Va Police Hunt For Snipers Along I-64

From foxnews.com

Virginia State Police were hunting Thursday for multiple gunmen suspected of shooting at motorists at three different locations along busy Interstate 64.

A 20-mile section of the major highway was reopened after being closed overnight and into the early morning hours while officers pursued what they believe were more than one sniper.

No one was seriously hurt in the shootings. Two people were treated and released at the hospital for very minor injuries, according to state police Col. Steve Flaherty. It wasn’t immediately clear whether they were wounded by bullets or shattered glass.

Flaherty told reporters Thursday that at least four cars were struck by bullets along an 11-mile stretch of the freeway Wednesday night, beginning shortly before the first call came in about 12:10 a.m.

“I really don’t have a good feel for how long this went on,” Flaherty said. “We have evidence that it was more than one suspect.”

He downplayed the characterization of the shooters as “snipers,” saying they could just be pranksters.

Flaherty said it appears that it was the same type of gun used in all the shootings, reports of which came in over about a half-hour period. Ballistics tests were being conducted, and he said officers weren’t ready to make a determination as to the kind of weapon used.

 

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Jason Abbott Slashes 4 To Death in Alaska Fishing Town

From AP

A young man wielding a 5-inch knife stabbed four people to death in a small Alaska fishing and tourist town before officers subdued him with a stun gun, police said.

Jason Abbott, 18, was taken to the jail in Sitka on Tuesday and is awaiting charges, Police Chief Sheldon Schmitt said.

Officers found the bodies of three people just before noon at a two-story home just two blocks from the police station, police said. A fourth person found in the house later died at a hospital.

Abbott’s relatives owned the home, police said, though they did not release their identities.

Police received a call from a man outside the house who told the dispatcher that there was a “guy outside stabbing people,” Scmitt said. The dispatcher said she could hear people screaming in the background.

Investigators with the state crime lab in Anchorage have flown to the city of 9,000 people to help Sitka police, Schmitt said.

Abbott had been arrested Sunday on a domestic violence charge, police said. They had no other details of his criminal history and could not say whether he was still in school.

The public defender’s office said they had not yet been assigned the case.

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Police Investigating Baby In Salt Lake City That Was Advertised “For Sale” Online

From Foxnews.com

Police are searching for a baby in Salt Lake City that was advertised “for sale” on a local online classified listing.

Salt Lake City police were contacted March 21 by employees of KUTV-TV after someone listed a 6-month-old girl as “for sale/adoption” on the station’s classified Web site, officials said.

The child was listed under “Baby & Children Items” at a cost of $6,560, police said. The name of the person selling the little girl was listed as Pauline Burgman, police said.

“We’re still in the process of trying to identify the poster of the ad,” Det. Jeff Bedard of the Salt Lake Police Department told FOXNews.com. “At this point, we’ve not been able to either validate or debunk this story.”

The station took the listing off its Web site. According to a KUTV.com news story, the girl was described as “used,” but “beautifule [sic] and affectionate with so much love to offer.”

The Salt Lake City Police Department is asking anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the child to call 801-799-3000.

 

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Nude Photo Of France’s First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy To Hit NY Auction Block

From the AP

A nude photo of France’s first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is to be auctioned off at a sale next month in New York City, an auction house said.

The image was taken by photographer Michel Comte in 1993, when Bruni-Sarkozy was one of the world’s most coveted models. In the black-and-white photo, she strikes a pigeon-toed pose, her hands covering her crotch.

The photo is expected fetch $3,000 to $4,000 at the auction, to be held at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, according to the Web site for Christie’s auction house.

An official at French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office declined Tuesday to comment on April 10 sale, saying it concerned the leader’s private life.

Sarkozy divorced his second wife in October and married the Italian-born former model — now a successful singer — in February, after a quick courtship.

 

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Italian Circus Shut Down After Woman Forced To Swim With Piranhas

From Foxnews.com

Police have closed down a circus in southern Italy after a terrified 19-year-old woman was forced to swim in a tank full of piranha fish while her younger sister endured the company of snakes and tarantulas.

Three men have been arrested and charged with holding the Bulgarian women in slavery and breaching international human rights conventions.

The trio, who are accused of running a “circus of horrors,” were named as Enrico Raffaele Ingrassia, 57, the owner, his son William Ingrassia, 33, and his son-in-law Gaetano Belfiore, 25.

The Marino Circus has been offering shows at Petina, south of Naples in southern Italy, in a tent with 200 plastic seats inside it.

Ingrassia’s daughter, who was not named, told police that a Bulgarian couple and their two daughters, aged 19 and 16, had been held as slaves “in a state of fear” since January.

They were forced to work 15 to 20 hours a day for about $200 a week instead of the promised $957, with $757 deducted as “expenses for their upkeep.”

An appalled spectator tipped off the police after seeing the show, in which Giusi, the 19-year-old woman, tried to escape from the piranha tank “trembling with terror” her head was held down by Ingrassia.

 

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Madeline Nuemaann Dies After Parents Pray For Healing

From the AP

strong>An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.

Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said Madeline Neumann died Sunday.

“She got sicker and sicker until she was dead,” he said.

Vergin said an autopsy determined the girl died from diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body, and she had probably been ill for about 30 days, suffering symptoms like nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness.

The girl’s parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to “apparently they didn’t have enough faith,” the police chief said.

 

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US Airways Pilot On Leave After Gun Goes Off In Flight

From Foxnews.com

The pilot whose gun discharged in the cockpit of a U.S. Airways flight from Denver to Charlotte, N.C., has been placed on leave pending an investigation, USA Today reported.

No injuries were reported after the incident on the Saturday flight from Denver to Charlotte, N.C., and the plane has been taken out of service, USA Today reported.

Airline and federal officials said Flight 1536 was not in any danger as a result of the incident, which occurred about 9:50 a.m. MDT.

Officials said the unnamed pilot was allowed to carry the weapon as part of the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Flight Deck Officer program. It was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The program allows eligible crew members — including pilots, navigators and flight engineers — to use a firearm to defend against any act of air piracy or criminal violence.

The TSA said the Federal Air Marshals Service takes the matter seriously.

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Democrats Ready To Vote For McCain If Their Candidate Doesn’t Win The Nomination

From Foxnews.com

Many Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama supporters are ready to spurn the Democratic party and vote for John McCain in November if their candidate doesn’t win the presidential nomination, according to a new poll out Wednesday.

Among people who identified themselves as Hillary Clinton supporters, 28 percent said they would vote for McCain if Obama is his opponent, the March 7-22 Gallup Poll Daily election tracking survey found.

The same poll found that 19 percent of Obama supporters would switch sides and cast ballots for McCain if Clinton is the Democratic candidate.

The survey interviewed 6,657 Democratic voters nationwide and had a margin of error of 2 percent.

Click here to read the Gallup Poll discussion of the survey.

Gallup analysts note that the results could change by November, by which time Democrats will have made great efforts to unify the party.

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Chelsea Clinton Asked About The Monica Lewinsky Scandal

From Lauren Appelbaum

Campaigning in Indianapolis for her mother, Chelsea Clinton had a quick retort when asked a question she had never had before. When a male student asked her if her mother’s credibility had been hurt during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton quickly responded.
 
“Wow, you’re the first person actually that’s ever asked me that question, in the, maybe 70 college campuses that I’ve been to,” Clinton bitterly said at Butler University.  “And I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

The students gathered to see Clinton quickly erupted into applause. Clinton took one more question, on global warming, and then wrapped up the event.

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American Airlines Cancels 200 MD-80s Flights For Inspection

From the AP

American Airlines canceled about 200 flights on Wednesday so its crews can inspect some wire bundles aboard its MD-80 aircraft.

The canceled flights represent less than 10 percent of the nation’s biggest airline’s scheduled service for the day.

The need for the new inspections became known during an audit of American by a joint team of inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Fort Worth-based airline, according to a statement from American.

 

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Gaming Recession Proof? Not In The US Today.

From the AP

In a town enthralled with its own mythology, Las Vegas would like to hold on to one myth in particular these days: Gambling is recession proof.

It’s conventional wisdom characteristic of a city and an industry far more accustomed to boom than bust, but it’s just not true, experts say. Gamblers, whether motivated by compulsion or hope, don’t necessarily double down when the economy spirals and belts tighten.

“It’s an old idea that has very little relevance and maybe no relevance to the United States today,” industry analyst Eugene Christiansen said.

Christiansen and others trace the notion to decades old economic research conducted when gamblers’ options in the U.S. were limited to horse racing and a handful of Nevada resorts. Such tight supply ensured demand for gambling was steady.

 

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Grocery Bills Going Up All Over The World

From the AP

If you’re seeing your grocery bill go up, you’re not alone.

From subsistence farmers eating rice in Ecuador to gourmets feasting on escargot in France, consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India.

The world’s poorest nations still harbor the greatest hunger risk. Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month.

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Low Consumer Confidence Hurt Stock Market’s Optimism

From the AP

Wall Street paused Tuesday, trading little changed after a disappointing reading on consumer sentiment punctured some of the market’s optimism of the past two sessions.

Concerns about the economy snapped a two-day rally as investors weighed a report that showed consumer confidence sank to a five-year low in March. Further, data showing a slide in home prices signaled more deterioration in the slumping housing market.

Tight credit markets, rising prices and declining housing prices have consumers worrying about a recession. And, the stock market is in turn worrying that consumers will cut back their spending and further weaken the economy.

 

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Ford Sells Jaguar/Land Rover To India’s Tata Motors

From Reuters

U.S. automaker Ford has agreed to sell its luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover to India’s Tata Motors for more than $2 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Ford, which signed the deal on Tuesday, plans to publicly announce the transaction in New York at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, said another source.

The deal will also see Ford pay about 300 million pounds ($598 million) into Jaguar and Land Rovers’ pension funds, according to unions.

Ford declined to comment, adding “our first responsibility is to communicate with our employees.”

The sale had been expected at the start of this month, but it was delayed as the two firms discussed their future relationship, including technology sharing and Ford’s provision of engines and body parts for the two brands.

Tata, India’s top vehicle maker, has been in talks with Ford since it was chosen as the frontrunner to buy Jaguar and Land Rover a few days into 2008.

Tata is pursuing the deal to gain a substantial foothold outside India.

But analysts have questioned how Tata will incorporate the luxury brands into its stable of sturdy trucks and functional passenger cars, including the Nano, the world’s cheapest car which it unveiled in January.

While Land Rover has generated three years of record sales with its iconic SUVs, the fit of Jaguar is far less clear.

 

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Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick And Top Aide Christine Beatty Arraigned

From the AP

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges he lied under oath about an affair and his role in the firing of a top police official.

The mayor and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty appeared for separate hearings Tuesday afternoon in a downtown courtroom. Not guilty pleas were entered on their behalf on charges of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.

 

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Both were released on personal bonds, but would have to pay $75,000 if they break them.

Kilpatrick and Beatty were charged Monday.

Attorneys for both say their clients will be exonerated.

District Court Magistrate Steve Lockhart set June 9 as the date for their preliminary examinations.

 

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Nancy Reagan To Endorse John McCain

From the AP

Nancy Reagan is endorsing John McCain.

A McCain aide says the Republican presidential nominee in waiting will travel to the former first lady’s home Tuesday to receive her endorsement.

Reagan says she typically waits until after the GOP convention to announce her support.

But she says it is clear the Republican Party has chosen its nominee.

“John McCain has been a good friend for over thirty years,” Reagan says in a statement.

“My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW, and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal. I believe John’s record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president.”

Court Rejects Passenger Bill Of Rights

From the AP

federal appeals court Tuesday struck down a state law requiring airlines to give food, water, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers stuck in delayed planes, saying the measure was well-intentioned but stepped on federal authority.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said New York’s law — the first of its kind in the country — interferes with federal law governing the price, route or service of an air carrier.

The law was passed after thousands of passengers were stranded aboard airplanes for up to 10 hours on several JetBlue Airways flights at Kennedy International Airport on Valentine’s Day last year. They complained they were deprived of food and water and that toilets overflowed. A month later, hundreds more passengers of other airlines were stranded aboard planes at JFK after a daylong ice storm.

 

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Social Security And Medicare Facing Major Challenges

From the AP

Trustees for the government’s two biggest benefit programs warned Tuesday that Social Security and Medicare are facing “enormous challenges,” with the threat to Medicare’s solvency far more severe.

The trustees, issuing a once-a-year analysis of the government’s two biggest benefit programs, said the resources in the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by 2041. The reserves in the Medicare trust fund that pays hospital benefits were projected to be wiped out by 2019.

Both those dates were the same as in last year’s report. But the trustees warned that financial pressures will begin much sooner when the programs begin paying out more in benefits each year than they collect in payroll taxes. For Medicare, that threshhold is projected to be reached this year and for Social Security it is projected to occur in 2017.

 

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Obama Girl, Amber Lee Ettinger, Out With New Video

From CNN.com

Amber Lee Ettinger, the star of the last year’s wildly popular online video “Obama girl,” is out with a new video this week that decries Hillary Clinton’s insistence on remaining in the presidential race.

The new video — titled “Hillary, stop the attacks!” — opens with a takeoff on Clinton’s now-famous “3 a.m.” ad, and quickly transitions to Ettinger addressing the New York Democrat head on.

“I know Obama’s gonna win it/but you’re sorta kind of stayin’ in it. I think sometimes in this campaign/You’ve got a crush on John McCain,” she sings.

“Can’t you see its hopeless? It’s become an Obama-nation. Is their any chance you’ll back off? So he’ll get that nomination,” she also says.

In the 3 minute video, Ettinger also makes clear CNN.com is her political Web site of choice:

“I watch CSPAN and they’re always showing one of your rallies/Checking the CNN Ticker, can’t keep my eyes off the tallies.”

Created by the Web site barelypolitical.com, the first “Obama Girl” video debuted last June and quickly became an Internet sensation. To date, it has been viewed well over 7 million times, according to You Tube. The video spawned several spoofs, including “Hot 4 Hill” and the “Brownback girl.”

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Less Than 1% Of Commercial Flights Have Air Marshalls Aboard

From CNN.com

Of the 28,000 commercial airline flights that take to the skies on an average day in the United States, fewer than 1 percent are protected by on-board, armed federal air marshals, a nationwide CNN investigation has found.

That means that a terrorist or other criminal bent on taking over an aircraft would be confronted by a trained air marshal on as few as 280 daily flights, according to more than a dozen federal air marshals and pilots interviewed by CNN.

The investigation found those low numbers even as the Transportation Security Administration in recent months has conducted tests in which it has been able to smuggle guns and bomb-making materials past airport security screeners.

The air marshal program began in 1970, after a rash of airline hijackings, and it was expanded significantly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Specially trained to safeguard passengers and crew aboard crowded aircraft, air marshals were seen as a critical component in the overall effort to secure America’s commercial aviation system.

 

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