http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/ en-us Copyright 2009 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:29:02 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Pioneer Press said.

      The Minneapolis salesman who engineered a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme from 1995 to 2008 pleaded his innocence until the end, blaming grief over his son's murder five years ago that he said rendered him unable to run his businesses, The Star Tribune said.

      The statutory maximum for Petters' crimes is 350 years, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dixon, part of the prosecution team. A more realistic estimate is that Petters will receive 30 years to life in prison, Dixon said, according to The Star Tribune. 

To see the Star Tribune's "Petters Timeline" click here.  ]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/tom-petters-found-guilty-on-all-20-counts.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/tom-petters-found-guilty-on-all-20-counts.html Local News fraud investment Petters Ponzi scheme Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:29:02 -0600
      The Minister of Somali Information called the attack "a national disaster" and confirmed that the ministers for health, education, and higher education were killed, USA Today said.

      Government officials and many of Somalia's brightest minds were gathered for a graduation ceremony for 43 medical students of Benadir University, USA Today said. Until last year's Class of 2008, nearly two decades had passed without a single person in Somalia obtaining a medical degree.

      A Wall Street Journal reporter who witnessed the event described a gruesome scene in which black smoke filled the hall where the ceremony was being held and body parts littered the floor, trampled by people fleeing.

      This attack is the second in several months to target top figures in the Somali government, adding to a trend of suicide bombings that is relatively recent in the country.  No one has taken responsibility for the attack but officials suspect a militant group called al Shabaab that may have connections to al Qaeda, the Wall Street Journal said.   

     To view a BBC slideshow of the Mogadishu bombing, click here.
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/three-government-ministers-among-those-killed-in-somali-suicide-blast.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/three-government-ministers-among-those-killed-in-somali-suicide-blast.html International News al Qaeda Cabinet minister Somali suicide bomb Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:48:33 -0600 Better Place website boasts.

      The global leader in creating an infrastructure of services and charging stations for electric vehicle (EV) users is combining with a Danish power company to promote electric cars in Denmark and Israel, The New York Times said.

      Shai Agassi, Better Place's founder, pledged that 100,000 charging stations would be set up by 2010, yet only 55 stations are ready for operation to date, The New York Times said.

      The batteries of EVs last 100 miles and take 5 hours to recharge.  The solution for longer car trips would be a robotic machine that could change the battery in just a few minutes.

      This venture in Europe precedes a conference next week in Copenhagen discussing an agreement to fight global warming.

      In the United States, the mayor of Los Angeles recently announced a plan to dramatically increase infrastructure for electric cars and create incentives for EV owners such as access to HOV lanes, the Los Angeles Times said.

 


]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/electric-cars-are-in-the-works.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/electric-cars-are-in-the-works.html Notable Denmark electric cars energy global warming Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:02:58 -0600  
      Gay rights proponents had high hopes that New York would become the sixth state to grant them marriage rights, msnbc.com reported. Before today's vote, the Assembly voted yes and Gov. David Paterson promised his signature on the measure.

      The state's Roman Catholic bishops who have been lobbying hard against passage of the bill released a statement calling the decision "a victory for the basic building block of our society," The New York Times wrote.
     
To see a map of states' current stances on gay rights, click here.  ]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/gay-marriage-bill-struck-down-in-new-york-senate.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/gay-marriage-bill-struck-down-in-new-york-senate.html National News bishops gay marriage gay rights New York Roman Catholic Senate Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:19:14 -0600 The Star Tribune said.

This means the state has the sixth highest debt in the nation, according to a report issued by the Institute for College Access and Success in Berkeley, California.

The figures are even worse for graduate students. Over 70 percent of graduate students at the University took out loans, The Star Tribune said.

An ex-student in New York was denied his professional license as a lawyer because of "heavy student debt" in excess of $400,000, said Lynn O' Shaughnessy, author of The College Solution Blog, in an article for CBS's moneywatch.com.

Reasons for skyrocketing debt may include high tuition, demographic spread of a graduating class, and sub-par financial aid programs for lower income students, said the President of the Institute for College Access and Success, Lauren Asher.

To access a pdf of the report on student debt for the class of 2008, click here.


]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/minnesota-ranked-sixth-in-nation-for-high-college-debt.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/12/minnesota-ranked-sixth-in-nation-for-high-college-debt.html Local News college debt Minnesota Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:50:41 -0600
      Children will still be able to send mail to the Postal Service's own massive Operation Santa, but the 150,000 letters each year addressed to Santa's home in the North Pole will go unanswered, USA Today said.

      The change was sparked by security and privacy concerns after an Operation Santa volunteer in Maryland was recognized by a postal worker as a registered sex offender, the Associated Press reported.

      The 2,200 residents of North Pole, Alaska, where Christmas decorations last year-round, think the new policy is a "real shame," according to the Fairbanks Daily News-miner.

      Republican Sen. Lisa J. Murkowski wrote a letter to the postmaster general pleading that the tradition continue in order "to bring joy to these children and their families," the News-miner said.

To see video of some of the activities that North Pole, Alaska hosts, click here.  




]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/postal-service-says-no-more-north-pole-correspondence.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/postal-service-says-no-more-north-pole-correspondence.html Notable Christmas North Pole Postal Service Santa Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:07:15 -0600 Read the story in the University of Tampa's online publication: The Minaret Online

      This article reports on an event held by the University of Tampa last Thursday to educate students about Africa. Participants enjoyed Ethiopian food, drumming, dancing and informative lectures.
 
      The writer talked to students who attended and the president of Diversity Fellowship, one of the group that sponsored the event. Everyone had positive experiences and expanded their knowledge of African culture. This story features the campus event rather than the culture for which it was trying to promote awareness.

     University of Minnesota student Ellen Putzier, 23, works at Anew Dimension Child Enrichment Center, a childcare facility in the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis. Most of the children she takes care of there are from East Africa.

     After reading the above article, Putzier commented that the event sounded informative and broad, without stereotypes. She said it is common for the population she works with to be labeled automatically as poor and involved with crime.

    "People from Africa are very cheerful, joyful...they greet you when they see you, they don't leave without saying goodbye," Putzier said. She said, too, that parents from other backgrounds might not engage in conversations or show the same interest in her.

     Putzier explained she has had more positive encounters with African immigrants because of working at the daycare. She said that going to 'Africa Unwrapped' would have been helpful for her to learn more about a people she serves daily.

     "I would have loved to be there," Putzier said of the University of Tampa event.
    
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/analysis-diversity.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/analysis-diversity.html Analysis Africa culture Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:08 -0600
      The UK Minister of State for International Development, Gareth Thomas MP, said that the massive aid package will provide health and education services plus sustainable water and road construction over the next three years, the Global Times said.

      Among other services, the Global Times said, the aid will help fund an effort to enroll 2.8 million children in school, hire 150,000 more trained teachers and provide safe water to 6 million households.

      With assistance coming from Britain, the United States, and the World Bank, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zanawi told the British minister that the international media have made the nation's food shortages seem larger than they actually are, the Sudan Tribune said.

To see images of the drought in Ethiopia, click here.

        ]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/britain-offers-316-million-in-aid-to-ethiopia.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/britain-offers-316-million-in-aid-to-ethiopia.html International News aid Britain drought education Ethiopia food shortages Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:21:45 -0600
      The video, which has since been removed, shows twelve instances of the boys pushing children down a hill, knocking over bicyclers, throwing something at a store cashier and other similar pranks. During parts of the clip, the boys hold up gang signs, wear masks and laugh at one another's antics.

      Police in both Minneapolis and St. Paul were alerted to the videos on Tuesday and began investigating.  St. Paul police have arrested a 17-year-old high school senior on suspicion of gross misdemeanor assault, riot and simple robbery, the Pioneer Press said.

      A 19-year-old, Mohamed Abdi, has also been arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting simple robbery.  In the video, Abdi tackles an elderly man walking in a suburban neighborhood and knocks a cyclist over around Grand Avenue, the Pioneer Press said.

      Police are still searching for other suspects. St. Paul police Sgt. Paul Schnell said they want to find and talk to the boys so that no one else gets hurt. "Whether criminal charges are brought will be dependent upon our ability to match the incident with actual reports from the victims," Schnell told a reporter from The Star Tribune.

      
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/twin-cities-police-search-for-youtube-attackers.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/twin-cities-police-search-for-youtube-attackers.html Local News attackers pranks Twin Cities YouTube Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:52:04 -0600
      The incident occurred on Oct. 13 in a Mall of America parking lot, where White was arrested by Bloomington police, The Star Tribune said.

      White joins teammate Trevor Mbakwe on the sidelines. Mbakwe may redshirt for the rest of the season due to repeatedly delayed trial dates for a felony assault charge, The Star Tribune said.

      To complicate matters, White has been identified as a potential suspect in a computer theft at Territorial Hall, although he has not been charged nor arrested, the Pioneer Press said.  Both his lawyer and the police are investigating tapes showing his entry and exit from the residence hall.

      White's attorney, F. Clayton Tyler, says he wants to resolve his client's legal issues quickly. Tyler told the Pioneer Press, "Being away from the sport that he loves is difficult."
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/gophers-on-trial.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/gophers-on-trial.html Local News basketball Gophers trial Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:19:41 -0600
       The guidelines were released Monday by a task force of independent experts, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, appointed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

       The problem with low-risk women being screened is that false-positives can lead to unnecessary tests, The New York Times said. Mammograms can find imperceptible, slow-growing cancers that a woman would never notice otherwise.

       The recommendations caused investors to question the need for breast-cancer screening products like Selenia, evidenced in low shares Tuesday for the company that produces the detection tool, the Wall Street Journal said.

       Many middle-aged women registered their comments on the New York Times website in response to the guidelines.  Their reactions ranged from relief to skepticism, the latter particularly in those who had personally encountered breast cancer through friends or loved ones.

         

]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/mixed-reception-to-raised-mammogram-age.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/mixed-reception-to-raised-mammogram-age.html National News breast cancer mammogram Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:59:43 -0600 Associated Press story- "Women on pace to be majority of union workers"

      This story reports data released on Tuesday by the Center for Economic and Policy Research that shows the number of women in the union work force increasing steadily.

      The reporter uses numbers to show the percentage of women union members and the percent increase over time. These figures are then compared to male representation in unions.

      The story also gives numbers to show an ethnic shift in union membership.

      The reporter then zooms out toe put the numbers in a still wider context, positing that the percentage of union constituents in the overall electorate amounts to significant "political clout."

      The numbers in this story were many, but not overwhelmingly hard to understand. The subject matter itself is dry and dependent on the statistics. Rather than using numbers to enhance a story, this piece was crafted around the numbers.

      It appears the reporter did manipulate the heady math in order to use more accessible percentages, though. Since the numbers all came from one report from CEPR, the article did not need to source the figures throughout. 
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/analysis-number-use-in-the-news.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/analysis-number-use-in-the-news.html Analysis Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:43:38 -0600
       The Counsel's office is entrusted with screening administrative and judicial nominees and reviewing sensitive foreign policy issues, ethics matters, and lawsuits on the executive branch. For a long time, however, the Counsel has assumed the unofficial role of private adviser to the president, exerting key influence in a variety of executive decision-making processes, The New York Times said.

       Craig received both praise and criticism during his tenure; he played a prominent role in getting the first Latina justice elected to the U.S. Supreme Court but failed to reach the objective of closing down the U.S. military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on schedule, The Washington Post said. 

       Bauer, who is scheduled to begin his appointment in January, is "well-positioned to lead the Counsel's office as it addresses a wide variety of responsibilities," according to a statement issued by President Barack Obama, The Washington Post said.

       In the last 30 years, Bauer has advised many senior officials of the Democratic party and served as chief counsel of the Democratic Congressional committees. Bauer brings extensive knowledge of election law, campaign finance, and political ethics to the position, although he has little expertise in international law, The New York Times said.

       Republicans raised red flags about the administration's lack of balance in giving a high-ranking post to an intimate adviser who has considerable influence, The Washington Post said. 
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/white-house-counsel-resigns-post-filled-by-obamas-personal-lawyer.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/white-house-counsel-resigns-post-filled-by-obamas-personal-lawyer.html International News appointee Bauer Craig resign White House Counsel Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:08:44 -0600 Star Tribune said.

The FBI recently confirmed that the arrest is related to an investigation involving 20 men who went missing in 2007. Omar is under suspicion for assisting these men to become fighters in Somalia, Minnesota Public Radio said.

Dutch officials told the Star Tribune Omar petitioned the Netherlands for asylum on Christmas day 2008, and was arrested per the request of the U.S. on Sunday. The U.S. is currently seeking his extradition.

Somali sources said that Omar went by the nickname "Sharrif" and may have lived in the Cedar-Riverside apartment complex where thousands of Somali refugees live, The Star Tribune said.


]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/somali-native-of-minneapolis-arrested-by-dutch-as-alleged-terrorist.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/somali-native-of-minneapolis-arrested-by-dutch-as-alleged-terrorist.html Local News Minneapolis Somali terrorist Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:38:52 -0600
A report issued by the Center for Economic Policy and Research on Tuesday found that 45 percent of unionized workers are now women, up from 35 percent in 1983.

The study described the stereotype of a white male factory worker as being unrepresentative of today's actual labor force, according to Business Week.

The ultimate effect of the demographic shift is that a desire for both work and family life necessitates different benefits and priorities.

"Because of women, we don't just talk about raising wages, but about creating family friendly workplaces with sick leave, child care, and family and medical leave," said Anne Burger, head of the union federation Change to Win, the Associated Press reported.

The report noted that the union labor force has become more diverse, with a jump in Latino workers, as well as shifted away from the manufacturing sector.
]]> http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/women-approaching-majority-status-in-union-workforce.html http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ellio244/3101newsfall09/2009/11/women-approaching-majority-status-in-union-workforce.html Notable labor shift unions women Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:33:48 -0600