Powers of Observation

Josef Fritzl, a 73-year-old Austrian man accused of imprisoning and abusing his daughter in a cellar, should be treated for mental illness rather than facing a trial, his lawyer said.

Fritzl’s daughter Elisabeth lived for 24 years in the cellar, where she bore her father seven children. Three of the children stayed with her and never before saw the light of day, police said. The crimes were revealed when Elisabeth’s 19-year-old daughter became ill.

Fritzl’s wife, Rosemarie, said she was completely unaware of the situation. Fritzl told her that their daughter had run away from home at the age of 17 and joined a cult. He explained Elisabeth’s children by him as being sent away from the cult. Police say they have no reason to suspect that Rosemarie was complicit in the imprisonment.

Sources:
BBC News
Associated Press

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Driver Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a major auto race Saturday, winning an IndyCar event in Japan.

In 2005, Patrick was the first woman to lead the Indy 500. She led the race for 19 laps and eventually finished fourth. In 2007, she moved to a team co-owned by Michael Andretti.

Besides being a historic moment in sports and an achievement for Patrick, the win may also bring some prestige to IndyCar Racing, one of the less popular forms of auto racing.

Sources:
New York Times
Sports Illustrated

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World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for action Sunday to deal with the worldwide rising food costs that have led to hunger and violence in many countries. Zoellick said the international community must act now to help hungry people, calling on governments to provide the United Nations World Food Program with emergency aid.

The fall of Haiti’s government over the weekend led the World Bank to grant $10 million to the country for food programs. Zoellick said the bank needs more donations to help countries around the world provide food in workplaces and plant seeds. He proposed a plan for long-term increased agricultural production, not just short-term stopgap measures.

The International Monetary Fund, sister institution to the World Bank, also called for action against world hunger.

Sources:
Associated Press
BBC News

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Actor Charlton Heston, 84, who starred in such classic films as The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur and later served as president of the National Rifle Association, died Saturday night in Beverly Hills, Calif. Heston’s family did not reveal a cause of death, but the actor announced in 2002 that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Heston was the quintessential leading man during his Hollywood heyday, taking strong roles in films from El Cid to Planet of the Apes. He won an Oscar for his role in Ben-Hur (1959). Heston was also active behind the scenes, serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1965 to 1971 and helping to create the American Film Institute.

More recently, Heston was primarily known for his political activism. Once an independent who supported various causes including civil rights, he became more conservative as time went on. He made television ads for the National Rifle Association for years before becoming president in 1998. As the face of the organization, he received much criticism from the left.

Heston is survived by his wife of 64 years, Lydia; two children; and three grandchildren.

Sources:
New York Times
Washington Post

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In a World Wildife Fund-sponsored event designed to conserve energy and promote awareness of climate change, individuals and businesses around the globe doused their electric lights Saturday night from 8 to 9 p.m. local time.

ComEd spokesman Jeff Burdick said that about 840,000 pounds of carbon dioxide were kept out of the air by the company’s customers in Chicago and northern Illinois.

Christchurch, New Zealand kicked off the event, the first of 380 towns and cities in 35 countries to participate. The New Zealand Herald reported that worldwide electricity use was cut by 12.8% during the event.

Sources:
Chicago Tribune
New Zealand Herald

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A woman refused to leave her boyfriend’s toilet for two years, sitting there so long that her skin had grown around the seat, authorities said.

Pam Babcock, 35, of Ness City, Kan., simply refused to leave the bathroom, according to her 36-year-old boyfriend, Kody McFarren. McFerren traced Babcock's mental condition to childhood trauma. Ness City Sheriff Bryan Whipple wants McFarren to be charged with mistreatment of a dependent adult.

McFerren called police on Feb. 27 to report that there was something wrong with his girlfriend. Officials had to pry the toilet seat off with a crowbar to transfer Babcock to the hospital, where medical professionals removed the seat from her body.

A nerve-damaging infection caused Babcock to lose feeling in her legs. Doctors told McFerren she could end up in a wheelchair.

Sources:
Associated Press
Telegraph

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Celebrated Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, 38, announced Tuesday that he will be retiring from football. Favre played 17 seasons with the NFL, 16 of those with the Packers.

Favre became tearful during a press conference Thursday at Lambeau Field as he explained that the stress of the job had become too much, and that he wants to be able to relax and spend time with his family.

Favre said he was happy to end his career on his own terms. He leaves the NFL with several quarterback records, and remains the only player in NFL history to win three MVP awards. He led the Packers to Super Bowl victory in 1997.

There is little doubt that Favre will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Sources:
New York Times
Reuters

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More than one in every 100 American adults are now in prison, an all-time high that gives the United States the highest percentage of the population imprisoned in the world, a Pew Research Center study found.

More than 2.3 million people are currently held in local jails and state and federal prisons, and more than 11% of African-American men between the ages of 20 and 34 are currently incarcerated, the study said.

The growing prison population has led to some of the largest increases in spending by states in the past few decades, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. Some states are pursuing programs to help parolees meet the conditions of their release and thus reduce the prison population.

Adam Gelb, who co-authored the Pew report, said that it would be more effective and less costly to keep some offenders under supervision in the community rather than putting them behind bars.

Sources:
Wall Street Journal
Washington Post

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A pathologist ruled the death of a former Chicago-area police sergeant’s third wife a homicide Thursday, the Will County state’s attorney said. The investigation of the death of Kathleen Savio, Drew Peterson’s third wife, was reopened in November following the October disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy.

Drew Peterson, 53, said he last saw his 23-year-old wife Stacy on October 28, 2007. She has been missing ever since. Illinois State Police named Drew Peterson a suspect in the case, but he had denied any involvement in her disappearance, telling the media he believed she ran off with another man.

Kathleen Savio, 40, was found drowned in a bathtub in 2004, just weeks before her divorce from Drew Peterson was to be finalized. Her death was initially ruled an accident. Relatives believed that Savio had long feared for her life, a niece told reporters.

Sources:
CNN
Los Angeles Times

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Nancy Reagan hospitalized after fall

Nancy Reagan, the 86-year-old widow of former President Ronald Reagan, was taken to a hospital in suburban Los Angeles after a fall in her home in Bel-Air, an aide said.

Reagan will remain overnight for observation at the Santa Monica hospital. She is in the same room where her husband Ronald stayed after breaking his hip in 2001, Reagan spokeswoman Joanne Drake told the Associated Press.

Former President Reagan died in 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The Reagans were married for 52 years.

Sources:
CNN
Associated Press

Posted by power153 at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

British soul singer Amy Winehouse won five Grammy awards Sunday night and performed live via satellite despite being in London for drug rehab treatment. Winehouse won the Grammys for best new artist, song of the year, record of the year, female pop vocal solo performance (“Rehab�), and pop vocal album (Back to Black).

Hip-hop star Kanye West picked up awards for best rap album (Graduation), best rap solo performance (“Stronger�), best rap song (“Good Life,� featuring T-Pain), and best rap performance by a duo or group (“Southside,� by Common and featuring West). West’s wins and performances were shadowed by the death of his mother, Donda West, in November. He had the word “MAMA� shaved into the back of his head and somberly performed his song “Hey Mama.�

Both Winehouse and West were nominated for album of the year, but lost to Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters, which also won best contemporary jazz album.

Other artists who won multiple awards include Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, and Foo Fighters.

Sources:
Reuters
Associated Press
Grammy Official Website

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy married model-turned-singer Carla Bruni in a small civil ceremony Saturday at the Elysee Palace, the New York Times reported.

The mayor of the Eighth Arrondissement, the district that is home to the presidential palace, officiated at the ceremony and confirmed the news to Europe 1 radio.

Sarkozy, 53, reportedly met 40-year-old Bruni at a private party in November, about a month after divorcing his second wife, Cecilia. He was the first French president to divorce while in office, and only the second to marry.

Sarkozy’s approval ratings have gone down since he began his public, expensive romance with Italian-born heiress Bruni. Polls show that many people feel the president is too public about his personal affairs, and 93 percent of those surveyed said that the news media gave to much importance to his private life.

Many publications, including the United Kingdom’s Telegraph, have commented on Bruni’s history of famous romantic partners and especially her public dismissal of monogamy. In an interview with Le Figaro Madame magazine last February, Bruni said, “Monogamy bores me terribly… I am polygamous from time to time but I prefer polygamy and polyandry.�

Sources:
New York Times
Washington Post
Telegraph

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