July 2012 Archives

Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos announced Friday their plans to donate $2.5 million to a campaign defending Washington's same-sex marriage law, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Chronicle also reports the money will support a defense to a challenge to the existing law, while a referendum seeks to overturn the law, signed in February, remains on hold.

The Washington Post reported the Washington United for marriage has now raised over $5 million for the Referendum 74 campaign.

Referendum 74 is certified for a November ballot this year, and a "yes" vote to the referendum will uphold the law and a "no" will overturn it.

After being diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes, a disease of bone marrow, Robin Roberts, Good Morning America host, will be leaving the show next month to receive treatments, E News reports.

Roberts, 51 and a breast cancer survivor, said this condition was a complication of the chemotherapy and radiation treatments she received during her fight against canver.

Entertainment Tonight reports Roberts absence will begin late August or early September.

Roberts told reporters during a press tour, "It's fascinating-slash-scary how to prepare yourself for something like this."

Two Browerville High School seniors were charged with sexually assaulting teammates in the spring Thursday.

According to the Star Tribune, recent graduates Seth Kellen, 18, and Connor Burns, 18, were charged with numerous counts, ranging from felonies to misdemeanors in Todd County Districts Court.

Kellen's charges include third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving penetration and indecent exposure in a public setting.

Burns is charged with six counts of criminal sexual conduct, including sexual conduct involving penetration.

CBS News reports seven accusers have forward, naming Kellen and Burns as repeatedly sexually touching them.

Two friends and teammates were found shot to death within hours of each other.

Pierce County Herald reports 21-year-old Jordan Hughes was found late Tuesday evening in St. Paul, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead in the hospital.

According to the Pioneer Press, 22-year-old Mandela Jackson was found dead Wednesday morning as police searched for him after the Tuesday night shooting.

Both Hughes and Jackson were star basketball players at Patrick Henry High School. In 2008, Jackson was the graduating team captain and point guard. Hughes later graduated in 2010 as the school's all-time leading scorer.

No arrests have been made.

One of the five suspects in the Ohio bridge bombing plead guilty Wednesday, and is ready to cooperate and testify against the four remaining suspects, according to federal officials.

As reported by Businessweek, Anthony Hayne, plead guilty to all three counts he faced after he was indicted in May for plans to bomb a bridge in Sagamore Hills, Ohio.

Michael O'Shea, Hayne's attorney, said in a phone interview, "He decided that he wanted to take responsibility for his individual actions in this case."

The Los Angeles Times reports Mike Tobin, spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office, said in exchange for his guilty plea, he agreed to testify against the others facing various charges in relation to plans to blow up the a national park bridge.

Federal officials said the men were plotting the attack in celebration of May Day.

Tobin told the Times Hayne's was facing life in prison but agreeing to testify against the others lessened his possible sentence to 15 to 19 years.

After heavy rain in Beijing over the weekend, Chinese news agencies have reported at least 77 people dead, due to drowning.

BBC News reports 66 of the 77 bodies have been identified, according to authorities in the Chinese capital.

The rain fall in Beijing was the heaviest in decades, overwhelming the cities drainage systems, according to several news outlets.

According to the Atlantic Journal Constitution, Beijing officials recently updated the death toll from 37 to 77 after flood prevention officials attributed mudslides triggered by the rains to the inability to identify victims. The government said search efforts are ongoing in the cities.

Medical News Today

Consuming Vitamin E Lowers Chance of Liver Cancer

The reporter transferred the study data into easily-read language and percentages. The numbers aren't overwhelming because there aren't more than two numbers in any paragraph. It doesn't appear that any major math was done because many of the numbers used in this article were taken directly from the study, including the number of participants and liver cancer patients.

Usher's 11-year-old stepson, Kile Glover, died Saturday morning after being declared brain dead and taken off of life support.

According to Rolling Stone, doctors determined Glover's injuries from a jet ski accident earlier this month were too severe to overcome, and after being brain dead for nearly three weeks, removed him from life support.

The Huffington Post reports, Usher's ex-wife and Glover's mother, Tameka Foster, made the decision to remove her son from life support.

Savannah Dietrich, 17-year-old assault victim, took to Twitter after being displeased with the plea bargain the teens that plead guilty to her case received.

According to the Courier-Journal, Dietrich faces a potential jail sentence for tweeting the name of her attackers, violating the confidentiality of a juvenile hearing and the court's order to not speak about the case.

The Washington Post reports Dietrich's attorneys want her contempt hearing open, exercising her First Amendment right to speak about her case and to a public hearing. The defendants' attorneys asked to keep the hearings closed.

A contempt charge can carry a $500 fine or a sentence of 180 days in jail.

As reported by BBC, the FBI has opened an investigation after four Delta Airline flights served sandwiches that contained sewing-like needles.

Flights heading back to the US from the Nether lands included one to Minneapolis, one to Seattle and two to Atlanta. ABC News reports a total of six needles found on the four flights.

James Tonges, a passenger on the flight into Minneapolis, told ABC News, "When I pulled it out of my mouth it was very clear. I cleaned the food off and it was about one inch-long straight needle."

The sandwiches were prepared by Gate Gourmet, a sandwich company based in Amsterdam, often used to cater airline flights.

Delta said, in a statement, it was taking the matter "extremely seriously" and was co-operating with the FBI and the authorities in the Netherlands and was working with Gate Gourmet "to ensure the safety and quality of the food" served on board.

Two St. Paul men were charged with prostituting two teen girls using a classified ad on the Backpage.com website, according to the Star Tribune.

Giorgio J. Baymon, 25, and Brandon D. Barnes, 24, were arrested and charged with sex trafficking of minors, inducing minors for prostitution and promotion of prostitution of minors.

The Pioneer Press reports that a criminal complaint said the two men took the teen girls 16 and 17 to a hotel in Eagan. The complaint also said photos of the under-age girls were posted to the Backpage.com ad in April. The girls told police they had sex with men inside the hotel room and Baymon and Barnes possessed guns.

Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman told the Star Tribune, "This is disgusting. Far too many young women are being kidnapped and forced into prostitution. As a society, we owe them something better."

The Denver Post reports Aurora bomb experts deactivated a trip wire in the apartment of the movie theater shooting suspect, James Holmes.

Aurora Police Department's Sgt. Cassidee Carlson told the Post, "We have been successful in defeating our first threat. This is some serious stuff they're dealing with."

After Holmes was taken into custody Friday morning following the shooting, his apartment building at 1690 Paris St. was evacuated.

According to the Washington Post, local and federal bomb experts disabled and 'tripwire' and an 'incendiary device' set up close to the entrance of Holmes' apartment. Sgt. Carlson said they were rigged to kill the first person to walk into the apartment.

The process of disarming Holmes' apartment is said to happen in three phases to combat the three types of explosions rigged inside. Officials said the authorities hope to have all three steps disarmed by the end of Saturday.

According to Newsday, rebels were driven out of a Damascus neighborhood, one of the most violent with fighting for six consecutive days, on Friday. Syrian troops and tanks cleared out the area where more than 300 were killed by protest bombing, according to activists, within one day.

The government announced the bomb took place Wednesday during a high-level security meeting in protest of the regime's leadership.

The LA Times reports the United Nations said in 48 hours, nearly 30,000 people fled from Syria to Lebanon to escape Damascus' heavy fighting. More than 200,000 people have been sent into exile to neighboring countries, including Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, and 1 million residents have been displaced within Syria.

This obituary was found in the New York Times.

Marion Cunningham, Home Cooking Advocate, dies at 90

The sources used in this obituary are John Carroll, a family friend, Michael Bauer, executive food editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, Ruth Reichl, author and former food critic, and Alice Waters, a fellow cook.

It has the standard obituary lead, stating the name, a short characteristic clause, and when and where she died, then her age. This lead works for this obituary.

This obituary is different from a resume because instead of a laundry list of her accomplishments, the author paired certain facts about her with anecdotes and quotes from friends and loved ones, and that touch made the obituary personal and engaging.

Fourth-ranked Serena Williams defeated Nicole Gibbs, reigning NCAA champion, in Stanford Wednesday.

According to Sports Illustrated, Williams beat Gibbs 6-2, 6-1 in the second round of the Bank of the West, four days after winning the singles' title at Wimbledon.

"I couldn't quite believe I was playing today," Williams told the San Francisco Chronicle. "But I'm healthy and I have a heartbeat so I didn't have a reason not to. I could have felt better."

Retail-giant Target decided against selling Frank Ocean's highly anticpated debut album 'Channel Orange'

Billboard reports this decision was in response to the labels decision to sell the album on

iTunes before its release date, despite many rumors that the Minneapolis-based fortune 500 refused because of Ocean's sexual orientation and homosexual song lyrics.
iTunes is the sole digital seller of Ocean's new album until it's physical release July 17.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Target released a statement to MTV News, "At Target, we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs, so our selection of new releases is dedicated to physical CDs rather than titles that are released digitally in advance of the street date."

The Times also reported Ocean's manager, Christian Clancy, tweeted "Target has refused to carry Frank's album because of iTunes exclusive. Interesting sing they also donate to non-equal rights organizations." Clancy later deleted his original tweet and later tweeted, "Note to self: Take your own advice. Emotional knee-jerk reacting isn't the move."

Former St. Paul high school teacher and his former student, whom he admitted to a sexual relationship with, were reunited after his sentencing Wednesday.

Matthew C. Ellison, 36, was sentenced to five years of probation after being found guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with now 18-year-old Anjelica Pentheros, the Star Tribune reports.

The two were reunited after a judge decided against granting Pentheros' father's request of a no-contact order between his daughter and Ellison.

Pentheros told the Pioneer Press, "I want everyone to know that this (prosecution) was not my choice. I was no victimized."

The Press also reports that Ellsworth will not have to spend any time in jail. If he follows the rules of his probation, his felony charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor. However, the judge ordered that Ellsworth register as a predatory offender for 10 years.

"I wish to be with him forever, and I don't care what it costs," Pentheros said.

According to the Star Tribune, an Eagan home child care provider was charged Tuesday with manslaughter and trying to mislead investigators in the death of a three-month old infant last August.

Beverly Anne Greenagel, 64, was charged with a felony and three misdemeanors after the infant died while napping on a blanket in the floor while in her care. Court records said Greenagel laid the child down and didn't check on him for an hour, while tending to 19 other children.

The Pioneer Press reports the number of children exceeding all licensing capacity categories throughout Minnesota day cares.

The Dakota County medical examiner determined Dane Ableidinger's death was the result of 'probable positional asphyxia.'

WASHINGTON - The damage to the Washington Memorial, caused by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake last August, may take until 2014 to repair.

The Washington Post reports the National Park Service announced that the damages to the monument will require the exterior and part of the interior to be shrouded in scaffolding.

Robert A. Vogel, superintendent of the Park Service's National Mall and Memorial Parks, told the Post that the project also may require temporary removal of some of the plaza's flagpoles and benches.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, engineers determined the heaviest damage is between 475 feet and 530 feet of the 555-foot structure, and that panels from top to bottom are damaged.

Vogel also told the AJC that the firm estimate for the repair of the project is $15 million and reopening the monument as soon as possible will remain a top priority.

CAIRO - Tension between Egypt's Islamist president and the country's military rises after a parliament meeting Tuesday, following its recent shutdown.

The New York Times reported President Mohamed Morsi summoned a decree for the newly dissolved parliament to meet. In this 15-minute meeting, the Parliament voted to appeal the court's decision to authorizing its shutdown.

The decree issued by the new president called the lawmakers back Sunday, but generals rejected his order. However, generals did nothing to stop lawmakers from gathering Tuesday at the Parliament building.

According to the Washington Post, the country's highest court ruled that Morsi did not have the right to reconstitute the body after the generals' decision.

The Post reported the agenda only focused on the Supreme Constitutional Court that ruled one-third of the lawmakers were appointed unlawfully, which resulted in the disband of parliament and call for new election.

The New York Daily News covered Mayor Michael Bloomberg's speech at the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York.

The writer included the most memorable quotes from the speech, especially when the mayor displayed a 'potty mouth.' The writer also included the puns and wordplay in the mayor's speech that made fun of the hot dog contest.

The writer also included background about the annual contest, the participants and the area.

The writer focused their speech coverage on the humor of the mayor swearing in the middle of the speech, and recalled other times the mayor swore in public.

Up and coming Def Jam artist, Frank Ocean, has created quite a buzz around his highly anticipated debut album that shares personal details of his love life.

The Los Angeles Times reports the debut album "Channel Orange" isn't due for a few weeks, but it has captured attention after the artist confessed his sexuality in his lyrics. A blogger briefly mentioned, while listening to the album for press, Ocean sings about love using "him" instead of "her."

Following Ocean's decision to publicly come out, Def Jam co-founder, Russell Simmons, told MTV, "Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be?"

The California Highway Patrol told the Los Angeles Times Justin Bieber was pulled over Friday morning and cited for driving in a "reckless manner" on the 101 freeway.

CHP officer also told the Times Bieber at "speed in excess of 65 mph," but Bieber's actual speed was not available.

USA Today reported Bieber was weaving in and out of traffic in a silver Fisker Karma sports car.

Oregon Live reported seven months after retiring from knee injuries, Brandon Roy signed a two- year, $10.4 million deal Thursday.

Roy, 27, became a free agent after retiring from the Portland Trailblazers, which used his amnesty clause on the remaining $63 million on his contract.

The Star Tribune reports Roy will sign the Timberwolves' offer letter July 11, when the free agent moratorium ends.

The former Trailblazer will play Portland four times this upcoming season with the Wolves', two of which will be played in the Rose Garden.

Tweets welcomed Roy back to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to the Star Tribune. "Welcome Brandon Roy. (No.) 7 is all yours," Minnesota forward Derrick Williams tweeted.

The Valley Lake swimming beach in Lakeville was closed after tests showed bacteria levels of E. Coli above acceptable.

KSTP reports the City of Lakeville's website says the water will be re-tested daily until the bacteria levels are acceptable for swimming.

According to the Star Tribune, the beach was closed last July for the same reason. The city said bacteria levels can be lowered if children wear swim diapers, people refrain from feeding geese, and pets are kept of the beach.

The Daily Ardmoreite reports that the U.S. Department of Labor is pushing for unemployed veterans to receive benefits through the Veterans' Retraining Assistance Program.

This program is a job education program that targets unemployed veterans between 35 and 60 years of age and will cover education training for these veterans in high-demand jobs.

ABC News reported more than 27,000 unemployed veterans have applied and over 13,000 have been accepted.

The Washington Post reports Pakistan's cabinet decided in favor of reopening the NATO supply route to trucks on Wednesday.

This reopening follows a U.S. apology after seven-month brigade when an American airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

A customs official at a main border crossing in Pakistan told the Post he had received government orders to allow the passing of trucks into Afghanistan at 2 p.m.

According to New York Daily News, a part of the deal to reopen the supply route is that Washington will release nearly $1.1 billion from a coalition support fund to reimburse Pakistan for counter-insurgency operations costs.

News sources report this is also a win for the U.S., as the blockade rerouted NATO supply trucks through a longer and more expensive route to Afghanistan through Central Asia.

CNN has a page devoted to video clips on their online site that viewers can flip through and see other top news stories in video format as well. These videos are paired with a title and a brief description of the news highlighted in the film. This method of text works to compliment the video because instead of reading a full news story, the reader gets a short title and lead and the video acts as the rest of the news story.

The New York Times has a multimedia section of the web page where they display a picture with a small caption, then a few sentences describing the photo. This text method also compliments the photos in the multimedia section because with the image, you are still unclear to the news but with the description of the picture and the caption, you are able to recognize the news value in that story, looking at a photograph.

Grammy award-winning singer, Adele, announced Saturday she and her boyfriend, Simon Konecki, were expecting their first child, according to Vogue.

Reuters reports Adele wrote on her website to her fans, "Obviously we're over the moon and very excited, but please respect our privacy at this precious time."

The LA Times reports that according to the Associated Press, singer and songwriter
Lauryn Hill has plead guilty to tax evasion, admitting that she had not filed a tax return from 2005 to 2007. Hill faces three years in prison, one for each count.

Hill reportedly earned nearly $1.5 million during the three year period she failed to file taxes.

According to the Huffington Post, U.S. Magistrate Michael Shipp delayed Hill's original sentencing from October to November, allowing her time to repay.

Two teens have been arrested after 5-year-old Nizzel George was shot and killed after his North Minneapolis home was sprayed with bullets.

According to the Star Tribune, police said they arrested the teens in Brooklyn Center Thursday. Sgt. Stephen McCarty, police spokesman, told the newspaper charges could come as soon as Monday.

The Pioneer Press reports neither teens name was released, but one teen was booked on suspicion of murder and the other on a weapon possessions charge.