Washington state caucus a test for Romney

(Reuters) - Mitt Romney, who regained front-runner status in the Republican presidential race with three state wins this week, could build on that momentum with a victory in the Washington state caucuses on Saturday just three days before crucial Super Tuesday voting.

The former Massachusetts governor led a Public Policy Polling opinion poll in Washington state on Friday, boosted by wins this week over main rival, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, in Michigan, Arizona and Wyoming nominating contests.

"Romney has the momentum in Washington right now just as he does nationally," said Dean Debnam, president of PPP.

The poll showed Romney with 37 percent support, versus Santorum's 32 percent. Ron Paul had 16 percent and former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich had 13 percent Republicans are seeking a nominee to challenge President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.

The PPP poll surveyed 447 likely caucus-goers on Wednesday and Thursday and had a margin of error of 4.6 points. It was a marked turnaround from a mid-February survey that had Romney trailing by 11 points, shortly after Santorum pulled off upsets in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado nominating contests.

But the latest survey also revealed a possible weakness for Romney: Santorum might be a greater threat to him if caucus turnout is low.

Caucuses, as opposed to primaries, are lengthy affairs that voters who are less than fully committed shy away from because of the time needed to participate. That could hurt Romney.

"The big question in a low turnout caucus is whether his supporters are passionate enough to show up. If Santorum's supporters care more, they could still put him over the top," Debnam said.

Romney had only a 3-point edge among those who said they would definitely turn out for the caucuses, where voters need to take some two hours electing delegates to the state convention and doing other official party business as well as choosing a presidential favorite.

"Romney's support is about a mile wide and an inch deep," said Gary Bullert, a political science professor at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

Romney is likely to do well with moderate Republicans in the urban, densely populated northwest "Starbucks Belt" of Seattle, Tacoma, and the state capital, Olympia.

In the southwest and especially in rural eastern Washington, many Republicans support socially conservative Santorum, and Paul, a libertarian Texas congressman.

The presidential vote is a non-binding straw poll, and state delegates will be chosen later, in order to avoid allocating delegates to candidates who later drop out. The West Coast state has not voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1984.

SUPER TUESDAY COMING UP

"How often has the state of Washington had the ability to reset a presidential race?" Santorum said in a speech on Thursday at a church in Spokane, the hub of eastern Washington. "I know you feel like you've been railroaded and bulldozed. Well, now you have a chance to speak to the country."

For the first time in recent memory, the state's vote comes before Super Tuesday contests in 10 states next week, making it an indicator of momentum for the candidates rather than an afterthought. All four remaining Republican hopefuls have visited the state recently.

"There is an extremely high level of enthusiasm for the caucuses and there has been unprecedented press coverage," said Kirby Wilbur, state Republican Party chairman, who predicted record turnout.

"This is the first time we've had any candidate come to the state, let alone four, and it's really pumped up the base," he said. "Winning here will be a psychological boost for the winner going into Super Tuesday."

Also boosting turnout: Unlike in past years ,Washington is not holding a primary election in addition to the caucus, saving the cash-strapped state government about $10 million. Voters have been told the caucus is the only chance to have their say.

Wilbur predicted that based on the strength of respective ground organizations, Romney's biggest competition on Saturday would come from Paul, not Santorum.

"Paul's people have been here for six months. They've been organizing strongly," said Wilbur. Romney has also ramped up a significant get-out-the-vote operation in the past month.

Paul has yet to win a state nominating contest but his strength has been in caucuses and in turning out his enthusiastic supporters. He drew large crowds in the state February and held three events on Friday.

"It's all about who shows up to vote, and that plays in favor of Ron Paul," said Bullert, who said the Texan continued to tap into dissatisfaction with both major political parties. At least some Democrats are expected to vote on Saturday in the open caucus.

As in other states, Romney has the support of most of the party establishment, including endorsements from three of the state's four Republican members of Congress and a number of statewide office holders.

Nationally, he has a clear lead in the delegate count, although he is far from gaining the 1,144 delegates needed to secure his party's nomination for November's election.

(Additional reporting by Sam Youngman; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Powerful storms leave deadly trail

A partially destroyed home following a powerful tornado, is seen in Marysville, March 3, 2012. The latest in a series of powerful tornadoes raked across a broad swath of the U.S. Midwest and Southeast, killing at least 33 people in four states, authorities said on Saturday. REUTERS/Aaron Bernstein (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT DISASTER)


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Putin poised for Russian victory; protests likely- OPINION: What Putin wants Russia to do like US

MOSCOW â€"  Vladimir Putin appears all but certain to return to the Kremlin in Sunday's Russian presidential election, but he'll find himself in charge of a country far more willing to challenge him.

An unprecedented wave of massive protests showed a substantial portion of the population was fed up with the political entrenchment engineered by Putin since he first became president in 2000, and police are already preparing for the possibility of post-election unrest in Moscow.

The Putin system of so-called "managed democracy" put liberal opposition forces under consistent pressure, allowing them only rare permission to hold small rallies and bringing squads of police to harshly break up any unauthorized gathering.

The Kremlin gained control of all major television channels and their news reports turned into uncritical recitations of Putin's programs, often augmented with admiring footage of him riding horseback, scuba-diving or petting wild animals.

But the protests, sparked by allegations of widespread fraud in December's parliamentary elections, forced notable changes.

Authorities gave permission, however grudgingly, for opposition rallies that attracted vast crowds, upward of 50,000 in Moscow. State television gave them substantial and mostly neutral coverage.

Whether that tolerance will last after the election is unclear. According to the most recent survey by the independent Levada Center polling agency, Putin is on track to win the election with around two-thirds of the vote against four challengers -- enough to bolster his irritable denunciations of the protesters as a small, coddled minority.

Putin has repeatedly alleged that the protesters are stooges of the United States and Western European countries that want to undermine Russia and he has insulted them, saying for instance that their white ribbon emblems looked like condoms.

In the past week, the rhetoric became even harsher as Putin publicly suggested the opposition was willing to kill one of its own figures in order to stoke outrage against him. That claim came on the heels of state television reports that a plot by Chechen rebels to kill Putin right after the election had been foiled. Some of Putin's election rivals dismissed the report as a campaign trick to boost support for him.

Protests after the election appear certain.

"People in Russia are not going to recognize Putin's victory in the first round," Alexei Navalny, one of the loosely knit opposition's most charismatic figures, declared flatly this week.

Another prominent protest figure, Ilya Ponomarev, a parliament member from the opposition A Just Russia party, said the protesters' mood has become more truculent as authorities consistently brushed off their initial demands for nullifying the results of the December parliament election.

"It has evolved from 'we demand a rerun' to 'go to hell'," he said.

The Interior Ministry is calling in 6,000 police reinforcements to the capital from other regions, the state news agency ITAR-Tass reported Friday.

Whether Sunday's vote is seen as honest is likely to be key; a count without reports of wide violations could deprive protesters of a galvanizing issue.

As the first protests roiled the country, Putin announced an expensive program to place two web cameras in each of the country's 90,000 polling stations, one showing a general view and one focusing on the ballot box. However, their effectiveness is in doubt.

"Cameras cannot capture all the details of the voting process, in particular during counting," the election observation mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe noted in a report on election preparations.

Along with the OSCE mission, tens of thousands of Russians have volunteered to be election observers, receiving training for activist groups on how to recognize vote-rigging and record and report violations.

In the December election, observers from the nongovernmental group Golos reported being threatened and kicked out of polling stations.

Hostility to the group among officials remains; in January, the head of the Federal Security Service in the Komi republic called the group "extremists" inspired from abroad.

"The Russian government has done the right thing by allowing unprecedented public protests and proposing some reforms," Hugh Williamson of the international watchdog Human Rights Watch said in a statement. But "despite the positive developments, the climate for civil society is as hostile as it ever was."

In his past four years as prime minister -- a sojourn he took because of a constitutional limit of two consecutive presidential terms -- the steely Putin remained Russia's dominant political figure, overshadowing mild-mannered successor Dmitry Medvedev, who spoke often of reforms but accomplished little.

Putin has promised to appoint Medvedev prime minister if he wins the presidency in order to pursue his reform ideas, but many regard Medvedev as lacking the hard-edge political skills to be an effective reformer.

In addition, appointing him premier could anger the opposition by echoing an earlier humiliation -- the day in September when Putin and Medvedev told an obedient convention of the ruling United Russia party that Medvedev would step aside from seeking a second term in order to allow Putin to run.

The decision, done without public input and presented as a fait-accompli, was widely seen as cynical and antidemocratic -- even an analyst close to the Kremlin called it a "filthy deal" -- and contributed strongly to the growing disillusion with Putin.

Despite that dismay, none of the other candidates have been able to marshal a serious challenge to Putin. The Communist Party candidate Gennady Zyuganov, gets support of about 15 percent, according to the Levada center survey, which claimed accuracy within 3.4 percentage points. The others -- nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Sergei Mironov of A Just Russia and billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov -- were in single digits.

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Storm kills Ga. woman taking shelter in drain pipe

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities say violent storms in Georgia killed an 83-year-old woman whose body was washed into a creek after she tried to take shelter in a drainage pipe.

Alpharetta police spokesman George Gordon says the body of Patricia Barnette was found Saturday in a creek more than 100 yards from her home north of Atlanta. He says the woman's husband reported her missing Friday night as tornado-spawning storms pounded northern Georgia.

More than 35 people have been killed around the country in the severe weather outbreak that began Friday.

Gordon told The Associated Press that family members say Barnette was afraid to take shelter in her home because it had no basement. She had previously told relatives she would seek shelter in the drain pipe that empties into the creek where authorities found her body.

Hers is the first storm-related death reported in Georgia.

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John Edwards asks judge not to destroy sex tape

GREENSBORO, N.C. â€"  John Edwards has asked a judge not to destroy a sex tape he made with his former mistress Rielle Hunter that was slated for destruction under a settlement reached last week, WRAL-TV reported.

A request filed Friday in US District Court in Greensboro said Edwards "intends to request, by subpoena or other procedure, certain materials covered" by provisions of the injunction.

Edwards asked the court to enforce an automatic stay "with respect to any transfer or destruction of items" until the request can be made.

Hunter settled a lawsuit last week against former Edwards aide Andrew Young seeking to recover personal items she said Young and his wife took from a house she was renting in 2007 while she was pregnant. They included a video she recorded with Edwards during his 2008 presidential campaign and photographs of him with their daughter, WRAL reported.

The Youngs claimed Hunter abandoned the items as trash.

Terms of the settlement between Hunter and Young and his wife included destroying the sex tape within 30 days. Other items were set to be returned to Hunter.

It was not clear whether Friday's request related to Edwards' upcoming federal corruption trial.

Edwards has pleaded not guilty to receiving illegal campaign contributions to cover up his affair with Hunter during his 2008 run for the White House. If convicted on all of the charges, the two-time Democratic presidential candidate faces up to 30 years in prison.

His trial is set to begin in April.

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Navy\'s Target Practice on Old Ships Raises Concern

SAN FRANCISCO-- In 2005, the USS America aircraft carrier was towed out to sea on her final voyage. Hundreds of miles off the Atlantic coast, U.S. Navy personnel then blasted the 40-year-old warship with missiles and bombs until it sank.

The massive Kitty-Hawk class carrier -- more than three football fields long -- came to rest in the briny depths about 300 nautical miles southeast of Norfolk, Va.

Target practice is now how the Navy gets rid of most of its old ships, an Associated Press review of Navy records for the past dozen years has found. And they wind up at the bottom of the ocean, bringing with them amounts of toxic waste that are only estimated.

Navy documents state that among the toxic substances left onboard the America were more than 500 pounds of PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls, a chemical banned by the U.S. in 1979, in part because it is long-lasting and accumulates throughout the food chain. Disposing of the carrier that served in the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and Desert Shield cost more than $22 million.

In the past 12 years, records show the Navy has used missiles, torpedoes and large guns to sink 109 old, peeling and rusty U.S warships off the coasts of California, Hawaii, Florida and other states. During the same period, 64 ships were recycled at one of six approved domestic ship-breaking facilities.

The Navy says target practice on actual military ships serves an important national security function, allowing for live-fire exercises and study of "weapons lethality." But since the program's inception, the AP found that the Navy has struggled to balance its military training needs with an environmentally sound way to send ships to the grave.

The program -- called "Sinkex" for sinking exercise-- has come under fire from environmentalists for the pollutants it introduces to the sea. The ship recycling industry complains about the jobs and revenues it takes away.

The Navy has performed these operations for decades, disposing of decommissioned ships with little public record of the toxins left onboard. Then in 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the Navy to better document toxic waste on the doomed ships, and in return the EPA exempted the military from federal pollution laws that prohibited such dumping in the ocean.

Now, new evidence from a Florida ship sinking site suggests these old warships can cause spikes in PCB levels in nearby fish. It spurred Florida officials to bar further dumping along their coast.

And it has evoked a federal lawsuit alleging the EPA has failed to properly safeguard federal waters.

Along with the memories of sailors who once lived on these ghost ships, the massive boats each can contain thousands of pounds of PCBs, asbestos, lead, mercury and other harmful substances in keels, insulation materials, wiring and felt gaskets.

The EPA and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say PCBs endure for years.

In humans, high levels are believed to increase the risk of certain cancers and, in pregnant or breast-feeding women, harm the developing brains of fetuses and infants. PCBs were once widely used in transformers and electrical equipment and they've turned up in fresh water fish and other foods as well.

Under its agreement with the EPA, the Navy must document how much toxic material is removed and how much is sent into the sea. But the AP review of the Navy's year-end reports since 2000 found incomplete and inconsistent estimates of PCBs and other toxics.

For example, from 2000 to 2004, the Navy only reported the estimated weight of a certain type of felt gasket that contains PCBs, rather than all materials containing PCBs.

Throughout the records, ships of similar size and make showed different estimates of PCBs left onboard. In 2008, the Navy estimated that no PCBs remained on the nearly 7,000-ton USS David R. Ray, a destroyer that once operated in the Persian Gulf. But the previous year, a similar-sized vessel, the guided missile cruiser USS Jouett, was reported to contain more than 100-pounds of materials containing PCBs. The Navy did not comment on these apparent discrepancies.

"The Navy's PCB volume estimates and self-reporting methods are questionable," said Colby Self of the environmental group Basel Action Network, which along with the Sierra Club sued the EPA. "Yet the EPA continues to disregard the Navy's self-reporting shortfalls and defend legal exemptions that allow the Navy to dump toxic waste ships at sea."

The Navy says it costs $500,000 to $600,000 to remove toxics from ships before the target practice, although the total cost of the disposal exercises is much higher. Ship breaking companies say their price for recycling a large Navy vessel is typically tens of millions of dollars.

The Navy defended its cleaning and inventory process, saying it removes all liquid PCBs, thousands of gallons of fuel, mercury from instruments and other pollutants.

"The Sinkex program provides numerous benefits to the Navy by making target vessels available for at-sea live-fire exercises," Navy spokesman Christopher Johnson said in an e-mail. "It provides opportunities for air, surface and subsurface forces to conduct weapons effect testing on actual combat ships."

"Each vessel is put through a rigorous cleaning process that includes the removal, to the maximum extent practicable, of all materials which may degrade the marine environment," he said.

In the 1990s, the Navy was forced to stop Sinkex for two years because of concern that the program ran afoul of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act's prohibition of PCB releases.

At the time, many old Navy vessels were sent to ship-breaking facilities in Bangladesh and southeast Asia, where they were scrapped at a much cheaper price than U.S. yards. But, after an investigation by the Baltimore Sun uncovered environmental and workplace issues at those facilities, the U.S. government in 1998 banned overseas recycling.

The next year, EPA exempted Sinkex from federal toxic pollution laws, and the Navy resumed sinking old ships -- at least 50 nautical miles from shore and at least 6,000 feet deep.

The agency's chief at the time, Carol Browner, wrote in a Sept. 7, 1999 letter that failure to grant an exemption would "unnecessarily impede" the Sinkex program by opening the Navy up to environmental lawsuits. Browner said regulating Sinkex under the toxic control law would require too much of the agency's resources.

An EPA spokeswoman declined to comment for this story, citing the ongoing litigation.
Sending PCBs and other chemicals to the ocean floor instead of recycling the ships runs counter to federal marine conservation efforts, said Peter deFur, a professor of environmental studies at Virginia Commonwealth University who sits on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, which oversees fisheries from New York to North Carolina.

"This excess in PCBs runs counter to all of our management objectives," deFur said. "There's the possible threat to public health from the PCBs that get into fish that people eat. And marine mammals are also at risk from elevated PCB levels in fish."

PCB's found in fish near an aircraft carrier sunk in 2006 as an artificial reef near Pensacola, Florida have raised concerns about the impacts, although the ship was located much closer to shore and in much shallower waters than Sinkex vessels.

Annual monitoring by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission of waters around the USS Oriskany concluded that fish around the carrier exceeded state and federal PCB standards in the first two years. Florida's PCB limits are 50 parts per billion for safe human consumption-- EPA standards are 20 ppb. Fish later collected saw a drop in those levels overall, but some still exceeded the EPA and Florida standards.

The PCB concentrations in fish have raised public health concerns that require more study to assess the long-term impacts, said Jon Dodrill, an environmental administrator with Florida's commission. "Our agency has taken a stance that there will be no more large ships with regulated PCBs sunk in state or adjacent federal waters off of Florida," Dodrill said.

Meantime, the nation's ship breaking concerns have spoken out against Sinkex, saying it is costing the industry many millions of dollars and badly needed jobs.

Richard Jaross, co-owner of Esco Marine, Inc. in Brownsville, Tex., said his business would add jobs and revenue to the local economy if more Sinkex vessels were sent for recycling. He also believes the program is bad for the environment.

"The waters of the world aren't dumping grounds for getting rid of old things. It's totally irresponsible of our government to use them for target practice," Jaross said.

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Baby found alone in Indiana field after tornado

Indiana State Tropers survey damage to in Henryville, Ind., Saturday, March 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A baby girl who was discovered in an Indiana field following Friday's devastating tornadoes is in critical condition at a Kentucky hospital, according to the Associated Press.

When the child was found Friday night, she was first taken to a hospital in Salem, Ind.  Melissa Richardson, a spokeswoman for St. Vincent Salem Hospital, said authorities are trying to determine how the child wound up in the field alone, since her family lives in New Pekin, Ind., about 10 miles south of where the she was discovered.

Richardson says the girl is in critical condition at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

Though neither her name nor her family's name have been released, a hospital spokesperson in Louisville told ABCNews.com that the family has been identified, though they did not say whether they were alive.

The girl was discovered about 30 miles west of Marysville, a 1,900-person town described by Clark County Sheriff's Department Maj. Chuck Adams as "completely gone."

The deadly storms, which stretched from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, have killed at least 30 people in four states - Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Alabama -- and destroyed two small towns in Indiana in the second deadly tornado to have occurred this week.

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Proposed mural of \'Sleeping Mexican\' draws mixed reaction

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N.J. pharmacy gives cancer meds to kids, not fluoride

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - CVS officials say only a few children ingested pills for breast cancer treatment that they mistakenly received from a New Jersey pharmacy instead of the fluoride pills that were prescribed.

No injuries related to the mixup had been reported as of Saturday afternoon. The two pills are similar looking but have distinctively different tastes.

Investigators are still working to determine how and why the errors occurred at the CVS pharmacy in Chatham. The pharmacy has acknowledged improperly dispensing the breast cancer-fighting drug Tamoxifen instead of chewable fluoride tablets to children in as many as 50 families between Dec. 1 and Feb. 20.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay and is usually prescribed by dentists for children. Tamoxifen is used to treat breast cancer and blocks the female hormone estrogen.

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Angry Costa Concordia survivors attend 1st shipwreck hearing

GROSSETO, Italy (AP) - The first hearing of the criminal investigation into the Costa Concordia's shipwreck was held in a theater Saturday instead of a courthouse because of high demand, with angry survivors seeking compensation, justice and the truth.

The judge at the hearing assigned four experts to analyze the cruise ship's data recorder and ordered them to report their findings in July, confirming predictions by Prosecutor Francesco Verusio that examination of the data, as well as of conversations involving officers on the ship's bridge, could take months.

Prosecutors must decide whether to seek a trial against the captain, other top officers and officials of Italian cruise company Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp. Crucial to their decision could be what the experts determine are such details as the Concordia's velocity when it slammed into a reef the night of Jan. 13 off Giglio island, its exact route and what commands were given by whom and when.

Participants acknowledged that the search for truth and justice will be a long one.

"Today is just the beginning," said Francesco Compagna, a lawyer for some passengers and an injured Russian crew member, Irina Nazarova. "It is the first day. We don't expect quick things but we think that the investigation must follow in all the directions," said the lawyer.

The shipwreck killed 25 people, and seven other are missing and presumed dead. Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of abandoning ship while many of the 4,200 passengers and crew were still aboard during a confused evacuation.

Prosecutors say the captain steered the ship too close to the island to show off the vessel to islanders in a publicity stunt.

Survivor Sergio Ammarota, among those who entered the hearing, said he wanted to know "exactly how it (the crash) happened and why the captain ... could have carried out such a maneuver."

Compagna added that lawyers are trying to determine "that it was not the first time that the Costa boats used to go very close to the island."

Schettino has claimed that the reef, which appears on many tourist maps, wasn't on his navigational charts. Schettino is also accused of abandoning ship while many passengers and crew were still aboard, and struggling to escape. Some of the passengers and crew jumped into the water and swam to shore after the Concordia's tilt made it impossible to lower all the life boats.

Four experts were appointed by the court to examine the data recorder. Lawyers emerging from the theater at the end of the daylong hearing, which was closed to the general public and journalists, said the judge ordered the experts to present their findings at a hearing on July 21.

Costa Crociere has distanced itself from Schettino, contending that he made an "unauthorized" maneuver that took him perilously too close to the island. It has said that only once, in August, was the cruise ship allowed to sail close to Giglio, because of a special occasion on the island.

A lawyer for Schettino - who is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship - slipped into the theater through a backdoor. Schettino, who is under house arrest in his home near Naples, denies wrongdoing and didn't attend the hearing.

Schettino's lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, later told reporters that the captain expects that the black box exam will "further confirm what he already told investigators."

Italian law allows injured parties to attach civil suits to criminal cases, and at least some of the survivors or lawyers or relatives of the victims who came to the hearing are pressing requests for compensation.

"The compensation that has been proposed to our clients absolutely is not in line with the damage suffered," lawyer Michelina Suriano said. The Italian news agency LaPresse quoted Suriano as saying her clients were offered euro11,000 (about $15,000) by the cruise company.

Much of Saturday's hearing was devoted to just who will allowed by the court to attach lawsuits to the case.

Among those rebuffed were residents of Giglio, an island that lives off tourism and where the wreck of the Concordia still rests on a rocky stretch of sea bed just outside the main port. Their lawyer, Pier Paolo Lucchesi, said the decision by Judge Valeria Montesarchio was tantamount to dividing injured parties "into major league and minor league."

Environmental groups were among others that were excluded. So far no major oil spill from the wreck has occurred, but there are fears the wreckage, with its refuse and other contents, will spoil the pristine waters off Giglio, which host dolphins, wheels and other sea life.

The conversations among Schettino and his officers, and with Italian coast guard officials, are crucial in determining what happened, and why the captain initially told the coast guard there was a blackout aboard, but didn't mention the collision.

Some conversations have already been made public, including one played on Italian TV in which a coast guard official based in Livorno, on the mainland, in a phone call repeatedly orders a reluctant Schettino to get back on his ship and direct the evacuation and rescue efforts.

Giulia Bongiorno, a lawyer for some of the passengers, said she would press the court to order analyze of recorded conversations from the time the Concordia left the port of Civitavecchia a few hours before the collision and not just immediately before and following the accident and evacuation.

She also is seeking examination of recorded conversation between the captain and his officers on the bridge and the engine room.

Among those present Saturday was the Italian cruise company itself. "We are an injured party, we lost a ship," Marco De Luca, a lawyer for Costa Crociere contended.

Another lawyer representing passengers - Giuseppe Grammatico - is also a survivor. Grammatico told reporters that some passengers, including himself, seized the initiative to be evacuated, because orders weren't forthcoming from the ship's officials.

"Just think, our lifeboat was lowered into the water because we insisted that it be done without an order from the captain," Grammatico said.

Relatives of some of the missing, including Frenchwoman Mylene Litzler, were among those attending the hearing.

Costa Crociere again came under the spotlight earlier in the week when a fire broke out in the generator room of the Costa Allegra, leaving the cruise ship without power and adrift in waters known to be prowled by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The ship arrived in the Seychelles after three days under tow. There were no injuries.

"I can understand the Costa Allegra's fire," angry Concordia survivor Patrizia Bagnasco, who came to the hearing, said. "But for the Concordia, we're talking about an unexplainable human error," LaPresse quoted her as saying.

Meanwhile, in the waters off Giglio Saturday, work was begun to make an opening in the wreckage to allow a salvage crew to enter the engine room and empty the tanks holding the last fuel still inside the ship, authorities said.

Italian navy divers finished inspecting elevators in the forward part of the ship, as well as the Concordia's theater and some lodging areas for the ship's crew, but the search yielded no bodies, the agency said.

___

Frances D'Emilio reported from Rome.

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Why We Love Grapefruit

Yes, grapefruit really does curb hunger. And that's just one of its many benefits.

1. Protects your heart
Oatmeal isn't the only heart-friendly breakfast: Enjoying one grapefruit a day can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels by 15.5 percent and triglycerides by 27 percent, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Deep red varieties pack the biggest punch because they have higher levels of antioxidants, says Shela Gorinstein, the lead researcher in the study. 

Grapefruit does increase the potency of some prescription drugs, so check with your doc before you dig in.

2. Smooths your rough skin
Use this citrus star to get rid of dark patches on your knees and elbows. 

"Grapefruit is loaded with vitamin C, a mild acid, which helps fade spots by reducing excess production of skin pigment," says Dr. Jessica Wu, a Los Angelesâ€"based dermatologist.

Cut one in half, sprinkle on a teaspoon of sugar (a mild exfoliant), and rub over your skin. Skip your face, though-grapefruit can irritate a sensitive complexion.
_____________________________________________________

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3. Boosts your metabolism
Consuming more of this citrus can help you lose pounds: People who ate half of a grapefruit before each meal (without making any other dietary changes) shed an average of three and a half pounds over 12 weeks, found a study from the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif.

"The fruit's compounds aid in fat burning and stabilizing blood-sugar and insulin levels," says Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, author of Doctor's Detox Diet. So it's a natural hunger-buster.

4. A green cleaner
Just juiced your fruit? "Use the extra pulp and rind to spruce up your bathroom," says Amy Todisco, author of Organic Food on a Budget.

Dip the juiced half in a plate of sea salt, and then rub the grapefruit all over your bathroom fixtures, squeezing any leftover juice out as you go.

The citric acid in the fruit dissolves dirt and grime; the salt disinfects and scours. After scrubbing, rinse everything away.

5. Firms skin
Grapefruit helps keep your skin in top shape. 

"It's high in vitamin C," Wu says, "essential for producing healthy collagen, a protein that keeps your complexion plump and smooth." 

Aim to eat one grapefruit a day, she says. 

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Pizza Made Easy

Forget Dominos.  Homemade pizza is easy to make and--with all the economic belt tightening going on--inexpensive.  This recipe for classic Margherita adds a healthy handful of fresh basil, but you can always add on your own toppings.  And if you're not feeling up for making the crust at home, no one will fault you for buying prepared dough.  You can still have fun tossing it in the air.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 4 Cup bread flour
• 1 Teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/2 Teaspoon dry active yeast
• 3 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 Cup lukewarm water
• 3 Tablespoon olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

For the pizza

• Pizza dough (fresh made or purchased)
• 6 Ounce fresh mozzarella
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 14oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 6 basil leaves, chiffonade (or gently torn)

Preparation

To make the dough

Step 1:

Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and combine.

Step 2:

Switch to the dough hook attachment. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Step 3:

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

Step 4:

Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and put it in a warm area (I used my oven, preheated to 200 degrees and then turned off and cooled slightly) to let it double in size, about 1 hour.

Step 5:

After the first rise take out dough and knead on lightly floured surface. (fold each side in envelope form until you form a round smooth ball. Repeat about 3 times to activate the yeast. Place back into warm area for 1 more hour to let rise one more time.

Step 6:

Divide the dough into how many pieces as you please. Usually makes about 3 small/medium pizzas.

For the pizza

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Step 2:

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently begin to stretch the dough to the desired shape and size (remember, this is homemade and doesn't have to be a perfect shape) being careful not cause any tears in the dough.

Step 3:

Spread enough of the crushed tomatoes over the pizza dough just enough to cover, if you put too much the pizza crust with become soggy.

Step 4:

Sprinkle crushed garlic over sauce.

Step 5:

Slice or tear the fresh mozzarella and scatter over top of the sauce.

Step 6:

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Step 7:

Remove from oven and scatter the basil over the top just as it comes out.

Step 8:

Allow to cool for a few minutes, slice and serve.

Article from FOXNEWS

Scene & Herd: Stars Out

Sandra Bullock seen taking a moment to congratulate Meryl Streep on her 3rd Academy Award win at the Governors Ball. The two were seen hugging and laughing outside the event and posing for photographs. Streep later celebrated her big win in the Dewars VIP lounge with boss, Harvey Weinstein, at the Weinstein Company's post-Oscar fete at the Mondrian Hotel.

West Hollywood's Soho House was the spot for the 2012 Pre-Oscar Weinstein Party, sponsored by Audi and Grey Goose.  Leonardo DiCaprio in attendance as well as Meryl Streep, Bradley Cooper, Larry King and Brooklyn Decker. Earlier in the week, Martin Scorsese held his Grey Goose-sponsored bash at the members-only venue, partying alongside “Full House” alumni Jon Stamos and Bob Saget â€" who arrived together.

Sir Elton John and hubby David Furnish all smiles at the 20th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party. Cat Cora 'dropped it like its hot' for the celeb crowd which included Steven Tyler, Kelly Osbourne, Miley Cyrus and Ian Somerhalder. 

“Descendant” cast members Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster and Amara Miller all at The Hollywood Reporter's 'Nominee' Night' event. Emma Stone, Owen Wilson and Aaron Sorkin apart of the crowd as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the crowd cracking jokes and referring to the Getty House as "public housing at it's finest."

William H. Macy and Lucy Liu stocking up on Wella Professionals and Tree Hut at the Official Presenter Gift Lounge Produced By On 3 Productions at The 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica.

British beauties Victoria Beckham and Kate Beckinsale both seen at the Eva Longoria Foundation cocktail party. The charity event, which helps Latinas build better futures through education and entrepreneurship, was held at host Eva Longoria's Hollywood eatery, Beso. 

Women In Film welcomed 2012 female Oscar nominees Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Octavia Spencer to their 5th anniversary of the Women in Film event in Hollywood. Gwyneth Paltrow handled her duties as host while young starlet Selena Gomez eagerly awaited the arrival of her hero Octavia Spencer.

A pregnant Molly Sims stepping out at the QVC Pre-Oscars Red Carpet Party at the Four Seasons Hotel and overheard saying "the best accessory for any look is definitely a baby bump." Also at the party, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Richie and Lisa Rinna alongside husband Harry Hamlin.

Adrian Grenier and Sophia Bush at Global Green USA's 9th Annual Pre-Oscar Party at Avalon in Hollywood. Emmy Rossum was also among the eco-friendly stars as they enjoyed the musical selections of Sheila E and New Division.

Karina Smirnoff, Brody Jenner, Scott Disick and Jeremy Piven all at Maxim Magazine and Ford Mustang's customizer event. Everyone dancing all night long as rapper/actor Ludacris performed. The party went on into the wee hours with everyone drinking Stoli and chowing on chicken and waffles until 4am!

Camila Alves seen visiting NASDAQ and ringing the closing bell while in NYC for Fashion Week to promote her handbag line, Muxo by Camila Alves. Camila brought bottles of Brazilian spirit Leblon Cachaca for the traders to celebrate the end of the day.  

Danielle Jones-Wesley contributed to this report.

Article from FOXNEWS

The Cost of Being on \'Idol\'

What Does it Cost to Be on 'Idol'?

"American Idol," that hyperkinetic, TV-tastic, Simonized shine on the amateur hour concept, has embedded itself into our national consciousness with the tenacity of an earworm that we just can't get out of our heads.

Even if you don't know Bo Bice from Bo Diddley, or creator Simon Fuller from designated meanie Simon Cowell, you feel the familiar longing for instant adulation, that old rags-to-riches rumba. It's as American as rock 'n' roll.

What will it cost you to make a lunge for that golden ticket? And what, realistically, can you expect to receive in return?

We'll break it down for you with the help of Richard Rushfield, the Vanity Fair contributing editor who covered "Idol" for the Los Angeles Times for three years. His new book, "American Idol: The Untold Story" lifts the hood on this well-oiled star-making machine.

Bah-dah-bah-dah-bah-dah: This ... is American Idol!

Auditions Can Be Expensive

It's hard to fathom now, but American Idol's producers actually sent out audition fliers for the first season for fear they wouldn't attract a sufficient talent pool to captivate a television audience.

While those fears quickly vanished, audition costs remain a financial hurdle for hopefuls who follow the Idol audition trail from city to city, hoping to be selected.

"What the TV audience doesn't see is, if you're from San Diego and you audition and make it through in St. Louis, then you have to return to St. Louis a month or two later for the next round, and then again for a third round," says Rushfield. "Some can't afford to and drop out."

To earn a shot, David Archuleta traveled from Salt Lake City to San Diego, Jordin Sparks flew from Glendale, Ariz., to Seattle, and Brooke White crossed the country from Mesa, Ariz., to Philadelphia.

The gamble paid off. According to Forbes, Archuleta made $1.4 million and Sparks made $1.8 million from June 2009 to May 2010. White launched her acting career on the Fox made-for-TV movie, "Change of Plans."

Housing 20 Gokeys Can get Pricey

Once chosen for the top 12, Idol contestants are provided room and board, although the accommodations have varied widely from season to season.

"There have been years where they want to show it on the air so they put them up in mansions in the Hollywood hills; other years, they've put them up in this apartment complex that's not seen on the air," says Rushfield. "It's nothing fancy, but it's not squalor. They have roommates all the way through, and when their roommates get cut, they consolidate them to save on the rooms."

A far bigger expense falls to the contestants' families. "They don't provide travel or expenses for families," he says. "That's the expense that causes the most trouble for Idols and their families."

To ease the pain, an Orange County minister and his wife extended their ministry and their home to the families of Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook, Syesha Mercado, Danny Gokey and many others. The ministry itself became an unofficial part of the extended Idol family.

"Danny Gokey had some huge number of brothers and sisters," says Rushfield. "There were like 20 Gokey family members living there."

Did Adam Lambert Buy His Own Clothes?

Ever wonder whether Adam Lambert paid for those outrageous "Glambert" costumes he wore on the eigth season? The answer is yes -- and no.

"They go on a shopping trip with a fashion consultant who works on the show and they get like $450 a week to spend on whatever they want," says Rushfield. "But a lot of them dip into their own pocket because a few hundred dollars doesn't go that far in a lot of these expensive stores in Hollywood. The clothes are theirs to keep after the show."

Contestants who bail on their day jobs for a shot at Idol fame often risk more than mere wardrobe expenses. Nikki McKibbin, who shared the first season's top three with runner-up Justin Guarini and winner Kelly Clarkson, sacrificed her new karaoke company and lost her apartment for nonpayment of rent. The second season's top three finalist Kimberley Locke passed up law school for her shot.

The two pursued different paths post-Idol: McKibbin wound up in the high-profile TV series "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" while Locke became a recording artist, plus-size model and "Celebrity Fit Club" contestant.

'She Bangs,' he Banked

Sure, everyone wants to be the next Chris Daughtry or Carrie Underwood. But if your vocals are remarkably bad, you could jump straight from audition week to international stardom as the best of the worst.

Case in point: William Hung. The sonically challenged University of California, Berkeley engineering student so thoroughly ravaged Ricky Martin's infectious "She Bangs" during his third-season San Francisco audition that within days he became an international cottage industry, shaking his bon-bon on talk shows and cashing in on the karaoke circuit.

He may have been denied a golden ticket to Hollywood, but Hung currently ranks 21st in record sales among Idol alumni, according to Billboard. His 2004 album, "Inspiration," sold 240,000 copies, reached No. 34 on the Billboard 200 charts and spawned a 40-minute day-in-the-life DVD. Not a bad payday from a couple gallons of gas and parking for the audition.

Hung's duet with fellow Idol oddball General Larry Platt of "Pants On the Ground" during last season's finale was a fitting salute to this also-ran who sprinted straight to the bank.

How Much Does an 'Idol' Earn?

How much does an "Idol" finalist earn?

"Their payday for a year of very hard work comes to something like $1 million," says Rushfield. "The top four all do Disney World commercials; that's one of the biggest paydays. They also get money for albums and shooting the Ford commercials."

Then there's the show itself. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or AFTRA, pays each top 24 contestant a performance fee: $1,571 plus meals for two-hour Idol shows, $1,303 for one-hour shows and $910 for half-hour results shows. But they all must fork over $1,600 to join AFTRA.

The biggest payday for most of the top 12 is the summer tour. "They get around $150,000 for four or five months of touring," says Rushfield.

The higher the finish, the larger the paycheck -- with notable exceptions. According to Forbes, season four winner Carrie Underwood led the pack, earning $13 million from June 2009 to May 2010. She was followed by season one winner Kelly Clarkson with $11.7 million. But Idol runners-up Chris Daughtry (third at $10.2 million), Kellie Pickler (fourth, $7.6 million) and Jennifer Hudson (sixth, $3.5 million) routinely out-earn winners David Cook, Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen and Ruben Studdard.

How Idol Alums Make a Living

An American Idol appearance is hardly a guaranteed money machine. To leverage that invaluable weekly exposure to 20-plus million viewers into a sustainable career, most Idols have to adapt, retool -- and occasionally step beyond their comfort zone.

Broadway has been one preferred career detour, especially for those three or four contestants each year who are selected as clients by 19 Entertainment, the management company founded by Idol creator Simon Fuller.

Clients including Jordin Sparks ("In the Heights"), Clay Aiken ("Spamalot") and Ruben Studdard ("Ain't Misbehavin'") have all trod the boards on the Great White Way, as have dozens of other Idol contestants, including Taylor Hicks ("Grease"), Diana DeGarmo ("Hairspray," "9 to 5") and Constantine Maroulis ("Rock of Ages").

Jennifer Hudson became the first Idol Oscar winner for her role in the film version of "Dreamgirls."

With 100 former Idol top 12 contestants now competing for the love, versatility definitely becomes an asset, if not a survival tool.

"Some of the ones that are so great but don't win, everybody says, 'Oh, they'll be fine, they were such a great contender,'" says Rushfield. "But the public's attention span can be pretty short."

Sanjaya and the Lucrative Cult of Celebrity

If there's one Idol contestant that has done the most with, well, the least, it's Sanjaya.

The sassy Seattleite with the "ponyhawk" parlayed a lackluster seventh-place finish in the show's sixth season into a multifaceted, laughing-all-the-way-to-the-bank career that includes modeling, recording, reality TV ("I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!"), theater, commercials and an autobiography ("Dancing to the Music In My Head").

He's not the only Idol to hit the bookshelves: for a little Idol reading, check out memoirs by David Archuleta ("Chords of Strength"), Melinda Doolittle ("Beyond Me"), Taylor Hicks ("Heart Full of Soul"), Clay Aiken ("Learning to Sing") and Fantasia ("Life Is Not a Fairy Tale").

Some Idols have gone on to international fame. Philippine-American Jasmine Trius from season three was so popular in the Philippines that she moved there. Michael Johns from season seven just released a single especially for Asian fans.

Rushfield has his favorite free-range Idols.

"Carly Smithson is now in a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas ("Viva Elvis") and Kristy Lee Cook hosts a TV show on the Verses Network ("Goin' Country") that is essentially like hunting with the stars," he says.

Turning Idolatry Into a Sustainable Career

With each season, it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain an 'Idol' launch for the simple reason that there are more Idols in the marketplace. Beginning this fall, the challenge becomes even greater with the September premier of Simon Cowell's "X Factor."

How do you keep the idolatry alive? Take notes from Phil Stacey, a country singer from the sixth season who had his ducks in a row long before the confetti fell.

"He came off the tour and he started playing shows in a circuit based in Nashville and really built a following," says Rushfield. "He began to sell albums out of there and record companies signed him based on that."

The takeaway: Build your base from home rather than chase the Hollywood dream.

"It becomes a real regional thing," says Rushfield. "If they're just focused on Hollywood, they're coming into a world where there are now 100 former Idols and a lot of competition. But out where they came from, there are a lot of people who want to see music and the 'Idol' name means something. If they harness that, they can get a lot going."

Article from FOXNEWS

5 Tips for Buying A Used Car

Buying a used car can be a minefield, so it's crucial to be well prepared before making any important decisions. The best approach is to narrow your search, decide on exactly what you're looking for and check the car out thoroughly. In order to get the best deal, you'll also need to be prudent and negotiate effectively with the seller. Here are find handy tips to help you find the best used car for you.

Research
You're bound to find hundreds of potential cars, so having a clear picture of what you want should help you sift through the less desirable options more easily. Read reviews, consumer reports and any other material you can get your hands on to help you consider your options. It's also wise to consider less obvious factors such as maintenance costs and upkeep. Determine how readily available replacements are.

Search online
Once upon a time, the best way to buy a used car was to scan the classified ads in the local newspaper. Nowadays, the used car trade is based almost exclusively on the web. Huge online databases allow you to peruse thousands of used vehicles without the pressurized environment associated with dealerships. Used car website aggregators, such as AutoTrader.com and AutoTempest.com are great places to begin your hunt, and the research you've already performed should help you refine your search more effectively.

Check the history
When searching for a car, never buy based solely on what you've been told by the seller, for it may not be the whole truth. Some sellers have been known to roll back the odometer or omit important details about previous repairs, so checking the car out yourself before making any final decisions will ensure that you avoid any nasty surprises after you've paid for it. In order to perform a background check, you'll need the vehicle's “VIT number,” which can be found under the right-right hand corner of the windscreen. In exchange for a fee, a vehicle history report company can check the car's history for any missing details.

For a more immediate indication of the car's condition, try looking at the vehicle's interior - the shabbier it is, the more likely that more likely that the car is in disrepair. Beware of worn seats and upholstery, broken switches and knobs. They are all signs that the car may be very old or mistreated.

Negotiate a fair price
Once you're confident that the car is worth buying, it's time to negotiate a price. It's important to remember that the cheapest car isn't always the best car, and it's often worth paying extra for a more reliable vehicle. Always try to negotiate the seller down from the very beginning. During your first contact you should ask about cutting the price to determine how open they are about it. Don't be afraid to make a low offer - if sellers feel that you're truly interested in it, they will usually negotiate - and always be ready to walk away if they prove unyielding.

Article from FOXNEWS

Florida father found guilty in YouTube brawl

A jury on Friday found a Florida father guilty of battery and child abuse after he was caught on tape punching and kicking a teenager, MyFox Orlando reported.

Gary Johnson, 35, was also found guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and disorderly conduct in relation to the attack on the 16-year-old boy.

Johnson could face as many as 57 years in prison, although attorneys for the prosecution and defense said they see a minimum 10-year sentence as a more likely outcome.

Johnson fainted within moments after the verdict was read in court.

The fight, on Aug. 17 last year, began as a brawl between two teenage boys outside Johnson's Palm Bay home but ended with Johnson, whose son was involved in the fight, stepping in.

Prosecutors said Johnson never tried to stop the fight between the boys, but rather egged them on. They also said a YouTube video clearly showed Johnson repeatedly hammer-punching the 16-year-old boy with the butt of his fist.

"I was all 'adrenalin-ed' up," said the teen victim, who took the stand on Thursday.

The defense tried to convince the jury that the teen got what he was asking for when he chest-bumped and exchanged words with Johnson.

Johnson claims he got involved because the boy attacked his son from behind and wasn't fighting fairly.

Click here for more on this story from MyFox Orlando.

Article from FOXNEWS

Executive found slain in Manhattan apartment

NEW YORK â€"  A business executive was found slain in his Manhattan apartment with his hands bound by duct tape, according to the New York Post.

Officers found the 57-year-old man dead Friday evening in his home in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, police said.

It was not immediately clear how the man was killed.

A friend went to the man's apartment to check on him and called 911 after finding the victim unconscious.

The man's name was not released, but sources said he was the CEO of a major firm and had business and personal interests overseas.

Click here for more on this story from the New York Post.

Article from FOXNEWS

Tornado Watch Issued for Southeast

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for southern Georgia and northern Florida for Saturday afternoon and evening.

The watch is effective until 8 pm Saturday, local time. 

The service also issued warnings for hail up to an inch in diameter and thunderstorms for areas of souther Georgia and northern Florida.

A tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

Overnight thunderstorms damaged nearly homes in northwest Georgia and left hundreds without power in metro Atlanta on Saturday as many of the state's southern counties were on alert for possibly more severe weather.

No deaths had been reported and only one injury, a man who had been pulled from the wreckage of his home late Friday in Haralson County on the Georgia-Alabama line, said Lisa Janak, spokeswoman for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. She said the man had been treated at a hospital and was not severely hurt.

Assessment teams were getting a closer look at the damage in northern Georgia, while the threat for tornadoes and severe storms moved into southern parts of the state.

"South Georgia is in the crosshairs right now," Janak said.

The National Weather Service issued tornado watches Saturday for more than 30 counties in South Georgia, where many were placed under flood watches as well. The storms stretched from Albany and southwest counties near the Alabama line across the state to the coast, where Effingham County northwest of Savannah reported trees toppled and power lines down.

Georgia Power said about 2,700 customers statewide were without electricity Saturday. That included blackouts to about 1,500 customers in Eatonton in middle Georgia.

Officials said the worst damage was in Paulding County northwest of Atlanta. Authorities there said nearly 100 homes had suffered moderate to severe damaged, possibly by a tornado, as well as the county airport and an elementary school.

The Atlanta Constitution reported a possible tornado late Friday caused extensive damage to about a dozen planes, hangars and the terminal at Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport. Airport manager Blake Swafford said metal ripped from the hangars ended up in trees and several windows were smashed.

"All the fencing is damaged, all of the light posts are damaged, basically everything is damaged," Swafford said. "We're going to be a very, very long time cleaning up a huge mess and starting over."

Not far from the airport, Poole Elementary School had much of its roof torn off and a brick wall had been shattered. Six portable classroom trailers were damaged.

"My first thought is the fact that it wasn't during the day with the kids," said Angie Capobianco, the school's principal. "That's a blessing. I just feel so fortunate that it didn't happen during the day."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click here for more information from the National Weather Service.

Article from FOXNEWS

Gingrich, Santorum battle for Bible Belt voters

GROSSETO, Italy (Reuters) - Survivors and relatives of victims of the Costa Concordia shipwreck clamored for truth at a pre-trial hearing in Italy on Saturday, with some still waiting for identification of the remains of their loved ones 1-1/2 months after the disaster.

The giant cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio after hitting a rock on January 13, killing at least 25 people. Seven people are still unaccounted for, and eight of the bodies found have yet to be identified.

Prosecutors have accused captain Francesco Schettino of causing the accident by bringing the multi-storey Costa Concordia, which was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, too close to the shore.

Eight other officers and executives of the ship's owner, Costa Cruises, are also under investigation.

"We want to know the truth, what happened, and what we are supposed to do now. That's all we are asking," said Hilaire Blemand, a French national whose 25-year-old son Michael was onboard the ship with his girlfriend Mylene Litzler, 23.

Both are still missing.

"It's been too long already, it's been six weeks," he said at a theatre in the Tuscan city of Grosseto that has been turned into a makeshift courtroom to accommodate 250 people including victims' relatives, survivors and lawyers for all sides.

Fighting back tears, at his side, Mylene's mother Brigitte Litzler said her anguish had deepened after identification of the bodies was suspended at the request of the lawyer for one of the ship's officers under investigation. He argued forensic experts from the defence team should be part of the process.

defense "It's like they have killed them a second time," Litzler said. "We are dead inside already, they have killed our kids so we are dead, too. But we won't give up, we will keep returning until we have them back."

Schettino, who is under arrest in his home in Meta di Sorrento, near Naples, did not turn up for the closed-door hearing. His lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, said he could have been in danger had he decided to attend.

The captain "is a man who has feelings, who is pained over what happened. He feels pain for the victims," Leporatti told Reuters Television in an interview this week.

His presence at the hearing would have been "unnecessary and perhaps, with this climate that has been created around him, also a little dangerous for him," Leporatti said.

Schettino is accused of a string of charges including multiple manslaughter and abandoning the 114,500-tonne liner before the evacuation of all passengers and crew.

"I don't think he has got the guts to show up in front of all the passengers he put through all that fear," said Adriano Bertaglia, a survivor participating in a class action suit against the company.

"NO-ONE SHOULD HAVE DIED"

The hearing came after 627 passengers disembarked in the Seychelles on Thursday from another Costa liner, the Costa Allegra, which had to be towed for three days by a French fishing boat in the Indian Ocean after a fire knocked out its engines.

Schettino has acknowledged bringing the Costa Concordia to within a stone's throw of shore in a display maneuver known as a "salute" to islanders, but he has said he should not be the only one blamed for the tragedy.

Passengers who managed to escape from the listing ship said they wanted to know why the evacuation order was delayed for more than an hour after the ship struck a rock that tore a large gash in the hull.

"It's not for me to judge, but no-one should have died that evening, why did they wait for so long?" asked Sergio Amarotto, a 67-year old lifeguard who was aboard with his wife and cousins.

"Schettino did something absurd by bringing the ship so close to the shore, and then he kept telling lies, one after the other. But I want to know whether the managers of Costa are also responsible."

Among those under investigation are the vice president of Costa, Manfred Ursprunger, and the head of its crisis unit, Roberto Ferrarini, with whom Schettino was in contact during the evacuation.

Neither attended the hearing in Grosseto, where judges ordered tests on the black box recorders from the ship and formally appointed a panel of experts to examine the data, giving them three months from March 9 to report their findings.

Costa, a unit of the world's largest cruise operator, Carnival Corp, has squarely blamed Schettino for the accident and declared itself an "injured party" in the case.

A date for the next hearing was set for July 21.

(Additional reporting by Reuters Television and Silvia Ognibene; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Article from YAHOO NEWS

N.J. Muslims, officials discuss NYPD surveillance

Syria faced harsh world condemnation on Saturday as it continued to block the Red Cross from delivering desperately needed aid to the vanquished rebel stronghold of Baba Amr in the city of Homs.

Britain and Turkey joined the international outcry accusing President Bashar al-Assad's regime of committing a crime by barring aid convoys from entering Baba Amr for the second day.

As the condemnation spiralled so did harrowing accounts of the situation inside Homs, where some 700 people were killed and thousands wounded by regime forces in a 27-day blitz, according to Human Rights Watch.

HRW said shells sometimes fell at the rate of 100 an hour and that satellite images showed 640 buildings visibly damaged, but stressed that the real picture could be worse.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the refusal to grant humanitarian aid access to citizens affected by the violence showed how "criminal" the regime had become.

"We will go on arguing for action at the UN and for the international community to pull together because the denial of humanitarian aid on top of all the murder, torture and repression in Syria just underlines what a criminal regime this has become," Hague said.

His Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu said the regime's "savagery must stop."

"The fact that aid is prevented and access is refused to United Nations officials constitutes another crime," Davutoglu said, calling for an international response.

On Friday a seven-truck convoy organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society was barred from entering Baba Amr.

Syrian authorities said the decision was taken for security reasons, namely the presence of bombs and landmines.

But UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon demanded unconditional humanitarian access to Syrian cities, saying there were "grisly" reports of summary executions and torture in Homs, Syria's third largest city.

"The Syrian authorities must open without any preconditions to humanitarian communities," he said. "It is totally unacceptable, intolerable. How as a human being can you bear... this situation."

By Saturday afternoon the Red Cross said that none of its teams had entered Baba Amr.

"We are still in talks," ICRC spokesman Saleh Dabbakeh told AFP.

Red Crescent operations chief Khaled Erksoussi said: "The authorities told us that we're being denied access for security reasons."

ICRC chief Jakob Kellenberger said it was "unacceptable that people who have been in need of emergency assistance for weeks have still not received any help."

Syrian troops overran Baba Amr on Thursday, capping a month of shelling.

HRW, quoting accounts from journalists and residents who had fled, said that heavy shelling of the city's Baba Amr district would start every day at around 6:30 am and continue until sunset.

It said 122 mm howitzers and 120 mm mortars were used, as well as the Russian-made 240 mm mortar, which it quoted an arms catalogue as saying is designed to "demolish fortifications and fieldworks."

It noted that Baba Amr has been an opposition stronghold since anti-regime protests erupted last March, but stressed this presence "in no way justifies the scale and nature of the attack."

The United States has called on all countries to condemn the "horrific" brutality in Syria while French President Nicolas Sarkozy said what is happening "is scandalous."

Meanwhile, the bodies of two Western journalists killed in a rocket attack on a makeshift press centre in Baba Amr last month were finally handed over to the French and Polish embassies in Damascus.

The remains of veteran Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin, an American, and French photographer Remi Ochlik were placed in a hospital morgue until they are flown to France.

They were killed on February 22 in a rocket attack on a Baba Amr makeshift media centre. French reporter Edith Bouvier and British photographer Paul Conroy were wounded.

Bouvier and Conroy were smuggled out of Syria and are now recovering in France and Britain respectively.

"The explosion was massive, Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik were practically at the point of impact. They were killed on the spot," Le Figaro reported, quoting Bouvier and fellow photographer William Daniels who was with her.

Le Figaro quoted them as saying they had the impression they were directly targeted.

Speaking of Baba Amr, Conroy told Sky News television: "It's not a war, it's a massacre, an indiscriminate massacre of men, women and children."

There was more bloodshed on Saturday, with 17 people, mostly civilians, killed across the country, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, while the authorities reported two dead in a suicide car bombing.

The suicide attack occurred in Daraa, where the uprising erupted last March. The official SANA news agency said two people were killed and 20 wounded, including security force personnel.

The attack was the latest in a string of suicide bombings since December which the authorities have blamed on Al-Qaeda.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday announced plans to bolster security along the border with Syria to prevent weapons smuggling and trafficking, a day after saying that Al-Qaeda was moving from Iraq to Syria.

Article from YAHOO NEWS

Could Putin need two rounds to win the Russian presidency?

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - At least five American military personnel could face a disciplinary review over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base in Afghanistan as conflicting accounts of what happened emerged Saturday, fueling more confusion over the incident that sparked six days of deadly riots across the nation.

A Western official told The Associated Press that a joint investigation by senior Afghan and U.S. military officials has convinced them that although mistakes were made, there was no intent to desecrate the Qurans and other Islamic religious texts.

The official, who has knowledge of the investigation, said it could lead to a disciplinary review of at least five U.S. military personnel involved. The official did not elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. It is unclear what such a review could recommend.

President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials have apologized and said the Feb. 20 burning at a burn pit at Bagram Air Field outside Kabul was an accident. But the apologies failed to quell the anger, although protests over the burnings have now ebbed.

But Maulvi Khaliq Dad, a top Afghan religious leader who was on a different panel appointed by President Hamid Karzai to investigate the incident, claimed U.S. troops told Afghans at the base that the religious materials pulled from a detention center library were to be stored, but then they were sent for incineration.

"They are claiming that it was not intentional. Our investigative team says it was intentional," Dad said Saturday.

After Dad's panel presented its findings, Afghanistan's top religious leaders demanded on Friday that those involved be put on public trial and be punished, a position that Karzai backs.

The Quran burnings touched off deadly riots that killed more than 30 Afghans, as well as six U.S. troops who were fatally shot by Afghan security forces or militants disguised in their uniforms. It also brought relations between the U.S.-led military coalition and the Afghan government to an all-time low and spurred the most serious wave of anti-American and foreign sentiment across the country during the 10-year war.

Karzai's office said Saturday it had only seen the report drafted by the religious leaders and had not yet been given the joint report, so could not comment on it.

"We are waiting for the result of the investigation by NATO, which will probably show who is involved in this and how many people are involved. After studying it we will announce our stance," said presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi. "What the Afghan president has requested from U.S. officials and the U.S. military is a trial and punishment."

Karzai is expected to capitalize on the incident and use it as leverage in his government's talks over a strategic partnership document that Washington and Kabul are negotiating ahead of a planned withdrawal of most foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. As part of the negotiations, Karzai wants the U.S. to hand over prisons and stop unpopular night raids.

The pact is expected to provide for several thousand U.S. troops to stay in the country to train Afghan forces and help with counterterrorism operations. It will outline the legal status of those forces in Afghanistan, their operating rules and where they will be based.

Full details of the incident are expected to be included in the joint Afghan-U.S. probe that is still under legal review by the military. Its release date is unclear. A more formal U.S. military investigation is still weeks away from completion.

If any action is taken against American troops involved, it would have come under the U.S. military justice system, officials with the international coalition have said.

The incident started when the books and other Islamic texts that a U.S. military official said had extremist inscriptions were removed from the library at the Parwan Detention Facility and then taken to the burn pit at the adjoining Bagram Air Field.

The U.S. military official said last week that it appeared detainees were exchanging messages by making notations in the texts. The Western official confirmed reports that after the writings were discovered, two Afghan-American interpreters were assigned to go through the materials at the library and that 1,652 items were removed.

The items, which included the Qurans, were placed in boxes and the Western official confirmed that a decision was taken to dispose of them because of a lack of storage space and because of the notes scribbled in them.

At some point a group of soldiers on a work detail came and removed the books to throw them away. The Western official told the AP the three soldiers on the garbage detail had no idea what they were carrying. Although some of the material was thrown into the burn pit before it was removed by Afghan workers, none of material was completely destroyed.

He said U.S. officials told them that they were suspicious about the notes inside the books and that they also suspected that a bookseller, who had a contract to take care of the library, was moving books containing messages in and out of the facility so that detainees could communicate with others outside the prison.

U.S. officials told the bookseller not to show up for work on the day that two translators were told to find books on the library shelves that were extremist in nature or had handwritten inscriptions inside, he said. He said the translators told the Afghan delegation that U.S. officials had told them that the books pulled from the shelves were headed for storage.

Dad, one of Afghan religious leaders on the Karzai-appointed panel, said the books were kept in a place where refuse is picked up and taken to a garbage burn pit on the base. When Afghan workers at the base noticed that they were religious books, they notified an Afghan army commander on the base. The commander questioned U.S. troops about the books and was told that they were going to be stored, he said. The commander was satisfied with that answer and left, Dad said.

A short time later, when the Afghan workers saw the books at the burn pit, they shouted and ran back to the Afghan commander. The workers and two Afghan officers rescued 216 of the books, including 48 Qurans, from being burned, Dad said. They were shouting and pulling the books from the burn pit so the U.S. troops didn't throw the remaining four cartons of books into the fire, he said.

"They lied to the Afghan workers and the Afghan National Army officers, telling them they were going to store the books in a container and then they went and burned the books. If it was not intentional, they would not have lied," Dad said.

During the investigation, Dad said the team examined some of the books that were not destroyed. In the ones he saw, some detainees had written their name, their father's name, their inmate identification numbers and the date they were detained. Some of the books written in Arabic had definitions of Arabic words scribbled in Dari or Pashto, the two Afghan languages.

"I didn't see anything that suggested that messages were being exchanged between prisoners or with outsiders," he said.

___

Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report from Kabul.

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Md. man who shot famous JFK Jr. photo dead at 76

A warm spell and a low-dipping jet stream are fueling the monster storms that are spawning tornadoes across a wide swath of the country, weather experts said Friday.

The Storm Prediction Center received 311 reports of severe weather Friday, including 48 reported tornadoes and a few reported fatalities. This massive storm system also spawned deadly tornadoes on Leap Day, which raked Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. The severe storms killed at least 12 people and included a strong EF-4 twister in Harrisburg, Ill., a rarity for February.

As of Friday morning, the severe storm risk area covered an estimated 162 million people, or 56 percent of the United States, according to weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

While the main tornado season runs from spring to early summer, this year's early outbreaks show that tornadoes can form under a variety of conditions and strike during fall and winter, too. This year's mild winter and warm start to meteorological spring has upped the risk of dangerous storms.

"We've been in a very warm pattern all winter," said meteorologist Mark Rose of the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Ala. "Because it has been so mild, it increases our chances for severe weather."

Also behind this week's twisters is a low-dipping jet stream. The jet stream was moving at a blistering pace Friday across the Mid-South and Ohio River Valley. NOAA satellites clocked the jet stream at 150 mph (241 kph) across these regions. The jet stream is bringing cold air from Canada to mix with the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Where these two differing air masses meet is often an area of severe weather, hail, winds and even tornadoes. [Infographic: 2012's Active Tornado Season]

 

The warm air and rapid jet stream will keep fueling the storms into the weekend, according to NOAA. Weather experts continue to warn that dangerous tornado outbreaks could explode across the Mid- and Deep South and Ohio River Valley.

"We actually are looking at a risk from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes to west of the Mississippi to the East Coast," Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told the Weather Channel. "And these storms are moving fast."

You can follow OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel on Twitter: @btisrael. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.

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