Jenessa Olson

CBSNews.com reports Thursday that a cruise ship carrying 122 people is adrift and taking on water after hitting the ground Thursday in the Antarctic but is in no danger of sinking, the Argentine Navy said.
The artlicle says that the ship named Ushuaia, with 89 passengers and 33 Argentine crew members, sent out an alarm around midday after it suffered two cracks and started leaking fuel and taking on water.
A Chilean Navy ship was on its way to help the Ushuaia and rescue its passengers, and was expected to arrive Friday morning.
"The ship is stable for the moment. No one has suffered any injuries and the situation on board is under control," the ship's captain, Jorge Aldegueri, told Todo Noticias. He declined to confirm the cause of the accident pending an investigation.
The ship was stuck near Wilhelmina Bay, on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
According to the article, "it is not the first cruise ship to have trouble recently in the Antarctica, which has seen a surge in tourist visits."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/04/world/main4648963.shtml

Posted by Jenessa Olson at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reports Saturday that President-elect Barack Obama promised the largest public works construction program since the creation of the interstate highway system.
The article says that he is seeking to put together a plan to resuscitate the reeling economy.
With no end to the recession in sight, Obama began highlighting elements of the economic recovery program he is trying to fashion with congressional leaders. He hopes to get this moving shortly after he is sworn in on Jan. 20.
Obama is looking to expand the definition of traditional work programs for the middle class, such as infrastructure projects to repair roads and bridges.
He also wants to push a federal effort to bring in new-era jobs in technology and so-called green jobs.
"We need action -- and action now," Obama said in the Democrats' weekly address Saturday.
Obama and his team are working with congressional leaders to devise a spending package that some have suggested could total somewhere between $400 billion to $700 billion.
According to the article, "a big part of that will be public works spending, particularly on projects aimed at conserving or expanding energy supplies and cleaning up the environment."

http://www.startribune.com/nation/35659774.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMEaPc:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

Posted by Jenessa Olson at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Star Tribune reports Saturday that a man was shot and killed and a youth injured in an altercation outside a north Minneapolis youth center Friday.
According to inspector Mike Martin of the Minneapolis Police Department, the victim, a man in his late 40s, was outside the Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club, 2410 Irving Av. N., when a fight broke out between two groups of young men at 4:20 p.m.
Martin said that shots were fired, striking the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The article goes on to say that a juvenile male who was also shot was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where he was in critical but stable condition. His wound was not considered life-threatening.
Martin said it was unclear whether the man was part of the altercation or a bystander who was was trying to break up the fight.
Although the dispute does not appear to be drug-related, ipolice say that t is possible that it is gang-related. They are looking into it.
Marlene Wright, vice president of marketing and communications at the Boys & Girls Club, said club officials were still trying to piece together details of the shooting.
Wright also said there had been no similar incidents of violence.
"Our purpose and the reason we have these clubs in these neighborhoods is so kids have a place to go, a place to get off the streets and a safe place to be productive," she said. "This is exactly what we don't ever want to see happen. It's unfortunate."

http://www.startribune.com/local/35634239.html?elr=KArks:DCiUnP::DE8c7PiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

Posted by Jenessa Olson at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)