Planes Seen Flying Too Close

A DHL cargo plane and a Japan Airlines jet were photographed apparently flying close to each other over London but British officials denied a breach of safety.The Civil Aviation Authority said no near miss was reported after the incident Saturday and it was impossible to tell how close they were. Both planes landed at Heathrow with no problems, reports the BBC. A photographer who captured the image told reporters he began taking pictures after seeing the planes apparently coming together "on a collision course."A DHL spokesman, noting that photographs could be deceptive, said: "If there had been any incident of them being close together, there are all sorts of systems which would have gone off, both in the plane itself and at air traffic control -- but there wasn't any report of an incident."

Palestinians Circulate Hamas Jokes

A slew of jokes circulating among Palestinians following Hamas' landslide election victory reflects concerns that the fundamentalist group will impose Islamic law and social codes across the West Bank and Gaza. As one goes, all police stations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been ordered shut because all complaints must now be filed directly to God. Invoking God and Islamic tradition is the mainstay of all the quips that have been spreading by word of mouth and mobile phone text messages in the past few days. Until elections Wednesday, Hamas' goal of installing an Islamic state in the West Bank, Gaza — and Israel — was held in check by the ruling Fatah, which had no religious program. But with voters handing Hamas 74 of parliament's 132 seats, in a protest against the long-dominant Fatah, that check has weakened, if not evaporated.Three Hamas terrorists walked into a bar........the fourth one ducked!Hamas officials rushed to deny that they will force their beliefs on Palestinians. "Rest assured we don't impose our thoughts on anyone," Hamas leader Khaled Maashal said Saturday in the Syrian capital, Damascus. "We will present our thoughts to our people and they have the right to choose." Many Palestinians were not reassured. One newly elected legislator has said she plans to submit a bill requiring girls and women to wear the hijab, a headdress covering the hair. At a Hamas rally in Ramallah this week, an organizer tried contain his members from clashing with Fatah supporters by shouting, "Sons, it is time to pray. To the mosque." They all dispersed. Mobile phones are abuzz with text messaged jokes prophesying a new police uniform mirroring the short dress and baggy pants worn by the former hardline Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, and a discount on taxes for Christians who convert to Islam within a week. Speeding ticket? Pay for it with extra prayers. The jokes in the West Bank reflect the rawest nerves because Palestinians there tend to be less traditional than in Gaza, where the militant Hamas is strongest. In Gaza in the early 1990s, after the first Palestinian uprising in Israel, Hamas used a quasi-police force to shut down restaurants serving alcohol and to impose a conservative dress code. While an overwhelming majority of people chose Hamas on election day, the wide circulation of the jokes reflects how conflicted people are over their choice, said Nadia Najjab, a social psychology professor in the West Bank Birzeit University. "The jokes are really expressive of our fears," said Anis Barioush, a 50-year old teacher in the West Bank town of Ramallah. "The new rulers will change our traditions and impose a Taliban rule."

Hussein Returns To Court

The trial of Saddam Hussein, is due to resume in Baghdad today following a series of delays and difficulties. The court has sat for only seven days since it opened in October and last month the presiding judge, Rizgar Amin, resigned following accusations that he was too lenient. Human rights groups have said Mr Amin's resignation has cast doubt on the fairness of the whole trial, which has also seen two defence lawyers murdered. The reshuffle of the judges also means that a significant proportion of the five-judge panel will not have been present for the previous 15 witnesses' testimony.The new judge appointed to head the trial, Abdel Rahman, 64, is Kurdish and the vice president of the criminal court in the northern town of Arbil. He was twice arrested by the Iraqi government and at one point was tortured so badly he was partly paralyzed. Mr Rahman was born in Halabja, the Kurdish town bombed by Hussein's forces with chemical weapons in 1988 - another of the events for which he could be tried later. The trial is to begin with further prosecution witnesses from Dujail, who will describe suffering at the hands of Saddam Hussein and his aides. Subsequent sessions will feature officials of the former regime testifying about what happened in Dujail, followed by documentary evidence aiming to link the defendants to the events.

Japanese Court Rules City Park Tent Qualifies As 'Home Address'

The Osaka District Court ruled Friday that a homeless man's tent in a city park should have been accepted as his home address when he submitted details of his new abode to a ward office. Yuji Yamauchi, 55, had filed an administrative lawsuit seeking to overturn the refusal of Osaka's Kita Ward office to accept his report of setting up residence in the ward's Ogimachi Park.Homeless tent in Osaka JapanIn the decision, Presiding Judge Tomoichiro Nishikawa said, "The tent has the deepest relationship with the plaintiff's life and it is illegal not to accept his report of moving to that address." Homeless people have long been denied public benefits because they could not specify a home address. Friday's ruling, however, could enable many of them to receive health insurance, unemployment payments and other public services. According to the ruling, Yamauchi moved out of a Sumiyoshi Ward dormitory that was operated by a pachinko parlor around 1998 or 1999. He set up the tent in Ogimachi Park in 2000 and has lived there ever since. In March 2004, Yamauchi filed the report about his new address with the Kita Ward office. Ward officials, however, rejected the report, saying the tent did not qualify as a residence because it would interfere with the appropriate use of the park. In establishing that the tent was in fact Yamauchi's home address, the district court pointed to the basic resident register law's definition of an individual's address as the "center of that individual's entire life and that which has the deepest relationship with that individual's life." The court ruled that from an objective standpoint "the plaintiff's tent provided the substance as the base of his life." As evidence, the court pointed to the fact that the tent was used by Yamauchi as a dining and living room and that he left the tent each day to work as a day laborer. The court also noted that lumber and plywood had been assembled around the tent, along with pegs nailed into the four corners of the tent to secure it in place. The Kita Ward office argued that the tent was only a temporary shelter that would eventually be removed because Yamauchi had no ownership rights over the land on which the tent was set up. The district court, however, said the ward office could not reject Yamauchi's report of moving into the park simply because he did not possess ownership rights over the land.According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor, there were about 25,300 homeless in the nation in 2003, including 6,600 based in Osaka.

The Honeymoon Is Over... Already!

Stephen Harper, elected Monday as prime minister, Warned the United States on Thursday to back off from its challenge of Canadian sovereignty in Arctic waters that are fast thawing from global warming. In the first news conference since his election, Harper upbraided the U.S. ambassador for asserting that the icy polar regions, including the legendary Northwest Passage, are international waters. Canada claims that its archipelago of some 16,000 islands makes that region Canadian territory.Stephen Harper"The United States defends its sovereignty. The Canadian government will defend our sovereignty," Harper said. "It's the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States." The two countries -- as well as Russia -- have had conflicting claims in the Arctic for at least three decades. Harper's Conservative Party has proposed expanding Canada's military presence, building new icebreakers and creating an early warning system to detect other ships, all to enforce its claim of sovereignty. The Liberal government Harper will replace has made similar claims and proposals. But it was unexpected that Harper would launch a sharp verbal attack against the United States on this subject so quickly, and he extended a press conference announcing his Feb. 6 inauguration to bring it up. "The changing ice conditions are driving this issue to the top of the political agenda," said Michael Byers, an international law expert at the University of British Columbia. "We've essentially been able to avoid problems over this in the past because the ice has been too thick and too hard to make it a commercially viable route," Byers said. "But, of course, the ice is melting." He said that "within the next decade or two, there will be a major international shipping route around the northern side of North America." That will shorten the route for Europe-Asia shippers by 4,000 miles, Byers said, adding that it also presents security concerns as a "backdoor to North America that is wide open." David Wilkins, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, was quoted Wednesday at a discussion in Ontario as saying, "We don't recognize Canada's claims to those waters."

Mexican Group Gives U.S. Border Maps To Illegal Immigrants

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is blasting a Mexican group's plan to distribute maps to illegal immigrants crossing into the United States.The National Human Rights Commission promises at least 70,000 maps showing highways, rescue beacons and water tanks in the Arizona desert. The government-funded Mexican group says the maps will guide people out of trouble and cut the rising immigrant deaths. The maps also warn against attempting the dangerous trek. But Chertoff says the maps will encourage immigration. He calls that "a bad idea." A spokesman for the Mexican embassy in Washington says his government doesn't encourage undocumented immigration "in any way." But he says Mexican and U.S. officials have to "face it" that they haven't worked out legal and safe means of migration. (HUH?)

Mexican Army Crosses United States Border

Men in Mexican Military Uniforms crossed the Rio Grande into the United States on a marijuana-smuggling foray, leading to an armed confrontation with Texas law officers, authorities said Tuesday. No shots were fired. The men retreated and escaped back across the border with much of the pot, though they abandoned more than a half-ton of marijuana as they fled and set fire to one of their vehicles, authorities said. The Mexican government denied its military was involved.The confrontation took place Monday and involved three Texas sheriff's deputies, at least two Texas state troopers and at least 10 heavily armed men from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, said Rick Glancey of the Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition. Gov. Rick Perry ordered an investigation. "It's certainly troubling and unacceptable and a real reminder of how an unsecure border threatens all Texans and the rest of the nation," said Perry spokesman Kathy Walt. The Mexican Foreign Relations Department issued a statement saying that drug traffickers and other organized criminals have used uniforms and vehicles before. "It is possible that these actions were designed to damage the image of our armed forces," it said. Monday's incident follows a story in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario, Calif., on Jan. 15 that said the Mexican military had crossed into the United States more than 200 times since 1996. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has said reports of Mexican incursions into the United States were overblown and most were just mistakes. The confrontation on Monday took place was near Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso, and started when state police tried to stop three sport utility vehicles on Interstate 10. The vehicles made a quick U-turn and headed south toward the border, a few miles away, Glancey said. When the SUVs reached the Rio Grande, police saw the occupants of a green Mexican Army Humvee waiting for the convoy, Glancey said. Police stopped and watched as the vehicles began to cross the shallow river into Mexico. Both sides – the Americans and the smugglers – had their weapons drawn. One SUV got stuck in the river, and another blew a tire on the Texas side. Its driver ran into Mexico. Men in the Humvee tried to tow the stuck vehicle out of the river. When that failed, a group of men in civilian clothes began unloading from the SUV what appeared to be bundles of marijuana. They then torched the SUV, Glancey said. Deputies found about 1,400 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle that had a flat tire. The vehicle had previously been reported stolen from El Paso.

Howard Stern Censored On Sirius ???

Howard Stern may curse the day he decided to leave terrestrial radio and jump to Sirius – the satellite broadcaster is taking steps to censor the shock jock. The morning drive-time radio host said he left terrestrial radio because he was fed up with censorship by individual stations and FCC fines for indecency. Now, in what must be a painful irony for Stern, Sirius executives are developing an internal document that will set boundaries for his show.Howard SternStern’s new show is also being broadcast with a time-delay that facilitates censoring, the New York Post reports. It’s not clear if Stern knew he would be subject to guidelines regarding indecency when he signed on with Sirius, according to the Post. Sirius’ move to impose boundaries on Stern comes as pressure continues to mount in Congress to regulate programming on cable and satellite radio and TV.

John Kerry: The United States Should Have Offered Iran Nuclear Fuel

Sen. John Kerry was sharply critical of the Bush administration's handling of the war on terror during his appearance Sunday on ABC's "This Week." But while he complained about White House bungling of the North Korea nuclear crisis, Kerry was curiously silent on Iran. Why? Probably because, had Kerry's previous advice on Iran been taken, the mullahs in Tehran would be even closer to obtaining nuclear weapons than they are now.During his first debate against President Bush on Sept. 30, 2004, the Massachusetts Democrat actually said it would be a good idea for the U.S. to give Iran the fuel they needed to make a nuclear bomb. The question from moderator Jim Lehrer: "Do you believe that diplomacy and sanctions can resolve the nuclear problems with North Korea and Iran?" Kerry's answer: "With respect to Iran, the British, French, and Germans were the ones who initiated an effort without the United States, regrettably, to begin to try to move to curb the nuclear possibilities in Iran. I believe we could have done better." The top Democrat then urged: "I think the United States should have offered the opportunity to provide the nuclear fuel. Test them. See whether or not they were actually looking for it for peaceful purposes. If they weren't willing to work a deal, then we could have put sanctions together." Of course, with Iranian President Mahmoud Amhadinejad now threatening to "wipe Israel off the map" as he presses ahead with his country's nuclear program, it's clear Kerry's nuke fuel "test" would have been a staggering blunder. No wonder he's stopped giving advice on how to handle the Iranian nuclear crisis.John Kerry with a supporter

No Sign Al Qaeda Ready To Strike

There is no evidence to back Osama bin Laden's claim that al Qaeda is gearing up to attack the United States, but there are signs the group is active in the country, a leading Republican lawmaker said. A new tape by the militant leader, aired on Thursday, said U.S. "operations are under preparation and you will see them in your houses as soon as they are completed." Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican who chairs the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, said there was no reason to believe the threats were anything other than bluster to rally support among his followers. As committee chairman, King has special access to classified information on homeland security."We are taking it seriously," King told Reuters in an interview, but he added, "There is nothing that I've seen that would indicate that the threat to the United States is any greater or worse than it was a week ago, or a month ago. Still, the congressman said attacks were possible and it was important for the United States to stay on its guard. "I believe there is evidence of al Qaeda activity in this country," King said. "We are still such an open society they can always pull off a cheap attack. An easy one somewhere." He would not give any specifics on the kind of al Qaeda activity he was referring to, but said it was more than someone's willingness to provide a safe house, for example. King said bin Laden had sought to energize his followers with the audiotape, but questioned whether he had been successful. He said the al Qaeda leader had sounded "almost desperate" explaining the absence of U.S. attacks since September 11, and that his voice had been weaker than usual.On the tape, bin Laden said there had been no recent strikes inside the United States because preparations were still under way. "Rather than a real show of strength, they (his followers) could have looked upon it as a show of some desperation. But it's always a judgment call. You're never going to hear me say we've defeated al Qaeda or he's on his last legs or something like that, at least not for a while," King said. "I think we have him off balance and he's trying to get back in the game and he's not fully succeeding. This ebbs and flows. Right now I think it's going our way," he said.

Mexicans Send Record Amount To Homeland

Remittances sent by Mexicans living abroad to their hometowns reached record numbers from January to November 2005, according to a report issued this week by Mexico's central bank. The report shows that Mexicans sent almost $18.3 billion back to their country. That is an increase of 20.43 percent over the same period in 2004. According to Banco de México, remittances continue as the second-greatest source of revenue for the country, behind petroleum. Between January and November 2005, oil revenues reached $25.7 billion. Remittances exceeded revenues generated by tourism in Mexico, although exact figures for that part of the economy weren't available. Most of the money was sent by immigrants from the states of Zacatecas, Michoacán, Jalisco and Guanajuato. If this trend continued through the end of the year, 2005 remittances could exceed $20 billion. Explanations experts offered for the increase in remittances included a new wave of immigrants and tracking improvements that make remittances easier to measure.

Senate Democrat Apologizes To Republicans

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid today apologized to 33 Republican senators singled out for ethics criticism. That criticism came in a report from Reid's office titled "Republican Abuse of Power."Senate Minority Leader Harry ReidReid says the document released by his office yesterday went too far and he offered his personal regrets. Reid came under attack over the report, which was issued by his staff on Senate letterhead, even as he and fellow Democrats released ethics overhaul proposals. Senator John Cornyn of Texas says researching, compiling and distributing what amounts to nothing more than a campaign ad on the taxpayers dime raises serious ethical questions. Cornyn was one of the lawmakers named in the 27-page report that criticized Republicans over ties to disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Minnesota Vet Finally Receives Bronze Star

George Butorac is finally getting the medal he deserves. Butorac earned the Bronze Star Medal during World War II while serving with the Army in the European Theater - but he never received it. Decades later, his family contacted U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, who petitioned the Army about the matter.The omission will be remedied Friday when Peter Makowski, a staffer for Oberstar, presents Butorac with the Bronze Star at the Guardian Angels Skilled Care Facility here. The Bronze Star was awarded during World War II to soldiers who distinguished themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service. Butorac, a medic, won the medal for his quick action in giving first aid to a wounded soldier while he was under direct fire from the enemy. "It is an honor to provide this symbol of Mr. Butorac's faithful and dedicated service to our nation during a time of great need. Like thousands of other members of the Greatest Generation, Mr. Butorac made a difference, and it is important that he receives the recognition he deserves," Oberstar said in a statement. After graduating from Hibbing High School in 1942, Butorac worked at the Oliver Mining Co. and served in the Army from 1943 to 1945 as a private and private first class. As a medic, he was with a field artillery unit in combat in Europe and was in action in three campaigns in Southern and Northern France. Butorac also had been assigned to an ammunition service unit, serving as a munitions worker loading bombs onto ammunition trucks. The Army reviewed Butorac's military records and found that the Bronze Star Medal citation and medal set had never been given to him. Oberstar is working with the Army to obtain additional awards and ribbons to which Butorac is entitled, including three Bronze Campaign Stars, a Victory Ribbon and a Good Conduct Ribbon.

White House Accuses Gore of Hypocrisy

The White House accused former Vice President Al Gore of hypocrisy Tuesday for his assertion that President Bush broke the law by eavesdropping on Americans without court approval. "If Al Gore is going to be the voice of the Democrats on national security matters, we welcome it," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said in a swipe at the Democrat, who lost the 2000 election to Bush only after the Supreme Court intervened.Gore, in a speech Monday, called for an independent investigation of the administration program that he says broke the law by listening in _ without warrants _ on Americans suspected of talking with terrorists abroad. Gore called the program, authorized by President Bush, "a threat to the very structure of our government" and charged that the administration acted without congressional authority and made a "direct assault" on a federal court set up to authorize requests to eavesdrop on Americans. Meanwhile, two civil liberties groups _ the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights _ filed federal lawsuits Tuesday seeking to block the eavesdropping program, which they called unconstitutional electronic surveillance of American citizens. McClellan said the Clinton-Gore administration had engaged in warrantless physical searches, and he cited an FBI search of the home of CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames without permission from a judge. He said Clinton's deputy attorney general, Jamie Gorelick, had testified before Congress that the president had the inherent authority to engage in physical searches without warrants. "I think his hypocrisy knows no bounds," McClellan said of Gore. Gore said Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should name a special counsel to investigate the program, saying Gonzales had an "obvious conflict of interest" as a member of the Bush Cabinet as well as the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gonzales, who has agreed to testify publicly at a Senate hearing on the program, defended the surveillance on cable news talk shows Monday night. "This program has been reviewed carefully by lawyers at the Department of Justice and other agencies," Gonzales said on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes." "We firmly believe that this program is perfectly lawful. The president has the legal authority to authorize these kinds of programs." On CNN's "Larry King Live," Gonzales said Gore's comments were inconsistent with Clinton administration policy. "It's my understanding that during the Clinton administration there was activity regarding physical searches without warrants," Gonzales said. "I can also say it's my understanding that the deputy attorney general testified before Congress that the president does have the inherent authority under the Constitution to engage in physical searches without a warrant. And so, those would certainly seem to be inconsistent with what the former vice president was saying today."Gore said there is still much to learn about the domestic surveillance program, but that he already has drawn a conclusion about its legality. "What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the president of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and insistently," he said. Bush has pointed to a congressional resolution passed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that authorized him to use force in the fight against terrorism as allowing him to order the program. Gore, however, contended that Bush failed to convince Congress to support a domestic spying program, so he "secretly assumed that power anyway, as if congressional authorization was a useless bother." He said the spying program must be considered along with other administration actions as a constitutional power grab by the president. Gore cited imprisoning American citizens without charges in terrorism cases, mistreatment of prisoners _ including torture _ and seizure of individuals in foreign countries and delivering them to autocratic regimes "infamous for the cruelty of their techniques."

After Bashing Samuel Alito, Teddy Kennedy Ends HIS Membership In A Harvard Club That Discriminates Against Women

Sen. Edward Kennedy , who criticized Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's past membership in a controversial Princeton University alumni club, severed his ties Tuesday with a former Harvard college social club that bans women members. "He has decided to be taken off their rolls, believing that it is a mistake to continue to be affiliated," Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said in a statement.Sen. Edward KennedyThe Massachusetts Democrat, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, grilled Alito during Senate confirmation hearing last week about Alito's ties to the Concerned Alumni of Princeton, an alumni group that opposed the admission of women and minorities at the Ivy League School. A Washington Times story about Kennedy's Owl Club ties last week sparked criticism from Republicans who branded Kennedy a hypocrite. Kennedy joined the Owl Club when he was a student at Harvard. Though not an active member since college, he donated about $100 to the club last October, his office said Tuesday. Kennedy has sent a letter to the club asking for his name to be removed from all official documents. "Senator Kennedy joined Harvard's Owl Club in 1954, a social organization similar to a fraternity, before women were admitted to the campus and long before they were integrated into campus life," Wagoner said. Harvard ended its ties with the all-male club and others like it in 1984. "While we are glad Ted Kennedy has decided to get on the equality bandwagon, it's laughable given that his revelation comes less than a week after his hypocritical attacks on Judge Alito," Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said Tuesday.

It Worked So Well In New York...

Union officials say bus and train operators, mechanics and other union transit workers in the Twin Cities have voted down a contract offer from the Metropolitan Council. Council officials say the margin was 53 percent to 47 percent. Michelle Sommers -- the president of the local Amalgamated Transit Union -- says the union wants to get back to the table and work on an agreement.Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb says he remains hopeful a settlement can be reached. He says Metro Transit doesn't have more money to put on the table but may be able to shift money around to make its offer more appealing. The vote on the three-year proposed contract comes two years after workers went on strike for more than 40 days.

Norm Coleman Will Vote For Alito

Sen. Norm Coleman said Friday he will vote to confirm Samuel Alito for a seat on the Supreme Court, saying the nominee demonstrated the intellect, character and integrity needed to serve during hearings this week.Norm Coleman United States Senator Representing Minnesota"Judge Alito understands the role of a judge is not to make law, but to apply law," Coleman, R-Minnesota, said in a statement. "In his 15 years on the court of appeals he has shown the ability to be fair and impartial, to put aside personal ideology, and to make decisions based solely on the Constitution, the law and the record." Coleman's decision was expected. Minnesota's other senator, Democrat Mark Dayton, has not said how he will vote.

Vampyra Feels Fallout From Impaler Campaign

The partner of a gubernatorial candidate who claims to be a vampire said she was relieved of her duties as a school bus driver because she might be bad role model for students. Julie Carpenter, partner of Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey, said Princeton, Minnesota public school officials sent a letter to her bus company asking that she not be near students. Superintendent Mark Sleeper asked the bus company to make the change "in light of recent media reports of her husband/friend to be a vampire ... and Ms. Carpenter informing other bus garage employees that she is a witch."Julie "Vampyra" CarpenterCarpenter told reporters she is not a witch and compared the claims to a form of witch-burning. Sharkey, who wears a ritual vampire cloak and admits to drinking Carpenter's blood, explained earlier that she's a pagan, not a vampire. "Just because I bite somebody, it doesn't make them a vampire," Sharkey said. "It doesn't make them evil, and they're not going to be like -- hiss-s-s! -- all over the place. I mean, let's be real here." Officials in Princeton said Carpenter was not fired and will likely be reassigned to a job that isn't around children. The fallout from Sharkey's campaign came after he kicked off his run for governor in Princeton Minnesota.Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey"You people want to call me a bloodsucker," Sharkey said. "There are many bloodsuckers in Washington, D.C. who are sucking the life, literally, out of people, worse than any vampire does when they are feeding on somebody." Sharkey, who's running as head of the Vampyres, Witches and Pagans Party, is courteous and outgoing, with a politician's looks and manner. "The common misconception is that (vampires) are 100 percent evil, that they do not have any caring in them -- that they kind of, like, prowl in the night seeking their meals, and that's not true," Sharkey explained. Voters have nothing to fear from him, he says -- only bad guys such as murders, rapists and terrorists, whom he promises to personally execute on the State Capitol lawn. "I think after the first impaling, it will send a message to terrorists not to attack my people," Sharkey said. Sharkey also promises to build casinos to fund schools and forbid Minnesota's National Guard troops from going to Iraq.If the coffee crowd at K-Bob Cafe in Princeton, Minnesota is any indication, Sharkey's going to need supernatural help to win votes. "We've got enough screwballs in politics already," one man said. "I don't understand where these people come from, but to each his own," another said. Sharkey said he's heard from news organizations as far away as Australia and has welcomed 16 brand-new members to his party. He said he also received an offer to write a book.

Gun Wielding Eighth Grader Dies

Christopher Penley, the Florida boy who was shot by SWAT team members has died from his injuries, according to reporters in Orlando. The 8th-grade student took another child hostage briefly in a closet after bringing what later turned out to be a pellet gun to school in his backpack. Police say he fled to a bathroom when deputies arrived.Christopher PenleyDuring the ordeal, 15-year-old Penley said he was going to kill himself or die, one way or another, said County Sheriff Don Eslinger. Eslinger added during the standoff, Penley was shot after he pointed his weapon at police. He pointed out that the pellet gun had been painted to look like a 9mm pistol. Penley was rushed to the hospital and had been on "advanced life support" since yesterday.

DNA Confirms Murderer's Guilt

DNA tests have confirmed the guilt of a man put to death in Virginia's electric chair back in 1992. Governor Mark Warner ordered the tests last month to find out if Roger Coleman was indeed guilty for the rape and murder of his sister-in-law. Death penalty opponents have been pushing for years to have this evidence retested. Coleman had proclaimed his innocence to the end.Roger Keith Coleman was executed in 1992 for the rape and murder of his sister-in-law.The Center Of Forensic Sciences concluded that there is almost no doubt that Coleman was the source of semen found on the body of the victim. James McCloskey, executive director of Centurion Ministries, had been fighting to prove Coleman's innocence since 1988. ''I now know that I was wrong. Indeed, this is a bitter pill to swallow,'' McCloskey said, describing the findings as ''a kick in the stomach'' and adding that he felt betrayed by Coleman.

Gun Wielding 8th Grade Student Shot By SWAT Team

Eighth-grader Chris Penley was shot and wounded by a SWAT team officer in a school bathroom after he pulled out a pellet gun that resembled a real weapon, authorities said. He was shot after raising the gun at deputies. Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said 15 year old Chris Penley brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack. Eslinger said two students saw it and one persuaded the other to report it, causing a scuffle. Chris Penley told one of the students to go into a closet, ran from the classroom and "travelled with this firearm throughout the campus," Eslinger said. Deputies eventually isolated him in a restroom, and the school was evacuated."At one time he held the gun to his neck. As the deputies attempted to establish dialogue, he raised the firearm and lethal force was used by the sheriff's office," Eslinger said. The boy was taken to the hospital, where he was on "advanced life support" Eslinger said. "He was suicidal," Eslinger said. "During this standoff, and during the chase, the student said he was going to kill himself or die." No one else was injured. The sheriff's office confirmed later that the weapon was a pellet gun fashioned to look like a 9-mm handgun. Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, and frantic parents arrived to pick up their children. "When I saw the news, I just couldn't believe this was my daughter's school. I came right away," said Anil Santos, whose daughter, Aleister, is in eighth grade. Sarah Tivy, 12, said some students were frightened, but she appeared calm. "I just figured that if someone is going to bring a gun to school, then they need to be taken out of school," she said.

Aunt Jemima Arrested

An activist who was arrested after disrupting a City Council meeting in an Aunt Jemima costume has been banned by the council president from attending meetings until the end of March. Jackie Brown was escorted out of a Nov. 22 City Council meeting after loudly criticizing the council for the city's small business incentive law. Jackie Brown
Brown, president of the Jacksonville Coalition of Black Contractors, said the law treats blacks like "slaves" because it does not provide enough opportunities for minority contractors.She returned during a later public comment period and scuffled with a police officer after refusing to leave when ordered. Brown was arrested and charged with causing a disturbance at a lawful assembly and resisting a police officer. Brown was arrested and charged with causing a disturbance at a lawful assembly and resisting a police officer.A letter this week from Council President Kevin Hyde informing Brown she cannot attend council meetings until March 31 cites a rule that allows the council to remove disruptive citizens from meetings. Bill Sheppard, Brown's attorney, did not immediately return a message.

Border Patrol Discover Tunnel Under U.S.-Mexico Border

Border Patrol agents discovered a 10 1/2-metre tunnel beneath the U.S.-Mexico border after it caved in and the asphalt roadway above it collapsed, officials said. The tunnel ended in a patch of vacant land near the San Ysidro port of entry, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The reinforced, one-metre-diameter tunnel appeared to have been used recently, she said. It wasn't immediately clear when the tunnel was built or whether it might have been used for smuggling drugs or people.Authorities sealed off the U.S. side with sandbags and metal after discovering it Mack said. The tunnel is across the border from an area that is either owned or leased by Mexican Customs. More than a dozen tunnels have been found along the southwestern border in recent years. In 2003, U.S. Border Patrol agents found a tunnel that originated in a private house in Mexico and ended in a parking lot on the U.S. side. A year later, U.S. authorities found evidence that someone was trying to rebuild the passageway. "We do believe it's a trend, where smugglers are attempting to go underground after 9/11 as a result of the heightened security," Mack said.

Mayor Coleman Signs St. Paul Smoking Ban

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman signed an ordinance Wednesday banning smoking in all bars and restaurants in St. Paul. When the ban takes effect March 31, it will put St. Paul in sync with the comprehensive ban in Minneapolis and make the Twin Cities smoke-free in most public places. The City Council passed the ordinance on a 4-3 vote. Coleman recognized councilman Dave Thune, who led the smoking ban effort. He had presented the proposal twice before, sparking a wave of metro area smoking bans, but in St. Paul the plan was vetoed by former Mayor Randy Kelly, who was defeated for re-election in November."Not a bad day," Thune said as he greeted about 30 supporters at a celebration at the restaurant Dixie's on Grand following the vote. Thune happens to be a pack-a-day smoker who has been trying to stop for 30 years. His aide, Donna Swanson, presented him with 20 roses and an engraved ashtray that read, "Where there's smoke there's Thune." In a sign of the times, she said, she searched in vain for an ashtray at the Marshall Field's, J.C. Penney's and Herberger's department stores. She finally found one at the cigar shop Stogies on Grand.Councilman Dave ThuneBar owners lobbied against the ban, saying it would wipe out their profit margins. Under the new law, St. Paul will still allow smoking on outdoor patios. Similar smoking bans took effect in Minneapolis and Bloomington last March 31. Smoking is allowed in other parts of Ramsey and Hennepin counties, however, at bars that do more than 50 percent of their business in liquor sales.

Metropolitian Council Reviews Eminent Domain Policy

The Metropolitian Council wants to safeguard the property rights of individuals and business owners. The council is considering a policy that would help prevent local governments from abusing eminent domain. One council member says eminent domain poses a threat to every homeowner and business in the nation and something needs to be done to change that. That's a statement several residents of Champlin couldn't agree with more.For nearly a year now Champlin residents with a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River have lived in fear that city officials might use the power of eminent domain to force them out of their homes. "There's an awful lot of people in here and all of us would be displaced," said Champlin resident Pam Taylor. Pam's neighbor Alice Moats is one of those people, "I like my apartment, it's really nice, so, I don't want to move." Champlin officials do confirm they'd like to tear down several older residences and replace them with a newer, upscale development. "There is a lot of public space that opens up that river to people who don't have access to it now," explains Champlin Mayor Steve Boynton when discussing the proposed project. But Mayor Boynton says using eminent domain to force people to move is not part of the plan, "This council at this time is only interested in dealing with willing sellers." In St. Louis Park, city officials say eminent domain played an important role in the redevelopment of Excelsior Boulevard. Eminent domain and $3 million in grants the city got from the met council. To prevent cities from abusing their eminent domain powers, the met council is reviewing its grant funding policies says chairman Peter Bell, "We'll be taking up this question of should we restrict the use of our grant dollars that go to municipalities when eminent domain is proposed." Eminent domain became a hot-button issue last summer when the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the power of cities to condemn blighted neighborhoods. What the met council wants to do is make sure cities don't force people out of their homes simply to increase local tax revenues.

Migration To The US, Key Issue Of Mexican Election

The illegal migration of Mexicans to United States is rapidly becoming a key topic of this year’s Mexican presidential election: the current administration claims the number of “wetbacks” has considerably dropped in recent years and the opposition argues poverty and unemployment is pushing hundreds per day to the north. Mexican presidential spokesperson Ruben Aguilar said that the migration problem is serious but statistics compiled over the past few years show that the phenomenon "has diminished, because Mexican official social policy is effective in reducing extreme poverty".Aguilar indicated that government statistics indicate that "over 80% of Mexicans migrating to the United States have jobs in Mexico" and they go north "not out of lack of employment but because of another set of conditions…and because they hope for a better quality of life". Over the weekend left wing presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador harshly criticized Conservative President Vicente Fox's handling of the Mexican migration problem to United States. He attributed the flow of thousands of Mexicans north to the lack of jobs at home and condemned the government's response to the U.S. bill that would allow building walls along the border to prevent undocumented migrants from crossing into the US. This Monday the Foreign Affairs ministers from Central America, Colombia and the Dominican Republic are scheduled to meet in Mexico City to discuss the consequences of the bill which was passed in the US Lower House and now faces the Senate vote.Aguilar said that Mexico wants U.S. authorities to become aware "of the absurdity of the walls proposed and the absurdity of a purely police view of the migration problem". He said that the Fox administration did not consider the migration problem "to be a failure because it's a historical phenomenon that is going to take many more years to overcome". Aguilar also underlined that the profile of Mexican migrants has changed and “nowadays the majority of them are not peasants". Although there are no reliable numbers, human rights groups and the federal government estimate that anywhere between 15 and 17 million Mexicans live in the United States, half of them undocumented. Remittances from Mexicans abroad, mostly in the US are above 15 billion US dollars annually.

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Mexican Military Deserters Go To Organized Crime

Mexico's military denied that its soldiers are deserting in high numbers and joining organized crime groups. It also said that low pay plays no role in any such defections. Desertion rates in Mexico are no different from what they are in other countries, including the United States, a military spokesman said.A faxed letter was the response to questions posed by the News last month for a report on concerns expressed by U.S. officials about corruption in the Mexican military. "It's strange that American officials would express worries over the situation because just a few years ago soldiers there served for only a year, after which they became inactive . . . such as occurs in various countries in the world," the letter stated. " . . . Any soldier who commits the crime of desertion and runs from the law for more than three months is discharged from the military . . . as a result of which, this ministry has no link with them, or with any activity they engage in afterward, which makes it impossible to express an opinion on that subject," said the spokesman, who wanted anonymity. Asked to provide desertion rates for the Mexican army, the spokesman declined, saying that he needed time to obtain figures. But he added that the 18,033 desertions posted on a military Web site for September 2004 to June 2005 were considered official. Mexico's active military force is 194,000, according to Defense Minister Ricardo Clemente Vega Garcia, so 18,000 desertions would be about 9 percent of the total. Last month, four senior U.S. officials, a senior Mexican intelligence official and three independent analysts said there are new signs that drug corruption is spreading within the Mexican military. Mexico's military has long been regarded as more professional and less prone to criminality than the country's law enforcement agencies. The officials expressed concern about the expanding role of the Mexican military in the nation's efforts against drug traffickers. Some officials said low salaries make personnel vulnerable to offers from cartel leaders.During testimony before a subcommittee of Mexico's Senate in September, Vega was asked about desertions. "The majority of them are deserters, and they move unfortunately in the life of the drug trafficker. . . . I can tell you from our intelligence information that there are 18 deserters in Tamaulipas (state) and about 15 to 20 in Sinaloa." The military spokesman said pay scales are authorized by the Finance Ministry and that those wages include benefits such as life insurance, housing and medical coverage. "As a result of that (pay and benefits) we don't believe this is a determining factor for those who decide to end their active service," the statement said. "The majority of desertions are a result of the difficulty of the individuals to adapt themselves to military life, especially recruits."

Just What The Democrats Wanted

happy about the muslim victoryAl Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri said in a video that U.S. President George W. Bush's plans to withdraw troops from Iraq meant Washington had been defeated by the Muslims. He also criticised Islamist groups, including Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood, for believing in Western-style democracy and taking part in elections. "Bush, you must confess that you have been defeated in Iraq and in Afghanistan and you will be in Palestine soon," he said in the video broadcast by Al Jazeera television.Ayman al-ZawahriJazeera said the video by Osama bin Laden's second-in-command, which had English subtitles, carried the date of the Muslim lunar month which ended in December. "I congratulate the Muslims on Islam's victory in Iraq. I said more than a year ago that the Americans' departure from Iraq is only a matter of time," said the bespectacled Zawahri, who wore a white turban and sat next to an assault rifle. "But they are justifying their withdrawal by saying that the Iraqi forces have reached a satisfactory level." Critics of Bush have demanded a quick withdrawal from Iraq, where around 2,200 American military personnel have been killed since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and say the president needs a clear exit strategy. Bush, who has refused to set a timetable for any withdrawal, said on Wednesday reducing troops in Iraq was possible in 2006. But he said any cuts would be based on the situation on the ground and decisions by military commanders, not on a political timetable imposed by Washington. In Washington, a U.S. counter-terrorism official said: "U.S. intelligence is assessing the video tape. It appears to be a recitation of well-worn jihadist themes. There's nothing particularly new." The satellite television station aired portions of the tape. Egyptian-born Zawahri said elections in his home country were a "U.S. game ... designed to mislead the Muslim public".Anti-Americans"America tells Islamists: every time your behaviour improves, we'll give you more (seats), until you become secularists with only a false affiliation to Islam." In the elections late last year, candidates linked to the Muslim Brotherhood increased their seats more than five-fold to 88 of the 444 elected seats, confirming the group as Egypt's strongest opposition. "My Muslim nation, you will never enjoy free elections ... and governments answerable to their people ... unless you are liberated from the Crusader-Zionist occupation and corrupt governments, and that can only be achieved through jihad (holy war)." Bin Laden and Zawahri have eluded capture since U.S.-led forces toppled Afghanistan's Taliban government in 2001 after the September 11 attacks on the United States by al Qaeda.

Senate Democrats Intend To Allege Judge Samuel A. Alito Is Sexist And Racist!

Democrats on the US Senate Judiciary Committee have said they plan to call witnesses to question the integrity of US Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito during confirmation hearings. The witness list includes experts on constitutional law and civil rights, but will also include John Flym, who argued a 2002 case before the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit involving mutual fund managers with which Alito had accounts.President Bush & Judge AlitoAlito has been criticized for failing to recuse himself, Alito was not required to recuse himself, but had promised to do so during his confirmation hearings as an appellate judge. Democrats also plan to call a journalist who had reported Alito's association with the now-defunct interest group Concerned Alumni of Princeton, that had criticized Princeton's affirmative action policies and encouraged more legacy admissions. Judiciary Committee member Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), called the group "anti-black" and "anti-women," but another member of the committee Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said the witnesses show that Democrats are desperate for critical fodder. Senate Democrats intend to zero in on Alito’s alleged enthusiastic membership to an organization, they will charge, that was sexist and racist! They hope to tie Alito to Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP). Alito will testify that he joined CAP as a protest over Princeton policy that would not allow the ROTC on campus. Senate Democrats Voice Their Opinion On ANY Appointments Made By President Bush click the Democrat logo to hear the comments

Brad Childress New Vikings Head Coach

The Minnesota Vikings will name Philadelphia offensive coordinator Brad Childress as head coach this Friday. Childress has also spoken to team officials and has started to discuss changes, according to ESPN. The Vikings interviewed Childress on Tuesday, and on Wednesday afternoon the 49-year-old was to interview with the Green Bay Packers. That meeting, however, never materialized.Brad ChildressThe Vikings interviewed three other candidates: Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis’ assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach; Al Saunders, Kansas City’s assistant head coach and offensive coordinator; and Ted Cottrell, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Childress was an assistant coach at Philadelphia starting with the 1999 season, and was named offensive coordinator in 2002. He is a native of Aurora, Ill. Talks between the Vikings and Childress intensified after his interview yesterday. ESPN.com has also confirmed this scenario.