In the News, September 30, 2008

The Bailout Fails

Constituents made it known to their representatives- they didn't like the $700,000,000,000 bailout of financial institutions who took part in risky practices. The result will most likely a credit problem like most American's could never imagine. American's made it known that they are willing to deal with the credit limits coming their way rather than have to bail out Wall St. fools.

The House rejected the rescue plan and stunned the White House. Sen. Barack Obama blasted Congress for not passing a financial rescue package saying that inaction in Congress and partisanship have made people lose faith in Washington. Sen. John McCain's campaign accused Obama and Democrats of putting "politics ahead of country."

As a result, the Dow plunged a record 777 points, the worst percentage drop since the 1987 crash.

The bill failed by a vote of 205 to 228, with 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans voting in favor and 95 Democrats joining 133 Republicans against.

"This is a moment of national crisis, and today's inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington," the Obama-Biden campaign said in a statement released shortly after the vote.


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Froze her Children

A mother told police that child-sized human remains uncovered in her basement freezer were those of her two adopted daughters, and police believe that she is responsible for their deaths.

Police were at the woman's home with a search warrant to investigate the treatment of a girl who had run away and "showed signs of extreme abuse and neglect," the sheriff's department said.

She is charged with first-degree child abuse in the beating of the runaway 7-year-old, who was found wandering in the neighborhood wearing only a blood- and feces-soaked T-shirt.

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Round 2- this Thursday

"I'm looking forward to meeting Joe Biden. I've been hearing about him since second grade."

SARAH PALIN, U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate, on the upcoming debate with her Democratic rival

Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin , the vice presidential nominees will debate each other at 8 p.m. (CDT) Oct. 2 in the Washington University in St. Louis Athletic Complex, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reports: At Thursday night's vice presidential debate between Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden, D-Dela., in St. Louis, Palin cannot afford to make a mistake.

A major mistake, particularly on foreign policy, would be absolutely fatal to her candidacy.

Palin must also avoid what we've seen from her in recent media interviews: those deer in the headlight moments where it seems like she doesn't know what to say.

Palin's favorability numbers have gone down from 58 percent on Sept. 7 to 52 percent, according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll. The number of people who say she's not qualified to be vice president is going up. Almost half the country, 49 percent, say she's not qualified, compared to only 21 percent for Biden, according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll.

As for the debate that took place last week, the most recent is the USA Today/Gallup poll released today which shows 46 percent of people though Obama won and 34 said McCain won.

abcnews.com

In the News September 29th, 2008

Roses are red...and other Poems by Osama bin Laden

Yale University says that they are processing, preserving and archiving 1,500 audio tapes recorded in bin Laden's Afghanistan headquarters from 1988 through 2000 . The collection includes recordings of everything from celebrations after militant actions to religious sermons to, yes, bin Laden's poetry. The cassettes were found in bin Laden's Afghanistan headquarters in 2001.

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Harvard to nix nutritional information

Harvard University dining services have removed index cards detailing nutritional information from dining halls this after students and parents raised concerns about displayed calorie counts leading to or worsening eating disorders,


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Another Hollywood DUI


This time it was Heather Locklear who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Locklear, 47, was pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer in the upscale Santa Barbara area according to authorities. A local resident tipped off the cops after seeing the actress leaving a parking lot and "driving erratically," according to a patrol spokesman.

In the News, September 28, 2008

Hurricane Kyle

Hurricane Kyle is heading toward Nova Scotia and the Gulf of Maine. This marks Maine's first hurricane watch in 17 years. Kyle has passed over the Atlantic off New Jersey on a northward trek that threatened to bring flooding and damaging winds inland.

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Tina Fey Does Sarah Again


Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live."

Last night's show brought back the season premiere duoof Fey and Amy Poehler, who opened the season with a memorable sketch featuring Fey as Palin and Poehler as Hillary Clinton.

This time around, Poehler played CBS's Katie Couric, parodying the interview with Palin.

When Poehler's Couric pushed Fey's Palin to specifically discuss how she would help facilitate democracy abroad, Fey gave in: "Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines. ... I want to phone a friend."


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A 13 million-digit prime number

This may be over all of our heads but, let's go for it. Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13 million-digit prime number. This discovery makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize.


The group found the 46th known Mersenne prime last month on a network of 75 computers running Windows XP. The number was verified by a different computer system running a different algorithm.

As learned in the 4th grade, primes are numbers like three, seven and 11 that are divisible by only two whole positive numbers: themselves and one. Mersenne primes -- named for their discoverer, 17th-century French mathematician Marin Mersenne -- are expressed as 2P-1, or two to the power of "P" minus one. P is itself a prime number. For the new prime, P is 43,112,609.

The $100,000 prize is being offered by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for finding the first Mersenne prime with more than 10 million digits. The foundation supports individual rights on the Internet and set up the prime number prize to promote cooperative computing using the Web.

In the News, September 27, 2008

The First Presidential Debate of the Season

Put your gloves on, it's an election season. In their first head-to-head Presidential debate , Barack Obama worked hard to link John McCain to President Bush. He charged that McCain had supported "eight years of failed policies." McCain criticized his rival as a candidate who "doesn't understand" the key issues the country faces. John McCain portrayed himself as a battle-tested elder running against a naive rookie, while Barack Obama suggested the Republican is a hothead who made the wrong choices on the Iraq war, corporate taxes and more.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. says that Fifty-one percent of those polled thought Obama did the better job in the debate, while 38 percent said John McCain did better.

Men were nearly evenly split between the two candidates, with 46 percent giving the win to McCain and 43 percent to Obama. But women voters tended to give Obama higher marks, with 59 percent calling him the night's winner, while just 31 percent said McCain won.
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He's a 71 Year Old Grandfather Who is Pregnant

In Portland, Oregon a 71 year old grandfather treated in a hospital for agonizing abdominal pain.
Upon discharge he received the surprising news in the hospital's paperwork:

"Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant."

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Man with 83 Birds

• Images: 83 Parakeets Living In Man's Basement (The Boston Channel)
  

More than 80 parakeets have been surrendered to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after they were found living in a basement.
Some of the birds were newborns, while others had feathers missing from pecking at each other, MSPCA officials said.

The MSPCA, already caring for 12 parakeets, said it was trying to find other shelters to help with some of birds.

In the News September 26, 2008

The $700,000,000,000 MESS

The congressional negotiations over the proposed $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system are set to restart after negotiations yesterday turned into a mess.

• Rep. Barney Frank, the leading House Democrat on the issue, accused Republicans of refusing to negotiate. "At this point, we have absolutely no participation or cooperation from House Republicans," Frank said.The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee declared Friday that an agreement on legislation to relieve a spreading financial crisis depends on House Republicans "dropping this revolt against President Bush."

• As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on, one of the nation's largest banks — Washington Mutual Inc. — has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Inc. came to the rescue of ailing Washington Mutual Inc., buying the ailing thrift's banking assets after WaMu was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. WaMu becomes biggest bank to fail in US history.
  

• Global bank HSBC Holdings is cutting 1,100 jobs in its investment banking operation, or 4 percent of the unit's total, as it weathers the global financial crisis.

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Just when the Atlantic was quiet...

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Kyle has strengthened as it churns through the open Atlantic, south of Bermuda. The storm's maximum sustained winds have increased to 50 mph Thursday night. Forecasters say the storm could become a hurricane by Saturday as it moves north.

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Why he should have done his to-do list...

In Utah a man is in stable condition after being stabbed by his wife this morning. Police say the two were arguing over a to-do list. Police say this is a domestic dispute that went way too far. Now the man's wife is in jail.

In the News, September 25th, 2008

Bush : 'Our entire economy is in danger'

To most of us, it isn't a shock to hear the words as we have been primed for it by living through a housing crisis, high gas prices, a recession and so much more. But now, President Bush is telling Americans that "our entire economy is in danger" and that passage of a $700 billion bailout plan is essential. "Without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic," Bush said. Bush has invited presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain to join negotiations on the rescue plan . President Bush is now telling the rest of us, that lawmakers risk a cascade of wiped-out retirement savings, rising home foreclosures, lost jobs and closed businesses if they fail to act on a massive financial rescue plan. "Our entire economy is in danger," he said.

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Man charged with battery for passing gas.

You can't make this stuff up.
A West Virginia man who police said passed gas and fanned it toward a patrolman has been charged with battery on a police officer.

South Charleston Police Department

A man arrested for driving under the influence in West Virginia got himself into a lot more trouble later at the police station.

He was pulled over for driving with his headlights off. He was subsequently arrested after failing a series of sobriety tests, according to WSAZ TV in Charleston.

During fingerprinting, the man then allegedly moved closer to one of the officers and passed gas, the station reported. In the complaint, the investigating officer wrote that police noticed a "very strong" odor.

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Alabama wants Jewish People

Larry Blumberg will put up $1 million to help relocate 20 young Jewish families to Dothan, Alabama.

"If you need a robust Orthodox community, we don't have it," Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith said. "But if you want a community where your neighbors are friendly; where people smile at you in the grocery store even if they don't know you, then Dothan's for you."

Goldsmith is encouraging people to relocate: She'd like to see more Jews in Dothan.

The city of 60,000 sits in the southeastern corner the state near the state's borders with Georgia and Florida. The Jewish community in Dothan at its height, was about 100 families.

"We felt like it needed to be something that had enough sizzle that would get attention, and it really has," temple member Larry Blumberg said.

Blumberg put up $1 million to help relocate 20 young Jewish families to Dothan. The congregation took out ads in Jewish newspapers offering up to $50,000 per family.

In the News, September 24, 2008

Pilots Suspended for Falling Asleep

Two pilots for Hawaii's Go airlines fell asleep during their flight's landing procedure. The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended them careless and reckless operation of an aircraft,
One pilot was cited for failing to maintain radio communications and had his license suspended for 60 days. The other was suspended for 45 days.


The National Transportation Safety Board had determined the two pilots fell asleep on the February 13 flight from Honolulu to Hilo. The pilots fell asleep on the brief midmorning flight, which was carrying 40 passengers. The pilots failed to respond to nearly a dozen calls from air traffic controllers over a span of 17 minutes.



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High School Football Hazing

In New Mexico, five coaches from Robertson High School's football staff resigned after weeks of investigation into allegations of hazing. State police said they have been investigating allegations that six freshmen were victims of hazing, including sexual assault with a broomstick, during a four-day preseason camp northwest of Las Vegas in August.The alleged victims said they were sexually assaulted and hazed by older teammates.

According to state police reports, a group of juniors assaulted several younger teammates over two days, holding the victims down while a broomstick was forced into their rectums over their athletic shorts.


The alleged ringleader was expelled from school. The others were suspended through the end of the school year. The six victims returned to the team.

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Filmmaker Michael Moore released his latest documentary for free on the Internet .
Slacker Uprising
According to Moore:

This is it. The time has arrived! At midnight tonight, you can be one of the first people ever to legally download, for FREE, a brand new, feature-length film. It's my new movie, "Slacker Uprising," and I'm giving it to you as a gift of thanks for coming to my films over the 20 years I've been a filmmaker.

It's also one of my contributions to help get out the vote November 4th. That's why I'm giving you my blanket permission to not only download it, but also to email it, burn it, and share it with anyone and everyone (in the U.S. and Canada only). I want you to use "Slacker Uprising" in any way you see fit to help with the election or to do the work that you do in your community. You can show my film in your local theater, your high school classroom, your college auditorium, your church, union hall or community center. You can have your friends and neighbors over to the house for a viewing. You can broadcast it on TV, on cable access, on regular channels or on the web. It's completely free -- I don't want to see a dime from this. And if you want, you can charge admission or ask for a donation if it's to raise money for a candidate, a voter drive, or for any non-profit or educational purpose. In other words -- it's yours!

"Slacker Uprising" chronicles the 62-city tour I did leading up to the 2004 election. It is electrifying to see the tens of thousands of young people who were ready then for the uprising -- and who, this year, are actually making it happen. This is my concert film tribute to the young voters who are going to save this country from four more years of Republican rule.

There are a number of ways, beginning at midnight tonight, that you can download or stream "Slacker Uprising" thanks to our distributor, Brave New Films:

1) Blip.tv will provide standard resolution streaming, free of commercials and advertising.
2) Amazon Video on Demand will provide a high quality version of the above stream.
3) iTunes will make it easy for you to download "Slacker Uprising" on your iTunes, iPod, or Apple TV, and view it there or transmit it to your television. This way, the film can be portable as well as for home viewing.
4) Hypernia is providing bandwidth, servers and management to host "Slacker Uprising" online, so you can download the film and view it at any time or burn it onto a DVD.

I am fortunate to have all these great people bringing you my movie for free. There will be no ads and they have all agreed to supply their services free of charge. All of them wanted to be part of this historic moment when the first major feature-length movie is being released for free on the internet.

(For those of you who don't download, there will be a low-cost DVD available.)

This past Thursday we held the world premiere of "Slacker Uprising" in Ann Arbor (you can read about it here). The response was incredible and I want to encourage you to screen this movie with large groups. I believe it will inspire our get-out-the-vote efforts at a time when we need to get millions registered in the next two weeks.

Thanks again for all your support over the years. I hope you'll like my new film. It's all yours, anytime after midnight tonight. Enjoy!

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
SlackerUprising.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. I'll be doing a live chat, tonight at 11:00 PM ET, on Daily Kos, in the hour countdown leading up to the internet release of my film. Hope to see you online!

In the News, September 23, 2008

The New Lincoln Penny

The U.S. Mint unveiled the new designs during a ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial. The coin changes are part of the government's commemoration next year of the 20he government's commemoration next year of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.
Lincoln's profile will remain on one side of the coin but the Lincoln Memorial will be replaced on the other side by the new images, with a different one being introduced every three months.

The first new design will depict a log cabin, representing the place in Kentucky where Lincoln was born in 1809.

The second design will feature a young Lincoln taking a break from working as a rail splitter in Indiana by reading a book. Lincoln as a young lawyer standing in front of the old state capitol building in Springfield, Ill., will be the design on the third coin.

The final coin in the series will show the half-completed Capitol dome, evoking Lincoln's famous order that construction of the Capitol should continue during the Civil War as a symbol that the Union would continue.

The first new penny is scheduled to go into circulation starting on Feb. 12, Lincoln's birthday, and then every three months after that. United States Mint Unveils New 2009 Penny Designs


The four designs to be featured on the reverse of the Lincoln pennies represent four major aspects of President Lincoln's life: his birth and childhood in Kentucky, his formative years in Indiana, his professional life in Illinois and his Presidency in Washington, D.C. The inscriptions on the reverse of the coins will be "United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum" and "One Cent."

The obverse (heads side) of the one-cent coins will continue to bear Victor David Brenner's likeness of President Lincoln, introduced in 1909, and the motto "In God We Trust." At the end of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Coin Program, the reverse of the penny will feature a design emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country.

A Lincoln commemorative silver dollar also will be released in 2009.

Presidency in DC Reverse

Designer: Susan Gamble
Sculptor: Joseph Menna
Description: This reverse features the half finished United States Capitol dome.

Professional Life in Illinois Reverse

Designer: Joel Iskowitz
Sculptor: Don Everhart
Description: This reverse depicts the young professional Abraham Lincoln in front of the State Capitol in Illinois.

Line Art
Reverse:

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Program Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky Reverse Designer: Richard Masters Sculptor: Jim Licaretz Description: This reverse features a log cabin that represents Lincoln’s humble beginnings in Kentucky. Formative Years in Indiana Reverse Designer: Charles Vickers Sculptor: Charles Vickers Description: This reverse depicts a young Lincoln educating himself while working as a rail splitter in Indiana.

usmint
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She wants that 478 Carat Diamond

Gem Diamonds, a London-listed mining firm, said on Sunday it had recovered a 478 carat diamond from its mine in Lesotho. It is the 20th-largest rough diamond ever found.
T he company said had the potential to become one of the largest round-cut diamonds in the world,.

"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record-breaking polished stone of the very best colour and clarity," the company's Chief Executive Clifford Elphick said in a statement.

The diamond, which has not yet been named, has the potential to yield a 150 carat polished stone, a company spokesman said.


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Stonehenge Revealed

Two British archeologists say that they have uncovered the core reason behind the construction of one of the world's best known and least understood landmarks.

Stonehenge has stood for thousands of years.

Professors Geoffrey Wainwright and Timothy Darvill argued their own explanation for the mysterious monument: Stonehenge, they said, was a kind of primeval Lourdes, drawing prehistoric pilgrims from around Europe.

"We found several reasons to believe that the stones were built as part of a belief in a healing process," Wainwright told journalists assembled at London's Society of Antiquaries.

The bluestones used to form the circular site were dragged or floated on rafts from Pembrokeshire in Wales to Salisbury Plain in southern England, according to the researchers. Thee bluestones were prized for their healing properties .

In the news, September 22, 2008

It's Bailout Time

Just in time to save the financial world from doom, Federal regulators converted Wall Street's remaining stand-alone investment banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, into bank holding companies night. This marks the end of the era of the Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley sought shelter with the Federal Reserve to survive a financial storm that destroyed their rivals. Group of Seven nations welcomed the $700 billion U.S. markets bailout plan on Monday but there was no sign that other governments saw any need to follow Washington in setting up rescue packages of their own.
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Holy Helicopter Kenosha

A helicopter crashed through a house and came to rest in flames across the street in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Two people aboard the chopper were killed. The home's five occupants made it out okay, officials said. The helicopter entered the roof in the back before exiting near the house's front door Sunday morning.

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Happy Emmy Awards- Tina Fey especially

Some of the big results.

In case you missed it, HBO's "John Adams" set a record and won 13 Emmys overall. The miniseries received 23 nominations. "Mad Men" wins Emmy for best drama. "30 Rock" is best comedy; Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin also win well. Of course, "Colbert Report," "Daily Show" won something.

"30 Rock," nabbed four trophies night, including the NBC show's second consecutive nod for best comedy series. Tina Fey used her moment in the spotlight to beg for more viewers.

In the News, September 21, 2008

CUBS CLINCH

Carlos Zambrano gives pitching coach Larry Rothschild a champagne shower.
(Scott Stewart/Sun-Times)
Attention all Cub fans, You can be proud.

The Chicago Cubs clinched their second straight National League Central Division title.

Ted Lilly tossed six innings and added an RBI single to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the St Louis Cardinals . The Cubs clinched last year as well. The Cubs had not made the playoffs in successive seasons since 1908, the last year they won the World Series.

Alfonso Soriano drove in two runs with a second-inning single and Ted Lilly overcame a three-run homer from Cardinals' third baseman Troy Glaus in the sixth to claim his 16th victory of the season.

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Blink drummer in Crash

According to reports, a man who came across a fiery jet crash in South Carolina said he saw former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies by ripping off their clothing.


The two men were in critical condition with extensive burns Saturday. The crash killed four other people on board, authorities said. According to authorities, the Learjet 60 carrying six people, including Barker and Goldstein, was taking off from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina on Friday night when it went off the runway. The plane crashed through light towers and an antenna array before crossing a road and stopping at an embankment, authorities said.


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He robbed a piggy bank now he is off to jail

A Wisconsin man will spend time in prison for breaking into a home and stealing money from a child's piggy bank. The man has been charged with burglary, after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the crime.

In the News, September 20, 2008

The Big Fat Bailout of 2008

The Bush administration is asking Congress to let the government buy $700 billion in bad mortgages as part of the largest financial bailout since the Great Depression. Just part of the financial events this week which have included a Wall St. roller coaster and the federal government instituting the most sweeping intervention in the financial markets since the Great Depression.

The plan: The federal government buying "hundreds of billions of dollars" of illiquid mortgage assets at a deep discount from banks. The Treasury Department, likely to run the program directly, unlike the savings and loan crisis of the 1990s that led to the creation of the Resolution Trust Company.The cost: While the proposal calls for the purchase of "hundreds of billions of dollars" of bad loans, it's 'unknown' what taxpayers will ultimately pay for the bailout.


Also this week;

• Judge OKs Lehman unit sale to Barclays
• 4 Fannie Mae senior execs resign
• GM to draw down $3.5B line of credit
• Gas prices sink for third day (barrel teetering around $100)

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Ike uncovers mystery

When the waves from Hurricane Ike receded, there was a mystery. A ragged shipwreck that archeologists say could be a two-masted Civil War schooner that ran aground in 1862 or another ship from some 70 years later.
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Nickels Galore!

MyFOXOrlando.com

Two trucks crash on I-95 in Central Florida. One of the trucks was carrying millions of nickels crashed into another truck on Interstate 95 in Florida, spilling about $185,000 in change onto the highway.

Investigators from the Florida Highway Patrol said one semi-truck rear-ended another, causing about 3 million nickels to pour onto the road, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.The collision caused one of the trucks to hit a guard rail and overturn, killing a passenger inside.

In the News, September 19 2008

The Latest Polls

The latest national polls show that Barak Obama is ahead of McCain in by 3 percentage points, 47 percent to 44 percent. Barack Obama leads McCain 47 percent to 44 percent in CNN's "poll of polls"

The latest poll of polls consists of four surveys: CBS/The New York Times (September 12-16), Gallup (September 15-17), Diageo/Hotline (September 14-16) and American Research Group (September 13-15). It does not have a sampling error.

In an AP-Yahoo! News poll, people would rather watch a football game with Barack Obama than with John McCain — but by barely the length of a football. Such views are significant because in many elections, candidates considered more likable often have an advantage.


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Happy 113th

The world's oldest man celebrated his 113th birthday Thursday in southern Japan. Tomoji Tanabe told reporters he wants to live another five years. Tanabe was born Sept. 18, 1895.

He received birthday gifts, flowers and $1,000 cash from the mayor of his hometown of Miyakonojo . He is the oldest man alive in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.

There are at least 36,000 centenarians among the Japan's 126million population.

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Chicago Sees Green

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned a national reputation for his innovative, community-based programs to address education, public safety, neighborhood development and other challenges facing American cities. Time magazine, in its April 25, 2005 issue, said Daley "is widely viewed as the nation's top urban executive."

Mayor Richard M. Daley has announced a plan to dramatically slash emissions of heat-trapping gases, part of an effort to fight global warming and become one of the greenest cities in the nation. The plan calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to three-fourths of 1990 levels by 2020 through more energy-efficient buildings, using clean and renewable energy sources, improving transportation and reducing industrial pollution.

"We can't solve the world's climate change problem in Chicago, but we can do our part," said Daley on Thursday. "We have a shared responsibility to protect our planet."

In the News, September 18, 2008

Bail us out- it's an election year
First a housing slump that causes default mayham. Then oil prices which cause gas to sky rocket. Followed a bail out of the biggest mortgage brokers.

Now,the Federal Reserve, working with central banks in Europe, Canada and Asia, pumped as much as $180 billion into money markets to combat a seizing up of lending between banks that is intensifying global financial crisis. The package of up to $247 billion comes from the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Swiss National Bank, and the Bank of England.

The White House defended its decision to bail out troubled national insurance giant American International Group Inc. The government is providing an $85 billion emergency loan in exchange for a nearly 80 percent stake in the company, the most far-reaching intervention into the private sector ever for the Federal Reserve.


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Sarah Palin's E-mail

Hackers broke into the Yahoo! e-mail account that Sarah Palin used for official business as Alaska's governor. The e-mails revealed evidence a few personal messages she has received since John McCain selected her as his running mate.The e-mails raise new questions about the propriety of the Palin administration's use of nongovernment e-mail accounts to conduct state business. The practice was revealed months ago — prior to Palin's selection as a vice presidential candidate — after political critics obtained internal e-mails documenting the practice by some aides.

According to Gawker.com;

Did the internet just cause Sarah Palin to destroy evidence? The potential Veep is in a bit of trouble for conducting state business using her personal, unarchived email address (gov.sarah@yahoo.com) instead of her official account (which is, of course, subject to laws requiring the retention of government records). Emails from that Yahoo account are already being sought in connection with the Troopergate investigation. Now comes word that Anonymous, the fun-loving Internet trouble-makers based loosely around the message board 4Chan, gained access to another Palin email account: gov.palin@yahoo.com. It looks legit! The offending posts, screenshots, heretofore unseen family photos, and emails have all been deleted from Imageshack and 4Chan. But we have them. You want to read Sarah Palin's email?

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Brad Pitt has donated $100,000 to fight California's November ballot initiative that would overturn the state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The initiative is headed for the November ballot in California.

If approved, Proposition 8 would overturn the California Supreme Court's landmark May ruling that it is unconstitutional to prevent gay couples from exchanging vows.