Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
FBI Memo Flushes White House Assertion Down the Toilet
FBI memo reports Guantanamo guards flushing Koran
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An FBI agent wrote in a 2002 document made public on Wednesday that a detainee held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had accused American jailers there of flushing the Koran down a toilet.
The release of the declassified document came the week after the Bush administration denounced as wrong a May 9 Newsweek article that stated U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo had flushed a Koran down a toilet to try to make detainees talk.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=2776
THE RADION PROPAGANDA IS WORTH HEARING.
Protesters of overhaul dog Bush
By Richard Benedetto / USA Today
GREECE, N.Y. — Gone are the days when a president could travel to a community to make a pitch for a favorite program and bask in mostly favorable local media coverage.
Armed with a variety of publicity techniques honed in recent election campaigns, opponents are vying effectively with the president for local media attention before, during and after presidential visits.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=2781
Reverend apologizes for sign
From Staff and Wire Reports
FOREST CITY -- The pastor of a Rutherford County Baptist church apologized Wednesday for posting a sign in front of his church that read: "The Koran needs to be flushed."
The sign was posted last weekend in front of Danieltown Baptist Church, located on U.S. 221 in Forest City, an immediately sparked intense debate about religious tolerance.
http://www.thedigitalcourier.com/articles/2005/05/26/news/news01.txt
The Indy Star
State executes killer who wanted to donate liver
Gregory Scott Johnson is 3rd inmate Indiana has put to death this year.
Denied: Gov. Mitch Daniels rejected a request Tuesday afternoon by Gregory Scott Johnson (above) to delay his execution. -- Charlie Nye / The Star
Next execution
Michael A. Lambert could be the next inmate on Indiana's Death Row to face execution.
Lambert, 34, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 22 for the December 1990 killing of Muncie police officer Gregg Winters.
Lambert was being taken to the Delaware County Jail in Winters' police car when the officer was shot five times.
By Vic Ryckaert and Kevin Corcoran
vic.ryckaert@indystar.com
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- Gregory Scott Johnson was executed by lethal injection at 12:28 a.m. today at the Indiana State Prison for stomping 82-year-old Ruby Hutslar to death in 1985.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS01/505250505
Snags add millions to cost of library
Work set to resume, but $30 million loan may be needed to pay the bills, officials say.
Future look: This digital depiction shows a renovated Central Library with a six-story addition; the buildings are to be connected by an atrium. The grand opening has been pushed back to 2007. -- Photo provided by Woollen Molzan and Partners
Putting the project in perspective
Central Library is easily among the city's most ambitious construction projects.
Though not in a league with the $183 million Conseco Fieldhouse or planned $500 million Colts stadium, its $103 million cost dwarfs the $18 million spent for Victory Field. The cost also tops that of two other current projects: the 15-story Simon Headquarters on West Washington Street, at $55 million; and the new Conrad Hotel at Illinois and Washington Streets, at $100 million.
-- John Strauss
By John Strauss
john.strauss@indystar.com
Work on the Central Library expansion and renovation should resume within two weeks, but library officials said Tuesday that they may have to borrow up to $30 million to cover costs associated with a 16-month delay.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS01/505250506
Delays ahead for roadwork
With half the money it needs for 254 projects, the state plans to rewrite its 10-year wish list.
What's next
• Survey forms are being mailed to Indiana legislators so they can rank all state road projects in their districts based on safety concerns, congestion and economic impact.
• In July and August, the Indiana Department of Transportation will have six public hearings around the state to gauge residents' interests and concerns.
• Using the legislative rankings, public comments and other criteria, INDOT hopes to forge a new 10-year road building plan by Sept. 1.
• The list of projects at stake is online at www.in.gov/dot.
By Theodore Kim
theodore.kim@indystar.com
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS03/505250504
Tax to fund stadium moving along
In a 7-1 vote, council panel OKs measure to replace dome, expand Convention Center.
Related articles
• Dining tax gets initial go-ahead in Martinsville
What's next
The City-County Council is expected to take a final vote on the stadium and convention center funding proposal at its June 13 meeting. That session will be at 7 p.m. in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.
Details of proposal
What's in?
• The food and beverage tax, which affects restaurant tabs, would double to 2 percent, raising about $18 million a year.
• The innkeepers tax, charged on hotel and motel rooms, would increase to 9 percent from 6 percent, raising $10 million annually.
• A local tax on car rentals would double to 4 percent, raising $2 million annually.
• Marion County's admission tax, charged on Colts, Pacers and Indians tickets, would jump to 6 percent from 5 percent. That would bring in $1 million a year.
By John Fritze
john.fritze@indystar.com
A proposal to raise taxes on car rentals, hotel rooms and restaurant bills to build a new football stadium for the Indianapolis Colts leapt forward Tuesday with bipartisan support in the City-County Council.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS02/505250403
Zoo visitors will experience dolphin adventure
New perspective: A walk-through dome beneath the dolphins' tank will give the mammals and their visitors a close-up view of one another when the Indianapolis Zoo's renovated dolphin pavilion opens. -- Frank Espich / The Star
By Diana Penner
diana.penner@indystar.com
Indianapolis Zoo officials hope the reopening of the dolphin pavilion this week after a $10 million renovation will not only add some luster to the exhibit but also a little sparkle to the zoo's regional and national reputation
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050522/NEWS01/505220415/1006
PREVENT "The Military Class Blues"
Sparks fly at dropout forum
Audience rails at education system they say penalizes minorities
A show of concern: Parent Brenda Stewart expresses her views and frustrations to area residents who gathered at Ben Davis High School for a town hall meeting about the state's dropout rate. Tuesday night's meeting was organized by The Indianapolis Star. -- Adriane Jaeckle / The Star
By Staci Hupp
staci.hupp@indystar.com
The Indianapolis Star put the state's high school dropout problem into words and pictures last week. On Tuesday, the faces of Indiana's dropout reality turned up at an emotional town hall meeting that drew about 200 people to Ben Davis High School
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS01/505250473/0/SPECIAL02
School officials paring $90 million proposal
Opponents had questioned scale of Washington Township project
By Andy Gammill
andy.gammill@indystar.com
A $90 million building proposal that included new athletic facilities at North Central High School is being scaled back, district officials said.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS01/505250439/0/SPECIAL02
Cord-blood banks hold parents' hopes
City company keeps cells in storage as researchers seek cures for diseases, defects.
A deposit: Processing freshly collected umbilical cord blood (above) at Genesis Bank takes about four hours. Gravity and centrifugal force isolate the stem cells from the rest of the blood. -- Matt Detrich / Indianapolis Star
Cord-blood banking
Advantages/ disadvantages of storing and transplanting cord blood.
Pros:
• Banked umbilical cord blood is a form of long-term "medical insurance" that could be used to cure future diseases.
• Cord blood can be stored in cryogenic freezers.
• Stem cells in cord blood are highly adaptable and less likely to be rejected by a recipient's immune system.
• The future of stem cell research is promising; new medical discoveries may use stem cells.
Cons:
• Diseases that require transplanted blood stem cells are rare, although the list is growing.
• Currently, typical cord-blood harvest contains only enough cells to help a child or young adult.
• Collecting and storing cord blood can be expensive. Most private banks charge $500 to $1,500, and a storage fee of about $100 a year.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend cord-blood banking for families that don't have a history of disease.
Sources: Kidshealth.org; ParentsGuideCordBlood.org
Questions to ask
If you are considering a private cord-blood bank, here are some questions to consider:
• How financially stable is the cord-blood bank? What happens to your sample if the facility goes out of business?
• Can you switch to another facility if you choose?
• Does it operate its own storage facility or lease space in one?
• Are the yearly fees and maintenance costs fixed, or could they change without notice?
• Is the cord blood collected before or after delivery of the placenta? What collection methods are used?
• What storage container is used? Bags or vials? Is shipping included in the contract?
For more information:
• www.parentsguidecordblood.org -- Web site created for parents to educate them on cord blood.
• www.celltherapy.org -- International Society for Cellular Therapy.
• www.fda.gov/cber/ gene.htm -- Food and Drug Administration's Web site on cellular and gene therapy.
• www.aap.org -- American Academy of Pediatrics.
• www.marrow.org -- National Marrow Donor Program.
Sources: Kidshealth.org; ParentsGuideCordBlood.org
By Norm Heikens
norm.heikens@indystar.com
Ultrasound images showed Eli Welch would be born with spina bifida, a birth defect characterized by an improperly formed spine and symptoms including paralysis and learning disabilities.
The report so upset his parents, Dawn Applegate-Welch and Shawn Welch, that they told no one for two weeks.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/BUSINESS/505260385
Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs
Father appeals order in divorce decree that prevents couple from exposing son to Wicca.
Challenging the court: Thomas E. Jones Jr. says a judge's order tramples on his and his ex-wife's constitutional right to share their religious beliefs with their son. -- Frank Espich / The Star
What is Wicca?
Wicca is not a centralized religion but a belief system observed by 50,000 Americans that is recognized by reference texts such as the U.S. Army Chaplain's Handbook.
Wicca is related to European tribal nature worship. Wiccans regard living things as sacred and often show a concern for the environment.
They do not worship Satan, but some cast "spells." Some worship in the nude as a sign of attunement with nature.
The core value of Wicca states, "As it harm none, do what you will."
-- Star report
By Kevin Corcoran
kevin.corcoran@indystar.com
An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge's unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."
The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in nature and reverence for the earth.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260481
Syria arrests 1,200 headed for Iraq
By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Syria has arrested more than 1,200 people trying to cross the border into Iraq in recent weeks and sent many back to their home countries because of suspicions they were trying to join the insurgency, Syria's U.N. ambassador said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_SYRIA?SITE=ININS&SECTION=HOME
The New Zealand Herald
THEY HAVE TO BE GROWN BEFORE THEY ARE HARVESTED.
Scientists oppose Japanese plans to kill more whales
Professor Scott Baker, seen with a catalogue of humpback whale flukes, opposes Japanese plans to kill more whales. File picture / Amos Chapple
26.05.05 4.00pm
New Zealand scientists are joining an international clamour of condemnation against Japanese plans to kill more whales in the name of science.
Japan has asked the International Whaling Commission to approve plans to extend its Antarctic whaling programme in the Ross Sea to kill 80 each of humpback and fin whales and increase the number of minke whales killed from 440 to 850.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127620
Corby could do time in Australia
Schapelle Corby (C) talks to her case coordinator Vasu Rasiah (L) and her mother Ros Leigh Corby. Picture / Reuters
26.05.05
DENPASAR - Australia wants to negotiate a one-off prisoner transfer so Schapelle Corby can serve her sentence in an Australian jail if she is found guilty of drug smuggling.
Justice Minister Chris Ellison says Australian officials are ready to negotiate a transfer to an Australian jail for Corby, who will learn her fate around 5pm tomorrow.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127554
Oil pipe to loosen Opec grip turned on
26.05.05
By Daniel Howden and Philip Thornton
The first drops of crude will snake their way along a pipeline that traverses some of the most unstable and war-ravaged countries on Earth. This is the oil flow that was meant to save the West, and last night the taps were to be turned on.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127544
UK government re-introduces ID cards bill
26.05.05 1.00pm
LONDON - Britain's government has re-introduced a controversial bill to bring in identity cards, legislation that had to be put aside earlier this year when Prime Minister Tony Blair called the May 5 election.
The government says the cards, which would contain biometric data, would help stop identity theft, which costs about 1.3 billion pounds a year.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127605
African Union to seek US$460 million for Darfur force
26.05.05 1.10pm
ADDIS ABABA - The African Union (AU) is seeking US$460 million ($651.83 million) to more than triple its peacekeeping force in Sudan's Darfur region, a senior AU official said on Wednesday.
The 53-member pan-African body plans to make the request at a donor pledging conference on Sudan on Thursday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127644
FBI agent told of Koran flushing allegation in 2002
A Pakistani Islamic religious student holds Koran during a rally in Karachi. Picture / Reuters
26.05.05 1.00pm
WASHINGTON - An FBI agent wrote in a 2002 document made public today that a detainee held at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had accused American jailers there of flushing the Koran down a toilet.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127636
Muslim leader offers to swap places with hostage
The Mufti of Australia, Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilali, in Baghdad earlier this month. Picture / Reuters
26.05.05 3.45pm
CANBERRA - Australian Muslim leader Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali has offered himself to Iraqi militants in exchange for the freedom of hostage Douglas Wood.
A video tape of al-Hilali's offer to swap himself for Wood -- a 63-year-old Australian engineer held hostage for more than three weeks -- has been given to television stations Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, al-Hilali's spokesman Kayser Trad said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127657
Native American Nuuchahnulth language gets first dictionary
The Native American language has been in steady decline ever since English speakers colonised North Western America in the 19th Century. Picture / Reuters
26.05.05 4.00pm
by Ian Herbert
The language known to the dwindling band of Native Americans who speak it as 'Nuuchahnulth' (pronounced Noo-cha-noolth) is like few others in its spectacular range of dialects and its capacity to convey complex ideas through simple words.
'Nuuchahnulth' itself means 'along the mountains', a reference to the inaccessible Vancouver Island mountain range on Canada's Western coast where it is spoken.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10127646
concluding. . .
