FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi out six weeks after tearing thigh muscle

FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will be out for six weeks after tearing a left thigh muscle, the club said Wednesday.

The Argentine star pulled up as he made a run during the team's 1-0 win over Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday. He left the field in tears in the 35th minute of the second-round, second-leg match at Camp Nou.

The injury is similar to the one which sidelined Messi for six weeks in December and January.

Barcelona said Messi would continue with special treatment for the remainder of the season.

Team captain Carles Puyol blamed the Spanish media for hounding coach Frank Rijkaard into recalling Messi to the …

Green light for R-R bid

A Bid to turn a piece of land earmarked for a GBP75 millionfactory development by engine maker Rolls-Royce into a protected openspace has been thrown out by councillors.

South Gloucestershire Council yesterday rejected an applicationfor the land between Gipsy Patch Lane and the A38 Gloucester RoadNorth in Filton to be designated a village green.

The decision removes a hurdle to the aero giant's plans to build anew plant, which it says will safeguard 3.500 jobs at the site forthe next 25 years.

Campaign group Community Against …

Completing Klehr v. A.O. Smith Corp., and resolving the oddity and lingering questions of civil RICO statute of limitations accrual

I. INTRODUCTION Civil RICO1 was left "limitations-naked"2 when enacted by Congress in 1970, and remained that way until the Supreme Court clothed the statute with a four-year statute of limitations period in a 1987 case, Agency Holding Corp. v. Malley-Duff & Associates.3 But the Malley-Duff Court did not determine when that limitations period should begin to run.4 In the wake of the Malley-Duff decision, the federal courts delineated essentially three conflicting rules for civil RICO statute of limitations accrual.5 Thus, for over ten years, RICO litigants have been asking: When does the civil RICO statute of limitations accrue? Many anticipated the Supreme Court would answer this …

Hoosiers add new receivers coach to Wilson's staff

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana has hired Northwestern assistant Kevin Johns as its receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

The decision Tuesday comes one day after the Hoosiers' top playmaker, receiver Tandon Doss, said he would give up his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

New coach Kevin Wilson has been putting together a staff. Since being hired as the …

Capello: Man City could be key to English success

LONDON (AP) — Fabio Capello believes Manchester City's English players could be central to ending the country's trophy drought, having seen a Spain squad packed with Barcelona players win its first World Cup.

Six City players finished the match against Switzerland last month as England recorded a second straight win in European Championship qualifying.

And City went second in the Premier League by beating Newcastle 2-1 on Sunday with four Englishman starting — goalkeeper Joe Hart, defender Joleon Lescott, and midfielders James Milner and Gareth Barry — while winger Adam Johnson came off the bench and netted the winner.

While Milner is suspended for England's Euro 2012 …

Cowboys slap Switzer with $75,000 fine // Jones imposes largest penalty on NFL coach

AUSTIN, Texas Barry Switzer was fined a record $75,000 Wednesdayby Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who said his coach's arrest on agun charge brought "pain and embarrassment" to a team trying torepair its image. The fine is the largest imposed on an NFL coach.

"It's a serious and significant fine," Jones said. "I made thefine what I made it because of his role as a coach. It would havebeen different if he were a player."

Jones said Switzer's job was not in jeopardy. Switzer, whoearns an estimated $1 million a year, said he accepted the fine andthe responsibility for his actions.

"It hurts," he said. "It hurts not only financially, but muchmore than the …

Williams meets Clijsters in semifinal showdown

NEW YORK (AP) — Whether it's starting a family or starting a business, Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams have figured out how to make life about more than hitting a fuzzy green ball.

As for that tennis part — well, things are going pretty well there, too.

In the featured semifinal match at the U.S. Open on Friday, Clijsters tries to stay on track for her second straight title after a 2½-year layoff during which she got married and had a baby girl, Jada.

Not a bad second act.

The 27-year-old Belgian is trying to become the first woman to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows since 2000-01, when Williams did it.

No woman has had a nine-year gap in between …

Triathlete Hempel barred by anti-doping agency

Austria's anti-doping agency has banned triathlete Hannes Hempel for four years.

NADA imposed the ban at the end of an investigation into whether Hempel gave drugs to former cyclist Bernhard Kohl. Kohl was banned for the illegal blood-booster CERA after the Tour de France two years ago.

…

Mulch supply running low due to huge demand

By the end of the week, the city of Charleston might run out ofthe cheap compost mulch it's been producing, thanks to heavy demandfrom the public.

The mulch supply was supposed to last until the end of the month.

A steady stream of pickup trucks crawled up the unmarked road offHanna Drive Friday to the city's hilltop composting facility, daysafter a Gazette article focused attention on the city's plan to sellcompost for $12 a truckload.

Workers there scrambled to keep up with the traffic, PublicGrounds Director Junior Goodwin said Tuesday.

"We sold 158 truckloads on Friday," he said.

"Traffic was lined up down the hill. I had to bring in a …

Energy futures fall after Energy Department reports unexpected jump in oil, gasoline supplies

Energy futures fell Thursday after the government reported unexpected increases in crude oil and gasoline inventories last week and OPEC forecast fourth-quarter demand for oil would be less than expected.

In its weekly inventory report, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said oil inventories rose by 2.8 million barrels during the week ended Nov. 9. Analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires, on average, had expected a decline of 300,000 barrels.

That helped send light, sweet crude for December delivery falling 66 cents to settle at $93.43 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after trading off more than $2 a barrel earlier. Crude …

Normal dating with herpes

I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE AN STD wrote in recently. She wanted to date but didn't know when to tell and how to tell. Here are some thoughts.

SAMANTHA: I'm a 25-year-old girl who was diagnosed with genital herpes when I was 18. I got it from receiving oral sex, which is something the majority of the public doesn't know is possible. One in five people carry the herpes virus, and many of them don't have any symptoms. The man I got herpes from thought his sore was a small burn mark on his lip!

For a couple of years after getting this disease, I felt very much like the woman who wrote to you, ICBIHASTD. Did this stop me from dating? Absolutely not. I found out very quickly that …

FOOD NEWS

LIFE IS SHORT. EAT DESSERT.

Girl Scout cookies are quintessential Americana. The Thin Mint has achieved legendary fame, and the Samoa initiates a Pavlovian salivary response with its mere mention. And since a little physical embellishment makes even a minor edible deity more enticing, the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council are following last year's lead with their second annual Cookies and Dreams fundraiser.

Boise-area chefs create unique desserts, each using a different Girl Scout cookie, in competition with one another. Local celebrity judges have the final say in the evening's winner. This year's competing judges include Dustin Williams of 8th Street Wine Co., John …

Bond prices edge up on European debt woes

The Treasury market traded in a narrow range Thursday as investors balance European debt concerns with signs of an improving U.S. economy.

Stock prices rose after a report on jobs and strong earnings showed the economy is continuing to get better. The Dow Jones industrials is up about 140 points.

However, investors worldwide remain cautious about ongoing debt problems in Europe, particularly Greece. On Wednesday, Spain was the third country this week to see its debt rating slashed by Standard & Poor's, following Greece and Portugal.

European officials tried to reassure markets Thursday that they were rushing to approve a package of bailout loans that Greece has asked for. Investors tend to bid up prices of Treasury securities if they expect turmoil in other financial markets.

Market participants have been concerned that Greece could default on its debt and that the trouble there would spread to other countries. Those concerns helped drive up Treasury prices and pushed down yields earlier this week.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a benchmark for many consumer loans, fell to 3.73 percent in late trading Thursday from 3.77 percent late Wednesday. Its price went higher, rising 28.125 cents to $99.125. The yield on the 10-year note is linked to rates on mortgages and other consumer loans.

The Labor Department's weekly update on jobless claims showed the number of people applying for unemployment benefits dipped for the second straight week, though they did not drop quite as far as predicted. First-time claims fell to 448,000 last week, slightly higher of expectations.

An auction of 7-year Treasury notes met with higher demand, giving Treasury prices a slight lift. The Treasury Department sold $32 billion in notes. The bid-to-cover ratio, or the number of bids accepted compared with those received, was 2.82, higher than the 2.61 in an auction for notes with a similar maturity in March.

The auction wrapped up this week's $129 billion debt supply.

In other trading, the yield on the 2-year note that matures in March 2012 fell to 1.01 percent from 1.04 percent. Its price rose 6.25 cents to $100.

The yield on 30-year bond that matures in February 2040 fell to 4.59 percent from 4.63 percent. Its price rose 56.25 cents to $100.50.

The yield on the 3-month T-bill that matures July 29 rose to 0.16 percent from 0.15 percent. Its discount rate was 0.17 percent.

Whitman on Hot Seat Over 9/11 Aftermath

WASHINGTON - Ex-EPA chief Christie Whitman was bombarded by boos and a host of accusations Monday at a hearing into her assurances that it had been safe to breathe the air around the fallen World Trade Center.

The confrontation between the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency and her critics grew heated at times. Some members of the audience shouted in anger, only to be gaveled down by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who chaired the hearing.

For three hours Whitman faced charges from Nadler and others that the Environmental Protection Agency's public statements after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks gave people a false sense of safety.

Whitman maintained the government warned those working on the toxic debris pile to use respirators, while elsewhere in lower Manhattan the air was safe to the general public.

"There are indeed people to blame. They are the terrorists who attacked the United States, not the men and women at all levels of government who worked heroically to protect and defend this country," Whitman said.

Since the attacks, independent government reviews have faulted the EPA's handling of the immediate aftermath and the agency's long-term cleanup program for nearby buildings.

A study of more than 20,000 people by Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York concluded that, since the attacks, 70 percent of ground zero workers have suffered some sort of respiratory illness. A separate study released last month found that rescue workers and firefighters contracted sarcoidosis, a serious lung-scarring disease, at a rate more than five times as high as in the years before the attacks.

Nadler, a Democrat whose district includes the World Trade Center site, called the hearing after years of criticizing federal officials for what he says was a negligent and incomplete cleanup.

He said the Bush administration "has continued to make false, misleading and inaccurate statements and refused to take remedial actions, even in the face of overwhelming evidence."

Whitman called such allegations "misinformation, innuendo and downright falsehoods."

Her responses were mostly calm and deliberate. But under questioning from Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Whitman angrily raised her voice, saying she based her statements on "what I was hearing from professionals," not the whims of politicians.

Whitman pointed out that her son was in the World Trade Center complex that day, "and I almost lost him," at which point Ellison said he would not "stand here and allow you to try to obfuscate."

"I'm not obfuscating," Whitman shot back. "I have been called a liar even in this room today."

She has long insisted that her statements that the "air is safe" were aimed at those living and working near ground zero, not those who actually toiled on the toxic pile that included asbestos.

"Was it wrong to try get the city back on its feet as quickly as possible in the safest way possible? Absolutely not," she said, drawing catcalls from the crowd.

Dozens of activists and Sept. 11 rescue workers came to the hearing, and some in the audience hissed when Whitman said she felt former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's administration "did absolutely everything in its power to do what was right" in handling the health concerns.

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary subcommittee, said he worried that assigning blame to Whitman could mean, in future crises, that "officials might default to silence."

Fear of bridge collapse set off Cambodia stampede

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — As a suspension bridge in the Cambodian capital swayed under the weight of thousands of revelers, some began to shout that the structure was going to collapse. Others pushed, heaved and even jumped off the span as a panic took hold that ended in the deaths of more than 350 people.

Though typical, the movement of the bridge terrified the festival goers — many of whom were in Phnom Penh from the provinces for the end of rainy season and were unfamiliar with such bridges, city police Chief Touch Naroth said Wednesday, citing a government investigation he took part in.

"People became panicked when they saw other people fall down, and they started running when they heard cries that the bridge was going to collapse," Touch Naroth told AP Television News. The police chief shared details of the probe, though an official report has not been released.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Wednesday the official death toll was 351 dead with 395 injured.

But casualty figures have been a matter of confusion, with officials saying Tuesday that at least 755 people were hurt before walking that number back.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, for instance, is now citing two death tolls: one, based on data collected from hospitals in the capital, that is similar to the official figure, and another — 456 — based on reports collected from provincial officials.

The discrepancy could stem from the fact that friends or relatives took victims' bodies home before their deaths could be registered.

Prime Minister Hun Sen described the stampede as the biggest tragedy since the communist Khmer Rouge's reign of terror, which killed an estimated 1.7 million people in the late 1970s. He declared a day of national mourning for Thursday.

As many as 2 million people are believed to have come to the capital for celebrations of a three-day holiday marking the end of the monsoon season. As festivities wrapped up Monday night, tens of thousands flocked to a free concert on an island in the Bassac river.

An estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people were streaming over a bridge that connects the island to the mainland when it began to sway, according to Banyon TV, which serves as a mouthpiece for the government and was citing the investigation committee.

Thousands of Cambodians on Wednesday lit candles and made offerings to appease the souls of those who perished.

"I asked their souls to rest in peace and not to be angry with those still alive in the capital, especially my family members and relatives," said Meng Houth, a 52-year-old woman who laid out food and burned incense and a candle in front of her home.

Street cleaners late Wednesday removed the debris that littered the yellow-and-gray bridge after the disaster: rubber sandals and other footwear, plastic bracelets, water bottles, condom wrappers and pieces of sugar cane pieces, a local snack. Hun Sen was expected to pay a visit to the scene Thursday morning.

For Thursday's day of national mourning, the Tourism Ministry has asked all entertainment venues, including karaoke parlors, nightclubs, beer gardens and discotheques, to close for the day.

Freed hostage Peter Moore happy to be back

Former hostage Peter Moore says he is thrilled to be reunited with his family in England after being held captive for more than two years.

Moore says in a statement released Sunday by the British Foreign Office that he is "obviously delighted" to be back home.

The 36-year-old computer specialist also asks that he and his family be given the space and time to get to know one another again.

Moore and four other British men working as his bodyguards were kidnapped in May 2007 outside the Finance Ministry in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Three of the other men are confirmed to have been killed, and the fourth is believed to be dead.

Moore's captors released him Wednesday to British authorities in Baghdad.

Leading teams Stormers, Reds to clash in Super 15

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — South Africa's Stormers will field an unchanged team against the second-place Queensland Reds on Saturday as they attempt to extend their record six-match unbeaten start in the Super 15.

Stormers coach Alister Coetzee has stressed the importance of consistency as the Cape Town-based team takes on the the Australian side in the top-of-the-table contest.

The Stormers have the best defensive record in the Super 15 this season, conceding only 72 points in six games, and Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie acknowledges that unlocking that defense may be the key.

In other seventh-round matches, seven-time champions the Canterbury Crusaders will play the Pretoria-based Bulls, champions of the past two years, at the small provincial New Zealand venue of Timaru.

A showdown between two of the competition's marquee sides would usually fill a major stadium, but the Crusaders have been forced from their 40,000-seat home in Christchurch after last month's earthquake. After playing the Sharks at London's Twickenham stadium on March 27, the Crusaders will play their five remaining home matches at small New Zealand venues.

The Otago Highlanders will play the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs at Dunedin, the ACT Brumbies will play the Wellington Hurricanes in Canberra, the Western Force meet the New South Wales Waratahs in Perth and the Sharks will host compatriots the Lions in Durban.

The face-off between the championships' two top teams holds the most interest in the eighth of 15 regular-season rounds. Queensland beat the Stormers 16-13 when the teams met last year in Brisbane, and Coetzee said his much-improved team — beaten finalists last year — was eager to avenge that defeat.

The Stormers sat out the first round of the season with a bye but have since beaten the Lions, Cheetahs, Highlanders, Bulls, Force and Sharks. Coetzee said consistent selections had played an important part of the team's success.

"At the start of the season I thought starting out with a bye in the opening week might be a problem for us, but here we sit two weeks away from another bye," said Coetzee.

"That means that with the players coming into form now we can let them hit their straps for another two weeks, and then we can take the rest and reassess from there how we will approach the rest of the tournament.

"It wouldn't be a good idea to rotate (players) now just for the sake of it. What we are doing now is working and we would like to stick with what is working."

Captain Schalk Burger said it would be important for the Stormers maintain their current form, even in the face of a challenge as strong as that of the Reds.

"It's a long season and there is no room for complacency," he said. "We know that in this competition if you lose one game you can quickly find yourselves three matches down.

"Every time we win we feel that it raises the pressure for us to maintain that focus and that level of performance the following week."

Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie closely studied the Stormers last season, and particularly their defensive patterns, to learn the secrets of their continued success. The Stormers set a tournament record in 2010 when they conceded only 17 tries in 15 matches.

"We did more homework on them than on any other side," Ewen McKenzie told The Australian newspaper.

"We wanted to know how we could improve our own defense, but in the process we acquired a fair bit of knowledge about how to attack against it. We understand it pretty well but defense is about attitude, so you just can't go and imitate it. They've got good systems, but they've also got good people implementing it."

The clash between the Crusaders and Bulls also offers one of the season's highlights, and a compelling contest of styles.

The Crusaders are the top attacking team in the competition this season with 195 points from six games — an average of 32.5 points per game — but alloy that strength to the second-best defensive record in the tournament. Canterbury has conceded only 93 points at 15.5 points per game and hold joint second place with Queensland, three points behind the Stormers.

The Bulls have begun to regain form after losses to the Highlanders and Stormers and enter the match on the back of last week's win over the Hurricanes with four wins from six games.

Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner has been passed fit to play after recovering from a knee strain and Danie Rossouw returns to the starting lineup after missing the match against the Hurricanes.

"They certainly don 't come much harder than this one, " coach Frans Ludeke said. "The Crusaders are playing great rugby, but we have shown in the past that we never shy away from huge challenges. More importantly for us will be our own desire to improve every week. Last weekend showed massive improvement, but we will need another massive step-up to beat the Crusaders."

Mexico's central bank predicts economic growth

Mexico's central bank is holding its benchmark interest rate at 4.5 percent for the fourth consecutive month.

The bank has spent much of the year cutting rates to spur growth for the recession-wracked economy.

The economy grew 2.9 percent in the third quarter over the previous one, but officials estimate Mexico's GDP will fall about 7 percent overall in 2009.

The bank estimates inflation will be around 4 percent at the end of 2009, above its goal of 3 percent, but continuing a downward trend.

The bank decided Friday to not change the rate, which has not been raised since August 2008.

Mexico sends 80 percent of its exports to the United States and took the hardest hit from the global crisis of any Latin American economy.

HistoryMakers presents: An evening with Quincy Jones

The HistoryMakers are presenting An Evening With Quincy Jones, an international impresario, conductor, composer, musical arranger and trumpet virtuoso who will be interviewed by Gwen !fill, host of Washington Week on PBS, where she speaks on politics and policy. Pianist Herbie Hancock will serve as Master of Ceremonies Thursday, September 27, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The reception begins at 5:30 and the TV taping is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

The young composer Primous Fountain III, also a Chicago native, recently finished his 2nd Symphony this summer as a tribute to Quincy Jones - who commissioned the dynamic composition. Written in three movements, the mammoth score has more than a 150 pages.

Composer Fountain said, "I didn't rush myself in creating this music because I wanted it to be worthy of Quincy Jones' great contribution of his musical legacy." Primous Fountain is a graduate of Wendell Phillips High School and DePaul University.

An Evening With Quincy Jones is produced by Julieanna L. Richardson, founder and executive director of The HistoryMakers. The title sponsor is McDonald's Corporation.

Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is also a native of Chicago and was born on March 14, 1933. He is planning to celebrate his 75th birthday in 2008. Jones is the eldest son of Quincy Delightt Jones Sr., and Sara. Jones ancestry consists of Cherokee, West African and Welsh.

Jones became interested in music during elementary school and mastered the technique of the trumpet and brass instruments. His family moved to Bremerton, Wa., when he was ten years old, where he attended Garfield High School.

As a teenager, Quincy Jones manifested tremendous talent for performing and writing music. During his mid-teens he met Ray Charles and became a member of his ensemble. In 1951, Jones won a scholarship to the Schillinger House in Boston, but instead he toured with the legendary bandleader Lionel Hampton. He also spent a brief time attending Seattle University. His ability to compose and arrange songs was phenomenal and he demonstrated that significant skill while touring with Lionel Hampton.

When Quincy Jones toured the Middle East and South America, he became fascinated over the elements of musical styles and idioms while touring with the Dizzy Gillespie Band. In fact he was signed to a contract with ABC-Paramount Records that began his recording career, which enabled him to establish his own jazz orchestra. He decided to remain in Europe, particularly in France, where he studied composition with Nada Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen.

Quincy Jones earned great critical acclaim performing at the Paris Olympia and serving as the Music Director at Barclay bisques, the French Distributor of Mercury Records. After establishing another orchestra, Quincy Jones became a jazz giant of Europe and North America, however, the economic situation became terrible and the music situation became disastrous for the orchestra.

Irving Green, president of Mercury Records, provided Jones with finance in order that he could continue his fabulous career. Green, in 1964, gave him the position of vice-president of Mercury Records, a first position for an African musician.

Following his discovery of Lesley Gore and promoting and producing her into international fame in 1963, film director Sidney Lumet invited him to compose the first of the more than 33 major films he scored in 1964. The movie he scored was The Pawnbroker. Hollywood now realized that Quincy Jones was an ingenious musician and invited him to the West Coast. After resigning from Mercury Records his amazing career skyrocketed into the movie industry by scoring such films as: Walk, Don't Run, In Cold Blood, The Slender Tread, In the Heat of the Night, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which featured Merrilee Rush performing a cover of the Burt Bacharach classic What The World Needs Now, Cactus Flower, The Getaway, The Italian Job and The Color Purple.

For television, Quincy Jones scored for such shows as Roots, Ironside, Sanford and Son, and The Bill Cosby Show, titled Chump Change, which later served as the theme for the game sow Now You See It.

Quincy Jones considers himself extremely blessed after he recovered in 1974 from a cerebral aneurysm. After two major brain surgeries and a half year convalescing, he continues an active life in the field of music and the arts.

In 1985, the amazing musician produced the American recording We Are The World to benefit the victims of Ethiopia's famine.

Michael Jackson's album Off The Wall, which Quincy Jones produced, sold 20 million copies and the following album Thriller sold 60 millions - the highest-selling album of all time.

[Author Affiliation]

by Earl Calloway

Defender Staff Writer

Chip pan blaze [Edition 3]

CARMARTHEN firefighters were called to a kitchen fire at thetown's Furnace Bank hostel on May 20.

The chip pan fire smoke damage throughout the building.

Frist Abandons 2008 Presidential Bid

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist renounced a bid for the White House in 2008 on Wednesday, an early dropout from the most wide-open presidential race in decades.

"In the Bible, God tells us for everything there is a season, and for me, for now, this season of being an elected official has come to a close," said the Tennessee Republican, a surgeon before he entered politics in 1994.

While the first national convention delegates won't be chosen for more than a year, jockeying among potential presidential contenders is well under way.

Frist made his announcement as several potential GOP hopefuls were descending on Miami for the annual meeting of the Republican Governors' Association. Among them were Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, outgoing head of the group, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., planned private meetings with governors Thursday followed by a reception.

The roster of potential candidates in both parties is long in the first White House campaign since 1928 in which neither an incumbent president nor vice president is in the early mix of candidates.

Frist's brief statement did not specify a reason for dropping out of a race he had eyed for more than a year, and had included trips to the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

In a statement, he said he "will take a sabbatical from public life" and "return to my professional roots as a healer and to refocus my creative energies on innovative solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges Americans face."

His decision capped a 12-year career in politics marked by a speedy rise but an uncertain tenure at the peak of Senate power.

He won his Senate seat in 1994 and pledged to serve no longer than two six-year terms.

His launching pad to national power was the chairmanship of the Senate GOP campaign committee, which gained seats under his direction in 2002. That, in turn, positioned him to become majority leader when Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott made racially insensitive comments after the election and was forced to step aside.

As majority leader, Frist worked to implement President Bush's agenda, from passage of tax cuts to confirmation of conservative judges. He played a significant role in legislation that overhauled Medicare and created a prescription drug benefit.

His politics and his medical training collided in 2005 in the case of Terri Schiavo, and he was widely criticized for pandering to religious conservatives by injecting himself into the debate over the brain-damaged woman. Doctors in the case said she was in a persistent vegetative state. Frist, in his office in the Capitol, viewed a videotape of her, then publicly questioned the diagnosis.

An autopsy later confirmed their judgment, not his.

Frist also remains under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission on insider trading charges in connection with the sale of shares in HCA Inc. Frist's father and brother founded the firm and it formed the foundation of the senator's considerable personal wealth. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, although his hopes for a speedy end to the investigation have not materialized.

Also embarrassing was a disclosure by The Associated Press in August that Frist had not met the continuing medical education requirement needed to remain licensed, although he submitted paperwork to Tennessee officials indicating that he had. He quickly complied with the requirements and retained his license.

Apart from McCain, Huckabee and Romney, other potential GOP contenders for the White House include Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Gov. George Pataki of New York; Rep. Duncan Hunter of California; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois are the best known nationally; outgoing Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will be first to formally declare his candidacy, on Thursday, in his home state.

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and former Sen. John Edwards are expected to run, and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico may, as well.

Former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia has announced he will not run for the presidency in 2008. Warner, like Frist, had begun putting in place a campaign organization to raise money and line up supporters in early caucus and primary states, as well as nationally.

Jazz great Ahmad Jamal to perform at 20th African Fest, Sept. 4 - 7

Performances by world-renowned jazz pi- anist Ahmad Jamal, South African songs-tress Lorraine klaa-sen. vocal- ist Julia Huff, musician Book-er T. Jones. Congolese touring ensem- ble Sou-kous Stars, the first U.S. tour of the Cuban group Los 3 de la Ha- bana, the dance group Spirit and more highlight one of the largest events focusing on Af-rica the "must attend" 20m annual African festival of die arts which promises to "rock" Washington Park the Labor Day weekend.

Africa International House presents the 20th Annual Chrysler Financial African Festival of the Arts, Sept. 4-7, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., in Washington Park. (Enter at 51st and Callage Grove.)

Jamal, a former Chicagoan, performs Sept. 6, 8:45 p.m., on me Dee Parmer Woodtar main stage. Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the gate; $30, a weekend Main stage VlP seating is also available.

AFA celebrates 20 years of Africa and Africans throughout the Diaspora and especially in Chicago. Washington Park, located just a stone's throw from President Barack Obama's Hyde Park neigh- borhood, will be trans- formed into an African village filled with artists and artisans, music, dance, drumming, the exotic aroma of African cuisine and an expected 250,000 festival-goers seeking to experience the continent and culture of Africa.

This year's theme. History, Traditions & Legends, which, says Patrick Woodtor, festival producer and Africa International House president, is indicative of the cultural influence of Africa from ancient times through present day and beyond.

"This year's festival represents 20 years of OUT mission to educate our authences about Africa, the cradle of all civilization, wltile celebrating her significance and impact on mankind." Woodtor said.

Av always, the Festival offers something for everyone . . .

At the very heart of the festival is the African Marketplace featuring more man 300 artists and vendors wim a variety of African and Afrocentric wares including fine art. artifacts, crafts, fashions, jewelry, masks, collectibles, baskets, beads, fabrics, textiles, museum-quality African art. furniture, household goods and gift items.

Additionally, me fine arts, film and quilting pavilions will have an array of offerings. The Children's Pavilion will be filled with activity to enter- tain and educate young fest-goers. The Heal�i and Wellness Village will be filled with activities focused on maintaining optimal health and fitness. The Spiritual-ity PavUion will explore ancient belief systems and the roots of religion.

Festival favorites such as the Drumming Village and the Bank of the Nile Food Court will keep visitors in Washington Park all weekend long.

The 20m Annual AFA presenting sponsor, Chrysler Financial, is joined by other sponsors, including State Farm Insurance, BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Target, III. Dept of Human Services, National Endowment for the Arts. 111. Arts Council, Black McDonalds Operators Association, U.S. Bank, UIC Sickle Cell Center, Cricket, Chicago Park District, Wine Cellars Distribution, Chicago South Loop Hotel and United Africa Organization.

Media sponsors: NBC5. Citizen Newspapers, Comcast, Power 92.3 FM, Soul 106.3, WYCA Rejoice 102.3. The Africa Channel. Bronzecomm.com, SoIeU 's To-Dos and Click Around Chicago.com. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more, call (773) 955- ARTS (2787) or visit www.africanfestivalchicago.com.

The mission of Africa International House is to serve as a center mat exposes and educates all people to me individual works and coUective contributions of African cultures. Yep! See yti there!

Friends' Celebration - Joli Burrell, past president of the Friends of La Rabida Children's Hospital, receives "high honors for volun- tary leadership" during a Celebration of Friends, an annual fundraiser on Nov. 12 at the Four Seasons Hotel to benefit hospital programs and services. Joli has worked for more man 15 years to raise money for the hospital and its programs. La Rabida's Child Advocacy Centers in Chicago and Park For-est both bear her name and have directly benefited from her generosity.

Other community civic and business leaders being honored: Illinois State Senate President John Cullerton. D-Chicago, "for continuing a legacy of public service;" Vincent W. Foglia, chair and CEO of Sage Products "for hu-manitarian vision;" Maria Pinto, fashion designer, "for creative inspiration;" and James C. Tyree, Mesirow Financial's CEO "for corporate involvement.**

Tickets start at $350; guests will enjoy a magical cocktail reception, foUowed by dinner and awards. For more info and to obtain tickets online, visit www.larabida.org or caU Lauren Smith, (312) 553-2000.

La Rabida Children's Hospital provides comprehensive care for children who are chronicaUy ill with lifelong medical conditions, developmental disabilities and those who have been abused. Located on die shore of Lake Michigan at Jackson Park, La Rabi-da has served the children of Chicago for over UO years.

Gala Re-Groups - After a two-year absence, Ghingo W. Brooks, newly named president of Mal-colm X College, wants us all to know that the President's Scholarship Gala is returning Oct. 16 with the theme of Building Scholars to showcase "the ac-complishments of the school and celebrate our students' achievements. The gala. Brooks continues, "is part of the 40th anniversary celebration of Malcolm X Col-lege and its 40 years as one of Chicago's historic, empowering and groundbreaking educational institutions." Brooks is currently on the lookout for sponsorships, gift bags and door prizes in addition to block ticket purchases.

"Support will assist many of our students in realizing their dreams and goals. And it may produce die second Black female astrophysicist. One of our shining examples, an alumna, Dr. Reva K. Williams, received her GED and associate degree from Malcolm X College, her B.A. degree from Northwestern Univ. in Astronomy and Physics and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana Univ. in Astrophysics. Dr. Williams is me first Black female astrophysicist.

"We need the corporate and me community's assistance to insure mat Dr. Williams is among the first of her kind, not the last. And we look forward to sponsorships and contributions as Malcolm X College continues to fulfill our mission of Empowerment through Education," Brooks said.

"Through the years, since it founding as Crane Technical High School in 1911, Malcolm X has been at the forefront of providing advance educational opportunities. The history of the college parallels and reflects that of the great metropolis of Chicago; it is one of transformation, diversity, dynamism and growth. Malcolm X provides associate degrees and college credit certificates that provide access to affordable, quality education for our underserved communities."

Wanna know more? Call (312) 850-7037.

[Author Affiliation]

by Theresa Fambro Hooks

email: tesee@chicagodefender.com

Plumber placed on probation for threats

A Plumber who threatened his Polish neighbour has been put onprobation for six months.

Iain McClenaghan, 39, sent a letter to Tomasz Slaba telling him toleave the North-east or "face the violence".

The letter said: "You and your Polish friends leave Torry. If notthere will be bloodshed like you haven't seen since 1939.

"We will make the Warsaw ghettos look like a picnic."

McClenaghan, of 9b Balnagask Avenue, Aberdeen, previously admittedacting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intendedto cause alarm and distress to Mr Slaba by sending him a lettercontaining offensive, threatening and racial remarks. The offence wason October 29 last year.

The court had heard that McClenaghan told police he had been drunkand it was a prank.

Yesterday McClenaghan was put on probation with the condition heattend an anti-discriminatory awareness programme.

As he left court McClenaghan said: "I'm not a racist. I havenothing against Polish people, I work with them."

Cool Brees helps get Saints back track

A trans-Atlantic trip was just what Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints needed to get their season back on track.

Brees went 30-for-41 for 339 yards and three touchdown passes against his former team, leading the Saints to a 37-32 win over San Diego on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, putting New Orleans back at .500 and dropping the Chargers to 3-5.

The Saints (4-4) held off a late comeback by the Chargers, who came from 37-20 down early in the fourth quarter and were driving for the tying touchdown. But linebacker Jonathan Vilma picked off a pass by Philip Rivers with just over a minute to go. Brees took a safety in the final seconds to complete the scoring.

After last year's rain-soaked, error-filled 13-10 win by the New York Giants over the Miami Dolphins in London, the NFL was hoping for a high-scoring, offensive show in its return to the English capital. And that's just what the 83,226 fans at England's showcase venue got.

Brees, who came into the game leading the NFL with 2,224 yards passing, exploited the Chargers' vulnerable pass defense. But Philip Rivers, his former backup in San Diego, came up with big numbers too, completing 25 of 40 attempts for 343 yards and three touchdowns to bring his season total to 19 TDs. But while Brees went without an interception, Rivers' one pick on the final drive proved crucial.

Giants 21, Steelers 14

At Pittsburgh, The New York Giants did little with the exceptional field position the Steelers gave them. Finally, when it seemed Pittsburgh had too much depth and defense for the Super Bowl champs, the Steelers were tripped up by _ of all things _ a bad punt snap.

Eli Manning threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss with 3:11 remaining for the Giants' only touchdown after they tied it several minutes before on a bizarre safety. Linebacker James Harrison's high snap on the punt gave New York two points, and the Giants held off Pittsburgh for a 21-14 victory in a matchup of division leaders.

The resilient Steelers (5-2) playing with backups all over the field, tried to make up for Ben Roethlisberger's four interceptions by turning two big-play scores into a lead they preserved with a goal-line stand midway through the fourth quarter.

But the Giants (6-1) tied it with 6:48 remaining on the safety.

Pro Bowl linebacker Harrison, playing center due to long snapper Greg Warren's knee injury, snapped the ball over punter Mitch Berger's head and out of the end zone. It wasn't certain why Harrison was snapping rather than starting center Justin Hartwig or right guard Darnell Stapleton, a center at Rutgers.

John Carney kicked four field goals for New York.

Browns 23, Jaguars 17

At Jacksonville, Florida, Jamal Lewis ran for 81 yards and a touchdown and Derek Anderson completed three huge passes to give the Browns their second victory in as many games without Winslow, the outspoken Pro Bowl tight end who missed the game after criticizing the team following his staph infection.

The Browns (3-4) played their best game of the season two weeks ago while Winslow was in the hospital and beat the Giants.

They didn't miss him against the Jaguars (3-4), either.

Anderson finished 14-of-27 for 264 yards and a touchdown. He had 168 yards passing in the first half, including a 5-yard TD toss to Donte' Stallworth; a 51-yard completion to Winslow's replacement, Steve Heiden, on fourth down; and a 43-yarder to Braylon Edwards that set up a short field goal.

Seahawks 34, 49ers 13

At San Francisco, fullback Leonard Weaver made two lengthy touchdown catches, Josh Wilson returned an interception 75 yards for a score and the Seahawks snapped their three-game losing streak.

Texans 35, Bengals 6

At Houston, Kevin Walter scored two touchdowns. He scored one touchdown in three seasons with Cincinnati, but set a career high by getting his fourth and fifth touchdowns of the year against his old club.

The win gave Houston (3-4) three consecutive victories in a single season for the first time in franchise history, and dropped Cincinnati to 0-8 for the fourth time.

Dolphins 25, Bills 16

At Miami, Ted Ginn had a breakout game with seven catches for a career-high 175 yards, and the Dolphins overcame a nine-point third-quarter deficit. With Ginn's first 100-yard game, he made by far his biggest impact since Miami's much-mocked decision to take him with the ninth pick of last year's draft.

Cowboys 13, Buccaneers 9

At Irving, Texas, Brad Johnson made up for several missed chances at touchdowns by throwing one to newcomer Roy Williams at the end of a drive sustained by four defensive penalties. The maligned Dallas defense made it hold up.

Panthers 27, Cardinals 23

Kurt Warner put up the better numbers, but Jake Delhomme engineered the comeback that kept the Panthers unbeaten at home and atop the NFC South. Delhomme threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 65-yard strike to Steve Smith.

The Panthers (6-2, 5-0 at home) rallied from a 17-3 third-quarter deficit despite Warner's big day. He threw for 381 yards _ by far the most given up by Carolina this season _ and two touchdowns to Anquan Boldin. But the Cardinals (4-3) continued their road woes in part thanks to a botched fake field goal and a missed extra point.

Patriots 23, Rams 16

At Foxborough, The Patriots got by the Rams on a fingertip touchdown catch by Kevin Faulk. The Patriots' best pass-catching running back hung onto Matt Cassel's 15-yard pass on the left edge of the end zone with 3:19 remaining.

Eagles 27, Falcons 14

At Philadelphia, Brian Westbrook returned to his All-Pro form and rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns as part of a dynamic all-around effort.

Redskins 25, Lions 17

At Detroit, Santana Moss dashed Detroit's hopes of finally winning a game.

Moss had a go-ahead touchdown reception in the third quarter and returned a punt for another score in the fourth.

Clinton Portis joined O.J. Simpson in the NFL record book with his fifth straight game with at least 120 yards rushing. He has 126 yards.

The Redskins allowed the Lions to go ahead with their first score in an opening quarter this season and trailed until Moss caught a 50-yard pass that capped a 95-yard drive with 4:42 left in the third quarter. He returned a punt 80 yards early in the fourth, giving Washington a 22-10 lead.

Jets 28, Chiefs 24

At East Rutherford, New Jersey, after struggling all game, Brett Favre connected with Laveranues Coles for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1 minute left. The heavily favored Jets overcame three interceptions by Favre and an upset-minded Chiefs team using its third-string quarterback.

Ravens 29, Raiders 10

At Baltimore, On an afternoon that belonged to Rex Ryan and his tenacious Baltimore defense, the unquestionable highlight was a 43-yard pass from one Ravens quarterback to another.

Baltimore limited the Oakland Raiders to 35 yards while building a 19-point halftime lead, and the Ravens got a safety and four sacks. The win was particularly sweet for Ryan, whose twin brother Rob is defensive coordinator for the Raiders (2-5).

Australia raises interest rate to 3.25 percent

Australia's central bank unexpectedly raised interest rates by a quarter point Tuesday, becoming the first major economy to increase the cost of borrowing amid signs its recovery from the global slump is gaining momentum.

The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its cash rate to 3.25 percent from a 49-year low of 3 percent. Between September 2008 and April this year, the rate was slashed a total of four and a quarter percentage points as the financial crisis morphed into a global recession.

The rate hike, which comes after recent data showed the economy was improving, sent the Australian dollar soaring to a 14-month high against the U.S. dollar.

The central bank's governor, Glenn Stevens, said it was "prudent" to begin gradually reducing the stimulus provided by low interest rates. He said the risk of "serious economic contraction" in Australia had passed.

At a Group of 20 summit in the U.S. last month, leaders of major developing and industrialized nations agreed to keep their stimulus efforts _ which include increased government spending and low interest rates _ largely in place for now to avoid derailing still-fragile recoveries.

But Australia, a G-20 member, has weathered the worst global downturn in decades better than other developed countries. It avoided slipping into recession _ helped by stable banks, demand from China for iron ore and other minerals, and the government's 42 billion Australian dollars ($37 billion) of stimulus spending.

Asia, a crucial market for Australia's mineral exports, is rebounding from the downturn faster than the West and could face asset bubbles and a spike in inflation if governments wait too long to withdraw stimulus measures. Rising food prices are already becoming a problem in India. HBSC economists said in a report Tuesday that South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines are also on the radar as countries particularly vulnerable to an inflation blowout.

Australia's gross domestic product grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter, accelerating from 0.4 percent growth in the previous quarter. In September, consumer confidence surged to its highest level since July 2007. Since March, Australian shares are up 50 percent.

Stevens said the global economy was growing and its recovery was likely to continue during 2010. The prospects for Australia's Asian trading partners appeared to be "noticeably better," he said.

"Growth in China has been very strong, which is having a significant impact on other economies in the region and on commodity markets," Stevens said.

Most economists had expected the central bank to leave the interest rate unchanged until November.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said the global economic outlook was still fragile, and growth was below its long-term average levels. This meant stimulus measures, including low interest rates, could not be fully withdrawn yet, he said.

"We must still keep in place expansionary monetary and fiscal policy," Swan told a news conference.

Economists were split on whether the move came too soon.

National Australia Bank senior economist Spiros Papadopoulos said the central bank clearly had more confidence about the outlook for the economy to take the action it did.

"We felt that the Reserve Bank would have waited another month to get further information that the recovery would be sustained but they are feeling confident that it will be," he said.

Papadopoulos said a 3.25 percent cash rate was still providing stimulus for the economy.

"It is still a very low interest rate," he said.

The opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said the decision was a direct result of the federal government's reckless spending. He called on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to pull back on its stimulus spending, saying it would put further pressure on the central bank to raise rates again.

The Australian dollar jumped from $US0.8671 just before the RBA's announcement to $US0.8844 less than 10 minutes later.

Thailand: Gold Mine Operating Aggressively

Gold Mine Garment Company is carrying out its aggressive expansion policy in line with progress following the conclusion of the FTA (Free Trade Area) agreements. With its main factory in Samutprakarn, the company employs 1,800 workers. The company built a satellite-type factory in Bureeram in the northeast section and initially employed 500 workers. The company doubled the scale of this factory at the end of 2005. Cutting, finishing and shipment functions are in the process of development.

Delivery time for yarn dyed products is sixty days, but a study is under way to shorten it to 45 days.

Timberwolves Rally Past Clippers

Al Jefferson had 30 points and 12 rebounds, Randy Foye tied a career-high with 26 points _ six in the final 1:15 _ and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 13-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 99-96 on Saturday night.

The Timberwolves, who beat Sacramento on Friday night, have won consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 11-14, 2007.

Playing their fourth game in five nights, Minnesota used its 24th different starting lineup. Jefferson _ the only player to start all 62 games for the Wolves and the only one averaging more than 15 points _ was 13-for-22 from the field.

Corey Maggette led the Clippers with 29 points, Al Thornton added 18 and Chris Kaman had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Jefferson scored eight points during a 14-4 run, helping Minnesota turn an eight-point deficit into a 91-89 lead with 3:16 remaining. After Cuttino Mobley's 3-pointer gave Los Angeles a 94-93 lead with 1:39 to play, the Wolves regained the lead for good 24 seconds later on a 21-footer by Foye.

The second-year guard added a driving layup with 10.5 seconds left, and clinched it with a pair of free throws after Maggette hit a 20-footer to cut Minnesota's lead to a point with 3 seconds on the clock.

The Clippers called timeout and inbounded the ball for a chance at a tying 3, which Mobley shot over the rim from the left corner with a wide-open look as time expired. The loss was the Clippers' eighth in nine games.

Notes:@ Wolves C Michael Doleac was not with the club due to the death of his grandmother. ... The Clippers and Wolves have a combined total of 34 wins, which is fewer than 12 other NBA teams. ... The Clippers signed F Nick Fazekas to a second 10-day contract. ... The Wolves (14-48) are two losses away from matching last season's total with 23 games remaining. They would have to go 10-11 the rest of the way to avoid their sixth 60-loss season in the franchise's 19-year history, and their first since going 21-61 in 1994-95. ... Minnesota is 2-13 this season in the second game of back-to-back sets. ... The Wolves are 4-4 this season when Jefferson scores 30 points.

ADM's price fixing movie opens in firm's hometown

In Decatur, soybeans and corn are big business, and nobody is bigger than Archer Daniels Midland Company.

People in the central Illinois city listen to the radio station WSOY, borrow money from Soy Capital Bank and Trust and stay at the Soy City Motel _ all a testament to just how much ADM means to Decatur.

When the movie "The Informant!" starring Matt Damon debuted at local theaters Friday, Decatur got the chance to see itself and one of ADM's worst hours played out on film _ and as dark comedy, at that.

Almost 15 years after the price-fixing scandal at the heart of the film, some residents don't appear eager to relive it on the silver screen. But others can't wait to see their city of 76,000 on film _ especially after Damon and the rest of the crew spent several weeks filming here.

"It's done, it's over with," said pool store manager Don Stolz, 52. "I think the excitement of the movie being done in Decatur overrides all of that."

When the scandal broke in 1995, there was fear in Decatur over what it all might eventually mean to ADM and the several thousand jobs it provides.

The company was fined $100 million for working with competitors to fix the prices of food additives lysine and citric acid. Three of its executives _ among them Mark Whitacre, the man played in the movie by a mustachioed, pear-shaped Damon _ went to prison. Kurt Eichenwald wrote a best-seller about the scheme that led to the movie.

For some here, the scandal was the moment they really got to know what their most prominent neighbor did with the countless bushels of corn and soybeans it buys.

"This thing made me understand lysine and glutamate," said Skip Huston, who owns the downtown Avon Theater, the site of the movie's Decatur debut. His 700-seat theater sold about 250 tickets for the 12:01 a.m. Friday premiere and was sold out for Friday night's show.

ADM employees are not hard to spot in Decatur. Walk through the park at the center of downtown at lunchtime and it's easy to find them _ identifiable by their security badges _ among those eating, talking and reading. At least one said he'll see the movie, but none would talk further to a reporter.

Other residents at the park appeared protective of the company, brusquely turning away questions. One said talking about the movie means having to take sides between Whitacre and the Andreas family, which long ran the company.

ADM spokeswoman Victoria Podesta said when the movie production was in Decatur some people who don't work for the company checked with ADM to see if the company minded before renting property to the film crew or working as extras.

But there are plenty of people here, like Stolz, who don't mind having Decatur and ADM back in the spotlight.

Sitting in the park, Macon County Clerks' Office employee Jacalyn Robinson points out nearby spots where the movie was shot last year.

"You could kind of stand around on your lunch hour and watch," said Robinson, 59.

During his time in Decatur, Damon spent hours by many accounts signing autographs. The local paper posted reader-submitted photos to its Web site of a mostly smiling Damon with residents.

"How often do you see a guy whose last film made a quarter of a billion dollars walking around downtown Decatur, even if he did have a toupee and a bad mustache?" asked Tim Cain, entertainment editor at the Decatur Herald & Review. He plays a reporter at a news conference in the film.

The time Damon, director Steven Soderbergh and others spent here, and the assurances they made that ADM and Decatur wouldn't become caricatures, softened up some folks to the idea of a movie about one of the darker hours in local history.

"I think they did a good job of kind of assuring people that they had no animus against the town and had no desire to paint any kind of negative picture of the town; that's' what they also told us about the company," said ADM's Podesta, who saw the script early on and the movie before it's release, though she says the company didn't have a say in the content of either.

So if the promised laughs of the dark comedy don't come at the expense of Decatur or ADM, that mostly leaves Whitacre, the man at the heart of the film who _ in real life but not the movie _ found himself blowing leaves off his driveway at 3 o'clock on a November morning as his life melted down.

The movie, Whitacre said, isn't entirely a comedy, certainly not for him. It deals head on, he said, with the bipolar disorder he now blames for much of what he did.

It also makes clear that he and the other ADM executives, and the company, paid a steep price, he said.

"I don't think we could have, 10 years ago, lived through this whole story again," said Whitacre, 52, who now lives in Florida and heads a California biotech company. "Time heals, and it's a lot easier to sit back and even laugh at parts of it that I couldn't have a long time ago.

Stearns rescues top-rated St. Rita

With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, Kyle Stearns of No. 1 St. Rita stroked a grounder past St. Laurence shortstop Mike Witas to give the host Mustangs a 4-3 win on Saturday.

In the seventh, St. Laurence's Jake Rotkvich hit a Mark Payton fastball for a home run to tie it at 3.

In the eighth, St. Rita pinch hitter Anthony Andres laced a grounder past Witas for a double. John Starcevich laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Andres, and Kevin Austin was hit by a pitch before Dan Dispensa was intentionally walked to bring up Stearns.

''Stearns played great,'' St. Rita coach Mike Zunica said. ''He does all the little …

Jodie bids to make waves at nationals

Cheadle Amateur Swimming Club's Jodie Hawksworth begins her huntfor medals at the ASA National Youth Championships today.

Hawksworth is in 200m individual medley action at Sheffield'sPonds Forge pool.

The 16-year-old then takes on the nation's top juniors in the200m breaststroke tomorrow before tackling the 100m breaststroke onSaturday.

Hawksworth, who competed for Great Britain in the European JuniorChampionships in Belgrade earlier this month, is the fastest rankedswimmer in the 100m breaststroke.

The Cheadle ASA swimmer, who now trains with Derventio eXcel, wasseventh in the European Junior Championships 100m final aftersetting a new …

MetroPCS selects ZTE to make LTE phones.(CHINA)

U.S.-based CDMA operator MetroPCS has chosen Chinese telecom equipment vendor ZTE for producing LTE (Long Term Evolution) phones, giving a clear shape to the former's 4G plans. Keys, MetroPCS's chief operating officer, said that the telecom vendor and the carrier are already teaming up to make handsets. He said that ZTE is currently making a smartphone that has …

BURNING RIGHT PRESCRIBED BURNS MAY REDUCE FIRE RISK.(LIFE & LEISURE)

Byline: MATTHEW CARR The Dallas Morning News

When the smoke finally clears from this fevered season of forest fires, the science will still be far from clear-cut.

But research is now under way to study how prescribed burns -- intentional fires that simulate the natural ecological effects of wildfires -- might be used to avoid future fire outbreaks.

This summer's most notorious prescribed fire started a blaze that burned 50,000 acres of New Mexico forest in May. The fire destroyed more than 200 homes and threatened the nuclear-weapons research facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. But a major point of prescribed burns is to reduce the …

Aesthetics group names board of directors.

2003 OCT 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Advanced Aesthetics Institute (AAI) announced its medical board of directors.

The board of directors will be responsible for overseeing all of AAI's clinical activities to ensure that its fully integrated client consultations and medical delivery promote the safest, most up-to-date aesthetic improvement possible. AAI is the first business platform to offer a complete suite of cosmetic services and medical procedures to customers under one delivery system in facilities being rolled out across the United States.

"AAI is proud to have a medical board of directors made up of top physicians who are at the forefront of …

Disaster Planning: a Perfect Storm?

Unlike the Sept. 11 terror attacks and the Northeast power outage in August 2003, Hurricane Katrina gave companies throughout the Gulf Coast time to back up data and implement their business continuity plans.

The only question was whether companies prepared properly for Katrina's wrath. Backup tapes, data center redundancy and temporary headquarters are one thing. It's another to lose power and roads, plants, the supply chain and the business ecosystem. The rub with disaster recovery planning is that you have to make assumptions and balance risks with costs. Should a Manhattan company prepare for a Category 5 hurricane? Does a Des Moines, Iowa, firm prep for a nuclear bomb? How …

R.W. Beck acquires Texas firm. (Industry News).(Reed, Stowe & Yanke LLC)(Brief Article)

Management consulting and engineering firm R. W. Beck, Inc., Seattle, has announced the acquisition of Austin, Texas-based consulting firm Reed, Stowe & Yanke LLC (RS&Y). The firm offers water, wastewater, storm water, electric, gas and solid waste industry consulting.

Effective in March, RS&Y, a 12-person firm with a reported $1.5 million in billings for 2002, will be a division of R. W. Beck, a 61-year-old management consulting and engineering firm that concentrates on industry and public agencies that provide power, water/wastewater/stormwater, solid waste and telecommunications services.

"RS&Y's …

Riders revving up for Cape Town's Toy Run; Tens of thousands of bikers preparing for the annual charity Toy Run.(Motoring)

BYLINE: Dave Abrahams

THE most popular and most heart-warming event on South Africa's annual motorcycle calender, the Toy Run, takes place this Sunday.

Tens of thousands of motorcyclists all over the country, their bikes colourfully decorated with teddies and other toys, will take to the streets early on Sunday morning for the 27th running of this charity event.

All toys collected will go to underprivileged children. The Toy Run reminds us that thousands of children in homes, shelters, institutions and day-care groups do not have parents or, if they do, they cannot afford to feed them, let alone buy Christmas gifts.

Cape Town's Toy Run …

SPAC DANCES ITS WAY INTO A LONGER SEASON.(Weekend)

Byline: Jackie Demaline Executive entertainment editor

On the theory that one month of premier dance is never enough, Saratoga Performing Arts Center will extend its traditional July dance season into August in 1987, favoring fans with a collection of firsts and favorites.

July 7-25 will mark the 22nd residency of the New York City Ballet, bringing with it two Saratoga premieres, the annual gala and a George Balanchine-Jerome Robbins repertory including the full-length "Coppelia."

In August, the first U.S. tour of the London Ballet, the return of Murray Louis Dance Company after more than 10 years and a debuting Choreography Project almost 10 years …

JUVENILE OFFENDERS TO BE FINGERPRINTED.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: -- Associated Press

ALBANY -- Juvenile offenders over 12 years of age will be fingerprinted starting Nov. 1 under a new law signed by Gov. George Pataki, officials announced Friday.

The law is intended to establish with certainty the identity, age and criminal history of juvenile offenders, said Assemblyman Daniel Feldman, a Brooklyn Democrat, and the bill's sponsor in that house.

…

Wine selections: the Beverage Dynamics National Retailer Wine Panel recommends a lineup of top quality/value chardonnays.(Retailer)

CHARDONNNAY

FIVE STARS

***** (96) Ramey Cellars 2001 Russian River Chardonnay (California). Even though the expression of fruit screams Russian River, it still leads to a very Burgundian character of lush flavors with great acidity. ($35)

***** (95) Shafer 2002 Red Shoulders Ranch Chardonnay (California). Big, lush weighty wine with pear, golden apple, honeysuckle and honey; well-balanced deep core of fruit that appeals to a wide range of wine drinkers. ($38)

***** (94) Chateau Souverain 2001 Winemakcrs Reserve Russian River Chardonnay (California). Tropical fruit with hints of orange blossoms and sur lies aging adding delightful nuances of vanilla; a real treat ($26)

***** (94) Landmark 2001 Overlook Chardonnay (California). A consistenly awesome chardonnay, in every way; great with lobster. ($28)

***** (94) Hartford Court 2001 Stone Cote Vineyard Chardonnay (California). Aromas of lanolin, nectarine, baked pear and minerals with hints of red apple; very Chablisesque in nose and palate. ($35)

***** (94) Cloudy Bay 2003 Chardonnay (Marlborough, New Zealand). Bold and rich with nice spice and nutty notes adding to the pretty ripe pear, mango and apricot fruit flavors; beautifully balanced with a long, rich finish. ($28)

***** (93) Chateau Rully, Mercurey Blanc 2002 (France). Sourced from 50% Premier Cru vineyards in the fantastic 2002 vintage, this wine explodes on the palate with layers of bright citrus, apples, ripe pears and just a hint of creamy vanilla; medium-bodied, this wine rivals many classified growths from more famous villages in the Cotes de Beaune; pairs with crab imperial. ($25)

***** (93) Villa Mt Eden 2001 Grand Reserve Chardonnay California). Big and lush with substantial weight; deep ripe pear fruit that's folded into a good balance and structure; stands up to wines three times the price; a good buy. ($18)

***** (93) Rombauer 2002 Carneros Chardonnay (California). Rich chardonnay fruit and a creamy texture surrounded by well-balanced acidity and oak; an outstanding effort. ($28)

***** (93) Chappellet 2001 Chardonnay (California). From a winery, whose claim to fame is their cabernet, they have really refined their whites; a wine more reminiscent of a White Burgundy, with golden straw tones and hints of apples and pears in the nose with well defined flavors that display a creamy elegance and a finish that stays on long after you have swallowed. ($15)

***** (93) Domaine Martelet de Cherisey Puligny-Montrachet Hameau de Blagny Premier Cru 2002 (France). Fruit-forward and oily; a very full and lush Puligny. ($65)

***** (93) Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2002 Arcadia Chardonnay (California). Chablis style from California; very linear lines, great balance and length. ($50)

***** 0(92) Domaine Fevre Chablis Fourchaume-Vaulorent Permier Cru 2002(France). A stellar Chablis vintage with the clean lines that one would expect, with apples and mineral nuances. ($40) Clicquot, Inc.

***** (92) Martin Ray 2001 Chardonnay …

Samsung Electronics dismisses worries about group corruption probe, outlines growth plans

A Samsung Electronics Co. official said Wednesday that a bribery scandal engulfing the Samsung Group conglomerate is no major cause for concern as he outlined ambitious growth plans for the technology giant.

"We are unfazed by all this," Chu Woo-sik, head of investor relations at Samsung Electronics told a forum of investors and analysts, assuring them that the scandal was "nothing to worry about" and that "truth will prevail."

Prosecutors this month launched a probe into allegations that Samsung Group officials kept a slush fund and bribed prosecutors, judges and lawmakers. President Roh Moo-hyun has approved the establishment …

FBI reported probing word of Sen. Helms leak to Chile

NEW YORK (AP) The FBI is investigating whether Sen. Jesse Helms(R-N.C.) or one of his aides passed sensitive U.S. intelligenceinformation to the Chilean government, the New York Times reported intoday's editions.

The newspaper cited congressional and administration officialsas saying the inquiry was focusing on charges that the Chileans hadbeen tipped off on a covert U.S. intelligence-gathering operation.

The officials told the Times that the Senate Select Committee onIntelligence asked for the investigation after reviewing StateDepartment evidence of a leak of information to …

Investtech gives "buy" on PGS.

(ADPnews) - Dec 23, 2009 - Investtech gave today a "buy" recommendation on Norwegian seismic surveyor Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (OSL:PGS), as the stock is in a rising trend and further growth is …