iTunes' top 10 selling singles and albums of the week ending Nov. 9, 2009:
Singles:
1. "Fireflies," Owl City
2. "Replay," Iyaz
3. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)," Jay-Z
4. "Russian Roulette," Rihanna
5. "Party in the USA," Miley Cyrus
6. "Tik Tok," Ke$ha
7. "3," Britney Spears
8. "Whatcha Say," Jason DeRulo
9. "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
10. …
"The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy: Laurel and Hardy andFriends" contains six cassettes culled from 30,000 feet of film madefrom recently uncovered original camera negatives.
The old nitrate film has been revived, restored and re-masteredby archivist and artist Michael Agee, president of NostalgiaArchives.
Each reel also features "Our Gang" skits.
The Nostalgia Archive videos, $19.95 each, are distributed byFast Forward Marketing through Critic's Choice (800-383-8811) andrange from 97 to 124 …
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Werder Bremen travels to title holder Bayern Munich without both its regular central defenders as the Bundesliga season resumes with a showdown between two Champions League sides.
The absence of Per Merstesacker and Naldo could force Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf to use new signing Mikael Silvestre in a central role in Saturday's game. Silvestre was one of several players signed by Bundesliga clubs just before the transfer window closed ahead of the international break.
Mauro Camoranesi could make his debut for Stuttgart, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jose Manuel Jurado could start for Schalke and Brazilian midfielder Wesley, who is seen as replacement for …
Diego Maradona, Salvatore Schillaci, Zinedine Zidane. At almost every World Cup, there's one man whose burst of outstanding play captivates the globe.
At this year's competition in South Africa, the early candidates are Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina, Luis Suarez of Uruguay, Mesut Oezil of Germany and Spain's David Villa. All four have led their teams so far, and could be the ones to push their teammates all the way.
It is what makes the World Cup so special. Within a month, players can burst from the fringes of popular consciousness to center stage.
Few people outside Italy knew of Schillaci before the 1990 World Cup but the reserve striker ended up …
The order of the Midwest shootings. Times are local.
Friday
- 8:20 p.m-8:35 p.m.: Six Orthodox Jews are wounded as they leavesynagogue on the Jewish Sabbath in Chicago.- 8:50 p.m.: Ricky Byrdsong, the black former basketball coach atNorthwestern University, is killed while walking with his childreninSkokie, Ill.- 9:20 p.m.: An Asian-American couple in the nearby suburb ofNorthbrook are fired at while riding in a vehicle. Neither is hit.Saturday- 11 a.m.: Two black men are fired upon in Springfield, Ill.Neither is hit.- 11:30 p.m.: In …
Civilization is so overrated. All the men with bad haircuts, erecting ugly offices and debating the best way to define marriage, screw the schools and rape roadless areas--it's about enough to drive a news editor to the bottle. That's why, for my summer vacation, I'm heading to where the sidewalk ends--not to mention the pavement, plumbing, and electricity. Out in the sagebrush sea of Southwest Idaho, Oregon and Nevada, men wear mesh hats, roads are indistinguishable from fields and the really important questions to debate are, "Is it illegal to crack open a cold beer when you hit the dirt roads?" and "Are you a 'real man' if you don't?"
Ten years ago, when my car didn't actually …
A top Indian general says about 10 to 12 gunmen remain holed up inside a pair of luxury Mumbai hotels and a Jewish center.
Maj. Gen. R.K. Huda told New Delhi Television that the rest of the gunmen appeared to have been killed or captured.
Authorities say 110 people were killed and 300 injured when suspected Islamic militants attacked 10 sites in Mumbai.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MUMBAI, India (AP) _ Black-clad Indian commandoes raided two luxury hotels to try to free hostages Thursday, and explosions and gunshots shook India's financial capital a day after …
A fire of suspicious origin early yesterday destroyed the OakLawn Park District's office-locker room building in Central Park, at94th and Kenton, causing an estimated $500,000 damage.
Firefighters kept flames from spreading to an attached75-by-300-foot indoor ice rink, site of the district's May 3-4 annualspring ice show, and an attached Florida Room, recently remodeled ata cost of $200,000.
Police Chief John Haberkorn said police were investigating thepossibility the fire was set by burglars.
Martin Larson, district director, said several lockers had beenlooted and a first aid kit thrown …
SAN DIEGO - Only a superhero could see all there is to see at Comic-Con.
The four-day pop-culture celebration, which wrapped up Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center, featured more than 350 hours of programs and lectures, presentations by nearly every major movie studio and TV network, hundreds of booths selling books, clothing and collectibles, plus parties, screenings, celebrity appearances and a masquerade ball.
"For a comic lover, it's the best thing in the world," said 13-year-old Jared Rosenfeld of Los Angeles.
The event is so popular that, for the first time in its history, tickets sold out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
That meant the …
Despite missing the past 10 months rehabilitating shoulder surgery, Maria Sharapova says she hasn't ruled out winning Wimbledon again _ but probably not this year.
"I wouldn't be back playing here if I thought winning Wimbledon again was impossible," Sharapova said Saturday at a news conference for the Aegon Classic, a grass court warm-up for Wimbledon.
Five years ago, Sharapova reached the semifinals in Birmingham as a 17-year-old qualifier. The following year she won the title and followed it three weeks later by beating Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final.
The former top-ranked player and three-time Grand Slam tournament title …
Three years ago when the Sun-Times put a perfectly beautifulgrand piano on its plaza and invited you to play, the turnout wassplendid and really quite musical. We're offering would-be VanCliburns (and even Randy Newmans) the same chance today, from 11:30a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Use the …
NEW YORK (AP) — Health care products maker Cardinal Health Inc. said Thursday it will buy New York-based drug distributor Kinray Inc. for $1.3 billion in cash, expanding its base of independent pharmacies by 40 percent.
Cardinal Health said Kinray is the world's biggest privately held distributor of drugs, health, beauty, and home care products. Kinray, which does business with about 2,000 independent pharmacies, will expand Cardinal's business in the Northeast. Cardinal Health now serves about 5,000 independent pharmacies.
Cardinal Health expects the purchase to increase fiscal 2011 profit by a small amount and add at least 12 cents per share to its profit in fiscal …
CLYNDERWEN A MAN has been arrested after police carried out afraud probe at the offices of Clynderwen and Cardiganshire FarmersLtd, known as CCF Ltd, last week.
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First of all, allow me to thank you, the readers of this column, for writing, calling, and e-mailing your comments, suggestions and other information to me.
Your kind words are encouraging and they strengthen my resolve to keep doing what I do. Although I cannot respond to each of you, I deeply appreciate your taking the time to do so. Thank you for your words of inspiration. I will continue to act upon them.
Speaking of acting upon words, I often quote famous Black people, as I am sure most of us do. We refer to their writings and their speeches, citing their words of wisdom and deriving inspiration from their knowledge. I recently thought about how we often recite the words of famous Black people after they have passed away. It's sad to think that so many of our forebears said so many important and enlightening things that we failed to heed or even repeat until long after they died.
I hope my words are not merely quoted and used to simply stir the emotions - now or after I have left this earth. Too often we let opportunity slip away because we fail to act upon information when we receive it; we'd rather wait and use the words to temporarily satisfy and soothe our pains.
Let's look at some examples. In the past two or three decades, the phrase "by any means necessary" has been used millions of times by our brothers and sisters. Had we followed some of Malcolm's words at the time he was saying them, imagine where we would be today. Still, many Black men and women quote him and use his words to stir the emotions, but few are willing to incorporate the words into their daily fives. How many of us are willing to have economic empowerment by any means necessary?
Marcus Garvey is another brother who is quoted quite often. How many of us actually live by his words? How about Mary McLeod Bethune? She told us what to do economically before she died, and we just love to hear her words today. Have we turned her words into action? Martin Delany, T. Thomas Fortune, William Wells Brown, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells and many more have told us what we must do for ourselves in order to have a strong economic foundation. Are we following the principles they espoused?
Let us not forget about Booker T. Washington, who practiced what he preached and demonstrated the results of his words. And probably the most quoted of them all, Frederick Douglass, who told us what to do and how to do it more than 100 years ago. We love to talk about "power" and how it "concedes nothing," and we rejoice in his notion of "agitation."
Are we merely interested in feeling good about economic empowerment? Do we just like to hear the words of these and more famous Black men and women? Or, are we willing to act upon those words as well? Speakers can recite the words of famous people and bring the audience to a fever pitch; but if the audience goes home and does not act upon those words, they become, as another famous writer and activist said, "Sounding brass and tinkling cymbals."
As we face our collective economic future, we can look at it in one of two ways: As a speeding train about to run over us or as a train we are about to board and take a nice long trip. What's it going to be? If we had followed a few of the words our mothers and fathers uttered when they walked this earth, I shudder to think how powerful we would be, how together we would be, how truly rich we would be, not only financially, but in most other ways as well. Additionally, since we are talking, about that train, we certainly would not have to worry about it running us down - we'd own it!
The thousands of you who will read this column and those who have read other columns I have written, please don't sit back after reading them and simply say, "Man, that was right on the money," or something to that effect. If these words make you "feel good," then allow them to make you "do good" as well.
These words are not new words; I have borrowed them from many great Black brothers and sisters. They have been recycled more times than we'd like to count. So when are we going to heed them? When are we going to act? Some say information is power - but I say information is only power if it is acted upon. If you have been reading this column, you have the information. If this is the first time you have seen it, you will get more information in future articles.
The key word is ACT. Please do not allow the words of our predecessors to go unheeded.
[Author Affiliation]
James Clingman is the nation's most prolific writer on economic empowerment.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling on Americans to rekindle the spirit of unity that characterized the response to the Sept. 11 attacks. "It can be a lasting virtue," he said. "Not just on one day, but every day."
The president made his appeal during his weekly radio and Internet address, two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the al-Qaida plot that turned commercial jetliners into deadly weapons in New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia.
Obama plans to observe the anniversary on Sept. 11 with stops at ground zero in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center towers fell; at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of the commandeered planes crashed; and at the Pentagon, which was also hit by a hijacked jetliner.
But he cast his plea for good will against the backdrop of the economic challenges facing the country today. Coming in the aftermath of bitter partisan fights over government spending and tough criticism of his administration by Republican presidential candidates, his remarks were an overt call for greater cooperation.
"Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11," he said.
He recalled the work of volunteers following the attacks, the blood donations and the food and clothing drives.
"We were united, and the outpouring of generosity and compassion reminded us that in times of challenge, we Americans move forward together, as one people," he said.
These days, he said, the country is still fighting al-Qaida, it is ending the war in Iraq, pulling back troops from Afghanistan and "emerging from the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes."
"None of this will be easy," he said. "And it can't be the work of government alone. As we saw after 9/11, the strength of America has always been the character and compassion of our people.
"So as we mark this solemn anniversary, let's summon that spirit once more. And let's show that the sense of common purpose that we need in America doesn't have to be a fleeting moment; it can be a lasting virtue — not just on one day, but every day."
In the Republican address, Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada stuck to economic themes, criticizing the Obama administration for creating "more government that continues to impede economic growth at every turn."
"To paraphrase one of the business leaders in my state, this president and his policies have been a big wet blanket on our economy," he said.
Heller called for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and repeal of the health care law that Obama signed last year, both demands that Republicans have failed to achieve.
He also called for an overhaul of Social Security and Medicare to reduce their long-term costs and to simplify tax laws.___
Online:
Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov
GOP address: http://www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress
Expending the Force
* The long-term implications of Gen. Frederick Kroesen's three recent articles on "Expending the Force" (November, December, January) should give everyone concerned with the future of our military forces and the security of our nation a serious case of the shivers. The most palpable, if not the most important of all the forces being expended in the current crisis environment, are our reserves. They, in fact, face potential post-emergency consequences that may incapacitate them for the foreseeable future.
The Army National Guard has worked very hard and in most cases with great success since September 11, 2001, in a variety and constantly increasing number of difficult, critical security and peace-keeping missions. They have earned the trust and confidence of their active force peers. Pennsylvania, which has reportedly been called on for many activations and deployments, has had units and personnel deployed to 19 countries, some 2,000 of them guarding military bases in several European countries and another 1,100 keeping the peace in Bosnia. These reservists will be returning to the United States by the end of March after nominally six month deployments and will be released after a period of demobilization.
In mid-January, another large number of National Guard units were alerted, from which 1,200 individuals will be mobilized for Kosovo later this year to take control of the U.S.-run sector. These soldiers will come from the 28th Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 10 other HHCs, seven infantry companies from four different battalions, and assorted personnel, finance, engineer, signal, military police and logistic support teams. Presumably the reason for the large number of source units is a desire to select personnel who can, with least disruption, meet the long separation from their families and civilian jobs. There will obviously be a severe loss of unit integrity and cohesion (a newly energized concern of the Army's senior leadership as they make their case for unit manning).
These diverse elements will require significant time to organize, train and prepare to deploy. Add the demobilization process on their return, and they can expect to be on active duty for at least nine months. It is obvious that these extended absences are not what most National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers expected when they signed up. Unquestionably, they are patriotic. They enlisted aware that they could be committed to periods of active duty in harm's way, and unquestionably September 11 brought out and confirmed their strong commitment to do whatever is necessary to support the nation in its war on terrorism and its confrontation with Iraq.
The argument will be made, with complete honesty and accuracy, that these are unprecedented, perilous times, and that all previous assumptions, assessments and estimates of requirements have been overtaken by recent events. Indeed, there was no real alternative to significant immediate call-ups, and there were sound political, as well as practical, reasons for doing so. Our leadership can also point with pride to the successful mission accomplishment by our reserves in a multitude of unplanned stop-gap roles. In the short term, as we always have, we will get away with our historic blindness to our myopic, self-deceptive management of our reserve components.
Nevertheless, an honest assessment of the impact of mobilization actions taken to date will inevitably conclude that our reserve soldiers and their families have been pushed well beyond reasonable, prudent limits. For at least the last 20 years, as units were earmarked for early mobilization and their soldiers called on for increased paid drills, our Army National Guard and Army Reserve leaders have expressed growing concern about soldier retention problems and high drop-out rates. Prior to September 11, average turnover in Army reserve component units was historically between 18 and 25 percent. This meant, because of the statutory requirement for completion of basic and advanced individual training, that at any given time a minimum of one quarter of a unit's personnel was nondeployable. Add to this shortfall the inevitable physical profiles, late term pregnancies, essential civilian positions and other legitimate reasons prohibiting call-up, and the inevitable result is reflected in the scrambling Pennsylvania Kosovo call-up, with its attendant major preparation requirements.
The Army has learned through painful experience and proudly proclaims that it recruits soldiers, but retains families. A front page article in the January 16 USA Today cited chapter and verse detailing the devastating effects on families of the extended and repeated mobilizations of our reserve component soldiers. Our avoidance of reality over the years as we clung to roles and expectations of the Cold War has made the current situation inevitable. As we expend our reserve forces with limited understanding of the costs we are requiring them and their families to pay, our national leadership must solemnly swear that after our nation survives its current challenges, it will restructure these invaluable forces in a manner which has some relationship with reality in the 21st century.
[Sidebar]
ARMY Magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Short letters are more likely to be published, and all letters may be edited for reasons of style, accuracy or space limitations. Letters should be typewritten and double-spaced. All letters must include the writer's full name, address and home telephone number. The volume of letters we receive makes individual acknowledgment impossible. Please send letters to Editor in Chief, ARMY Magazine, AUSA, 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201. Letters may also be faxed (703-841-3505) or sent via e-mail (mfrench@ausa.org).
[Author Affiliation]
MAJ. GEN. JOHN C. FAITH, USA RET. Carlisle, Pa.
THE Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is all fired upabout Marshall University's policy on free speech, going so far asto name it as the "Speech Code of the Month," a way of blastingcolleges for prohibiting a "staggering amount of constitutionallyprotected speech."
This was based on Marshall's written policies.
Yet when interviewed by Davin White of the Charleston Gazette,Robert Shibley, the foundation's senior vice president, apparentlycould not cite an example of suppression at Marshall.
In fact, Shibley had to concede that Marshall did the right thingin at least one instance.
Marshall officials cited a student last spring for defacing asidewalk chalk message that announced an upcoming meeting of theLambda organization, a group friendly to gay, lesbian, bisexual andtransgender students.
The student was offended by the group's message. Punishing himactually protected free speech.
Shibley of FIRE said his group would not have defended the manwho defaced the message.
Another case involved a student who wore a hockey mask like aserial killer does in horror films and frightened several students.Shibley said schools don't need speech codes to deal with suchactivity. University officials could simply approach the student andask him not to wear the mask.
But Marshall officials handled the situation carefully. Theycited an old state law that bars the wearing of masks except onHalloween or in bad weather.
The law stems from the days when the Ku Klux Klan had influencein West Virginia.
Marshall officials got a bad rap here, but to their credit, theyare taking a look at what their critic had to say.
"If we are restricting free speech, we're going to take a hardlook at it and not take it lightly," said Steve Hensley, dean ofstudent affairs.
That's the mature reaction.
Officials at Marshall have a duty to provide a safe and orderlyatmosphere in which students can learn. In punishing someone fordefacing a message he did not like, and in telling someone to takeoff a hockey mask, Marshall officials did the right thing.
FIRE might want to review its policies. In citing Marshal withoutany real examples, the foundation looks more like a publicity-seeking group than it does a serious advocate of free speech.
The first ever live gig at the appropriately named Jazz Cafetakes place tomorrow from 6.30pm at Kingsmead Square.
The live music will be provided by Jazz Times Three, featuringMel Henry on trombone, Terry Veal on guitar and special guest PeteMorgan on double bass, and will continue until about 9pm.
Mel said: "Pete has played with just about everyone on the jazzscene - he is one of the few bass players to do bowed bass solos andis not to be missed.
"We really need this gig to work to make jazz a regular featureat this venue."
For further information call 01225 329002.
CAIRO (AP) — Seif al-Arab Gadhafi escaped a U.S. airstrike targeting his father's compound in Tripoli in 1986. Twenty-five years later, the Libyan leader's second-youngest son was reportedly killed in a NATO airstrike.
Libyan officials announced on state TV that Seif al-Arab, whose name means Sword of the Arabs, was killed along with three of Moammar Gadhafi's grandchildren in a NATO airstrike against his house in the Tripoli neighborhood of Ghargour on Saturday.
The Libyan leader and his wife were inside but escaped unharmed, according to Libyan officials.
Seif al-Arab, 29, was one of the least prominent of Gadhafi's eight biological children, with no clear political or military power. He clearly tried to avoid rivalries as his siblings jockeyed for clout.
Seif al-Arab was four when U.S. warplanes bombs his father's compound at Bab al-Azaziya in 1986 after Libya was blamed for masterminding a bombing in West Berlin that killed an American soldier and a woman. His 15-month-old adopted sister was killed and his younger brother Khamis badly wounded in the attack.
Seif al-Arab was hospitalized but discharged after a few days, and his injuries were never fully known to reporters.
He spent most of his later years in Germany, where he was said to be studying for an economics graduate degree.
His elder brother, Seif al-Islam, is believed to have been groomed to succeed his father. The youngest Gadhafi, Khamis, 27, leads an elite military brigade named after him, known to be Libya's most well-trained.
Three other older brothers, Al-Saadi, Al-Moatassem and Hannibal, have been engaged in either senior military and national security advisory posts or business deals, and recently began competing with Seif al-Islam, who has appeared to be monopolizing his father's and international attention, according to U.S. diplomatic cables published by the secret-spilling website WikiLeaks.
The cables described a brewing sibling rivalry that was expected to bode ill for Libya's political transition ahead of the developing upheaval. The only daughter, Aisha, a lawyer in her mid-thirties, was also vying for a prominent role, often disagreeing with Seif al-Islam.
While the cables written in 2009 portray a bitter competition between the siblings over power, Seif al-Arab was absent from any alignment or taking sides.
He remained largely in the shadows, although, like his brothers, he had a penchant for the high life. He has spent his recent years in Munich, where he had a few run-ins with the law. The flamboyant Gadhafis were embroiled in a number of lawsuits in Europe, involving fast cars, alcohol abuse. Hannibal caused a diplomatic tiff between Libya and Switzerland after he allegedly beat his servants in a Swiss hotel.
Seif al-Arab's incidents paled in comparison. In 2006, he was involved in a brawl with a Munich nightclub bouncer who kicked out his companion for the night because she attempted to undress on the dance floor, the German Der Spiegel magazine reported.
In 2007, he even saw his house and hotel suite raided by police over allegations of illegally possessing weapons despite his claims of enjoying diplomatic immunity.
Between November 2006 and July 2010 police led investigations against Gadhafi's son on 10 accounts, ranging from speeding incidents to bodily harm and possession of illegal weapons, Bavaria's state justice ministry confirmed last month. All the investigations against him, however, were dropped.
German media reported that Gadhafi's son returned to Libya in February and Bavaria's Interior Ministry later said he had been declared a persona-non-grata.
The U.S. diplomatic cables say Seif al-Arab pursued "ill-defined business interests." This may explain why he appeared on the recently drafted U.S. sanctions list against Libyan officials and Gadhafi family.
Even photos of him are scarce. On Sunday, Ibrahim distributed a headshot showing him with a full black beard and wearing a black shirt.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim was the first to announce that Seif al-Arab was killed in Saturday's airstrike. But in a sign of how little was known about Seif al-Arab, Ibrahim initially misidentified him as Gadhafi's youngest son, who is "well known" to his colleagues in one of the German universities. Ibrahim had to correct himself the next day, confirming for reporters that Seif al-Arab was Gadhafi's second-youngest son.
Rebels welcomed the news of the airstrike, but some cast doubt on claims Seif al-Arab had been killed, alleging it was a ploy by Gadhafi to gain sympathy and discredit the international military campaign.
State TV showed scores of Libyans chanting as they entered the hospital where those wounded in the attack were treated: "Be pleased our leader. Your son and grandchildren are in heaven."
The funeral for those killed in the airstrike is planned for Monday.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman today made his first stop in Chicago sincebeing named the Democratic vice presidential nominee, addressingreligious leaders in the morning and then speaking to a labor rallyin the afternoon.
Lieberman invoked the name of the Rev. Jesse Jackson during bothevents, including an interfaith gathering at the South Shore CulturalCenter. He said Jackson's words still resonated: "Whenever a barrieris broken, it opens the door of opportunity wider for everyone."
Several leaders at the interfaith gathering, including Rep. BobbyRush (D-Ill.), pointed out that African Americans and Jews weregathering in what was once a restricted country club. Religiousleaders also praised Lieberman and his running mate, Al Gore, forhaving the courage to place a Jewish man on the presidential ticket.
"This is the ticket we have to support because they're the onesthat are making the progress," said Bishop Arthur Brazier.
Jewish leaders also were ecstatic at their first opportunity tomeet with Lieberman, an observant Orthodox Jew, three weeks afterGore called him to become his running mate.
"He has brought an element of faith into the campaign, andAmericans have been looking for religious leaders to restore faith togovernment," said Rabbi Herman Schaalman.
Later, at a rally of more than 1,000 union members and supportersat Plumbers Hall, 1340 W. Washington, Lieberman was warmly welcomedby the crowd, which shouted, "Go, Joe, go!"
Lieberman was able to get some politicking done, including a plugfor a proposal to spend $250 billion of America's tax surplus onrelief for prescription drugs for senior citizens.
Mark Guethle, a union painter from St. Charles, said, "He's a manon the move. He really sounded strong today."
MOSCOW (AP) — Producers of Russia's new regional passenger aircraft, the Sukhoi Superjet, said Thursday that a leading U.S. leasing firm has committed to buy six aircraft and has an option for four more.
Superjet International and Willis Lease Finance Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of six aircraft and an option for a further four. The deal could be worth up to $300 million, Superjet International said.
The jet, which seats 75 to 95 people, has a range of about 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) and is priced at $29 million a piece.
The first delivery of the 98-seat configuration jet is expected in September 2012.
Willis Lease, based in Novato, California, leases out commercial jet engines.
The deal will mark the first U.S. purchase of Superjet, produced by Russian airline maker Sukhoi in association with Italy's Alenia Aeronautica.
Sukhoi has orders for 161 aircraft from airlines across the world and at home where Russia's biggest carrier Aeroflot — which has ordered 30 aircraft — recently withdrew its Soviet-era Tu-154 fleet from service.
Superjet, the first passenger plane built by Russia since the Soviet collapse, has been widely considered as Russia's chance to gain a foothold in the international passenger airline market.
Superjet is designed to compete against other regional craft such as the Embraer E-Jets and the Bombardier CRJ program. Locally, it will replace Russia's aging fleet of Soviet-designed Tu-134s and Yak-42s in moving people across Russia's vast spaces.
Superjet's engine has already been certified by Russian and EU authorities for service on regional jet aircraft, but it still needs additional Federal Aviation Administration certification to be sold in the United States and Canada.
Sukhoi expects that the plane itself will be certified in October in Russia. The company has not given a timeline for EU and US plane certification yet.
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' former chief aide denies he purposefully withheld information from Justice Department officials who misled Congress about the firings of eight federal prosecutors.
Gonzales has acknowledged that his department mishandled the dismissals of the U.S. attorneys and did not tell Congress the whole story about the firings. The attorney general, who is under pressure to resign, has said he ultimately is to blame for the mistakes, but stands behind the firings, which Democrats allege were politically motivated.
Kyle Sampson, who quit last week as Gonzales' chief of staff, said in a statement from his lawyer that he did not step down "because he had misled anyone at the Justice Department or withheld information concerning the replacement of the U.S. attorneys.
"He resigned because, as chief of staff, he felt he had let the attorney general down in failing to appreciate the need for and organize a more effective response to the unfounded accusations that the replacements were improper," according to the statement from attorney Brad Berenson.
In one e-mail released last week by the department, Sampson said an across-the-board housecleaning of all U.S. attorneys "would certainly send ripples through the U.S. attorney community if we told folks they got one term only." Then, in a reference to the president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, the e-mail concluded that "if Karl thinks there would be political will to do it, then so do I."
Department officials say Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and Associate Deputy Attorney General William E. Moschella were angry when they found out about Sampson's e-mail communications with the White House about the U.S. attorneys dating back to at least January 2005.
In the statement, Berenson said the White House and the department had discussed the subject since the 2004 election and that it was well-known to a number of other senior officials at the department, including some who helped prepare the agency's testimony to Congress.
"If this background was not called to Mr. McNulty or Mr. Moschella's attention, it was not because any of these individuals deliberately withheld it from them, but rather because no one focused on it at the time," Berenson said. "The focus of preparation efforts was on why the U.S. attorneys had been replaced, not how."
An Alabama police organized crime specialist who vanished last week amid signs of a struggle, triggering a search of a nearby river, was arrested in Las Vegas and accused of staging his disappearance to cover up a theft, authorities said Tuesday.
Police said Sgt. Faron White, 48, vanished in a bid to cover up a theft of $2,500 from his department in the north Alabama city of Decatur.
White _ the head of the city's organized crime unit and Decatur's officer of the year for 2007 _ was arrested late Monday by a federal fugitive task force in the lobby of a Hampton Inn hotel in Las Vegas. He was charged with theft.
Authorities said a 29-year-old woman, Sarah Richardson, was arrested at her home in Decatur and accused of helping White flee. Police didn't release details of any relationship between the woman and White, who is married with three children.
White was held on $20,000 bond; Richardson's was set at $2,500. Additional charges are possible against White and Richardson, who was accused of hindering prosecution.
It was unclear whether White, of Falkville, had hired a lawyer. Richardson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Police said the officer's family reported him missing early Saturday after he failed to return home from work. Police found signs of a struggle in White's office and began a search, which included a helicopter and rescue teams scouring the banks of the Tennessee River.
White joined the Decatur Police Department in November 1986, working in the jail before becoming a police officer.
The American Legion honored White last year as the city's officer of the year for 2007, noting that his unit was responsible for 354 arrests and the seizure of more than $100,000 worth of cash, weapons and property from drug dealers.
Shares of GPC Biotech, a German developer of anti-cancer drugs, jumped Monday after the company said it is restructuring the business to "sharpen the company's focus on oncology clinical development efforts and to further reduce costs."
The restructuring is mainly focused on the company's early stage research activities in Munich and will result in a reduction in the total work force of approximately 38 percent _ or 38 employees, the company said in a statement. The remaining work force will be 14 in Munich and 49 in Princeton, New Jersey.
Shares in GPC biotech rose 8.7 percent to euro2.72 (US$4) in Frankfurt trading.
In addition, chief operating officer Elmar Maier and Sebastian Meier-Ewert, the chief scientific officer, two co-founders of GPC Biotech, are retiring from their positions, effective immediately
They will continue to act as advisers to the company.
"We have implemented a comprehensive strategic plan which includes a sharper focus on what we believe are our most promising oncology development programs and a further reduction of the company's cost structure, so that we have approximately three years of operating cash on hand," said chief executive Bernd Seizinger. "This will give us additional flexibility, even under challenging market conditions."
EREZ CROSSING, Gaza Strip - Israel fired missiles and sent tanks on a foray into Gaza on Wednesday, killing four Palestinians in the first military action since Hamas militants took control.
At the same time, Israel eased restrictions on travel in and out of Gaza, letting in a few seriously ill Palestinians who had been holed up for days at a fetid border crossing.
A teenager with leukemia and two other chronically ill Palestinians were on their way through the tunnel at the Erez crossing in Israel, the military said. Israeli officials also authorized entry of all foreign nationals living in Gaza.
Israel's Supreme Court was hearing a petition by a human rights group demanding that Israeli authorities also offer immediate medical treatment to 26 critically ill Palestinians hospitalized in Gaza.
Israeli aircraft, meanwhile, fired missiles at two rocket launchers in northern Gaza, in the first aerial attack since the Islamic militants of Hamas took over the coastal strip last week. No injuries were reported in the strike, which came in retaliation for militant rocket fire on Israel.
Earlier in the day, Israeli tanks entered southern Gaza, and four people, including at least two militants, were killed in an exchange of fire, Palestinian hospital officials said.
In the West Bank, two Palestinian militants were killed in a shootout with Israeli troops during an arrest raid near Jenin.
Mahmoud Zahar, the man widely believed to be leading Gaza's new Hamas rulers said his group was open to a cease-fire with Israel if the army halts its activities there and in the West Bank. He said Hamas was capable of halting the frequent rocket attacks out of Gaza.
"But nobody will be the protector of the Israeli border," he told The Associated Press.
About 200 Gazans - petrified of the chaos in the Hamas-controlled coastal strip - have been camped out for six days in a tunnel reeking of trash, urine and sweat on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing, pleading with Israeli authorities to grant them safe passage to the West Bank.
Hamas' defeat of security forces from the rival Fatah faction has left many Gazans anticipating more chaos and violence. Some in the tunnel feared for their lives because of their Fatah loyalties; others sought a better life than volatile Gaza can offer.
Among them were people wounded in gunbattles between the rival factions.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed officials to let in "humanitarian cases" at the crossing, the Defense Ministry said. No numbers were specified, and specific guidelines for determining urgency were not released.
Military officials, who have said militants might try to squeeze through the passage, say not everyone in the tunnel is in danger. Israel, which has sophisticated weapons screening equipment in place at Erez, is also letting through the staff of international organizations and people with special permission.
Saeb Erekat, a confidant of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, said Israel had agreed to transfer 55 people to Israeli hospitals. Israeli authorities were not immediately available for comment on this number.
But the humanitarian cases are being processed too slowly, the Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights contended in a petition before the Israeli Supreme Court.
Ran Yaron, a doctor with the group, told Israel Radio the lives of 15 of the patients represented in the petition were in danger because treatment was not available in Gaza. Among them was an 18-year-old woman with lupus, who was on life support. Others, including at least two children, were suffering from cancer or other serious diseases.
"Israel has a responsibility since it closed the ... crossings," Yaron said. "It has the responsibility to find a solution for these patients."
Military liaison official Shadi Yassin said Hamas' takeover of Gaza deprived Israel of its main contact on humanitarian issues - Fatah-allied Palestinian police.
"In the past, we coordinated with Palestinian police," he said. "Now, we don't have this contact, and are trying in every way to obtain information from the Red Cross about sick people whose transfer to Israel must be coordinated."
The Red Cross coordinated the transfer Tuesday of seven Gazans wounded in internal strife, and hoped to arrange the transfer of six to nine more Wednesday, Red Cross spokesman Bernard Barrett said.
Israel allowed all foreign nationals in Gaza to enter Israel. Buses brought over some 90 Ukrainians on Wednesday, and more foreigners were expected to enter later, Yassin said.
Overall, more than 100 foreigners have left Gaza since Hamas wrested control there, the military said.
In Washington on Tuesday, President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed support for Abbas at a high-profile news conference.
"I am going to make every possible effort to cooperate with him," Olmert said. Bush called Abbas "the president of all the Palestinians" and "a reasonable voice among the extremists."
Olmert and Abbas will meet next week, Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo told Palestinian radio Wednesday. Olmert's office confirmed the two would meet but said a date had not been set.
Hamas has found itself increasingly isolated diplomatically since its Gaza takeover, and has begun speaking publicly about dialogue with Fatah.
Ayman Taha, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said Cairo had invited the Islamic group for talks with Fatah, and that Hamas "welcomed" the invitation. There was no immediate response from Fatah, but Abbas aides have said dialogue with Hamas would be impossible until the group restored power to the legitimate government.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni telephoned Salam Fayyad, the prime minister of the new Cabinet that Abbas installed this week after expelling Hamas from its governing coalition with Fatah, the Foreign Ministry said.
Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki called conversation "positive" and said it would be followed up by another phone call "to reach a quick and useful solution to all of the issues that need coordination with the Israeli side."
Amid the internal turmoil, Palestinian militants have carried out occasional rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli communities bordering Gaza. Two rockets landed near the town of Sderot on Wednesday, causing no injuries or damage. Israel retaliated shortly after with an airstrike targeting the rocket launchers.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. No injuries were reported.
Israeli tanks, meanwhile, entered southern Gaza before dawn Wednesday, and four people, including at least two militants, were killed in a gunbattle, Palestinian hospital officials said.
The army said the entrance of the troops had been planned, was not a broad operation, and was meant to counter militant activity, including arms smuggling.
---
AP correspondents Sarah El Deeb in Gaza City, Aron Heller in Washington, and Ali Daraghmeh in Jenin, West Bank, contributed to this report.
A new Pounds 10.75 million arts centre is to be built on the edgeof Bath.
The University of Bath is drawing up plans for the Centre for theArts, which will include refurbishing an existing theatre andproviding new facilities for classes, rehearsals and performances.It has appointed city architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios forthe project, with construction work set to begin in spring next yearand completed by autumn 2014.
John Struthers, director of the campus Institute of ContemporaryInterdisciplinary Arts, which will run the centre, said it would beexciting seeing the plans progress over the next year.
He said: "These new facilities will make a huge difference towhat the university can offer to our students, staff and the widercommunity.
"We are absolutely delighted that Feilden Clegg have beenselected to design this flagship project for the university and lookforward to working with them over the coming months to create abuilding with regional and national importance." The university'sdeputy vice-chancellor Professor Kevin Edge added: "The Centre forthe Arts is an exciting and important development for theuniversity.
"We pride ourselves at Bath on providing a wide and fullexperience for our students which goes beyond teaching and learning,with the aim of developing well-rounded graduates. "This new centrewill give us an opportunity to increase what we can offer ourstudents as well as providing a new arts venue for the local andregional community to enjoy." It is anticipated that the centre willhouse a gallery, dance and performance studios, visual arts studiosand music practice rooms as well as study space.
Jo Wright, from Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, said everyone waslooking forward to the challenge.
She said: "We are delighted to be working at the University ofBath again. As teachers and alumni we welcome the challenge ofdesigning facilities for such an exciting range of uses, and ofbringing new life to the arts theatre."
School arts centre, page 26
WASHINGTON -- The United States blocked an Iranian cargo plane'sflight to Syria last month after intelligence analysts concluded itwas carrying missiles and launchers to resupply Hezbollah in Lebanon,two U.S. intelligence officials say.
Eight days after Hezbollah's war with Israel began, U.S. diplomatspersuaded Turkey and Iraq to deny the plane permission to cross theirterritory to Damascus, a transfer point for arms to Hezbollah, theofficials said.
Their account illustrates the quiet support the United States gaveIsrael in the 34-day war, even enlisting help from Muslim nationswhere acting on Israel's behalf is politically dangerous.
RICE: 'I CAN'T COMMENT'
Israel and President Bush have accused the Shiite-dominatedgovernment of Iran, Hezbollah's primary supplier, of shipping theShiite guerrillas weapons by way of Syria.
The Iraq and Turkish governments would not discuss the incident.Iran's United Nations mission denied trying to send Hezbollahweapons. The intelligence officials' account could not be verified.
Asked about the account, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said,"We work on these kinds of things all the time." But she added, "Ican't comment on specific cases."
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that countriesthat don't have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state should notparticipate in the international peacekeeping force that will policea truce along the Lebanese border.
In Lebanon, its defense minister warned all militant groups ofharsh measures if they incite retaliation by firing rockets intoIsrael.
WASHINGTON - Consumers worried about a possible war with Iraq andtheir own financial prospects trimmed spending in January - the firstsuch rollback in four months - sending another trouble sign for analready struggling economy.
The 0.1 percent cutback reported by the Commerce Department todaycame after consumers splurged in December, boosting their spending bya sizable 1 percent. End of year financing deals on cars and otherbig-ticket goods proved too good to pass up.
In January, however, consumers sharply cut spending on such big-ticket "durable" goods - items expected to last at least three years.And that was the major factor behind the overall drop in spending …
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a newspaper reporter does not need to reveal the identity of a confidential source used in a story about a grand jury investigation into alleged prison brutality.
The 4-1 decision dated Wednesday and released Thursday upholds a lower court ruling that sided with Jennifer Henn and her former employer, the Times-Tribune of Scranton.
Two former Lackawanna County commissioners sued Henn and the paper over a January 2004 story that said they were not cooperative in their appearances before the grand jury.
The Supreme Court said reporters cannot be forced to identify confidential …
Byline: Omar Karmi
Aug. 25--RAMALLAH -- Israeli soldiers crossed into the Gaza Strip early yesterday, capturing a local Hamas leader and killing his brother.
As the forces, backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, moved into the area of Abasan and took up positions on rooftops, they were met with resistance, sparking gunbattles that wounded two Palestinians, officials said.
Hamas officials identified the captured man as Younis Abu Daqqa, a local Hamas leader and a lecturer at Islamic University in Gaza City. His brother, Yousef, not a known member of Hamas or any other group, was killed in the fighting, Hamas said.
The Israeli army confirmed that a senior Hamas operative was arrested, and at least one person was killed. It did not identify the men.
The …
Israeli soldiers enter Gaza Strip, capture local Hamas leader, kill brother.Byline: Omar Karmi
Aug. 25--RAMALLAH -- Israeli soldiers crossed into the Gaza Strip early yesterday, capturing a local Hamas leader and killing his brother.
As the forces, backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, moved into the area of Abasan and took up positions on rooftops, they were met with resistance, sparking gunbattles that wounded two Palestinians, officials said.
Hamas officials identified the captured man as Younis Abu Daqqa, a local Hamas leader and a lecturer at Islamic University in Gaza City. His brother, Yousef, not a known member of Hamas or any other group, was killed in the fighting, Hamas said.
The Israeli army confirmed that a senior Hamas operative was arrested, and at least one person was killed. It did not identify the men.
The …
Two medical malpractice insurers serving Pennsylvania are asking for rate increases that could affect thousands of doctors statewide.
Lower Paxton Township-based PMSLIC is asking the state Department of Insurance for an average 40 percent rate increase, according to department filings. MIIX Insurance Co., Lawrenceville, N.J., wants an average 50.3 percent increase.
For a doctor who pays $40,000 for malpractice insurance coverage this year, a 40 percent rate increase would mean a $56,000 premium next year. A 50.3 percent increase would mean a premium of about $60,000.
As of Oct. 1, the Insurance Department was still reviewing the requests, said Melissa Fox, the …
Buying a new home is primarily an emotional experience. Yes, we justify it as an investment, but the reason we buy one home instead of another often has to do with those intangible tugs on the heartstrings as we gaze from the curb for the first time, and as we open the door and step inside.
Falling in love with a house is similar to falling in love with a person. Think of the things that attract you to someone: face, proportion, personality, and presentation. Well, it's exactly the same with houses.
So, how do you create that emotional appeal?
Architectural Style
There's an old saying that beauty is "skin deep." With building, that …
Byline: Dale Quinn
May 3--A New Mexico man attacked the driver of a loaded bus Wednesday morning in an apparent attempt to crash it on Interstate 10 near St. Mary's Road, a Police Department sergeant said.
Passengers pulled the attacker away from the driver, said Sgt. Todd Berson. The assailant then jumped through the moving bus's glass door, cutting his arm, then ran across the frontage road and hid in the freezer of a Burger King on St. Mary's Road.
Employees there called 911 thinking the bleeding man who rushed inside planned to rob the fast-food restaurant, Berson said.
No one was injured in the attack except the attacker, who suffered …
Byline: Marc Carey Staff writer
A proposed change in the town's zoning law setting limits on dog ownership is for the birds, according to one town resident who has made a career of canines.
In a sharply worded letter to the Town Board, Mary Jane Row, a former dog columnist for a local newspaper who has raised and bred the animals, told the board that it is barking up the wrong tree with a proposed amendment defining a "animal hobby kennel."
The change will be the subject of a public hearing by the board tonight.
Row said the proposed change defines a hobby kennel as:
"A kennel in which dogs are trained, bred, raised and/or sold …
John Wilkinson scored in the 73rd minute Sunday to give Singapore a 2-1 win over Lebanon in a World Cup qualifier.
After a scoreless first half, Lebanon took the lead through Amer Khan in the 70th minute. But Singapore equalized just two minutes later, when …
The 46th Illinois Open - last of Chicago's big golf tournamentsthis summer - doesn't start until Thursday, but some of thefavorites showed they're ready Sunday at the Evanston; Wilmette Openat the Peter Jans course.
Jim Estes, the assistant pro at Evanston Golf Club, won the$6,000 first prize in a three-hole playoff after finishing regulation at 3-under par 117.
Estes defeated Dan Olsen of Bloomington, Ind., and Jery Smith ofTaylorville, Ill., on the third hole of the sudden-death playoff.
Estes, medalist at the U.S. Open qualifier in June, wasrunner-up in the inaugural tournament last year. He was beaten byTim Herron, a Minnesota qualifier who is …
Baku, 08 January (AzerTAc) -- Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Agshin Mehdiyev has submitted a letter to the organization`s Secretary-General and the Security Council. The letter says during the months of October and November, 102 cases of violations of the ceasefire by the military forces of Armenia have occurred. As a result of these violations, five servicemen of the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were killed and one civilian was wounded noted Mehdiyev. According to the annexed information, during the reporting period, the armed forces of Armenia continued intensive fire on both the military and civilian objects in Azerbaijan, not only from their positions …
QUOTE OF THE DAY "We've always had some ups and downs. But we've seen a lot more ups than downs lately." Springdale Food Service Director Carol Godfrey, on price increases on food items that will be used on school menus next year Article, 1B Today's meetings Rogers Board of Adjustments, 9:30 a.m. Fayetteville Library Board of Trustees, 4 p.m. Rogers Water Utilities Commission, 4 p.m. Bentonville School Board, 5:30 p.m. Greenland School Board, 6 p.m. Lincoln School Board, 6 p.m. Lowell Planning Commission, 6 p.m. Bethel Heights Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Decatur School Board, 7 p.m. …
ALBANY -- Ruth A. Hammond Harlop, 81, died peacefully, Monday, February 26, 2001 at Our Lady of Mercy Life Center. Born in Albany, she was a graduate of Vincentian Institute and the Mildred Elley Business School. Mrs. Harlop was an office manager for over 40 years with Met Life until her retirement in 1979. She was a communicant of Blessed Sacrament Church. Mrs. Harlop was the mother of Nancy E. Wheat of East Greenbush and Doreen M. Jensen and her husband, James K. of Schaghticoke; sister of Raymond …
Byline: Marv Cermak Staff writer
Democrat Anthony G. Insogna on Thursday blasted the Republican majority of the Schenectady County Legislature, charging expenditure of $15,000 for a public- relations campaign is political.
He said he feared Republicans would release the newspaper advertising campaign in conjunction with the Nov. 7 election when five GOP legislators are running for re-election.
"This is an arrogant abuse of political power," said Insogna, who is running for a city seat against Charles Drago Jr., veteran Republican chairman of the legislature.
"If the Republican candidates need political literature, they should get the money …
This Central Asian nation that hosts a key U.S. military air base votes Thursday in a presidential election that is almost certain to tighten the incumbent's grip on power in the former Soviet republic.
If re-elected, Kurmanbek Bakiyev is expected to continue his impoverished country's policy of playing Moscow against Washington in an effort to win aid from both.
Bakiyev campaigned on a platform of stability, appealing to the electorate's desire to see an end to political turmoil. But the opposition accuses him of using intimidation to help ensure the continuation of his rule and says he is taking the country _ once viewed as the region's beacon of democracy _ down the path of …
No Fire Next Time: Black-Korean Conflicts and the Future of America's Cities by Patrick D. Joyce Cornell University Press, September 2003 $19.95, ISBN …
AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
After rejecting a one-year labour contract with American Airlines, the Allied Pilots Association has been ordered by a federal appeals court to pay a USD45.5m fine levied against it due to sickout action staged by pilots in February 1999.
The sickout action had resulted in the cancellation of about 6,700 flights and Circuit Judge Robert Parker refused to throw out the fine, stating, `The defendants are liable for damages because of …
Byline: MARK SINGELAIS - Staff Writer
UAlbany 73
Hartford 63
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Brent Wilson had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the University at Albany men's basketball team to a 73-63 victory over Hartford in an America East Conference game at Chase Arena on Saturday night.
Brian Lillis added 15 points and 10 rebounds for UAlbany (9-9 overall, 4-2 league), which moved into a three-way tie for first with …
Byline: Associated Press -
NEW YORK -- The Cathedral of St. John the Divine announced Sunday that an Episcopal rector from Atlanta has been chosen to serve as dean.
The Rev. Dr. Harry H. Pritchett Jr., rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta, was unanimously elected by the trustees of St. John the Divine last week.
The 104-year-old cathedral is the principal church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and is the largest church building in the United States.
Pritchett will succeed the Very Rev. James Parks Morton, who is retiring on Jan. 1 after 25 years as . Bartholomew's Church, who chaired the search committee for the cathedral's …
India defeated South Africa by one run Sunday in the opening one-day international of the three-match series at Sawai Mansingh Stadium:
___
Scorers:
India 298-9 (Suresh Raina 58, …
Yesterday's high 83
Record high 93, 1919
Normal high 71
Yesterday's low 57
Record low 30, 1965
Normal low …
BEIRUT, DEC. 7 (BNA) THE ISRAELI WARPLANES CONTINUED VIOLATING THE LEBANESE AIRSPACE FLYING AT AT LOW ALTITUDE. THEY FLEW OVER JIZEEN AND KLEEM AL TUFFAH, THE …
Byline: TIM WILKIN Staff writer
ALBANY -- Thursday night, Darrell Barley of Canisius was honored as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. That high didn't last long as the 6-foot-5 Barley might not play in the men's basketball league tournament, which starts Saturday.
Barley broke his right thumb at a practice Tuesday night in Buffalo and had a pin inserted Wednesday night. He was walking around Knickerbocker Arena Thursday night with the hand in a cast and his MAAC future in doubt.
Coach John Beilein said the cast will be broken today and a splint will be put on Barley's thumb. Then they hope for the best.
``I just got …
Southwest Airlines Co. reported a surprisingly large loss in the first quarter due to weak traffic in the recession, and the company said it was freezing hiring and offering buyouts to employees.
Southwest also said it expects a key revenue measurement to fall again in the second quarter.
Shares of the discount carrier were battered in morning trading, pushed down 86 cents, or 11.3 percent, to $6.78.
Southwest said it lost $91 million in the first quarter, or 12 cents per share, including $71 million due to the falling value of its fuel hedges.
Without the fuel-hedges item the airline would have lost $20 million, or 3 cents per share, on …
