23 News Blog @newzblogz.com

The Timberwolves can always count on Kevin Garnett. Wednesday night he finally got the help he needed to end Minnesota's road woes.

Rookie guard Randy Foye scored 24 points and Garnett had 17 points and 18 rebounds to rally the Timberwolves to 95-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

The Timberwolves snapped an 11-game road losing streak and outscored the Kings 32-19 in the fourth quarter. Sacramento has lost seven of eight. Rookie Craig Smith had five points in crunch time and Foye made jumper after jumper and finished with 14 fourth-quarter points.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James struggled. Fortunately for Nowitzki, the rest of the Dallas Mavericks outplayed James' teammates. Nowitzki scored 23 points and Jason Terry added 21 to help the Mavericks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time this month, 98-90 Wednesday night. "That's why we are a great team, because other guys stepped up when we needed them," said Nowitzki, who added nine rebounds and six assists. The Mavericks, who have the NBA's best record at 56...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:20 PM CDT)

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:21 PM CDT)

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Long hours are the norm at the Prudhoe Bay oil field, but veteran workers for field operator BP PLC said a labor shortage has made conditions ripe for fatigue-related accidents similar to one that killed 15 employees in the company's Texas plant in 2005.

The dearth of highly skilled technicians at well pads and oil collection centers coincided with an uptick in construction and pipeline inspections following two spills at Prudhoe Bay last year.

The company has failed to fill about a dozen vacancies for highly skilled technicians, despite repeated requests from its union since September, said Kris Dye, president of United Steelworkers 4959.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:18 PM CDT)

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

With both superstars struggling, the one with the better supporting cast won.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points and Jason Terry added 21 to help the Dallas Mavericks beat Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time this month, 98-90 Wednesday night.

The Mavericks, who have the NBA's best record at 56-11, have won four straight and are 3-0 on a six-game road trip that has included victories over Detroit and New York.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:13 PM CDT)

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Winona State won its NCAA Division II-record 56th straight game Wednesday night, beating previously unbeaten Bentley College 64-51 to advance to the national semifinals.

Zach Mavlik scored 19 points to help the defending champion Warriors (34-0) set up a semifinal game Thursday night against Central Missouri, an 86-69 winner over Montevallo. Winona State hasn't lost since Jan. 7, 2006.

In the other semifinal, Barton College will face Cal State-San Bernardino. Barton edged Grand Valley State 83-81 in overtime, and San Bernardino beat Wingate 100-73.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

CLEVELAND — Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James struggled. Fortunately for Nowitzki, the rest of the Dallas Mavericks outplayed James' teammates.

Nowitzki scored 23 points and Jason Terry added 21 to help the Mavericks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time this month, 98-90 Wednesday night.

"That's why we are a great team, because other guys stepped up when we needed them," said Nowitzki, who added nine rebounds and six assists.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

(Created: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:13 PM CDT)

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

ATLANTA - Miami has endured so much adversity this season that the Heat's dwindling lead hardly concerned Jason Williams.

"It seems like someone has been out for us all year long," Williams said. "So we just have to keep doing what we have to do to win."

Williams had 21 points and eight assists, and the Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 91-83 Wednesday night for their 10th victory in 11 games.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Feels like coming home: Returning to art after a life in finance

BY Heather voorhees SUn NEwspaperS

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

RALEIGH, N.C. – Baylor fulfilled coach Kim Mulkey's promise to scratch, claw and give favored North Carolina State a fight.

But the Lady Bears find themselves in the unfamiliar role of Sweet 16 spectators after a gut-wrenching 78-72 overtime loss Tuesday night at the RBC Center.

Women's NCAA Tournament

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

SAN FRANCISCO ? Adobe Systems Inc. executives are raising profit guidance after the company easily exceeded Wall Street expectations with a 37 percent surge in first-quarter profit.

But on the cusp of the biggest product launch in the company's history, some analysts sounded notes of caution, saying the pace of change in the volatile software industry makes it hard to predict Adobe's long-term fortune.

Adobe shares closed Tuesday at $40.74, up 50 cents or 1 percent, on the Nasdaq Stock Market. They gained $1.52 in after-hours trading.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Caught between stubbornly elevated U.S. inflation and signs of weaker economic growth, the Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady as it wraps up a two-day policy-setting meeting on Wednesday.

While a decision to keep benchmark overnight borrowing costs at 5.25 percent is widely expected, financial markets are eagerly awaiting word on how the U.S. central bank views the economic outlook.

Most economists expect the Fed to reiterate concerns over inflation when it announces its decision around 2:15 p.m. (1815

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Granger 1-7 2-2 5, O'Neal 9-24 7-11 25, Foster 2-2 0-0 4, Dunleavy 3-13 1-2 7, Tinsley 11-19 0-1 22, Murphy 2-6 0-0 4, Williams 1-5 0-0 2, Armstrong 0-4 1-2 1, Diogu 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 32-84 11-18 76.

HOUSTON (86)

Battier 3-7 0-0 8, Hayes 3-4 0-0 6, Yao 10-17 12-13 32, McGrady 7-21 5-6 20, Alston 1-8 0-0 2, Head 1-9 0-0 3, Mutombo 0-1 2-2 2, Howard 3-8 0-0 6, Snyder 3-4 0-0 7. Totals 31-79 19-21 86.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

HARTFORD, Conn. — Maryland fell into Mississippi's trap and the defending NCAA champion never got out. Ole Miss (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and scored 42 points off 29 Maryland turnovers and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins 89-78 in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night.

"I think the game is really simple," Mississippi coach Carol Ross said. "You guard hard, you create ball plays, you let ball players make ball plays. You put them into position to do that."

Maryland was expected to have a good chance at repeating as national champions with all five starters returning. The Terps added depth with transfer Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, but it wasn't enough to stop them from a disappointing second round loss.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

SAN FRANCISCO - Adobe Systems Inc. executives are raising profit guidance after the company easily exceeded Wall Street expectations with a 37 percent surge in first-quarter profit.

But on the cusp of the biggest product launch in the company's history, some analysts sounded notes of caution, saying the pace of change in the volatile software industry makes it hard to predict Adobe's long-term fortune.

Adobe shares closed Tuesday at $40.74, up 50 cents or 1 percent, on the Nasdaq Stock Market. They gained $1.52 in after-hours trading.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Maryland fell into Mississippi's trap and the defending NCAA champion never got out. Ole Miss (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and scored 42 points off 29 Maryland turnovers and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins 89-78 in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night. "I think the game is really simple," Mississippi coach Carol Ross said. "You guard hard, you create ball plays, you let ball players make ball plays. You put them into position ...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

RALEIGH, N.C. — Kay Yow hugged her players as photographers took shot after shot. Then North Carolina State's coach turned to the fans, smiled and triumphantly extended both arms to hold up a Wolfpack hand gesture.

The fans responded by giving her a standing ovation as she left the court.

It was truly a moment to savor for the Hall of Fame coach and her fight-to-the-finish Wolfpack.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

ATLANTA -- Hooters -- the restaurant chain known for its scantily clad servers and its spicy chicken wings -- is headed to Israel.

Atlanta-based Hooters of America said in a statement Tuesday that it has reached a franchise deal with Ilana and Ofer Ahiraz to open the first Hooters Restaurant this year in Israel, with more locations to follow.

There are more than 430 Hooters Restaurants in the United States and 23 other countries, including China, Australia, Switzerland and Brazil.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

A sorority that was eliminated from the campus of DePauw University after a much-publicized incident in which 23 women were asked to leave the active organization is blaming the media.

Delta Zeta sent a letter to its members and alumni saying that misleading media coverage "negatively impacted its collegiate and alumnae members, the student body at the university, and Greek students nationwide."

DePauw University made its announcement about kicking the chapter of Delta Zeta off campus after members said they were booted from the sorority because of weight and race.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

TEXAS CITY, Texas - Overly lax federal oversight and cost-cutting by BP were factors in a 2005 explosion at the oil giant's Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured 170, the worst U.S. industrial accident since 1990, a government report found.

Though companies have plenty of safeguards for individual workers' safety, there is a potentially deadly lack of sound procedures to measure process safety, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which released the report Tuesday.

At a public meeting Tuesday night where the board approved the report, Chairwoman Carolyn W. Merritt vowed that the agency would follow up on the report's safety recommendations until they are adopted.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

HOUSTON - The U.S. agency responsible for worker safety failed to inspect plants with enough care and frequency to prevent an accident like the 2005 explosion at BP's Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured 170, the worst U.S. industrial accident since 1990, a government report said Tuesday.

Companies have plenty of safeguards for individual workers' safety, but have a potentially deadly lack of sound procedures to measure process safety, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which released the report.

"Process safety programs to protect the lives of workers and the public deserve the same level of attention, investment and scrutiny as companies now dedicate to managing their financial controls," CSB Chairwoman Carolyn W. Merritt said at a news conference on the agency's final report into the March 23, 2005, explosion in Texas City.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Kay Yow hugged her players as photographers took shot after shot. Then North Carolina State's coach turned to the fans, smiled and triumphantly extended both arms to hold up a Wolfpack hand gesture. The fans responded by giving her a standing ovation as she left the court. It was truly a moment to savor for the Hall of Fame coach and her fight-to-the-finish Wolfpack.

Khadijah Whittington scored 15 of her career-high 23 points after halftime while pulling down 11 rebounds. Shayla Fields knocked down a 3-pointer in the final minute of overtime shortly after missing key free throws late in regulation. And when it was over, the Wolfpack had held off Baylor 78-72 on Tuesday night to earn Yow's first trip to the NCAA tournament's round of 16 in six years.

It certainly wasn't easy for N.C. State (25-9), the fourth seed in the Fresno Regional. The Wolfpack bounced back after blowing an 11-point lead midway through the second half, then evaded what would have been a crushing loss in front of its home fans when Bernice Mosby missed a shot on the final play of regulation.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma's halftime message to his trailing team was calm and simple. "If you want to go to regional, you've got to defend the 3, and you've got to be smart," Auriemma said.

The top-seeded Huskies responded after the break with a 14-2 run to erase a 46-42 second-half deficit and pulled away from there, routing No. 9 Wisconsin-Green Bay 94-70 in the second round of the Fresno Regional.

The win snapped a 26-game winning streak for the Phoenix, the longest in the nation.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Shaver Hansen went 5-for-5 with six RBIs and scored four runs as the Baylor Bears defeated Texas Southern in a 22-1 rout Tuesday night.

Hansen homered in the second and had two RBI singles in an 11-run eighth inning for Baylor (13-10). Paul Miles had three RBIs and Beamer Weems and Aaron Miller each had two RBIs for the Bears.

Baylor got 23 hits off four Texas Southern pitchers.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

— An auto mechanic accused of setting a raging wildfire that killed five firefighters was back in court Monday to face additional arson charges as the first detailed evidence on the blazes was presented.

A state fire investigator testified that Raymond Lee Oyler likely experimented with arson methods as early as five months before the fatal fire.

Oyler, 36, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, 17 counts of using an incendiary device and 23 counts of arson, including the deadly fire.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

      • Holiday Lights at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, through Saturday from 5:30-10 p.m. (closed Sundays and Christmas Day). Features more than a million lights, holiday music and the Christmas story. Cost: $7 a car, $3 for hayrides, $25 per bus.

      • Christmas in the Rotunda through Wednesday at the American Fork Library, 64 S. 100 East. Celebrate the season through the eyes of a child. Free.

      • Christmas Cruise on the Provo River through Saturday; meet at the CLAS Ropes Course, 3606 W. Center, Provo. Monday-Thursday from 6:30-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 6:30-10 p.m. Enjoy holiday scenes along the shore, Christmas music and Santa in his canoe. Twenty-five-minute ride, leaving every half hour. Cost $5/$20 per family. Call 373-8897.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK (AP) -- Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the troubled video game publisher behind the "Grand Theft Auto" series, said Monday it is looking into options that could include a sale of the company. Take-Two, which is facing an attempt by a shareholder group to replace its board and possibly oust its chief executive, also postponed its annual shareholder meeting, scheduled for March 23, until March 29. The investor group, which includes Oppenheimer Funds, DE Shaw Valence Portfolios LL...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

ANCHORAGE, Alaska It seems that a lot of people are willing to move to Alaska and put down roots in the frozen tundra.It took only hours for the 26 parcels offered in the town of Anderson to be claimed. People flew or drove north, and even camped out in 25 below zero temperatures for a chance at secluded bliss among the spruce and cottonwoods. There were few locals among the dreamers, but plenty from as far away as Florida.And those losing out in the initial land grab aren't entirely out of luck...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

      • Haunted Forest, 1100 S. 500 East, American Fork. Open daily except Sundays, weekdays from 7-10 p.m. Friday/Saturday from 7:30 p.m.-midnight. Cost: $14, 6-under free. Call 888-696-8669 or see: www.hauntedutah.com.

      • Cornbelly's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest through Oct. 31, Monday-Thursday from 4-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi. Cost: Day combo pass $10; night combo pass $15/$10 children; group rates available. Call 794-FARM.

      • Fall Hayride at Southridge Farms, through Oct. 30, 300 W. 900 South, Santaquin. Cost: $2/$1 children 10-under. Call 754-5511.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Allen 2-4 0-0 4, Cole 3-8 0-1 7, Je.Adair 4-10 2-2 10, Beck 6-12 3-5 18, Lawrence 5-12 2-3 12, Ja.Adair 4-7 0-0 8, Bates 0-0 0-1 0, Steele 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 7-12 59.

TEXAS A&M (25-7)

Reado 1-5 1-2 3, Gant 3-9 3-4 9, Micheaux 4-5 0-0 8, Starks 6-14 2-2 16, Franklin 3-13 0-3 7, Buchanan 2-2 0-2 4, Atunrase 0-8 0-0 0, Pounds 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 19-58 6-13 47.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

So you want to go to Mexico, but you don't have a passport? There are still options, at least for one more year.

Using just your driver's license or birth certificate, Americans can cross the border and spend a day buying trinkets and even a bottle of tequila to take home from one of Mexico's dozens of bordertowns, scattered between Tijuana and Matamoros. Or, if you have a long weekend and want to explore farther south, you can take a bus or drive to old mining towns that seem untouched by time, like the mountaintop Real de Catorce.

As of Jan. 23, all U.S. citizens must have a passport for airline travel to Mexico and the Caribbean. But, those traveling by land or boat need only a driver's license or birth certificate. (The U.S. government may require passports for land travel as early as Jan. 1, 2008, although it is still debating an extension.)

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK - The latest jetliner to claim the title of world's biggest passenger aircraft completed its inaugural flight to the United States on Monday, flying on football field-length wings and a prayer that airlines will want to shell out $300 million to buy the behemoth double-decker jet.The four-engine Airbus A380 descended from a sunny sky and touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 12:10 p.m. EDT, to the cheers of onlookers. As the plane made its way toward the termina...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK — The latest jetliner to claim the title of world's biggest passenger aircraft completed its inaugural flight to the United States on Monday, flying on football field-length wings and a prayer that airlines will want to shell out $300 million to buy the behemoth double-decker jet.

The four-engine Airbus A380 descended from a sunny sky and touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 12:10 p.m. EDT, to the cheers of onlookers. As the plane made its way toward the terminal, a pilot waved an American flag. Minutes later, a separate A380 arrived in Los Angeles, with just a crew and no passengers.

The first U.S. flights are a chance for plane builder Airbus and German airline Lufthansa AG to show off the jewel of Airbus' offerings to potential American buyers and to the airports they hope to turn into flight bases for the jet.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

LOS ANGELES – At the end, work ethic and defensive intensity couldn't overcome the offensive struggles.

The Dallas dream died hard for Texas A&M, ended by air balls, missed free throws and turnovers.

Women's NCAA Tournament

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Kamm 1-4 0-0 2, Quaye 2-12 0-0 5, McCullough 0-6 5-6 5, Ellis 4-12 1-2 12, Osagie-Landry 3-6 4-5 10, Monfre 1-4 1-2 4, Harris 0-3 1-3 1, Lam 2-6 0-0 4, Kovalenko 0-3 0-0 0, Thrower 0-5 4-5 4. Totals 13-61 16-23 47.

OKLAHOMA (28-4)

Thompson 3-4 0-0 6, Rush 4-9 0-0 10, C.Paris 9-14 6-8 24, Plumley 0-4 2-2 2, Higgins 1-6 0-0 3, Stevenson 3-4 0-0 6, Olajuwon 2-3 0-0 4, A.Paris 3-5 2-2 8, Winchester 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 0-1 2-4 2, Welch 3-8 2-2 9, Hammond 0-2 0-0 0, Sanchez 0-0 2-2 2, Brown 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 28-60 18-22 78.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK Stocks opened the week with a solid advance, rebounding from last week's trouncing.The Dow Jones industrial average finished with a gain of more than 115 points at 12-thousand-226. Advancing issues on the New York Stock Exchange led losers three-to-one on volume of about two-point-six (b) billion shares. The Nasdaq composite index was up 21 and three-quarters at the 23-hundred-94 level, with roughly one-point-six (b) billion shares traded. And the S-and-P 500 added 15 points, closing at...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Sammy Mejia and Wilson Chandler led DePaul with 18 points each, and the Blue Demons reached the NIT West Regional finals with a 70-65 second-round victory over Kansas State on Monday night.

Draelon Burns added 17 points for third-seeded DePaul, which will face top-seeded Air Force on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Blue Demons (20-13) reached the 20-win mark for the third time in the last four seasons and won two straight postseason games for the first time since the 1990 NIT.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

AUSTIN, Texas — Sylvia Fowles seemed frustrated and angry. Her LSU teammates looked as if the weight of a tumultuous postseason might finally be too much to bear.

But the Lady Tigers saw no reason to give up just yet.

Fowles scored 14 of her 21 points in the second half, and LSU rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat West Virginia 49-43 on Monday night in the second round of the Fresno Regional.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK Stock prices are on the rise on Wall Street.The Dow Jones industrial average is up 109 points at 12-thousand-219. Gainers on the New York Stock Exchange hold a four-to-one lead over losers.The Nasdaq Composite Index has gained nearly 23 points at 23-hundred-95.And the Standard-and-Poor's 500 Stock Index is up 14 points at 14-hundred and one.Trading on the New York Stock Exchange during the first two hours totaled 928 (m) million shares. Volume on the Nasdaq Market came to 601 (m) millio...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Armintie Price and her Mississippi teammates pressed TCU right out of the NCAA tournament. Price scored 21 points and these running Rebels scored 39 points off 23 turnovers, beating TCU 88-74 Sunday in the first round of the Dayton Regional. Mississippi (22-10) won in the NCAAs for the first time since 1994, posting its highest-scoring game ever in the tournament. The Rebels, who had lost five of their last six games, including a 52-46 defeat to LSU in the SEC tournam...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

If you've got a passion for ancient ruins but Greece and Italy no longer hold allure, consider Turkey for your next vacation. From top to bottom, Turkey is loaded with amazing archaeological sites, from the temples at Mt. Nemrut to the Roman city at Ephesus. You could spend a lifetime studying ruins in Turkey, but if time is limited, this four-day itinerary hits some of the most-prized archaeological sites. Adding a couple of days in Istanbul at the beginning or end makes for a perfect trip.

Day 1 and 2: Istanbul

Arrive in Istanbul and head to one of the small hotels in Sultanahmet. The Empress Zoe is a favorite, and as some rooms start at 100 per night, it's something of a bargain. Leave the next day free for a visit to Topkapi Palace, which gives visitors a keen sense of how the Ottoman sultans once lived. Ancient tombs and artifacts from prehistory are on display at the nearby Archaeological Museum (Gulhane Park, next to Topkapi Palace). In the evening, head to one of the neighborhood along the Bosphorous for a fish dinner.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

(AP) ? Juergen Raps, the chief pilot for Lufthansa's A380 flight to the United States, has a much roomier, powerful and comfortable plane than Charles Lindbergh did when he made the first solo flight across the Atlantic from New York to Paris in 1927.

A comparison of the A380, which is set to begin commercial service in October, and the Spirit of St. Louis:

The Airbus A380

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

— Rutgers looks as of it's ready to play anybody, anywhere. Matee Ajavon scored 20 points, and Kia Vaughn added 14 to help the fourth-seeded Scarlet Knights rout East Carolina 77-34 on Sunday night in the first round of the Greensboro Regional.

The Scarlet Knights (23-8) advanced to play Michigan State (24-8) on the Spartans' home floor Tuesday night.

When the possible matchup was revealed, Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer wasn't happy.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

RALEIGH, N.C. - Temple found a way to hang around the NCAA tournament a little longer. Lady Comfort scored the go-ahead basket in the final two minutes and Fatima Maddox hit four clinching free throws to help the Owls rally past Nebraska 64-61 on Sunday night, earning a first-round victory for the second time in three seasons.

Maddox scored 18 points for the eighth-seeded Owls (25-7), who advanced to play top-seeded Duke in the Greensboro regional on Tuesday. Comfort added 15 points, while Kamesha Hairston shook off a bad first half and finished with 12.

It was Temple's second NCAA victory in five appearances under coach Dawn Staley. The Owls certainly had to earn this year's trip to the second round by rallying from a four-point deficit in the final 2 1/2 minutes against the ninth-seeded Cornhuskers (22-10), who led almost the entire second half.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK ? The stock market proved again last week that it's vulnerable to bad news relating to U.S. subprime mortgage lenders. This week should give investors a clearer view of the housing market's health, and whether it's stable enough to stave off an overflow of that sector's troubles into the wider economy.

In addition to housing data, investors will be digesting the Federal Reserve's take on inflation, and trying to figure out if the central bank is leaning toward a rate hike ? a move that could put even more of a drag on the housing market and consumer spending.

Last Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrials dropped more than 240 points when the New York Stock Exchange said it was moving to delist New Century Financial Corp., Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. said it was low on cash and the home loan units of GMAC Financial Services and H&R Block indicated they're struggling. The subprime mortgage industry isn't a huge portion of the U.S. economy, but some market sages (including former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan) are saying troubles could escalate and ...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

HOUSTON None of the Houston police officers who've fired Tasers most frequently have been reprimanded for unjustifiably using the stun gun.It comes even though one-third of the suspects were never convicted of a crime.A review by the Houston Chronicle found that nine H-P-D officers have fired their Tasers at least six people since the city council approved the four-point-seven (M) million dollar purchase of the alternative weapons in November 2004.The newspaper reviewed over a thousand Taser inc...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

NEW YORK - The stock market proved again last week that it's vulnerable to bad news relating to U.S. subprime mortgage lenders. This week should give investors a clearer view of the housing market's health, and whether it's stable enough to stave off an overflow of that sector's troubles into the wider economy.

In addition to housing data, investors will be digesting the Federal Reserve's take on inflation, and trying to figure out if the central bank is leaning toward a rate hike - a move that could put even more of a drag on the housing market and consumer spending.

Last Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrials dropped more than 240 points when the New York Stock Exchange said it was moving to delist New Century Financial Corp., Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. said it was low on cash and the home loan units of GMAC Financial Services and H&R Block indicated they're struggling. The subprime mortgage industry isn't a huge portion of the U.S. economy, but some market sages (including former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan) are saying troubles could escalate and ...

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

DALLAS — Mike Ribeiro scored two goals, including the game-winner with 40 seconds left in overtime, to send the Dallas Stars to a 5-4 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday night.

Ribeiro tucked a power-play rebound by Phoenix goaltender Mikael Tellqvist for his 13th goal of the season as Dallas improved to 5-1 in its past six games.

Sergei Zubov gave the Stars a 4-3 lead with 4:24 remaining in regulation, scoring his 11th of the season from the right circle.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Bryant became the first Lakers player with consecutive 50-point games in 44 seasons, following a 65-point game with 50 against Minnesota on Sunday night in Los Angeles' 109-102 victory over the Timberwolves.

"We talked about going to Kobe early in games and not waiting," coach Phil Jackson said. "He had been playing the team role, feeling the game out and waiting 'til the second half to get going. But there's just not enough time right now in the season to develop that."

Bryant became the first Lakers player with consecutive games of 50 or more points since December 1962, when Elgin Baylor did it in three straight games.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

VIENNA, Austria (AP) It looks like a color-coded terror alert scale - and meteorologically speaking, that's exactly what it is. With climate change making conditions more unpredictable, national weather services from across the European Union have joined forces to create http://www.meteoalarm.eu - a new Web site providing up-to-the-minute information on "extreme weather" across the continent.

The initiative, managed by Austria's Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, is designed to give Europeans a single source for details on flash floods, severe thunderstorms, gale-force winds, heat waves, blizzards and other violent weather that poses a threat to life or property.

It also issues 24- and 48-hour warnings for heavy fog, extreme cold, forest fires and "coastal events" such as high waves or severe tides.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

FRANKFURT, Germany ? It may trail the historic impact of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic, but the Spirit of St. Louis also did not have a wingspan wider than a football field or space for more than 500 passengers.

For plane builder Airbus and German airline Lufthansa AG, the A380's first flight to North America on Monday is a chance to show off the superjumbo to potential U.S. buyers and to the airports they hope will be flight bases for the double-decker jet.

"We're talking about an airplane that is representing aviation in the 21st century in terms of efficiency," said Jens Bischoff, Lufthansa's vice president for the Americas.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) ? Drew George doubled home the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning and then scored the winning run on Jordan Lennerton's single as No. 5 Oregon State extended its winning streak to nine games with a 3-2 win over San Francisco on Sunday.

Eddie Kunz struck out the side in the top of ninth to earn the win for the Beavers, who have started the season with 20 victories in 23 games.

Starter Daniel Turpen pitched into the eighth inning, allowing both San Francisco runs. He struck out seven and walked none.

Link to full article

Add to Del.icio.us | Digg This | Post to Reddit

John Barnes' mother, Valerie Wallace, chronicled the year on www.caringbridge.org(site name: johndbarnes). Here are some excerpts:

Sunday, April 23

When I got back to the hospital, J.D. was on the FLOOR!!!! My heart stopped. He fell out of bed and I know he was probably trying to get to the bathroom although he denies it. I was once again livid because they keep shutting his door. He must have been on the floor for a while because he managed to get one of his shoes on.

Link to full article