September 2010 Archives

Georgia Televangelist, Eddie Long, has pledged to fight accusations that he convinced four young church goers to have sex with him.

The Associated Press reported four men have filed lawsuits against Long last week, claiming he sexually abused them.

CNN reported the lawsuits accuse Long of using his status to lure young men within the church congregation into sexual relationships, which began when the accusers were in their teens.

CNN also reported that Long took these men on trips and gave them gifts, including a car, cash and jewelry.

Israel began construction on land claimed by Palestine, possibly ending talks of peace between the two countries.

According to the New York Times, Palestine did not follow through on its earlier threats to end discussions if Israel continued to settle on lands they claim for their future state, causing American officials to hurriedly attempt to find terms that satisfied both countries.

The Associated Press reported that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, spoke before the U.N. and claimed that the violence in the Middle East is caused by Israel's "mentality of expansion and domination".

But the New York Times has reported that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is hopeful for a peaceful agreement between the two countries.

Towns across southern Minnesota dealt with flooding after the area received over 10 inches of rain Wednesday and Thursday.

The Star Tribune reported that Zumbro Falls, one of the many towns affected by the floods, faces days without power or plumbing.

According to the Pioneer Press, many county roads and sections of highways had to be closed after they became flooded.

More damage is to follow as both the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers are expected to crest this week.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar are pushing for legislative action to get aid to the region.

Steven Colbert testified about immigrant farm workers before the House Judiciary Committee Friday and not everyone was amused.

According to the Associated Press, Colbert was invited to testify by Democratic California Representative Zoe Lofgren, but many at the hearing were not happy about his appearance, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who called Colbert's testimony "inappropriate".

CNN reported Colbert kept up his "arch-conservative" character he plays on his television show, The Colbert Report, testifying that America is too dependent on migrant workers on their farms.

"Now, the obvious answer is for all of us to stop eating fruits and vegetables. And if you look at the recent obesity statistics, many Americans have already started," he said.

Lofgren said she invited Colbert to the hearing in the hopes that his celebrity would pull more attention to the issue. Colbert ended up winning people over by the end. According to CNN, Democrat John Conyers originally asked Colbert to leave the hearing, but by the end considered Colbert to be "profound".

A St. Paul man is dead, and another is wounded, after a shooting took place early Sunday morning on Oakley Avenue said police.

The Star Tribune reported 21-year-old Joe Anthony Rivera and his nephew, David Chavez, were shot outside of a party at 3:30 a.m. at the apartment complex on the corner of Prior and Oakley Avenues.

According to the Associated Press, police arrived at the scene to find Rivera dead, and Chavez wounded in the leg. Chavez was taken to Regions Hospital for treatment and has been released.

St. Paul spokesman, Andy Skoogman, said that two men were arrested in connection to the shooting late Sunday, and are expected to be chargered next week.

The Star Tribune recently did an article focusing on a man missing from Roseville and its lead was effective, but could have added more information.

The lead for this particular story fulfilled the "who" and the "what" criteria, at least in general. The following paragraph gives us the information to fill in the "when" and "where", and goes into greater detail about the "who" and "what". The news values used in the lead are proximity and immediacy. We don't know who this man is, but we do know that he is missing, and that he lived close to us. It has happened recently, and the Star Tribune was updated on Sunday with new information, keeping the immediacy present.

The lead is a straight-forward hard news lead. In a later follow up article, the writer allows a little more room to play with emotions, but for the initial report, the Star Tribune delivers simply the facts.

American hiker and teacher, Sarah Shroud, was released after a year in an Iranian prison, but urges the Iranian government to release her two comrades as well.

Shroud, 32, and her hiking partners, Shane Bauer, and Josh Fattal, both 28, were arrested 410 days ago for illegally crossing the Iran border while hiking in Iraq, according to the New York Times.

Shroud is happy to be back in the United States, but as reported by CNN, she is only "one-third free", as her companions are still being held in a prison in Tehran.

The Iranian government is calling her release a "huge humanitarian gesture", according to The New York Times, and is now asking for the release of eight Iranian citizens, who are currently being held in the U.S.

The U.S. government has declared the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is finally sealed, Sunday, five months after an explosion in the rig led to what CNN has called "the worst oil spill in U.S. history".

According to CNN, the Macondo 252 well released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico before it was temporarily capped in July. It was permanently sealed Sunday after crews filled the well with cement.

The New York Times reported that it was officially sealed after crews conducted pressure tests on the cement, and found that the barrier was effective, and would prevent any further leaks of oil or gas.

A women was struck from behind and killed as she walked along Highway 10 in Sherburne County, Sunday, said the Minnesota State Patrol.

The Pioneer Press reported Michelle A. Westphal, 46, of Monticello, was walking in the right lane of Highway 10, westbound, when a car hit her from behind around 12:15 p.m.

According to the Star Tribune, a State Patrol accident report claims alcohol was in her system at the time of the accident. William Blackhurst of Big Lake was the driver of the car, and was not hurt.

The van belonging to a man reported missing has been found in Chicago on Sunday.

Matthew William Anderson of Shoreview was reported missing Saturday, after his wife reported to Ramsey County Sheriff's Department that Anderson had been kidnapped.

According to the Pioneer Press, Anderson's wife, Amber, received a phone call from her husband around 7:00 p.m. when he confided that two men had kidnapped him. "I think they're going to do something to me," he said.

The Star Tribune reported the minivan to be the first lead in the case, and the Chicago police are now working with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department to locate Anderson.

Anderson was last seen at his job at the Rosewood Village Condominiums in Roseville on Friday around 1:30 p.m.

Craigslist is permanently removing the adult services category from their website, explained a company official, who spoke in front of a U.S. House of Representatives committee Wednesday.

CNN reported that the category was removed Sept. 3. There had been no explanation provided until Wednesday, when William Powell, director of customer service and law enforcement relations, discussed the change during a House Judiciary Committee trial focused on sex trafficking

According to the Star Tribune, Craiglist has been accused of not taking proper action in relation to advertisement for prostitution and child trafficking in the past, and Powell faced testimony that websites like Craigslist have made sex trafficking easier than before.

As reported by CNN, Powell said, "Those who formerly placed ads in the adult services category will now have to advertise elsewhere."