BRASILIA, Brazil - Authorities said Sunday there were no survivors among the 155 people aboard the Brazilian jetliner that crashed deep in the Amazon jungle, as rescue workers began to pull bodies out of the twisted wreckage.
The Boeing 737-800 apparently clipped a smaller executive jet midair Friday, crashing in jungle so dense that …
The economy shrank less than expected in the second quarter as businesses and consumers trimmed their spending at a slower pace, buttressing beliefs that the economy is now growing.
The 0.7 percent dip in gross domestic product for the April-June quarter follows the 6.4 percent annualized drop in the first three months of this year, the worst slide in nearly three decades. In the final quarter of last year, the economy sank at a rate of 5.4 percent
The new reading on second-quarter GDP, reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, shows the economy shrinking less than the 1 percent pace previously estimated. It also was better than the annualized 1.1 …
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to condemn the U.S. embargo against Cuba for the 20th year in a row.
The final tally was 186-2, with only Israel joining the United States as it did last year. The small Pacific nations of Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands abstained as they also did last year.
Last year's tally for the symbolic measure was almost identical, 187-2, with three abstentions.
Envoys for Vietnam, Russia, Nicaragua and many other countries, as well as the 120-member Nonaligned Movement, spoke Tuesday in favor of the measure calling for the end of the American embargo against the Caribbean country.
"The …
Netherlands 2, Romania 0
At Zurich, Switzerland
Italy 2, France 0
World Cup Qualifying
North and Central …
Women might soon be able to get the morning-after pill without adoctor's prescription -- a hotly debated plan that seemed to be stuckin bureaucratic limbo until Monday.
After months of silence on the matter, the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration told Barr Pharmaceuticals that it wanted to meetwithin seven days to talk about how to allow women 18 and older towalk into pharmacies and buy the emergency contraceptive Plan B over-the-counter. Minors would still need a prescription, despiteindependent advisers to the FDA in 2003 overwhelmingly endorsing over-the-counter sales for all ages.
SHOULD BE 'LISTENING TO WOMEN'
The FDA's apparent willingness to widen …
Over 200 scientists, engineers, and business leaders participated in the sixth annual Science-Engineering-Technology Congressional Visits Day (CVD) on May 1-2. The purpose of the event was to convey to Congress the crucial message that increased and balanced federal investment in R&D is essential to U.S. global leadership and that partnerships between the public and private sectors play a critical role in our nation's future prosperity and national security. Congressional Visits Day is sponsored jointly by the Coalition for Technology Partnerships and the Science-- Engineering-Technology Work Group.
AIChE Government Relations Committee member, Peter Lederman, met with senators …
An Indiana county still recovering from a primary night black eye is embroiled in a new election-year drama that could determine whether Democrats win Indiana's presidential contest for the first time in more than four decades.
Weeks after questions arose over suspect voter registrations, a Republican lawsuit seeks to close early voting sites in three heavily Democratic Lake County cities: Gary, East Chicago and Hammond. Democrats say the GOP is trying to suppress minority voting. Four judges have already weighed in on the case, which is headed to the state's Court of Appeals.
The flaps have cast renewed suspicion over the heavily Democratic county that former …
THERE will be an open day at Ammanford Careers Centre today for16 to 18 year olds to discuss their future.
Careers Wales staff will provide up-to-date information aboutqualifications and local job prospects.
Wyn David, from Coleg Sir Gar, said: " Leaving school or collegecan be very daunting, and many …
WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday he expects a former Bush aide to testify before Congress this week about the firings of federal prosecutors despite White House objections.
Sen. Patrick Leahy's committee has subpoenaed Sara Taylor, a former White House political director, as part of its investigation into whether the Bush administration improperly ordered the U.S. attorneys dismissed. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Taylor's lawyer said she is willing to talk but does not want to defy President Bush, who has rejected subpoenas for documents from Taylor and for her testimony. Lawyer W. Neil Eggleston said Taylor expects a letter …
OPEC oil ministers avoided the temptation to cut crude production and trample on the seedlings of economic recovery. Instead, they bet on prices floating higher as the recession eases and demand for oil picks up.
With the world oversupplied with oil, Thursday's meeting of the 12-nation oil producing cartel could have opted to tighten the spigots _ an option it has often exercised to raise prices in past times of anemic demand.
An OPEC statement announcing the decision to keep production quotas at present levels noted that worldwide oil inventories at the end of last month were at a 20-year high.
But with the world still in the grip of recession, …
Singapore said it expects economic growth to wane after a record second quarter as export demand from the U.S. and Europe slows.
Gross domestic product for April through June grew 18.8 percent from a year earlier, slightly less than the 19.3 percent growth initially announced last month, the Trade and Industry Ministry said Tuesday. The growth was the fastest since the government began releasing quarterly GDP figures in 1975.
The ministry maintained its forecast for the Southeast Asian city-state's economy to grow between 13 percent and 15 percent this year.
"The weakness in the U.S. labor and housing markets, combined with a decline in consumer confidence will affect household spending," the ministry said in a statement. "Recovery in ... the E.U. is expected to remain sluggish."
Singapore, which relies on manufacturing, tourism and finance, has rebounded strongly from last year's recession as global demand for its exports of electronics, pharmaceuticals and oil rigs recovered.
The island also benefited from the opening of two casino resorts built by Las Vegas Sands and Malaysia's Genting which have attracted record visitors.
Manufacturing soared 45 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, construction expanded 12 percent and services grew 11 percent, the ministry said.
Most of the U.S. F-15 fighter jets deployed to the Japanese island of Okinawa have been cleared to resume flying after being grounded for safety inspections following a crash in the U.S., officials said Friday.
The 57 jets were grounded by the U.S. Air Force for inspections after an F-15C crash in the U.S. state of Missouri in November.
Officials on Kadena Air Base, where the fighters are deployed, said 39 F-15s have been cleared and will resume flights starting Monday. Another 17 were awaiting the completion of checks and will remain on the ground, said base spokesman John Monroe.
In a statement Thursday, the base said Air Force maintenance experts and engineers discovered nine F-15s with cracks in their longerons, metal beams that run along the planes' fuselage.
Also, analysis showed about 40 percent of the F-15 fleet had longerons that did not meet the required thickness measurements specified in the aircraft manufacturer's blueprints. Officials were evaluating measurement data for 17 Kadena F-15s, and those aircraft will remain on the ground until further notice.
Another jet was grounded for unrelated maintanence, Monroe said.
"The F-15 is critical to the defense of Japan and for maintaining peace and stability in the region," Brig. Gen. Brett T. Williams said in the statement. "Our priority in resuming flight operations is to fill our operational taskings and requirements for the defense of Japan, and to do it safely."
The U.S. Air Force said more than 700 F-15s are in its worldwide inventory. F-15s fly from bases in the U.S., England, Japan and the Middle East.
The U.S. Air Force has been using the F-15 since the mid-1970s.
The U.S. military operates bases on Okinawa under a bilateral security pact. Okinawa is about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Japan's Air Self-Defense Force said inspections of its 200 or so F-15 jets had found no problems.
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - Two soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were arraigned Thursday on murder charges in the death of Iraqi detainees last summer.
Pfc. Corey R. Clagett and Spc. William B. Hunsaker are accused of killing three Iraqi men detained during a raid in May on a suspected al-Qaida stronghold about 60 miles north of Baghdad.
Both declined to enter formal pleas in separate Army hearings, but their civilian attorneys proclaimed their innocence.
Clagett's attorney, Paul Bergrin, said in a telephone interview that the allegations are politically motivated and untrue. "Corey Clagett did nothing but serve his country honorably," he said.
Clagett and Hunsaker, who are accused along with two other soldiers, claim they were ordered to kill "all military-aged males" by their brigade commander and other commanders who oversaw the operation.
The military has scheduled courts-martial on Feb. 27 for Clagett and Dec. 4 for Hunsaker.
Hunsaker's defense attorney Michael Waddington said government prosecutors are trying to hide that soldiers were raiding a known and hostile al-Qaida stronghold.
"That is a big deal, considering the mind-set of a young 21-year-old guy," Waddington said. "Even the slightest hostile movement, in their minds, I think they would have been justified to shoot."
Four other soldiers and a former Army private from the division's 2nd Brigade are accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and murdering her and three others in her family. All are expected to be arraigned in the coming week.
Could it be that there are Israelis who want this country to be"Arab-rein" ("cleansed of Arabs,") just as the Nazis wanted Germanyto be "Judenrein" (cleansed of Jews)?
Otherwise, how could they ever conjure up so repugnant andinhumane a notion as the proposed "transfer" of Palestinians from theoccupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to the surrounding Arab states?
If I carried the analogy all the way, there would be screams ofindignation from Israel's friends and sympathizers. They might arguethat the Nazi "transfer" of millions of European Jews from theirnative lands "to the east" was part of a diabolical genocide program.Israel's advocates of "transfer," they might add, merely want toremove the local Palestinian Arabs from this country, encourage themto resettle elsewhere and thereby leave "Eretz Israel" (the Land ofIsrael) exclusively to the Jews.
The new "Homeland" political party established by a reservegeneral named Rehav'am Ze'evi sums up the idea in its electioncampaign slogan: "The Land of Israel for the People of Israel."
Isn't all this incredible? Don't the terminology and rhetoricrecall some of the most tragic episodes of the World War IIHolocaust? Can you not see in your mind's eye the pathetictrainloads of forlorn Jewish men, women and children beingtransported to unknown destinations against their will? Is itconceivable that Jews who fought for their national survival andsecurity under their own free and democratic government would emulatethe Nazis in any way?
Gen. Ze'evi and his Jewish redneck followers don't have anIsraeli copyright on the "transfer" idea. That distinction belongsto an American-born extremist: Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of theroughneck "Kach" party.
He infuriated Israel's 700,000 Arab citizens by offering to buythem out of here. He would like to see them go along with the1.5-million Palestinian Arabs who supposedly pose an insoluble"demographic" problem for Israel's nearly 4 million Jews.
What an affront to the Zionist precepts upon which the State ofIsrael was founded 40 years ago! Israel's first president, Dr.Chaim Weizmann, said the Jewish state's democracy will be tested bythe way it treats the country's Arabs. And so it is.
Besides, aren't Ze'evi and Kahane confessing to ideologicalbankruptcy: Instead of believing that Israeli Jews will stop leavingin droves for the United States, that Soviet Jews will redirect theirexodus to Israel rather than opting for refugee status to reach theUnited States and that Western World's Jews will eventually choose to"return to Zion," they opt for the cruelty of "transfer."
Arabs have been living here for 1,300 years. They love theHoly Land no less than do the Jews.
Jay Bushinsky runs the Chicago Sun-Times' Middle East Bureau.
In March 2007, Subash Menon, Chairman, Managing Director & CEOof the Rs 485-crore Bangalore-based telecom solutions providerSubex, needed money to finance the acquisition of Canadian companySyndesis. That same month, his company issued foreign currencyconvertible bonds (FCCBs) worth $180 million (Rs 792 crore then) andcompleted the acquisition.
The conversion price was set at Rs 656 per bond. The company'sshare was then trading at over Rs 600, and the BSE Sensex was at13,000 levels. Since then, the Sensex rose to 21,600 before fallingback to 14,355 on July 31, 2008. Subex's shares, meanwhile, havecrashed; it closed at Rs 76.30 on BSE on July 31. Obviously, nobondholder will want to convert his bonds into equity in such ascenario. The bad news: Subex will have to pay back the entire debtplus interest and premium if its stock continues to trade below theconversion price.
The good news: it faces no immediate threat; the redemption willbecome due only in March 2012. Subex is not the only Indian companyfacing this predicament. India Inc. has issued FCCBs worth about $21billion. Of this, bonds worth an estimated $19 billion (Rs 76,000crore then) were issued between January 2004 and December 2007, whenthe stock markets were on fire and almost every share worth its namewas ruling at, or near, its all-time high.
Companies set conversion prices high on the assumption that thestock market would continue to move only in one direction up. Andforeign investors, keen to cash in on India's growth, bought thestory. Emerging markets were where we had wanted to invest andIndia looked good,'' says a senior executive of a UK-based financialinstitution, which has invested in Indian FCCBs.
FCCBs, as the name suggests, are foreign currency-denominatedbonds, akin to convertible debentures, with maturity periods ofbetween three and five years. The investor has the option ofconverting the bonds into equity. If the stock is trading at morethan above the conversion price, he can sell it and book profits.Alternatively, he can hold them till maturity and opt for redemptionat an agreed price. Either way, the investment is protected.
But the conversion option is what makes FCCBs attractive, both tothe investor if the stock appreciates, he can earn a windfall profitas well as to the issuing company as it does not have to shell outlarge sums of money to redeem the debt.The lure of equity
American, European and Far Eastern investors bought FCCBs not asinstruments of debt but for the lure of the equity they promised. They are least interested in the 7 or 8 per cent rate of interestthat they carry,'' notes a foreign banker.
Not everyone, however, is equally pessimistic. A top executive ofa US-based institution, which is sitting on piles of Indian FCCBs,says: Investors who have invested in good quality companies and arewilling to sit through these volatile times are, at least, assuredof getting their capital back with interest, regardless of whetherthe stock markets rise or fall.
Raj Bhatt(Elara Capital), Deepak Srinath(Viedea Capital), VishalGoyal(Edelweiss Securities)
FCCBs were win-win instrument as long as the bulls had a free runof the stock markets. But with the bears now crowding the bulls out,India Inc. or at least a large percentage of the companies that hadissued FCCBs may be sitting on a time bomb that is ticking away ontheir balance sheets. The fear: many of the companies concerned maynot have sufficient funds to redeem their obligations.
They will have to refinance these borrowings from the localmarket at high interest rates. This will certainly impact their cashflows adversely and may even cause project delays,'' says AshokJainani, Research Head, Khandwala Securities Limited, Mumbai.
But raising fresh debt to retire an existing one is easier saidthan done. Besides, external commercial borrowing rules clearlyforbid refinancing. We have options. Besides, our company will haverevenues and profits much higher than they are today by the time thebonds mature,'' says Menon of Subex.
K. Ramakrishnan, Executive Director and Head, Investment Banking,Spark Capital Advisors, adds: I'm concerned about the fact thatFCCBs worth $7.7 billion (Rs 30,800 crore) were raised in calendar2007. A lot of it remains unconverted, and I don't see a greatchance of conversion taking place given where the markets are. IfFCCBs were raised when the rupee was at 38/39 against the dollar,and if it has to be redeemed when it is 42/43, that poses anotherchallenge as debt need to be repaid in dollars.
Double-edged sword
They (FCCBs) are like a doubleedged sword, says T.V. MohandasPai, Director (Human Resources), Infosys Technologies, who is aformer Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company, adding that thedownside risk increases when markets fall.
There is a possibility that many companies will default unlessthey have tied up liquidity support, he says. Ramakrishnanelaborates on that. FCCBs are hanging as a sword of Damocles overIndian companies because of the interplay of currency risk,redemption risk, interest rate risk and the need for greatertransparency in reporting.
Raj Bhatt, Chairman & CEO of the Londonbased Elara Capital,agrees with some of these views, but points out that a number ofIndian companies that had issued FCCBs have strong balance sheets,and so, have the ability to redeem their bonds. The situation isnot grim yet.
Not many bonds are due for conversion now. Then, Aarti Drugs(which had issued FCCBs worth $12.75 million, or Rs 58 crore inApril 2005) redeemed them last month,'' he points out.
But many investors have already burnt their fingers with Indianbonds. Several investors want to exit their bonds but there are nobuyers, says a senior executive at a European investment bank. Theyhave two options: they can hold on to their investments or sell outat a loss and many are, in fact, exercising the second option. Abanker says wryly: Indian companies are enjoying cheap credit whileinvestors are suffering.
The accounting conundrum
Then, there is also the question of how Indian companies treatFCCBs in their books of accounts. There is a justified complaintthat by treating them as contingent liabilities, several companiesare guilty of overstating their health and understating theirliabilities. Vishal Goyal, an analyst with Edelweiss Securities,notes in an 18-page report on the subject: Currently, mostcompanies either reduce redemption premium from their net worth ortreat it as a contingent liability. Thus, their profit & lossaccounts do not reflect the actual cost of FCCBs. This issue isparticularly relevant for companies whose current share price issignificantly lower than their conversion price.'' Infosys's Paiagrees on the need for greater transparency in disclosures.
Rating agencies will, obviously, look at these very issuescarefully.'' Adds Raman Uberoi, Senior Director, Crisil Ratings: Wetreated FCCBs as debt in our analysis and assigned it theappropriate risks in case conversion did not happen.''
Lingering hopesBut the investment banking fraternity has not losthope. Deepak Srinath, Founder-Director of Bangalore-based I-bankViedea Capital Advisors, dubs the alarm over FCCBs as a bit toopremature .
He reasons that a majority of the FCCBs were issued between 2005and 2007, and most of them have 60-month maturity periods. I expectthe markets to bounce back within two years,'' he adds. Meanwhile,he suggests, companies that have the reset clauses should negotiatewith investors for a lower conversion price. They must also startfiguring out ways to refinance the debt in case their stock pricesremain at present levels.
Subex seems to be doing that, though its management expects itsshare price to rebound before its bonds mature. We have not yetlost hope. In case we can't use the conversion option, we willrefinance the debt or raise equity to redeem the bonds,'' saysMenon.
The companies will raise rupee debts in the domestic market andclear dollar debts after conversion in local markets, according toanalysts. Meanwhile, the time bomb continues to tick away.
GRANGER, Wash. (AP) — When JoAnn Stear opened Eaton Hill Winery in the 1980s, she was among the pioneers of Washington's modern wine industry.
But when the 82-year-old decided to retire, she found how difficult it is to sell and get out of an industry she helped to establish in the Northwest.
With no takers at her original price of $2.7 million, Stear recently accepted an offer of $1.2 million for the south-central Washington winery.
"What we really didn't get out of it are our years of work," she said. "But health wise, age wise, it was time to go."
Others who were among the founders of Washington's relatively young wine industry are facing a similar situation, finding it difficult to sell when the economy remains sluggish and few people are willing to spend big money to buy into the industry.
"Times are tough, especially if winemakers are retiring," said Mark Hazell, who operates an online listing service for vineyard and winery owners looking to sell. "There are properties selling, but people have to essentially discount the properties to get them sold."
Hazell said the number of listings has grown steadily, especially in the Northwest where the wine industry has seen tremendous growth in the past three decades. Washington has about 40,000 acres of wine grapes under cultivation and more than 700 wineries. It's the nation's No. 2 producer of premium wine, behind California.
Often owners want out for financial reasons, but Hazell said many are looking to retire.
Bob Betz was among the first to crush grapes decades ago, and this year he will produce his 36th vintage at Betz Family Winery, near the Seattle suburb of Redmond. He and his wife, Cathy, announced last month that they had sold the winery and would transition into retirement, with Betz staying on several years as winemaker.
With no family to take over the business completely, selling it became the best option, he said.
"What you're seeing here in Washington is an aging of our industry that shows some of us have been at this a long time," he said.
In the Yakima Valley, Gail and Shirley Puryear opened Bonair Cellars in the mid-1980s, becoming the state's 29th winery. They've since built a new tasting room amid acres of fruit orchards near Zillah, Wash. and have discretely made it known they're looking to retire if the right buyer comes along.
"This isn't the greatest time. We know it's the economy, but we also know there's somebody out there," Shirley Puryear said as she prepared for crowds of wine tasters for spring barrel tasting. "This is a thriving winery and we're willing to wait."
Hazell said winery owners too often get stuck on how much they've put into the property, much like anyone selling property. Today, some vineyards are selling for what it cost to build them, he said.
In addition, potential buyers learn quickly that making wine is a lot of work and that the profit isn't always as high as they expect, Hazell said.
"Interest trickles away then," he said.
Washington has seen second- and third-generation family members step into some winery operations, reflecting the maturation of the industry, said Robin Pollard, executive director of the Washington Wine Commission, a promotional group funded by member fees from wineries and growers.
Planning for the future of the estate is no different than any other business, she said. It's also no different from other aspects of agriculture, though wine connoisseurs may wonder if a particular brand they've come to love will stay the same under new ownership.
"It all boils down to ensuring that whoever is making the wine or growing the grapes, the quality remains at the forefront," Pollard said.
The buyer at Eaton Hill already has a winemaker in mind and plans to increase production tenfold, Stear said. That kind of change would be good for the local economy and the industry overall, she said.
Chris and Myrta Coleman of Richland, Wash., have made Eaton Hill a regular stop during spring barrel tasting the past few years, and they aren't too worried about a change in ownership.
"Since they're good and they know what they're doing," Myrta Coleman said, "I feel like they'd sell to someone who thinks the same way and loves the wine."
___
Online:
http://www.vinesmart.com
http://www.eatonhillwinery.com
http://www.bonairwine.com
http://www.betzfamilywinery.com
http://www.washingtonwine.org
Yahoo! Sports is reporting Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was informed that some of his players had sold memorabilia to the owner of a tattoo parlor more than eight months before the school said it was made aware of improper transactions.
The website, citing an unidentified source, reports Tressel received information as early as April 2010 that players were selling items to Edward Rife, who owns Fine Line Ink Tattoos in Columbus
Ohio State officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment by the AP.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has said the local U.S. Attorney's office on Dec. 7 alerted the school that some of its players were selling items such as jerseys and championship rings to Rife.
Soon after, the school opened an investigation and informed the NCAA of the possible rules violations.
On Dec. 23, quarterback Terrelle Pryor was among five players suspended by the NCAA for the first five games of the 2011 season. All the players were allowed to play in Ohio State's 31-26 victory against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
If it is proven that Tressel knew about the possible NCAA violations and did not inform Smith or the compliance office, the coach and the program could face more sanctions.
Tailback Dan "Boom" Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey and left tackle Mike Adams, along with Sugar Bowl star Solomon Thomas, a backup defensive end who had the game-clinching interception were also suspended.
Each player was also made to repay to charity the value of what he gained by swapping their memorabilia for cash and tattoos.
Ohio State is appealing to the NCAA to get the suspensions reduced, although the NCAA's decision to allow the players to participate in the Sugar Bowl drew a wide range of criticism and questions.
Spain's Parliament approved a law Thursday narrowing the scope of a cross-border justice doctrine which had allowed judges to indict people like Augusto Pinochet and Osama bin Laden.
The existing legislation allowed judges like Baltasar Garzon to prosecute egregious crimes committed in other countries even if there was no link to Spain. The practice had irked some countries targeted in probes by Spanish magistrates, particularly Israel and China, and led to accusations that Spain was behaving like a global policeman.
Under the reformed version of the law, such cases can now be undertaken only if there were Spanish victims of the crime or the alleged perpetrators are in Spain.
The bill was passed by the lower chamber, called the Congress of Deputies, in June and then went to the Senate, which made minor amendments. The lower chamber gave the bill definitive approval on Thursday. Of 327 lawmakers present in the 350-member chamber, the vote was 319 in favor, five against and three abstentions.
Spain's ruling Socialists and opposition conservatives laid the groundwork for the new law in May _ a rare show of unity among two parties that are at each other's throats on just about everything else.
But the new law is not retroactive, meaning the dozen or so cases currently being investigated will proceed. These include probes into alleged Chinese abuses in Tibet, an Israeli air force bombing in Gaza that killed 14 civilians, and alleged torture at the U.S. prison for terror suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Garzon had Pinochet, the late Chilean dictator, arrested in London in 1998 and tried to have him extradited to Madrid to face charges over torture and other abuses during his regime. Britain ultimately declined to hand him over, citing Pinochet's poor health.
Garzon indicted bin Laden in 2003 over the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of demonstrators urged Congress to passlegislation to reduce greenhouse gases, and they targeted theCapitol power plant as a symbol of the problem.
An enthusiastic crowd of mostly young people marched from a parknear the Capitol Monday to the power plant several blocks away,where they planned to block entrances to the plant and were preparedto get arrested. The group chanted along the way, "We don't want theworld to boil, no coal, no oil!"
Despite attempts by lawmakers to clean up the power plant insoutheast Washington, it still burns coal and accounts for a thirdof the legislative branch's greenhouse gas emissions.
"We need to move rapidly for a clean energy future," said CharlieGarlow, of Silver spring, Md., who was dressed as a smokestack onMonday. The group met about a dozen counter-demonstrators who heldsigns reading: "Our economy runs on coal." The counter-demonstrators argued that coal is affordable and that renewablealternatives to coal-fired power plants won't meet a growing demand.
The Capitol power plant hasn't generated electricity since 1952,but it provides steam for heating and chilled water for coolingbuildings within the complex.
The protest on energy and climate came as Washington tried to digout from its largest snowfall of the season.
Organizers note that climate change causes more extreme weather,and they say the issue is important enough that people are willingto brave the cold.
"God has a sense of humor," said protester Rhody Streeter, ofLouisville, K.y., referring to the weather.
BETHEL, Vt. (AP) — All-terrain vehicles, reviled by environmentalists and others for their noise and the erosion they can cause in sensitive forest ecosystems, are about to be banned from state land by Gov. Peter Shumlin's administration. But ATVs and their riders have come to the rescue this week as Vermont struggles to recover from flooding wrought by the remnants of Hurricane Irene.
Along Riford Brook Road in the Green Mountain hamlet of Braintree, ATVs have been the workhorses this week, ferrying food, water and medicines to residents who can't climb down and back up the ladders now placed where bridges used to be.
In Killington, a woman who went into respiratory distress was safely transported part of the way to Rutland Regional Medical Center by ATV. Authorities say one ambulance brought her to the end of a washed-out bridge and she had to be transferred to an ATV to cover the rough terrain left by Sunday's flood. A second ambulance took her the rest of the way to the hospital.
"She's fine now," said hospital president Tom Huebner.
Braintree resident Kristie Tabor, a 21-year-old clerk at a car dealership, said she's especially glad this week that ATVs are popular in her rural neighborhood.
"Everyone has them around here, and they've come in really handy because we didn't have a road," she said.
At the Bethel fire house, resident Ron Trask, 63, stopped by with a muddy Honda Foreman 400 ATV on the back of his pickup after ferrying a man to an otherwise inaccessible house to get his pets. The two loaded four cats and two mourning doves onto the rig and made their way back down a mountain.
"Don't get me started," Trask said with a grin when asked about the bad reputation ATVs have among many environmentalists. "If people go in and start tearing up people's property, yeah, I put that down," he said. "But these things have actually been lifelines in all of this, as far as I'm concerned."
ATVs have been hotly debated in Vermont. Former Republican Gov. James Douglas' administration approved limited use of ATVs on state land, despite protests from lawmakers and environmental groups. Douglas left office in January, and Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin's administration has been moving to reinstate what had been a ban on recreational uses of the machines on public lands.
"ATVs are a really great way to get around," said Jesse Mastine, owner of Mastine Motor Sports in Bethel, which sells and services ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles. "ATVs and (off-road) motorcycles have a pretty bad name in terms of the relationship with environmentalists and things like that," he said. "They don't really care for ATVers ... but it seems like they're the only ones really saving anybody right now."
Vermont is not the first place where the machines have come in handy after a disaster. In January, ATVs were used to evacuate people from more than 30 homes left isolated during flooding on Mount Hood in Oregon. They were used last year in Arkansas to search for victims when flash flooding killed 16.
Even those who want to limit their recreational use acknowledge that ATVs are useful in some circumstances. "There's a time and place for ATVs and this was definitely one of them," said Deb Markowitz, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
Anthony Iarrapino, a lawyer with the Conservation Law Foundation and a critic of ATV abuses, said he doesn't think any positive public relations ATVs get this week will change the terms of the debate over them in Vermont.
"I don't accept the premise that any positive PR that ATVs get for doing a work purpose should necessarily be to the benefit of people who just want to ride them for fun in sensitive areas that have been conserved by the state," he said.
Capt. Ray Keefe, who oversees many of the hardest-hit areas of Vermont for the State Police, took a similar view.
"I think an ATV is much like any other piece of equipment," Keefe said. "They're invaluable in a situation like this," but can be abused. He pointed to a situation in his own neighborhood in Hartford, where a former neighbor set up an ATV and dirt bike track on his property and ended up being "charged and recharged" with violating local noise ordinances.
"This person didn't understand that his recreation was our nightmare," Keefe said.
California counties can issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples beginning June 17, the state said in a directive issued Wednesday.
The state Office of Vital Records said it chose June 17 because the state Supreme Court has until the close of business on June 16 to decide whether to grant a stay of its May 15 ruling legalizing gay marriage.
Gay rights advocates and some clerks initially thought couples would be able to wed as early as Saturday, June 14 _ exactly 30 days after the court's ruling, when its decisions typically take effect.
But a group opposed to gay marriage has asked the court to stay its decision until after the November election, when voters are likely to face a ballot initiative that would once again define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Passage of the initiative would overrule the Supreme Court.
Under the Supreme Court's regular rules of procedure, justices have until the end of the day on June 16 to rule on the stay request, according to the memo sent by e-mail to the state's 58 county clerks. Lawyers involved in the marriage case have said previously the court could grant itself an extra 60 days to consider the stay.
The guidelines from Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, also contained copies of new marriage forms that include lines for "Party A" and "Party B" instead of bridge and groom. The gender-neutral nomenclature was developed in consultation with county clerks, according to the letter.
"Effective June 17, 2008, only the enclosed new forms may be issued for the issuance of marriage licenses in California," the directive reads.
MIAMI - Tropical Storm Humberto formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, and officials issued a warning for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coasts where heavy rain could cause flooding.
Rain was already falling along the Gulf Coast at 2 p.m. EDT, with Humberto's center still about 70 miles south-southwest of Galveston, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.
The eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its top sustained winds reach 74 mph.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MIAMI (AP) - A tropical storm warning was issued Wednesday for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coasts as a tropical depression intensified in the Gulf of Mexico. Rain was already falling in the two states, and forecasters warned it could cause flooding.
At 11 a.m. EDT, the ninth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and its center was about 85 miles south-southwest of Galveston, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.
Senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven said about 5 to 10 inches of rain were expected along the middle and upper Texas coast and in southwestern Louisiana, with some areas possibly getting as much as 15 inches.
This has been a wet summer for Texas, so the extra rain could be "enough to create some considerable flooding," he said.
The depression was moving toward the north near 6 mph and was expected to cross the Texas coast later Wednesday within the warning area between Port O'Connor, Texas, and Cameron, La. A tropical storm watch was issued for Louisiana from Cameron to Intracoastal City.
Forecasters expect the depression to become a weak tropical storm with sustained winds of about 45 mph by the time it makes landfall.
A depression becomes a named tropical storm when its sustained winds reach 39 mph.
The next name on the National Hurricane Center's list for 2007 is Humberto.
Another tropical depression also formed Wednesday in the open Atlantic. It was centered about 1,130 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph and was moving west-northwest at about 12 mph.
Fredericksburg, Virginia
The Spotsylvania County Department of Utilities/Public Works has achieved 100 percent biosolids diversion from the county's landfill, thanks to expansion of its composting facility. Originally opened in 2001 as a pilot project, the program was progressively expanded to process more than 12,000 tons/year of biosolids and ground mulch by 2008, according to a news article in the Biosolids Technical Bulletin. The new facility, which opened this past spring, incorporates negative aeration with process air treated in a biofilter and automated control of aeration fans based on temperature feedback. Highlights of the operation include the following: Brush collected within the county is ground and transported to a covered storage area. The mixing area is separated from the compost aeration piles by a concrete push wall to avoid cross-contamination of fresh and composting material. Two Kuhn-Knight stationary mixers blend biosolids and wood chips in a 1:1 ratio; the mixers discharge onto a conveyor that carries the material over the push wall and into a bucket loader, which transport the mixed feedstocks to the aeration bay of the compost hall.
Two biofilter structures are connected to the composting hall through a series of pipes and headers. Each has a humidification and irrigation system to ensure the media - made from screened mulch - is maintained at 60 percent moisture. After 21 days in the aerated bays, the compost is screened in a trommel with. 375 inch holes; overs are added back into the raw mix. Material passing through the screen is cured under roof for 30 days. Finished compost, named Livings ton Blend, is sold in buik to landscapers, landscaping suppliers and residents.
For two decades the Budweiser SuperFest summer concert series has hosted some of soul and R&B's legendary acts.
Friday night the tour rolled through Chicago's Charter One Pavilion featuring Raheem DeVaughn, Jaheim, KEM and Anthony Hamilton.
The four crooners each brought their individual stamps to the venue, before an amped cheering, stomping and screaming crowd.
Sporting a casual white shirt and pants singer Raheem DeVaughn laid his soulful imprint with his hits, Guess Who Loves You More and Woman. But it was his cover of Prince's Adore that confirmed me East Coast singer is a student of classic soul music.
His 30-minute set was just an abbreviated version of his solo show, which is a musical feast for the ears. DeVaughn launched into the cautionary Bullet Proof from his current release. The Love and War Master Peace. He exchanged witty doubleentendre banter with his female back-up singer during the sexually-charged B.O.B. DeVaughn closed with his chart-topper Customer, and jumped in the audience as female fans met him with hugs.
The cheers started long before soul artist Jaheim appeared onstage singing his smash single Just In Case. The New Jersey native has refined his image. A close-cropped fade replaced his signature corn rows. He looked dapper in a black shirt and pants as he sang the hits U>oking for Love and Woman First. The crowd really piped up when he performed the slow-jam Finding Mv Wav Back from his album. Another Round.
The crowd participation took him by surprise ("YaIl really liked that?"). The richness of his vocals were a standout as he belted out renditions of A House is Not A Home and Close The Door. Jaheim got upclose with females while walking through the arena and handing out roses. He even shed his shirt exposing his tattooed arms and chest and ended his set with the midtempo / Ain 't Leaving Without You.
Universal/Motown singer/songwriter KEM's set was a smooth alternative compared to earlier performances. He performed with a full band, as he is often compared to singer Al Jarreau - though KEM as carved out his own sound.
The crowd responded favorably as he took to the piano and performed Share My Life from his just-released album Intimacy: Album III.
While singing his hit, / Can 't Stop Loving You he took a break to talk about how censors wanted him to omit the portion of his show when he thanks God for delivering him from drug and alcohol abuse.
With that, instructed the audience to cheer if they believe in God. KEM's breakout single. Love Calls ended his 40-minute set.
Singer Anthony Hamilton had enough energy to fill Charter One Pavilion. Running onstage performing his soulful hit, "Mama Knew Love," but he's reworked it with vocoder accompaniment.
Among the four acts, the North-Carolina native is the only one who doesn't have a current release. He is still able to breathe new life into his past recordings. His hot - rendition of Tevin Campbell's Shh! is a welcomed departure from his previous gospel-influenced tracks. Determined to put on a show, the singer danced ala pop-lock style on stage.
The highlight of the evening would have to be die instrumental jam-session complete with tambourines and knee-slapping. The mastery interpolation of the Chi-Lites classic Have You Seen Her? with his ode Charlene.The ballads continued with Cool, Can't Let Go, and The Point of It All. Hamilton closed his high octane 45-minute with an extended version of his hit, Quit Yo Worryin'.
The Budweiser SuperFest concludes on Sunday in Dallas.
[Author Affiliation]
by Keisha Price
DEFENDER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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