Police: Woman put mom's body in bags - Yahoo! News
OCALA, Fla. - A woman was arrested Tuesday after she told police she dumped the body of her 83-year-old mother into two garbage bags and left them beside the road, Marion County authorities said.
Debra Loreth, 53, of Belleview, told deputies she didn't report the death of her mother, Jeanne Vasa, because she wanted to cash the woman's retirement checks, according to the sheriff's office.
Loreth was charged with failure to report a death and was being held at the Marion County jail on $500 bond, jail officials said. It was not known if she had legal representation.
Detectives have filed paperwork with the State Attorney's Office seeking a charge of improper disposal of a body and one count of uttering a false instrument, for allegedly cashing her mother's retirement check.
Loreth originally told police her mother died on Sept. 4 and she didn't report it because she was being evicted, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. She asked a friend to call a cremation business and then moved out of the home, leaving her mother's body behind.
Loreth later told police she put her mother in two, black garbage bags and placed them in a U-Haul truck. She left the bags in Lake County and didn't report the death "because she wanted to keep cashing a monthly retirement check that the decedent was getting," authorities said.
A couple noticed the suspicious bags on the side of the road and called police. Some of the woman's extremities were missing.
An autopsy listed the cause of death as undetermined.
___
Information from: Ocala Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women - Yahoo! News
Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women - Yahoo! News
This has gone WAY to far!!
SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.
"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.
"Leave Santa alone."
A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.
This has gone WAY to far!!
SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.
"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.
"Leave Santa alone."
A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
NY governor drops immigrant license plan - Yahoo! News
NY governor drops immigrant license plan - Yahoo! News
Good - What a dickhead!!!
NY governor drops immigrant license plan
By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 14 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced Wednesday he was abandoning a plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, but said that the federal government had "lost control" of its borders and left states to deal with the consequences.
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"I have concluded that New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own," Spitzer said at a news conference after meeting with members of the state's congressional delegation.
Spitzer said overwhelming opposition led to his decision.
"It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic," he said.
The Democratic governor introduced the plan two months ago with the goal of increased security, safer roads and an opportunity to bring immigrants "out of the shadows." Opponents charged the scheme would make it easier for would-be terrorists to get identification, and make the country less safe.
The decision is another example of the roadblocks that high-profile immigration reforms have faced this year. Less than five months ago, Congress failed to pass legislation that would legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants and fortify the border with Mexico.
"The federal government has lost control of its borders, has allowed millions of undocumented immigrants to enter our country and now has no solution to deal with it," Spitzer said.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called Spitzer's reversal on the license issue "a good development" and said immigration is a federal issue for which his department has to "ramp up enforcement."
"What I want to make sure is that states aren't working at cross-purposes with us and enabling the kind of conduct we're enforcing against," Chertoff told The Associated Press by phone from London.
Last month, Spitzer sought to salvage the license effort by striking a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to create three distinct types of state driver's licenses: one "enhanced" card that would be as secure as a passport; a second-tier license good for boarding airplanes; and a third marked not valid for federal purposes that would be available to illegal immigrants and others.
The signed agreement with Washington may still be salvaged: Aides to Spitzer said he planned to go forward with the border-crossing card. The state took a wait-and-see approach to the second-tier license that would meet federal standards for what is known as Real ID — a national and secure identification that would make it much harder for terrorists to get licenses.
Chertoff said the signed agreement between his agency and the state would "absolutely" still go forward for the other two types of licenses.
The license issue has reverberated in the presidential campaign, particularly for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was asked about Spitzer's plan during a debate.
Clinton has been criticized by her Democratic and Republican rivals for her noncommittal answers on the subject. She has said she sympathizes with governors like Spitzer who are forced to confront the issue of immigration because the federal government has not enacted immigration reform. She has not taken a position on the actual plan offered by Spitzer.
Clinton officials did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday.
About 70 percent of New Yorkers opposed the plan, according to a Siena College poll of 625 registered voters released Tuesday. The poll, conducted Nov. 5-8, had a sampling error margin of 3.9 percentage points.
After meeting privately with the governor, New York Democrats who agreed with him said they understood he had to retreat — but insisted the need for immigration reform would only grow.
"This governor was not defeated by anything other than the hate in this country toward immigrants right now," said Rep. Jose Serrano, a Bronx Democrat.
Others saw it as further proof the political paralysis over immigration issues has spread from the federal to state governments.
"This is an issue that's vexed Washington for a while. Now it's spread it's plague to Albany and I think the governor learned the lesson that immigration has become the new third rail of politics," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York City Democrat.
(This version CORRECTS Spitzer quote.)
Good - What a dickhead!!!
NY governor drops immigrant license plan
By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 14 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced Wednesday he was abandoning a plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, but said that the federal government had "lost control" of its borders and left states to deal with the consequences.
ADVERTISEMENT
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"I have concluded that New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own," Spitzer said at a news conference after meeting with members of the state's congressional delegation.
Spitzer said overwhelming opposition led to his decision.
"It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic," he said.
The Democratic governor introduced the plan two months ago with the goal of increased security, safer roads and an opportunity to bring immigrants "out of the shadows." Opponents charged the scheme would make it easier for would-be terrorists to get identification, and make the country less safe.
The decision is another example of the roadblocks that high-profile immigration reforms have faced this year. Less than five months ago, Congress failed to pass legislation that would legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants and fortify the border with Mexico.
"The federal government has lost control of its borders, has allowed millions of undocumented immigrants to enter our country and now has no solution to deal with it," Spitzer said.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called Spitzer's reversal on the license issue "a good development" and said immigration is a federal issue for which his department has to "ramp up enforcement."
"What I want to make sure is that states aren't working at cross-purposes with us and enabling the kind of conduct we're enforcing against," Chertoff told The Associated Press by phone from London.
Last month, Spitzer sought to salvage the license effort by striking a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to create three distinct types of state driver's licenses: one "enhanced" card that would be as secure as a passport; a second-tier license good for boarding airplanes; and a third marked not valid for federal purposes that would be available to illegal immigrants and others.
The signed agreement with Washington may still be salvaged: Aides to Spitzer said he planned to go forward with the border-crossing card. The state took a wait-and-see approach to the second-tier license that would meet federal standards for what is known as Real ID — a national and secure identification that would make it much harder for terrorists to get licenses.
Chertoff said the signed agreement between his agency and the state would "absolutely" still go forward for the other two types of licenses.
The license issue has reverberated in the presidential campaign, particularly for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was asked about Spitzer's plan during a debate.
Clinton has been criticized by her Democratic and Republican rivals for her noncommittal answers on the subject. She has said she sympathizes with governors like Spitzer who are forced to confront the issue of immigration because the federal government has not enacted immigration reform. She has not taken a position on the actual plan offered by Spitzer.
Clinton officials did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday.
About 70 percent of New Yorkers opposed the plan, according to a Siena College poll of 625 registered voters released Tuesday. The poll, conducted Nov. 5-8, had a sampling error margin of 3.9 percentage points.
After meeting privately with the governor, New York Democrats who agreed with him said they understood he had to retreat — but insisted the need for immigration reform would only grow.
"This governor was not defeated by anything other than the hate in this country toward immigrants right now," said Rep. Jose Serrano, a Bronx Democrat.
Others saw it as further proof the political paralysis over immigration issues has spread from the federal to state governments.
"This is an issue that's vexed Washington for a while. Now it's spread it's plague to Albany and I think the governor learned the lesson that immigration has become the new third rail of politics," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York City Democrat.
(This version CORRECTS Spitzer quote.)
Monday, November 12, 2007
Best to use tools when loosening lug nut - Yahoo! News
Best to use tools when loosening lug nut - Yahoo! News
SOUTHWORTH, Wash. - A man trying to loosen a stubborn lug nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs, sheriff's deputies said.
The 66-year-old man had been repairing a Lincoln Continental for two weeks at his home northwest of Southworth, about 10 miles southwest of Seattle, and had gotten all but one of the lug nuts off the right rear wheel by Saturday afternoon, Kitsap County Deputy Scott Wilson said.
"He's bound and determined to get that lug nut off," Wilson said.
From about arm's length, the man fired the shotgun at the wheel and was "peppered" in both legs with buckshot and debris, with some injuries as high as his chin, according to a sheriff's office report.
"Nobody else was there and he wasn't intoxicated," Wilson said.
The man was taken to Tacoma General Hospital with injuries Wilson described as severe but not life-threatening.
SOUTHWORTH, Wash. - A man trying to loosen a stubborn lug nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs, sheriff's deputies said.
The 66-year-old man had been repairing a Lincoln Continental for two weeks at his home northwest of Southworth, about 10 miles southwest of Seattle, and had gotten all but one of the lug nuts off the right rear wheel by Saturday afternoon, Kitsap County Deputy Scott Wilson said.
"He's bound and determined to get that lug nut off," Wilson said.
From about arm's length, the man fired the shotgun at the wheel and was "peppered" in both legs with buckshot and debris, with some injuries as high as his chin, according to a sheriff's office report.
"Nobody else was there and he wasn't intoxicated," Wilson said.
The man was taken to Tacoma General Hospital with injuries Wilson described as severe but not life-threatening.
Norman Mailer dies aged 84 | U.S. | Reuters
Norman Mailer dies aged 84 U.S. Reuters
Norman Mailer dies aged 84
Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:49am EST
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Norman Mailer, the pugnacious two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who was a dominating presence on the U.S. literary scene for more than half a century, died on Saturday of kidney failure, his family said. He was 84.
Known for his biting prose, penchant for controversy and as an antagonist of the feminist movement, Mailer had struggled with his health for months, undergoing lung surgery in October and spending five days in a Boston hospital in September.
"With great sorrow, the family of Norman Mailer announces his passing on November 10, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City," the statement said.
In more than 40 books and a torrent of essays, Mailer provoked and enraged readers with his strident views on U.S. political life and the wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
Mailer's first book, "The Naked and the Dead," is considered one of the finest novels about World War Two and made him a celebrity at age 25 when published in 1948.
"From one end of his life to the other he sat in solemn thought and left so much to read, so many pages with ideas that come at you like sparks spitting from a fire," said columnist and author Jimmy Breslin.
In 1969, Mailer waded into politics with a run for New York mayor, with Breslin running for city council president.
"He argued brilliantly for the absolute necessity of the minds of whites and blacks growing by being in the same city school classrooms," said Breslin.
Mailer's works were often filled with violence, sexual obsession and views that angered feminists. He later reconsidered many of his old positions but never surrendered his right to speak his mind.
"I found him to be extremely kind and gentle," best-selling novelist Luanne Rice, a friend of Mailer, told Reuters in an interview. "The Norman Mailer that I knew was very different from the angry, contentious man that was famous."
Rice, now 52, was just starting out as a writer when she met Mailer in the late-1980s. He invited her to join him for a drink, they talked, and over the years she said he became a mentor and father figure to the budding writer.
FEUDED WITH FELLOW AUTHORS
Detractors considered him an intellectual bully and he feuded with fellow authors such as Truman Capote, William Styron, Tom Wolfe and Norman Podhoretz.
Feminists like Germaine Greer and Kate Millett considered him the quintessential male chauvinist pig.
Some of the feuds even turned physical for the former college boxer, who stabbed one of his six wives at a party and also decked writer Gore Vidal.
"He always had this great voice, even when he was on crutches and canes, he still had that great voice that would get everyone excited," said Dr. Thomas Staley, director of The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which houses the complete Norman Mailer archives.
"I knew him in the last five or six years of his life, when he had mellowed, and he was quite charming," Staley said.
Mailer lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and had an apartment in Brooklyn, New York. In Provincetown, he was known as a generous public figure in his later years who loved to play poker and often held games at his Provincetown home.
He is survived by his wife Norris Church Mailer, and nine children, the family said. His son Stephen was at his side when he died at 4:30 a.m. (0930 GMT). They planned a private service and interment to be announced next week, and a memorial service in New York in coming months.
"He was a towering figure who wrote some of the best journalism in the English language, especially in the '60s and '70s," said Peter Manso, a Mailer biographer. (Additional reporting by Vicki Allen in Washington, Chris Michaud in New York and Sue Harrison in Provincetown; Editing by Jason Szep and Vicki Allen)
Norman Mailer dies aged 84
Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:49am EST
By Toni Clarke
BOSTON (Reuters) - Norman Mailer, the pugnacious two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who was a dominating presence on the U.S. literary scene for more than half a century, died on Saturday of kidney failure, his family said. He was 84.
Known for his biting prose, penchant for controversy and as an antagonist of the feminist movement, Mailer had struggled with his health for months, undergoing lung surgery in October and spending five days in a Boston hospital in September.
"With great sorrow, the family of Norman Mailer announces his passing on November 10, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City," the statement said.
In more than 40 books and a torrent of essays, Mailer provoked and enraged readers with his strident views on U.S. political life and the wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
Mailer's first book, "The Naked and the Dead," is considered one of the finest novels about World War Two and made him a celebrity at age 25 when published in 1948.
"From one end of his life to the other he sat in solemn thought and left so much to read, so many pages with ideas that come at you like sparks spitting from a fire," said columnist and author Jimmy Breslin.
In 1969, Mailer waded into politics with a run for New York mayor, with Breslin running for city council president.
"He argued brilliantly for the absolute necessity of the minds of whites and blacks growing by being in the same city school classrooms," said Breslin.
Mailer's works were often filled with violence, sexual obsession and views that angered feminists. He later reconsidered many of his old positions but never surrendered his right to speak his mind.
"I found him to be extremely kind and gentle," best-selling novelist Luanne Rice, a friend of Mailer, told Reuters in an interview. "The Norman Mailer that I knew was very different from the angry, contentious man that was famous."
Rice, now 52, was just starting out as a writer when she met Mailer in the late-1980s. He invited her to join him for a drink, they talked, and over the years she said he became a mentor and father figure to the budding writer.
FEUDED WITH FELLOW AUTHORS
Detractors considered him an intellectual bully and he feuded with fellow authors such as Truman Capote, William Styron, Tom Wolfe and Norman Podhoretz.
Feminists like Germaine Greer and Kate Millett considered him the quintessential male chauvinist pig.
Some of the feuds even turned physical for the former college boxer, who stabbed one of his six wives at a party and also decked writer Gore Vidal.
"He always had this great voice, even when he was on crutches and canes, he still had that great voice that would get everyone excited," said Dr. Thomas Staley, director of The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which houses the complete Norman Mailer archives.
"I knew him in the last five or six years of his life, when he had mellowed, and he was quite charming," Staley said.
Mailer lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and had an apartment in Brooklyn, New York. In Provincetown, he was known as a generous public figure in his later years who loved to play poker and often held games at his Provincetown home.
He is survived by his wife Norris Church Mailer, and nine children, the family said. His son Stephen was at his side when he died at 4:30 a.m. (0930 GMT). They planned a private service and interment to be announced next week, and a memorial service in New York in coming months.
"He was a towering figure who wrote some of the best journalism in the English language, especially in the '60s and '70s," said Peter Manso, a Mailer biographer. (Additional reporting by Vicki Allen in Washington, Chris Michaud in New York and Sue Harrison in Provincetown; Editing by Jason Szep and Vicki Allen)
Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - Pakistan/Afghanistan
Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - Pakistan/Afghanistan
Is this guy's hair for real????
US and Britain welcome Musharraf vote pledge
Published: Monday, 12 November, 2007, 03:01 AM Doha Time
‘CYNICAL SOP’, SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
President Pervez Musharraf gestures during a news conference in Islamabad yesterday
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice welcomed yesterday Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s vow to hold parliamentary elections by January 9 but called for his state of emergency to be lifted. Interviewed on ABC television, Rice said the planned election and Musharraf’s latest pledge to quit as army chief were a “positive element.” “These have been both essential to getting Pakistan back on the democratic path,” she said, while urging Musharraf to lift emergency rule “as soon as possible.” Rice said the US was still reviewing its aid to Pakistan, “but no one would want the president (George W Bush) to do something that would compromise the counter-terrorism operation.” “The road to democratic development is not smooth and even. This is clearly a situation that is not perfect,” she said. “But if the suggestion is that we abandon a course that could lead to a path back to democracy in Pakistan, I think that would be mistaken.” Musharraf said the elections commission would fix an exact date for the vote and that parliament would be dissolved Thursday, with the country to be run by a caretaker government. The military ruler, who seized power in a coup in 1999, defended emergency rule as necessary for safeguarding the country’s interests, but said taking the step had been the hardest decision of his life. The new timetable effectively brings the elections process back to what it was before emergency rule, and meets a key demand of the embattled leader’s critics at home and abroad. Britain too welcomed Musharraf’s announcement of elections by January 9 but said it wanted “urgent action” on issues including restoration of the constitution. “We welcome the dissolution of the national assembly on schedule and confirmation of timetable for elections to take place before January 9,” a spokesman for the foreign ministry said. “But we still want to see urgent action to restore the constitution, release political prisoners, pursue reconciliation with the political opposition, honour the president’s commitment to step down as army chief and lift restrictions on the media.” Britain is due to take part in a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in London Monday where foreign ministers are expected to debate whether Pakistan should be suspended from the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch dismissed Musharraf’s promise of elections as a “cynical sop” designed to deflect criticism over his emergency rule. “Genuine elections in Pakistan are not possible so long as Pakistan’s constitution remains suspended and the country remains under emergency rule,” the New York-based rights group said in a statement. “Musharraf’s announcement is a cynical sop to the international community meant to deflect attention from his ongoing power grab,” it added. The group said there could be no proper transition to democracy or genuine elections when “thousands of General Musharraf’s opponents are imprisoned, the media remains muzzled, and General Musharraf continues to slander and detain the ousted chief justice, Iftikhar Mohamed Chaudhry, and Pakistan’s senior judiciary.” Officials in Pakistan say 3,000 people have been arrested nationwide since the state of emergency was imposed, although many have now been released. The rights group also expressed concern about a presidential decree issued on Saturday that grants wide-ranging powers to the army, including the ability to court-martial civilians accused of terrorism or other key offences. “These measures are illegal under international law,” Human Rights Watch said. Musharraf has said he declared emergency rule because of mounting militancy and interference by the judiciary in government affairs. - AFP
CJ will ‘never get his job back’ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf laid into the nation’s sacked chief justice yesterday, accusing him of corruption and illegal interference and saying he would never get his job back. Musharraf said Iftikhar Mohamed Chaudhry and the six other Supreme Court judges who refused to retake the oath of office under emergency rule had all forfeited their positions. “Absolutely, those who have not taken the oath are gone, they are no more the judges,” he told a press conference in response to a question. Musharraf declared emergency rule a week ago citing a meddlesome judiciary along with growing Islamic militancy as reason to suspend the constitution. It came amid government jitters days ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of his October 6 presidential election victory. He said he asked the justices to take their oath under a provisional order replacing the constitution, and seven—led by Chaudhry—refused. They were promptly sacked. Musharraf has long been engaged in a running battle with Chaudhry since he first tried to sack the chief justice in March. That failed attempt triggered nationwide street protests. The military ruler accused Chaudhry of illegal interference in court cases, “personal corruption,” harassment of civil servants and seeking influence in privatisation processes. “He wanted the best way he could for himself,” Musharraf said. “What would you do to achieve justice if these were the accusations against somebody? Is he above the law?” he asked. Chaudhry and other judges have been under virtual house arrest since last week, and the government has arrested scores of lawyers and senior Bar leaders to quell protests. - AFP
Is this guy's hair for real????
US and Britain welcome Musharraf vote pledge
Published: Monday, 12 November, 2007, 03:01 AM Doha Time
‘CYNICAL SOP’, SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
President Pervez Musharraf gestures during a news conference in Islamabad yesterday
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice welcomed yesterday Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s vow to hold parliamentary elections by January 9 but called for his state of emergency to be lifted. Interviewed on ABC television, Rice said the planned election and Musharraf’s latest pledge to quit as army chief were a “positive element.” “These have been both essential to getting Pakistan back on the democratic path,” she said, while urging Musharraf to lift emergency rule “as soon as possible.” Rice said the US was still reviewing its aid to Pakistan, “but no one would want the president (George W Bush) to do something that would compromise the counter-terrorism operation.” “The road to democratic development is not smooth and even. This is clearly a situation that is not perfect,” she said. “But if the suggestion is that we abandon a course that could lead to a path back to democracy in Pakistan, I think that would be mistaken.” Musharraf said the elections commission would fix an exact date for the vote and that parliament would be dissolved Thursday, with the country to be run by a caretaker government. The military ruler, who seized power in a coup in 1999, defended emergency rule as necessary for safeguarding the country’s interests, but said taking the step had been the hardest decision of his life. The new timetable effectively brings the elections process back to what it was before emergency rule, and meets a key demand of the embattled leader’s critics at home and abroad. Britain too welcomed Musharraf’s announcement of elections by January 9 but said it wanted “urgent action” on issues including restoration of the constitution. “We welcome the dissolution of the national assembly on schedule and confirmation of timetable for elections to take place before January 9,” a spokesman for the foreign ministry said. “But we still want to see urgent action to restore the constitution, release political prisoners, pursue reconciliation with the political opposition, honour the president’s commitment to step down as army chief and lift restrictions on the media.” Britain is due to take part in a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in London Monday where foreign ministers are expected to debate whether Pakistan should be suspended from the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch dismissed Musharraf’s promise of elections as a “cynical sop” designed to deflect criticism over his emergency rule. “Genuine elections in Pakistan are not possible so long as Pakistan’s constitution remains suspended and the country remains under emergency rule,” the New York-based rights group said in a statement. “Musharraf’s announcement is a cynical sop to the international community meant to deflect attention from his ongoing power grab,” it added. The group said there could be no proper transition to democracy or genuine elections when “thousands of General Musharraf’s opponents are imprisoned, the media remains muzzled, and General Musharraf continues to slander and detain the ousted chief justice, Iftikhar Mohamed Chaudhry, and Pakistan’s senior judiciary.” Officials in Pakistan say 3,000 people have been arrested nationwide since the state of emergency was imposed, although many have now been released. The rights group also expressed concern about a presidential decree issued on Saturday that grants wide-ranging powers to the army, including the ability to court-martial civilians accused of terrorism or other key offences. “These measures are illegal under international law,” Human Rights Watch said. Musharraf has said he declared emergency rule because of mounting militancy and interference by the judiciary in government affairs. - AFP
CJ will ‘never get his job back’ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf laid into the nation’s sacked chief justice yesterday, accusing him of corruption and illegal interference and saying he would never get his job back. Musharraf said Iftikhar Mohamed Chaudhry and the six other Supreme Court judges who refused to retake the oath of office under emergency rule had all forfeited their positions. “Absolutely, those who have not taken the oath are gone, they are no more the judges,” he told a press conference in response to a question. Musharraf declared emergency rule a week ago citing a meddlesome judiciary along with growing Islamic militancy as reason to suspend the constitution. It came amid government jitters days ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of his October 6 presidential election victory. He said he asked the justices to take their oath under a provisional order replacing the constitution, and seven—led by Chaudhry—refused. They were promptly sacked. Musharraf has long been engaged in a running battle with Chaudhry since he first tried to sack the chief justice in March. That failed attempt triggered nationwide street protests. The military ruler accused Chaudhry of illegal interference in court cases, “personal corruption,” harassment of civil servants and seeking influence in privatisation processes. “He wanted the best way he could for himself,” Musharraf said. “What would you do to achieve justice if these were the accusations against somebody? Is he above the law?” he asked. Chaudhry and other judges have been under virtual house arrest since last week, and the government has arrested scores of lawyers and senior Bar leaders to quell protests. - AFP
E! News - Kanye's Mama Dies After Plastic Surgery - Kanye West
E! News - Kanye's Mama Dies After Plastic Surgery - Kanye West
Hey, Mama, you'll be missed.
Donda West, the former Chicago State University English professor who left higher education to guide her son to a Grammy-winning hip-hop career, died Saturday evening in Los Angeles.
She was 58.
According to Patricia West, a spokeswoman for Donda West, the cause of death was complications stemming from a "cosmetic procedure."
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed Monday the death is under investigation, but initial indications are that she succumbed to complications from surgery. Lieutenant Fred Corral, the watch commander, declined to elaborate, only saying West was pronounced dead at Centinela Marina Hospital in Marina del Rey at 8:20 p.m. Saturday. She was brought to the facility by ambulance from an undisclosed location, a hospital official said.
A public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department said paramedics were called to Donda West's address about 7:35 p.m. Saturday. However, citing privacy laws, the department refused to confirm whether West was the patient.
Her remains were to be transported to the coroner’s office later Monday, and the autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, Corral said.
A prominent Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon had turned down West for surgery citing a preexisting medical condition.
Dr. Andre Aboolian told West two weeks ago that she needed medical clearance before he would perform a procedure, according to the physician's publicist, Jo-Anne Geffen. Geffen didn't go into specifics about the requested surgery or West's condition, citing patient privacy laws.
A rep for Kanye West declined to comment on his mother's passing. Instead, his label, Island Def Jam, released a brief statement: "The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief."
There was also no immediate word on whether he would perform as scheduled at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The rapper was due to open the show, which tapes this Thursday and airs Dec. 4 on CBS.
The 30-year-old rapper reportedly got the bad news while in London on the eve of a U.K. tour; he immediately boarded a plane for Los Angeles.
West's photojournalist father, Ray, left them when Kanye was 11 months old. Ray and Donda West divorced two years later, and she relocated Kanye from Atlanta to Chicago. There, she raised him as a single parent during his formative years—a time the rap star recounts with pride, citing her struggles to provide for him while working hard to forge a successful career as a teacher.
After he gained fame, first as one of hip-hop's most sought-after producers and then as a solo artist with his 2004 debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye celebrated the positive role Donda played in his upbringing in the track "Hey Mama" off 2005's Late Registration.
"Hey, Mama, I wanna scream so loud for you/ Cuz I'm so proud of you/ I know I act a fool/ But I promise you I'm going back to school/ I appreciate what you allow for me/ I just want you to be proud of me," goes the refrain.
Later in the song, he raps: "My mama told me go to school/ Get your doctorate/ Somethin' to fall back on, you could profit with/ But still supported me when I did the opposite."
He performed the tune in his mom's honor during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, while she beamed on in the audience.
After 31 years rising through the teaching ranks to chair the English Department at Chicago State, Donda West retired in 2004 to manage her son's burgeoning career. She also headed up Super Good, the parent company of the emcee's fast-growing business empire, which includes apparel, accessories and other lifestyle products, and was the chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to increasing literacy and preventing youths from dropping out of school.
Donda West cowrote a book about their close relationship in Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.
"I never make any important decision without consulting her," the entertainer told the Chicago Times two years ago.
Kanye West's songwriting partner, Rhymefest, appeared on Chicago radio station WCGI Sunday and paid tribute to Donda.
"She was everyone's mom," he said. "A spirit never dies, a spirit lasts forever."
Funeral arrangements are pending
Hey, Mama, you'll be missed.
Donda West, the former Chicago State University English professor who left higher education to guide her son to a Grammy-winning hip-hop career, died Saturday evening in Los Angeles.
She was 58.
According to Patricia West, a spokeswoman for Donda West, the cause of death was complications stemming from a "cosmetic procedure."
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed Monday the death is under investigation, but initial indications are that she succumbed to complications from surgery. Lieutenant Fred Corral, the watch commander, declined to elaborate, only saying West was pronounced dead at Centinela Marina Hospital in Marina del Rey at 8:20 p.m. Saturday. She was brought to the facility by ambulance from an undisclosed location, a hospital official said.
A public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department said paramedics were called to Donda West's address about 7:35 p.m. Saturday. However, citing privacy laws, the department refused to confirm whether West was the patient.
Her remains were to be transported to the coroner’s office later Monday, and the autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, Corral said.
A prominent Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon had turned down West for surgery citing a preexisting medical condition.
Dr. Andre Aboolian told West two weeks ago that she needed medical clearance before he would perform a procedure, according to the physician's publicist, Jo-Anne Geffen. Geffen didn't go into specifics about the requested surgery or West's condition, citing patient privacy laws.
A rep for Kanye West declined to comment on his mother's passing. Instead, his label, Island Def Jam, released a brief statement: "The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief."
There was also no immediate word on whether he would perform as scheduled at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The rapper was due to open the show, which tapes this Thursday and airs Dec. 4 on CBS.
The 30-year-old rapper reportedly got the bad news while in London on the eve of a U.K. tour; he immediately boarded a plane for Los Angeles.
West's photojournalist father, Ray, left them when Kanye was 11 months old. Ray and Donda West divorced two years later, and she relocated Kanye from Atlanta to Chicago. There, she raised him as a single parent during his formative years—a time the rap star recounts with pride, citing her struggles to provide for him while working hard to forge a successful career as a teacher.
After he gained fame, first as one of hip-hop's most sought-after producers and then as a solo artist with his 2004 debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye celebrated the positive role Donda played in his upbringing in the track "Hey Mama" off 2005's Late Registration.
"Hey, Mama, I wanna scream so loud for you/ Cuz I'm so proud of you/ I know I act a fool/ But I promise you I'm going back to school/ I appreciate what you allow for me/ I just want you to be proud of me," goes the refrain.
Later in the song, he raps: "My mama told me go to school/ Get your doctorate/ Somethin' to fall back on, you could profit with/ But still supported me when I did the opposite."
He performed the tune in his mom's honor during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, while she beamed on in the audience.
After 31 years rising through the teaching ranks to chair the English Department at Chicago State, Donda West retired in 2004 to manage her son's burgeoning career. She also headed up Super Good, the parent company of the emcee's fast-growing business empire, which includes apparel, accessories and other lifestyle products, and was the chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to increasing literacy and preventing youths from dropping out of school.
Donda West cowrote a book about their close relationship in Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.
"I never make any important decision without consulting her," the entertainer told the Chicago Times two years ago.
Kanye West's songwriting partner, Rhymefest, appeared on Chicago radio station WCGI Sunday and paid tribute to Donda.
"She was everyone's mom," he said. "A spirit never dies, a spirit lasts forever."
Funeral arrangements are pending
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Local
Blame the Illegal immigrants, not the enforces for putting their children at risk
By Fernando Quintero, Rocky Mountain News November 1, 2007
GREELEY - A study released Wednesday on the impact of immigration work site raids on children showed that this northern Colorado community was the most deeply affected of three communities that had large immigration enforcement sweeps.
Last year, in a raid on the Swift & Co. meat-processing plant in Greeley, 201 children had at least one parent among the 273 arrested, according to the report commissioned by the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic advocacy group, and the Urban Institute, a nonprofit, minority affairs think tank.
In all, there were more than a dozen pregnant women taken into custody.
Federal officials and supporters of stricter immigration enforcement criticized the study, saying the blame for such consequences was misplaced. They say that parents who immigrate illegally are responsible for the effect the enforcement has on their children.
The report focused on communities that experienced large- scale work site raids within the past year: Greeley; Grand Island, Neb.; and New Bedford, Mass.
It concludes that the raids caused children and infants to become separated from their parents, left families without their primary breadwinners, and caused emotional trauma for children of parents who were arrested.
Marina, a Guatemalan native who declined to give her last name because she and her husband are undocumented, was seven months pregnant when she was arrested in the Swift raid. She was released the same day, but her court hearing isn't until Oct. 4, 2008. She awaits her fate, and that of her 6-month-old U.S.- born son.
"I am still afraid to go out," she said, teary-eyed, as she recalled the morning she was taken to a detention center in Aurora.
Her family is one of 24 in the Greeley area awaiting a court date to find out if they will remain in the country.
"Nothing but poverty and violence awaits us in Guatemala," said Marina.
Two-thirds of the children whose parents were arrested in Greeley are citizens, according to the report.
The report comes two weeks after the Government Accountability Office, the investigatory arm of Congress, found Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers lacked guidelines in choosing whom to deport, often separating sole caregivers from children.
But ICE said parents are to blame for the harm from the raids.
"The responsibility for the negative impacts of our work-site enforcement actions lies squarely on the shoulders of those who violated our immigration laws," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok.
"It should not be on the agency responsible for upholding the law," he added.
Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that supports reduced immigration, said illegal immigrants were "hiding behind their children as a justification not to be deported."
"Every time we have a work-site enforcement action, the blame is shifted to the agency that is simply doing their job," he said. "The blame needs to go to parents who put their children in jeopardy, and employers who are hiring people illegally."
Ricardo Romero, a Greeley activist who was among the immigrant advocates at a news conference Wednesday to announce the report's findings, said ICE went into the Swift plant with 170 warrants, but ended up arresting 273.
"Why didn't they come and arrest (the people who were the subjects of warrants), instead of making such a large sweep?" he said.
"They say they want to deport people who are in the country illegally, but they're giving people court dates scheduled a year from now. In the meantime, these people have no permission to work or access to social services. It is up to us to keep these families alive."
Researchers visited Grand Island and Greeley, two of six sites where ICE officers conducted a coordinated raid at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants resulting in about 1,300 arrests. Those arrested were mostly from Mexico and Guatemala.
Large numbers of people arrested were moved out of state, separating them from their families. In Greeley, 46 out of 94 Guatemalans were transferred to Houston after the raid.
Rusnok said immigration agents release some arrested parents to care for their children, but that some parents did not tell officials that they had children.
"Throughout the arrest process, we ask repeatedly if they have children at home and if they are the primary caregivers," he said.
The report noted that many parents were afraid to disclose that they had children for fear that they, too, would be deported.
The study commissioned by the National Council of La Raza and the Urban Institute found that Greeley, one of three communities examined, was most affected by immigration raids over the past year.
66 percent of the children of adults arrested in the raids were U.S. citizens.
506 is the number of children whose parents were arrested at the three sites.
128 Mexicans were arrested in Greeley, the largest number among the three sites.
12 detainees were not released until nearly five months after the Greeley raid, the longest of the three sites.
By Fernando Quintero, Rocky Mountain News November 1, 2007
GREELEY - A study released Wednesday on the impact of immigration work site raids on children showed that this northern Colorado community was the most deeply affected of three communities that had large immigration enforcement sweeps.
Last year, in a raid on the Swift & Co. meat-processing plant in Greeley, 201 children had at least one parent among the 273 arrested, according to the report commissioned by the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic advocacy group, and the Urban Institute, a nonprofit, minority affairs think tank.
In all, there were more than a dozen pregnant women taken into custody.
Federal officials and supporters of stricter immigration enforcement criticized the study, saying the blame for such consequences was misplaced. They say that parents who immigrate illegally are responsible for the effect the enforcement has on their children.
The report focused on communities that experienced large- scale work site raids within the past year: Greeley; Grand Island, Neb.; and New Bedford, Mass.
It concludes that the raids caused children and infants to become separated from their parents, left families without their primary breadwinners, and caused emotional trauma for children of parents who were arrested.
Marina, a Guatemalan native who declined to give her last name because she and her husband are undocumented, was seven months pregnant when she was arrested in the Swift raid. She was released the same day, but her court hearing isn't until Oct. 4, 2008. She awaits her fate, and that of her 6-month-old U.S.- born son.
"I am still afraid to go out," she said, teary-eyed, as she recalled the morning she was taken to a detention center in Aurora.
Her family is one of 24 in the Greeley area awaiting a court date to find out if they will remain in the country.
"Nothing but poverty and violence awaits us in Guatemala," said Marina.
Two-thirds of the children whose parents were arrested in Greeley are citizens, according to the report.
The report comes two weeks after the Government Accountability Office, the investigatory arm of Congress, found Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers lacked guidelines in choosing whom to deport, often separating sole caregivers from children.
But ICE said parents are to blame for the harm from the raids.
"The responsibility for the negative impacts of our work-site enforcement actions lies squarely on the shoulders of those who violated our immigration laws," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok.
"It should not be on the agency responsible for upholding the law," he added.
Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that supports reduced immigration, said illegal immigrants were "hiding behind their children as a justification not to be deported."
"Every time we have a work-site enforcement action, the blame is shifted to the agency that is simply doing their job," he said. "The blame needs to go to parents who put their children in jeopardy, and employers who are hiring people illegally."
Ricardo Romero, a Greeley activist who was among the immigrant advocates at a news conference Wednesday to announce the report's findings, said ICE went into the Swift plant with 170 warrants, but ended up arresting 273.
"Why didn't they come and arrest (the people who were the subjects of warrants), instead of making such a large sweep?" he said.
"They say they want to deport people who are in the country illegally, but they're giving people court dates scheduled a year from now. In the meantime, these people have no permission to work or access to social services. It is up to us to keep these families alive."
Researchers visited Grand Island and Greeley, two of six sites where ICE officers conducted a coordinated raid at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants resulting in about 1,300 arrests. Those arrested were mostly from Mexico and Guatemala.
Large numbers of people arrested were moved out of state, separating them from their families. In Greeley, 46 out of 94 Guatemalans were transferred to Houston after the raid.
Rusnok said immigration agents release some arrested parents to care for their children, but that some parents did not tell officials that they had children.
"Throughout the arrest process, we ask repeatedly if they have children at home and if they are the primary caregivers," he said.
The report noted that many parents were afraid to disclose that they had children for fear that they, too, would be deported.
The study commissioned by the National Council of La Raza and the Urban Institute found that Greeley, one of three communities examined, was most affected by immigration raids over the past year.
66 percent of the children of adults arrested in the raids were U.S. citizens.
506 is the number of children whose parents were arrested at the three sites.
128 Mexicans were arrested in Greeley, the largest number among the three sites.
12 detainees were not released until nearly five months after the Greeley raid, the longest of the three sites.
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