Elderberry: Power Fruit

Father Hermann Josef Weidinger conveys the contentment of a man who has performed great works. 

Austria's most beloved herbal healer, the 82-year-old Catholic priest has penned a dozen books, and more than 100 botanical products bear his imprimatur. High on the list of his most favorite plants is elderberry. 

"Elderberry cleanses the digestive system and promotes healthy elimination," he explains. "I believe that elderberry protects the body from serious diseases, and it balances the emotions. Elderberry is good for the soul."

Father Weidinger's reverence for elder Sambucus nigra, recalls the Austrian folk expression "tip your hat to the elder," connoting the respect that should be extended to the bush whose berries and flowers are used for health purposes. This reverence can be traced back to 400 BC when Hippocrates called elder his "medicine chest." Renowned classical healers Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Galen also declared the elder and its rich purple berries among nature's greatest healing plants. Employed for a plethora of ills from arthritis and asthma to colds and constipation, elderberries occupy an esteemed position in European plant medicine.

But elderberry is not lost in a romantic past of bygone herbalists. Today at Germany's research center for food, agriculture and forestry, Dr. Gerhard Rechkemmer is investigating the anthocyanins - purple antioxidant pigments - in elderberry. His research shows that elderberry enhances immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. 

"In vitro the anthocyanins in elderberry show very high antioxidant activity. But they are extremely hard to track in blood plasma, so we do not know exactly what they are doing in the body." 

When asked if he thinks that further elderberry research will reveal additional health benefits, Rechkemmer nods. "I believe so, but we must go beyond belief to certain knowledge."

With scientific examination of elderberry's biological activity underway, Austrian elderberry production is increasing rapidly due to strong market demand. At 8,000 tons of cultivated elderberry per year, Austria's commercial production is strong. Much of this is due to the work of Kurt Kaufmann, a seemingly indefatigable elderberry proponent who has organized one thousand Austrian growers into a co-op, and built Berenfrost, an immense non-profit berry freezing facility where elderberries are cooled immediately after harvest. 

"In September at harvest, the elderberries must be cooled immediately, or they spoil. Here at Berenfrost elderberries are chilled to -20A,C in less than 24 hours." 

I ask Kurt how much tonnage of berries he can take in on one day. "We can handle about 600 tons per day, but last year one day we took in 1,600 tons in 24 hours." 

I ask him if he sleeps. 

"Not during harvest," he replies with a wide smile.

Austria's Haschberg variety of elder produces a high yield of sweet, richly purple berries. After freezing at Berenfrost, the berries move into the food and beverage industry, where they are used in juices, jams, fruit yogurts and wines. Demand is also growing for high anthocyanin elderberry extracts for the nutraceutical field. Amidst this berry boom, Doctors Werner Pfannhauser and Michael Murkovic at Austria's University of Graz have conducted research showing that elderberry extract reduces oxidation of LDL cholesterol and exhibits a beneficial antioxidant effect in the body. 

These results do not come as a surprise. In vitro, anthocyanins from elderberry demonstrate unusually high antioxidant activity- much greater in fact than highly touted bilberry. 

"I am certain that elderberry is beneficial," notes Murcovic.

Endocrinologist Dr. Sepp Porta describes an exciting stress study he conducted using elderberry concentrate on a group of volunteers. 

"We only gave these people the elderberry for 10 days," he notes with expressive hand gestures. "We put them through typical stress tests, and the results were so remarkable, I checked them over and over." 

In the study, various bio-markers of stress, including glucose, magnesium and other plasma chemical levels, were analyzed. "What we found was that elderberry has this extraordinary effect for reducing stress," notes Porta. It is for this reason that researchers from the US Air Force sit with us. Elderberry may hold promise for stress reduction among military personnel.

Austria's largest elderberry producer Josef Holler smiles at Porta's words. "We are involved in a very good thing. It is good for people's lives. This is satisfying." He raises a glass of dark red Austrian wine for a toast to the noble elderberry, and we all drink to that.

Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany courses at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at www.MedicineHunter.com

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Better to Make or Buy?

Kitchen DIY-or making food from scratch-is turning the simple act of cooking into a status symbol. We're not talking just buying the ingredients here.  We're talking about growing the food or raising the animals to make it. 

That's never what cooking was meant to be. But well-intentioned folks seem to be on a holy mission to encourage everyone to explore where and how their food is raised and cook everything we eat. 

That works for food writers and cooking professionals with expense accounts, but hardly for working people with families. Sometimes that weekly pilgrimage to farmer's market is just impossible.

Making food from scratch is terrific if you're blessed with time, but it won't make you a better or more interesting person. Just a better cook.

Jennifer Reese wanted to be a better cook. She had the desire, and thanks to losing her job, the time. Refreshingly, she didn't want to go all high-end French and gourmet. Laura Ingalls Wilder was her inspiration.

Losing your job forces you to find new and ever more imaginative ways to save. Reese's cooking desire grew out of her obsession to economize. She wanted to know when cooking-from-scratch generated significant savings and when it made better-tasting food.

She stakes out a self-deprecating middle ground between the makes-you-feel-bad preachiness and the desire to provide good food for people you love in, "Make The Bread, Buy The Butter" (Free Press).

“I wasn't going to replace lost income by raising chickens and baking bread,” says Reese. But she thought she'd save money. She's about what you “could,” not what you “should” do.

Check out some of Reese's recipes:

How to make cornbread.

How to make homemade fig bars.

Reese's “could” turned her kitchen into a cheese- and bread-making factory and her backyard into a cross between a third-world village and a fake suburban farm with wandering chickens, ducks, goats and turkeys.

Make or buy your roast.

Killing her first chicken, Arlene (actually it was a rooster whose loudness proved fatal) didn't create an “epiphany” or a “sense of interconnectedness,” with the world, says Reese. Hallelujah. Instead, with every bite she fixated on Arlene's free-range diet consisting primarily of centipedes-the downside of knowing how your food is raised. Roasting a chicken, she says, is only slightly cheaper than buying a rotisserie one. 

Buy your chevre.

Reese didn't dispatch Peppermint, her Nigerian Dwarf goat, with garden shears like Arlene. That's because Peppermint and later, Patty, a Nubian, were dairy, not meat, sources.

Once you go Nigerian Dwarf, apparently, you never go back. Reese (and her neighbors) discovered that Nubians are profoundly and annoyingly vocal. Today's Nigerian Dwarves are the lucky survivors of a breed that Reese says was originally used to feed lions and tigers en route to America in the 1930s. As of the book's publication, an investment of $1600 for goats, vet bills, feed, a hutch, stud fees, etc. has yielded zero milk. Buy your chevre.

Make your vanilla.

Scrape vanilla beans into vodka and store for three months, agitating occasionally. Reese's twelve-ounce recipe costs about $7.00 and lasts indefinitely. The equivalent amount of McCormick's is $53.00. Double that for high-end Nielsen-Massey. Make.  

Made your buds.

Homemade mashed potatoes are always best but Reese surprised herself when she tried Betty Crocker Potato Buds. Aside from finding the Buds stickier than homemade, “I could have sat down and eaten the whole pot,” she says. Make, but Buds aren't bad.

Buy your jams

Jams and lemonade make sense only if you have a free fruit source, as their cost makes homemade prohibitive. Buy.

Make the Worcestershire Sauce (lasts forever in the fridge) but the buy cream cheese, “my family never liked the tartness of homemade,” she says.

Buy your breadcrumbs and bacon, make pancetta 

Breadcrumbs from stale bread cost nothing while store-bought ranges from $2.50 to $6.00 per pound. That's more than ground beef, Reese points out, “and completely insane.” Make.

Buy bacon but make pancetta. Pancetta's cured like bacon but isn't smoked. It's $4.00/lb. for homemade, $29.00/lb. for store-bought. Make.

Buy your bread

Depending on where you live, you can find bakers who live for their crusty, artisanal loaves. Baking bread is for enthusiasts with nothing but time. Buy, says Reese. But you've got to with homemade bagel for sheer taste. You won't save much, she says, but your family will love you. Bagels: Make.

Buy your condiments

Homemade mayo quickly goes bad but it's for company, not “my son's salami sandwich.” Buy. Same for ketchup, “people expect that Heinz taste.” Buy. “Homemade potato chips are never as good as from the bag,” she says. Buy.

Make your sweets, unless it's rice pudding

Make chocolate chip cookies, Rice Krispie treats and pudding. But buy rice pudding. Hard as she tried, says Reese, “I never made a rice pudding as good as Cozy Shack.” Buy.

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Madonna Breaks Her Own Record

Madonna shows that she is still the queen of pop as her latest tune "Give Me All Your Luvin" breaks her own record, scoring her 41st number one on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs list. The hit tune features the always controversial M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.

Also creating quite a stir on Billboard charts is Simon Cowell's British pop band, One Direction. The all-boy group debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

One direction may be celebrating the start to  promising career as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is gearing up to honor its latest batch of honorees with the announcement of presenters at the 2012 ceremony.

Chuck D will be inducting the Beastie Boys and comedian Chris Rock will be welcoming the Red Hot Chili Peppers into the prestigious group. The presenters for Guns N' Roses is yet to be announced.

Not to be outdone, Herbie Hancock is showing his appreciation for music launching an initiative to make April 30th "International Jazz Day." The inaugural event will feature concerts in New York, New Orleans and Paris. Some of the artists set to perform are Hancock himself, Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and other jazz greats.

Another concert that fans are looking forward to is that of Beyonce, who recently announced that she is returning to the stage after giving birth to Blue Ivy. The three shows will take place in Atlantic City on Memorial Day Weekend.

To hear an exclusive sit down with "X Factor" finalist Chris Rene along with a chat with rock icons KISS and Motley Crue click play on this week's 411 Playlist!

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When to Hire Tax Help

Tax day is just four weeks away, and if you have not started preparing your return because the thought of sitting down and filling out the forms makes your head spin, it might be time to hire professional help.

Wage-earning taxpayers who don't itemize deductions can usually prepare their own tax returns without making mistakes, but experts advise more complicated returns may require a professional.

“The more things you have going on in your life, the more complicated your taxes are,” explains David Miles, an enrolled agent with 20/20 Tax Resolution in Broomfield, Co. If you itemize deductions like mortgage interest, dependent care, investments, and/or expect to receive temporary tax credits, hiring help can save a bundle in hassle and time spent sorting through the tax code and determining eligibility.

True, most tax preparation softwares, like TurboTax, guarantee an accurate return based on up-to-date information, but most users don't understand or know how to properly answer the questions, says Alan Pinck, an enrolled agent with A. Pinck & Associates in San Jose, Calif. For example, small businesspeople answer these two questions on the tax return: “do you use your car for work?” and “do you use your car for business?” They sound similar, but there is a subtle difference and how you answer can be very important to your claims.

On top of confusing tax code that is constantly changing, Pinck says the IRS is scrutinizing more tax returns as federal money remains tight.

He adds that the majority of taxpayers facing an audit and seeking his help did their returns themselves. 

SUMMARY

Taxpayers with basic income tax returns can check the IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which offers free tax help to people who make $50,000 or less. The IRS-certified volunteers can inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, and shopping malls. Most locations also offer free electronic filing. Find a VITA site near you or call 1-800-906-9887.

IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers provide face-to-face assistance when taxpayers believe their tax issues cannot be handled online or by phone. IRS representatives in these offices can help with inquiries, adjustments, letters and notices and payment plans for those who owe tax and cannot pay the full amount. Locations are posted on IRS.gov under the "Individuals" tab. Just click the Contact My Local Office to find availability by state.

If individuals have a simple tax return and need a little help or do not have access to a computer, they can visit one of the participating tax preparation sites and an IRS-certified volunteer will guide them through the process. Find a Facilitated Self-Assistance site near you.

The AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program offers free tax help for those older than 60 with low to moderate income. Click here to find an AARP Tax Aide near you. Also be sure to check local senior and community centers for similar programs.

When hiring a professional, whether it's an enrolled agent (EA) or certified public accountant (CPA), make sure the professional is licensed, and avoid anyone who promises only to “maximize your refund,” says Irene Waschler, a CPA with Tobolsky & Wachsler CPAs, since this could signify inexperience.

Deciding when to hire help is dependent on an individual's comfort level.

Unless reading the IRS' entire arsenal of instructions sounds intriguing or the 900-page, 2012 U.S. Master Tax Guide excites you, here are some specific scenarios where experts suggest seeking professional help:

If you don't understand part or all of the return. Look for professional help if you have any question on how to fill out the entire return correctly. Hiring a professional could save thousands of dollars in deductions and credits that you didn't know existed or qualified for.

If you are audited or the IRS challenges your reporting, you can resolve the issue quickly with a professional preparer by your side, who has guaranteed the accuracy of the return, says Waschler. 

Read: Why the IRS Picked You to Audit

When you own a business or recently became self-employed. Businesses can have lots of complicated schedule forms regarding expenses, investments, depreciation and revenues.

A newly self-employed person may not be familiar with filing requirements, leading to exhaustive hours of reading and trying to complete the return. That's valuable time taken away from growing your business, Wachsler says. A professional will also offer tips on keeping better records for more exact reporting.

Read: New Requirements for Tax Preparers

When you have investment income or losses. If you've invested in multiple non-retirement mutual funds, stock options, businesses, or real estate, see a tax professional, says Derrek Klimek, a certified financial planner and CPA with Rehmann Financial. That's because some types of investments, as well as capital gains and losses, are treated differently than ordinary income (and rules for reporting and taxing them can change more frequently).

When you had a different life situation than in prior years. If you've moved because of work, lost a home to foreclosure, or otherwise experienced a new and life-changing situation last year, see a professional to see how it affects your tax liability, Pinck says. You could be eligible for new tax credits and deductions, or be subject to new reporting requirements.

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Jumbo Jeeps Ready to Roll

Every spring, Jeep fans gather at an event called the Moab Easter Jeep Safari, held in the canyons of Moab, Utah. While Jeep loyalists bring rigs of all shapes, sizes and capabilities, Jeep and Mopar team up to produce some fairly wild concepts.

Last year, Jeep brought six concepts to Moab, including the go-absolutely-anywhere Blue Crush, the nimble Pork Chop and a fan-favorite, the Wrangler-based JK-8 Independence pickup. While most Moab creations don't see production, many of the parts used to build them find their way into the Mopar  accessory catalog.

You can't buy a Wrangler pickup at your local Jeep dealer, but it will sell you everything you need to build one from an existing Wrangler Unlimited. The conversion is a bit ambitious for the shade tree mechanic, but your local Jeep dealer's body shop will be happy to handle the conversion, for a price.

This year, Jeep has teased rigs for the 2012 Moab Easter Jeep Safari with three cartoon renderings. It's not releasing much information yet, but we do know that it will show the Wrangler-based Apache, the J-12 that looks suspiciously like an old Jeep Renegade pickup, and the Mighty FC that updates the looks of the old Forward Control models.

Two of the three models shown so far are Jeep-based pickups, so clearly Jeep is listening to the feedback of its fans and customers. Look for more details (and hopefully more images) of this year's concepts in the coming weeks.

Click here for more from MotorAuthority

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State Univ. to Allow Classes On Religious Holidays

State University of New York at Stony Brook has decided to no longer cancel classes for major Christian and Jewish holidays in an effort to ensure that some religions are not given special treatment and to "afford equal support and equal respect to students and faculty from all faiths."

Jewish students would be impacted on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover and Holy Week. Christian students would be impacted on Good Friday. The Christmas holiday is protected under a union contract and occurs when classes are traditionally not in session.

The university had considered allowing faculty to schedule exams on Saturday and Sunday -- a time when many students attend worship services. However, that decision was tabled after reaching a compromise with students.

"As a secular university, as a state-funded university our priority must be to maximize instructional opportunities for our students," said Charles Robbins, vice provost for undergraduate education. "First and foremost, it's important to note that while I respect everyone's concerns, the reality is it's a relatively small number of people who are upset."

Robbins told FOX News Radio the university's decision to stop canceling classes for Christian and Jewish holidays offers "equal protection under the regulations to everybody and no one is getting quote, unquote, special treatment."

Click for more on this story from Fox News Radio

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Raisins and soy may ward off high blood pressure

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The case is highly emotional, with accusations delving deep back in time and numerous alleged victims. But for all its breadth, one chapter in the Penn State abuse saga outpaces the others: the alleged sexual assault in a team shower by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky of a boy known only as Victim 2.

It's the allegation that Penn State acknowledges ended Joe Paterno's distinguished football coaching career and spawned criminal charges against two school officials.

But the only person who says he saw it happen is another assistant. Prosecutors don't know who the boy is, while Sandusky says he believes he does know, and that the now-grown man, referred to in court papers only as Victim 2, could exonerate him.

Even the timing of the allegation is in question, as is the age of the boy a decade ago.

All the conflicting information presents tough challenges for prosecutors - not just at the sex abuse trial beginning in mid-May, at which the defense does not plan to call the man, but also in the court of public opinion.

"I'm not trying to make light of the situation, but how can you say it's murder if there's no body?" said 1982 Penn State alumna Wendy Silverwood, a saleswoman from West Chester, Pa., who said she believes Paterno was not given a fair shake. "If you don't know who the victim is, and you can't identify and speak with them, how can you bring charges?"

As recently as Thursday, Sandusky's lawyer argued in court filings that there wasn't enough evidence to support the charges relating to Victim 2. Sandusky, 68, faces 52 criminal counts involving 10 boys dating to the late 1990s and denies all the allegations.

The lawyer, Joe Amendola, told The Associated Press that a young man contacted him after Sandusky's November arrest to say he believed he might be the person referred to as Victim 2. After meeting with him, along with his mother and adult brother, Amendola was left with doubts.

"I wasn't sure he was," Amendola said. "I'm still not sure. I haven't been able to verify it. Jerry's very sure."

Amendola said that the young man told him Sandusky had not abused him, but that he later obtained a lawyer and cut off contact. Amendola does not plan to subpoena the young man and declined to identify him or his lawyer.

"I don't want to put someone on the stand who might say something completely different," Amendola said. "And quite honestly, now that he's got a lawyer, he might say something different."

Records supplied by prosecutors indicate some purported victims have changed their stories, the lawyer said.

"Several of the kids, who are so-called victims now, initially said nothing happened," Amendola said. "And now they're victims."

Mike McQueary, who in 2002 was a graduate assistant for the football team, testified at the December preliminary hearing that he saw Sandusky and the boy, both naked, after hearing skin-on-skin slapping sounds. He called it "extremely sexual" and "some kind of intercourse."

McQueary said he reported what he saw in the locker room shower to Paterno and Penn State administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. Exactly what he saw and what he told them are both certain to be hotly contested at Sandusky's trial, as well as at the pending trials of Curley and Schultz on charges they failed to properly report suspected abuse.

Penn State trustees have said Paterno's lack of follow-up after McQueary's report was behind their decision to summarily fire him in November, before the end of the football season. The dismissal of Paterno, who died in January of lung cancer, has rankled alumni and other supporters.

Even the year of the shower incident is in dispute.

Sandusky's lawyer said that his client is convinced it was in 2001, not 2002 as the prosecution has said, and that Sandusky offered to help Curley find the boy when the administrator asked him about McQueary's complaint. Amendola said Curley never mentioned McQueary's name, and Sandusky does not recall seeing McQueary.

Sandusky told Curley at the time that he knew the young man in question but they had been only horsing around, sliding around inside the wet shower, the lawyer said.

Sandusky said back then that "if Tim Curley wanted to verify that, Jerry offered to give him the name and number of the young kid," Amendola said. "Curley seemed satisfied with that," he said, and did not get the boy's name from Sandusky.

"The reason he remembers is that Jerry contacted him after that shower situation and said someone from Penn State may contact him," Amendola said. "He said nothing sexual occurred at that time between him and Jerry. In fact, the mother said Jerry was a godsend to the family."

Caroline Roberto, a lawyer for Curley, said only that Curley acted appropriately judging by what he knew at the time. Curley and Schultz have both denied the allegations and are asking a judge to dismiss the charges.

Prosecutors said this month in a court filing that they still did not know the boy's identity, raising questions about whether the man's lawyer contacted the attorney general's office.

Victim 2 is not the only mystery in the case.

There is a second alleged victim who has not been identified by investigators and is being called Victim 8. A grand jury report alleged he was seen by Penn State janitor Jim Calhoun in fall 2000 in athletic department showers with Sandusky, pinned against the wall as Sandusky performed oral sex on him.

Calhoun told another janitor and a supervisor what he saw, the grand jury said, but as of November suffered from dementia and was described as incompetent to testify.

Amendola considers the charges related to Victim 2 and Victim 8 the weakest part of the government's case.

"I think that creates a problem for the commonwealth," he said. "And the commonsensical reaction would be, if the stuff really occurred, why didn't they come forward and say, 'I'm the guy'?"

State prosecutors, who need to be able to prove the ages of victims, declined to discuss the issue of the two identities.

"This case has been the result of an extensive investigation and an extensive grand jury investigation," said Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the attorney general's office. "We have a high degree of confidence in the case, but we're not going to discuss the strategy of how our prosecutors plan to present the case in court. It's just not appropriate."

To establish the age of anonymous children in child pornography cases, prosecutors sometimes have pediatric specialists apply standard measures of development, a technique that might be used in the Sandusky case.

"It's a little bit unusual to prove a child rape case this way, but it's also unusual to have an eyewitness to child rape," said Christopher Mallios, a former Philadelphia deputy district attorney who helps train police and prosecutors in sexual violence cases.

Jurors may wonder why the young men have not stepped forward, despite the detailed reports of abuse and the extensive publicity surrounding Sandusky's arrest. But that would not be surprising, Mallios said, given what he saw during investigations in Philadelphia of abuse allegations against Roman Catholic clergy members.

"A lot of the victims did not tell anyone about what had happened to them until well into their 50s," he said. "They just couldn't talk about it. Even when the investigators were able to piece together their identities by talking to other victims, some just wouldn't talk about it."

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New surveillance tech can search 36 mil faces per second

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A landmark priest-abuse trial opening Monday in Philadelphia may unveil the cryptic operations of a Roman Catholic archdiocese and detail how child sex-abuse complaints were buried for decades in secret archives adjacent to a soaring cathedral as the priests they named went unpunished.

Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official ever charged with endangering children for allegedly failing to oust accused predators from ministry. But he may not be the last.

Philadelphia prosecutors say he helped carry out "an archdiocesan-wide policy ... (that) was criminal in nature." And they've hinted they could charge others when the trial ends.

Civil lawyers believe the trial will help them refile priest-abuse lawsuits that were thrown out in Pennsylvania because of legal time limits, or persuade the state legislature to open a window for filing child sex-abuse claims.

"The evidence that has come out about the conspiracy and the cover-up and the level of officialdom involved in it is going to help us," said lawyer Jay Abramowitch, whose priest-abuse lawsuit involving 18 accusers was thrown out by the state Supreme Court in 2005.

Also on trial is the Rev. James Brennan who, like Lynn, pleaded not guilty. Last week, a third man, defrocked priest Edward Avery, 69, pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child. He was sentenced to 2½ to five years in prison and ordered to surrender within 10 days.

Lynn remains the focal point of the trial because the 61-year-old was the secretary for clergy at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004.

Lynn argues that he prepared a list of 37 accused priests in 1994, and sent it up the chain to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua - only to have Bevilacqua have it shredded. The cardinal died this year, but his videotaped deposition could be played at trial.

The trial will be followed by concerned Catholics across the country, including some who say their lives were destroyed.

"It gives me hope that it's going to raise public awareness, and it's going to expose the church - what they knew, when they knew it," said Art Baselice Jr. of Mantua, N.J., a retired Philadelphia homicide detective.

His son, Arthur III, overdosed in 2006, after his civil suit accusing a Philadelphia priest of abuse was thrown out.

Philadelphia prosecutors, too, blasted Bevilacqua, Lynn and other church officials for looking away as scores of accusers streamed into the archdiocese over several decades. Prosecutors detailed their findings in a 2005 grand jury report, but said they could not charge anyone because the statute of limitations had expired.

But last year, they filed a second grand jury report based on recent complaints filed within newly expanded time limits.

Lynn faces two counts each of conspiracy and child endangerment and up to 28 years in prison if convicted.

Four others - two priests, an ex-priest and a Catholic school teacher - were charged with rape. The report involves just two accusers.

One man says he was passed around by two priests, including Avery, and his Catholic school teacher in 1998-99.

"When Mass was ended, Fr. (Edward) Avery took the fifth-grader into the sacristy, turned on the music, and ordered him to perform a 'striptease' for him. ... When they were both naked, the priest had the boy sit on his lap and kissed his neck and back, while saying to him that God loved him," the report alleges, followed by oral sex and penetration.

Avery was at the parish despite a credible 1992 complaint that led him to undergo psychological testing. He was pulled from his parish, put on a so-called health leave and then reassigned in 1993.

Defense lawyers plan to attack accusers' motives, arguing that they are out for money or hope to explain away their troubled lives. Both accusers have criminal records and a history of drug addiction.

The trial is sure to be painful for priests across the archdiocese as well. Pastors will testify against church leaders, complaining they were never told when accused priests were assigned to their parishes.

The Rev. Chris Walsh started the Association of Philadelphia Priests last year, so the 800 priests in the archdiocese can share support and information.

"The priests want the same thing as the lay people," Walsh said Thursday. "We want to know what happened. And, if possible, why it happened.

"The gospel says the truth will set you free. Let's find out what the truth is."

RT @YahooTicket: BREAKING NEWS: Santorum wins Republican presidential primary in Louisiana (AP)

Tim Tebow trade tears up @Twitter: http://t.co/QlmG8L6v

Full story on the Tim Tebow trade, which has him going to the Jets for a fourth-round pick: http://t.co/PkxB127V Thanks @YahooSports

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U.S. gasoline hits $3.93 a gallon average

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Article from YAHOO NEWS

James Cameron begins dive to deepest spot on Earth

HONOLULU â€"  Director James Cameron has begun his solo journey to explore a place only two men have gone before -- to the Earth's deepest point.

The director of "Titanic," "Avatar" and other films is using a specially designed submarine to descend nearly seven miles to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, an area 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam.

He began the dive Monday at approximately 5:15 a.m. local time, according Stephanie Montgomery of the National Geographic Society, where Cameron is an explorer-in-residence. That is early Sunday afternoon on the U.S. East Coast.

"RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE!" were the last words Cameron uttered before beginning the dive, according to a Twitter post from the expedition.

The scale of the trench is hard to grasp -- it's 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and more than a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall. It was expected to take Cameron 90 minutes to reach the bottom aboard his 12-ton, lime-green sub called "Deepsea Challenger." Once there, Cameron planned to spend six hours collecting samples for biologists and geologists to study. The return trip to the surface was forecast to take 70 minutes.

There's considerable wiggle room built in, however, as the submarine Cameron helped design has the capability to support life for a 56-hour dive.

The first and only time anyone dove to these depths was in 1960. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Capt. Don Walsh took nearly five hours to reach the bottom and stayed just 20 minutes. They didn't have much to report on what they saw there, however, because their submarine kicked up so much sand from the ocean floor they couldn't see much.

One of the risks of a dive so deep is extreme water pressure. At 6.8 miles below the surface, the pressure is the equivalent of three SUVs sitting on your toe.

Cameron told The Associated Press in an interview after a 5.1 mile-deep practice run near Papua New Guinea earlier this month that the pressure "is in the back of your mind." The submarine would implode in an instant if it leaked, he said.

But while he was a little apprehensive beforehand, he wasn't scared or nervous while underwater.

"When you are actually on the dive you have to trust the engineering was done right," he said.

The latest dive site, which is at the deepest point in the Mariana Trench, is named Challenger Deep after the British naval vessel HMS Challenger that used sound to first measure its depth.

The film director has been an oceanography enthusiast since childhood and has made 72 deep-sea submersible dives. Thirty-three of those dives have been to the wreckage of the Titanic, the subject of his 1997 hit film.

Article from FOXNEWS

Margaret Thatcher Regrets Revealed in New Book

LONDON â€"  Former British prime minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher claimed she would not have gone into politics if she could do it all over again, a new book revealed Sunday.

Excerpts of a set of diaries by former Conservative minister Lord Spicer published in The (London) Sunday Telegraph revealed the Iron Lady regretted the damage her political career caused her family.

Speaking to Lord Spicer at her London office in 1995, she said, "If I had my time again, I wouldn't go into politics because of what it does to your family."

"The Spicer Diaries" gives an insider's view of the Thatcher years and the battles she fought within her own party in the Houses of Parliament.

Baroness Thatcher's loyal husband, Sir Denis, died in 2003, but she rarely sees her son Mark or his twin sister Carol, a journalist.

She became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975 as lawmaker for Finchley, north London, after defeating Ted Heath in the leadership election. That was followed by her becoming the first and only female British prime minister after winning the general election in 1979.

But after winning three subsequent elections, she lost the support of her party over controversial tax proposals and her stance on Britain joining the European single currency, and she was forced to resign in 1990.

Click for more on this story from The Telegraph

Article from FOXNEWS

Senator calls for probe of \'Stand Your Ground\' laws

Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the Justice Department to investigate so-called "Stand Your Ground" laws following the fatal shooting of an unarmed Florida teen. 

The law, a version of which was enacted in Florida in 2005, allows for individuals to use deadly force -- even outside their home -- if they feel threatened. 

Since the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, Republican leaders have called the killing a tragedy but argue that the law in question did not actually apply to this case. 

Still, Schumer wrote in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder on Sunday that the laws themselves should be investigated. 

"These laws seem to be encouraging vigilantism by allowing individuals to use deadly force as a first resort," Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. 

Schumer asked Holder's department to probe whether the laws "are creating more violence than they are preventing," and whether potential murders are "going unprosecuted" because of them. 

He estimated that 23 states have some form of this law. 

Schumer cited statistics in Florida showing that before the law was approved, the state averaged 12 justifiable homicides per year. The average subsequent to the law's enactment was 33.

Article from FOXNEWS

Syrian forces on offensive, Moscow says peace takes time

RT @TPMLiveWire: Allen West Pens Op-ed Calling 'Obamacare' Unconstitutional http://t.co/ms2SrKie via @Sahil_Kapur

Article from YAHOO NEWS

James Cameron begins dive to deepest spot on Earth

HONOLULU (AP) - Director James Cameron has begun his solo journey to explore a place only two men have gone before - to the Earth's deepest point.

The director of "Titanic," ''Avatar" and other films is using a specially designed submarine to descend nearly seven miles to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, an area 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam.

He began the dive Monday at approximately 5:15 a.m. local time, according Stephanie Montgomery of the National Geographic Society, where Cameron is an explorer-in-residence. That is early Sunday afternoon on the U.S. East Coast.

"RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE!" were the last words Cameron uttered before beginning the dive, according to a Twitter post from the expedition.

The scale of the trench is hard to grasp - it's 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and more than a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall. It was expected to take Cameron 90 minutes to reach the bottom aboard his 12-ton, lime-green sub called "Deepsea Challenger." Once there, Cameron planned to spend six hours collecting samples for biologists and geologists to study. The return trip to the surface was forecast to take 70 minutes.

There's considerable wiggle room built in, however, as the submarine Cameron helped design has the capability to support life for a 56-hour dive.

The first and only time anyone dove to these depths was in 1960. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Capt. Don Walsh took nearly five hours to reach the bottom and stayed just 20 minutes. They didn't have much to report on what they saw there, however, because their submarine kicked up so much sand from the ocean floor they couldn't see much.

One of the risks of a dive so deep is extreme water pressure. At 6.8 miles below the surface, the pressure is the equivalent of three SUVs sitting on your toe.

Cameron told The Associated Press in an interview after a 5.1 mile-deep practice run near Papua New Guinea earlier this month that the pressure "is in the back of your mind." The submarine would implode in an instant if it leaked, he said.

But while he was a little apprehensive beforehand, he wasn't scared or nervous while underwater.

"When you are actually on the dive you have to trust the engineering was done right," he said.

The latest dive site, which is at the deepest point in the Mariana Trench, is named Challenger Deep after the British naval vessel HMS Challenger that used sound to first measure its depth.

The film director has been an oceanography enthusiast since childhood and has made 72 deep-sea submersible dives. Thirty-three of those dives have been to the wreckage of the Titanic, the subject of his 1997 hit film.

Article from YAHOO NEWS

Pa. trial could unveil church practices

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A landmark priest-abuse trial opening Monday in Philadelphia may unveil the cryptic operations of a Roman Catholic archdiocese and detail how child sex-abuse complaints were buried for decades in secret archives adjacent to a soaring cathedral as the priests they named went unpunished.

Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official ever charged with endangering children for allegedly failing to oust accused predators from ministry. But he may not be the last.

Philadelphia prosecutors say he helped carry out "an archdiocesan-wide policy ... (that) was criminal in nature." And they've hinted they could charge others when the trial ends.

Civil lawyers believe the trial will help them refile priest-abuse lawsuits that were thrown out in Pennsylvania because of legal time limits, or persuade the state legislature to open a window for filing child sex-abuse claims.

"The evidence that has come out about the conspiracy and the cover-up and the level of officialdom involved in it is going to help us," said lawyer Jay Abramowitch, whose priest-abuse lawsuit involving 18 accusers was thrown out by the state Supreme Court in 2005.

Also on trial is the Rev. James Brennan who, like Lynn, pleaded not guilty. Last week, a third man, defrocked priest Edward Avery, 69, pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child. He was sentenced to 2½ to five years in prison and ordered to surrender within 10 days.

Lynn remains the focal point of the trial because the 61-year-old was the secretary for clergy at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004.

Lynn argues that he prepared a list of 37 accused priests in 1994, and sent it up the chain to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua - only to have Bevilacqua have it shredded. The cardinal died this year, but his videotaped deposition could be played at trial.

The trial will be followed by concerned Catholics across the country, including some who say their lives were destroyed.

"It gives me hope that it's going to raise public awareness, and it's going to expose the church - what they knew, when they knew it," said Art Baselice Jr. of Mantua, N.J., a retired Philadelphia homicide detective.

His son, Arthur III, overdosed in 2006, after his civil suit accusing a Philadelphia priest of abuse was thrown out.

Philadelphia prosecutors, too, blasted Bevilacqua, Lynn and other church officials for looking away as scores of accusers streamed into the archdiocese over several decades. Prosecutors detailed their findings in a 2005 grand jury report, but said they could not charge anyone because the statute of limitations had expired.

But last year, they filed a second grand jury report based on recent complaints filed within newly expanded time limits.

Lynn faces two counts each of conspiracy and child endangerment and up to 28 years in prison if convicted.

Four others - two priests, an ex-priest and a Catholic school teacher - were charged with rape. The report involves just two accusers.

One man says he was passed around by two priests, including Avery, and his Catholic school teacher in 1998-99.

"When Mass was ended, Fr. (Edward) Avery took the fifth-grader into the sacristy, turned on the music, and ordered him to perform a 'striptease' for him. ... When they were both naked, the priest had the boy sit on his lap and kissed his neck and back, while saying to him that God loved him," the report alleges, followed by oral sex and penetration.

Avery was at the parish despite a credible 1992 complaint that led him to undergo psychological testing. He was pulled from his parish, put on a so-called health leave and then reassigned in 1993.

Defense lawyers plan to attack accusers' motives, arguing that they are out for money or hope to explain away their troubled lives. Both accusers have criminal records and a history of drug addiction.

The trial is sure to be painful for priests across the archdiocese as well. Pastors will testify against church leaders, complaining they were never told when accused priests were assigned to their parishes.

The Rev. Chris Walsh started the Association of Philadelphia Priests last year, so the 800 priests in the archdiocese can share support and information.

"The priests want the same thing as the lay people," Walsh said Thursday. "We want to know what happened. And, if possible, why it happened.

"The gospel says the truth will set you free. Let's find out what the truth is."

RT @YahooTicket: BREAKING NEWS: Santorum wins Republican presidential primary in Louisiana (AP)

Tim Tebow trade tears up @Twitter: http://t.co/QlmG8L6v

Full story on the Tim Tebow trade, which has him going to the Jets for a fourth-round pick: http://t.co/PkxB127V Thanks @YahooSports

Article from YAHOO NEWS

Friends fear for safety of man who shot Florida teen

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - Friends and supporters spoke out on Sunday on behalf of the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager in Florida, saying he fears for his safety after receiving death threats.

George Zimmerman, who has claimed he shot Trayvon Martin on February 26 in self-defense, is staying in an undisclosed location after widely circulated death threats and word of a $10,000 bounty to find him, said legal adviser Craig Sonner, who said he would represent Zimmerman if charges are filed.

Fury over the shooting in the gated community of Sanford, Florida, of the 17-year-old boy, who was carrying an iced tea and a bag of candy, and the lack of an arrest or charges prompted demonstrations nationwide calling for authorities to take action.

On Sunday, supporters of Martin were staging events at churches, where congregants were encouraged to wear hoodies, or hooded sweatshirts, like the one he was wearing when he was killed.

Martin was shot dead after Zimmerman, 28, a white Hispanic neighborhood watch captain, believed the young man walking through the gated community looked suspicious. Zimmerman followed him and an altercation ensued.

Friends of Zimmerman, who has not spoken to the media, said he was extremely upset about the shooting.

"It was the first time I spoke to him yesterday since before the shooting and through his family members I learned that right after the shooting he couldn't stop crying," Zimmerman's friend, Joe Oliver, said in an appearance with Sonner on NBC's "Today Show."

"He is just now realizing not just how big this is for him, but how big this is for the country, which is one reason I am sitting here now," Oliver said.

While state and federal investigations are under way, the shooting has put a focus on so-called "Stand your Ground" laws adopted first in Florida in 2005 and in at least 16 other states since.

Opponents call them "Shoot First" laws that put the burden on prosecutors to prove a shooting was not self defense.

Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, called on Sunday for a Justice Department investigation into "Stand your Ground" laws to determine if they increase violence and prevent prosecutions of crimes.

"They're all new. They've been passed very, very quickly and I think the states who passed them, if they find out the real facts, they may decide to repeal them," Schumer said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

"I have a lot of faith in our police and in our sheriffs and I don't like a move to vigilantism," Schumer said.

The incident has become part of the presidential campaign as well. Republican Rick Santorum, also on "Face the Nation," called it "clearly a heinous act."

"We need to focus on being there to be supportive and for the family that's going through this tragedy," he said.

President Barack Obama talked about the case on Friday, saying it made him "think about my own kids."

"If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," Obama said of Martin, who was African-American.

Sonner said Zimmerman fears he is in danger. He cited a document circulating that has Zimmerman's photo with the words "Wanted Dead or Alive."

"I think to not take that seriously would be a mistake," he said.

Florida Governor Rick Scott on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday promised a thorough investigation and said he had faith in the state attorney leading it.

Scott also said he was not aware of any requests for protection from Zimmerman but would provide it if asked.

"If he feels unsafe, we'll make sure nothing happens to him," Scott said.

Sonner has said Zimmerman suffered a broken nose, a gash to his head and had grass stains on his shirt after the confrontation with Martin. Oliver said details about the altercation remain unclear.

"If what George claims is true, none of this would have happened if Trayvon had just said, 'I am staying with my parents,'" Oliver said on the "Today" show.

The New Black Panther Party announced on Saturday it was offering a $10,000 bounty for Zimmerman.

"We will reward that individual or group of people who take George Zimmerman into custody and we will deliver him to the authorities. They would be better off holding him than letting him out on the street because there is an angry mindset among black people," said Mikhail Muhammad of the New Black Panther Party, a black political organization that takes its name from the radical movement of the 1960s.

(Reporting by Dan Trotta in Sanford, Florida, and David Bailey in Minneapolis; Writing by Ellen Wulfhorst; Editing by Bill Trott)

Article from YAHOO NEWS

Key question in Penn State case: Who is Victim 2?

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The case is highly emotional, with accusations delving deep back in time and numerous alleged victims. But for all its breadth, one chapter in the Penn State abuse saga outpaces the others: the alleged sexual assault in a team shower by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky of a boy known only as Victim 2.

It's the allegation that Penn State acknowledges ended Joe Paterno's distinguished football coaching career and spawned criminal charges against two school officials.

But the only person who says he saw it happen is another assistant. Prosecutors don't know who the boy is, while Sandusky says he believes he does know, and that the now-grown man, referred to in court papers only as Victim 2, could exonerate him.

Even the timing of the allegation is in question, as is the age of the boy a decade ago.

All the conflicting information presents tough challenges for prosecutors - not just at the sex abuse trial beginning in mid-May, at which the defense does not plan to call the man, but also in the court of public opinion.

"I'm not trying to make light of the situation, but how can you say it's murder if there's no body?" said 1982 Penn State alumna Wendy Silverwood, a saleswoman from West Chester, Pa., who said she believes Paterno was not given a fair shake. "If you don't know who the victim is, and you can't identify and speak with them, how can you bring charges?"

As recently as Thursday, Sandusky's lawyer argued in court filings that there wasn't enough evidence to support the charges relating to Victim 2. Sandusky, 68, faces 52 criminal counts involving 10 boys dating to the late 1990s and denies all the allegations.

The lawyer, Joe Amendola, told The Associated Press that a young man contacted him after Sandusky's November arrest to say he believed he might be the person referred to as Victim 2. After meeting with him, along with his mother and adult brother, Amendola was left with doubts.

"I wasn't sure he was," Amendola said. "I'm still not sure. I haven't been able to verify it. Jerry's very sure."

Amendola said that the young man told him Sandusky had not abused him, but that he later obtained a lawyer and cut off contact. Amendola does not plan to subpoena the young man and declined to identify him or his lawyer.

"I don't want to put someone on the stand who might say something completely different," Amendola said. "And quite honestly, now that he's got a lawyer, he might say something different."

Records supplied by prosecutors indicate some purported victims have changed their stories, the lawyer said.

"Several of the kids, who are so-called victims now, initially said nothing happened," Amendola said. "And now they're victims."

Mike McQueary, who in 2002 was a graduate assistant for the football team, testified at the December preliminary hearing that he saw Sandusky and the boy, both naked, after hearing skin-on-skin slapping sounds. He called it "extremely sexual" and "some kind of intercourse."

McQueary said he reported what he saw in the locker room shower to Paterno and Penn State administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. Exactly what he saw and what he told them are both certain to be hotly contested at Sandusky's trial, as well as at the pending trials of Curley and Schultz on charges they failed to properly report suspected abuse.

Penn State trustees have said Paterno's lack of follow-up after McQueary's report was behind their decision to summarily fire him in November, before the end of the football season. The dismissal of Paterno, who died in January of lung cancer, has rankled alumni and other supporters.

Even the year of the shower incident is in dispute.

Sandusky's lawyer said that his client is convinced it was in 2001, not 2002 as the prosecution has said, and that Sandusky offered to help Curley find the boy when the administrator asked him about McQueary's complaint. Amendola said Curley never mentioned McQueary's name, and Sandusky does not recall seeing McQueary.

Sandusky told Curley at the time that he knew the young man in question but they had been only horsing around, sliding around inside the wet shower, the lawyer said.

Sandusky said back then that "if Tim Curley wanted to verify that, Jerry offered to give him the name and number of the young kid," Amendola said. "Curley seemed satisfied with that," he said, and did not get the boy's name from Sandusky.

"The reason he remembers is that Jerry contacted him after that shower situation and said someone from Penn State may contact him," Amendola said. "He said nothing sexual occurred at that time between him and Jerry. In fact, the mother said Jerry was a godsend to the family."

Caroline Roberto, a lawyer for Curley, said only that Curley acted appropriately judging by what he knew at the time. Curley and Schultz have both denied the allegations and are asking a judge to dismiss the charges.

Prosecutors said this month in a court filing that they still did not know the boy's identity, raising questions about whether the man's lawyer contacted the attorney general's office.

Victim 2 is not the only mystery in the case.

There is a second alleged victim who has not been identified by investigators and is being called Victim 8. A grand jury report alleged he was seen by Penn State janitor Jim Calhoun in fall 2000 in athletic department showers with Sandusky, pinned against the wall as Sandusky performed oral sex on him.

Calhoun told another janitor and a supervisor what he saw, the grand jury said, but as of November suffered from dementia and was described as incompetent to testify.

Amendola considers the charges related to Victim 2 and Victim 8 the weakest part of the government's case.

"I think that creates a problem for the commonwealth," he said. "And the commonsensical reaction would be, if the stuff really occurred, why didn't they come forward and say, 'I'm the guy'?"

State prosecutors, who need to be able to prove the ages of victims, declined to discuss the issue of the two identities.

"This case has been the result of an extensive investigation and an extensive grand jury investigation," said Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the attorney general's office. "We have a high degree of confidence in the case, but we're not going to discuss the strategy of how our prosecutors plan to present the case in court. It's just not appropriate."

To establish the age of anonymous children in child pornography cases, prosecutors sometimes have pediatric specialists apply standard measures of development, a technique that might be used in the Sandusky case.

"It's a little bit unusual to prove a child rape case this way, but it's also unusual to have an eyewitness to child rape," said Christopher Mallios, a former Philadelphia deputy district attorney who helps train police and prosecutors in sexual violence cases.

Jurors may wonder why the young men have not stepped forward, despite the detailed reports of abuse and the extensive publicity surrounding Sandusky's arrest. But that would not be surprising, Mallios said, given what he saw during investigations in Philadelphia of abuse allegations against Roman Catholic clergy members.

"A lot of the victims did not tell anyone about what had happened to them until well into their 50s," he said. "They just couldn't talk about it. Even when the investigators were able to piece together their identities by talking to other victims, some just wouldn't talk about it."

Article from YAHOO NEWS

Doctors doubt favoritism in Cheney transplant

CHICAGO (AP) - Doctors say it is unlikely that former Vice President Dick Cheney got special treatment when he was given a new heart that thousands of younger people also were in line to receive.

After spending nearly two years on a waiting list, Cheney received a transplant Saturday. The 71-year-old underwent surgery at the same Virginia hospital where doctors implanted a small heart pump that has kept him alive the past few years.

Cheney was recovering Sunday at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va. He had severe congestive heart failure and had suffered five heart attacks over the past 25 years.

Dr. Allen Taylor, cardiology chief at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said Sunday that the heart transplant waitlist is "a very regimented and fair process, and heavily policed."

Article from YAHOO NEWS

Chimp victim: Governor knew animal was dangerous

HARTFORD, Connecticut â€"  A Connecticut woman who was mauled and severely injured by an out-of-control chimpanzee and is now suing the state says Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, as then-mayor of Stamford, knew the animal was dangerous.

In an interview with The Hartford Courant, Charla Nash said the chimpanzee got loose and roamed Stamford in 2003. She says Malloy knew the chimp's owner, Sandra Herold, and allowed her to take the animal home and warned that he should be locked up. Nash was attacked by the chimp in February 2009.

Malloy's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, told the newspaper that the governor may have met and spoken with Herold at one of his public meetings but they never discussed the chimp or the incident Nash mentioned.

Nash's lawyers say state environmental officials received reports and complaints about the danger.

A spokesman for the state environmental agency would not comment.

Article from FOXNEWS

Vodka co. apologizes for questionable ad

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Article from YAHOO NEWS

Shell scrambles to pay huge bill for Iran oil

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Article from YAHOO NEWS

Afghans: US paid $50K per shooting spree death

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - The U.S. paid $50,000 in compensation for each villager killed and $11,000 for each person wounded in a shooting rampage allegedly carried out by a rogue American soldier in southern Afghanistan, Afghan officials said Sunday.

The families were told that the money came from President Barack Obama. The unusually large payouts were the latest move by the White House to mend relations with the Afghan people after the killings threatened to shatter already tense relations.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is accused of sneaking off his base on March 11, then creeping into houses in two nearby villages and opening fire on families as they slept.

The killings came as tensions between the U.S. and Afghanistan were strained following the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base in February. That act - which U.S. officials have acknowledged was a mistake - sparked riots and attacks that killed more than 30 people, including six American soldiers.

There have been no violent protests following the March 11 shootings in Kandahar province's Panjwai district, but demands for justice on Afghan terms have been getting louder since Bales was flown out of the country to a U.S. military prison. Many Afghans in Kandahar have continued to argue that there must have been multiple gunmen and accused the U.S. government of using Bales as a scapegoat.

U.S. investigators believe the gunman returned to his base after the first attack and later slipped away to kill again.

That would seem to support the U.S. government's assertion that the shooter acted alone, since the killings would have been perpetrated over a longer period of time than assumed when Bales was detained outside his base in Kandahar province's Panjwai district.

But it also raises new questions about how the suspect could have carried out the pre-dawn attacks without drawing attention from any Americans on the base.

Bales has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and other crimes and could face the death penalty if convicted.

The families of the dead received the money Saturday at the governor's office, said Kandahar provincial council member Agha Lalai. He and community elder Jan Agha confirmed the payout amounts.

Survivors previously had received smaller compensation payments from Afghan officials - $2,000 for each death and $1,000 for each person wounded.

Two U.S. officials confirmed that compensation had been paid but declined to discuss exact amounts, saying only that the payments reflected the devastating nature of the incident. The officials spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the subject.

A spokesman for NATO and U.S. forces, Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, said only that coalition members often make compensation payments, but they are usually kept private.

"As the settlement of claims is in most cases a sensitive topic for those who have suffered loss, it is usually a matter of agreement that the terms of the settlement remain confidential," Cummings said.

However, civilian death compensations are occasionally made public. In 2010, U.S. troops in Helmand province said they paid $1,500 to $2,000 if a civilian was killed in a military operation and $600 to $1,500 for a serious injury. The Panjwai shootings are different because they were not part of a sanctioned operation, but it is a distinction lost on many Afghans who see any civilian deaths as criminal.

The provided compensation figures would mean that at least $866,000 was paid out in all. Afghan officials and villagers have counted 16 dead - 12 in the village of Balandi and four in neighboring Alkozai - and six wounded. The U.S. military has charged Bales with 17 murders without explaining the discrepancy.

The 38-year-old soldier, who is from Lake Tapps, Wash., is accused of using his 9mm pistol and M-4 rifle to kill four men, four women, two boys and seven girls, then burning some of the bodies. The ages of the children were not disclosed in the charge sheet.

Bales is being held in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The mandatory minimum sentence if he is convicted is life imprisonment with the chance of parole. He could also receive the death penalty.

Families of the dead declined to comment on any payments by U.S. officials on Sunday, but some said previously that they were more concerned about seeing the perpetrator punished than money.

Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban and remains a dangerous area despite several offensives.

In the latest violence, a bomb struck a joint NATO-Afghan foot patrol in Kandahar's Arghandab district late Saturday, killing nine Afghans and one international service member, according to Shah Mohammad, the district administrator.

Arghandab is a farming region just outside Kandahar city that has long provided refuge for Taliban insurgents. It was one of a number of communities around Kandahar city that were targeted in a 2010 sweep to oust the insurgency from the area.

The Afghan dead included one soldier, three police officers, four members of the Afghan "local police" - a government-sponsored militia force - and one translator, Mohammad said.

NATO reported earlier Sunday that one of its service members was killed Saturday in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan but did not provide additional details. It was not clear if this referred to the same incident, as NATO usually waits for individual coalition nations to confirm the details of deaths of their troops.

___

Associated Press Writer Robert Burns contributed to this report from Washington

____

Vogt reported from Kabul. She can be followed on Twitter at

http://twitter.com/heidivogt

Article from YAHOO NEWS

French shooter\'s brother charged in plot

PARIS (AP) - A lawyer says a Frenchman suspected of helping his brother plot attacks against Jewish schoolchildren and paratroopers knew nothing about what was going on.

A French judge filed preliminary murder and terrorism charges Sunday against brother Abdelkader Merah on Sunday, whose younger brother Mohamed claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Abdelkader is in custody and has not spoken publicly. His lawyer Anne-Sophie Laguens said Sunday that "no one was aware of anything."

Laguens denied reports that Abdelkader was proud of his brother's actions.

Investigators looking into France's worst terror attacks in years believe Abdelkader helped prepare the killings and are investigating whether they were linked to an international network or worked on their own.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

PARIS (AP) - A French judge filed preliminary murder and terrorism charges Sunday against the brother of a gunman who killed Jewish schoolchildren and paratroopers in attacks that stunned the country.

Investigators looking into France's worst terror attacks in years believe Mohamed Merah's brother helped prepare the killings and are trying to find out how deeply he was involved. They are also investigating whether they were linked to an international network or worked on their own.

Mohamed Merah, 23, claimed responsibility for killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers earlier this month. After a 32-hour standoff with police, he died Thursday in a hail of gunfire as he jumped out a window of his apartment in the southern city of Toulouse.

Since then, attention has focused on his older brother Abdelkader Merah, who was handed preliminary charges on Sunday of complicity to murder and theft, and involvement in a terrorist enterprise, prosecutors said. Detained last week, he will remain in custody pending further investigation.

Preliminary charges under French law mean there is strong reason to believe a crime was committed, but allow magistrates more time to investigate.

Authorities suspect Abdelkader had a role in acquiring his younger brother's arsenal and financing his trips to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East. Mohamed Merah claimed allegiance to al-Qaida and told police he traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan for training.

Abdelkader was questioned several years ago about alleged links to a network sending Toulouse-area youths to Iraq, but no action was brought against him at the time.

Prosecutor Francois Molins said the inquiry is also looking at anyone else who could have been involved in planning the attacks.

The brother's girlfriend, Yamina Mesbah, was held, then released early Sunday without being charged. The Merah brothers' mother was released Friday night.

The girlfriend denied any involvement in what happened and said she was shocked by the killings, her lawyer Guy Debuisson said, adding that Abdelkader Merah appeared to have led a double life.

"This woman was unaware of anything about her husband's accessory, complementary or secret life," the lawyer said. The couple married according to Muslim custom in 2006, but did not undergo the civil ceremony required in France for a marriage to be recognized.

Abdelkader Merah took five or six long trips to Egypt, ostensibly to study Arabic literature, and his girlfriend joined him on two or three, the lawyer said.

During questioning by police, the lawyer said, Mesbah learned that Merah had had other motivations for his trip to Egypt and "a life that led him toward an extremely intense ... fundamentalism."

"The question to ask today is if Mohamed was the only one that was indoctrinated. Was it just him or are there others?" Debuisson asked.

The first paratrooper killed, Imad Ibn Ziaten, was buried Sunday in his hometown in Morocco on the Mediterranean coast. Townspeople held French and Moroccan flags as soldiers carried the coffin to the grave.

"It is incomprehensible, it is unimaginable. Terrorism doesn't understand this. And above all we must not confuse Islam and fanaticism. They have nothing to do with one another," his brother Hatim Ibn Ziaten said.

French State Secretary for Defense Marc Laffineur accompanied the family to Morocco, saying he wanted to show that "France is in mourning." The other paratroopers were buried in France last week, and the Jewish children and rabbi were buried in Israel.

The killings have affected the race for French presidential elections in April and May, and raised concerns of tensions among France's large Muslim and Jewish communities.

Thousands of people in Paris and Toulouse marched silently Sunday urging unity and tolerance of all religions and cultures after the killings. An enormous French tricolor flag borne by dozens of marchers waved above the Paris march as it snaked away from the Place de la Bastille, birthplace of the French Revolution.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris, Masha Macpherson and Johanna Decorse in Toulouse, and Andy Drake in Rabat, Morocco contributed to this report.

Article from YAHOO NEWS