Ki-Suck Han Family Sues MTA Over NYC Subway Shoving Death

NEW YORK -- The family of a man who died after allegedly being pushed into the path of a New York City subway train has filed a lawsuit against the city's transit authority.

The lawsuit filed Friday by the family of Ki-Suck Han seeks unspecified damages stemming from his December 3 death. It accuses the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of negligence.

Police say a homeless man admitted pushing Han onto the tracks but said Han was drunk and instigated the confrontation.

Naeem Davis has been charged in Han's death and is being held without bail. His attorney has said Han went after his client.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/ki-suck-han-family-sues-mta-nyc-subway-shoving-death_n_2985934.html

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District attorney, wife shot to death in Texas county where assistant DA was killed, police say

Mike McLelland, the Kaufman County District Attorney, and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their home Saturday. The brutal double-murder comes nearly two months after his assistant was killed on his way to work. NBC's Mark Schnyder reports.

By Frank Heinz, NBCDFW.com

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their Forney home Saturday, nearly two months to the day after his top assistant was gunned down on his way to work earlier this year.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department investigators confirmed the deaths to NBC 5 Saturday evening, but had little else to say in the early stages of the investigation.

See original report at NBCDFW.com

One source close to the probe said the top prosecutor and his wife were found by a concerned relative or close friend who had gone to the house about 4 p.m. after being unable to reach them.

---

Other sources told NBC 5 that the McLelland's front door may have been kicked in and that gunshots had been fired, though police have not independently confirmed that information.

There was no immediate confirmed link between Saturday's murders and the Jan. 31 slaying of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse, but it would be hard to not speculate on possible connections.? With that in mind, officials contacted all Kaufman County officials to ensure their safety Saturday. One former Kaufman County prosecutor was "in hiding" Saturday evening and said others were as well.

While police officers are frequently the target of violence while trying to apprehend criminals, attacks on prosecutors are extremely rare though not unheard of.? McLelland said as much in January when speaking about his slain friend when he said Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with being a prosecutor.

Kaufman County

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland

At the time, he described Hasse as a really, really good man that was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor who wouldn't be easily replaced. He also vowed to catch Hasse's killers saying, "I hope that the people that did this are watching. Because we're very confident that we're going to?find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI agents and Texas Rangers, who were still investigating the unsolved slaying of Hasse, are now leading the investigation into Saturday's murders, according to a federal law enforcement source.

McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, have five children including two daughters and three sons.? One of the sons is a Dallas police officer.

Investigators are expected to hold a news conference Sunday morning. ?More information is expected to be released at that time.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a2c4607/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C30A0C175342190Edistrict0Eattorney0Ewife0Eshot0Eto0Edeath0Ein0Etexas0Ecounty0Ewhere0Eassistant0Eda0Ewas0Ekilled0Epolice0Esay0Dlite/story01.htm

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Sporting KC hands Montreal its first defeat

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:22 p.m. ET March 30, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Claudio Bieler scored his third goal of the season, and Sporting Kansas City defeated previously unbeaten Montreal 2-0 on Saturday night in a match that saw the ejection of Impact coach Marco Schaellibaum.

Schaellibaum was sent off in the 81st minute, shortly after Graham Zusi's goal put Sporting up 2-0, for squirting water out of a water bottle at Sporting's bench and fourth official Matthew Foerster. He will miss the Impact's home game against Columbus on April 13. Montreal lost for the first time after a 4-0 start.

Sporting (2-1-2) broke a three-match winless streak and a 197-minute goal drought, and Jimmy Nielsen recorded his third straight shutout. Benny Feilhaber recorded his first two assists of the season.

In the fifth minute, Feilhaber sent a through ball to Bieler, who made one touch to get free and put his shot into the lower right corner. Zusi made it 2-0 in the 80th, taking Feilhaber's pass and shaking off defender Karl Ouimette before chipping the ball home.

Montreal did not get a shot on goal until the 60th minute, when Nielsen had to dive to his left to knock away Marco Di Vaio's left-footed volley.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Late equalizer boosts LA

PST: Teenager Jose Villarreal hit a spectacular bicycle kick in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for the Galaxy in Toronto.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51384470/ns/sports-soccer/

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PFT: Davis stays with Redskins on one-year deal

AP

When he agreed to a three-year, $6 million deal with the Ravens, one of the first things Michael Huff did was text Ed Reed.

But at the same time, he doesn?t need to spend too much time trying to be Ed Reed.

?It means a lot,? Huff said, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. ?He?s one of the greatest, if not the greatest free safety to ever play the game. I just told him that I?ll carry on his legacy, carry on the tradition of great safeties in Baltimore. I?m definitely going to go out there and hold up my end.

?For me to come in here, I don?t really feel like I?m following his footsteps. I?m more kind of starting my own legacy and going in here to help the defense and help us win.?

There are two important reasons not to invite comparisons. One, Reed?s a former NFL defensive player of the year who?s likely to end up in the Hall of Fame when he?s finished.

But as importantly, Reed wasn?t Reed any more on the field last season, which is why they were willing to let him go become a Texan.

The Ravens weren?t going to get into a bidding war for a guy who?s turning 35 this season, allowing Houston to pay him a three-year, $15 million deal for intangibles.

So they found a player who is nearly five years younger, $9 million cheaper, and for the moment, perhaps a better fit.

Huff?s in Baltimore to play safety, but was forced into playing corner last year in Oakland. While he?s not someone you want on an island playing coverage, he can still cover ground, and that?s something the Ravens need in the middle of their new defense.

?He?s just a tremendous player, a tremendous guy,? Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. ?He fits us really well both football-wise and technique-wise, the type of person he is, the type of family man he is.

?He?s going to enable us to keep doing the things on defense that we have been doing and even build on those things. He has done it all because he?s smart, he?s tough and he knows how to play the game.?

So while the Ravens might not have the same kind of name recognition they once had on defense, they might be better. For roughly the same $41 million the Browns spent to lure outside linebacker Paul Kruger away, the Ravens have restocked by signing pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil, lineman Chris Canty and Marcus Spears and Huff, which gives them a better opportunity to live up to the reputation the old guys created.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/29/fred-davis-stays-with-redskins/related/

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North Korea says enters "state of war" against South

By Jack Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea, its latest bout of angry rhetoric directed at Seoul and Washington, but the South brushed off the statement as little more than tough talk.

The North also threatened to shut down an industrial zone it operates jointly with the South near the heavily armed border between the two sides if Seoul continued to say the complex was being kept running for money.

The two Koreas have been technically in a state of war for six decades under a truce that ended their 1950-53 conflict. Despite its threats, few people see any indication Pyongyang will risk a near-certain defeat by re-starting full-scale war.

"From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly," a statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency said.

KCNA said the statement was issued jointly by the North's government, ruling party and other organizations.

There was no sign of unusual activity in the North's military to suggest an imminent aggression, a South Korean defense ministry official said.

The North has been threatening to attack the South and U.S. military bases almost on a daily basis since the beginning of March, when U.S. and South Korean militaries started routine drills that have been conducted for decades without incident.

Many in the South have regarded the North's willingness to keep open the Kaesong industrial zone, located just a few miles (km) north of the border, as a sign that Pyongyang will not risk losing a lucrative source of foreign currency by mounting a real act of aggression.

The Kaesong zone is a vital source of hard currency for the impoverished state and hundreds of South Korean workers and vehicles enter daily after crossing the armed border.

"If the puppet traitor group continues to mention the Kaesong industrial zone is being kept operating and damages our dignity, it will be mercilessly shut off and shut down," KCNA quoted an agency that operates Kaesong as saying in a statement.

The threat to shut it down could sharply escalate tensions because it would suspend a symbolic joint project run by the rivals. It could also trap hundreds of South Korean workers and managers of the 123 firms that have factories there.

The North has previously suspended operations at the factory zone at the height of political tensions with the South, only to let it resume operations later.

The project has been kept running despite the North's move on Wednesday to cut off a military hotline used to process the hundreds of workers and vehicles that cross the Demilitarized Zone border.

"We have been exercising extreme restraint considering the plight of medium and small companies whose livelihood depends on the Kaesong industrial project as an immediate shutdown will drive them to bankruptcy and people jobless," KCNA quoted the agency as saying.

The South's Unification Ministry, which handles political ties with the North, said earlier in the day that the Kaesong industrial park was operating as normal with workers and vehicles crossing the border both says.

"North Korea's statement today (on entering a state of war) ... is not a new threat but is the continuation of provocative threats," a ministry statement said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday signed off on an order putting its missile units on standby to attack U.S. military bases in the South and the Pacific, after the United States flew two nuclear-capable stealth bombers over the Korean peninsula in a rare show of force.

U.S. officials said the B-2 bombers were on a diplomatic sortie aimed at reassuring allies South Korea and Japan and were also aimed at trying to nudge Pyongyang back to dialogue, although there was no guarantee Kim would get the message as intended.

The South Korean government brushed off the North's latest statement on entering a state of war, saying there was nothing fresh in it to cause greater alarm. South Koreans went about with daily lives as they have done through March under the North's constant threat of attack.

(Additional reporting by Sung-won Shim and Jane Chung; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-says-enter-state-war-against-south-001304441.html

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Canadian Natural Mama ~ Product Reviews: Saul Good

That's right.

?

This is not your regular grocery store fruit basket delivery.

? Seriously.

It is so far from it it's not even funny.

Have you ever been the recipient of a gift basket?

Have you ever GIVEN a gift basket?

What's SO cool about Saul Good, is that not only are the products gourmet, but they are all LOCAL to Vancouver and the surrounding BC area. Yep, that's right. LOCAL. So not only are you giving an awesome gift that isn't just going to sit on a shelf, but you are supporting a ton of different local companies all at once.

Saul Good also partners up with organizations that are working towards improving people's lives.

Love that!

" For products that are made here but sourced from other places, our coffee gift baskets being a prime example, we make sure that the entire chain of supply is fair trade. You can be sure that everyone who was involved in our gift baskets are being treated fairly and that we are continually working to make our company, as well as our gift boxes, as environmentally sound as possible."

Why do more companies not have those standards?

There are more than a few "baskets" to choose from:

Which one sounds like something you would be interested in?

Each heading also has a selection of options within, so you are guaranteed to find something in your price range to suit your needs.

I, myself, received a sample box, and it was too beautiful for me to even really SAMPLE at first.

It took me an entire week to even really open anything.

Does that sound lame?
You have to see the quality of these boxes.

The box itself is made of 100% recycled materials and wrapped in plain, brown paper and is not only solid, but ultra-cool, AND re-usable as well.

LOOK, it's VANCOUVER!

How cool is that!?

Ta-da!

Inside.

Like, I said.

I could not even eat anything at first.

The presentation of this gift box was just so amazing.

However, I caved, and the very first thing I tried was the Wendy Boys Vanilla Salt Caramels.

mmmmmm.

Who can resist chocolate anyways!?

?Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Peanut butter and milk chocolate.

Delicious.

And packaged sweetly in the cutest little cardboard box stamped with Saul Good Gift Co.?

(as you can see pictured in the bottom right)

Up next was the Pretzel Nut Mix covered in Caramel Sauce by Wendy Boys.

My family is full of big pretzel lovers.

These pretzels were unlike anything we had tried before.

Sweet, salty AND spicy.

Then...

Milk Chocolate Covered Caramelized Pistachios by Beta 5 Chocolate.

Cannot say that I have EVER seen chocolate covered pistachios before.?

They were a HIT.

A pen was also included, made from 100% recycled plastic packaging, and printed with Saul Good's logo.

Thanks guys! I actually really needed a pen for my bag, and now that I have one, I can brag about your awesome company wherever I go.

Definitely a winning gift basket if I have ever seen one.

Seriously, NOTHING to be thrown out or forgotten.

If this was just a SAMPLING, I would be amazed to see the full-sized baskets.

Like this one...

Have someone visiting from out of town this year? Planning on showing them around town? Why not provide them with an awesome gift box to give them a real taste of Vancouver, too.

?Key to Vancouver.

"There are no platitudes lofty enough to describe the products that make up ?The Key to Vancouver.? Alas, we must rely on clich?? this is the best of the best, not to mention the biggest. It is the cream skimmed off the top of our finest collection of savoury snacks and delicate confections. It is the spare-no-expense-OMG-wow-just-wow gift created to communicate to your colleagues and clients just how incredibly special and important they are to you and your business."

Cannot really say it any better than that.
Vancouver really is filled with an amazing array of beautiful little shops and eateries.
This gift box, is just a sampling of what our beautiful city has to offer.
Really, it would be impossible to fit EVERYTHING in, but Saul sure has given it his best effort and I am truly impressed.

?What about:

?When I had an office job, I wish that we would have had snacks like THESE in our lunchroom.

The Corner Office Party Includes:

• Pretzel Nut Mix with Caramel Sauce, 100g by Cocolico,?Vancouver, BC
• Hand-cut Heirloom Tomato Salsa by Vista D?oro Farms,?South Langley, BC
• Organic Tomato Tortilla Chips by Hippie Chips, Burnaby,?BC
• Asian Sesame Almonds by Dave + Friends, Burnaby, BC
• Organic Pineapple by Level Ground, Victoria, BC
• Vanilla Salt Caramels, 2pc by Cocolico, Vancouver, BC
• Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Okanagan Cherries, 160g by?BETA 5, Vancouver, BC
• White Chocolate Covered Blueberries, 120g by BETA 5,?Vancouver, BC
• Peanut Butter Cookies by Kitcheing & Co, Surrey, BC
• Chocolate Ginger Cookies by Kitcheing & Co, Surrey, BC
• Dark Chocolate Covered Sponge Toffee, Cocolico by?Wendy Boys, Vancouver, BC
• Hand-made Poppycock by Cocolico, Vancouver, BC
• Butter Salt Caramels, 12pc by Cocolico, Vancouver, BC

Yummm!!! What a great gift to give someone with a new job, or promotion.

New office, new Saul Good box. Yep. The two really do go hand in hand. The best thing about these snacks, is that you know that they are quality. All items have had to pass Saul Good's strict guidelines and rules in order to even be included.?

Snacks that you can feel good about in this day in age, are snacks that are GOOD with me!?

No need to worry about over processed JUNK here.

Saul Good not only offers food incorporated boxes but also really cool options PERFECT for real estate agents, or for friends/family that have just moved.

Welcome Home Gift Baskets.

Seven awesome gift baskets in various price ranges, all filled to the brim with amazing products.

From cleaning products, to metal water bottles, to reusable snack wraps, to notebooks these baskets have anything you might need... and MORE.

For example:

Contents:
Cucumber All Purpose Cleaning Spray

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Mint + Eucalyptus Window & Glass Cleaner

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Sea Minerals Hand Wash

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Remarkable Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth

- AspenClean, North Vancouver, BC
Sea Minerals Hand Wash Refill

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Free + Clear Laundry Liquid Pump, 25 loads

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Lil' Bowl Blu Toilet Bowl Cleaner

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Clementine Dish Pump

- Method, San Francisco, CA
Smarty Dishwasher Detergent Tabs

- Method, San Francisco, CA

I would have flipped with excitement if we had have received a basket like that when we moved into our new home two years ago. It's totally the little things like that, that really help show you care.

A gift AND eco friendly products.?

So cool!?

Now that is a house-warming basket, hey!?

Perfect for Mother's Day, new baby, birthday gift, or just because.

Organic Shea Butter Hand Balm,1/2oz Travel Tin

- Kama Soap, Saltspring Island, BC
Organic Shea Butter Foot Balm,1/2oz Travel Tin

- Kama Soap, Saltspring Island, BC
All Good Lips, Organic Lip Balm

- Elemental Herbs, USA
Lavender Mineral Bath

- Kama Soap, Saltspring Island, BC
Lime & Lavender Bar Soap

- Kama Soap, Saltspring Island, BC
Natural Sea Sponge

- Urban Spa, Toronto, ON
Bamboo Bristled Nail Brush

- Urban Spa, Toronto, ON
Volcanic Pumice Stone

- Urban Spa, Toronto, ON
Mint Tea Hand & Body Wash

- Naked Soapworks, Bowen Island, BC
Beeswax Votive Candle

- Queen Bee Candle Company, Vancouver, BC
All Good Goop, Organic Healing Balm

- Elemental Herbs, USA
Brown Sugar Face Scrub

- Naked Soapworks, Bowen Island, BC
Ojai Massage Oil

- Naked Soapworks, Bowen Island, BC

?Now those are some amazing products.

? I just love the little extras and care that goes into hand selecting each item and packaging each SO carefully and creatively.?

The attention to detail is amazing.

You can tell that each box is packaged with care, and love by someone that really cares about what they do, and what their company stands for.

Every filler is 100% recycled, from the beautiful paper shreddings, to the cardboard boxes themselves, to the brown paper the whole thing is wrapped in.

I never thought 100% recycled could look so GOOD.

Don't see a gift box that suits your needs?

Contact Saul Good, and see if they are able to make it happen.

?or simply call:

?1-800-848-6102

Thank you Saul Good? for providing us with an awesome taste of Vancouver!

Check them out:

Source: http://canadian-natural-mama.blogspot.com/2013/03/saul-good.html

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Lawsuit filed in Ohio's child cancer cluster case

CLYDE, Ohio (AP) -- Lawyers in Ohio filed a $750 million class action lawsuit Thursday against Whirlpool Corp. that's related to a child cancer cluster between Toledo and Cleveland.

The lawsuit attempts to link Whirlpool and others to the cancer cluster, though the families of the children who've been diagnosed with cancer aren't involved.

Three families filed the suit, including a man whose wife died at age 23 a year after she was diagnosed with cancer.

The U.S. EPA has said high levels of a chemical believed to increase the risk of certain cancers were found in soil samples from a former park Whirlpool once owned near the town of Clyde. Whirlpool has a washing machine factory in Clyde.

The findings, though, didn't link the contaminants with the cancer cluster that has been under investigation by state and federal agencies for more than six years. Nearly 40 young people have been diagnosed with cancer since the mid-1990s in the area.

Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool hasn't been directly connected to the chemical found in the tests. A statement from the company said that it's reviewing the lawsuit.

"As a member of the community for over 60 years, with more than 3,000 employees in the area, we are also very interested in figuring out the facts behind this ongoing issue," the statement said.

Families whose children have been among the dozens sickened in an Ohio cancer cluster have hired a private company to test several spots around the area in northern Ohio.

Still, the odds are against coming up with an answer because pinpointing the cause of a cancer cluster rarely happens.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawsuit-filed-ohios-child-cancer-213837381.html

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Cache of weapons found in Newtown gunman's home

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a police cruiser sits in the driveway and crime scene tape surrounds the home of Nancy Lanza in Newtown, Conn. Nancy Lanza was killed in the home by her son Adam Lanza before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, killing 26 people. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized in the Lanza home. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a police cruiser sits in the driveway and crime scene tape surrounds the home of Nancy Lanza in Newtown, Conn. Nancy Lanza was killed in the home by her son Adam Lanza before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, killing 26 people. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized in the Lanza home. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

FILE - This undated file photo circulated by law enforcement and provided by NBC News, shows Adam Lanza, who authorities said Lanza killed his mother at their home and then opened fire inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized in the Lanza home. (AP Photo/NBC News, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2012 file photo provided by the Newtown Bee, a police officer leads two women and a child from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., shortly after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III asked a judge in Danbury Superior Court, Wednesday, March 27, 2013 to limit the information to be made public from warrants in Newtown school shooting, due to be released Thursday. (AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks, File) MANDATORY CREDIT: NEWTOWN BEE, SHANNON HICKS

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo provided by the Newtown Bee, Connecticut State Police lead a line of children from the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III asked a judge in Danbury Superior Court, Wednesday, March 27, 2013 to limit the information to be made public from warrants in Newtown school shooting, due to be released Thursday. (AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks, File) MANDATORY CREDIT: NEWTOWN BEE, SHANNON HICKS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) ? A cache of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was found in the home of the gunman who carried out the Newtown school shooting, according to search warrants released Thursday.

Adam Lanza killed 26 people inside Sandy Hook Elementary School and took his own life within five minutes of shooting his way into the building, State's Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III said in a statement accompanying the release of the warrants in the Dec. 14 massacre. Lanza was found dead in the school wearing military-style clothing.

The arsenal seized from Lanza's home and the car he drove to carry out the massacre provided glimpses into the world of a troubled young man, but it does not answer the question of what could have motivated the attack. Investigators say it will take until June or later to complete the investigation.

Sedensky said Lanza killed all 26 victims inside Sandy Hook Elementary School with a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle before taking his own life with a Glock 10 mm handgun. He said Lanza had another loaded handgun with him inside the school as well as three, 30-round magazines for the Bushmaster.

Sedensky said 154 spent .223 casings were recovered at the scene. A loaded 12-gauge Saiga shotgun was found in the Honda Civic Lanza drove to the school and the warrants said there were two magazines containing a total of 70 shotgun rounds. The warrant does not offer further explanation, and authorities did not respond to questions, but some Saiga shotguns can be fitted with magazines that hold up to 30 rounds.

Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son, Daniel, was killed at Sandy Hook, said he was not surprised by the details released Thursday.

"Most of this is pretty high-level stuff that we were aware of already and it just reminds me of what happened, that a gunman stormed his way into an elementary school and shot to death 26 people, 20 of which were first-grade boys and girls," Barden said.

At the Lanza house, investigators found books about autism and Asperger's syndrome as well as a National Rifle Association guide to pistol shooting, the warrants said. The NRA said Lanza and his mother were not members. Another book found at the home with tabbed pages is titled: "Train Your Brain to Get Happy."

Writings and journals that belonged to Lanza were seized by police and turned over to the FBI for analysis. They also found three photos containing images of what appears to be a dead person covered with plastic and blood.

Police said they found a smashed computer hard drive and a gaming console in the house. An unnamed person told investigators that Lanza was an avid gamer who played "Call of Duty" and other games and rarely left his home.

Investigators found a holiday card containing a check made out to Lanza for the purchase of a firearm, authored by his mother, Nancy Lanza. Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother in their Newtown home before driving to the school to carry out the massacre.

Documents indicate authorities found a gun safe with shotgun shells in the house and numerous boxes of bullets. In a bedroom closet, they found ear plugs, a handwritten note regarding ammunition and magazines, paperwork on guns and a metal bayonet.

In a top drawer of a filing cabinet, they found paper targets. In a duffel bag, they found ear and eye protection, binoculars, numerous paper targets and an NRA certificate that belonged to Adam Lanza.

Authorities found numerous knives, including samurai swords. They found a military-style uniform in Lanza's bedroom and handwritten notes containing the addresses of local gun shops. The guns found at the home included a .323-caliber Enfield Albian bolt-action rifle, a .22-caliber Savage Mark II rifle, a BB gun and a .22-caliber Volcanic starter pistol.

Among the items seized was a news article on a 2008 school shooting at Northern Illinois University.

A judge's order to seal the warrants expired on Wednesday, and a Danbury Superior Court judge granted a request by Sedensky to withhold some details. Sedensky asked to redact the name of a witness, saying the person's safety might be jeopardized if the name were disclosed. He also asked that the release not include other information such as telephone numbers, serial numbers on items found and a few paragraphs of an affidavit.

Until now, prosecutors had made few details of the Newtown investigation available, despite pressure to do so from the governor, who criticized leaks to the press and lawmakers who clamored for more details as they craft legislation on mental health and gun control.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced last week that additional information would be released at his request. He expressed concern that some information about the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook reportedly disclosed by a top state police commander at a recent law enforcement seminar in New Orleans was leaked.

In his statement, Sedensky said he ordered a stop to any presentations involving evidence in the case to prevent such disclosures. He said the investigation is ongoing.

"No conclusions have been reached and no final determinations have been made," Sedensky said.

Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr. said this week that legislative leaders are eager to review the search warrant documents before finishing work on a bipartisan bill that addresses gun control and other issues related to the massacre.

___

Associated Press writers Dave Collins and Michael Melia in Hartford contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-28-US-Connecticut-School-Shooting/id-00437ea9def1415a97ac165f544347f9

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Microsoft showcases Windows Phone middleware partnerships at GDC, we go hands-on (video)

Building on yesterday's announcement that Temple Run and several other games are coming to Windows Phone, Microsoft's been actively courting developers at GDC 2013. To that end, the company's booth showcases several games that highlight cross-platform development and middleware. Now that WP8 and Windows 8 share the same NT kernel, DirectX APIs and tools, it's easier than ever to write games that use the same code base for both platforms. Microsoft is sweetening the deal with a few significant middleware partnerships -- Unity, Marmalade and Havok, to be specific. We talked with Larry Lieberman, Senior Product Manager for Windows Phone development, who was kind enough to explain what these partnerships mean for developers and to give us a tour of the games. Hit the break for our hands-on video.

Gallery: Windows Phone middleware demo at GDC 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RMoP53fp7Sk/

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A new way to lose weight? Changing microbes in guts of mice resulted in rapid weight loss

Mar. 27, 2013 ? Scientists at Harvard may have new hope for anyone who's tried to fight the battle of the bulge.

New research, conducted in collaboration with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, has found that the gut microbes of mice undergo drastic changes following gastric bypass surgery. Transfer of these microbes into sterile mice resulted in rapid weight loss. The study is described in a March 27 paper in Science Translational Medicine.

"Simply by colonizing mice with the altered microbial community, the mice were able to maintain a lower body fat, and lose weight -- about 20% as much as they would if they underwent surgery," said Peter Turnbaugh, a Bauer Fellow at Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Center for Systems Biology, and one of two senior authors of the paper.

But as striking as those results were, they weren't as dramatic as they might have been.

"In some ways we were biasing the results against weight loss," Turnbaugh said, explaining that the mice used in the study hadn't been given a high-fat, high-sugar diet to increase their weight beforehand. "The question is whether we might have seen a stronger effect if they were on a different diet."

"Our study suggests that the specific effects of gastric bypass on the microbiota contribute to its ability to cause weight loss and that finding ways to manipulate microbial populations to mimic those effects could become a valuable new tool to address obesity," said Lee Kaplan, director of the Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at MGH and the other senior author of the paper.

"We need to learn a good deal more about the mechanisms by which a microbial population changed by gastric bypass exert its effects, and then we need to learn if we can produce these effects -- either the microbial changes or the associated metabolic changes -- without surgery," Kaplan, an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, added. "The ability to achieve even some of these effects without surgery would give us an entirely new way to treat the critical problem of obesity, one that could help patients unable or unwilling to have surgery."

While the results were exciting, Turnbaugh warned that it may be years before they could be replicated in humans, and that such microbial changes shouldn't be viewed as a way to lose those stubborn last 10 pounds without going to the gym. Rather, the technique may one day offer hope to dangerously obese people who want to lose weight without going through the trauma of surgery.

"It may not be that we will have a magic pill that will work for everyone who's slightly overweight," he said. "But if we can, at a minimum, provide some alternative to gastric bypass surgery that produces similar effects, it would be a major advance."

While there had been hints that the microbes in the gut might change after bypass surgery, the speed and extent of the change came as a surprise to the research team.

In earlier experiments, researchers had shown that the guts of both lean and obese mice are populated by varying amounts of two types of bacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. When mice undergo gastric bypass surgery, however, it "resets the whole picture," Turnbaugh said.

"The post-bypass community was dominated by Proteobacteria and Proteobacteria, and had relatively low levels of Firmicutes," he said. What's more, Turnbaugh said, those changes occurred within a week of the surgery, and weren't short-lived -- the altered gut microbial community remained stable for months afterward.

While the results may hold out the hope for weight loss without surgery, both Turnbaugh and Kaplan warned that future studies are needed to understand exactly what is behind the weight loss seen in mice.

"A major gap in our knowledge is the underlying mechanism linking microbes to weight loss," Turnbaugh said. "There were certain microbes that we found at higher abundance after surgery, so we think those are good targets for beginning to understand what's taking place."

In fact, Turnbaugh said, the answer may not be the specific types of microbes, but a by-product they excrete.

In addition to changes in the microbes found in the gut, researchers found changes in the concentration of certain short-chain fatty acids. Other studies, Turnbaugh said, have suggested that those molecules may be critical in signaling to the host to speed up metabolism, or not to store excess calories as fat.

Going forward, Turnbaugh and Kaplan hope to continue to explore those questions.

"We think such studies will allow us to understand how host/microbial interactions in general can influence the outcome of a given diet," Kaplan said. "To some degree, what we're learning is a comfort for people who have an issue with their weight, because more and more we're learning that the story is more complicated than just how much you exercise and how much you eat."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. A. P. Liou, M. Paziuk, J.-M. Luevano, S. Machineni, P. J. Turnbaugh, L. M. Kaplan. Conserved Shifts in the Gut Microbiota Due to Gastric Bypass Reduce Host Weight and Adiposity. Science Translational Medicine, 2013; 5 (178): 178ra41 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005687

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/55s2_HYwLsA/130327144124.htm

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Amari Spievey Arrested: Detroit Lions Safety Detained By Police After Child Support Dispute In Connecticut

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. ? Police say Detroit Lions safety Amari Spievey has been arrested in his Connecticut hometown after a child support dispute.

The Middletown Press reports Wednesday () the 24-year-old Spievey was arrested Tuesday on charges of third-degree assault, risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct. His girlfriend, 26-year-old Lisamarie Santos, also was charged with risk of injury and disorderly conduct. http://bit.ly/16ihbiv

Santos told police Spievey pushed her and put his hand on her neck when they argued. Spievey said he pushed Santos after she grabbed his throat and punched his chest while he held their 2-year-old daughter.

They were to appear in court Wednesday. It's not immediately known who is representing them.

The Lions said they had no immediate comment. Spievey has played three seasons for Detroit, which drafted him in 2010. He recently agreed to a one-year contract.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/amari-spievey-arrested-detroit-lions-child-support_n_2967521.html

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Cyprus banks to re-open; limits on transactions

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Bank employees and financial authorities in Cyprus are preparing banks to reopen after being shut for more than a week due to the country's acute financial crisis.

Strict restrictions have been set on financial transactions once the banks open for six hours at noon (1000 GMT). The maximum cash withdrawal limit has been set at 300 euros ($383) per day and no checks will be cashed. Travelers leaving the country can only take up to 1,000 euros, or the equivalent in foreign currency, with them in cash.

Banks have been closed since March 16 as politicians scrambled to come up with a plan to raise enough funds for Cyprus to qualify for 10 billion euros ($12.9 billion) in bailout loans for its stricken banking sector.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-28-EU-Cyprus-Financial-Crisis/id-cf116eb374b5417e897f3fb7c958d8e8

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NEW YORK: Gay marriage equality box spreads on social media ...

NEW YORK ? Bud Light said it with beer cans and Martha Stewart with red velvet cake as companies and celebrities from Beyonce to George Takei joined millions of social media users in posting and tweaking a simple red logo in support of gay marriage.

A square box with thick pink horizontal lines (the mathematical equal symbol) was offered for sharing this week by the Human Rights Campaign as the U.S. Supreme Court took up arguments in key marriage rights cases.

The image, replacing profile pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and elsewhere, is a makeover of the advocacy group's logo, usually a blue background with bright yellow lines. The HRC made it available in red - for the color of love - on Monday and estimated tens of millions of shares by Wednesday.

"It shows the enthusiasm and the passion," said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the nonprofit in Washington, D.C.

Like viral campaigns of yore, supporting breast cancer awareness (pink), President Barack Obama (change your middle name to Hussein) and even Arab Spring (green), a bit of fatigue set in on some social media streams by those questioning whether such efforts serve to change any minds or, put simply, are plain annoying.

"My Facebook feed is a cascading aesthetic nightmare. Thanks, equality," Washington Post writer Dan Zak wryly grumbled on Twitter.

A photo of Justice Anthony Kennedy made the rounds with the quip: "Before we make a ruling, did enough people change their Facebook profile picture?!"

None of that mattered to the masses of same-sex marriage supporters. Some swapped matzoh for the pink lines as Passover got under way, or added frowny Internet star Grumpy Cat, who explained marriage equality would make her happy.

Bert and Ernie showed up against the red background. (They're best friends with no plans to marry, according to Sesame Street.) Another version featured Paula Deen atop the red square and lines turned a shade of yellow akin to her favorite fatty ingredient and the tagline: "It's like two sticks of butter y'all."

Takei, a noted punster with nearly 4 million followers in Facebook, turned the equal sign into the division sign for those opposed to marriage equality.

Beyonce, with more than 44 million followers there, played it straight, leaving the logo alone and adding a personal message: "It's about TIME!!! (hash)EQUALITY (hash)MarryWhoYouLove.

Fergie let the image speak for itself on Twitter, adding: "No words necessary." Montana Sen. John Tester, a Democrat who endorsed same-sex marriage on Tuesday, put the logo up as his profile on Facebook while the clothing site Bonobos swapped its usual Facebook pic for the red square using fancy white pants for the equal sign.

Martha Stewart's Facebook page used a slice of red cake with white icing to make the image and the HBO page for "True Blood" added fangs.

All in good fun?

"There's a lot of serious conversation going on and there's an awful lot of important concepts that the Supreme Court justices are discussing," Sainz said. "What this logo going viral means is individuals have reduced it to a very straightforward concept."

Steve Jones, a professor of online culture and communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago, wondered whether all the mash-ups muddle the message.

"Once you throw it together with something like Grumpy Cat it's fun," he said. "But was this message intended to be fun?"

---

Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report.

Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/03/27/3405460/gay-marriage-equality-box-spreads.html

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Stocks slide, following European markets lower

Trader Anthony Riccio, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, March 20, 2013. U.S. stocks rose strongly Wednesday ahead of a decision by the Federal Reserve about whether to push ahead with aggressive measures to boost the economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Anthony Riccio, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, March 20, 2013. U.S. stocks rose strongly Wednesday ahead of a decision by the Federal Reserve about whether to push ahead with aggressive measures to boost the economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Worries about Europe pushed the stock market lower Wednesday, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average had its biggest gain in three weeks.

Investors are watching to see if Cyprus can restore confidence in its banking system. They are also keeping an eye on Italy, where political parties are struggling to form a new government in the third-largest economy in the eurozone.

The Dow was down 37 points, or 0.3 percent, at 14,522 shortly after noon Wednesday. It had lost as many as 120 points in morning trading before climbing back.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped four points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,559. That's six points short of its all-time high.

Bad news out of Europe and good news from the U.S. have tossed the stock market around over the past week. "There are still plenty of worries about (Europe's) banking system," said J.J. Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade. "But the U.S. really is on a nice little roll."

Kinahan said he thinks the S&P 500 will recover its losses and make another run at the all-time high before the week ends.

Cyprus is working out details for how to reopen its banks after a nearly two-week shutdown. An international bailout agreement calls for money from large depositors to be used to help pay for the rescue of its banking system.

In Italy, a center-left party failed in its attempt to form a new government. The political stalemate has concerned investors since elections last month gave no single party a clear victory. Investors worry that the impasse will hinder the country from following through with unpopular budget cuts, undermining confidence in the euro.

European markets fell. Benchmark indexes dropped 1 percent in Germany and France. Italy's main stock index fell 0.7 percent.

The worries hit Europe's bond markets especially hard. Borrowing rates for Italy and Spain shot higher, a sign of weaker confidence in their financial health. Rates for Germany and France, two of Europe's more stable countries, fell as traders shifted money into their bonds.

News about Italy also helped drive traders into the safety of U.S. government bonds, pushing benchmark yields to their lowest level this month. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped to 1.85 percent, a steep fall from 1.91 percent late Tuesday.

The Nasdaq composite fell six points, 0.2 percent, to 3,246.

Seven of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 index fell, led by banks. Two groups investors tend to buy when they want to play it safe, utilities and health care, edged up.

The S&P 500 closed within two points of its all-time high of 1,565 on Tuesday, helped by rising home prices and orders for manufactured goods. The stock index hit that peak on Oct. 9, 2007, before the Great Recession and a financial crisis roiled financial markets.

Among other stocks making big moves:

? Cliffs Natural Resources, an iron ore mining company, plunged 15 percent, the biggest loss in the S&P. Its stock fell $3.29 to $18.14.

? Science Applications International Corp. jumped 4 percent after the security and communications technology provider reported a fourth-quarter profit that was better than analysts were expecting. SAIC also announced a special dividend of $1 per share. Its stock gained 65 cents to $13.47.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-27-US-Wall-Street/id-4cf27d620b4744f3a081ab41363e50bb

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Hunger-spiking neurons could help control autoimmune diseases

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Neurons that control hunger in the central nervous system also regulate immune cell functions, implicating eating behavior as a defense against infections and autoimmune disease development, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Autoimmune diseases have been on a steady rise in the United States. These illnesses develop when the body's immune system turns on itself and begins attacking its own tissues. The interactions between different kinds of T cells are at the heart of fighting infections, but they have also been linked to autoimmune disorders.

"We've found that if appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, leading to decreased appetite and a leaner body weight, T cells are more likely to promote inflammation-like processes enabling autoimmune responses that could lead to diseases like multiple sclerosis," said lead author Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

"If we can control this mechanism by adjusting eating behavior and the kinds of food consumed, it could lead to new avenues for treating autoimmune diseases," he added.

Horvath and his research team conducted their study in two sets of transgenic mice. In one set, they knocked out Sirt1, a signaling molecule that controls the hunger-promoting neuron AgRP in the hypothalamus. These Sirt1-deficient mice had decreased regulatory T cell function and enhanced effector T cell activity, leading to their increased vulnerability in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

"This study highlights the important regulatory role of the neurons that control appetite in peripheral immune functions," said Horvath. "AgRP neurons represent an important site of action for the body's immune responses."

The team's data support the idea that achieving weight loss through the use of drugs that promote a feeling of fullness "could have unwanted effects on the spread of autoimmune disorders," he notes.

###

Yale University: http://www.yale.edu

Thanks to Yale University for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127447/Hunger_spiking_neurons_could_help_control_autoimmune_diseases

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Iowa governor holds hearing on releasing killer

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) ? Iowa's governor has called a rare public hearing Wednesday to gather input on whether he should free an inmate widely credited with turning his life around while serving 38 years in prison for a 1974 murder.

Rasberry Williams, 66, is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder after shooting a neighbor over a $30 gambling debt outside a Waterloo pool hall. His decade-long bid to have his sentence commuted to a set number of years so he can become eligible for parole has won the backing of the Iowa Board of Parole, prison wardens, the prosecutor who convicted him and the judge who oversaw his trial.

But the only opinion that matters is that of Gov. Terry Branstad, who called the hearing in Waterloo to allow the public to sound off on the parole board's 4-0 recommendation that Williams' sentence be adjusted. Branstad is the third Iowa governor to consider Williams' request and has until May 4 to accept or reject the board's recommendation. During 18 years in office spread over three decades, Branstad has commuted the life terms of only two inmates, the last being in 1992.

Williams' supporters, however, argue the governor should show leniency to reward a remarkable rehabilitation. Prison officials describe Williams as a model inmate who got an education in prison, mentored scores of young offenders and served as a fixture in programs where he warned young people to avoid trouble. And, in what officials call his most noteworthy act, he once intervened to save the lives of prison guards who had been taken hostage by another inmate.

"It's an extraordinary case, and that's what makes it so compelling," said Waterloo attorney David Dutton, who prosecuted Williams but recently came out in support of commutation. "He's served 38 years and during that time, he's saved two guards and has comported himself as a model citizen, albeit under very difficult conditions. That, in my view, indicates a person who has truly understood the importance of acting on behalf of others. I think that's a sign of a changed person, and a person that is not going to be a threat to society."

Branstad requested Wednesday's hearing because he wanted to hear from people who live in the community where the shooting happened, said the governor's spokesman, Tim Albrecht. He said Branstad will consider the impact on victims, public safety and Williams' behavior while incarcerated, in deciding Williams' future.

Jeremy Haile, who tracks criminal justice issues at the Sentencing Project, which advocates shorter sentences, said it's rare for a governor to free someone convicted of murder because of the political risks involved. The hearing is a smart move, he said, because strong support for Williams would help justify a decision to release him.

"Ultimately, executives have to act not because they will benefit politically, but because extending mercy is the right thing to do," Haile said.

Only a dozen Iowa inmates serving life sentences have had them commuted since 1986, state data shows. Nationally, Haile said the number of life sentences had risen dramatically in recent decades in a tough-on-crime political climate and executives at the state and federal level have been increasingly reluctant to show mercy.

Williams was convicted in the death of his next-door neighbor, 40-year-old Lester Givhan. The two began arguing over a $30 debt at a pool hall, and when Givhan refused to pay, Williams waited outside, confronted Givhan and shot him once. Williams turned himself into police hours later.

Givhan had a gun in his pocket, and the then-28-year-old Williams claimed he acted in self-defense. "I had to stand my ground," he told the parole board in January. He said he worried Givhan would've killed him, according to a transcript obtained by The Associated Press through the public records law.

But jurors didn't buy that, and even Williams' defense lawyer, Wallace Parrish, said he was guilty.

"When you have facts like that, it was like getting hit on the head with a hammer," Parrish said. "You had him lying in wait, you had intent. There was no defending that. It was like he read a book on the elements of first-degree murder, and went out and committed each element deliberately."

The attorney also said, however, that Williams had served enough time for "a crime of passion" and would not pose a safety risk if allowed to live with his sister in Chicago. Parrish called the former prosecutor's support for Williams' commutation "very significant."

Dutton opposed the parole board's 2005 recommendation to commute Williams' sentence. But he said he didn't know then that Williams had helped save the lives of two guards who were held hostage in 1979 by an inmate at the penitentiary in Fort Madison.

In a letter supporting Williams' commutation, inmate George Goff said he planned to ignite gasoline in a cell where he was holding guards at knifepoint, but Williams approached and told him, "'boy don't you do that! It is not worth getting a life sentence for.'"

Goff freed the hostages unharmed.

"If it not been for Rasberry Williams that day there would have been two dead guards and I would be doing a life sentence," Goff wrote.

Gov. Tom Vilsack denied Williams' commutation bid in 2006, citing concerns he had been gambling in prison, which Williams denied. His successor, Gov. Chet Culver, reviewed Williams' commutation file during his final days in office in 2011 but didn't act.

Among those hoping Branstad will give Williams another chance is Walter Polk, 65, who worked with Williams at the WonderBread bakery in Waterloo even after his arrest.

"He was so trustworthy and the company liked his work, that he worked up until his conviction," Polk said. "Rasberry was a happy-go-lucky person, a person to keep you laughing. . . . I knew he had this incident in his life, but I think he just got caught up in in the moment."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-governor-holds-hearing-releasing-killer-183926507.html

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Rebel mortar fire hits Damascus, army gunners retaliate

By Oliver Holmes

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels lobbed mortar rounds into central Damascus on Monday, killing at least two people and drawing a fierce army response as bombardments shook the heart of the capital.

The state news agency said mortar bombs fired by "terrorists" had killed two people and wounded others near the Opera House on Ummayad Square, where Baath Party headquarters, Air Force Intelligence and state television are also located.

The military retaliated with artillery fire from Mount Qasioun, overlooking the city. "I've heard dozens of regime shells so far, pounding rebels," one resident said.

Photos posted by opposition activists showed black smoke rising from the square during what residents said was one of the heaviest bombardments in central Damascus since a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad erupted two years ago.

"The city is under attack," said one bewildered resident, adding that the explosions had begun at 6:30 a.m. (12.30 a.m. EDT).

The conflict in Syria has killed 70,000 people and forced a million to flee the country, the United Nations says. Sustained fighting in Damascus could send thousands more into neighboring states, especially Lebanon, which already hosts 370,000 of them.

There were no immediate reports that the rebels, who have pushed into the Kfar Souseh district, a few hundred meters (yards) from Ummayad Square, were trying to advance further.

Assad's forces have retained control of central Damascus and most other Syrian cities, while losing swathes of territory to insurgents elsewhere, especially in the north and east.

Colonel Riad al-Asaad, founder of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), lost a leg in an overnight blast caused by a bomb placed beneath his car in the opposition-held eastern town of al-Mayadin, his deputy said. A Turkish official said Asaad was now being treated in Turkey and that his life was not in danger.

Asaad, who formed the FSA in 2011 as a popular uprising against Assad turned into an armed rebellion, was one of the first senior officers to defect from the Syrian military, but was sidelined last year from a new Western-backed FSA command.

Asaad's deputy, Malik al-Kurdi, told Al Jazeera television he believed the Syrian government had tried to assassinate the FSA founder with a bomb planted directly below his car seat. He said Asaad had also suffered face wounds.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Video footage posted online by activists showed Asaad lying on a bed with a bandage on his head and groaning. He was covered in a blue sheet and a man in the film said he would survive. Reuters could not independently verify the video.

REBEL FORCES DIVIDED

Various rebel units fight under the banner of the FSA, which has struggled to find weapons supplies and build a disciplined command and control structure. It does not include some Islamist militants such as the powerful al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Moaz Alkhatib, who resigned on Sunday as head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, said the attack on Asaad was part of a drive to "assassinate the free leaders of Syria".

Despite stepping down, Alkhatib said he would address an Arab League summit in Qatar this week. "I have decided to give a speech in the name of the Syrian people at the Doha conference," he wrote on his Twitter account on Monday.

Alkhatib, named leader of the coalition formed in November, is a Sunni Muslim cleric who had been seen as a moderate bulwark against the influence of al Qaeda-linked jihadist forces.

He resigned after the coalition berated him for offering Assad a negotiated deal and after the group went ahead, despite his objections, with steps to form a provisional government that would have diminished his authority.

The coalition is backed by Western powers and many Arab states, but Russia and China are critical of its insistence that Assad quit as a precondition for negotiations.

A senior Russian diplomat said on Monday his country wanted Russian and Chinese experts to take part in a U.N. investigation into charges that chemical arms were used in Syria on March 19.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the inquiry on Thursday and made clear it would focus on a rocket attack that killed 26 people near Aleppo. Syria's government and opponents accused each other of firing a missile laden with chemicals.

Opposition activists said Syrian forces had used phosphorus on Monday when they fired multiple rocket launchers at fighters besieging an army base in Adra, a town near Damascus. Two rebels were killed and 23 wounded. The activists described it as another chemical attack. There was no independent confirmation.

U.S. and European officials say they have no evidence yet of any chemical attack. If one is confirmed, it would be the first use of such weapons by either side in the Syrian conflict.

Damascus has not confirmed it possesses chemical weapons, but says if it had them it would not use them on its own people.

(Additional reporting by Jonathon Burch in Ankara, Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman, Steve Gutterman in Moscow and Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Louise Ireland and Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rebel-mortar-fire-hits-damascus-army-gunners-retaliate-135238660.html

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NJ professor's quixotic quest to be Iran president

In this photograph taken Wednesday, March 13, 2013, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi talks to The Associated Press in New Brunswick, N.J. Amirahmadi, a professor at Rutgers University, is running for president of Iran. The liberal professor is embarking on a Quixotic quest and must still win approval from the supreme leader's Iranian supreme council, which many say won't happen. But Amirahamadi is resolute, running a grassroots campaign and tapping into Iranian expats who want to see the country open up to the west. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this photograph taken Wednesday, March 13, 2013, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi talks to The Associated Press in New Brunswick, N.J. Amirahmadi, a professor at Rutgers University, is running for president of Iran. The liberal professor is embarking on a Quixotic quest and must still win approval from the supreme leader's Iranian supreme council, which many say won't happen. But Amirahamadi is resolute, running a grassroots campaign and tapping into Iranian expats who want to see the country open up to the west. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this photograph taken Wednesday, March 13, 2013, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi poses for The Associated Press in New Brunswick, N.J. Amirahmadi, a professor at Rutgers University, is running for president of Iran. The liberal professor is embarking on a Quixotic quest and must still win approval from the supreme leader's Iranian supreme council, which many say won't happen. But Amirahamadi is resolute, running a grassroots campaign and tapping into Iranian expats who want to see the country open up to the west. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this photograph taken Wednesday, March 13, 2013, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi poses for The Associated Press in New Brunswick, N.J. Amirahmadi, a professor at Rutgers University, is running for president of Iran. The liberal professor is embarking on a Quixotic quest and must still win approval from the supreme leader's Iranian supreme council, which many say won't happen. But Amirahamadi is resolute, running a grassroots campaign and tapping into Iranian expats who want to see the country open up to the west. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this photograph taken Wednesday, March 13, 2013, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi poses for The Associated Press in New Brunswick, N.J. Amirahmadi, a professor at Rutgers University, is running for president of Iran. The liberal professor is embarking on a Quixotic quest and must still win approval from the supreme leader's Iranian supreme council, which many say won't happen. But Amirahamadi is resolute, running a grassroots campaign and tapping into Iranian expats who want to see the country open up to the west. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) ? The man who wants to be the next president of Iran sits in a hotel lobby, steps from his office and thousands of miles away from the country he wants to lead, a distance surpassed only by the hurdles he needs to clear even to land on the ballot.

Hooshang Amirahmadi, a bespectacled professor of public policy at Rutgers University, declared his candidacy for the Iranian presidency last year. He's now well into a quixotic quest that has taken him on fundraising jaunts from New York to California to Dubai and, finally, to Iran next month.

Amirahmadi, 65, has lived in the United States for 40 years, calling it "my country." He married his wife here, and his daughter was raised in New Jersey. But he feels compelled to run for office in Iran to reconcile the conflict he and other Iranian-Americans feel within.

"I feel like, you know, it's not easy to be an Iranian originally and be here, and be a citizen of this country, and see the two sides of you fight each other every day," Amirahmadi said.

Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was elected to his second term in 2009 in an election that sparked pro-democracy protests. He is not eligible to run again.

Under Ahmadinejad, Iran has increasingly become defiant over its nuclear program, refusing to bow to Western pressure and sanctions. Ahamadinejad has also said that Israel must be "wiped off the map" and has hurled bizarre accusations against Western countries, including that they caused a drought in Iran.

Years ago, Amirahmadi's now 21-year-old daughter asked why the two countries couldn't get along. The professor said he was moved by her question. He founded the nonprofit American Iranian Council and started working to smooth diplomatic relations between the countries.

Even though he is already a behind-the-scenes player, Amirahmadi's candidacy is a long shot. He and all Iranian presidential candidates must be approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Guardian Council ahead of the June election. His American citizenship, along with his beliefs, including freedom of the press and a government based on "rationalism" rather than religion, may immediately disqualify him.

"This is not a serious candidacy at all," said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a professor of political science at Syracuse University. "He has no chance whatsoever getting an OK from the Guardian Council. Indeed, his American citizenship will disqualify him easily."

Amirahmadi said he has dual American and Iranian citizenship.

The head of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, said this month that Iranian elections are the "freest in the world" and that candidates will be chosen in accordance with the law.

A U.N. investigator said this month that there are widespread human rights abuses in Iran and expressed concern that torture and increased crackdowns on activists, journalists and lawyers could undermine the fairness of the election.

Waving off the skeptics, Amirahmadi is confident he will be approved. He has spoken with members of the council about his presidency, but not the supreme leader. He thinks that his years working in both the U.S. and Iran ? he goes back about once a year and has worked on various projects in the country ? put him in a rare position to broker deals.

"The Islamic Republic could not go to the God tomorrow and say, 'Create a human being for me with these particular characteristics, who's a bridge builder, a peacemaker and an economic developer all in one,'" Amirahmadi said of himself, stressing that he is not aligned with any of the country's political factions.

"I have probably the best chance to bring them together," he said of the U.S. and Iran.

He thinks most issues between Iran and the United States can be solved through diplomacy and restoration of trust. Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran ended with the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the American Embassy was overtaken by protesters opposed to the Iranian monarchy that was installed by a CIA-led coup. American diplomatic workers were held hostage for 444 days.

Iran, he said, has a right to have nuclear enrichment facilities. The solution is getting the West to trust the country.

"I don't believe the problem is nuclear enrichment," he said. "The problem is lack of trust."

Amirahmadi has spent his candidacy courting people like himself ? Iranian expatriates. He has crisscrossed the globe, looking to raise money and secure votes among a group that can cast ballots in the Iranian election. He spent five hours answering questions from a receptive group on a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything forum last month.

But creating a single voting bloc from a large, multifaceted worldwide community is difficult.

For some, any kind of engagement with the government, including voting, would be tantamount to accepting the regime, said Naghmeh Sorhabi, an assistant professor of Middle East History at Brandeis University.

"There's quite a huge number of people outside Iran who think that any kind of engagement with the government is a way of giving the government legitimacy," Sorhabi said.

If anything, Amirahmadi's campaign could spark a conversation in Iranian communities worldwide about how they want to engage with the homeland ? and potentially bring about a new type of politics.

"How does one engage a diaspora community with a regime that many people outside of Iran think is illegitimate?" Sorhabi asked.

Iranian elections are extremely competitive, but there is little transparency when it comes to campaign finance.

Amirahmadi concedes his campaign is small. He has raised between $55,000 and $60,000 in the United States and about $80,000 in Dubai. A few friends ? especially in Dubai ? have given donations of $10,000 or more, but most are $10 contributions that trickle in.

Amirahmadi said he has appeared on satellite television in Iran, which is beamed in from outside the country to avoid censors. He plans to travel to the country early next month to lay the groundwork for the grassroots campaign, and wants to appoint a female campaign manager. He was last there in 2012.

"My hope is to go back to Iran and make a splash," he said.

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Associated Press writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Follow Katie Zezima at http://twitter.com/katiezez

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-26-US-Taking-on-Tehran/id-348a23298576484ebb10123414a6584f

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