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Obama: ‘Americans are on our side\' on same-sex marriage

By Olivier Knox | The Ticket â€" 

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Edwards trial: Campaign told hush money was not illegal

After John Edwards was indicted, Federal Election Commission auditors determined that the hush money he received from wealthy donors to cover up a torrid affair did not need to be reported in the campaign's financial disclosure reports, his campaign's chief financial officer testified today.

After three weeks of salacious testimony about Edwards' affair with mistress Rielle Hunter and the nearly $1 million collected to keep it quiet, Edwards' lawyers kicked off their defense focusing on the much less steamy intricacies of campaign finance law.

After reviewing the campaign's financials for four years, the FEC determined last month that money Edwards' aides collected from wealthy donors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Fred Baron were "not campaign contribution[s]," Lora Haggard, Edwards' 2008 chief financial officer, said today.

Edwards is charged with six counts of campaign finance violations, allegedly using the money to protect his bid for the 2008 presidential nomination and later his hopes to be named vice president or attorney general. If convicted, Edwards could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Much of Haggard's testimony took place while the jury was outside the courtroom as federal Judge Catherine C. Eagles determined if her testimony would be admissable.

While the FEC may have one idea about the legality of the contributions, the prosecution clearly has another.

"What the FEC ruled is not relevant," said prosecutor Jeffrey Tsai. "Whatever the FEC determined is not relevant to the criminal charges."

Edwards' defense team insists the money from Mellon and Baron was never intended as political contributions, but were personal gifts to keep his wife from finding out and to provide for his illegitimate daughter.

"They are not contributions to the campaign because they were not contributions to urge the public to vote for John Edwards," Haggard said.

Haggard said Edwards was not involved in the way records were filed with the FEC and gave no instructions to keep donations secret.

She said Edwards did "nothing" to influence the way she filed reports with the FEC.

The defense initially planned to call former FEC chairman Scott Thomas as their first witness today. Prosecutors objected to his testimony, and Eagles said she would rule on whether he would be allowed to testify.

Edwards defense hinges on how broadly the judge will interpret federal election law, even down to the word "the"

The statute governing illegal receipt of campaign contributions "means any gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money... for the purpose of influencing any election for federal office."

The words "the purpose" suggests that in order for a conviction, the sole reason for the money would have to be to finance a presidential campaign.

Edwards' legal team has argued he did not know it might be illegal, did not intend to break the law and that his main reason for hiding Hunter was to keep her secret from his wife, Elizabeth, who was dying of breast cancer.

Prosecutors, however, are arguing the law should be interpreted to mean "a purpose," meaning use of the donations does not have to be solely for a political campaign.

"It is sufficient under the law if you find that the gift, purchase, or payment was made for, among other purposes, the purpose of influencing any election for federal office," prosecutors argued in court filings last week.

Edwards' lawyer Abbe Lowell has argued that prosecutors are asking the jury to "invent a new crime" with its interpretation of the law.

The defense is also expected to go after the prosecution's key witness Andrew Young, a former Edwards' aide who helped hide Hunter, going on the road with her to keep her away from the press, even claiming paternity for his boss.

Edwards defense has argued that much of the money was solicited by Young and he used the scandal to enrich himself.

Among Edwards' witnesses will likely be his daughter Cate, who has been his most visible supporter throughout the trial.

Hunter is on Edwards' list of witnesses, but it's not clear whether she will be called. Her presence in the courtroom could be volatile.

It's not yet known whether Edwards will take the stand in his own defense.

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Obama\'s Marriage Stance May Intensify State Fights

While much of the talk following President Obama's endorsement last week of same-sex marriage has focused on how it may impact his re-election chances, advocates on both sides of the heated issue are claiming it could help their cause at the state level. 

Advocates for and against same-sex marriage each see a silver lining, amid speculation over how the president's endorsement will affect gay marriage votes in four states this November. 

Those states are Washington, Minnesota, Maine and Maryland. All are states carried handily by Obama in 2008 -- and gay marriage supporters hope the president's popularity combined with his announcement last week will combine to push their cause over the finish line. 

"It is a boost because he's such a strong, popular figure here," said Zach Silk of Washington United for Marriage, which is fighting against a referendum that would overturn Washington's gay marriage law. "It's also a boost because he articulated his journey on this in ways that we know voters in Washington are going to have to go through too." 

But those working to preserve traditional marriage say the president's words will backfire. 

"I think this is going to help Washington state understand the national weight that is going to be brought on Washington in an effort to redefine marriage," said Joe Backholm, spokesman for Preserve Marriage Washington. "It helps people wake up and understand this really is a big deal." 

The president's first campaign stop after coming out in support of gay marriage was Seattle, which has a large gay and lesbian community. Many lined the motorcade route with signs thanking Obama for his backing. 

Among those in the gay community who believe the president's bully pulpit will help is Washington state Sen. Ed Murray. In particular, he thinks black voters, who have sided with traditional marriage in past elections around the country, could be swayed. 

"It reminds some people in the African-American community that hey, we also have members of our community, our churches who are gay and lesbian," said Murray. "We should treat them like we treat everyone else." 

Religious leaders aren't so sure. 

Joe Fuiten, pastor of the Cedar Park Church in Kirkland, Wash., said Obama's support for gay marriage will not change deeply held beliefs. "He decided he had to do it to get his liberal base behind him again," said Fuiten, "but it's not going to play well in the country." 

Gay marriage opponents are on an electoral roll. Same-sex marriage has been on a statewide ballot 32 times and each time, voters have turned it down. The National Organization for Marriage, which supports traditional marriage, has seen a spike in fundraising since Obama's comment. In the first 24 hours, the group collected $100,000 -- which is 10 times above the normal daily haul. 

Expect those groups to spend it -- it's anticipated the gay marriage campaigns in the four states with votes in November will spend a combined $50 million.

Obamas Marriage Stance May Intensify State Fights



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Marine Gives Life Saving Friend From Plane Crash

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    Marine Austin Anderson during a 2010 interview for a student-produced documentary at Oral Roberts UniversityVimeo/Brooke Ninowski

An Oklahoma Marine made the ultimate sacrifice when he pulled a friend out of a fiery plane wreck, saving her life but suffering fatal burns over 90 percent of his body.

Friends of Hannah Luce, the lone survivor of Friday's crash of a twin-engine Cessna 401 just northwest of Chanute, Kan., hailed Austin Anderson as a hero who gave his life without a second thought. The pair was among five young adults bound from Tulsa for a Christian youth group conference in Iowa.

“He is a very tough guy, but once you got to know he was such much of a teddy bear,” Lauren Rockett said of the man she got to know at Oral Roberts University. “It would be totally like Austin's character.”

“It would be totally like Austin's character.”

- Lauren Rockett, friend of hero Austin Anderson

Three companions aboard the flight, Stephen Luth, Luke Sheets and Garrett Coble, died instantly, but Anderson, 27, and Luce, 22, survived the crash. Luce was trapped inside the burning fuselage, but Anderson managed to pull her out and guide her to a nearby road. Luce had a passerby call her father while they waited for an ambulance, which then took them to a Wichita hospital. Anderson died there early Saturday morning.

Hannah is being treated for severe burns over 28 percent of her body. She was scheduled to undergo skin graft surgery on Monday.

"The way I discovered about my daughter and the plane accident was probably the most unscripted way you could imagine," Ron Luce said Sunday during a news conference at University of Kansas Hospital. "I asked [the woman], where's the plane? She said it's off in the distance, and there are flames, there's smoke."

Luce said he asked his daughter about reports that Anderson had pulled her from the wreckage, but "she just began to tear up" and didn't respond.

"I know Austin, he's that kind of guy," Ron Luce said. "He served two tours in Iraq, and he was willing to give his life for his country. He was willing to give his life for a friend. He was always willing to go that extra mile."

Anderson had just being hired for a Christian group called Teen Mania. Rockett said she wasn't surprised when she heard Anderson had saved a life with little regard for his own. Rockett's classmate, Brooke Ninowski, created a documentary more than a year ago about Anderson's life for a class assignment. In the film, Anderson spoke of feeling "fearless" because he has God's help.  

“That's one of the only comforting thoughts that he knew before he died, that he had a relationship with God," said Rockett.  

Anderson served in Iraq before attending Oral Roberts University, where Luce also attended and graduated from last year with a degree in theology.

The five were flying to an "Acquire the Fire" Christian rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was the last of 33 such events this year held across the U.S. by Teen Mania Ministries, which was founded 25 years ago by Ron Luce, with the goal of reaching out to troubled youths. The ministry is based in Garden Valley, Texas, where the Luce family lives.

Click for more from Fox 23 Tulsa



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Great American Adventures

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    Wildlife is a huge draw for travelers visiting Alaska.AP

  • adventure_white_water.jpg

    White water rafting in the Grand Canyon includes endless in scenic wonder, loaded with fun and adventure.Action Whitewater Adventures

  • adventure_yosimite.jpg

    Hikers at Yosemite climb with the help of cables.Spencer Joplin

  • adventure_mtmckinley.jpg

    Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in North America.National Park Service

You need not venture to the peaks of Everest or roam the baking sands of the Sahara in search of adventure. Within its 3.79 million square miles, the United States of America contains an abundance of vast, wild and untamed landscapes waiting to be discovered. The list of possibilities for adventure is virtually endless, but here are four of the best.

Rafting the Grand Canyon

Navigating the rushing waves of the Colorado River as it passes through America's most famous natural wonder is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nowhere is the majestic beauty of nature more evident than from the foot of this gargantuan canyon, with the waters of the river underneath propelling you on a route carved out over two billion years.

The journey offers both tranquility and chaos, as violent rapids give way to peaceful stretches of gentle water. Most trips last between 3 and 18 days and cover different sections of the river, depending on ability and experience.

Check out Action Whitewater Adventures for more.

Hiking Yosemite's Half Dome

The rocky peak of Yosemite's Half Dome offers adventure seekers one of nature's great challenges. In fact, in an 1865 report the treacherous summit was deemed "perfectly inaccessible", according to the National Park Service.

A century-and-a-half later, thousands of adventure-seeking climbers prove this assessment wrong every year by scaling the 4,700 foot peak. The 17-mile round trip is no easy task and should not be attempted by the inexperienced hiker. However, the rewards are worth the strain, with breathtaking views of Vernal and Nevada Falls, as well at the magnificent rock formations of the Half Dome itself. Along the way, climbers can discover the varied nightlife of America's most celebrated national park, while climbers can enjoy spectacular views of the Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra for the Half Dome's peak.

Exploring the Alaskan Wilderness

At the gate of the Arctic, wolves, caribou, bears and foxes all inhabit the sweeping open plains and desolate mountains of the Alaskan wilderness. The Arctic National Wildlife Reserve was created to preserve some of the United States most diverse and beautiful wildlife and wilderness.

The park offers adventurers a rare opportunity to enjoy complete seclusion, days away from hustle and bustle of human civilization, to gain an unadulterated glimpse at one of the country's most breathtaking natural wonderlands.

Climbing Denali

North America's highest peak is no easy climb. Base cap sits at an elevation of roughly 7,000 feet on the periphery of a glacier, where climbers begin the long and arduous ascent up the West Buttress to the summit at 20,300 feet.

There journey is long, usually taking days to complete. Meanwhile climbers must set up camp on the mountainside and brave harsh winds and icy snows while en route to the summit. Needless to say, the views are spectacular, particularly on clear day, where the lush surrounding parkland can be surveyed for miles.

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2 gunned down along Miss. highways by fake cop

JACKSON, Miss. â€"  Two shooting victims along Mississippi highways may have been killed by someone who posed as law enforcement and pulled them over late at night, authorities said Monday.

Lori Anne Carswell, 48, of Hernando, was found near her car on Mississippi Highway 713 in Tunica County on May 8 about 2:15 a.m. Three days later, Thomas Schlender, 74, of Raymond, Neb., was found in his car on Interstate 55 in nearby Panola County about 1:30 a.m.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Director Larry Waggoner said authorities were investigating whether the suspect was impersonating an officer and that is how the people ended up on the side of the road.

Both cars were found on remote stretches of highway and neither appeared to have had mechanical problems, said Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain.

If people have a suspicion that an imposter is trying to pull them over, they should call 911 or (asterisk)47, Strain said.

Shell casings were found at the scene of both shootings and were being analyzed and Strain said it would be premature to release other details about the type of weapon used.

The motive is still under investigation. Both cars were red, but Strain said that could be a coincidence.

Strain said Carswell's 1997 Pontiac Grand Am was found on the shoulder of the highway, but her body was found in the road near the intersection of Mississippi 713 and Interstate 69.

"We don't know how she wound up outside of the vehicle, but she was out of the car," Strain said.

Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Joey Miller said last week that Schlender's body was found in his car, which crashed into a divider in the median. He was alone in the 1999 Ford F-150 and no other motorists were hurt.

Miller has said five shell casings were found on the interstate after that shooting.

Tunica and Panola counties are near one another in the northern part of the state. Tunica County is most known for its casinos on the Mississippi River.



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Solyndra\'s high-tech Calif. plant up for sale

Solyndra for sale: Inside company's vacant production plant

For sale: manufacturing and office facility with 411,618 square feet, state of the art electrical, air, and power distribution systems -- and a troubled past. As part of its bankruptcy proceedings, Solyndra is reportedly very close to landing a buyer for its California plant. Fox News toured it to see what the new owners will get for their multi-million dollar investment.

For sale: manufacturing and office facility with 411,618 square feet, state of the art electrical, air, and power distribution systems -- and a troubled past.

As part of its bankruptcy proceedings, Solyndra is reportedly very close to landing a buyer for its mammoth, high-tech production plant in Fremont, Calif. The listing agent recently gave Fox News a tour of what the new owners will get for their multi-million dollar investment.

Though partly covered up by sheets of paper to filter the sunlight, the glass windows of this very "green" building create an atmosphere of gleaming newness. Indeed, Solyndra built the facility from the ground up, spending $300 million for a project that was completed in October, 2010. 

During a visit that year, President Obama heralded Solyndra as "proof that the promise of clean energy isn't just an article of faith."

For a time, assembly lines hummed as Solyndra launched its unique technology, producing cylindrical panels of CIGS thin-film solar cells. Work abruptly stopped last September when the company declared bankruptcy, 1,100 people found themselves out of a job, and FBI agents raided the compound. The federal investigation continues into how a start-up that had received a half-billion dollar federal loan guarantee could suddenly fail.

Now the once-bustling offices, conference rooms, and cubicles are eerily quiet as the facility is "decommissioned," according to Greg Matter with Jones Lang LaSalle realty. One wonders about the conversations held, and emails written, in the corner office formerly occupied by CEO Brian Harrison. 

Today, the only activity is in the massive production area, which, at 280,000 square feet, could easily contain several football fields. Robotic machines and other equipment sit idle, waiting to be sold at auction next month. A skeleton crew remains on site to maintain the electrical, air, and plumbing systems, and ensure the back-up generators are in working order. 

On the roof, Solyndra's distinct solar array is also part of the deal.

Matter says there has been global interest in the property by numerous high-tech manufacturers, primarily from Europe and Asia. The asking price has not been listed, but Matter says there is no other manufacturing property like it for sale in the U.S. He adds any buyer "will get a good deal," and could start production right away. 

The sun is setting fast on Solyndra: Matter says he expects to have a deal in place by the end of the year.

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Low Pressure a Big Danger?

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Getting some air could save your life, even if you stay on the ground.

A new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that vehicles with underinflated tires are three times more likely to be involved in an accident linked to tire problems than those with tires inflated to the correct pressure, according to The Detroit News.

The study looked at crash data from 2005 to 2007, the last year before all cars in the United States were equipped with mandatory tire pressure monitors. The systems warn drivers when the pressure in at least one tire drops below 25 percent of the manufacturer's recommendation.

According to the report, only about 5 percent of accidents during the period involved tire problems, but 66 percent of those were passenger cars. A previous NHTSA study found that just 43 percent of vehicles on the road have properly inflated tires, but that number jumps to 57 percent among vehicles fitted with monitoring systems.

John Rastetter, head of testing for Tire Rack, says that the potential problem isn't just about the affect on a car's handling, but that failing to keep tires at recommended pressure could quickly lead to irreparable damage. Under stress, the stretching rubber of an underinflated tire pulls away from the reinforcing materials underneath it and can eventually cause a total failure.

Manufacturers typically post the recommended pressures on a sticker located the inside of the driver's door jamb, and Rastetter says it's important to remember that these are “cold” figures and that tires should be checked and filled first thing in the morning. Topping off in the afternoon or evening can lead to a loss of up to 6 psi of pressure overnight from a 35 psi tire.

And don't wait until your tires “look” flat to head to the pump. Most people have a hard time telling the difference between a full tire and one that's 25 percent low, Rastetter says. By the time tires start to noticeably bulge they're likely already more than 50 percent low. Owners should also check their car's manual for additional information, as pressure recommendations can vary for vehicles being used for towing and under other extreme conditions.

Rastetter adds that it's not just the rubber on the road that you need to be concerned about. Owners often neglect to check their spare tires, which can drop from a standard pressure of around 60 psi to below 10 psi over time, possibly making them more dangerous than they are worth.

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Privacy concerns as US rolls out domestic drone rules

Unmanned drones could soon be buzzing in the skies above many U.S. cities, as the federal government appears set to green-light the technology for local law enforcement amid widespread privacy concerns. 

The Federal Aviation Administration was scheduled Monday to announce the rules of the sky for these newly licensed drones at dozens of sites across the country. In doing so, the government is taking a tool that has become synonymous with U.S. counterterror warfare in countries like Pakistan and Yemen -- and putting it in the hands of U.S. law enforcement. 

Unlike some of the drones used overseas, these will not be equipped with missiles. They are to be used purely for surveillance. But that alone has raised serious privacy concerns on Capitol Hill and beyond. 

"Our Founding Fathers had no idea that there would be remote-control drones with television monitors that can feed back live data instantaneously -- but if they had, they would have made darn sure ... that these things were subject to the Fourth Amendment (protecting individual privacy)," Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, told Fox News. 

Drones have already been employed domestically. In what was described as the first case where an unmanned drone was used to arrest an American citizen on U.S. soil, a North Dakota SWAT team reportedly borrowed a Department of Homeland Security drone to monitor Rodney Brossart -- who was involved in a 16-hour standoff at his North Dakota farm over six cattle that had wandered onto his property and which he claimed as his own. The SWAT team apparently used the drone to make sure it was safe to arrest him, though his lawyer has since claimed Brossart was subjected to guerrilla-like police tactics and had his constitutional rights violated. 

Advocates, though, say the drones are a force-multiplier for local cops. 

"They're not going to be used for constant surveillance -- typically they can stay in the air for about 30 minutes, so they're only going to be used for specific missions," said Gretchen West, executive vice president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. 

She said the drones would help law enforcement have "more eyes in the sky to help ... assist them when they're going into potentially volatile situations." 

Lawmakers like Barton say there are "legitimate uses" for drones on U.S. soil, but that strict privacy standards will be needed. 

"It would be okay for a drone to be used in order to make sure that all the cattle on a ranch are identified on an ongoing basis. It's okay ... to survey a forest to make sure there are no forest fires. But it would not be okay if that individual who purchased the drone then decided 'I think I'll go and check and see what's going on over in my neighbor's backyard'," Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said. "That would be wrong and that has to be protected against." 

Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, agreed. 

"We don't want a situation where every time we walk out of our front door we have to look up and wonder whether some invisible eye in the sky is monitoring us, you know, constantly," he said. "There are good uses for drones that everybody agrees with, but what we don't' want to see are drones used for constant, persistent, suspicion-less surveillance where we are all being watched for no particular reason."

Privacy concerns as US rolls out domestic drone rules



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Freakiest Food Fests

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    The famous La Tomatina festival is the epic tomato-launching battle ensues until 100 tons of tomato guts covers the Spanish town.Reuters

From eccentric tastes to odd eating habits, we all have our culinary quirks. But some individuals and towns take their passion for food to new and strange extremes. Below are five of the most off-the-wall food festivals ever conceived:

La Tomatina - Spain

As the mother of all food fights, Spain's Tomatina is undoubtedly the most famous festival on this list. The streets of the small Valencian town of Buñol run red with tomato juice in this annual free for all, as some 45,000 revelers hurl tons of tomatoes at each other in the August heat. The festival originated in 1945, when young men who were excluded for a local parade flung volleys of tomatoes into the town's main square. After continuing their protests throughout the following years, the tomato-throwing tradition was formed that continues to this day.

Roadkill Cook-Off - West Virginia

West Virginia's annual Autumn Harvest Festival plays host to one of the more stomach-churning festivals on this list - the Roadkill Cook-Off. But for those reeling at the thought of placing tire-marked vermin on the grill, don't panic - the participating chefs only cook the types of animals that often meet their demise by the side of the road. That being said, a plate filled with armadillo tacos and squirrel gravy may not prove a comforting thought for most.

Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake - Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester, England

Some traditions live on for so long that they seem bizarre when considered today, but it's hard to imagine a time when the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling was ever deemed completely normal. For over 200 years, cheese enthusiasts from all over the world have gathered near Gloucester, England, to race down the steep slope of Cooper's Hill after a rolling wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. Few competitors ever actually catch up to the speeding cheese, so often it's the first across the finish line that wins the day.

Waikiki Spam Jam - Honolulu, Hawaii

It was during the Second World War, when most meats were in short supply that Hawaiians first developed their affinity for the canned meat known as Spam. Today, Hawaiians from all over the Aloha State gather in Honolulu for the annual Waikiki Spam Jam festival, in order to celebrate the spiced meat. Stalls sell typical festival fare including Spam Burgers and Spam Fried rice, as well as Spam t-shirts and other paraphernalia. The festival has become one of the island's most popular, drawing upwards of 20,000 Spam aficionados annually.

Tunarama Festival - Port Lincoln, South Australia

For over 50 years, residents of the South Australian coastal town of Port Lincoln pay tribute to one of the ocean's most popular delicacies - the tuna fish. Over a long weekend in January, the Tunarama festival hosts such events as keg rolling and prawn peeling as well as the festival's centerpiece: the World Champion Tuna Toss Competition, which sees the burliest competitors flinging large tuna fish dozens of yards.

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Skier unharmed after falling 160 feet into crevasse

WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB, BRITISH COLUMBIA â€"  A Seattle skier miraculously escaped without injury after falling about 160 feet into a crevasse in Canada's Decker Mountain Sunday, Q13 Fox reports.

Nikolai Popov was rescued after spending two hours in a 50-meter deep hole in a remote skiing area. He said the massive hole seemed small at first.

"I saw that there was a little crack and I started probing with a pole to see where the crevasse is," Popov told Q13 Fox. "And just as I was doing that, the whole thing collapsed under me and I found myself in a very nasty hole, actually it was quite deep."

Luckily, another skier was skiing nearby and noticed Popov had disappeared. Since neither had a cell phone, it took search and rescue teams about two hours to arrive.

"Falling into a crevasse can be cold,” Popov told Q13 Fox. “But it was warm enough. I knew that this guy would call search and rescue."

The search and rescue team landed a helicopter a safe distance away, and hiked to the hole where Popov was stranded. They used a rope-and-pulley system to hoist Popov out of the hole.

Popov told Q13 Fox the incident could have actually been much worse. 

"The hole itself treated me better than it could have because there was another 20 meters down," he said. "I could have gotten stuck there."

Rescuers say Popov is lucky he escaped unharmed, and urged fellow skiers to take precautions if they plan to ski in remote areas alone.

"I wouldn't recommend touring alone, be prepared for self-rescue if you're going with a party," Daren Romano of Whistler Search and Rescue told Q13 Fox. "Take some ropes with you."

Click for more on this story from Q13 Fox.



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Member says majority of Taliban want peace

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    May 13, 2012: Former Taliban fighters hand over their weapons to Afghan police as part of a reconciliation process in Herat, Afghanistan.AP

KABUL, Afghanistan â€"  One of the most powerful men on the Taliban council, Agha Jan Motasim, nearly lost his life in a hail of bullets for advocating a negotiated settlement that would bring a broad-based government to his beleaguered homeland of Afghanistan.

In an exclusive and rare interview by a member of the so-called Quetta Shura, Motasim told The Associated Press Sunday that a majority of Taliban wants a peace settlement and that there are only "a few" hard-liners in the movement.

"There are two kinds of Taliban. The one type of Taliban who believes that the foreigners want to solve the problem but there is another group and they don't believe, and they are thinking that the foreigners only want to fight," he said by telephone. "I can tell you, though, that the majority of the Taliban and the Taliban leadership want a broad-based government for all Afghan people and an Islamic system like other Islamic countries."

But Motasim chastised the West, singling out the United States and Britain, for failing to bolster the moderates within the fundamentalist Islamic movement by refusing to recognize the Taliban as a political identity and backtracking on promises ---- all of which he said strengthens the hard-liners and weakens moderates like himself.

He lamented Sunday's assassination in Kabul of Arsala Rahmani, a member of the Afghan government-appointed peace council who was active in trying to set up formal talks with insurgents. Rahmani served as deputy minister of higher education in the former Taliban regime but later reconciled with the current Afghan government.

"He was a nationalist. We respected him," Motasim said.

Motasim used his own stature to press for talks nearly three years before the United States began making overtures to the Taliban in late 2010. At the time, he was also chief of the Taliban political committee, a powerful position that he held until he was shot last August. He is still a member of the Taliban leadership council, the Quetta Shura, named after the Pakistani city of the same name.

His voice softened and he paused often as he reflected on the brutal shooting in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan, where he lived, while moving regularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan in areas that he refused to identify.

Several bullets shattered his body and he was hospitalized for many weeks. In the first days after the shooting, he wasn't expected to survive.

The AP spoke to Motasim from Turkey where he had gone for additional treatment. When speaking of his attackers, he referred to them as brothers and colleagues, saying they may have been Taliban hard-liners who opposed his moderate positions.

"My idea was I wanted a broad-based government, all political parties together and maybe some hard-liners among the Taliban in Afghanistan and in Pakistan didn't like to hear this and so they attacked me," he said. Some of the gunmen may have come from Afghanistan and some may have been from Pakistan's North Waziristan where militant groups have found sanctuary, Motasim said.

In the early minutes of the telephone conversation, Motasim was reluctant to talk politics, saying he had been told by his friends and colleagues to stay silent.

"I am not involved in any talks. I am only here for my treatment," he said.

But he gradually opened up, saying the Taliban have three main demands: They want all Afghan prisoners released from U.S.-run detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay and near Bagram Air Field north of the Afghan capital; the names of all Taliban currently on the United Nations sanctions blacklist removed; and recognition of the Taliban as a political party.

He said talks in Qatar ended earlier this year after the United States reneged on a promise to release five prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. "But those are just the famous ones," he said. "There are thousands more being held in Bagram and they are being held under the name of Taliban but they are innocent people, farmers and clerics."

The prisoner exchange issue is rife with sensitivity as the United States has sought to exchange American Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, captured by the Taliban in 2009, for Afghan Taliban held in Guantanamo. It appears the prisoner exchange fell through after the Afghan authorities demanded the five prisoners be repatriated to Afghanistan, according to an Afghan official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to brief the media. The five prisoners have demanded they be allowed to go to Qatar with their families.

Motasim said he wasn't told why the prisoners were not released but when they weren't the hard-liners among the Taliban took it as a sign that the United States was disingenuous, said Motasim, who acknowledged that the Taliban have set up an office in Qatar.

He said the office has no official recognition as a political headquarters of the Taliban, rather it has been veiled in secrecy and the American interlocutors are engaging with them as insurgents not political representatives of at least some Afghans. Motasim said most of the Taliban who were negotiating with the Americans are on the U.N. sanctions list.

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against the Taliban in November 1999 for refusing to send Osama bin Laden to the United States or a third country for trial on terrorism charges in connection with the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. The sanctions -- a travel ban, arms embargo and assets freeze -- were later extended to al-Qaida. In July 2005, the council extended the sanctions again to cover affiliates and splinter groups of al-Qaida and the Taliban.

"They (the U.S.) have to give political independence to the Taliban," he said.

Looking ahead to next week's NATO summit in Chicago, Motasim said he had a message for participants.

"The decisions of NATO should be for the good of Afghanistan and should not call for more violence. It should call for an end to the fighting, an end to the raids and killings," he said. "Afghanistan is destroyed, the people are displaced, refugees, poor people are dying in their homes and also foreigners are dying here. It should end."



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NYC man spends $60G on custody battle over dog- Nevada judge rules killer dog can be put down

NEW YORK â€"  A New York City man says his cross-country legal battle for custody of his little dog Knuckles is making him broke, but he is not going to roll over.

Craig Dershowitz says he has already spent upwards of $60,000 in his court fight for the pooch he considers his "son," and now he is turning to the web in the hopes of raising another $20,000 to keep his quest alive.

"I've pretty much gone through my life savings," the 34-year-old gallery employee said, but he quickly added, "It's worth it."

In papers filed earlier this year in Manhattan Supreme Court, Dershowitz said ex-girlfriend Sarah Brega "took unilateral control of Knuckles and kidnapped him" after they broke up -- spiriting the dog away to California.

Brega says that Dershowitz "unconditionally gifted" her the dog, and that the puggle -- half pug, half beagle -- is enjoying life with her out on the Left Coast.

Click for more on this story from The New York Post.



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Veteran NFL player gets degree from UNLV

LAS VEGAS â€"  Veteran NFL linebacker Andra  Davis is among some 3,000 students who received undergraduate degrees Saturday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

UNLV athletic officials say the 33-year-old NFL linebacker took part in commencement ceremonies after earning his bachelor's degree in social science studies from the College of Liberal Arts.

Davis, who lives in Denver, took online courses and completed an internship at a Las Vegas public charter school for at-risk students.

He played for the Florida Gators, but didn't graduate before he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2002. He also has played for the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills, and currently is a free agent hoping to continue his career.

Former Browns defensive line coach Andre Patterson encouraged Davis to get his degree.



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Greek elections loom after leftist rejects coalition talks

By Lefteris Papadimas and Harry Papachristou | Reuters â€" 

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Dems, GOP using popular bills to hurt other party

By ALAN FRAM | Associated Press â€" 

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\'Avengers\' adds $103.2M in sprint to $1 billion

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "The Avengers" is taking a page out of Superman's comic book - flying faster than a speeding bullet to the billion-dollar mark at the box office.

The superhero blockbuster took in $103.2 million to lead for a second-straight weekend, raising its domestic total to $373.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With $95.4 million more overseas, "The Avengers" lifted its international receipts to $628.9 million and a worldwide haul of just over $1 billion, only 19 days after it began rolling out in some markets.

"You never think that it can happen this quickly," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, whose Marvel Studios unit produced the ensemble film after a long buildup in its solo superhero outings. "You hope you can get to this day, and the fact that it is happening this early is a testament to a lot of work that went in on the Marvel side over the last six years to get us to a place where people wanted to see the Avengers assemble."

"The Avengers" easily fended off Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's vampire romp "Dark Shadows," which had a so-so domestic start of $28.8 million to finish a distant No. 2.

That's far below such past Depp-Burton collaborations as "Alice in Wonderland," which opened with $116.1 million, and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which debuted with $56.2 million.

"Dark Shadows" added $36.7 million in 42 overseas markets for a worldwide total of $65.5 million.

"The Avengers" was the first movie ever to pull in more than $100 million domestically in its second weekend, passing the previous best of $75.6 million for "Avatar." The film also topped $300 million domestically Saturday after just nine days in release, beating the previous record set by "The Dark Knight," which hit that mark in 10 days.

Already the year's biggest hit worldwide, "The Avengers" is on the verge of passing "The Hunger Games" at $386.9 million to become the top-grossing film domestically for 2012.

Revenue for "The Avengers" was off just 50 percent from the film's domestic debut of $207.4 million the previous weekend, a remarkable hold given how big it started.

A round-up of such Marvel idols as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), "The Avengers" has shot past the revenues that its solo superhero predecessors took in for their entire runs. The best of those domestically was "Iron Man" with $318.4 million.

"There has been a surprise around every corner with this picture in terms of how high is high and how big is big," Disney's Hollis said.

Inspired by the supernatural soap opera that debuted on TV in the mid-1960s, "Dark Shadows" stars Depp as an 18th century vampire who is freed after two centuries of burial and returns to his ancestral homestead in the 1970s, aiming to rebuild the family fortunes.

The TV show has only a cult following, so the Warner Bros. update relied on the lure of a reunion between frequent collaborators Depp and Burton taking on another otherworldly tale. But "Dark Shadows" left both critics and audiences cold, failing to make much of a dent in the intense appeal of "The Avengers."

"Certainly, more is better, but it was a busy weekend, especially with 'Avengers' doing $100 million in its second weekend," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros. "The box office can only expand so much, and that was a hard one to anticipate. Those numbers are staggering."

Fox Searchlight's crowd-pleaser "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" broke into the top-10 in its second weekend as it expanded from a handful of cinemas to 178 theaters. The film took in $2.7 million to finish at No. 8.

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" features Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson in a tale of older Brits looking to retire to a cozy life in India.

Also in narrower release of 322 theaters, Eva Mendes' comic drama "Girl in Progress" opened at No. 10 with $1.4 million. The Lionsgate release stars Mendes as a nomadic single mom with a precocious teenage daughter.

"The Avengers" again provided the bulk of Hollywood's business. Overall domestic revenues totaled $172 million, up 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Thor" led with $34.7 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

Domestic receipts for the year are at $3.83 billion, 17.6 percent ahead of last year's with a huge summer lineup yet to come.

Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian said he expects Hollywood to break the summer revenue record of $4.4 billion it set last year and top its all-time annual high of $10.6 billion from 2009.

"I think we will surpass that given the strength of just the first two weeks of the summer and the strength of the films on the way," Dergarabedian said. "Records are just made to be broken this summer and this year."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Avengers," $103.2 million ($95.4 million international).

2. "Dark Shadows," $28.8 million ($36.7 million international).

3. "Think Like a Man," $6.3 million.

4. "The Hunger Games," $4.4 million ($2.4 million international).

5. "The Lucky One," $4.1 million ($2.5 million international).

6. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $3.2 million ($2.2 million international).

7. "The Five-Year Engagement," $3.1 million ($1.7 million international).

8. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," $2.7 million ($1.9 million international).

9. "Chimpanzee," $1.6 million.

10. "Girl in Progress," $1.4 million.

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Avengers," $95.4 million.

2. "Dark Shadows," $36.7 million.

3. "American Reunion," $15.6 million.

4. "Battleship," $11.2 million.

5. "21 Jump Street," $3.2 million.

6. "Titanic" in 3-D," $3.1 million.

7. "As One," $2.6 million.

8. "The Lucky One," $2.5 million.

9. "The Hunger Games," $2.4 million.

10. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $2.2 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.



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Panama fisherman sues cruise line for not helping

By JUAN ZAMORANO | Associated Press â€" 

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Student With Flesh-Eating Disease Will Lose Fingers

  • Aimee Copeland final.jpg

AUGUSTA, Ga. â€"  Aimee Copeland, the Georgia grad student who contracted a deadly flesh-eating bacteria after she cut her leg in a zip lining accident, will likely lose her fingers.

Aimee, 24, has already had her left leg amputated after necrotizing fasciitis -- a rare bacteria that infects the deep layers of the skin and spreads quickly -- took hold of her injured limb just over a week ago.

"Aimee will suffer the loss of her fingers, however physicians have hope of bringing life back to the palms of her hands, which could allow her the muscle control to use helpful prosthetics," read a post on the website of the University of West Georgia psychology department, where Aimee is a masters student.

"They are awaiting a safe time before embarking on surgery for this," the update, posted Saturday night, added.

Aimee's family has remained optimistic about her recovery after she defied doctors' doubts about her chances of survival.

"Aimee is doing wonderful this morning," her father, Andy Copeland, wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. "She is awake, alert and wanting to be rid of that blasted ventilator."

Copeland also highlighted Aimee's frustrated attempts to communicate with him and her other family members, as she is still unable to speak.

"I tell her not to worry, I tell her to concentrate on breathing, I ask her to pray and meditate on healing. I hold her and pray while she prays," he wrote. "This is all we can do now and I can honestly say it works quite well."

Aimee was kayaking down a creek with some of her friends in Carrollton, Ga., nearly two weeks ago when she stopped to ride on a homemade zip line along the water. The line snapped and she cut a large gash in her left calf.

Aimee went to the emergency room at the Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, where doctors closed the wound with 22 staples and gave her pain medication.

But days later, a friend drove a "pale and weak" Aimee to the hospital, where an emergency room doctor diagnosed her with necrotizing fasciitis.

She was then airlifted to JMS Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., where doctors rushed her into surgery and performed a high-hip amputation of her left leg.

After surgery, Aimee suffered cardiac arrest, but the doctors were able to resuscitate her. Since then, she has been showing signs of recovery.



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Heads expected to roll at JPMorgan over $2B loss

By David Henry

(Reuters) - Three top executives involved with a failed hedging strategy that cost JPMorgan Chase & Co at least $2 billion and tarnished its reputation are expected to leave the bank this week, sources close to the matter said on Sunday.

The bank - the biggest in the United States by assets - is expected to accept the resignation of Ina Drew, its New York-based chief investment officer and one of its highest-paid executives, in the next few days, the sources said. Two of Drew's subordinates who were involved with the trades, London-based Achilles Macris and Javier Martin-Artajo, are expected to be asked to leave, they said.

The departures come after the unit Drew runs, known as the Chief Investment Office, mismanaged a large portfolio of derivatives tied to the creditworthiness of bonds, according to bank executives. The portfolio included layers of instruments used in hedging that became too complicated to work and too big to unwind quickly in the esoteric, thinly traded market.

Drew had repeatedly offered to resign in recent weeks, after the magnitude of the debacle became clear, according to one of the sources. But the resignation was not immediately accepted because of Drew's past performance at the bank.

Until the loss was disclosed late on Thursday, Drew was considered one of the best managers of balance sheet risks. She earned more than $15 million in each of the last two years.

"Ina is an amazing investor," said a money manager who knows Drew, but who declined to be quoted by name. "She's done a really good job over a lot of years. But they only remember your last trade."

'SLOPPY', 'STUPID'

While departures had been expected in the wake of the trading losses, JPMorgan appeared to be moving swiftly. In disclosing the losses on Thursday, CEO Jamie Dimon said only that the bank was continuing to investigate and would take disciplinary action with those involved.

The losses have deeply marred JPMorgan's reputation for risk management, prompted a downgrade in its credit ratings and thrown an unflattering spotlight on Dimon, who had become perhaps America's best-known banker and a cavalier critic of increased regulation.

On Sunday, Dimon's bravado was badly burnished when the New York Times reported remarks he made recently at a dinner party in Dallas. Dimon called arguments about too-big-to-fail banks - arguments made by former Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker and Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas - "infantile" and "nonfactual," according to the Times.

Dimon is himself a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Elizabeth Warren called for him to resign that post on Sunday. Warren, who chaired the congressional committee that oversaw the bank bailout program known as TARP and is currently running for the Senate, said he should not be on the panel advising the Fed on bank management and oversight.

"We need to stop the cycle of bankers taking on risky activities, getting bailed out by the taxpayers, then using their army of lobbyists to water down regulations," Warren said.

Dimon certainly has struck a more contrite pose since revealing the losses. In an interview that aired on Sunday, he told NBC's "Meet the Press" program that the bank's handling and oversight of the derivative portfolio was "sloppy" and "stupid" and that executives had reacted badly to warnings last month that the bank had large losses in derivatives trading. He said executives were "completely wrong" in public statements they made in April after being challenged over the trades in news reports.

"We got very defensive. And people started justifying everything we did," Dimon said. "We told you something that was completely wrong a mere four weeks ago.

The loss, and Dimon's failure to heed the warnings, have become major embarrassments and have given regulators new arguments for tightening controls on big banks and requiring them to hold more capital to cushion possible losses.

JPMorgan lost $15 billion in stock market value the day after the announcement. Analysts were shocked that Dimon did not have as much control of the company's derivatives book as they had thought. Before the loss, Dimon had been widely praised for successfully managing the company through the credit bubble and the financial crisis.

His strategy in dealing with the issue has been to apologize repeatedly and say straight-forwardly that he and the bank erred. He has not, however, been willing to describe the exact trading positions, for fear of giving traders in the market information with which to inflict deeper losses.

PAYING THE PRICE

Dimon did not explain in the NBC interview why the trades went wrong. He had declined on Thursday, too, to describe details of the trades when pressed by analysts. He said the positions were first designed to hedge risks in the bank's investments. "The strategy we had was badly vetted," Dimon said in the interview. "It was badly monitored. It should never have happened."

The bank hasn't said much publicly about the trades. But others in the market say they involved complex layers of credit default swaps, the same instruments that were central to the financial crisis. JPMorgan helped create the CDS market in the 1990s. But its trades have become ever more complex, involving indexes and derivatives based on corporate bonds. The instruments were known as "synthetic," because they trade the risk of default without trading the underlying bonds.

Under Drew, JPMorgan's CIO unit had layered these trades in ways that exposed the bank to moves in both directions in the value of the bonds, according to CDS traders not at JPMorgan who spoke on condition of anonymity. Because these markets are so thinly traded, and JPMorgan's positions were so large, it was impossible for the bank to exit quickly when the positions soured.

Dimon said the bank could lose $3 billion or more as it unwinds the positions in the coming months.

The debacle provides ammunition to advocates already calling for tougher regulation of banks, Dimon said. "This is a very unfortunate and inopportune time to have had this kind of mistake," he said.

Dimon has been the most outspoken bank executive in arguing that new regulations being finalized and implemented by the U.S. government go too far. "We hurt ourselves and our credibility," he said in the NBC interview. "We got to fully expect and pay the price for that." He said the huge trading loss was not "life threatening" to JPMorgan.

Dimon is scheduled to speak on Tuesday at the bank's annual meeting in Tampa, Florida.

(Reporting by David Henry and Carrick Mollenkamp in New York and Rick Rothacker in Charlotte, North Carolina.; Editing by Alwyn Scott, Marguerita Choy and Ian Geoghegan)



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