Awesome: 2012

четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Republicans Criticize Bush at Debate

MANCHESTER, N.H. - President Bush drew sporadic, startling criticism Tuesday night from Republican White House hopefuls unhappy with his handling of the Iraq war, his diplomatic style and his approach to immigration.

"I would certainly not send him to the United Nations" to represent the United States, said Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor and one-time member of Bush's Cabinet, midway through a spirited campaign debate.

Arizona Sen. John McCain criticized the administration for its handling of the Iraq War, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said, "I think we were underprepared and underplanned for what came after we knocked down Saddam Hussein."

…

New Europol chief says he's working on Russia pact

The new director of Europol says the European Union crime fighting agency is negotiating a cooperation agreement with Russia to help crack down on organized crime.

Robert Wainwright says the pact will allow Russian police and Europol to share information and coordinate investigations.

Russian mobsters are believed to beinvolved in criminal activity throughout …

Fish species lost in changing tides Series: CHICAGO'S GREAT LAKE (STANDARD)

Lake Michigan's waters teemed with fish when European settlersreached its shores. Naturalists estimate there were between 79 and160 native species.

Now, pollution, overfishing and foreign invaders have decimatedthe fish descendants. Native lake trout are extinct, sturgeon rare.

In the 1850s, commercial fishing was a major industry. Butlumbering in the north and industrial waste in the south set thestage for disaster.

Rivers in Wisconsin and Michigan were jammed with logs beingpoled to sawmills.

The lumber gouged out traditional river spawning grounds, andthe tons of sawdust dumped in streams and bays smothered others, saidnaturalist John Mahan, …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Senators tell Biden to reject GOP Medicare plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five Democratic senators are calling on Vice President Joe Biden to keep the House Republican plan for Medicare out of out of budget and deficit negotiations.

Sens. Claire McCaskill, of Missouri, Jon Tester, of Montana, Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Bill Nelson of Florida express their concerns in a letter sent Monday to Biden. The letter was obtained by The …

WTC site rebuilding delayed and over budget

The rebuilding of the World Trade Center site is over budget and years behind schedule _ including the Sept. 11 memorial that was once expected to open on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site, issued a report on Monday with more than a dozen issues slowing rebuilding and raising costs, including an over-budget transit hub, the uncertain pace of dismantling a condemned tower where another is planned and construction of several projects around a working city subway line.

"The schedule and cost estimates for the rebuilding effort that have been …

Which member of the royal family would you most like to meet?

The only Royal I would have liked to have met was Princess Diana.

Robert Giles, 44, web designer, City Centre

I would like to meet Prince Harry because he seems like a goodlaugh.

Heather Smailes, 20, retail …

Global history project starts in Latin America

Work on the first volume of the Global Mennonite History Project will begin soon in Latin America and the Caribbean. Jaime Adrian Prieto Valladares will begin conducting interviews with Mennonites and Brethren in Christ in the region. Prieto is a church history professor at the Latin American Biblical University and has been active in Costa Rica Mennonite Church.

A sabbatical will allow Prieto to begin writing next February. The series is expected to include six volumes written in the next 12 to 15 years by scholars around the globe. They will be paid for the project.

"I look forward to his volume setting the pace and serving as a model for the entire series," said John …

Illegal immigrant from Honduras executed

A Honduran man who killed his former boss and wounded an employee was executed Thursday despite an argument by his home government that his arrest was a violation of an international treaty.

He was the the second foreign national put to death this week in Texas, the busiest death row in the United States.

"God forgive them, receive my spirit," Heliberto Chi said in English before the execution began. In Spanish, he told a friend watching through a window that he loved him and appreciated his hard work. He appeared to be whispering a prayer in Spanish with a tear at the corner of his right eye as the lethal injection began to take effect.

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Span's stability a concern in community: ; Ambulances were ordered not to use crossing

DAILY MAIL PUTNAM REPORTER

HURRICANE - Lucille Bostic doesn't know if the delay contributedto the death of her ailing husband, but she certainly had no ideathat county ambulances had been ordered not to cross the bridge 200to 250 yards from her home just outside Hurricane.

"There's nothing wrong with that bridge," Bostic said Tuesday.

An engineer working for the county planning office disagrees.

"It is a catastrophe waiting to happen," Randy Richardson toldthe Putnam County Commission on Tuesday. The concrete structure overHurricane Creek has no guardrails, no curbing, no lighting, he said.

The issue came to the commission following a Nov. 27 …

Delivering Picture Perfect Results

"We required a system that would support our growth by combining a financial backbone with powerful inventory and supply chain management - SYSPRO has delivered. "

Jonathan Jackson, Controller, Extreme CCTV Inc.

Established in 1997 and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, Extreme CCTV Inc. has quickly emerged as a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacturing of advanced infrared illuminators and precision-engineered video surveillance products.

Even though it is a relatively young company, Extreme CCTV has exported its complete product line to all continents - including such hostile environments as Antarctica. Extreme's surveillance products …

Oahu blackout interrupts Obamas' Hawaii vacation

President-elect Barack Obama and his family were among the thousands of tourists whose vacations were interrupted when the Hawaiian island of Oahu lost power during heavy rain and lightning.

Hawaiian Electric Co. sent an emergency power generator to Obama's beach house and set it up for him after power to the entire island was knocked out Friday evening, leaving 800,000 people in the dark, company spokeswoman Jan Loose said. She said Gov. Linda Lingle's office and the Marine Corps also pitched in to "keep his communications going and keep him safe."

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann told KSSK radio that Obama is in one of the "most secure places, …

Palumbo will join Foster in Senate: ; Republicans offered only token opposition

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER

A pair of popular Charleston Democrats sailed to victories intheir state Senate races by overwhelming yet predictable margins.

Kanawha County voters are sending Sen. Dan Foster back for asecond term while they tapped Corey Palumbo to replace outgoingRepublican Sen. Vic Sprouse.

With all 160 precincts reporting, Foster received 49,602 votes toAlan Long's 25,048. Palumbo received 51,630 votes to Bob Ore's24,806.

Four Democrats now will represent the county in the Senate -Foster, Palumbo, Brooks McCabe and Erik Wells.

"I'm thrilled about it," said Palumbo, 36, a three-term House ofDelegates member. "It will be very …

U.N. Weighs Sanctions Against N. Korea

UNITED NATIONS - The world lined up against North Korea on Monday for staging a nuclear test denounced even by key allies. President Bush called it "a threat to international peace and security," and the U.N. Security Council weighed severe sanctions to punish the impoverished communist nation.

There was no talk of military action. But the Security Council quickly condemned North Korea's decision to flout a U.N. appeal to cancel the test after the reclusive regime announced it had set off an underground atomic explosion.

Russia was the only country to say it had "no doubts" over the North Korean claim. The U.S. and other experts said the explosion was smaller than expected and they had yet to confirm it was nuclear.

But the reaction of world governments reflected little doubt that they were treating the announcement as fact.

The 15-nation council urged Pyongyang to return to stalled talks, refrain from further tests and keep its pledge to scrap its clandestine weapons program.

Bush said the North Korean action "constitutes a threat to international peace and security" and requires "an immediate response" from the Security Council, though he stressed the U.S. remained committed to diplomacy.

The United States circulated a draft U.N. resolution late Monday that would condemn North Korea's nuclear test and impose tough sanctions on the reclusive communist nation for Pyongyang's "flagrant disregard" of the Security Council's appeal not to detonate a device.

The draft, obtained by The Associated Press, incorporates proposals circulated by the U.S. earlier in the day to prohibit all trade in military and luxury goods and prevent "any abuses of the international financial system" that could contribute to the transfer or development of banned weapons.

It adds new calls from Japan to ban all countries from allowing any North Korean ships in their ports or any North Korean aircraft from taking off or landing in their territory and to impose travel restrictions on high-ranking North Korean officials. The Japanese proposals would also create a Security Council committee to monitor implementation of the sanctions, and ask the secretary-general "to actively engage in this matter."

Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, the current council president, said earlier that all council members "emphasized that the response of the council should be strong, swift and very, very clear in its message and its action."

But just how long it will take members to agree on a resolution remains to be seen.

Council experts started discussing the proposals in meetings Monday afternoon and were expected to meet again Tuesday morning.

But it was unclear whether China and Russia - the North's closest allies - would support some of the tough measures, which also include international inspection of all cargo to and from North Korea to limit the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and to ban any material that could be used in the production of weapons of mass destruction.

Before the experts meeting, the ambassadors from the five veto-wielding council nations - the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China - met with Oshima.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton told reporters afterward that everybody agreed within 30 minutes that the council should condemn the action and respond quickly, saying "that's remarkable" to have such a unanimous decision.

But he wouldn't speculate when the council might act, noting that Japan and others already had other suggestions for the text.

"The fact is that in our half-hour, full council meeting this morning, there was no one who even came close to defending this test by North Korea," Bolton said.

The United States, France, Britain and Japan want the resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which deals with threats to international peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression. It allows the council to authorize measures ranging from breaking diplomatic ties and imposing economic and military sanctions to taking military action to restore peace.

With U.S. forces strapped by the twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration repeatedly has said it has no plans to invade North Korea and discussion of military action was absent on Monday.

Neither Russia nor China would say whether they support a resolution that could pave the way for sanctions.

"I think we have to react firmly," China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said. "But also I believe that on the other hand the door to solve this issue from a diplomatic point of view is still open."

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the North Koreans "will be facing a very serious attitude on the part of the Security Council and the entire international community," but he said the council needs to discuss whether that will include sanctions.

The reported test came one day after the ninth anniversary of reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's accession to power and a day before the 61st anniversary of the ruling North Korean Workers' Party.

AP Television News footage showed North Koreans going about their daily business and there were no signs of heightened alert by security forces in Pyongyang, hours after their government said it performed a nuclear weapons test.

People also laid flowers by a statue of Kim Il Sung, the current leader's father who died in 1994. Red flags of the party draped buildings and lampposts.

The test also coincided with the Security Council vote Monday to nominate South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon to succeed Kofi Annan as the next U.N. secretary-general. The 192-nation General Assembly is expected to approve the recommendation later this month.

Ban said one of his priorities, if approved, would be to work to resolve the North Korean crisis.

North Korea remained defiant. Pak Gil Yon, the North's U.N. ambassador, said the Security Council should congratulate the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, known as the DPRK, instead of passing "useless" resolutions or statements.

"The nuclear test in the DPRK will greatly contribute in increasing the world deterrence of the DPRK" and will contribute "to the maintenance and guarantee of peace and security in the peninsula and the region," he said.

The United States and its allies, and many of North Korea's neighbors, took the exact opposite view.

"This shows why we need actions and not just words about North Korea," Bolton told The Associated Press.

Although North Korea has long claimed it had the capability to produce a bomb, the test would be the first proof that it had done so.

If the test is confirmed, North Korea would join the current members of the nuclear club - the United States, Russia, Britain, France, India, Pakistan and China. Israel is widely believed to have the bomb but has not publicly declared.

A nuclear armed North Korea would dramatically alter the strategic balance of power in the Pacific region and would undermine already fraying global anti-proliferation efforts.

"The development and possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea will in a major way transform the security environment in North Asia and we will be entering a new, dangerous nuclear age," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference in Seoul after a summit with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

Abe, facing his first major foreign policy test since his recent election, called for a "calm yet stern response." Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso warned such a test would "severely endanger not only Northeast Asia but also the world stability."

South Korea said it had put its military on high alert, but it had noticed no unusual activity among North Korea's troops.

Bolton told the Security Council that Washington would consider an attack on Japan or South Korea an attack on the United States, according to U.N. diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because the remarks were made at a closed council meeting.

The United States has defense agreements with the two Asian allies and thousands of U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea and Japan.

China said the North "defied the universal opposition of international society and flagrantly conducted the nuclear test" and urged the North to return to six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Cabinet that Moscow "certainly condemns the test conducted by North Korea."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the test was a "completely irresponsible act."

Only Iran, which also faces Security Council action over its disputed nuclear program, expressed understanding for North Korea's action.

Iranian state radio blamed the North's reported nuclear test on U.S. pressure, saying the test "was a reaction to America's threats and humiliation."

The North has refused for over a year to attend six-party international talks aimed at persuading it to disarm, demanding instead that the U.S. drop financial sanctions it has imposed to punish Pyongyang alleged counterfeiting and money laundering. It pulled out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 2003 after U.S. officials accused it of a secret nuclear program, allegedly violating an earlier nuclear pact between Washington and Pyongyang.

Impoverished and isolated, North Korea has built up its military and nuclear programs while relying on foreign aid to feed its 23 million people since its state-run farming system collapsed in the 1990s following decades of mismanagement and the loss of Soviet subsidies.

South Korea said the nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. Monday (9:36 p.m. EDT Sunday) in Hwaderi near Kilju city on the northeast coast.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the test was successful, with no leak of radiation, and this was "a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation."

"It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the ... people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability," KCNA said. "It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it."

The North is believed to have enough radioactive material for a half-dozen bombs. It insists its nuclear program is necessary to deter a U.S. invasion.

The North has active missile programs, but it isn't believed to have an atomic bomb design small and light enough to be mounted on a long-range rocket that could strike targets as distant as the United States.

Reports about the size of the explosion were conflicting, ranging from South Korea's geological institute estimating it was the equivalent of 550 tons of TNT to Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov saying it was the equivalent of 5,000 to 15,000 tons of TNT.

A U.S. government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the situation, said the seismic event could have been a nuclear explosion, but its small size was making it difficult for authorities to pin down.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it recorded a magnitude 4.2 seismic event in the northeastern part of the country. Asian neighbors also said they registered a seismic event, and an official of South Korea's monitoring center said the magnitude 3.6 tremor wasn't a natural occurrence.

Japan dispatched three aircraft to waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula to monitor radiation levels, the Defense Agency said. Russia reported no increase in radiation levels in its Primorye territory, which borders North Korea.

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

Cold and rain put chill on Lowe's 1st-qtr profit

NEW YORK (AP) — Lowe's Cos. profit fell 6 percent in the first quarter, as the bad weather that plagued much of the country kept customers away from their gardens and other outdoor projects.

The Mooresville, N.C., chain's quarterly performance missed Wall Street expectations and the nation's No. 2 home improvement retailer lowered its full-year outlook.

Lowe's results come a day before the country's biggest home improvement retailer, Home Depot Inc., reports its quarterly figures.

Both companies depend on the spring selling season to give them a boost, as shoppers typically head out in droves to buy seasonal items such as flowers, patio furniture and barbecue grills.

But cold and rainy weather across the northern half of the country and tornadoes in the Southeast have been a drag on the season so far, Lowe's said Monday.

"It's difficult to overcome Mother Nature when it comes to weather-related conditions," Chairman and CEO Robert Niblock said during an interview with the Associated Press.

While home owners dealing with flooding and tornado damage will be looking to make repairs, Niblock said any business related to that will be spread out over the long term.

Weather is not the only concern. Lowe's said customers remain wary about spending due to ongoing worries about the housing market and rising gas prices.

On Monday, the National Association of Home Builders reported that U.S. homebuilders are concerned the housing market won't recover this year, with some feeling it may be getting worse. Economists expect home prices will continue to struggle this year before a modest recovery begins.

Lowe's reported a 3.4 percent decline in traffic during the quarter, with average receipt nearly flat.

For the three months ended April 29, Lowe's net income dropped to $461 million, or 34 cents per share. A year earlier it earned $489 million, or 34 cents per share, a year earlier.

Revenue dipped 2 percent to $12.19 billion, as sales of outdoor items fell.

Revenue at stores open at least a year slipped 3.3 percent. The latter metric is a key indicator of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores opened or closed during the year.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected higher earnings of 36 cents per share on revenue of $12.54 billion.

Lowe's first-quarter earnings came in at the low end of its projected guidance of 34 cents to 38 cents per share. Its stock declined 92 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $24.84.

Lowe's cautioned in February that consumers were still holding back on big projects.

The chain was also up against a difficult comparison with last year, when shoppers took advantage of federal cash-for-appliances rebates, Niblock said.

For the full year, Lowe's now expects earnings of $1.56 to $1.64 per share and a revenue increase of about 4 percent, implying revenue of about $50.79 billion.

The retailer previously forecast earnings of $1.60 to $1.72 per share on a 5 percent revenue increase.

Analysts predict full-year earnings of $1.70 per share on revenue of $50.9 billion.

Lowe's anticipates second-quarter earnings of 65 cents to 69 cents per share, with revenue up about 4 percent, implying revenue of about $14.93 billion.

Wall Street expects earnings of 68 cents per share on revenue of $14.82 billion.

The retailer anticipates the second half of the year being stronger than the first, as it will no longer face comparisons that include government stimulus programs.

Lowe's ran 1,751 stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as of April 29.

3-yr.-old sees dad slain in parking lot

Three-year-old Anthony Brown Jr. didn't understand what hadhappened.

The boy heard shots, saw his father fall to the ground in aSouth Side parking lot and put his arms around his dying father.

It might have been a gang-related shooting, police said, thatsuddenly took the life of Anthony Brown, 19.

Shirley Brown, 22, the slain man's sister, said yesterdayAnthony Jr. still doesn't realize his father is dead.

"He keeps going to the window and saying, `Where is my daddy?'He keeps looking for his daddy to come in the car."

The slain man's mother, Claudia Brown, a widow who has 11surviving children, said:

"I'm so sad. I'm so hurt. I'm hoping the police arrest whoeverdid this and that they get what is coming to them."

Brown was shot while walking to the driver's side of his carseconds after he had placed his son in the car at the McDonald'srestaurant parking lot at 740 E. 47th St. Wednesday night.

The fusillade of bullets fatally wounded the father, althoughthe boy - his clothing covered with blood - didn't realize that.

As the boy clung to his father, the gunmen aimed their weaponsat a second car containing the father's two brothers, Larry Brown,20, and Duane Brown, 15, which was passing by.

Their car was struck by bullets, but neither was wounded.

Relatives said the two brothers then picked up their mortallywounded brother and the child and drove them to Provident Hospital,where the father was dead on arrival.

Brown had just picked his son up from the home of the boy's mother, Debra Scott, 21, near the parking lot, the slain man'smother said.

The slaying came as Mayor Washington said the city's anti-gangprogram is "on the right track" and will get police and civilianreinforcements next year.

Washington, taping the "Chicago News Conference" program to be broadcast at 7 a.m. and 9p.m. Sunday by WMAQ-AM (670), asserted that the anti-gang program,which has been operating at a pace of $4.9 million a year in city andfederal aid, has cut gang-related serious crime by 30 percent.

M&S The Latest To Court Safeway

Marks & Spencer could be the next retail giant to bid forsupermarket group Safeway, according to reports.

The company's advisers are said to have been looking at Safeway's479strong store network to see how many could be converted into itsM&S food format.

But today M&S said it could not comment on the rumours.

Analysts say the company could be better placed as a minesweeperfor Safeway stores that noone else wants to take on.

It would, they say, be most likely to take on the 121 smallerSafeway stores, with less than 15,000 sq ft floor space, that theysay would be more suitable for conversion to M&S Simply Food stores.

M&S has branches in Bristol's Broadmead and at The Mall, CribbsCauseway.

It is also rumoured that private equity firm Texas Pacific willsoon declare a formal interest in Safeway.

Safeway is already courted by six other bidders - Morrisons,Sainsbury's, Asda owners Wal-Mart, US buyout firm Kohlberg KravisRoberts, retail entrepreneur Philip Green, and most recentlydeclared, Tesco.

But only Morrisons has yet made a formal offer, which was agreedwith the Safeway board before competitors started to throw their hatsinto the ring.

Report: South Korea delays satellite launch

A news report says South Korea's satellite launch is being delayed and may not take place Wednesday.

The two-stage Naro rocket was supposed to blast off later Wednesday, carrying an observation satellite to study global warming and climate change.

Yonhap news agency says that the launch process has been halted due to fire safety problems, and that it would be "difficult" to hold the launch Wednesday as planned. Other South Korean media carried similar reports.

South Korean Science Ministry officials said they could not immediately confirm the reports.

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

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ South Korea completed preparations Wednesday for its second attempt to send a satellite into space after failing in the ambitious endeavor last year.

The two-stage Naro rocket loaded with an observation satellite to study global warming and climate change was scheduled to blast off later Wednesday. South Korea aims to become a regional space power along with China, Japan and India.

The planned liftoff at the coastal Naro space center in Goheung, about 290 miles (465 kilometers) south of Seoul, would be country's second launch of a rocket from its own territory in a less than year. The first stage of the two-stage rocket was designed and built by Russia and the second by South Korea.

In the first attempt last August, the satellite failed to go into orbit because one of its two covers apparently failed to come off after liftoff. Since 1992, South Korea has launched 11 satellites from overseas sites, all on foreign-made rockets.

Officials said everything was ready to go.

"All preparations have been completed," said Lee Joo-heon, an official at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which oversees the launch. Vice Science Minister Kim Jung-hyun said liftoff would take place at 5 p.m. local time (0800 GMT).

"We will do our best to the last minute to live up to the people's wish for success," he told reporters.

The latest attempt comes amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula after South Korea referred North Korea to the U.N. Security Council over the sinking of a navy ship that killed 46 South Korean sailors.

North Korea _ which denies involvement in the sinking _ has threatened to retaliate against South Korea for taking it to the U.N. body, saying the South's action will intensify military tension and could trigger a war on the divided peninsula.

There was no immediate North Korean reaction to the planned liftoff from rival South Korea. Last year, North Korea warned it would closely watch the international response to South Korea's launch after a North Korean launch drew a U.N. rebuke.

Pyongyang has developed a variety of missiles and launched a long-range rocket from a domestic launch site in April last year in defiance of international warnings.

Pyongyang said the rocket carried a satellite into orbit as part of a peaceful space development program, but the U.S. and its allies said nothing reached space and the launch was actually a test of the country's missile technology.

North Korea, unlike the South, is banned from any ballistic activity by U.N. Security Council resolutions as part of efforts to eliminate its nuclear and long-range missile programs.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

The Science Ministry said South Korea plans to develop a space launch vehicle with its own technology by 2020.

China, Japan and India are Asia's current space powers. Japan has launched numerous satellites while China sent astronaut Yang Liwei into space in 2003 and carried out its first spacewalk in 2008.

India launched a satellite orbiting the moon in 2008, but had to abandon it nearly a year later after communication links snapped and scientists lost control of it.

Pappas Telecasting Companies Lanza Nuevas Filiales de Azteca América en San Francisco y Houston

Aumenta la cobertura de las filiales de Azteca America; propiedad de Pappas Telecasting Company, a un 28% de la poblacion hispana de EE.UU.

Visalia, California, Pappas Telecasting Companies, el mayor grupo de teledifusion privado de Estados Unidos, anuncio hoy que dos de sus estaciones de maximo alcance, KTNC-TV, Canal 42, y KAZH-TV Canal 57, se han unido a la cadena Azteca America Network como filiales. KTNC-TV abarca el DMA (area de mercado designada) San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose asi como el DMA Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto; KAZH-TV abarca el DMA de Houston.

Con el agregado de estas estaciones, las filiales Azteca America de Pappas ahora abarcan un 28% de la poblacion hispana de EE.UU. del grupo de edad 2+.

Ademas, Pappas Telecasting Companies ha acordado vender a TV Azteca (NYSE: TZA; BMV: TVAZTCA) un interes accionario del 25% en las nuevas filiales por valor de 70 millones de dolares.

El mercado hispano de EE.UU. representa una enorme oportunidad para ambas companias, afirmo Harry J. Pappas, Presidente y Director Ejecutivo de Pappas Telecasting Companies; Nuestra relacion se basa en el mismo modelo que hemos usado para establecer nuestras relaciones de afiliacion previas en Los Angeles, KAZA-TV Canal 54 y en Reno, Nevada,

KUVR-TV Canal 68. Estoy totalmente convencido de que Azteca America tendra exito ya que su programacion agil e innovadora en espanol puede captar a la audiencia hispana de primer nivel a la que nuestros anunciantes de EE.UU. quieren llegar. Nuestra intencion es que ciertas otras estaciones de Pappas Telecasting en mercados hispanos clave pasen a integrar el sistema de distribucion de la cadena Azteca America.

Pappas Telecasting esta procurando activamente establecer relaciones de afiliacion adicionales con Azteca America en mercados clave, agrego el Sr. Pappas.

Imitando a las relaciones de afiliacion de Azteca America tanto en Los Angeles como en Reno, los ingresos conjuntos de las estaciones y de la red se dividiran en partes iguales entre Pappas y TV Azteca. Las filiales de Los Angeles y Reno ya han obtenido resultados notables. Aun sin esfuerzos promocionales, cobertura completa por cable o la difusion de las sumamente populares novelas de TV Azteca, KAZA-TV Canal 54 de Los Angeles ha captado a un sector considerable de la audiencia. El lanzamiento en firme de KAZA-TV Canal 54 programado para comenzar hoy, se vera acompanado de una campana de marketing y promocional a gran escala presentando las novelas de TV Azteca.

Pappas anadio, Ricardo Salinas es un visionario que comprende cabalmente las realidades y oportunidades que ofrece el mercado. Trabajando con un experto equipo ejecutivo de primer nivel, ha logrado imponer una formidable presencia en el mercado de todo Mexico. Las dos cadenas nacionales de TV Azteca alcanzaron rapidamente el exito al poco tiempo de su lanzamiento en 1993. Lo que es igualmente importante, las cadenas de TV Azteca han ido aumentando su audiencia y su participacion en los ingresos de forma sostenida en los ultimos ocho anos. Pappas Telecasting ha destinado estaciones de television con un valor de mercado que estos momentos supera los quinientos mil millones de dolares a la cadena Azteca America. El compromiso por parte de TV Azteca de sus recursos de programacion, asi como de los 70 millones de dolares que implico esta transaccion, demuestra nuestro compromiso mutuo al desarrollo de la cadena Azteca America en EE.UU.

Planeamos seguir trabajando juntos para mejorar nuestro sistema de distribucion.

Nuestro arreglo comercial reformulado representa una alineacion complementaria de los intereses comerciales de Pappas Telecasting Companies y TV Azteca, continuo Pappas. Pappas Telecasting tiene el proposito de adquirir bocas de distribucion adicionales en otros mercados de medios hispanos clave.

Perfil de la empresa

Pappas Telecasting Companies es el mayor grupo de teledifusion privado de Estados Unidos. La compania opera las cadenas lideres Fox, WB, ABC, CBS, UPN y filiales de Azteca America en todas las regiones de Estados Unidos. Segun las estadisticas de Nielsen, las estaciones televisivas de Pappas Telecasting llegan a un 15% de todos los hogares norteamericanos. Ademas, la compania opera estaciones de television en mercados que llegan a mas de un 28% de los hogares hispanos de EE.UU. y a mas del 31% de todas las personas hispanas del grupo de edad 2+. La empresa figura entre los mayores grupos de teledifusion de los Estados Unidos.

DAILY DOUBLE

Q. My new wife and I were opening our wedding gift envelopes anddiscovered one was empty except for the card. We're 95 percent surethis was a mistake. Should we ask the guests to write us anothercheck? There's always that slight chance that they never intended togive us a gift and figured their "best wishes" card was enough. Newlyweds A. Do not suggest "another" check, in case they never intended tosend one. However, you could send a note telling them how glad youwere they came to the wedding and thanking them for their card. Ifthey look at each other and say, "Card? What about the check?"you'll soon get a check and an apology. Diane Crowley

A. Most people know not to go to a wedding empty-handed. Givingjust a card is, by most standards, empty-handed. So, yes, politelyask if their envelope was attached to something or had something init. They'll likely be glad you brought this to their attention.However, if they tell you the card was it, just respond, "Oh? It wasa lovely card," and leave it at that. Jeffrey Zaslow

NATIONAL LEAGUE

cardinals 5, reds 0

See story at right.

ST. LOUIS CINCINNATI

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Hart 2b 4 1 1 0 Freel cf 4 0 0 0

Cairo lf 5 2 3 0 Olmedo ss 4 0 1 0

Pujols 1b 4 2 2 5 DJmnz 2b 3 0 1 0

Rolen 3b 4 0 0 0 Brnyan 1b 4 0 0 0

EduPrz rf 4 0 0 0 Smthr lf 4 0 0 0

Sprngr p 0 0 0 0 Hmmel 3b 4 0 0 0

Rnteria ss 3 0 0 0 LaRue c 3 0 1 0

Mtheny c 3 0 0 0 WPena rf 4 0 1 0

Tguchi cf 2 0 0 0 Serafini p 1 0 0 0

OPlmro ph 1 0 0 0 Redling p 0 0 0 0

Eldred p 0 0 0 0 Stenson ph 0 0 0 0

Kline p 0 0 0 0 Graves p 0 0 0 0

Rbnson rf 0 0 0 0 Reith p 0 0 0 0

Htchck p 2 0 1 0

Edmnd cf 2 0 1 0

Totals 34 5 8 5 Totals 31 0 4 0

St. Louis 000 002 030-5

Cincinnati 000 000 000-0

E-Renteria (16). DP-Cincinnati 1. LOB-St. Louis 6, Cincinnati 8.2B-Cairo (15), LaRue (19). HR-Pujols 2 (37). S-Serafini.

IP H R ER BB SO

St. Louis

Hitchcock W,2-0 6 3 0 0 1 4

Eldred 1 1 0 0 1 1

Kline 1 0 0 0 0 1

Springer 1 0 0 0 1 1

Cincinnati

Serafini L,0-2 6 4 2 2 3 3

Riedling 1 0 0 0 0 2

Graves 1 3 3 3 0 0

Reith 1 1 0 0 1 0

T-2:47. A-29,272 (42,263).

giants 3, d'backs 1

Without Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants were fine - for onenight.

Bonds was hospitalized for exhaustion Sunday night, just minutesbefore the Giants played the Arizona Diamondbacks, and spent thenight as a precaution.

The Giants were able to overcome his absence thanks to JasonSchmidt, who pitched into the ninth to lead the NL-West leaders.

Giants trainer Stan Conte said Bonds showed signs of being draineda day after he came out of the game with a racing heart - up to 160beats per minute.

"The best word is exhausted," Conte said. "I thought it best thathe be monitored overnight just to be sure, especially in light ofwhat happened yesterday - even though he was over that."

Bonds homered off Randy Johnson on Saturday in his first game backfollowing the death of his father. After rounding the bases, he hadheart palpitations and trouble breathing.

Benito Santiago and Edgardo Alfonzo hit RBI doubles as the Giantsbeat the Diamondbacks for the 12th time in 15 games. Jeffrey Hammondsstarted in left field and batted cleanup in Bonds' place.

SAN FRAN ARIZONA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

EYong 2b 5 0 0 0 Kata 2b 4 0 0 0

NPerez 2b 0 0 0 0 Cintron ss 4 0 1 0

Aurilia ss 3 0 0 1 LGnzlz lf 3 1 1 0

Grssom cf 4 0 1 0 Mndesi rf 4 0 1 0

Hmnds lf 2 1 0 0 Baerga 1b 4 0 2 1

Glrrga 1b 4 0 1 0 SFinley cf 4 0 2 0

BStiago c 4 0 1 1 Cunsell 3b 4 0 0 0

JoCruz rf 3 1 1 0 Hmck c 4 0 0 0

Alfonzo 3b 4 1 2 1 Webb p 2 0 0 0

Schmdt p 2 0 0 0 Hlnbrn ph 1 0 0 0

Worrell p 0 0 0 0 Dssens p 0 0 0 0

Totals 31 3 6 3 Totals 34 1 7 1

San Francisco 010 020 000-3

Arizona 000 100 000-1

LOB-San Francisco 7, Arizona 7. 2B-BSantiago (16), Alfonzo (21),LGonzalez (39), SFinley (16). S-Schmidt 2. SF-Aurilia.

IP H R ER BB SO

San Francisco

Schmidt W,14-5 81/3 7 1 1 1 6

Worrell S,31 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

Arizona

Webb L,8-7 7 4 3 3 2 11

Dessens 2 2 0 0 1 1

WP-Webb.

T-3:02. A-37,836 (49,033).

dodgers 3, rockies 0

Eric Gagne tied the major league record with his 54th consecutivesave as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of Colorado atDodger Stadium.

Gagne equaled the mark Tom Gordon set with Boston in 1998-99 andpreserved the victory for Odalis Perez (11-10). The save was Gagne's46th this season without a miss, also a major league record.

COLORADO LOS ANGELES

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Blliard 2b 3 0 0 0 Hndrsn lf 3 0 0 0

Stynes 3b 4 0 0 0 Cora 2b 1 0 0 0

Helton 1b 3 0 1 0 L Duca c 4 1 0 0

PrWlsn cf 4 0 0 0 ShGren rf 3 1 1 0

Payton lf 4 0 1 0 Beltre 3b 3 0 0 0

RReyes rf 4 0 1 0 Coomer 1b 3 0 0 0

CJhson c 3 0 0 0 TMartn p 0 0 0 0

Norton ph 1 0 0 0 Gagne p 0 0 0 0

Uribe ss 3 0 1 0 Burnitz cf 3 1 1 1

LWalkr ph 1 0 0 0 JoCbra 2b 3 0 2 2

Oliver p 3 0 2 0 Izturis ss 3 0 0 0

OPerez p 2 0 0 0

Vntura 1b 1 0 0 0

Totals 33 0 6 0 Totals 29 3 4 3

Colorado 000 000 000-0

Los Angeles 000 000 30x-3

E-Belliard 2 (13), Uribe (12), Lo Duca (14), Beltre (17). DP-Colorado 1, Los Angeles 1. LOB-Colorado 8, Los Angeles 2. 2B-Burnitz(22), JoCabrera (24). CS-Belliard (2).

IP H R ER BB SO

Colorado

Oliver L,10-10 8 4 3 0 0 2

Los Angeles

OPerez W,11-10 7 5 0 0 2 4

TMartin 1 0 0 0 0 1

Gagne S,46 1 1 0 0 0 2

T-2:08. A-41,146 (56,000).

phillies 4, mets 1

Vicente Padilla (12-9) held the Mets hitless for six innings andJim Thome homered as Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep at NewYork.

Met rookie Jose Reyes, who broke up the no-hit bid with an infieldsingle leading off the seventh, sprained his left ankle trying tobreak up a game-ending double play. He was carted off the field andlisted as day to day.

PHILA NEW YORK

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Byrd cf 3 0 1 2 Cedeno rf 4 0 0 0

Rollins ss 4 0 0 0 Reyes ss 3 1 1 0

BAbreu rf 4 0 0 0 TPerez lf 4 0 0 0

Thome 1b 4 1 1 1 TClark 1b 3 0 1 1

Burrell lf 4 1 1 0 JPhllps c 3 0 0 0

Utley 2b 3 0 0 0 Wggntn 3b 2 0 0 0

Pratt c 3 1 0 0 Scutaro 2b 3 0 0 0

ToPerz 3b 3 1 1 1 Duncan cf 2 0 0 0

Padilla p 2 0 0 0 RGnzlz cf 1 0 0 0

Mesa p 0 0 0 0 Seo p 1 0 0 0

JBell ph 1 0 0 0

Hilman p 0 0 0 0

JoFrco p 0 0 0 0

Piazza ph 1 0 0 0

Wthers p 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 4 4 4 Totals 28 1 2 1

Philadelphia 010 030 000-4

New York 000 000 100-1

DP-Philadelphia 1. LOB-Philadelphia 3, New York 2. 2B-Byrd (25),TClark (10). HR-Thome (37). S-Padilla.

IP H R ER BB SO

Philadelphia

Padilla W,12-9 8 2 1 1 0 5

Mesa S,24 1 0 0 0 1 1

New York

Seo L,8-9 6 4 4 4 1 4

Heilman 12/3 0 0 0 1 1

JoFranco 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

Weathers 1 0 0 0 1 1

HBP-by Padilla (Wigginton); T-2:23. A-26,180 (56,749).

brewers 2, cubs 0

At Chicago, Doug Davis (2-0) pitched into the ninth and rightfielder Jason Conti made a sliding, game-ending catch with the basesloaded to preserve the 12th victory in 13 games for Milwaukee.

The Brewers, who had a 10-game winning streak snapped Friday, wontheir fourth straight series - the first time they've done that sinceAugust 1996. Danny Kolb earned his 14th save in 15 chances.

MILWAUKEE CHICAGO

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Pdsdnk cf 4 1 3 0 Glnville cf 4 0 1 0

KGintr 2b 3 1 1 1 REMtiz 2b 4 0 3 0

BClark lf 3 0 1 0 SSosa rf 3 0 1 0

Sexson 1b 4 0 1 1 Alou lf 4 0 1 0

Vn W rf 2 0 0 0 ARmrz 3b 3 0 0 0

MSmith ph 1 0 0 0 Karros 1b 4 0 0 0

Conti rf 0 0 0 0 ASGzlz ss 2 0 0 0

Helms 3b 4 0 1 0 DMiller c 3 0 0 0

EddPrz c 4 0 1 0 JuCruz p 1 0 0 0

Clayton ss 4 0 1 0 Alfnsca p 0 0 0 0

DDavis p 4 0 0 0 Wmack ph 1 0 0 0

Kolb p 0 0 0 0 Rmlngr p 0 0 0 0

Simon ph 1 0 0 0

Guthrie p 0 0 0 0

Totals 33 2 9 2 Totals 30 0 6 0

Milwaukee 100 001 000-2

Chicago 000 000 000-0

E-Conti (1). DP-Milwaukee 4, Chicago 1. LOB-Milwaukee 9, Chicago6. 2B-Podsednik (22), BClark (17), Sexson (23), Helms (20), EddPerez(12). SB-Podsednik (34). CS-REMartinez (1). S-BClark. SF-KGinter.

IP H R ER BB SO

Milwaukee

DDavis W,2-0 81/3 5 0 0 2 5

Kolb S,14 2/3 1 0 0 1 1

Chicago

JuCruz L,1-5 51/3 6 2 2 1 6

Alfonseca 2/3 0 0 0 0 2

Remlinger 2 2 0 0 0 3

Guthrie 1 1 0 0 1 0

HBP-by JuCruz (KGinter). WP-DDavis, JuCruz; T-2:47. A-38,946(39,241).

padres 3, astros 1

Jake Peavy (10-10) and four relievers combined on a three-hitteras San Diego dropped Houston into second place in the NL Central.

SAN DIEGO HOUSTON

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Brrghs 3b 4 0 1 1 Biggio cf 3 0 0 0

Loretta 2b 4 0 2 2 Ensbrg 3b 4 1 2 1

BGiles lf 4 0 0 0 Bgwell 1b 2 0 1 0

Nevin 1b 4 0 0 0 JKent 2b 4 0 0 0

Mathws rf 4 1 2 0 Brkmn lf 4 0 0 0

Kotsay cf 4 0 0 0 Hidalgo rf 3 0 0 0

Bennett c 4 0 0 0 Asmus c 2 0 0 0

RVazqz ss 3 1 3 0 Mlskey ph 1 0 0 0

Peavy p 2 0 0 0 AEvrtt ss 2 0 0 0

Bchnan ph 0 1 0 0 JVzcno ss 2 0 0 0

Lnbrnk p 0 0 0 0 Villone p 2 0 0 0

MMtws p 0 0 0 0 Lidge p 0 0 0 0

Wtsick p 0 0 0 0 Lane ph 1 0 0 0

Klesko ph 1 0 1 0 Stone p 0 0 0 0

Beck p 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 3 9 3 Totals 30 1 3 1

San Diego 000 000 300-3

Houston 100 000 000-1

DP-Houston 2. LOB-San Diego 7, Houston 7. 2B-Matthews (15). HR-Ensberg (21). SB-Bagwell (9).

IP H R ER BB SO

San Diego

Peavy W,10-10 6 1 1 1 2 10

Linebrink 1/3 0 0 0 1 0

MMatthews 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

Witasick 1 2 0 0 0 1

Beck S,20 1 0 0 0 0 2

Houston

Villone L,6-3 62/3 6 3 3 3 6

Lidge 1/3 1 0 0 0 0

Stone 2 2 0 0 0 1

HBP-by Linebrink (Ausmus), by Peavy (Biggio); T-2:59. A-31,408(40,950).

braves 10, pirates 4

At Atlanta, Andruw Jones, Vinny Castilla and Javy Lopez homeredand the Braves roughed up Pittsburgh's pitching staff for the secondstraight day.

The Braves can complete a sixth 100-win season under manager BobbyCox by going 13-13 in September. Only the Yankees' Joe McCarthy hasmanaged six 100-victory seasons with the same team.

ATLANTA PITTSBURGH

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Furcal ss 4 3 2 0 TRdmn cf 5 1 2 0

MGiles 2b 4 3 3 1 JWilsn ss 5 0 0 0

CJones lf 5 0 2 3 Kendall c 4 2 2 0

AJones cf 5 1 1 3 RSndrs lf 4 1 3 2

JvLopz c 4 1 1 1 Stairs 1b 4 0 2 1

JEstda c 1 0 1 0 CWilsn rf 2 0 0 0

Fick 1b 5 1 1 0 JHrndz 3b 4 0 1 1

Castilla 3b 5 1 2 1 ANunez 2b 4 0 0 0

Bragg rf 3 0 1 1 D'mico p 1 0 0 0

Rynlds p 3 0 0 0 Lincoln p 0 0 0 0

Cnnane p 0 0 0 0 Mckwk ph 1 0 0 0

Merckr p 0 0 0 0 Gnzalez p 0 0 0 0

Bhrngr p 0 0 0 0

Rboulet ph 1 0 0 0

Beimel p 0 0 0 0

Corey p 0 0 0 0

Bay ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 39 10 14 10 Totals 36 4 10 4

Atlanta 311 300 002-10

Pittsburgh 002 000 020- 4

DP-Pittsburgh 1. LOB-Atlanta 6, Pittsburgh 8. 2B-MGiles 2 (44),Kendall (25), RSanders (24). HR-AJones (33), JvLopez (35), Castilla(22). S-Reynolds.

IP H R ER BB SO

Atlanta

Reynolds W,11-7 71/3 9 4 4 0 5

Cunnane 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

Mercker 1 1 0 0 0 0

Pittsburgh

D'Amico L,8-13 3 10 7 7 2 1

Lincoln 2 1 1 1 0 2

Gonzalez 1 0 0 0 0 2

Boehringer 1 0 0 0 0 2

Beimel 1 0 0 0 0 0

Corey 1 3 2 2 1 0

D'Amico pitched to 3 batters in the 4th; HBP-by Reynolds (CWilson2), by Reynolds (Kendall). WP-Corey; T-3:00. A-23,822 (37,898).

marlins 5, expos 3

Derrek Lee hit a three-run homer and Mark Redman snapped apersonal three-game losing streak as Florida beat visiting Montrealfor its third consecutive victory.

The Marlins won without injured third baseman Mike Lowell, who isout for the rest of the regular season with a broken left hand.

MONTREAL FLORIDA

ab r h bi ab r hbi

Wlkrsn cf 5 1 2 0 Pierre cf 5 0 2 0

OCbera ss 4 0 1 1 LCstillo 2b 5 2 2 0

Vidro 2b 2 1 0 0 IRdrgz c 4 2 3 1

VGrero rf 4 1 2 2 JEcrcn rf 4 0 1 0

WCdero 1b 4 0 0 0 DeLee 1b 2 1 1 3

Zeile 3b 2 0 0 0 BBanks lf 4 0 2 1

Carroll 3b 2 0 1 0 Cbrera 3b 4 0 0 0

Eschen p 0 0 0 0 AGnzlz ss 2 0 0 0

Macias lf 4 0 0 0 MRdm p 1 0 0 0

EGzmn c 4 0 1 0 AFox ph 0 0 0 0

Day p 2 0 0 0 CFox p 0 0 0 0

Drnsbr p 0 0 0 0 Urbina p 0 0 0 0

CCrdro p 0 0 0 0

HMateo ph 0 0 0 0

Ayala p 0 0 0 0

Cllway lf 1 0 0 0

Totals 34 3 7 3 Totals 31 5 11 5

Montreal 200 010 000-3

Florida 300 020 00x-5

E-Vidro (8). DP-Montreal 1. LOB-Montreal 7, Florida 9. 2B-OCabrera (37), IRodriguez 2 (30). HR-VGuerrero (22), DeLee (26). SB-HMateo (9). CS-BBanks (1). S-AFox, Urbina.

IP H R ER BB SO

Montreal

Day L,7-6 5 8 5 5 4 1

Darensbourg 2/3 1 0 0 0 0

CCordero 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Ayala 11/3 2 0 0 0 0

Eischen 2/3 0 0 0 0 1

Florida

MRedman W,11-8 6 6 3 3 2 10

CFox 1 0 0 0 1 2

Urbina S,1 2 1 0 0 0 0

Day pitched to 1 batter in the 6th; HBP-by Ayala (AGonzalez). WP-Day, MRedman; T-2:45. A-11,105 (36,331).

Syria's Assad meets Turkish PM

Syrian and Turkish leaders on Tuesday discussed the situation in Iraq, the Middle East peace process and bilateral ties, Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a coastal resort in Turkey.

The two leaders did not hold a news conference, and officials from both sides have refused to comment on the details of Assad's schedule.

Turkish media say the Syrian president is vacationing with his wife in Turkey.

Turkey has hosted several rounds of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

These birds feather their own nests: Bringing jobs here can be done only by private sector

IN the springtime of every fourth year, the hillsides of WestVirginia come alive with the calls of that common bird, the panderuspoliticus.

"Jobs! Jobs!" cry these colorful cockatiels, hoping to enticeunwitting voters to come near.

Each bird adds its own trills and flourishes, creating a cacophonythat leaves even smart citizens dazed and susceptible to election-year gibberish.

But how does a state government, let alone one politician, createprivate-sector jobs?

The short answer is that it can't.

Worse still, when politicians try to create jobs, they end updestroying them.

Governments can add or remove obstacles to economic growth such astaxes or regulations, but a government that gets into the business ofeconomic development will reliably do more harm than good.

West Virginia provides a near-perfect example.

Rather than fixing our predatory legal system, lowering taxes andpaying off our debts, which require courage and vision, politiciansuse tax dollars to lure companies against their better judgment tomove here or expand.

Since that approach requires only herd-following and self-promotion, it's no wonder it remains popular here.

Think back five years to when your leaders were promising to hitchour wagon to the tail end of the high-tech star.

The logic went that while West Virginia might not be producing alarge number of programmers and systems architects, we could use ourpeople skills to do service work.

While Silicon Valley churned out the software of the future anddeveloped a wealthy population, West Virginia would bob up abovepoverty by handling the comparative scut work wealthier regionsdisdained.

Our folks could handle customer service calls, offer technicalsupport and do a little telemarketing and collections work. It wasn'tthe big time, but we were promised that the remaking of the Americaneconomy would not pass us over... again.

When Amazon.com opened a service center in Huntington in 2000,after being given a place to operate and myriad incentives including$3.3 million in low interest loans, it was heralded as proof that theplan was working.

The city of railroads and coal would become the city of Internetcommerce.

Part of the package was that your tax money would be used to builda cutting-edge technology park just off the interstate in Huntington.With Amazon as the anchor tenant, politicos would sell the idea toother companies and make Kinetic Park into a job-growing farm.

The only thing growing out at Kinetic Park four years later isgrass.

Amazon is still operating in Huntington and the jobs the companyprovides are a big help to the region, but all the talk of booms andsynergy has amounted to naught.

What happened?

It turned out that there were some people even more willing to dothese call center jobs than West Virginians. India, which has longbeen exporting technically savvy, English-speaking people to theUnited States, found that through outsourcing it could keep thepeople and send the services.

Outsourcing is helping India keep its people and helping Americancompanies make profits.

When the Internet bubble burst, profits started to matter again.That meant the job that Kenny in Wayne County wanted went to Ganeshin Calcutta.

Welcome to the world market, Kenny.

The Cato Institute's Alan Reynolds tells us that America has morecomputer-related jobs with a higher average wage than it did in 1999.The lower-skill positions that West Virginia wanted went across thePacific at a savings, which provided the money and resources forAmerican workers to do higher-paid jobs.

The rising tide raised all boats except for those in WestVirginia.

We were too busy trying to compete with Bangladesh to notice andended up out of position for the next round.

If a politician tells you he can create jobs, tell him we've hadabout all the help we can stand.

Stirewalt can be reached at 348-4824 or at cstire@dailymail.com.

Police arrest 12 at Moluccan protest rally

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch police say they have arrested 12 people for public disorder offenses as violence erupted briefly at the end of a demonstration by Moluccan separatists seeking independence from Indonesia.

Several police officers in the Hague were slightly hurt in clashes with protesters, who threw plastic bottles and fireworks after a largely peaceful rally by about 600 people.

Thursday's demonstration was timed to coincide with a state visit by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. But Yudhoyono canceled his trip Tuesday after the separatists launched court proceedings to have him arrested for allegedly imprisoning and torturing peaceful protesters.

A court in The Hague rejected the request, but Yudhoyono has not yet rescheduled his visit.

Chrysler LLC's global sales numbers

Chrysler LLC on Monday said it sold a record number of vehicles outside North America last year when compared with 2006 figures. Chrysler still is primarily a North American company and is looking for global partners to boost sales worldwide.

_ International market sales outside North America grew 15 percent last year to 238,218, up from 206,925 in 2006. Largest markets outside North America were Italy at 21,361 vehicles, Venezuela at 19,459 and the United Kingdom at 18,623.

_ Sales in Canada rose 6 percent, to 232,859, while Mexican sales were up 0.1 percent to 128,541.

_ U.S. sales of just over 2 million last year dropped 3 percent from the 2.14 million sold in 2006.

SOURCE: Chrysler LLC

Top CIA lawyer never approved NY collaboration

WASHINGTON (AP) — The CIA's top lawyer never gave the required approval to send a veteran agency officer to New York, where he helped set up police spying programs, The Associated Press has learned.

In a series of investigative reports since August, the AP has revealed that, with the CIA's help, the NYPD developed spying programs that monitored every aspect of Muslim life and built databases on where innocent Muslims eat, shop, work and pray. Plainclothes officers monitored conversations in Muslim neighborhoods and wrote daily reports about what they heard.

Normally, when the CIA dispatches one of its officers to work in another government agency, rules are spelled out in advance in writing to ensure the CIA doesn't cross the line into domestic spying. Under a 1981 presidential order, the CIA is permitted to provide "specialized equipment, technical knowledge or assistance of expert personnel" to local law enforcement agencies but only when the CIA's general counsel approves in each case.

Neither of those things happened in 2002, when CIA Director George Tenet sent veteran agency officer Lawrence Sanchez to New York, former U.S. intelligence officials told the AP. While on the CIA's payroll, Sanchez was the architect of spying programs that transformed the NYPD into one of the nation's most aggressive domestic intelligence agencies.

The CIA's inspector general cleared the agency of any wrongdoing in its partnership with New York, but the absence of documentation and legal review shows how murky the rules were as the CIA and NYPD formed their unprecedented collaboration in the frenzied months after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Kelly, the police commissioner, has vigorously defended the NYPD's relationship with the CIA. Testifying before the City Council in October, Kelly said the collaboration was authorized under the 1981 presidential order, known as No. 12333.

"Operating under this legal basis, the CIA has advised the police department on key aspects of intelligence gathering and analysis," Kelly said.

Kelly cited the section of the presidential order, 2.6c, that also requires the CIA's top lawyer to approve such arrangements, but he did not tell the city council that approval was required.

The CIA's general counsel at the time, Scott Muller, did not approve the arrangement, former intelligence officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. CIA lawyers, particularly those in New York, were aware Sanchez was working out of the NYPD offices but the rules of the arrangement were not documented in advance, the officials said.

Muller, now in private practice in New York, said he had not been following the issue and declined to comment. The CIA did not respond when repeatedly asked to explain the justification for Sanchez's assignment and why Muller did not sign off.

Sanchez, a CIA veteran who spent 15 years overseas in the former Soviet Union, South Asia and the Middle East, instructed officers on the art of collecting information without attracting attention. He directed officers and reviewed case files. Sometimes intelligence collected from NYPD's operations was passed informally to the CIA, former NYPD officials said.

The CIA's internal watchdog found nothing wrong with the partnership and concluded that the agency did not violate the executive order. U.S. officials have said that's in part because the CIA never instructed Sanchez to set up the NYPD spying programs.

U.S. officials have acknowledged that the rules were murky. They attributed that to the desperate push for better intelligence following the attacks.

Sanchez left the department in late 2010 but was followed last summer by a senior clandestine operative who holds the title of special assistant to David Cohen, a former CIA officer who runs the intelligence division. The CIA has asked the AP not to publish the operative's name. The CIA would not say whether its current general counsel approved his being sent to the NYPD.

The clandestine CIA operative's role at the NYPD remains unclear. Officially, he is there on a sabbatical to observe the NYPD's management. Kelly said the operative provides the NYPD with foreign intelligence. CIA Director David Petraeus described him as an adviser. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper described him to Congress as an analyst, then Clapper's office acknowledged that was incorrect.

The CIA's relationship with the NYPD has troubled lawmakers and top intelligence officials.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has said the CIA has "no business or authority in domestic spying, or in advising the NYPD how to conduct local surveillance."

Clapper also said it did not look good for the CIA to be involved in any city police department.

___

Online:

Executive Order 12333: http://1.usa.gov/Ac4t5G

Military: SKorean marine troubled before shooting

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean marine expressed anger about being shunned and slighted and showed signs of mental illness before he killed four colleagues at a front-line base, military officials said Tuesday.

The 19-year-old corporal, surnamed Kim, also wounded another marine Monday when he opened fire at a Ganghwa Island base just south of the tense maritime border with North Korea, officials said.

Chief investigator Kwon Yeong-jae told reporters Kim had a "psychological problem" and referred to a note in which Kim was said to have lamented the state of his life. Kim was also monitored by superiors due to worries that he might cause trouble, Kwon said.

Kim tried unsuccessfully to kill himself by detonating a grenade after the shooting, Kwon said.

Another military official, who declined to be named because Kim was still being questioned, later said Kim wrote in a memo to an investigator that his fellow marines had treated him with little respect.

The official said the situation lasted for a while and fellow marines found Kim's behavior to be a problem.

According to a defense ministry report obtained by the office of opposition lawmaker Shin Hak-yong, Kim showed "anxiety, personality disorder and schizophrenia" in psychology tests during his training as a recruit. Kim's colleagues said the corporal was "hot-tempered and unstable," the report added.

A defense official, who also would not be named because of office policy, said one of Kim's memos to investigators read: "Ostracizing must disappear." The official would not give further details.

All able-bodied South Korean men must serve about two years in the military under a conscription system aimed at countering aggression from North Korea. Marines, however, volunteer for service and are considered the toughest branch of South Korea's 650,000-member military.

Kim's base is one of a cluster that sit on islands on the inter-Korean front line, and tensions there have taken a toll.

The waters are claimed by both countries. Boats routinely jostle for position during crab catching season, and three deadly naval clashes since 1999 have taken a few dozen lives.

Since the North bombarded a South Korean island near Ganghwa last year, the South has beefed up its high-tech weapons systems and the marines' combat readiness.

The shooting is the worst in South Korea's military since 2005, when a soldier tossed a hand grenade and opened fire at a front-line army unit in a rampage that killed eight colleagues and injured several others. Pfc. Kim Dong-min told investigators he was enraged at superiors who verbally abused him.

The shootings have raised questions about the level of discipline in South Korea's military. Kwon said Kim's base failed to maintain proper security before the attack. Kwon said there was only one person with access to the base armory, instead of the required two.

Kolkata vs. Bangalore Scores

Scores Wednesday in the Indian Premier League match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Bangalore Royal Challengers at Kingsmead:

___

Scores:

Kolkata 139-6 (Morne Van Wyk 43 not out, Chris Gayle 40, Wriddhiman Saha 21; Anil Kumble 2-16).

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Court won't hear restitution claim in Ponzi case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from investment funds seeking repayment of their losses in a $3.7 billion Ponzi scheme operated by Minnesota businessman Thomas Petters.

The funds together lost $165 million and challenged a federal judge's order denying restitution to any of Petters' victims. Among other things, the court said the victims would have other ways of recouping some of their money.

The justices on Monday refused to disturb the ruling.

A federal law generally requires a court to order restitution as part of a defendant's sentence, but allows for some exceptions. The judge in this case said that restitution would be too complex, take too long and result in the payment of less than a penny for each dollar victims lost.

HUNTERS: UPHOLD YOUR TRADITION OF FIRE SAFETY IN FOREST.

SALEM, OR -- The following information was released by the Oregon Department of Forestry:

Oregon's hunters overall are a safety-conscious group. Considering the thousands of hours they spend afield each year, there are relatively few gun-related mishaps. The same goes for wildfires. In 2008, only 14 fires were linked to hunters' activities in the woods, and so far this year only one.

Before going afield, check the current fire restrictions where you plan to hunt:

Are campfires allowed?

Is off-road use of motorized vehicles permitted?

What about smoking?

Some areas of the state are still in fire season. Check with the nearest Oregon Department of Forestry office for fire safety regulations on state and private lands. For federal forestlands, check with the U.S. Forest Service.

Campfires - follow these simple steps to ensure your campfire doesn't become a wildfire:

Always keep your campfire small.

Have a shovel and plenty of water, or a fire extinguisher, ready at hand.

Never leave the fire unattended.

When putting out a campfire, drown it, stir the ashes and then repeat twice more.

Motorized vehicles -- The exhaust system of highway vehicles and ATVs is a potential source of ignition for dry grass and shrubs.

Inspect the exhaust system on an ATV or highway vehicle to ensure it is undamaged and free of grass and twigs.

ATVs must have a U.S. Forest Service-approved spark arrester.

Avoid driving or riding where dry vegetation can contact the exhaust system.

Smoking -- Depending on current fire regulations, smoking may be restricted to inside a closed vehicle or building. Make sure your cigarette is dead out and dispose in an ashtray, not on the ground.

The forest is a recreation site and a workplace for people. For the animals that live there, it is their home. Carelessness with fire can destroy wildlife habitat.

For more tips on fire safety in the forest, go to the Keep Oregon Green website, www.keeporegongreen.org.