In addition to injuries, there are unconfirmed fatalities. Gas has been cut off to the area after residents reported smelling natural gas.
Residents and business owners are outraged because, they say, they had reported and complained about the new building "going up too fast." Long hours and lack of proper oversight had been a continuing problem.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Video: Tornado Rips Up Downtown Atlanta, Georgia Dome; Halts SEC Games, Terrifies Thousands
Officials in Atlanta say that the search for trapped victims in damaged buildings might take two full days. More than a dozen people have been taken to local hospitals. The tornado left downtown Atlanta "looking like a war zone," witnesses said.
My Bad: Air National Guard Jet Accidentally Drops Dummy Bomb on Tulsa, OK Apartment
Toto, we aren't in Kansas.....
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Video: El Paso TV Trucks Caught Drag Racing
You could call this stupid and stupider. But is this a firing offense? The two TV stations involved have a split decision on that.
Crews from KDBC-TV (CBS and KVIA (ABC) were covering a news story at a legal El Paso, TX drag strip. After encouragement from the crowd, photographers Charlie Bernal of KDBC and Richie Zamora of KVIA waddled the ungainly trucks down the drag strip. Part-time KVIA anchor Rick Cabrera cheered them on, as did the laughing crowd.
Bernal, who said he's not sorry, but wouldn't do it again, got fired. The other two participants face disciplinary action, but won't lose their jobs, according to management at both stations.
Ironically, KDBC had just won second-place honors for "best station photojournalism" from the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters. The awards were announced March 10.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Kristen Unveiled: Spitzer's Steamy Tryst Hooker Identified
The New York Times has identified the Emperors Club prostitute whose rendezvous with New York Governor Eliot Spitzer as a 22-year-old woman who wants to be a singer and who has a MySpace page.
Calling her the product of a "broken home," the Times said: " Born Ashley Youmans but now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, she spoke softly and with good humor as she added with significant understatement: “This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.”
Dupre's MySpace page includes one of her original songs. It's also now the focus of a lively discussion.
Calling her the product of a "broken home," the Times said: " Born Ashley Youmans but now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, she spoke softly and with good humor as she added with significant understatement: “This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.”
Dupre's MySpace page includes one of her original songs. It's also now the focus of a lively discussion.
Sex, Scandal & Perjury: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Plays The Race Card & The N-Word
Another entrant in the politicians-behaving-badly non-beauty pageant: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Boycotted by members of his own city council and surrounded by calls for his resignation, Kilpatrick sidesteps potential perjury charges in his own sex scandal to play the race card.
Using the n-word, Kilpatrick lashed out at media and citizens alike, accusing everyone, it seems of a "lynch mob mentality." According to the Detroit Free Press, "The mayor didn't get specific, but he almost certainly was referring to the circus-like atmosphere surrounding the long-rumored-but-never-proven Manoogian Mansion party, and the ongoing civil case in federal court that is generating speculation that a Detroit stripper was killed in a drive-by shooting because of her connections to that soiree and Kilpatrick himself."
This mess goes deeper than Kilpatrick's affair with a former aide. Two former Detroit police officers claimed that they were fired for investigating claims that Kilpatrick used taxpayer-funded security to cover up his affair.
The cops finally took things to court in a whistle-blower lawsuit that cost Detroit's citizens $8.4 million. That money would have purchased a lot of milk for school lunch programs.
Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press sums this sordid tale up best: "Was Kilpatrick's tirade at the end of his speech, in which he claimed the media and nearly everyone else are to blame for the brutal effects of this scandal on his family, his idea of taking responsibility? The shameful, divisive words he used to draw false lines between those who want him to own up and those he expects to give him a pass will serve only to prolong the agony in this community.
His words represented the height of irresponsibility, and seeped into gross negligence. His attempted humiliation of City Council president Ken Cockrel, who has handled himself with the utmost restraint and accountability during this mess, was unforgivable."
"The mayor still can't even bring himself to admit how he tried to deceive the City Council and the public, or explain why he sought to use the legal system to bury evidence of his affair with his chief of staff and his lies during the police whistle-blower trial. He has nothing to say about the widening scope of accusations and investigations."
As an embattled Kilpatrick hurled the n-word into TV cameras, blaming the whole mess on racism, he overlooked something important: the protestors carrying signs outside represented all of Detroit. Black hands carried signs, too.
For a mayor to interject the n-word and hide behind claims of racism in a city that's worked hard to overcome racial divides is despicable. Like New York's Eliot Spitzer (a white guy), Kilpatrick simply is another politician who talked ethics while living in hypocrisy--all at the taxpayer's expense.
Using the n-word, Kilpatrick lashed out at media and citizens alike, accusing everyone, it seems of a "lynch mob mentality." According to the Detroit Free Press, "The mayor didn't get specific, but he almost certainly was referring to the circus-like atmosphere surrounding the long-rumored-but-never-proven Manoogian Mansion party, and the ongoing civil case in federal court that is generating speculation that a Detroit stripper was killed in a drive-by shooting because of her connections to that soiree and Kilpatrick himself."
This mess goes deeper than Kilpatrick's affair with a former aide. Two former Detroit police officers claimed that they were fired for investigating claims that Kilpatrick used taxpayer-funded security to cover up his affair.
The cops finally took things to court in a whistle-blower lawsuit that cost Detroit's citizens $8.4 million. That money would have purchased a lot of milk for school lunch programs.
Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press sums this sordid tale up best: "Was Kilpatrick's tirade at the end of his speech, in which he claimed the media and nearly everyone else are to blame for the brutal effects of this scandal on his family, his idea of taking responsibility? The shameful, divisive words he used to draw false lines between those who want him to own up and those he expects to give him a pass will serve only to prolong the agony in this community.
His words represented the height of irresponsibility, and seeped into gross negligence. His attempted humiliation of City Council president Ken Cockrel, who has handled himself with the utmost restraint and accountability during this mess, was unforgivable."
"The mayor still can't even bring himself to admit how he tried to deceive the City Council and the public, or explain why he sought to use the legal system to bury evidence of his affair with his chief of staff and his lies during the police whistle-blower trial. He has nothing to say about the widening scope of accusations and investigations."
As an embattled Kilpatrick hurled the n-word into TV cameras, blaming the whole mess on racism, he overlooked something important: the protestors carrying signs outside represented all of Detroit. Black hands carried signs, too.
For a mayor to interject the n-word and hide behind claims of racism in a city that's worked hard to overcome racial divides is despicable. Like New York's Eliot Spitzer (a white guy), Kilpatrick simply is another politician who talked ethics while living in hypocrisy--all at the taxpayer's expense.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Spitzer Not Swallowing Resignation Demands; "Stay Out of Jail" Deals May Change His Mind
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer stayed holed up in his swanky NYC apartment today as calls for his resignation grew. While he stalls New York government, Spitzer is apparently playing footsie with prosecutors, according to some reports.
Rumors are floating that despite a defiant attitude, Switzer may deal to stay out of jail on potential charges resulting from his long-time links with the Emperors Club prostitution ring and associated money laundering. Although there's speculation he may resign tomorrow morning, Spitzer apparently doesn't mind grinding New York's government to a halt over his own private "bump and grind" habits.
Rumors are floating that despite a defiant attitude, Switzer may deal to stay out of jail on potential charges resulting from his long-time links with the Emperors Club prostitution ring and associated money laundering. Although there's speculation he may resign tomorrow morning, Spitzer apparently doesn't mind grinding New York's government to a halt over his own private "bump and grind" habits.
Spitzer Scandal Fallout: Silda Spitzer's Sorrow
New reports are surfacing that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has been soliciting hookers for the past six years. Republican leaders are calling on him to resign or be impeached.
The real victims in this: his wife, Silda Spitzer and three teenaged daughters.
The real victims in this: his wife, Silda Spitzer and three teenaged daughters.
NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer Sex Scandal: Ooooh, I Love To Do The Shuffle
And now, starring in the remake of "The Best Little Whorehouse in...Well, Anywhere There Are Planes, Trains, and Automobiles".... New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Although Charles Durning's "Ooooh I love to Do a Shuffle" song and dance in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is brilliant, Spitzer won't be able to tap dance his way around serious ethics and legal problems that easily. Between the Emperors Club prostitution ring link, money laundering allegations, and inter-state sex trafficking questions, the self-ordained crusader against corruption is caught not only in crimes, but hypocrisy at its highest.
In case you've forgotten how it goes, here's Durning doing the shuffle.
CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian takes a look at Spitzer's disgrace. The former prosecutor and New York Attorney General, who once vigorously went after a large-scale prostitution ring, is now known as "Client #9."
Spitzer is alleged to have been a repeat of the The Emperors Club, which rated its prostitutes on a scale of three to five "diamonds." The international sex trafficking ring, centered in the New York/New Jersey area, charged thousands of dollars per hour for sexual services.
Although Charles Durning's "Ooooh I love to Do a Shuffle" song and dance in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is brilliant, Spitzer won't be able to tap dance his way around serious ethics and legal problems that easily. Between the Emperors Club prostitution ring link, money laundering allegations, and inter-state sex trafficking questions, the self-ordained crusader against corruption is caught not only in crimes, but hypocrisy at its highest.
In case you've forgotten how it goes, here's Durning doing the shuffle.
CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian takes a look at Spitzer's disgrace. The former prosecutor and New York Attorney General, who once vigorously went after a large-scale prostitution ring, is now known as "Client #9."
Spitzer is alleged to have been a repeat of the The Emperors Club, which rated its prostitutes on a scale of three to five "diamonds." The international sex trafficking ring, centered in the New York/New Jersey area, charged thousands of dollars per hour for sexual services.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Countdown to Launch: NASA's STS-123 & Crew Ready to Fly
Florida's space coast got an early sunrise as the Space Shuttle Endeavour soared aloft, bearing the new Canadian Dextre robot arm and the first section of a Japanese science module. Flying on wings of brilliant fire sparkling against the black night sky, Endeavour and her seven-member crew headed to the International Space Station. .
Earlier, the astronauts performed the traditional walk-out from the O&C Building at Kennedy Space Center enroute to the launch pad.
All seven astronauts are onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The mission, set to launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT, will take the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station..
They're also ferrying up NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who'll replace European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts, who'll hitch a ride on Endeavour back home. A veteran space flier, Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gorie, commands the STS-123 mission, with Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson as pilot. Mission specialists include Richard M. Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.
The 16-day mission will include five space walks. The astronauts will use the Canada robotic arm to continue work on the ISS. The new Dextre equipment essentially is a pair of extended electronic hands intended to assist with crucial repair and construction tasks.
There's a rhythm to a launch. After someone has worked a few, the sounds and the paced flow become a song, a part of self that transcends mere technical achievement. Humans and machines, working together, to again fly to not only the heavens, but to an orbiting, manned space station.
Those of us who remember the days before space flight was common, and when each flight was literally a life-or-death experiment, know the awesome, awful truth: we dare the skies, but at a price. So far, we've lost one vehicle and crew on the pad (Apollo 1) and two Space Shuttles with full crews (Challenger and Columbia).
Although not in the business may think that the losses are far too high, in reality, given the complexities and dangers of the missions, they're very low. One of the frustrating things for space workers is that when an aircraft falls out of the sky, killing 300 or so people, no one demands that all passenger air flight cease immediately.
The benefits of space flight are many to those on planet Earth. The spin-off technology from advances made to support spaceflight have ranged from medical advances to Earth sciences. Many people don't realize that the weather forecasts we take for granted use the satellite surveillance of Earth that we now take for granted.
On a clear, cold, starry night oh, a few years back, I stood outside on a small rise in New York state with my grandfather and parents. Like many others, we were waiting. Unbelievably, there it was: the tiny moving dot of light that was Sputnik.
And so it began: Dadelus inspired.
Earlier, the astronauts performed the traditional walk-out from the O&C Building at Kennedy Space Center enroute to the launch pad.
All seven astronauts are onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The mission, set to launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT, will take the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station..
They're also ferrying up NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who'll replace European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts, who'll hitch a ride on Endeavour back home. A veteran space flier, Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gorie, commands the STS-123 mission, with Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson as pilot. Mission specialists include Richard M. Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.
The 16-day mission will include five space walks. The astronauts will use the Canada robotic arm to continue work on the ISS. The new Dextre equipment essentially is a pair of extended electronic hands intended to assist with crucial repair and construction tasks.
There's a rhythm to a launch. After someone has worked a few, the sounds and the paced flow become a song, a part of self that transcends mere technical achievement. Humans and machines, working together, to again fly to not only the heavens, but to an orbiting, manned space station.
Those of us who remember the days before space flight was common, and when each flight was literally a life-or-death experiment, know the awesome, awful truth: we dare the skies, but at a price. So far, we've lost one vehicle and crew on the pad (Apollo 1) and two Space Shuttles with full crews (Challenger and Columbia).
Although not in the business may think that the losses are far too high, in reality, given the complexities and dangers of the missions, they're very low. One of the frustrating things for space workers is that when an aircraft falls out of the sky, killing 300 or so people, no one demands that all passenger air flight cease immediately.
The benefits of space flight are many to those on planet Earth. The spin-off technology from advances made to support spaceflight have ranged from medical advances to Earth sciences. Many people don't realize that the weather forecasts we take for granted use the satellite surveillance of Earth that we now take for granted.
On a clear, cold, starry night oh, a few years back, I stood outside on a small rise in New York state with my grandfather and parents. Like many others, we were waiting. Unbelievably, there it was: the tiny moving dot of light that was Sputnik.
And so it began: Dadelus inspired.
Caught on Tape: Lawyer Demands Sex From Client; Case Landed on Spitzer's Desk
Running a news-oriented blog is pretty interesting. All kinds of things come your way--but a note today, given the context of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's sex scandal, was not only shocking, but frightening.
A New York woman taped a prominent attorney demanding oral sex from her for his services, and haranguing her about his contacts and his power. She says that her complaint, reported on by several media sources, was forwarded to then-NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer back in 2006.
It was fairly common for women breaking gender barriers in the 1960's and 1970's to be sexually harassed. This is now the 21st century, and still men with power are abusing that power for sex. What's wrong here?
Spitzer, in his brief statement, said that his link to a inter-state prostitution investigation, is a "private matter." If a self-declared Eliot Ness, pro-family man who proudly calls himself "the steamroller" in his ballyhooed battles against corruption acts as Spitzer did, should we be surprised that sexual demands and harassment run rampant in our society?
A New York woman taped a prominent attorney demanding oral sex from her for his services, and haranguing her about his contacts and his power. She says that her complaint, reported on by several media sources, was forwarded to then-NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer back in 2006.
It was fairly common for women breaking gender barriers in the 1960's and 1970's to be sexually harassed. This is now the 21st century, and still men with power are abusing that power for sex. What's wrong here?
Spitzer, in his brief statement, said that his link to a inter-state prostitution investigation, is a "private matter." If a self-declared Eliot Ness, pro-family man who proudly calls himself "the steamroller" in his ballyhooed battles against corruption acts as Spitzer did, should we be surprised that sexual demands and harassment run rampant in our society?
Sex Scandal: New York Governor Eliot Spitzer Admits Prostitution Use
The irony: Spitzer, who presented himself as a poster boy for battling corruption, and was once touted as a possible vice-presidential candidate for Wesley Clark, now may be remembered as "#9" in an indictment for prostitution. When he was inaugurated, Spitzer said "Some public officials may not want to face stricter ethics rules..."
Here's a copy of the official document, which includes statements that Client #9 may ask a prostitute for sexual favors not normally deemed "safe."
New York state government right now is at a halt, with confusion reigning. No one quite knows who's in charge or for how long. Whether or not David Patterson has taken the oath of office, or if official papers are being circulated, is a mystery.
A major question: why did Spitzer not make a clean break with a resignation and then a statement? No one yet knows, but the fallout is only beginning.
Still coming: effects on tomorrow's Mississippi primary. With Barack Obama and HIllary Clinton duking it out, the ripple effect of a liberal governor who campaigned on a platform of change is yet to be seen.
This just in: New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is preparing a press conference today on his links to a prostitution ring. Update: Spitzer, once hailed as the "future of the Democratic party" by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, is expected to resign today.
The New York Democrat may say he's linked to an international online prostitution ring. Seven people have been charged in the "Emperor's Club" ring.
Spitzer has also been under fire over a multi-million dollar loan given to him by his father, Bernard Spitzer, during his 1998 campaign for state Attorney General. The loan may have circumvented campaign contribution regulations.
Switzer is married and has three children, and has presented himself as a family man who is tough on crime.
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