DNA leads detectives to John Thomas Jr., 72. He is held in two slayings, but police suspect he may have killed up to 30 elderly Westside and Claremont women a decade apart.
By Andrew Blankstein and Joe Mozingo
3:01 AM EDT, April 30, 2009
L.A. County booking shot of murder suspect John F. Thomas. (LA County Sheriff's Dept.)
The first wave of slayings haunted Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. The killer slipped mostly unseen through the night, preying on older women who lived alone. He raped them and squeezed their necks until they passed out or died. On the 17 who were killed, he placed pillows or blankets over their faces.
The second wave hit a decade later in Claremont -- five older women raped and strangled, faces again covered.
Even with at least 20 survivors, police never connected the two homicide-and-rape rampages nor solved either of them. The victims gave conflicting descriptions of the rapist, police in different jurisdictions didn't communicate, and DNA technology had not come into use.
Now authorities say they have linked John Floyd Thomas Jr., a 72-year-old state insurance claims adjuster who twice has been convicted of sexual assault, to five of the slayings. Detectives also describe him as a suspect in up to 25 more based on the circumstances of those crimes.
Related links
A killer’s path Graphic
From the archives: Dec. 29, 1975
California's most notorious killers Photos "When all is said and done, Mr. Thomas stands to be Los Angeles' most prolific serial killer," said LAPD Robbery-Homicide Cold Case Det. Richard Bengston.
Thomas was arrested at his apartment in South Los Angeles last month and charged April 2 with murder in connection with the deaths of Ethel Sokoloff, 68, in the Mid-Wilshire area in 1972, and Elizabeth McKeown, 67, in Westchester in 1976.
He said Thomas' DNA matched evidence found at five murder scenes, spanning both crime waves -- the two homicides he has been charged with, one in Lennox in 1975, one in Inglewood in 1976 and one in Claremont in 1986.
Authorities are analyzing evidence in 25 other killings they suspect might be linked to Thomas.
Thomas had been working as an adjuster handling workers' compensation claims since 1989 -- the year the killings stopped. He resigned after his arrest March 31.
Jennifer Vargen, a spokeswoman for the State Compensation Insurance Fund, would not comment on whether the employer was aware of Thomas' criminal record, saying it was a personnel matter.
Co-workers at his office in Glendale described Thomas as quiet but friendly. They said his job mostly involved paperwork.
His steady employment masked a troubled past.
Thomas was born in Los Angeles. His mother died when he was 12 and he was raised by his aunt and a godmother. Thomas attended public schools, including Manual Arts Senior High School.
He briefly joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956. At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, a superior described Thomas as often late and slovenly. He received a dishonorable discharge, according to his military records, and was arrested for burglary and attempted rape in Los Angeles. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in state prison in 1957. Two parole violations sent him back behind bars until 1966.
The first wave of rapes began a few years later. The so-called "Westside Rapist" attacked white seniors, in neighborhoods from Hollywood in the north to Inglewood in the south. The crimes led to the formation of a special police task force in the mid-1970s.
The LAPD questioned several suspects in those slayings. Thomas was not among them. During this period he was employed as a social worker, hospital employee and personal electronics salesman.
The "Westside Rapist" became one of the more notorious criminals of the era. Victims ranged in age from the 50s to the 90s. Bella Stumbo, the late Times feature writer, wrote in December 1975 that the "serenity" of the neighborhoods where the victims lived "had been so grotesquely invaded by that elusive maniac the police loosely refer to as the 'Westside rapist,' now accused of sexually assaulting at last 33 old women and murdering perhaps 10 of them." She said residents lived in "small colonies of terror."
The attacks appeared to stop in 1978. That year, a witness took down Thomas' license plate after he raped a woman in Pasadena. He was convicted and sent to state prison.
When he was released in 1983, he moved to Chino. And a killer began stalking older woman -- this time in the Inland Valley area.
Over the next six years, Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives would investigate five slayings of elderly women in Claremont, Sgt. Richard Longshore said.
During that period, Thomas worked in neighboring Pomona as a peer counselor at a hospital.
Detectives now believe the last in this cycle of killings occurred in 1989. They are not sure why the perpetrator stopped. That year, Thomas took a job in the state workers' compensation agency in Glendale.
Over the next two decades, the Westside Rapist faded from public memory, and authorities made little headway in the Claremont killings.
In November 2001, the LAPD created the Cold Case Homicide Unit to reopen about 9,000 unsolved slayings going back to 1960, using emerging state and federal DNA databases.
In September 2004, the department's crime lab matched male DNA taken from both the McKeown and Sokoloff crime scenes, police said. But they couldn't match the DNA to a suspect. Over the next five years, detectives developed 14 suspects, but their DNA ruled each of them out as the attacker.
The break came last October, when two officers collected DNA from Thomas as part of an ongoing process to swab registered sex offenders. On March 27, the California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory notified detectives that his DNA matched the evidence from the Sokoloff slaying.
On March 31, they were told that his DNA matched the four other slayings. He was arrested later that day. Thomas is being held at L.A. County Jail and could not be reached for comment.
Police said that connecting the dots in such cases was much harder before DNA and computer databases.
"It was harder to make connections," said LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck. "The difference in investigative techniques, communication and the science is huge."
It has become standard practice for investigators to collect evidence such as hair, fingernail scrapings, and bodily fluids from murder and rape victims.
DNA databases have contributed to a number of arrests and convictions since the beginning of the decade. Several years ago LAPD detectives arrested Chester Dewayne Turner, who was responsible for 10 rape-strangulations along the Figueroa Street corridor in South L.A. and in downtown.
He was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death in May 2007.
But the technology is limited unless a perpetrator's genetic code lands in the database.
The LAPD is still investigating at least a dozen murders, over a span of two decades, connected to an unidentified serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper."
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Senior Smack Sisters Snitched
They need to suppliment Social Security with something!!!!
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0430092sisters1.html
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0430092sisters1.html
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
U.S. Treasury endorses House credit card reforms
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner threw his support on Wednesday behind two credit card reform bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, saying that unfair rate increases and fees should be banned.
Geithner, endorsing the "Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights" measure slated for a House vote on Thursday, said deceptive rules and practices by credit card lenders have forced Americans to pay some $15 billion a year in penalty fees.
"We need to change the rules of the game so that consumers are not caught by deceptively complex rules that allow rate hikes and penalties without notice, that hurt responsible borrowers and threaten to turn lives upside down," Geithner said after meeting with consumer groups, civil advocates and a chief sponsor of the bill, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat.
"Investors crave transparency, consumers deserve the same," Geithner added.
Among other changes, the bill would eliminate retroactive interest rate hikes on existing balances and would require a 45-day notice period for any other rate increases.
The Obama administration also supports similar Senate legislation drafted by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, and Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, the Treasury said.
Geithner said he saw the support for credit card reform in Congress as a "very strong signal of commitment to progress" on the Obama administration's financial reform agenda.
This includes much more ambitious steps, such as registration and increased disclosures for hedge funds, creating a systemic risk regulator with broad powers over large institutions and so-called "resolution authority" to seize control of large, systemically important financial firms.
A spokesman for the American Bankers Association, which represents the largest credit card lenders, could not be immediately reached for comment.
On Tuesday, the group's president, Edward Yingling, told the Reuters Financial Regulation Summit he believed Congress would finalize a credit card reform bill soon.
Yingling has said recently that reforms needed to achieve "the right balance between enhancing consumer protection and ensuring that credit remains available to consumers and small businesses at a reasonable cost."
Also speaking at the Treasury meeting on Wednesday was Roxana Araujo, a single mother from Florida who said she dutifully makes payments on her cards, but has still been hit with huge interest rate hikes, including one card that went to 20 percent from 11 percent annually.
"It's a card that I'm not even using any more," Araujo said. "It's one that I'm paying down every month, on time, and now I'm stuck with a higher interest rate, for no apparent reason."
Geithner, endorsing the "Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights" measure slated for a House vote on Thursday, said deceptive rules and practices by credit card lenders have forced Americans to pay some $15 billion a year in penalty fees.
"We need to change the rules of the game so that consumers are not caught by deceptively complex rules that allow rate hikes and penalties without notice, that hurt responsible borrowers and threaten to turn lives upside down," Geithner said after meeting with consumer groups, civil advocates and a chief sponsor of the bill, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat.
"Investors crave transparency, consumers deserve the same," Geithner added.
Among other changes, the bill would eliminate retroactive interest rate hikes on existing balances and would require a 45-day notice period for any other rate increases.
The Obama administration also supports similar Senate legislation drafted by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, and Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, the Treasury said.
Geithner said he saw the support for credit card reform in Congress as a "very strong signal of commitment to progress" on the Obama administration's financial reform agenda.
This includes much more ambitious steps, such as registration and increased disclosures for hedge funds, creating a systemic risk regulator with broad powers over large institutions and so-called "resolution authority" to seize control of large, systemically important financial firms.
A spokesman for the American Bankers Association, which represents the largest credit card lenders, could not be immediately reached for comment.
On Tuesday, the group's president, Edward Yingling, told the Reuters Financial Regulation Summit he believed Congress would finalize a credit card reform bill soon.
Yingling has said recently that reforms needed to achieve "the right balance between enhancing consumer protection and ensuring that credit remains available to consumers and small businesses at a reasonable cost."
Also speaking at the Treasury meeting on Wednesday was Roxana Araujo, a single mother from Florida who said she dutifully makes payments on her cards, but has still been hit with huge interest rate hikes, including one card that went to 20 percent from 11 percent annually.
"It's a card that I'm not even using any more," Araujo said. "It's one that I'm paying down every month, on time, and now I'm stuck with a higher interest rate, for no apparent reason."
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Photo Op Panic: 911 Calls Reveal Terror during NYC Air Force One Flyover
Photo Op Panic: 911 Calls Reveal Terror during NYC Air Force One Flyover
Air Force Estimates Photo Op Cost at Over $328,000
By MEGAN CHUCHMACH and LUIS MARTINEZ
April 28, 2009—
911 calls just released by a New Jersey emergency office communicate chilling on-the-ground scenes of the panic and terror that besieged many eyewitnesses of yesterday's botched Air Force One promotional photo op over Lower Manhattan.
"Oh my god," one caller says again and again, later telling the operator, "They are following an aircraft, a big aircraft coming like the 9-11."
Also this afternoon, the Air Force released an estimate of the cost of the NYC flyover - $328,835. The estimate includes fuel, personnel costs and maintenance and was calculated over the life of the aircraft and did not necessarily occur yesterday.
One woman in Jersey City, NJ says in a call, "we don't know what's going on because there's like planes going inside the building so everybody's outside going crazy."
The 911 operator responds, asking, "There's what?"
The caller repeats, "It looks like planes are trying to go in the building. And everybody's outside going crazy." She said no one knew what was going on and ran out of their office building and "went their own separate ways." Later in the call, the plane's engine can be heard overhead.
Another caller from Staten Island, NY says the planes were flying so low that he expected them to land in the water.
The calls were released this afternoon by the 911 office in Hudson County, NJ, just across the river from Manhattan.
The Department of Defense photo shoot involved a Boeing 747 used as Air Force One and one fighter jet flying at low altitude in the area around Ground Zero.
Residents and workers in Lower Manhattan and New Jersey, unaware of the photo op, ran into the streets, traumatized by memories of 9-11 and afraid of another attack. Emergency offices in both cities were inundated with hundreds of frightened calls. "It scared a couple of million people," one airport official said.
Late Tuesday, the Air Force said the planes flew as part of a training mission: "The hours would have been flown regardless and the expenses would have been accrued on a different mission," a statement said.
President Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had not been told about the photo op, were both infuriated by the incident.
Bloomberg called it "ill-conceived" and a "waste of taxpayers' money." A White House official told ABC News that President Obama was "furious" when he found out, and the Director of the White House Military Office, Louis Caldera, who approved the photo op, was called into a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina.
"It didn't sound like a fun meeting," the White House official said.
White House Apologizes for NYC Air Force One Photo Op
Later, Caldera apologized in a statement, saying, "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
At a Tuesday photo op with FBI Director Robert Mueller, President Obama said, "It was a mistake, as was stated. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again." The President did not answer a follow-up question on whether or not Caldera is the right man for the job.
Later, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama ordered that Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina conduct an internal review, which will take a couple of weeks to complete.
"The President will look at that review and take any appropriate steps after that," Gibbs said.
During a press briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the photo op over New York was a "mistake" and a "mishandled, misguided mission." He said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was unaware of "this flying photo-op, but once he found out, suffice it to say, he was surprised and not very pleased."
Morrell did say that others in the building did know about the photo shoot in advance and the preference would have been for one of them to "raise their hand and say this is not a good idea&Unfortunately, that did not happen."
Morrell said the White House Military Office was behind this photo-op and punted questions to the White House about the rationale behind it. The flight, he said, "was first and foremost a training mission and that they decided to take advantage of it by conducting these photos simultaneously." He had no information on the cost of the mission.
Officials Say System Broke Down
Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
Bloomberg said he was so furious he wasn't told about the photo op, that before he talked further to his own staff and agencies about the lack of notice to him, he wanted "to calm down."
"Poor judgment would have been a nice way to put it," Bloomberg said of the government flyover.
A New York City employee was disciplined for failing to pass on the FAA fly over information when it arrived on the employee's desk at City Hall.
According to city officials the employee was "reprimanded" and a "letter was placed in his file."
No information was immediately available on what if any discipline was meted out at the NYPD, where a second FAA notice was received last Thursday.
Eyewitness Accounts
Witnesses told ABCNews.com that they were "shocked" and "running scared" when the planes flew overhead.
Elena Zaccario, who works at an office building near Battery Park, said she was too startled to grab her camera until the planes' third fly-by.
"Needless to say, everyone was concerned and upset about not being notified like in previous 'military fly-overs,"" she said. "Other offices on other floors fled the building in panic. Not acceptable!"
Back Up Presidential Plane
According to officials, the flight -- authorized by the FAA -- came in as low as 1000 feet to 150 feet above the city as it made a large circle over Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey. The plane used was the back-up presidential plane.
Self-evacuations of buildings in lower Manhattan and New Jersey, including the New York Mercantile Exchange, took place during the fly over.
According to multiple agencies, they were notified of the flyover last week, however the general public was not notified.
The Defense Department conducted the photo opportunity over the Hudson River. The planes flew over Lower Manhattan and in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty during a 15 minute, pre-planned flight.
NYPD Says It Was Told to Keep Quiet About Flyover
Local authorities were told not to disclose information about this morning's flyover, the New York City Police Department said in a statement.
"The flight of a VC-25 aircraft (the military version of the 747) and F-16 fighters this morning was authorized by the FAA for the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it but to direct any inquiries to the FAA Air Traffic Security Coordinator," police said.
Witness Says People 'Running Scared'
Other officials noted that they were led to believe the flight would be limited to the area near the Statue of Liberty, however the flight pattern was above a much larger portion of New York and at an extremely low altitude.
Dan Matlack, in Jersey City, NJ across from Manhattan, said people were running to get away, with flashbacks to 9-11.
The plane was "really close to the ground and banking hard and 'seemed' like it was heading for the Goldman Sachs building in [Jersey City] to us on the ground," Matlack told ABCNews.com.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said the flyover "borders on being cruel or very, very stupid."
After 9-11, he said, 'If you're going to see large jets flying low over New York City, people are going to panic."
Air Force Estimates Photo Op Cost at Over $328,000
By MEGAN CHUCHMACH and LUIS MARTINEZ
April 28, 2009—
911 calls just released by a New Jersey emergency office communicate chilling on-the-ground scenes of the panic and terror that besieged many eyewitnesses of yesterday's botched Air Force One promotional photo op over Lower Manhattan.
"Oh my god," one caller says again and again, later telling the operator, "They are following an aircraft, a big aircraft coming like the 9-11."
Also this afternoon, the Air Force released an estimate of the cost of the NYC flyover - $328,835. The estimate includes fuel, personnel costs and maintenance and was calculated over the life of the aircraft and did not necessarily occur yesterday.
One woman in Jersey City, NJ says in a call, "we don't know what's going on because there's like planes going inside the building so everybody's outside going crazy."
The 911 operator responds, asking, "There's what?"
The caller repeats, "It looks like planes are trying to go in the building. And everybody's outside going crazy." She said no one knew what was going on and ran out of their office building and "went their own separate ways." Later in the call, the plane's engine can be heard overhead.
Another caller from Staten Island, NY says the planes were flying so low that he expected them to land in the water.
The calls were released this afternoon by the 911 office in Hudson County, NJ, just across the river from Manhattan.
The Department of Defense photo shoot involved a Boeing 747 used as Air Force One and one fighter jet flying at low altitude in the area around Ground Zero.
Residents and workers in Lower Manhattan and New Jersey, unaware of the photo op, ran into the streets, traumatized by memories of 9-11 and afraid of another attack. Emergency offices in both cities were inundated with hundreds of frightened calls. "It scared a couple of million people," one airport official said.
Late Tuesday, the Air Force said the planes flew as part of a training mission: "The hours would have been flown regardless and the expenses would have been accrued on a different mission," a statement said.
President Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had not been told about the photo op, were both infuriated by the incident.
Bloomberg called it "ill-conceived" and a "waste of taxpayers' money." A White House official told ABC News that President Obama was "furious" when he found out, and the Director of the White House Military Office, Louis Caldera, who approved the photo op, was called into a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina.
"It didn't sound like a fun meeting," the White House official said.
White House Apologizes for NYC Air Force One Photo Op
Later, Caldera apologized in a statement, saying, "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
At a Tuesday photo op with FBI Director Robert Mueller, President Obama said, "It was a mistake, as was stated. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again." The President did not answer a follow-up question on whether or not Caldera is the right man for the job.
Later, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama ordered that Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina conduct an internal review, which will take a couple of weeks to complete.
"The President will look at that review and take any appropriate steps after that," Gibbs said.
During a press briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the photo op over New York was a "mistake" and a "mishandled, misguided mission." He said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was unaware of "this flying photo-op, but once he found out, suffice it to say, he was surprised and not very pleased."
Morrell did say that others in the building did know about the photo shoot in advance and the preference would have been for one of them to "raise their hand and say this is not a good idea&Unfortunately, that did not happen."
Morrell said the White House Military Office was behind this photo-op and punted questions to the White House about the rationale behind it. The flight, he said, "was first and foremost a training mission and that they decided to take advantage of it by conducting these photos simultaneously." He had no information on the cost of the mission.
Officials Say System Broke Down
Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
Bloomberg said he was so furious he wasn't told about the photo op, that before he talked further to his own staff and agencies about the lack of notice to him, he wanted "to calm down."
"Poor judgment would have been a nice way to put it," Bloomberg said of the government flyover.
A New York City employee was disciplined for failing to pass on the FAA fly over information when it arrived on the employee's desk at City Hall.
According to city officials the employee was "reprimanded" and a "letter was placed in his file."
No information was immediately available on what if any discipline was meted out at the NYPD, where a second FAA notice was received last Thursday.
Eyewitness Accounts
Witnesses told ABCNews.com that they were "shocked" and "running scared" when the planes flew overhead.
Elena Zaccario, who works at an office building near Battery Park, said she was too startled to grab her camera until the planes' third fly-by.
"Needless to say, everyone was concerned and upset about not being notified like in previous 'military fly-overs,"" she said. "Other offices on other floors fled the building in panic. Not acceptable!"
Back Up Presidential Plane
According to officials, the flight -- authorized by the FAA -- came in as low as 1000 feet to 150 feet above the city as it made a large circle over Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey. The plane used was the back-up presidential plane.
Self-evacuations of buildings in lower Manhattan and New Jersey, including the New York Mercantile Exchange, took place during the fly over.
According to multiple agencies, they were notified of the flyover last week, however the general public was not notified.
The Defense Department conducted the photo opportunity over the Hudson River. The planes flew over Lower Manhattan and in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty during a 15 minute, pre-planned flight.
NYPD Says It Was Told to Keep Quiet About Flyover
Local authorities were told not to disclose information about this morning's flyover, the New York City Police Department said in a statement.
"The flight of a VC-25 aircraft (the military version of the 747) and F-16 fighters this morning was authorized by the FAA for the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it but to direct any inquiries to the FAA Air Traffic Security Coordinator," police said.
Witness Says People 'Running Scared'
Other officials noted that they were led to believe the flight would be limited to the area near the Statue of Liberty, however the flight pattern was above a much larger portion of New York and at an extremely low altitude.
Dan Matlack, in Jersey City, NJ across from Manhattan, said people were running to get away, with flashbacks to 9-11.
The plane was "really close to the ground and banking hard and 'seemed' like it was heading for the Goldman Sachs building in [Jersey City] to us on the ground," Matlack told ABCNews.com.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said the flyover "borders on being cruel or very, very stupid."
After 9-11, he said, 'If you're going to see large jets flying low over New York City, people are going to panic."
GM to force more than 1,000 dealers to close
DETROIT – General Motors Corp. told its dealers Tuesday that it will force 1,000 to 1,200 underperforming locations to close their doors as the automaker tries to thin dealer ranks to make the remaining outlets more profitable.
GM told the dealers about the plan in a video conference, according to a dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity because the video conference was private. It is part of the company's plan announced Monday to cut more than 2,600 dealers by 2010.
The company expects to lose 500 Hummer and Saturn dealers when those brands close or are sold, and it expects 400 dealers to close voluntarily. Another 500 would be consolidated into other dealerships, according to the dealer.
GM said Monday that it also would eliminate its Pontiac brand, but there are only 27 dealers that sell just Pontiacs, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. Most Pontiac dealers also sell Buick and GMC vehicles at the same location.
Company spokeswoman Susan Garontakos confirmed the numbers and said GM is in the process of deciding which dealers to keep based on their sales performance, capitalization, potential profitability, size, image and customer satisfaction scores.
After that, she said, the company will go market by market and determine which dealerships are not meeting the terms of their franchise agreements.
"There's a lot of things that we have to consider, but we'll have talks with those dealers that show or haven't demonstrated that they have maintained a good performance," Garontakos said.
John McEleney, chairman of the NADA, said in a written statement that GM must treat all of its dealers fairly and those that close should be compensated.
"It's not out of any fault of their own that these dealers are being forced to close their businesses," McEleney said.
He said many details were unknown about how the dealerships will be closed, but "137,330 dealership employees will lose their jobs, and state and local governments will lose an estimated $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue that would have been used for economic development in communities around the country."
GM announced Monday it plans to reduce dealerships by 42 percent from 2008 to 2010, cutting them from 6,246 to 3,605.
GM is living on $15.4 billion in government loans and faces a June 1 government deadline to complete restructuring moves, win concessions from its unions and cut its debt. If it fails to meet the deadline, it will go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
GM has decided to scrap its Pontiac brand and either sell or close Hummer, Saturn and Saab. It will focus on four core brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.
GM told the dealers about the plan in a video conference, according to a dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity because the video conference was private. It is part of the company's plan announced Monday to cut more than 2,600 dealers by 2010.
The company expects to lose 500 Hummer and Saturn dealers when those brands close or are sold, and it expects 400 dealers to close voluntarily. Another 500 would be consolidated into other dealerships, according to the dealer.
GM said Monday that it also would eliminate its Pontiac brand, but there are only 27 dealers that sell just Pontiacs, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. Most Pontiac dealers also sell Buick and GMC vehicles at the same location.
Company spokeswoman Susan Garontakos confirmed the numbers and said GM is in the process of deciding which dealers to keep based on their sales performance, capitalization, potential profitability, size, image and customer satisfaction scores.
After that, she said, the company will go market by market and determine which dealerships are not meeting the terms of their franchise agreements.
"There's a lot of things that we have to consider, but we'll have talks with those dealers that show or haven't demonstrated that they have maintained a good performance," Garontakos said.
John McEleney, chairman of the NADA, said in a written statement that GM must treat all of its dealers fairly and those that close should be compensated.
"It's not out of any fault of their own that these dealers are being forced to close their businesses," McEleney said.
He said many details were unknown about how the dealerships will be closed, but "137,330 dealership employees will lose their jobs, and state and local governments will lose an estimated $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue that would have been used for economic development in communities around the country."
GM announced Monday it plans to reduce dealerships by 42 percent from 2008 to 2010, cutting them from 6,246 to 3,605.
GM is living on $15.4 billion in government loans and faces a June 1 government deadline to complete restructuring moves, win concessions from its unions and cut its debt. If it fails to meet the deadline, it will go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
GM has decided to scrap its Pontiac brand and either sell or close Hummer, Saturn and Saab. It will focus on four core brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Cops: Hit-and-run driver was on errand for mother | ajc.com
An Easter Sunday errand to pick up cake and ice cream put Aimee Michael on a path that would destroy three families, police said Thursday.
Michael, 22, has confessed that she was driving the champagne-colored BMW that set off a chain-reaction crash April 12 that killed four people in one car and a 6-year-old girl in another, authorities said.
A Fulton County magistrate on Thursday denied bond to Michael, a 2008 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh who majored in psychology. Her attorney had asked that she be placed under house arrest with an ankle monitor, but Magistrate James Altman said no.
“If she had come forward and turned herself in I’d probably go along with the [house arrest], but I’m not going to,” Altman said at a hearing Thursday. “She in fact has watched this be on the news for two weeks and has done absolutely nothing to fulfill her responsibility.”
Police said Thursday that Michael drove away from the devastation on Camp Creek Parkway that Easter afternoon.
“She turned around, she went back home and she put the vehicle in the garage,” said Fulton Detective Melissa Parker. “Did not tell her mother. She told her mother that she did not feel well, had a headache, and went to her room.”
Parker said Michael “didn’t tell her family for a couple of days what had happened, and finally, she broke down and told her mother. … To my knowledge, the rest of the family did not know for two days.”
Parker said she did not know why the family didn’t come forward. Michael’s mother and grandmother agreed to go with police Wednesday night and submit to questioning. They will not talk with reporters.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said other family members could face charges.
Michael was charged with five counts of homicide by vehicle, one count of failure to maintain lane and one count of serious injury by vehicle, hit and run.
She was picked up for questioning Wednesday night after an intensive search for the BMW that witnesses had seen leaving the scene of the accident. Police said she confessed early Thursday.
An anonymous tip led police Wednesday to the Michael home on Ailey Avenue in south Fulton. There they found the BMW parked in the driveway. They later searched the home and confiscated the vehicle.
They would not reveal information on repairs made to the BMW or on who did the repairs, saying that information was part of the ongoing investigation.
Michael grew up in Philadelphia with her sister, Ashlei, 23, and parents, Sheila B. and Robert S. Michael.
Sheila Michael teaches second grade at Cascade Elementary School in Atlanta. Robert Michael, who is retired from the military, is working in Saudia Arabia as a military contractor for Northrop Grumman, the family’s lawyer, W. Scott Smith said.
Neighbors said Thursday that the Michael family seemed like the sort of people you would leave your child with.
“I’m flabbergasted,” said Eddie Pressley, who lives down the road.
Will Rumph, who lives three doors from the family, described them as “down to earth.”
Rumph said he recently saw a flier, distributed at a homeowners association meeting, describing the BMW suspected of triggering the accident.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that looks like my neighbor’s car,’ ” Rumph said. He returned home after a business trip Wednesday night to find police in the neighborhood. “I thought, ‘Oh, it couldn’t be.’ And then it was.”
On Easter Sunday, police say, Michael’s car collided with a Mercedes on Camp Creek Parkway near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
They said both vehicles crossed the median. Michael was able to recover, but the Mercedes went out of control and crashed head-on into a Volkswagen.
Killed in the Mercedes were Robert and Delisia Carter, their newborn son, Ethan Blake, and Delisia Carter’s 9-year-old daughter, Kayla.
In the Volkswagen, 6-year-old Morgan Johnson was killed. Her mother, Tracy, 43, survived. She was listed in good condition at Grady Memorial Hospital on Thursday."
Michael, 22, has confessed that she was driving the champagne-colored BMW that set off a chain-reaction crash April 12 that killed four people in one car and a 6-year-old girl in another, authorities said.
A Fulton County magistrate on Thursday denied bond to Michael, a 2008 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh who majored in psychology. Her attorney had asked that she be placed under house arrest with an ankle monitor, but Magistrate James Altman said no.
“If she had come forward and turned herself in I’d probably go along with the [house arrest], but I’m not going to,” Altman said at a hearing Thursday. “She in fact has watched this be on the news for two weeks and has done absolutely nothing to fulfill her responsibility.”
Police said Thursday that Michael drove away from the devastation on Camp Creek Parkway that Easter afternoon.
“She turned around, she went back home and she put the vehicle in the garage,” said Fulton Detective Melissa Parker. “Did not tell her mother. She told her mother that she did not feel well, had a headache, and went to her room.”
Parker said Michael “didn’t tell her family for a couple of days what had happened, and finally, she broke down and told her mother. … To my knowledge, the rest of the family did not know for two days.”
Parker said she did not know why the family didn’t come forward. Michael’s mother and grandmother agreed to go with police Wednesday night and submit to questioning. They will not talk with reporters.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said other family members could face charges.
Michael was charged with five counts of homicide by vehicle, one count of failure to maintain lane and one count of serious injury by vehicle, hit and run.
She was picked up for questioning Wednesday night after an intensive search for the BMW that witnesses had seen leaving the scene of the accident. Police said she confessed early Thursday.
An anonymous tip led police Wednesday to the Michael home on Ailey Avenue in south Fulton. There they found the BMW parked in the driveway. They later searched the home and confiscated the vehicle.
They would not reveal information on repairs made to the BMW or on who did the repairs, saying that information was part of the ongoing investigation.
Michael grew up in Philadelphia with her sister, Ashlei, 23, and parents, Sheila B. and Robert S. Michael.
Sheila Michael teaches second grade at Cascade Elementary School in Atlanta. Robert Michael, who is retired from the military, is working in Saudia Arabia as a military contractor for Northrop Grumman, the family’s lawyer, W. Scott Smith said.
Neighbors said Thursday that the Michael family seemed like the sort of people you would leave your child with.
“I’m flabbergasted,” said Eddie Pressley, who lives down the road.
Will Rumph, who lives three doors from the family, described them as “down to earth.”
Rumph said he recently saw a flier, distributed at a homeowners association meeting, describing the BMW suspected of triggering the accident.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that looks like my neighbor’s car,’ ” Rumph said. He returned home after a business trip Wednesday night to find police in the neighborhood. “I thought, ‘Oh, it couldn’t be.’ And then it was.”
On Easter Sunday, police say, Michael’s car collided with a Mercedes on Camp Creek Parkway near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
They said both vehicles crossed the median. Michael was able to recover, but the Mercedes went out of control and crashed head-on into a Volkswagen.
Killed in the Mercedes were Robert and Delisia Carter, their newborn son, Ethan Blake, and Delisia Carter’s 9-year-old daughter, Kayla.
In the Volkswagen, 6-year-old Morgan Johnson was killed. Her mother, Tracy, 43, survived. She was listed in good condition at Grady Memorial Hospital on Thursday."
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tidbits: Octuplets’ mom stripped as ‘Angelina’ - Tabloid Tidbits- msnbc.com
She really is a sick little puppy!!!
 | Nadya Suleman, left, has denied copying the look of celebrity mom Angelina Jolie, right, but sources say that's the name she used as a stripper. |
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By Ree Hines
msnbc.com contributor
updated 6:53 p.m. PT, Wed., April 22, 2009
While octuplets’ mom Nadya Suleman recently stated she couldn’t remember the details of her exotic dancer past, the latest issue of In Touch Weekly features the alleged low-down on Suleman’s dancing days.
“I met her at an amateur contest, and we wound up doing parties together,” a stripper called “Sage” told the magazine. “She was overly flirty with the guys we performed for.”
In addition to that revelation, In Touch reported that “numerous sources” confirmed Suleman, who has previously denied any interest in copying or even being a fan of celebrity mom Angelina Jolie, danced under the name “Angelina” and hoped to become a household name one day.
“(Suleman) always said she wanted to be really famous,” explained Luis Ceballos, a limo driver who claims he once shuttled Suleman and other dancers to those aforementioned parties.
Disabled girl found dead in bag with moth balls
Disabled girl found dead in bag with moth balls
Mich. police arrest adoptive mom after body discovered in storage facility
Mich. police arrest adoptive mom after body discovered in storage facility
FLINT, Michigan - Michigan authorities arrested the adoptive mother of a quadriplegic girl whose body was found at a storage facility, stuffed in a trash bag and filled with moth balls, a prosecutor said.
Shylea Myza Thomas' body was discovered Wednesday in Vienna Township. Moth balls had been scattered on top of the bag to cover the smell from her body, said David Leyton, Genesee County's prosecutor. The child's feet were hanging over the side of the bag, which was placed in a plastic bin, police said.
The girl's adoptive mother and aunt, Lorrie M. Thomas, 39, remained in jail and could face felony murder and abuse charges as early as Thursday, the Flint Journal reported.
Family members told authorities the child had been paralyzed since nearly suffocating in her crib as an infant.
'Rough go in life'
Leyton described 9-year-old Shylea's home as "absolutely filthy" and said it appeared she had a "rough go in life." Shylea, who shared a home with seven other children, was often left in bed for long periods of time, the Flint Journal reported.
Officers went to a Flint home after receiving a call from state Department of Human Services workers that the girl was missing, Detective Sgt. Mitch Brown said.
When a social worker asked where the quadriplegic child was earlier in the week, the adoptive mother allegedly said that Shylea was on her way to Virginia with a friend, the Flint newspaper reported. A wheelchair was discovered in the home.
The girl was adopted by Thomas after Shylea's mother was sent to prison, the newspaper reported.
Keisha Smith, who lives behind Thomas' beige house with green trim, told the Flint Journal she saw police searching the area and was stunned to hear of the news.
'I never knew'
Several bicycles lined the front porch of the home that sits between a vacant lot and a rundown house, according to newspaper accounts. The lawn had two bowling balls.
"I just saw kids playing out there sometimes," Smith told the Flint Journal. "I never knew.... that's crazy."
Meanwhile, the state Office of Children's Ombudsman said Thursday it will open an investigation into the death. The agency investigates complaints involving children who are involved with Michigan's child welfare system for reasons of abuse or neglect, and checks to see if public or private agencies followed laws and policies.
Monday, April 20, 2009
New sweetener not so sweet for your diet
FDA-approved stevia is touted as natural — but is it better than artificial?
Is stevia, an extract 300 times more potent than sugar, the no-fat, no-calorie "natural" sweetener that soda and juice lovers have been thirsting for?
Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of rebaudioside A (Reb A) as a general purpose sweetener in December, major beverage marketers have been rushing new stevia-infused drinks into stores. Coca-Cola is using the stevia-derived sweetener Truvia in two of its Odwalla juice drinks and in the new Sprite Green. PepsiCo added its version of stevia to Sobe Lifewater drinks and has launched a new Tropicana orange juice, Trop50, containing 50 percent less sugar and calories.
The sweetener, which manufacturers claim is natural because it’s derived from the leaf of a South American shrub, has been used for years as a commercial sweetener in Japan and other Asian countries. It’s too soon to know whether American consumers will lap up its slightly licorice-y flavor, but nutritionists are already weighing in with their own verdict: Stevia is no risk-free holy grail for dieters.
Certainly, there's plenty to worry about when it comes to how many calories we guzzle each day. A recent study by researchers at Louisiana State University's School of Public Health found that liquid calories are a bigger problem than food when it comes to weight gain, and that sugar-sweetened beverages are the main culprit. What's worse, Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of added sugars a day, about twice as much as recommended, according to government reports.
But so far, there’s nothing to distinguish stevia from other sugar substitutes on the market, despite its boast about being natural, nutrition experts say. Stevia may have no calories, but you shouldn't make it a regular dietary staple, says New York City-based nutritionist Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
“Given our nation’s problem with obesity, stevia and other artificial sweeteners have a place for people who consume more calories than they should from sweets,” says Gans. “But artificial sweeteners should not take over your diet because that means you’re eating way too many processed foods.”
Back to nature?
Marketers counter that that stevia is as natural as sugar, despite a “purification” process that modifies the plant extract.
“Truvia is still all natural,” says Coca-Cola spokesman Ray Crockett. “It’s the same process cane sugar goes through.”
The new stevia extract is the only widely marketed sugar substitute derived from a shrub. Other commonly used sweeteners aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) and saccharin were developed artificially in labs. Sucralose (Splenda) is derived from sugar but is processed with chlorinated chemicals.
Just as cancer concerns have dogged the artificial sweeteners aspartame and saccharin, some researchers worry about stevia. In fact, the FDA rejected stevia petitions in the 1990s after research linked the plant with infertility in rats and cancer in the lab. The agency says the currently marketed reformulation, Reb A, is “generally recognized as safe.”
Chemistry researcher John Pezzuto isn’t convinced. He cites a study he conducted that suggests a certain strain of stevia can mutate DNA, a possible cancer risk.
“Given that there’s the potential for a mutagenic response, why take the risk with stevia?” asks Pezzuto, dean of the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy. “I will not be consuming any myself.”
However, another researcher, genetic toxicologist David Brusick dismisses Pezzuto’s findings.“That was an in vitro test, done out of the mainstream of tests,” says Brusick, an independent consultant formerly with biopharmaceutical drug development company Covance Laboratories in Vienna, Va. “Studies in animals and people have found no such mutagenic effects.”
Brusick reached his conclusions after reviewing studies for the FDA’s stevia approval. Stevia-associated companies had hired him to conduct the evaluation.
Sticky problem with sweeteners
While nothing's been proved as far as cancer risks, there's a more immediate catch when it comes to stevia. Critics wonder whether it may also stoke hunger, just like other artificial sweeteners.
Studies indicate that consuming something with a sweet taste primes the body for a calorie delivery that doesn’t happen. As a result eaters seek more sweets to satisfy the body's cravings. Recent research also found that sucralose may alter people’s gut bugs in ways that promote weight gain.
None of these metabolic questions have yet been explored with stevia, according to experts.
While rats only develop such problems after ingesting large quantities of these sweeteners, it's not unexpected that at least some people would overindulge with with stevia-sweetened products, notes Orlando-based nutritionist Tara Gidus, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
While nutritionists agree that Americans consume too much sugar, the real sweet stuff isn't entirely the problem. It’s how much sugar we consume that leads to obesity, diabetes and other related ills.
And when it comes to our drinks, maybe we should simply learn to crave beverages that don't need to be highly sweetened. “When it comes down to what people drink regularly, I recommend low-fat milk, seltzer or water over soda every time,” says Gans.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Morgan offers to kiss YouTube sensation singer
Morgan offers to kiss YouTube sensation singer AFP/ITV-HO/File – A handout image from ITV, shows Scottish charity worker Susan Boyle performing on Britain's Got Talent …
Fri Apr 17, 12:18 pm ET
LONDON (AFP) – Talent show judge Piers Morgan offered Friday to kiss Scottish charity worker Susan Boyle, who said she had never been kissed before becoming an international YouTube sensation this week.
Boyle, whose stunning singing performance has so far been viewed over 19 million times on YouTube, lived on her own with a cat called Pebbles before her appearance on the Britain's Got Talent television show last weekend.
The dowdy-looking, plump 47-year-old said in a pre-performance interview that she had never been kissed.
But in a video on his website, Morgan -- a former British tabloid newspaper editor who has become a star in his own right as a talent show judge in Britain and the United States -- said he was ready to change that.
'I've decided to extend an invitation to Susan to take her out for a meal -- a very romantic restaurant, I think, with some roses, some fine wine, some glamorous waiters, and to offer her the chance to break her kissing duck with these little things.
'So Susan, if you're watching, I'm available,' he said.
US actress Demi Moore was apparently moved to tears by the YouTube clip, while the story has been picked up around the world, with US, Australian and other broadcasters reportedly queuing up for interviews.
In the video, the down-to-earth Boyle walked on stage, saying she dreamed of emulating West End star Elaine Page.
When she began to sing, the panel of three judges led by music guru Simon Cowell appeared visibly taken aback, and the audience in Glasgow rose to its feet as her voiced soared through 'I Dreamed A Dream' from 'Les Miserables.'"
Fri Apr 17, 12:18 pm ET
LONDON (AFP) – Talent show judge Piers Morgan offered Friday to kiss Scottish charity worker Susan Boyle, who said she had never been kissed before becoming an international YouTube sensation this week.
Boyle, whose stunning singing performance has so far been viewed over 19 million times on YouTube, lived on her own with a cat called Pebbles before her appearance on the Britain's Got Talent television show last weekend.
The dowdy-looking, plump 47-year-old said in a pre-performance interview that she had never been kissed.
But in a video on his website, Morgan -- a former British tabloid newspaper editor who has become a star in his own right as a talent show judge in Britain and the United States -- said he was ready to change that.
'I've decided to extend an invitation to Susan to take her out for a meal -- a very romantic restaurant, I think, with some roses, some fine wine, some glamorous waiters, and to offer her the chance to break her kissing duck with these little things.
'So Susan, if you're watching, I'm available,' he said.
US actress Demi Moore was apparently moved to tears by the YouTube clip, while the story has been picked up around the world, with US, Australian and other broadcasters reportedly queuing up for interviews.
In the video, the down-to-earth Boyle walked on stage, saying she dreamed of emulating West End star Elaine Page.
When she began to sing, the panel of three judges led by music guru Simon Cowell appeared visibly taken aback, and the audience in Glasgow rose to its feet as her voiced soared through 'I Dreamed A Dream' from 'Les Miserables.'"
Piers Morgan on Susan Boyle: 'She can do whatever she wants now'
Piers Morgan was at the judging table when Britain's Got Talent's Susan Boyle wowed the audience -- and subsequently the world, via YouTube -- with her stirring, unexpected rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Miserables. The spectacle was moving enough to send the usually acerbic into a nearly speechless state. In an interview with EW.com, Morgan explains what happened that day of the show, how he'd feel if Boyle got a much-blogged-about makeover, and what fortune her future might hold.
Can you walk me through that day Susan Boyle performed?
It was one of the most unexpected things I’ve ever seen in my life. Before she came on, we had a whole day of very bad auditions -- eight hours of pretty grim acts doing pretty talentless things -- and we’d all had just about enough. Then on comes this woman and she’s going to sing like Elaine Page, and we’re all like, “Oh no, you’re not.”
How were you prepped about her beforehand?
Contrary to popular myth, we don’t get any warning at all about what the acts will be like. The reason for that is, if you knew, you wouldn’t have any spontaneity to your reaction. We are literally in the same position as the viewer, we have no idea who is coming on or what their talent is going to be.
So you thought she was just going to be another mediocre performer?
Yeah, we thought she was just going to be a bit of a joke and we’d all have a good laugh and we’d all go back to bed and think, “What a terrible day that was!” When she began to interact with us, she was making silly jokes and pulling funny faces and we’re like, “Oh dear, this is really going to be the end.”
How do you think she can parlay into mainstream, regardless of how well she does on Britain’s Got Talent? What kind of star can she be?
I honestly believe she can do whatever she wants now. I think that she’s going to be the star of a Broadway musical, a West End show, a movie, perhaps. When you have a voice like that and you have the worldwide attention that she’s had, the sky is the limit. In the end, her ambition, her own dream, was to be a professional singer. Well, she’s certainly going to be that because, if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Cowell will already be plotting a global album deal and probably a world tour. So Susan Boyle is going to live her dream.
You seemed much more excited than Simon about Susan, but you think he is that into her?
I spoke to Simon last night and he likes to keep a cool head on these kinds of things, but he said he’s never seen anything like this in his entire career. Ever. When you think about the career he’s had, that’s a pretty big statement. I think Simon’s keen that we don’t jeopardize the integrity of our competition because at the moment, she’s only passed an audition. She still has to take part in a live semi-final and a live final and, you know, anything could happen -- her voice might crack, she might forget her lines. I think there’s going to be huge pressure on her because everyone is expecting her to win. I happen to know from having done the auditions, there are some other great acts to come on Britain’s Got Talent.
Is there an act in this summer’s upcoming America’s Got Talent (premiering June 23) that could cause such a sensation?
I think there’s a possibility with two or three of them, yes. We’re only halfway through the audition stage, but I’ve already seen two or three acts which I think are sensational.
Would you be disappointed if next time Susan comes out to perform, she’s had a makeover?
I wouldn’t be disappointed; it’s entirely up to Susan what she does. But I think what part of her charm is the way she looks. She doesn’t look like the average size-zero pop star. She’s a 48-year-old woman, she’s comfortable in her own skin, she’s never been kissed, and she’s a very special lady. I think part of her appeal and charm is the way she is, so I hope she doesn’t change too much. If she comes out with a new haircut, fine; if she comes out with Simon Cowell teeth, I’ve got a problem with it."
Can you walk me through that day Susan Boyle performed?
It was one of the most unexpected things I’ve ever seen in my life. Before she came on, we had a whole day of very bad auditions -- eight hours of pretty grim acts doing pretty talentless things -- and we’d all had just about enough. Then on comes this woman and she’s going to sing like Elaine Page, and we’re all like, “Oh no, you’re not.”
How were you prepped about her beforehand?
Contrary to popular myth, we don’t get any warning at all about what the acts will be like. The reason for that is, if you knew, you wouldn’t have any spontaneity to your reaction. We are literally in the same position as the viewer, we have no idea who is coming on or what their talent is going to be.
So you thought she was just going to be another mediocre performer?
Yeah, we thought she was just going to be a bit of a joke and we’d all have a good laugh and we’d all go back to bed and think, “What a terrible day that was!” When she began to interact with us, she was making silly jokes and pulling funny faces and we’re like, “Oh dear, this is really going to be the end.”
How do you think she can parlay into mainstream, regardless of how well she does on Britain’s Got Talent? What kind of star can she be?
I honestly believe she can do whatever she wants now. I think that she’s going to be the star of a Broadway musical, a West End show, a movie, perhaps. When you have a voice like that and you have the worldwide attention that she’s had, the sky is the limit. In the end, her ambition, her own dream, was to be a professional singer. Well, she’s certainly going to be that because, if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Cowell will already be plotting a global album deal and probably a world tour. So Susan Boyle is going to live her dream.
You seemed much more excited than Simon about Susan, but you think he is that into her?
I spoke to Simon last night and he likes to keep a cool head on these kinds of things, but he said he’s never seen anything like this in his entire career. Ever. When you think about the career he’s had, that’s a pretty big statement. I think Simon’s keen that we don’t jeopardize the integrity of our competition because at the moment, she’s only passed an audition. She still has to take part in a live semi-final and a live final and, you know, anything could happen -- her voice might crack, she might forget her lines. I think there’s going to be huge pressure on her because everyone is expecting her to win. I happen to know from having done the auditions, there are some other great acts to come on Britain’s Got Talent.
Is there an act in this summer’s upcoming America’s Got Talent (premiering June 23) that could cause such a sensation?
I think there’s a possibility with two or three of them, yes. We’re only halfway through the audition stage, but I’ve already seen two or three acts which I think are sensational.
Would you be disappointed if next time Susan comes out to perform, she’s had a makeover?
I wouldn’t be disappointed; it’s entirely up to Susan what she does. But I think what part of her charm is the way she looks. She doesn’t look like the average size-zero pop star. She’s a 48-year-old woman, she’s comfortable in her own skin, she’s never been kissed, and she’s a very special lady. I think part of her appeal and charm is the way she is, so I hope she doesn’t change too much. If she comes out with a new haircut, fine; if she comes out with Simon Cowell teeth, I’ve got a problem with it."
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
13-year-old boy accused of robbing bank
13-year-old boy accused of robbing bank
PEORIA, Illinois (Reuters) – A 13-year-old boy who police say was caught red-handed a block away was accused on Tuesday of robbing a bank in Peoria.
The unidentified boy was charged with felony armed robbery in juvenile court, accused of threatening a teller with a gun and demanding cash.
He was found hiding in a nearby garage about 30 minutes after Monday's robbery, stained red from a dye pack that had been placed in the bag of money.
'It's the youngest person I can remember,' said Sheriff Michael McCoy, a four-decade veteran of the sheriff's office.
Prosecutors were considering whether to seek to have him tried as an adult and face up to 30 years in prison.
PEORIA, Illinois (Reuters) – A 13-year-old boy who police say was caught red-handed a block away was accused on Tuesday of robbing a bank in Peoria.
The unidentified boy was charged with felony armed robbery in juvenile court, accused of threatening a teller with a gun and demanding cash.
He was found hiding in a nearby garage about 30 minutes after Monday's robbery, stained red from a dye pack that had been placed in the bag of money.
'It's the youngest person I can remember,' said Sheriff Michael McCoy, a four-decade veteran of the sheriff's office.
Prosecutors were considering whether to seek to have him tried as an adult and face up to 30 years in prison.
‘Never been kissed’ singer, 47, wows Cowell
Simon Cowell sneered and the huge audience at the “Britain’s Got Talent” show made the sort of faces associated with a bad smell. The object of their disaffection was contestant No. 432, a plain, middle-aged woman from Scotland with bushy eyebrows and a dress and hairdo that might have been stylish when Dwight Eisenhower was president.
The looks of disdain would shortly turn to tears of sheer elation, as Dawna Friesen said in a report filed for TODAY Wednesday. But first, there was the Cowell torture test for the woman to endure.
“What’s your name, darling?” Cowell said, his tone dripping with condescension.
The woman, who seemed somewhat unnerved by the bright lights and the big crowd in the concert hall where the show was recorded, said she was Susan Boyle. She said she was 47 years old, unemployed, and lived alone with her cat, Pebbles. She had never gone on a date and had never been kissed, she added in a thick brogue.
But Boyle showed a certain presence and a confidence that didn’t gibe with her appearance, which The Times of London would describe as “frumpy.”
Asked what she was doing on “Britain’s Got Talent,” she struck a saucy pose with her hand on her hip and replied, “I’ve always wanted to perform in front of a large audience. I’m going to make that audience rock.”
And what did she hope to get out of it, Cowell persisted.
“I’m trying to be a professional singer,” Boyle said. “I’ve not been getting the chance before. But here’s hoping it will change.”
That’s when the looks on the faces of the spectators really screwed up in disbelief.
And then the music for “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables” began, and Boyle began to sing. By the time Boyle hit her third note, Cowell’s eyebrows had shot up into the rafters in amazement. Within a dozen more, the audience rose as one in rapture at a voice that must have been forged in heaven.
The other two judges looked on with gaping jaws as Boyle turned the crowd’s cynicism into tear-soaked adoration.
When she had finished, the theater erupted into a tsunami of cheers and applause as Boyle started to walk off the stage. She was stopped by Cowell, who reminded her she needed to hear from the judges.
First was Piers Morgan, who told her, “That was the biggest surprise I’ve had in three years on the show.” His vote, he said, was “the biggest yes I have ever given anybody.”
Cowell completed the judging with the third resounding yes. “Susan Boyle, you can go back to the village with your head held high,” he said. “It’s three yeses.”
A huge smile erupted on Boyle’s face as she made a fist and danced in place in her white pumps.
Within days, the video of her performance would be a YouTube sensation. By Wednesday, more than 5 million people had watched her amazing performance, Cowell was already setting up a record deal for her on his own label and British bookmakers were installing her to become the show’s next Paul Potts.
Two years ago, Potts had shown up at “Britain’s Got Talent” as an unassuming mobile phone salesman from Wales. He, too, was greeted with looks of disbelief that evaporated when he cut loose with an operatic voice on loan from the gods. Potts became an international recording star and is releasing his second album.
Boyle, a volunteer church worker, still has a long way to go on the show, but she’s become an overnight media darling in Great Britain. Since her debut, viewers and readers have learned that she’s from the little village of Blackburn in western Scotland, where local kids sometimes called her names and laughed at her because of her appearance and the fact that she lives alone with a cat.
A local newspaper reported that Boyle is the youngest of nine children and attended Edinburgh Acting School nearly 20 years ago, but left to care for her ailing mother, who died two years ago.
Friesen reported that after her stunning debut, Boyle said, “It’s really surreal. Basically I wanted to fulfill a wish to my mother. I wanted to do something with my life. Not only that, I feel I have a bit more to offer.”
The looks of disdain would shortly turn to tears of sheer elation, as Dawna Friesen said in a report filed for TODAY Wednesday. But first, there was the Cowell torture test for the woman to endure.
“What’s your name, darling?” Cowell said, his tone dripping with condescension.
The woman, who seemed somewhat unnerved by the bright lights and the big crowd in the concert hall where the show was recorded, said she was Susan Boyle. She said she was 47 years old, unemployed, and lived alone with her cat, Pebbles. She had never gone on a date and had never been kissed, she added in a thick brogue.
But Boyle showed a certain presence and a confidence that didn’t gibe with her appearance, which The Times of London would describe as “frumpy.”
Asked what she was doing on “Britain’s Got Talent,” she struck a saucy pose with her hand on her hip and replied, “I’ve always wanted to perform in front of a large audience. I’m going to make that audience rock.”
And what did she hope to get out of it, Cowell persisted.
“I’m trying to be a professional singer,” Boyle said. “I’ve not been getting the chance before. But here’s hoping it will change.”
That’s when the looks on the faces of the spectators really screwed up in disbelief.
And then the music for “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables” began, and Boyle began to sing. By the time Boyle hit her third note, Cowell’s eyebrows had shot up into the rafters in amazement. Within a dozen more, the audience rose as one in rapture at a voice that must have been forged in heaven.
The other two judges looked on with gaping jaws as Boyle turned the crowd’s cynicism into tear-soaked adoration.
When she had finished, the theater erupted into a tsunami of cheers and applause as Boyle started to walk off the stage. She was stopped by Cowell, who reminded her she needed to hear from the judges.
First was Piers Morgan, who told her, “That was the biggest surprise I’ve had in three years on the show.” His vote, he said, was “the biggest yes I have ever given anybody.”
Cowell completed the judging with the third resounding yes. “Susan Boyle, you can go back to the village with your head held high,” he said. “It’s three yeses.”
A huge smile erupted on Boyle’s face as she made a fist and danced in place in her white pumps.
Within days, the video of her performance would be a YouTube sensation. By Wednesday, more than 5 million people had watched her amazing performance, Cowell was already setting up a record deal for her on his own label and British bookmakers were installing her to become the show’s next Paul Potts.
Two years ago, Potts had shown up at “Britain’s Got Talent” as an unassuming mobile phone salesman from Wales. He, too, was greeted with looks of disbelief that evaporated when he cut loose with an operatic voice on loan from the gods. Potts became an international recording star and is releasing his second album.
Boyle, a volunteer church worker, still has a long way to go on the show, but she’s become an overnight media darling in Great Britain. Since her debut, viewers and readers have learned that she’s from the little village of Blackburn in western Scotland, where local kids sometimes called her names and laughed at her because of her appearance and the fact that she lives alone with a cat.
A local newspaper reported that Boyle is the youngest of nine children and attended Edinburgh Acting School nearly 20 years ago, but left to care for her ailing mother, who died two years ago.
Friesen reported that after her stunning debut, Boyle said, “It’s really surreal. Basically I wanted to fulfill a wish to my mother. I wanted to do something with my life. Not only that, I feel I have a bit more to offer.”
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Rape alleged in girl's slaying
SAN FRANCISCO - PROSECUTORS said on Monday they may include rape and molestation allegations in their murder charge against the woman suspected of killing an 8-year-old Northern California girl and putting her body in a suitcase.
Melissa Huckaby, a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher, was arrested Friday on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Sandra Cantu.
Formal charges have not yet been filed, but San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himmelblau told The Associated Press that a murder charge against Huckaby could include the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping.
A conviction on any of the special circumstances would make Huckaby eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole, Mr Himmelblau said. The district attorney's office has not determined whether it will seek the death penalty, he said.
Sandra disappeared on March 27, and pictures of her were posted all over Tracy, a city of 78,000 people about 60 miles (100 km) east of San Francisco. Sandra's body was found April 6 by farmworkers, stuffed in a suitcase in an irrigation pond.
Police have not said how, where or why Sandra was killed. The girl was a playmate of Huckaby's 5-year-old daughter, Madison.
Mr Himmelblau wouldn't provide details on any evidence leading prosecutors to consider the sexual assault allegations.
'I was hoping that wasn't the case,' Sandra's aunt, Angie Chavez, said through tears. 'I'm in shock. The whole thing is unimaginable.' Huckaby is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday in Stockton. A decision on which special circumstances to include in the charges has not been made, Mr Himmel"
Melissa Huckaby, a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher, was arrested Friday on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Sandra Cantu.
Formal charges have not yet been filed, but San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himmelblau told The Associated Press that a murder charge against Huckaby could include the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping.
A conviction on any of the special circumstances would make Huckaby eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole, Mr Himmelblau said. The district attorney's office has not determined whether it will seek the death penalty, he said.
Sandra disappeared on March 27, and pictures of her were posted all over Tracy, a city of 78,000 people about 60 miles (100 km) east of San Francisco. Sandra's body was found April 6 by farmworkers, stuffed in a suitcase in an irrigation pond.
Police have not said how, where or why Sandra was killed. The girl was a playmate of Huckaby's 5-year-old daughter, Madison.
Mr Himmelblau wouldn't provide details on any evidence leading prosecutors to consider the sexual assault allegations.
'I was hoping that wasn't the case,' Sandra's aunt, Angie Chavez, said through tears. 'I'm in shock. The whole thing is unimaginable.' Huckaby is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday in Stockton. A decision on which special circumstances to include in the charges has not been made, Mr Himmel"
Workers '"sucking up" bad for business: experts
By Ellen Wulfhorst Ellen Wulfhorst – Tue Apr 14, 11:36 am ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) – If there's a bit more false flattery and loud enthusiasm at the office than usual, don't be surprised.
Whether it's called buttering up the boss, brown-nosing, sucking up or managing up, experts say ingratiating behavior is bound to be on the rise in the workplace as workers fret about keeping their jobs in tough economic times.
But such behavior can be bad for business, they said.
"People who tend to 'manage up' anyway are managing up more. They really want to make sure people are noticing what they're doing," said Max Caldwell, an expert in workforce effectiveness at Towers Perrin management consultants.
"It's a mentality of 'I not only want to do a good job, but I want to be seen as doing a good job,'" he said.
That behavior increases when stakes are high, said Jennifer Chatman, professor of organizational behavior at the University of California at Berkeley.
"It's what we do when we feel ourselves vulnerable or susceptible to the decisions of others," she said. "I would have every expectation that if we went out and tried to collect data right now, that it was going on in a big way because people are feeling more vulnerable."
In such an environment, underlings may be more likely to lavish praise on bad decisions or poor judgment by a boss and avoid being candid or bearing bad news, she said.
"It can be bad for business, keeping the yea-sayers around," Chatman said.
But according to some researchers, sucking up works.
Challenging a chief executive less, complimenting the CEO more and doing the CEO a personal favor increased the likelihood of being appointed to a corporate board by 64 percent, a University of Texas study found.
COME IN FIVE MINUTES EARLIER
In a separate study that Chatman conducted, job-seekers using ingratiating behavior were 20 percent more likely to land a job.
It's human nature, she said. "People who bring positive information, that stroke the boss, that make the boss feel good about the decisions he or she has made, that build up the boss' confidence, those people are going to do better," she said.
It's nothing to be ashamed of, said Frances Cole Jones, a professional coach and author of "How to Wow." In tough times, she said, go to work early, stay late, attend meetings and volunteer for extra work.
"In times like these, the smart thing to do is to 'suck up' -- or, perhaps, 're-commit,'" she said. "These days employees need to be flexible, ambidextrous, creative and committed."
Stephen Viscusi, author of "Bulletproof Your Job," suggested a simple change in work habits. "If you come in five minutes earlier than the boss and stay five minutes later, the boss doesn't know how long you're there. He just knows that you're always working," he said.
Francie Dalton, who runs Dalton Alliances Inc. management consultants, said criticizing a colleague as a way to suck-up may signal envy.
"If you think somebody is sucking up, consider whether you might be jealous. Consider whether you're getting nervous because that person is outpacing, outshining and outdoing you," she said.
Others like author Bill Hanover rule out ingratiating behavior altogether.
"If you value self-respect, the respect of your peers and leaders, then sucking-up or faking your way to a promotion will leave you ashamed and wanting," writes Hanover, the author of "No Sucking Up."
"Don't do it. And like the old drunk driving ad campaign states, 'Friends don't let friends suck-up,'" he wrote
NEW YORK (Reuters) – If there's a bit more false flattery and loud enthusiasm at the office than usual, don't be surprised.
Whether it's called buttering up the boss, brown-nosing, sucking up or managing up, experts say ingratiating behavior is bound to be on the rise in the workplace as workers fret about keeping their jobs in tough economic times.
But such behavior can be bad for business, they said.
"People who tend to 'manage up' anyway are managing up more. They really want to make sure people are noticing what they're doing," said Max Caldwell, an expert in workforce effectiveness at Towers Perrin management consultants.
"It's a mentality of 'I not only want to do a good job, but I want to be seen as doing a good job,'" he said.
That behavior increases when stakes are high, said Jennifer Chatman, professor of organizational behavior at the University of California at Berkeley.
"It's what we do when we feel ourselves vulnerable or susceptible to the decisions of others," she said. "I would have every expectation that if we went out and tried to collect data right now, that it was going on in a big way because people are feeling more vulnerable."
In such an environment, underlings may be more likely to lavish praise on bad decisions or poor judgment by a boss and avoid being candid or bearing bad news, she said.
"It can be bad for business, keeping the yea-sayers around," Chatman said.
But according to some researchers, sucking up works.
Challenging a chief executive less, complimenting the CEO more and doing the CEO a personal favor increased the likelihood of being appointed to a corporate board by 64 percent, a University of Texas study found.
COME IN FIVE MINUTES EARLIER
In a separate study that Chatman conducted, job-seekers using ingratiating behavior were 20 percent more likely to land a job.
It's human nature, she said. "People who bring positive information, that stroke the boss, that make the boss feel good about the decisions he or she has made, that build up the boss' confidence, those people are going to do better," she said.
It's nothing to be ashamed of, said Frances Cole Jones, a professional coach and author of "How to Wow." In tough times, she said, go to work early, stay late, attend meetings and volunteer for extra work.
"In times like these, the smart thing to do is to 'suck up' -- or, perhaps, 're-commit,'" she said. "These days employees need to be flexible, ambidextrous, creative and committed."
Stephen Viscusi, author of "Bulletproof Your Job," suggested a simple change in work habits. "If you come in five minutes earlier than the boss and stay five minutes later, the boss doesn't know how long you're there. He just knows that you're always working," he said.
Francie Dalton, who runs Dalton Alliances Inc. management consultants, said criticizing a colleague as a way to suck-up may signal envy.
"If you think somebody is sucking up, consider whether you might be jealous. Consider whether you're getting nervous because that person is outpacing, outshining and outdoing you," she said.
Others like author Bill Hanover rule out ingratiating behavior altogether.
"If you value self-respect, the respect of your peers and leaders, then sucking-up or faking your way to a promotion will leave you ashamed and wanting," writes Hanover, the author of "No Sucking Up."
"Don't do it. And like the old drunk driving ad campaign states, 'Friends don't let friends suck-up,'" he wrote
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