enough oxygen.

The new study, published in October's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, offers another way to make sure babies get enough air.

More research is needed, said Dr. Fern Hauck of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, but she said that because fan use is in line with theories, it may be worth considering.

"This is the first study that we know of that has looked at this issue," said Hauck, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics SIDS task force.

Researchers interviewed mothers of 185 infants who died from SIDS and mothers of 312 infants of similar race and age. Moms answered dozens of questions about their baby's sleeping environment.

Researchers took into account other risk factors and found that fan use was associated with a 72 percent lower risk of SIDS. Only 3 percent of the babies who died had a fan on in the room during their last sleep, the mothers reported. That compared to 12 percent of the babies who lived.

Using a fan reduced risk most for babies in poor sleeping environments.

The study involved infants in 11 California counties. It was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

___

On the Net:

Archives: http://www.archpediatrics.com

Another quantum leap for Apple with flawless videoconferencing tool

A reader asks why I write so regularly about hardware or softwarethat only works with Macs.

It's a fair question: By strict numbers, the Macintosh operatingsystem only represents about 5 percent of the desktop industry'susers. But I put it to you that the Macintosh operating systemaccounts for at least 50 percent of the industry's innovation. Applehas a consistent record of leading the way for everybody else, andwhat's happening with the Mac today is usually a sneak-peek at whateverybody will be using later.

Let's hope that iChat AV is the latest app to influence the waythings are done on Windows. iChat's basic features--AOL and .Mac-compatible text chat and instant messaging with a slick, cleaninterface--have been embroidered with new capabilities for voice andvideo chat.

Normally, when you add features to a product, you just make itdenser and more complicated. But instead, adding voice and video toiChat opens it up. It clarifies iChat's role as a mainstreamcommunication tool. It also finally offers a possible mainstream rolefor videophones and telephony-via-Internet.

Why? iChat AV isn't the first videoconferencing tool, but it's thefirst to flawlessly integrate multimedia into the chat model.

I go a step further, and assert that iChat AV is an improvement onthe telephone itself. What if you picked up your handset, scrolled toa friend's name and photo, and even before dialing you knew that hewas near the phone and had time to talk? What if a ringing phonedidn't mean, "Drop everything, and talk to me right now!!!" butinstead, "I'd like to chat with you about something, but hey, feelfree to finish that piece of fried chicken and wash your hands beforepicking up?"

If that were the case, telephones would become so popular thateventually there'd be one in every home. The fact that you're gettingfree national and international long-distance is gravy.

But phones are boring. IChat's video quality is outstanding: itsfull-screen at near-VHS quality, and with a high frame rate thateliminates the choppy nature of video-over-Internet. The end resultis that iChat AV is the first desktop solution that makes you feellike you're talking face-to-face with a person, instead of a window.

Bad points? None. Well, OK, for the most part you can only videochat with other iChatters, so it's a Mac-only club for now. iChat AVsupports industry-standard protocols, though, so there's nothingpreventing Windows or Linux developers from making their appscompatible. As with the original iChat, AV's text-chat features areecumenical and embrace users of all faiths.

IChat AV works with any microphone (including your Mac's built-in, if it has one) and any FireWire-based camera, though some USBcams will also work with the right third-party driver. You candownload a free iChat AV "public beta" from apple.com. When it'sreceived its final coats of lacquer and chrome, it'll be includedwith the next edition of the Mac OS, due later this year. Foreveryone else, it'll be 30 clams.

Apple released the iSight videoconferencing camera along with thebeta--and once again, Apple engineers show everyone how it should bedone. It plugs into a FireWire port and has a built-in noise-cancelling microphone. Its unique compact tubular shape makes it easyto toss in a laptop bag, too. But Apple engineers made it a truewinner by asking themselves, "What's the single most importantfeature for a camera that sits atop a computer monitor all day?"

The answer, naturally, is the ability to shut the dang thing offand know for sure that it isn't recording anything. If you feelcompelled to do that dance from "Footloose," you can just twist aring on the front and a dense, white shutter--visible from across theroom--irises closed in front of the lens. One glance and you can besure that whatever you do in your office won't wind up on the companyWeb site.

At $150, iSight is pricier than most FireWire cams. But if gettingthe great stuff way before the other guy is one of the twofundamentals of the Mac Experience, then spending more for theprivilege is the other one.

Andy Ihnatko writes on computer issues for the Sun-Times.

SCarolina economic woes could trump social issues

PROSPERITY, South Carolina (AP) — Allen Koon had always picked his presidential candidates largely based on whether they shared his moral values and stances on issues such as abortion.

Then the recession pushed South Carolina's unemployment rate to record levels and Koon's construction business found itself short of work. Other jobs also were hard to come by in this town, named for boom times, and elsewhere. So, this year, the economy has pushed cultural issues to the backseat for Koon — and likely others here.

"You've got to eat first. You've got to keep your family going, you've got to have a future for your children," said Koon, a Republican searching for a presidential candidate who has a plan for getting the state and national economy back on track. He's leaning toward Mitt Romney ahead of South Carolina's Jan. 21 primary.

For the first time this year, the presidential race is playing out in a state with a dismal economy. That's reshuffled the focus of the first-in-the South Republican contest that historically has been shaped by cultural issues because of the huge chunk of evangelical and conservative voters who make up the party's base in South Carolina.

The state's 9.9 percent unemployment rate exceeds the national average of 8.5 percent and dwarfs the jobless rate in Iowa (5.7 percent) and New Hampshire (5.2 percent), the first two states to hold their nominating contests earlier this month.

In the past few years, manufacturing and construction job losses have hammered South Carolina. The state also has seen a sharp downturn in its $14 billion tourism industry and rising gas prices.

More than 18 percent of South Carolina's residents are living in poverty, compared with the national rate of just more than 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Republican candidates are battling to emerge as the nominee against President Barack Obama in a race certain to center on the country's struggling economy.

A week before the South Carolina primary, Romney is the clear Republican front-runner after back-to-back victories in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist, Romney has promoted himself as the strongest Republican challenger to Obama, given his background in private business. Romney is hoping that a campaign focused squarely on the economy will appeal to voters in South Carolina, where up to 60 percent of Republican voters consider themselves evangelical and social conservatives.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are working to undercut the central rationale of Romney's campaign by casting him as a heartless corporate raider whose venture capital firm put people out of work. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul have shied away from this line of attack. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is hardly a factor in the state.

All are emphasizing economic issues over social issues, though most are mindful not to ignore issues such as opposition to abortion and gay rights in hopes of winning backing from social conservatives.

Gingrich pitches plans to create jobs, boost home ownership and save Social Security retirement benefits. But he is focusing one of his first television ads on Romney's record on abortion. Santorum, who nearly won in Iowa, is trying to link moral issues with economic success. He cites studies that show children who are raised by married parents are less likely to live in poverty than kids in single-parent homes.

There are some glimmers that South Carolina's economy, like the country's, is starting to revive.

The state unemployment rate has retreated from its peak of 11.8 percent in 2009.

Under Gov. Nikki Haley, a Romney backer, South Carolina added more than 10,800 manufacturing jobs last year, many of them at a $750 million Boeing aircraft assembly plant in North Charleston that was the biggest single industrial investment in state history.

In the opposite corner of the state, German automaker BMW announced Wednesday that it would add 300 jobs — and a $900 million investment — to its North American headquarters. Online retailer Amazon plans to hire 2,000 full-time employees by the end of 2013 at a Lexington County warehouse.

Still, in this tiny town about an hour from the capital of Columbia, some say a full recovery still seems a long way off, especially for small-business owners.

John Hardin owns the Friendly Frawg Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot on Main Street, where the crowds have dwindled as nearby manufacturing plants cut jobs.

As he fried eggs on a griddle, Hardin said bringing business back to South Carolina is going to require a president with business experience. Hardin plans to vote for Romney.

"He's the only businessman out there. And that's what we need right now," he said.

That's not to say that with the economy as the focus, social conservatives plan to sit on the sidelines.

Republican voter Chuck Stogner went to see Santorum speak in Charleston on Thursday. He said he was looking for a candidate who shared his values and thinks he found a match in Santorum.

"He talks like the folks I have in my home," Stogner said. "You can tell he has the right beliefs."

___

Online:

Employment data: http://jobs.scworks.org/analyzer/default.asp ?

___

Smith reported from Charleston. Associated Press writers Philip Elliott in Charleston, Meg Kinnard in Columbia and AP deputy director of polling Jennifer Agiesta in Washington contributed to this report.

Premier League Scoring Leaders

Leading scorers in the English Premier League after Saturday's games:

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, 27 goals

Fernando Torres, Liverpool, 21

Emmanuel Adebayor, Arsenal, 19

Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham, 14

Robbie Keane, Tottenham, 14

Roque Santa Cruz, Blackburn, 14

Benjani Mwaruwari, Manchester City, 13 (12 for Portsmouth)

Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Everton, 13

Jermain Defoe, Portsmouth 12 (4 for Tottenham)

Carlos Tevez, Manchester United, 12

Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea, 11 (10 for Bolton)

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, 11

John Carew, Aston Villa, 10

Steven Gerrard, Liverpool, 10

Frank Lampard, Chelsea, 10

Yankees 4, Astros 1

Houston @ New York @
ab r h bi @ ab r h bi
Bourgeois cf 3 0 0 0 Jeter ss 4 0 1 0
Y.Ramirez cf 2 0 1 0 E.Nunez pr-ss 0 0 0 0
Keppinger 2b 1 1 1 0 Johnson dh 3 0 0 0
Navarro 2b 2 0 0 0 A.Romine ph-dh 1 0 0 1
Pence rf 2 0 1 1 Teixeira 1b 2 1 1 1
Romero rf 2 0 0 0 J.Vazquez 1b 1 0 0 0
Blum 1b 3 0 1 0 Rodriguez 3b 3 0 1 0
M.Ori 1b 1 0 0 0 B.Laird 3b 1 0 0 0
Feliz 3b 2 0 0 0 Cano 2b 3 1 1 0
Meyer 3b 1 0 0 0 R.Corona 2b 1 0 0 0
Michaels lf 3 0 0 0 Posada c 3 1 2 1
J.Shuck lf 0 0 0 0 Montero c 1 0 0 0
Castro c 2 0 1 0 Granderson lf 3 0 0 0
Cash c 1 0 0 0 C.Curtis lf 0 0 0 0
Maysonet ss 3 0 0 0 Swisher rf 3 0 1 1
W.Sutil ss 1 0 1 0 Hoffmann rf 0 0 0 0
B.Bogusevic dh 4 0 0 0 Gardner cf 3 0 1 0
Golson pr-cf 0 1 0 0
Totals @ 33 1 6 1 Totals @ 32 4 8 4
Houston (ss) 001 000 000_1
New York 012 000 10x_4
E_Hughes (1). DP_Houston 2. LOB_Houston 11, New York 5. 2B_Pence (3), Cano (3), Swisher (3). HR_Teixeira (2). SB_Y.Ramirez (1).
IP H R ER BB SO
Houston
Moehler L,0-1 3 6 3 3 0 2
Daigle 2 0 0 0 0 3
Sampson 1 0 0 0 0 2
Loux 1 2 1 1 0 0
Banks 1 0 0 0 0 0
New York
Burnett 2 1-3 2 1 1 4 2
Segovia W,1-0 1 2-3 0 0 0 0 2
Rivera 1 1 0 0 1 1
Hughes S,1-1 4 3 0 0 1 2
HBP_by Moehler (Teixeira). WP_Moehler.
Umpires_Home, Mark Carlson	First, Eric Cooper	Second, Mark Wegner	Third, Marty Foster.
A_10,591 (11,076).

Top 10 Labor Corruption Stories of 2006

The HUMAN EVENTS.

TOP 10

The National Conservative Weekly� * Est. 1944

www.HumanEvents.com

1 Mexican Standoff

To protest pending border-security legislation, Mexican ethnic politicians organized huge demonstrations early this spring in major U.S. cities. They got help from unions such as Service Employees International Union Local 1877, which provided security for Los Angeles rallies. Until the mid-1980s, organized labor was on the right side of the immigration issue.

2 Corporate Campaigns

For decades, labor has been a prime mover behind "corporate campaigns," which target a supposedly irresponsible company with such actions as strikes, negative publicity, demonstrations and boycotts-usually all at once-until it caves in. California health care provider Sutler Health went to court to fight a smear campaign by laundry workers' union, UNITE HERE, winning a $17.3-milliun judgment.

3 Teacher Unions Pension Settlement

In New York, mutual fund managers and public school teacher union bosses enjoyed a quid pro quo amounting to legalized graft: Union officials steered member pension funds toward certain investments, and managers paid the bosses lavish promotional fees, charging member accounts high fees in the process. Then-Ally. Gen. Eliot Spitzer forced a $30-million consent decree from financial services firm ING.

4 Grand Theft in Puerto Rico

Union officials and business associates of International Longshoremen's Association affiliate UTM 1740 were sentenced for stealing as much as $10 million, while underreporting another $1.5 million. That was Puerto Rico's smaller labor scandal. Leaders of Union lndcpendicnte Autentica, representing water and sewer workers, were convicted and sentenced for embezzling, laundering and covering up nearly $15.3 million in union funds.

5 New Books

Last year witnessed publication of three books on union corruption: Robert Fitch's Solidarity for Sale, James Jacobs' Mobsters, Unions and Feus, and Phillip Wilson's Union Corruption and the Law. Each volume offers juicy stories and recommendations for reform. Knowledge is power.

6 New York City Minority Contracting Shakedowns

The Manhattan D.A.'s Office arraigned four minority-hiring "consultants" who extorted payoffs from contractors and workers, often vandalizing or shutting down construction projects whose contractors didn't "cooperate." Two defendants belonged to Laborers Local 731. Another example of why affirmative action can't be "fixed," and why unions won't allow it to be.

7 Child 'Longshoremen' in Boston

For years, Boston's Longshoremen locals put children on shipping company payrolls to qualify them for "seniority" upon reaching adulthood. It was an expensive and illegal dockworker tax. Massachusetts Ally. Gen. Tom Reilly launched a probe in 2005. resulting in a combined 118 indictments against 20 individuals last summer.

8 Auto Workers Officials Convicted

During a 1997 strike by General Motors assembly workers in Pontiac, Mich., officials of United Auto Workers Local 594 demanded the automaker put family and friends on the payroll to buy peace. Union rank and file, feeling they'd been had, later filed a class-action suit. Last year, a federal jury convicted two union officials for extortion.

9 New York City Roofers Come Clean

Roofers Local 8 admitted before the New York State Supreme Court, through its lawyer, having ties to the Genovese crime family. Family capo John Barbato had led a shakedown crew of city contractors to buy labor "peace" while lining the mob's pockets.

10 New York Labor Official-Politician Arrested

Brian McLaughlin served as New York State assemblyman (Queens) and president of the New York City Central Labor Council. Along the way, say feds in a racketeering suit, he helped himself to $2.2 million through embezzlement, bribery and kickbacks. McLaughlin resigned as CLC head.

[Author Affiliation]

Compiled by Carl F. Horowitz, director of the Organized Labor Accountability Project, National Legal and Policy Center, a Falls Church, Va., nonprofit group dedicated to promoting ethics in public life.

Top 10 Labor Corruption Stories of 2006

The HUMAN EVENTS.

TOP 10

The National Conservative Weekly� * Est. 1944

www.HumanEvents.com

1 Mexican Standoff

To protest pending border-security legislation, Mexican ethnic politicians organized huge demonstrations early this spring in major U.S. cities. They got help from unions such as Service Employees International Union Local 1877, which provided security for Los Angeles rallies. Until the mid-1980s, organized labor was on the right side of the immigration issue.

2 Corporate Campaigns

For decades, labor has been a prime mover behind "corporate campaigns," which target a supposedly irresponsible company with such actions as strikes, negative publicity, demonstrations and boycotts-usually all at once-until it caves in. California health care provider Sutler Health went to court to fight a smear campaign by laundry workers' union, UNITE HERE, winning a $17.3-milliun judgment.

3 Teacher Unions Pension Settlement

In New York, mutual fund managers and public school teacher union bosses enjoyed a quid pro quo amounting to legalized graft: Union officials steered member pension funds toward certain investments, and managers paid the bosses lavish promotional fees, charging member accounts high fees in the process. Then-Ally. Gen. Eliot Spitzer forced a $30-million consent decree from financial services firm ING.

4 Grand Theft in Puerto Rico

Union officials and business associates of International Longshoremen's Association affiliate UTM 1740 were sentenced for stealing as much as $10 million, while underreporting another $1.5 million. That was Puerto Rico's smaller labor scandal. Leaders of Union lndcpendicnte Autentica, representing water and sewer workers, were convicted and sentenced for embezzling, laundering and covering up nearly $15.3 million in union funds.

5 New Books

Last year witnessed publication of three books on union corruption: Robert Fitch's Solidarity for Sale, James Jacobs' Mobsters, Unions and Feus, and Phillip Wilson's Union Corruption and the Law. Each volume offers juicy stories and recommendations for reform. Knowledge is power.

6 New York City Minority Contracting Shakedowns

The Manhattan D.A.'s Office arraigned four minority-hiring "consultants" who extorted payoffs from contractors and workers, often vandalizing or shutting down construction projects whose contractors didn't "cooperate." Two defendants belonged to Laborers Local 731. Another example of why affirmative action can't be "fixed," and why unions won't allow it to be.

7 Child 'Longshoremen' in Boston

For years, Boston's Longshoremen locals put children on shipping company payrolls to qualify them for "seniority" upon reaching adulthood. It was an expensive and illegal dockworker tax. Massachusetts Ally. Gen. Tom Reilly launched a probe in 2005. resulting in a combined 118 indictments against 20 individuals last summer.

8 Auto Workers Officials Convicted

During a 1997 strike by General Motors assembly workers in Pontiac, Mich., officials of United Auto Workers Local 594 demanded the automaker put family and friends on the payroll to buy peace. Union rank and file, feeling they'd been had, later filed a class-action suit. Last year, a federal jury convicted two union officials for extortion.

9 New York City Roofers Come Clean

Roofers Local 8 admitted before the New York State Supreme Court, through its lawyer, having ties to the Genovese crime family. Family capo John Barbato had led a shakedown crew of city contractors to buy labor "peace" while lining the mob's pockets.

10 New York Labor Official-Politician Arrested

Brian McLaughlin served as New York State assemblyman (Queens) and president of the New York City Central Labor Council. Along the way, say feds in a racketeering suit, he helped himself to $2.2 million through embezzlement, bribery and kickbacks. McLaughlin resigned as CLC head.

[Author Affiliation]

Compiled by Carl F. Horowitz, director of the Organized Labor Accountability Project, National Legal and Policy Center, a Falls Church, Va., nonprofit group dedicated to promoting ethics in public life.

Top 10 Labor Corruption Stories of 2006

The HUMAN EVENTS.

TOP 10

The National Conservative Weekly� * Est. 1944

www.HumanEvents.com

1 Mexican Standoff

To protest pending border-security legislation, Mexican ethnic politicians organized huge demonstrations early this spring in major U.S. cities. They got help from unions such as Service Employees International Union Local 1877, which provided security for Los Angeles rallies. Until the mid-1980s, organized labor was on the right side of the immigration issue.

2 Corporate Campaigns

For decades, labor has been a prime mover behind "corporate campaigns," which target a supposedly irresponsible company with such actions as strikes, negative publicity, demonstrations and boycotts-usually all at once-until it caves in. California health care provider Sutler Health went to court to fight a smear campaign by laundry workers' union, UNITE HERE, winning a $17.3-milliun judgment.

3 Teacher Unions Pension Settlement

In New York, mutual fund managers and public school teacher union bosses enjoyed a quid pro quo amounting to legalized graft: Union officials steered member pension funds toward certain investments, and managers paid the bosses lavish promotional fees, charging member accounts high fees in the process. Then-Ally. Gen. Eliot Spitzer forced a $30-million consent decree from financial services firm ING.

4 Grand Theft in Puerto Rico

Union officials and business associates of International Longshoremen's Association affiliate UTM 1740 were sentenced for stealing as much as $10 million, while underreporting another $1.5 million. That was Puerto Rico's smaller labor scandal. Leaders of Union lndcpendicnte Autentica, representing water and sewer workers, were convicted and sentenced for embezzling, laundering and covering up nearly $15.3 million in union funds.

5 New Books

Last year witnessed publication of three books on union corruption: Robert Fitch's Solidarity for Sale, James Jacobs' Mobsters, Unions and Feus, and Phillip Wilson's Union Corruption and the Law. Each volume offers juicy stories and recommendations for reform. Knowledge is power.

6 New York City Minority Contracting Shakedowns

The Manhattan D.A.'s Office arraigned four minority-hiring "consultants" who extorted payoffs from contractors and workers, often vandalizing or shutting down construction projects whose contractors didn't "cooperate." Two defendants belonged to Laborers Local 731. Another example of why affirmative action can't be "fixed," and why unions won't allow it to be.

7 Child 'Longshoremen' in Boston

For years, Boston's Longshoremen locals put children on shipping company payrolls to qualify them for "seniority" upon reaching adulthood. It was an expensive and illegal dockworker tax. Massachusetts Ally. Gen. Tom Reilly launched a probe in 2005. resulting in a combined 118 indictments against 20 individuals last summer.

8 Auto Workers Officials Convicted

During a 1997 strike by General Motors assembly workers in Pontiac, Mich., officials of United Auto Workers Local 594 demanded the automaker put family and friends on the payroll to buy peace. Union rank and file, feeling they'd been had, later filed a class-action suit. Last year, a federal jury convicted two union officials for extortion.

9 New York City Roofers Come Clean

Roofers Local 8 admitted before the New York State Supreme Court, through its lawyer, having ties to the Genovese crime family. Family capo John Barbato had led a shakedown crew of city contractors to buy labor "peace" while lining the mob's pockets.

10 New York Labor Official-Politician Arrested

Brian McLaughlin served as New York State assemblyman (Queens) and president of the New York City Central Labor Council. Along the way, say feds in a racketeering suit, he helped himself to $2.2 million through embezzlement, bribery and kickbacks. McLaughlin resigned as CLC head.

[Author Affiliation]

Compiled by Carl F. Horowitz, director of the Organized Labor Accountability Project, National Legal and Policy Center, a Falls Church, Va., nonprofit group dedicated to promoting ethics in public life.

Iraqi journalist dies 2 months after bombing

A Baghdad official says an Iraqi sports editor has died of shrapnel wounds suffered in a roadside bombing more than two months ago.

Majid al-Sakr had been in a coma since the November 28 attack in Baghdad.

The head of the Iraqi Journalists' Union, Mouyyad al-Lami, says the 51-year-old journalist died on Tuesday in a hospital.

Al-Lami says the journalists worked for the …

World's Smallest Horse Has Tall Order

ST. LOUIS - At just a hair over 17 inches tall, the miniature horse is more inclined to walk under fences than jump them. And her owners have sheltered the mare from ever gaining "circus-sideshow" or "one-trick-pony" status. As the world's smallest horse, 5-year-old Thumbelina, weighing in at 57 pounds, has a bigger mission: to raise $1 million for children's charities this year.

Handler Michael Goessling, son of miniature horse farmers Kay and Paul Goessling, says Thumbelina is the ideal child advocate. Her name comes from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of a woman the size of a thumb.

"When kids meet her in person, they want to talk to her and know what she likes …

Whitehead Institute obtains United States patent.(Brief Article)

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (Cambridge, MA) has patented eukaryotic RNA polymerase II holoenzymes that contain RNA polymerase II and one or more regulatory SRB proteins. These holoenzymes will selectively initiate transcription in vitro when …

The education system undermines its major nation builders.(News)

A s a teacher, I have never before experienced such an atmosphere of frustration and confusion, as well as desperation, emanating from the teaching fraternity.

I can frankly say that our school represents a multicultural team of efficient as well as dedicated and competent teachers.

Our head is a visionary who has encouraged us to become a totally integrated school, where diverse cultures thrive together in unity, promoting not only tolerance but also respect for one another in a holistic environment.

Our staff are highly skilled and some of us have years of experience with outstanding academic as well as professional qualifications.

I …

POLICE SAY CLERK, 2 OTHERS FAKED STORE ROBBERY.(Local)

Byline: VINCENT JACKSON Staff writer

City police arrested three teenagers Wednesday, saying they concocted a story that one of them was robbed while working as a clerk at the Cumberland Farms store on Ontario Street.

"After an intense investigation by uniformed patrol and the criminal investigation division, it was determined that the robbery of the Cumberland Farms store was fabricated by the clerk (Timothy Butler)," said City Acting Police Chief William Heslin.

Bulter told police Tuesday that he was robbed at knife-point at the store at 3:23 a.m. Tuesday by a 25- to 30-year-old man with a fishhook- shaped scar that ran from over his left eye to the …

6.5 quake shakes sea floor near Vanuatu

A strong earthquake has rocked the sea floor off the coast of the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, but there are no immediate reports of injury or damage.

The magnitude-6.5 quake struck at 2:03 p.m. local time Monday about 53 miles below the earth's crust, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site.

The temblor, about 125 miles southwest of Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, …

LIFE AND TIMES OF THE REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Jan. 15, 1929: Born in Atlanta.

1955: Leads boycott of city buses in Montgomery, Ala., afterRosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to awhite person.

1957: Helps create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.1963: Launches demonstrations in Birmingham, Ala.Aug. 28, 1963: Delivers his ``I Have a Dream'' speech duringrally culminating the March on Washington.1964: Receives Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolentdemonstrations.January, 1966: Brings crusade to Chicago and lives in a$90-a-month flat at 1550 …

REFORM OF FREE ZONES STATUTE.

Government has introduced legislation to amend the existing Free Zones Act to make the program more attractive to foreign investors. Under the current act, firms operating in a designated free zone must pay duties and taxes on profits on goods exported to Caricom countries as well as the customs area (i.e. points in Trinidad & Tobago outside the free zone). This provision has been a disincentive to …

Town off on new campaign.

York Senior League

Premier Division

Stamford Bridge (12pts) drew

with Beverley Town (25pts)

Beverley Town 164

Stamford Bridge 131-8

The start to the 2006 season saw Beverley CC travel to newly promoted Stamford Bridge, a team widely seen as the league's relegation favourites.

After losing the toss, Beverley struggled on a worn pitch with a wicket lost off the second ball of the game; this continued steadily as wickets fell at regular intervals on a pitch showing variable bounce and seam movement. Stephenson was holding the innings together as he amassed 34 on his return to the side after a season long break. But he departed, followed by a further wicket as Peter Parnaby joined Ali Brumfield at the crease. They began to steadily increase the scoring as singles were seemingly taken at will. They …

TOM TRIES TO WOO VOTERS BY BEING LIKE MIKE.(MAIN)

Byline: YANCEY ROY

ALBANY -- In his first two runs for governor, billionaire Tom Golisano plunked down lots of cash but took little action. This time, he's promising more of both as he vows to become Gov. George Pataki's worst nightmare.

His target: conservative voters.

His message: I'm Mike Bloomberg. Sort of.

He's got money and a strategy. Problem is, Golisano isn't assured of a spot on the ballot.

He's challenging Pataki for the nominations of the Conservative and Independence parties. (New York is one of only two states that allow a candidate to appear on the ballot more than once.) And he's trying to form a new party. He's …

IT'S TIME TO CHECK COOLING SYSTEMS.(Local)

This is the season when a conscientious car owner takes the time to have his vehicle's cooling system serviced. Many people either postpone this important service or they do it improperly, according to the Car Care Council - sometimes with disastrous consequences! A new radiator, for example, can could cost $200 to $300 if a do-it-yourself job is botched.

Recent price increases on antifreeze may also discourage some owners from taking care of cooling system maintenance. This is false economy, the Council contends. A neglected cooling system can overheat and damage both the engine and transmission - for big-bucks repairs far in excess of a gallom or two of antifreeze. …