Mesa, AZ, United States (AHN) - Just a few days after a stranger threw acid on a Washington woman\'s face, an apparent copycat attacked another woman in Arizona.
Derri Velarde, a 41-year-old mother of five, had acid thrown in her face while she walked through a parking lot of a Mesa, Ariz. apartment complex.
"I saw...a woman, you know, walking up with what looked like a drink in her hand," Velarde told local television station KPNX-TV. "It immediately just started to burn, I was on fire."
The attack on Friday afternoon has the modus operandi of similar attack where a stranger approached 28-year-old Bethany Storro last Monday who was celebrating a new job. The attacker who was holding a cup of acid, asked "Hey, pretty girl, do you want to drink this?" and then threw the acid in her face.
"It was the most painful thing ever," Storro said. "My heart stopped. It ripped through my clothing the instant it touched my shirt; I could feel it burning through my second layer of skin."
Storro is still recovering from the incident while reports show Velarde is currently being treated for second-degree burns to her face and chest.
Both suspects are on the looks and however investigators believe that Velarde\'s attack — unlike Storro\'s — was not random.
Both victims in these horrific cases were reportedly very attractive and officials say their beauty likely played a role in their attacks. Experts believe that attacks of this nature especially when carried out by a woman to another, is usually linked to jealousy or retaliation and almost always over a man or a previous relationship.
Mesa, AZ, United States (AHN) - Just a few days after a stranger threw acid on a Washington woman\'s face, an apparent copycat attacked another woman in Arizona.
Derri Velarde, a 41-year-old mother of five, had acid thrown in her face while she walked through a parking lot of a Mesa, Ariz. apartment complex.
"I saw...a woman, you know, walking up with what looked like a drink in her hand," Velarde told local television station KPNX-TV. "It immediately just started to burn, I was on fire."
The attack on Friday afternoon has the modus operandi of similar attack where a stranger approached 28-year-old Bethany Storro last Monday who was celebrating a new job. The attacker who was holding a cup of acid, asked "Hey, pretty girl, do you want to drink this?" and then threw the acid in her face.
"It was the most painful thing ever," Storro said. "My heart stopped. It ripped through my clothing the instant it touched my shirt; I could feel it burning through my second layer of skin."
Storro is still recovering from the incident while reports show Velarde is currently being treated for second-degree burns to her face and chest.
Both suspects are on the looks and however investigators believe that Velarde\'s attack — unlike Storro\'s — was not random.
Both victims in these horrific cases were reportedly very attractive and officials say their beauty likely played a role in their attacks. Experts believe that attacks of this nature especially when carried out by a woman to another, is usually linked to jealousy or retaliation and almost always over a man or a previous relationship.
Montesano, Washington, United States (AHN) - Consumers are warned to discard cheeses from Estrella Family Creamery of Montesano, Washington, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the US Food and Drug Administration said in an advisory.
"Environmental samples and one product sample collected during an August 2010 inspection at the facility have tested positive for L. mono," the FDA assessed.
The FDA warning affects all lots of Estrella Family Creamery cheeses, including cheeses identified as soft, semi-soft, semi-hard and hard.
FDA said the cheeses have the potential to be contaminated with L. mono and may cause serious illness. FDA advised consumers who have the cheeses to throw them away.
Estrella manufactures at least 18 varieties of soft ripened, semi-soft, semi-hard and hard cheeses made from raw cow or goat milk and aged 60 days or longer. The cheeses are sold in wheels or cut to order for retail markets, and do not contain lot codes, according to the FDA.
While a complete product list is not available, FDA identified some of the varieties that have been produced by Estrella as Black Creek Buttery, Dominoes, Guapier, Grisdale Goat, Subblime, Partly Sunny, Wynoochee River Blue, Caldwell Crik Chevrette, Old Apple Tree Tomme, Valentina, Vineyard Tomme, Brewleggio, Red Darla, Reposée, Bea Truffled, Jalapeño Buttery and Weebles.
Estrella cheeses are sold at specialty cheese shops, farmers markets, the company\'s farm store in Montesano and through the Internet. The company also sells to restaurants and takes part in cheese contests where its products are sold.
The company had previously recalled cheeses due to L. mono contamination but resumed marketing in May, FDA noted.
L. mono is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, the agency explained.
Listeria infections can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Consumers who have experienced symptoms of illness from the consumption of Estrella cheeses should contact their health care professionals.
Consumers may also contact their local FDA complaint coordinator in their state or call 888-INFO-FDA to report problems or illnesses related to the cheese.
FDA will continue its investigation, working with state and local officials, and will consider taking any further action that may be necessary.
Montesano, Washington, United States (AHN) - Consumers are warned to discard cheeses from Estrella Family Creamery of Montesano, Washington, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the US Food and Drug Administration said in an advisory.
"Environmental samples and one product sample collected during an August 2010 inspection at the facility have tested positive for L. mono," the FDA assessed.
The FDA warning affects all lots of Estrella Family Creamery cheeses, including cheeses identified as soft, semi-soft, semi-hard and hard.
FDA said the cheeses have the potential to be contaminated with L. mono and may cause serious illness. FDA advised consumers who have the cheeses to throw them away.
Estrella manufactures at least 18 varieties of soft ripened, semi-soft, semi-hard and hard cheeses made from raw cow or goat milk and aged 60 days or longer. The cheeses are sold in wheels or cut to order for retail markets, and do not contain lot codes, according to the FDA.
While a complete product list is not available, FDA identified some of the varieties that have been produced by Estrella as Black Creek Buttery, Dominoes, Guapier, Grisdale Goat, Subblime, Partly Sunny, Wynoochee River Blue, Caldwell Crik Chevrette, Old Apple Tree Tomme, Valentina, Vineyard Tomme, Brewleggio, Red Darla, Reposée, Bea Truffled, Jalapeño Buttery and Weebles.
Estrella cheeses are sold at specialty cheese shops, farmers markets, the company\'s farm store in Montesano and through the Internet. The company also sells to restaurants and takes part in cheese contests where its products are sold.
The company had previously recalled cheeses due to L. mono contamination but resumed marketing in May, FDA noted.
L. mono is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, the agency explained.
Listeria infections can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Consumers who have experienced symptoms of illness from the consumption of Estrella cheeses should contact their health care professionals.
Consumers may also contact their local FDA complaint coordinator in their state or call 888-INFO-FDA to report problems or illnesses related to the cheese.
FDA will continue its investigation, working with state and local officials, and will consider taking any further action that may be necessary.
Irvine, California, United States (AHN) - Kia Motors America has posted a 9.7 percent increase in year-to-date sales of 237,953 units and 32,465 units sold in August, the company said in a statement.
The brand\'s best-selling model for eight consecutive months was the 2011 Sorento SUV. Kia\'s growing stable of next generation products including Soul, Forte, Forte Koup, Sorento and 2011 Sportage accounted for 76.5 percent of the monthly sales volume.
"The most aggressive new product introduction cycle in the industry continues with the ongoing introduction of all-new Sportage, which will be closely followed in next few months by the arrivals of functional 2011 Forte 5-door and the highly anticipated 2011 Optima midsize sedan," KMA announced.
In 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share.
The company has more than 700 dealers throughout the United States.
KMA is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.
Irvine, California, United States (AHN) - Kia Motors America has posted a 9.7 percent increase in year-to-date sales of 237,953 units and 32,465 units sold in August, the company said in a statement.
The brand\'s best-selling model for eight consecutive months was the 2011 Sorento SUV. Kia\'s growing stable of next generation products including Soul, Forte, Forte Koup, Sorento and 2011 Sportage accounted for 76.5 percent of the monthly sales volume.
"The most aggressive new product introduction cycle in the industry continues with the ongoing introduction of all-new Sportage, which will be closely followed in next few months by the arrivals of functional 2011 Forte 5-door and the highly anticipated 2011 Optima midsize sedan," KMA announced.
In 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share.
The company has more than 700 dealers throughout the United States.
KMA is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.
Hercules, CA, United States (AHN) - Bay Area police scoured a landfill in Pittsburgh for the fourth day on Monday for the body of a missing man believed to have been killed along with other people last week by a suspect who was gunned down in a car chase last week.
Authorities and volunteers searched for the body of Frederick Sales, 35, in an area of the Keller Canyon Landfill. The focus of the search is where trash from the city of Hercules was dumped from Aug. 25 through Aug. 31.
Sales went missing on Aug. 26, a day before his father, Ricardo Sales, is believed to have been beaten to death in the Hercules home they rented from a woman, Cindy Tran.
Tran was found dead last Tuesday in a car driven by her boyfriend, Efren Valdemoro, after a high-speed car chase with law enforcement officers.
Police were pursuing Valdemoro because of the death of the 73-year-old Sales, with whom he had an argument less than a week before the old man\'s murder.
The chase ended with Valdemoro being shot by police after he abandoned his vehicle and wielded a knife. The car he was driving is registered to an elderly woman found dead later that day, Segundina Allen, together with her friend, Marcaria Smart. The two old women had reportedly let Valdemoro, a former security guard, stay in their Vallejo home in the past.
Valdemoro is suspected in the death of the elder Sales and Tran, but is only aperson of interest in the deaths of the two other women. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the younger Sales may be alive.
The four murders and a possible fifth has rocked the Bay Area suburb, located 20 miles of San Francisco. The community held a candlelight vigil on Sunday for the victims as well as for Valdemoro.
Hercules, CA, United States (AHN) - Bay Area police scoured a landfill in Pittsburgh for the fourth day on Monday for the body of a missing man believed to have been killed along with other people last week by a suspect who was gunned down in a car chase last week.
Authorities and volunteers searched for the body of Frederick Sales, 35, in an area of the Keller Canyon Landfill. The focus of the search is where trash from the city of Hercules was dumped from Aug. 25 through Aug. 31.
Sales went missing on Aug. 26, a day before his father, Ricardo Sales, is believed to have been beaten to death in the Hercules home they rented from a woman, Cindy Tran.
Tran was found dead last Tuesday in a car driven by her boyfriend, Efren Valdemoro, after a high-speed car chase with law enforcement officers.
Police were pursuing Valdemoro because of the death of the 73-year-old Sales, with whom he had an argument less than a week before the old man\'s murder.
The chase ended with Valdemoro being shot by police after he abandoned his vehicle and wielded a knife. The car he was driving is registered to an elderly woman found dead later that day, Segundina Allen, together with her friend, Marcaria Smart. The two old women had reportedly let Valdemoro, a former security guard, stay in their Vallejo home in the past.
Valdemoro is suspected in the death of the elder Sales and Tran, but is only aperson of interest in the deaths of the two other women. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the younger Sales may be alive.
The four murders and a possible fifth has rocked the Bay Area suburb, located 20 miles of San Francisco. The community held a candlelight vigil on Sunday for the victims as well as for Valdemoro.
San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) - Embattled former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Mark Hurd, who was ousted last month in a sexual harassment scandal is in talks for a new job at rival tech giant Oracle.
According to a Wall Street Journal report Hurd is in discussions to secure a top executive post, however it would not be the chief executive officer job that position is still held by Oracle founder Larry Ellison.
A final decision hasn\'t been made and Oracle\'s board still needs to approve any appointment.
Hurd\'s dismissal from HP over the scandal with a marketing officer who also was a soft-core porn actress and had pictures in Playboy sent shock waves across Silicon Valley and Wall Street. Hurd is believed to have been widely responsible for elevating the Palo Alto-based HP into the world\'s largest tech company. He\'s also faced wide criticism by some HP employees and external critics for his relentless focus on cutting costs.
Hurd and Ellison have been longtime friends, and analysts speculate a top position with Oracle would provide significant inroads to rebuilding Hurd\'s reputation.
Jodie Fisher a former actress and ex-HP contractor levied the sexual harassment allegations against Hurd. In a statement she said, "I was surprised and saddened that Mark Hurd lost his job over this. That was never my intention."
An investigation by outside legal counsel and the General Counsel\'s Office, overseen by the HP Board determined there was no violation of HP\'s sexual harassment policy. However in Hurd\'s attempt to hide his relationship with Fisher the investigation concluded he violated HP\'s Standards of Business Conduct by filing inaccurate expense reports for dinners he had with Fisher.
San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) - Embattled former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Mark Hurd, who was ousted last month in a sexual harassment scandal is in talks for a new job at rival tech giant Oracle.
According to a Wall Street Journal report Hurd is in discussions to secure a top executive post, however it would not be the chief executive officer job that position is still held by Oracle founder Larry Ellison.
A final decision hasn\'t been made and Oracle\'s board still needs to approve any appointment.
Hurd\'s dismissal from HP over the scandal with a marketing officer who also was a soft-core porn actress and had pictures in Playboy sent shock waves across Silicon Valley and Wall Street. Hurd is believed to have been widely responsible for elevating the Palo Alto-based HP into the world\'s largest tech company. He\'s also faced wide criticism by some HP employees and external critics for his relentless focus on cutting costs.
Hurd and Ellison have been longtime friends, and analysts speculate a top position with Oracle would provide significant inroads to rebuilding Hurd\'s reputation.
Jodie Fisher a former actress and ex-HP contractor levied the sexual harassment allegations against Hurd. In a statement she said, "I was surprised and saddened that Mark Hurd lost his job over this. That was never my intention."
An investigation by outside legal counsel and the General Counsel\'s Office, overseen by the HP Board determined there was no violation of HP\'s sexual harassment policy. However in Hurd\'s attempt to hide his relationship with Fisher the investigation concluded he violated HP\'s Standards of Business Conduct by filing inaccurate expense reports for dinners he had with Fisher.
Buffalo, NY, United States (AHN) - A woman who is known as the "Black Widow" of eating contests because she makes mincemeat of her male competitors ate 181 chicken wings on Sunday securing herself another win.
The voracious eating feat of nearly 4lbs of meat was accomplished in 12 minutes at the 2010 Buffalo Wing Festival. However it wasn\'t the 43-year-old\'s first time at the food chomping rodeo in fact it was her fourth win at the contest. She even beat out top challenger Joey Chestnut who has won consecutive Nathan\'s Hot Dog Eating competitions.
"This is probably the biggest eating contest in the world other than the Nathan\'s hot dog eating contest," festival organizer Drew Cerza told Buffalo\'s WKBW-TV.
"The No. 1 eater in the world, Joey Chestnut, went up against Sonya Thomas -- a mismatch in size but not a mismatch in competitive eating talent and heart, and Sonya Thomas beat Joey Chestnut. She set a world record with 181 chicken wings."
Chestnut, came in second after eating 169 chicken wings. After winning the contest Thomas claimed she was still hungry and called the wings an appetizer. She later went on to make a cameo at the Ridiculously Hot Buffalo Wing Eating Contest and ate 20 more.
Thomas has also previously set eating records for oysters, hard-boiled eggs, cheesecake and jalapeno peppers.
Buffalo, NY, United States (AHN) - A woman who is known as the "Black Widow" of eating contests because she makes mincemeat of her male competitors ate 181 chicken wings on Sunday securing herself another win.
The voracious eating feat of nearly 4lbs of meat was accomplished in 12 minutes at the 2010 Buffalo Wing Festival. However it wasn\'t the 43-year-old\'s first time at the food chomping rodeo in fact it was her fourth win at the contest. She even beat out top challenger Joey Chestnut who has won consecutive Nathan\'s Hot Dog Eating competitions.
"This is probably the biggest eating contest in the world other than the Nathan\'s hot dog eating contest," festival organizer Drew Cerza told Buffalo\'s WKBW-TV.
"The No. 1 eater in the world, Joey Chestnut, went up against Sonya Thomas -- a mismatch in size but not a mismatch in competitive eating talent and heart, and Sonya Thomas beat Joey Chestnut. She set a world record with 181 chicken wings."
Chestnut, came in second after eating 169 chicken wings. After winning the contest Thomas claimed she was still hungry and called the wings an appetizer. She later went on to make a cameo at the Ridiculously Hot Buffalo Wing Eating Contest and ate 20 more.
Thomas has also previously set eating records for oysters, hard-boiled eggs, cheesecake and jalapeno peppers.
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - Hartz Mountain Corp. is voluntarily recalling 75,000 bags of dog treats after tests by the Food and Drug Administration found salmonella in the product.
The New Jersey-based pet food company is pulling out one lot of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs. It said the 8-ounce bags of treats were imported from a Brazilian supplier, Bertin, which found the food safe in its regular tests.
A random sample testing by the FDA, however, found the presence of salmonella, a bacteria that can cause infection in humans and animals, and can be fatal to young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, nausea and fever.
The company is warning consumers to stop feeding their pets snacks whose bags bear the lot code BZ0969101E. Pet owners who are unable to find the lot code on the bags should also discontinue using the treats.
"Hartz is aggressively investigating the source of the problem... [and] taking immediate steps to remove the product from all retail stores and distribution centers," the company said in a statement.
Hartz says it has not received reports of animals or humans falling ill from consuming or coming into contact with its dog treats.
The company is offering customers reimbursements for the recalled treats. Pet owners can also contact a hotline at any time for concerns.
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - Hartz Mountain Corp. is voluntarily recalling 75,000 bags of dog treats after tests by the Food and Drug Administration found salmonella in the product.
The New Jersey-based pet food company is pulling out one lot of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs. It said the 8-ounce bags of treats were imported from a Brazilian supplier, Bertin, which found the food safe in its regular tests.
A random sample testing by the FDA, however, found the presence of salmonella, a bacteria that can cause infection in humans and animals, and can be fatal to young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, nausea and fever.
The company is warning consumers to stop feeding their pets snacks whose bags bear the lot code BZ0969101E. Pet owners who are unable to find the lot code on the bags should also discontinue using the treats.
"Hartz is aggressively investigating the source of the problem... [and] taking immediate steps to remove the product from all retail stores and distribution centers," the company said in a statement.
Hartz says it has not received reports of animals or humans falling ill from consuming or coming into contact with its dog treats.
The company is offering customers reimbursements for the recalled treats. Pet owners can also contact a hotline at any time for concerns.
Hershey, PA, United States (AHN) - Results of a new study from Penn State University suggest troubling news for overweight people trying to permanently shed unwanted pounds.
The researchers said only about one in every six Americans who have ever been overweight or obese lose weight and don\'t gain it back.
According to the researchers, two-thirds of the United States adult population is overweight. The rate of obesity doubled between 1980 and 2004. This has resulted in an increase of Americans with type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Doctors often push patients with diabetes and hypertension to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight.
The study found that women were better able to maintain long-term weight loss of at least 10 percent. Married people or partnered, unmarried couples did the worst in keeping the weight off.
The researchers said their study reveals a need for more effective weight-loss strategies from physicians.
A report on the study is published in the International Journal of Obesity.
Hershey, PA, United States (AHN) - Results of a new study from Penn State University suggest troubling news for overweight people trying to permanently shed unwanted pounds.
The researchers said only about one in every six Americans who have ever been overweight or obese lose weight and don\'t gain it back.
According to the researchers, two-thirds of the United States adult population is overweight. The rate of obesity doubled between 1980 and 2004. This has resulted in an increase of Americans with type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Doctors often push patients with diabetes and hypertension to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight.
The study found that women were better able to maintain long-term weight loss of at least 10 percent. Married people or partnered, unmarried couples did the worst in keeping the weight off.
The researchers said their study reveals a need for more effective weight-loss strategies from physicians.
A report on the study is published in the International Journal of Obesity.
Charleston, SC, United States (AHN) - Seven people were rescued off the coast of Charleston over the Labor Day weekend after clinging to a floating cooler for 20 hours.
The boaters were rescued about 25 miles east of the city on Sunday. They had been missing since the previous day, when the engine compartment of their powerboat flooded and they had to abandon ship.
The four adults and three children were reported to officials as overdue by the wife of the boat owner. They were found as the Coast Guard was making its final turns in the moonlit sea after six hours of searching. All of them were wearing life jackets near their capsized boat.
"The front of the boat was sticking in the air about four feet and they were clinging to a cooler," Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Booher said in a statement. "They had no lights, no signaling device, no EPIRB and no radio."
The boaters were brought to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Their names and conditions have not been released.
Charleston, SC, United States (AHN) - Seven people were rescued off the coast of Charleston over the Labor Day weekend after clinging to a floating cooler for 20 hours.
The boaters were rescued about 25 miles east of the city on Sunday. They had been missing since the previous day, when the engine compartment of their powerboat flooded and they had to abandon ship.
The four adults and three children were reported to officials as overdue by the wife of the boat owner. They were found as the Coast Guard was making its final turns in the moonlit sea after six hours of searching. All of them were wearing life jackets near their capsized boat.
"The front of the boat was sticking in the air about four feet and they were clinging to a cooler," Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Booher said in a statement. "They had no lights, no signaling device, no EPIRB and no radio."
The boaters were brought to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Their names and conditions have not been released.
San Antonio, Texas, United States (AHN) - For women with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, elective mastectomy may be an effective way of preventing the disease, according to a new study.
Dr. Gail Tomlinson, interim director of the Greehey Children\'s Cancer Research Institute at the University of Texas, said in a statement that younger women with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutation may opt for the surgery to reduce anxiety about dying from cancer at an early age.
Tomlinson also said women with a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer may consider preemptively removing their fallopian tubes and ovaries.
"Early intervention" can also save the lives of people predisposed to certain types of kidney and thyroid cancers, Tomlinson said.
Her study followed 2,500 women at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer between 1974 and 2008 at 22 health centers in Europe and North America.
In 247 women who chose mastectomies, no breast cancers were diagnosed. One in 13 of the 1,372 women who did not have the surgery were diagnosed with cancer. Tomlinson said women who had their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed also had a lower risk of cancer. This included breast cancer survivors.
A report on the study is published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
San Antonio, Texas, United States (AHN) - For women with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, elective mastectomy may be an effective way of preventing the disease, according to a new study.
Dr. Gail Tomlinson, interim director of the Greehey Children\'s Cancer Research Institute at the University of Texas, said in a statement that younger women with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutation may opt for the surgery to reduce anxiety about dying from cancer at an early age.
Tomlinson also said women with a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer may consider preemptively removing their fallopian tubes and ovaries.
"Early intervention" can also save the lives of people predisposed to certain types of kidney and thyroid cancers, Tomlinson said.
Her study followed 2,500 women at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer between 1974 and 2008 at 22 health centers in Europe and North America.
In 247 women who chose mastectomies, no breast cancers were diagnosed. One in 13 of the 1,372 women who did not have the surgery were diagnosed with cancer. Tomlinson said women who had their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed also had a lower risk of cancer. This included breast cancer survivors.
A report on the study is published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Phoenix, AZ, United States (AHN) - A case of rubber-necking turned deadly for two young children in Arizona over the weekend.
According to local media reports, a car driven by a woman and carrying a 13-month-old girl and a 3-week-old boy slowed down Saturday afternoon because a driver ahead of them was looking at a minor crash on the side of Interstate 10 in Phoenix.
A woman driving a minivan rear-ended the sedan and a tractor-trailer gas tanker slammed both vehicles from behind.
The woman driving the car and the babies, who were believed to be hers, were taken to the hospital. The woman is in serious condition, but the babies died at the hospital, according to a local Fox News station.
The driver of the minivan was also taken to the hospital. She is expected to survive.
Police told local media that they are looking for the driver of a white or gray Dodge Magnum for questioning.
Phoenix, AZ, United States (AHN) - A case of rubber-necking turned deadly for two young children in Arizona over the weekend.
According to local media reports, a car driven by a woman and carrying a 13-month-old girl and a 3-week-old boy slowed down Saturday afternoon because a driver ahead of them was looking at a minor crash on the side of Interstate 10 in Phoenix.
A woman driving a minivan rear-ended the sedan and a tractor-trailer gas tanker slammed both vehicles from behind.
The woman driving the car and the babies, who were believed to be hers, were taken to the hospital. The woman is in serious condition, but the babies died at the hospital, according to a local Fox News station.
The driver of the minivan was also taken to the hospital. She is expected to survive.
Police told local media that they are looking for the driver of a white or gray Dodge Magnum for questioning.
Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN) - A man walked into a Las Vegas casino wearing what looked like an explosives belt Saturday morning, prompting security to evacuate the building and a nearby RV park.
According to local media, the man approached security officers, lifted his shirt to reveal the belt and told them they had five minutes to get everyone out of the building.
The security guards at the hotel and casino, Arizona Charlie\'s, convinced the man to go outside, but he did not leave the property.
Police, including a bomb squad and SWAT team, responded to the scene, a local CBS News affiliate reported.
Police officers removed the device, which turned out to be not real, from the man without a struggle.
Police told reporters they believe the man wanted officers to shoot him.
Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN) - A man walked into a Las Vegas casino wearing what looked like an explosives belt Saturday morning, prompting security to evacuate the building and a nearby RV park.
According to local media, the man approached security officers, lifted his shirt to reveal the belt and told them they had five minutes to get everyone out of the building.
The security guards at the hotel and casino, Arizona Charlie\'s, convinced the man to go outside, but he did not leave the property.
Police, including a bomb squad and SWAT team, responded to the scene, a local CBS News affiliate reported.
Police officers removed the device, which turned out to be not real, from the man without a struggle.
Police told reporters they believe the man wanted officers to shoot him.
Madison, OH, United States (AHN) - Out on a $250,000 bail bond, an Ohio man has pleaded "not guilty" to charges including rape, gross sexual imposition, domestic violence and child endangerment, allegedly committed against his wife and seven children over the course of 15 years.
Jeffrey York, 47, was secretly indicted Aug. 31 on charges that he locked his family into their home for 15 years, during which he emotionally, physically and mentally abused them. Police allege he raped one of his daughters and locked another in a small, closet-like room for one year.
Last December, when York left home, his wife made a 911 call reporting a sexual offense. When police arrived, his wife pleaded for police to take her and the children away from the home.
In a press conference Saturday by Madison Township police Detective Dan Boerner, he was asked why the abuse was reported only now by the wife. Boerner declined to give a direct answer, only stating that the case itself was very disturbing and that he was not at liberty at this time to give the wife\'s reasons for doing so .
Boerner added that the children were all home schooled and had no real friends as they were cut off from any contact with their relatives.
Since their rescue, the family has been brought to a women\'s shelter, and are now adjusting to their new lives with the children currently attending traditional schools.
The conditions of York\'s bail meanwhile, puts him under GPS monitoring and prevents him from having any contact with his wife and children.
Madison, OH, United States (AHN) - Out on a $250,000 bail bond, an Ohio man has pleaded "not guilty" to charges including rape, gross sexual imposition, domestic violence and child endangerment, allegedly committed against his wife and seven children over the course of 15 years.
Jeffrey York, 47, was secretly indicted Aug. 31 on charges that he locked his family into their home for 15 years, during which he emotionally, physically and mentally abused them. Police allege he raped one of his daughters and locked another in a small, closet-like room for one year.
Last December, when York left home, his wife made a 911 call reporting a sexual offense. When police arrived, his wife pleaded for police to take her and the children away from the home.
In a press conference Saturday by Madison Township police Detective Dan Boerner, he was asked why the abuse was reported only now by the wife. Boerner declined to give a direct answer, only stating that the case itself was very disturbing and that he was not at liberty at this time to give the wife\'s reasons for doing so .
Boerner added that the children were all home schooled and had no real friends as they were cut off from any contact with their relatives.
Since their rescue, the family has been brought to a women\'s shelter, and are now adjusting to their new lives with the children currently attending traditional schools.
The conditions of York\'s bail meanwhile, puts him under GPS monitoring and prevents him from having any contact with his wife and children.
Miami, FL, United States (AHN) - Federal weather forecasters say the storm system called Gaston has a high chance of reforming into a tropical cyclone over the next two days.
The National Weather Service says the system is located about 750 miles east of the Leeward Islands. As of Sunday morning, Gaston was a disorganized system of thunderstorms.
But other weather conditions in its path give the system a strong likelihood it will become a tropical cyclone again, forecasters say.
Meanwhile, Earl, although downgraded to a weakened tropical storm, battered Nova Scotia over the weekend, leaving more than 200,000 homes without power. The storm is being blamed for the drowning death of one person in Blind Bay in Halifax County.
People from South Carolina to Massachusetts braced for Earl and worried it could ruin the Labor Day holiday weekend, but Nova Scotia was the first time it made landfall, hitting the province with sustained winds of more than 80 miles per hour.
At the height of its power, Earl was a category 5 hurricane but it fizzled out to a tropical storm by the end of the week.
Miami, FL, United States (AHN) - Federal weather forecasters say the storm system called Gaston has a high chance of reforming into a tropical cyclone over the next two days.
The National Weather Service says the system is located about 750 miles east of the Leeward Islands. As of Sunday morning, Gaston was a disorganized system of thunderstorms.
But other weather conditions in its path give the system a strong likelihood it will become a tropical cyclone again, forecasters say.
Meanwhile, Earl, although downgraded to a weakened tropical storm, battered Nova Scotia over the weekend, leaving more than 200,000 homes without power. The storm is being blamed for the drowning death of one person in Blind Bay in Halifax County.
People from South Carolina to Massachusetts braced for Earl and worried it could ruin the Labor Day holiday weekend, but Nova Scotia was the first time it made landfall, hitting the province with sustained winds of more than 80 miles per hour.
At the height of its power, Earl was a category 5 hurricane but it fizzled out to a tropical storm by the end of the week.
Stanford, CA, United States (AHN) - More than 80 percent of new farmlands in tropical countries have come from the felling of trees, increasing the release into the atmosphere of carbon that causes global warming, a study has found. The expansion of farmlands is expected to increase due to growing global demand for agricultural products.
More than half a million square miles of new farmland created in tropical countries, such as Brazil and Indonesia, between 1980 to 2000 was due to the felling of forests which in turn, accelerated the release of carbon into the atmosphere resulting in global warming, according to a new study led by Stanford postdoctoral researcher, Holly Gibbs, of the Department of Environmental Earth System Science.
"Every million acres of forest that is cut releases the same amount of carbon into the atmosphere as 40 million cars do in a year," elaborated Gibbs. "The tropical forests store more than 340 billion tons of carbon, which is 40 times the total current worldwide annual fossil fuel emissions. If we continue cutting down these forests, there is a huge potential to further contribute to climate change."
The increase of agricultural land in tropical countries is due to increasing global demand that is projected by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to double by the year 2050. That translates to millions of additional acres of tropical forests felled over the next 40 years.
The Stanford research team noted that the creation of new farmland and deforestation was due to big, corporate agribusinesses rather than small farm families who used to do the logging and tree-cutting.
This was seen as fortunate and manageable. According to Gibbs, "The good news is that pressure from consumer groups and nongovernmental organizations combined with international climate agreements could provide a real opportunity to shift the tide in favor of forest conservation rather than farmland expansion."
The study was published in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Stanford, CA, United States (AHN) - More than 80 percent of new farmlands in tropical countries have come from the felling of trees, increasing the release into the atmosphere of carbon that causes global warming, a study has found. The expansion of farmlands is expected to increase due to growing global demand for agricultural products.
More than half a million square miles of new farmland created in tropical countries, such as Brazil and Indonesia, between 1980 to 2000 was due to the felling of forests which in turn, accelerated the release of carbon into the atmosphere resulting in global warming, according to a new study led by Stanford postdoctoral researcher, Holly Gibbs, of the Department of Environmental Earth System Science.
"Every million acres of forest that is cut releases the same amount of carbon into the atmosphere as 40 million cars do in a year," elaborated Gibbs. "The tropical forests store more than 340 billion tons of carbon, which is 40 times the total current worldwide annual fossil fuel emissions. If we continue cutting down these forests, there is a huge potential to further contribute to climate change."
The increase of agricultural land in tropical countries is due to increasing global demand that is projected by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to double by the year 2050. That translates to millions of additional acres of tropical forests felled over the next 40 years.
The Stanford research team noted that the creation of new farmland and deforestation was due to big, corporate agribusinesses rather than small farm families who used to do the logging and tree-cutting.
This was seen as fortunate and manageable. According to Gibbs, "The good news is that pressure from consumer groups and nongovernmental organizations combined with international climate agreements could provide a real opportunity to shift the tide in favor of forest conservation rather than farmland expansion."
The study was published in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) - Online classified ad site Craigslist blocked access to its controversial adult services section Saturday morning.
A black box containing the word "censored" in white letters covered the link to the section. While readers in the United States could not enter the section, media reports said users in Europe could still access it.
Neither company chief executive James Buckmaster or founder Craig Newmark issued a statement about the action Saturday.
The website has been the target of criticism for months that the adult services section promoted prostitution.
Seventeen state attorneys general sent a letter to Buckmaster and Newmark on Aug. 24 asking them to eliminate that section of the website. "The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist\'s Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it," the attorneys general wrote.
Buckmaster responded that Craigslist had been manually screening adult services ads since May 2009.
The site had raised the fees for posting ads for adult service ads in 2008 after that section caught the attention of state prosecutors. In 2009, Craigslist began donating to charity a portion of revenue from the ads.
The adult services section also was linked to the murder of a model in April 2009. The suspect charged in her death was believed to have met her through Craigslist.
Ads in the adult services section cost $10 to post and $5 to re-post. Advanced Interactive Media Group, which consults on classified advertising, estimates that Craigslist took in $36 million this year in adult ads. AIM said a recent update had found that "the revenue for prostitution ads has increased substantially during the last six months."
In an apparent defense of Craigslist, AIM noted that "Village Voice Media, which publishes alternative weeklies and Backpage.com, takes in millions of dollars annually from its prostitution ads — which are much more graphic and salacious than the ads on Craigslist."
Craigslist claims more than 50 million users in the U.S.
San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) - Online classified ad site Craigslist blocked access to its controversial adult services section Saturday morning.
A black box containing the word "censored" in white letters covered the link to the section. While readers in the United States could not enter the section, media reports said users in Europe could still access it.
Neither company chief executive James Buckmaster or founder Craig Newmark issued a statement about the action Saturday.
The website has been the target of criticism for months that the adult services section promoted prostitution.
Seventeen state attorneys general sent a letter to Buckmaster and Newmark on Aug. 24 asking them to eliminate that section of the website. "The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist\'s Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it," the attorneys general wrote.
Buckmaster responded that Craigslist had been manually screening adult services ads since May 2009.
The site had raised the fees for posting ads for adult service ads in 2008 after that section caught the attention of state prosecutors. In 2009, Craigslist began donating to charity a portion of revenue from the ads.
The adult services section also was linked to the murder of a model in April 2009. The suspect charged in her death was believed to have met her through Craigslist.
Ads in the adult services section cost $10 to post and $5 to re-post. Advanced Interactive Media Group, which consults on classified advertising, estimates that Craigslist took in $36 million this year in adult ads. AIM said a recent update had found that "the revenue for prostitution ads has increased substantially during the last six months."
In an apparent defense of Craigslist, AIM noted that "Village Voice Media, which publishes alternative weeklies and Backpage.com, takes in millions of dollars annually from its prostitution ads — which are much more graphic and salacious than the ads on Craigslist."
Craigslist claims more than 50 million users in the U.S.
Miami, FL, United States (NewsBahn) - Hurricane Earl, which had threatened to ruin the Labor Day weekend for businesses and beachgoers along the Mid-Atlantic coast, weakened overnight Friday to become little more than an annoyance as it swept northward toward the Canadian Maritimes.
At 8 a.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center reported Earl had lost its hurricane status, with its maximum sustained winds dropping to 70 mph. It was located about 40 miles south of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, and was moving northeast at 30 mph.
Still, the Canadian Hurricane Centre was maintaining a hurricane watch for Nova Scotia from Ecum Secum to Point Tupper. The agency reported early Saturday that Earl was picking up strength as it neared the Canadian coast.
Earl was expected to drop up to three inches of rain over eastern Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for the entire coast of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and News Brunswick.
Earl had little effect as it sped offshore of the U.S. east coast. Beaches in Maryland and Delaware remained open, and people could be seen strolling the boardwalk and checking out the surf.
Swimming was banned for a while at Ocean City, MD.
Saturday morning, Earl was whipping Cape Cod, MA, with rain, gusty winds and strong surf.
Meanwhile Tropical Depression Fiona fizzled into a "remnant low" south of Bermuda, the NHC reported. By Saturday morning, the weather system was producing winds of 30 mph and was moving north northeast at 14 mph. It was located about 60 miles south of Bermuda.
Miami, FL, United States (NewsBahn) - Hurricane Earl, which had threatened to ruin the Labor Day weekend for businesses and beachgoers along the Mid-Atlantic coast, weakened overnight Friday to become little more than an annoyance as it swept northward toward the Canadian Maritimes.
At 8 a.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center reported Earl had lost its hurricane status, with its maximum sustained winds dropping to 70 mph. It was located about 40 miles south of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, and was moving northeast at 30 mph.
Still, the Canadian Hurricane Centre was maintaining a hurricane watch for Nova Scotia from Ecum Secum to Point Tupper. The agency reported early Saturday that Earl was picking up strength as it neared the Canadian coast.
Earl was expected to drop up to three inches of rain over eastern Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for the entire coast of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and News Brunswick.
Earl had little effect as it sped offshore of the U.S. east coast. Beaches in Maryland and Delaware remained open, and people could be seen strolling the boardwalk and checking out the surf.
Swimming was banned for a while at Ocean City, MD.
Saturday morning, Earl was whipping Cape Cod, MA, with rain, gusty winds and strong surf.
Meanwhile Tropical Depression Fiona fizzled into a "remnant low" south of Bermuda, the NHC reported. By Saturday morning, the weather system was producing winds of 30 mph and was moving north northeast at 14 mph. It was located about 60 miles south of Bermuda.
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - The United States on Friday reacted to threats issued by Pakistani Taliban while condemning the attacks on religious processions in Pakistan.
Pakistan\'s Taliban recently threatened to launch attacks in the U.S. and Europe "very soon."
The warning by Qari Hussain Mehsud, a senior leader and mentor of suicide bombers, came along with renewed militant violence in Pakistan this week.
This is also termed as reaction from the Pakistani Taliban after U.S. prosecutors charged its leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a plot that killed seven CIA employees at a U.S. base in Afghanistan last December.
P.J. Crowley, the U.S. Assistant Secretary and State Department spokesman reacted to the threat in a statement "We designated the TTP (Tehrik-e Taliban) Pakistan as a foreign terrorist organization because that\'s where the facts led us. It is a threat to the United States, but most importantly a threat to Pakistan itself," noting, "The designation gives us an additional weapon to reduce its ability to threaten innocent civilians around the world."
The Pakistani Taliban was recently declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization, thus adding it to a blacklist of organizations subject to travel and economic sanctions.
In a public notice, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited different aliases of Pakistani Taliban as "Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban," concluding with the announcement, "Therefore, I hereby designate the aforementioned organization and its aliases as a foreign terrorist organization."
Separately, the U.S. reacted to rampant killings in Pakistan when a suicide bomber blew himself up amid a Shiite procession in Quetta, killing 58 people and injuring more than 100.
"To target innocent civilians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at an already difficult time as the country is working hard to recover from terrible flooding caused by monsoons makes these acts even more reprehensible," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"In line with the deepening partnership between our two nations, the United States government continues to assist and work closely with the government of Pakistan in its efforts to rebuild and recover, and we will continue to stand with the people of Pakistan as they face these challenging times," Gibbs said in the statement.
In another statement, Crowley said, "Our sympathies are with the victims and their families, and all those affected by these cruel acts of hatred. We stand with all of the people of Pakistan who should have the freedom to peacefully observe their religion, especially during Ramadan, and focus on rebuilding their lives after the floods, not mourn friends and family killed in terrorist attacks."
"The United States remains committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan as they recover from the devastating floods and work to secure a more peaceful and prosperous future, free from extremist violence and threat," Crowley added.
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - The United States on Friday reacted to threats issued by Pakistani Taliban while condemning the attacks on religious processions in Pakistan.
Pakistan\'s Taliban recently threatened to launch attacks in the U.S. and Europe "very soon."
The warning by Qari Hussain Mehsud, a senior leader and mentor of suicide bombers, came along with renewed militant violence in Pakistan this week.
This is also termed as reaction from the Pakistani Taliban after U.S. prosecutors charged its leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a plot that killed seven CIA employees at a U.S. base in Afghanistan last December.
P.J. Crowley, the U.S. Assistant Secretary and State Department spokesman reacted to the threat in a statement "We designated the TTP (Tehrik-e Taliban) Pakistan as a foreign terrorist organization because that\'s where the facts led us. It is a threat to the United States, but most importantly a threat to Pakistan itself," noting, "The designation gives us an additional weapon to reduce its ability to threaten innocent civilians around the world."
The Pakistani Taliban was recently declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization, thus adding it to a blacklist of organizations subject to travel and economic sanctions.
In a public notice, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited different aliases of Pakistani Taliban as "Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban," concluding with the announcement, "Therefore, I hereby designate the aforementioned organization and its aliases as a foreign terrorist organization."
Separately, the U.S. reacted to rampant killings in Pakistan when a suicide bomber blew himself up amid a Shiite procession in Quetta, killing 58 people and injuring more than 100.
"To target innocent civilians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at an already difficult time as the country is working hard to recover from terrible flooding caused by monsoons makes these acts even more reprehensible," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"In line with the deepening partnership between our two nations, the United States government continues to assist and work closely with the government of Pakistan in its efforts to rebuild and recover, and we will continue to stand with the people of Pakistan as they face these challenging times," Gibbs said in the statement.
In another statement, Crowley said, "Our sympathies are with the victims and their families, and all those affected by these cruel acts of hatred. We stand with all of the people of Pakistan who should have the freedom to peacefully observe their religion, especially during Ramadan, and focus on rebuilding their lives after the floods, not mourn friends and family killed in terrorist attacks."
"The United States remains committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan as they recover from the devastating floods and work to secure a more peaceful and prosperous future, free from extremist violence and threat," Crowley added.
Yellowstone National Park, WY, United States (AHN) - Plans to re-establish aspen trees in Yellowstone National Park by introducing wolves to protect the young trees from elk that like to eat aspens have flopped, researchers say.
Scientists originally hoped that the presence of wolves would deter elk from entering areas containing young aspen trees. However, that did not work.
Despite a 40 percent decline in the elk population since the re-introduction of wolves into Yellowstone, researchers say they do cannot foresee a reduction in the destruction of young aspen trees by elk until the elk population drops further.
The study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists appears in the journal Ecology.
Yellowstone National Park, WY, United States (AHN) - Plans to re-establish aspen trees in Yellowstone National Park by introducing wolves to protect the young trees from elk that like to eat aspens have flopped, researchers say.
Scientists originally hoped that the presence of wolves would deter elk from entering areas containing young aspen trees. However, that did not work.
Despite a 40 percent decline in the elk population since the re-introduction of wolves into Yellowstone, researchers say they do cannot foresee a reduction in the destruction of young aspen trees by elk until the elk population drops further.
The study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists appears in the journal Ecology.
Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) - The latest poll in the race for the Senate seat of formerly held by President Barack Obama has Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias tied with Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)
A new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV survey has Giannoulias and his Republican rival each with 34 percent support overall. Two third-party candidates each held less than seven percent, leaving 22 percent of voters undecided.
Kirk leads 34 percent to 23 percent among independent voters. He also has more support in his party, with three-fourths of Republicans saying they would vote for him. In contrast, Giannoulias has two-thirds of Democrats backing him.
However, the poll found 36 percent of conservatives with no opinion of Kirk, and nearly four in 10 collar-county voters without sufficient information to view the congressman favorably or unfavorably.
The race is rated a tossup by the Cook Political Report.
Both candidates are coming off of months of separate controversies plaguing their campaigns.
Giannoulias, 34, faced questions about his role in $20 million his family\'s bank is said to have lent to criminals. The Tulane University Law School graduate served as a senior loan officer and vice president at Broadway Bank, a once-successful community bank in Edgewater now facing insolvency, when the loans were approved.
The Democrat also had to downplay his ties to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose trial on 24 corruption charges ended last month with a conviction on one charge.
Kirk, a five-term representative, publicly apologized in June for claiming to be a veteran of the Gulf and Afghan wars despite servng in Maryland in the Navy Reserves.
The congressman confessed to having wrongly boasted about being awarded intelligence officer of the year in the Navy for his service in the Kosovo war. The award was actually a group citation, the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award, for his whole unit.
Kirk issued his apology after critics and observers exposed a number of questionable claims, such as his statement that he commanded the war room at the Pentagon. Giannoulias has also called him out for saying in a congressional floor speech, "The last time I was in Iraq I was in uniform, flying at 20,000 feet, and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us."
Following his apology, the New York Times revealed that his claim throughout the years of working as "a nursery school teacher" in his last year at Cornell University had also been "overstated." The head of the church where the congressman said he had worked told the Times, "He was never, ever considered a teacher. He was just an additional pair of hands to help a primary teaching person."
Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) - The latest poll in the race for the Senate seat of formerly held by President Barack Obama has Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias tied with Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)
A new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV survey has Giannoulias and his Republican rival each with 34 percent support overall. Two third-party candidates each held less than seven percent, leaving 22 percent of voters undecided.
Kirk leads 34 percent to 23 percent among independent voters. He also has more support in his party, with three-fourths of Republicans saying they would vote for him. In contrast, Giannoulias has two-thirds of Democrats backing him.
However, the poll found 36 percent of conservatives with no opinion of Kirk, and nearly four in 10 collar-county voters without sufficient information to view the congressman favorably or unfavorably.
The race is rated a tossup by the Cook Political Report.
Both candidates are coming off of months of separate controversies plaguing their campaigns.
Giannoulias, 34, faced questions about his role in $20 million his family\'s bank is said to have lent to criminals. The Tulane University Law School graduate served as a senior loan officer and vice president at Broadway Bank, a once-successful community bank in Edgewater now facing insolvency, when the loans were approved.
The Democrat also had to downplay his ties to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose trial on 24 corruption charges ended last month with a conviction on one charge.
Kirk, a five-term representative, publicly apologized in June for claiming to be a veteran of the Gulf and Afghan wars despite servng in Maryland in the Navy Reserves.
The congressman confessed to having wrongly boasted about being awarded intelligence officer of the year in the Navy for his service in the Kosovo war. The award was actually a group citation, the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award, for his whole unit.
Kirk issued his apology after critics and observers exposed a number of questionable claims, such as his statement that he commanded the war room at the Pentagon. Giannoulias has also called him out for saying in a congressional floor speech, "The last time I was in Iraq I was in uniform, flying at 20,000 feet, and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us."
Following his apology, the New York Times revealed that his claim throughout the years of working as "a nursery school teacher" in his last year at Cornell University had also been "overstated." The head of the church where the congressman said he had worked told the Times, "He was never, ever considered a teacher. He was just an additional pair of hands to help a primary teaching person."
New York, NY, United States (AHN) - Crude oil futures prices rose briefly Friday morning before slumping again.
Crude oil for October delivery closed at $74.60 a barrel down 42 cents following a weak jobs report that still posted better numbers than expected.
Non-farm, private sector employment creation stood at 67,000 new jobs for August, better than forecasts of around 30,000 to 45,000 jobs. However, unemployment figures rose to 9.6 percent. And the number of underemployed people, those who need a full-time job but cannot find one, and either work part-time or do not seek work because of discouragement, rose to 16.7 percent.
Overall, crude lost 0.8 percent this week, after gaining 2 percent last week.
New York, NY, United States (AHN) - Crude oil futures prices rose briefly Friday morning before slumping again.
Crude oil for October delivery closed at $74.60 a barrel down 42 cents following a weak jobs report that still posted better numbers than expected.
Non-farm, private sector employment creation stood at 67,000 new jobs for August, better than forecasts of around 30,000 to 45,000 jobs. However, unemployment figures rose to 9.6 percent. And the number of underemployed people, those who need a full-time job but cannot find one, and either work part-time or do not seek work because of discouragement, rose to 16.7 percent.
Overall, crude lost 0.8 percent this week, after gaining 2 percent last week.
New York City, New York, United States (AHN) - A new Human Rights Watch report accuses about a dozen European corporations of labor violations against American workers that would not be allowed under their own countries\' laws.
The report says corporate directors intimidate American workers from joining unions and violate international workplace standards.
The multinational corporations listed in the report include Britain\'s Tesco and G4S, Germany\'s T-Mobile and DHL, France\'s Sodexo and Saint-Gobain, Norway\'s Kongsberg Automotive and the Netherlands\' Gamma Holding.
Many of the companies named in the report issued statements denying the allegations.
Supermarket chain Tesco\'s statement said the Human Rights Watch report was "completely untrue." The company said all of its employees are free to join trade unions.
Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit organization that seeks to defend human rights, based its report on employee interviews and documents from legal proceedings.
"The U.S. needs to close the loopholes in the country\'s woefully inadequate laws to protect workers, including reforms embodied in the Employee Free Choice Act," said Arvind Ganesan, director of the business and human rights program at Human Rights Watch. "The U.S. labor law system is characterized by long delays, weak penalties and one-sided employer access to staff inside the workplace."
The Employee Free Choice Act is a bill that has been proposed in Congress that would make it easier for workers to join unions. It would allow a majority of voting workers to decide whether a union represents them instead of a majority of all the workers.
The violations reported by Human Rights Watch include forcing workers into "captive audience" meetings to hear anti-union messages, prohibiting union advocates from speaking with workers, threatening retaliation if workers form unions, threatening to fire workers who strike or even publicly support unions and spying on employee organizers.
Human Rights Watch officials said the labor violations were ironic because each of the corporations is based in countries whose laws strictly forbid the kind of behavior done by their management staff in the United States.
"Even self-proclaimed progressive companies can and do take full advantage of weak US laws to stifle freedom of association," Ganesan said.
Among the companies singled out in the report was food services giant Sodexo, the world\'s 22nd biggest corporation.
The 2.2-million member Service Employees International Union joined in the criticism of Sodexo with a statement that said, "Sodexo pays its workers in the United States as little as $7.50 an hour and does not offer affordable health care options to its food service and similar employees. Two-thirds of Sodexo\'s non-managerial employees in the United States do not have coverage under the medical insurance plans offered by the company."
Other allegations in the Human Rights Watch report include:
• T-Mobile characterized "talking about rights" by employees as dangerous activity to be reported immediately to management;
• DHL\'s management threatened and discriminated against workers who tried to organize;
• Tesco\'s management ordered workers not to communicate among themselves about unions;
• Sodexo threatened, interrogated and fired workers who tried to form a union;
• The Dutch Gamma Holding company hired permanent replacements, in violation of international standards but not of U.S. law, to take the jobs of workers who exercised the right to strike.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch recommended that the European Union more closely monitor companies under its jurisdiction to ensure they follow international labor standards when they operate abroad.
The report also recommended "stronger oversight by European headquarters of U.S. managers\' practices; stronger standards-setting and complaint mechanisms by international organizations."
New York City, New York, United States (AHN) - A new Human Rights Watch report accuses about a dozen European corporations of labor violations against American workers that would not be allowed under their own countries\' laws.
The report says corporate directors intimidate American workers from joining unions and violate international workplace standards.
The multinational corporations listed in the report include Britain\'s Tesco and G4S, Germany\'s T-Mobile and DHL, France\'s Sodexo and Saint-Gobain, Norway\'s Kongsberg Automotive and the Netherlands\' Gamma Holding.
Many of the companies named in the report issued statements denying the allegations.
Supermarket chain Tesco\'s statement said the Human Rights Watch report was "completely untrue." The company said all of its employees are free to join trade unions.
Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit organization that seeks to defend human rights, based its report on employee interviews and documents from legal proceedings.
"The U.S. needs to close the loopholes in the country\'s woefully inadequate laws to protect workers, including reforms embodied in the Employee Free Choice Act," said Arvind Ganesan, director of the business and human rights program at Human Rights Watch. "The U.S. labor law system is characterized by long delays, weak penalties and one-sided employer access to staff inside the workplace."
The Employee Free Choice Act is a bill that has been proposed in Congress that would make it easier for workers to join unions. It would allow a majority of voting workers to decide whether a union represents them instead of a majority of all the workers.
The violations reported by Human Rights Watch include forcing workers into "captive audience" meetings to hear anti-union messages, prohibiting union advocates from speaking with workers, threatening retaliation if workers form unions, threatening to fire workers who strike or even publicly support unions and spying on employee organizers.
Human Rights Watch officials said the labor violations were ironic because each of the corporations is based in countries whose laws strictly forbid the kind of behavior done by their management staff in the United States.
"Even self-proclaimed progressive companies can and do take full advantage of weak US laws to stifle freedom of association," Ganesan said.
Among the companies singled out in the report was food services giant Sodexo, the world\'s 22nd biggest corporation.
The 2.2-million member Service Employees International Union joined in the criticism of Sodexo with a statement that said, "Sodexo pays its workers in the United States as little as $7.50 an hour and does not offer affordable health care options to its food service and similar employees. Two-thirds of Sodexo\'s non-managerial employees in the United States do not have coverage under the medical insurance plans offered by the company."
Other allegations in the Human Rights Watch report include:
• T-Mobile characterized "talking about rights" by employees as dangerous activity to be reported immediately to management;
• DHL\'s management threatened and discriminated against workers who tried to organize;
• Tesco\'s management ordered workers not to communicate among themselves about unions;
• Sodexo threatened, interrogated and fired workers who tried to form a union;
• The Dutch Gamma Holding company hired permanent replacements, in violation of international standards but not of U.S. law, to take the jobs of workers who exercised the right to strike.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch recommended that the European Union more closely monitor companies under its jurisdiction to ensure they follow international labor standards when they operate abroad.
The report also recommended "stronger oversight by European headquarters of U.S. managers\' practices; stronger standards-setting and complaint mechanisms by international organizations."
Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) - Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan is seeking his release from prison following the Supreme Court\'s ruling on the federal honest services law, a ruling that dealt a small victory to former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling.
Ryan is scheduled for release in 2013, when he is 79 years old. He was convicted in 2006 of accepting gifts and steering state contracts to a friend while he was Illinois secretary of state. He began his 6 1/2 year sentence in November 2007.
The corruption scandal that surrounded him throughout his term allowed a Democrat to win the 2002 gubernatorial election and end more than two decades of Republican residence at the state executive mansion. His chief of staff and 70 other were convicted in the case.
The Supreme Court issued its much-awaited decision on the constitutionality of the honest services law in June, when it ruled on the case of Skilling. The statute had been criticized as too vague, and the high court had been asked to strike down the law.
The statute states that a person can be found guilty of fraud for depriving someone of their "intangible right" to "honest services." The Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the law to cover only bribery and kickback schemes, putting into question some of the charges against Skilling and others previously convicted of fraud.
Ryan\'s lawyers are arguing that the actions the former governor were found guilty of involved no bribery.
The motion comes after failed efforts by Ryan\'s family and some Democrats to gain clemency from former President George Bush in 2008.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, had asked Bush to commute Ryan\'s sentence, arguing that such action would not be a pardon for crimes but would allow the former governor to spend his final years with his family.
This year, Ryan\'s son made a written appeal to President Barack Obama making clear that the family was not seeking a presidential pardon but to let the former governor come home to Ryan\'s wife, who is suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and is on oxygen 24 hours a day.
Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) - Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan is seeking his release from prison following the Supreme Court\'s ruling on the federal honest services law, a ruling that dealt a small victory to former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling.
Ryan is scheduled for release in 2013, when he is 79 years old. He was convicted in 2006 of accepting gifts and steering state contracts to a friend while he was Illinois secretary of state. He began his 6 1/2 year sentence in November 2007.
The corruption scandal that surrounded him throughout his term allowed a Democrat to win the 2002 gubernatorial election and end more than two decades of Republican residence at the state executive mansion. His chief of staff and 70 other were convicted in the case.
The Supreme Court issued its much-awaited decision on the constitutionality of the honest services law in June, when it ruled on the case of Skilling. The statute had been criticized as too vague, and the high court had been asked to strike down the law.
The statute states that a person can be found guilty of fraud for depriving someone of their "intangible right" to "honest services." The Supreme Court narrowed the scope of the law to cover only bribery and kickback schemes, putting into question some of the charges against Skilling and others previously convicted of fraud.
Ryan\'s lawyers are arguing that the actions the former governor were found guilty of involved no bribery.
The motion comes after failed efforts by Ryan\'s family and some Democrats to gain clemency from former President George Bush in 2008.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, had asked Bush to commute Ryan\'s sentence, arguing that such action would not be a pardon for crimes but would allow the former governor to spend his final years with his family.
This year, Ryan\'s son made a written appeal to President Barack Obama making clear that the family was not seeking a presidential pardon but to let the former governor come home to Ryan\'s wife, who is suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and is on oxygen 24 hours a day.
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) - Service industries growth in the United States slowed in August to register just barely over the dividing line between expansion and contraction.
Institute for Supply Management\'s index of non- manufacturing businesses covers about 90 percent of the economy. Its service industry index registered at 51.5 percent compared with a 54.3 percent reading in July, the ISM reported Friday.
A reading above 50 percent indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 percent indicates contraction.
The average prediction for the index by economists hovered around 53 percent.
Still, the 51.5 percent reading meant the ISM non-manufacturing index registered growth for the eighth consecutive month.
Earlier this week, ISM released a report on manufacturing. Its manufacturing index rose to 56.3 percent in August from 55.5 percent in July, according to a statement by ISM officials.
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) - Service industries growth in the United States slowed in August to register just barely over the dividing line between expansion and contraction.
Institute for Supply Management\'s index of non- manufacturing businesses covers about 90 percent of the economy. Its service industry index registered at 51.5 percent compared with a 54.3 percent reading in July, the ISM reported Friday.
A reading above 50 percent indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 percent indicates contraction.
The average prediction for the index by economists hovered around 53 percent.
Still, the 51.5 percent reading meant the ISM non-manufacturing index registered growth for the eighth consecutive month.
Earlier this week, ISM released a report on manufacturing. Its manufacturing index rose to 56.3 percent in August from 55.5 percent in July, according to a statement by ISM officials.
Miami Beach, FL, United States (AHN) - A 76-year-old woman was struck and killed by a bus on Miami Beach.
According to police Elisa Rascon was crossing the street on Collins Avenue near 10th Street on South Beach and walked in front of the bus, apparently without looking.
The bus was on its way to Sawgrass Mills shopping mall when it hit the elderly woman.
Rascon was pronounced dead at the scene. The bus driver appeared to be sobbing uncontrollably and has reportedly been working the route for three years.
Police will continue their investigation but it appears to simply be a terrible accident. Currently no charges have been filed.
Miami Beach, FL, United States (AHN) - A 76-year-old woman was struck and killed by a bus on Miami Beach.
According to police Elisa Rascon was crossing the street on Collins Avenue near 10th Street on South Beach and walked in front of the bus, apparently without looking.
The bus was on its way to Sawgrass Mills shopping mall when it hit the elderly woman.
Rascon was pronounced dead at the scene. The bus driver appeared to be sobbing uncontrollably and has reportedly been working the route for three years.
Police will continue their investigation but it appears to simply be a terrible accident. Currently no charges have been filed.
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - Going against a federal court injunction banning genetically engineered sugar beet seedlings, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced it will allow the planting of the controversial crop.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of USDA said the department will allow the seedlings to be planted this fall without carrying out a review of their potential environmental impact.
The beets have been genetically modified to withstand insecticides such as Monsanto\'s Roundup. Monsanto also created the modified plants.
The department said Wednesday it was going to put in place interim rules to tackle the issue of planting genetically modified sugar beets by the end of this year. In addition, the USDA was also likely to facilitate the re-approval of the crop within two years.
Environmentalists are up in arms over the decision. They claim the "unprecedented permitting process" would affect the environment as well as the public. The groups contend the action not only is counter to a federal court decision, but is being carried out without public notice or environmental review.
In August, District Judge Jeffrey S. White vacated USDA\'s permit to plant the beets. The judge ruled the agency should have prepared an environmental impact statement studying the potential environmental and economic impact of the seeds.
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) - Going against a federal court injunction banning genetically engineered sugar beet seedlings, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced it will allow the planting of the controversial crop.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of USDA said the department will allow the seedlings to be planted this fall without carrying out a review of their potential environmental impact.
The beets have been genetically modified to withstand insecticides such as Monsanto\'s Roundup. Monsanto also created the modified plants.
The department said Wednesday it was going to put in place interim rules to tackle the issue of planting genetically modified sugar beets by the end of this year. In addition, the USDA was also likely to facilitate the re-approval of the crop within two years.
Environmentalists are up in arms over the decision. They claim the "unprecedented permitting process" would affect the environment as well as the public. The groups contend the action not only is counter to a federal court decision, but is being carried out without public notice or environmental review.
In August, District Judge Jeffrey S. White vacated USDA\'s permit to plant the beets. The judge ruled the agency should have prepared an environmental impact statement studying the potential environmental and economic impact of the seeds.